What women want... by Sanolia Naidoo

To say that this blog post is delayed, would be...well, probably the biggest understatement... but for good reason of course!

Let me introduce myself...

It would be easier to hide behind a pseudonym but I know you'll probably want to facebook the brilliance that I am :) haha.

My name is Sanolia Naidoo... and this here blog belongs to a gentleman who is one of my best friends. (I've put up with him for 6 years!).

Now that we're briefly acquainted I should put one little thing out there. I am a blogger, fashion designer and entrepreneur.

I have a fashion/lifestyle blog and I don't often get to rant! So I will be using my guest posts here as a platform to share my ideas about life, love and everything else from a ladies perspective. Sometimes you boys need the help!

(Please note that these are merely my opinions and any mentioned characters may or may not have reference/link to any person living… or dead). You can also visit my blog Cocktail by Sanolia

With that out of the way, let's get started....

When ‘The Gentleman’s Quarters’ asked me to write a guest post I really didn't realize how difficult this would be, I blog for a predominantly female audience and most of the readers of this blog are, hmmm, MALE. I wondered how they would feel if I started dishing out the things ladies complain about.

Like how we hate it when you poke us on Facebook and send us ridiculous inbox one liners. Who do you think you are!?

But after thinking it through I've decided to be completely honest here. The posts may be long but do yourself and current/ future girlfriend a favour and read it ...

Also, ditch reading the Cosmo (don't act like you haven't) and pay attention.

These are the dirty little secrets that girls don't share with you.

Welcome to my world…

So, it's Sunday, after some deliberation I thought I might share a little something about what women really want…

Get some tea. Get comfy…

...Lets begin shall we?

So as much as I may be 'single' at the moment, I've also been through relationships.

Like most girls my age I have loved, lost and been hurt.... So when I speak of my personal experiences, believe me when I say that I know what I'm talking about!

Contrary to belief, there are not only two types of guys anymore. There used to just be the “jerk /bad boy” and then the ‘old faithful nice guy’.

If only we could return to the days of such simplicity.

Let's name the different types (if you don't watch gossip girl,I suggest you google these characters quickly! You could learn a thing or two!).

So here we go....

*Nate- Ah Nate. Pretty. Almost edible (yeah I just said that), he's the guy every girl wants to have on her arm. But he's far from perfect. Shallow almost. Not the brightest crayon in the box, and very quick to move from one girl to another.

*Chuck- NOW. Chuck.Oh Chuck… Modern day bad guy. This is the guy we hate to love but we do. He treats girls badly. He gets his way. He leaves us-and we keep running back. He has the ability to turn the most powerful woman into a sobbing teenage girl.

We need to hate Chuck.

*Dan- The first word that comes to mind is loyal, faithful, a solid good guy but a bit of a pushover.

Although, he knows what he wants.

Girls don't realize it till they've been through the Nate's and Chuck's of this world… But, Dan is the one we really need!

As much as I made a reference to a tv series, I really wish guys would realize that they really aren't these characters. All they are in fact, is the above mentioned behavior types or character sets. Sorry boys!

Girls aren't perfect either. We are flawed in more ways than one. But when you make the choice to care for one of us, please do just that. Care. for.just.ONE AT A TIME.

We like to feel like we're important. We would like to make you feel important too.

How about giving us the chance? How about giving yourself the chance!

Nate, please. Shut up. Grow up. And develop a working brain!

Dan, please be brave enough to tell us how you feel. It's okay to make a move on the girl that you don't think you can get. Cos who knows...

And Chuck.... dear dear Chuck.

We may love you. But we won't always be waiting for you. Make up your mind because whilst you're out ‘playing’ bad boy, chasing what might be good for now....Dan is taking what could have been yours. We won't be there for you, forever.

Now, before you all start hating on me...There are definitely the female equivalents of the above mentioned males. Maybe girls that are even worse than guys.

But I'm here to enlighten you on how girls feel. So there you go...

In the end that's all we really want. A Man.
Time to grow up little boys.
(PS: We're not looking for a fairytale, let's just start with some respect)

xoxo

Guest Posters

                  

Distinguished Guests

 

Sanolia Naidoo, born and raised in South Africa, holds a Bcom Business Management degree. She is the owner and founder of her own clothing line called ‘Cocktail’. A brand that is featured in the pages of many lifestyle and socialite magazines.  She has a distinctive taste for all things fashionable and elegant. With an air of sophistication, Sanolia is a leader and trendsetter for our generation of young professionals.

You can vist her blog at:

http://cocktailbysanolianaidoo.blogspot.com/

              

        ~The Gentleman’s Quarters

Mavericks take GOLD!

To follow up on my last post. Mavericks Football Family won the Gold medal in the Premier Division! Well done boys!

We are number one!!!

Mavericks.

Mavericks Football Family

 

Back in 2008 I got invited to play social soccer with a bunch of mates one evening and we continued this trend for weeks on end. Gradually I invited a few friends of my own and weekly soccer games started growing in numbers. What started as a social soccer scene has expanded into 2 action soccer league teams.

The guys that had originally asked me to play had to briefly stop during mid year exams, so I took the initiative to get a whole bunch of my own friends to fill the weekly spot.

This bowled over into those mates bringing friends of their own. Some nights we ended up with 4 teams!

Theesan and I had always talked about joining the league but no one else was as keen. So it was an idea that remained in the back of our minds for months. We asked every one of the guys who came to play if they would play in league side with us and not one was to be found!

One day during socials I suffered a partial tear on my Achilles tendon, pain like I have never felt in my life.

-Who was it that drove my car home? Byron? I can’t remember.-

 But I remember him and Thees carrying me up to my apartment and leaving me on the living room floor. Shot.

I would be out of action for the next 6 weeks. When the guys played I still went to watch, cos there was always late night food and drinks missions after the game.

After about 2 weeks I got sick of watching them play so I enquired about the league, got the forms, filled them out, Thees and I settled on a team name and we sent the forms in.

We only had 2 players on our team of 6 =D

So we asked Malcolm and he said yes, work schedule pending, and he brought Chrissy with him. Byron was keen cos he’s white and fearless. 

(Our current kit has the words I.M.O Byron G emblazoned on the front, this serves as a reminder of the brother we lost. Your memory lives on through us).  

We convinced Nishalin and Prinolan not to be pansies and Shaun was ready to rumble as always. 

So we eventually got a team together and proceeded to play in our 1^st season at the bottom of 2^nd division. We were clearly inexperienced and unfamiliar with the rules but never gave up! It was a tough season!

We ended the season by going to the final of the knockout round, winning the gold medal and achieving promotion to the 1^st division.

We went to the final of the 1^st division, finished 2^nd and got promoted to the Premier division!

In our 1^st season in premier league we were getting hammered all season but managed to make the knockout rounds where… you guessed it, we made it to the final and lost by a narrow margin to take silver. We continued to play a 4^th season and finished 2^nd again.

Now in the 5^th season and still in the premier league, Mavericks have made it to a 5^th successive final… this coming Friday….

During our 3rd season we formed a 2^nd side and entered into the league, these were from our same group of mates that played every week with us.

Beach days with the Mavericks!

They chose to call themselves ‘Junior Mavericks’ but later changed their name to ‘Mavericks B’. When choosing people to play for our teams we only had a few simple requirements:

1. That they have played socials with us.
2. That they braai and hang with us after the games.

This is not a team for superstar imports for “important games” as you see with other teams in the league. This is just a bunch of mates. And shall forever remain that way.

Those that have joined from outside our circle of friends have been absorbed into our social circle anyway.

What started of as social soccer has grown into a bond between all of us and our families, who came out to watch us play in knockout games and final’s. The support we have received has grown season after season.

Last week Mavericks won their premier division playoff to go to yet another final! We await the best team in the league, a team with a mix of natal players and SA beach soccer players. A team that has only lost one match (to us) in the last 2 seasons of playing in this league. Our chances of winning are slim. None of us play professionally, we don’t even practice. We just fight our hardest, never give up and give 100% every time. Except when we play Mavericks B. then we only need to give 10% hahaha… (when u beat us then you can take the bragging rights)

A big thank you must go out to Nitsa Kuys from the arena for putting up with us for this long. Her patience and phenomenal service has been appreciated to the highest degree.

The relationship that we have built with the arena will no doubt be a long standing one!

Since I left to Qatar, those tjops have been too lazy to book and organize socials, so at the moment they’re all only playing league. Bunch of wastes!!!! Especially Kavir!!! aka Bully Boy!!

The Mavericks gold/ silver final will be played on the 3^rd of June 2011 at 19:50. @ the Durban North Action Arena. Come through and watch the game and join the boys for a braai afterwards!

Lists..

Last week I came across someone’s bucket list which inspired me to create my own.

What is a bucket list? A list of goals, experiences you wish to have before you… kick the bucket.

After writing this list I realized how much there is still to achieve. I realized where I am now in life and started plotting my path to achieving everything on this list. Seems like a monumental task…

So how do you eat an elephant? … one bite at a time.

If you really think about it, how much do you achieve in a year? Days, become weeks, weeks become months and then it’s the start of a whole new year.  Our day-to-day activities blur into each other and time quickly passes us by.

This is more than just a to-do-list. Entries of a bucket list are anything and everything you ever wanted to do. It shouldn’t be limited by health, wealth or mental status =D

Of course, the list will change with time. What you may have wanted to do in your 20’s wont necessarily be what you want to do in your 50’s. In the same way, more things should be added as you move through life and experience more of it. I always wanted to be on K-tv Reggies rush. I doubt that’s gonna happen anymore haha.

Not everything on the list has to be superficial and self- centered.  Your bucket list should be unique to who you are. Mine includes minor acts of kindness and dreams of larger ones. I saw a bucket list on a blog which had “Go to heaven” on it. I’d like to see him achieve that while he’s alive. Clever.

Achieving things on your list will deepen your character as you experience new facets of life.

What have YOU always wanted to do?

NOTE: This is very much an incomplete list... there are still many additions to be made within the next few weeks. I have also purposefully left out majority of the travel destinations as those alone would compile a never ending list. They will however be added at a later time. 

Click the book for a full view!

 

The Retronaut

HOW TO BE A RETRONAUT

 I came across this cool website on living in the yesteryear. It really gives you an insight into the societal norms and perceptions before mass media came along. Back when propaganda was blatant and people knew little about the world around them. Also how the ideas back then shaped the world we know today.
Like Twitter!

Check out how major world events influenced culture, marketing, advertising and stereotypes.

Heres a list of some of my favourites

The original "twitter"

How 1910 imagined what the year 2000 would be like

Nuclear toys

GPS in 1930

The evolution of famous logos 

Brand names

I thought this was pretty cool. impossible these days.

Australian criminals from the 1920's - I like the dude that "refused to open his eyes". haha.

The day Niagra falls dried up

A city below ground from the 50's 

Japanese Anatomy from 1603

The evolution of the BATMOBILE!!!!!

Avatar - The original 

Adverts for the 1st home computers 


How the Statue of Liberty got there

Resucitating chivalry...

 Where have good old fashioned manners disappeared to? Really, how often do you get a polite gentleman who properly uses his basic ‘please’ and ‘thank you’? With a quick glance around a crowded room you will notice that there are very few true gentlemen among us. I think this twisted generation has relegated chivalry to an archaic practice used by weak men.

The rude and impolite mannerisms get to a point when you want to walk up to them and say “What would your mother think!”… especially if he’s Indian, just mentioning his mother will scare him haha.

What you believe about your ‘knight in shining armour’ is true. Chivalry was associated with ‘knighthood’ and ‘nobility’. These knights were trained to be courteous, honorable and to protect the weak. They were of a prestigious and esteemed class of warriors and gentleman.

Then somewhere along the timeline things got a bit blurred….

Chivalry had nothing to do with women, which is how it’s perceived now. We think of chivalry as a way to show special courtesy to women. Sorry ladies, that isn’t chivalry. Typical of the female species to make everything about themselves. Fortunately I can’t get into trouble for saying that =D

Chivalry is just plain old ‘good manners’!! It has nothing to do with gender! In contemporary times it’s also used towards women to show her that you treat all people with respect and dignity.

Be careful though ladies, chivalrous acts can often be imitated as a means to an end. In a ‘date’ type situation, ‘chivalry’ or ‘good manners’ have little or no bearing on how he interacts with other people. Remember that.

There’s also that fine line of “equality of sexes” that messes up everything! With feminism at an all time high, we don’t want to offend a lady, who’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Recognize at all times that the fine ladies that surround you have fully functioning mental capacities and that they should be respected. If she says she wants to do something for herself, let her!

Open a door for her, lend her your jacket on a cold night, be the valet and fetch the car if its raining… but don’t, whatever you do, don’t order her meal for her. Even if you do know exactly what she wants. It’s rude and condescending. Unless she asks for a suggestion, keep your opinions to yourself. There’s nothing more patronizing to a lady than a man who chooses for her. 

I also can’t stand people who are constantly swearing. Seriously, have you no other way of expressing your thoughts? Especially in front of a lady or in a workplace situation. You look unprofessional, arrogant and rude. It will not earn you any respect with your subordinates and colleagues either. I know I know, girls these days have foul mouths too. And to think they kiss their mothers with those filthy things. Tone down the language. All of you.

When you chew with your mouth wide open and forget your ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ not only do you look like an idiot but you’re telling people that you don’t care about anybody but yourself. Do that at your girlfriends house in front of her parents and watch her dad’s hopes and aspirations for his princess die. Right there. Choking at the dinner table. Probably on a chicken bone that you shot outa your mouth while you were chewing.

 I know someone’s gonna message me and say that not all ladies deserve to be treated like this simply cos they don’t appreciate it, they’re demanding, unappreciative bla bla bla…

A true gentleman is such a man regardless of the lady in concern.

I once got punched in the face for standing up for a lady. I had to get stitches across my forehead. Yes, that situation does fit quite aptly into this paragraph. Needless to say, many lessons were learnt that night.

Yes, there are many high maintenance, gold digging drama queens who can add very little to a relationship… or the bare minimum at best. If she doesn’t appreciate your chivalry and reciprocate, then you’re probably wasting your time. No wait, you’re definitely wasting your time. No guy wants to carry dead weight through a relationship.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not about getting something in return.

Ladies should show their appreciation, good manners & respect too. Buy him something he’s been talking about, make some chicken soup when he’s sick. It shows that you care about your partner & appreciate him. Relationships are a two-way street. Don’t get taken for a ride dude. Also, that sentiment that women should be treated equal to men doesn’t mean you need to treat her like a dude. She may be just as capable as a man, but she is in fact a lady.

One of the finest examples of a gentleman that I have come across in this lifetime is a young man that goes by the name of Byron Georgiades (01/06/1984 - 15/ 03/ 2010).Those who knew him would know that this is no exaggeration. He’s one of those boys where upon meeting your parents, they would say to you, “Why can’t you be like this boy!” His manner of speaking, his politeness, courtesy, work ethic and humility were unrivaled. Don’t for a second think he was a pushover, do something wrong and you’ll be sure to get a good roasting for it. I once complained about the physicality of the action soccer league that we had joined…. Byrons response was, “Cmon bru, this is soccer, not ballet!” I never complained to him again haha.

A well rounded chivalrous gentleman and A true friend who taught me much.

Chivalry should extend into every day life. Respect your elders (so rare these days), hold a door open for somebody following closely, thank somebody for a service they provided, tip generously, when you motion for the bill at a restaurant there’s no need to shout across the room, whistle or click your fingers. Just a quick glance at the waiter, a little hand signal and it’s done. We’re forgetting how to communicate effectively.

Be polite, don’t lose your temper, don’t curse. Is it really that hard for you? By no means am I saying be a slave to etiquette. It’s just about treating others with respect.

Man up.

I know a few good men that are still out there. That can only mean that chivalry isn’t completely dead… but it is on life support.

HERE'S TO REVIVING A CREED OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN WHO TREAT EVERYBODY WITH RESPECT, HONOUR & COURTESY.

'The Restart Effect'

When you get to your 1^st year at varsity- no matter who you were in high school- you realize you’re in a whole other world. You can become anything you want to become. Your past, what you did, who you were, it falls away and by a series of incidents, a new man is forged! You’re going to be changing in some way or the other.

Through each phase of your life: high school, college, your 1^st job – onto your second job… eventually settling down on your actual career, you’ll realize that you’re really just going through the ‘school of life’, graduating through each step along the way. ‘

Its The Restart Effect,

Just when you got it nailed down, you gotta hit the restart button and conquer a different sphere of life, which has been primed by your previous experiences.

The lessons you learn in college (mostly out of the classroom) will carry you through the next few years of your life. People skills, conflict resolution, time management (fitting in that social life between exam papers), the confidence you attain… all coupled together, prepare you for the unknowing Goliath that you’re about to face – The WORKING WORLD!

So you graduate. You get a nice handshake from dad, a hug from mom & you’re on your way… You have dreams, aspirations, you’re filled with ambition.

You get out there and realize… you’re starting at the bottom all over again.

You enter your job space and you realize that you’re working with people that are smarter & more experienced than you. You may have an impressive qualification, but they know how to play the game, and they can play it well!

One thing that I’ve learned during my change of organizations is that, no matter who you were before, no matter what you’ve come through in your life and no matter who you are or what you’ve achieved… it all means nothing to them and you have to prove yourself all over again. You have to build yourself and your reputation, up… from scratch. You could have been an athlete of note, a social phenomenon or the brightest crayon from the class of ‘whenever’. It matters none.

When I look at some of the most successful adults I know, I realize that they aren’t all necessarily doing the same jobs that they studied for, or even started out doing in their 20’s. Seriously! Think about it!

So what ever it is you’re doing, even if you’re frustrated, realize that THINGS CHANGE and situations are temporary.

Remember that you’re getting awesome career experience so that one day you’ll be able to school the ‘new college graduate’ on how the real world works. Just like how I’m schooling you hahaha.

You learn how to deal with people that you don’t like. You realize that these people are just here for a moment and mean little in the bigger scheme of your life.

You will get judged as soon as you step through those doors. You will be put down and you will be tested. Colleagues will make generalizations about you and expect you to be what they conceive you to be. When you become bigger than that, when you rise above that and be who you are, they won’t like it initially. Men especially are threatened by the confidence of a man they don’t know.

Always remember to be who you are. Always remember what you’ve been through and the life that you’ve come through.

When things were going a south for me I got this little pearl of wisdom from my room mate Siyo, “When they’re hating then you know you’re doing well!”. He probably got it from some rapper. This boy is like a jukebox. The amount of songs that come out of his mouth in a day is astonishing. I need to phone his mother and ask her where the ‘stop’ button is.

Never let other people dictate who you are. If you do, that is a sure-fire way to kill every bit of confidence that you have. It will make you doubt who you are. It’s a harsh lesson that you will learn and grow from- and to never allow again

Throughout your 20’s its all about making mistakes, learning from them and figuring yourself out so you can set yourself up for an awesome future….

A real gentleman can say whatever he wants without making someone mad. A real gentleman is a cunning linguist- without the deception.

Let the Good Times Roll...

In Retrospect…

We seldom look at how things have changed. We’re too busy with our conveniences to remember how hard things REALLY used to be. I mean, what would we do without cell phones! Like seriously. How is the human race still alive.

Anyway, every now and again, this conversation about the ‘good ol days’ pops up. It almost always starts of by someone making a ‘Super Mario Brothers’ reference!

Without further ado, here are some of things I experienced as a kid.

Carte Blanche signified the death of your very being because it meant  - school the next day.

I remember recording songs off the radio on cassettes. It was annoying cos you always had to time the recording between the dj’s voice!

We had no mp3 players with a million songs. We bought tapes. We couldn’t even select the tracks! Forward, stop, play… Forward, stop, play- Ahhh! There it is!

The only phone we had, the ENTIRE family shared.

Social networking was called PLAYING OUTSIDE.

Sometimes tv stations would show this picture when nothing was scheduled- T.V shows would only start in the afternoon.

Our T.V’s had no remote controls! You had to get up off your butt to adjust the volume and change the channel.

T.V shows were in Afrikaans and we had to tune our radios in to a specific frequency to get the program in English- Simulcast

When we went to the drive in we had to hang that speaker thing through the window to listen to the audio.

We never had internet! We photocopied black and white pictures for our projects, out of books that we got from an ACTUAL library.

You had a Tamagotchi didn’t you.

It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.

Get Over Here!!!! Means something to you.

When you got an allowance of R2 on a Friday and you could buy chips from the tuck shop OR chips, sweets and something to drink from the lady outside school.

You always wanted to be on K-tv Reggies Rush… and you hated the kids on their for picking the dumbest toys.

Money issues were handled by whoever was banker in 'Monopoly.'

Being old referred to anyone over 20.

You ACTUALLY thought Brain would take over the world

We paid for every picture that we took on our cameras with film. Which we had to wait for days before seeing. Then separate them into the good pictures and the ones of peoples hands covering the lens. Everybody would hoard around the photos in suspense.

Now?

It's not quite as thrilling to look back and reminisce on an image that happened two seconds earlier.

Feel free to post your experiences of ‘growing up in the 90’s’ in the comment box below! Or message me on facebook and I’ll add it to the list!

Below are some pictures and videos of the past! Check them out and enjoy the good times!

#2

QATAR!

If you’re lazy. Just skip to the last paragraph. How gentleman like of me =D

I’ve been in this country for almost 4 months now! So theres a lot to say about this place. Brace yourself.

I had never even heard about it until I got this job! Time has really flown by! Its been an EXPERIENCE! Moving out, easy, moving to Joberg, Cape Town, easy. Moving halfway across the world on your own. Not so easy!

Two Awesome Qatari gentlemen!!

What doesn’t kill you can only make you stronger and it certainly has broadened my perspective on the world. Just when I thought I knew everything, I came here and had my mind blown. Now, Im SURE I know everything haha. Its been a rocky road, but hey, you never know what you’re made of until you put yourself to the test. When things hit the fan I always think to myself… “AT LEAST IM NOT IN THE ARMY”.  Out here you really are on your own. Its just you and God, Fortunately I have AWESOME family and friends who keep me going! Their support has made a world of difference. I learned that its not the ‘place’ that makes a place suck, it’s the people. No offence to the Qatari people, as with every nation there are some AWESOME people and some not so awesome. The culture here is weird. Especially the work culture!

You can’t work here unless you are “SPONSORED” by a Qatari person. Which basicly means they allowed you into the country to work for them. You remain under their “sponsorship”, and should you want to change jobs, you will have to get permission from your sponsor in order to do so. Your sponsor is responsible for you. So the company brings you in and you work for them! A lot of room for abuse which happens now and again. In certain companies. If your sponsor wishes to send you home, they can. It’s a system akin to modern day slavery.

If you want to open a business here, you have to be sponsored! So all the big brands like Virgin, Louis Vuitton, Gucci etc etc have Qatari owners, who get paid every month by the companies they sponsor! Clever system huh? All you have to do is be born here and BOOM, you’re in the money. Keeps the locals rich and in control of everything. Its not as bad as it sounds though. The human rights laws are ‘ok’ so it keeps the psychotic ones in check. As a visitor, you will be totally unaffected by any of this. Its like a mini dubai here.

There is a definite hierarchy within the workplace across various organizations, where individuals are mounted on their high horses based on salaries, nationality and sometimes skin colour. A thought shared throughout many industries.I thought we moved away from that? Oh yes, that was only in SOUTH AFRICA ! Note: these are just my personal experiences and what I have been exposed too!

Anyway, discrimination is rife, nepotism in the workplace is obvious. Often complained about by all nationalities through many vocations. Weird! Challenges faced all over the world no doubt. A lot more obvious here than in SA though! Few people are awarded on merit over here. Take SA 15 years back and that’s what you can feel here, when you pay real close attention. There’s an underlying tension between people. A fear. An avoidance. A hush. Anyway, as a nation South Africans have moved out of that, and I for one will not be putting up with it. Respectfully speaking.

There is however, space to grow, space to learn... as a person. Definitely space to EARN! 

There is still a large amount of professionalism that needs to be injected into the work culture if they really want to attract the attention of big money makers and loyal subordinates. It is encouraging that certain companies hear out issues and become involved in these situations and are willing to iron out the creases which are negatively affecting the business. At the end of the day, people are being paid to be productive and create profit for themselves as well as the company

So Qatar was awarded the bid for the 2022 World Cup. Wow, 2010 Fifa World Cup.. you rocked my world. Qatar has a long way to go, they also have an entire 11 years and an endless bank account! They rejected fifa funding, saying they don’t need it! The things they’re planning are MENTAL (as in mind blowingly awesome. Not psychotic). A lot can happen in 10 years, and a lot needs to happen.

For one, the backward thinking of people need to change. I’ve noticed a distinct difference in the attitudes of the locals that have been over seas (studied or other) versus the attitude of the ones that have been holed up here. A lot more open to new ideas, less prejudiced etc etc… everything you would expect from a person who sees a new way of life.

With that said, I’ve met some awesome people here! Some cool families (one Indian family from South Africa who I spent my birthday with. Very kind of them to invite me to supper!!). My sister said, with Indians and all their cultural faults (as with any nation), one thing they know how to do is be hospitable! And another thing, we have mutual friends. That’s INDIAN for you haha. Everyone knows everyone! Even half way across the world. Not forgetting to mention the "Stanley" family who have adopted me as their own! Their kindness, hospitality and deep, thought out advice on life issues are much appreciated.

I’ve been exposed to different cultures. Indian (like the real Indians), Filipino, Lebanese, Egyptian etc etc…

Pretty Boy Swag!

A special mention to Joseph “pretty boy” Kidwell for him welcoming me in this place and taking care of me like a brother. No issues, no hidden agendas, no rewards. Just a good old fashioned GENLTLEMAN. Both of us seem to be on a similar journey through this place, in life and with God.

New Years eve with Joseph & Marco

As far as exploring Qatar goes… it’s the size of Gauteng with about an eighth of the population? There isn’t much of a night life or social scene. My mother said that’s good, because I’m here to work so its fine if I don’t socialize. Ha.ha mom… ha.ha. Besides the coffee shop vibe and pubs in the hotels, there isn’t much to do at night. Plus, when you’re working 6 full days a week, there’s not much to do any night.

There aren’t many tourists, cos cmon, this isn’t much of a tourist place, although that’s where its headed.. the next Dubai they say. A better way to put it would be… Dubai is Qatars prettier but poorer cousin. And by poorer I mean like how Richard Branson is poorer than Bill Gates.

Qatar has MAD money and the salaries are inflated, but so is the cost of living. Not in any way matching the salary, but certainly more expensive than South Africa.

I went to Nandos and paid a whole R80 for a ¼ chicken meal! Property prices are high. Like insane. And if you aren’t Qatari, you cant buy! Only rent.

I haven’t talked much about my work? Yeah.. I know. Cos I haven’t had much work to even talk about!!!!

So I’ve been here for 4 months. Month 1 (and a half) I worked in the gym (getting used to this place). The next 2 and a half months I’ve been helping with Pre-sales for the new gym im gonna be working in. And this passed week I’ve been working IN the gym, setting up the machines and putting things in place. You thought I was a fitness trainer? SO DID I!The gym opens on the 5^th of March, where I shall resume my duties! Oh ya, I still got paid nicely, at least. New phone, new threads, new soccer boots and such. It’s a nice place to come to if you want to set up your future. You can save nicely!

So despite the challenges, upsets, issues and overall below par treatment by a few. I’ve grown, matured, had my eyes opened and its made me a better man for it… Enduring difficult times builds character. Too many men turn and run at the sight of discomfort. Too many men give up. Not enough men finish the course. Not enough men have hands and hearts that become coarse.

Why am I still here?

A gentleman completes the task he lays his hands to….