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Stressed about moving

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28

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 17 November 2014 - 23:09

@cats45 are you in Doha at the moment ? Have you had your medical yet ? Contact me if you need help with this <em>edited by Tilgate on 17/11/2014</em>

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 17 November 2014 - 23:04

sorry for delay in response, dont know where the time goes here. We have been in Doha 4 years and daughter been in Doha college since year 7 now going in year 9 and she is very happy there. We are very happy with the school. If you would like I can give you my email address. We live in company accommodation and would not change it

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 04 November 2014 - 12:39

@cats45 I hope things get sorted soon. It sounds like you've gone through a rough patch. Lets hope you have seen the end of it.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 04 November 2014 - 11:19

Thanks ladies. We went to the Captain last week and he said almost finished.Then yesterday when husband looked, it says process been cancelled. Hence our bewilderment. We are going back today, taking an Arabic speaking friend like we did last time, to help if needed. We have already endured a 10 month court process to get this far, as eldest child's biological father refused to give consent to allow him to come, even though lives with us, so all been through emotional mill whilst waiting to get this far. Just seems a never ending process and loving being out here so much, just desperate for things to get moving, as want to be able to come full time end of school year. We did apply to schools last year, but had no luck with places, I guess because we were not here already and had no RP.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 04 November 2014 - 08:31

@cats45 I am so sorry you guys have had such a problem! I can't comment much because back in 2008 it was quite easy for us. It took 2 weeks but we did it by ourselves, we didn't go thru the company. I can suggest to go in person to the Immigration office and ask for the "Captain". Usually, when something goes wrong here or get difficult, my husband goes to the office, talk to the Captain, and voila, everything is getting done! Does the company have your docs? Have they tell you what is going on? If you are able to do so, I would recommend to take all your paperwork and do this errand by yourself, I mean your husband =) tell him to carry his QR ID with him all the time! Hello wives of husbands who work for QA. My husband is a licensed engineer for QA and we are having problems getting family visa processed. Has anyone else had problems with this and if so, were HR helpful? We have come to get that and RP, but all come to a standstill. Poor hubby been 11 months on his own and we are desperate to be a family again (2 children, 13 and 3). Sorry to butt in on post, but I am stressed about moving too, as only visiting at the moment to get that sorted and check out schools and worried that visa will never be sorted. But no school without RP! As hubby not in company accommodation, surrounded by neighbours who all work office hours,no-one on shifts. Any help or words of encouragement very welcome! Thanks ladies

42

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 04 November 2014 - 07:59

@purpleviolet, How has Doha been for you so far? Did you move with your husband, or did he move earlier and you joined him later? My husband will get to Doha in Feb, and kids and I will join him in June, once school year ends. That will also get us out of his way while his training is going on :P Thanks for the school recommendation. I will definitely look up SEK. @Cats45, has the company said anything about the cause of the delay? Our visa process has not even started yet, so I can't comment on it. But I can only imagine how tough it must be for you all!! I hope it all gets sorted out for you soon and you guys can be together again as a family. <em>edited by expat2b on 04/11/2014</em>

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 04 November 2014 - 01:45

Hello wives of husbands who work for QA. My husband is a licensed engineer for QA and we are having problems getting family visa processed. Has anyone else had problems with this and if so, were HR helpful? We have come to get that and RP, but all come to a standstill. Poor hubby been 11 months on his own and we are desperate to be a family again (2 children, 13 and 3). Sorry to butt in on post, but I am stressed about moving too, as only visiting at the moment to get that sorted and check out schools and worried that visa will never be sorted. But no school without RP! As hubby not in company accommodation, surrounded by neighbours who all work office hours,no-one on shifts. Any help or words of encouragement very welcome! Thanks ladies

30

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 03 November 2014 - 23:04

Hi, I am at AKG , my husband is with QA as well, I moved in this sept , my kids are 7 and 3 my 7year old son goes to SEK @west bay , it offers IB and we are very happy with the school . Particularly my son looks fwd to school each day. Where are you moving from?

42

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 23 October 2014 - 10:31

Thanks for the reply Tilgate. How long have you been in Qatar? How old is your child? Are you happy with Doha College? (too many questions!! sorry ;))

28

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 22 October 2014 - 09:14

My husband works for QR and we live in company accommodation also have a child in Doha College, School places are very hard to find so I would start applying now to the ones of your choice. I can contact the schools you are interested in from here and find out the details.

42

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 20 October 2014 - 10:49

It is so good to know that QR families stay connected. I have sent you an email so you can now delete your email address from the post. I will definitely get in touch when I come to visit. Still waiting to hear from the company about how we can manage a trip before hubby's going date.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 11:04

I forgot to mention...The company won't help you with the admission in the schools but the rest of us will give you all the info and tips to be successful on your school haunting! If you decide to come and take a look (I strongly advice to do so) let me know and I will be happy to pick you up and drive you around town.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 10:57

We lived in Company accommodation for almost 4 years and we liked it. The sense of community and having wonderful neighbors made me forget about the tiny apartment and the crowded club house. I can send you pictures, drop me an email. We decided to move because I missed the beach...nothing is perfect and even tough I love my neighbors and the layout of my apartment, The Pearl has many flaws...beginning with the prices, everything is more expensive here! It will depend on your budget too. Half of the buildings are under construction but I don't have the feeling of a ghost town. Our tower is full and there are a lot of QR families here, I like it because we understand the peculiar life style of being a pilot's wife....you know what I mean! For us it was great to have company accommodation when we arrived, it makes your life easier. Wherever you go, you will find a supportive community. We take care of each other, you can count on it. I didn't know the name of my neighbors back in my country....but here the story is completely different. My neighbors are my Doha Family, they will bring me chicken soup if I am sick, I will babysit their children if they needed me to do so, etc... Let me know when you get my email so I can erase it from the public forum =) "Edited to remove my email, if anybody else need the information, please let me know!" <em>edited by MTPSDoha on 20/10/2014</em>

42

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 18 October 2014 - 15:51

Thanks MTPSDoha! Good to know you guys have been around that long and like it there :) I have already started contacting schools. We are now trying to figure out about how to make a trip to Qatar before joining, so that we can make some campus visits and maybe get a general orientation about where everything is. The Pearl looks like a nice place to be. I read somewhere it is mostly a ghost town as most places are still empty. Is that true? That may have been an older post though. What is company accommodation like?

11

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 17 October 2014 - 18:51

Wow thanks for all the responses! I am already feeling better knowing so many wonderful, helpful people live there! Ok so looks like for schooling I need to get in touch with the schools I have shortlisted, which are ACS, ISL, DBS, and Qatar Academy so far. Now, how about housing??? I have spent many million man hours searching on the internet, but it looks like houses there are mostly very dated? Is rent negotiable? Or the advertised rent is the final price? We would prefer living in a villa was we have never lived in an apartment, and our kids are used to some outdoor space for cricket/football/ etc. Weather permitting of course! Where do most pilots live? Too many questions, and there are more where these came from ;) edited by expat2b on 13/10/2014 Hi there! I am a QR wife =). If you have more questions, I am happy to help. We have been here for 6 years...regarding accommodation the rent and everything is usually negotiable but will also depend on how desperate you want a specific place. We live at the Pearl but it is always good to have figure it out the schools first in order to avoid the traffic. I don't have kids but most of my friends do and they have their children in London International School or Doha College West Bay (and they live at the Pearl). Another friends have their children at Compass and DBS and they live in company accommodation (Ain Khaled Gate) Please don't hesitate to contact me for further questions and don't worry, the expat community here is amazing, everybody will help you!

13

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 14 October 2014 - 01:34

Expat2b I think qatar academy gives priority qataries on primary school they told me that when I tries once I'm not sure about senior school u can check with them all the schools u have mentiond r good ASD offers IB as well if u want to check them and SEK will go to grade 10 next year so they might offer Ib soon .

42

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 13 October 2014 - 17:48

Wow thanks for all the responses! I am already feeling better knowing so many wonderful, helpful people live there! Ok so looks like for schooling I need to get in touch with the schools I have shortlisted, which are ACS, ISL, DBS, and Qatar Academy so far. Now, how about housing??? I have spent many million man hours searching on the internet, but it looks like houses there are mostly very dated? Is rent negotiable? Or the advertised rent is the final price? We would prefer living in a villa was we have never lived in an apartment, and our kids are used to some outdoor space for cricket/football/ etc. Weather permitting of course! Where do most pilots live? Too many questions, and there are more where these came from ;) <em>edited by expat2b on 13/10/2014</em>

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 13 October 2014 - 09:37

There's a new school advertising for applications now: Pearling Season International - http://psisd.com.qa/. I met the new principal a few weeks ago when she was in the middle of setting it all up, and she seems very good. Oddly, her photo is not on the website tho! There was a topic a few days ago on this school - everyone sounds pleased. <em>edited by LadyD on 13/10/2014</em>

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 12 October 2014 - 17:32

I'm not sure if QA has reserved seats at any schools but I know they didn't in past years (I know this because I shared homeschooling with a pilot's son while we were waiting for school places a few years ago). That may have changed now and you would have to check with the company. Schools are opening here at the moment, sadly most of them seem to be at Wakra which must be one heck of a school commute or be quite small and as yet untested but that might have changed by the time you arrive.

42

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 12 October 2014 - 16:13

expat2b I'm guessing from the 'QR' rather than 'QA' reference that your husband is commercial rather than a pilot Actually he will be a pilot with "QA". Sorry for the confusion :) Thanks for all the responses!

616

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EW GURU

Latest post on 12 October 2014 - 08:50

expat2b I'm guessing from the 'QR' rather than 'QA' reference that your husband is commercial rather than a pilot (might have that wrong). Depending on what level he's joining at, check whether most/all of school fees will be paid. He should also try and find out where he's likely to get housed. IB schools are: ACS, Qatar Academy (I wouldn't even bother trying!), ISL and SEK (I have a feeling I'm missing one). The only way you can find out about places is calling to ask. The good news is you have time to apply in the normal admissions rounds. The bad news is that, particularly for your 6 year-old, spaces are going to be hard to find. Don't worry about making friends - if you've got kids it's not an issue. Everyone's been in your position (and usually recently). You will have to put yourself out there a bit (eg be the one who makes the first move) but it'll come.

68

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 11 October 2014 - 17:40

OK ladies, don't read the latest article on Doha News either LOL

3

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 11 October 2014 - 17:28

Hello I kinda know what you are going through. My fiancé has been here for a year - we are marrying at Christmas and I will move here in March. I have been out 6 times now but I guess living here is totally different. My children are grown up - so I do worry about where I will network to find like minded expats. I have joined a few FB groups. Does anyone have any ideas......I have thought about starting an afternoon tea circle......mainly for the cakes.....:-))

68

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 11 October 2014 - 15:44

Hi expat2b, lets hope we can do something to make you less stressed (especially this far in advance). If you have kids here it's actually quite easy to make friends when they are in school as you will meet lots of other parents and most people here are very friendly and welcoming. Doha mums have morning tea's which you can attend even if your children are a bit older and specific nationalities often have their own meet ups. You strike up conversations with other expats in stores and at markets and end up having mutual friends and it just goes from there. Sorry I don't know what QR is (though it's probably something very obvious) but if the company has reserved seats in half decent schools then you will be laughing. Living in the region is not without its issues and it can be damn frustrating at times but once you get used to the way things happen (or don't happen) here then it's not too bad a place to live. So don't worry too much, the vast majority of us didn't know anyone when we arrived but if you are mobile and friendly it won't take any time at all.

42

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 11 October 2014 - 08:46

Dear Ladies, My husband is considering a job offer with QR and I am stressed about the move! Need some positive reinforcement from all you lovely people :) How do people make friends there? I don't know ANYONE in Qatar!! Also, I have read on several posts about employers reserving seats in schools for children of new employees. Is that the case with QR?? I have 2 boys, 8 and 6. I would like for them to attend an IB school preferably, but I understand that in Qatar, admissions are tough and I may have to compromise. We still have some time on our hands as my husband plans to move end of this year or early next year, and kids and I will join at the end of the school year ( June-ish). Looking forward for some responses...

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