I am not writing from jail

Bet you thought you would never hear that I actually got my driver's license. Well, today I did!!! Seems like a simple task. Not so. But, I am sure am happy about this. Some background first. This past weekend J. and I explored Doha and the surrounding area south of the city. As I said in my blog about 10 days ago, we rented a car anticipating we would both have our license. Qatar is small, so it didn't take long to drive to where the road ends along the Persian Gulf to the south. There are beaches and sand dunes -- unlike you would see in the U.S. Also 4 wheelers for rent everywhere. I am talking about 1000's of 4 wheelers for rent. We saw very few in use. We also stopped in Al Wakra -- an old fishing town where there was supposed to be the remains of the oldest fort in Qatar. It was there, but you could not visit it. Tourism outside Doha has not been developed. What we did see is poor neighborhoods and many foreign workers - Indian, Philipino, and Pakistani. We also saw Q-Chem -----the Mobil Chemical of Qatar. It's off in the desert in areas where no one would want to live ---- surrounded by signs that indicate you cannot take photos. I did not take photos. We also drove to the Arab Museum of Modern Art. What a surprise. It currently houses a one person show by Cai Guo-qiang ----the Chinese gun powder artist who masterminded the opening celebration for the Beijing Olympics. He is the first artist to have a single person show at the Arab Museum of Modern Art. We had a private tour by a student and her art mentor (a prof from Qatar University) and really enjoyed it. For the most part, the art in this city is truly amazing. There is no quantity of art, but some of the exhibits we have seen have been amazing. This was one of them. We also went to Villagio --- probably the nicest mall in all Qatar. The background part now begins. J. drove the entire weekend. I was trying to respect the fact I had no driver's license. Well, J. daydreams and is easily distracted. Even when he is driving he is distracted and daydreams. It must be the artist in him. On the way home, he forgot about the roundabouts. As he was driving straight into the roundabout, I yelled and hung on for dear life. Well, that brought him back from his daydreaming. He claims we were never in danger. I claim that I am driving from now on. I have waited for my driver's license for 9 weeks now. Everyday, I am sure it will be "today". These last 10 days have seems like forever. I emailed the person at the University who is "helping" me get this license every day for the past 10 days. She is sick of me. So, she told me to be ready this morning at 6AM. A driver would come to get me and he and I would go get my license. Well, a driver (the same one that did not get me a license the last time I went with him!) came for me this morning. He and I drove to the license bureau in rush hour traffic. We walked thru 3 different buildings (the inner sanctum that we had not visited the last time) and he saluted 2 important looking people. They seemed important and we were the only ones in the rooms other than the people my driver saluted. We were then allowed to go up a flight of stairs to a huge corner office with white leather furniture and the biggest Qatari man I have ever seen. He was not dressed as a police officer, but in the beautiful white arab robes and scarf. Two blue uniformed police officers sat in front of him. I was ushered in and he stood and shook my hand. He asked if I was a lawyer from Chicago. That was close enough so I said yes. He smiled and said he had visited Chicago about 10 years ago. He signed my papers and told me to "drive safely". That must have been what I was waiting for. I was already sure I would not forget that Doha had roundabouts, but now I was really sure. Kind of like driving lessons. It's painful and sometimes unnecessary, but it leaves you with a lasting memory. I had waited for 9 weeks and than I was told to drive safely. This warning was really unnecessary after driving with my husband the previous day. I then waited for my driver to do something else for another 1/2 hour. I am not sure what he did, but then he came and got me and told me that I still did not have a driver's license. He spoke almost no english but I understood him to say I would need lessons and another signature. All the way home I had thoughts of panic. In between my 2 classes I emailed the person at the university that I have emailed 10 days in a row. Within minutes she emailed me and said I could pick up the license. It was in her office! Insha'Allah! How did that happen? Of course, I must have misunderstood what had gone on earlier this morning --- or my driver was trying to give me a heart attack!