Home Alone!

I'm home alone! So are most of my friends in Doha. That means we're like a band of roving bachelors trying to fill up time after work. This usually involves lots of time spent at the cinema, eating junk food, playing indoor sport (the heat remember) and long card games. It's like being in university all over again.

Lots of people who do not live in Qatar find the exodus of our families during summertime strange and a bit weird. You'll often get "you wife is gone for HOW long!?" as if they are trying to figure out if you are having marital problems.

Of course, the reason most our families go home during these months is simple : HEAT and HUMIDITY. The current climate in Qatar is almost unbearable. It's okay since our homes, cars and offices are airconditioned. But if you're a kid, this place is a nightmare. You can't play outside for months. Now imagine being a parent of a child who is going mad being inside the house for extended periods...

So, the solution is simple. Usually our wives and kids pack off to Jordan/Egypt/UK and stay with the grandparents for a month or two. The kids love it since they are back home with family and friends. The parents gets a break and some help.

And we get to relish in the fun of being alone...for a couple of days until we realise how much we miss our families and wish they were here!