The Souks and other matters

Souks are just ancient malls. The one in Qatar by the gulf is full of aromatic scents, live animals for sale, fabric, housewares, gold, jewelry, sweets, antiques, seasonings, and men with wheelbarows that will carry your purchases. Restaurants with arabic food line the large corridor down the center - and men are baking fresh pita bread in closed ovens for about 5 cents a piece. Lots of people are milling around, most start eating at around 8PM. We stopped at a Lebanese restaurant and had a variety of food - falafel, hummus, salad, potatoes, olives, ---and 4 of us ate until we couldn't eat anymore --- all for about $30 total. Some restaurants separate the men and women and some do not. The talk is mostly Arabic although Urdu, Hindi and other languages are also heard. Cutting in line and yelling occurs sometimes, but mostly it's pretty orderly and friendly. Tasting is also allowed. Bargaining by men is also allowed.

There are no beggars. It is illegal. There are charity tables where you can contribute and receive a receipt. Women cook there own dishes along the perimeter and sell a variety of food. This souk is know as the Wakik and is probably the most famous and popular in Qatar. It's been rebuilt to keep the atmosphere of long ago.

I wore a headscarf today as we walked to the university. Mostly to keep out the desert sand. We were again offered a ride, this time by a young couple. It's better than hitchhiking since it involves no work, not even a thumb extended. But, since our walk was cut short by the ride, we decided to walk to the grocery store in the dark this evening. No one stopped. So, we bought cookies and ate them when we got home. Somehow, we felt less guilty after the long walk.

We had coffee with Dr. Mahroof this afternoon - the other Fulbright scholar. He's a chemist and Pakistani from Minnesota. We met at the women's campus at the university. Another goal today was reached. We located J's office --- after at least 1/2 hour of wandering the halls. The university is a maze of corridors and stairways that all look alike. Dr. Maroof claims it took him the first 2 weeks just to find his office --- so we were ahead of schedule. The trick will be if we can find it again tomorrow.

This morning was our medical examination for permanent residency. We were advised it would be a nightmare taking at least 4 hours. First we were driven to the University where Mohammed joined us. He just arrived from Halifax. He's an Egyptian doctoral student who also needed his medical exam. I was dropped off at the immigration center and told to go with the women. J. and Mohammed disappeared. The lines were long, security guards were not helpful and I was confused as to what to do and where to go. No doubt I looked puzzled and pitiful. Out of nowhere, a female doctor appeared and saw me. She took my papers and told me to follow her. She asked if I was alone and I mentioned that my husband was somewhere on the men's side with another man named Abdul. I was so flustered that I called Mohammed "Abdul". She told me to call them. Of course, they were patiently standing in a long, long line (the first of 3 long lines we were apparently required to stand in). Receiving my message, we located each other and suddenly proceeded to the front of every line and completed the xrays and blood work in less than 20 minutes. Apparently, our driver was supposed to help us with all this, but he did not have any idea what to do. This female doctor was amazing and powerful. Before we knew it, we were back in the car and headed back home.

With such a successful few days, I am determined to tackle the bus transportation now. Is it safe here? Yes. No problems so far. Another observation: construction is going on 24/7. It's non-stop. It's simply amazing.