Drive time

True confession time. Roger drove with me to do the pickup in Hamad Town and then has driven with me every other time I've driven since- to and from church- once. I think he has been worried I would never man up and drive without him. But today- I did it. I made it to Lulu's and back with only Edward as my navigator.

No doubt my fear to drive is partly because of my compulsive panicky personality. But like the saying goes, "Just because your paranoid doesn't mean there not out to get you."

Take every stereotype about bad drivers in other countries- they are all true here. Aggressive, rude, fast... but sometimes they will let you have right of way just because you are a woman- which makes it more dangerous. People pass you in the inside, outside and drive on the shoulder and sidewalk all the time. They run reds and don't signal. Leave a carlength between you and another car- someone will squeeze in there. The lights blink yellow to warn you that it is about to turn green and if you aren't at least inching forward by then, the honking starts. Ditto with taking your time to make sure there is room for you to squeeze out onto the roundabouts. Our rental has zero acceleration which complicates that- its a gutless Nissan Sunny. There are accidents everywhere. A busy street can turn into some confusing narrow back alley with hardly any notice. Police barricades and checkpoints complicate matters.

But I am determined! I will conquer all my fears and become a super defensive driver zipping around the island like it is my personal racetrack. So hold on to your hats! Here I come.