Random things

A few random things about living in Qatar:

1) Most people don't use email; telephone or in-person meetings are still the primary mode of communication. Considering how much I hate dealing with people over the telephone, it drives me bonkers.

2) Peter had to sign a "no objection letter" for me to get a permanent driving license - WHAT?

3) Apparently, if Peter doesn't want me to leave the country, he can inform the airport (via a letter I think), and they won't let me leave - WHAAAAT?

4) Our rental car company sends a receipt of our payment to us days after we make the payment.

5) We have a 70 cents per shirt ironing service that picks up and delivers the shirts.

6) The guy from the dry cleaners who picks up our shirts doesn't give us any documentation of what he is taking - documentation of services/products is really a non-concept here. Things just kind of work.

7) Our telephone bill payment doesn't appear on the next month's statement because it takes them longer to process the payment then to issue the next statement.

8) Locals drive up to the sandwich shops or small cafe entrances, and honk for the employees to come get their order and then bring it out. We will never become this local!

9) Service contrasts: from the moment you walk into one of the nicer hotels until you reach your destination (usually a restaurant), you are greeted a gazillion times; but, in the malls, if you walk into a store, you are completely ignored even if you try to get their attention.

10) The landscaping guys (not professional gardeners; rather, laborers from India, Pakistan, Phillipines or Sri Lanka) cut off the new green leaves of the trees (the parts you should keep) and leave the dead parts that are further in or higher because their goal is simply to make the tree shape pretty. It's all about the image. One day I climbed the tree in our front yard to pull of the dead limbs - it was fun for me, but also for those who were watching.