What Happened?

What Happened?
In the United Arab Emirates, our group visited a number of Emirati-run offices. I’m not sure what our group leader, Lana, told them about us, but they treated us like Important People from A Powerful Country. We got used to being waited on by Southeast Asian servants who were constantly offering us beverages, sweets, sandwiches and other goodies. We also became accustomed to sitting down to a conference table with an embossed pad of paper and a pen reserved exclusively for us. Most places also offered us gifts after the meeting (not that I know what to do what to do with the Department of Interior’s Golden Jubilee Snow Globe paperweight). On top of all that, the paparazzi were constantly following us around with Very Large Cameras.
Alas, our VIP status seems to have disappeared in Qatar. So far, we have only visited American universities who have set up shop here. Those Americans have no idea how to treat Valued Guests like ourselves. Our group leader today asked me if I wanted a coffee. I said sure. He said I could go downstairs to a coffee shop and get one if I wanted to. WTF? Moi? Walk down stairs and pay money for a drink? And where were the lavish gifts which I would later have to throw away because I don’t have room in my luggage anyway? There weren’t even any servants, much less a conga line of Filipina quadruplets in matching outfits, stuffing sweets down my throat. (Did I mention the Very Short Asian Person in the Abu Dhobi mosque bathroom whose sole function was to tie the shaylas (head scarves) properly on our infidel female American heads? How am I supposed to dress myself in this country without servants in the public restroom?)
The United States is highly overrated.