Nine years in Qatar

2006 April 14^th. We were on board the Kochi flight to Qatar. We meant me, my husband and our son. It was five months since my husband joined Qatar Petroleum and now he was accompanying me and our son to Doha. My son and I stayed back in Kochi so as to complete the academic year.

After a tearful farewell, especially from my mother for whom this was my first separation from home, we boarded the Qatar Airways flight to Doha. I recalled our busy schedule for the past 2-3 months. There was a lot of winding up to do and some shopping to be done. Finally there was the packing up of bags. I used to take tuitions for CBSE students back home. I wanted to continue this in Qatar. So I had to take the necessary books also.

We arrived in Qatar full of anticipation. Disembarking from the aircraft, we proceeded to our flat in Mattar Qadeem. The day happened to be Vishu, an auspicious day , according to the Malayalam calendar. Leaving our baggage at our flat, we went to Radhakrishnan and Ambili’s house, where we had been graciously invited to partake in a Vishu sadya. I met a lot of people there all attired in traditional Kerala costumes. Food was served on banana leaves in the Kerala way while we had to squat on the floor, even though with some discomfiture. There was a lot of camaraderie amidst the revellers and  my first taste of overseas Malayali life is something which I can never forget.

As the days went by, I befriended many Malayali families with whom I and my family had many a pleasant moment together.

My husband being devoted to office work, I had a lot of leisure time which I thought I would devote to pursuing my various interests.

 This was a good opportunity I fancied to nurture the teacher in me. I started my tuition classes in English. There were more students for grammar. The systematic approach made me enjoy teaching grammar.

“Once Upon a Time” was a 10 day long course in English classics taken during the summer and winter vacations. Classes were based on a text book compiled by me consisting of excerpts from classics, Greek literature, Shakespeare and the like. A variety entertainment programme summed up the course the last day. Certificates and gifts were handed over to students and students displayed dioramas or models of scenes from classics. On that final day, I and my students brought to life characters from literature like the dreamy Alice in wonderland, the miserly Scrooge, the insane Ophelia etc.

During my college days, I had undergone six years training in water colour and pencil sketch. One of our newly found friends in Qatar came to inform us of a reputed institute called the Visual Arts Centre in Qatar encouraging art. It was a government organisation offering free courses in art to both locals and expats. I immediately jumped at the opportunity and joined the institute.

So one Tuesday afternoon, my husband dropped me at the institute. The building was a double-storeyed one, painted in cream colour. It had two symmetrical wings on either side and the painting section was  to the right . It was a totally new experience. I entered the painting section and went upstairs. I found myself in a large room. A well-dressed man of Egyptian origin (as I later came to know) in his early fifties stood there along with a young Arabic lady in a pardha. I later came to know that the duo were my tutors. The male tutors name was Mustafa and female, Fatima. They asked me to bring two of my paintings the next day. Only if they approved those, would they allow me to join the institute. I returned the next day with two sceneries- one a field of lilacs and the other a Shakespearean cottage with a wicket gate surrounded by flowers. My paintings found their approval and I joined the Centre. Mr. Mustafa handed over to me a pack of oil colour tubes, brushes, canvas, tissue rolls, turpentine etc. I really felt elated.

A lot of still life artefacts were arranged in different sections in the large hall in the ground floor of the main building of the Visual Arts Centre. Students, all women (timings were different for men and women)set themselves up in different sections trying their hands at copying the various still life. Mr. Mustafa and Ms. Fatima came now and then offering subtle advice on the nuances of painting. The whole room was filled with an artistic atmosphere. We imbibed the spirit of the classical painters like Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Monet etc in our humble works. Mr. Mustafa, finding it difficult to by heart my name asked me to write down my name on the margin of my canvas so that he could spell it out whenever he approached me.

According to the policy of Visual Arts Centre, half of the paintings you did while there was for the institute and half for the student. I did a couple of oils, an acrylic, a charcoal and a pencil sketch.

Another area I ventured into in art was, card making. Shops like Al Rawnaq  in Qatar had fancy ribbons, stickers, paper etc in plenty and I collected a lot of these materials. The quality of my greeting cards improved a lot and I began keeping my cards in prestigious shops like Archies back in Kochi.

During one vacation, I happened to attend a class in fabric painting and I started painting on bed sheets. The abundance of plain sheets in Lulu outlets provided vast opportunity for exercising my painting skills.

Yet another hobby, I pursued for a short while, while in Qatar, was writing for a monthly children’s magazine- Whizzkids. Stories like Children of Sunnyvale and Edwin and his Grandpa made me exercise my imagination to the fullest.

Iam grateful to my host country, Qatar for providing the amenities without which I would not have been able to develop my various artistic interests. I salute the Emir, H.E., Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, H.E., Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and H.E. Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned                                             for their developmental activities making Qatar one of the most peaceful and habitable regions of the world.

Qatar’s monarchy is the Al Thani family established since 1825. The ruling Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is the eighth Emir of the country.

A drive through the desert west from Doha for two hours would end in Dukhan and North for two                                                          hours in Al Ghariya. Desert trips provide endless pleasure, especially surfing over sand dunes in land cruisers and buggies. Stray camels are not unusual sights and once we happened to see a camel give birth to a baby. A lot of tourist attractions await you in Qatar- picnic spots like Souq Waqif, Qatara, Pearl Qatar, Al Ghariya, Shahaniya, Museum of Islamic Art etc. Museum of Islamic Art and Shahaniya, Sheikh Faisal’s Museum are both some of the best museums of the region.           

During my life in Qatar, my friends and I went shopping at malls like City Centre, Villagio, The Mall etc. My friend Priya, was always ready to take us anywhere in her car. We had chat and Dahi batata poori at Bombay Chowpatti. The taste of the dish, flavoured with our friendship lingers in my mouth still.

Family trips to Zubara, Sealine, Dukhan beach etc werealso not unusual. Once in Sealine, on an unusually cold weather, I began to shiver. My friend Neena dressed me up in socks, mufflers, caps, sweater etc. It was so funny to see me that we often recalled that incident.

World Cup Football was a big event with friends flocking in to our flat to see the game in full screen(ours was a big TV)and afterwards partake of the biriyani from Doha Rocks.

A red- letter day in my Qatari days was the visit of Sujuchechi (playback singer, Sujatha, who is my cousin) with husband, Mohan and daughter, Shwetha to our flat in Mattar Qadeem. Sujuchechi enjoyed my fish curry and coconut pudding. I presented her with a pack of my handmade greeting cards.

During my Qatar life, I had the good fortune to visit Egypt, the cradle of ancient civilisation. A boat cruise along the Nile, enjoying the local cuisine and the exotic belly dance, ended in a mesmerizing evening. The pyramids at Giza, the archeological museum of Alexandria, King Tutankhamun’s tomb, columns of Karnak temple, the recreated temble at Abu Simbel are all several wonders of Egypt luring tourists from all over the world. Modern Egypt has significant cultural, political and military influence over North Africa, the Middle East and the Muslim world.

After nine years, we are finally leaving Qatar in search of new pastures. Life in Qatar has been an enriching experience. We have been in touch with the diverse culture and traditions of the country. Saying goodbye to this magical land, I feel a part of me is still there beckoning me to come back.