Some things I took for granted

Dont' take anything for granted. That happens a lot here. Like a driver's license. It's taken 2 months and I still don't have one. Certain I would have a license by Sunday (yesterday), we rented a car Saturday evening. No such luck. Maybe tomorrow. It is a complicated procedure to get a driver's license here. First you need the Qatari ID. That takes a physical exam, an xray, blood test, special letter from your sponsor, some money, a fingerprint check, 2 photos, and several trips to the police station. Once you have that, you can apply for a driver's license. You need an eye test, another special letter from your sponsor, several photos of yourself, your current license and a special signature. The final special letter must be from your employer that contains your job title number. That took many days for me to get since I have special status with the ABA and Qatar University. But, I do have a number. I was just sure it would now be simple. The only hurdle is the special signature. There is only one person in Qatar who can sign an American's request for a driver's license. He has not been available for the last 5 days. Perhaps he is sick, on vacation or has carpel tunnel. Whatever it is, I am still waiting. You probably wonder if there is an alternative. Yes, there is. I can take 12 classes, take a test, flunk and try again. That could take months. So, I took the "fast" route. Temporarily I had to surrender my American driver's license, so currently I have no license. I only drive to work now - I am pretending I am operating on a judicial driver's permit that allows me to drive to and from work. I think I will stop now. I have just confessed and I am not even a Catholic. There are other bureaucratic mysteries that I could tell you about, but again, I think I will stop now. Don't take paper for granted. The College of Law has not had paper for 2 weeks now. I think the entire University may be out of paper. Quizzes for students are printed on the back of scrap paper. I am not complaining. I don't give quizzes. Female and male students have separate classrooms and do not take class together. They also have entry doors signated as "female entry only" and "male entry only". The College of Law is a beautiful brand new building with one side for males and one side for females. The doors between the corridors have signs so the males and females do not cross over. My office is on the female side of the building. That means my male students may not come to my office. I have to hold office hours in the open area outside the classroom. Teachers (like me!) can freely go between the 2 sides. I feel like the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus. Sometimes the doors between the male and female section are locked. I have had to figure out how to navigate when that ocurrs. There are plenty of guards and housekeeping staff and I often look lost, so I have plenty of "friends" who help me out. I don't take their kindness for granted. Especially Tom. Tom gets law professors coffee. I really like Tom. Yesterday a male student needed a handout I had in my office. He had to stand on the male side of the door while I went to my office and returned with the handout. I think he peeked when I openned the door. I do not mind having only females in one section of the class and one section of males. There is less drama and more freedom, actually. Despite the fact that both classes study the same subject, the classes are so different in their questions, concerns, interaction. Many things we take for granted in America are handled differently here. I really love the stark contrast. It makes me stop and think. Some of the ideas here are worth bringing back to the United States. There are reasons for everything. Both here and in America. Different reasons. But good reasons. Right now, I just hope I get my driver's license soon.