Qatari style bar hopping

This short story happened in three hours on Thursday evening here in Doha, city which stabs you to the back whenever it can.

After 6 weeks I’m here I still haven’t found anybody who would be even close to what I like to do or how I want to spend time. Everybody just comes from work, starts watching TV, orders delivery dinner and sits at home. “Tough day man!! I need to rest” they say. Something which I just can’t understand!! I was into this alone. But better alone than never!!

So with a good mood I called for a private taxi at 9pm on Thursday and went for a beer outside. Next on my list of places was Sheraton Hotel with Irish Harp pub. When I got into the hotel I was welcomed by nice lobby and pyramid-like interior with around 15 floors of rooms. Bar was in the lower floor so I took elevator and confidently walked to the entrance smelling beer already.

“Ladies or couples only tonight” dryly said a bored security guard. I tried to ask him some questions willing to understand the situation, but the guard didn’t even bother to answer and only put his face into “You are not welcome here dude!! And it’s full anyway” expression. Still shocked a bit I went back to the elevator and went to mezzanine floor to Waterhole bar.

I’ve read some bad things about this place, but I just wanted to have a pint so I gave it a chance. “Membership card or Qatar ID Sir?” asked me the security. “What? Membership I don’t have. I have only Emirates ID. It’s not enough?” “No. You need Qatar ID or original passport with visa page to get in” “But I’ll do one exception when you are here for the first time” he smiled and let me pay the entrance fee and get in.

But after I got in I quickly realized why he did it, because the place was just horrible. OK, the interiors were fine. It was the people who were inside. I took a beer and was amused watching potbellied white guys around 40 shyly attacking Asian prostitutes of the same age and beauty under incredibly loud oldies sounds from a Filipino band. There was practically nobody else so I really felt like Alice in Wonderland. So I quickly finished second pint and went to Irish Harp again to see if the situation haven’t changed.

“Ooo two single girls coming in” I felt my chance. “Hi, do you think…” they even didn’t let me finished my sentence. “You wanna get in? Ok come with us” the English girls answered themselves and I was standing in front of the same security guard again. “Where is your membership card?” asked me with the same bored arrogant tone the guard. “Get the membership and we let you in” he told me and the girls disappeared inside. So I went to the desk where they were giving memberships. “We cannot give a membership to a single guy. You need to have the girl standing next to you” said another security with the same cold annoying tone. In that point I was really losing my temper under the pressure of all those unbelievable things.

“I have a friend over there. She can help you get the membership” said a girl doing hers just next to me. I felt the last chance, but just to be sure I’ve asked “Is this UAE ID card enough to get it?” “You need to have original passport with visa. This is the rule” replied that security and I exploded.

“Screw all this and you too” I almost shouted when I strode out with blood boiling and ire in the eyes. Outside the hotel, blinded with wrath, I pushed aside one poor businessman and stole his taxi. “Ramada Plaza” I ordered.

After five minutes of a calming drive I asked the driver “Do you know if I can get to QUBE without passport?” “I don’t think so Sir” he replied pretty confidently. And he was true. To get in you need a membership and for a membership you need, according to the big board next to entrance, a Residence permit. In that point I was not even sure if you can get in with passport, which I didn’t have anyway, so I just looked at a long queue for memberships and conceded to having one more cold pint today.

At midnight I was at home again. I paid three times more for taxis and fees that for the beer itself. But at the end I had to laugh. Country which has that few bars that they can refuse customers in big is just sad.

But as it is always, when there is no other chance, you just accept it. You have to. Especially here in Qatar. So next time I will bring the passport and I will give it another chance…Why? Because I want to survive here until I could go back. Because if I had a feeling that I don’t belong to UAE, here it is not a feeling anymore…it’s a fact!!