Qatar Today looks at two expatriates from everyday life, one who has lived here for a significant amount of time and another who has just made Doha her home, for their take on life in this city. be e to u lik ur ld yo o wou ured in n? fe at o" colum r w u T o y e "Tak e tweet s Ple a s to il a t de o d ay tarT @Qa
A NEW LIFE AWAITS GORDANA POPOVIC
Sales Project Manager, MSK Building Materials Been in Doha since: March 2014 (two months) MISSING HOME I am of Croatian and Italian origin and have lived most of my life in Zagreb and Milan. I miss the beauty of the ancient city of Zagreb (some of it dates back to the 7th century), the many islands of Croatia, the Adriatic Sea and, of course, my family and friends. Milan is the epicentre of food and fashion and that’s what I miss most: shopping, happy hours in restaurants after work, glimpses of famous models walking down the streets and fashionably-dressed people eagerly thronging to see new collections by designers.
WE CALL IT HOME
GOLF MADE MY DECISION EASIER I play golf a lot and I admit I felt in love with Doha Golf Club the instant I saw it. In fact, the splendid golf course was one of the reasons I accepted a job offer here in Qatar. I wish there were more wellorganised golf clubs like this back home.
ELISABETE REIS
Founder and Image Consultant, Glam Your Image Been in Doha since: 2006 (eight years) HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS The Asian Games in 2006 brought us to Doha. We loved the experience, decided to stay and make this our home. I had lived in China for about 12 years before I came to Doha so it really was a peaceful and easy move. Qatar is really wonderful for families, especially, like in our case, with small children. It was an adventure moving to the Middle East. We feel at home and when we travel we love to come back home to Qatar. The children are well adapted and love their school and their routines. CHANGE IS GOOD So much has changed since we first moved here. I believe change is always positive, Qatar has proved to the world that it isn’t just a rich country but one with vision. Major achievements have happened since 2006: a new Emir, the transition was something really extraordinary to watch; winning the bid for World Cup 2022, which I think was well deserved and I have no doubts Qatar will deliver a great show; the opening of Katara, a fantastic family place with great art shows and performances; and the completion of the amazing Museum of Islamic Art and so on. It’s an exciting time in Qatar and I love what this country is growing into. I don’t find myself missing too much of the old Doha; I love having more places to visit, with better options and variety. There are some great shows, exhibitions, more shopping malls with international brands and great hotels. 98 > QATAR TODAY > MAY 2014
BEING A PART OF PROGRESS I am truly impressed with many of the projects, big and small, that have been going on in Doha: Education City, sports complexes, Qatar National Convention Centre, museums and so on. In the course of my job I get to visit many building sites and it is truly amazing to witness the size and capacity of these projects. I admire the new technologies and materials that are being used in order to build an environment-friendly and sustainable city. My company was among the first to move into the Barwa Commercial Avenue and it makes me proud to be a small part of these historical moments for Doha. My aspiration is to stay here as long as these interesting projects are taking place, participate in all this progress that Qatar is making and of course, I am looking forward to attending many of the major events that are scheduled to happen here.