Good health, marriage, better career among New Year wishes

Rod and Melanie Navarro with flatmate Maria Lisa Arcabal. Right: Indians Abdul Abdjaleel and Saraj K hope to land good jobs in Qatar this year. PICTURES: Joey Aguilar

By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter

Good health, marriage and a better career are among the New Year wishes of some expatriate workers in Qatar.

Lebanese Ghassan Saeed, 34, told Gulf Times that among his New Year’s resolutions are losing more weight and to stop smoking which he consider as big challenges.

Saeed sees 2014 as a good year for him. Besides acquiring a Nissan Tiida car, he is set to get married this year back home.

“I had some boring and bad experiences in 2013 so I want to enjoy life this year.  I will work harder and focus more in achieving my goals,” said the Doha-resident of four years.

Asked about the lessons he learned in 2013, he replied: “I should not trust people so much,” referring to a friend who betrayed him.

Like Saeed, Tunisian Noomane Ghabi is also excited to get married in September after the Holy Month of Ramadan. “I love children, to play spend time with them, that is why I want to marry.”

Ghabi will start working early today for the Qatari Armed Forces along with seven other Tunisians. He is expecting 2014 to be a better year for his career.

Ghabi, a 36 year-old physical therapist back home, hopes to be fluent in English believing that it is an advantage to speak a universal language especially in a country like Qatar.

Although his native language is Arabic, Ghabi said speaking English fluently opens more opportunities for an individual like him. He also sees many job opportunities for other expatriates in Doha with the ongoing developments on various fronts.

Having arrived in Qatar only a few days ago, he finds many expatriates and Qataris as friendly and hospitable.

Mohamed Basni, an Indian expatriate who had worked in Dubai before, said he simply wants to maintain his good relationship with his colleagues and people.

“I have met many people here and I would say they are all good, both Qataris and expatriates,” he said.

Besides making friends, another New Year resolution is to stay as hardworking and punctual as possible so as not to compromise his job.

“I never had any absence in my entire career and I do not remember being late in coming to the office,” said Basni, who runs five to 10km every afternoon on the Corniche except Thursday.

Basni also wants to maintain his good health by eating fibre-rich foods, avoiding those being served in fast food chains. About his plans for this year, he said he wants to put up a business in India where his family stays.

For two other Indians, Abdul Abdjaleel and Saraj K, 2014 will be a blessed year as they hunt for good jobs in Qatar. Abdjaleel is a teacher of Malayalam language while his friend teaches Information Technology.

To land a good job, Saraj said he is planning to attend trainings and schooling just to upgrade his IT skills.

Abdjaleel sees himself travelling to other GCC countries such as Saudi Arabia for his Umrah this year. He had visited Dubai sometime in 2007 and hopes to visit more Arab countries.

For Filipinos like Rod Navarro and his wife Melanie, good health to all members of their family had always been their wish each year.

“When you are healthy, you will be able to work better and earn money for your children and the whole family,” said Rod. “You also feel happy when you see them in a good condition”.

Their flatmate Maria Lisa Arcabal hopes to change her weaknesses into strengths, letting go of things without bitterness.

“It is more of changing myself first for me to change other things,” said Arcabal, who also prays for a bright career in Doha with her sister and nephews.