After six years, Doha News editor-at-large Victoria Scott is leaving Qatar for good in a few months.
In her latest post for the Expat Telegraph, Scott said that she plans to spend her last several weeks packing up, hugging good friends goodbye and getting ready to settle back into life in the UK.
But before heading out, Scott added that she and her family are finally turning to that bucket list of things that they never got around to doing, because they always figured they had “more time.”
Items on that list include:
- Finding the Richard Serra sculptures and watching the sun set in Dukhan;
- Taking a nighttime dhow cruise across Doha Bay;
- Visiting Al Zubarah fort and the nearby abandoned fishing villages;
- Shopping at Souq Waqif for souvenirs; and
- Visiting the racetrack to watch camel races.
Since the vast majority of Qatar’s population comprises of expats, Scott theorizes that many residents will have to say goodbye to the country at some point:
“The phrase ‘adopted home’ implies permanence, but under the country’s (soon to be revised) employment laws, you have no choice but to leave if you lose your job and you’re not given permission to apply for another one. Any feeling of security and stability in Qatar is more a badge of your own innate optimism rather than something rooted in reality.”
Do you agree? And before you leave, what’s on your list?
This is beyond doubt the most interesting article I’ve read in the past 20 minutes..
Sarcasm much 🙂
But it was funny…
Scary thing is.. He’s probably not sarcastic
How about Tailgaiting a Land cruiser.
If you catch my drift
Or tailgating a land cruiser that’s already tailgating a land cruiser
Farewell Victoria. You and others at Doha News have succeeded in finally bringing a semblance of “free press” to Qatar. Your influence on this and your writing will definitely be missed.
I guess she is leaving because she gave up on ‘Freedom of the Press’ in Qatar.
I don’t know her personally so I don’t know. As a resident for the last 11 years, it’s been painful to me. Qatar continues to host conventions on this topic and others such as human rights and yet progress here is soooo slow.
Ugh your so annoying
You make me blush ^_^
Aww
Hi Daniel – as I say in my Telegraph blog post, I’m leaving because my husband has got a new job in the UK.
yup, we believe you.
She is telling the truth. I happen to know her.
Free Press? Can I just refer to my comment further down, deleted by the Editor….?
I can’t see your comment. No. We don’t have free press, hence the quotes, but compared to when I moved here in 2004, it’s come a long way.
great! if (and I mean IF) she ever finds that Serra sculpture, and for the benefit of those of us who have wasted days looking for it, maybe she can post reliable and detailed directions…
It’s super easy to find! Go alllllll the way through Zerkreet village, literally right the way to the end, you’ll go down a track and it’s on the left towards the sea, to ills prob drive another 30-40 mins off road. They’re not easy to spot but if you look for thin telegraph poles initially, you’ll find them.
Richard Serra Location
25°32’54.3″N 50°51’44.2″E
http://goo.gl/maps/ntA2E
Oooh, ooh, want to do, want to do. Excellent – thank you.
I wanna go so badly
I was living in Qatar for 7 years ago with my family, and i was happy their but unfortunately, i relocate to Kuwait just because i could not change my job without NOC as per the labor law. Hope that one day they will change it
so basically everything normal people do on weekends lol.
I would say, make sure you print a copy of your exit permit. You never know…
LOL
I bet you’re going to miss being on your 3rd G&T around the pool by twelve…. 😉
Absolutely. I’m also going to miss your comments!
I guess no expat column for the telegraph either now.
I’m sure you’ll log on to DN to read the comments to see how the fish in the bowl are getting on…
I’m born and bought up in qatar. 34 years here. I like Doha was in old times.
Like the way*
It was nice, oh a decade ago, when you could get across town in 15 minutes, wasn’t it?
Yeah
yes indeed, ….. before it was decided to make a modern city, buy for the world cup and import all those bloody foreigners with their speed limit and lane disciple stunts ! oh back in the day what !
حمدالله والشكر
The actual f? Qataris bought the “World Cup”? How? When?
So does this mean there’s a job I can apply for at DN?
Safe journey home Victoria.
What a devastatingly brilliant article. Typical of the incisive, probing journalism we’ve come to expect from Victoria and the team. I was on the edge of my seat until the very last word. Breathtaking.
Deleting this for being a troll.
Really? Can you be clearer on what part of my comment is offensive? Is that the way you roll at Doha News? Silencing people and deleting comments?
I’ll reiterate it, shall I, and take a vote as to whether it’s trolling? Please vote, all. Censorship in Qatar is an important issue. Particularly when it’s the ‘free press’ doing the censoring. I wrote:
‘What a devastatingly brilliant article. Typical of the incisive, probing journalism we’ve come to expect from Victoria and the team.I was on the edge of my seat until the very last word. Breathtaking.’
Troll
Je Suis Charlie
Troll
“Free press” *giggles*
Make sure you get your 1000 riyal deposit back from QDC
Items missing off the bucket according to a former colleague are ………..
1. empty your bank account. When you get back to the UK your Qatari mobile doesn’t work so you can’t receive the code that enables you to withdraw your money by internet banking. It will then take you 2 months and at least 10 ignored faxes to get it back.
2. Make sure you appoint a representative who can act for you to get back the fraudulent charges levied by your landlord for the amount purported to be owing to Ooreedooo and other utilities (even though you paid your accounts off in full direct to the suppliers) and the non-existent damage to your flat, and also to help in getting the aforementioned money out of your bank account.
3. Find a wreck of a bicycle to ship back. This is classed as sports equipment and outside your baggage allowance so you can pack the carton with loads of stuff.
4. Make sure you thank the people who have helped you in whatever capacity during your stay in Qatar. Resolve to forget those that tried to make your life a misery.
I like number 3
Seriously, that is a bucket list?
2 more down.. I joke I joke