Wellbeing Central
It is becoming challenging to maintain wellbeing while dealing with the modern day complexities. As more and more of us find it difficult to create and maintain harmony in all spheres of life, it is becoming even more important to pay attention to our wellbeing. But first, we need to understand what wellbeing is, and how we can navigate this complex concept.
I asked these question to answer my PhD thesis and found it both personally and professional transformational. That is why I am sharing new insights, through this bilingual podcast, on wellbeing and human development, and hoping to help create a wellbeing movement where more and more of us live a more meaningful and purposeful life.
Through each episode, I challenge deeply held beliefs about wellbeing and human growth and expansion. Audience get a chance to self-reflect and have dialogues with others as they find their own answers after listening to the episodes.
Wellbeing Central
Living in Qatar: Finding my oasis in a desert
When I came to live in Qatar from Australia, I brought along with me several ideas and preconceived notions. This podcast is about how those ideas were challenged and what happened when I started seeing what Qatar is and not what I wanted it to be.
I am hoping that many people would relate to my experiences or at least better understand others who may have similar experiences after moving to this country.
For those who haven't visited Qatar and have some ideas and perceptions based mainly on media reports, I hope that some of those ideas may be revised.
Share your thoughts and feedback @wellbeingcentral.org
Living in Qatar: finding my own oasis in a desert
Hello, I’m Dr. Archana Mishra and welcome to Wellbeing central!
Why are you moving there? You have daughters! The Middle - East is a dangerous part of the world! Can you even drive there? Don’t you have to cover up in public?
These were just some of the things I heard before moving to Qatar.
For us, moving to new cities and countries is part of life due to the nature of my husband’s work. So, when an opportunity came along for us to move to Doha from Brisbane, we did… with our 10 year old daughter. Our motivation was to experience the rich and complex heritage of the middle east. Also, we would be right in the middle of three major continents and be able to explore many parts of the world relatively easily.
At that time, I was enrolled in a PhD study at the University of Queensland, Australia and fortunately, got the permission to continue the work while living in Qatar.
Before moving here, all I knew was that Qatar is a small resource rich country hosting the FIFA world cup in 2022…. and under blockade by some of its neighbors. I didn’t dig much further beyond a basic understanding because I wanted to be also guided by my own lived experiences.
We arrived here in the middle of the night in March 2019 and were impressed with the beautiful street lights adorned with qur’anic scriptures as we left the airport. It gave a sense of calm and serenity.
We stayed in the west bay area for a few months before our shipment from Australia arrived. In the morning, the view of the beautiful turquoise waters of the Persian gulf greeted us and the hotel staff took care of our daily needs. As with every move, the first few days were just a blur between jetlag and our mind processing the change.
Then I got busy with the usual process of settling my daughter in her new school, finding grocery stores, looking for a good hospital, dentist, hairdresser etc. We enjoyed walking along the Corniche and visiting Souq Waqif ….and many beautiful buildings with Islamic architecture fascinated me. The Spiral mosque opposite the Souq specially caught my attention and still remains my favorite building in Qatar…..
At first….everything was novel and exciting!
Then, after three months of hotel life, we moved to a residential compound and started living in a relatively more realistic set up. I quickly realized how safe this country was, particularly for women who could walk about anywhere at any time of the day or night. Also, we didn’t need to lock up our houses or cars ……even when we went on vacation, and that I found extraordinary by any measure.
However, when the novelty of the new place started wearing off, I began to experience something different.
I noticed a general lack of greenery-----, compared to where I came from, there were very few trees here and I longed for a familiar surroundings. So I started buying indoor and outdoor plants like a maniac all the while raising eyebrows at their exorbitant price. Regardless of the cost, I was determined to live in a green space like I used to before. Soon, my indoor and outdoor spaces started resembling a small garden.
I also started noticing the rash driving on Doha roads and a blatant hierarchy of who drives in which lanes and how. This scared me and so despite getting a drivers’ licence I chose to only drive if I had no other option. While on outings I used to spend a lot of time commenting on the less than desirable driving culture of this country.
And how could I not notice the all-pervasive construction chaos leading up to FIFA? The lane markings would appear and disappear overnight, sometimes within a couple of hours while coming back from a place! How are we supposed to handle that?
And also, how about all the construction workers, gardeners, and other members of the labour force that we saw working outside? Combine that with constant foreign media reports of their exploitation ….and I had a perfect recipe for all kinds of negative emotions. I’d often feel guilty when I saw them working outdoors in the heat while I was travelling in my airconditioned car.
Seeing the level of plastic use also elevated my angst, particularly while grocery shopping. Bringing my own reusable bags gave me a sense of superiority as I judged others who used plastic.
In addition to these issues, many more big and small things added to my overall sense of negativity, skepticism, and wanting to be somewhere else. I started believing that I’m languishing in a concrete jungle with inequality, abruptly changing rules, and not much to do. Leaving on vacations was the only thing I really looked forward to.
Over time, while travelling, I started to experience many different beliefs, practices and ways of life. I visited a wide variety of communities – eastern, western, developed and developing, worlds and saw their unique strengths and limitations. After each visit outside, I came back and saw Qatar in a slightly different way.
Then covid 19 struck and we witnessed the horrific worldwide chaos and casualties that came with it. During this time I was getting deep into my research studies and learning about wellbeing and consciousness development. At the same time, a number of learning opportunities that were earlier closed were now available online. So, I participated in various programs and practices that allowed space for self-reflection and opening up to different realities. I also came across many inspiring people with conflicting and contradictory perspectives. Now, I started feeling the need to stretch myself and reach for a new lens to look at myself and the world.
Then slowly, I began to pause and reflect on how my limited and biased perspectives were stopping me from understanding what Qatar has to offer.
During the pandemic when hospitals worldwide were running out of essential supplies and people were losing jobs and even lives, I noticed how well Qatar managed the situation…..given the circumstances. Not just the well-off section of the society but also the migrant workers in Qatar were taken care of during sickness and isolation, as told by the workers themselves. They told me that they were grateful to have jobs and health during that time unlike many of their friends and relatives elsewhere. It is this job that kept their families alive. So, while their work conditions could always be made better, it was good to learn how they really understand and experience their situation.
Then, in 2021, when the blockade came to an end, I felt a sense of triumph and joy just like many people in Qatar did. I acknowledged how well Qatar managed the crisis and emerged as a stronger nation despite the blockade. I sensed that I was now becoming a part of Qatar’s trials and tribulations, and it had finally started to feel like home.
One day, I was happily showing off my house plants to a friend and told her that I felt at home because of them. She simply said, “this is nice Archana but, you live in a desert, so enjoy what it offers in its own unique way.” While we hear such statements often, sometimes they strike more, and for me, this was one of those moments. Then I started appreciating the amazing public parks that Doha offers to all of its residents. Corniche, Bidda, MIA, Katara, old port, Aspire and many more green spaces bring families and friends together! Yes, this is brought to a halt during the harsh summer days but then that’s what desert weather in gulf countries is like.
As the pandemic started waning off, the build-up of the FIFA world cup excitement had begun. Countless people were working on making it an amazing event and we could see the evidence all around us. At the same time, we started seeing a growing negative campaign from foreign news and social media outlets. They became relentless in spreading rumours and negativity about Qatar. Slowly, it started to hit me and the more negative they got the more connected I felt to this country. In that moment, I saw the problem in my earlier attitude towards it.
I came to a new country…… and rather than trying to better understand its context, I just looked at it through the lens of my own ideals and beliefs. I should have first seen Qatar for what it is and not what I wanted it to be: It is a gulf country that was a small fishing and pearling village until 1939, and got its independence only in 1971. Coming into huge wealth in a very short time meant a lot of people flocked here to make their own fortune. A young country of around 300,000 people is hosting around 2.3 million expats from all around the world. So, imagine the task of looking after people from more than 100 different countries with varying levels of needs, expectations, and bargaining power? And to top it off, it also had to endure an almost four year - long economic and diplomatic blockade imposed by some of its neighbouring countries.
For being such a young and small country, Qatar is managing significant cultural, economic, and diplomatic complexities on several fronts and it’s not doing too badly. Yes, it has a lot of money but that alone can’t address all challenges. Many large, established, and resourceful countries are still grappling with the issues of labor reforms, native rights, social harmony, and sustainable development. So, is it fair for us to expect Qatar to address all challenges to our utmost satisfaction and as quickly as we want? Are we notprepared to be patient while it deals with the growing pains?
When I now see the migrant workers here, I also see families that are surviving because of that work. They tell me that they feel safe here and that they are thankful for the good and free healthcare that is available to them. Of course….reforms are needed and they should continue to improve the current situation.. But relentless flogging of the country based on our preconceived notions is a bit unfair.
When I drive now, I still see unexpected moves by some drivers. But I also experience kindness by many who show more patience and tolerance on the road for other people’s mistakes than I do. Sometimes I wonder if I have traded kindness for just polite mannerisms.
When I come across plastic bags while grocery shopping I remind myself that in the march towards sustainable development all societies are at different stages and prioritizing different things. Qatar is working towards a sustainable future, and I see evidence of that around me. So, I need to always remember the context in which this country has to operate. My house and outdoors plants are thriving but I have alsolearnt to find beauty in the desert landscape.
I’m now actively learning to overcome my biases, and meeting people and places where they are. With that spirit, I am trying to understand Qatar and acknowledge its unique history and future potential. I feel the beating heart of Doha in Souq Waqif where people from all sections of the society wearing thobes, abayas, shirts, sarees, and western outfits come together.
Spread across the country are some phenomenal museums and art houses: Museum of Islamic art, national museum, Sheikh Faisal, and 321 museum are some of my favourite! Also, I can’t forget to mention Doha Metro that gave us the fabulous “Metrooo this way” experience during the FIFA world cup.
Many people have optimised their economic, material, social and cultural wellbeing after moving to Qatar and I could see why that is that case. However, I had also heard that many people have had spiritual awakening after coming here. This really perplexed me until I experienced it myself. Spirituality means the ability to see beyond ourselves and feel the connection between us and the rest of the creation. So, the greater possibility of spiritual awakening here may be due to the many beliefs, ideas, and ways of life residing in peace. Or perhaps…. the city of mosque holds some powerful spiritual energy.
With almost 90% expat population in the country, it offers a truly international experience. My daughter studies with kids from over 85 different countries who are learning about different ways of life from each other. We also find a great variety of food, grocery and other items from across the world. All this is an amazing feat by a tiny and young country.
A good nation provides a safe place for its residents where they can live in social and cultural harmony. It offers education, healthcare and essential public facilities with sound economic opportunities and material comforts. A good nation protects its natural environment and creates vision for a better future. Such nations also reform their policies as and when needed. I think Qatar is doing all this and more. It’s not perfect but has come a long way in a very short time and that should be appreciated.
As the cloud of my preconceptions are slowly clearing, I am able to now see the beautiful kaleidoscope of humanity that Qatar is so generously hosting. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be in this country but I’ll always be grateful for the valuable life lesson it has taught me – to understand people and places just as they are and in their unique context.
So, Shukran Min qalbi, Qatar!
If you live here, then I invite you to reflect on your own connection with this country. If you don’t live here then has any of your impressions changed after listening to this podcast?
Please share your thoughts on my website: wellbeingcentral.org.
Thank you for listening….and Stay tuned for the next episode where I’ll share my experiences with the Practice of Yoga.
Until then, let’s get one stop closer to wellbeing central!