Qatar Anecdotes

So here's some real funny stories I've got from Qatar..

Story 1 - A friend received a wrong number call. After hearing my friend's voice...

Caller: How is your name? (probably he was wondering and wanted to ask 'what is your name')
Friend: My name is fine. How IS your name?

LOOOOOL

Story 2 - Same friend had a minor accident.

Friend: talking to Qatar Police while sitting inside the car windows rolled down: Sir, I had a minor accident over there (pointing the scratch in front of the car)
Police: Shu hada! What is this, supermarket?*

LOOOOOL

*Just in case you don't know, normally, most locals here in the UAE and obviously in Qatar (I believe in other Gulf countries too :p), they go to supermarkets/grocery stores/restos, honk their cars, and give orders or point what they want to buy, just like a drive-thru. :D

Certified Chismosa

I don't know how many times I'll be caught on camera, looking like nothing but a gossiper.

Remember last year, I was also caught red handed in one of my off-guard moments?



some time in April 2011


Well, this year, I have the same classic photo when I attended a children party this month.

geez, look at my eyes! and my facial reaction!!!

Chismosa is a Filipino/Spanish term for a gossipy or meddlesome woman. A quidnunc; a gossipmonger; a shit-talker. Someone who is always absorbed in other people's business. LOL

Pinoys

One of the funny traits of  Filipinos is being unable to give precise answers.

Examples:


► have you eaten?
◄ I'M STILL FULL

► is your mother there?
◄ WHY?

► what time are you going to work/school?
◄ LATER.

► where have you been?
◄ THERE ONLY

► how did you do that?
◄ SO EASY.

► what time is it?
◄ STILL EARLY.


but the FAVORITE reply
► where are you now?
◄ ALMOST THERE. YOU WAIT.

The Samantha Brick Within Me

I am going through some rough times lately but I think I'm handling it gracefully. It's Samantha Brick talking. Hahaha.

Last Saturday was my birthday so me and my roomies went to dine to the much heard place in the Pinoyhood --the La Mesa resto at Asiana Hotel. 

inside La Mesa resto

We stuffed ourselves with the buffet dinner and had a bottle of red wine. We paid the red wine a bit cheaper than the usual prize. The waiter gave us a discount maybe because of my dazzling beauty and pretty smile. LMAO. It is, again, Samantha Brick talking.  


It was holiday in my office last Sunday because of Easter so I got my sleepless Friday night compensated. Sunday afternoon I went to salon and got my hair done and went straight to my spoken Arabic (Emarati accent) class. I was 30 minutes late so I made a grand entrance in the class. The Emarati teacher was discussing something when I entered the room but said "Wow!" when she saw me and the whole class looked at me. I wasn't sure if the 'wow' was said because I was very late (she was informed beforehand of me running late) or just because I looked so stunning. It's Samantha once more. LOL.

I am SERIOUSLY trying desperately to keep my composure and not let my Samantha Brick within embarass me. LOL. I kid. I kid. I kid.

I hope you enjoy this post :D

Caught Red-Handed at the Shabu-Shabu Party

Last Thu night, a former flatmate and a bubbly friend of mine threw a pre-birthday dinner party. I was going to beg off because I didn’t know anyone there except for her and another former flatmate/coworker but  I attended because I was SO hungry it was a “shabu-shabu” party. As y'all know or don’t know, it’s my favorite dish, a Japanese dish where thinly sliced meat and vegetables, seafoods, mushrooms, black fungus, seeweeds, tofu and noodles are submerged in a pot of boiling water/broth and it is eaten by dipping it in a sauce (e.g. peanut sauce + chilli sauce) or with rice. For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabu-shabu 

So anyway, I had fun (donno with the others, LOL). I enjoyed the shabu-shabu galore and met interesting girls (her other friends – 5 Filipinas, 1 Japanese, 1 Sri Lankan), a total of 10 girls. Suprisingly, the Japanese girl (in white with short hair) told me that I look more Japanese than her and I can be mistaken as Thai girl also. Interesting, innit?

shabu shabu galore with the girls

the celebrant is in the centre seat

The birthday girl uploaded more than 100 pics of us in her Facebook and most of them were stolen shots. LOL’ed so much when I saw one of my caught off-guard moments, so I downloaded it and inserted a "speech bubble" ... check this out :p

caught red-handed!

Chismosa is a Filipino/Spanish word for a female gossiper; a woman who talks shit about another person behind their back (LOL, that was harsh!)

Check the picture again.. noticed how the girl in yellow (beside me) covers her mouth with a tissue like she was whispering something to me and the reaction on my face?! Priceless!! Very chismosa, LOL.

The 'P-F' Syndrome

Just another anecdote =))

A month ago or two, I was standing inside the bus (after getting off from the Metro) going to my sis' place. The Filipino bus driver closed the bus door and was about to go when suddenly few passengers came running and pressing the button outside next to the bus' door to open it, some were knocking. The driver didn't open the door, I was thinking that he couldn't open the door because of some technical glitch (Dubai bus is electronically operated and stuff). The driver shouted "PULL, PULL". The passengers outside touched the door or were trying to pull the door. But the driver kept on shouting "PULL, PULL". The passengers outside looked so confused, and I was like to myself *why these passengers can't just pull the door and get in so we all can go fast*. Again, for the the 3rd time, the driver shouted "PULL, PULL" but this time with hand gesture.

And that was when I realized that the driver had been trying to tell that the bus is already FULL. *what the epp!*

Me No Speak 'Orange'

 

I had a funny experience on my way to Dubai from Guangzhou (China) last Wednesday. The China Southern flight attendant(s) kept on approaching me in Mandarin.  

I was sitting on a window seat (2-seater) and the seat beside me was empty (loved it!). So anyway, here's how the funny thing started.

Chinese FA asked me something in Mandarin

Me: I'm sorry?

Her again in Mandarin

Me: (I don't know what-the-heck she was asking but I was seeing tea/coffee pot, orange juice, water, coke and wine on their cart) Tea and water please, thank you. *smiles*

When they were going their rounds for the 2nd time, I overheard them asking the Egyptian guys, who were sitting in front of me, something like "what would you like to have for dinner, beef or chicken. But when it was my turn they -automatically- switched their language to Mandarin..

Me: Sorry?

Her in Mandarin: blah-blah-blah blah 

Me: Chicken pls. (and she gave me a tray with chicken, lol)

Her to Filipino girls behind me: Beef or chicken?

(See, you see!!!)

Then again for the 3rd time..

Her: Blah-blah-blah cha?

Me thinks she's asking if I want more tea, lol so I said "Yes, more tea pls." LOL

After 5-6 hours, they brought some food again and same thing happened for the 4th, 5th and 6th time. I was on the verge of telling them "Solly, me no speak Orange*!" so they would understand why I kept on replying "sorry?" but then I decided why bother as long as she/they're giving me the right thing, no issue then :)

I arrived at Dubai airport, with a bunch of Chinese tourists, past midnight, was already Thursday. When I was at the waiting area I couldn't find my sister and bil (short for brother-in-law) so I was looking for a payphone because whenever I inserted my Etisalat simcard it says "please insert sim", and my PH roaming number is not activated, another WTH! So anyway, I couldn't see any payphone nearby. Suddenly sis and bill appeared in front of me, don't know which direction they came from, lol. Bil was telling me that sister was looking for someone else, although he already told her that it was me. Sis was saying, "No no, that's NOT her, that's a Chinese girl !!" Sis was like "OMG I didn't recognize you, with all this Chinese around you, you look like them, same hairstyle (medium curly layered haircut with side swept bangs), same skin color (yellow), and you're wearing eyeglasses like them."

! ! ! ! !

My sister made me no longer wonder why those FAs kept on asking me in Mandarin...

P,S,

* I got this funny term from Family Guy.. when Jillian, a dumb-blonde, was talking about her fiance knowing how to speak "Orange" when in fact he spoke Mandarin. Here's how it went..

Brian: Wow Derek, that's pretty good French you speak there.
Jillian: He also speaks Orange.
Derek: Mandarin, honey.
Jillian: Mandolin.