I love animals as much as the next person, but when it comes to owning one, I have a strict criteria. They must not require affection. They must not scurry. They must not require food, every day. I must be able to leave them for long periods of time without them dying and consequently disappointing…
Just when I thought it couldn’t get worse….. Last year, at this exact time of the year I muttered about having an identity crisis of sorts. It was heavily prompted by three days of celebrations, International Women’s Day, Mother’s Day and St. Patricks Day. All these massively thought-provoking days ultimately leave me feeling totally inadequate…
Far from thinking I deserved special treatment just cos I’m Irish n’all, long before the time came that my 3-year-old daughters passport was due to expire, I applied for her new one because I knew that the passport office would likely to be flat our issuing passport to folks that fancied an additional travel pass…
Almost everyone that comes to Qatar has an end goal in mind. They say that they just want to try something different, they say the want to gain valuable diverse experience that will enhance their career, they say that they fancy life in the sun for a while, but the reality is, there is only…
Nearly eight years ago when my blue-eyed boy was born, I was working in the office at the school enrolling children of the age of the 3 into their first year in formal school. Aghast at the sight of the dummy and blanky and nappy being swiped from the child and they being stuck in…
Every year brings change, some changes are barely noticeable, a sight shift of sands that only the very canny can detect, and some changes are Shut the Front Door. This week in Qatar, we got the Shut the Front Door kind. Alcohol prices have been increased by a shocking 100% on Tuesday. Not known to…
Here in Qatar we celebrated Qatar National Day on the 18th December. Businesses and schools closed in honour and there are events planned for a four-day period around the celebrations. Compounds, walled-in housing estates behind gates and a guard, are decorated by the property management companies. Qataris spray paint their cars in the maroon and…
It’s the way of the world that people everywhere view things differently. A few scraps of information change the colour of the situation drastically, for some people. This week at home a lace thong was proposed as being one of these scraps of information that cause the paradigm shift. I was curious to explore how…
Much as I hate mention of Christmas outside of December, preparations do have to start a little early when your live in a Muslim country literally devoid of the little touches that make Christmas special. Sure, Carrefour carry a few decorations, and there are toy shops in every mall, but it’s not the same. For…
It’s a common condition among expats, we leave home, live in places like Qatar, Indonesia or Abu Dhabi and fell the fear every day that our kids lose their sense of belonging to their home country. Every day, in every day, you try to instil in them, where they’re from, what that means and send…
thereluctantemigrant 