DOHA, Qatar (MindaNews / 13 October) — In the Philippines, we have Sari-Sari Stores near our houses where we can buy essential items in smaller quantities, such as rice, sugar, coffee, soap, shampoo, and toothpaste. Sometimes, we can even get the items on credit, to be paid on payday.
Similarly, in Qatar, we have Baq-Qālun, or known to many as Baqāla, a small convenience store just a few meters away from almost every building where expatriates of different nationalities reside; it can be easily found everywhere!
Baq-Qālun is an Arabic word that means “grocery.”
It’s not as big as a supermarket. Still, it’s stocked with almost all the everyday essentials, including bakery items, dairy products, fresh produce (fruits and vegetables), frozen foods, meat, deli items, and general groceries. In Baq-Qālun, prices are more reasonable than at a supermarket. No wonder most OFWs prefer to do grocery at the Baq-Qālun.
Aside from being just a few meters away from my accommodation, most of the Baq-Qālatun (Plural of Baq-Qālun) here are open 24/7. The best thing about them is that they offer free home delivery and, occasionally, huge discounts on their products.
It’s a great relief, especially if I’m too tired to go to the Baq-Qālun to buy food after work because I only need to call or message them via WhatsApp to place my order. In less than an hour, my order is delivered to my door. Some Baq-Qālatun accept card payments for home delivery, while others only accept cash.
Alhamdu Lillāh, my current apartment in Qatar, is adjacent to many Baq-Qālatun, including the Philippine store where I can find the products I need. Most of the Baq-Qālatun are managed by Indians and I don’t have the idea who really owns them. Nevertheless, they offer a variety of products from different countries, including those from the Philippines.
Before, I used to bring black rice from Zamboanga, and a lot of cleaning was needed because of the presence of rice husks. However, I discovered a black rice product from Vietnam that is only available at a Baq-Qālun near my accommodation. I use this black rice when cooking my favorite Wadjit because of its great taste. I also wanted my family to experience it, so I brought 10 kilograms of this black rice to my family in the Philippines during my recent annual vacation. This black rice is clean and almost perfect, making it ideal for cooking Wadjit.
I can find almost all the ingredients I need to cook native food at one of the Baq-Qālatun near me. Even banana leaves from the Philippines are available, but only in frozen form. That’s why whenever I yearn for native food and confectionery such as Junay and Pasung, in which banana leaves are needed, I don’t need to worry about the ingredients and necessary items because the Baq-Qālun has everything I need.
It is worth remembering that when my batch mates and I arrived in Riyadh, where I first knew Baq-Qālun, we didn’t have money to buy our essentials. Our fellow senior OFWs in the accommodation assured us not to worry because we could get whatever we needed from the Baq-Qālun outside our accommodation and pay later.
We can go to the Baq-Qālun anytime and inform the manager that we have just arrived and don’t have the money yet. We need to provide them with a photocopy of our passport and mobile number, and that’s it—we can get all our essentials interest-free. They will also deliver our orders to our apartment door. Once we receive our first salary, we must go to the Baq-Qālun to pay off our debts.
All Baq-Qālatun, regardless of size, are fully air-conditioned to combat the scorching summer heat. The physical stores are equipped with CCTV for security, and the items are displayed well-organized and logically. In Qatar, every Baq-Qālun closes at least one hour or 30 minutes before the Friday prayer and reopens after the Friday congregational prayer. During Ramadhān, it is also closed before the breaking of the fast.
During Ramadhān, I’ve noticed that some Baq-Qālatun, especially those near the Masājid (Plural of Masjid), send out boxes of mineral water before iftār time. They place the water outside so everyone coming to the Masjid can access free water during the night prayers. Additionally, on Fridays before the midday prayer, they send boxes of mineral water to the Masjid for free.
One of the distinct and praiseworthy things I admire about the delivery men of Baq-Qālun is that they only use bicycles mounted with baskets at the back to deliver their customers’ orders. I can see them outside so busy driving their bicycles just to provide their customers’ orders around the clock.
Baq-Qālun is one of the lifelines for OFWs in Qatar and KSA. I believe it’s the same in other Middle East countries. During “Petsa de Peligro,” Baq-Qālun would save us, especially the ones near our accommodation because we would be allowed to get our essentials and pay when we receive our salaries.
(Mindanawon Abroad is MindaNews’ effort to link up with Mindanawons overseas who would like to share their experiences in their adopted countries. Gamson Jr Mawallil Quijano of Sulu is a registered Radiologic Technologist who works in Doha, Qatar).