amy77 | ExpatWoman.com
 

amy77

amy77
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Latest post on 05 July 2011 - 09:50
HEF/ccdoha - did you get any issues with compensatory sweating on other parts of your body after the treatment? I've been thinking of it myself, but I have heard that you can end up with sweaty back/hands/feet as a result.
amy77
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Latest post on 05 July 2011 - 09:48
Please let us know how you get on, as I have been considering a visit to Aspetar as well. I noticed on their web page that it explicitly says they don't treat back or neck problems. I have a back problem, but it is indirectly related to my hips, so I would really like to know how your consultation goes - do they see the problem in a holistic way, or just focus on the one area which is in pain? I am hoping I can blag them into treating my back problem by actually presenting with my hip problems. Basically, I just need loads of physio!
amy77
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Latest post on 04 July 2011 - 13:53
Aspetar are meant to be fantastic http://www.aspetar.com/
amy77
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Latest post on 30 June 2011 - 10:41
Thanks for the recs everyone, I managed to get some reasonably nice Ecco sandals in the Ecco shop in Centrepoint - they are SO comfy! I am still on the lookout for some decent hiking-style sandals with arch support, like Merrells, for dog walking (ones which can be worn in the sea), of which there are plenty in men's and children's sizes, but none for women.
amy77
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Latest post on 30 June 2011 - 10:29
Thanks for the rec, but I would rather try them on in person, if poss, as I am a bit of a funny shape.
amy77
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Latest post on 29 June 2011 - 22:56
I've had one like that before, you have my sympathies. To add insult to injury they made me go back for another one because it was a bad sample and the lab couldnt get a decent look at the cells through the blood! It can happen anywhere where a doc/nurse is having a bad day.
amy77
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Latest post on 29 June 2011 - 22:47
I just went and inspected the transformers they've taken out (and left on the roadside, lol!). Built in 1984 in good old Loughborough, England. So a good job they're being proactive about replacing them I reckon!
amy77
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Latest post on 29 June 2011 - 21:53
I've had an email chat with the powers that be about this and didn't get a satisfactory answer. In the email there is an unsubscribe link - but click on it and it deactivates your entire EW account! I went to re-register, and found that as part of the process you HAVE to sign up for at least one newsletter. I was pretty disgusted by this and emailed admin about it. They reactivated my account but now I am back to getting those stupid ****** emails again as a result. I think the inabilty to opt out of them is pretty bad practice. Sometimes I am minded to set up a new forum of my own for Qatar women although I have probably just earned myself a ban for saying that!
amy77
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Latest post on 29 June 2011 - 21:12
PS did manage to escape shortly after my rant! Felt awful leaving the dog in the heat though :( doesn't seem to have done her any harm though.
amy77
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Latest post on 29 June 2011 - 21:10
It was entirely Kahramaa's doing - they replaced an entire transformer! Quite a sight to see at the end of our street as it was lifted out of the substation building using a crane! I don't know whether to be peed off that they did it on a hot day, or grateful that they are being proactive on maintainence and refraining from doing it during August!
amy77
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Latest post on 28 June 2011 - 19:54
There's a good selection in Virgin although they never had the Croatia one which I needed, so I had to order it from Amazon instead.
amy77
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Latest post on 27 June 2011 - 19:38
I didn't think I had a big bum until I tried on Asian sizes :(
amy77
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Latest post on 25 June 2011 - 13:05
I get my perfume/dye free 'sensitive' laundry liquid from Marks and Spencer - QR20 for the bottle (same price as in England).
amy77
487
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Latest post on 24 June 2011 - 13:10
Hi Leoni, We're actually looking for a housesitter for late August/early September (to look after our pup), but unfortunately QR200 is a bit steep - the boarding kennels are only QR70 per day, and the price difference is significant over 3 weeks. Would you consider living in our house instead, for a reduced fee? We could lend you a car and you would be able to take advantage of the compound's facilties and get away from your work colleagues for a bit! Amy
amy77
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Latest post on 22 June 2011 - 08:50
Hi Rachel, I don't seem to have an email from you :( Did you .com me by accident? (I'm a .co.uk)
amy77
487
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Latest post on 21 June 2011 - 20:36
The new charges were announced today, they are: QR2 for first hour QR3 for 2nd and 3rd hours QR10 for subsequent hours It starts on 1st July but the first week will be free of charge (go figure what that means!). Shopkeepers can by a season ticket, and local offices will be able to validate tickets for up to an hour for visitors/meetings. Sounds pretty well thought through to me - cheap for normal shoppers and expensive enough to put office workers off for longer stays. There is also a space indication system above each car parking space, allegedly!
amy77
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Latest post on 21 June 2011 - 11:08
Also, another alternative would be that we would pay someone to have her for 3 weeks, regardless of whether or not they were dog owners.
amy77
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Latest post on 20 June 2011 - 22:21
Just to add a slightly more positive note, I don't actually miss a thing from the UK! I haven't yet had any trouble finding stuff I like to buy, even clothes, and for food I have found alternatives for those rare things I've not managed to find, but most brand names are findable over here, even things like Tescos and Waitrose branded items. Perhaps the fact that we brought the ENTIRE contents of our house out has helped us to settle in.
amy77
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Latest post on 19 June 2011 - 13:12
Boring summer for me, especially as I am puppy-raising which is taking a lot of time and patience! I am counting down the weeks until we go back to the UK at the end of August, and then hopefully when we come back the weather will be a bit cooler and the puppy will be well trained and calm :D
amy77
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Latest post on 15 June 2011 - 16:33
Thanks all, much appreciated :)
amy77
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Latest post on 15 June 2011 - 16:29
Hey Butterfingers, I had been warned about the baby-obsessed culture over here by a friend, and have found it to be confirmed by my own experiences! I went to see Dr Sonia at Al Emadi, and she is fantastic, but I did feel railroaded into going straight onto fertility treatment instead of really getting to the bottom of what was going on underneath the problems I was presenting with. Thankfully, I have had my condition for years and am well read up on it, so I have managed to stay one step ahead of her to understand what she is trying to achieve with my treatment. Also, thankfully we DO want a baby so I don't mind taking the treatment. I also have to remember that back in the UK the doctors would have likely scratched their heads and done nothing anyway, and then I would have had to fight for months to get fertility treatment. But yes, you will get railroaded into fertility treatment - they ask how long you have been married and assume that is how long you have been trying for a baby for! It is very much entrenched in the culture here, even among doctors who have worked in the west. You have to do as much reading yourself as you can, so you know which questions to ask - e.g. I am being offered FSH injections, but Dr Sonia didn't actually tell me what they were - I had to ask her outright 'Are these FSH injections and if so how do you propose to manage the doses?' I found the same in the UK though, to be honest - you need to be as informed as you can and always try and stay a step ahead of your doctor so that you can manage things in your favour - I have learned this through bitter experience!
amy77
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Latest post on 13 June 2011 - 20:39
UKONE, and anyone else interested, we rescued a puppy from the street a few weeks ago and we would like to find her a forever home. She is really fantastic and so clever. I am training her using positive reinforcement and she is coming along great guns. She is now about 15-17 weeks old and she is going to be pretty big. We are in Qatar, but there are just too many dogs here for the number of people and it looks like the chances of finding her a home are very slim indeed, so I am casting the net wider. We would definitely consider driving her to Dubai/Abu Dhabi etc (as we were thinking of going there for a weekend anyway!) if we can find her a good home. She has her own Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_168465533214399 It is just not good timing for us right now, as I am undergoing fertility treatment, otherwise we would keep her ourselves.
amy77
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 19:48
Thanks guys. Catonclan I would need to try them on first due to funny feet, so Aramex not an option in this instance. Silver6 - good call, my physio used to swear by Ecco! Are they widely available over here?
amy77
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 18:30
No, I need physio-spec proper arch support suitable for over pronation (FitFlops only suit people with under pronation).
amy77
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Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 12:57
Thanks both - I know exactly where Zookeeper means, even if it isn't on C ring ;) Will try them both later once hubby is home to help me.
amy77
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Latest post on 07 June 2011 - 16:26
Natalie, I think you should also add that you work for Origins, just to clarify things a bit! :)
amy77
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Latest post on 03 June 2011 - 12:15
What a joke! Mind you, it does say on their website that places are limited and expats who were not born in Qatar are 3rd down the list of priorities, so I guess they don't know when you could register because they don't know when enough places will become available such that non-Qataris could join. It sounds to me like they are already well subscribed by people in the first 2 categories, so us immigrants will never really get a look in.
amy77
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Latest post on 03 June 2011 - 12:10
We were very glad to move out of West Bay when the construction of the new Intercon went over schedule and they started working 24/7 to try and complete it. Including Friday mornings!
amy77
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Latest post on 01 June 2011 - 13:41
I took her to that 'plantation' at 5.30am this morning Marycatherine - we did a full circuit of it. It's most definitely a no-go area (it's full of free-roaming chickens for a start!), but the perimeter is OK. There is tonnes of litter and dead animals though, so I had to keep a close eye on the dog and wrestle something hideously decomposed out of her mouth at one point! I didn't get any hassle off anyone, although I am sure I probably attracted a few stares, but I didn't pay much attention. If anyone else is interested in joining me on my little jaunts, my email address is amy bambridge at hotmail dot co dot uk (delete spaces and note the uk bit!).
amy77
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Latest post on 01 June 2011 - 13:38
You'll be in good hands, but you will get pumped full of hormones if you don't stand up to her.....I think there is a real culture here of doctors needing to be seen to be proactive (perhaps because they're charging for their time unlike in the UK) so they do send you off with lots of drugs. She tried me on Clomid but it didn't work, and then oestrogen but now it looks like I might need FSH injections. I am debating whether or not to go along with it.
amy77
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Latest post on 31 May 2011 - 13:03
I've just been looking at the new airport plans, and I can't help thinking they might outgrow the new one very quickly....look at how big Dubai airport is now. There doesn't seem to be any room for new terminals on the new peninsula they've constructed.
amy77
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Latest post on 31 May 2011 - 12:32
You just rock up at Al Emadi and ask at the front desk for Dr. Sonia - they don't do appointments. This morning I turned up at 8.30am and I was the first person she saw (she starts at 9am). I have been on a Saturday when it was a bit busier, and got there at 8am and again was first in the queue for her 9am start. I have really good health insurance, but it doesn't cover 'infertility' so I have been paying for all my visits so far - about QR450 each time including scans and meds. The first appointment was QR1600 as I had a whole raft of blood tests done too. Be warned though, she is (like every other doctor over here) obsessed with the fertility side of things - there's no point going to see her unless you want to get pregnant, as she is a one-woman mission to make as many babies as possible! I don't think there are any doctors over here, from what I've heard, who would do anything to treat PCOS as a condition in itself - they are more concerned about the fertility side of things.
amy77
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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 20:55
Hi there PuppyLove2, Well, we do have a very big garden by Doha standards and it wraps right around the house. We live on Al Messilah, which is a LOVELY compound, but you have to have written permission from the site manager to have a dog here, which we do (I think it was more of a formality) and you are not supposed to walk dogs on the compound at all. We are under strict orders to DRIVE her to the wasteground by the compound exit for walks! Although I do see some dogs being walked on compound in the late evenings, so I dunno really. Our friends have a standalone with a big garden, but our other friends' standalone has a very small garden, so I guess there are no hard and fast rules. As for dog training classes, we've only been able to find one and she is stopping that next month as she is pregnant (Katarina at Qatar Veterinary Center). I've not managed to find any others unfortunately. I do know a couple of people out here with dogs, and it is challenging, but you can get by. Now we are slightly reluctant puppy owners too, I am quite looking forward to lots of coastal and camping trips with the pup in the cooler months....not looking forward to the summer so much though!
amy77
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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 20:49
Thanks Marycatherine - I have spotted the same place but I think it is surrounded by barbed wire fencing, so even if I can get into it I don't think I would be welcome. I am going to try walking around the edge of it though - at least it offers some shade and better 'sniffs' than other open areas. I will respond to PuppyLove2/RachelA's comments in PuppyLove2's thread as I would like to try and keep this on topic as much as poss. Thanks for the offer cinabon, but I am really looking for people to start walking with ASAP as our pup is in desperate need of socialising and I am in desperate need of support. Does anyone else go dogwalking who I could tag along with (even if it's somewhere boring like a compound or patch of wasteground?). Does anyone have any dogs I could socialise mine with so they could burn off a bit of energy together?
amy77
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Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 20:46
Thanks - I'm under the care of a really good gynae here now (Dr. Sonia at Al Emadi) and am really happy with how things are going :) Thanks for the suggestion though.
amy77
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Latest post on 23 May 2011 - 11:12
Can't say I got myself into it to be honest - the only other option would have been to leave her out on the streets and could never have considered that :( I'm sure it will all be fine in a few weeks but it's just THIS week we have issues with. We adopted an adult dog in April and were absolutely devastated when she died just 3 days later. To compensate,, we made plans including my dad coming out for his 70th, and now we're in a bit of a mess with this new pup turning up. I was also not expecting to start fertility treatment with such urgency - so that's a bit of a shock as well.
amy77
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Latest post on 23 May 2011 - 10:21
Just bumping this up for a last try if anyone can have her just for a week. To add to my woes I have just started fertility treatment this week and everything is really getting on top of me. If we can't find somewhere to take her we are just going to have to put her in kennels to see us through the next crucial 7 days.
amy77
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Latest post on 21 May 2011 - 22:52
Bump, or could anyone please look after her for a week? My Dad is coming on Tuesday and Dad+puppy=disastrous mix which we are really dreading.
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Latest post on 21 May 2011 - 22:51
Thanks all, I went to see Dr. Sonia and she was quite good although she didn't really explain things very well to me. Thankfully I am quite well read up on the topic so that didn't worry me so much. I was also diagnosed with hyperthyriodism (which is linked to PCOS), so at least I have some answers now.
amy77
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Latest post on 21 May 2011 - 18:33
By the way, I was assuming you were actually British in my reply - if you're not then John Lewis can be found in London and is great for bed linen. Dunelm Mills tend to be in more out of town/provincial type places, so not sure if they would have one in central London. The White Company can be found out here in Landmark, and all 3 companies will deliver online through Aramex.
amy77
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Latest post on 21 May 2011 - 10:34
We've got a very deep Hypnos mattress and our fitted sheets are from the White Company and John Lewis. We got pure linen as it's cooler in the heat (expensive but worth it). We also have mattress protectors from John Lewis and Dunelm Mills.
amy77
487
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Latest post on 19 May 2011 - 14:06
Bump!
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Latest post on 18 May 2011 - 11:38
Thanks guys, I really appreciate this. I know there are a lot of people leaving for the summer soon, but there must be someone who wants a pup. And this is a great way to get one as she's being well trained and socialised :)
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Latest post on 18 May 2011 - 08:32
Hi Blini, We have created a Facebook page - the prospect of us not having found a home for Poppy by the weekend is quite worrying. It's at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_168465533214399 Please can you tweet it etc as widely as possible? Does anyone work anywhere we could put posters or leaflets up?
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Latest post on 17 May 2011 - 15:40
Thanks Blini. I'm wary of advertising her too widely, as we will be very fussy about who takes her. I don't want someone falling for her cute puppy face - it needs to be someone who has already been thinking of getting a pup and is on the look out for the right one. She is on the QAWS Facebook page (although quite a long way down now).
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Latest post on 17 May 2011 - 10:42
Just bumping this up as we would really like to find Poppy a home soon. She is coming on fantastically - she knows lots of commands, is doing great on housetraining and can now be left alone for up to an hour. It's a great way to get a dog - she's well trained, but there is still opportunity to shape her to your lifestyle, and she doesn't have any 'issues'. She will have had all her vaccinations by Monday.
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Latest post on 17 May 2011 - 09:22
We came in February and I don't know how long we will stay. We don't want to go back to the UK though (unless our parents get ill or frail).
amy77
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Latest post on 14 May 2011 - 21:01
I think it would need to be fed live food (mealworms etc) in order to survive, at least I think they do in England. Have a look at the RSPB website and maybe seek advice from a vet or QAWS?
amy77
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Latest post on 14 May 2011 - 21:01
Bump :)
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Latest post on 14 May 2011 - 10:20
Gosh Maple, that is a truly awful experience for you :( You must report him to the police, otherwise the standard of Karwa is going to slide and leave more of us at risk from similar incidents. Even if he does get deported, so what? He obviously doesn't feel like he has much to lose, otherwise he wouldn't have acted like that.
 
 
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