Funtown double standards...
Big dissappointment. I have not been long in Qatar but I am getting annoyed with so many double standards. I guess everybody does what ever they want. One tries to respect the culture here but I get really annoyed when others (expats of course!) don't do it. I held a party inside 'Funtown' where I had been told earlier on that no men can go there- not even kids over 12 years old!! OK, my own decision to make the party there. I made invitations explicitally explaining that. I am not muslim but have some friends that are. My guests of course were as outraged as me when we realised other party there was having male guests... The staff tried to explain it but it came to the basics: who paid more (I paid QR 40 per guest, I wonder how much the others paid). So, do they care or not about the traditions? Is it possible to 'buy' the space for a male?? Is Qatar really open because they want to be modern or is it all revolving about money? How sad!!
Ingesu's picture
Sandra,
Has conseguido el Marhaba? Es una revista con TOOOOODDDDAAA, o bueno, casi toda, la informacion necesaria para sobrevivir en Doha :) Cuesta QR20 y la encuentras casi en todo supermercado. Conocer gente hispana aqui no es ningun problema, te vas a asombrar!! la unica cuestion es que por supuesto mucha gente ya se conoce de tiempo y tienen sus grupitos. Y querida, pues a darle al Ingles! A mi me parece bueno lo que escribes!
Yo no he atendido ningun cafe aun pero me parece un grupo interesante y seguido te informan de eventos. Puedes escribir un email a la organizadora ([email protected]) y ella te pondra en la lista. Posiblemente tienes que checar tu email cuidadosamente para que no lo manden al 'junk mail' (me paso). Hay personas de muchisimos paises hispanos pero tambien no-hispanas que hablan español y/o que tienen un vinculo especial con uno de los paises hispanohablantes.
Por cierto, tengo que pasar esta informacion a alguien mas aqui...
Gracias Butterfly, puedo preguntar porque no atendiste y que es Marhaba ??
About the other subject i think life in a different country is hard for everyone, local and expat, but having respect about their culture all of us could live in peace and not having bad moments like i just read. (sorry i am just learning english) :-)
Sandra, encontraras un numero de telefono en el Marhaba. Yo nunca atendi, pero esta bien para conocer gente hispana.
Gomez, sorry about your gay paranoia, watch your back.
I do welcome gender separation in Qatar, I think things are much more confortable for all that way. If you started mixing men and women in this country, it would go crazy. It´s a different culture, what works for us, might not work for them, and viceversa. Get used to it.
Hola Gomez, tu sabes algo sobre reuniones de mujeres hispanas en Doha ???
He leido sobre reuniones de mujeres de otras nacionalidades que eventualmente me gustarÃa compartir, pero creo que al momento serÃa un problema para mi por el idioma.
Te agradezco si tienes algún dato que pueda ayudar.
Hello Gomez ...
Feel sorry for your 'gay' experience. You obviously have that special attraction to 'gay' people.
I am afraid you come to Doha as an expat ... you live by their custom and rule or leave :-)
My apologies (????!!!). It seems everybody here is against me!! I meant to be funny, not offensive. (Ingesu, yes, soy hispano y muy orgulloso de ello! No puede ser que siendo hispana hagas caso de esta gente y sus constumbres. Pero en Roma, hay que hacer lo que los Romanos, I guess.)
I might need to live here a bit longer -perhaps, but it ain't any sense what you said, how they do want to make bussiness or to progress smoothly whit the nonsense gender separation??
Just got another shock, guys helding hands?? and a bussiness partner almost kissed me!! Give me a break! are there gays openly encouraged here? Has anybody got a good website to make me more aware of the Arab traditions? would appreciate the help, at the moment I feel this not just odd but paranoidal.
I was there! With Ingensu ... and i left my hubby behind because it is clear that funtown only for ladies and kids.
Can't these people read before they go up on the escalator??? LADIES ONLY ???
I dont know whose fault was that ... but seriously ... you coming to middle east dont u know how the culture in Qatar? Or you just acting ignorance?
Methinks that Gomez has a lot to learn yet about living in the Gulf.
Ingensu! Acabo de leer tu "post"! vaya, por un sitio que hay para las chicas y vienen otros a fastidiartelo. Que rabia! Pero en Doha es asi, el dinero lo compra todo en ese pueblo. sobre todo si son americanos con dolares...
Aun asi espero que el cumple de tu nino estuviera divertido...
I agree with Ingensu. If a place is reserved for ladies only, then that´s the rule. It happens only too often that this is not respected. In the City Centre Qtel branch there is a "ladies waiting area" that is almost always taken by men.
These are news for me!"If the people felt offended they should leave" as in a bad film you mean? I guess you Americans have no respect for anybody's culture and traditions. From your last name I am almost sure you're from Hispanic origin but obviously well assimilated to your great US. I do not want to get offensive here but if I, with three months in Doha, am able to RESPECT and abide by the rules, what is with you people that just think money can buy everything? I guess you abuse your status and buy the philippino girl agreement. I don't want to make a scandal seriously because I don't want to get her into trouble. I dealt with the philippine girl that was more strict and eventhough we know eachother well, I didn't want to take advantage and bring any male to a space that is reserved for women. The other one that was dealing with the other party was then really worried when I made photos of men skating there... you should see her face! then she said I could bring the bday's boy dad! how generous! no way! anyway... I don't want her to lose her job but what she did was very very wrong (yes, qataries take the traditions SERIOUSLY, although they are tolerant and although you think you can buy them, no, you cannot, not yet I think). I learnt my lesson nevertheless: NEVER again Funtown!
What did you expect with the heat? I'm very confortable in my bermudas and hawi shirt regardless of the place... If the people felt offended they should leave. I was just a guest and nobody ever told me I had done something wrong. The sign was there but since many other families were already up we assumed there was an agreement, as you said, money is what counts!
And to make things worst, I don't know how you were dressed - and I don't care, but most of the guys were wearing shorts or bermudas!! how nice!
There is a very clear notice before the escalator: "From this point just LADIES are allowed". As far as I know you can very well read English...
So you were the b..itter ladies?
Unbelievable! We shouldn't even be commenting this in this century, comm'on! On one thing I agree: they should have CLEAR standards, no first letting us in and then asking us to leave, what a crap!