Blogging Qatar

Just a Coincidence or it's like that (Just wondering)

azilana7037 — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:04:18 +0300

I could write this as a BLOG entry but since it made me feel queasy in a way...I think I'll post it here: Got invited in a birthday gathering and most of the service crew were "kabayans". Since I arrived late due to traffic (imagine that! Traffic in Doha!!!), said hello to the other guests...kwento dito, kwento doon.

Went to the buffet table and politely asked what was in the service tray. It so happened that another female kabayan came to the buffet table as well and said something to the lady server/service staff. Though I know I spoke clearly (in english) and loud enough for the service staff to hear, I was (felt) ignored as she started chatting with the lady (beside me) in our mother tongue/dialect. I had to repeat myself twice and still I was IGNORED.

Exasperated by the way I was treated...I spoke in Tagalog telling them "Kausapin nyo naman ako"(please talk to me) in a jokingly manner. The reply was..."AY...Filipina kayo?"(ay, you're a Filipina?) I just replied, "Hindi ba halata?" (Isn't it obvious?) and smiled. Then, guess what...I was given the attention I asked for.

This is no big deal as it's not the first time I was mistaken for another nationality. I can't say that the lady service staff was rude. I myself had done some years in the service industry and as far as I know, customers should be treated as well as the customer before or after him/her. And not by someone's nationality

Or maybe I'm just overanalyzing things or just being dramatic. Another QL poster made some comments about the type of customer service he got from fellow kabayans in some establishments here and though I don't believe it at first...what I experienced made me wonder----is it reallt like that or it's just a coincidence....like I said, i'm just wondering.

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" -Eleonor Roosevelt

Blogging Qatar

Fridays in Qatar

m_daylight — Fri, 11 May 2007 09:57:45 +0300

This picture was taken on 16th March 2007 around 1130am. We were on our way home when I spotted this lonely man waiting patiently for the bus to arrive (which I presumed to be around 12nn). Bravely he succumbed to this intense heat and strong sandstorms just so he could avail of this once a week break from work. Friday is considered to be the weekender in Qatar. Almost everybody is looking forward to window shop in Suoq, to stroll & picnic along Corniche West Bay Area, to take pictures in all round-abouts or in the plazas or places where beautiful flowers abound.

The only pains you will experience are the long queue for a cab or bus that came after 2 hours or not at all. The technique is to befriend a cab driver and the next time you do your shopping, he will be your regular personal driver for a fee “bahala na po kayo mam” (it’s up to you ma’am) is the common response when asked how much from here to there. Their advice? Not to call the taxi company hot line as they will charge you per meter. There are some private owned cars who offered their services; normally they parked on side streets. Preferences would be your choice.

Blogging Qatar

WHO you calling "COLORED"???

azilana7037 — Wed, 02 May 2007 18:42:47 +0300

This was sent to me by a friend when i was still back in the Philippines. When this forum topic about Discrimination started, I thought of this and find myself smiling.

This was written by a black guy in Texas and is so funny. What a great sense of humor and creativity!!!). But since my color is somewhat lighter, I've changed the word from "Black" to "Brown" to make it more applicable to my own race.

When I born, I brown,
when I grow up, I brown,
when I go in sun, I brown,
when I cold, I brown,
when I scared, I brown,
when I sick, I brown,
and when I die, I still brown.

You white folks....
when you born, you pink,
when you grow up, you white,
when you go in sun, you red,
when you cold, you blue,
when you scared, you yellow,
when you sick, you green,
when you bruised, you purple,
and when you die, you gray.

So who you callin' colored folks ???

Filipino expatriates in Qatar

Bloggers rock!

qatari — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 23:27:50 +0300

Don't you believe that we rock!!!

Blogging Qatar

What are your blogs?

qatari — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 22:50:52 +0300

It would be cool to put a QL username to a blog!

Blogging Qatar