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Expat wanderer

Doha: 10 “eateries” closed for Health Violations

This is from today’s Peninsula. Don’t you wish they would publish the names of the eateries? As a person who frequents ‘eateries’, as a person the health inspectors are protecting, I would very much like to know names of violaters. I would also like to see the standards by which they are judged, and the scores of ALL the restaurants/eateries they examine. In many countries, that is considered in the public interest.

Wouldn’t it be nice to know whose score was so low that they barely passed??

Eateries shut for violating health rules
Web posted at: 2/20/2010 5:46:46
Source ::: .THE PENINSULA
DOHA: At least 10 eateries across the city were closed down temporarily by Doha Municipality last month as punishment for violating health and safety rules.

Civic inspectors conducted routine checks on more than 2,800 eateries, among them restaurants, cafes and juice stalls in the city last month, to check their compliance with health and safety guidelines.

As many as 160 violations of various types were detected and 10 eateries found to be involved in serious violations, were ordered to be closed down.

Municipal inspectors discovered large foodstuff stocks with retail outlets that had outlived their expiry dates. Some 343 types of food items which were found to be unfit for consumption were recovered and destroyed.

They included more than 2,800 boxes of fresh eggs. Each box contains 30 eggs, so the stale eggs that were seized from various outlets and destroyed by the civic body totaled 84,000.

At least 53 samples of food items that were suspected to be unfit for consumption were taken by the municipal inspectors and sent over to the laboratory to run quality tests. It was found that six of them were unfit for consumption and did not meet Qatari standards and specifications.

The public cleaning department of Doha Municipality, on the other hand, referred 115 violations to law-enforcement agencies for action while issued 100 warnings to violators last month.

Some 423 entities found to be violating public cleaning regulations were fined on the spot.

As for beauty salons, raids were conducted last month on 63 of them and 21 violations were detected. At least five of them with serious violations were referred to the police for legal action.

The municipality also acted on a number of public complaints regarding stale foodstuff on sale, public hygiene and building permits, among other things, and referred several violators for action.

Some of these complaints had appeared in newspapers while others the municipality received telephonically, while still others in writing.

February 20, 2010 Posted by | Bureaucracy, Communication, Community, Eating Out, Health Issues, Hygiene, Interconnected, Law and Order, Living Conditions, Qatar, Random Musings, Statistics, Technical Issue | 5 Comments

Anxiety and Me

Anxiety and me – we go a long way back.

I am greatly familiar with anxiety . . . it is almost genetic. Maybe I was born of a family of worriers, people who looked for all the worst possibilities, and then ruined a perfectly good day by focusing on things that might – or might not – ever happen.

Today’s reading from Forward Day by Day was just what I needed now, with a tiny newborn grandson who is coughing, and a house inspection which shows some things that need to be done, and a moving process about to take place, and an earth-shaking retirement . . . if you are the praying kind, I would ask for your prayers for peace of mind, strength in service and courage in the face of adversities and challenges.

FRIDAY, February 19
Philippians 4:1-9. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanks-giving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing…if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Anxiety is a kind of fear–not of God, but of the unknown future. It is unreality. We draw the unreal future into the present and proceed to stab ourselves with it.

How passionately Jesus strove to overcome our delusion of crossing bridges before we come to them! Imagine an able and loving father whose children ran about in panic lest next year they might not have food to eat or clothes to wear.

Anxiety is a symptom. The disease is mis¬trust of our heavenly Father. The cure is to look around and see what he has done for us already and to thank him for it. How many lovely things, how much to praise him for! If anything is needed, ask: and then leave it to God. If he doesn’t give it, so much the better. It wasn’t needed. What God always will give–if we trust him–is his peace, the best gift. (1946)

PRAY for the Diocese of Bath and Wells (Canterbury, England)

Ps 95 & 31 * 35; Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; John 17:9-19

February 19, 2010 Posted by | Adventure, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Financial Issues, Generational, Health Issues, Humor, Living Conditions, Moving, Spiritual | 3 Comments

Overheard at the Pediatrician’s Office

“Oh!” said the delighted receptionist, “Five children! You must be here for annual exams!”

No!” said the equally chirpy Mom (God knows how she maintained her sense of humor) “They are ALL sick!”

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

“Your mother is driving me crazy!” I heard a woman saying, I guessed she was on her phone to her husband, talking about her mother-in-law.

I was wrong. She was the grandmother, and she was talking to her the sick toddler she had with her. Mom had called and asked her to pick him up from daycare and take him to the doctor.

February 19, 2010 Posted by | Family Issues, Florida, Health Issues, Living Conditions, Relationships, Women's Issues, Work Related Issues | Leave a comment

Honey Baked Apples

“If you really want to make something I like . . . I really really like those baked apples.”

My daughter in law and I hate the term daughter-in-law and mother-in-law. We wish there were nicer words for the relationship we enjoy so much. I really do want her to be happy, and I want to make life with a new baby easier, so I am glad there is something I can do that will make life sweeter.

I made this recipe up from things we keep on hand in the house. I don’t think it matters what kind of apples you use; it is the honey, nuts and cinnamon that make this SOOOOOO good:

Heat oven to 350°F/180°C

apples – cut in half, scoop out seeds with a spoon, cut off stem or end pieces
chopped pecans, or walnuts – fill each apple cavity
honey – pour honey into each apple cavity over pecans, and drizzle a little over the rest of the apple
cinnamon – sprinkle lightly with cinnamon
cloves – sprinkle with a tiny bit of ground cloves

Spray a baking dish with olive oil (you do have a Misto, don’t you?) Place apples in, cut side up, fill with pecans, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with cinnamon and clove. Pop into oven and bake at 350°/180° for one hour – one hour and a quarter. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before eating.

This is a very healthy fruit dessert, but you can add a little vanilla ice cream and it will still taste good, LOL, it will also add calories. 🙂

This is what they look like when they are ready to go into the oven:

February 17, 2010 Posted by | Florida, Food, Health Issues, Living Conditions, Recipes, Relationships | | 1 Comment

Breast Cancer Support Group Forms in Qatar

Breast cancer support group launched in Doha
By Ourouba Hussein

From today’s Gulf Times

The first breast cancer support group in Qatar was launched yesterday with 25 survivors as members.

Qatar National Cancer Society (QNCS) chairman Sheikh Khalid bin Jabor al-Thani said at a press conference that the organisation has been working for the last 10 years to set up the group, which would provide support to patients “who are newly diagnosed with the disease”.
He explained that the 25- member support group included Qatari and non-Qatari survivors or those who are still under treatment.

Sheikh Khalid said that QNCS was preparing to host a scientific conference on cancer control in April.

“The organisation will also launch a campaign to combat cancer in women and increase awareness to promote prevention and treatment of this disease,” he said.

Wife of the US ambassador Ellie LeBaron, a leading supporter of the cause, observed that the group included women who had suffered breast cancer, in addition to a member of their families.

“The Cancer Survivors’ Group aims to raise awareness of the importance of early detection, which has a great impact on the success of treatment, as well as telling the newly diagnosed that they can fight it and succeed”, she said.

“Many of the women with breast cancer are looking for answers to questions about chemotherapy and radiation treatment, as well as the chances of recovery,” she said.
Breast cancer survivors in the group, spoke about their experiences with the disease and treatment and emphasised that the mental support they received played a major role in their healing process.

January 31, 2010 Posted by | Civility, Community, Cross Cultural, Doha, ExPat Life, Health Issues, Interconnected, Living Conditions, Qatar, Women's Issues | 3 Comments

Gulf Women Twice as Likely as Men to Die of Heart Attack

Women face greater risk of heart attack deaths: study
You can read this entire article in today’s Gulf Times by clicking on this blue type

Women throughout the Gulf are almost twice as likely to die in hospital after a heart attack, as male patients, a new regional study published by the American Journal of Cardiology has revealed.

The research involved looking at the death rate of 8,166 males and females hospitalised in 2009 for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) – which includes heart attack and unstable angina.

It was found that female patients who suffered ACS were 1.75 times more likely to die while in hospital than males with the same condition.

Delayed diagnosis of ACS in women, and failure to prescribe the correct cardiovascular medications, and not carrying out the necessary interventions after the event, were behind the increase in the death rate.

The research project was called the Gulf Registry for Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE) and the study was titled Comparison of Men and Women with Acute Coronary Syndrome in Six Middle Eastern Countries, 2009.

January 25, 2010 Posted by | Doha, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Health Issues, Living Conditions, Middle East, Social Issues, Statistics, Women's Issues | 3 Comments

Handbook for 2010

Thank you, Dear Friend, who sent this to me this morning 🙂

HANDBOOK 2010

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2.. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants….
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12 Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don’t over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake..
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32.. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. God heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up..
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, be thankful for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy..

Last but not the least:
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about, I just did..

January 24, 2010 Posted by | Adventure, Aging, Beauty, Books, Character, Community, Exercise, Friends & Friendship, Health Issues | 4 Comments

Bu Yousef’s Haiti Challenge

My Kuwait blogging friend, Bu Yousef, is about to send a donation to the World Food Program designated to help Haiti. He has set a challenge to all bloggers and blog readers. Please, go comment on his post. For every unique comment he gets on his post (one per person), his donation will go up $1 from a minimum $50 to a maximum of $200. It’s up to us.

I would love for BuYousef to hit his maximum. I would love for him to be so overwhelmed, that he ups his maximum to $250. 😉

Please go say good morning/good evening to BuYousef, and do it NOW! Thank you!

Bu Yousef, AdventureMan and I will match your donation. 🙂

January 21, 2010 Posted by | Blogging, Charity, Cross Cultural, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Financial Issues, Health Issues, Hygiene, Interconnected, Kuwait | | 13 Comments

‘Glimmer of Hope’ in Doha Abduction Case

‘Glimmer of hope’ in custody battle
From the Qatar Gulf Times

British mother Rebecca Jones has described the decision by a Qatari judge to bring her son to court as a “glimmer of hope” in her ongoing battle to regain custody of Adam, saying that the judge’s decision that the boy’s attendance is necessary feels like her first victory in the case.

“I’m thrilled that Adam will be given the opportunity to tell the court how he wants to come home to his Mummy, Daddy and little sister, and that the court will have the chance to see how he is suffering,” she told Gulf Times yesterday.

Jones, who claimed that her son was kidnapped when she was “tricked” into visiting the country in October last year, is particularly worried about the mental and physical state of her son, saying that he had been ill in recent weeks because of the stress surrounding the current situation.

However, the most recent ruling in the case has given her some hope that she may be reunited with him on a permanent basis in the not too distant future.
Earlier this week a judge ruled that Jones’ appeal will be held on February 11, and that both Adam and his 77-year-old grandmother who was originally awarded custody of him, should attend the court hearing.

Jones is also fighting a court case to increase her visitation rights with her son, something that will be decided on February 3.

She is hoping to be awarded more time with Adam, as well as the ability to spend time with him outside of the house in which he is currently living.

“He seems to be ill because of stress and has been physically sick recently,” she claimed, adding “he is very upset and very nervous on each visit – the second I walk through the door he asks me when he can come home.”

Another major concern for Jones is the educational aspect of her son’s life as it will shortly be the fifth month that he has gone without attending school.

But for now, Jones is just looking forward to the court hearing in which her son will finally be given a voice. “I truly believe that the court will do the right thing,” she added.

January 19, 2010 Posted by | Aging, Bureaucracy, Community, Cultural, Doha, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Generational, Health Issues, Law and Order, Living Conditions, Marriage, News, Qatar, Women's Issues | Leave a comment

100 Lashes Each for Illicit Relationships in Qatar

COURT ROUNDUP

100 lashes for illicit relations

By Nour Abuzant in today’s Gulf Times
Two Asians – a man and a woman – have been sentenced to 100 lashes each and subsequent deportation for maintaining illicit relations.

The father of the woman told the interrogators that he saw his 21-year-old daughter leaving the house in the morning of April 15, 2009 and boarding the car of her 26-year old lover.
The father also said he opposed their marriage and that he had planned his daughter’s marriage with another compatriot man.

The Doha court of first instance heard that the father found three mobile phones, belonging to her lover, in his daughter’s possession.

The accused Pakistani nationals confessed in the court that they were in love. The court said that the 100-lash penalty came in line with the Sharia rules, as both the accused were Muslims and unmarried.

That’s some angry father – turning in his own daughter to be jailed, humiliated in court and then subjected to the additional humiliation and pain of 100 lashes. Cannot imagine what that will do to her marriage prospects “with another compatriot man.”

Some people ask why I run these articles about expats. The truth, as I see it, is that any one of us who is not Qatari falls under these laws. We are ALL expats. The laws can be applied to any one of us at any time.

January 11, 2010 Posted by | Community, Crime, Cultural, Doha, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Health Issues, Law and Order, Living Conditions, Marriage, Mating Behavior, News, NonFiction, Pakistan | 5 Comments