Sunday, February 15, 2009
Not so modern - The Old Souqs
Souqs are actually shops, and in Qatar, shops tend to be located in groups. For instance there are the gold souqs, the furniture souqs, the computer souqs, ... well you get the picture. I'm still looking for the automotive souqs and the ever popular soup souqs.
Friday, February 13, 2009
The Pearl
The Pearl is a man-made island that is 10 minutes from the college. While it is still under construction, I went there to see this amazing place. It is truly The Pearl of the Gulf.
Talk about high-end shops! As you enter The Pearl, you pass Rolls Royce, Maserati and Ferrari dealerships.
Once inside you can visit shops like Giorgio Armani and many I have never heard of because they are way out of my league, but it doesn't cost anything to look. I saw a golf shirt for just over 1,000 riyals (about $350). The marina is spectacular, and while not finished there were a few boats moored there ... some over 100 feet.
Talk about high-end shops! As you enter The Pearl, you pass Rolls Royce, Maserati and Ferrari dealerships.
Once inside you can visit shops like Giorgio Armani and many I have never heard of because they are way out of my league, but it doesn't cost anything to look. I saw a golf shirt for just over 1,000 riyals (about $350). The marina is spectacular, and while not finished there were a few boats moored there ... some over 100 feet.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Not What I Expected
With a population of around 1.5 million, only about 350,000 are Qatari nationals with the rest being expats mostly from other Asian countries. There is definitely a class system here with Qatari's being on the top rung, followed by Westerners, like myself, then other Arab nationals, then the rest. It's not right, but it's nice to be in the upper echelon of these classes.
One of the most common comments from people at home when they heard I was coming here to work on a three-year contract was '... be careful and take care over there', which showed their concern that this might be a dangerous place being in the Middle East, which is commonly believed (by westerners) is a centre of terrorism. After being here such a short time, it is already evident that these concerns are unfounded. I have never lived in a city where I felt safer - except when driving, but more on that later.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Shop Till you Drop
One of the first things you need to do when you arrive in Doha is to shop to equip your apartment with necessities. Rhonda and Connie, her mom, took me to a few of the malls to get started. As in the rest of Doha, the malls are ultra modern, if not downright fantastic. The mall pictured above is the Villagio Mall which features 220 stores, a canal that runs through the mall complete with gondolas, and a hockey rink in the food court area. The shops are mostly high-end ... I saw a cell phone for sale for a mere 24,000 Qatar riyals (about $8,000 CAD)!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
College of the North Atlantic - Qatar
The IT department where I will be working is nicely appointed and includes a solarium in the middle of it where you can actually go for a smoke ... unbelievable.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
A New Land - Different Weather
My long flight finally ended at 1:00 AM on February 2nd where my boss, and friend, Rhonda met me at the Doha International airport. She borrowed my winter jacket as she was cold, which seemed weird to me given that I had just come from Canada and Britain's biggest snow storm in 18 years ... it was 22 degrees C!!
We went straight to the Movenpick Hotel in Doha where I stayed for the night ... got to sleep around 3 AM. Since the college was sending a driver to pick me up at 7:30 AM, I didn't get a lot of sleep before facing my new country, my new city, my new residence and my new job. However, I was excited to look out my hotel window and see the view (above). It was sunny, warm, and it was a great view of the harbour, complete with palm trees and a small mosque next to the parking lot.
My first day was spent visiting my new apartment and going shopping for things I would need for the first few days. The apartment is more than satisfactory, being spacious and well equipped with furniture and appliances. The ceilings are high, the floors marble tile and the apartment has 4 large air conditioners, one in each bedroom, the living room and the kitchen.
The bedrooms are large and furnished with huge wardrobes and beds. The master bedroom has a 'super king size' bed ... great for when you crash after a night out on the town as it won't matter which direction you land on it. It also has a balcony you can see in the upper right of the picture.
We went straight to the Movenpick Hotel in Doha where I stayed for the night ... got to sleep around 3 AM. Since the college was sending a driver to pick me up at 7:30 AM, I didn't get a lot of sleep before facing my new country, my new city, my new residence and my new job. However, I was excited to look out my hotel window and see the view (above). It was sunny, warm, and it was a great view of the harbour, complete with palm trees and a small mosque next to the parking lot.
My first day was spent visiting my new apartment and going shopping for things I would need for the first few days. The apartment is more than satisfactory, being spacious and well equipped with furniture and appliances. The ceilings are high, the floors marble tile and the apartment has 4 large air conditioners, one in each bedroom, the living room and the kitchen.
The bedrooms are large and furnished with huge wardrobes and beds. The master bedroom has a 'super king size' bed ... great for when you crash after a night out on the town as it won't matter which direction you land on it. It also has a balcony you can see in the upper right of the picture.
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