Loners will love Qatar – it’s very easy to work, go
home, and keep to oneself.
As with anywhere, the shy will find it difficult. With the exception perhaps of co-workers, no
one will grab strangers to show them around town (and if someone does, you may
not like where you get taken…).
Anyone outgoing, however, can easily find a number
of ways to make new friends and associates outside fellow employees. Friends of friends, perhaps. Friends back home might know someone already know
out here. Pretty much every Western
expat in Qatar enjoys showing newcomers around and introducing them to others.
And then there are just a lot of things going on in
Doha. All manner of sports clubs,
interest groups, and other organizations one can join. Just ask Google for a little search-engine assistance. Before I made my way to Qatar last January, I
started looking for associations I might want to look up when I got
settled.
Being a historian, I joined the
Qatar Natural History Society which sponsors
occasion excursions out to the desert and other interesting assemblies.
Having graduated from Texas A&M, I found
the local Aggie
Club. It puts on occasional dinners
and events, and even non-Aggies are welcome.
 |
| 2014 Texas Aggie Club Boot Scoot at the St. Regis Hotel in West Bay |
And while I have not yet gone, I have looked at the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association
to indulge my sporting side. Those are
just a few examples – the list of options is surprisingly long.
Then there are true social groups specifically for
meeting people. InterNations maintains a
global network of expat communities, including a branch in Qatar. Multiple days a week, it hosts events for
people to meet and do something fun: dinners, Friday brunches, musical venues,
and much more. Joining is free, but a
paid membership will grant access to more resources.
Another popular site is MeetUp. 
It’s more of a forum for events hosted by various groups from a general
social clubs, to gamers, to techies, Euro-Brit fishers, off-roaders, and many
more. Membership is also free, but
requires approval. There may be others,
but those are the only ones I’ve heard about so far.
It’s more of a forum for events hosted by various groups from a general
social clubs, to gamers, to techies, Euro-Brit fishers, off-roaders, and many
more. Membership is also free, but
requires approval. There may be others,
but those are the only ones I’ve heard about so far.
So, to do stuff and find good company, one need
only look and be proactive.
No comments:
Post a Comment