Here in Doha there is an expatriate mothers' social network called Doha Mums. I joined at the beginning of the year after attending a walking group and newcomer's social at the Landmark Mall near my home. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. They have a website for sharing ideas, asking questions and selling items. They also have events that members host, like playgroups, craft making, and educational seminars or speakers. It is a great resource and has helped me get used to life here. www.dohamums.com One of the fun events that a "mum" hosted was bowling at the Qatar Bowling Center on Ladies Day.
First, the Qatar Bowling Center is government owned, but privately managed. It was used during the Asian Games which Doha hosted several years ago. It is a very nice facility with great parking and viewing seats for an audience and VIPs. http://www.qatarbowlingcenter.net
Second, Ladies Day is a day when no men or boys over the age of 7 are allowed in the facility. This allows the ladies to come and play without wearing their abyas (a black long sleeved robe worn by Muslim women in Arabic speaking countries, often with a head scarf or veil www.dictionary.com).
Third, George has never been bowling before, so this was a great opportunity. I invited another Doha Mum who has just moved here to Doha from Dubai and has a little boy, Benton, who has become good friends with George.
They had a blast!
It was hilarious watching the boys try to throw their balls down the lane. Benton is a little older than George and a bit stronger. He had some technique compare to George's "drop it like it's hot" technique. They rarely watched the ball hit the pins. It just took too dang long to get all the way down there. Their attention spans weren't that long. We concluded that bumper lanes are nice, but they need to be a lot shorter, too. And speaking of attention spans, by the middle of the second game they were playing chase and follow the leader around the audience viewing seats. My friend, Tiffani, and I had to bowl a few balls to finish the game.
Regardless of all this, the boys had a great time, and we did too... just watching them.
