amy77 | ExpatWoman.com
 

amy77

amy77
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Latest post on 28 August 2011 - 19:49
Oh yes she LOVES to socialise! She is only 6 months, so everything and everyone is still MEGA EXCITING, lol! We are in UK now and the dog is in pampered pets kennels getting puppy play time 3 times a day, so assuming she comes back to us intact and without any psychological issues, lol, we will have to meet up when I get back.
amy77
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Latest post on 26 August 2011 - 18:39
I'm on solid ground again! I was in Al Zajel yesterday and they only had cat doors, but it may be worth calling in to see when they are getting them in again. They are open 930-1230 am and pm during Ramadan.
amy77
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Latest post on 26 August 2011 - 18:36
I can't hope with the actual logistics of getting an egate card but for god's sake, get one any way you can! The queues at the airport this morning were absolutely horrific - I reckon it was a 45 minute wait to get through the arrivals hall. We seemed to be the only people in the whole of the airport with an egate card and we walked straight through to the shop without any hassle at all! Such a relief!
amy77
487
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Latest post on 26 August 2011 - 00:39
Are you on Al Messilah? (if so, welcome!). Give maintenance a call and ask for a carpenter (if they ask why say it's for a door problem or something). Then whoever comes round, bung him some cash and ask him to help you out. That's how I got my dog door put in. Hopefully you will get the older guy - he is lovely and very skilled, the younger guy not so much.
amy77
487
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Latest post on 24 August 2011 - 09:21
By the way have you checked whether or not your membership was actually transferable? I would have thought it pretty unlikely....
amy77
487
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Latest post on 24 August 2011 - 09:20
Hi susy, I may be interested but I would need to see the gym first as I need some specific machines to work my bad leg. Also I am about to go on holiday until September 17th so could we look into it when I get back? <em>edited by amy77 on 24/08/2011</em>
amy77
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Latest post on 24 August 2011 - 09:17
PS he turns up with a whole army of people, it's like something out of ghostbusters, lol!
amy77
487
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Latest post on 24 August 2011 - 09:16
Yes, we had the exact same problem! Some good friends recommended the chap below - he came out in May and we are only just starting to see cockroaches again now. They were really thorough. They are coming out again for us tomorrow and I was quite demanding that they come at 3pm exactly (in between our dog going into kennels and us going on holiday!) and they were happy to do that. His English isn't great so I usually follow up with an SMS to confirm. Mr Santos 55840192.
amy77
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Latest post on 19 August 2011 - 15:20
I think somebody might be doing a little market research for a business venture maybe?!
amy77
487
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Latest post on 14 August 2011 - 13:53
I think there is one at Katara but I've never been. Have you looked on DineOutDoha for reviews?
amy77
487
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Latest post on 14 August 2011 - 10:15
Does anyone know how likely we are to get door-knocked tonight, specifically on, say, Al Messilah compound?! I need to know whether or not to go and get some sweets in - don't really want them in the house unnecessarily though, for the sake of my waistline! There are lots of Arab children on the compound, but I don't know if they will door knock everybody or just their friends.
amy77
487
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Latest post on 12 August 2011 - 14:08
I just wanted to say to everyone with a dog as well, please consider restraining them in the car. Mine was strapped in on the back seat (using a harness and seat belt clip from Al Jazeel Pet Centre) - the force of the impact was significant enough that it would have sent her flying if she hadn't been clipped in, and she could have injured me in the process!
amy77
487
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Latest post on 12 August 2011 - 13:55
Thanks guys. Marycatherine, that's really interesting - I think that's what the policeman was trying to explain to me last night. In England, you can go straight over a roundabout in the left hand lane (right hand lane equivalent over here), and you are supposed to move over to the exit lane as soon as you can after the exit BEFORE the one you want to take, rather than cut across lanes at the last minute. Obviously I should adapt my driving to the local conditions, and have learned a very valuable lesson from this and fully accept that I was in the wrong lane. I'm such a geek that I even got my (British) Highway Code and Police Driver's manual out last night to refresh my memory on the topic, not that it has much relevance here but it made me feel a bit better! The thing which pees me off the most is that on many occasions, I have decided that it's not safe to take my exit, and have just gone around the roundabout again instead of barging my way through traffic. It is everyone's responsibility to avoid collisions and to make allowances for other drivers. The way the blame is apportioned here means that there is no incentive for people to drive defensively i.e. accept that both parties usually carry some responsibility for any accident (e.g. even if someone drives into the back of you, it could be argued that you should have been watching your mirrors and have taken avoidance action if possible). ANYWAY like I said, I was in the wrong lane, it was stupid. I was coming from Aramex onto the Salwa Road, and I was dithering about whether or not to turn right, onto the Salwa Road to go home, or go straight across the roundabout and go through to Al Waab (which is my preferred route as I HATE the Salwa Road with a passion). I decided at the last minute to take the Al Waab route home..... I had a really clear entry onto the roundabout, so that guy must have been going at a **** of a speed, as I watch my left wing mirror like a hawk and he appeared out of nowhere. The skid marks prove that he slammed the anchors on from quite a way back, and he took me out just as I was about to go PAST the Salwa Road exit, so I am still really peed off that he could have taken avoidance action if he had been driving more sensibly. You live and learn. I had no idea about the Canadian rule, and it goes a long way to explaining things over here, thanks Marycatherine. I will be more tolerant now of drivers barging their way across roundabouts to get to their exits from now on. So, any good car deals around during Ramadan? We are considering going for a newer car now, after discovering the law which says that insurance companies only have to cover the cost of 50% of the parts for cars over 4 years old - this is going to hurt financially.......
amy77
487
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Latest post on 12 August 2011 - 13:41
If it's anything like the rest of the Mall, it's something like 10am-2pm, 730pm - midnight/1am.
amy77
487
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Latest post on 12 August 2011 - 13:37
We used Vik at Nelson Park when we first arrived - nice chap but ultimately failed to set us up with any viewings, because I found it much quicker to make my own arrangements and had already found a villa by the time he had set us up with anything! We found it much more productive to find out which were the nicest compounds and drive straight up to the gate to see what was available and secured our current villa from me spending just 2 afternoons doing that. I think there has been some new law passed making life a lot harder/potentially impossible for foreign realtors anyway, so that may explain why I have heard that Nelson Park have suddenly started charging tenants as well as landlords....another reason to go direct to the landlord IMHO.
amy77
487
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Latest post on 11 August 2011 - 23:23
Well it was a done deal anyway, my fault 100%. Apparently the guy has total right to exit the roundabout whenever/however he likes, without having to adapt his driving to the road conditions or consider any other cars which might be in his way. What have I learned from this - always take the middle lane if going straight on, even though that normally scares the cr*p out of me because then I have to watch both wing mirrors like a hawk instead of just the left one.
amy77
487
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 11 August 2011 - 22:00
Fasting doesn't apply to anyone who is travelling.
amy77
487
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Latest post on 11 August 2011 - 20:28
Thanks. It doesnt matter, a friend said they speak good English anyway at this police station.
amy77
487
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Latest post on 11 August 2011 - 18:42
PS my phone number is 66900905 and email is amybambridge at hotmail dot co dot uk if anyone can help who isn't registered on this forum.
amy77
487
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 07 August 2011 - 23:33
Before we all start getting our knickers in a twist (sorry, English phrase!) I just want to reiterate again what I said below based on a talk I went to the the other week by a Muslim teacher from Fanar - there are no special rules for Ramadan. If what you are doing is offensive during Ramadan, it would also be considered offensive at other times of the year. E.g it is a myth that smoking is forbidden during Ramadan, as it is actually *technically* forbidden at all other times too for Muslims. The Qataris also pride themselves on being tolerant and fully respect that non-Muslims are not fasting and have different ways of dressing. As long as you are not being in-your-face about things, you should be ok. Cover your shoulders and knees, and if you have to drink water, do it subtly and privately, and nobody is going to mind too much.
amy77
487
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 05 August 2011 - 11:01
I went to a talk last week by an Islamic teacher and he said shoulders and knees - basically same rules apply as they always do, but if you are borderline with what you are wearing, then err on the side of modesty, as people may pull you up on it where they didn't before. He said the same rules apply to everything as they always do, just that you are less likely to get away with pushing boundaries now e.g hand holding between couples is tolerated and some Muslim couples do it anyway, but not advisable to do it during Ramadan. He also said that his culture prides itself on being tolerant and that it was fully accepted thy westerners are not necessarily Muslims and that we are free to conduct ourselves as we would at home, as long as we don't take the mick. <em>edited by amy77 on 05/08/2011</em>
amy77
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Latest post on 05 August 2011 - 10:56
I think they did as I usually look at kids shoes too because my feet are so small! Can't be sure though, as I went in a lot of shoe shops when I was hunting for Ecco.
amy77
487
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Latest post on 04 August 2011 - 15:04
I did what ccdoha suggested in the end, but my stuff never turned up. ASOS were about as much help as a chocolate fireguard, so I tried to sting them by getting them investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority (whose remit now covers websites) but they submitted a robust defence to the ASA saying that they had successfully delivered to addresses in Qatar in the past which didn't have a PO Box number and the ASA ruled in their favour. I suspect ASOS were blagging it, as I don't know of any postal addresses in Qatar which don't use a PO box number.
amy77
487
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 04 August 2011 - 10:22
I've bought whole oats from lulu recently.
amy77
487
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 04 August 2011 - 10:17
Had the same problem after I tried to unsubscribe from those stupid spammy emails EW insists on sending. Was told that to keep my account active I had to stay subscribed to the emails. Not a happy bunny, although they do at least go straight into my spam folder now.
amy77
487
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 01 August 2011 - 15:55
Regarding driving, are you British? We took a full day's advanced 'aggressive-defensive' driving course over in Worcester before we came out. I got the instructor to custom design it for me. He had been a security/VIP driver out in the Middle East so he was able to understand what I needed. I think it cost like £300 for the whole day, split between my husband and I. We were taught how to anticipate and plan for unexpected manoeuvres by other cars, how to avoid them and how to think up exit strategies for anything unexpected eg a car pulling across in front of you/ being blocked from exiting a roundabout. It has been so useful. We were both already members of the Institute of Advanced Motorists anyway, but the course was much more useful as it taught us to be a little more aggressive instead of just focussing on wholly defensive strategies like the IAM does (which don't get you very far over here!). He was based near Worcester, which was a trek worth making for us as it has really helped us over here. I can send you details if you like.
amy77
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Latest post on 01 August 2011 - 15:47
My friend's toddler has one and she is always on it, even in the heat (although she was born here, so is slightly more accustomed to it than me!).
amy77
487
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Latest post on 30 July 2011 - 23:50
Is this the one owned by Al Jazi compound people? If so, it's meant to be great and I am sure there is someone off this forum living there already. I used to live opposite and it only opened in April.
amy77
487
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Latest post on 30 July 2011 - 23:49
I went to a talk on Ramadan last week. The confusing is that they do know in advance when it will start (technically August 1st, although the Islamic day actually commences at sunset the night before 'our' day, so it will actually start tomorrow evening). This is based on modern techniques to predict the movement of the moon. However, the Qur'an obviously dates back to before we were able to make such predictions, and makes it very clear that Ramadan only starts when the appropriate sun and moon observations have been made and reported. The pattern that they need to observe in the moon can only been seen for a few minutes each day, so if it's cloudy or hazy it is easy to miss, so that is why the dates of Ramadan can sometimes vary even though the astronomical observations would seem to be more accurate, they are kind of irrelevant unless something has been actually witnessed. I was told though, that Ramadan would almost definitely start tomorrow evening (which is the start of August 1st in the Islamic calendar) and it will be announced at tomorrow's evening prayer, and everyone will be waiting in the mosques for the announcement.
amy77
487
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Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 20:09
I wouldn't bother with an agent at all, personally. I just got the names of some compounds which came well recommended by people who had lived here a few years, and drove up to the gates to see what was available. We ended up paying nothing, not even a deposit, to secure our home.
amy77
487
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Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 20:07
I went to see Dr. Chet today, with some scepticism (I have tried every technique in the book before). He's not as 'alternative' as I thought - it's basically just a very, very thorough physiotherapy session, but with me at least he did a lot of myofascial release (I think - although he didn't use that exact term). I have got 30+ years of massive muscular problems and have had 17 operations on the hip he was working on today, so he has his work cut out. He really knows his stuff and I have a lot of respect for him, and I can't say that about anybody else I have ever seen about my problems. He's only here until Sunday and I am seeing him twice more this weekend. Please don't tell my husband :D &lt;runs off to do stretches&gt;
amy77
487
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Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 20:01
This place is meant to be the best: http://www.timeoutdoha.com/aroundtown/features/24340-dohas-premier-rug-shop
amy77
487
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Latest post on 25 July 2011 - 15:06
I can second this recommendation, he is great. I got quotes from other places, and although his quote came in at QR6,000 (there are a lot of big windows!) he was still the cheapest. That included silk curtains for 3 rooms. He also replaced our curtain rails for free. The curtain rails at Al Messilah are pretty cool - they are triple tracked, so we have a layer of blackout, a layer of voile and then the curtain itself, each on individual runners.
amy77
487
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 21 July 2011 - 10:58
We live in Al Messilah and love it - the villas are smaller than typical (which we actually prefer) and the decor is old but I really like it - the bathroom has a certain kitschness to it! Every room, except the kitchen and one of the spare bedrooms, has at least one huge sliding glass door, so it's lovely and light, and two bedrooms upstairs share a big balcony. We have 2 gardens, one round the side and one directly to the back of the house. And a front garden too. We are not overlooked at all, which is impressive for Doha. It is very peaceful, which I love, but dangerously close to Megamart! The maintenance people are just amazing - as soon as you ring them, they send someone round, even for the smallest job, and they will gladly take on extras such as putting in a dog door and hanging mirrors. We knew this before we moved here, and it was one of the things which attracted us to the compound.... after seeing what friends go through to try and get landlords to fix things, I couldn't be dealing with the stress and hassle. Every house is completely gutted as soon as the old people move out, even to the point where the INSIDE of kitchen and bathroom drawers are repainted! Brand new carpets, the lot. It is all very well constructed, so I don't worry about things like the electrics. My only complaint on that front would be that the tap water tastes gross, and gave me bad guts from drinking it, so we have to have water delivered for drinking. We didn't have to pay a deposit when we moved in, or any agents fees etc. There is shaded parking for 2 cars. The pool is great - I'm not sure what you mean by dated, as to me it seems perfectly OK, although it's not quite long enough for serious swimming. My friends love it so much that they often bring their toddlers here to play, which is fine by me as it means I get to see them more often than I otherwise might! There is a special pool for the little ones and both pools are shaded from May 31st onwards. There is no indoor play area (but 4 or 5 outdoor play parks) and the nursery is no longer a nursery - it is a very cr*p gym (my only major complaint about Al Messilah, as the gym equipment is poor and badly maintained). The location is great too - I can be anywhere from Al Wakra to the Pearl in 30 minutes because of the proximity to D-ring. Traffic allowing, of course!
amy77
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Latest post on 18 July 2011 - 17:03
My top tip would be to try and get everything from the same range, whether it's bedroom or living room furniture - e.g. everything we bought was from the Hemnes range, so matter what layout of villa we ended up with, we were able to mix and match the individual items to suit different rooms. The Hemnes range now covers a massive selection of bedroom furniture, office furniture and living room furniture.
amy77
487
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Latest post on 15 July 2011 - 19:11
I've never been to Cyprus, but stray cats are a huge problem everywhere in Greece. Mind you, it's only about the same as Doha. I would think about how many reviews actually mention the cats and see if it is just the 'whingers' who mention them, or if it crops up in all of the reviews - also is it in the most recent reviews, or only the older ones? To be honest, if Cypus is anything like mainland Greece, there are going to be cats everywhere.
amy77
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Latest post on 15 July 2011 - 19:07
I spent about £3k in IKEA in England to fill our container before we came out, and I am SO glad we did. Everything has managed to fit perfectly into our villa and it is way better than anything I could have bought out here. The only furniture shops out here that I know of are either very design-led and expensive, or terrible nasty tasteless cr*p....I am still looking for a bedside lamp and I'm not even that fussy!
amy77
487
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Latest post on 15 July 2011 - 19:05
You could just set up a Facebook group? They can't stop you doing that, surely.
amy77
487
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Latest post on 09 July 2011 - 11:36
Thanks HEF, that's really helpful, it does sound like a good place if you tick their boxes. If you're looking for a slightly alternative approach, I've just been reading about this Chet Collins guy who is coming to the Sharq for 2 months - I think I am going to give him a try. It's the nearest you can probably get to chiropractic in Qatar. http://www.sixsenses.com/Holistic-Calendar/index.php?pcode=DOHPA
amy77
487
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Latest post on 07 July 2011 - 19:17
I'm still wondering what a bird bath smells like!!!! :D
amy77
487
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Latest post on 06 July 2011 - 21:43
Axa are the absolute bees knees for all things insurance related in Qatar, and I have been meaning to pop in and see them to arrange my own travel insurance policy for ages now!
amy77
487
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Latest post on 06 July 2011 - 15:20
Anyway back on topic - can anyone recommend a gardener please, or can anyone on Al Messilah let me know about any options. PS in case you think ccdoha and I are being short with eachother, we know eachother in real life :D
amy77
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Latest post on 06 July 2011 - 15:19
Err, we don't have any grass!
amy77
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Latest post on 06 July 2011 - 14:38
and why do you need a gardener every day??? Because it's ****** hard work trying to keep plants alive in this heat and I only have to look at a plant to kill it! I HATE gardening with a passion. He spends a good 1-2 hours here, for just 50 quid a month, every day except Fridays - money well spent in this house. He also cleans the windows occasionally, and scrubs down the back yard, side yard and drive every day and sweeps out the garage!
amy77
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Latest post on 06 July 2011 - 14:36
Thanks! Where is Al Zajel pet center? It's the one on the Wholesale Market Road just off Salwa Road. They have a Facebook page if you're on Facebook. Let me know if you need better directions.
amy77
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Latest post on 06 July 2011 - 14:07
I think I got the last one Jill - they had them in Al Zajel pet center this week, so I went to get one yesterday and seemed to get the only one they had left. However, the shop had only just opened for the day, so maybe they hadn't got around to re-stocking the shelf yet. It was QR250.
amy77
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Latest post on 06 July 2011 - 14:05
Sounds like some sort of blockage in her digestive tract maybe?
amy77
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Latest post on 05 July 2011 - 13:58
Yeah but it seems a bit daft to me - back pain can be referred hip pain, knee problems can be referred hip problems etc etc. Your thigh bone's connected to your knee bone etc (or however the song goes!). I am a bit worried that they don't look at the musco-skeletal system as a whole as part of their consultations, so I would be really keen to hear feedback. My anatomy is ridiculously complicated so I would rather wait to see someone in England than go to Aspetar if they are very tunnel-visioned in their treatment programmes.
amy77
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Latest post on 05 July 2011 - 13:55
Well thank god he said that, I don't think groin injections would have been a barrel of laughs!!!!! (Did the armpit ones hurt like **** by the way?)
amy77
487
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Latest post on 05 July 2011 - 09:51
Miele vacuum cleaners are the absolute bees knees. We have a 'Miele Cat and Dog' and it is superbly designed and constructed. I would rate the Henry hoover as a close second - they are also very well designed (being very simple) and built to take anything you can throw at them.
 
 
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