10 weird and wonderful things about Qatar
Qatar is a weird but wonderful place full of unforgettable experiences.
Being a domestic goddess in Doha, Qatar
I am a domestic goddess … Yep, while I still work with words for a living, I can add cleaning, ironing, mopping, washing, polishing and so forth in a foreign environment to my repertoire of capabilities. You see, after 15 months in Doha, Qatar, I now know my scrubbers from my scourers; what the best […]
Know more about Qatar’s pearls, glorious pearls …
Think Qatar today and the likely image is that of oil, gas, modern luxury, desert scenes and successful hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This picture is a far cry from the Qatar of yesteryear when pearls, glorious pearls, were the country’s main source of income. So think Qatar, and you can think pearls. […]
A Qatar desert experience with a difference
A dune-bashing, camel-riding sojourn, inclusive of a night spent under the stars, complete with Arabic hospitality and good food in the desert, is high on the list of every visitor to Qatar. It had been high on mine. I’d seen the alluring sun-soaked, deserted desert photographs, read the enthusiastic feedback of visitors and researched the […]
The rhythm of Ramadan in Qatar
Doha, Qatar, has its own rhythm of life. While this rise-eat-school-work-eat-relax-pray-sleep routine is generally dependent on your own culture, work and family circumstances in the Middle East, it is collectively shoehorned into a new beat during Ramadan. Yes, the holiest month of Islam, dictates a different rhythm. It does so for Muslims around the world, […]
Katara – a cultural treat and retreat
The Katara Cultural Village is a favourite for visitors and locals alike – a destination in the heart of Doha, Qatar, that celebrates its art, culture, and heritage with a full calendar of events. This replica Arabic village set alongside a sheltered bay with striking views of the Doha skyline is home to an ever-changing […]
Living in Lego Land in Qatar
I live in Lego Land in the Land of Sand. Or to be more precise, my new-found home is in a compound in Qatar. Compounds in the Middle East are a far cry from the compounds of South Africa, areas that were set aside as single sex, living quarters for migrant workers, like miners. Here, […]
A year of here – 10 Qatar takeouts
This month is my Qatarversary – the first year of living in Doha, Qatar, in the Middle East, after moving from South Africa in February 2022, to join the H who is working here. If I was to leave the Gulf tomorrow, I would be forever grateful for the experience, the knowledge gained and the […]
Christmas in Qatar
Christmas is a regular working day in the Middle East. The shops are open, business is ongoing, and heavy traffic continues to transverse Doha’s highways and byways. There’s no tinsel, Christmas lights or Boney M blasting out Mary’s Boy Child in the mega malls. There’s certainly no sign of snow or any frantic last-minute shopping. […]
Camel (and car) racing in Qatar
Sleek dromedaries pounding their way around a fenced and graded sandtrack, urged on by robotic jockeys and a cavalcade of hooting Land Cruisers … Welcome to camel racing in Doha, Qatar. It is a sight, and experience, never to be forgotten. If, like me, you harbour the exotic notion of a stately two-humped camel lumbering […]