Free Candy

Free Candy

 Since they do not have coins in Qatar, one must pay the exact amount for a purchase.  If you do not have the exact amount, you should overpay, in which case the vendor will give you your “change” in candy or gum! Paul has several packs of gum in the car which he received as change.  This is more common in the local, small stores which appear in strips along the road or, interestingly enough, in squares around gas stations. These stores are small general stores with an interesting assortment of goods. (I bought acrylic paints for a piñata Mia and I made for her birthday at a small local general store and some glue sticks.)

Of course Doha has very modern, glamorous shopping malls where one can find designer brands and expensive jewelry, French lingerie, endless candy and chocolate shops, French pastry, Italian coffee shops, pizza and Italian restaurants, indoor ice rinks and amusement parks, complete with roller coasters and Ferris wheels.  In these shops, it is unlikely you will receive candy as change. The Villagio Mall is especially popular; it is designed to resemble Venice with a canal running along the mall where one can have a ride in a gondola, complete with a gondolier. The façade of the stores is made to look like the buildings in Venice and the ceiling is painted blue with large, billowy clouds. The malls are very busy, bustling places with lots of foot traffic. It is common to see groups of Arab men in dish dash sitting together drinking coffee and groups of Arab women with the children at the amusement parks and even Arab and expat families strolling along together, shopping or eating dinner along the promenade. The grocery stores are usually attached to the mall.  The other day, Mia, Paul, and I went grocery shopping, and took Mia to the indoor amusement park where she rode the log ride and roller coaster. This is not a third world country!  Yet, it does have elements of one…

The most striking aspect of shopping is the courtesy shown to shoppers. The majority of the people working in the shops and restaurants are from the Philippines and other parts of Asia. They always address me as “Madame” and work very hard. They will do even the smallest tasks like throw your paper cup away for you at a coffee shop or pick up a napkin when it falls…when you order from the counter, they expect you to sit down and they will bring you your food or drink. Everywhere we go there is a lot of “help’ willing to make our lives easier.