Happenings..

Apparently, 19th Doha International Book Fair has just started yesterday at Qatar International Exhibition Centre. It will last till 3 Jan 09. That will help us to be a bit occupied this weekend. Can also be used to instill the reading habit in our kids..

You can read about it in the Gulf Times.

Meanwhile, for the sport enthusiasts, you can look forward to :
1. ExxonMobil Open Tennis Championship 2009 from 5-9 Jan 2009
2. Qatar Golf Open Championship from 8-10 Jan 2009
3. Qatar Golf Masters Championship from 29 Jan to 1 Feb 2009

You can get detail schedule for sports activities in Qatar by visiting here.

For the time being, we wish our friends who celebrate Christmas a very Merry Christmas.

Qatar National Day Celebrations

If you have no real plan for the next few days, I suggest you join the celebration for Qatar National Day celebrations organised by authorities. They have lined up activities starting from today.

For more details, please visit here and here.

We are back..

Alhamdulillah, we arrived back in Doha this morning at 5.15 local time ie 5min earlier than schedule. The flight departed from KLIA almost 1/2 hour late due to heavy passengers. The check in counter did not help either. They opened up the counters exactly 3 hours before departure time...

The temperature was 15 degree this morning.. We managed to que for big cab that could fit in all our bags. Neither saloon nor 4WD could take all the bags... hint hint... The sole reason why we declined offers from our good buddies to pick us up at the airport. We appreciated the offers though.. Offer mu tetap dikenang... May be next time...

Let's start thinking the activities for the winter. We have 5 months to enjoy the pleasant weather...

Eid Mubarak..

We would like to wish everyone Eid Mubarak! Let's together understand the true meaning of qurban...

The arrival of Eid also indicates that our 1 month long leave has come to the end.. sob sob..

We will be very busy packing up our baggages for the next few days. Hope it will not hamper our spirit to celebrate Eid tomorrow.

For our friends who are traveling to Oman & UAE, we wish you a safe journey. For our friends who are now performing hajj, we pray semoga mendapat haji yang mabrur.

It may take me a while to summarise my one month holiday activities in Malaysia. What is certain is that my waistline has been stubbornly increasing.. duhhhh

Landed safely in KLIA

Just a short update about our travel progress..

We departed almost on time last night if not for a group of passengers who did not want to cooperate. First of all, they tried to get about 10 of them to seat near to each other. Almost impossible task considering the flight was fully book. Somehow they managed purely on the ground that nobody bothered top argue at 1am in the morning. We preferred to sleep.

It was a smooth journey throughout. Slight turbulence on the Indian Ocean, as expected. Smooth landing as well... Met also personnels from Proton who were on transit in Doha from Algiers, Algeria.

Now, here I am... Reach our home at around 4.30pm after struggling to get a big Airport Limo to accommodate 3 big check in bags & 3 hand luggages.

I am suppose to play golf tomorrow with good friends, unfortunately it has to be canceled due to last minute meeting arrangement. It is okay. Some people need to work to earn a living, I guess... hehe. I also need to work really hard to brush up my skill again after a long 1 1/2 years break from golf..

51st Merdeka Celebration in Qatar

I had the opportunity to attend the 51st Merdeka Celebration organsied by Embassy for foreign dignitaries last Thursday. It was held at Diplomatic Club, Doha. Guests of Honour for the night were mainly foreign diplomats in Qatar as well as the representatives from Qatar Foreign Affairs Office.

Nice dinner served on during the night including famous "Satay Dukhan". It was also a best time to promote Malaysia to the ambassadors. For that, few Malaysian tradition dances were performed by daughters of Perwakilan & anak-anak from Dukhan Community.

The evening was more meaningful with the presence of previous Malaysian 1st Lady, Tun Rahah ie widow of late Tun Abdul Razak. Tun was here on personal visit...

I wish I could write more.. Unfortunately, my mind is already in Malaysia.. I hope the photos speak louder than my words...

We are catching our flight back to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow's night. It will be our 1st time going back to Malaysia after 1 1/2 years.. We are all excited... Only 1 small issue... banyak sangat barang nak bawak balik..huhu

Dato' Nicol David Retains Her Title

Update for Qatar Classic Squash Tournament...

Defending champion for Qatar Classic managed to retain her Qatar Classic title today! The proud of the Malaysian sport beat her opponent straight set in front of cheering Malaysian crowd in Doha. Dato' Duta & family were also present to lend their support.. Well done!!

Nicol also maintained her unbeatable record. She seemed unstoppable for now.. The remark made by our current PM that she was more popular than him held some truth.. hehe...

By winning the match, Nicol David is now richer by USD82k..

You can read more here.

Catch Youngest Dato' In Action

Dato' Nicol David showed us how she managed to be squash's World No. 1.

We saw her in action at semi final for 2008 Qatar Classic Squash Tournament at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex yesterday. Amazing performance. No wonder why she stays World's No. 1 for very long time ie 27 months! It also means that she has been unbeaten in every match she participated for the last 27 months. Wow....

You can read about yesterday's semi final here.

We will be there again to see the defending champion defends her title for 2008 Qatar Classic today at 5.30pm.

Hopefully there will be another lucky draw like yesterday. The prizes for lucky draw were impressive. Gift voucher from Ali Bin Ali (not sure the value though), 2 videocams & 3 iPod Nano (16GB & 8GB). Not bad for a free entrance tournament. Memang berbaloi pergi..haha. Ya la kan..dah la masuk free, silap-silap menang lucky draw lagi.

Happenings...

Things that happened today :

1. British Winter Time is effective today. From today onwards, the time difference between UK & Doha is 3 hours. People in UK would have to adjust their time 1 hours late.

2. Temperature in Ras Laffan dropped to 23C today! 1st time since summer.

3. 1st rain in many many months in Ras Laffan. It was definitely a good sign. Last time, the rain indicated the beginning of cold weather. Hopefuly the same applies in this case..

Things to watch out for the next few days & weeks :

1. Squash Qatar Classic. The defending champion, Nicol David, will be back tomorrow. She is the favourite to win the championship again. You can read the article in NST here and The Peninsula here. Nicol is currently holding the World No. 1 title,

2. WTA Sony Ericcson Championship will begin on 4 Nov 2008. The final will be staged on 9 Nov 2008 and

3. Finally, we will be taking our flight back to Kuala Lumpur on 11 Nov 2008... yeehaaaaaa. We will be very busy collecting & buying souvenirs. Any idea what to buy? Please contibute,if any..

A case for learning Arabic

WITHOUT the Arabic language, one cannot fully and deeply understand the details of our religion. It is in Arabic that the Qur’an was revealed, the Sunnah transmitted and that the scholarly works written. Our religion was preserved in that language and without it, there would have been multiple understandings of Islam. Arabic is the common medium that Muslims use when they need to resolve their differences. For this reason, Arabic is not a language specific to Arabs; it is the language of all Muslims. No matter how accurate translation to other languages may be, it can never carry the whole Qur’anic message.
In this article, the author beautifully presents a case for why Muslims should learn Arabic.

1. IntroductionSince the language of the Qur’an is Arabic, it is the main source of communication about Islam. About 1bn Muslims of the world recite the Qur’an in its original language. However, most of them cherish the desire to comprehend the Qur’an directly without having to read a translated version in their native language.This is an attempt to present a case for Arabic from the Qur’anic point of view. Most of languages, if they do not change with time, they either become obsolete, or extinct in term of their usage. It is as if their very survival depends on how these languages respond to the dynamic forces of change in the contemporary societies.

This could make one wonder how the Qur’anic Arabic language has been preserved over so many centuries. The obvious connection between the Holy Qur’an, and the language in which it was revealed to Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, explains the preservation of the Qur’an, and the Qur’anic Arabic. This is borne out by the following verses from the Qur’an:“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it from corruption.” (Qur’an 15:9)“We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an in order that you may learn wisdom.” (Qur’an 12:2)

Qur’anic Arabic belongs to the Semitic group of languages. By the third century (CE), Arabic had developed into a full-fledged language.In the present time, most of the Semitic languages have disappeared. In addition to Arabic, the only living Semitic languages are modern Hebrew, Amheric, and a dialect of Aramaic. As for Arabic, it remains not only a fully living language but also enjoys a unique importance. It alone can serve as the source of knowledge for all Semitic languages. Whenever the Grammarians of these languages are faced with intricate grammatical problems, they refer to, or consult parallel grammatical rules in Qur’anic Arabic. These rules are exemplified in the Qur’an.Besides grammar, enormous changes have taken place in the vocabulary of all Semitic languages. The present versions of these languages have little resemblance with their origin. The only exception is the Qur’anic Arabic, the language of the Qur’an, which retains its original syntax and vocabulary.

2. Teaching methodology for Qur’anic ArabicIn Northern India, in the year 1942 Professor Abdus Salam Kidwai pioneered a method for teaching Qur’anic Arabic. His main idea was to make the Qur’an the prime source of teaching Arabic. He compiled a book consisting of 10 primary lessons for this purpose, and it proved very useful in learning Arabic.In 1984 there was an international survey sponsored by the Muslim World League to determine which country has the best Qur’anic Arabic teaching methodology. It was found, to much surprise, that a school in a poor neighbourhood of Northern India had the most well versed graduating class in Qur’anic Arabic in the world. It was found that this school followed Professor Kidwai’s curriculum. There, the principal came to school on a bicycle every day, and each month he would circulate a basket to raise enough money to pay the teachers. The teachers were so dedicated that they would wait for their salaries up to six months if there was no money in the school treasury.

There is a lesson from the above mentioned international survey. Muslims, and non-Muslims now living in most parts of the world are so fortunate to have access to audio, video, computer-aided instructions, elaborate campus facilities etc. We can do it, only if we set our minds to learn Qur’anic Arabic. Learn it for nothing else, but to understand the Qur’an in the language it was revealed.

3. Qur’anic Arabic as a Second Language for all MuslimsFor a Muslim, there is always a need to balance between the spiritual and material life. The material aspect of human life has to respond to the dynamic forces of change resulting from current research and development. Science and technology are constantly pushing the frontiers of material knowledge for human beings. As a result, the contemporary languages have to evolve and adapt themselves in response to these forces. On the other hand, the Message from Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, to guide our spiritual life has always remained the same. Therefore, the acquisition of spiritual knowledge requires stable language, in order to lead a balanced life. In this case the static power of the language is an asset, rather than a liability. There is no time dependency in the definition of the codes of conduct, and moral operating procedures for the benefit of human spirit.

It is hard to conceive how a single language can satisfy both the stable, and dynamic needs from the moral, and material viewpoints, respectively. Even in the 21 Arabic-speaking countries, the natives still need to refer to the Arabic Tafseer (explanation) of Qur’an such as by Ibn Katheer, al-Tabari, etc to comprehend the Qur’an fully. They will readily admit that their colloquial Arabic has changed over the years, and adapted to the extent that, for example a Syrian speaking in his native Arabic may not be able to fully comprehend Moroccan or Egyptian Arabic.This may be of some consolation to those Muslims who come from “Non-Arabic-speaking” countries in the West, or the East. It is a myth that the residents of Arabic-speaking countries know “the Message of Arabic Qur’an by default”, by virtue of the fact that they speak native Arabic. No one is therefore exempt from putting in extra efforts to learn the Qur’anic Arabic language, if they would like to succeed here, and in the hereafter.So, for a Muslim living in any part of the world, his/her second language after their native language is always the Qur’anic Arabic.

4. Standardisation Of Qur’anic Arabic-Script, And Pronunciation:As discussed above, Qur’anic Arabic as a second language, becomes a common denominator for all Muslims. However the preservation of Qur’anic Arabic means more than the language, the grammar, and the vocabulary. The script and pronunciation should also be standardised in order to facilitate the full comprehension of Qur’an, Hadith, and other scholarly writings of the past, present, and future scholars of Islam.This is a monumental task. However, with the advent of modern technology such as satellites, communication super-highways, networks, electronic mail, bulletin boards etc the task of international standardisation of Qur’anic Arabic, script, and pronunciation, should become easier.

5. Qur’anic Arabic In High Schools, Colleges, And Universities:Muslims in their respective countries should demand equal treatment for their revered language, Qur’anic Arabic. If Spanish, Latin, German, French, Italian, Hebrew, Russian, etc are taught as a second language in public places of learning, then why not Qur’anic Arabic? This may be easier said than done. In order to phase in Qur’anic Arabic in public High Schools, Colleges, and Universities, we need a co-ordinated effort between all Muslims.

From Gulf Times By Akhtar H Emon

New in Qatar : 24x7 help for cars in distress

DOHA • Qatar's first specialist patrol-based roadside repair and recovery service, Raha Auto Assistance (Raha) was launched here yesterday.

Raha will take to the roads of Qatar with 27 fully-equipped patrol vehicles offering 24-hour on-the-spot repair and recovery service. It has plans to keep its fleet increasing regularly. Raha is also carrying out feasibility studies to expand regionally, the promoters said.

The promoters added that the Qatar Technical Inspection Company owns 60 percent of Raha while the remaining 40 percent stake is held by shareholding partners, Nasser Bin Khaled Al Thani Holdings and the Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Company.

To receive roadside motoring assistance, individual Raha members have to pay an introductory fee of QR600 per year. The membership covers each vehicle regardless of who is driving it. Non-members can avail of Raha's services but will be charged QR 300 and QR 600 for membership fee. Raha membership is available for all cars registered in Qatar which are less than 10 years old with a maximum weight of 3,500kg — in simple terms, virtually all cars and pickups. The services of the patrols have been included in the membership fee so there are no additional costs, other than any spare parts fitted.

From the end of this month individual and business members who have had a break down or an accident can call to Raha's 24-hour Doha Call Centre and a fully-equipped, highly trained mobile patrol will be sent quickly to provide assistance.

The 24-hour call centre has highly-trained bi-lingual employees.

The launch ceremony was held at the Doha Sheraton and was addressed by Dr Khaled bin Jabor Al Thani, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the Qatar Technical Inspection Company and Ikram Hamdad, Raha General Manager, Chris Clibbery, Raha Director, among other officials. Dr Khaled said: "Since 2004, there has been more than 100 percent increase in vehicle registrations to over 90,000 new registrations in 2007. There are some 600,000 vehicles on the roads of Qatar, and this rising trend is expected to continue in the future."

Raha membership includes round-the-clock access to emergency roadside assistance. The service provides emergency assistance whatever be the cause of the breakdown with patrols carrying a wide range of guaranteed spare parts and specialist equipment to perform repairs at the roadside. Routine repairs such as tyre changes, battery boosts and vehicle unlocking services will also be undertaken, he added.

Hamdad said: "Until today, there was no specialist roadside assistance service in Qatar focusing on roadside repair."

Clibbery said: "Our focus is on-the-spot roadside repairs to get their vehicles moving after a breakdown or traffic accident — giving motoring peace of mind for individuals, families and businesses."

He added the patrols aim to repair seven out of every 10 vehicles at the roadside. "In the unlikely event your car cannot be repaired safely at the roadside within a reasonable time, Raha transports your vehicle and passengers to a destination of your choice in Qatar."

Source ::: The Peninsula / By Mohamed Salem

A Raya Time Off for BBQ

We took an afternoon off from our busy open house schedules to spend quiet time with friends yesterday. It was nice to have a bbq by the poolside with close friends. At least, we managed to have something different. Different from rendang, lemang, nasi impit etc.

Thanks to the host for organising the bbq. Bole buat lagik..hehe.You could just tell that Imran was actually an expert in bbq... Honestly, I am not trying to bodek here...hehe

It was a nice windy autumn afternoon. The beginning of hectic autumn & winter is just here to stay for the next 6 months. More bbq, more picnic to come...

However, we will be spending 1 month starting mid Nov 08 in Malaysia with our families in Malaysia. Balik Kampung!! The Balik Kampung fever is here to stay with us for the next one month or so till we board Qatar Airways flight to KL on 11 November 08 at 1am..hehe.

Salam Aidilfitri & Maaf Zahir Batin

Salam Aidilfitri & Maaf Zahir Batin dari kami sekeluarga di Doha, Qatar. Qatar is celebrating Eid Mubarak on 30 September 2008, a day earlier than Malaysia.

Again, we celebrate raya in Doha this year. May be we will celebrate next raya in Malaysia with our family, insyaAllah. That's the plan so far anyway. From the look of it, we will have the chance to celebrate raya in Malaysia for the next 10 rayas as the raya falls during summer holidays.

Selamat Hari Raya
Maaf Zahir Batin

Ramadan Bazaar @ Hyatt Plaza

This was the 2nd & final Ramadan Bazaar for the year..huhu. We wish there could be more.. Hopefully next year there will be at least three Ramadan Bazaar..

It was held at Hyatt Plaza this time. Thank God. Thanks to Hyatt Plaza Management for allowing us to have the fun in the mall. Few people stayed till the end. It was pleasant to be in the air-conditioned area during Ramadan.hehe.

Again, most of the foods sold out within 1 hour. Another record breaking for GAP (Gabungan Anak Perantau). GAP presented the most varities of delicacies including pulut kuning with rendang ayam, apam Cik Dills, laksa Penang, laksam, cucur udang Abe Zu etc. Again, GAP was also the most coordinated team with everyone wore orange t-shirt.

Garangao Festival - A Popular Children’s Festival In The Gulf

Garangao Festival is a popular children’s festival in The Gulf. Apparently it is celebrated on the 14th day of Ramadan. On this day, young children will go around from house to house collecting sweets, nuts and money, after Iftar. How I wish I am still a kid & go around collecting money..hehe

This is the extract from Gulf Times on the festival : "Children throughout Qatar will today take part in a number of celebrations to mark Garangao, the most popular children’s festival in the Gulf. The celebration is traditionally held on the 14th day of Ramadan despite having no religious connotations, and involves a wide selection of cultural programmes and events for children and their families. Children attired in specially prepared outfits, accompanied by songs and drums, visit their neighbours in the hope of receiving treats on this special day..."

If you want to read more, please visit here.

Few outlets in The Mall also handed in the pack to children. We also bought few Garangao Packs for souvenirs.

Ramadan Bazaar at Embassy

The most awaited Bazaar Ramadan finally came. This time around I was on the other side of the coin. I was the buyer. Last year, I had joined up to sell some food. It was a big hit.. Our stall completely sold out within 1 hour.

This year, team was equally well coordinated. Everyone put on red t-shirt. It gave the impression that the stall was sponsored by AERO NY..hehe. Last year, the theme was Orange.

That was the 1st Ramadan Bazaar. There will be another bazaar next Friday held at Hyatt Plaza Foodcourt. Hopefully, the same crowd of buyers & sellers will be there. I will definitely be there to spend..

See you next week. Same time different place...

End of one chapter, the beginning of another

It has been almost week since Alisha left Marry Poppins. We bought the teachers some chocs to show our appreciation for taking care of our little Alisha for about 1 year. She joined Marry Poppins around this time last year. It was not easy for us. We felt very comfortable to keep Alisha at that nursery. The teachers seemed to enjoy her company as well.

Now the time has come for her to go to 'big school'-term used by the teachers to tell Alisha & the kids that they are already now big girls & boys. That itself prepared them mentally for the new adventure in life.

1st day at the new school was no different at any school in the world, I guess. You could hear kids crying. Alisha seemed very composed. She seemed to be prepared for anything. What she was not aware was the fact that the school medium is 100% Arabic. She was ecstatic to see the uniform! Maklum la sebelum ni tak pernah pakai uniform kan..

We decided to send Alisha to the Arabic kindergarten for her to grasp Arabic. We plan to put her at the school until she reaches 6 years old. We reckon two years is good for her to master Arabic before we bring her back to English medium school. Hopefully she will be able to master the language of the Quran soon...

It is now ok

Today is the 5th day of Ramadan! Time flies..

I suppose it is now ok to put back Lagu Raya Collection. Just to keep the spirit of raya..

For those yang tak balik raya like us. Hope the songs bole mengubat rindu. Hope they don't make you homesick..hehe. If they do, I suggest you book your ticket with Qatar Airways online NOW to avoid dissappointment. We certainly do not wish to see you cry on the raya day itself.

Ramadan Kareem again to all of you.

Ramadan Kareem

Ramadan Kareem everyone!! May the Holy month of Ramadan brings us the barakah.. Lots of them..

The fasting month in Qatar starts today, 1 September 2008. Malaysia also declared the 1st day of Ramadan for the same date. What is interesting in this part of the world is the way the start of Ramadan is decided. Yes, Saudi & Qatar also followed the sunnah to sight the moon and calculation to determine the 1st day of Ramadan. However, Qatar Government also appealed to the people of Qatar to report to the committee if they see the new crescent on the early night of 30 August 2008 ie 29 Shaaban. This Moon Sight Appeal was publicised in The Gulf Times. So much trust given by the government to the residents of Qatar.. Interesting!

During Ramadan, the working hours will also be reduced especially in the government sectors. Labour Law clearly states that maximum hours during Ramadan shall be maximum 6 hours.

Hopefully more time can be spent on sunnahs during Ramadan month.

Ramadan Kareem to every Muslims in all parts of the world... God Bless.

It is a glass door

As the name dictates, you can see from the inside & outside.

Glassdoor.com is the new way to get an inside look at any company or job. On daily basis, real employees are sharing the ratings, reviews, and salary information for the companies and job they know best - and it's all there for us to see. This is the new website promotes the sharing of company's information including salaries.

An inside look at companies from the perspective of the employees, try the glass door website.

Asian oil sector losing talent to Gulf

SINGAPORE: The Asian oil-and-gas industry is facing a labour crunch crisis amid the lure of higher salaries in the Middle East, a management consultancy’s report said yesterday.

The Hay Group found workers in Asia are paid only a fraction of what a person in the same job would earn in the United Arab Emirates. For every dollar of guaranteed cash that a senior manager earns in the UAE, his counterparts in Singapore and Malaysia earn only 74 and 32 cents respectively, the report said.

The manager in China earns 46 cents and only 17 cents in Indonesia, said the findings from the Hay Group’s compensation and benefits database. Employees in Saudi Arabia and the UAE do not pay tax, leaving managers in these two markets enjoying the world’s highest disposable income, the report said.

Vijay Gandhi, general manager of Hay Group’s Reward Information Services, added a note of caution.

“Although the pay differential is higher between the Gulf countries and Asia, the relative value change for a person to move from Asia to the Gulf is diminishing because of the high cost of living and inflation in the Gulf region,” The Business Times quoted Gandhi as saying.

Home rents and expenses for children’s education have doubled in the last two years, he noted.

Published: Wednesday, 13 August, 2008, 01:28 AM Doha Time in Gulf Times.

MAS named world’s 6th best airline (Qatar Airways 7th).

SYDNEY, Aug 14 — Singapore Airlines has been named the World’s Best Airline in the 2008 Airline of the Year awards, with Qantas coming third in the annual survey, up from fifth place last year, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Malaysia Airlines came sixth.

After a spate of bad publicity for Qantas, including last month's on-board explosion, ongoing maintenance issues and an incident involving drunken flight attendant that led to two staff members resigning, the results bring some good news for the airline.

The awards, run by UK-based aviation research agency Skytrax, are based on the world's largest passenger survey, with 15 million passengers taking part around the world.

Recent reports on Qantas woes did not escape the notice of Skytrax's CEO, Edward Plaisted, who said that the criticism of airlines from within their own regions did not reflect the experiences of global customers.

The global rating for Qantas is interesting, he said. “We do find that many flag-carrier airlines suffer fairly vitriolic levels of reporting in their local regions, and the airline industry remains a business that some areas of the press seem to love to hate.”

Along with placing third in the awards behind Singapore and Cathay Pacific, Qantas also won the award for best first-class lounge, best economy-class catering and best airline in Australasia.

“The lounge concept for both product and staff service has been modelled around the finest quality you would expect to find in a five-star hotel or restaurant, and the best part is that the concept is being so well delivered by Qantas," Plaisted said.

Singapore won the title for the second year in a row and the third time in 10 years. The airline also took the award for best business class.

Business-class standards continue to be upgraded by airlines across the world, and Singapore Airlines managed to retain its title amidst this growing level of competition, Plaisted said.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, who recently expanded its Australian routes, climbed into the top 10 for the first time, placing tenth.

The world's best airlines :
1. Singapore Airlines
2. Cathay Pacific
3. Qantas
4. Thai Airways
5. Asiana Airlines
6. Malaysia Airlines
7. Qatar Airways
8. Air New Zealand
9. Emirates
10. Etihad Airways.

Under various categories:
Best First Class — Cathay Pacific
Best Business Class — Singapore Airlines
Best Premium Economy Class — EVA Air
Best Economy Class — Asiana Airlines
Best low-cost airline — EasyJet ( where's AirAsia?? )
Best Inflight Entertainment — Emirates
Best First-Class Catering — Cathay Pacific
Best Business-Class Catering — Austrian
Best Airline: Transatlantic — British Airways
Best Airline: Transpacific — Air New Zealand.

From PACNEWS, the Pacific News Agency Service.

PETROMINWORK/HESS Merdeka Bowling Tournament

Venue : Qatar Bowling Centre
Date : 15 August 2008 (Friday)
Time : 7.30-10.30am

Let's go & bowl!!!

08.08.08

The date has different importance & significance to me. To the whole world, it is the official opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympic 2008 in China.

To me, it was on this date I passed my driving licence in Qatar! Yes, it has been one year since I passed my licence in Qatar. It was a big achievement & relieve to get a licence here. It was like having the key to your freedom. More than one month without car was never easy. The most noticeable problem was to get to work & back. With unreliable public transport, it was a nightmare to commute to work. I still remember I had to book Karwa taxi operated by Mowasalat one day in advance! What a nightmare... Not mention, my little Alisha kept asking me when we would have our own car again.. For one month she bombarded me with the question... hehe. What made it harder to swallow was due to the fact that I had been chauferred driven during my last posting in Vietnam before we came to Doha. Without a car seem unimagineable to Alisha.

A year ago, so many people informed me that not many Malaysians passed their driving test on the 1st test. That sent shivers to my spine. The pressure was so great especially knowing fully well that you had more that 20 years driving experience. To fail the test was not in the equation.
To begin with, I found the whole process of getting the licence unique :

1. You start with the filling up of a form complete with No Objection Letter from your sponsor for you to take the driving licence. Since the form is in Arabic, my Transport Department filled them up for me..hehe

2. 3 photos must be attached to the form (see note 4 below)

3. You must get the blood group confirmation from approved clinic (wonder why they need the info. Till now I still wonder...)

4. Get vision test for your eyes. The funny thing is that, you must make sure your appearance for the test is the same as in the photo in your application form. If your photo shows that you wear glasses, you must come for the vision test with glasses on. Else, the clinic will not proceed to do the test.

5. The completed form must be surrendered together with your valid Malaysian driving licence to the police to allow you to take 12 hours lesson. Without it, you will have to take full lesson ie 24 hours as they consider you as beginner.

6. Once everything is okay, you will be told the time of your class. Mine was from 8-9pm. Totally mencabar..

One driving school informed me that there was a que to enrol with them for the class. Guess how long the que was? 4 months! I almost fainted when I heard it. One month without a car was bad enough. To extend it for another 4 month was crazy. Totally unimagineable.

The learning part itself did not take place without any sweet experience. Some of us kept banging the door when they tried to change gear. Mind you, the gear is on your right hand side as we are driving left hand drive car. It was funny. Back home, we drive on right hand side. Imagine this... after 20 odd years of driving right hand side, you now drive on left hand side for the 1st time. Surely you disciplined and ever obliging left hand and your brain confuse.. The parking lot allocated for the test is also another issue. Back home, you can fit 2 Kancils in the test parking spot. In Doha, the test car can hardly go inside. It is so demanding. You have to stick to the formula. If you try to be creative, you will have to visit the test center again & again & again.. Fail la tu..

Now the test part... There are 4 parts in the test.

1. On the day itself, we have to come very early. The morning session test starts at 6am. We have to be there well before 6 to que to get the test card. Then we proceed to do oral Road Sign Test. In this part, you have to memorise every single road sign as they are written on the card. You are not allowed to use your own word. Imagine you have to say simple No U Turn in this manner - Turning Backward Prohibited. No Entry is called No Entry to All Vehicles. To name but a few... If you fail the sign test, see you again next time in 1 week time. You are not allowed to proceed.

2. If you are lucky, you will go to Slope & L Parking test. For experienced drivers, this is peanuts.

3. If you pass, you proceed to Pocket Parking. The most horrendous part of the driving test. So many people succumbed to this test.

4. Those who pass will proceed to the last leg of the test - on the road test. You need to decide whether you want to go 1st or later. If later, then you have to travel by the bus provided to wait for the car. Normally, the bus will follow the test car. It can be a nerve wrecking experience waiting for your turn. At this point, you really need luck. Sometime, people fail for no reason at this stage. In short, you are at the mercy of the tester.

If you fail at any stage between 2-4 above, you can only sit for the next test after 1 month. Imagine the pressure I was in during the test day. It was like going for a big battle & only luck not skill would decide your fate. If you fail for the 2nd time, you need to take full lessons of 24 hours.

Luckily, I passed 1st time. It was a huge relief... At that point, Merdeka month really meant well for me...hehe

Be Happy. It is your birthday, Dood!

On 6 August 2008, we celebrated Dood's birthday. It was at TGI Friday. Original plan was to hold it at The Mint. Unfortunately, The Mint was closed for renovation. We headed to TGI Friday in Landmark instead.

Everything went well except the attitude of the waitresses & the food. We found the foods were not that tastefully cooked and presented. For the price we paid (actually the birthday boy picked up the tap..hehe. Thanks Dood!), we thought the foods were overpriced. Some of the foods looked like daging masak kicap! Yes, we are talking about steaks here. Even fried calamari looked weird. Not to mention the onion ring...

Nevertheless, we enjoyed the dinner largely due to the companies that night. To have everybody at the same time could be a daunting task as some of us work on shift & odd hours especially the QA staffs. That was also the reason why we held the dinner a day earlier than birth date of Dood. To accomodate the family members! We did miss Deen that night though.. hehe.

Happy birthday, Dood. Semoga panjang umur, murah rezeki...

Program Sumbangan Beras Sempena Ramadan 2008

Program Sumbangan Beras to Vietnam's Muslim Community sempena bulan Ramadan tahun ni. This is an annual donation programme organised by my ex-PETRONAS colleagues in PC Vietnam Ltd, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. They also organise Program Qurban sempena Hari Raya Haji.

They plan to deliver the rice on 3rd week of August ie 1 week before Ramadan.

The two photos attached may give you some insight to the condition of one of the Muslim communities in Vietnam. Extraordinary dhaif!

This is the surau in one of the kampungs (above) &

the kampung (below).

I would say most Muslims in Vietnam are Malay origin. Most of them are Malay Champa.

Hopefully we can sedekah a lot more this time around. Last year, we managed to sedekah in total 17,146kg of rice to 64 masjids & surau. On top, sedekah also given to fakir miskin, anak-anak yatim, ustaz etc. seramai 243 people.

Malaysian Food Festival in Doha

Malaysian & Indonesian Food Festivals to be organised by Marriott Hotel, Doha from 16 -31 Aug 2008. Indonesian food will be served from 16-22 August 2008 & Malaysian food will be served from 23-31 August 2008. It will be held between 6.30-10.30pm daily at Asia Live! Restaurant.

What a way to celebrate 51st Merdeka month & to welcome Ramadan!

Be part of this deliciously different culinary experience and explore an exciting lineup of exotic Indonesian and Malaysian dishes for your gastronomic indulgence.

For reservations or more information, you can call +974 429 8499 or email DineMarriottDoha@marriott.com

For more information on Marriot Hotel, Doha, please visit http://www.dohamarriott.com/

Doha to Mekah & Madinah via road

If you plan to drive to Saudi for umrah or visit, this map is helpful. This is a simplied version and guide. Off course we need the necessary travel documents like umrah visa or visit visa to Saudi. Transit visa is only applicable if we want to cross Saudi en route to UAE or any destination within driving distant eg Oman, Kuwait, Yemen & Bahrain.

Latest Shopping Attraction in Doha

We found out this new shopping attraction today. It is along C Ring between Ramada Junction & Lamborghini Showroom or directly opposite Burger King & sandwiched between two towers. The towers are called Al Mana Towers & the shopping mall called The Boulevard.

What attracted me to visit this newly opened shopping mall was the word SALES. The new mall houses BHS, Mango, Benetton etc. You can also find Gloria Jeans coffee shop. The BHS is now offering 25% discount for all purchase. I would say it was a grand opening sales.

Go & have a look at the latest mall to kill your time during weekend..

Doha Summer Festival 2008

Here comes the Doha Summer Festival!!!! The festival runs from 15 July - 5 August.

The Summer Festival also hosts an international trade fair at Doha Exhibition Centre. Some 345 pavilions will be selling home appliances, garments, cosmetics, accessories and other goods.

There will also be a Qatari Heritage Village showcasing the country’s history and culture.

The attractions :

1. The Hyatt Plaza - A puppet show & story telling
2. The Mall -The Chinese dragon, acrobat show & education workshop
3. The City Center - The Smurfs cartoon show
4. The Villagio - The Children’s circus
5. The Landmark - The magic show
6. The City Centre - The acrobats
7. Doha Exhibition Centre - The jugglers, stilt walkers and clown magicians

On top of the above, there will be caricature and painting shows at all the venues, drum beatings by girls at City Center and Villagio, and mime artistes and live statues at the Landmark, Hyatt Plaza and The Mall. Shows will also be staged at the City Center ice rink.

The programmes run daily from 6pm to 10pm & FOC.

Hopefully, the hot summer days will be spent indoors. As most of them shows are at the shoping centres, don't forget to bring some cash & credit cards..

One Weekend & Three Birthdays

Sound too much? Not so. That kept us over occupied last weekend. Birthday, birthday & birthday. The 1st birthday celebration was meant as a surprise birthday party for my wife. It was jointly organised by Rizal & Dills... The original venue was Seri Kebaya. Unfortunately, Seri Kebaya was fully booked that night. So we changed the venue to Al Majles...

What made it special was that all our Dohas' 'family members' were there. It was due to careful planning by Rizal & Dills. That was the night I declared Shah as the winner for the night. He managed to eat the most lamb... I was not so sure what we call it though..

Dan, a friend of mine invited us for the birthday celebration for their 1 year old daugther. They are new to Doha. They have been in Doha for only 1 month & 12 days yesterday.

Lastly, we also celebrated Farhain's birthday!!! She also turned 1 last weekend. Happy Birthday, Farhain! Sorry folks, no pix.