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July 24, 2007

Ipod Shuffle

Posted by xtian001@gmail.com at 10:40 AM
Ipod Shuffle
 
I got a relatively new toy that I bought from a colleague a week after I arrived back from vacation. I was interested in getting an MP3 player and was already of thinking of ordering online when I saw him pull out his silver . He got it for free from as a promo months ago. If you get them as your bank to have your salary transferred to, a shuffle would be given to you. I wanted to jump on it but decided not to as it would actually be a hassle to do it. Anyway, he told me he wasn’t really using it so I asked him if he would sell it to me. I asked how much and he said QR25. Looking at the price online, it was actually a good price. From Apple, it would cost me US$79/ QR 293 + shipping. I didn’t know yet how much they were selling it here in Qatar then. But being a slick dealer, I pushed him a bit further and asked if he was willing to sell it for QR200. He did agree after a bit of tugging and he doesn’t use it anyway. So I got myself an almost new Ipod Shuffle! Later, we bought found out that they were selling them in for about QR350! I’m sure he’s now shaking his head for selling it to me for QR200!

Here’s what’s playing on the shuffle:
– Sound Track from the Cirque de Soleil showBeatles Anthology
(Beatles)White Album
– Electro-bossa covers of Guns & Roses classicsIrresponsible
– Selected tracksStevie Wonder
– Studio Recording from American IdolAcoustic SongsEtc.

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Harry Potter Mania in Qatar

Posted by xtian001@gmail.com at 09:57 AM
I’m sure you’ve heard, read and watched the mania that is Harry Potter. I don’t want to elaborate on it further as I’m sure you’re already tired of it. You can read Dimpz blog about their encounter with Potter Mania last Saturday in Hyatt Plaza, Qatar.

I didn’t get myself a copy of the book. Let me type that again; I didn’t buy myself a hardbound copy of the book. A day before the actual release (it was released midnight of Saturday), a leaked copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was already circulating the P2P community through PirateBay. It was said to be an original copy of Deathly Hallows with each page shot with a digital camera and published as JPGs. It was reported to have 759 pages! Imagine all the trouble that guy/gal had to go through just to be able to get Deathly Hollows online! As usual, lawyers were trying to stop other sites from publishing the same torrent but laws in the US are different from were PirateBay has their servers. Bloomsbury, the publisher of the book, criticized PirateBay for the release. However, they kept mum on whether it was the authentic copy or not.

As for me, I’ll have to wait till Dimpz lends me her copy. She was supposed to finish another book first but decided to read Harry Potter first. That means I could clean up the house, without Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows distracting me, before Mavis and Xiane arrives this Thursday night! That also means that I have to wait to know if Harry Potter died or lived, or if Hermione and Ron gets to be a couple.

Here are some facts about the launch of the book.
  • 2 million + copies were reserved through Amazon.com
  • Barnes and Noble sold 1.8 million copies in the first 2 days of its realease, 560,000 on the first hour, at a rate of 150 copies per second.
  • A total of 8.3 million copies were sold in the United States during the first 24 hours.
  • In the UK, 2.65 million copies were sold on the first 24 hours.

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July 17, 2007

Filipino Dies in an Accident in Ras Laffan

Posted by xtian001@gmail.com at 05:26 PM

A Filipino seaman, Gerse Garaldoy Segovia, working in Ras Laffan died 3 weeks ago from a tragic accident. His body has now been repatriated to the Philippines.

It was actually a freak accident that ended his life as the 2 inch thick anchor rope of his ship suddenly snapped. The rope hit his face with the force crushing part of his head. He died on the spot. Luckily for the other members of the crew standing beside him when the accident happened, they were left unhurt.

Gerse's family is to receive $100,000 (roughly 4.6 millon pesos) from the company's insurance as compensation for his death. Gerese was just 23 years old.

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July 16, 2007

Xiane and Lolo sings A Whole New World

Posted by xtian001@gmail.com at 09:59 AM

 

Xiane and Lolo Sings A Whole New World

Xiane and Lolo sings A Whole New World

The most anticipated event of the party would be Xianelle and her Lolo’s duet, Aladdin’s A Whole New World. They have been practicing this for weeks! At first Xiane wanted to sing with me as we always do in the car but my guts weren’t as steel as hers so I had to convince her to sing with her Lolo instead. Lolo took down the lyrics the night Xiane agreed to sing with him and started practicing even at 11:30 in the evening! They would sing it in the car and in the house everyday.

When Xiane and her Lolo stood in front and were introduced, everybody was clapping and cheering for them. Lolo started well and sang with gusto. Xiane, on the other hand, was already in the zone and imagined being serenaded by Aladdin himself. Everything was going great till they exchanged lines. With his nerves getting the best of him, Lolo got confused and suddenly repeated his lines. Xianelle also got confused, as seen from her reaction, and stopped momentarily. They both regained their composure and for those who don’t know the song that well, it was unnoticeable. They sang till the end and were given cheers by the crowd.

We later found out that a guest was in tears as they were singing.

Related:
More photos from Xiane's 4th Bday Party
Xianelle's 4th Bday!
Xianelle's Birthday Invitation

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July 13, 2007

Use the Water Heater this Summer

Posted by xtian001@gmail.com at 10:18 AM

I went out of the office yesterday at about 11:15 AM to pick up something in Doha. As I was driving, I saw that my dashboard was reading 45 degrees. IT was hot, terribly hot. Of course, it doesn't help that any car would at least take 5 minutes at least before the aircondition really kicks in. That's how hot it is in the afternoon. Mornings? I leave the flat at about 6:20 AM and my dash tells me it's already 34. Wow! In the Philippines, that would mean it's the midday sun scorching. Not here in Doha, Qatar. You would get used to it.

When I came to Saudi the first time (not sure if I already blogged this), our plane landed in Khobar at about 8:30 PM. Since they were still using the old airport, passengers had to go down the steps and ride a bus much like what we do here in Doha. So I got our of the plane's door and was greeted by this very hot air. Oh, it might be because we were close to Wing engine, I pressumed. As I got out of the airport, I still felt that the plane's engine was close by. Then it occured to me that it was indeed that warm even at night in Saudi. And I was comparing it to having a warm, sunny day in the Phillipines!

Now, your tap water close to boiling once you open your faucet in the afternoon. I'm kidding you not. Since most of the water tanks are placed on top of the roof or even if they're placed beside the building, water gets really hot. We often store water in pails for the summer.Also, one tip that I got from Tita Mae last week, when using the bidet or the Shataff for you know what, use the water from your heater. Provided that the heater isn't turned on, of course. Since your water heater  tank inside the bathroom has stored water in it, you can use that instead of water straight from the outside. Cool tip uh?

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