Censorship

Thanks Amnesia, surprised you can remember all that.....I have looked at picture and read blogs until I am blue in the face, but I'm afraid that the overall impression so far is not too great - it's basically "take the money, and run..."...still you cant have everything...or then again, maybe you can?

My advice is that everyone expects different things.

Best thing to do is actually view real photos of Qatar. There are some in threads and also some on the website in my signature.

The only thing that is really banned is porn, gambling, and perhaps racist or hate provoking websites.

As for DVDs, if you ship them over, you 'might' be checked (it's random) but if you have some on you (in a back pack), it's unlikely that they will :)

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Hi jauntie - would that curry house have been in Mui Wo? Fraid I don t know it but just curious

often at the week ends when we were living on Lantau. Super curry restaurant there! Does that middle aged, British 'gentleman', ex-pat still hang out at the bar there? He used to chat to the owner whilst his wee dog waited patiently outside for him. :D

yes, it was a hippie hang out, but slowly changing as the people who were without visas left...anyone wanta ny tips on Hk ask me , I m the unofficial Lord Mayor

"I was in HKG last december and I had a great time... went to lantau (yeh lush green mountains) and another island can't remember the name... but yeh, if you go to Kowloon, it is crowded and kinda dirty... but i loved my trip... :-D"

---> i was wondering you probably went to Lama Island? Yeah i been to HK 3 times already lol. And looking forward for our next trip.

"not as bad as I just thought then, btw, I know this is not relevant to this thread, but coming from lush, mountainous Hong Kong, I have read one person describe Q as "rubble with a few malls"...it can t be that bad...can it?"

---> as canarybird said ... it is not that bad. Just watch out those potholes :D

for the feedback

I was in HKG last december and I had a great time... went to lantau (yeh lush green mountains) and another island can't remember the name... but yeh, if you go to Kowloon, it is crowded and kinda dirty... but i loved my trip... :-D

It does rain quite a lot in the winter, last year the desert was quite green for a few months. Bring some warmer clothes with you, its cold in the winter months. It will be hot when you arrive but don't worry, it does change end of November onwards. Last December was really cold and there was a shortage of heaters, if you see one, buy it! There is a lot of work going on in Doha, loads of cranes etc but it is starting to take shape. It is very like Dubai on a smaller scale so see if you can find some pics online to get an idea. You will miss the greenery but it doesn't take long to get used to this. The malls are usually busy with many different people of different cultures. I love them, particularly City Centre, its huge! Although this is a dry, dusty place, you will see that the inside of malls etc are cool and luxurious and filled with people from all over the world. I hope you like it here, its not for everyone but it is safe and friendly. I love it here. All the best. jj

Last week someone described it as a sand pit, however, lush mountainous Hong Kong - I don't think I have been to that Hong Kong, the one I went to was crowded and had polluted air,a dirty harbour and where I had difficulty getting into the underground train without being touched up. Mind you I did not go outiside Hong Kong but did go to Victorias Peak and saw nothing. lol

The person who described it as rubble was probably being sarcastic, admittedly Qatar is in the stage of high development where many new roads and buildings are under construction but it is developing fast.

not as bad as I just thought then, btw, I know this is not relevant to this thread, but coming from lush, mountainous Hong Kong, I have read one person describe Q as "rubble with a few malls"...it can t be that bad...can it?

Only porn and gambling sites are blocked as far as I know, so not really a problem. All my books, (about 300) came through no problem. No dvds are actually banned as far as I know, they are just checking to make sure that there is not an illicit recording in the box instead of the pre recorded dvd. I think you are allowed to put them in your suitcase when you come through, they are unlikely to check. But, unless you are bringing in something illegal, it is not a problem. I know it sounds harsh but it really isn't an issue in day to day life. When I went back to the UK in the summer, I missed the ordered society we have here. There are no problems with freedom of speech but you must respect Islam at all times. If you are arriving during Ramadan, I suggest you read up about the rules during this time if you don't already know them.

Hmmm quite a lot worse than I thought then... just what exactly are they looking for? What type of dvd's are banned?

I brought all my dvds by sea freight from the uk. When the boxes arrived, there were no dvds. I looked into it and found that they are taken to a place and viewed for content, then they are returned to you. You can only access the internet via QTel, the internet is filtered but I don't find this a problem. All it has meant to me is that I don't get all the junk emails I used to. I have always been able to use the internet as I would have in the uk. Magazines and newspapers are checked and any nudity is blacked out before they are sold, for example advertisements for lingerie. Most people bring their dvds in their luggage when they come. Our desktop computer was also checked on it's way in but was not a problem. You do have to pay import duty on electrical items you bring in. There are lots of old threads on this subject, sorry but I don't know how to post them here so have a look through the archives. Good luck!