JillMV | ExpatWoman.com
 

JillMV

JillMV
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Latest post on 13 October 2013 - 18:28
I really like Dr. Sonia at Al Emadi. She has been great with me. But she doesn't do deliveries. A number of my friends have been really happy with the Ob/gyns at the Cuban Hospital in Dukhan. It's part of hamad.
JillMV
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Latest post on 23 September 2013 - 19:29
Yes. It's insane. I think what makes it so much worse is that the bad traffic is EVERYWHERE. it used to be just certain areas - bad Roundabouts or areas under construction. Now just about all roads are under repair, trucks have been diverted to roads they never used to go on, and it's just a plain mess. I will say, at least Salwa road is better. Finally. There was a suggestion on the radio yesterday to take Salwa rd to the Saudi border, then a road to Dukhan from there, then the Dukhan highway back into town... it seemed to make sense!
JillMV
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Latest post on 12 September 2013 - 23:27
I found out about this free app a few days ago and think it's awesome. I think it might help some of you too! It shows bad traffic roads in red, sort of bad in yellow, etc...in live time. It also works as a GPS and can do routes-- quickest with given traffic. I will say it calculates estimated time a trip will take- and I think it's overly optimistic - like you will hit every green light- but other than that I'm a big fan. It's like the GPS programs in the US, but it's for DOHA!!! Masarak Itraffic (just shows roads and traffic) Masarak Itrip - above + calculates best routes. also has tons of POIs that I would not have expected like tons of parks, schools, etc.
JillMV
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Latest post on 06 September 2013 - 22:26
We have a wonderful female lab. X-rays show that she will likely develop hip dysplacia, so we neutered her early on. When we first moved to Qatar, we had 2-3 people with male labs ask about breeding - so I assume there are still people with male labs looking to breed. But in Qatar - even for labs, it would be very difficult to find homes/ sell the puppies to families you're happy for them to go to. The dog shelters struggle all the time. Yes, few of those dogs are purebreds, but there still is just not a huge dog-owning culture here. Unless you're planning to keep the whole litter, I would make sure you have people committed to taking the puppies before you As for boarding -- we had an unneutered female dog (not a lab, btw) who was able to board at Pampered Pets and QAWS- when they boarded animals. But that was years ago, because for the last 5 or so years, our dogs have just stayed in the house with our nanny when we travel. The rules may be different for males/ females or depending where you board them or may have changed in the last few years.
JillMV
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Latest post on 18 August 2013 - 20:46
I don't think so. It is common to pay 1 month deposit in an un-dated check. It is common for them to request the year's rent in monthly post-dated checks. I have not heard of a service charge. To date, we have not had to pay a finders fee or service charge, but I know real estate agents are increasingly charging 50% - in cash. <em>edited by JillMV on 18/08/2013</em>
JillMV
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Latest post on 05 August 2013 - 23:05
probably with lalala on this one... rates have been increasing quite a bit lately. Not sure how old the information is that you've seen here. some landlords will let you lock in a rate for a longer contract (2-3 years) if you're happy to do that. The only way we have been able to negotiate on rental price was either to be one of the first people into a compound or to sign a long contract. (or if you can bring in other people with you -- like getting a block of houses for a company that helps too)..
JillMV
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Latest post on 01 August 2013 - 22:38
she's my husband's biological daughter (and he is the sponsor)... so we didn't need to do anything special. it would have been different if she were my biological daughter -- sorry don't know the details.
JillMV
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Latest post on 01 August 2013 - 22:34
For parental leave --- the law is for 50 paid days maternity leave. I think most employers here consider that 50 calendar days (about 7 weeks)... other companies call it 50 working days (10 weeks), or may have a different policy based on their home country. There is no law requiring leave for new fathers.
JillMV
445
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Latest post on 31 July 2013 - 21:58
I'm pretty sure this is what I have check out http://www.ooredoo.qa/en/sp# there are various packages and add-ons. International Key The International Key for Shahry Packs turns all of your local allowances for calls, SMS/MMS into International traffic. For just QR100 additional fee each month you can call locally or internationally using your inclusive bundle minutes and SMS/MMS. Out of bundle charges will apply if your allowance is all consumed before the next month. To activate the International Key, send a free SMS with “Key IR” to 114. To deactivate the International Key, send a free SMS with ”Key IR Stop” to 114.
JillMV
445
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Latest post on 28 July 2013 - 00:57
A colleague of mine who has a very strong family history of breast cancer (and has a lot of previous experience with mammograms) has been very pleased with the doctors at Hamad -- although she has experienced some frustration with the appointment system.
JillMV
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Latest post on 28 July 2013 - 00:46
my stepdaughter moved in with us here when she was 16. It really was her decision (and actually her idea). She'd been here the previous two summers, so that probably made a difference. She went to ASD and loved the school. She liked living 10 minutes from school in Abu Hamour- so she could sleep later in the morning, but living in the Pearl or Westbay, it's easier to get around without a car (you can't drive until 18 here). Benefits -- great facilities, access to new technology, ASD is a good school- better than she was attending before. Also because people come and go so much here, it's easy to move in and make friends. Problems - i think there is a strange concept of money and spending here, and she got caught up in it when she was first in Doha, but we straightened it out. Difficult - Summer. there's not a lot to do in the summer. The Universities run 3-week summer programs for high school kids, which are really great, but otherwise, it's sort of rough, especially because so many of their friends leave for the summer.
JillMV
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Latest post on 28 July 2013 - 00:20
Hamra- I haven't been having any problems with Skype lately. I used it yesterday to videochat with my parents-- but we used to have random problems with Skype and vonage in previous houses, so who knows I use a lot of apps regularly - but these require the other person to have the app: -I really like Viber for calls. I think it's the best- but it requires the other person to have a smart phone. I also use it for text messages and video/ photo sending -I also use what's app all the time for text messages, video/ photo sending. I prefer Viber, but not as many people have Viber it seems. -A few of my friends contact me on Kakaotalk-- which is good too. -You can leave voicemails with people using Voxer. I don't really use it myself, but it was popular about a year ago. I use facetime for people with Mac products. We still have an old Vonage number that we have been to lazy to disconnect... we pay too much for it, and keep talking about discontinuing it, but haven't yet. edited to add costs -- The costs depend on who you are contacting. IF you and the person have a smartphone and the same app, then the calls/ sms/ etc are free using skype, whatsapp, kakaoutalk, viber, voxer. If the person does not connect using a computer or a smartphone, then you are pretty much limited to Skype. And then each country has different rates. I think it's worth paying to have a highspeed internet connection in your house so that you never have problems with these various apps/ programs. That said, I also call the US on my Q-Tel cell phone a lot... but I pay an extra QR 100/ month to my plan for some sort of international plan and I get a ton of minutes I can use to call internationally. <em>edited by JillMV on 28/07/2013</em>
JillMV
445
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Latest post on 24 July 2013 - 20:13
A big bookstore is Supposed to open in Ezdan mall... no idea when though.
JillMV
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Latest post on 28 June 2013 - 15:06
If you haven't already, try posting on the Dubai page -- the ladies there will know lots of hotels that fit your criteria I'm sure. I have stayed at a couple different hotels on Sheikh Zayad road which were right next to the metro-- Corwn Plaza and the Fairmont, but neither was particularly cheap. BUT I'm certain you can find something reasonably priced and on the metro. Not certain about the Fly Dubai terminal and the metro though.
JillMV
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Latest post on 24 June 2013 - 22:12
and an older compound, very close to Doha College with a lovely pool and I think squash courts, definitely a gym and such is JBK - off salwa Rd. Some of the houses are old and can be dated, but there is a newer section as well.
JillMV
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Latest post on 24 June 2013 - 22:10
I don' t know if Ain Khalid Gate has any villas open -- that's very close to DBS and not too far from Doha College. It has the facilities you described.
JillMV
445
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Latest post on 24 June 2013 - 22:09
most organizations were not alerted that there might be a national holiday until after 5:00pm, when of course they were closed. I think almost all schools are closed tomorrow.
JillMV
445
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Latest post on 16 June 2013 - 21:52
I haven't been to the souq in a long time, but I used to always find them in the candy/ spice/ dried fruit stores. Usually there were 3 or more different types from different countries in different sizes. Maybe it's just the word "fig." Perhaps if you use the Arabic word for fig that would help? sorry - I don't know that that is. I've also bought them before in one of the grocery stores -- I think Carrefour. .
JillMV
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Latest post on 01 June 2013 - 22:10
We bought it (three years ago) in the plant souk street. I think we got it from the first store that is on the corner of haloul rd since that's usually where we shop.
JillMV
445
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Latest post on 06 May 2013 - 22:47
We like Dr. Samer at Al Ahli. For emergency Al Ahli can usually see kids quickly, but al saad pediatric specializes in kids... We've been to both and had positive experiences in both.
JillMV
445
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 26 April 2013 - 13:52
Have you considered the Marriott? I have never belonged to any of the hotels, but I have been there a couple of times on a day pass and enjoyed it. The facilities are not as nice as the Intercon, but I think it's probably less expensive. The Sheraton is also worth considering, but last time I was there, I felt like it needed renovation. (but that was 3-4 years ago, it could have been updated by now). What side of town do you live on? Convenience is important, because if you're going to pay a ton of money for a membership, you need to feel like it's easy to get to so you actually use it. One place I never hear about is the Diplomatic Club. They have a decent beach and used to have activities... Not sure what they're up to these days. Might be worth checking out.
JillMV
445
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Latest post on 26 April 2013 - 13:41
We borrowed it from ASD. In the end, I wasn't the one who arranged to borrow it, so I'm not sure who we contacted there. It was great fun, but the tank itself was a little dangerous. We had a head injury when a person was climbing the ladder to get in, slipped and hit his head.
JillMV
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Latest post on 23 April 2013 - 21:58
I'm pretty sure the way I've filed I get both- te housing exclusion is in addition to the 95,000. It's also 95,000 off each income, not the total family income if both of you are working.
JillMV
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Latest post on 14 April 2013 - 10:49
I grew up in CT. I grew up on the shoreline, straight down the CT river - about 45 minutes from Windsor. I am dying to move back to that area. As Tallybalt says, CT in general is known for having high quality public and private schools. If you live in a nice town, the public schools will be very good and you will likely not feel like the kids need to go to private schools. West Hartford is nice and close to Windsor. I think Avon might be as well. (I never really lived close to hartford, so am not 100% about the other suburbs). Hartford itself has some not so great areas and poor schools. Bradley airport is in Windsor -- so that is very convenient. Windsor is on I-91, one of the major highways that runs through CT, MASS, VT/ NH. So if you wanted to, you could live a little further away and not have too much of a commute, but if you lived south of hartford, you would have traffic in the mornings at rush hour getting into hartford. That said, traffic is NOTHING like the middle east. Cost of living in that area is less that Doha/ Dubai. Gas is more and of course home help would be much more, but food, clothes and entertainment are less. Stat and property taxes are on the higher end for the US. Heating in the winter can be expensive if you have an old house with bad insulation or a really big house. Crime in Hartford is a problem. Outside of Hartford, New Haven, New London, and Bridgeport (the cities), there is very very little crime in Connecticut. It's sort of a sleepy state -- but it still has arts. There's great art, music and restaurants in New Haven, some in Hartford. You're close to NY and Boston too. I grew up in Old Saybrook and never locked my doors, kids ride their bikes everywhere, etc, etc. I think New England is the best part of the US, but I'm biased. Quality of life is great. The seasons are lovely -- fall is gorgeous. There's nice snow in the winter - and in Windsor you're not that far from skiing in Vermont. The summer is warm.
JillMV
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Latest post on 13 April 2013 - 21:25
Both have great reputations-- it's a questions of 1)can you get in, 2) do you prefer british or american curriculum. If the fees are being fully paid for by the company, fantastic, but if they are only being partially covered, ASD is significantly more expensive than Doha College. I would think your chances of getting in Doha College might be better than ASD because just a few weeks ago, DC announced that it would be opening a second campus in the fall, adding a bunch of new spaces.
JillMV
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Latest post on 06 April 2013 - 14:09
Of the two, I agree BHAR is a better location... but I would actually suggest looking on the North Side of Dukhan Highway if possible. That road is supposed to be torn up soon - and when that happens, it will be a pain to get from either location to Science and Technology park.
JillMV
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Latest post on 24 March 2013 - 22:29
but at least they can tell you they're out of stock :) and my husband said you can look up online if the item you have is in stock. I do think once the novelty wears off, they'll be able to maintain their stock levels.
JillMV
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Latest post on 23 March 2013 - 00:37
next to the omani souk is the street full of garden shops- most of them have this. The one on the corner of haloul rd. definitely has it.
JillMV
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Latest post on 23 March 2013 - 00:34
For pediatricians, I have been extremely happy with Dr. Samer at Al Ahli.He saw my son through a very scary emergency, and then has been great for follow up and routine visits. The other pediatricians there, however, do not rate highly in my book. For emergency, I've been to both Al Ahli and Hamad (Al Saad)... My son had wonderful care at Al Ahli and Very Good care at Hamad. The dr. at Hamad was excellent- but the medicine wasn't in the pharmacy - so I had to drive to get it! The follow up was good, and the specialists are excellent - but you have to wait.
JillMV
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Latest post on 23 March 2013 - 00:28
I would suggest Kulood pharmacy - specifically the Abu Hamor Petrol station one as I'm certain they have both things you're looking for. S26 is actually available in most supermarkets so you shouldn't have a hard time finding it. It's in Carrefour, Giant, and Megamart, for sure. next, I would suggest Geant Hyatt plaza as they have that forumula and a decent selection of baby bath tubs (not sure about the seats. If nothing else, dh could go to Geant for the formula, and then mothercare (also in Hyatt plaza) for the seat. as gailmcphail mentioned, baby shop should have the seat.
JillMV
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Latest post on 18 March 2013 - 09:52
Don't know if this is supposed to be how it works-- or if we were just lucky...or maybe the two drugs we bought don't really require prescriptions here (although I think they do).. We wanted a 2 more sets of asthma medicine -- so we have one in the diaper bag, one at nursery and one at home... My husband went to the pharmacy with the medicine that we had and asked for two more for the other locations and they sold it to him. I agree with Rachel - Kulood is the best in town. I usually go to the one at the Abu Hamour petrol station. Parking is a nightmare, but the pharmacists there are really helpful and know their stuff. plus, I think it's open 24 hours.
JillMV
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Latest post on 12 March 2013 - 22:29
I think the beach at Katara is 100riyals for adults but free for kids. There might be an age limit on the free for kids. I've never really been but there is lots of play equipment in the water. The parks are fun and free.
JillMV
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Latest post on 08 March 2013 - 19:27
Neo 7 used to offer an all you can eat sushi night. Think it was Tuesdays- but I haven't been there in a few years so I don't know if they still do it.
JillMV
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Latest post on 08 March 2013 - 10:05
There was a preview event last night. I did not attend, but I heard it went smoothly and the store is great. The actual opening is the 11th
JillMV
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Latest post on 05 March 2013 - 21:40
There is a store on Salwa rd called Phoenix something. They sell extinguishers, fire blankets, etc. just be warned, I think they only take cash and they have a tend any to have little stock in the store- just displays. They may send you to their place in the industrial area, or they may take your order and then bring it to the store the next day.
JillMV
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Latest post on 23 February 2013 - 00:36
I know you asked about seperate trips - but it's also worth mentioning that ASD and Education City are pretty close to each other. I drop my daughter at ASD around 8:00 am then am in Educatuon City 10-15 minutes later. A lot of people do the same. <em>edited by JillMV on 23/02/2013</em>
JillMV
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Latest post on 06 February 2013 - 00:50
Since Lori brought up Yale-- the only two schools in Doha that have had kids admitted to Yale in the last 6 years are Qatar Academy and ASD.
JillMV
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Latest post on 06 February 2013 - 00:42
It depends on the employer...they all have different policies
JillMV
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Latest post on 23 January 2013 - 12:11
I have the same worry... our nanny has been with us 4 years. She's planning to go on vacation in March and I'm a little concerned about her getting back in the country.
JillMV
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Latest post on 22 January 2013 - 23:24
There is a small art store called Color Note sort of near Doha Clinic... same side of the road as Doha Clinic -- but closer to C-Ring. I think it is accross from Nokia? i haven't been there in a couple of years, but they used to have a lot of arts and crafts stuff.... <em>edited by JillMV on 22/01/2013</em>
JillMV
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Latest post on 17 January 2013 - 22:44
If you do a search on the forum, there have been old posts that tell about the costs of packages at different hospitals-- might be dated, but would be a ball park. Lots of people choose to go to Hamad - the public hospital.I would argue they have the best doctors anyway, and it's very cheap. Especially if you are concerned you might have expensive complications. <em>edited by JillMV on 15/02/2014</em>
JillMV
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Latest post on 16 January 2013 - 17:02
30k will pay most schools I think, but not all. The American school is about 65,000!
JillMV
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Latest post on 15 January 2013 - 00:43
So home centre is different than other places here- but they sell sheets to match their beds. They sort of follow US sizing while other stores are generally european. Their queen is the same as a US queen - a few cm longer than European. My US queen sheets for perfectly on the home center mattress. I'm pretty sure the 210 length is that of a California king- so again have to get sheets in the US or home center
JillMV
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Latest post on 15 January 2013 - 00:28
We brought a few things from the US and most of them only lasted a few months before they died even with the fancy converters. The only things that have lasted are out electric photo frame, an air filter and things that are both 110/220. Villaggio has reopened, but i don't think all of the stores have reopened, although I think some of the stores are still closed. I haven't been there myself, so don't know what's open. Ikea is supposed to open Jan 30!
JillMV
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Latest post on 12 January 2013 - 23:10
I got a number of things from H&M . I found it really hard to find work appropriate maternity wear here last year :( so I bought a lot of things in the US. I did buy some skirts/ pants with elastic waist from Marks and Spencer's- not maternity exactly, but they worked.
JillMV
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Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 14:42
Depends where you are... and how much you pay. At your home you pay different amounts for different speeds, but some locations are better than others due to the number of people on that ADSL group... Some areas have the fiberoptic cable and generally those connections are very fast. I am guessing it's just the hotel connection...
JillMV
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Latest post on 02 January 2013 - 22:53
My husband usually goes to Q-tire, but he deals with the car stuff, not me so I haven't really experienced their customer service. They seem to be pretty fast though
JillMV
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Latest post on 02 January 2013 - 22:50
As I remember, they take American to mean anyone from the Americas - north, central and south - Canada to Chile. In addition they have a second type of membership- affiliate or something for people from other parts of the world. They used to have a website- I'm sure they still do and it should have all the specifics. <em>edited by JillMV on 02/01/2013</em>
JillMV
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Latest post on 02 January 2013 - 12:11
I belonged in the past. It's a big group with some great ladies and lots of sub-groups for different interests. Unfortunately, most everything takes place during the day on weekdays, so it was difficult for me to participate since I work...
JillMV
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Latest post on 02 January 2013 - 12:09
The races are open to everyone. I've been there a few times. No tickets required -- just show up if you can figure out when they're on! We went out this Friday to try to see and unfortunately no races, but it was still neat for my parents to see the camels training. We think we were told there are races this weekend, but no details.
 
 
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