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I’m having one of those Doha days and therefore complaining about it.
That I am continually on a scavenger hunt around the city for what I believe are quite simple items. Broccoli. Some nice fruit perhaps. Our preferred brand of butter. Cheese, the other day. All of which are in the stores NORMALLY …. until for whatever reason you don’t see them for days, weeks, months.
Lipstick.
Even the tea-lights I always buy at a certain store here. None to be found today.
Sorry, out of stock madam.
Any idea when you might be getting some in?
Mumble, mumble …. stock comes from Dubai.
Well, Dubai is a few hours drive from here or a 20 minute flight so I don’t quite get why it’s going to take so long to get them here. Of course, customs will be to blame. I wouldn’t have minded so much today about the tea-lights but there are usually about 10 bins full of them scattered throughout the stores People buy them all the time. They have tons of stock all the time! Was there suddenly a power outage or something and people went on a buying spree for them? Otherwise, surely they would know when to order more in, or how long they will take to get here.
Mind you this is the same store that promised me six months ago, a new picece of glass for a candle holder. See below.
missing one piece of glass
As you can see, three glass cylinders not four.
This is what I came home to discover last summer after we were away on holidays. Our housekeeper then apologized and told me about how she broke it. She does tend to break a few things. In fact if anyone knows where I can get a top to this perfume bottle (shown below) I’ve love to hear from you. I’m a bit out of touch buying these bottles as they were items I picked up years ago when we first moved here.
top to perfume bottle missing
Or, come to think of it, if you know where I can get a candle holder that was the pair for this cracked-glass one…..
missing the pair to the cracked glass candle holder
I shouldn’t complain as she is great in every other way! And particularly as I am typically a klutz myself and have the record I’m sure, for breaking items around the house. But usually it’s a glass or a dish, not something unique or hard-to-replace, or part of a ‘set’. I don’t so much mind that any one of these things was broken. What I do mind is the run-around you get trying to find a replacement or sort out a solution to the problem!
So, I’ll just have to add a few things to my ongoing list I carry with me all the time. I figure I’ll post it here and if anyone from Doha spots any of these items I would love for you to let me know!
- Shake n Bake – on my list for about 3 months now…who knows if they’re ever getting more in.
- Kraft Dinner.
- lipstick, L’Oreal #237.
- decent broccoli.
- decent fruit of any kind! Other than strawberries at QR37 a kilo! Bananas that don’t turn to mush in one day. Apples that are actually fresh and crispy
- a simple black leather belt with a silver buckle.
- a roast beef other than topside or whatever they call it here. What is it here with the minimal choices of beef cuts we get? There are 3 types of steak (tenderloin, strip loin, rib-eye), beef cubes for stew and ground beef. Why don’t we get all those other cuts that are on display back home? Do they chuck all those other parts of the cow away? Well, sometimes I will see a T-bone steak. Or maybe some beef strips for a stir-fry. I don’t get it??
I would have added chicken, but I’ve now resorted to buying from a company that brings in quality chicken….all the way from Belgium. I know, not good for the environment. But those teeny, tiny, chickens that you buy here….they’re pretty disgusting to look at on the shelf and not much in the way of taste. I can only imagine the conditions in which they were raised. Well, I’d rather not imagine as I have seen the way in which they’re transported. Now I order my chicken on-line from this new company and they drop it off to me at home every two weeks. Miracles!
Well, now that my little rant is over what was I talking about?
Right. Tealights. Still need to find some as I’m down to my last 4 and I use at least 4 every day. I bet if I head over to Centrepoint tomorrow, I might find some there.
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So that was my post about an hour ago. I’ve since been up to do some leftover dishes by hand, while the dishwasher is busy with the others. Dear daughter was in for a bit, to sit up on the counter and talk with me a little about friendships. Always about friendships. (Thank goodness it’s not yet boyfriends…..there will be a few conversations about that I’m sure!!!!! Well, I can only hope.)
She left and I began thinking about my list.
If there’s only 7 stupid items I cannot find in a store on any given day….and it’s enough to cause me to rant….. that is really sad.
Perhaps that’s what self-reflection is all about. Taking time to reflect upon my day, my thoughts and feelings and writing them down in this space if need be. To figure out what an idiot I am at times!!! That is also a good thing!
Earlier I ranted at dear husband about the tealights, the lipstick, the broccoli. He just smiled. Probably wasn’t even listening as he knows by now I just need to get it off my chest. Thinking to himself how ridiculous I’m being in the grand scheme of things.
So if I happen to go on in future about something that is similarly ridiculous, please tell me! ‘Cause I don’t always notice and sometimes, I can be really out of touch!
barelynoticeable 
Maybe your “ridiculous ranting” is “barely noticeable”
Sorry – couldn’t help myself. I thought you had an Ikea store there but maybe not – they always have thousands of tealights and candle holders. But I know its the difficulty of finding things that is the cause and, too, the fact that they really don’t care if you are frustrated or not !!
I can identify with you. Why do things disappear after being stocked for months and months? Why is there never an answer to when the item will be back? It causes hoarding syndrome in me. The broccoli is also very expensive here in Riyadh compared to back home in Canada where it’s one of the cheapest forms of produce to buy. Half the time you see it in the grocery stores here it’s already yellow and wilting though.
I am the queen of ranting, just ask my familly! I have no judgements on it whatsoever! HA
I started reading “In Search of Bliss” from you, it is pretty funny. Kevin thought it was hilarious and interesting!!!
I would like to think that my ranting is ‘barely noticeable’ but I’m afraid that is not the case. Thanks for thinking positively about me though and for your quick wit – of course!
Everyone here would love to have an Ikea as you cannot get all the ‘basics’ here that Ikea so wonderfully provides. Some people ship stuff over from Dubai and Abu Dhabi from Ikea, but at times the shipping can cost way more than the item itself – ouch! Yes, it’s generally the indifference or lack of service that is frustrating part.
I have no answers to your questions…. I’m sure everyone here would love to know! It does cause hoarding in me as well. I try not to do quite so much of that these days….as stuff tends to overflow from the kitchen, to the pantry, to the storage room. Then I forget what I have and where I have it! I find all produce here is expensive, other than somewhat locally grown things like tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce. You can only each so much fattoush!
Thanks for your comments!
Yes, we can both rant with the best of them! I like that usually we can rant to one another, that way no-one else has to know! ha!
Glad you and Kevin both like the book. It is a fun read, for sure. Did you read about Qatar, in particular? Will give you another inside view of ‘my life’.