butterfly's blog

This is Now the view from my window...nice? You bet.

I am currently at my mother´s summer house in Sanxenxo, by the atlantic coast. It has been pissing down for the last couple of days, but who cares...

You can´t see it, but across that little forest there is the most amazing, unspoilt beach.

Ok, I know I’m starting to get slightly irritating with this topic, but I do have a genuine healthy obsession with clothes…

So, I came across some post that one of our fellow bloggers in Qatar recently wrote and it pointed me to this http://news.bbc.co.u.... I was shocked. I had no idea that the Muslim traditional dress had been banned in some parts of Europe and that women were being fined when found to be wearing their burqas in public places.

I cannot even begin to explain why I consider that “ roman�said to be dumbest idea. (So, if romans jump from a bridge, do I have to do the same?) I defend everybody’s right to their own identity wherever they are, I believe that diversity is a positive thing, I am certain that the romans would actually beneficiate much more if visitors brought with them their own ways, their own culture, their own identity.

I believe that different cultures can live in harmony and compliment each other.

This letter was published today in the local newspaper:

Negative trend

Dear Sir,

I refer to the recent advertisements for female drivers. Such employment trends started with women being employed as cashiers at hypermarket counters. Some of us think that it is a step towards women empowerment. No doubt, society is developed only when everybody plays his or her role in accordance with nature. Nature has blessed men with earning abilities and women with skills to use those earnings in the most economic way and look after the children in best possible way.

Atif Ayub, Doha

Your views?

I left my country many years ago. I am married to a non spanish. My daughter hasn't got a spanish passport.

Today I'm as much of a spaniard as I was ten years ago. Sometimes I purposely overpronunce the "r's" and "j's" to make clear where I come from.

Last week was very special for my country. A celebration. Spain became a Democracy 30 years ago.

I love my country with all my heart and soul.

Where are you from?
Are you proud of your nationality? If so, why?

Guys,

I'm so exited! You know I've never leart to enjoy my life here in Qatar.

There is a posibility that I will be leaving soon. My husband has been offered a job elsewhere. But there's a catch. He's not being offered enough money so he's trying to negociate a better salary.

You know how it is...

If they accept what he's proposing, then I'll be gone!!!!

Please wish me luck and pray for me.

Will let you know how it goes

Well I'm fed up.

Has anyone seen the boards in the City Centre that advise everyone to dress appropiately?

I'm fed up...

I cannot stand this qatari fashion anymore. I had it. From now on I dress my way. After all, in Europe everyone can dress according to their culture and background. Why can't we do the same here?

This is discrimination.

In Dubai a girl can wear shorts or little skirts or funky tops, or cool low cut jeans, no problem.

But here...

...It's so boring...

Everyday the same loose dark ugly clothes. We may as well bake like roasted chickens in summer, but our legs need to be covered.

Dear Mr. Q-Tel Sheikh

I have noticed that sometimes I cannot access certain web pages because you are not allowing me to do so.

Your message is always the same: The webpage you are trying to access has been blocked by internet Qatar, as the content contains materials which are prohibited in the State of Qatar.

I understand you are concerned about my sensibility and innocence, but I am a mature woman who surely does not need parental controls, and sometimes, often, I do not consider these websites to be harmful or indecent ( I can give you hundreds of examples). And even if they were, I am perfectly capable of dealing with it.

Furthermore, I hope you are aware that content filtering has been shown to pose its own signicant threats to free expression on the Internet. Often characterized by their proponents as mere features or tools, filtering and rating systems can also be viewed as fundamental architectural changes that may, in fact, facilitate the suppression of speech far more effectively than national laws alone ever could.

I would like to draw your attention to the Article 19 of the International Conenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) that provides that everyone’s right to freedom of expression “shall include the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.�

Yours truly,

Butterfly

Since some in QatarLiving
are writting verses and rhyming
I'll give poetry an attempt
and compose my fist sonnet

So I'll writte about Qatar
land of sports and gas
with its mosques and the desert
City Center, Corniche, Parks
Palm Tree Island, Khor Al Adid
Land Crussiers, funny banks

Having lived here for a year
there is something I can tell
Winter sun my seem like Heaven
but be sure Summer's hell

There's something really annoying
about driving around town
Doha is a city growing
and we suffer like a clown
Excuse me Mr. Sheik
but with all my due respects
Can't you see with all these holes

As a proper romantic I love Valentine’s day! What an amazing thing, to have a day when lovers can exchange love notes, flowers and gifts, and celebrate their love.

I must confess I am a bit disappointed today. I woke up this morning expecting flowers and diamonds and a full declaration of eternal love. Instead I found a Soft Camel with big kissable red lips and a card that reads “To my wife, for Valentine’s day Tonight I’m going to let you have what you desire all night long!… The Covers�.

No diamonds and red roses for me this year, I suppose. Oh well…

But it's Valentine’s and my spirits are high.

Well, I don’t like getting political, but lets face it, I like my Danish cheese. And butter. And pastries.

Now, there’s something everybody here should know: Danes have no sense of humour. Whatsoever. Nothing. Nien. Nada. Zero. Honestly. Ask my untie, she knows well. Back in the nineties, she married a Dane. Off she went to Copenhangen to live with her newly wed. Thirteen months after she filed for divorce and returned to Spain. When asked for the reason of her marriage’s failure she would reply that during those 13 months she never, ever, heard her husband’s laugh. And that’s cos they hardly ever laugh. Denmark has one of the highest rates of suicide in the world, which would be easily explained by their lack of laughing.

And so I went to Sri Lanka!

I had a fantastic time. Sri Lanka is a truly beautiful country. Beaches are absolutely amazing, long with warm waters and mega-huge waves, a paradise for surfers. Everywhere is green, like a jungle, Palm trees, Coconuts, enormous butterflies and Lotus flowers, a welcoming contrast from the brown yellowish colour of Qatar.

But what I loved the most was the people, warm and very friendly, but also very poor. Despite of the wealthy resources that lay on the waters surrounding the island, the main source of income is tea and tourism. I hope one day this people will take advantage and work on their resources.

Many houses where destroyed by the Tsunami and you see its devastating effect all along the coast. The country has still a long way to go before recovery. In the mean time I encourage everyone to visit Sri Lanka, you will be surprised to discover its beauty. Tourism will boost their economy and they desperately need that. I didn’t spend more than QR9,000 for my whole vacation and that was including flights and 9 days stay at a top hotel. That’s a pretty good deal, isn’t it?

Is anyone working for Commercial Bank and if so, can you help me?
You see, I got a car loan few months ago and I just don’t seem to understand how it works here.

I am supposed to pay monthly instalments of QR 1600, which I do by direct debit, but the thing is, the loan balance doesn’t go down, only a couple of hundred ryals per month. Does this make sense? It doesn’t to me.

My husband has gone to the bank a couple of times and he hasn’t been given a straight explanation, I have also telephoned on several occasions, but it gets me nowhere. Why is the customer service so bad and why we can’t get a simple answer or an explanation of how come this loan doesn’t go down even though we pay the instalments religiously every month?. I mean, we are no dumb, we normally understand interest rates and all that, but in this case it makes no sense whatsoever.

Has anyone experienced problems with Commercial Bank or am I the only one?