*Fast Facts:
A free trip is a good trip.
Qatar's population is 70% male, the minority are the pure Qataris (who don't work at all), and 1/3 of the entire population is Filipino.
There are no street names. Just a few main ones, i guess. But the streets don't have names so directions are given with landmarks.
All the buildings are either white or sand. There is no color.
There is Sand Storm Season. 2 months out of the year.
If you are caught stealing something in Qatar- they chop your hand off.
There is a Religious Police- you're in their country, you follow their religious laws. You break it- You will never see your family again. LOL! just kidding. They do some mean stuff though...
500 people were turned away from our event due to lack of identification. =( New law was implemented a week before. Lots of people weren't aware. Otherwise, that party would have been even more bananas.
There were over 1,300 people at our event- a record for Qube. It would have been better if nobody was turned away though.
A ticket to our party sold for about 1,500 pesos.
Average sale is about 10 tickets per day- with our party, they sold 46. Record! =) YAY!
I got kicked off the stage for dancing. Apparently, i was attracting too much attention. Whoops. haha!
The dancing in Doha is... different. Jena was in heaven. She didn't know where to look and where to start criticizing. LOL!
The heat is something else over there. The wind burns. It's literally like being in an oven.
The food is awesome. Excellent. Incredible. I loved it.
The amount of Pinoys in that country was astounding. I was walking around the mall and i felt like i was still in Manila. haha!
***
Day 1.
Departure.
I had no sleep from the previous day, i decided to go to a crazy party, and i had a bit to drink. I had to rush packing, rush to the airport, and i was battling a hangover and fatigue.
I got to immigration and the lady at the counter couldn't understand my visa. It said 5 year VISIT. But Business TYPE. Anyway, she started yelling at me because i didn't know what was going on. We had to take it to the manager or whatever the guy was. It wasn't a good start. She was mean.
I wanted to throw up before we even took off. I think i was also experiencing sympathy pains- Jena's pregnant and she's in the morning sickness phase.
The flight was ok. The food wasn't too bad. I slept maybe 2 hours total. Jena and i talked pretty much the whole way there.
Arrival.
We arrived at 2:55pm Qatar time. 7:55pm Manila time.
We were lined up at the Immigration counter. I got through. Jena was detained. I waited for what seemed like forever. I couldn't even leave the terminal because Jena had the stub for my luggage. 20mins passed and i saw her stroll into the baggage claim area- she had to pay for her Visa on arrival. She didn't have any money. *phew* Thank goodness that was it.
We were greeted at the exit by our main babysitter and the guy that booked us for the event- Josey Kray. The driver took our bags and lead us to our car. We hopped in the Mercedes and was driven to our hotel.
The Ramada Plaza was awesome. It was a beautiful place. Jena and i were issued separate rooms. We settled in and went down for our naps. There was no way we were gonna be doing anything else. I'm talking straight up exhaustion.
After a 2 hour nap, we got up at 8pm Qatar time. 1am Manila time. We were taken for dinner at a restaurant in the hotel. Incredible Indian food. I absolutely loved it. Afterwards, we went to check out the club we were gonna be playing at- Qube. We hung out there for a little bit and had a couple of drinks. By 1am (6am Manila), we had to retire. We got a feel of what music they liked, how the crowd was, and how the pace would be. We did our research. I can honestly say, we were just excited. There was nothing to be worried about.
Day 2.
Shopping!
I expected a lot more. But due to lack of rest and a confusing exchange rate- i failed miserably. I couldn't get into the spirit of shopping. I just couldn't.
But i did get to see the window at Virgin Records where they had a ginormous poster for our event up! =)
SOund check.
Jena and i were told that we weren't gonna be doing a duo set anymore. They said the venue didn't have sufficient space and they also had only one mixer. So we shunned the idea and were set on playing separately. We were wrong.
They made space and found a mixer. We didn't practice. We didn't even talk about it. LOL! We were gonna wing it. We got about 3 songs in at sound check to see if we could pull it off. Comes in handy playing with someone you really vibe with- it was cake. =)
So we messed around with the decks a little bit. Set up our monitors. Got the feel of the tables. Everything was set.
"Practice".
We went up to the rooms and talked about what we were gonna play for the duo set. haha! Whatchu know about being lazy? We came up with 5 songs and said we'd wing it past that. Done. haha!
Dinner.
We were brought to some Spanish restaurant by the Manager of Qube- Wayne. Awesome guy. He's Scottish. =)
He had to go back to work so he pretty much just left Jena and i there. So we ordered. Turns out- it was more of a wine and drinking place than a dinner place. We were picking out our dinner off a menu that was offering starters and appetizers. We're pushovers who never complain, so we ordered 5 dishes.
The staff was mainly Filipino. Jena's pregnant- she wanted rice. There was no rice in the area. NONE. But they made their way to another restaurant and brought us 2 bowls of rice.
We ordered:
1 Salpicao
1 Garlic Shrimps
1 Stuffed Jalapeno
1 Salmon Skewers
1 Humus with Olives
2 orders of rice. =p
The food was seriously incredible. Jena started dancing and claimed it to be "orgasmic". Everything was cooked to perfection. Absolute perfection. Jena mentioned that it's crazy how you can't describe this. If you see something beautiful- you take a picture. If you hear something great- you record it. How do you explain something that tastes incredible?
Our hats off to the chef who was staring at us while we made complete retards out of ourselves. Laughing and smiling and looking at each other like we had never been fed before.
When Wayne made his way back, the chef noticed he was sitting with us and decided to come over to check up on his two most peculiar customers. He had told us that he asked himself "Why are these girls getting so much attention?". We were walked in by the Manager, and we were conversing with the staff. For a restaurant with only 5 tables occupied, i guess we did draw a lot of attention.
Mid-sentence, after we had told him how his food had made our trip, how we loved every bite and he had introduced us to heaven, he glanced down at the table and asked, "Where did you get your rice?"
Jena and i were instantly horrified. Jena asked if it was okay. He simply said that it was very Filipino and that it was fine... he just wanted to know where it came from. Haha!
That was the best dinner of my life. Thanks Syler. =P
[Jena and i are convinced he could possibly be related to the Villainous Hero we love to hate- Syler.haha]
I hated myself for leaving my camera in the room. =(
Party time.
The gig as a whole, was cake. Jena and i killed our duo set. We had incredible solo sets. It was obvious the crowd was having a great time. But we were given a 30minute break before we closed... strange.
I was kicked off the stage for dancing. I didn't drink much at all. Jena was offered to be bought for $1000 US by some strange man. A lady in her 40's requested for ACDC. Some gorgeous lady told Jena and i we were doing an incredible job. Filipinos all over the place showed their love and support, and were so happy to be there.
It was a fun night.
Marvin and Laura brought Jena and i for after-party snacks- McDonald's.
The gig was cake. If anything, it felt rather short. I could have played longer. Oh well. No complaints over here. We got the job done. =)
Day 3.
Pool it.
Breakfast at 8am. Gorgeous. Smoked Salmon on tap! It was a beautiful buffet. That hotel was awesome. Standards are being set as i type this and relive the whole experience.
Pool area 9am-11am. Got a tan. Ordered a shake. Talked a lot. Swam a bit. Awesome morning. =)
Pack up.
Got ready in less than half an hour. Headed downstairs for "lunch". We really only had soup and then got ready for check-out.
Departure. Or so i thought.
We said peace out to our Babysitters- Jaymin and Josey.
On our drive to the airport i said, "the only thing about this job is we don't get to see much of the place we get to visit. Because we play at night and we rest during the day... we're really here to just play. I wouldn't mind another day here..."
Jena says, "Yeah... but home sounds really good right now."
"i guess."
Little did i know that my fate was already set even before i left the Philippines.
Delay.
We make it to the airport 20mins late.
I line up for check-in.
Jena goes to a different line, i'm asked to step forward to a different desk. I tell him (check-in-counter guy. Later to be known as Pillow guy. Concluded to be named Youssef), "She has my ticket". He says it's okay.
He looks at me and then back at my passport. I'm guessing he's wondering about the picture coz i look very different. So i smile, like the smile i do on my passport photo. He asks, "This is you?", i tell him "Yeah, my hair color is different". He laughs. He asks me what i was doing in Qatar. I told him i was playing music. I have a bright idea of giving him one of our flyers. He asks why he wasn't invited. I told him i didn't know he was here. He should have known though- the party was well advertised. We sign the flyer. He notices my neck pillow and asks to see it. He likes it a lot and continues to ask for it. I tell him i'd be more than happy to give it to him if he bumps me up to first class. He says Business is possible. I laugh. Jena comes to my desk and says that i should give my pillow and we should both get Business. He laughs.
We say goodbye and leave.
We walk over to the Passport Counter. The line is empty so Jena and i go at the same time. The lady looks at my passport. She checks the computer. Jena leaves the counter and walks ahead. The lady sets my passport down on the counter. She states, "No exit permit."
I show her my visa.
"No exit permit" She says again.
"I don't know what that means." i tell her.
She looks at a man that stands around the Passport Counter area. He looks at me and takes my passport. He speaks to the lady. He says, "No exit permit".
I tell him, "I don't understand. What do i do?"
He walks off. 7 feet away from me, he turns around, and as if irritated, waves at me to follow him. I think he even made a sound of some sort.
He hands my passport to a security guard. He leaves.
I ask the security, "What do i do?"
He says, "No exit permit."
I say, "I know that now, but what does that mean? What do i do?"
He's irritated. As if i was nuisance and i just made his day worse, he shoos me off and tells me, "Information". He then ushers me off the area as if i was taking up valuable space and i didn't belong there.
I'm worried. Nobody is explaining anything. There's something wrong with my passport and i don't know what it is or how to fix it.
I walk to information.
I ask, "I need an exit permit? How do i do that?"
The man says, "No exit permit. You go outside."
I'm confused. "What???" I'm frustrated. "How do i get one??"
He says, "You get sponsor. Tell him come here."
So i ask, "can i use your phone?"
He simply states, "no."
So i ask "I have a friend past immigration. She has all our contact information and a phone that works. Can i talk to her?"
He says, "No."
I ask again, "Is there anywhere here i can use a phone?"
That did it. He's annoyed. "YOu go OUTSIDE!!!"
He shoos me off too. With the hand wave and everything. I think i even got a "tsk". I head for the exit. I'm royally screwed now.
I sit on a bench. I need to look for a number. I grab my laptop. I have 5% left on my computer. I turn on all my chat applications. I look for a number on Facebook. I leave 4 messages on my AIM. My laptop dies.
I wanna cry. I wanna collapse into a mess on the floor and cry.
My plane boards in 20mins. I can do this.
I walk over to customer service.
The lady is on the phone. She doesn't even look at me. I wait. Patiently.
I ask how to use a phone. She says i need a Qatar Card. Can't get one of those at the airport. Or at departure, anyway. I ask her, beg actually- can i please use the phone. The number i found on the internet doesn't work. I'm dead.
She sees i'm beginning to panic. She asks me what i'm trying to call. I tell her i'm trying to reach the Ramada Plaza. She calls for me. I ask for Mr. Wayne's number. Shit. I don't know his last name. They have it. It's his cel. They hang up.
I ask the lady- can i call this number? She says, "No. Landline only"
So i ask her to call again. She's irritated, but she does it anyway. I ask for Wayne's landline. He doesn't have one.
I can't call a cel. Panic sets in like a mothertrucker.
I hold back tears.
I look around the airport. People of every kind walking around, talking, sitting, minding their own business. Who'll help me? I can't do this. What am i going to do?
I see 3 guys sitting on a bench. They look Filipino. They'll help me.
I approach them. I look worried, i know i do. So i said, "Hi. I really really need your help. I need a phone but i can't use one." They stare at me. "Ayaw nila ako pauwiin" (They won't let me go home).
They say, "Aaaaaah! Nag-English ka pa! Sige, tulongan ka namin!" (Oh! Why'd you even speak to us in English? Of course we'll help you)
Finally.
They dial Wayne's number. I get through. I tell him what happened. He says, he'll check. He hangs up. I'm panicking. My newfound friends tell me to sit down. They explain to me the exit permit and even shows me one. Wayne calls back- There's been a mistake with my visa. I was given a 5 year working visa. I need a permit from my sponsor to leave the country. I can't have that right now. "You're not getting on that plane" he says.
I need my luggage. There's no way in hell that plane is leaving with my luggage. If that bag leaves, i'm never seeing it again.
I go all the way back to the entrance and do the whole routine over again. I line up, have my bag go through the x-ray machines and i sprint to the check-in counter. I mean, i sprint. Like, i ran like i stole something. It was ridiculous.
The guy at Check-in (Pillow Guy) sees me in line. He's wondering what i'm doing there. I'm sure the look on my face was also a bit curious. The line was long. I was at the end of it. He's attending to 2 men. He calls me forward anyway.
I tell him, "I'm not getting on that plane. I need my luggage back."
He says, "Ok. Let me finish up here and i will help you."
He works with the computer. Makes a phone call. He tells me that it's ok. My bag is being located and i can pick it up at arrival.
I thank him and i leave.
I don't know how to get to arrival.
I walk back to the check-in area.
He sees me and laughs. His co-worker tells him to walk me to arrival.
He points me in the right direction. I see where i have to go. We part ways.
I make it to Arrival. Lost and Found. They say that the guys at Check-in lie all the time. They don't have my bag. My heart sinks.
I walk back to departure.
It's HOT as hell, by the way.
I run into Pillow Guy. I told him what happened. He says i have to wait a few minutes before they deliver my bag over there. Everything is fine, i should just wait. I ask him if there's a designated smoking area. He says no. I light a cigarette.
"Very big problem? No?" His accent is heavy. He's from Morocco.
I learn his name is Yusef. He's been in Qatar for 4 months. He doesn't like it there. But his job has awesome benefits. We walk to the parking lot. He wants a cigarette too, he's just not allowed to smoke it there. I light another one.
I'm exhausted. I just wanted to sleep. I don't know what's going on. I don't know who's coming for me. I don't know how long it'll take to fix this. But if i get my bag back, i'll be fine.
Yusef's co-worker joins us at the parking lot. We talk. We smoke. They try to make me feel better about my situation. It helps a little. It's not bad, i guess. I have nothing to do. I'm just really tired.
I tell them about what happened... they explain to me that nobody cares because i am a woman. No offense, but it makes sense. Even the women don't like women. I have more freedom than they do and they hate it.
We walk to arrival to wait for my bag. Mr. co-worker gets back to work. Youssef's already done so he says he'll wait with me and keep me company. I appreciate it a lot- i don't like being by myself. We sit at a coffee shop and i order coffee. 27 QR the barista says. That's over 400 pesos!!! For coffee that didn't even taste good! ugh!
I feel like it's just not my day.
I find out i have to wait til the plane leaves and then 30mins after departure til i get my bag. Great. I'm gonna be here for a while. I make conversation with Youssef. He's quite a pleasant character. Conversation was easy.
Jaymin finds me and tells me he's gonna sort out my ticket.
He gets back and orders food. Youssef gets up and says, "You have companion now, i will go." I look at him and thank him wholeheartedly. I almost gave him my pillow. I joke about it, but he says i'll be needing it.
My bag is released 40mins later.
We leave the airport and Jaymin gives me a tour of Qatar. The place isn't that big so i saw everything in one drive. I tried to take as many pictures as i could... but it was really just buildings and sand. I got a kick out of everything in Arabic... but that's as far as anything cool went.
We go back to the Ramada Plaza. They ask me to leave my Passport there and it would be a few hours til they fixed it. The next flight out was in 10 hours.
What the f**k was i gonna do for 10 hours?? I'm already delirious... what am i gonna do?
I kill time for 10 hours. That's what i did. I kicked it with Jaymin. I kicked it with Marvin. I saw a bit more of Qatar. I ate more Indian food. I saw a massive house... i'm talking MASSIVE. It looked like the size of a small mall in the Philippines. I asked what they had in there and Marvin told me it was the Mayor's HOUSE. He lives in there. Insane.
Kicked it at Laura's house and watched a little TV.
Kicked it near the pool area in their neighborhood. Gorgeous.
By the time i felt like i was about to die, it was time to leave for the airport.
Marvin drove me out with Laura, his neighbor. They're both awesome, by the way. I'm glad Marvin was out there.
I say my Goodbyes, we joke around about it being for real this time. I take down Marvin's number JUST IN CASE.
I roll my way in to Departure for my 8th time that day.
I get to check-in and the line is long. I stand there. I'm delirious. I feel like i've smoked numbing weed. I can barely keep my eyes open. I must look like hell. I can hardly move. Ugh. Shit.
I get to the counter. The guy tells me, "Madam, please wait on the side. The flight is full, you're going to have to wait".
I'm too tired to get mad. I'm too exhausted to cry. I step aside and i wait. Why did they book me a full flight? This is ridiculous.
I watch as people check in their luggage and claim their boarding passes. I watch the line come and go. I see families traveling together and random strangers on their own. I get a glimpse of different passports. I notice that Indians in Qatar don't give a shit about lines. They will cut that line like a motherfucker. I notice an upset Japanese man. There's something wrong with his passport. I see a young man, clean cut, well-built, good posture. He must be part of the military. Or so i think to myself. I see a chick from the Netherlands. I like her scarf.
The man at the Check in counter calls me back.
I drag myself there. I give him my ticket and my passport. I kindly ask, "Do you think it would be possible if i could get a window?"
He looks at me and says, "I'm sorry. The flight is full. You're gonna have to test your luck." A moment later, he hands me my boarding pass- he gave me an aisle seat. It was the best he could do, he said, and it's still 2nd best. I thank him and say, "It's been a horrible day." He tells me, "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you have a good flight". I murmur, "Me too..." and i walk away.
I make it past the damn Passport Counter. I look around for a souvenir shop. I couldn't find one. At this point, i couldn't really be bothered anymore. I wanted a magnet though. I always get a magnet from places i've been to. It's like this thing i've decided to do. I give up and walk towards my gate. I sit there and i wait. I wait forever.
The line starts and everyone gets up. I sit still. We're all getting on that plane. Please. Why do people insist on rushing?
The line is relatively short, i get up and i line up. We inch our way towards that gate. I get there, i hand the lady my boarding pass and my passport. She checks the computer and changes my seat number. I see her do it. She informs me that my seat has been changed. I ask her why. She tells me it's because the flight is full and i had to be moved. I just smile and nod.
I don't care. I'll be knocking out no matter what.
We hop on a bus and we're taken to the plane. We inch up the ladder/stairs.
I look at my seat number. 6j. That's up front. Great. Why the hell did i have to come up from the rear? I walk. I'm pushed and bumped. I do nothing. I keep walking.
After the craziest day and a wild experience at the airport, i didn't really care anymore. I was exhausted. I don't know if you will ever be able to imagine the magnitude of stress and exhaustion i experienced that day. I would rather not go through that again... ever.
So the Higher Beings decided that i had put up with enough bullshit and that i handled everything with as much grace and dignity as i could muster up. I was therefore rewarded for my good behavior.
BooYAh!!! Bumped up to business class!
And it couldn't have come at a better time.
I was also lucky enough to sit down next to a man so nice that he let me sit next to the window. I told him my story and what i had gone through that day and he simply said, "well, charge it to experience."
That's exactly what i did.
The flight was pleasant. The food was okay. I slept great.
I got home. I've been out of it for 2 days now. Today should be fairly normal.
I'm ready to get back into the swing of things.
It looks like i'll be staying put for a little bit.
Special Thanks and Extended Gratitude:
*To those 3 random strangers at the Airport who were more than willing to help a Kababayan out. I don't know what i would have done if you guys weren't there or how much worse that situation could have gotten. THANK YOU. Magkitakita nalang tayo sa The Fort. =p
*To Check-in guy, aka Pillow Guy, aka Youssef- for extending a helping hand without hesitation and making me feel at ease when i nearly broke down in tears. I see that whole scenario play out differently if i had lined up at a different desk that day. THANK YOU. Couscous is awesome and so is Moroccan Coffee. =) But i will always be a fan of HipHop. Rave on though, buddy. =P
*To Mr. Rene. My seatmate at Business Class. They say that picking your seats on a plane is like the draw of the lottery. You either win or lose- you can either sit next to the perfect candidate or be cursed with the annoying ones. I got lucky and you only made the way home better. Thank you for your consideration and your pleasant presence. It was all greatly and wholeheartedly appreciated. Hopefully your kids will know about HipHop and know about the next time i fly out to Cebu. =)
*To Marvin Flemming- am i ever glad you were in the most random Middle Eastern country that i didn't even know anything about til 5 days ago. You are a Godsend and a half. THANK YOU for your hospitality, your friendship, and for caring. haha! I owe you. Next time you're around this way, i will see you for sure.
*Josey & Jay- You guys get the award for best babysitters, so far. Thanks so much for the awesome experience and for tolerating my touristy-tendencies. haha! Next time, we break ridiculous records. So, woh-eva blood.
*Wayne- I don't know your last name but the Ramada understood me when i said Mr. Wayne so you have to be a big deal of some sort. =p You're awesome. I feel terrible that you have to put up with Josey and Jay everyday, but that's what you get for bagging a great job with benefits. Please remember to hit us up when you're on our island. Stay sober! haha!
***
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