Getting lost and finding your way

Throughout our first weeks here, the university had provided new faculty and staff with drivers who faithfully and with good humor transported us around the confusing network of streets, highways and roundabouts which make up the road system of the city. On the Thurs before the Eid holiday week, this service was terminated, leaving many of us with the prospect of spending a week of isolation in the compound. This resulted in a flurry of activity as people rented cars and made arrangements with "fixers" to help them obtain Qatari drivers licenses. I am in no hurry to hurl myself into the speeding maze of Doha traffic, and opted to enjoy my villa for a week or accept invitations from my neighours to investigate the city and the country with them. What with Canadians being the kind and hospitable people that we are, I did not lack for invitations. My role became navigator from the back seat on many of these excursions as I perused the Doha city map and gave directions of "straight through at the next round about, or right at the lights.

It has amazed most of us that we have become so directionally disorientated in this city. That has much to do, I think, with the multitude of roundabouts which circulate traffic through intersections. Making a left turn requires that you initially go right. Being rather directionally challenged to begin with, I end up becoming completely misaligned and from there on directions all become counter-intuitive.

Another source of confusion is the near total lack of street signs, and absence of addresses. I have yet to discover how mail delivery occurs, or even if it does, or any kind of delivery for that matter. The Kentuck Fried delivery men defy the odds, however. I see them circling the compound on a regular basis, as well as the Pizza delivery and the bottled water delivery. I'm beginning to wonder if it is all a conspiracy to keep westerners confused. The trick, I'm told, is to become familiar with land marks--the Burger King roundabout, the Sports roundabout, Villagio mall, Landmark mall--then to count roundabouts and street lights, making the appropriate turns as required. I've begun to make some progress in that regard. This week I put away my map and carefully watched my surroundings as the traffic whizzed by on both sides. "Oh yes, I recognize that building, and this area is familiar to me. Yes, I know where we are now. This is the right direction." I could hear myself thinking. I am making progress.

The difficulty in designating landmarks is the virtual sameness of every area of the city. What you see on every side, whatever sector you are in, is construction. If there are any well-established residential areas in the city, I have yet to find them. Every neighbourhood is newly constructed, or in the process of construction, or a combination of the two. Compounds of varying degrees of completion are the norm, some of the villas lived in, some yet vacant. Elegant walled villas recently occupied are surrounded by more large villas partially constructed, the grey cement walls still dark and damp against the hot Qatari sun. As well, there is little variation in color here. The colors of the dessert are replicated in the architecture. Villas run the gamut of beige, cream, tan, with touches of terra cotta and yellow trim. The dust of the desert coats everything in any case, rendering all shades less than vibrant. On discovering an unusual green house near to our compound, we have named our own landmark on Al Shamal Road--the green house turnoff.

And so the brave souls among us have ventured into the intimidating traffic and have found that the driving is not so bad. In fact, I've been told that it is fun! It is like a real life board game where all the players are anticipating the moves of the others, and thinking in advance of where they must move on the board in order to avoid mishap or penalty. It has been encouraging to me to watch other middle aged female drivers get their driving bearings without too much difficulty. Even though from the back seat it feels like a combination of bumper cars and the tilt-a-wheel, I will eventually make the move to the driver's seat.

Our colleagues who have been here longer tell us not to worry about getting lost. "It is in getting lost that you are able to find your way", they say. That is a fitting metaphor for life in Doha, indeed for life in general.

Until next time...