10 weird and wonderful things about Qatar – part 2
If you are coming to Qatar, expect a country of contrasts, all of which make it a weird and wonderful place to visit. Did you know, for example, that Qatar does not have any forests, but intends to have planted 10 million trees by 2030? (They planted a quick million in the run-up to the […]
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. […]
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. […]
World Cup gets ahead with head gear
The smiling police officer stopped the H. “Let me help you, Sir.” And he did. He fixed my bemused hubby’s Arabic headgear, his fan attire for the FIFA 2022 World Cup matches in Qatar. This small, unsolicited gesture randomly repeated time and again by strangers throughout Doha, not just to us, but across the East-West […]
Doha, dry? Don’t believe a word of it …
Doha, Qatar, is in a desert, but there’s water everywhere. It is also a conservative Muslim country, but there’s alcohol too. It’s just not everywhere. Questions about water and access to one’s favourite tipple in this tiny peninsula county abound. And, with the FIFA 2022 World Cup around the corner, the thirst for such information […]
Doing the Doha drift – driving in Qatar
Driving in Doha is not for the faint-hearted, as you adapt to right-hand driving, four-to-six lane highways, new traffic rules, foreign signage, endless detours, heavy volumes of traffic … oh, and the ubiquitous Doha drifters … Perhaps if I’d previously lived in a big city like Johannesburg or even Cape Town, I’d be less inclined […]