Our five year adventure in Doha, Qatar ended June 1, 2012, but the memories will always remain. It's back to Texas where I have decided...Qatar isn't cornering the market on "quirky", as I once believed. Thanks for opening my eyes to the world, Doha!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Margarita, Please

My Bennigan's clock on the wall tells me it's time for a party. The company "winter" bash is tonight and it couldn't have come at a better time. I need a little stress release after making a simple bank run today that turned into a three ring circus. For the past three years I've tooted along in Doha getting money out of any and every machine that I came across, but then came our new and improved debit cards from our bank in Texas. Maybe new, but definitely not improved. Now there are only two machines, not banks, but specific machines in the land of odd that I can get money out of and it is totally hit or miss in other countries...mostly miss. Anyway, I went to our bank here in Qatar to get some Euros before heading out to Italy on Saturday morning, only to find out that we had more fun in France than I had even remembered. That and the fact that a check I deposited three weeks ago had not cleared left us with little moolah in that account. I panicked a bit, but then I realized I had another back up account that I opened for Kristi's France tour (that doesn't work in France by the way~don't ask), so I stepped outside to use their ATM to get cash with the idea that I would walk back into the bank with it and magically turn it into Euros. So with a spring in my step and song in my heart I popped my card into the machine. Well, it didn't sing back, instead it ate my card.I go back in the bank and am told, "no problem,no problem, you can get it back on Monday when security comes and opens the machine". Doha, we have a problem, I am leaving the country in two days and need my card AND money now. It's amazing the action five feet of pure hysteria can bring upon this land. Point, card in hand. Now, my only option to get money was to drive home, find a check book, and get back to the bank and find parking (aye, there's the rub) before closing for the day at 1:00pm and it was currently 12:23pm. Fast forward. I walked out of the bank at 1:03Pm with Euros in my hand and money in the bank. Margarita, please. Oh, and make it a double.


Yes, that clock really does adorn my wall
~a gift from one of our Bennigan's friends~
Now, aren't we special?!



Margaritaville~Jimmy Buffet
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3 comments:

  1. Oh silly Doha and the banks. You got lucky this time! We didn't have a card eating fiacso b4 our trip to Tanzania (we needed USD in Tanzania, yea, don't ask) but we did have a heck of a time getting USD. Glad you got your card back and now is definitely time for a margarita!!!!

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  2. Guess what? You can get USD out of the machine at Landmark by Carrefour. I was so excited that the ATM was going to calculate my QR to USD for me when I saw USD or QR. I selected USD & entered 500 and it spit out 5 $100 bills when I wanted 500QR. Ha, and then I couldn't get anymore QR that day because my dollar limit was reached! Ya gotta love Doha!

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  3. Have a great trip.

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