Ya… so a bird pooped all over me while I was in the Doha souq. All down my arm. I couldn’t believe it had happened. One young kid walked by me, saw it happen and burst into laughter. My luck. And yes… I’ve heard it’s good luck… and believe me, I am waiting to cash in.
That evening, I had gone with Sue, Vic and Tania to explore the Souq Watif. I stayed with them all for a bit… but then wandered off on my own.
I had a lot to think about.
~ This Denise drama.
~ How everyone on the tour viewed me now.
~ How everyone on the tour would potentially treat me now.
~ How I would react to how everyone on the tour would treat me now.
~ If I even cared about anyone on the tour.
And ultimately…
~ Would I stay on the tour… ???
Of course, as usual… my brain was in overdrive…
I was also devastated about finding out a friend had passed away. The combo of everything didn’t mix well with the present company of the tour. I didn’t want to gossip or provide ammunition… I just wanted to be alone.
It was the going away party for Judy, Thin Lizzy and Yellow that night, but I opted out of going. After having something to eat and getting shit on (literally and metaphorically) I just made my way back to the hotel. I wasn’t feeling well… actually, I wasn’t feeling anything at all. I just felt completely numb to everything. I had looked forward to this trip for so long, yet somehow, I found myself in the middle of a nightmare.
I was rooming with Sue.
I’d say it could be worse… but I think I could say the exact same thing had I been in the same situation with just about every single person on this tour. You just lose sight of rock bottom… because you’re there.
Sue is too much. Sharing a room with her is incredibly challenging. She randomly blurts out stories with no context or lead-in, expecting you to instantly follow along, which is frustrating and nearly impossible. Her stories lack substance or purpose… and they’re neither interesting nor engaging. Honestly, I’d rather sit in silence than endure the tedious, meaningless chatter.
I had spoken briefly to her about my troubles with Denise… but preferred not to get into detail because I don’t necessarily trust her. From what I’ve gathered from her character, she has a tenancy to stir shit. And it was the last thing I wanted or needed.
When I’d asked her if she noticed anything off about Denise & I, she dove into this ridiculous story about how we hadn’t invited her & Marilyn to come out drinking with us one night.
I hate it when people say things like that. Just come. This is the Middle East. When alcohol is available… guaranteed we’re drinking.
There’s that victim mentality taking over again. Ironically… her and Marilyn took off to explore Doha for the day and neither of them invited me to tag along. Good thing. Let them go off… and commiserate and analyze each and every way we’ve all done them wrong.
I went on my own.
I needed to just walk. So that’s what I did. I walked the Corniche (promenade)and down to the city centre. Along the way, I stopped at Costa Coffee for a bite to eat and something to drink to recharge… and rest my knees, heel and legs. After that, I stumbled upon some shops and indulged in a bit of retail therapy before continuing my day.
A few days ago, I had decided to book a Qatar food tour. I try to do one wherever I travel. This particular tour was a bit pricey, but I figured it would be worth it. We were meeting at the Pearl… which is a luxurious man-made island, known for its upscale lifestyle, top notch architecture and posh amenities.
It was Sue, Judy and I.
When I’d originally tried to book, I’d been unable to book for one person. Damn solo travellers! So right away, I’d approached Judy. She said yes. Then I mentioned it to Sue and she mentioned that might be interested too.
In that time, I’d managed to speak to the owner… casually mentioning that I was a food tour business owner as well. On hearing that, he said that anyone else I brought would receive 20% off the price. Sue confirmed after hearing this.
So at the end of my long walk, I jumped in a taxi… and what is it with taxi drivers and their intrusive ‘where’s your husband’ questions?
It’s a real thing… the world over. Boundaries are crossed.
This time I told him that I was meeting my husband at The Pearl, because naturally he hadn’t wanted to come shopping with me. And our kids? Back in Germany, attending university… of course.
Lies are so much easier than the truth. Lies shut them up… whereas the truth only ever leads to more invasive questions.
I had very high hopes for the food tour… and I was genuinely thrilled to be introducing Sue and Judy to the wonderful world of food tours, as it was their first one. Sadly, this particular tour fell short of all hopes and expectations.
The location was fabulous. The Pearl is made up of seven districts, which vary between high-end residential, landscaped gardens, secluded luxury villages, high-rise towers, beachfront villas and my favourite… the Qanat Quartier, inspired by Venice, with canals, colourful facades and European flair.
The tour got off to a bit of rocky start, as our guide arrived late and immediately set the wrong tone. He seemed completely disengaged throughout the tour… often stepping away to smoke. His lack of enthusiasm and interaction was disappointing, he barely conversed with us at all, remained quiet for most of the time and… worst of all… was constantly on his phone.
I don’t know which was more horrifying and humiliating for a food tour… how much he was on his phone or how much he left us alone to go smoke.
I find Sue incredibly difficult to deal with. Throughout the tour, she seemed oblivious to social cues… almost as if she didn’t quite grasp how to behave appropriately in a social setting or how to appropriately read the room.
An example?
She repeatedly told detailed stories about her ongoing conflict with Yellow, despite the guide’s limited English. He politely nodded, clearly struggling to follow. Occasionally I tried to summarize it up for her by just saying, “They just don’t get along,” hoping she’d take the hint and move on, but she never did.
Another?
Conversation was light and simple… due to the limited English of the guide. We were talking football and how Argentina (and Messi) had won the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Sue had to hijack the entire conversation with her own detailed description of how horrible Argentina’s role was during the Falklands War in 1982.
Like… seriously…
READ the ROOM.
It feels like she’s completely out of touch with how her words and actions come across to the rest of us. She seems unaware of how uncomfortable she makes others, yet she carries on as if everything is fine. It’s exhausting to navigate her lack of self-awareness.
Anyway… enough of my complaints.
We had some shawarma, chapati, saffron coffee, karat tea, dates and khanfaroosh… I think… Nothing was really from Qatar… but more example of influential cultural cuisine.
Toward the end of the evening, the real tour owner came to meet me in person. We ended up having a great conversation about the industry and agreed to stay in touch to exchange marketing ideas. This interaction somewhat redeemed the crappy food tour experience, but I still feel I should provide constructive feedback about his employee.
Or should I?
To his credit, the guide was kind enough to offer us a ride to the metro station at the end, which was thoughtful.
Once back at the hotel room, Judy and I split a couple of bottles of very expensive cheap white wine.
I’m really upset about losing Judy. She is one of the few genuine, fun people on this tour. She loves to enjoy a drink or two, is kind, fun to be around and always fabulous to chat with. Without her, I feel like I’ve lost a real connection here… and am feeling quite alone on this tour.
Another one…
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