Thursday, September 27, 2007

WC report .
The public comfort stations -are important things .Once a German tour -guide had told me the story about them .She was just a beginner .She had prepared on the history of Germany - the princes and dukes there so on -to show the tourist around her country .Then when her first American group arrived she got a question that she was not able to answer :" where is the WC ?"
She had planned to write a WC guide in Europe .I do not know if
she realised it or not .
When someone goes to the plazas and the park -like me - the WC-s seem to be all right .OK in the park it is not as much .The cleaning staff is not so hardworking -but still usable .So up to now I thought the toilets were all right here in Qatar . Our kid started to go to kindergarten . We were shocked to see on the third day that the kindergarten which was otherwise clean had a toilet which was simply revolting .WE told them about .They apologised :their cleaner let them down .So the toilet simply was not cleaned .WE gave them a week . After returning the teacher had shown us into a WC apparently nobody use just our kid .It is fine ... just I do not understand the whole thing ..
I read the blog of one of my compatriot in Qatar .She writes about WC horror at her work . It is an agency and there are a lots of shops and offices inside the building and there is one toilet belonging to all of them .And it is not cleaned .
I just wonder how can it be .I noticed for example in the park - that it is not enough to pay the cleaners -but there should be supervision as well .The cleaners are just hanging around all day boring themselves out of their head .
It is shocking to see that they are coming from very poor countries and and I had thought that they will work hard to keep this job - but they do not
do so .I think that they have a relative in a good position a sri lankan auntie or a kerala uncle and they do not afraid
of losing their job at all ...

Wednesday, September 26, 2007


fall is here at least in my mind I think often about the harvest time ... about the compulsory pepper harvest organised by the school , the grape picking at my step grandfather's vineyard , the "pick your own" apple picking big family gatherings in south Hungary at my aunts town ...
there is a taste of this month : the sweetness of grape , the frosty mornings and the cold pepper's flavour , the walnut cakes of my grandma , the juice of the fresh apple - all meant for me:September
my design

Monday, September 24, 2007

RAMADAN STORY

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Saturday, September 22, 2007

It is still hot . It is still difficult to find a taxi . One gets crazy in the sun - but must go out to arrange this or that .And it is exhausting . There are some illegal taxi drivers . They are able to find your house - too bad that they ask four times the price the legal ones do .

For many schoolers transportation is like the hell . Many Indian school buses are not suitable for kids transportation . Kids get sick during the journey - they get asthmatic attack - they faint .Parents pay more and more for tuition and for transport- but the level is just worse and worse .
Transparency is the thing the angry parents ask for when it is about the school's financial affairs .

Some Islam scholars were holding a talk on the Arabic media . They criticised the boring Islam channels . The lack of courage to talk about the social aspects of Islam .
The housemaid who has been in coma for some years died . She came some years ago to work at a Qatari family - but was admitted to hospital with serious injuries due to a blunt object which hit her head
. The Qatari family has to pay 300 .000 Qatari rial as compensation for the family in Indonesia

Poor woman . Finally , she was able to help her poor relatives in her death .
God will judge about the others .

Saturday, September 15, 2007

QATAR HAS BECOME TOO EXPENSIVE even for the Qataris . I read in the daily news that new kind of tourism attracts visitors to Saud Arabia .Shopping tourism .
It is the half price there when it is about clothes and food .Qataris ride to the nearest town 250 km from here and shop for a month and enjoy the different climate -as the daily news claims .
I just wonder what kind of enjoyable climate one can find in Saud Arabia .
it is still hot here and humid .

RAMADAN KARIM ! Happy fasting month! Ramadan is here- it is not allowed to eat and drink during daylight for every Muslims for are physically fit for fasting .It is every body's own decision if fasting or not .
Eating publicly is not tolerated here during this month , however not every Muslim country is like that .I heard that in Malaysia for example the restaurants are open all the day .
Ramadan is the name of a month in the Islamic calendar .It is calculated according to the moon and not according tot he sun .So compared to the sun year this fasting month is coming every year eleven days earlier .It started now the 13 of September it started last year on the 24 th of September and so on .
Souhour is the name of the first meal during Ramadan : it is before four o'clock . After hearing the call for prayer someone should not eat or drink . The working hours are shorter . Basically , the life stops in the afternoon .Most Muslims are at home waiting for the time for eating . It is the best time for cyclists to explore Doha .
The parks are full of fathers playing with their kids-this way enjoying the shorter working hours . As the time for eating is approaching more and more families arrive at the park who plan to have a picnic dinner . The dinner is called during Ramadan "ifthar " . After hearing the call for prayer it is allowed to eat or drink .Some families have only a light meal : a salad or soup or just some dates in the first hour . Other families have a full meal at once .
Overeating is a common problem the staff of the emergency must face during this time at hospital .
One must have self-discipline when it is time for eating . After having the meal it is time for relaxing . Watching TV or just sleeping .TV channels try to give the most attractive programs at this time . Comedy theatres , candy camera , competitions and many other programmes can be found on the Arabic channels .
Around seven or eight o'clock many people return to work . The supermarkets start to be full of customers . They are open usually till midnight . Everything is upside down when it is about timing .
It has happened to us that our kid got appointment for vaccination at 9 pm. .
Kids are given food as usual. They are called " Ramadan rats ".However from age nine -ten they like taking the challenge of fasting for some hours or half day .
Schools timing is also shorter .
Some families live during night and sleep during the fasting hours . I know Arab families where the ladies sleep until noon an stay up late until three at night . The Quran does not encourage this lifestyle-- it says clearly that God has created the night for resting and the day for working .
Ramadan is hard . Not only one or two days but a full month of fasting ! But it can be rewarding emotionally, spiritually ...

i

Friday, September 07, 2007

Dolphins are wonderful creatures - I have always wished to see them . I have just heard that one of my Hungarian friends is selling trips to Oman " dolphin watching tours" where in certain time of the year there are a lots of them . How wonderful !
WHERE ARE YOU FROM ?
asked me an Arab grandma at the pool .
"Hungary ?" " Hada fi Amerika !"


FOOD POISONING ON THE RISE IN QATAR

There were more than 1600 reported cases of food poisoning in Qatar this year - while some years ago there were no more than 200 cases the whole year .It seems that eating out is not as safe here as it used to be .Just as we arrived in Qatar five years ago we got a terrible diarrhea - but we had thought that we picked that up in Cairo . Once we recovered -we were very cautious -and very rarely we dared to dine out .But everything seemed just fine - and we opt for food from restaurant quite often nowadays.
In Hungary an ill goat had spread viral meningitis last week . It seems so healthy and cool and trendy to drink fresh goat milk for your breakfast - but it is not ...


FOOD SAFETY FIRST FRIDGE MAGNETS
FOOD SAFETY FIRST FRIDGE MAGNETS by almawad
Check out more Food Magnets at Zazzle

Sunday, September 02, 2007

SEPTEMBER 3 rd .Until recently Qatar has celebrated its independence on this day .Last week I read in the news that the government has changed its mind about it and this date - gaining independence " is not celebrated anymore but another date is chosen .
It was in 1916 that Qatar became a British protectorate.Later in 1971 Britain left the region.
Just some dates to show the road of Qatar :Oil was discovered in 1939 ,and oil production started only in 1949 .The first school of the country opened in 1952 and
first full hospital opened in 1959 .
expat Qatar