Best Birthday Present(s) Ever
Our son kept asking if his card had arrived, meaning the card for AdventureMan’s birthday. When it arrived, a sonogram was inserted, our first photo of the long-awaited-babe yet to be born.
This week, another thrill – Sent from our son’s i-phone, the sound of this baby’s heartbeat. I think this baby will have a bent toward music, like his father. This baby doesn’t have a Bangles heartbeat, s/he has a heavy metal heartbeat.
Mixed Message: Doha Dressing
With all the advisories going out, to both men and women but seemingly especially pointed at women, telling us to cover up, and be respectful of local culture and traditions, and especially not to dress disturbingly during Ramadan, I had to smile today in the mall (no not The Mall, another mall) when I saw these darling dresses in the window. OK, so we buy the dresses – who could resist? WHERE can we wear these dresses?
(They really are adorable dresses, and the Ramadan sales are already cranking up, Wooo HOOOO!)
Doha Roadwork
You think you know your way around, but in Doha, that can all change from day to day due to the roadwork. I was in that position this last week, found myself not wanting to re-do a 2 kilometer detour, so figured I could find my way through the back streets, which I did.
I didn’t know there were still streets in Doha I had never seen, but these were such streets, and oh what fun. I found this unusual and delicate mosque:
While lost, I also discovered a traffic roundabout I had been looking for. Expats have different names for many of the roundabouts, and those names are totally different from the real, local names, like The Mall roundabout, Green Steps roundabout – we know what they are, but those aren’t the real names.
The roundabout I had been looking for was Kotub, but I found it – Qutub – also called Library roundabout. Nearby is supposed to be a take-away place called Felasteen; someone told me they have the best felafel in the city. We used to go to place on Najma called Al Quds, but now he doesn’t do felafel any more, only sweets. We especially liked his bread, thin but with toasted sesame seeds embedded in the bread – oh YUM. We are hoping the Felasteen measures up to the old Al Quds felafel.
New Parking Souq Al Waqif
When I moved to Doha, in 2003, I did a panorama shot of the Doha skyline from the-spit-where-the-Bandar-restaurants-used-to-be. Unfortunately, I wasn’t into digital yet, so all I have is prints from film. In 2003, parking at the airport was free. I was told Doha meant sleepy, and then, it seemed pretty sleepy, even with the Iraqi invasion about to take place.
The Souq al Waqif was off limits to the military, a dark and dangerous place. I don’t believe it was dangerous for the same reasons they thought it was dangerous – the authorities thought that because it was a very traditional shopping area, incidents could happen. The real danger was from the uneven walking areas, with unexpected pits here and there or slick spots, or changes of elevation.
The last night I was recently down at the Souq al Waqif for dinner, I saw a small bus load of people arrive from the military base (the haircuts, duh) and it just made me grin. The Souq al Waqif is still a traditional place – and it is also a place that welcomes tourists, and welcomes expats. I am so thankful it is no longer, evidently, off-limits.
But oh, the parking. They have marked spaces. No, I am not so traditional that I insist on chaotic parking, marked spaces are fine. The marked spaces are fine, that is, when they give drivers enough space to park and to pull out. The new marked spaces at the Souq al Waqif are too small, and the driving lane between them has to weave between the Yukons on the left, the Denalis on the right and the delivery truck in front who just hit the Hummer trying to back out.
I am not exaggerating. Traffic was snarled for a half an hour while the police tried to sort out not one – but two accidents in the time I was trying to find a parking spot. On what felt like the hottest day of the year, you can imagine, it wasn’t even prime time at the Souq al Waqif. I can imagine the nights are a nightmare.
This is what I saw for half an hour while we didn’t move, except for people on the left who kept trying to edge in front of me:
But – where else but at the Souk al Waqif while you are stuck in a parking lot jam will you see a man cross in front of you with a pigeon in a cage?
And while the official temperature may have been 43°C or 44°C, this is what my gauge said:
Whoever designed the parking at Souq al Waqif should have to park there every day until it gets fixed.
Qatar Government Schools to Open September 27
Government schools to reopen on September 27
Web posted at: 8/6/2009 2:31:6
Source ::: THE PENINSULA
DOHA: Qatar is to witness its usual post-summer hustle and bustle from the end of next month as the numerically sizeable government and Independent schools open for a fresh academic year on September 27, a little less than a week after Eid Al Fitr.
The Minister of Education and Higher Education, H E Saad bin Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, yesterday announced the schedule for both the morning and evening government educational institutions for the new academic year.
Being the Secretary-General of the Supreme Education Council (SEC), the regulatory body for Independent Schools, the minister also declared the schedule of the Independent Schools for the entire year (2009-10).
The administrative staff of these schools is required to report for duty on September 13, during the holy month of Ramadan.
The first semester examinations of schools from the elementary to the preparatory level are to be held from January 31 next year, while high school students will sit for their exams from January 21.
The winter vacation of these schools will start on February 14 and end a fortnight later, while their annual exams are to be held by June-end 2010.
The schools will reopen after the summer break on September 21, 2010.
Prickly Pear Becomes Cash Crop
The first time I ever saw these prickly pears was in Tunisia, where they were a by-product of huge prickly pear fences that kept roaming sheep, goats, even cattle out of the living areas. The prickly pear fences were everywhere. Some people made jam out of the fruit, but now, the fruit is bringing in big bucks to Moroccans.
To read the entire story, please click BBC News Africa
By Sylvia Smith
BBC News, Sbouya, Morocco
It is just after dawn in the hills above the Moroccan hamlet of Sbouya and a group of women are walking through the thousands of cactus plants dotted about on the hillside, picking ripe fruits whenever they spot the tell-tale red hue.
But these woman are not simply scraping a living out of the soil.
The cactus, previously eaten as a fruit or used for animal feed, is creating a minor economic miracle in the region thanks to new health and cosmetic products being extracted from the ubiquitous plant.
This prickly pocket of the semi-arid south of the country around the town of Sidi Ifni is known as Morocco’s cactus capital.
It is blessed with the right climate for the 45,000 hectares (111,000 acres) of land that is being used to produce prodigious numbers of succulent Barbary figs.
Every local family has its own plot and, with backing from the Ministry of Agriculture, the scheme to transform small scale production into a significant industry industry is under way.
Some 12m dirhams ($1.5m) have been pledged to build a state-of-the-art factory that will help local farmers process the ripe fruits.
The move is expected to help workers keep pace with the requirements of the French cosmetics industry which is using the cactus in increasing numbers of products.
Lucrative
Izana Marzouqi, a 55-year-old member of the Aknari cooperative, says people from the region grew up with the cactus and did not realise its true benefit.
“Demand for cactus products has grown and that it is because the plant is said to help with high blood pressure and cancer. The co-operative I belong to earns a lot of money selling oil from the seeds to make anti-ageing face cream.”
I know I have seen these growing in Kuwait – are they growing in Qatar, too?
China Trusts Prostitutes More than Chinese Politicians
LLLOOOLLLL, thank you, BBC News for livening up the deadly August news scene:
China ‘trusts prostitutes more’
China’s prostitutes are better-trusted than its politicians and scientists, according to an online survey published by Insight China magazine.
The survey found that 7.9% of respondents considered sex workers to be trustworthy, placing them third behind farmers and religious workers.
“A list like this is at the same time surprising and embarrassing,” said an editorial in the state-run China Daily.
Politicians were far down the list, closer to scientists and teachers.
Insight China polled 3,376 Chinese citizens in June and July this year.
“The sex workers’ unexpected prominence on this list of honour… is indeed unusual,” said the China Daily editorial.
“At least [the scientists and officials] have not slid into the least credible category which consists of real estate developers, secretaries, agents, entertainers and directors,” the editorial said.
Soldiers came in fourth place.
I can’t help but wonder how the same survey would result in other countries?
Google Earth Updates Doha Imagery
Every now and then I think “wasta” is a good thing. (Wasta is connection, wasta is knowing someone who can help you out. It can be good when you need a favor. It can be bad when it gets you out of a situation for which you are responsible.) I have wasta with Google Earth. When I moved to Kuwait, I complained that my area was all blurry and within a week – WOW. High resolution.
I got word this morning from my connection, Earthling, that new imagery for Doha is up and any blurriness is being cleaned up. Thank you, Earthling! You have no idea – Doha really doesn’t have street addresses that you can figure out, so Google Earth helps me get to where I need to go.
If you are not a GoogleEarth user – yet – I urge you to download and give it a try. It’s free, and it is awesome.
(Earthling, can you call it work when you love what you do and where you work so much?) 😉
The Fingerprint Factory
Drama Drama Drama. It used to be the last dreaded event before getting your residence. You had to have fingerprints taken and it was in this big mob-scene, huge mobs of people and hot hot hot, no air, and the ink was HORRIBLE, and even if you brought your own soap and washed right away, you still had ink under your fingernails for days. It was a hellish experience.
Today was the day. It started with drama – when I got to where I was supposed to be at 10:10, the receptionist told me I was supposed to be there at 9:30, I had missed my appointment. I was really sure my husband had told me my appointment was at 10:30, so I waited while she called, and it was one of those experiences where she was NOT happy being wrong, and I got to sit out in the not-air-conditioned hall to wait for my group to go.
When my group got to the fingerprint place, there was no mob. There WAS more drama. There was only a very nice be-thobed gentleman who said that the fingerprint computer was broken. It was broken yesterday, and they got it working again this morning until 9 o’clock, but now it is broken. I asked “how long until it is fixed?” but it was one of those insh’allah things, no one knows how long it will take to get the system up again. We would have to come back tomorrow.
And then, just as we were walking out the gate back to the van, he called to us “Come back! Come back!” The fingerprint machine was working again.
Inside, it was orderly and air conditioned. Take a number, take a seat. Wait your turn. Very cool, watching people’s fingerprints, handprints, etc show up in huge prints. If there was any blur, the machine showed red – like a red thumb – and it had to be done over again.
For some reason, I had to have several done over again. I don’t know if it was me, or if the machine was just finicky. All I know is that the system was up long enough for me to get my fingerprints taken, and there was NO mess. None. Wooo HOOOO.
I still have my old Qateri driving licence. I am praying – please keep me in your prayers – that they will just renew it and I won’t have to take a road test on the roads of Qatar. Although – after driving in Kuwait – I can drive anywhere. 😀
$5000 From HSBC
As if the poor grammar and spelling weren’t enough to give this scammer away, the line “to reduce the economy meltdown posed on the continent in general” seems overly generous for a bank, especially a bank I don’t have an account with who is willing to give me 5K, LLLOOLLL.
All I have to do is send him my financial particulars – to South Africa? Right? No, no thank you!
HSBC Bank plc.
ATM Card Department
HSBC Tower, 8 Canada Square,
Canary Wharf area of East London UK.
The HSBC Bank with directive from the world bank to release
funds through the ATM VISA CARD to some beneficiaries in
view to reduce the economy meltdown posed on the Continent in
general.
The HSBC Bank London working in relationship with the World
Bank has concluded to issue you a VISA CARD with which you
can access your contract amount 5,000,000.00 USD. This card
center will send you an ATM card which you will use to withdraw
your money in any ATM machine in any part of the world, but the
maximum is FIVE Thousand Five Hundred United States
Dollars($5,500) per day. So if you like to receive your fund in this
way,please let us know by contacting the ATM payment department.
To file for your claim, please contact our ATM Dispatch personnel,
Contact Person: Mr. Dave Walker .
Email: ( hsbcatm_davewalker@yahoo.com.hk )
Tel: +44-703197-9789
and also send the following information as listed below:
1. Full name
2. Phone and fax number
3. Address were you want them to send the ATM card to (p.o box
not acceptable)
4. Age
5. occupation
6. Nationality
7. country of residence
However for the purpose of proper verification of your Identity,
and other relevant information and release of your HSBC Visa ATM
Card to yo.
NOTE: You are not to reply this sender, you are to reply directly to
hsbcatm_davewalker@yahoo.com.hk with all you information for claims.
It is important you contact the office of the Director,
Debit Card Dept for a special payment at the above listed address or
directly reply to this Email.
Sincerely,
PAUL BRIAN THUSTON
MANAGING DIRECTOR
(c) HSBC BANK 2009.
This message and attachments are subject to a disclaimer. Please refer
to http://www.it.up.ac.za/documentation/governance/disclaimer/ for full
details. / Hierdie boodskap en aanhangsels is aan ‘n vrywaringsklousule
onderhewig. Volledige besonderhede is by
http://www.it.up.ac.za/documentation/governance/disclaimer/ beskikbaar.
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