Starbucks in Doha

UAE has much better roads, services, shopping options and prices, infrastructure. It is greener (literally as in less dirt and sand and gravel and more parks and landscape). UAE is also cleaner.

Furthermore, Abu Dhabi [much nicer than Dubai IMHO] is much more fmily oriented than Single-Men dominated Doha. In Abu Dhabi you walk on their incredibly clean and beautiful Corniche and you see lots and lots of families. Doha has lots and lots of men!

Schools are disasterous here with bad facilities, education and long waiting lists not to mention very high fees.

no.. im moving to doha... im in dubai now...

I thought u were here in Doha but you are making references to Dubai

Well, Here in Dubai, I finally said screw it, and turned the starbucks i go to here like the one back home!

Basically if ive been seeing the same people over and over... i go up to them and chat it up (westerners or western educated)

as of now i have a group of about 6 people... been to a club with 3 of them the other night... had a couple over for a bbq last night...

going to cirque du soleil with the group later this month...

so.. im not worried anymore... ill just recreate what i lack!!! haha

ryan

Crazy, I know! I asked for a tea at Starbucks this morning and got a bag with a cup of hot water for 10 QR. Sigh. But I still think Ryan needs to think twice before plopping down next to a lady in an abaya and beginning a conversation.

Mandi

They could be cheaper, but still love it!

I wish they had Chai Tea Latte here though :(

I agree with fubar.

They're too bloody expensive..BOYCOTT THEM till they lower their prices..

Broke from Doha

What boycott? it's usually over in less than a week....

Why so? Is it associated with US ? Danish banning stuff .LOL

Starbucks britexpat?

BOYCOTT STARBUCKS!

PM - Is Ramada Signal where the GMC garage is? And the Starbucks is next door to Johhny Rockets?

Ryan - If the answer to the above question is yes, then I would say this is a good place to start. I am from the UK and everytime we drive past that Starbucks its always fairly busy - no jam packed, but busy enough, and I always say to my husband "lets stop there for a coffee". We have gone there a couple of times and although I have only been here just over 2 weeks, I think it will be my new hangout. Just listen to conversations and you can pick out the english speakers from the none english speakers - although I havent noticed anyone reading books here yet, which is a shame...maybe me and you could start a trend! :)

In our old flat in the UK we used to have a Starbucks just a 5 minute walking distance away and I used to go there so regularly that I became pally with the staff and if I wasnt always in a rush, I would have probably made a few friends as well. I am like you, I always want to strike up a conversation with randoms because people interest me and I believe that you never know who you are going to meet.

At the end of the day, dont let this thread scare you off meeting people - ok, if they are wearing abayas, perhaps not, but I have found when you speak to people here, they are usually very friendly, more friendly than Dubai even! (I have never been to Texas so can't comment on that neck of the woods!)

;)

Dude quit it already :P

Im not the Peacemaker of Doha or something...

I have a huge list of complaints myself !!! :)

there i said it !!!

You're right. There is no small talk with people around here...

It is deafening.

Please don't get upset r7--that is just my personal experience, as well. I'm sure you can strike up a conversation with anyone at anytime...You are probably a lot more charismatic. ;)

I am an asian..when I went to London...the people were definitely more friendly... eg:- in Tube the person who sits next to you will smile... and if we smile back they will start talking to us...

I cannot expect the same here… we can sit for hrs near a person while waiting in a hospital or in a saloon without even exchanging a single word..

Much like as europeans we would get treated pretty much the same all across europe im sure the same happens here across the GCC?

But say a GCC national comes to west im sure you would complain to and depending on where you go might get some unpleasant treatment.

There was no "cursing" in any of the responses on this thread.

You love Doha. Some of us don't. We should agree to disagree. That is the civilized and "friendly" thing to do. ;)

you are right..this place is not so bad...could have been better if the people were more friendly..

R7 relax....being unfriendly to strangers doesn’t mean being rude! it just mean unwelcoming..

Sorry about that !!

Im not trying to force my opinion on any 1 ..

All im saying is y generalize all the time n curse the whole country for a few bad apples. be it Driving / behavior or whatever else...

r7---Cool your jets, dude!

It is comforting to know that you are so passionate about the level of "friendliness" and "respectfulness" here in Doha. Good for you. But, getting defensive and telling people that they should not voice their opinions based on personal experiences is not becoming.

Take it easy. You are not coming across as very "friendly."

And, no, this place is tolerable, it's not just a very friendly place.

Its not that we haven't been to other places and seen different cultures, all im saying is every 1 can't be the same so maybe u ppl need to stop comparing everything to ur home towns.. U need to think outside the box.. Everything does not revolve around the west..

and If this place was that bad to live in .. None of you would even be here...

Money or whatever keeps u here, u guys should be thankful about the opportunities we get here..

Bahraini and others that think that this is a "friendly" and "respectable" place are NOT on the outside looking in....

Loathe as I am to make generalization, I disagree Bahraini.

COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTRIES, people are not as friendly to strangers in Qatar.

COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTRIES - they smile much less.

COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTRIES - people here are obnoxious, disrespectful to service staff in cafes, restaurants, shops, disrespectful of queues, non-smoking signs, use of mobile phones in cinames, and children here, particularly Arab kids, are the rudest little brats I've ever seen.

COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTRIES - no, they are on the whole not friendly to strangers.

Try living in a western country and you'll see the difference. People form orderly queues in traffic, at the movies, in shops, everywhere.

They don't smoke indoors.

They say please and thank you.

FS i don't know what ur talking about.. Ive lived here all my life and ppl always seem to be friendly i have never come across some guy being rude or obnoxious for no reason with me..

There r the occasional morons at the cinema etc.. but in general i think every here is pretty decent n respectful...

Play nice:)

They do that with you.... but not very friendly with us..of course there are exceptions...lol

whats all this thread about??

people not friendly in qatar? false

they don't smile? false again

they don't say plz and thank u? one more false thing

they don't chat, speak, or talk to strangers? HELLO!!!

i dont have children... but i have noticed that among people here in dubai... not just in the children... i get a good response from waiter staff at restaurants... cause im always polite...

but.. put me behind the wheel of a car.... and i have stepped up my game of road rage!

ryan

I don't know if you have children Ryan from Texas but if you do and they say Please and Thank you they will be laughed at here in Qatar!

Take them to one of the amusement areas and see how rude the children are here and how they have no respect for lines (queues) and no courtesy at all

ryan, you may noticed that a lot of people don't smile. perhaps you will notice also that ladies don't smile at all.:) that's because of cultural differences , i think. back home we smile to strangers, but here if a woman smiles to a man, he thinks you like him and stalks you. arghhhh... oh, i know westerners don't behave that way but unfortunately, westereners are not the only ones populating doha. cheers!

Ryan, sounds like you need one of these:

http://www.toyota.com/tacoma/

So thats why when im at a store or restaurant and say thanks and smile, and be genuine they seem surprised....

whats with speaking so loudly into cell phones here? if people cant hear dont they know to just turn up the volume? I dont understand why people here in dubai have this urge for everyone around them to know their personal business.... granted i cant speak the language and dont know their business anyway... but still, whats the deal?

in the states... most of the time, when people are on the phone they try to keep it as private as possible.

You can't teach experience...

Texas is a very friendly place.... 1st thing you notice is here nobody smiles except with their friends... People are not friendly and do not greet strangers with a smile and Hi; How are you! People in this place have grim faces matching the dreary desert sand and oppressive heat and rough roads

Hey;

Go to Industrial Area and you will have tons of fun :-) LOL

Welcome to ad Doha, al Rayan!

Ryan,

I heard Fitness First has already been opened at City Center. Might want to give it a try! :)

Cheers,

Austin

I've been in a tiny rental car since ive been in dubai... and yesterday my company was like "we've got a big truck for you"

the truck they gave me was a toyota... I dont know about you all... but i dont think toyota knows the meaning of big... nor do my british colleagues that I work with.

A real truck is the kind in which you need a step latter to get into. hahaha

GYMs.... ok... because ive been working so much i have eaten an abundant amount of crap. ie mcdonalds, burger king, etc... i think ive eaten more fast food in the past month than i have in the past 2 years... anyway... are there any good gyms to work out at there?

by good.. i mean, im used to a 24 hour fitness type, in which the gym is huge... not a hotel fitness room.

On a personal note... I dont have a truck back home... I have dodge charger... and if i were to get a truckish type vehicle.. id go for a hummer... even though they are most likely going out of business

Ryan

Well, if you asked me what I was reading I might be a little put off (OK, OK, I'm not a teenager anymore and would know it's not a pick up line) but if you were to ask me about my pick-up truck (and I do have one) I'd find it an irresistible topic of conversation. Ya just gotta pick the right person, though.

Mandi

yes a Majlis where most Qatari's allow any nationality sit with them chat and drink Kaiwa and smoke Sheesha...

In my Majlis there are Westerns, Indians and others sitting and chatting with each other till 10PM

~Posted from the OverLord~

~© and all right reserved®~

You will do great here. People are reserved, but I've found if you smile and say hello, they will do the same. You may have to initiate the conversation, but many people will jump in if you start it. Trust me, the endless coffee shops are thriving everywhere, Starbucks, included. Have a great adventure...it's what you make it.

Sybil

Bleu is SO right! Being from Texas, this is one (of many) things my husband and I have noticed. The people here are so much more reserved. It is absolutely the best being able to strike up a conversation with anyone around. We are normally very friendly and smile a lot.

Since being here, we have had to curb that sort of behavior. :(

I miss that so much...and people here don't smile much at all...I guess there's not much to smile about.

Ryan,

You can't compare life in Doha to Texas, people in TX are super-friendly (a little too friendly for Qatar's standards.)

In Qatar we don't usually greet strangers (shouting) with a huge smile...

I should know, I'm in Texas right now, and it's 5am.

you will get all sorts of mates on QL...(some by PM)

but don't interact with DaRuDe......

All the best and Welcome to Doha in advance.

.Formatted Soul

.i dont mind talking and answering to a strange q. from a stanger..

.well,

.as long as i like that stanger, lol......

.

Hey Ryan -

Welcome to Doha!!!! Definately a big change from Texas.

The Starbucks thing is definately a bit out of it now. Atleast here in Doha... coffee is still rockin' though so its an in-an-out thing...

Columbiano Coffee on CRing by Chili's is actually pretty decent. I frequently plop myself down outside or on the nice comfy chairs and have coffee and a bit of lunch and internet surf... great in the evenings after gym anyway (Al Massa is right behind) or on Saturdays.

Ive struck up a few conversations here and there and ran into quite a few expats doing the same.

Good luck

Brin

See you already found one...Rob7-9..lol

Obliviously you are not gonna be the first Texan here..

you are in the right place.. Qatar living is the best place to socialize with like minded people...be active here..you will get to know people even before coming here... Provided you behave good..lol

Talking to random people in starbucks is not a good idea..lol they might ask ...'why you wanna know what am reading'??

Don't know what Dubai is like compared to Doha, but there are very obvious trends in this place. And things can go from being popular to deserted almost overnight. There was a time when you couldn’t find a seat an any of the Starbuck’s, now they are usually empty, or closed down altogether.

The few people who do still go to Starbuck’s tend not to speak English anyway. They just go there to have a cigarette and compare notes on who has the hairiest chest and who has the most wax in their hair. And that’s just the women…

Jeez. You guys are gonna scare the life outta this guy! Ryan, it ain't that bad here don't worry, and my experience is if you chat to 'an obviously western' person i.e. not someone in an abaya etc, you'll have a nice chat and get to know some people in Starbucks and other coffee places... Don't be scared off!

Amish Country huh... Well I dont think Texas has Amish... and if we did... they'd have big trucks... which would completely contradict their religion... and in that case would no longer be amish.

starbucks = 2006.... well 2006 was a good year... well maybe youre right... i just wikipediad 2006... nothing really that eventful popped out...

oh god... im so last year... what to do with myself

ryan

Yeah Ryan, get yourself on the good ole HHH, we'll soon sort you out.

Doha is to Dubai what Amish country is to Texas. If you are looking for sex on the beach then Dubai is for you (till you get nicked), but in small town Doha, strange things get noticed very quickly.

A lot of guys used to go to the one at Ramada signal to meet other guys...

Now they go to the Beanery.

Besides, Starbucks is so 2006. No one goes anymore.

Wow... youd be taken aback if someone starting talking to you? Even if ti was something of the sort "What are you reading", " where are you from"

I'm not talking about plumping down in front of someone and starting up a conversation... its more like if one presented itself. like you over hear an accent... and your like.. hey where are you from?

Thats what I mean... if people in qatar cant handle that... i guess i have 3 things in store for me... a gym... a book... and xbox... though i admit dont have one, but if i cant be randomly social... video games seems the way to go... hahaha

ryan

lots of places to hang around here were you could randomly sit down and have a chat....

.

DESERT-an area of land, usually in very hot climates, that consists only of sand, gravel, or rock with little or no vegetation, no permanent bodies of water, and erratic rainfall.

DESERT-a place or situation that is devoid of some desirable thing or overwhelmed by an undesirable thing.

.

http://www.qatar-info.com for addl info.

What mandi said ^^

Go on google/wiki and read up on middle eastern culture, or you going to get yourself into trouble.

If I was you i'd try to get involved with one of the local groups or go along to one of the bars. Groups like the hash house harriers are often a way to meet new people, talk to baldrick on here.

Err, I'd be a little taken aback if a man came up to me in a Doha Starbucks and started a random chat and I'm a Westerner! You need to go a little easy on that kind of thing here.

Mandi