March 3, 2021…
I was excited to fly on Qatar Air. The fact that Qatar is home for the largest American air base in the region will have to be set aside for the time being. After all I had heard that their in flight Wifi is legendary (which I am using right now!) plus Qatar is an Arab country and I speak the language and it was my chance in several years to show off my Arabic. So you can imagine my disappointment when I found out that there are no Arab flight attendants. There are no Arabs running this show at all. None!
My whole world shattered when I asked my flight attendant, dressed in HAZMAT whites, if she spoke Arabic. She sheepishly confessed that she’s South African while adjusting her mask. Moments later she returned asking if I needed someone to interpret for me, further disclosing that she did not think that anyone on the flight spoke Arabic but, if need be, she could probably find a passenger who did! She shared with me that the crew is made up of mostly South Africans, Nepalis, and Bengalis. But no Arabs. Even the captain, it turns out, whose name is David, is from El Salvador!
My layover in Doha is super short. About one hour. It will be my only chance to find an Arab speaker. But my hope is fading and I have a feeling that the flight to Kathmandu is not going to change that.
Hope you stay tuned for further adventures!
Namaste!
