Of shopping malls and rip-offs

What’s the guy doing on the roof? A more typical scene from this town …

As you can probably gather from the pictures on this blog, the part of Doha where I live is dusty, grubby and dull. However it is within walking distance of the sea and of two decent supermarkets.

The glory of this country we are told is the enthusiasm with which it has embraced modernism (translation: that wonderful political system based on self interest and materialism, which is wrongly called democracy). Seek out the soul of this country and you will find it not in the desert, but in the vast shopping malls, says no less than Lonely Planet.

So after a three month hiatus, decided to pay a visit to City Center (sic) the largest mall around here; one which contains the Carrefour supermarket and, apparently, Debenhams, though I have never seen it; yes, it is that big. I am looking for contact lens solution after the local chemist here tried to persuade me that a solution for soft lens would work equally well with hard. Even more annoying, he first produced a bottle for Eu13, then moved down to Eu9 and finally, about Eu5.

The shopping mall contains many opticians, but brain dead here hops into the first one and is immediately accosted by a salesmen. “Contact lens solution? No problem – we have the Boston brand.” Without thinking I say OK, and am then hit with a bill for a staggering Eu17!

For some reason, the price doesn’t hit me until I am outside the shop. It is twice what I pay in rip-off Ireland. Had the solutions been on display, I would copped it, but salesmen know how to hustle you. I am still spitting nails as I write this; not just annoyed at such a blatant rip-off but angry that I didn’t go back and get my money refunded. I should have known better after the previous day when the other shop started with the most expensive and only moved downwards when it was clear I wouldn’t be buying it.

For those of you living here, it’s the opticians near the skating rink on the first level; it’s about two doors from a good pharmacy and if you walk on, you will find at least three other opticians. I’m only sorry I can’t tell you the name, but I threw away the receipt.

Anyway, had thought I would spend a few hours strolling around the mall and then head off home when it got cooler. Unfortunately, after half an hour, even walking home in late afternoon heat was preferable to hanging around this soul-less place, full of the kind of shops you can get anywhere. It doesn’t even have a magazine shop.

Perhaps Lonely Planet was being subtle – if a bland and impersonal shopping centre is what this country is all about, then many people will have all the information they need.