Being in two minds.

However, as I've told you, hub STILL loved it when he went back recently.

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92 to 98

Ought to get you and my hub together. He's totally enamoured with Oman!

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is fantastic. Still have many wonderful instances to remember. We used to go deep sea fishing every week. Often met huge schools of dolphins each counts hundreds. Turtles surfing next to our boat to catch its breath and we get horrified coz it sounds like a hissing snake. Once the American navy vessels were nearby and our fish finder device started beeping and the sound was getting louder, which usually indicates an object is underneath and very close. Thought we were about to be hit by a torpido and then we discovered it was a small whale swimming just under our boat.

"Is it just me or are the Brits slightly more uncomfortable about shifting out of the UK. I've always noticed that its my Brit friends who take longer to settle down or go back early"

no no nooooooo hashin! We Brits settle anywhere - honest! I don't even really want to go home for Christmas LOL

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as some little shell fishies I kept seeing the tops of as the tide was going out. Only took one prod at those to send them spiralling down into the wet sand again :P

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You did enjoy playing with your petite crab mates :D

Did you horrify the big ones? Wonder who was lucky and survived, you or them

When we visited Muscat and Salalah in October my husband KEPT going on about crabs! Unfortunately, although I saw lots of their little houses on the beaches we went to in Salalah and maybe a couple of wee crabs fleeing to the sea, I didn't get to see the hoards of them on some particular beaches which hub remembered. Apparently they were very big!

I was quite happy just to chase the small ones, thank you! :D

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Cannot compare Doha to Muscat. Each place has its own flavour.

Yiti is a good place to catch crabs. But careful. Crabs there are HUGE. They can really chop ur fingers or toes.

Or so hub tells me. He lived in Muscat and Salalah for about 4 years way back in the 70s. We were there for a holiday a month or so ago :D

Lovely Country.

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Jauntie, hi, Yiti is about 45 km down the coast from Muscat.

23.5 Latitude 58 Longtitude, sorry can't be any more specific then that. Great place, if you are planning a trip to Oman you must go.

I'd rather work to make Alexa's plan a success than to see myself stuck here forever for not having a plan in the first place.

Hashin

Sorry that the question was directed at wives, not very PC of me. Feel free to reply.

Do not mention house prices here in the UK, they are crazy.

Whereabouts in Oman is 'Yiti'?

Well, wherever it is there is no scenery like Omani scenery around Doha and that's for sure lol

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Hi Alexa

Sounds like a plan to me!!!

Hi KellysHeroes

Thanks for the reply. As you can see from my first comment i lived in Oman and had the most wonderful time. I especially loved the scenery and the area around Yiti. Just wondering if Qatar has anything so spectacular.

when you have enough of it :-)

Knox your phases theory is brilliant

You should go ahead and make a thesis out of it

marilee since you specifically directed the questions to the wives...

'I' will not comment...

But let me quote my wife... 'yeah, I like it here, its okay... Its definitely better than Saudi'

Is it just me or are the Brits slightly more uncomfortable about shifting out of the UK. I've always noticed that its my Brit friends who take longer to settle down or go back early. And whats happening to the price of houses in London is really terrible...

Money does not mean an awful lot to me, i am not materialistic at all. I would like to just be able to afford a decent house for my family, and have enough in the bank to cover unexpected emergencies/problems. I grew up in a household that struggled for money and although i was unaware of the circumstances, as i was only a child. In later years my mother told me about what she had gone through on a day to day basis just to feed and cloth us. I don't want to be wealthy, but i will need a house to live in on my return, the average house price in my area is 1,700000 qatar rials.I would just like not to panic when a bill comes through my door.

I lived in Doha with my family for a long period, then moved to Muscat. Family did not like it intially. Later when we had friends there, we liked the place. Stayed there for a few years then we ended up in Doha again.

We love both places. The most important thing is your social life in the place where you would be living and the circle of friends around you. Both places are nice and you will always find nice people who will be your selective family.

you cant take it with you when you pass away.cant understand why money means so much to everyone.why it is so important to have a villa with pool and 2 or 3 cars and a big amount on the bank account.

if all are thinking like this,poor world then.

Its simple

Money makes the world go around

Thanks for the Phase list. Incredible, you must of read my mind. The final phase is exeactly why i am going to Qatar. Need a house in the UK but prices are so high. But needs must....the financial stability is a big reason. Got to keep reminding myself that the contract is not forever. Thanks again for responding.

Initial Phase: When you have just come here, and its a totally new world for you, You meet new people, You are very happy about the tax free salary, cheap labour and petrol

Middle Phase: You have collected enough money, you have paid all your debts back home, You have invested in property and are happy, You start finding lots of weird things different from your country and your culture, You miss your friends and your family.

Final Phase: You cannot take it anymore, You hate being a slave, You hate the sponsorship and the exit permit system. You hate the humid and hot weather, You long for walks but the weather sucks. You are just waiting to buy your Dream House, And finally when you buy it and you have paid its mortgage, you say goodbye to the country. Your kids after having lived here hate it.

Thanks mimi37. I feel more chilled about the whole idea. Its nice to hear from someone that has recently moved to Qatar from the UK. I have lived in a few countries and sometimes it is hard to settle, usually when there is not a British/english speaking community around. The main concern is to make the children happy. I have a girl aged 6 and a boy aged 4. They have moved alot in thier young lives and to be able to settle somewhere for 3 years plus would be great for us.

Coming out for the weekend would be a very good idea, but with the time constraints I really don't thik that is is going to be physically possible.

Driving was the one thing that bothered me most. I am fully aware of the standard, or should i say lack of standard of driving, as i used to drive everywhere in Oman, but being older and wiser now the driving is going to scare me.

Oh well, time to take a deep breath and forget the negatives. Thanks once again for your response, means alot. Take care.

I don't think the responses above answer your questions.

I recently moved here (from the UK) and I really like it. There are some frustrations, the way people drive I would cite as one example. The driving standards are a long way behind the European levels.

Not sure how old your children are, but unless you live in a compound, it is NOT safe to let your kids play on the streets. In terms of keeping your children entertained, Qatar, because of the extreme weather most activites are carried out in doors. The cooler months are December through to early March.

There are some books whcih you can buy, "Qatar for the expat" This I feel gives a honest insight into Qatar.

The schools open at 7am and the kids are out by 1330. IF you don't dirve, you will need to employ a driver to drop and collect your kids from school. The limo costs are about QAR60 per day (inclusive)

Not once since I've been here do I want to go back.

Suggest you come here for the weekend and see for yourself, that's what we did.

Also, it is not Oman which I think has more to offer.

how does one have negative thoughts even before arriving? once you get here then i feel it is fair to judge, then again not all will feel the same way, wat is negative to others may not be negative to the rest. have an open mind and if one thinks this is the pits then there are other places worse than here.......then again this is just my most humble opinion after being here for 3.5 yrs and still not ready to go home yet...:O)

life's too short so make the most of it, you only live but once.......

Completely agree with Scarlett.

You can find here everything what you looking for in your life in general sense. Everything depends on you. Be positive and don't leave Qatar before you are REALLY settle here. It takes about 1,5 year to adjust, not less. Full forward and don't scare a lot!!!

Small advice: try to find any job for yourself. It will be MUCH MUCH MUCH easier to live here.

Indeed MArilee...nice QLers like me take care of nice people like Scarlett very much...so if you come you will be another one simple...so come on down and have a nice time..,

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you come with a positive attitude and you will like it here...negative and you will find fault with the least little thing. but then again..that's anywhere.

personally, I find it quite entertaining..new things, new people, new religions..make time to meet the locals and TALK to them...come do things with us QLers...if you keep busy, even if its just coffee with a few of us..time goes so much faster that you wish it would slow down.