Hemlock32
Joined: 14 Apr 2017
Posts: 69
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 Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 12:52 pm Post subject: Some first-year reflections of Doha - 2 |
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MOD edit for length
Sometimes I think it would be more convenient to get a car, but after the daily views of fender benders, dings, flipped cars, road-side skirmishes or total car obliteration I don't want to be afflicted with these issues or this hatred due to skittish and impatient drivers, who respond with loud horns, high-beams, or high-speed tailgating at anyone who impends their will. So, why buy a car and become victim of all these stresses of the road? For vanity’s sake? Why not lounge in the back of a comfy optima and say “left here please, or “dead ahead” instead of hitting the ceiling because someone cut you off?
Actually, the level of vanity is why I think I like Doha so much. You can never remove the idea of big money here. I think I can speak for others when I say we teachers gain status and power in this society. We are well-respected, given a good/great salary, and have much spare time. Sure, there are lots of administrative tasks, but they aren’t overly cumbersome. Students call you “doctor” or “professor” here, and for the most part they show us much deference. Back at the college, the same high-tailing drivers are the ones begging us for grades during office hours and conniving to buy a few points in our classes. At least in Doha and probably throughout the Gulf, I realized that being a professor also meant dressing like a professor. It was in Doha that I quickly realized how important our image was. When I first arrived to Doha I only had a few worn-out dress shirts that didn’t quite cut the mustard. With a few trips to Hugo Boss however – now that I could afford it – it allowed me to touch up my wardrobe and fit in. This is hugely important. Many have told me even if you don’t know what you’re doing, as long as you look the part you will survive.
These are a few first reflections from one year in Doha/Qatar. |
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