Finally!
Trip Start
Oct 30, 2006
1
12
39
Trip End
Aug 21, 2008
Doha, Qatar
Saturday, September 15, 2007
So, I am currently sitting here in Dubai International Airport wondering why I decided to schedule my flight out of here 9 ½ hours after my flight from Kandahar got in. Qatar Airways doesn't check you in until three hours before the flight. I knew this. I sat in the terminal in Doha last time I went on vacation for 8 hours before I was able to check in and go to the gate. On top of hanging out here in the food court waiting for 4 pm to roll around, Ramadan just started three days ago. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sun-up to sundown. Lucky for me, there were a couple of food places that were actually open in the food court, so I had a turkey sandwich. Now, instead of doing my school work that is due by midnight tonight, I am watching "Rescue Me". I just started watching it last week and now I am hooked. I figure I will have enough time once I get to my hotel in Doha to finish up this weeks homework. Here's to hoping! I've got about an hour left to wait before I can go check in...It seems like I've been doing a lot of waiting lately!
I had to take a taxi from Terminal 4, a small terminal that I arrived at, to Terminal 1, one of the main terminals at Dubai International. To give an idea of how large the airport grounds are, it took about 10 minutes. I was talking to the driver, as I do, and it turns out he is from Afghanistan. Once I told him that this is where I flew in from, we had quite an interesting chat. He told me that his father moved his family here thirty-five years ago, so while he claims to be "from" Afghanistan, he also has lived here so long that he considers himself a local. He said that Afghanistan is too dangerous right now and that he wished everyone would stop fighting. He doesn't pay attention to the news on his home country. I asked him if he would go back there if the fighting stopped and he told me that he would go for a visit, but not move back. He said it is not a good country for him to live. I suppose he is used to the modern lifestyle of Dubai. While talking to him, I also learned that Dubai is building its first rail system. This should be a great advantage for the people here as the traffic is horrendous. There is absolutely no order when it comes to 'rules of the road'. Speaking of the road; During my cab ride, I noticed an advertisement on one of the overpasses that said "Illinois Medical...something" It really didn't say "something", but I can't remember what exactly it did say. I was pretty surprised to see Illinois on a sign over here. I wonder if it actually referred to the state of Illinois...
