Qatar: It's like England, I swear

In the winters... these months, December, Jan... man, Qatar's beautiful. I swear by Christ, yesterday morning, when I left home for work in my denims a blue shirt and a black jacket (read: blazer), hair open wild, as soon as I stepped out in the open, I took a deep long breath with closed eyes.

I was there, right there, in England. Wales probably.

When I was in UK, unless it was too far off, I used to walk it... and I absolutely loved walking there. It's so much fun - something you can never do in India, at least not in the metropolitans. Out there in England, the roads are so clean, the air is so pure, the sights on your left and right are so picture perfect, and the women that pass you by, on a rare occasion even smile at you, are super gorgeous.

I used to grab a couple of Mars bars, a can of coke, put on my shades and walk about. It was fun.

I felt the same way yesterday. My home's a good four km from work.

If it were summer, I'd have fainted. But it ain't no summer here. It's beautiful winter... desert winter. The cool breeze, the neatly-tiled pavements, the grey clouds above... absolutely beautiful.

So I did a London in Qatar. Headed straight for the grocery store. Grabbed a few mars bars and a can of coke... walked to work.

Then for an assignment... walked all the way to Starbucks, which is at least six km away. Didn't even feel a pinch.

I remember when I first landed in Qatar, without a clue what this country would be like. It was the near-peak of summer.

Trust me, you can't even begin to imagine the humidity of the desert... the heat. Man, even your teeth would get tanned.

The first day when I went out looking for an apartment, I was at the Ramada signal trying to ask people where the freak is the damn taxi stand here. Obvio, I had no idea there are no taxi stands in Qatar. Try your luck standing out there on the road.

In five minutes, I was drenched, the plastic mineral water bottle in my hand had begun to melt, I had become black... and I was just about to faint. I was like, Dude, what the fuck are you doing here??? How the hell do people survive this god damn heat?!

But gradually, I got used to it. Swore, I woulnd't let the hot sun get to me. Never cribbed. While waiting for a cab, I'd smile and sing - realised... that way, you don't feel the heat much.

Today, that the tables have turned, summer's turned into winter... I woke up hoping and praying for rain.

Na-aa why would it rain man? It's rare.

I walked out of my house building. And there was John, waiting for me in his Pontiac Trans Am convertible, the windows of which dotted with tiny droplets of water.

Rain!!!!

OK fine... drizzle.

But what the heck.

Eid Mubarak.