yorkgirl68 | ExpatWoman.com
 

yorkgirl68

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Latest post on 21 November 2016 - 15:59
Hi Sharlene, sorry, just seen this, sent a message on FB xx
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Latest post on 20 September 2016 - 09:09
Please don't name them on an open forum, that is what gets them blocked :cool: Oops, I will delete this post. Hope it helped though ?
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Latest post on 30 August 2016 - 09:21
Hi, I have been doing visa runs for 18 months, with no problems, haven't heard that there is a limit of how many you can do. So he should be ok. ?
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Latest post on 26 July 2016 - 09:33
Hi Sharlene, It is a scary time, flying into the unknown. Everyone has been there. We have been here 18 months. We are originally from Scotland too. At the moment it's quiet here as its summer, most women go back home to their own countries, esp if they have kids. So the forum is very quiet. We don't have kids, so I stay the whole summer, and actually enjoy the peace and quiet. If you want, I will give you my email, and you can ask me absolutely anything you want, no matter how silly you think it is. Sandra.
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Latest post on 24 July 2016 - 08:15
Hi, I'm not the one drinking it, it's my husband. I pour a very small amount in a glass and then top it up with hot water, and then some cold water. He has a glass every morning, he read it helps clean the liver of impurities. He says he feels better for drinking it. Hope this helps ?
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Latest post on 23 July 2016 - 23:26
I buy it in Carrefour in City Center, it's next to normal vinegar.
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Latest post on 19 July 2016 - 19:55
Hi there, I can help with a couple of your questions. Yes, you will need to attest your marriage certificate for Qatar. A multi-exit visa is best, as your husband would need to get permission from his employer every time he wanted to leave the country. Also I would say to get an e-gate pass, which makes getting through the airport a lot quicker. Until you get your RP, you would be here on a tourist visa, which can be extended for 1 month, then you would do a visa run every 2nd month. Very much the same as in Dubai. We live on The Pearl, which I suppose is the equivalent of the Palm, it's built on reclaimed land. There are tower blocks and townhouses, shops and restaurants. We used to stay in West Bay, but wanted somewhere we could walk without traffic. So The Pearl fits perfectly. I don't know of anyone who has moved from Dubai to Qatar, it's mostly the other way round, but if you search the forum, there are some people who have. All the best if you decide to move. ?
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Latest post on 17 July 2016 - 16:46
Hi there, we live in tower 31, we love it here, been here 15 months, the maintenance, staff and amenities are excellent. We also have access to Nikki Beach, which is right next to the tower. We saw quite a few towers before we moved into tower 31, and they were ok. The pool has sunshine for the whole day, there is a great mix of people here, families, couples and single people. There is also great cafes and restaurants nearby, and a short walk to Medina Central. Friends from other towers have said ours is very nice. Hope this helps, and good luck with the search. ?
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Latest post on 18 May 2016 - 17:49
No bother at all! Glad I helped. Enjoy your very quick trip to Dubai, and good luck with exams ?
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Latest post on 15 May 2016 - 21:46
Hi Jaki, When you are here on a tourist visa you can only extend by 1 month, then you have to leave the country. I usually pop over to Dubai, either for a weekend with hubby, or for the day, and go shopping/lunch with friends. I have also been to Bahrain, which is closer, that was for a weekend. Mostly I have timed my 'visa runs' in conjunction with visits back to the UK. Work out what suits you best, a day trip or make it a weekend trip somewhere, and enjoy. Sandra.
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Latest post on 12 May 2016 - 09:38
Hi Emma, Fantastic news, he will be getting excited and nervous. Tell him it's very hot just now, like walking into an oven. Looking forward to hearing from you. Sandra xx
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Latest post on 21 April 2016 - 09:35
No problem, anytime ?
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Latest post on 21 April 2016 - 09:33
Hi Emma, Great news! Look forward to hearing from you Sandra xx
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Latest post on 14 April 2016 - 09:04
Hi, hubby and I are both type 1 diabetic. We go to Naseem Al Rabeeh clinic on C-Ring Road. We see Dr Deepak Chandramoan, he is a diabetes specialist as well as an all round GP. We are very impressed with him, been seeing him for a year now. Just check that your medical insurance covers this clinic.
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Latest post on 14 April 2016 - 08:53
Hi Emma, I'm originally from Scotland as well. One thing you are guaranteed here is plenty of sunshine! ☀️ In our situation, we weren't offered a car allowance, and haven't actually heard if this from anyone else. In most offers there is a housing allowance offered. Depending on the company, they sometimes offer company accommodation, which mostly is on a compound. We came out Feb 2015, and stayed in a serviced apartment for 2 months, which husbands company had discounted accommodation in. We then moved to an apartment in The Pearl. One thing you said was, your partner has had the job offer, I'm guessing you aren't married, are you thinking about getting married? It's not looked on favourably out here, two people living together, this is a Muslim country and you need to abide by the law. If you are married then the contract will be based on married status. I can't comment on pay etc as I don't know what he does. Let's just say that the words tax free are the thing that brings expats here. If you want to communicate privately, let me know and I will give you my email address. 'It's a fantastic life here, and a great opportunity to make money, the weather is fantastic, waking up everyday to sunshine makes you feel amazing! I will try to answer any questions you have, no matter how silly you may think it is, we have all been there. Sandra. ?
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Latest post on 26 February 2016 - 10:05
Hi, There are townhouses on the pearl as well, as well as villas in Qanat Quartier, but the villas tend to be very expensive. You will find your place as everyone does. Yes there are 2 Marks and Spencer's, in Villagio and Landmark malls. They have a small food section, but you can pick up tastes of home. There is megamart, Spinneys and Carrefour, sometimes your favourite things can sell out and take ages to be restocked, so when you do see them buy lots lol! We certainly don't miss the cold, or the flooding in York, we have certainly got accustomed to the heat here. All the best with the move and your new life here in Qatar! ?
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Latest post on 24 February 2016 - 11:12
Hi, We have been here just over a year, we love it, esp the heat. When people come here they come with different expectations and have different needs. I will give you our example on what we did, and how we done it. Then maybe you can ask more specific questions, and don't hesitate to ask anything. We rented in York, but still have a place in Scotland, so we put our furniture in storage, initially for a year to see how we liked it here. We were living in a serviced apartment for the first two months, organised through husbands job. This was in Westbay, which was great as we were right next to City Center Mall, and close proximity to the Corniche. We then moved to an apartment at the Pearl, where we still live. It's fully furnished, pool, jacuzzi and gym. We are in walking distance of cafes, restaurants and shops. We can walk round the Pearl and nearby Medina Centrale. And we also take a taxi, ( very reasonable prices) to Westbay, Corniche, Souq, and various malls in Doha. Yes you can get milk, hubby is a tea drinker also! He is a Yorkshire lad too! He does miss pork pies, but we have been able to get mushy peas in Spinneys, a great supermarket to find tastes of home. We don't have children, or a dog, we have 2 cats, who we adopted here, so can't help you with how to get the dogs here, but I'm sure someone on here will be able to help. I know I haven't covered everything, so just ask, no matter how silly you think the question is. We have all been in the same boat, and it can be quite intimidating moving to a new country. Come with an open mind, read all the articles on here, they can help. Good luck with the move ?
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Latest post on 29 October 2015 - 19:16
That's fantastic news! Be prepared for some things not happening as quickly as you want, it happens to everyone. Once you are here you will love it. And remember if you have any questions, no matter how silly you think it is, do ask. We have all been in your position, so hopefully we can answer the question. Congratulations ?
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Latest post on 27 October 2015 - 22:01
Yes, wish we had done it years ago! It's an adventure!?
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Latest post on 27 October 2015 - 21:52
We came out end of January this year, oh boy how the time has flown past. I am loving life here, I'm not working and don't plan to, that's a personal choice though. You will hear a lot of negative things about Qatar, some things are correct and others things, well I find people can be negative about things just for the sake of it, and you will find that all over the world. The only thing that will frustrate you is the traffic, there are a lot of traffic jams, I don't currently drive, but will be soon. If you can avoid the busy times then you can get to place quite quickly. We have used taxis since we got here, very cheap compared to uk. We use Uber, which I find safer as you know reg no of taxi, drivers name etc, you access through phone so you know exactly where the taxi is and when it will arrive. Karma, the local taxis are awful, you get an occasional good one, but mostly they try to scam you, they don't put the meter on, pretend it's not working etc, I only take them when with hubby. When we arrived hubby's company put us in Ascot Towers in West Bay, which was a good introduction to the area, they were serviced apartments, right next to City Center mall. We stayed there for 2 months then we rented an apartment on The Pearl, which is just lovely, we call it Disneyland as its so different to the rest of Doha. It's very safe here, and I have never felt threatened, have heard the odd story or two, but it's like everywhere, you don't walk down dark alleyways at night, etc. The hotels are fabulous and the service is amazing, they are all 5 star. So, yes I'm glad we made the move, hope you will too! Hundreds of lovely places for coffee ?
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Latest post on 27 October 2015 - 05:38
Hey no problem, glad to help. Also re the health system here, we have found it to be exceptional. Hubby had a fall and broke his kneecap, leg was weak from a previous injury, going back years ago. To cut a long story short, we spent most of the day at a specialist clinic, yes it took a while, but he got X-rays, MRI scan, consultation, blood tests etc, and scheduled for an operation 4 days later, now just over 10 days after op, he is on his feet, albeit on crutches, and has started physio, which he will have 3 times a week. His previous injury wasn't set right, and physio was a piece of paper with exercises to take home. Don't have any concerns re medical care, don't let it be a deal breaker. It would be great to meet up for a coffee when you get here, not if! Where are you based just now? This is a great forum for answering the questions you have. So don't hesitate to ask. ?
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Latest post on 26 October 2015 - 22:23
Hi, Me and hubby have been here almost 10 months, we are both type 1 diabetic. We were hesitant about what the health care would be like out here. Husbands company gave us medical cover, and the option to pay extra to get a higher level of cover, which worked out at 200QR for both of us, and that's for a year. We are with MetLife. Check with husbands company re which company, and what the cover is, just to be sure. We attend a clinic in the Naseem Al Rabeeh medical centre on c-ring road, our GP is Dr Deepak, he is also the diabetic doctor and runs a diabetic clinic also. We have found him to be really helpful and very knowledgable. My blood sugars were running quite high, and with his advice I have managed to bring them down. We get our insulin free through medical insurance, the only thing we pay full price for is testing strips for blood glucose monitor. In fact we had to change our monitors as the ones we had in the uk used a different testing strip which is not available here in Qatar. We done this process through the local chemist, it's called a meter exchange. Remember that Qatar has a lot of people who are diabetic, albeit mostly type 2, but they are well equipped in dealing with diabetes. Feel free to ask me anything I may not have answered here. One thing we did do was to build up a good supply of insulin, needles etc before coming out, which helped until we found the clinic. Just so that we didn't run out. Good luck, and I hope you decide to come to Qatar. ?
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Latest post on 06 September 2015 - 18:54
It's only for the shower, I wouldn't drink water straight from the tap. We have a water dispenser, water from the tap is fine to drink as long as it's been boiled first. ?
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Latest post on 06 September 2015 - 10:15
I saw bottles of pre mixed Slim Fast in the small Spinneys on The Pearl. ?
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Latest post on 06 September 2015 - 10:13
We bought a Blu shower head and filter from the chemist in City centre mall next to Ooredoo shop, on same floor as Carrefour. Would highly recommend it.
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Latest post on 18 August 2015 - 17:44
Hi, Depends what area you live in. I live at The Pearl, and I go to Rony Nacouzi for hair and eyebrows. I also use BD Nails for mani and pedi, they also have a blow dry bar which is great! I'm sure you will get recommendations from other people. You may need to try a couple of places, friends of mine have used Glow and Desert Princess. Good luck with your move.
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Latest post on 29 June 2015 - 10:56
Hi, I have been here 5 months, also from the UK. I joined Ladies Who Lunch Doha, after only being here one week. They have a Facebook page. You can meet all sorts of different ladies, some who work, some who don't, kids/no kids, a real varied group. Some people have been here for years, and some days/weeks/months. They usually have a coffee morning at the Intercontinental Hotel, due to the holidays at the moment they aren't, but by Sepetember they will be up and running again. I have been to lots of events with them, great fun, open evenings at make up stores, dhow boat ride, inspirational talks, also nights out at local hotels/bars. Do you know where you will be staying? I don't work, so can't help you on that front, however I know a couple of girls who do, and sometimes they are looking for people, so do join groups as they are a great way of networking. Feel free to ask anything, I will try my best to get you an answer. :)
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Latest post on 02 February 2015 - 15:15
Hi everyone, I have just arrived in Doha, i am 46, from the UK married, no kids ,don't work, living in West Bay Area, in the Ascott towers. Are there any meet ups in this area? Would love to meet up with people for coffee, also any tips I need to know.
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Latest post on 27 January 2015 - 13:23
Thank you Kiwi silver, our doctor has been fantastic and supplied us with 3 months worth of meds. I have found when I have been abroad in the past that my sugar levels fluctuate, I know how to adjust my insulin to help that. That's a shame your friends had to leave. It's a minefield, but fingers crossed we get on ok. Thank you again for your help.
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Latest post on 26 January 2015 - 21:36
Marycatherine, thank you so much for this information, much appreciated, sandra.
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Latest post on 18 December 2014 - 23:25
Thank you ??
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Latest post on 16 December 2014 - 00:50
Thank you so much for your advice Jamuseire. I will do this tomorrow. Thank you again. ?
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Latest post on 15 December 2014 - 21:05
Hi everyone, my husband and I are UK citizens and are in the process of arranging to come over to Qatar end of Jan 2015. We can't wait! We got married at City Hall in NYC, we got an extended certificate to make sure we were legally married. Now that my husband has accepted a job offer in Qatar, we are having his University Certificates etc attested, also we sent our marriage certificate as well, but they sent it back saying it has to be legalised in the US first! We were under the impression that it was legal! Has anybody had this problem, or know of someone that has? Thank you in advance <em>edited by yorkgirl68 on 15/12/2014</em>