Better late than never, the old saying goes. Here again with a new posting after a week off. While reading MAKE magazine, an article attracted me which describes how to scrub out unwanted logos using sugar cubes from your PDA/Mobile phones etc. First of all, let me give you a warning…please do it your own risk and don’t call me to repair your mobile. Unfortunately, I am not a technician.

Anyhow, it goes like this. Keep ready these utensils: your mobile/PDA, one transparent adhesive tape roll and few sugar cubes. The tape really is essential as you don’t want sugar into the phone. Stick tape on the logo which you want to remove. The main concern is actually not that you scratch the casing but that you scratch off the tape. Then hold your mobile by one hand and take one sugar cube in other hand. Slightly start rubbing over the tape which is above the logo now. It will take sometime to get the result. Be patient and continue rubbing over the tape. It is easiest to use the corners of the sugar cubes. Periodically you will have to remove the tape and put ne tape on as you might have damaged and loosened it with too vigorous rubbing. 

See the result…….the unwanted logo vanished away ….Once the whole logo is off; you can use a cloth to wipe of the sugar. The tape may have left a mark over the phone, just clean it with a cloth. Don’t do it with mobiles with a plastic coating. It will just make scratches only.  Anyway, this technique is applicable for any metal products.

Over

One fine day, a bus driver went to the bus garage, started his bus, and drove off along the route. No problems for the first few stops - a few people got on, a few got off, and things went generally well. At the next stop, however, a big hulk guy got on. Six feet eight, built like a wrestler, arms hanging down to the ground. He glared at the driver and said, ” Big John doesn’t pay!” and sat down at the back.

The driver was five feet three, thin, and basically gentle? Naturally, he didn’t argue with Big John, but he wasn’t happy about it. The next day the same thing happened - Big John got on again, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down. And the next day, and the next.

This grated on the bus driver, who started losing sleep over the way Big John was taking advantage of him. Finally he could stand it no longer. He signed up for body building courses, karate, judo, and all that good stuff. After few months, he had become quite strong; what’s more, he felt really good about himself. So on the next Monday, when Big John once again got on the bus and said, ” Big John doesn’t pay!”

The driver stood up, glared back at the passenger, and screamed, ” And why not?”

With a surprised look on his face, Big John replied, ” Big John has a bus pass.”

Moral of the story: Be sure there is a problem in the first place before working hard to solve one.

There is a big tree in front of the house where I am living in Riyadh. Birds like the winter. They are one of the winter migrants to Riyadh and some of them find their accommodation on this tree. The chirping of these tiny birds is quite interesting and it will boost your energy level especially in mornings. Winter is cooler with an average temperature of 14°C in Riyadh. Winter temperature can drop below freezing in the central (Riyadh) region.

Besides the chirping of tiny birds before winter, the transition period from summer to winter which is really a “cold” season with head aching and your nose running with sore throat. You can hear the nose blowing noises wherever you are going. Indeed it is not nice anyway to hear this noise and it can be nice for the person who is having a cold to take a day off, and spend most of the day in bed. There are so many cold remedies…like herbs, hot tea, vitamin C, pepper tea and lozenges to clear the throat. Some may work and they may not…then antibiotics and other medicines. However, we are going to be in low energy level for couple of weeks. We do learn that colds are mostly passed on from hand to (desk, telephone, mouse, keyboards etc) to hand contact and not passed through the air. So, if you are having cold, don’t try to shake the hand of others…please…just stay on your desk and don’t try to use others mouse / telephone and don’t try to become a migrant bird which is flying from one to another tree….

Effective Saudization has been big success on two areas at least in Riyadh streets…those are selling vegetables and counterfeited software !!! Indeed this was not an intended goal by the authorities, but those are working in these two fields achieved great success by proving good sales. It is really unfortunate that those vegetable vendors are giving big job to cleaners of Municipality and challenge the meaning of Riyadh (The Clean City). Also these street vegetable vendors are creating traffic blocks especially in Dabab Street and Batha Area of Riyadh.

Thanks to the Saudization process in selling pirated software in Olaya area. Earlier this business was doing by South Asian nationals and it was quite difficult to get a working software copy. Now you are free to check the counterfeited software by using the laptop available with the current street vendors before you purchase. This facility is even not available with original. Also the flexibility in bargaining…that is too good.  

Anyhow, these days Microsoft is showing a “blue star” in the right corner of Windows software and keeps reminding you that the software is not genuine. After the release of Windows Vista, the pirated software will slow down the system gradually, but Microsoft has no intention to shut down the system…thanks… Seriously! When the cost of the software you are using is some where equivalent to the cost hardware that you have purchased, it's natural that people either turn away from those software, or use a pirated copy of it.

Microsoft has come up with a new 'pay-as-you-go' technology which is already in use with many countries now which is like millions round the globe are using prepaid minutes for their cell phones. This is exactly what the thought is behind the 'pay-as-you-go'… FlexGo Technology. If you are interested to know more about FlexGo Technology, please go to Microsoft site or search this word. I don’t want to write more about it here as it is not suitable for Saudi Arabia anyhow with the present format.

This weekend I was really lazy and slept entire day. Finally in night, decided to have a long walk to downtown. Sometimes it is quite interesting to sit in a coffee shop nearby a street corner or inside a shopping mall. While enjoying a black coffee in a coffee shop, I have seen in the display several colorful leaflets about different type of coffee and also a description on the coffee expedition. I have collected some of it for leisure reading and got interested by the story of “seven beans” smuggling from Arabia to India. May be it was the first smuggling to India from Arab countries.

In the year 1000 A.D coffee cherries were first discovered by a goat herder named Kaldi in what is now known as Ethiopia and coffee was first commercially cultivated in Yemen. While its historic roots are still shrouded in legend, by the middle 15th century the people of Arabia were roasting and brewing coffee to enjoy a beverage much as we know it today. The word “Coffee” originates from the Arabic word “Qahwa” means that which prevents sleep.

While Arab traders were keen to ship boiled or parched seeds the entire world over, they were careful to never allow beans or cuttings that could create new coffee plants to leave Arabian borders…coffee had become so precious to Arabs, it was made illegal to export fertile beans. Anyhow, on pilgrimage to Mecca in the middle 1600s, Baba Budan, a revered holy man from India, discovered for himself the wonders of coffee. In his zeal to share what he’d found with his fellows at home, he smuggled seven coffee beans out of Arabia, wrapped around his belly. On his return home, he planted the beans in the hills of Mysore, India, and nurtured the young coffee bushes that resulted. Coffee flourished in the hills of India – hills now named after Baba Budan.

In short order, enterprising Dutch traders bought some of these coffee plants, and shipped them to faraway colonies in Indonesia and Ceylon. The Arabian monopoly of the coffee trade was over, and the Western world was waking up to a new aroma………………See the Indian smuggling helped all over the world now…..

It is always great fun to think about our expatriate life here in Middle East. Think more about what it is to be in the life of an expatriate working in Middle East, beyond simple things like fitting in, language barriers, seeking home comforts, missing your loved ones and missing your hometown. There are so many troubles, struggles, the homesickness, the loneliness and “beauty” of working abroad with multinationals. Anyway, most of us moved to gulf countries by choice, whether for a desire to change lifestyles, or good job opportunities.

We leave everything behind – friends, family and our freedom. After landing here, immediately start blame ourselves over the choice to work in Middle East and deliver big dialogues over the opportunities available in our home countries. Make tentative plans to go back to home country for good. Weeks and months will fly away by criticizing the expatriate life and work….then the annual vacation will approach. Again the thought of another one year continuation in Middle East will come in mind. The only hope of a decent life in our home county will be delayed for another one year and decide to go for a vacation and return. During vacation, surrender all earning to the devils back in home country and return with an empty wallet…  This process will continue for several years…and the true expatriate will be still here in Middle East…Finally, we travel back to our home countries with any of the “metabolic syndrome” related diseases or other illness…. Then you feel that either you don’t belong to your home country or the country where you spend your healthy times…..

Read an interesting post the other day that linked to Enzymes written by Tom Gruber. The article was well-written and thought to share with my blog visitors as most of the expatriates in Gulf region suffering too much on the problems specified on this article, and I highly recommend reading it.

Enzymes - Don't Dine Without Them      Author: Tom Gruber

Before you take that next bite of food, I have an important question to ask: "Are you getting enough enzymes?"

Tough question, I know. So let me help you out. Do you ever feel tired and sluggish after eating a big meal? Ever have a stomach ache? Indigestion? Constipation? If so, then you're probably not getting a sufficient amount of enzymes.

But an enzyme deficiency is much more serious than just an upset tummy. Here, in alphabetical order, is a partial listing of illnesses and disorders attributed to a lack of enzymes in one's diet:

Aching Feet, Acne, Allergies, Arthritis, Back Weakness, Bladder Problems, Chronic Allergies, Chronic Fatigue, Cold hands and feet, Common colds, Constipation, Cystitis, Depression, Diarrhea, Diverticulitis, Fatigue, Fungal forms, Gall Bladder Stress, Gallstones, Gingivitis, Gum Disorder, Hay Fever, Hearing Problems, Heart Problems, High Blood Pressure, Hot Flashes, Hypoglycemia, Immune Depressed Conditions, Inflammation, Insomnia, Irritable Bowel, Lipase Deficiency, Mood Swings, Neck and Shoulder aches, Parasites, PMS, Prostate Problems, Psoriasis, Sinus Infection, Skin rashes, and Urinary Weakness.

What Are Enzymes?

If you're like most people, you haven't a clue what enzymes are. Enzymes are highly complex protein molecules. They work together with oxygen to help us digest food. This is important because unless food is digested properly, it is not usable by the body.

Enzymes and oxygen are destroyed whenever food is cooked or highly processed. Eating cooked and/or processed foods puts a tremendous burden on your body. Instead of the necessary digestive enzymes coming directly from your food (as nature intended), your body must now call upon its stored reserves to properly digest that food. These reserves are limited. Once the body's digestive enzymes become depleted, your body has no choice but to draw upon its reserve supply of metabolic enzymes.

So what's the big deal? The big deal is, if these metabolic enzymes have to be used to digest your food, a series of unfortunate events are set in motion in your body's metabolism.

First, these metabolic enzymes are now taken away from other important activities. Consequently, numerous bodily functions are disrupted. Your immune system weakens, making you more susceptible to disease. Your energy level drops. In fact, the functioning of every organ system in the body, including the brain, begins to stress out - all because enzymes have been diverted to digest food.

Bottom line, eating foods that are depleted of enzymes over-taxes you, which can ultimately lead to numerous diseases and immunity dysfunctions. A diet consisting largely of processed and/or cooked foodstuffs contributes heavily to sickness and disease, not to mention premature aging and an early death!

The Benefit of Raw Food

So what's the answer? I'm not suggesting going cold-turkey by never eating cooked foods, nor am I saying to never dine at restaurants. What I am saying is this: If the majority of your diet consists of cooked and/or processed foods and you're not supplementing your diet with enzymes, you're probably a heart attack waiting to happen.

Here's the solution: Replace most of your cooked and processed foods with raw foods. The benefits of natural raw foods have been well documented. Raw foods are alive with life-enhancing phytochemicals and essential enzymes. And to be on the safe side, consider an All-Natural Whole Food Multi-Vitamin Supplement that is high in Enzymes, one that has 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins and minerals. That way, you know you're getting the nutrients you need, plus you're not over-taxing your body's digestive system.

Remember: Before you take your next bite of food, "Don't Dine Without Enzymes!"

In fact, I am sitting right here in my home with my laptop and I stare at the monitor.  I actually downloaded a bunch of jokes and other information from net. I stare at them everyday to have some inspiration to write a post. It is now 3:00 am and unfortunately nothing coming out from my mind. But the following “Simple” and “Practical” solution attracted me. Please read it and next time help your management with simple and practical solutions…but most probably your simple solution will not be accepted. Instead they spend hours on baseless discussions and finally conclude with time and money consuming decisions. On the contrary, there will be a decision how to “squeeze” the employees to solve the problem.

The importance of keeping it simple and practical: A soap manufacturing company management was investigating a complaint that a consumer had bought a soap box that was empty. Somehow one soap box went through the assembly line empty. Management asked engineers to solve the problem.

”At a huge cost, the engineers devised an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors, manned by two people, to watch all the soap boxes passing through the line to make sure they were not empty. But a long serving and lowly ranked ‘practical’ employee devised a much simpler solution. He pointed an industrial electric fan at the assembly line. As the soap boxes passed the fan it blew the empty boxes out of the line!”

There are a variety of different reasons why one chooses a surgeon / hospital. Visit to a doctor usually towards the top in our important things of life. One of my colleagues got an orthopaedic problem and consulted with a doctor in a polyclinic located in downtown of Riyadh. The doctor advised him to consult with a surgeon on this matter as it seems to be surgery is inevitable to get rid of the severe pain in his right knee. He got an appointment to a famous surgeon at 12 night as this part of the world, nights are like day during Ramadan.  I accompanied him to this hospital and we found out that the appointment was not a real one. It is really unfortunate that my colleague couldn’t provide much detail as he got this appointment by telephone and his call answered by one nurse. Anyhow, the doctor’s consultancy time was over and we couldn’t meet him.

We approached the reception counter and requested an appointment on next day. Sounds little bit strange, but we got an answer that the next available appointment will be after two months only. They didn’t offer walk-in service, appointment needed for the evaluation and treatment of orthopaedic injuries or problems. That is quite understandable….but waiting for next two months with pain and walking with the help of a stick!!! Then again how long have to be waiting for surgery…..another two to three months!!! After this visit to the hospital, we realize that orthopaedic injuries / problems should be occurred always at the surgeons convenient of times. On the contrary, you have to live with pain and walk with the help of sticks for long period……...

Always there are better solutions too….my colleague is going to fly back to INDIA……

First day of this year Ramadan and National day of Saudi Arabia fall in same day and it has given a holiday mood in the beginning of Ramadan. Almost time for iftar, the breaking of the fast, I walk in to a fast food restaurant where they announce special “Iftar Meal” with chicken BBQ, oats porridge, sambousa, laban, dates and water. There were very few customers, and it seems strange to me that according to the cashier it will take 15 minutes to deliver my order “iftar meal” and the suppliers seems to be very irritated by the customers. Perhaps they were tired due to the first day of Ramadan and seem to be not organized or well prepared.

While I was waiting for my meal, a mentally challenged man with dirty dress entered the restaurant and thrown few riyals to the cashier and requested some food. Initially they tried to ignore him and kicked him out. As he was quite aggressive, they forced to take his order and they offered some food for the money available with him. But he insisted some particular type of BBQ and the money was not sufficient. The next customer beside him offered the lacking amount and solved the matter amicably.

Finally, the orders are delivered even though the breaking of fasting time was over and the prayer started in nearby mosque.

The mentally challenged man again approaches the counter and requested a bottle of water and cashier insisted for “one riyal”. As he couldn’t get the water from them, he straight away approached to my table and grabbed the water bottle. I just hand over to him the bottle happily and ordered another bottle of water.

Providing the fasting Muslims with Iftar is one of the major activities by many people in this part of the world and even you can find people serving food to those are coming on Mercedes, Lexus and BMW in signals. Every time we can hear from many preachers / scholars that “It’s a great blessing when you feed someone (needy) iftar”. 

See…this fast food restaurant chain is one the biggest in the country and they can’t even give out one bottle of water free of charge to a deserved one. 

Also, others are just performing their duty by providing the fasting Muslims with Iftar, but forgetting to find out whether it is reaching to the right persons or not… try to help the deserved ones….

Iftar, or the breaking fast, when it finally arrives each day after the call to evening prayers, is really lavish for most of us…and anyone really thinking about those deserve some help….???