Life In Qatar - A Woman’s Perspective

 

By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter


In 1987, most Midwestern American teenagers were busy with their favourite movies, music and sports. Basketball players set courts on fire with slam dunks and three-pointers. Football players danced in the end zone after scoring touchdowns and baseball players sent balls into outer space. Cars and trucks raced on dirt roads, drag strips and at the Indianapolis 500 race track. Bon Jovi, Madonna and U2 topped Billboard. Dirty Dancing, Predator and Robocop drew crowds to the cinema.
Jennifer’s curiosity took her elsewhere. An avid reader with a desire to travel and experience the world, at age 18 she enrolled in an honours course in culture and religion at Indiana State University. Over the next year, she was introduced to Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Taoism. She met many Muslim students from Africa, the Middle East, Levant and Asia. “I was attracted to the concept of one God in Islam. I also liked the fact that Islam meant peace. Ultimately, it was the manners of the Muslims that I met at the time, which drew me in. They were honest, sincere and welcoming. I felt as though I belonged with them,” she tells Gulf Times.
Over the course of a year, Jennifer converted to Islam, met her husband and married. Initially, her family was against her conversion and marriage as was her husband’s family. Jennifer’s family expected her to marry an American Christian, while her husband’s family usually arranged their sons’ and daughters’ marriages. “We were both rebels with the desire and strength to go against the accepted cultural norms of our families,” Jennifer said. “It took some time and convincing for the families to agree.”
In 1990, Jennifer packed two suitcases and six boxes and boarded a plane headed towards the Arabian Gulf, to tiny Qatar, a place that was, at the time, an unknown speck on the map. As the plane descended towards Doha, there was little to be seen but barren desert. Upon arrival, Jennifer descended the plane, ready for a new and unfamiliar life.
The population was under 400,000. The Sheraton Hotel was the most familiar landmark on the lonely Corniche. Most houses were one-storied surrounded by walls, with barred windows. There were two local TV and radio stations, both of which went off the air every evening until the next morning. “I felt as if I’d stepped back into the ’70s,” Jennifer commented. Malls and fast-food restaurants had not yet made an appearance in Doha.
Jennifer spent the first year living in her husband’s father’s home. She began studying Arabic and learned a lot from being home with his mother and father. In the summer of 1990, she was blessed with a beautiful baby girl. She met other expatriate women married to Qataris and other residents. In the absence of family, these women formed strong bonds over the years, sharing the joys of childbirth, birthdays, graduations and marriages, as well as the sorrows of illness, death and dashed plans. They were a source of moral support for each other through sometimes difficult times. “I would not have made it all these years without my American and British ‘sisters’,” she said. “Our children are still close as they have had similar ‘half-half’ upbringings.”    
Life in Doha was very different then, much slower and more casual. Work was six days a week, with Fridays off. Work hours, which were from 7am to 1.30pm, allowed everyone to be home in time for family lunch.   Traffic jams did not exist, meaning more time to spend relaxing and visiting. Jennifer’s children enjoyed spending time with their cousins while she chatted with their aunts and uncles’ wives. When the weather permitted, they went to the desert, Corniche or sea.
Jennifer overcame the language barrier by studying Arabic for three years at the Language Institute and picked up more while working.  She watched Arabic TV programmes and movies and read the Arabic newspapers. The best practice was communicating with her Qatari colleagues and those from other Arabic-speaking countries.
Differences in culture and religion posed some challenges. “There were different beliefs and practices around ceremonies such as birth, marriage and death,” said Jennifer. It takes restraint of the tongue and quite a bit of emotional intelligence not to offend others. She eventually decided to do what she thought was right and felt comfortable with. “I did face a few embarrassing situations along the way,” she admitted, “but nothing that sent me packing.”
Jennifer and her husband had four daughters and two sons. They are her pride and joy. “I tried to raise them to enjoy the best of both worlds, American and Qatari,” she said.  She was keen for her children to have identity as Qataris, to learn Arabic and be good Muslims, and also wanted them to enjoy the benefits of American education and develop a lifelong love of learning. Her eldest three were fortunate to attend prestigious American universities at Qatar Foundation: Georgetown and Northwestern. Her youngest daughter is an engineering student at Qatar University, while her sons attend private English school.
She lauds the State of Qatar for its leadership. “I have witnessed the rule of three Emirs in my 25 years in Qatar. Each of them has made a positive impact on the country. Their vision for the future of the country and its citizens is almost unprecedented. The opportunities for growth are astounding and the rulers and the government are keen on developing a knowledge-based economy and guide the future generation of citizens into global leadership roles.
“I am proud to contribute to the country’s progress through my work with Qatar Foundation. I have been with Sidra Medical and Research Center for the last 2.5 years. I look forward to the improvements Sidra can make in women and children’s care.”
Jennifer tries to visit her family as often as she can, but distance, work obligations and school schedules limit the possibilities. She recently become a Glam’ma (Glamorous Grandma), and looks forward to retiring and being able to visit family more often, especially her adorable grandson, Khalifa.
Is she is satisfied with her decision to move to Qatar and with her life here?  “Alhamdulillah,” said Jennifer. “I have been blessed.”


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