Job Discussion Forums

[QatarChic]

It's true, you do need an exit visa to leave Qatar- A pain, but that's the way it goes here

[lionbrian]

Access to Internet at Cuantanamo Bay (QP teaching site)? Dude, you are asking for WW3 (World War 3)?

QP has a huge IT department full of Indians, promotes E-LEARNING according to the posters that are hanged at the manager's door (A Sudanese who never made it in teaching a couple years ago & kept teaching present continuous for over a year) and one teacher asked him about using CALL to teach. Then, he referred him to the IT Department, shortly after; this instructor was told by an Indian that they have no software for teaching. What a third world man! At this IT department, there are about 6 Indians working there and making over 20,000 Qatar Riyal/A month each. POOR NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS: 9000QR/A month & shipped to hardship zones to teach (Ras Laffan, Umsaeed, Dukhan and the list goes on!??? I am about to cry!

The most beautiful part of this story is that the same instructor asked a certain manager (A Palestinian again who never made it in teaching, kept teaching present tense for almost 6 months & is presently pulling 24,000 Qatar Riyals/A month) about the use of Internet in teaching. Guess what???????? He told him that it is a very bad idea because teachers will surf the Internet instead of teaching. What a moron?

KEEP READING BECAUSE OTHER HOT STORIES ARE COMING & THE CHICKEN IS COMING OUT OF THE BAG!

[Kerux]

[Rin]

I don't need an exit visa to leave. (I've left and come back twice, no exit visa)
And I haven't had any problems with censorship, I was looking at youtube stuff yesterday. Granted I haven't really tried to look for porn, not that big of a priority. And I certainly haven't noticed a problem with reading political content. And I read tons of stuff on the Indonesian playboy. www.google.ca/news, I get all my news.

Also there are better bars than Oasis and Ramada. Rydges isn't bad, Rugby Club, Garvey's, even Paloma's isn't that bad. And Kerux your opinion of the women in Qatar is pretty degrading.

This place isn't perfect, but it's not that bad. If you don't like it, leave.

[Richard_Gao]

you need exit visa if you are sponsored by a company in doha, i.e. as a long term work visa and resides in Doha long term. If you're here on a visitor visa or business visa or visa on arrival then you don't need exit visa.

[veiledsentiments]

[Kerux]

[Kerux]

[lionbrian]

Hey Yo,

Just from your last posting, I can tell that you'are one of those head down teacher/employee (Yes teacher/Sir) & very similar to those who have been working for QP for the last decade & never complained !

Rin: "Rydges isn't bad, Rugby Club, Garvey's, even Paloma's isn't that bad" Have you ever picked up a chick there? I am pretty sure that you had a great time sipping pint after pint until you got drunk & went home (MOD Edit)

Kerux: KEEP TELLING THE TRUTH & IGNORE THOSE PEOPLE WHO THINK DOHA, QATAR IS THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH!

[Kerux]

Qatar is definitely a BYOFemale companionship country.

[Stephen Jones]

[Rin]

I'm sponsered by a Canadian company in Qatar. No exist visa.

Have I ever tried to pick up a chick here? No, being a chick myself and not inclined in that general direction I have not tried to pick up a chick. But than again, I've only had assholes interested in one night stands try to pick me up, so I guess its really not a good country to date no matter what gender you are. And if you guys are just interested in one night stand like the rest of your male counterparts than the Oasis and the Ramada are where you should be staying. And to be perfectly honest, the Western men here aren't anything to write home about either. Most of them are American GI's and the rest seem to be carrying around one Hell of beer gut. Maybe if you stopped drinking pint after pint and went to the gym you would have an easier time meeting women.

As for the abayas and whether or not they are attractive, they aren't suposed to be attractive, these women aren't supposed to be attracting men as dictated by the Islamic religion. I don't neccesarily agree with it either, but guess what, I chose to live in this country and this country is Islamic. If you came to look at girls in bikini's, once again you came to the wrong country.

Speaking as a women, I have not had any problem with men staring at me here. The labourers, Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Nepali, all seem to be quite respectful. Sure I get stared at a bit, but hey, welcome to Asia.
And compared to Korea where I was stared at by both genders constantly and asked how much I cost on a daily basis, I think this place is great. I've experienced far less sexism here than I did in Eastern Asia.

Ya the bars aren't great, by which I mean, they don't have that delightful pub atmosphere where you throw peanuts on the floor. But coming from a small town in Canada and from Korea, I've been in worse bars.

The job opportunities here are great. I've left TEFL and moved into a corporate job where I'm making enough money to afford a brand new SUV. No chance of doing that in Canada, at least not at 25.

So do I think this place is the greatest place since sliced bread, no. If you're looking for a place that is, good luck, everywhere has it's downside. But I do prefer Qatar to Canada, Korea, Japan, Veitnam, and Mexico where I've lived previously.

[Rin]

Kerux, did you actually read the article or focus in on that weird Canadian chick who wears an abaya for no reason. In case you can't tell, thats a girl who probably feels no more comfortable being stared at in Canada than she does here. I've never even noticed stares.

In case you didn't read the article, than the article is actually about the benefits of wearing and abaya and how attractive many women (including me, I love that butterfly design) find them.

Just because they don't allow you and lionbrian to stare down girls cleavage doesn't mean they are horrible.

Seriously, stop thinking with whats in your pants and start thinking with whats in your brain.

The article:

Reema and her friends are slowly parading around a Doha shopping mall, making sure their fashionable floor-length coverings are seen.

The glamorous girls shroud their jeans and colourful tops with long black robes, mixing fashion with religion and tradition.

"I think it looks really elegant. There are so many abayas on the market at the moment - the latest being the farasha, or butterfly-style abaya. It isn't tight-fitting like the French-style abaya, which is made to fit the body.

"It's loose with tight sleeves often embroidered with colourful threads."

The abaya is an over-garment worn by many Muslim women in the Gulf. It is the traditional form of hijab, or modest Islamic dress, for many countries of the Arabian peninsula.

But for many women, the abaya is worn with style and purpose. It is another form of expression that offers advantages over Western outfits.

Denise Al-Shammari, an American convert to Islam who lives in Kuwait, wears the abaya strategically.

"It's a convenience thing ... I don't wear the abaya, but if I have to take the kids to school in the morning, I may just whip it on over my pyjamas."
Avoiding attention

Carla
Stadnyk, a 29-year-old Canadian health inspector teaching environmental health at the College of North Atlantic in Qatar, freely switches between the abaya and Western clothes.

"I often wear the abaya at times of cultural sensitivity. When I go to get my car washed or serviced, then I'll wear it. I feel safer. I wear it to avoid stares from workers, to protect myself and keep myself in a happy bubble.

Carla Stadnyk wears the abaya
to avoid stares from men
"Sometimes I wear the niqab, so nothing but my eyes are showing ... and it actually calms me. It calms my spirit."

When Stadnyk chooses to wear a short skirt or gets dressed up for a wedding, she covers her outfit with the abaya as she travels from her home to her destination.

"Living in Qatar there is a constant battle with men staring. Workers actually gawk and refuse to turn away when you catch their eye ... it's like your spirit is fighting to block this energy."

Another perk of wearing the abaya is re-discovering male chivalry.

"When I am doing my grocery shopping, guys push my trolley out for me, but when I Western clothes that never happens," Stadnyk said.

Cultural choice

Lulua, a 40-something Qatari, is lunching with her sister. The pair are dressed in traditional black. Lulua's face is layered with heavy make-up. Strands of hair peep out from beneath her head covering, large gold-rimmed sunglasses adorn her head.


"We have always worn the abaya in Gulf countries - it is part of our culture. I have around 30 abayas at home and buy a new one about every two to three months.



Lulua thinks only tall, slim women
can carry off the butterfly abaya
"Personally, I don't like the farasha-style abaya because there is no shape to it. You can only get away wearing it if you are tall and slim."



One reason Lulua wears her abaya is to please her husband.



"I wear my abaya because my husband likes it - Qatari men generally like it," Lulua said.



Mohammed al-Sheikh, a 26-year-old Qatari, says he finds abayas very attractive, especially when they are fitted.



When he gets married, he wants his wife to wear one. But in his future wife's case, it would not be for her to look attractive - it would be for her to be protected from other men's prying eyes.



"I don't want all the men in the street to be staring at my wife. Her beauty is just for me, so I would encourage her to wear the abaya."



Contrasting views



But for Mai, a 28-year-old Syrian working in Doha, abayas are unattractive garments that remind her of death.



"I don't understand how anyone can voluntarily wear the abaya � There is no way that I find it attractive," she said.



"Young women look old wearing it. They should wear bright attractive colours, not dark morbid ones ...we are not going to a funeral."



Souk Faleh is known for its wide
selection of fashionable abayas

A contemporary abaya is usually a robe, cut from light, flowing fabrics such as crepe, georgette, and chiffon. They are now made in colours other than black.



Souks in Qatar are crowded with shops selling the traditional garment.



Abdul Rasoul Ali Zadeh owns an abaya shop in Doha's popular Souk Faleh, known to have the best selection of abayas in town.



Zadeh, an Iranian, says most of his customers are Qatari: "Qatari women come in here to keep up with the latest fashion. Egyptian women are the next group of women who want to buy fashionable abayas, but it is not just Arab women who choose to wear the abaya."



Indian and Pakistani women wear the garment, too, as do other Arab nationals.



"Anyone can wear them ... it's for all of womankind ... There are no restrictions," Zadeh said.

[Gordon]

Rin, if you're not teaching English, what are you teaching, if you don't mind?

[Rin]

I am still teching English, I start as a Public Relations Coordinator at the end of the month.