RachelA | ExpatWoman.com
 

RachelA

RachelA
1326
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 26 November 2011 - 21:56
I have a colleague who's been taking lessons. I can check with him tomorrow and let you know.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 26 November 2011 - 11:32
Virgin and 51 East are pretty much the same store (for electronics and such) and I'm pretty sure the Yamaha store by Jarir is part of 51 East too - so you are likely to find the same things in all 3 places...
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 26 November 2011 - 10:41
Is there a separate entertainer book with travel vouchers? Available in Doha? Haven't seen it but sounds interesting... Especially as the new ones are due out soon.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 26 November 2011 - 09:22
Good to know about the Apple TV. I was in the US last month and meant to buy one but then didn't. Glad that I can SnS it, because there markup here (I'm in Qatar) is like 250%. Now to get an apple online store for Qatar!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 26 November 2011 - 08:49
You might also want to check out Samrya Gardens Compound. I know they have apartments, and it's quite close to Aspire. I couldn't find any contact info, but here is a link to the map - it's on Bustan street between Salwa and Al Waab (close to the Salwa end). If you turn onto Bustan from decoration r/a it will be on your right. http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&safe=active&sout=1&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=samrya+gardens+doha&fb=1&hq=samrya+gardens&hnear=0x3e45c534ffdce87f:0x44d9319f78cfd4b1,Doha,+Qatar&cid=2535157500081711199 Also, here is info on Bilal Exec. Suites, which are starting at QR 11K/month so beyond the budget you have indicated. I would advise calling the contact for ahb properties as they may have other units in buildings with fewer amenities. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.326639484249.148884.280412924249&type=3 Good luck!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 24 November 2011 - 16:44
Just wanted to give an update and say that thanks to the amazing women of EW (who gave advice here and offline) we've found a new place and will move next month. The search was short and focused - saw about 10 places (which felt more like 100). This was a really unexpected move as we'd only moved into our current villa about 8 months ago, but the great advise you've given has made what could have been an incredibly stressful time a whole lot less so. Now to contact Runway (another great referral from EW) for only the 3rd time in a year and a half!! This had better be it for a while... Thanks again!! :cool:
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 24 November 2011 - 15:33
The International School of London in Qatar (ISLQ) is a full IB school, offering PYP, MYP and DP.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 15:49
amy77, it was worth it to go though the still-and-ever annoying process of signing in just to come here and tell you how much your post (the 2nd one) made me laugh!! <Steps up to accept award for runner-up, Least Helpful Post Ever> :\:
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 09:11
I haven't seen the ads for this year, but I went to one a couple of years ago, I think the 1st one they had. It was a bit of a bust - not much there and very few people - but I think it was before much was actually opened or any residents had moved in. Not much help I suppose!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 07:12
Don't go through an agency for this one - you can contact the management of the compound directly. I have the number for the manager who is the one in charge of the leasing, which I can post later (it's not with me at the moment).
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 22 November 2011 - 19:54
Hi disa1975 - yes, you've heard right! We are in the process of finding a new place to live and went to BH Al Rayaan a few days ago. We didn't look at the apartments because we need a maids room which the apartments don't have, but the guy who showed us around did confirm that the apartments are going for QR 12K. I know people who live there (in apartments) and most definitely they get all of the same access. I haven't seen on firsthand, but I do know families with 2 kids who live in apartments there. You should definitely check it out.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 21 November 2011 - 09:25
There are some shops around that specialize in gift wrap - I think they sell single sheets, and have quite a variety. Off hand I can think of one in Landmark (near Wafi) and one in the underground level (by the car park entrance) of royal plaza.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 21 November 2011 - 00:39
Thanks hoobs!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 19 November 2011 - 23:39
I don't know about QA specifically, but many employers now will not give you anything toward accommodation if your spouse is getting housing. My employer (and I hear this is not uncommon) required a letter from my husband's employer confirming that they do not provide housing or school fees or flights before they would agree to include those in my package.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 19 November 2011 - 23:26
Got your email Jonners - and I didn't realize it was you from your username. Thanks so much for the info!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 19 November 2011 - 14:04
Thanks for letting us know. We might be looking at Zig Zag or the Pearl, and knowing the C4 is going to be opened soon makes it much more interesting!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 19 November 2011 - 14:03
Thanks Jonners - that's really sweet of you. I am in touch with a couple of agents but would welcome the names of anyone you found helpful. Feel free to email me - rachelawad at gmail dot com We are beginning our search in earnest next week - hopefully it won't be too long and painful a process!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 18 November 2011 - 02:06
I am DYING to know what app this is. Clicked on the link to the apple support forum but the page wouldn't load. If some kind soul would be willing to email the name of the app to me, I'd be ever so grateful! rachelawad at gmail dot com :cool:
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 17 November 2011 - 00:56
You can ask Qtel to replace your current SIM with a micro-SIM and keep your same number (I think they mght charge QR 25 or 50 for that - we did it for my son when he got the iPhone 4). You can use it on Hala, but I found it worthwhile to switch to post-pay (Shahry) becuase if you use the internet when you're not in wifi range it can eat a lot of credit. With the Shahry you can choose from a lot of plans depending on how many calls/texts you tend to do (plans go from QR 60 to QR 500) and then can add an additional internet plan for QR 50. There are higher cost internet plans but I have the QR 50 one and I'm on the internet a LOT and I've never exceeded the included usage. If I'm going to be downloading apps I tend to wait until I'm in wifi, but for emails, FB, online banking etc. I use it plenty wherever I am. Been an iPhone user for years, mostly all with Qtel (one short jaunt with Vodafone which was an experience to be quickly forgotten). The locally available 4S's are incredibly expensive here, so if you can get an unlocked one abroad at a sane price, it's worth doing.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 17 November 2011 - 00:49
Wow I certainly got that one wrong!!! :\: I suppose it wouldn't hurt to leave the post up anyway, as maybe the info would be useful to someone even if it didn't help you! Welcome in advance!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 November 2011 - 21:59
It's fine from the Qatar side, but (and get ready - this is kind of long) there are potential issues with the US side. US Border control has gotten stricter about letting kids travel with one parent (or unaccompanied) presumably over issues of child abduction. My son was traveling there and back on his own this past summer and I was advised by a few friends (two of whom are lawyers, one of whom is an immigration lawyer) that we should provide him with a notarized affidavit of parental consent, signed by both parents. Your sister might want to look into this just as a precaution. And if she has sole custody probably worthwhile to have a copy of the documentation that verifies this as well. In the end no one asked my son for anything, but then later I heard from 2 friends who were each traveling on their own with their kids they they were stopped and practically interrogated regarding where was the father and did he know they were traveling and did he give his approval, etc. And in one of these cases the kids were separated from the mom during this questioning. This happened at US points of entry (one in Alaska disembarking from a cruise, and one at an airport, forget which one). I since learned that it's a really grey area legally - the affidavit of consent isn't legally required when both parents aren't traveling with the child, but at the same time the border folks have the right to ask for it and can deny entry/exit if they aren't convinced. It presumably works both ways (either father OR mother traveling with child but w/out the other parent, or a child traveling without either parent). Again, this is more for the issue of leaving and re-entering the US, and not from the Qatari side. My whole ramble is presuming that you are American - hope I'm recalling correctlly (AmCham, right?). Don't mean to freak you out. When I did this I just googled "afadavit of parental consent for US travel" or something like that and I got samples of the letter, which was then easily personalized, printed off, signed and notarized. For what it's worth I hope this helps.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 November 2011 - 20:32
Depends of course on where you'll be staying and how much you want to spend. Plenty of excellent high end "celebration" worthy restaurants at the Intercon or Grand Hyatt. But if you're looking for a great Doha experience I would head to Souq Waqif, where there are plenty of choices and the best people watching around (especially on a Thurs. night). My personal favorite there is Le Gourmet - it's not actually gourmet - it's Lebanese with a smattering of international offerings. Can't go wrong with the mixed grill, and they have my favorite fatoush salad in town. Welcome to Doha!!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 November 2011 - 10:35
Thanks for the update Baffled. I'm leaving soon? Not that I know of (especially not with my lovely new desk! ;) ). Hope things are going well for you.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 November 2011 - 09:05
If you log into your amazon account and go to the "manage my kindle" section then click on the "manage my devices" link on the left, you can de-register your kindle. You definitely want to do that before you sell it. You can't really transfer the account as it's part of your personal amazon account, linked to your credit cards, etc.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 November 2011 - 07:58
You can keep hundreds on a Kindle! And even better, all of your kindle content is stored in your Amazon account, so if you delete something off the device but want to read it again later, you can re-download it from the "manage my kindle" section of your amazon account (which essentially gets created once you have a kindle registered to your account).
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 15 November 2011 - 23:18
I went through the same dilemma when I bought my kindle a few years ago, and went with the wifi only. No regrets. The only time I access the internet is to buy books, and being able to do that from the comfort of home is more than enough - I don't feel the need to make spontaneous book purchases when I'm out. I have since gotten an iPad, and that, on the other hand, it great with 3G. I use it for lots of online stuff (email, FB, amazon, etc) and having the 3G flexibility makes it much more useful to me. But for the kindle (which I still use regularly) I think that wifi is absolutely fine.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 15 November 2011 - 23:13
Both of those are awful. And the music on the Samsung ad is like nails on a chalkboard to me - literally makes me cringe!!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 15 November 2011 - 19:23
Maghrabi eye and ear hospital on the D ring road.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 15 November 2011 - 07:48
GinaM that's really solid advice! I'm guilty of letting this one slip by, but I'll get on it now. Another thought is to store pdf's of key documents online, so you can access copies of them should the originals get damaged or lost. We now keep copies of passports, birth certificates, etc. in a cloud storage facility so I know if they are accessible from anywhere. Insurance of a different kind... My thoughts are with the family. We will also be moving shortly, so will set aside those items I might have otherwise sold or given away which might be of use to them. I'll have a lot of boys clothes - and on the chance that their 9 year old is big for his age, maybe my 14 year old's (who is small for his age) smaller items might help. To the doha4now (or other DESS moms) would it be possible to ask about the how/where of donations of household items or clothes?
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 14 November 2011 - 22:56
Excellent point both of you - thanks!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 14 November 2011 - 21:25
Maybe try the Early Learning Center? <em>edited by RachelA on 14/11/2011</em>
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 14 November 2011 - 21:23
When you apply for the landline with Qtel you have to inform them if you want local landline, GSM (mobile) and/or international access on your phone. When I was in accommodation provided by work which included the phone line, we had local landline access only. As soon as I took over the line in my own name I changed it to GSM + international. As for vodafone, no joy there. IMHO they have horrible service, despite an effort to provide good face to face customer service. I had a vodafone line briefly and I was constantly loosing calls and not getting connections. My advise would be to switch to Qtel. The lesser of 2 evils so to speak.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 14 November 2011 - 21:13
I know my teenage son would roll his eyes (at the very least) at the thought, but as a serious muppet fan from waaaaay back when (I think I watched the very first episode of Sesame Street) I'm also as excited about this show as I am about the upcoming new muppets movie. Wonder if I'll ever grow up? :cool:
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 14 November 2011 - 11:06
The Marriott in Doha (the original one by the airport, next to Sharq) has a membership which gives you access to beach, pool, gym (including classes) and discounts on spa treatments. You might need to call the spa directly to inquire, as I think they process the memberships.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 14 November 2011 - 00:47
Another "visitor" from Doha here... amy77 I saw the name of this thread and opened it so I could copy the link and post it to you on the Qatar board! :\:
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 13 November 2011 - 19:46
I've heard what DebK has heard. Why would your (his) Qatari RP be an issue for the UAE Visa? Is he entitled to a visa on arrival or does he need to apply for one in advance? Is the Qatari RP a condition of getting a visa to UAE?
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 13 November 2011 - 17:36
I know a few people who work as freelance journalists and as far as I know none of them are registered to work here - they are on family visas. Same for a few consultants that I know. If you are going to be writing for European publications I don't think its an issue at all. But you might want to try to contact some local magazines or newspapers who use locally based freelance journalists to see what the story is.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 13 November 2011 - 01:29
I know the exact spot TeePee - thanks! Did we once pass it when we were in the car together? I'm having memory flashes... And Maple I'm with amy77 - laughing at the image in my head, and thankful that it wasn't me. I have to be in that area tomorrow, so I might just take my chances and hope for no falling lizards.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 12 November 2011 - 20:32
Thanks for sharing. Lovely and uplifting!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 12 November 2011 - 00:06
Remind me TeePee - where and what is it? Sounds familiar, but can't place it. :\:
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 11 November 2011 - 23:49
lol @ the sewer Gina! That would be great - a whole lot easier than driving to the singer store for sure. Just let me know - I can arrange to get it from any one of them... Thanks!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 11 November 2011 - 18:10
The Marriott is close to that area, and when I was looking a few years ago it was much more reasonably priced than the other hotel beach clubs.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 11 November 2011 - 12:12
I think the approval regarding nationality comes from the Labor Department, not Immigration.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 11 November 2011 - 12:08
So is she here or on her way? Either way (assuming its one or the other) congrats!!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 10 November 2011 - 16:48
ccdoha I started doing my own a while back - Preference by Loreal. I do my roots every 6 weeks or so. Its easy and cheap - and even my hairdresser said it's the way to go for single color.
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 07 November 2011 - 16:43
Helma that's a Dubai number, but the OP is in Qatar. A bit far for a tutor I think...;)
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 30 October 2011 - 15:37
Best of luck to you Baffled!! It was lovely to meet you - too bad it was only weeks before you were leaving. Doha has its challenges, but time and again the women of EW make it easier! Safe travels and happy adventures...:)
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 24 October 2011 - 23:52
What Gina said...!! I find almost everything I get via Aramex has been opened - that in and of itself is not unusual. But indeed, many things ARE strange here...:\:
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 24 October 2011 - 20:10
I've never been charged - including laptops that we shipped in for work. But good to know about being charged for contacts. We were thinking of ordering online but that customs duty would pretty much offset the price difference of buying them here!
RachelA
1326
Posts
EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 24 October 2011 - 20:08
I'm pretty sure that Australians can get visa on arrival (in both Qatar and UAE) so they should be fine in both places. Hopefully one of the Ozzies among us can confirm...
 
 
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