FAQ's about my experience in Doha, Qatar

I get a lot of questions about my experience in Doha and I felt like I should dedicate a full blogpost about it. I'll give a little background information first. My father was offered a three year position for his work in Doha, Qatar. But, I only spent two years there. I spent my seventh and eighth grade year at the American School of Doha and moved back to Texas for high school.

Now that we're done with the boring stuff, let's get into answering questions. These are frequently asked questions about my experience in Doha and if you have any that I did not answer, feel free to email me!

1. Did you like it in Qatar?
Yes and no. I loved that I was introduced to the Arabic language and I figured out what I was truly passionate about. However, the people I went to school with were completely different from what I was used to. I made some really great friends but I never felt as though I found a group that I felt fully comfortable with.

2. Do you miss it? Would you ever go back to Doha?
At times I miss my school. I went to a great private school and I sometimes miss the individual attention from my teachers and also the student attitude was a lot better at ASD than it is at my high school. I don't have any desire to go back to Doha. However, if I were given the opportunity to go back I definitely would. Doha is a great place for travelers and it was a memorable experience but I would never permanently move back there.

3. Did you have to cover yourself up or wear a hijab?
No, Qatar did not require for women to wear a hijab. However, when I lived there, I felt like I needed to respect the culture and cover myself up a little bit. I have a whole post about that if you're wondering how to dress in the Middle East.

4. Do you still keep in touch with your friends that you made in Doha? 
I talk to a few but we have all moved around the globe and are on different time zones. A lot of the friends I made at school are living in countries like Japan, the Netherlands, Malaysia, etc. We have all moved on and made other friends and adapted to the places we moved to so naturally, we lost touch. However, some of my really great friends moved very near me and I've gone up to see them a few times.

5. Were you forced to learn Arabic?
No, I chose to take Arabic as my foreign language and I am so glad I did that. Qatar did not require everyone to learn Arabic. However, if you're going to a market or someplace, it is useful to know a few words.

Those are the main questions I get asked! Thanks for reading. :) 

Moroccan Fashionistas

Since the end of the school year is approaching, I have begun the "dozing off" during class phase. Lately, I've been thinking of what types of clothes I should wear in Morocco. Living in Texas, I practically live in athletic shorts and loose fitting T-shirts. However, while I was in Doha I never could have gone out in shorts. Since I lived in Doha for two year, I flashed back to how I used dress there and decided to tell all of you! So, here my friends, is a guide for girls, on what to pack when you're going on a journey to the Middle East.

1. Tank tops and cardigans are your best friends.

Bummed you can't wear your summer tank tops because you're in Morocco? Bring a bunch of cardigans that match your tank tops and voila, you've got yourself a Middle-East appropriate outfit. Cardigans are lightweight and never run out of style. If you're looking for cheaper cardigans I would check out Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, or Pac Sun. If you want a little better quality and are willing to spend a little extra then I would highly recommend going to J Crew, Banana Republic, or Gap. 

2. Substitute shorts with capris or roll up your jeans!

While I was living in Doha, all I wanted to do was go out with shorts on because it was so hot. It got to about 117 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer and it got the point where I would stay at home because that was the only place I could wear shorts. However, one day, I made a trip to H&M and bought some capris and they were a life saver. I did not have to wear tight skinny jeans and my capris were so light weight and they did not cover all of my legs. I would check out Kohl's for really good capris and also Gap and American Eagle have great jeans. 

3. Sunglasses and Cross Body Bags are amazing. End of story.

I have an obsession with sunglasses and cross body bags. I don't care if they are only a summer thing, you'll see me wearing my cross body in the fall, winter, spring and summer! Cross body bags are great because they are so light weight, they carry your essentials, and you don't have to carry a huge purse with you and carry it on one shoulder. It gets hotter than ever in the summer time wherever you are, and sunglasses are great. They look great and they keep your eyes safe from the bright sun. Great places to look for cross bodies and sunglasses is Forever 21, Fossil, Macy's, and Coach. 

4. Lastly, bring tons of scarves

Being in the Middle East, you never know when you're going to take a trip to a mosque or religious area. So, bring a thin scarf and keep it in your bag!And if you don't have room in your bag, wear it around your neck! I have a scarf obsession so I know I will be bringing tons and tons to Morocco with my this summer. Scarves also serve as great accessories and are probably the best things ever. I get a majority of my scarves from India but Target and pretty much any store will have great quality scarves.

International Love....

I was listening to the song "International Love" by Pitbull and Chris Brown and I was inspired to show some pictures of where I've been throughout my life. Enjoy!
                                                                         

                                                                            Malta

                                                                      Naples, Italy

                                                                     Barcelona, Spain

                                                                     Rome, Italy

                                                                 Florence, Italy

                                                  Boire mon chocolat chaud en Nice, France!

                                                               عطلة في مسقط Muscat, Oman

                                                              Ephesus, Turkey

                                           Santorini, Greece (my favorite place in the world)

I've been fortunate enough to have parents that can afford to go to nice places around the world and in no way am I trying to brag.

My Arabic Story...

I get a lot of people asking me how a Hindu girl like me was ever introduced to Arabic. Well, first off, what is wrong with a Hindu girl learning Arabic? Absolutely nothing.

The summer of 2007 my parents broke the news that we were picking up and moving to Doha, Qatar from 2008-2012. My first reaction was "Where is Doha?" And then of course, the tears came and went and all of my childhood friends said they would miss me. I made it my mission throughout 2007 to convince my parents that Doha was not an option and that we have to stay at home. I had lived in a small town in Texas my entire life and the biggest move I had ever made before Doha was moving from one street to another. The summer of 2008 came and before I knew it, I was sitting on a Lufthansa flight to Doha. I was in a deep state of denial when I moved to Doha and I kept thinking to myself, "This cannot be happening" I went to one of the best private schools in Doha, The American School of Doha (ASD). It was so different from the public schools I had gone to in Texas. The people were so much more different and interesting. As I was registering for classes, my mother insisted I be put in Arabic and not be like everyone else. Of course, I told her I wanted to take French and she put her foot down, and said I was taking Arabic, no arguments.

It's funny because I actually received a 20 out of 100 on my first Arabic quiz because it was so hard. But, then I started to really immerse myself in the language and try to improve my Arabic skills everyday. I would try and read the store signs on the streets and figure out the different letters. I would also write my name in Arabic over and over again on my papers. It was then on, when I decided that I was in love with the Arabic language. I was the best in my class and consistently got 100's throughout my first year in Doha. Then, my second and last year in Doha came. I was actually sad to leave because that meant I couldn't take Arabic as my foreign language anymore. I finished my second year and fell more in love everyday with the language. When it was time to go back to Texas, my mother promised me my Arabic journey will not come to an end. And thankfully, it didn't.

Whenever I tell people in India and America that I learn Arabic they are interested but you can hear the judgement in their voices. I live in a conservative, primarily Christian town in Texas and it is sometimes really hard to express my opinion because it is completely different from others. When I told people I learned Arabic in my town, they frowned and asked my why I was learning a terrorist language. Of course, I would yell at them and give them a lecture on how they should do their research and not believe everything the media tells them. However, they would walk out of the room and forget about our conversation. So, I stopped telling people and only brought the subject up when it was necessary. I'm not at all ashamed of my Arabic journey and I will continue to try and change people's minds about the Arab world.

Marhaba!

Hey everyone! I am super excited to start blogging about my experience in Morocco this summer. Only 10 more weeks to go! I am extremely excited. I've never been to Morocco before and I am so glad that I am going with NSLI-Y. I was first informed of NSLI-Y through my brother last year but it was too late to apply. Instead, I went to the Middlebury Monterey Language Academy (MMLA) for Arabic. This was my first Arabic immersion program. It was such an amazing four weeks and I will never forget MMLA. I met the most amazing people and luckily, two people from MMLA are going to join me in Morocco!

I applied for NSLI-Y in November and found out I was a semi-finalist in December. Since there were no nearby volunteers in Texas, I had to have my interview over the phone. After my interview, I was so nervous and I waited for almost three months before I found out I was a finalist. During those three months, I checked my email probably 6 times a day. However, on March 29, I decided to only check my email two times a day. I checked my email that morning and there was nothing and then while sitting in a nail salon in the afternoon, I checked my email and there it was...my notification from NSLI-Y. I heart skipped a beat and I couldn't breath for a minute. I downloaded the attachment and read the words "You have been selected," From that moment on, I could not stop smiling. I told my family and friends and they were thrilled. When I woke up the next day it suddenly hit me that I was going to Morocco for the summer and once again, I could not wipe my smile off my face.

I'm so excited to go to Morocco this summer and I hope this blog will be helpful for anyone considering an exchange program!