Getting a Driver's Liscnese

Anyone who knows me knows that I wouldn't be able to stand not being allowed to drive in Qatar for very long.  I love the freedom and independence of being able to drive.  So one of my first steps in Qatar was to get my drivers license.  Now this used to be a very simple process, just go down to the "dmv" and get your USA license transferred to Qatari.  NOT. ANY. MORE.  Rumor is that some high up Qatari went to the US and was denied getting a US license.  The rumors as to why that happened are long.  But this Qatari was so mad at the US government he decided that as a result any American's in Qatar would not be able to easily get their license anymore.  Thus begins the fun process.

The first step was to go to one of the driving schools and take a street signs test.  I sorta studied but honestly, we have traveled in Europe and lived in the middle east enough that I already knew all the signs. Well guess what, I failed the first time.  I was in such shock that I just stared at the instructor guy.  I honestly had no clue which one I missed.  Later I figured out I missed one about Danger.  My interpretation was not correct.  So we had to return the next day to try again.  Ugh! I brought Jacob with me this time and I passed.  The test administrator was the same guy and he told me that "baby was good luck"!

Once you have the paper stating that you passed the written test you go to another room to take a number and wait to get an appointment to come back again and take the drivers test.   They only allow ladies to take the test one day a week so my appointment was almost a week away.  In the mean time, I hear all sorts of horror stories from people about being failed 5+ times on the driving part!  Even a couple of ladies went to driving school in order to be allowed to take the test again.  I heard stories of people failing for not saying hello, for not using 2 hands to adjust the review mirror, etc.   Let me tell you, with the way people drive here, if I get told I fail, I'm not going to be a happy person.

The day of the test arrives and I sit in a huge waiting room with 40+ ladies to be called out in groups to get on a bus.  How they do the testing here is they put all the ladies in a group on a bus and then that bus follows around the testing car while the ladies take turns driving.  However, I didn't get called with the first two groups and once I did get called I get sent to a car.  So instead of a bus following the car we have a car following the car.  This is actually great because obviously there are less people to test in my group.

My time finally comes to drive and of course I'm super nervous!  I was basically the only person in my group that had to drive in traffic and the only one to make a u-turn in a roundabout with huge trucks, etc.   I thought for sure I had done something wrong that she could fail me for if she wanted.  When I finished I went back to the following car and one of the Qatari girls in the car with me asked me if I passed.  I told her I didn't know cause I didn't ask!!

When we finished we went back into the big room and waited for every other group to be done.  I guess it wasn't that exciting to be in a small group. Then they called out names and told the people whose names they called to take a number.  I was in the take a number group but I still didn't know what that meant.  Finally, I asked a girl next to me if that meant I passed and she said "yes"!! Woo-hoo!  At last I was legal to drive in Qatar. Ohh wait, it's temporary so yes, I will have to go back again to get it renewed.....