DebK | ExpatWoman.com
 

DebK

DebK
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Latest post on 12 April 2012 - 07:46
It's not Skype or Vonage, but MagicJack has something similar for $99 for a 5 year term. They give you a little usb jack that you plug in to your computer and then you can plug any phone you like in to that. We never leave it hooked up for receiving calls, but my husband does use it frequently to call his mother. Like anything that goes through the Internet, there are times when the connection isn't the best and he just hangs up and tries again. Usually within a few tries he can get a good connection.
DebK
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Latest post on 11 April 2012 - 10:34
P.S. Essence Spa is near Hyatt Plaza (well same side, next block)
DebK
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Latest post on 11 April 2012 - 10:31
I always go to Diva Lounge on Al Kinana (the same street that has the Toys r us store on it). I've had reflexology done there by Emily and Karen who are both very good. (Bonus: If you have the Entertainer book there are coupons in there that can be used for reflexology.) I've never had reflexology done at Essence Spa but know they have it... and the massages (hot stone and warm bamboo) that I have had done there have been amazing so am guessing that their reflexology is good too. Where ever you go though it can depend on who you have doing the reflexology... so if you go some place and don't like it the first time you could always go again and request someone else.
DebK
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Latest post on 07 April 2012 - 07:55
What did you decide to do? (Seeing that I'm much too late to offer any advice.) I find that it is always difficult when there is an aspect of compound life that is irritating us. We live in a compound where all of our neighbours are also my husband's co-workers. So we often just bite our tongues and hope that security will notice things on their own. Fortunately though our irritants tend to occur during the daytime hours and not at night. I think I'd have a lot harder time biting my tongue if something was preventing me from sleeping. :) ~ DK
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Latest post on 04 April 2012 - 17:39
Do you know where Landmark mall is? If you continue on D-ring (Al Shamal Rd) past Landmark to the Duhail Interchange roundabout (1st roundabout past Landmark) then use the roundabout to make a U turn and head back in the opposite direction keeping to the right -- do not get back on D-ring. Lulu will be on your right hand side. If anyone else can give better directions please jump in! (I'm a little directionally challenged most days. :) )
DebK
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Latest post on 04 April 2012 - 15:05
I was in Lulu Gharaffa at around noon today and as I was by myself was wandering aimlessly down the aisles that hubby never wants to look down. In the pet food/garden supply aisle they had some solar garden lights. They didn't have too many on the shelf, but that doesn't mean they didn't have more in stock.
DebK
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Latest post on 28 March 2012 - 06:32
Ami -- what is the actual name of the "crazy junction" that you are talking about?
DebK
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Latest post on 26 March 2012 - 18:38
Longhorn's? Now you have my attention! :) :) One of my absolute favourite restaurants. We don't have one in Canada, but each year when we have gone back for the summer we make a point of going in to the US so that I can have a meal at Longhorn's.
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Latest post on 24 March 2012 - 11:09
We had a magic jack sent to us after we arrived and use it to hook up to one of our laptops. For $95 US for 5 years we can call back to Canada free of charge. That's a lot of talking! It also gives us a local number in Canada that we can use when needed...
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Latest post on 22 March 2012 - 16:21
That was me DebK - thanks! I found some at Spinneys on someone's recommendation, and now have a serious supply on hand! Basic elbow shapes, but it'll do!! Gotta love the search feature :\: Well glad you found some! I knew someone had asked so thought I would pass along that I had seen some. I actually would have preferred the basic elbow shapes but Phineas and Herb will have to do...
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Latest post on 22 March 2012 - 16:19
There are several Opera bakeries throughout the city. Landmark, Villagio, Al Sadd Street .... Bateel Bakery there is one on Al Mirquab across from Family Food Centre.... Tasmeem is in The Mall. Sugar & Spice is in Lagoona Mall. Unfortunately I do not have the phone numbers for any of them as I've never needed their numbers before. <em>edited by DebK on 22/03/2012</em>
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Latest post on 22 March 2012 - 05:46
Kid'n Around Kindergarten in the Duhail area (not far from Landmark mall) follows the British Curriculum and offers pre-school (must be 3 by August 31, 2012) and reception (must be 4 by August 31, 2012). I believe they will also be offering another class for those who aren't quite old enough for pre-school and who turn 3 between September 1 and December 31, 2012. Children MUST be toilet trained though as it is NOT a nursery. You can check out their website at http://www.kidnaroundkg.com or email them at info (at) kidnaroundkg.com -- their email is checked several times a day from Sunday through Thursday during working hours and the receptionist is great about getting back to people. You can also phone them at 974.4483.3836 between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time in Doha.
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Latest post on 20 March 2012 - 19:45
The students in my classroom tend to get themed birthday cakes from places like Opera, Bateel, Tasmeem, or Sugar & Spice. I've seen Mickey Mouse, the smurfs, spiderman, Shawn the sheep... Some were more elaborate than others and the cakes that have come from Tasmeem are the best cakes I have ever tasted -- but I think they are quite pricey.
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Latest post on 16 March 2012 - 11:09
Marycatherine, I have to admit I have actually never tasted the meat pies. I don't like to eat foods that are mixed together. Which makes pretty much ALL airline food disgusting to me. I prefer to fly British Airways where I request a fruit platter each time -- and it's been great. Finally something that I am willing to eat on an airplane. We also flew another airline once that I thought the food was okay on... can't remember if it was Etihad or Emirates though. I just remember that it was a short flight (an hour) and they actually served a complete meal during that time. P.S. I am in no way discounting your experiences with the airline. I know that I have before put in a special meal request with them and I never receive it. Which I just kind of shrug off because I know from experience just to pack my own food when we fly. :) <em>edited by DebK on 16/03/2012</em>
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Latest post on 16 March 2012 - 07:26
I know that Qatar Airways generally seems to be pretty forgiving of slight increases in baggage weight, but don't specifically know about how they are at JFK. ... as for other comments that have been made about Qatar Airways, I have never had issue with the crew on the plane. In my experiences they have always been extremely professional. The only thing I do not like about Qatar Airways is the food. (Those meat pies -- even the thought disgusts me!) Of course, I generally feel this way about the food on most airlines. There are a lot of airports that use a bus to transport people from the tarmac to the terminal. If they simply waited to be able to allow every plane to leave from a terminal then they would be offering fewer flights each day. With any business there will be customers who are not satisfied with the service they received or the response from the company in regards to it. Even the best companies will sometimes have a bad day -- but I do wish that people would be just as vocal about things when they receive good service. Why are we always so quick to tell every one about the negative but never the positive?
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Latest post on 13 March 2012 - 06:26
The boxes of the air purifiers should tell you how many square feet/metres they are good for. Generally, I think it's almost a necessity to have one on each level. How can they clean air around all those corners? I too have horrible allergies, but at the moment only have one air purifier that we run in the bedroom. My new best friend is eucalyptus oil which I have found to be working far better than the antihistamines in keeping my sinuses clear.
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Latest post on 05 March 2012 - 05:57
I frequently make purchases for Kindle books from the US Amazon site and do not have a US credit card or US address. I do have a Canadian credit card/address though and this might be why it is allowed as the publishing rules in both countries are similar. I know I can not make a purchase of books from the UK Amazon site as I do not have a UK address. I believe it has more to do with the address than the country where the credit card is issued. If you are having trouble downloading some of the books, just check to make sure that you have your "region" set to USA or Canada. If it is set to "Middle East" then you can't download many books because of publishing rights. (Originally ran in to this problem when I first started using the Kindle app.)
DebK
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Latest post on 27 February 2012 - 17:18
As a local hire though, you tend not to get a housing allowance or other "extras." So you can't really factor those in.
DebK
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Latest post on 27 February 2012 - 16:39
As to whether that is "normal" depends on what type of school and what level you would be teaching. That is what a lot of the nurseries pay their teachers. Which is sad because although there are some teachers who do as little as possible, there are many who consistently go above and beyond what they are expected to do. There are schools that pay more than that though... but without knowing what level of school you would be teaching it is hard to know if what you were offered is normal. Also remember a lot of employers will put out a lower number than what they are really willing to pay ... you can always tell them as much as you would love to work for them, that amount doesn't meet your needs.. and see if they come back to you with another offer.
DebK
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Latest post on 27 February 2012 - 06:20
DebK: Are you a teacher? If so, which school? I am in the process of contacting all the English speaking schools to see if any of them are interested in getting involved (either in the actual art work itself, or in spin-off projects of any sort). Thank you for collecting bottle tops for us, that's fantastic! I teach at Kid'n Around Kindergarten. Our students are only 3 and 4 years old, so I think they're a tad young to help in other ways. :)
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Latest post on 26 February 2012 - 15:31
Hmmm... I will pass this information on to my coworkers. I have been saving plastic bottle lids for a bit now as I have used them to create some numeracy and literature activities, and have even used them to create my own stamps. But I now have more than I wll need for the next year or so and was about to start throwing them out again. Instead I'll create a collection box in my classroom and continue to collect them to donate to this project... and if I can get the other teachers on board with collecting them we should be able to collect a good number by the collection date. :)
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Latest post on 23 February 2012 - 20:09
Hi Ladies - I have just moved to Doha from the UK and was also wondering how to meet people outside the Mums' groups. I am technically a Mum, but my twins are 18 and at university/on a gap year so don't feel I would fit into any of those groups. Are you still meeting up and could I join in if you are? Would also be interested in joining a book club if you know of any. Hi Deborah, Welcome to Doha. If you can't find a book club, you could always start your own. :) Chances are there are others who would be interested. Cheers!
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Latest post on 22 February 2012 - 08:04
Unfortunately the behaviour you are seeing out of that child is behaviour they have learned in their home. So I don't think that talking with the parents of the child is going to be very productive, and might actually just earn you an "enemy" in the compound. In my experience, parents don't like to receive criticism in regards to their children regardless of how true or well-meaning it may be. Working as a teacher here, I have seen examples of such behaviour from students and have even witnessed some students who hit their nannies. (I work with three and four year olds.) When the child is under my care I discipline the child for such behaviour and tell them we don't hit or we don't treat people that way. Unfortunately, I can not change what happens once they leave my care. Nor can I change the nannies/maids themselves, as they are partially to blame for allowing these children to treat/speak to them this way. I do however always let the parents know that their child received a time out for hitting and will tell them who they hit, and I emphasize that we do not allow hitting at school. Most of them at least have the grace to act horrified that their child behaved in that manner.
DebK
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Latest post on 21 February 2012 - 14:11
I know that Little Butterflies Nursery plans to run during the summer. http://www.facebook.com/#!/LittleButterfliesNursery
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Latest post on 21 February 2012 - 13:51
Kitsune -- how old is your daughter? That might help people in coming up with suggestions.
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Latest post on 21 February 2012 - 13:41
Without any hesitation I recommend Dr. Thelma at the Majestic Dental Center! I've recently had a lot of work done with her and she was great! 44181509, 66865433 It's near the Burger King Roundabout -- very easy to find. This is the same person Maite suggested.
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Latest post on 20 February 2012 - 20:30
I don't have children, but my suggestion would be to sit down with your maid/nanny and come up with ideas for activities together. You could choose a theme for each week and transform an area of your home to match that theme. For example, one week your children could "camp out" inside by either putting a tent up in one of the rooms of your home (or putting sheets over the table to make a tent type spot). They could do crafts of different bugs or animals that they might see if they were camping out and read stories that have to do with forest animals. For snack one day they could make smores or banana boats, and eat "spider" hotdogs for lunch ... If you were also home with them, then I would have suggested arranging playdates with a couple of other moms where one mom takes the kids one day and then the others take them on other days to give each mom a few free hours in the week. However, since you're clearly a working mom that obviously won't work. :) The one thing I would definitely do is go to Al Rawnaq and stock up on craft supplies and to start saving empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls so that you have a lot of craft supplies on hand. I would also be very firm with the nanny in letting her know how much or how little time you want your kids to be watching tv or playing video games/computer. I think some of them tend to use those things as a way to occupy the children so they don't have to. Also, I don't know the ages of your children but I do know that even during Ramadan there are some places that are open and offer special activities for children. Check with some of the nurseries and such as some of them offered programs for school aged children last summer.
DebK
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Latest post on 16 February 2012 - 20:25
. And don't give anyone the bird, please! I don't know why but this is a HUGE insult all over the Middle East and a fast track to trouble. Personally, I think that such gestures are offensive regardless of where you are. I know people in Canada that have been contacted by the police when someone has lodged a complaint that they have flipped someone off while driving. It's not just here... It's just that here punishments may be more severe than in other places in the world.
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Latest post on 12 February 2012 - 18:06
I never initially posted on this because it seemed that the OP was seeking only the opinions of those who had previously lived in Dubai and I haven't. I have visited Dubai, and am always thrilled to get back to Doha. The only two things that Dubai has that we don't really have in Doha (in my opinion) are 1) Ikea -- and that is supposed to be coming to Doha in the next while; and 2) a good bookstore. Ok, we have Jarir which is better than nothing, and Virgin will sometimes have something worth picking up but I really find that the selection is pitiful whether I am looking for reading material for myself or reading material to use with my students. However, the easy solution for this was buying an ereader for myself and even though it comes at a bit of a price I do quite frequently order storybooks for my classroom through Amazon in Canada, the US or England. They are easy solutions and much easier than spending excessive energy having an ongoing moan about the bookstores that are available to us. Personally, I don't even think that the driving is as horrid as others tend to make it out to be. If you choose not to get behind the wheel yourself than there are always drivers that you can use. Ever driven on the strip in Vegas during the weekend? It makes driving in Doha seem like a walk in the park. Some of the things that others have not mentionned that are available here golfing and sailing. I know many who have taken lessons in both. There are a good number of cultural events (operas, some concerts, theater productions). I often think we could eat in a different restaurant each night for a year and not have to eat twice at the same restaurant. There are a number of different places that you can learn new skills such as different types of painting, photography, cooking, etc. I recently joined a book club which provides me with an evening out once a month and exposed me to people that I would not otherwise have met. If volunteering is your thing, there are a number of different agencies that would be happy to have you. Quite honestly, I think a lot of people moan that there is "nothing to do" but it's really that they don't choose to take part in things. I'm one of those people who love Qatar and have been here for just over 2 1/2 years and hope to be here quite a bit longer. I think Dubai is fine for a weekend, but I honestly am not sure I would want to live there. I could do it, but I find that Doha has a nice community type feeling to it. (Which I am sure I would also find if were to move elsewhere, but for now I like where we are.)
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Latest post on 12 February 2012 - 06:29
I agree that it is a great thing and will hopefully help to curb the number of stray cats and dogs on the streets. Now when someone shoves their dog out of their vehicle at the outskirts of town they will know who to charge.
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Latest post on 10 February 2012 - 13:06
The prices in C4 seem to be the same as the prices in Lulu. (Never looked at Virgin.) We just look at them because my husband is one of those guys that even months after purchasing something feels it necessary to continue to price hunt everywhere just in case we could have gotten a better deal. Haha! I bought mine while on vacation in Hawaii this past summer, but the prices I've seen here are comparable. Plus, I honestly don't think anyone that I know who has an ipad or ipad2 has ever had to have it serviced. I would however suggest going for the biggest memory possible when/if you buy. That way you aren't always having to remove things. I also know people who use the ipad instead of their laptops anymore but I tend to use both equally, but do prefer the convenience of travelling with the ipad2. :)
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Latest post on 10 February 2012 - 13:00
I love Pinterest. Have lost many hours over the last few weeks as I searched through the boards for ideas for my classroom. Also tend to read the humour/inspiration boards and occasionally glimpse through the books boards to get an idea of what to read. Chizz, it's immediate if you have someone who is already on pinterest send you an invite. I've also never heard of Path.
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Latest post on 08 February 2012 - 15:35
What mall has a tshirt printing kiosk? I don't think I've ever seen one in City Centre, Landmark, or Villagio. Maybe I'm just unobservant though...
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Latest post on 07 February 2012 - 16:13
I have no recommendations, but just wanted to add a precautionary word for people who rely on a driver to deliver their child to and from school without accompanying them yourself. I have noticed a few drivers of students at the school where I work that have left the child unattended in the car with the car running to run back in to the school to ask a question or grab something they forgot. (I have also mentionned my concern about this to the parents in case anyone is wondering.) This is so dangerous and I don't believe a three or four year old should ever be left in the car unattended even if it was not running. One driver even lets the children he picks up run out the gate ahead of him into what is a busy street at that particular time of day. It makes me shudder! So please be very cautious when allowing someone else to deliver your child to and from school.
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Latest post on 29 January 2012 - 19:13
Sorry for flood -[b'> DebK[/b'>, in which school are you working? Sleepy_fish, I work at Kid'n Around Kindergarten on Al Taif Street. (Not far from Landmark Mall.) www.kidnaroundkg.com phone:44833836
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Latest post on 23 January 2012 - 15:53
That first step out of bed this morning was a real shocker when my feet hit the floor! Certainly woke me up fast!
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Latest post on 23 January 2012 - 15:48
mtr -- There are some "Kindergartens" that are licensed by the Supreme Education Council as is the case where I work. (There is a difference between places classified as a Kindergarten and places classified as a nursery.) We follow the EYFS curriculum and knowing English is not a criteria for getting in to the Reception class. We have also just opened a class that is being classified as pre-Pre-School that is accepting children who turn 3 before the end of February or March of this year. They are currently too young to be in Pre-School but it gives them a good introduction to the routines of school. Then we have the Pre-School classrooms for those who turned 3 by the end of December 2011, and then the Reception classroom for those who were 4 by August 31, 2011. You might be surprised at how quickly your oldest will start picking up the English language, and you can always give him a bit of a start now by letting him watch Educational television shows that are in English and education websites that are on the Internet. ~ Deb
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Latest post on 22 January 2012 - 20:30
Hi mtr, I am a pre-school teacher at a local British Kindergarten and on the first day of school this year only 1 of the 12 students that I started with in my class spoke any English. Now most of them are speaking quite a bit of English. There are 2 of the 12 students that are struggling more than the others, but the common factor between them is that no one in their household speaks any English so the only exposure they are getting to English is during the time that they are at school. Children learn new languages much faster than adults. I also want to point out though that if your child is born in July 2007 than he would actually be in Reception -- not preschool. Good luck!
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Latest post on 22 January 2012 - 17:06
I just wanted to officially gripe about the fact that I am absolutely freezing! I think it may actually be warmer outside than what it is in our villa ... the only difference being that inside I don't have to contend with the wind. The main floor of our villa is an open concept which isn't very conducive to trying to warm the space. I now have three space heaters set up in various spots on the main floor and am seriously considering pulling out the baking supplies and baking until my heart is content in an attempt to warm up the villa! Now, of course in the grand scheme of life I do realize that being cold (our thermometer indicates it's only 13 C inside the villa) is really a minor complaint when compared to the problems that are going on in the lives of some other people -- but I still wanted to gripe. :)
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Latest post on 20 January 2012 - 07:01
2 1/2 years ago when we arrived, Ramadan began one week after arrival and my husband had his RP in 3 weeks. I had mine one week later. Although a lot of people like to blame the government agencies for the length of time that it takes, it really is a combination of how efficient the company you work for is and the government agencies. I also think that sometimes the company one works for tells people that the "problems" or delays encountered are the fault of the government but really it's the company who is responsible. After all, I know of people who have claimed that families are no longer allowed to come at the same time as the employed spouse and say that it's the government that makes it that way. Yet with my husband's employer families nearly always come at the same time with no waiting involved and our RP process is often started before our husband's is completed.
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Latest post on 15 January 2012 - 06:37
You need to check in person because we had a strange issue regarding flights a few years back. Remember when the volcano in Iceland erupted and many flights were cancelled in that area? We had booked on a flight from here with Qatar Airways that would have taken us to Paris, but the outgoing flight was cancelled. When we phoned to get a refund on the tickets they refunded the outgoing flight but would not refund the return flight. Their response, "But ma'am you can still make your return flight." (Go figure, we couldn't get TO Paris, but they figured we could make our return flight.) So physically go to their office and talk to someone in person. (Or maybe a few persons if you don't like the answer they give you at first.)
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Latest post on 14 January 2012 - 16:41
I think the speed of the visas all depends on the company that you will be working for. When we came out in 2008, my husband received the job offer on June 26th and we moved out on August 13. (I remember the dates because the date he accepted the job offer was 1 day short of what I needed to get a leave of absence from my position at the school that I was working in and they wouldn't budge to accomodate me, and the day we left was our wedding anniversary.) We received our visas about one week prior to our departure from Canada. We don't have children, and the children of my husband's coworkers all go to the same school which was arranged by the employer. None of them had to go school hunting on their own. :)
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Latest post on 14 January 2012 - 15:27
Hi Anthea, In a British Curriculum, your daughter would currently need to be placed in Reception but in the fall would be ready for Year 1. I believe your son would be placed in Year 3 according to a British curriculm. with the British Curriculum children must be of a certain age by the final day of August. Whereas I know with a Canadian school system the child's placement is determined by their age as of December 31st of that year. When is it that you will be coming to Doha?
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Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 16:21
I think this place is pretty popular: http://www.qatarliving.com/reviews/restaurants/american/rics-kountry-kitchen EWWWW! We ate at Rics Kountry Kitchen once and NEVER again. Cut in to my pancakes and had batter ooze out on to my plate. Disgusting! I like Paul's in Villagio or Landmark... Or PQ in Villagio.
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Latest post on 08 January 2012 - 19:41
Went to Majestic Dental Center today (Near Burger King Roundabout) and quite liked the dentist I saw. (Unfortunately I can't remember her name at the moment, but will be seeing her a few more times over the next few weeks so can update that after my appointment next week.) She was very personable and professional... My Xray + Consultation cost 200 QAR My husband had a filling done for 500 QAR She only charged me for the xray and consultation but also extracted the half of my tooth that had broken off at the root so was still dangling there in my mouth (Oops!) and put in a temporary filling. I have to go back next Tuesday for additional work and although she can't tell me exact prices yet as she wasn't able to see clearly all that will need to be done due to it bleeding, she has estimated that it will be 600 QAR for the post and 2500 QAR for the crown. Which will obviously be done over a few appointments. The prices aren't really all that bad when compared to Canada, but I still can't help but think of the trips I could take with that money.... ;) ~ Deb
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Latest post on 07 January 2012 - 11:41
You *can* get around nicely in Doha without a car if you have the services of a reliable and affordable driver, and once you are familiar with how to get places and can use Karwa taxis to get home from the places. We did so for 2 years before we gave in and rented a car. However -- once you are used to having a car here it does seem less pleasant when you go back to not having a car. We rented for 3 months then they recalled our car because it was 5 years old and couldn't provide us with a suitable replacement. Now we are missing the convenience of having our own transportation even though ironically we will spend less by using a combination of drivers and karwas. It's only been a week without and I miss being able to just jump in the car and go somewhere. Now I have to plan where we will go that we can walk to a few other places from, and then call the driver to come get us... and then after there is the waiting for a karwa. Personally, June-September there is very little walking that I like to do during daylight hours.... it doesn't matter how close the place is. Also -- it does seem that most areas have little tiny grocery shops where you can at least pick up a few things here and there. From where I live I could walk to Lulu (Gharaffa) and Al Meera. Plus some of the compounds have their own little store where you can pick up a few things when needed. (We don't, but one of our sister compounds does.) ~ Deb
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Latest post on 07 January 2012 - 10:42
Carrefour also carries whiteboards as does Al Rawnaq. I've also seen some in Daiso (that Japanese dollar type store at Hyatt Plaza.) It may all depend on the size of whiteboard you are looking for.
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Latest post on 04 January 2012 - 06:33
I have never personally used fox transport, but a co-worker of mine uses them for airport drop off/pick-up and to get to and from work when her jeep is in for repairs. She has always found them to be reliable, and I know that at the end of the day they are often outside waiting for her a few minutes before she is finished. They give her a call to let her know they are out there. I've only ever used karwa when I have grabbed them off the street or from the malls to get home. So have no idea how reliable they are if you arrange with them before the time. The challenge with karwa is that if you aren't familiar enough with Doha and how to get to/from your destinations the driver may also not know where they are going. Until I was familiar enough with Doha to easily be able to give directions to get to where I was going I preferred using a private driver even though the cost was a little more.
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Latest post on 12 December 2011 - 19:41
We went last year, and although they do in fact have LOTS of books the quality of books was lacking. At least this was the case for adult books. Not sure what the selection of kids books was like.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 11 December 2011 - 16:09
I saw some of these at Carrefour on the weekend. We were at the Landmark one at the time, but one might assume that the others would also have them.
 
 
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(Images: Supplied)

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Pictured: Prague

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