I’ve lived in Doha for 5 years now. Do I know the place? Do I really know Doha?
When can you really say you know a place? When you can find your way around? When you have a go-to grocery store that delivers to you?
There are certain things I need to really feel comfortable living in a city. I need to get connected. Get my WiFi running at home and get data on my phone. I then need to be able to call and order food. But most of all I need to know where to go to get random stuff done.
I feel like I always need a tailor on hand cos I’ve either put on weight or torn something or bought something 3 sizes too big cos what if I never find another dress I really like?
I need one of those bazaars where you find everything you need when you’re creating your own outfit. Textile, laces, buttons and iron-on stones and hand-stitched mirrored borders.
I need one place that can tell me where to go other than to a mall to get the things I need. So I decided to do it myself.
So what I am going to do here is check out and review places that are not in a mall and you may not have heard of and make a detailed list of where to go to get random stuff done in Doha. I’ll also be writing about the country, it’s people and culture and what it’s like to be an expat in this part of the world. Maybe at the end of this blog, I’ll finally feel like I know this city, just a little.
If you have any tips or places you think I should write about, please let me know.
NinaNotNow 
Thanks Nina, I need your blog! I am about 8 months into our stint here in Doha. One place I’m not sure if you know is Rawnaq? They are like a glorified thrift store ($2 Stores to any Aussies!) but I felt so liberated when I was told about them.
Cheers,
Julia
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Hi Julia! I’ve done a post on Rawnaq!! Haha! We’ve clearly got the same idea! Please give me more suggestions if u have them! Keep reading! 🙂
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Interesting musings, Nina. I have been introduced to your blog by a friend in the UK, Sameera Abraham. I’ve been in Doha 5 years as well and they’ve passed by in a jiffy. I’ve read through couple of your posts now and will do more later. One thing intrigues me though. How did you ever get across through a local? I mean they are so closely knit, I’d imagine you would need to be a local to get through to one; socially that is. The language barrier doesn’t help too. The whole thing is so diabolical that it reminds me of the Brahmin vs Shudra scenario in ancient India.
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Hi Abhimanyu, thank you for reading! Though in most cases the culture and language stand as barriers, the younger generation are approachable and open minded, as is the case with Indians ourselves. They tend to be close knit because there are certain implications within their culture when seen socializing with expats. Please keep reading and share amoung friends 🙂
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Great info! I am a creative person with interests in sewing, painting, and similar interests…
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Hi Shakti! Please keep reading and share it with your friends! 🙂 Thank you!
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Tsoulaki forever!!love you
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Hi,
Great Effort!
Interesting preface to ‘How to feel comfortable somewhere’. My diminutive understanding brings me to an assumption that you are a ‘DIY’ person who wishes not to be reliant on anything/anyone. And looking at the closing note of this blog re-iterates that your effort is to prove to be a ‘guide’ to someone like you, who is new to Doha and wants to be independent. Have I understood the prime purpose of this blog, yet?
Happy to chat more….
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Hello! Thanks for the read and feedback. That’s it! I faced this when I first got to Doha, so I thought I’d be the solution to my problem. Please keep reading! 🙂
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