Shopping anyone?

Sure, I have been to malls before, but never quite like this one. One of Ovaise's friends graciously offered to take us shopping so we could start to buy everything we need.

We end up going to Villagio mall, one of the newer ones in Doha.

I can tell you it is unlike anything I've ever seen before in my life! First of all, it is huge! The whole mall is supposed to be set in Italy and once inside, if you look up, they have the whole ceiling painted so it actually gives the impression you are outside, with the clouds and sky above you. Besides that, there is a boat ride that you can take through the mall, and a full sized skating rink, as well as kids' amusment park rides. We first decide to eat. Again, the halaal food is great! Finally I am able to eat without worrying. Sitting in the food court, I can see Pizza Hut, KFC, BK, Mcdonald's, Miss Vanelli's, just to name a few. We decide to have shawarmas. I know it sounds funny, but we are really craving it for some reason, and know that there will be plenty of time to experience the other food options at a later time. Which I am excited and worried about at the same time. Some friends have warned us about the 'Doha 20', which I am scared of. Basically, thanks to all the halaal restaurants here, people end up gaining 2o pounds when they move here. So far, I haven't stepped on the scale, but my jeans still fit, so that has to be a good sign, right?

As I am sitting in the food court, I start to take it all in. I am actually starting to feel quite depressed sitting there. All around me is 'bling', and yet this is my Muslim ummah. All of the sudden, I don't feel hungry anymore, but nauseous instead. I just feel that all of these resources and time are being wasted. It iss actually my first 'reflective moment' since coming to Doha.

But, one positive point, not just about the malls, but in general, is the fact that when going out, at least everyone (for the most part) is dressed Islamically. I remember looking up and seeing a sea of black and white. The women dressed in full black abayas, hijabs and niqabs (even if they are designer) and the men with the white thobes and ghutras (freshly pressed and kept in place) makes for a nice scene.

After our meal, we hit the store, Carrefour. It is probably the best comparison to Wal-Mart back home. By that time, we are really tired, due to jet-lag, and can't even make good decisions in what to buy. We end up piling our cart with whatever we can find and feel we need. Since it is a Friday night, the place is packed with shoppers. Friday and Saturday are holidays here, so on Thursday and Friday nights, everyone comes out.

While shopping, we are hit by the prices of everything. It certainly isn't cheap. Everything is actually quite expensive, pretty much the same as what we paid in Canada, some things being a bit more and some a bit less. This is cause for further sadness, since we know how many workers there are in Doha from other countries and we also know how little they get paid. How can they afford to live in Doha? For the average Qatari or westerner, it is ok, but not for all those workers. Again, we feel sick. And really tired. It is time to go home.