If the Sun Doesn't Kill You, the Washing Machine Will

by Peter Wood

Transported by his employer to work in the Middle East, Peter Wood became enmeshed in the bizarre and hilarious lifestyle of the desert state of Qatar. In this book he reveals how the most mundane operations of daily life can prove bafflingly complex as he describes the driving test that involves reversing round an obstacle course for 30 minutes, the elaborate weather forecasts in a country where the weather is the same for 364 days a year, and the country's first takeaway pizza restaurant, which is impossible to locate.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 1993

Reviews

[Sally906 · Rating 3 out of 5]

An outsiders view of Qatar in the 1990s when the author arrived to help set up the natural gas processes. Some of the lifestyle described may be dated now but somehow I think that the laid back; it will happen when it happens; attitude will still be in place despite the fact that Qatar is now very much a bustling modern country and as of 2007, oil and natural gas revenues had enabled Qatar to attain the highest per capita income in the world. While Peter Wood was able to relate some of the funny quirks of the people he came across he never did it with malice. The fact that he totally respected the people of the country he was living in was obvious. He pointed out that in England crime was very high with senseless murders and disrespect yet this was not happening in Qatar. He intimated that the citizens knew there were consequences for committing crimes, and there were little in the way of consequences in Britain. I can totally relate to how he describes cars zooming along a highway then suddenly all pulling over so that prayers can be said. I lived in another African country where the same thing happens, it sounds far-fetched to people who have never been but it is SO true. Loved the goats, chooks and cats – one poor puss came to a sad end which lead to half of the title. You will have to see for yourself if it was the sun or the washing machine that helped poor puss into her next life. A quick, light entertaining read, very interesting.

[Gail Hamilton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought I got British humor, but despite the back cover blurbs proclaiming this brilliant and funny I didn't laugh once. I enjoy reading accounts of people living in new places, as the author relates humorous anecdotes caused by cultural differences. Wood seemed to relish showing the Qatari's in their worst light, with nothing positive until the end. The end of the book reminded me of one of my 7th grade student essays in that after going on for pages about the problems he sums it up blithely as a positive experience.

[Hannes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly funny, could not stop giggling. British humor at it's best!

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

You would not know if you hadn't lived there, (as we had a few decades later) but most of this is really non-fiction!

[Laurie Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because my husband's grandma lent it to us. She remembered her late husband giggling away whilst reading it so she thought we might like it. It is about the year the author spent in Qatar, working for British Petroleum, in the early 80s. It is quite funny in an obvious kind of way and cliches abound but the author knows it and signals them as he goes (not quite metafiction, since this is not pure fiction, but something like that). It was a good read because it is entertaining and it has its place in our family history. I definitely recommend it if you're after some light reading. The other thing that's quite funny in the book, is that it is so un-PC that there's no way it'd be published nowadays.

[Rae Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read this book when I was younger, it was with great joy that I was able to find a secondhand copy on ebay. This is an instant pick-me-up book, filled with tales of cultural differences and the British ex-pat. You'll howl with laughter at the stories of driving tests, buying greeting cards and navigating customs. Keep a copy at work just to remind yourself that, when you're having a bad day, it really does get better! And don't forget to laugh!

[Nancy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir from a Brit living in Qatar is so funny I couldn't stop reading. His tales showed me a country that I never expected, except perhaps, for all the sand. His adventures in dealing with the vicissitudes of daily life will make any traveler who has lived abroad relate, as well as sympathize. This is a very entertaining and very funny book that belongs in annals of travel memoirs.

[Lore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This came with a friend's rave review: Hilarious! Instead, it was ok. It's, probably unavoidably, dated, describing life in Qatar from twenty years ago. It was interesting to see how much has changed, and also how much hasn't. The author's tone was sometimes distracting, a little too self-satisfied. But it was a quick and fairly interesting read. I'll pass it on to other expat friends.

[Rob Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really funny book, very well written.

[SplkdancerReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dry, sarcastic humorous look at an Englishman living (or trying to live) in the Arab Gulf in the 1990s.