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Expat wanderer

‘No Madame, Don’t Tip, Management Takes the Tips’

From today’s Gulf Times

When I was new to Qatar, and thrilled to find my hometown Starbucks going great guns here, I asked “Where is the tip jar?”

Every Starbucks has a tip jar. Everywhere. Baristas don’t get paid that much; you always tip. Often they are young people stretching to pay the rent while they go to school, or trying to raise a child as a single parent. A tip is a way to allow God to redistribute income in the world; you let it go freely and He sends it where it should go.

The barista reached down and pulled out a jar, but did not look encouraging.

“Why is it down there?” I asked, naively.

“We don’t get these monies,” the barista said. “The Management takes everything.”

So I started asking at every Starbucks, and the answer was always the same. The workers don’t get the tips. Management takes everything.

Jesus said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for rich people to get into heaven. When I hear stories about the workers not getting the tips, or workers being exploited, being treated as a resource or commodity rather than as partners in operations, I fear for the people who would take these monies out of their own greed. I fear for them in the afterlife. If we are not open handed, using our wealth to help others, maybe it will be our burden in the next life, and we will regret having to carry it around. Maybe it will be a barrier, and we can just peek over to see the life of the spirit we might have had. I fear for people who cannot overcome their greed, and share the wealth.

‘Hidden charges’ at restaurants slammed
By Sarmad Qazi

Irked by having to pay what they call “hidden charges”, some customers have expressed their displeasure at the increasing practice in restaurants of adding “service charges” to their final tab.

Patrons say they do not mind paying the extra so long as any additional charge is written visibly on the menus and the money actually goes to who it is originally charged for – the staff.

“The fact that my bill had a 10% service charge came as a surprise. The font size used on the menu to announce the charge was smaller than a bank’s fine print,” a customer of a fine dining restaurant said.

Debate on the subject is raging across the region. Just last week, the UAE outlawed the practice and warned restaurants and cafés to do away with the practice by February 1 or face fines ranging between Dh5,000 to Dh100,000. Exempted from the rule are restaurants located in hotels.

Service charge, often added to the final bill at dine-in and table-service restaurants (not applies on take-outs, home delivery), usually ranges from 5% to 20% depending upon the quality of the outlet. The practice is allowed at restaurants inside hotels but has caught up outside too.

Restaurants, however, yesterday defended the service charge and maintained the money went towards staff waiting tables and inside the kitchen.

“Various establishments use it for different purposes. We use it as a motivational factor for our staff,” said a senior official at a food and beverage company which manages some of the leading franchised restaurants in Qatar.

But customers also accused restaurants of pocketing the extra money rather than giving 100% to employees.

“If all of the service charge is not passed down to staff then restaurant use the money to cover breakages (glass, cutlery etc) by employees rather than managements increasing the cost of products (on the menu),” a general manager of an American franchised chain of restaurant said.

The practice is not restricted to branded restaurants only as some local fine dining restaurants in Qatar also take service charges. Most officials Gulf Times spoke to were not sure whether a prior Baladiya or Ministry of Business & Trade permission was taken before the charge was introduced.

Industry officials also dismissed suggestions that instead of a separate service charge they should increase the price of products as “impossible”.

“This can’t be done. Increase in prices will make the customer move to a competitor,” a restaurant official said.

“We do however waive the service charge if a customer insists or if they do not feel like they received the level of service they expected,” he added.

January 6, 2010 Posted by | Bureaucracy, Character, Charity, Community, Customer Service, Doha, Eating Out, ExPat Life, Financial Issues, Interconnected, Lies, Living Conditions, Values, Work Related Issues | 7 Comments

Losing Fat Easy and Painless – Too Good to be True?

In an article in today’s Peninsula I learned that I can go in for six treatments, just lie there, no sweat, no starvation diets, and fat can be . . . melted (?) by laser and then massaged away, drained away by my lymphatic system.

It sounds wonderful! No sedation, no risk of infection, no long term ill effects like stomach stapling or banding. The fat just goes away! My dream come true!

I am such a cynic. There is a part of me that just can’t believe it could be that easy. What do you think?

Al Emadi Hospital unveils new technology for fat reduction
Web posted at: 1/6/2010 1:43:36
Source ::: THE PENINSULA
DOHA: Al Emadi Hospital has launched fat reduction services by “Zerona”, the latest device to break down body fats, becoming the first medical facility in Qatar to have the new technology. The technology saves patient a great deal of time and works without any side effects eliminating Cellulite and fat from the skin, embroidering and strengthening the figure without any surgical interference.

“The significant role of the device has been scientifically proven success in detecting fat under the skin and fragmenting its sizes into liquid body fats which can be disposed of. The machine uses cold laser technology to break down the fat cells under the skin in several stages. The results do not appear until after six sessions – around two weeks,” said Dr Mohammed Al Emadi, Director, Al Emadi Hospital.

The body fat broken using cold laser can be disposed through the lymphatic vessels with an added help of several massage sessions.

“It can help to get rid of fats in areas which do not respond to exercise and diet. The device works on the upper and lower limbs, breast and abdomen, neck, back and hips. It helps to dispose of cellulite that leads to distortions in the skin, and helps remove the fat masses in the abdomen and buttocks where a difference can be seen in the outer thigh or waist after the completion of the required sessions,” said Dr Kamal Hussein Saleh, a consultant in medical and plastic surgery and replacements and laser treatments.

A clear change in all clothing measurements has been noted after the sessions, according to Dr Saleh. The fact that it does not cause sudden changes in weight is an added advantage of the device compared with other of laser devices. The device is easy to use and can be used at any time, with no sedation or surgical interference.

Since it is a cold laser, it does not generate any heat or redness on the skin and is makes it possible for the patient to continue normal work after the session. Since the device does not touch with the skin, it is superior to regular lasers which may lead to the transmission of some skin diseases. It does not cause emission of fumes or gases, as it is the case of laser hair removal.

January 6, 2010 Posted by | Beauty, Diet / Weight Loss, Doha, ExPat Life, Experiment, Health Issues, Hygiene | 5 Comments

Pomegranate May Fight MRSA?

I found this article on AOL Health News and I am delighted to have any excuse to buy and eat a pomegranate. Now, even more so.

You may think I am overly concerned about MRSA, but I am convinced that it was MRSA that ended up killing my father. He was old, yes, but amazingly resilient and sturdy. He had a fighting spirit, and no matter what happened, he took control of his own “wellness.”

He went in for a routine operation (although few operations are ‘routine’ at 87) and ended up with a horrible infection where his IV had been inserted, an infection that wasn’t caught for about a week. He complained; people thought he was exaggerating. Eventually it was diagnosed as MRSA. He had to go through several rounds of intravenous Vancomycin, each of which lasted 30 days, and, I am convinced, none of which got rid of the infection because a month or so later, it would be roaring back.

What are we doing to ourselves? Antibiotic resistant bacteria are a result of over reliance on antibiotics, and for what? For viral diseases which cannot be cured by an antibiotic!

Eat more pomegranates!

By Katherine Tweed

Stopping the superbug methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has researchers looking for new antibacterial agents in all corners of the globe. Not only are these bacteria difficult treat due to resistance to certain antibiotics, they are especially dangerous because they can be transmitted via casual contact. Scientists at the University of Kingston, Surrey in the UK have found there is promise in pomegranates.

Pomegranates have long been known for their antibacterial and therapeutic health benefits, especially in Brazil. While most of us think of pomegranates as being chock-full of antioxidants, they may fight more than free radicals. A study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that when the fruit’s rind is combined with metal salts and vitamin C, they hold promise in killing MRSA.

“It was the mix that fantastically increased the activity — there was synergy, where the combined effects were much greater than those exhibited by individual components,” study author Declan Naughton told the Daily Mail. “It shows nature still has a few tricks up its sleeve.”

Drug-resistant staph infections such as MRSA are a growing problem, primarily in hospital settings. MRSA infections accounted for two percent of staph infections in U.S. hospitals in 1974, but that figure jumped to 63 percent in 2004, according to the CDC.

Don’t reach for the pomegranate lotion just yet, however. The research was done in a lab setting, and it is still in the preliminary stages. Also, pomegranate rind on its own was not able to stop or slow the growth of drug-resistant staph infections. The authors say that while there is potential for pomegranates enhanced with metal salts, further investigation is needed.

January 6, 2010 Posted by | Aging, Experiment, Food, Health Issues, Hygiene, Living Conditions | 8 Comments

Feast of the Epiphany in Doha

Our priest at the Church of the Epiphany has been instructing the children on how the church year differs from the marketing year. While “Christmas” may start in October – or even July! – to merchants eager to sell their wares, for church-going Christians, Christmas starts on Christmas Eve – and is celebrated, each and every day, until the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrating the Three Wise Men traveling to find the Christ Child in Bethlehem.

“I know what I want for Christmas this year,” I said to my startled friend, “I want you to fix my camel. I have all the things, or most of them, but I haven’t a clue where to start.”

My friend is a very busy woman. She has so much on her plate. But there was not a sign of reluctance on her face. “I LOVE doing camels!” she exclaimed!

“I want it to look like a camel coming with the Wise Men to bring gifts to the Christ Child,” I told her, and she got it without any explanation – yep, gold, frankincense, myrrh . . .

The camel is everything I had dreamed of – and more. She made little bags, she created a treasure chest of gifts, she even included my sewing machine and a coffee grinder!

I have three little Wise Men following the camel, bringing gifts. The Qatteri Cat has inflicted some damage; one is missing a foot and I can’t find it anywhere. I was able to glue a head back on, and a feather on another . . . The Qatteri Cat does not get Epiphany.

A lawyer from Texas A&M did a wonderful film, sent to me by my sweet daughter-in-law’s dear aunt, called The Star in which he presents the result of his research to find scientific evidence that a Star might have stood still over the little city of Bethlehem at the the time pinpointed for the birth of The Christ. It’s an amazing and insightful video, the life work of a devoted man.

January 5, 2010 Posted by | Adventure, Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Experiment, Iran, Spiritual, Technical Issue | 8 Comments

The Snowflake Man

From a wonderful website on Parenting, iMom, full of ideas, comes this lovely video on a man who photographed snowflakes:

Snowflake Man from Family First on Vimeo.

With thanks to my wonderful daughter-in-law, EnviroGirl, for the reference. 🙂

January 5, 2010 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Biography, Technical Issue, Weather | 2 Comments

Natural Pearls at Natural History Club

“The Al Fardan collection from Qatar . . . ” Ahhhhhhh.

From the time I arrived in Doha, I have heard whispers about the legendary Al Fardan pearl collection and it has been my dream to see it. This temporary exhibit will be a dream come true. I can hardly wait for this it to open at the Doha Museum of Islamic Art on January 29th, but meanwhile – this should be a fabulous meeting of the Doha Natural History Club.


(Source for photo)

From the Gulf Times:

History group meet

The Qatar Natural History Group will hold a meeting on Wednesday, at the Doha English Speaking School.

Dr Hubert Bari, curator of gems and jewellery at the Museum of Islamic Art and manager of temporary exhibitions for the Qatar Museums Authority, will give a presentation on the subject of natural pearls, ahead of the major exhibition on pearls scheduled to open at the MIA at the end of this month.

Dr Bari will give the audience a pre-view of some of the treasures gathered from all over the world which will be on show in the exhibition, including the famous Hope Pearl and the Pearl of Asia and, for the first time, the Alfardan collection from Qatar.

For my friends and family who do not live in Qatar – exhibits at the Doha Museum of Islamic Art are free. Free. No entry fee, no fee. Qatar sponsors priceless exhibitions like this for the population gratis. Free. As a public service. How amazing is that?

January 4, 2010 Posted by | Adventure, Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Community, Cultural, Customer Service, Doha, ExPat Life, Living Conditions, Qatar | 10 Comments

Community Police Graduate

Community policing is necessary when we neglect to police ourselves. . . if, for example, we find ourselves throwing a tissue out of our car window as we drive along, littering the pristine streets of Doha. If we bully someone because we want that parking spot he is driving into, if we disrupt the peace and quality of life of others by our behavior.

I notice, in this story from the Gulf Times, that women are a part of this program, and that they are wearing uniforms, and hijab, and that those uniforms are very modest and also that they are wearing pants. Please see the previous article.

I commend Qatar for this visionary program, helping the community police itself, and for including women from the very first class.

46 take part in community policing basic course

Graduates with officials at the convocation ceremony

The Police Training Institute (PTI) recently held a ceremony to mark the graduation of participants in the first batch of the Community Policing Basic Course, under the auspices of Minister of State for Interior Affairs HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani.

Some 46 students from various security departments took part in the course, which lasted seven weeks, said a spokesperson.

The ceremony was attended by the chairman on the Central Municipal Council, HE Nasser al-Kaabi; director of the PTI, Brigadier Mohamed Hassan Youssef al-Saei as well as other ministry officials.

Brigadier al-Saei explained that the course has been conducted to “enhance the role and mechanisms of community policing,” as well as helping to create partnerships with various social institutions to help with national security.

The PTI director added that the graduates of this course will be able to translate the Ministry of Interior’s aims and strategies to encourage understanding between various communities and to help the police to be able to prevent crimes before they are committed.

Brigadier Rashid Shaheen al-Atheeque, chairman of the steering committee of community policing, said: “The graduation of the first course of community policing is one of the stages of qualifying the national cadres at the Ministry of Interior to work in the national project.”

“Qatar is currently witnessing progress in all aspects of development in economic and social fields – this increases the role of all sectors in the country to face all kinds of challenges brought with this development,” he said, adding: “These factors require the improvement of capabilities to keep pace with development.”

Brigadier al-Atheeq explained that the ministry had pursued the initiative of community policing to help reduce crime throughout all institutions, and said that they had pursued the objective with the co-operation of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs as well as other ministries and companies, working towards the National Vision 2030.

He explained that the concept will initially be employed in the North Security Department from April 2010, with plans to apply it across the board from 2011.
Representing the director of the Ummul Qura Independent School for Boys, teacher Areezah al-Yami described the noticeable benefits of introducing the community policing programme in the school over the past year.

January 4, 2010 Posted by | Bureaucracy, Character, Civility, Community, Cultural, Customer Service, Doha, Education, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Law and Order, Leadership, Living Conditions, Social Issues, Values, Work Related Issues | Leave a comment

“Cross-Dressing” in Qatar – Girls in Thobes? Gutras? Egals?

When I read “Cross Dressing ‘on the rise in Qatar’ in today’s Gulf Times, the article below was totally not what I expected.

What do you think this ‘abnormal behavior’ might be? Girls wearing white thobes, with gutras and egals? Or girls wearing jeans? Girls wearing pants? Maybe girls wearing t-shirts, or pantsuits?

This article would be hilarious were it not so sad. The ‘abnormal’ girls are to be secretively counseled. That sounds very very scary to me.

Cross dressing ‘on the rise in Qatar’

As much as 70% of girls who have taken to cross dressing remain adamant and refuse to give up their abnormal behaviour, says a report published in the local Arabic daily Arrayah.

Quoting the director of the Abdullah Abdul Ghani centre for Social Rehabilitation in Wakrah, Buthaina Abdullah Abdul Ghani, the report says that the phenomenon of cross dressing seems to be on the rise in Qatar and other countries in the Arab world and abroad.

However, in Qatar it is not an alarming situation but efforts to redeem this misguided lot should continue persistently, she said.

The problem has to be tackled carefully and secretively since many of these girls refuse to come out of their closely knit circle. The centre had announced a programme of counselling for these girls.

Highlighting the reasons for the spread of this phenomenon she mentioned lack of parental control, programmes on the satellite channel that seek to encourage wrong values in life and the illusion of being independent in life.

This problem was the subject of a debate in the monthly Lakom al-Qarar TV programme a few months ago. The deputy chairman of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development said in his concluding remarks that this problem is a serious menace to society.

January 3, 2010 Posted by | Community, Cross Cultural, Cultural, Doha, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Generational, Living Conditions, Qatar, Values | 7 Comments

The Garden Restaurant ReLaunches in Najma!

For those of you who miss The Garden restaurant which used to be on Karabaa / Electricity Street, there is a new one opened in the Najma area! From today’s Peninsula:

DOHA: The Garden Group of Restaurants has relaunched their exclusive vegetarian restaurant “The Garden Annapoorna” in Najma on Friday, January 1, as a New Year gift to all the residents of Doha. “This restaurant was actually a part of our old restaurant at Shara Kahraba which had to he terminated due to the acquisition of the area for government projects,” said a group spokesman.

“I am glad to inform our loyal customers that we are now opening their favourite vegetarian restaurant at Najma. The operations timing will be from 6am to 3pm and from 4pm to 11:30pm,” remarked Yoonus Salim Vappattu, Managing Director of The Garden Group of Restaurants.

January 3, 2010 Posted by | Community, Customer Service, Doha, Eating Out, ExPat Life, Food, Living Conditions, Qatar | 2 Comments

Nexus One – I want!

I thought I wanted an iPhone – but now that I have seen the Nexus One – love at first sight!

From Engadget:
Well here you have it folks, honest-to-goodness pics of the Google Phone… AKA, the Nexus One. As you can see by the photos, the design of the device is largely similar to those we’ve seen, but the graphic on back is slightly different, and that piece of tape is covering a QR code (how very Google of them). Just like we’ve heard before, the updated OS features new 3D elements to the app tray, as well as an extended amount of homescreens, though it looks like the lock screen / mute is the same as in Android 2.0.1. Additionally, there’s now a new grid icon at the bottom of the homescreen, which when pressed brings up a webOS card-style preview of all homescreen pages — which raises some interesting possibilities. Apparently there’s been a new software update for the device pushed tonight, and sure enough the phone is identified as the Nexus One on the system info page. Quite clearly this device is running on T-Mobile, and is also using WiFi, so there’s two other questions you’ve got answers to. The phone also appears to come loaded up with Google Navigation (a bit of a no-brainer) and the brand-spanking-new Google Goggles. Hardware wise, the Nexus does look incredibly thin and sleek, and while there’s not a slew of buttons (those four up front are clearly touch sensitive), there is a dedicated volume rocker along the side. Oh, and note this… no HTC logo anywhere to be found. We’ll update the post as / if we get more info, but for now, feast your eyes on the gallery below!

Update: One item of interest. In the packaging there’s a quick start guide which points users to a “questions” page at google.com/phone/support. The page is a dead end right now, but it certainly gets an eyebrow raise from us. If there is a real Google Phone in the offing, that seems a likely landing page for support.

Update 2: In case you’re interested, here’s Android 2.1’s boot animation for Nexus One. Eerily familiar, no?

January 2, 2010 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Communication, Technical Issue | 15 Comments

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