Enterprise paid off for a young Nepalese sandwich maker who earned a good sum during Qatar’s National Day celebrations on Thursday with brisk sales of coats and jackets he and his buddy sold at the Al Ghanim bus terminal here.
Nineteen-year-old Nishan Subed, a sandwich maker at the City Cafeteria in the Souq area, said he hit on the idea of selling cheap coats and jackets made in India after he realised there were many low-income workers milling around the bus station who were shivering in the cold winter breeze while waiting for their buses.
By 4pm on Thursday, the winter garments which he and his friend sell for QR25 to QR50 a piece, were almost sold out, thanks to the cold weather. Their makeshift stall near a snack stand at the bus station drew many customers, who eagerly bought the clothes.
Subed said they sold more than two big bagfuls of coats and jackets of different sizes and styles, mostly in dark colours that were favoured by his male customers.
“I bought these clothes from a friend who owns a business stall in the Souq area. He was generous enough to give me a good discount for the wholesale purchase of items,” Subed said, as he tried hard to tell his story to this reporter in his broken English.
He said he decided to sell coats and jackets to get some extra income because he had been earning little as a sandwich maker for the past nine months.
Hundreds of people were at the bus station to spend the holiday at the souqs, while many others were waiting for a free bus ride to the Corniche, where most of the celebrations for Qatar’s National Day were held.
The brand new double-decker buses provided a popular backdrop for the workers to pose for photographs, taken with digital cameras and mobile phones. They could not take the free bus rides, which were being offered only to women and families. Single men were told to take the new “bullet” buses if they wanted a free ride.
http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=December2008&file=Local_News2008122031349.xml
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