Day Two: Woofed.

[Patrick Gleason]

Hi friends,

Your obedient correspondent is a little woofed tonight, so I don’t have a ton of piffle for you. The U-17 struggling with some overheating and fuel issues, so it was another late night in the pits while we pulled the motor, pulled the PT wheel out, changed a fuel control and got ready for tomorrow’s action. Light a candle and send some good vibes our way…Our Gang Racing could use all the help we can get.

One of the things I meant to mention yesterday but forgot to expand upon is the newfound appreciation I have developed for the music here. Being a music freak to begin with, I have some pretty eclectic tastes, so I guess it would make sense that I would be grooving on the Mad Jams of the Persian Gulf area. It’s got this strong, aggressive percussion thing going, a minor-flavored modal key thing, swooping, heaving strings, and then that unique, in-and-out-of-the keyboard-cracks wavering tonality that gives it that real ethnic flavor (much better than Veal Bacon). I usually keep it cranked on the clock radio in the hotel room, especially since there is no in-room coffee maker. It’s great for waking up, and I wish I knew the name of the artist(s) so I could go buy a CD or two….it would be just the ticket for doing some housecleaning to…or for driving.

Speaking of driving, it’s true: They drive totally WACK over here. Every ride in a Shuttle Bus is an adventure. This morning, one of our crew wives’ bus was involved in a slight fender bender. Nobody hurt, and thankfully about the only damage was ripping a mirror off the bus they were riding in. There’s lots of roundabouts, people go in them really FAST, and apparently the rule here is that the person on the INSIDE has the right-of-way in the roundabouts. Need I say more? I think the music may contribute to their driving.

The evening open pit session was again, a lot of fun. It gave me a chance to talk to several people who are native Qatarians (I think that’s what they are called). They are friendly, warm, soft-spoken and have made us all feel very welcome here. The Qatar Marine Sports Federation team is totally awesome. They have made us feel like Rockstars here and the hospitality is amazing. There are a few Race sites in the States that could learn something about Hospitality from these folks. And the best part? The only airshow is watching the planes take off from the Doha Airport across the bay….and the little lost parakeet that came flying through our pit area this morning.

All for now,

R-19