I’ve started up this new blog. It can be found at http://blog.iloveqatar.net/
It’s more to do with my rants, opinions and views in Qatar

Sometimes people won’t believe the luck that I have.

Let’s try and remember yesterday. It was a good day, things were going nicely. I took Nick and Laeek to the tailor to go and get them some thobes. We had some laughs, we enjoyed, I had some Qataris smile and were so happy at the fact that some expats were getting thobes and embracing our culture.

So far so good right? So I’m driving to the City Centre mall to drop them off at the car, when this Mercedes speeds by and a rock flies out of his back tyre and hits my front wind shield. You’d think that was it but it freaking cracked! Half of my window is now cracked.

So after a couple of deep sighs, I dropped the guys at the car and decided to head off to the traffic police. Laeek called me and was kind enough to come to the station just in case they needed to keep my car. Luckily they didn’t, but anyway, I had to get this paper which allows me to repair my car (I had full insurance), so the police man says “did you get a look at the guy’s plate?”. “yes”, I said. He replied with “so do you want us to call the guy in and put it on his insurance or yours.” After he explained it might take two weeks, I said ‘fine just put it on my insurance’.

I can’t believe that I now have an extra ‘thing to do’. *sighs*

I’ve been getting into the real-estate game recently. In Qatar, you can get up to 100% return on property within a year and a half and it’s just too good of a bargain to pass up.

I’ve seen properties at “The Pearl”. (A world exclusive private island http://www.thepearlqatar.com ) and at the Lagoon Tower (The world’s tallest leaning tower).

It’s been a bit tricky for me as well because I need to get a mortgage however I haven’t been able to because I’ve only been working at QNB for 2 months. Luckily the head of my department said that he’d try to do something for me on Sunday.

Hope it works out.

Well its my birthday today. It started with around 4 texts and calls wishing me happy birthday but the day ended with quite alot of happy wishes.
It’s kind of funny though, because the people you consider your friends don’t even remember, and people you’ve just met go out of their way to say something.

Anyway, was a great day because I had a gift sent to me from my girlfriend. I’m not going to say what was in it because it’s my secret. It was awesome! She sent me a box all the way from her country and I was so excited by it. Maybe I’ll show a bit of what I had. I’ll think about it. For now, it’s ALL MINE! Punks!

Can’t sleep. I kind of feel guilty… I didn’t call my girl at all today and I feel bad about it…
I was just so busy with things that I totally forgot to call… Hope she understands.

Spent the weekend in London. It was a short business trip and I was able to meet some people and do some negotiations about a project called the Shard. Can’t write much about it because I’m not allowed to though for now

All I can say is that Qatar is mostly funding this project and that it’s the tallest building in Europe. It’s a huge project that I’m glad to be a part of because it’ll be remembered forever in history.

You know, it’s kind of funny that I’ve gone through around 4 Macs now and I’m still just as excited.

Now I’ll justify my purchase by saying that it’s not my main computer.
I use a desktop and this macbook is perfect for moving around.

Just need to get an ethernet and external drive now and I’ll be happy.
Oh no wait! I need a Manila envelope too!

I thought I read somewhere that there’s a leather one with velvet lining.

Anyway, I ended up going for the 1.6 version because after playing with a 1.8 I found hardly any difference in speed.

(I tested app launching, photoshop, and start up. Basic tests I know, but ah well).

It’s an amazing laptop and I truly feel happy with the purchase.
I wish it was cheaper. On paper, it’s hard to justify it to be honest, but that’s the price you pay for slim and portable devices I guess.

For those who are looking for a laptop. Don’t get the MBA unless you care about portability ALOT or have a second laptop/desktop. I advise you to get a Macbook 2.4Ghz

Glad to be one of the only people in Qatar with it at the moment ;P

I went over to my cousins house today and parked on the side in front of his house and waited for him to come out.
I had a friend with me in the car too. The road was a bit dark and a car was coming towards me flashing his lights. I ignored it thinking that his lights were faulty because if he was flashing his lights, they were really weak.

So he stops next to me and starts to say stuff with his window shut. I see that he’s an Indian guy. I say, what’s wrong?, he can’t hear me because his window is shut. So I ask him to put his window down by gesturing. He starts saying “Are you stupid? I could have had an accident. Your full beam shouldn’t be on” I said “it wasn’t on!”.
He gets out of the car as if he wants to fight. After some words, I’m screaming at him now because he’s asking like a freaking asshole. I said “Look! My full beam was not on”. I demonstrate the difference.

“No, you just switched it off”, he said. “No I didn’t!” Now we’re two guys standing in this guys face and I’m telling him that I didn’t have my full beams on. He was shorted than both of us and I would have smacked him in the face for being an asshole but he was as old as my father.

“Get in your car and leave”, my friend says. The guy gets in and drives away.

What is this? He’s acting like such a rude person in Qatar to Qataris. He shouldn’t act that way with ANY person!

That’s my WTF moment.

Working at QNB has been tiresome. It’s kind of funny because this is my first dedicated job and they’ve thrown me into the deep end all at once. It’s been hectic and some days I’ve been working from 7am to 7pm. I need to work hard. It feels good to be honest. I’m banking on the fact that in a couple of months my salary will be bumped up by around 8k. If it doesn’t I guess I’ll be losing faith in the people who lead me to believe that.

I’ve been using my weekend to sleep. I don’t like over sleeping, but I feel sooo good. You know, I think that sleeping is one of the best feelings a person can have when they’re uber tired.

Yesterday was a day I won’t forget. I was renegade cop. I drove around Doha trying to find problems with the bad drivers. Here are a few stories:

1) I was driving on the left lane of a three lane road. The left lane is the fast lane and for people who want to go straight or turn left. There was this car on the middle lane who looked like he was going to turn to go left despite me driving 65km (15 below the speed limit); I was slowing down because of the traffic otherwise I would go the speed limit. After I passed him, as he went into the exit lane, he honks his horn at me. I’m like ‘wait a minute, what did he just do?’. I look in my rear-view mirror, I see there are no cars, so I reverse and then go into the exit lane. I park next to him and give him the staredown. He stares, and I mouth “you were wrong” while shaking my head. He opens his window, I open mind. He speaks (in a Tunisian accent), “I was trying to turn left and you were going so fast.”

“You were wrong, it was my right of way to go straight, it’s not my fault you were in the wrong lane and tried to turn onto someone.”, I said that in a firm voice, angry eyebrows, and in a super Qatari accent. He noticed the accent, smiled and said “ok I’m sorry, it doesn’t matter”.

Now wtf was that? He was an elder man with his wife and kids in the car! He should have been an example to them! PLUS he honks at me when he’s wrong! Hope I made a difference.

2) I was driving at the corniche and reached a round about, just after exiting (I’m in the middle lane), this old rickity corolla swirves into my lane and almost clips me. I honk hard. The guys in the back seat turn back to look at me and the driver swirves almost out of control to get out of my way, but then BACK into my lane. I get pissed off so I get in line with him, and put down my window and say “You have people in your car, die if you want but you’re responsible for THEM too”. The guy replies in an Egyptian accent, “I wanted to change lanes”. I replied, then USE and indicator, your back mirror, and wait for space!”. He replies “we don’t need to in Egypt”. I said “we’re not in Egypt!”. He looked like a freaking idiot! So I drove away.

It seems that the government needs to be MUCH more stricter with licenses….

I’ve upgraded my blog. brand new and sexay

my stomach hurts