Most Popular Sport for Expats

When anyone asks what the most popular sport is in Qatar for expats, everyone expects that I would answer Soccer or (for some reason I can't explain) Football as they erroneous call that sport on this side of the world.

The honest answer is - Grocery Shopping.  Yes - the most popular sport for expats is shopping for groceries! After you leave your home country, you quickly realize what products you cannot live without. No temperatures above 100 degrees or humidity above 100% will keep you from finding such items as Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter.

Grocery stores here are described as "best for UK products", "best for Americans" or "best for Kiwis".  Going to these different stores becomes your own adventure shared only with the driver you had to hire to drive you around.  Suddenly that jar of peanut butter that costs $3.00 in the United States is $15 with the transportation costs.  But who cares - I am not about to feel the Agony of Defeat!

Occasionally you see someone with something you have been trying to locate. Now how you go about gettting the information from them is very important.  I will set the scene:  You are in the cafeteria at work and spot someone eating Chobani Yogurt.  Strawberry to be precise - I would rather have pineapple but strawberry would do in a pinch.  I quickly corner her, use the newbie card and ask where she got it.  She does not offer the information outright.  Her first answer is that is costs over $3.00 per container.  Do I look poor?  Excuse me, that is not what I asked!  I continue to stare - stare - stare - and finally get the store's location.  However, as I walk away, I hear her add "I bought all they had".
Ok  *%$?"!&#  -  game on!                  

On the other side of the field - this scene:  I am enjoying my Diet Mountain Dew for breakfast while I wait for my morning bus.  (No comments on my diet please because I do not care what you granola eating people think.  I usually have oatmeal but I slept in a little bit okay - Get off my back!)  Anyway, I see a newbie shifting through the crowd.  She walks right up and wants to know where I found Mountain Dew - Diet.  Not easy to find around here, but I quickly got a supplier after arriving here because I knew I could not give up the habit.  Now, being new and wanting to fit in, I give her the information. Then a few days later, I find out my supplier has none left.  Nope, none for me, all sold out. I wait another day and make another trek in 100+ weather for my supply. Nope, none for me, all sold out. 

Ok *%$?"!&# - I know where you live and and where you work.

And by the way, I have seen every episode of Burn Notice.  Game on!