Monobully

>> Saturday, September 15, 2007

When I'm on the road or at a coffee shop I sometimes check on my Yahoo! Mail account using my mobile phone (since I'm poor and can't afford a laptop). Anyway, last week, I saw an ad on the newspaper about QTel offering premium services for Yahoo! and Gmail starting at QR50. I didn't understand what the fuss was all about since Yahoo! and Gmail emails are free. That was until I tried to check my email two days ago. To my surprise, Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Messenger won't open.

The price of monopoly. It seems that QTel and its newly-launched Mozaic mobile internet service blocked access to these email giants in order to cash in on a service that's supposed to be free! And this is on top of the charges you get from opening these web pages on your mobile. Unbelievable.

The same is true for the taxi service. One ride could cost you up to QR20, almost equivalent to a car's full tank.

If this happened in the Philippines, expect to see mass demonstrations throughout the country the next day, or at least a flood of txt protests. But in rich Doha, the locals couldn't care less. What's another QR50 for the affluent anyway? Most of them have cars anyway. The underpaid expat is the one affected.

I can hear them say, 'then go home you silly expat, we don't need you here'. But I think they do. Who else would run out of the shops to get their orders when they honk? Who else would wash their clothes, making sure to separate the whites from the blacks? Who else would water the pathetic grass to make this place look less like a desert? Who else would answer their homework and take home exams? Who else would pour cement on their walls or detail their cars or pave their roads so they can effortlessly crash their cars?

That's right. Think about it. Without me, life will still go on for them because they are rich. But at least without me, that's one less customer for QTel.OUT

6 responses:

Anonymous 15 September, 2007  

thats some fucked up crazy shit innit

Anonymous 17 September, 2007  

maybe that's why they're rich and you're underpaid because they had the sense to charge something that's supposed to be free? hehe

You know, you could charge extra for every ounce of sweat you wring out of your clothes every time you had to walk on the godforsaken desert. Of course, you have to walk since you couldn't afford the taxi fare. :P

slim whale 17 September, 2007  

sad. some expats are so talented and hardworking but so unappreciated. and i'm not even talking about the millions of OFWs who perform menial tasks. i long for the day when filipino expats get recognized for what they're really worth.

Jap 22 September, 2007  

LEE, if you say so =)
_________________________________

PABLO, it sounds better when you put it that way hehehe =/

BTW, whatever happened to your blog? I can't seem to load it.
_________________________________

SLIM, thanks, dear. It's even more sad when you find out that expats from US or UK get paid more even for the same post just because they're from those parts of the world.

Forever59er 24 September, 2007  

You think a thing like that would spark demonstrations here in Manila? Hmmmm

Transpo fare hikes, oil price hikes used to spark movements. But I think we have been rendered numb or almost numb.

Jap 24 September, 2007  

INTSIK, not really. But it's big bummer.
_______________________________

ANNA, I guess after all those rallies the flame has slowly died. But I bet my load people will be outraged if the telecoms raise the SMS fees hehehe

Abre Los Ojos

My photo
Thirtysomething educator who holds the secret to the meaning of life. =P

  © Blogger template Wild Birds by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP