A Teens Perspective of Doha

Written by Hannah Thorpe, High School Junior:

Living in Doha as a teenager is definitely a good experience. The description from a parent’s point of view makes it sound like a pretty boring, but safe, place. While it is without a doubt very safe, it can be very entertaining, depending on what you make of it. There doesn’t seem like there’s much to do here, but there is a wide variety of restaurants and the service is generally very good. There are four malls to choose from, one of which includes a 14-screen movie theatre, an ice skating rink, several restaurants, a bowling alley, a Ladies Only floor, and two Starbucks.

A quick walk from this mall (City Center) is the Corniche, the walking park along the harbor. This is a popular place to walk at night, or to sit and talk with friends as it usually cools off after sunset, and there is a nice breeze off the ocean. It is probably a good idea to have a guy in your group when on the Corniche. Doha is not a scary or un-safe place, but some of the guys you run into on the Corniche can be slightly rude and annoying.

Getting around is generally easy. Taxis are outside most big shopping centers, or they are easy to get by a simple phone call, and are quite inexpensive. If, however, you are a girl by yourself, or in a group with no boys, it is a good idea to stick to the Fox Transport system, and stay away from the orange or blue taxis, just to be safe.

Now, while it is fun and easy to go out, sometimes you may not want to fight the traffic or the crowds near the malls. So, find a friend who lives in a compound. These are basically a bunch of houses all inside one wall. Most of them have a clubhouse with a pool, and the larger ones will often have a small grocery store or a restaurant. These are always fun to hang out in, because they are safe and you often run into other people you know that can join in the fun.

The American School of Doha is a very welcoming place. Everyone is nice, and happy to meet someone new. It is easy to make friends and feel a part of the group. The teachers are great and very supportive, often putting in lots of extra time to meet with students for help with studies, or just to talk.

Once again, I must stress that Doha is a very nice place to live. If you embrace the culture changes and make the best of any situation, it will certainly be worth it.

Source : Al Hannah