Can anyone help a bored UK mum
By seangge104 •
Hi all,
My family and i moved out to Doha from the UK last month and whilst my job is going fine, my wife is finding it difficult to settle here and is frankly bored out of her mind in the company apartment. With the summer holidays coming up and our 7 year old twins to entertain for 10 weeks. Can anyone out there come up with any suggestions of what she could do both now and during the summer?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions
check the thread of summer time activities for children. Off the top of my head I know that Starfish Lane is doing all sorts of fun classes for kids this summer. Go to carrefour/jarir/any grocery store and buy a copy of Marhaba book. Look through the list of things to do. If she can't find something in there to get her excited, then she is a lost cause.
Thanks for the suggestions so far. And your right Qatarisun, should have made the question a bit more obvious. Hopefully more suggestions will come in
Ask your wife to PM me and I will share the last years findings with her and your twins
Hi
I am also a UK mum been here for year and a half with two kids.
You dont say if your wife drives? if kids are boys or girls? I have two boys and they refuse to do any kinds of shopping with me whatsoever.
There is plenty to do here with kids but you have to go out and look for it. Of course lots of things cost money = bowling, cinema, paintball, horseriding, quadbiking (smaller, slow quads) trip to inland sea. We were asked to go on a traditional dhow trip (off the harbour by the pearl statue) by a friend, not knowing any of the others on the trip but we soon did. It only cost 150qr each (about 20 of us) we trundled out to sea, had a swim, ate (ordered buffet style from cheap local restaurant and they delivered to the boat before we left) and came back in again just as the sun went down we had a great day and it wasn't that expensive. My youngest was doing dive bombs off the highest point of the boat. Why not get a group of you from work to go?
There are some lovely beaches here in the north, just jump in the car and drive, take plenty of water with you, a phone and even if you get stuck in the sand some wonderful Qatari will come and rescue you - they wont say much but they will pull you out. Dont swan about in your bikini if there are locals there - just out of respect but if you manage to find a deserted one then fine wear it. Same when go about day to day, I dont as a rule show my shoulders or wear skirts too short as I respect their religion but they dont expect you to be covered from head to toe. When going to the hospital or to the local health centre I will take a large scarf to wrap around me as I know I will be mixing with lots of locals just out of a mark of respect to them, you dont have to but I remember it is their religion.
I love the shopping here and if you have girls a trip to the Rawnak in the Souk is a must (packed with girly bling jewellery - a bit like 'clairs' but a fraction of the price with material and sequins and beads etc upstairs. I could live in the place. Of course in villagio there is the other end of the shopping scale with hermes and tiffany also worth a look (in the windows at least).
The wholesale market is also a must with stalls of beautifully presented fruit and veg and an indoor fish market (dont wear your best shoes or long draggy trousers unless you want to stink of tuna all day). Go early and barter.
Your wife and the kids could go along to QAWS to volunteer to dog walk or look after the other animals early or late in the day - this costs nothing, is great for the abandoned animals and she and the kids will meet others there. Just dont come home with any and try not to feed the cats if you move to a compound like me as at the last count I am feeding nine. One of the kittens (her mum, who I met two days earlier, gave birth in a box in my kitchen) is stretched out here on its back by my side on the bed! Beware or all your money will go on Friskies tins and you will have to make frequent trips to the government vets (who are marvellous) to operate on any ususal suspects who may get in the 'family way'.
The hotels usually have something on like music evenings (again usually not that expensive and beautiful hotels) and these are other great places to meet new people, dont be afraid to just go up to other europeans and start a conversation, we are all in the same boat.
There are lots of different clubs here just look on Qatar living or type into internet - you are sure to find something you are interested in.
It is easy to be cut off here by the weather and the apartment but as soon as she begins to meet other mums at school and perhaps meets your colleagues wives it wont be so boring. Once you and your wife have your bearings and have found where things are it wont be so bad. Sorting out official things like resi permist etc is a pain as things dont run here as smoothly as in the uk but expect the unexpected and be prepared to return the next day with the correct paperwork as people tell you different things on different days!
The rugby club is also a good place to meet new people, you can join if you are nominated by someone who is already a member and I am sure you will eventually find someone that is. I dont drink however but this is a really nice friendly, family atmosphere (the kids usually have a kick about and a run round the pitch) if you go earlier in the day and you can go up to people and chat easily. Everyone here is very friendly.
Your wife can be assured that it is safe here to go out with the kids by herself, the only unsafe thing here is the sun especially at this time of year. You will become acclimatised and at the end of Sept and October the weather is lovely. I was fortunate to meet mums at school, including one fab lady who has lived here for 17 years and once she had shown me the best places to go off I went. It is very quiet here however during the summer hols as most mums with kids go back to the UK for the whole of the holidays. You dont say if you are staying? or if just temp placement? Once you get a villa on compound with a pool then kids will go off and swim and become prunes for a month but with my two the novelty of a pool on the doorstep soon wore off. Showtime, xbox and the internet keep my two busy after a busy day at school and keeps them out of the heat but their friends come over and have a sleep over now and again and they go to lots of parties. A month is not long to be here and you will soon make yourselves a new if somewhat different life here, give it time.
Let her joing Doha Mums group and make new friends. She can develop a hobby and keep herself busy too.
Let her joing Doha Mums group and make new friends. She can develop a hobby and keep herself busy too.
oh-oh.. be careful with such titles!.. you might call for hundreds of single hot men in Doha, who would love to entertain your wifie..
go to dubai on weekend by road.
or get her in a gym to keep her busy once in a while
go to dubai on weekend by road.
or get her in a gym to keep her busy once in a while
go to dubai on weekend by road.
or get her in a gym to keep her busy once in a while
Join the following group and its activities
http://www.dohamums.com/
go to dubai on weekend by road.
or get her in a gym to keep her busy once in a while