3 Frustrations

2011 so far is off to a rocky start.

I keep finding myself in really infuriating situations and I can't decide if I'm being really unreasonable or if my frustrations are warrented.

Situation 1-
I was going to go for a walk in another neighbourhood a short drive away and came up to Wizarat Roundabout only to find that the police had closed the 3 major access points, while leaving 2 open.

Of course I was using one of the major points along with many other people but I happened to be close enough to the front to get a good look at what was all going on.

It seemed to be some sort of fundraising or awareness walk and pedestrians were coming out from the road that runs paralel to the SQ highway around the roundabout and back down the road again.

However, the walkers were all wearing Bank Muscat t-shirts and there was a Bank Muscat signboard up to the side.

I was very confused....is Bank Muscat the cause? The sponsor? What on earth was this walk for?

I sat there for 10 minutes while people behind me who couldn't see what was happening began to honk their horns, and you know, I thought too fucking right this is some BULLSHIT! and I honked too.

Then people in the back began to get smart and went around from the back and took the 2 non-closed off routes.

And the police just let them, some people went all the way around the roundabout going on the highway, or going on the route that the walkers were taking while almost running over the walkers, honking at them, etc.

That pissed me off. By now I had been sitting there for 15 minutes and the people just kept on coming.

I got out of the car, walked up to the nearest officer and said, " Sir, can you maybe stop the walkers for 1 minute to let some of the traffic through? I don't think it's fair that you have some cars sneaking through while everyone else sits here."

He gave me the *have patience* sign (hold your hand up, palm to the ceiling and close your fingers to make a point and shake it. This hand stance is also useful if you want to poke someones eyes out, just turn it over so the back of your hand is facing the ceiling and jab away! You're welcome ;)) and then walked away.

This was when I saw red. Literally. Everything went red. While I understand that I have both a short fuse and not a lot of patience, I really couldn't give a shit about this awareness walk/possible fundraiser for Bank Muscat (and if it was for something else then they should have had different t-shirts on) and how much patience does anyone have really?

I have a life to live, just like everyone else.

The cops then decided 5 or so minutes later to let the cars go, but there was still walkers in the roundabout and one of them was pushing a baby stroller and walking with a child...nice thinking. Ever hear of a detour route?

That's 20 minutes of my life just gone.

Situation 2-
I bought a juicer awhile ago and decided that I would do a sort of juice detox but really it was more of a list of juices to drink that help detoxify while you eat a healthy diet. So I went out in search of all the ingredients.

First stop-Carrefour. They didn't have everything I wanted so I just got some things. At the checkout I was stuck behind a store manager buying about 100 packs of steak which I suppose maybe he gets a discount or something and the correct amount has to be typed in with each purchase individually, which I guess the regular cashier can't do and the manager wouldn't go around to the other side to do the typing so he did it all upside down and wrong half the time. It was rediculous.

Second stop- LuLu, who had more variety but still not everything so I was in the checkout with all my stuff on the ringthrough belt when the computer stopped working.

The cashier didn't even look at me to say that it had stopped working, she just pretended like I didn't exist. I waited while she found a manager who kind of sauntered over while talking on his mobile, then he pushed a few buttons and walked away. But apparently it wasn't fixed because we still weren't moving.

I asked if I should go to another till but didn't even get a response from the woman. I actually had to get all like excuse me, yeah you, should I go to another till or not? Can you just let me know?

She shook her hand at me which I don't know what that means, I grabbed my stuff and went to another line.

But then I was stuck behind a woman who was buying at least 10 of everything in the store.

And she didn't didn't start to bag her own stuff even though it was piling up and spilling over, until I said, "hey, maybe you should start bagging your stuff there." She looked at me like I was crazy.

Maybe it was her first time to a supermarket but it was ridiculous! Then she would only use one hand because she had her purse in the other hand and there were no bag boys anywhere (actually I found them later sitting playing cards in the parking lot) and she even asked a security gaurd to help her but he said no. That's something.

My stuff on the other hand got checked through on the same side of the checkout as I was because the woman in front of me was still trying to bag all her stuff. I actually had to ask her to move aside to let me out because she was still bagging.

Next stop- Al Fair

I found the missing pieces I wanted except Kale and got in line. The man in front of me payed with a 50 but needed something else from somewhere or something and the cashier had to leave and go and get, maybe it was something like Saffron which they keep under a counter or something like that, but he came back 5 minutes later with the mans change.

Then can you even believe it? He had to change the register tape! By this point I had decided that I was on a hidden camera show and that I really didn't want to be on it.

Situation 3-
I have changed laundry places twice so far this year. The place in my neighbourhood, the man was rude to me.

I dropped shirts off and then I went back when he said to go back and he was like a petulent teenager, "ummmm tomorrow ok?" So then I went back and he looked at me blankly like he had no idea what I could ever be wanting from his shop. And I know how that sounds but I'm one of maybe 4 white families in my neighbourhood, and I was just there the day before and then 2 days before that! Plus your average Indian or Pakistani laundry guy will remember you and what laundry you brought in. Most of them have some sort of internal system like that.

I said, "Hi I'm here for my husband's shirts"

He picked up a pile and gave them to me. They were the wrong ones. He picked up another pile but again they were wrong.

He asked me how many but I hadn't counted because...well I would have thought this guy would have his business under control.

But seriously you can't miss Cush's shirts, they are some nice shirts. And hey, Cush is bigger then your average Indian, so I think these shirts should be in the forefront of his mind, they are distinctive.

We finally found them, there was 8 shirts in total, and if I had to iron 8 XL very nice shirts I would remember.

And the other place I used to go to lost Cush's shirts which I had just brought for ironing. I used to get his shirts all dry cleaned but then I thought that was a little silly considering they are mostly cotton and we don't need all the chemicals in his clothes, so I started washing them myself but I suck at ironing and Cush doesn't want to do it, so here we are.

I dropped off 11 shirts, said ironing only please! The man said ok, I said I'll come back in 2 days, he said ok and off I went.

I went back and said, "hi I'm here for my husbands shirts" but usually these guys just know me. I've been going there for years.

The guy looked a little confused and looked around but didn't find the shirts. Then I went in the back and started looking and couldn't find them.

And since these guys don't give you a slip or anything, like I said they just know you and your clothes typically, I started to panic, because like I said, Cush wears nice shirts. Some tailor made, some store bought, what have you.

I asked where the shirts were after we couldn't find them and the guy was like, I don't know, come back after 6.

I didn't want to be fobbed off like that because then I thought he's going to get rid of me and then when his co-worker comes in at 6 and I speak to him he'll have no idea what I'm talking about.

I asked if he could just call the other guy on the phone but he wouldn't.

I was so convinced they had given his shirts to someone else. So, so convinced.

All in all they sent the shirts off for cleaning and I was pissed. The guy kept laughing and that just made me more angry. "Why is this funny?" I asked him, and he just laughed harder.

I'm not going back to either laundry place.

Ok I feel better.