When you consider that Qatar have a native population of only c. 250,000 people it’s easy to fall into a state of awe at just how successful a little nation, Qatar really is. Possibly the richest country in the world, home to over a hundred different nationalities, none of whom will even gain citizenship, unless…
It’s only natural that the longer you live abroad the more distant you may become from your friends in Ireland. Apart from the physical distance creating a wedge in the friendship the difference in lifestyle can also too see old friends meeting up and having a little less in common than they did when they…
There are some things that as an Irish person living in the Middle East that never cease to amaze. For some, it’s the weather, others, the opulence evident in everyday life and In my case; it’s the availability and common practice of having a maid. Consider that coming from a working background in Cork you’re…
On the approach of the anniversary of my departure from Ireland nearly two years ago, I look back on my initial attitude to emigration. I did draw a few lines in the sand at the time and while I stand firmly behind the principle of same, I would like to highlight that these projections were…
Aqua park Doha was the chosen location for this week’s family day out. The long awaited outdoor water park opened in Qatar last September and has been the focus of much discussion, in our house and among the expat community in general. With family activity being limited in Qatar, the water park was welcomed with…
It was on my departure from Doha Clinic and my arrival into the First Time Motherhood that I first felt the weight of being an emigrant in a Middle Eastern country without the support of family, friends and neighbours. As husband and I brought our baby boy on the silent but tension trimmed journey home,…
As I take in life in Qatar with all the awe and wonderment of a virgin emigrant the wise words of George Orwell regularly resonate in my mind, “We are all equal but some are more equal than others”. Service is an integral part of the Middle Eastern culture. There are service attendants at…
thereluctantemigrant 