Life on the Spot! Life and Leisure in Doha, Qatar

I've been tinkering with another open-source software on the loose on the Internet for the past week and I'm already satisfied at the current look-and-feel of the Life on the Spot Gallery. I was supposed to name it "Of Light and Sight" but just made it "Life on the Spot Gallery" to connect it to our blog and our domain name. It's still not complete and on "beta" stage at the moment but you can already view it and tell us what you think. We'll be updating it with new albums as soon as we can especially that it takes a lot of time adding summaries, descriptions, titles, etc. I already created a batch action in Adobe Photoshop to resize, do some Image Levels, Saturation and other stuff to make things easier. I don't need to create thumbnails for the galleries since it's already done automatically by the Gallery itself. Cool right?

Anyway, enjoy viewing the Life on the Spot Gallery! At the moment, you can rate the photos and I might try to implement  commenting in the future.

Posted by xtian001 at 12:20 AM on August 19, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Well guess what, yesterday Tian and I decided to pay our friends a visit, the same people whom we invited over for dinner last Monday night but wasn’t able to come due to some circumstances. And guess what, I brought the adobo with me. But here’s the funny thing, they also prepared adobo. What’s with adobo huh? Well, it’s one of the easiest thing to cook but one of the most varied too. There are so many versions of it, depending on who cooks it. Mine is a bit pale and really dry as I separate the sauce and fry the meat or chicken with a small amount of oil. Theirs was a bit sweet, moist and darker. In any case, both versions satisfy the taste buds. They said that my adobo tasted like pork while my husband loved their adobo. I wonder how many different versions of adobo there are, with each and everyone of us cooking it in his or her own way. Finally, we don't have any adobo leftover in our fridge and that's such a relief.

Posted by mavisrueda at 12:36 PM on August 17, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last Monday, after playing tennis, friends were supposed to come for dinner. So I cooked “adobo”(a Filipino meat or chicken dish with soy sauce, vinegar, ground black pepper and garlic marinade) and macaroni soup for 7 people. But then we finished playing tennis at 10 pm, after which our friends decided not to come by anymore since it was already late. I got upset although I knew I shouldn’t be. Anyway, there was nothing I could do with the circumstances. It’s a good thing that the guy who trained us that night needed a right home and he happened to live just near our place. I invited him over to have dinner with us. But after dinner and having eaten adobo for lunch yesterday, we still have some leftover which we will have again for lunch today and maybe till tomorrow. So here’s a lesson learned, unless you’re sure that friends are really coming over for dinner, never cook too much adobo.  One thing's for sure though, I won’t be cooking adobo in the next few months.

Posted by mavisrueda at 12:26 PM on | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Press the Play button to watch

It was a very hot and humid afternoon when we accompanied my dad to a clinic to have his monthly check-up. The clinic had a small narrow hallway and wasn't air-conditioned. After waiting for 20 minutes for the nurse to call him, sleep seemed to take over...

Posted by xtian001 at 12:01 AM on August 14, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday was another productive yet fun day for the three of us. As it has been since we got back last June, Fridays (well almost every), were spent at our friends’ place where we arrive for lunch and stay till late in the evening. I prepared “afritada” which is basically a Filipino chicken (also pork) tomato sauce based stew. I was actually planning to try a recipe that I found in the internet but after much thought, I decided to go for the good old afritada instead. I figured I should try the recipe for personal consumption first before trying it out on a larger scale. They also prepared bbq spare ribs which if I may say is a “mainstay” (we’ve had it for 4 Fridays now!), milkfish in coconut milk (milk for milk huh!), vegetable salad and corn on a cob. With all the food on the table, everyone really had too much to eat. After which, everyone started minding their own business. The boys played with their “toy”, the Xbox. The girls (that would be me, my friend’s friend) belting it out on the Magic Sing. Then there were the two little girls who played on their own. They were also our audience along with my friend who was a bit shy to show her singing prowess.
 
Then late in the afternoon, the boys decided to play table tennis. The four of them played doubles first but after a few games, I was called to join in. This time I teamed up with Nonoy while my former team mate paired up with my hubby. We had a total of 2 best of 7 games where each team won. Then we decided to go into a best of 3-game for our finals. As luck would have it, we, being the underdog emerged triumphant. Well I’m just glad that I get to exercise and end up with the winning team at the same time. Don’t know if it’s really just luck, if it is then I must be a really lucky gal to have one twice already.
 
After the games, I was just so exhausted, as were the others. All of us just spent the following minutes talking while trying to quench our thirst drinking soda and water. I was too tired that I didn’t feel like eating dinner anymore. I just got myself singing with the Magic Sing again. The three of us arrived home at past 11. We were dead tired but really had a good day. I hope everyone did too.

Posted by mavisrueda at 07:17 PM on August 12, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you're flying to Qatar from the Philippines, the only option for you is to fly Qatar Airways (QA). Unless you want to stop over at Bahrain or Dubai, you can probably take Gulf Air or Emirates. However, if you want a straight trip, QA is the answer. Coming to Qatar, you're allowed 20k of baggage. That's why it is always a challenge for me and Mavis to pack our things cause we don't want to exceed our baggage allowance. I'm not sure how much you pay per kilo if you exceed but I've hear that it's like $30-$50. So to be safe, we always get our baggages weighed before leaving for the airport. But that 20k would never be enough if you're travelling with 2 Xbox machines, books, food stocks and clothes. That's why you need to be a member of the Privelege Club. It's their frequent flyer program which entitles you benefits like additional baggage allowance. If you're on their Burgundy Tier, you're allowed 15k more, 25k for Silver card holders, and 30k for Gold status members. Of course, there are more benefits the higher your tier level is. So for those flying to Qatar, I do suggest you enroll in their program as it would help you a lot. I've flown with Philippine Airlines, Saudia, Gulf Air, Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways and I can say that QA is probably next to Cathay Pacific when it comes to quality service. My only complain about QA is for a long haul flight to the Philippines, you sometimes get to ride on a plane without personal entertainment system. You pay a huge amount of money for your trip (even costlier than going to Europe) that lasts 9 hours and what do you get? Nothing. But the worst would be Gulf Air. Imagine, the first time Mavis and I travelled with Gulf Air, they didn't have toothbrushes! But they had toothpastes! So when we we're coming back to the gulf by the same airline, we were ready with our own brushes. But alas, this time, they didn't even have a toothbrush, neither toothpaste! I don't want to fly Gulf Air again. I have never been scared of flying in an airplane. I think I was 12 years old when my family and I went to Hongkong from the Philippines to have a Christmas holiday there. If you think of it in a positive manner, what are the chances of your plane crashing? The odds of being killed on a single trip is 52.6 million to 1. That may ease some of your worries then. Still, if it does happen that your plane crashes, what are the odds of you surviving? That, I don't want to think about.

Posted by xtian001 at 09:37 AM on August 05, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by xtian001 at 11:09 PM on August 04, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Having a three year old is tough, as she’s starting to assert her independence and starting to speak her own mind. She starts asking questions about almost anything and everything, sometimes giving her answers can really be a challenge.  For her age, Xiane definitely expresses herself very well.  Sometimes she surprises us with things that she says, that we often ask “where did she get that?” There are times when she wouldn’t stop talking and you just wish that she would keep quiet even just for a short while. But through it all, it is still such a delight to talk to her. Here are a few conversations with Xiane.

 

Xiane: Mom who gave my hair, curls?
Mom: God did! You took it from your dad’s side of the family. (I explained to her that everyone in her dad’s family have curly hair.)
Xiane: Everyone! Oh my God!

 

Whenever her dad pins her down the bed, as if wrestling with her she starts saying “I don’t want to be stuck!”

 

Xiane is holding something and suddenly drops it, she’ll say: “Oh man!” (an expression she got from Swiper the Fox in Dora the Explorer)

 

When she wants something real bad, like watching dvd, she’d approach you and say: “Can I please watch mom, please, please.” (saying it with a very cute expression on her face that you couldn’t say no to)

 

When she does something bad that makes us angry she would say: “I’m sorry mom, I will never do it again.”

 

When she unintentionally makes a mistake, like pressing the wrong key her leap pad she would say: “Ooops sorry, I made a mistake.”

 

Whenever she’s hungry: “Mom I want to eat, I’m so hungry!”

 

When she sees her Lolo (granddad) smoking she would say: “Don’t talk to me Lolo, I’m angry, you’re smoking!”

 

She sees me putting make up: “Mom you’re beautiful!” I just love it when she says this!

 

She sees me, her mom trying on clothes: “Mom, you’re sexy like Fergie (Black Eyed Peas).” I love this one even more!

 

Xiane is holding a cracked/broken plastic cup that she uses when she brushes her teeth.
Xiane: Mom somebody broke my cup!
Mom: I’m sorry I was the one who broke it.
Xiane: Why did you break it mom!

 

When we ask her to do something but she’s lazy to do it she’ll say: “I can’t do it mom, I’m just a baby. When I grow up ok?”

 

But if she wants to do something and you’re helping her but doesn’t want your help, she’ll say: “Mom I’ll do it by myself, I’m a big girl now.”

 

Xiane loves singing. When you sing along with her, she’ll tell you “No only me, don’t copy me!”

Posted by mavisrueda at 01:58 PM on August 03, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 

 

A colleague and I were talking about a news article in National Geographic channel about a lobster which was caught is "half-cooked". I was saying that it's much like humans having different skin colors due to a gene fault or skin disease like Michael Jackson (by the way, it is reported that Mike is in Bahrain and photos of him wearing an "abaya" can be found on the net). It might be rare for one to find a lobster like that but it's not impossible nor miraculous. It's not a sign that the sky is falling. So after our discussion, he suddenly says:

"Michael Jackson is nice...He likes little children."

It took me about 3 seconds to digest what he said and then laughed at his comment. Nice one. 

 

Posted by xtian001 at 11:18 AM on July 31, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We spent the whole afternoon with the Rafael’s last Friday. We’ve already scheduled this the other week and had agreed on what food to cook so as to compliment the BBQ ribs that they were grilling. Mavis and I brought Spicy Chicken Wings dipped in blue cheese dressing and vegetable salad while the Valdez’ brought Palabok and ginataan for our “merienda”. After playing a game of NBA 2k6 with Sandro (he lost by 20+points…he he he) and the close match with Nonoy (Mavis inadvertently rebooted the Xbox halfway the game), we decided to play table tennis downstairs.

We played doubles as there were 6 of us who were playing. To balance the game, the pros were teamed with the amateurs; Sandro teamed up with Mavis, Tito Yam and I, Nonoy and Ding. The set up was best of 5 wins with the waiting team challenging the winners.

First Match: Tito Yam/Xtian vs. Sandro/Mavis
Sandro/Mavis won the first game but we got back to level it at 1-1. We eventually won it at 3-2.

Second Match: Nonoy/Ding vs. Tito Yam/Xtian
It was a close match again. Since the other team didn’t have much of a warm-up, we beat them on the first 2 sets. However, as fatigue was creeping multiplied by the heat and humidity, we lost the game at 3-2.

Third Match: Sandro/Mavis vs. Nonoy/Ding
I really don’t know the score here as I was copying some FHM ebooks on tito Yam’s laptop… he he he. The Sandro/Mavis team wins.

Fourth Match: Sandro/Mavis vs. Tito Yam/Xtian
We don’t know what happened but the game was so fast, we were badly beaten at 3-0. Damn FHM!

Fifth Match: Sandro/Mavis vs. Nonoy/Ding
Still on a roll, the Sandro/Mavis team proved unstoppable beating the hell out of the other team. They got crushed at 3-0. Sandro/Mavis team are the undisputable winners of the week.

We also played 2 more games after that with Nonoy and Tito Yam teaming up while Sandro and I got together. Sadly, we lost both games with the last one at 2-2, we lost the set leading 6-0 and getting stuck with 6 for the longest time.

We started at about 2:30 and ended up playing at past 7. It was a good afternoon though. It was nice to get some exercise though the heat was contributing to the fatigue. Another Open is set for next week!

Posted by xtian001 at 11:49 AM on July 30, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Before getting our domain “Life on the Spot”, I’ve been trying to decide if I’d go for a full content management system like Drupal or a blogging software like Movable Type. I’ve consulted a friend and discussed what would be the best solution for my planned website. Looking at Drupals’ documentation, one can see how powerful this free opensource software  providing you the luxury of maintaining user database, forums, blog capabilities, calendars and the like. I’ve even installed apache2triad (another opensource software which installs apache, MySQL and PHP in one package) on my machine as a prerequisite to get Drupal up and running locally. I was also able to get my hands on Drupal:Creating Blogs Forums Portals and Community Websites and used that to install and configure apache2triad. In minutes my local site was running flawlessly. It is indeed a powerful CMS solution which can even be used in a business environment. However, looking at my needs and the amount of time to develop my own templates, I decided to go with Movable Type as I deemed it was easier to configure and easier to create templates for (not really). It would also give Mavis an easier time to post her articles than using the full featured Drupal.

But that doesn’t stop my interest with Drupal. Sandro and I are now trying to start a forum project using Drupal in which the site would cater to Filipino expats in Qatar and those interested in going to Qatar. We’re hoping that we’d be able to get this thing going soon but we been both busy as I’ve been moving and developing this site while on his part, they’re preparing for his son’s birthday this coming Saturday. Give us more time and I’m sure we’d be able to make use of Drupal as intended.

Posted by xtian001 at 11:47 AM on | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

One thing about the Gulf region is that people here are not too concerned about word spellings. Sometimes you see different spellings of the same word and you get confused as to what the real spelling really is. Like for instance, sometimes it is shawarma, other times shawerma; kebab-kabab. So I searched the web and found out that indeed shawarma can have both spellings, there’s even a third one, that is shoarma. Whereas in the case of kebab, I found out that it can also spelled as “kabob” but not kabab. Come to think of it, being not too concerned with spellings is not a bad thing. However, if it concerns important details like names, it becomes a problem. For instance, my name is Mavis, but back in Bahrain someone mistook the “v” for a “y”. From then on, I became “Mayis”. The same thing happened when we transferred here. They got my Bahrain ID and just copied the same name, without even cross referencing it first with my passport. The residence permit that’s stamped on my passport has Mayis on it, as well as my health card and eventually my driver’s license. The things is, I’ll be Mayis for as long as we intend to stay here in Qatar. Sometimes I just wish that people here were more conscious of the way things are spelled.

 

Posted by mavisrueda at 12:31 AM on July 28, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday at 3 pm, Tian got a call. It was from the Citroen service center. After almost a week and several road tests, they were finally able to fix the car. So we had to get there as fast as we can because they close at 4:30 pm. Luckily, Mr. Salama, our ever-dependable emergency service came to the rescue. We reached the service center which is at the Industrial Area just in time. After paying all the bills (as if someone’s getting discharged from the hospital) we were off the road again. The car was much cooler this time as they also refilled the aircon with Freon. I just hope that it remains that it remains well for a long, long time.

 

Posted by mavisrueda at 05:37 PM on July 27, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Life on the Spot! Our own little place in the world wide web. Why the name? After so many suggestions from Mavis and my own personal selections, we thought that Life on the Spot is what it is; a simple yet catchy phrase that says " This is our life on the spot or spotlight".

Posted by xtian001 at 07:37 PM on July 26, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Life on the Spot! Our own little place in the world wide web. Why the name? After so many suggestions from Mavis and my own personal selections, we thought that Life on the Spot is what it is; a simple yet catchy phrase that says " This is our life on the spot or spotlight".

Posted by xtian001 at 07:37 PM on | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We've been without our beloved Citroen Picasso for almost a week now. As the system of the car is electronic, it flashed a warning lamp for the engine and displayed "WARNING - ENGINE FAULT" when I turned it on one day last week. It was still running but everytime I hit on the brakes and halted, it doesn't accelerate the next time you push the gas pedal. You have to turn the car off and restart for it to respond again. That means that I had to turn the car off on every corner and every stoplight. Luckily, this happened while we were close to our flat. I was supposed to bring it myself to the Citroen Service Center but Mavis convinced me that I just dial the number for the Citroen Service center for them to tow the car. An hour later, a guy was hauling the Picasso at the back of his tow truck. When I went back inside the flat, my wife asked me if the guy gave me any receipt or anything that would say that my car is with him. I said none and I didn't even ask the guy for anything. He told me that the guys from the service center would call me in a while once he gets it back to the shop. I trusted him. I guess I'm more trusting of people in Qatar that in the Philippines. It's just that I don't hear news about cars being stolen, "chopped" into pieces and being sold off to the gray market. After about 2 hours, I did decide to call the Service Center. I was told that they we're not able to call earlier as they were too busy with other stuff. Fine as long as my car is with them. I was hoping that my car would be fixed and serviced in two days time as I don't see a lot of Citroen cars in the city. But apparently, my car is in line with other cars being serviced or fixed. Now, almost a week later, I'm told that the engine problem has been fixed but they still need to road test it again and have the service for 15,000 done. For the meantime, I've been able to call a private driver who takes me to work and back everyday for SR25. Cheaper than renting a car. Hopefully, I'll get the car today as we've spent the whole week at home aside from the Rafael's helping us do some grocery last Saturday night in CarreFour, City Center. 06/27 Update: Got the car back and paid SR1351. They said it was a pressure gauge in the engine that they replaced.

Posted by mavisrueda at 06:26 AM on June 26, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, since Mavis and Xiane arrived, we've been quite busy especially that it's going to be Xiane's 3rd birthday tomorrow. We've been preparing a bit since we're going to invite some friends over for dinner. Mavis and I have been staying up late and going to sleep at 1 AM the past couple of nights. We were supposed to have the food catered but then last week, Mavis decided that it was better for her to cook so that she has more control on the taste of the food and not leave it to the chef who was to cater for the dinner. Xiane's been excited about her birthday too. We already bought her a LeapPad Learning book which she has already tried (just to make sure it was working correctly before wrapping it and losing the 7 day warranty). She already has a dress which she'll wear tomorrow plus a crown and a scepter to boot. Hopefully, everything would turn out ok tomorrow.

Posted by xtian001 at 05:29 PM on June 16, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hiccups or Singultus in medical terms and “sinok” in Filipino, is a sound produced by unintentional movement of the muscle at the base of the lungs (diaphragm) followed by rapid closure of the vocal cords. Medically speaking, hiccups often start for no apparent reason and usually disappear after a few minutes. Rarely, hiccups can persist for days, weeks, or months. Although There may be no obvious cause for hiccups the following may cause or trigger someone to have hiccups, such as: Noxious fumes, Hot and spicy foods or liquids, Any disease or disorder that irritates the nerves that control the diaphragm (such as pleurisy or pneumonia), Stroke or tumor affecting the "hiccup center" in the brain, Abdominal surgery. I’m sure you are wondering why I am writing about “hiccups”. Well, I myself haven’t had hiccups for as long as I can remember, so why make a fuss about it. I guess something insignificant or trivial as hiccups becomes of importance once it involves someone you love. My husband has been having hiccups since Saturday night. What started as harmless hiccups now has become a total discomfort to my him. Just imagine having it every 5-15 minutes interval the whole day. It doesn’t matter where you are and what time of the day. The whole day, yesterday, he was pestered by while at work. During his sleep I could hear him snore and have hiccups at the same time. It is making him very tired and causing his whole body, especially the throat, chest, tummy and the back ache. What’s worse is not knowing what to do, to really make it stop completely and not knowing what caused it. According to medical books there is no sure way to stop hiccups, but there are a number of common suggestions that may be effective: · Hold your breath (This one, my husband tried and only worked on him for a few times.) · Breathe repeatedly into a paper bag. (My husband also did this but only worked for a while.) · Drink a glass of cold water. (He even tried drinking water upside-down after being recommended by the cleaner in their office. I guess you’d do anything and everything when you are that desperate. Amazingly though, it worked once. · Eat a teaspoon of sugar. (This, he hasn’t tried. I guess when all else fails he will try this one). But finding it, having hiccups for 3 days now, so weird and most of discomforting, he finally decided to see a doctor this morning. The doctor examined him and even had him undergo “ECG” just to make sure that his heart is functioning well. Thank God it is! For extreme cases of persistent hiccups, gastric lavage or massage of the carotid sinus in the neck. THIS MUST BE DONE BY THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL AND SHOULDN’T BE ATTEMPTED AT HOME. If hiccups continue, a phenothiazine (especially chlorpromazine) or nasogastric intubation (tube insertion) may provide relief. Very rarely, medical methods fail to treat persistent hiccups. Further treatment may include a phrenic nerve block. But this time he was only given this medicine which I’m not sure whether it suppresses hiccups while it’s happening or whether it prevents hiccups from recurring. According to my husband, the medicine has made the recurrence less frequent, his last “attack” was after we had lunch. Now he’s sleeping soundly and I’m happy that I can only hear snoring this time. I hope and pray that he’s had his last “hiccup attack”. I just want my husband to be well and comfortable again. Source: http://health.allrefer.com

Posted by mavisrueda at 09:10 PM on April 07, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It was my first visit to the Al Hamad Women’s Hospital. It is situated in a complex, along with the Al Hamad General Hospital. First impressions: it had a big parking lot, reception was like a hotel’s. There are 3 types of rooms that you can choose from: one where 4 people share, one where 2 can share (the first two is what you can call a ward), and the private room, which they say is like a suite. I was able to see the one where 2 people can share, and it is nothing like a ward. The room was very spacious, had a big bathroom, had 2 phones, drawers and a small cabinet. I’ve been to government hospitals in the Philippines and when you say “ward”, it means that at least 10 people are placed in one big hall. What’s more amazing with the hospital is that you really don’t pay for all the medical services, tests and treatments that you get. You are only to pay for the room, that is QR100 for the double-sharing, and QR800 for the private/a night (didn’t get the price for the 4-people sharing). Opting for the room-sharing is not that bad, although I learned that males, for instance the husband, are not allowed to stay overnight. So if you have no one to take care of you but your husband or if you need more space, better choose the private room. Just don’t regret about the QR700 that you could have saved per night afterwards. Either way, you’d still be saving a lot. One catch though, cameras are not allowed during delivery, so if you’re keen about documenting your baby’s birth, then start looking for a good private hospital that allows that, cause I’ve heard that these private ones are not at par with the Al Hamad in terms of medical services and technology. I hope being a government hospital meant the same in the Philippines. Here, people don’t pay taxes and yet people, including expats benefit from the government’s general services whereas in the Philippines, the “E-VAT” has just been passed into law. I just wonder if our countrymen will ever benefit from the taxes that they’re paying for.

Posted by xtian001 at 11:55 AM on February 13, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I've always been fascinated with gaming. I've had an Atari console when it came out, playing Pac Man and Space Invaders. Aside from the several Game and Watch screens that I had, I also had several Nintendo Family Computers in which Mario and Luigi were made famous. Then Sony came out with Playstation which brought in the Final Fantasy Series and Metal Gear. But that was then and now what I have is the Big Black Console called Xbox. I love my Xbox. It's been 2 years since I got mine from the Philippines (though the unit was bought and brought from Hongkong) and had a 120 GB harddrive installed to it. Not only do I use the console for gaming but also for playing all media files that we want to watch on the big TV; JPG, AVI, MPG, MP3, RMVB, WMV, MOV, DAT for VCDs, and even our DVDs. You can even transfer the files from your PC/Laptop directly to the Xbox through ethernet connection. The only thing missing is for it to be a PVR (Personal Video Recorder) so we can copy TV show from our satellite feed directly to the Xbox harddisk. We've brought it to most of the hotels we've stayed in just for Xiane to be able to watch her cartoons and keep her happy. It's one of the first thing that I set up when moving to a new place (we've moved 6 times this year including our long hotel stays). So far, paying roughly US$380 for the console with 120GB has been worth it. Microsoft has just launched its new Xbox, named Xbox 360 for whatever reason. A Core version (Console, Composite AV plus wired controller) would set you back for 299 while the Premium System (Console, wireless controller, headset, ethernet cable, Component HD cable, and 20GB hard drive) would cost you US$399. That is if you can find one. He he he. People who were lucky enough to get one had sold theirs thru ebay, earning almost twice the amount of what they paid for. That's what hype makes people do, spend an unbelievable amount of money for that item or service. I have a friend who is not really a gamer but was fed the hype. He now is too excited to get an Xbox 360 just because he knows a lot of other people buying it. Amazon and other online retailers have them on their sites but most likely, your orders would arrive January or even February of 2006! But people are still ordering and other have been trying to track down those elusive boxes. Others have even resorted to stealing! I'm not sure why MS would hype the launch of their next gen console only to have limited numbers available to those who want it. A marketing ploy to salivate those who want it? Or, looking it at the other way, it might mean that they released so little for people to serve as product testers for the 360. A lot of owners have been complaining about errors, hangs, disc reading errors and disc scratching. MS says it's just 3% of 360 owners but I'm not too sure. Personally, I would not buy one just yet. I don't want to be a guinea pig for MS. I'd probably buy one after a year or two after 3-4 stable firmware versions have come out. Besides, my old yet trusty Xbox hasn't given me a problem in 2 years of use and abuse. Plus I can almost do anything the Xbox 360 can do (except play those not-so next gen games and output to HD) and more. I'm not in for the hype...which is good, so I can start saving for the High Definition TV that I'm going to buy once I decide to buy my 360! He he he he...

Posted by xtian001 at 09:39 AM on December 03, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was chatting with a friend in Saudi this afternoon, talking about work and other friends when he suddenly asked me to forward him the URL of this blog since he hasn't seen it yet. I type it in the chat window for him to click on. He told me that he met this guy in Saudi and they got to talking. I'm not sure how the topic got where it was but my friend began telling the guy that he knew someone who worked in Khobar then moved to Jeddah and moved back to Khobar then moved to Bahrain. Now, the guy interrupts my friend and the whole situation kind of went like this (I'm not sure how it exactly went but this is my personal interpretation of what happened based on what my friend told me. If you're the guy who my friend was talking to, you can email me the exact details and I'll revise this)

My Friend: Oh, I have a friend who was in Khobar then moved to Jeddah for a while, then moved back to Khobar, then moved to Bahrain this year.
Guy: And he's in Qatar right now?
My Friend: (surprised but nodding)
Guy: He has a small kid? My Friend: Yes!
Guy: His wife is currently on vacation in the Philippines?
My Friend: (now starting to wonder and laugh) Yes! Do you know him?
Guy: Yeah, I've read his blog.

Small world.

Posted by xtian001 at 11:57 AM on November 29, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Gilmore GirlsI’ve been able to follow Gilmore Girls on TV the past 2 weeks as it has been entertaining. It’s not really that funny nor too cheesy (maybe a bit). It is basically a girlie show as the main protagonists are a mom and daughter tandem, the Gilmore girls. I don’t even know what season it is I’m watching (freshman year of Rory) as I haven’t been following it before. I just find it amusing how Rory Gilmore speaks. She has this monotonous tone of speech and it’s like she doesn’t take breathes in between sentences.

Seinfeld Mavis and I just discovered how good this show was early this year. It’s funny and witty. Kramer is hilarious! Probably the best among comedy shows I’ve watched along with Friends, Spin City (Michael J. Fox edition), Perfect Strangers (who could forget Cousin Larry and Balki Bartokomous), and Full House (first TV show for the Olsen Twins).

Tru Calling (season 1) Still watching some reruns from the first season. We found out about this show last year and was hoping to see the 2nd season this year on satellite ( I just found out that Fox cancelled it this year after having filmed its first 6 episodes because of some dumb Drama series). We really love this show. I find Eliza Dushku’s way of running weird (she runs almost every episode). It has a great concept and although the middle episodes of the 1st season were becoming repetitious, it became engaging before the season ended. We were left asking for more after the season ender! For Tru followers, you can read the blog of one of the writers on what they could have done for season 2. It really is a loss.

Desperate Housewives (season 1) Part comedy and part drama, Mavis caught about 10 episodes before they went packing to the Philippines. I’m not sure if it’s being televised there but it’s on every Monday night here! I don’t have a favorite Desperate Housewife though. Funny at times but the thing that makes me watch it is how the people in Wisteria Lane interact with one another.

Smallville (season 3) This is a retelling of the Superman mythos in an interesting way as it deals with Clark Kent’s high school life and how he was shaped to be the greatest hero there is. Miles Millar and Alfred Gough are excellent storytellers. Lois and Clark can’t even compare a bit. I’m still waiting to see season 4 as Mavis and I have already seen season 3. I’m still watching it 5 days a week!

Lost (season 1) We finished the season just before Mavis left but they’re having reruns of it. This is the best of all JJ Abrams (Alias, Felicity) series. It’s a must-watch series. Each episode is a revelation; about the characters and about the island. My favorite character would be John Locke and Hurley.

CSI (Las Vegas, Miami and New York) Las Vegas is best, followed by Miami and then New York. No one can beat Grissom and his silent charisma among CSI followers. Mavis and I both admire Marg Helgenberger for looking the way she is for her age. Las Vegas has the right balance among its characters and how they show the whole process of criminal investigation. Miami is ok but with more drama. New York is a bore for me and it’s Mavis who usually stays awake to catch it (they show it at midnight).

Charmed Yup. It’s still here. Things may have changed a bit; Paige (Rose McGowan) became a sister, Piper has 2 kids while her Whitelighter husband, Leo, is now human (again), and the season ender was they changed their appearances to lead new lives. I wonder how that would turn out. They already are showing the fourth episode of their 8th season in the US. Love the girls, love the show!

Posted by xtian001 at 04:37 PM on October 17, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I just wanted to expound on my thoughts on Saudi in relation to the previous article. It might have appeared that our stay in Saudi was all that bad. Honestly it’s the opposite, we’ve spent 4 wonderful years and had a lot of good memories there the best of which is conceiving and giving birth to my daughter in Saudi. So why leave? It’s for the simple reason that Saudi is not an open country and given the choice to live in an open free country, I think anyone in his/her right mind would choose the latter. There are just so many things that you can’t do in Saudi. You cannot practice your religion as Islam is the only religion. Although people esp. from Dammam and Khobar are lucky enough to attend mass or religious services inside Saudi Aramco which is situated in nearby Dhahran. But this too is a problem as you have to have a sponsor from Aramco to be able to get inside. So for most people, they end up not going to church. At worse some hold special services at home at their own risk.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS. Yeah what about it? Is there such a thing in Saudi? In a society where women are not allowed to work except in the medical field, where women are not allowed to drive and not allowed to wear the clothes they’d like to wear in public, you would definitely agree that women don’t have rights in Saudi. Yup, you read it right, all women have to wear an “abaya”(a black long dress with long sleeves that looks so much like a toga, all that’s missing is a cap) the whole time their out of the house. In some areas women are also required to cover their hair as it is customary in Islam that the hair of a woman should only be seen by her immediate family and her husband. As for Saudi women this extends to covering even the face which leaves the eyes as the only part of the face that should be seen. For the most conservative ones, you’re lucky if you’ll even get a glimpse of their eyes. So Beyonce and all the independent women out there, don’t you dare go to Saudi! But it can’t be all bad, after all women, including expats, always come first in queues even if everyone else has lined up before them. Ain’t that great!

NO PORK! Obviously being the center of Islam, pork is definitely banned in Saudi, even if it’s only for personal consumption. At the airport your baggage will be checked for it just like any other contraband. Luckily it will only get confiscated. You will never find it in any of the stores if you really are that “hungry” for pork, there are ways to get it if you are willing to spend you hard-earned Riyals for it. Or go to next-door Bahrain!

NO ALCOHOL. This was not really a major concern while we were in Saudi as neither one of us really drink. But in comparison to an offense related to the possession or peddling of pork, this one is considered to be more serious. Anyone who is caught possessing alcohol will definitely have to face the consequences; being jailed with accompanying lashing of the back and at worse deportation and being blacklisted from Saudi forever. Just to give you an idea how serious the Saudi authorities are regarding alcohol, you won’t find any store selling isopropyl alcohol, even mouthwash and wipes don’t have them.

THE MALLS. The malls in Saudi are merely for shopping. There are no cinemas to speak of and as we all know cinemas are an integral part of a mall. So people just visit the malls for a stroll and to shop esp. when there’s a sale.

SALAH. Salah is what they refer to as prayer time. In Saudi you will find a mosque in every corner at the top of which you’ll find a minaret that has megaphones around it which serve as a PA (Public Address) system. In Islam, believers pray 5 times in one day and when it’s “salah” the “imam” or the priests in each mosque start to sing to call people to pray. The singing goes on for about 10 minutes. For those who hear it for the first time esp. at around 4 or 5 in the morning, it could feel a bit creepy. Imagine the sounds coming form all the mosques simultaneously. For some, going back to sleep becomes a problem after having been woken up by the singing, but for most people it’s just a matter of getting used to. Salah in itself is not a problem. If you think of it, it’s actually good that they pray many times a day and that they’re being reminded to pray. The bad part is that during prayer time, all the stores, businesses and offices have to close. It’s just a complete hassle when you have to rush your shopping because it’s prayer time. That’s why most people just go out after the last prayer which is around 7 or 8 in the evening just to avoid being caught in the middle of it.

NO PDA. Public Display of Affection is a definite “no,no” in Saudi. Couples even married ones are not even allowed to hold hands . There was this one incident in the market when Tian was reprimanded by one Saudi guy for holding my arm, telling him that we were in an Arab nation and we’re not supposed to blah...blah… blah. Another one is not being able to kiss your loved one (husband or wife) goodbye when you’re being sent off to the airport. That was why back then, Tian and I would say our goodbyes even before we leave the house. I guess I could go on and on but I’m sure after reading what I’ve enumerated, you do see why we chose to leave Saudi.

 

Posted by mavisrueda at 09:43 AM on October 14, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A lot of people have asked me how I got into the business of Web Design. They think that since I’m into IT, I have a degree in computing or engineering. I wish! I then have to explain to them how I became a web designer. I spent my first 2 years of college life taking up Journalism at the University of the Philippines (U.P.) in Baguio. I love writing but then, it was also becoming boring for me. I thought of shifting to the more interactive segment of Mass communication which was Broadcasting, but that meant I had to move to the U.P. Campus in Diliman. I found out, as I was applying, that my grade average was about .2 below the cut (thanks to Spanish 10 and 11) so my next option was Film and Audio Visual Communication which needed a 2.0 average (1 was highest in our grading system). Yup, you read it right. I have a B.A. in Film and Audio Visual Communication. It is a 4-year course. I took classes in Directing, Script-writing, Cinematography, Film Editing, Photography, Experimental film and even Acting (I’m not that of a good actor… he he he). The thing is, I didn’t even know how to start a computer in 1995. Then we had courses in Film animation and Digital Editing and that started it. I got introduced to the world of Photoshop and Premiere. Instead of becoming a Film/TV director, I became more involved with graphics. I got my first PC on 1996 and spent late nights with Photoshop. I got hooked to the web on 1997 and just used it to learn more of computers, the web and web design tools. I didn’t even have a book on Photoshop then and online tutorials were not many. By 1998, I was working part-time as a graphic artist/web designer for a local company and working full time as Head Graphics Artist for a desktop printing shop. Then everything just fell into place. I was offered a job in Saudi as a Web Designer in 1999 and now I’m here! I’m sure a lot of universities already have a specific course for Web Design. The thing is, Web Design is both technical and artistic. You have to deal with the design itself, colors, graphics, elements and then you also have to deal with user-functionality, compression and code. You just can’t say “I want to be a Web Designer” but not deal with the elements of design or not deal with the technicalities involved. Although in a scale, it pays off better to have the inclination with the arts. Companies usually have a dedicated Programmer/Developer to the hard coding for you. Still, you need to know how to code, what the code means and what the code can do. For me, I may not have a degree in computing or engineering, but some things you just to learn outside of the University and excel in it ( at least I think I do).

Posted by xtian001 at 07:48 AM on October 08, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have just finished reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. It is a good read and intriguing at most. It writes about the Holy Grail, which it was believed, Christ used on his Last Supper and what secrets it was supposed to reveal. It has quite stirred a controversy and made Dan Brown a rich guy with millions of people buying the book to know what the controversy is about. What I want to emphasize to readers of the book is that it is fiction. What made it controversial is that the Author claims in the Acknowledgement that “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” A lot of the supposed to be “accurate” descriptions have been rebuffed by a lot of historians, scholars and researchers stating that Brown is almost wrong in all his description of history and the facts that he stated in the book. You can visit these websites, here here here, just to get an idea of what Dan Brown presented and what the scholars are saying about his claims. Again, the book is fiction. But Brown’s statement the items he stated are accurate is really misleading. I wouldn’t have any qualms about the book aside from this (and the bland ending). If people buy the book because of the media coverage, I would hope that they also look into the truth behind these claims and do their own research especially if they believe that Brown’s facts are accurate as he state they are. For Brown, I’m sure that he doesn’t really care if people are being misled as long as they buy the book. A movie is even being made about the book which I’m also sure, made Brown’s some millions richer. So why should he care? The least he could do is remove that line that makes the book controversial. But again, that is what keeps people buying his book, right? By the way, Dan Brown is also being sued as some claim that he ripped off the ideas of other books and rehashed them to make The Da Vinci Code.

Posted by xtian001 at 09:32 AM on July 11, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It was Xiane's Bday last Friday. As planed, we took her to the Seef Mall as they have a play area for the kids. She rode the teacup ride, the Flying carpet, a horse, a camel and went jumping on an inflated play area. She enjoyed it! Mavis also tried driving a car while I tried flying a jet fighter. Both, without success in our chosen games. At Lunch time (1:00 p.m.) , we ate at a place we usually go to, Rendezvous. The Managers and waiters already know us and greet us, esp. Xiane, when we come to eat. So we told them that it was Xiane's birthday that Friday. By the end of our meal, they brought our a piece of cake covered in icing with a candle lit on it. The place started piping out the tune of happy birthday as the rest of the waiters and managers gathered around Xiane, clapping and singing Happy Birthday. Xiane was so surprised yet we know that she knows what was happening and was excited about it. She knew it was her birthday and she got what she wanted; a cake with a candle for her to blow. She almost couldn't hide the smile on her face while they kept singing, waiting for her to blow the candle. She did try to blow it out but needed some help with it. Still, one couldn't buy the way she looked as she was being sung the birthday song. Last night, we asked her if she still remembers her birthday and her cake. We asked her what the color of her cake was and she said "white" and she said "green candle". Amazing how a 2 year old kid could remember what happened the day before! Anyway, to all Godparents, you owe Xiane one.

Posted by xtian001 at 03:24 PM on June 19, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I do have Gastritis. After paying 156 BD (1560SR) in Bahrain International Hospital to have another check-up, it was confirmed that I have Gastritis. It might have been brought up by stress (probably because of moving and finishing work in my current company), food (eating a lot of spicy foods), or improper diet (eating a lot of steaks, soda, greasy burgers and bratwursts). I also had a Barium Xray. The Barium should coat my stomach lining so that they can Xray it. Well, first, they asked me to take these small granules ( I think they're Bicarbonate of Soda) on my mouth and then wash it with the Barium fluid. The granules are like the popping-candies you buy on candy shops except that the reaction with the Barium isn't as pleasant. They fizzle a bit in your mouth and then gives out gas so you have to swallow the Barium and granules while your mouth becomes full of gas. And then you have to turn from side to side, around 360, 180 and so forth as they take the Xray. It lasted about 30 minutes. A call in the afternoon confirmed that it wasn't bacteria which was causing the gastritis. So it could be any of the mentioned above or it could be all. In any case, I need to go on a diet!

Posted by xtian001 at 03:22 PM on | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We spent almost the whole day, friday, to pack some of our stuff to be sent to the Philippines and to Qatar. A week ago, Mavis was soooo excited at the thought of sending a "Balikbayan Box" to the Philippines. A "Balikbayan Box" is supposed to be a box filled with goodies and stuff that you send back home for your family and relatives. "Balik" means return, while "Bayan" means country. We usually bring our "pasalubong"/gifts to our families by placing them on our luggages when we come home. So this time, we we're going to shop and have them sent through cargo. The thought of family actually opening the box and trying to set aside items for their use is what makes us excited. I remember when dad sends/brings these boxes home. Everyone stands in front of the box being opened and tries to see if the item being lifted out of the box had their name on it. Or grabbed items that we want to claim. And the smell of the box is actually different. Intoxicating. He he he he. But it does smell different, i don't know why. Mavis and I had our budget to spend. So we went to Geant. It's actually a supermarket but sells items that you can possibly think of; electronics, perfume, clothes, shoes, gardening, etc. We went to buy them lotions, sandals, dishwashing liquid, chocolates, coffee, deodorant, some baby items... anything you can think of. I also packed my 5.1 Harman Kardon 3000 Audio Video Receiver for my dad-in-law. Have used that for about 3 years and it really is a great receiver but decided that it was time to part with it. My dad-in-law would really like it since he is into music and stuff, but I don't know if he's that audio-tech savvy enough to fix and make use of the receiver. Well, he is in Japan right now so we'll have to see when he comes back to the Philippines this October/November. Otherwise, he has to wait for me to come home to set it up for him. Then for my mom, we decided to send our 29" JVC flat TV home. We bought her a 21' inch flat TV last year and bought dad an Audio Component but decided to give her our TV since we just plan to buy a new one in Qatar. I just don't know if the TV cart that they have at home would be able to carry the weight of the TV. We even haven't told her yet of the TV! Last Saturday morning, Forex Cargo came to get the boxes. We sent a pair to Angeles and sent another to Baguio. Since we are shipping the items, it would take roughly a month before they reach their destinations. If only we could take photos of them while opening the boxes ;)

Posted by xtian001 at 09:13 AM on June 06, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My theory: It was said that Darth Plagueis was so powerful that he was able to manipulate the midichlorians and create life itself. Anakin on the other hand, was conceived without a father and was supposed to be the chosen one, the one who would bring balance to the force. Now, Darth Plagueis apprentice was Darth Sidious who eventually killed him. I think that Darth Plagueis foresaw his death to Darth Sidious and actually "created" Anakin to avenge his death. In so doing, moving past to Episode VI, it was actually Anakin/Darth Vader who killed Darth Sidious, avenged the death of Darth Plagueis, his creator, and eventually bringing out balance to the Force as prophesized.

Posted by xtian001 at 04:10 PM on May 29, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Do do do do do do do do do (Imagine Xiane singing Darth Vader's theme song) The plan was for me to watch Return of the Sith (RotS) on Friday next week while Mavis takes care of Xiane at home and Mavis watching the movie the next day while I look after Xiane in the Mall. Last Friday, we got to the Mall just to take Xiane out and let her see Darth Vader. Yup. A lifesize replica of Darth Vader was in Dana Mall, encased in plexiglass. Since Xiane came to know about Darth Vader through our DVDs (having all Starwars DVD's at home) and teaching her how to hum Darth Vader's theme song, she has been fascinated, albeit a bit scared, with him. That doesn't stop her from staring at the lifesize replica, humming his song and saying "dart vader","sword" (for his lightsaber) , "tormpooper" (for the other replica of the Stormtroopers which you can also fin in the Mall. So as Xiane was there, talking to Darth Vader, Mavis had an idea. She asked the ticketing people if we can take our almost 2 year old baby to watch Starwars. They said yes, we can. They were saying that other people even take their babies with them inside the cinema and it is not forbidden. With that, we immediately got two tickets (Xiane was free to enter) and prayed that Xiane wouldn't be too noisy while in the Cinema. we bought chips, popcorn and more chips to at least keep her entertained if she gets bored. She kept asking "wat dat" (what's that?) while pointing to the big screeen in front of us. Then the movie started. It was actually nerve wracking to watch the movie. Not because of the movie but because Xiane was there. Well, she was quiet most of the time, only when you get big scenes would you hear hear talk. It was good that some parts were quite loud to drown Xiane's voice while she kept saying "dart vader, "yoder" (for Yoda), "face" (closeup shots), "crying" (for the more dramatic scenes), "sword", etc... After about 3 hours, the movie ended. We survived our first movie in a cinema with Xiane! For those who were in the cinema that night, I can't help it, I am a Starwars fan and so is my toddler.

Posted by xtian001 at 09:05 AM on May 23, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I decided not to post anything on my blog since the last time I updated it because of a reason. The title says it all. Qatar, here we come! I didn't want to spoil anything by blogging about the things that has been happening as it might affect the outcome of my resignation from my company and hiring from the new company I'm joining. I have been enjoying life in Bahrain, no doubt. I think you'll enjoy life anywhere else but Saudi. He he he. But really, when Mavis and I decided to move to Bahrain, it wasn't about the money. I was offered much less than what I was getting in Aramco. Aramco even upped the contract to increase the salary I was getting but I was already decided. We chose to go to Bahrain because we wanted to live a life with a bit of normalcy in a sense. Being an "open city", Bahrain actually gives you that feeling. We were able to take strolls outside the house, go to the mall and eat out without anybody staring at us, we can stay close with each other while walking, people are friendlier and a lot of them can speak English... all that stuff and more which you can't find in Saudi. Work is also great. The team is great! I've been the lead project leader for the upgrade of the company's internet site while also maintaining the current one. I have two (2) very competent guys in our team who needs little assistance with the jobs being delegated. Colleagues are great and Management has supported and listened to our needs since day 1. Then, I received an email and a phone call. I wasn't really that excited about it at first as I love my job and moving is very tiring. We've just been here for three (3) months. But Mavis pushed me to go have a look at it and see if it's something worth giving attention to. So off I went to Qatar, did medical exams and attended 7 interviews (more details in my next blog), all in one day! I got the offer, talked to Mavis about it, sat on it, slept on it, talked about it even more and decided. We are moving to Qatar.

Posted by xtian001 at 02:26 PM on May 17, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I just received news that the site I developed (www.ricardoguzman.com) was nominated at the Webby Awards for the Best Personal Site Category. WOW! To think that the Webby Awards is considered as the most prestigious award honoring excellence in Web design, creativity, usability and functionality, being nominated as one of the best among 4000+ entries is unbelievable.The site was developed for Ricardo Guzman (Mexican - American) as his personal online presence as well as to be part of his application to a Film school in the U.S. I started working on the project late August 2004. He was already trying to complete the designs for each page and section for months but wasn't too sure of what he wanted to actually show. At first, it was supposed to be a plain HTML site as he was consulting another designer to do it for him since I was to busy with personal stuff. But looking at the designs, I was insistent on developing the site in Flash as I thought that it would really showcase the designs that he did and would attract more visitors to his site rather than a plain static site. So we met one afternoon to discuss the merits of the site and how he envisioned it to be. Eventually, he agreed to do the site in Flash as I explained that we'd be doing one project that is a website and could also be distributed as a stand- alone multimedia presentation as well. I grabbed the sitemap and started planning how to do everything in Flash; loading of movies, dynamic updates, navigation scripts, etc. The basic script was done in about 3-4 days. The next week, I was pushing Rico to finalize the designs as the structure was ready. We spent about 2-3 months doing the whole thing after work. I wonder if Ricardo is going to keep his promise of sending me to New york if he ever wins? Well, we have to see first if the site really wins! So cast your vote at http://pv.webbyawards.com and vote for the site Pirates, Poets and Passion (www.ricardoguzman.com) under the Personal Category so we could at least win the People's Voice Award.

Posted by xtian001 at 09:57 AM on April 14, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)