I have just got back from an awesome week being immersed in all things Lush in Poole which I will definitely blog about but first I felt I had to share my experience of the QDC, or Qatar Distribution Company. It really was the most intense alcohol purchase of my entire life.
You may remember me mentioning that I needed to get a license to buy alcohol here. Well I got my license this week, I feel just like James Bond only with a more useful level of clearance. This was surprisingly one of the simplest things I have managed to acquire here, I needed a letter from my employer stating I was allowed a license and of course I needed my Qatar ID but once I had those things it was a matter of minutes to get the license itself. Buying the alcohol however was another matter...
Below are a couple of photos I took during the 'shop' at QDC on Wednesday night.
The first photo is us in the queue to get into the shop. I should point out that the queue behind us went all through the car park and out onto the road. I wanted to take a photo of that but the security guard was looking at me with a Give me a reason to throw you out and I will way, so after one sneaky photo I wasn't risking losing my chance at gin!
Anyway, we patiently queued up moving our booze trolley along and eventually got to the entrance, only I was allowed into the shop as my housemate doesn't have license so very quickly a to grab list and some cash was exchanged. I then entered the shop which can only be described as Christmas Eve/The Next Sale on Crack. It was absolutely bonkers!
The trolleys were end to end, worse than the traffic in Doha and with even less rules of the road, my poor ankles! Thankfully I befriended a nice American couple near the spirits section who had sensibly come in with only a basket and they handed me everything I needed as I was literally being swept along by the trolleys. My housemate wanted beer which was in the middle in a bizarre one way section, my god if I went in I was never coming out. Thankfully I spotted the case she wanted on the edge of the section and decided to do a drive by whipping case off on the way past, then came the wines again mostly just grabbing ones I could reach and finally the pork shop. Now this was off to the side in its own little section. Did I really want bacon that badly?!
My options were try to manoeuvre the trolley out of the stream of traffic - never going to happen or risk abandoning the trolley and grab that precious bacon. Would the booze still be there when I got back? That was the risk. People were crazy in here. You can do this Kash, you can do this, elbows out and go! Amazingly I succeeded and the trolley was pretty much where I left it as the queue had gone nowhere (see the second photo above).
Throughout this whole experience I basically was either shouting out spirits to other handily situated shoppers, laughing hysterically or just keeping my cool. Other people were doing much the same, or getting their rage on, I'm sure they'd have been honking their horns if the trolleys had had them installed. I have never experienced anything quite like it in my life.
Now I should point out a couple of things. The QDC is not normally this insane, Ramadan is just about to start which means the shop will be shut for a month and this is the only place in Qatar you can purchase alcohol to consume at home. Also during Ramadan you can only consume alcohol at home as all of the hotel bars are not are not allowed to sell it. This begins to explain the level of crazy. I think every expat in Qatar was at QDC at the same time and I imagine the first few days of reopening will be just as bonkers!
This week has been a bit exciting here in Doha. Well for me anyway. After a delay with the processing of my Residency Permit because my degree hadn't been stamped by some official person here in Doha I finally got my ID! Hooray!
Actually the visit to get my degree stamped was quite entertaining. Like most things here. I had to go really early because apparently there would be a BIG queue. When I arrived at the (very hidden) Ministry for Stamping Things building I asked the security guard about the length of the queue. The security guard I hasten to add had just removed my fork from my bag after scanning it as obviously it was a potential weapon - echoes of Abuja Airport anyone? I did explain it was for my lunch and he kindly told me I could have it back when I left. So no not like Abuja Airport then. Anyway when I asked about the queue, he laughed and told me I was the only one here. Indeed I was and no number was needed. I was in and out in a jiffy.
So after my degree had been stamped, which could have been done approximately two days after I arrived here the ID quickly followed. Once I had my ID I was able to apply for Qatari Driver's License. Because I'm from the UK this is a nice easy process of just filling out some forms. Some poor buggers have to go through 'Driving School' HA! If you saw the driving here you'd have to assume the driving school is ran by Leslie Neilsen. I did however have to get a large number of trees felled in the process in order to submit all of the necessary paperwork. Then once the papers were done the lovely Eiman who is the Lush shop Manager drove me to the giant Traffic Department Building near the Mall. Where once again I had to take a number and wait to hand everything in.
On the website it clearly tells you that you have to get your eyes tested as part of this process and that you can do this there at the Traffic Department. However this is a lie. You can only do this at a qualified opticians. So back to the Mall we go. Eyes checked, yes I can see. That is pretty much the extent of the test. Another stamp (yes!) and back we go. Another number (yes!) and my papers are handed in, again. Then lo and behold my new Qatari Driver's License is printed in front of me. The website lied, again, it said you had to go back to collect it, who cares I have my license! I was one step closer to freedom and my own car, yay!
Then this morning I was being picked up in the 'bus' one last time as I was off to get my new car. Like a kid at Christmas I couldn't wait! Of course this is Doha where nothing goes quite to plan and so after some waiting whilst they got the car washed and ready and I signed some stuff it was time to get into my car and drive away. I'm busy putting my things inside, they start to take the plastic of the seats when the salesman yells STOP! This isn't your car! WHAT?!!!!!!! They've just prepared and washed the wrong Qashqai. Really?! I was going to drive off in someone else's car? BRILLIANT!
After some standing around in the 40 degree heat, my actual car was found and hastily washed down. Are you sure this is mine? Yes. OK. This time it's a go. I get in and I actually want to squeal, I have never had a proper brand new car in my life before so this is VERY exciting, it has that NEW smell. It's very shiny, and it's a QASHqai for KASH. It's meant to be. Only I can't squeal because there's three men stood watching me. Go away I'm thinking whilst holding my squeal inside. They don't. They just stand there watching me. I smile at them, they smile back. OK so I'm going to actually have to drive away. Off I go, well just far enough out of sight to stop, pull over and squeal!
Then it's my first encounter with Doha traffic and driving. Cripes. I managed it however and made it to work just fine. Only one minor mishap when I missed a turn due to being majorly cut up but that led to me finding another easier route so all good for the first adventure of Kash and The Qash Machine. Now I just need to get my final license and Doha life will be complete! As my lovely mate Madeleine pointed out, I can almost smell the Juniper...
The Qash Machine
