Why we all looooove Qatar

I can't resist joining the other Qatar fans ("Dohaphiles?")in expressing their feelings. The notes of experience I wrote below was actually published in a Filipino magazine in The Netherlands last May, a few months after we arrived here. Of course, it was written with the Filipino community in Europe in mind, so some details may sound totally unfamiliar, but it at least outlines my overall positive impression of Doha.

-----------------------------------------------

Raising Camels in the Desert

“What are you going to do in the desert? Raise camels?� A friend in Manila cried in disbelief upon learning of our impending relocation to Qatar from The Netherlands. I could have told him a “million� other reasons to justify his initial reaction and to keep him in a state of shock forever, if only it hadn’t been unkind.

But, against all the obvious drawbacks, there is surely one excellent justification for our choice. Career-wise, Doha is the best option for my wife, Carol. She is involved with the world’s biggest Gas-To-Liquid (GTL) project, GTL being regarded as the energy of the future. No other work exposure or experience can be more fulfilling and rewarding. A few years of arid life can’t be that much a price to pay.

So, by any desert logic, we should now be suffering the terrible consequences of our decision. But, we are not. Instead, we are enjoying ourselves as we never did and having the opportunity of a lifetime to pose with the camels is certainly not one of the reasons.

Why, then? We don’t know exactly. We can only speculate.

Maybe, it’s because we had a smooth landing. Settling down was easy. Looking for a house was not a headache because Shell took care of it. Units have been reserved for us even before we arrived. Fixing our residence papers required no exhausting legwork either since someone was in charge. We just had to be accompanied for the mandatory medical test, fingerprinting and eye test and before we knew it we already had our residence permit and driver’s license. Moving around the city was neither a problem because upon arrival we were given a brand new Honda Accord to use while we didn’t have our own car.

In contrast, settling down in The Netherlands was like one prolonged nervous breakdown. We had to do everything on our own using the trams or buses as means of transportation. Nothing could be more frustrating then having an almost-done house deal cancelled whimsically by the owner. Carol didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when she got her Dutch residence card and saw the picture of a Chinese girl in it instead. And nothing could be more traumatic then being held up in a street of The Hague by three big guys posing as policemen from Capital Control. Luckily, they got nothing because we immediately recognized their tactics as that of some money changers in Ermita who can fold and pocket the lower part of a wad of bills without being noticed. We had a lot of fun in Holland but the first few months were a struggle to keep our sanity or at least a portion of it.

Or it could be because Doha is far from being the perpetual heat wave we imagined it to be. Nothing can be more pleasant than the spring-like weather from mid September to mid April, the temperature ranging from 7 C to 23 C and with flowers in bloom all around. Josemarie, Carol and I never had so much biking and walking. And we never had so many garden BBQ. I finally got to assemble the gas BBQ I bought from ALDI three years ago, something I could not do in Wassenaar because summer never came. Oh, sure, the heat wave will come this July when temperature reaches 45 C even in the shade. But one can always go for vacation elsewhere or stay inside the house and watch TV. With the aircon set at 21 C and with 600 TV channels to choose from it is extremely hard to notice the scorching heat outside.

Or perhaps we like Qatar because everything here is cheap. Fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, clothes, high-definition TVs, 4WD cars, - local or imported - are all cheap. Very cheap. Really cheap. So cheap that “cheap� doesn’t even describe exactly how cheap things are. An SUV costs just a little bit more than a small car in Europe. Dutch expats are taking advantage to buy the luxury cars of their dreams. Majority of the cars in the streets are Lexus, Hummers, Expeditions, Pajeros, Escalades, Land Cruisers, Armada and other giants. With 8-cylinder and 4500-CC engines, they only make five kilometers or less to a liter. It doesn’t matter. Gasoline is practically free. Super Unleaded is super cheap at 80 dirhams or the equivalent of 18 eurocents per liter. No, this is not a typographical error. It’s 18 (eighteen) eurocents, peanuts compared to the 1.40 Euros per liter in Holland. So you drive to the gasoline station, you ask the attendant to fill her up, and you fish for some loose change in your pocket for payment. It’s paradise.

Another probable explanation could be that expats are not pressured to get embedded into the Arab society. In fact, the concept of integratie does not even exist. The expats, who constitute 80 percent of the total population, are here only for as long as they have a work contract. A long stay is not an automatic passage to citizenship. One is not expected to adapt the Qatari customs, convert to Islam or learn the Arabic language. With English as the preferred means of communication, one can go through life without learning a single word in Arabic. If you are a Filipino, you don’t even need English. I have been speaking Tagalog all this time. No frustration in having to learn a new language! In Holland, on the other hand, despite finishing a complete course on Dutch, I almost always went crazy trying to interpret letters from Nuon, Casema, Belastingdienst and other usual suspects, which contained technical terms not found in the dictionary and even the Dutch officemates of Carol could not translate.

Or maybe it’s because we did not have to adapt to the food as we did with kibbeling, pannenkoeken and haring. Foods from all over the world are available and one has the luxury of choosing what is palate-friendly and more. I have never enjoyed so much T-bone, rib eye and tenderloin steak from New Zealand, Australia and Brazil. And I finally got to taste the Maine lobster I have so often featured in my paintings. In fact, two weeks ago we had a lobster festival because this crustacean went on sale. We did not exactly hoard but you can say we bought a lot. Steamed, grilled, ginataan – we tried every possible way to dispose of them. Also, Josemarie still gets to eat his Edam and Old Amsterdam cheese. And alcohol is available for non-Muslims with liquor permits. Of course, it is a little bit more expensive and I do miss the buy-one-take-one promo on Heineken or Amstel at C1000 or Digros. But, we don’t mind because we are not alcoholics anyway.

Our enthusiasm could also be attributed to the fact that we can go and watch Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Martina Hingis, Maria Sharapova , Federer, Valentino Rossi and other sports personalities for free whenever they compete here. The other week, we enjoyed the Formula 1 World Powerboat race at Doha Bay from the comfort of our car parked at Corniche. And we are looking forward to the Asian Games to be held here in December. Josemarie and I may just go and cheer the pinoy athletes at the newly-built state-of- the-art Khalifa Stadium.

Of course, other aspects of Doha simply make it irresistible. An oasis of investments, it’s considered the next big thing in the Middle East. With tax-free personal income, migrant workers and investors certainly find this place very attractive. It’s also emerging as the center of education and sport in the Middle East. A lot of American universities are putting up branches in Doha where one can get an American degree without having to go to the US. And in terms of tourist spots, there are so many we still have to sort them out for ourselves.

I can go on endlessly citing positive reasons ranging from the deep to the very shallow. But I think the key factor was that we were able to reestablish normal life immediately. We did not wait long to resume our usual routines and activities. In fact, many times we think we are still in Wassenaar. The only difference is that there are no cars blocking our garage, no tailgaters, and shops open everyday till midnight.

The Qatar of today is definitely light years more advance than the Qatar of old when raising camels was perhaps the norm. Camels are still raised but I think mainly for races. Quite often, Josemarie and I watch them out sprint each other on TV. Controlled by high-tech robotic jockeys strapped to their backs, these racing camels are certainly symbolic of the rapid modernization this country is undergoing while preserving its cultural heritage.

the point i am trying to make is that for most of us to continue our peaceful life's in this country, i sincerely hope that the government realizes the dangers of inflation and aggressively put measures in place to counter it. unfortunately i have first hand experience of what inflation can do. if i remember correctly the official rate was in the order of 8% the real rate were probably higher than that. the compounded effect of this is not good, for both locals and expats. if the current situation continuous for much longer, the development of this country will suffer.

yeaaah I'm happy for them too!!

as a qatari.. im really sooo pleased to here these things from u guys

and im so glad ur comfortable here..really i am happy 4 u

this thread put a smile on my face

consider Qatar ur second home :)

:)

jrsh has a point, of course. But in the ultimate balance it is still a good place to live and work for all the reasons mentioned previously.

We've been here for 10 years and have seen the place change a lot. Both our boys were born here and the post-natal medical care at Hamad Hospital has been great. The little one had to be admitted to ICU when he was a day old and the care was exemplary. And free.

Yes it is becoming much more expensive, school fees and "capital charges" are being levied with the Ministry of Education not giving a damn, rents have tripled and quadrupled, there is censorship, there are no real activities for families, no museums, no libraries, no galleries, very little in terms of cultural experiences... The list can go on and on.

But we still choose to live here because our freedoms are intact, it's economically viable, the beaches are great, the variety of the residents of the country is ultimately an enriching experience, the Qataris are the best people in the Gulf and we've never faced any ill-intent towards us by anybody.

But do remember that most of what you see now is just 6 or 7 years old. In 1996 you only had the Gulf Cinema, the Center and the Corniche. This country has come far in less than a decade.

In 10 years this country has been good to us, its people hospitable and we feel blessed to be here.

And you know, Qatar doesn't ask much of us; respect the stability of the country, don't mess around with drugs and don't make a nuisance of yourself.

I can live with that, anytime.

I agree with Teacher to a great extent.

But i also think that loving a place or not is all dependant on one's own personal experience in the particular place.

I love Qatar from all my heart, i've been to many places, may be much modernized than Qatar, may be more freedom, may be better weather but living in a certain place is just a package deal, you can't ignore the cons and pros

I love Qatar coz i get more of it more than i miss...so yes teacher, you are right in my opinion;)

Nice stories, teacher. Glad you met nice people.

(couldn't contact you via your profile :-( )

Keep it positive sis :-D

haha- It's funny, didn't expect this to be a debate. True this is one sided because it is based on my own experience. Sure inflation does have an impact but not being taxed is a bigger positive in my case. And I don't have any kids in school, so I can't relate to everyone in Doha. But, I have just been enjoying the sights and sounds of Doha and it has been a really great place.

Just a quick side story--When I first moved here I was completely new to the Qatari culture and all. One day I had mentioned in my class that I would love to check out a Qatari wedding. Well the next day one of my students (it was an adult class) came and gave me an invitation to his sister's wedding. Couldn't ever imagine that happening in Canada. Also, when I went shopping for something to wear for the wedding a Qatari lady shopping in the same store, who heard me asking the sales lady what would be appropiate, offered to take me around the mall to find an outfit. I can't imagine this ever happening back home.

So it's not all about the money it's about living with people who really are kind, gracious, and welcoming.

Qatar is not a bad place, but for a realistic person i find this post a bit one sided. consider the following:

1. The inflation rate is currently very high, this is a real concern, read a few newspaper articles to get the picture. at the moment salary increases in most companies not even closely matches the inflation rate. the middle income person are finding it more difficult to maintain their standard of living.

2. house rentals are extremely high, don't be fooled into thinking you will be able to put some of you housing allowance into savings. the only way you will be able to do this is if you are willing to stay in a run down flat.

3. if you are able to find a spot for your child in a school you will find the school fees very high.

4. many people are sending there families back home because of the high cost of living in Doha.

5. your salary will depend on the country you are coming from, salaries in my experience is not among the highest in the gulf.

6. read what has been said about QP on oilcareers,

7. if you do not have medical insurance, going thru the the state hospitals is a new experience.

8. most services are stretched to the limit due to the rapid development.

Welcome to Doha

ESL teacher you should apply to CNA-Q, they have the highest TEFL pay in the Gulf and they only hire Canadians. Also its just a nice place to work. :) But yes you are right, ESL does pay well here, apprantely not so much at QP though. :?

Even though Qatar can be boring at times but so can anywhere in the world it depends who you know and at the end of the day it is up to you to make the best of everything

u come for the $$ or for the discovery? 15min drive u r out of the town....explore into the endless dessert.

enjoy

yeah, I am all about the chicken shawerma.

BTW, Most government institutions got 2 weeks off last year, 1 week still is not bad. Plus most companies offer 1 month PAID vacation c'mon, even staff with several years of seniority with a particular company are lucky if they get 3 weeks off in North America. This is the norm in Qatar for most contract employees although I Know not in all cases.

Qatarcat--what do u do?

Dohagirl-I don't work with CNA-Q I am here with my husband so he's the sponsor I just reap the benefits. TESL does pay very decently here as well.

Qatar can get boring I know, but still in the long run I feel very fortunate to be here. I think the most important thing are good friends they keep you busy and positive. And Qatar is filled with great people you just have to find them that's all.

Cheers.

I am happy that you likt it here. What shawerma you like more, meat or chicken?

Aisha,

You always make it sound better than it is.. and you always make me agree with you :^)

Well QatarCat, we all know how much you love Qatar :-) And dear, you’re already lucky without a long Eid holidy. It’s only one week in my university too. So, teacher is luckier than both of us. I like it short so I can congratulate the tutors before it’s too late ;-) .. Positive people see what they want, ha?

Teacher, lucky you, I don't get any of Eid holidays! But I do get a day off for Xmas. Actually, I get a day off on my birthday too, as it is Qatar National Day :P

I love Qatar though and I agree with you absolutely - even though I don't get all the benefits you listed, I could probably think of tons of other reasons why Qatar is such a great place to be. It's safe, and friendly, and I can watch it grow and contribute to it. It's always rewarding :^)

I'm looking forward to it.

Aisha, I want a date with you! Hahaha

Thank you and welcome to the site!

Sorry about my “English�, teacher! :-)

nice to hear that :)

You work for CNA-Q don't you. Noone else in the ESL field here says that, just read the angry individuals posts on Dave's ESL Cafe.

You work for CNA-Q don't you. Noone else in the ESL field here says that, just read the angry individuals posts on Dave's ESL Cafe.

i am just about to rellocate to qatar and am very happy hearing this from you. i must say i am looking forward to explore qatar soon.