Life on the Spot! Life and Leisure in Doha, Qatar

On Tuesday, we attended the birthday party of Xianelle’s classmate.  It was held at the clubhouse of a compound along the Salwa Road area.  The invitation said that the party would be from 3:00-5:00 p.m.  We were coming from my husband’s office and reached Salwa about 10 minutes before 3:00.  Filipinos have this negative notion about coming first or too early at parties since the host or others might say that they’re too eager to come.  So being Filipino, we waited a bit more before we proceeded to the venue.  We dropped by Aramex which was along that area first and got some of our items.  By the time we got to the party it was a few minutes past 3:00 and there were a lot of guests already.

It was our first time to attend a party being hosted by a Westerner, particularly by a British.  Instantly I noticed how different it is from the way Filipinos hold children’s parties.  First difference would be the attendance.  While most Filipino children’s parties that I’ve attended (especially here in the Middle East) consist mostly of adults, this one had a lot of children.  I’ve never seen so many children in a birthday party. A lot of Xianelle’s classmates were there who were mostly Westerners too. 

There were no tables and chairs formally set-up but couches with a small table were provided for grown-ups to sit on.  On each table was a bowl of crisps.  Then there were 2 round tables, one where the children could do some art work and the other one was a muffin station.  Everyone can get their muffin and put whatever toppings (chocolate sauce, sprinkles, mallows, etc.) they want. 

The buffet table which is normally filled with different kinds of viands, pancit or spaghetti and most of all rice in a Filipino party, was filled with all kind of finger food and cocktails.  There were small sausages, cheese and cherry tomatoes on a toothpick, nuggets, quiche, sandwiches, barbecue, popcorn and crisps. When Xiane had her 4th birthday party in the Philippines, there was separate food for adult guests and the children. 

A typical Filipino children’s party would have a “program”, meaning there would be some song and dance numbers, games and messages from the hosts/parents.  In the party that we attended, there was only one game and the children spent most of their time playing at the giant inflatable play area.  There they jumped and rolled to their hearts’ content.  It was pure fun for the kids. The parents on the other hand were socializing with each other. 

Although it wasn’t the typical party that we’re used to attending, I could definitely say that the children really had a blast.  It was truly what a children’s party should be all about- Fun! Fun! Fun!  Nothing more, nothing less.