DebK | ExpatWoman.com
 

DebK

DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 16 October 2012 - 05:53
Love - my job and the people I have met through my job. Hate - the distance from my friends.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 12 October 2012 - 17:28
Don't worry! It will all be good. :) Look at it as an opportunity to develop hobbies. When I was not working for a few months here I used the time to take up a new hobby (silk painting) and revisit an old hobby (acrylic on canvas). It helped fill lots of the time. I work during the day so don't make it out to these day time social things, but I'm sure you'll settle in fine. ~ Deb
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 06 October 2012 - 12:35
It probably isn't the best idea to openly advertise an illegally run business here in Doha.
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 October 2012 - 06:05
When we moved here we were given guidelines for how to dress by my husband's employer that applied not only to him as an employee, but also to me as a spouse. We were told that women should have their knees and shoulders covered at all times when outside of the compound/living accomodations and that our cleavage should not be revealed. Yes -- you see people dressed in other manners when out and about, but they are truly the minority and you can see westerners and locals looking at them with disapproval. Yes it is a hot climate, but a few extra inches of fabric really will not make you feel any hotter. You just get good at knowing which fabrics "breathe" in this climate and which ones would simply be a waste of money because you'll never want to wear them here. :)
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 September 2012 - 18:55
We got enough to say it rained, and to leave water spots in the sand. (Really it was more like droplets of mud then anything else.)
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 26 September 2012 - 16:53
It would all probably depend on how many people would be invited and how much money you were wanting to spend. What about some sort of spa day where they are all treated to manicures/pedicures?
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 24 September 2012 - 05:59
It is indeed! I know a lot of fellow Canadians who will be making use of this mall if only because it has a Tim Horton's. LOL
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 20 September 2012 - 18:59
Hi Loloatdoha -- you can find visa information here: http://www.emirates.com/english/plan_book/essential_information/visa_passport_information/find_visa_requirements/find_visa_requirements.aspx For example, as a Canadian I have to pay for a visa to go to the UAE, but can get a visa on arrival because I meet the following requirements: Holders of a Residence Permit issued by Qatar can obtain a visa on arrival for a max. stay of 30 days, provided: - [b'>residing in a GCC country for at least 1 year[/b'>; and - a Resident Permit is valid for at least 3 months on arrival; and - holding confirmed return tickets. Fee: AED 185.-. E-visas for Dubai (DXB) can be applied for, prior to departure, through the internet at www.ednrd.ae . Airlines can check the validity of an e-visa at the same site by clicking on the "Query DNRD APP" button. Not sure where you are from, but if you go to the provided url and punch in your information you should be able to find out what you need to know. Cheers!
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 20 September 2012 - 15:30
I think both sides of this have valid points, and in the end I think people need to do what they feel is right for themself. I don't condemn those who choose to take a stand and not return to Villagio, but I also don't condemn those who are thinking of the workers affected and will choose to return to Villagio. I don't think there is a right or wrong in this situation.
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 20 September 2012 - 14:57
I have heard Villagio is insanely busy. Of course I have no desire to check it out myself but might venture to one of the other malls which I would assume will be less busy than they have been on weekends these last several months. Other than that thought, I don't really care to get into the politics of the rest of it. :)
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 16 September 2012 - 19:40
Hi Kiara, Salaries can vary quite a bit. I know of some that pay around 5000 QAR, others that pay 7000 Qar and others that pay 8000 QAR. Hours can also vary quite a bit depending on where it is.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 14 September 2012 - 09:59
Kiara, I think that going around and introducing yourself has benefits, but at the same time in Kindergartens and nurseries this is a rather busy time of year with new registrations and the person you need to introduce yourself to is likely to be busy and therefore not available to speak with you. Therefore I would recommend emailing your cv to the places or phoning ahead to see if anyone will be available.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 14 September 2012 - 06:54
Technically I believe it is a requirement from the SEC that copies of the parent's RP be in the file for the child and that the information in the file be complete for the child to attend school. Some schools are willing to temporarily overlook things as long as they have a letter from the parent's employer stating that the RP process has been started. I do think however that people will find that more and more schools are becoming sticklers for the rules as a result of the Villagio/Gympanzee tragedy. Not every t was crossed and i was dotted and it had horrible consequences and some questionable practices were put in the spotlight. So I think more places are making sure they strictly adhere to the rules having all types of paperwork properly handled.
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 12 September 2012 - 06:22
For the large heavy duty ziplock bags check MegaMart. I have seen them there before -- but that does not mean that they will have them now. After all -- here yesterday, gone today, and who knows about tomorrow. ;)
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 11 September 2012 - 20:53
Our villa has a front load washing machine that came with it. One aspect of it that I like compared to a top loader is that it is much gentler on clothing so the clothing lasts longer. What I dislike is that the cycles are longer and it holds a lot less clothing. So as long as I do some laundry each day then it is fine. If the laundry builds up then it can take a bit to get caught back up. :)
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 11 September 2012 - 06:52
When we arrived 3 years ago, my husband was hired by his employer at the end of June and had an electronic copy of his visa the first week of August. We arrived mid August and we both had our RP's within 5 weeks.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 11 September 2012 - 05:01
Didn't like school classes at all - grotty yukky dirty carpets and no light. Nothing put up on walls by teachers .. Technically schools are not supposed to be putting things up on the walls of the classrooms per Civil Defense regulations. Things on the walls are considered a fire hazard, and there is a certain percentage that is allowed but it is quite low.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 September 2012 - 12:26
They also have a late pick up program from which children can be picked up anywhere up to 1:30 for a nominal fee of 200 QAR/month. (I think that is the cost of it.) But maybe even that extra hour isn't of much help to you...
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 September 2012 - 10:47
Little Spoon -- Does your husband's employer have a PO Box that employees can receive mail at? That is how we receieve all of our mail by having it sent to the PO Box where my hubby works. It doesn't matter if it's in my name or his it has always made it to us. If not, then I do believe you can go to the post office and pay to get a postal box.
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 September 2012 - 07:29
Hi Sunflowers, Your body does get used it to somewhat... but that being said if you do go out walking during the hottest parts of the day you have to use some caution and make sure to have lots of water and a hat! For the most part we wait until the sun goes down to do our walking during the hot months. My friends back home get a chuckle that I will wait till 7 o'clock at night to walk because the temperatures has finally dropped below 110, but there truly is a difference in how it feels without the added effects of the sun.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 07 September 2012 - 22:36
Museum of Islamic Art Mathab (think I have that spelled right.)
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 07 September 2012 - 07:45
Gingerlily -- Kidnaround Kindergarten is operating three KG2 classes this year and still has some spots available. They just don't run a bus service.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 05 September 2012 - 15:04
When ordering things from the Amazon website in delivery options you can indicate to them to hold all items until they can all be shipped together.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 29 August 2012 - 22:09
Frazzle is correct that Kid'n Around Kindergarten is a fairly new school that does FS1 & FS2. It opened to students in March of 2011 and follows the British Curriculum and introduces phonics using the Jolly Phonics program. You can find out more information about the school by checking out their website at http://www.kidnaroundkg.com -- and staff is available at the school this week and next from 8 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to answer any questions you might have or provide you with a tour of the facilities. (Contact information can be found on their website.) Children begin on September 9th.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 August 2012 - 19:24
Funnily enough I enjoy a good massage, but am having a hard time imagining letting someone else scrub me. That being said though I am trying a salt & ginger body scrub added on to my massage on Thursday. So we shall see... :) If nothing else, I am desperately looking forward to the massage as I haven't had one since the beginning of July. Enjoy your treatment at Dados!
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 August 2012 - 13:50
I know lots of single ladies who have travelled to Dubai without any incident. Dubai is a safe place, and you should not have any issues. There are certainly areas of the world I would not want to travel to by myself, but Dubai is not on that list. :)
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 August 2012 - 12:59
Placing the "do not disturb" sign on a hotel room door is no guarantee that hotel employees will not try to enter the room -- as we learned while staying a hotel in Paris this summer. We were in the room and had an employee walk in on us. Yep -- they didn't even knock or anything first. Hope your stay goes well ... for me the nervousness would just come from not being used to travelling without my husband. You get used to having that other person with you. :)
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 August 2012 - 12:55
Little Spoon -- I know on their spa menu they have a hammam of some sort offered, but I've never asked about it. In all honesty, I have no idea what a Hammam treatment entails and always get embarassed about asking them to explain what something is.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 August 2012 - 12:51
As with any other situation here (or even elsewhere in the world) if you don't like the response you first get, ask to speak to someone a little higher up. Even at schools there is usually someone higher than the person that you are speaking to. You might get the same answer, but you also might get a different one. It's worth a try isn't it? Good luck & all of you with schooling woes to deal with makes me glad that I don't have kids.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 August 2012 - 12:48
Good luck with whatever your new adventure will be. I dread the day that we leave and have to figure out the logistics of what's next and where we will live. :)
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 August 2012 - 12:08
Over the three years that I have been here I haven't really noticed there to be a "sales season." A few stores have bi-annual sales, but for the most part there doesn't seem to be any sales here -- at least none like those I am used to from Canada and the USA.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 25 August 2012 - 07:51
I can't offer any suggestions in regards to a nice hammam as I've never done that myself. However, I would highly recommend Essence Spa (on Al Waab -- same side as Villagio and Hyatt Plaza but past the lights that are just past Hyatt Plaza.) Now that I'm back from my summer holidays I'll probably be booking a treatment or two for sometime this week. (Well -- after I get caught up on laundry.) Diva Lounge is also nice, but I've grown to prefer Essence simply because of a more varied choice of treatments.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 06 July 2012 - 08:23
You can check incoming/outgoing flights on the Doha International Airport webpage. Yesterday it seemed that any outgoing flights that had been cancelled were a result of the incoming flight having been cancelled. Other than that there were no issues with departures. http://www.dohaairport.com/en/airline_information/flight_departures/flight_departures.html?hidd_search_type=5&travel_type=D&dummy=0#print_to_pdf
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 05 July 2012 - 14:57
I wasn't able to convince my husband to go with me and didn't want to go alone ... but that being said, Cirque de Soleil always put on an amazing show. We have seen 5 different shows in Vegas and each was great in its own way. Usually there's no such thing as a "bad seat" when it comes to a cirque show because the action doesn't only take place on stage. Glad to hear that those who have gone enjoyed it! :)
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 05 July 2012 - 07:38
Activity - Ladies groups - In previous postings I have belonged to a mahjong group, a Canadian group and a neighbourhood ladies group . I can't seem to find out much on the different groups there. Are they different for maybe each area that people live in and not city wide? /quote'> There is a Canadian group that used to have get togethers (look up Canadians in Qatar on Facebook) but apparently due to a lack of people willing to plan events it's been pretty quiet lately. I believe they are going to try and get it going again in September. (Even though I'm Canadian I have never gone to any of their events but I do know some people who have.) Plus -- you can always start your own gatherings. :)
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 04 July 2012 - 11:29
Many of the questions you ask are dependent on the employer. For example, our employer pays for accomodation and includes water/electric. We only pay cable/phone/Internet. My husband's employer does not help with car loans. Those are the responsibility of the employee. Also, I don't know of any spouses working for my husband's employer that have had to do visa runs. We all arrived at the same time as our spouses and received our RPs just a few weeks after our spouses. As for how to dress -- I will often wear capris (or crop pants as they are sometimes also called) that come below the knees and regular t-shirts. At my husband's place of work women must wear sleeves that come below their elbow, but outside of work the guideline provided by the company is that shoulders must be covered. For myself at work my shirt provided by my Qatari employer is also normal t-shirt sleeve length. At work for myself capris/crops are allowed as long as my knees are covered. That being said, during Ramadan I tend to wear trousers rather than capris and also tend to carry a light jacket with me that has full length sleeves. Why? Simply out of respect for the Islamic holy month.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 04 July 2012 - 11:19
I went to the trade fair several months back and they had some interesting things for sale. I didn't spend much money myself as I only bought one purse, but there were a good deal of other things that I might have purchased if I'd had more time to browse. (I went with a friend and a few of her friends, so sometimes it's hard to take time to look at things when the others have different interests.) A lot of decorative things from around the world. I was thinking of going today, but then the washing machine decided to act up and laundry that should have been done hours ago is still in the process of being done. Guess I get to save my money to spend on summer holidays instead!
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 July 2012 - 14:47
Try TheOne store at Landmark. They normally have a good selection of things like that.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 July 2012 - 07:29
Thanks for the input! We had heard Al Gharaffa was closer but haven't gotten any compound recommendations for that area. Do you know of good compounds for families there? Does anyone have any feedback on Beverly Hills 3 in Al Waab? Al Gharaffa is closer to ACS. I know that I had a friend looking at villas in Al Ezdan awhile back. I live in that area but at a compound in which my husband's employer provides accomodation. That is sometimes the difficulty in people being able to make suggestions because it's hard to know if anything is available in a compound or if they are rented out entirely by companies. I know that in the compound I live in, my husband's employer rents out 100% of the villas even though there's several that are sitting empty. Did you try looking at the area around ACS on google earth? Some of the compounds tend to be labeled on there.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 30 June 2012 - 13:39
One Canadian university that has many choices of online/distance education courses is Athabasca University out of Alberta.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 30 June 2012 - 09:08
The blood typing is no big deal. You go to a lab, they prick your finger and they determine your blood type.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 30 June 2012 - 09:05
Hi Rumers, I have a co-worker who lives in Al Khor and it doesn't sound like too bad of a location to live. There are expats there, just not as many of them as in Doha. I'm sure that there are probably some expat activities that take place there. Where will you be coming from? That will impact how easy it might be to get a driver's license. Some nationalities simply have to show their license from their home country, do an eye test, and ta-da! Other countries must do driving courses and road tests.
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 June 2012 - 20:41
NorthernStar, I would have been right behind you heading out the doors no matter what else I had been doing at the time. Think it's all those practice fire drills as a child when I was in Canada. We were taught that when you hear the alarms you immediately stop what you are doing and get out of the building -- and then you only go back in to the building once the fire department has given the "all clear." ~ Deb
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 23 June 2012 - 15:59
At one point they did say they would be closed until June 23, and then after that they changed it to "until further notice."
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 23 June 2012 - 14:32
Dan Lou, as stated on City Center's facebook page and in the newspapers, City Center will remain closed until further notice. So unfortunately it probably will not be open again in the near future which means when it does open it will probably be too late to make your exchanges.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 June 2012 - 13:45
DVD box sets and lots of cocktail hours. :) Haha! My husband the other day asked me where we're supposed to shop now since I'm not willing to go to Landmark in the crowds. My response to him: The QDC. I'm currently working on catching up on Criminal Minds and a few other tv shows I haven't had time to watch and of course this time of year there are a few more social opportunities with goodbye parties.
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 June 2012 - 13:06
I've not heard anything good about Newton. I do not have personal experience there, but when I taught at one of the local Sylvan Learning Centers I worked with a few students that had been students at Newton and the parents chose to pull them out of the school and place them at Sylvan for tutoring until a spot in a new school could be found. Some of the things they told me included teachers calling their children "stupid" among other putdowns. That being said, that was two years ago. So staff at the school could have gone through many changes since then as is the case with most schools as teachers come out on 2-3 year contracts and not everyone stays on. Also, what works for one family doesn't necessarily work for another. Some children are extremely adaptable and would learn and be successful regardless of where you place them. Others find school more challenging and a positive environment can make a world of difference to them.
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 21 June 2012 - 15:26
I would also like to add that in regards to education allowance you need to verify how many children they will give you an allowance for. Some companies have a limit of 2 children that they will pay school fees for in addition to the maximum amount per year. Others also specify which schools they are willing to pay fees for.
DebK
453
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 20 June 2012 - 14:19
I'm discovering it's not necessarily a bad thing having some malls closed and the rest too busy to venture off to. My bank balance is benefiting from the lack of extra spending that tends to happen when we head to a mall just to have a wander. :)
DebK
453
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 20 June 2012 - 06:34
We've never won... but we also never enter them.
 
 
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