tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90074079073145264642024-03-13T15:24:40.041+00:00Qatar is CallingA life changing adventure for the family.Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-29889810179536706242020-06-15T15:10:00.000+01:002020-06-15T20:21:28.144+01:00Waking up in QuarantineWith the late night last night and a long day of travelling the 2 days before, I was a little bit bleary eyed and not really sure where I was when the doorbell of the hotel room went at around 8am.<br />
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This was breakfast delivery.......my first quarantine meal. I took the brown paper bag inside, put it on the table and then fell back on my bed....I think I was there for around 20 minutes before I decided to look at the bag.<br />
<h4>
Breakfast Delivery</h4>
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Breakfast consisted of sausages, cheese omelette, fried potatoes, beans. 2 slices of bread, an apple, low fat milk carton, Tiptree marmalade, honey and strawberry jam pots and some butter.<br />
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In addition to this, there was also 6 litres of bottled water in the room already, some milk pots in the fridge for the tea/coffee making.<br />
<h4>
The Room</h4>
The room is a typical room on the 9th floor. Stayed in them many times before as part of our rotation. I was pleased that the room had a separate shower and bath, as some of them have the shower in the bath.<br />
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The room's fine, but we will see if I feel the same after 14 days of this!<br />
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The view from the window is towards Westbay and you can see the towers in the distance.<br />
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<h4>
Daily Medical Check</h4>
After having breakfast, I put all the rubbish back in the bag and outside the room door for collection. I put the TV on and caught up with my tablet. The doorbell went again at around 9:15. This was for a daily temperature check. Simply open the door with mask on, and the nurse takes your temperature using infrared gun on your forehead. Job done. Day 1 was 36.6'C<br />
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I was starting to get peckish and around 11:30 I decided to eat the 2 bits of chocolate that I had got before leaving the Doha flight. That would keep me going before lunch.<br />
<h4>
Lunch Arrived</h4>
The next highlight of the day was lunch, this arrived around 12.30, the doorbell went and it was left having on the door handle.<br />
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The mince and tatties, went down alright, I had a couple of potatoes out of the potato salad, but I skipped the pudding, I tried it, but pretty sure it was of some sort of custard mix or something that wasn't to my liking.<br />
I saved the crisps, chocolate croissant and biscuits for later. All the rubbish was back in the bag,<br />
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After lunch watch the TV for a bit, but was starting to get tired, fell asleep just after 3 and woke up at around 6.<br />
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I ate my chocolate croissant to see me through to dinner.<br />
<h4>
Dinner Time</h4>
The last scheduled daily highlight is dinner. This was delivered to the room around 18:30. Usual ring at the doorbell and left hanging on the door handle.<br />
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It was a pasta dish, not something I am too keen on, but eat enough of it not to feel hungry didn't touch the whatever it was other stuff. The pudding was a big no no. Some cinnamon topped don't know what! Definitely not to my liking. Polished off the 2 bread and butter rolls.<br />
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After dinner, it was TV time, also caught up on some practice exercises on Duolingo. Then had a shave and a shower. Started to watch a movie on one of the OSN channels, but by 23:30 I was done and time for sleep.<br />
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First day wasn't too bad......Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999998825.0557273 51.208316299999986 25.5151673 51.85376329999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-34746404480156523222020-06-15T14:30:00.000+01:002020-06-15T14:38:42.018+01:00It's been 3 months! Now made it back after lockdown....<br />
Following on from the departure blog over on <a href="https://cyprus-is-calling.blogspot.com/2020/06/at-last-heading-out-of-cyprus-and-back.html" target="_blank">Cyprus-Is-Calling</a>, which covered the Larnaca-Athens-Zurich legs, here we are now with the plane coming into land at Doha.<br />
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The plane pulled up at its parking spot, not at one of the gates, we were being moved to the terminal on a bus. As I was the only one in business, I was ushered off the plane and onto my own bus. Bit over kill if you ask me, I would have been okay with the 'normal' bus!<br />
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It was just after 10:30 pm now, came off the bus and into the terminal. Went up the stairs past the transit area. There was a few people waiting there for other flights, but I headed off to the arrival area.<br />
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Down at the arrival hall, before you go to the normal immigration channels there was an additional temporary barrier up and everyone was being name checked and temperature checked. Passport were taken away. We were all then taken through to the Al-Maha Service lounge which had been taken over by the medical teams.<br />
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We were asked to wait to be tested, completed forms and also told to download and install the contact tracing app on our phones. EHTERAZ is the app and available in the Android and IOS app stores.<br />
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I had 2 mobiles with me, one dual sim one for UK/Cyprus and another for Qatar Sim. Fortunately while I was last in the country I purchased a Qatar SIM, but didn't have any credit left. I had tried to buy credit while I was out of the country, but my Qatar cards weren't working on the Ooredoo website. I had waited until I was back in the country to try them again, to see if it was some sort of geo-restriction. Having connected both my devices to the Hamad Airport free WiFi, I downloaded and installed the app on each. I then logged into the Ooredoo website and tried to purchase credit again using my Qatar cards. It didn't work for whatever reasons (I had checked with the bank previously and they said they were active, so no idea why). I managed to purchase credit using my UK credit card, and then assigned that to my Qatar phone SIM.<br />
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I was now able to activate the contact tracing App on each device.<br />
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I was then called through to get my medical swabs done. I went into another room, and was asked to sit down. The nurse asked me to put my head into different positions for each test. The throat test was alright, and I could feel the swab on the back of my throat, but when she started to scrape the cotton bud, the gag reflex kicked in, it wasn't painful just odd. She was happy with the swab taken. Next up was the nasal swab. It was really bizarre. Again, not painful, but it felt like they were digging around inside my brain they were that deep. I could still 'feel' it in the back of my skull sometime after leaving the airport.<br />
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After all our group of individuals which consisted of personnel under the Qatar Petroleum umbrella, we were all taken back to the immigration hall and given our passport back. We were then processed through the immigration desk and then picked up our bags in the baggage claim hall.<br />
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After everyone in the group had got there bags we were taken outside where a bus was waiting for us. Dropped our bags to be loaded by the driver and got on the bus. We were taken by Police escort to the Radisson hotel. This was our state appointed quarantine location.<br />
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On arrival at the hotel, the bags were offloaded by the driver, and they were disinfected and wiped down.<br />
One at a time we were called into the hotel lobby and up to the reception desk. Our details checked, some instruction forms received and key card for the assigned room given to us.<br />
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I went up to the room, and dumped my bags, got settled, and went to bed watched some telly and fell asleep around 3 am.All in all it took around 2.5 hours from landing to get to the room.<br />
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So this is it, 14 days in this room, no leaving, no balcony, food delivered etc. etc.<br />
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See what tomorrow brings......<br />
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<br />Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999998825.0557273 51.208316299999986 25.5151673 51.85376329999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-8039663785872652412019-12-07T12:57:00.000+00:002019-12-07T13:09:25.933+00:00Winter weather arrives bringing water spout offshore!<br />
First rain I have seen offshore for a while, and today it brought with it a pretty impressive water spout. One of the guys on another nearby platform managed to get some good pictures of it as it was right next to their platform.<br />
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<br />Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-50929380783170385162017-07-21T17:38:00.000+01:002017-08-10T17:46:41.537+01:00Cyprus here I come!Beep Beep, beep beep.....it's 4.30 am.<br />
<br />
Up, into the shower, waking that sleepy head. Dressed, through the last few things into the suitcases and left the room.<br />
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Checking out, and into a car and headed for the airport. The suitcases were over weight by about 10Kg, but when I looked at the price on QA website, it was extortion to buy excess baggage, so thought I would take my chance. Check-in and they never even mentioned the weight.<br />
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Through security and down to the gate, I was tired and just wanted to chill out before I left.<br />
<br />
Boarding time.......and we are off. Next stop Cyprus......<br />
<br />
Carry on the adventure on the Cyprus Blog: <a href="http://cyprus-is-calling.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-arrivalday-1.html">The Arrival........Day #1</a>Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-18747731747639748072017-07-20T17:30:00.000+01:002017-08-10T17:38:40.318+01:00One last Qatar sleep until CyprusArrived off the platform and into a waiting car from the hotel. Checked-in at the hotel, and picked up my 2 suitcases I had left in storage. This was my first rotation, i.e. not living in Doha. Strange!<br />
<br />
Got up to the room and changed, and headed down to the sports bar. Needless to say there were others from work there. They were either moving platforms, or coming and/going, but it a pretty safe bet you'll bump into someone.<br />
<br />
Had a few pints and some good old chicken tenders and headed off to my room. Was in the mood to sink a few more, but it would have just ended in tears, considering I was up early in the morning to catch a flight.<br />
<br />
Had a shower and climbed into bed....ready to sle....zzzzzzzzzzzDave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-43467518752950619672017-07-14T17:16:00.002+01:002017-07-14T17:22:20.538+01:00The next chapter! Hello NOC.Today was the day.......the all change day!<br />
<br />
Yes, 14th July marked the day 1 of <b>North Oil Company</b> taking over the operation of the Al-Shaheen oil field in Qatar. I am sure the next 25 years of the license will be as successful as the last 25 years under Maersk Oil Qatar.<br />
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Being offshore at the moment, it was odd going to bed working for one company, and waking up in the morning working for the new one.<br />
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It did come with its benefits.....for example, the MOQ systems were shut off and access removed at midnight, this meant that all emails had vanished, gone, never to be seen again!<br />
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We had feared that we would have woken up in the morning to a lack of internet, wifi, telephones etc. but all was good. It wasn't long before we also had access to the new email system. Now it is just time to get head round all the new documents etc.<br />
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Thank you to MOQ for the last 28.5 months and hello NOC to the next however long!Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-40822029962350189772017-06-28T17:11:00.001+01:002017-06-28T17:17:20.643+01:00Goodbye Family......See you in Cyprus!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sasha giving the view of West Bay a double thumbs up!</td></tr>
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Set my alarm for 3am.......woke up at 2.55am, how is that for timing! That was despite, not been able to get to sleep and then the being woken by noise in the corridor of the hotel (again!).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intercon The Beach to the left - St. Regis to the right</td></tr>
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Got up had a shower, then tried to wake the kids, but nope they were not having it. Took all their bags down to the entrance, got the car and then played Tetris to get them all in. Surprised they fitted.<br />
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The roads were very quiet, and dropped them off at Hamad Airport around 4am. Maya was quite hyper, but Sasha on the other hand wasn't. driving back to the hotel, I got 3 messages from Metrash saying that they had left the country, so they were obviously checked in and through immigration.<br />
<br />
Got back to the hotel, climbed back into bed and tried to get some sleep, but couldn't nod off, and then of course everyone else in the hotel was getting up, so the noise was back on. Eventually fell asleep and woke up at 8.30 when the alarm went off. I had to head back into town to return the hire car at the Westin hotel. On the way back to the car, I checked out of the 1st hotel room, and also request a late check-out of the 2nd, so I could transfer to the next hotel and not have to wait for a room. Jumped into the car and headed across town, still quiet. arrived at the Westin, handed over the keys and signed the paperwork for the car. Called an Uber, which arrived in about 5 minutes and headed back to the Intercon The Beach.<br />
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Climbed back into bed again, then pottered about, watched telly, surfed the net re-backed the suitcases all the usual stuff.<br />
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Went down to check out about 13:45 and there was a queue of folk checking in. Eventually got checked out around 14.20. Booked another Uber, and headed across to the Intercon The City.<br />
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Arriving at The City, checked in and chilled out for a few hours, could have really slept, but it would have screwed up the nights sleep so just kept the eyes open. Decided to have a shower, and by 6pm I was starving, so just went down for some dinner and then headed back up to the room for an early night. I must say the shower was probably the best shower I have had for years. It was one of those waterfall/rain showers, but this one was more like a downpour, and having just come from luke warm showers at the previous hotel, this one was actually nice and hot.<br />
Up on the 35th floor, view over the city centre, and don't the cars and people look tiny!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking towards the City Centre Mall main entrance</td></tr>
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So here we are now, sat at the laptop, writing this blog post and ready to sleep. Tomorrows meeting starts at 8am, so, early night, up for breakfast early no doubt.<br />
<br />
And that's it, the family are now no longer residents of Qatar, are back in the UK for summer, and about 8 weeks until Cyprus.Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-22412613815954148542017-06-15T12:58:00.000+01:002017-06-16T13:06:37.776+01:00Villa handover dayWent round to villa to empty the last of the stuff that never went into the shipment, like food and cleaning chemicals.<br />
<br />
Picked up all the rubbish I had swept into piles the night before and took everything out to the bins.<br />
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The real estate agents <a href="https://www.engelvoelkers.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Engel And Voelkers</a> arrived to carry out the final inspection and get the keys.<br />
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Paperwork signed......Goodbye Villa<br />
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😟<br />
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Not to worry though, not long until we can get into the next one!<br />
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<br />Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-39389852634546495222017-06-14T20:30:00.000+01:002017-06-16T13:15:06.422+01:00And finally its empty..........Wednesday 8.30pm and the shippers have just left. 5 full days of packing.<br />
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The villa is now basically empty. It has been a looooong day.<br />
<br />
The shipment was finally packed up, the crated goods were all done, after slight modification to the one for the piano and one for the bedroom glass desktops.<br />
<br />
Because of the current shipping issues with Qatar, we don't actually know when it will be put into a container. So everything headed off in 3 lorries to the warehouse, to await a container loading schedule.<br />
<br />
At least the shipping companies have identified a new route through Oman, with the first vessel coming 25th June, but we don't know when ours will leave. Probably now run late for the arrival in Cyprus so, will just have to wait and see how that changes things.<br />
<br />
Today, also picked up a hire car, and the afternoon the company car was returned.<br />
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Kia Sportage, is probably not big enough, but it will do seeing as it is only for a couple of weeks. Not as if we are doing furniture runs to Ikea any more!<br />
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Gave the villa bit of a sweep, turned off the lights and went back to the apartment for a sleep...<br />
<br />
The crew from <a href="https://gwclogistics.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GWC</a> were excellent.Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-42067564283890424282017-06-12T12:29:00.000+01:002017-06-16T16:59:57.263+01:00One dead router later....Gave up on the OSN box and took it back to the villa to put into the shipment, but took, the wifi router from the villa to the apartment.<br />
<br />
I had done a check on the 2nd port on the Cisco phone and there was open internet on it. Plugged the router into there and switched it on.<br />
<br />
There was bright blue flash, followed by a warm orange glow and smoke rising up from the router.<br />
<br />
Yes, I had accidentally plugged the wrong power adaptor into the router. I had two in my bag, one for the Linksys AE8500 wifi router and one for the Ubiquiti Edgerouter POE. The latter used a 24v adaptor which the 12v linksys really didn't like.<br />
<br />
A good excuse to go and buy a new router then! Really did not like the AE8500. The software was just....bad...really bad.....<br />
<br />
So after a trip to Jarir, picked up a <a href="http://us.dlink.com/products/connect/ac5300-ultra-wi-fi-router/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">D-Link DIR-895L/R (AC-5300)</a> plugged it in, set it up and off we went! Internet all good. I had never tried a D-Link product before, so good reason to take it for a spin. Jarir did have the newer version of the Linksys in shop, but after not liking the last ones software, decided against it.<br />
<br />
With internet now in place, we could get telly off of <a href="https://osnplay.osn.com/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OSN Play</a> and other online services...time to just cancel the internet service transfer from Ooredoo and cancel that service altogether.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D-Link DIR-895L/R</td></tr>
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<br />Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-15145008592323382462017-06-11T12:10:00.000+01:002017-06-16T12:17:00.371+01:00Packing well underway now...Day 2, SundayThe packers arrived on Saturday morning, and it immediately turned into a box fest and the sound of packing tape being unrolled was echoing round the villa.<br />
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They started off downstairs in the living room / dining room and kitchen. Boxing up the chairs and sofa, then moving upstairs to start on the bedrooms.<br />
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One of the other guys went round and measured everything that was going to be put into wooden crates, the piano, the pictures, glass tops of the units and outside tables, TVs, computer monitor, mirrors. The crating would be done in a couple of days time once they had been made.<br />
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We had also moved across into the company apartments last night. it was the apartment next door to the one that I stayed in when I first arrived in 2015.<br />
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I had taken the OSN satellite box with me from the villa to the apartment, but didn't have any joy getting it to work. Doesn't look like there was a dish at the other end of the wall socket :-(.<br />
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The internet wasn't the best....bit slow. We had been up to Ooredoo to initiate a transfer of the service, but didn't have the electricity number for the property, so would have to go back again for them to do it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDpiAQLqv_tbEFzGlPgWjnwbm5Uz5mgmj8ahQawxmzUk0txVJTmBrAFhvapStoY73Is3Ux5I_NuWtOKcGI8TwLzTzPus50t3msUeqePPKDBp61WffCHQnfDwZaQojZOgfmcj0KVgOWGoO/s1600/IMG_20170611_162108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDpiAQLqv_tbEFzGlPgWjnwbm5Uz5mgmj8ahQawxmzUk0txVJTmBrAFhvapStoY73Is3Ux5I_NuWtOKcGI8TwLzTzPus50t3msUeqePPKDBp61WffCHQnfDwZaQojZOgfmcj0KVgOWGoO/s640/IMG_20170611_162108.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living Room, through into Dinning Room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XGhF4KHybcfj5ir9EkbiapPfs-AB3v9ZQc6ils9qtwhlJSJ3FqwMxUqXKJeHdpX5VqiYlwoiyrXEuOFcLocROJHg_s3jZRhG0-8Oluai8ytrSGSUWPcV6euTsZep7LEujP80VIADcyeP/s1600/IMG_20170611_162224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XGhF4KHybcfj5ir9EkbiapPfs-AB3v9ZQc6ils9qtwhlJSJ3FqwMxUqXKJeHdpX5VqiYlwoiyrXEuOFcLocROJHg_s3jZRhG0-8Oluai8ytrSGSUWPcV6euTsZep7LEujP80VIADcyeP/s640/IMG_20170611_162224.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Area under the stairs, ground floor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFrCIUKvdip4Q9QWCWR55mJjnwod10xNGYqOcsS-aXCx-eVGrGe7sayMgd2r2HREGruAmCACV2Iq5p0U5NEnxZXl5TmEUilRWSIdTy3MEeUSzzw8nSXCDh6O9aJSguMbFKLEpbMPPuZVu/s1600/IMG_20170611_162213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFrCIUKvdip4Q9QWCWR55mJjnwod10xNGYqOcsS-aXCx-eVGrGe7sayMgd2r2HREGruAmCACV2Iq5p0U5NEnxZXl5TmEUilRWSIdTy3MEeUSzzw8nSXCDh6O9aJSguMbFKLEpbMPPuZVu/s640/IMG_20170611_162213.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main Hallway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEU-fUHYNAjNgHaW0QwARPJ09SmZ26qOFGzzPJKmfoAWh_nKGGS1OD1mP9T9J61MFDPmemnwYYl0SR2R9wnuKPK5M8NfIcZVJxnLHkl0YJkGUjrW8HxiEzIC3CZtqNQpnihrKelAtdun-h/s1600/IMG_20170611_162155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEU-fUHYNAjNgHaW0QwARPJ09SmZ26qOFGzzPJKmfoAWh_nKGGS1OD1mP9T9J61MFDPmemnwYYl0SR2R9wnuKPK5M8NfIcZVJxnLHkl0YJkGUjrW8HxiEzIC3CZtqNQpnihrKelAtdun-h/s640/IMG_20170611_162155.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3jkDVG2jEbsBsRJyhyphenhyphenmAxZi1hCEGbiOECHi368lAIDOuuF95b9HRJCjFkUWC21yAbzbhx5ljW4bTGbGnfdUa4FAZxuFbkIEF2NJpbkssN_wuYDjgpfcuk66U4Vq4TJimlMuqUJ4Str4a/s1600/IMG_20170611_162134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3jkDVG2jEbsBsRJyhyphenhyphenmAxZi1hCEGbiOECHi368lAIDOuuF95b9HRJCjFkUWC21yAbzbhx5ljW4bTGbGnfdUa4FAZxuFbkIEF2NJpbkssN_wuYDjgpfcuk66U4Vq4TJimlMuqUJ4Str4a/s640/IMG_20170611_162134.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living Room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnOnHKc_etGEJOPRBkJocFNBWFzuQgEF0Vo6CB6UNtNyWVAT8L1Ia9kDUzEO2UqaGhSHxUcSRhindwH0fhZCCA3ENPEMpESFwQDb5TxzSfC3fZyv8cML0KtD6v3YONuf9Ya5xP1aayh-3/s1600/IMG_20170611_162127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnOnHKc_etGEJOPRBkJocFNBWFzuQgEF0Vo6CB6UNtNyWVAT8L1Ia9kDUzEO2UqaGhSHxUcSRhindwH0fhZCCA3ENPEMpESFwQDb5TxzSfC3fZyv8cML0KtD6v3YONuf9Ya5xP1aayh-3/s640/IMG_20170611_162127.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining Room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OrDawoPVyn-SrvLBsL-LC-e5eeQnQbA-nVP_e_y2Vm8fradckASKNPfp_Hnj8ZyVexkvA3Wlr_GG-x9quHepEhdPPQ9lx_6b9pdyQcRsdhT9PE2KfLK3UcBJSJrS_X_6MmOUttSDo-dl/s1600/IMG_20170611_162244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OrDawoPVyn-SrvLBsL-LC-e5eeQnQbA-nVP_e_y2Vm8fradckASKNPfp_Hnj8ZyVexkvA3Wlr_GG-x9quHepEhdPPQ9lx_6b9pdyQcRsdhT9PE2KfLK3UcBJSJrS_X_6MmOUttSDo-dl/s640/IMG_20170611_162244.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upstairs Hall - Living Room #2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3PEFuDjqfyKOqe0N14uLZB5I_1FlaAuDvsLUXC8DmWgT36mehs0el0WB6og-qzec5-ra3XfzERXmfxTDMaC-y_KNy09jbP-vR06MmU0t1aBIo0XnT53kZJyfOkKpdGXe18MzAPSTIB6x/s1600/IMG_20170611_162300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3PEFuDjqfyKOqe0N14uLZB5I_1FlaAuDvsLUXC8DmWgT36mehs0el0WB6og-qzec5-ra3XfzERXmfxTDMaC-y_KNy09jbP-vR06MmU0t1aBIo0XnT53kZJyfOkKpdGXe18MzAPSTIB6x/s640/IMG_20170611_162300.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sasha Bedroom - Still to start!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOh9xQz0_yb_QEdaLP4T0ToPn2DniWzcFU5OVIZLnW3XKu9B6y7tHRRyP5xZPcJW-JFk-PBexfEUjy3KJda_OiMnKqAtHJuMcXXEmoLaZkEClaPyr9vNDIx405HXT36dsNhGPjmKCPwDP/s1600/IMG_20170611_162306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOh9xQz0_yb_QEdaLP4T0ToPn2DniWzcFU5OVIZLnW3XKu9B6y7tHRRyP5xZPcJW-JFk-PBexfEUjy3KJda_OiMnKqAtHJuMcXXEmoLaZkEClaPyr9vNDIx405HXT36dsNhGPjmKCPwDP/s640/IMG_20170611_162306.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maya Bedroom - Still to Start</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zlYHR6jr1yNvbaGFHeJdBmB0NF91hOyqx4me2_xfmHJhXudZQgmRgodCp136uEGJjHBtYM_h7MyHHfgUZI9cZRbJ6RfmTopP8-A6J-J8MBzj5GarWj2qAb1Kg3ExhAsBWXtdFCz0p2i1/s1600/IMG_20170611_162322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zlYHR6jr1yNvbaGFHeJdBmB0NF91hOyqx4me2_xfmHJhXudZQgmRgodCp136uEGJjHBtYM_h7MyHHfgUZI9cZRbJ6RfmTopP8-A6J-J8MBzj5GarWj2qAb1Kg3ExhAsBWXtdFCz0p2i1/s640/IMG_20170611_162322.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upstairs Hall - Living Room #2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8wgDsUEXMr2oLbgVwYm7x_HRu91h7n-4P8UtBZ28H8EI5v2uErbe5QKWasD8386IYMCMGX8FF3fjbdr55xo2y9qMcl0i9vUi7dEP7uPju1g2s_F0EHS1PLGX11x7YRapw2iZ1G2ElEkv/s1600/IMG_20170611_162339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8wgDsUEXMr2oLbgVwYm7x_HRu91h7n-4P8UtBZ28H8EI5v2uErbe5QKWasD8386IYMCMGX8FF3fjbdr55xo2y9qMcl0i9vUi7dEP7uPju1g2s_F0EHS1PLGX11x7YRapw2iZ1G2ElEkv/s640/IMG_20170611_162339.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guest Bedroom - Still to Start</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpmP7Bh4RChJEdnKm6urwiakYMUlmZspYiMxiFN567icUiIohltyRwdaYCNOPthJsZWHIHqshr5VgbnNPYK7VZqiWpyiHq0j9aFrZT-Nqzyu9iiODzUR8JVBBvcFo9Tk7WdhCbp0XQBZ0/s1600/IMG_20170611_162422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpmP7Bh4RChJEdnKm6urwiakYMUlmZspYiMxiFN567icUiIohltyRwdaYCNOPthJsZWHIHqshr5VgbnNPYK7VZqiWpyiHq0j9aFrZT-Nqzyu9iiODzUR8JVBBvcFo9Tk7WdhCbp0XQBZ0/s640/IMG_20170611_162422.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Bedroom - Bed Area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIOABwOiAcSo0EDaw-sNgwwKvzLRQ_qR2oSEt5IgAnRBbab4kqVUn9evgxXdFkO_cRorXr9ZmYqnn6LyHUHdDVzP-bqCcRCx7JFfiAWNhhXH4mJwEUuCLs5ZaSpV53215iyo1jJM-0VKf/s1600/IMG_20170611_162412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIOABwOiAcSo0EDaw-sNgwwKvzLRQ_qR2oSEt5IgAnRBbab4kqVUn9evgxXdFkO_cRorXr9ZmYqnn6LyHUHdDVzP-bqCcRCx7JFfiAWNhhXH4mJwEUuCLs5ZaSpV53215iyo1jJM-0VKf/s640/IMG_20170611_162412.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Bedroom - Office Area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwFtB89W3gFmwzVoe27ZD7twazEcZUK8oA_JKoBcqrDtA4T58TfoklzJCc7ru0PPu8tOQvUllZaE-bOwtEtXXMntCl2sSUpwJt8_vbAc7nReQC2HAYa2Foza6uMlQ8Jq8hsQv6IYJrIF6/s1600/IMG_20170611_162408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwFtB89W3gFmwzVoe27ZD7twazEcZUK8oA_JKoBcqrDtA4T58TfoklzJCc7ru0PPu8tOQvUllZaE-bOwtEtXXMntCl2sSUpwJt8_vbAc7nReQC2HAYa2Foza6uMlQ8Jq8hsQv6IYJrIF6/s640/IMG_20170611_162408.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Bedroom - Office Area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-76479301964535321932017-06-09T11:56:00.000+01:002017-06-16T11:58:07.956+01:00Let the off boarding commence...Came home from offshore on the Thursday afternoon, and it was immediately into destruct mode.<br />
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The packers were scheduled to arrive on Saturday, and there was a millions things I wanted to do before they get here.<br />
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I had 4 beds to destruct, garden furniture to take apart, BBQ to clean, outside store to empty, electronics to be taken to bits, clothes to sort into bundles....<br />
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I could have easily left them to take everything apart, but I wanted to do it in a way that minimises the number of bits, bolts back into boltholes, and be able to know how it all goes back together again at the other end.<br />
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One of the problems however was the fact it was June. Take the gazebo for example, it is black metal and it was scorching. It was so hot, that when I laid the main support members on the grass to take apart, they actually left burnt stripes on the grass. Needless to see I had many nippy fingers and metal part juggling during the process.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-G-MOrm7PREywbpFkPfKgfJeySaQW98JxScOlGyWYsyYrvMnDEqj0KpNtWJzEBL0XsftbRi2zU_K0S8IIWW6AiFUN5-mUm8St-li1GDLeGc9nlm0GzXfbtitVoOtP9uwAUC7JBn8lVq5O/s1600/FB_IMG_1497342878129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-G-MOrm7PREywbpFkPfKgfJeySaQW98JxScOlGyWYsyYrvMnDEqj0KpNtWJzEBL0XsftbRi2zU_K0S8IIWW6AiFUN5-mUm8St-li1GDLeGc9nlm0GzXfbtitVoOtP9uwAUC7JBn8lVq5O/s640/FB_IMG_1497342878129.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcT1Lv0kKV8s3o_OM7UTLGOLC9qDR_YtdXaeW6QZuDKfPDJ6ZdgGmyIWHmf8bKLYyKZ_HM3QTzOV3itxpj3sqnM6UZee1pQ2BatJh2hVpPtg6m_NXD1rtXl0VpkIX_14qYYbeOMpQQ7Wq/s1600/FB_IMG_1497342783581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcT1Lv0kKV8s3o_OM7UTLGOLC9qDR_YtdXaeW6QZuDKfPDJ6ZdgGmyIWHmf8bKLYyKZ_HM3QTzOV3itxpj3sqnM6UZee1pQ2BatJh2hVpPtg6m_NXD1rtXl0VpkIX_14qYYbeOMpQQ7Wq/s640/FB_IMG_1497342783581.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-45524491349133549642017-05-11T08:30:00.000+01:002017-05-11T08:36:20.084+01:00Company Car change.........crash bang wallop!Last week, I had one of those "everything happening in slow motion, but can't do anything about it" moments.<div>
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Sat in traffic, about 6 feet behind the car in front, (tyres and tarmac rule!), stationary, foot on the brake. Next thing I here is engine revving and bouncing off the rev limiter. I can't remember if I said it out loud or just in my head "What's he doing?", next thing I remember is his reversing lights come on and he is coming straight back at me......Crash! Then he is back in forward gear and heading straight into the car in front of him, which hit the car in front and the car in front. In total 5 cars damaged.</div>
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I immediately took a couple of photos and then moved the car to the side of the road. You can get a traffic violation if you are blocking the road after an accident, and don't want one of those.</div>
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Got out and first them was to check the guy who hit me was okay. He didn't speak English, but appeared okay, so that was fine. Spoke to the other car drivers and one of them was already on the phone to the Police. Nadia was with me, so she immediately started calling the company contacts. Took photos of all the cars involved etc. Then the other drivers moved their cars off the road, traffic was properly grid lock now!</div>
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The Police turned up and started speaking to everyone, took our licenses. and then told us we could go, no need to visit the police station and would receive the incident reference number via SMS for the insurance company. I did try to find out what had happened etc. but the Police officer simply said, all is good and I can go.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
The company Mitsubishi rep said he was coming over to see the car. I didn't want to try and open the bonnet as not sure if it would have opened or if we would have got it closed again. The damaged had caved in the nose of the bonnet, and there was water leaking out the bottom of the car. There was no rise in engine temperature while we were sat, so didn't look like the radiator or fan was damaged.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
He arrived and said to drive round to the Mitsubishi showroom which was about 5 km away. I was dreading the car breaking down on the busy main road, but we got there without any problem.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The rep, took my QID and Driving license to get copies, he had already been forwarded the police reference number. Then appeared a few minutes later and said wait while he goes and gets another car for me. He arrives back with another Pajero, which was recently returned from the company when another employee left. It had only about 3500 km on the clock, so relatively new. And off we went!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I won't post the pictures, because there is potential to identify parties involved, which can lead to getting into trouble with the police around privacy issues.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
One thing I will say, is the Police guy was excellent, and everyone involved was really calm.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Service from Mitsubishi was great and great help from the company rep!</div>
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Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-33842470727417893422017-04-30T09:36:00.000+01:002017-04-30T09:37:45.844+01:00Moving out becomes a reality when........With Cyprus on the horizon, you know it is fast approaching when all the indicators tell you it is nearly time!<br />
<br />
Last week the HR department sent me the demobilisation flight confirmation for N,M+S. They are heading back to the UK for summer, and stopping off to visit family on the way.<br />
<br />
Also, last week, the shipping agents also got in touch to ask about relocation needs. Completed and returned the requirements form, so will probably hear back from them next week. I had already a survey done recently, before work confirmed they were organising the shipping.<br />
<br />
Today, the letting agent for the villa came round for the pre-inspection. That was relatively painless. Fortunately we hadn't made any modifications. They did enquire about a few things, but fortunately they were all there before we moved in, namely;<br />
1) Stair gate on the stairs to the roof.<br />
2) Partition in the master bedroom.<br />
3) Cat flap in the kitchen door.<br />
<br />
Also made comment about a couple of small cracks in one of the rear bathroom sinks, (the bathroom has 3 sinks), but this is old cracking in the surface glaze.<br />
<br />
He also asked about our gazebo, but told him I was talking it with us. Not sure if he thought it was original or what.<br />
<br />
Anywhere, 2 months will be over and done before we no it.<br />
<br />
Not long now!<br />
<br />Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-41872120371213738262017-03-01T03:26:00.000+00:002017-03-03T04:03:20.274+00:002 years on......still smiling....changes ahead!Twelve months....sounds a long time doesn't it. So why does it only feel like last week that I posted about being 1 year on!<br />
<br />
What a twelve months it has been and yes another roller coaster of a year.<br />
<br />
At the start of the year it was all about stabilizing the operation after an organisation review, towards the summer months the thought were heavily around the tender announcement. Will we/won't we win, and of course the millions of questions and speculation, rumours, you name it doing the rounds.<br />
<br />
Qatar Petroleum held a town hall in April for all Maersk Staff, with an aim of settling and re-assuring the organisation of continued employment through the transition.<br />
<a href="https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/05/04/2016/Al-Shaheen-project-QP-hints-at-%E2%80%98service-continuity%E2%80%99">Al Shaheen project: QP hints at ‘service continuity’</a><br />
<br />
Then it came at the end of June, the big reveal; We lost! Needless to say the articles started appearing all over the internet like the two examples below.<br />
<a href="http://www.oedigital.com/component/k2/item/12828-total-ousts-maersk-at-al-shaheen" target="_blank">Total ousts Maersk at Al-Shaheen</a><br />
<a href="http://www.offshoreenergytoday.com/qatar-al-shaheen-field-stake-goes-to-total-maersk-oil-to-leave/" target="_blank">Qatar: Al-Shaheen field stake goes to Total. Maersk Oil to leave</a><br />
<br />
As you would imagine this put a massive ripple through the organisation with emotions all over the place. As expected, the question on everyone's lips immediately turned to "what does this mean for me?" With such a large diverse workforce, ranging from the die hard born and bred Danish Maersk staff, to the been through this before guys, you couldn't get a more wide range of emotion.<br />
<br />
I was/am in the latter camp. Having been through the transition from BP to Apache in 2003, as the one being taken over, and also in the Exxon to Apache in 2012 as the ones doing the take over, I wasn't particularly concerned, but had a good understanding how everyone was feeling.<br />
<br />
We were all waiting for the offers from the new company NOC, but these were delayed for various reasons and didn't come until early in the new year. The offers varied significantly, with the rumours on the scale of the cuts even hitting the local papers. I was on a training course and there were a couple of Shell staff there, and they were asking if the numbers they had heard were true. Maybe they are thinking their next!<br />
<br />
Anyway, so what did it mean for me? Well unfortunately, residential status has been withdrawn, so it is time to move the family. I will continue to work here, but just rotate in and out of the country,<br />
<br />
And that is where we are now, planning a move, so watch this space! Oh, and in case you are wondering where to, current choice looks like Cyprus, but we will just see how it pans out. You never know might end up going the other way.<br />
<br />
I am still smiling...so that is the main thing.<br />
😊<br />
<br />
<br />Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-41590249717305829522017-01-13T08:54:00.001+00:002017-02-21T10:17:39.908+00:00Bird Defences - Stage 2In <a href="http://qatar-is-calling.blogspot.com/2016/11/bird-defences-stage-1.html">Bird Defences - Stage 1</a> the focus was on the small narrow window frame ledges. Stage 2 is all about the large over hangs above the windows and the roof areas.<br />
<br />
For this stage, I went to the next size of Defender spikes and purchased the Defender 8 (Wide), again purchased from <a href="http://www.jonesandson.co.uk/">Jones and Son</a> from their Ebay page <a href="http://stores.ebay.co.uk/defenderbirdspikes/">http://stores.ebay.co.uk/defenderbirdspikes/</a>.<br />
<br />
Details on the actual product can be found at this link: <a href="http://www.birdspikesonline.co.uk/Bird-Spikes/Defender8-Pigeon-Spikes-Plastic">http://www.birdspikesonline.co.uk/Bird-Spikes/Defender8-Pigeon-Spikes-Plastic</a><br />
<br />
I had measured up that I needed a minimum of about 60m, but with the top ledge being marginal whether 1 or 2 wide would be sufficient, and also might put more on the roof than originally planned, I elected to order up a 100m box. This was being shipped via Aramex Shop&Ship, so did not buy any of their own fixing silicone to keep the shipping weight down, but elected to buy silicone here in Qatar. The 100m box was 15.88Kg and cost 1128 QR to ship.<br />
<br />
You might think this is expensive, but if we look at the cost we were quoted locally of 120QR / meter<br />
<br />
So, local supply and fitted 100m x 120QR = 12,000QR<br />
vs<br />
Spikes: 300 UKP = 1329 QR + Shipping 1128 QR = 2457 + 500QR allowance for Silicone = 3000 QR<br />
<br />
Ok, so I have to fit them myself, but I would rather do that and save 9000QR (~2000UKP)<br />
<br />
The spikes are a UV stabilised polycarbonate, temperature rated to 130'c, and carry a 15 year warranty, so if they last half that time in the Qatar Heat/Sun, I will be happy.<br />
<br />
The silicone I bought, again was a UV stabilised product, and bought both white and clear, from the the local Carrefour and Lulu supermarkets. For application on the roof tiles I wanted to use clear so it didn't look like blobs of white against the terracotta tiles.<br />
<br />
So here is the typical problem, as you can see the pigeons are sat on the ledge round the stairwell tower, below this area is the path at the side of the villa, and it gets absolutely covered. At night, this corner of the roof space is also a favourite roosting spot for the birds.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOU2W6tuVdPlNQZYoGf3tfUcaPmbBu-W0G9T4_nBkZVHdHgTqQ3koWftHefEIloNhEzdSEFWMV699C0zMClrDkYHH3kILhUoKGVNJJUaY_LbxnHhF4zxU6CAm797426Bz2ra8lRDsBfHd/s1600/problem.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOU2W6tuVdPlNQZYoGf3tfUcaPmbBu-W0G9T4_nBkZVHdHgTqQ3koWftHefEIloNhEzdSEFWMV699C0zMClrDkYHH3kILhUoKGVNJJUaY_LbxnHhF4zxU6CAm797426Bz2ra8lRDsBfHd/s640/problem.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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First thing was to get out the power washers and give the everything a clean down the best I could. I also used a scrubbing brush on areas not jet washed, to make sure the surface was relatively clean of 'bits'.</div>
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Fortunately the roof tiles were also a shallow angle, so not really a case of sliding off, but to make sure, the roof was dust free and no water around and did it in my bare feet so had could feeling of any movement, also made sure my center of gravity was also going backwards away from the edge and generally kept away from the edge.</div>
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For the roof tiles, given the shape of the tile, there was only the two elevated contact points, so with a big dollop of silicone, I pressed in the spike strip, I also overlapped and 'interlocked' the spikes (and silicone between) to give them a bit of extra strength on the roof. Having left them to cure over night, it was clear that they had a really good adhesion to the tiles.</div>
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It was the same for the concrete surfaces/painted surfaces, having washed where possible and scrubbed with the brush, putting a think bead of silicone and then bedding in the spikes they took really well to the surface. The spikes also have small cross cut outs and the silicone oozes through this and makes a nice silicone rivet also holding them down.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuD6l5O21MEooHQk0RVUpMrBFZUulTtsTJjn254iIdapNkp9ta4_-RB7zlJBAEeZCwBM2an6cqFvDWDsAPWRVm3nNYZcl7ZNxN6plK_XAF8CS70OlUtaMR9yEsudM0s33HQghVdQAl0E3X/s1600/IMG_0824.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuD6l5O21MEooHQk0RVUpMrBFZUulTtsTJjn254iIdapNkp9ta4_-RB7zlJBAEeZCwBM2an6cqFvDWDsAPWRVm3nNYZcl7ZNxN6plK_XAF8CS70OlUtaMR9yEsudM0s33HQghVdQAl0E3X/s640/IMG_0824.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjwVUhqvbaGpdOflcgQYUb4jHio4q-63PSwjiQmof9LD1Jadpu7flb2lGYv0vBeUV7tcMkHtymQ4kl6q9d0K4BSM87quEeLDu4Si9OimmHS-GmWwz1l6vDsutRIX5ovMK3D0ZtLP6HZ6a/s1600/IMG_0826.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjwVUhqvbaGpdOflcgQYUb4jHio4q-63PSwjiQmof9LD1Jadpu7flb2lGYv0vBeUV7tcMkHtymQ4kl6q9d0K4BSM87quEeLDu4Si9OimmHS-GmWwz1l6vDsutRIX5ovMK3D0ZtLP6HZ6a/s640/IMG_0826.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Along the ridge of the balcony, I put a double row as a single row would have left space either both or one side (depending on position), which would have still left room for the birds to land.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOxBB01bFzMyiN2Ilf-u8wT3rpSDh0cyHN-V4aO8AftCAp14yBLRLQFomRw71u49s6UG69KEzFoVOGgFF5wdg-DdcaI7sm14HzGbBwTGHeNVj4y3v69PqFDFvCRl1ZRFF6dpZI0LGCB-v/s1600/IMG_0827.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOxBB01bFzMyiN2Ilf-u8wT3rpSDh0cyHN-V4aO8AftCAp14yBLRLQFomRw71u49s6UG69KEzFoVOGgFF5wdg-DdcaI7sm14HzGbBwTGHeNVj4y3v69PqFDFvCRl1ZRFF6dpZI0LGCB-v/s640/IMG_0827.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On the stairwell tower, we still need to get access to the roof space for the satellite dish, so on one area where the ladder is normally placed, I several strips of spikes interlocked together to form a removable lift off section, rather than having to try and climb over the spikes. This section then interlocked with the fixed spikes.<br />
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The two main window ledges also required a double width run.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijcfDZGkvJuNy5EhYNGbeGxRGzBT4qtn5cgdxKz3TyOwXVoICJDOWdc9PmKlfde6lhCv5iVeIDCHBZH5Rqu7Tej-Z6ZAGLz4oMuwy1eCvb9R9kFz0pGG0snukDpUdZl1wcTI9Tu3bgsuN0/s1600/IMG_0838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijcfDZGkvJuNy5EhYNGbeGxRGzBT4qtn5cgdxKz3TyOwXVoICJDOWdc9PmKlfde6lhCv5iVeIDCHBZH5Rqu7Tej-Z6ZAGLz4oMuwy1eCvb9R9kFz0pGG0snukDpUdZl1wcTI9Tu3bgsuN0/s640/IMG_0838.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ledge above master bedroom balcony window/door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBBZOfXbOaBuRHCOZbXmdF7j7Y4KZ5r_Y-7kzgJsRkuM2mVbT3gnziYpa5CFHotmc6MgOUF7XlKQfZ-SJ_XpL507o2k1qlvbK-ocVWLsqFVbJlRkVI20YyLy2u05edU1i-g6rh9TO52KL/s1600/IMG_0839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBBZOfXbOaBuRHCOZbXmdF7j7Y4KZ5r_Y-7kzgJsRkuM2mVbT3gnziYpa5CFHotmc6MgOUF7XlKQfZ-SJ_XpL507o2k1qlvbK-ocVWLsqFVbJlRkVI20YyLy2u05edU1i-g6rh9TO52KL/s640/IMG_0839.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ledge above living room front window</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As for the silicone usage, so far I have used about 5 standard tubes, so well under the cost I allowed. A tube will last approximately 10 to 15 meters, with rough uneven surfaces needing a thicker bead.<br />
<br />
As for the birds, they are definitely unhappy at not being able to land! Watching them come in for a landing and realize there are spikes, flap and hover for a bit and then disappear. Also even after just a short time, I have noticed how the paths to the side of the house are now staying clean!<br />
<br />
The spikes being clear, you do not really see them against the building or against the skyline, especially from ground level, so not an eyesore.<br />
<br />
So, a definite success. Let's just hope they last the elements here.Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-42230265701390422582017-01-10T13:47:00.001+00:002017-01-10T13:48:04.933+00:00Bird Defences - Stage 1 - Re-visited!Back at the end of November 2016, I wrote about the <a href="http://qatar-is-calling.blogspot.com/2016/11/bird-defences-stage-1.html" target="_blank">Bird Defences Stage 1</a>, unfortunately, I hit a snag.<br />
<br />
I noticed yesterday that one of the spike strips was missing, on closer inspection, a couple of others were also loose at one end.<br />
<br />
Turns out the double sided foam tape is not a good idea! Although it adheres perfectly to the metal frames of the window, the side exposed to the bird strips (and the sun) simply lost all adhesion and detached from the spike strip.<br />
<br />
Today, I went round them all, removed them, scraped the foam strip off the window frame with a knife and then re-attached them all with clear silicone.<br />
<br />
I had started the Stage 2 defences (more to come soon) and had been using silicone for this and it appears to be a much better bond. Running a bead of silicone down the length of the spike strip and then pressing firmly along the length to get a good spread.<br />
<br />
Hopefully that is the problem solved...Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-61304579717150147882017-01-09T07:26:00.000+00:002017-01-15T03:26:28.428+00:00[TripAdvisor Contribution] Carluccio's (@Pearl) - Relaxing lunch in the sun...Dropped out to the Pearl for a spot of lunch and after having a wander round ended up coming back to here as we had been before.<br />
<br />
The weather was perfect for sitting outside and wasn't too busy even for 12.30, with only a handful of tables occupied.<br />
<br />
I wasn't looking for anything heavy going and just fancied a pizza and opted for the Misto Carni, which contained beef meatballs, veal sausage, spicy beef salami and was on a thin and crispy base. It was very good indeed. Washed down with a few bottles of refreshing San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa.<br />
<br />
Nice and relaxed in the sunshine, looking out onto the marina.....just a shame the next stop was to go and pick the kids up from school!<br />
<br />
Review posted at: <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294009-d8617728-r451597197-Carluccio_s-Doha.html#">https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294009-d8617728-r451597197-Carluccio_s-Doha.html#</a>Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-45521650341495178392017-01-07T17:21:00.002+00:002017-01-07T17:23:40.844+00:00And so that is the end of another year!Arriving home from offshore on the 22nd December can only mean one thing......it is nearly Christmas once again!<br />
<br />
The kids were already on holiday from school. After getting back to the villa and a quick change, it was out for some last minute shopping. The kids wanted to head out to Mall of Qatar, and I had never been before so no excuse not to. Although had a feeling being a Thursday and afternoon thought it would be mobbed!<br />
<br />
We got there with out any problem, parked up the car - in the monstrous underground car park - and headed up to the shops. This place is going to get some getting use to, yes it is big, no, not fully open yet, but not knowing where the shops are, it felt like we kept going round in circles and missing most of it. The kids and I had wandered off leaving the wife to have some peace. Got a couple of shops the kids wanted in, and a few other bits and bobs, then headed down to the food area.<br />
<br />
The wife wasn't answering her phone, so we just waited for a bit, a show had just started on the stage area, so they were occupied. Once N had arrived, it was time for food. We went into Carluccio's, as there were plenty of seats, The Cheesecake Factory was on a minimum wait time of approximately 20-30 minutes, so that wasn't happening! Anyway, good meal, so no complaints. Kids also got to watch another show while eating, so kept them amused.<br />
<br />
That evening was the start of the festive 'beverages', the neighbours came in and rolled out a some point in time later on. So this leave is off to a good start!<br />
<br />
Next day, 23rd, we had another party at one of the school parents villa, armed with festive jumper and Snoopy Christmas hat and a bag that went 'clink clink' when you walked, this turned into another excellent evening, the kids occupied themselves in the pool and playing the console and eating far too much, while the parents sat outside eating too much and feeling very merry!<br />
<br />
The 24th soon rolled round, I had left the car over at the villa from yesterday, and given the fact it was a lovely morning (no shock!) I headed off for a walk to pick it up. Took an hour to walk, so felt very refreshed by the time I go there. The afternoon was a catch up on the last few things and then kids off to bed. Time to wrap the last few presents before tomorrows chaos unfolds...<br />
<br />
Now the 25th, it wasn't long after we had headed to bed, we were pretty sure that the youngest was now up, either that or Santa had arrived. We pretended we didn't hear it, so we could get some sleep, it felt like the eyes had only just closed and it was morning. Woken by hyper children! Time to get up then....<br />
<br />
The usual Christmas morning of presents and hyper children filled the day. I think they were both delighted with their Google Pixel phones and Daydream VR headsets, not sure how long the youngest will take to break her's but time will tell.........I should have bought a cheaper one (it was her first phone), but if she didn't get the same as her sister, then there would have only been arguments.<br />
<br />
We had the neighbours coming round for Christmas Day, so I headed over to the Radisson to collect the Turkey & Trimmings. 11.30am was our time slot and we were #20 on the list.......fortunately it is just across the road. As soon as I got back, that was it, beer and bubbles time! A great day had. The food was very good once again.<br />
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The next day our neighbours were sadly packing up to leave the country, so we were looking after the dogs for a few days. kept the kids occupied. We also managed to acquire a number of plants both indoor and out, so.<br />
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The area has also seen quite a few days of fog in the mornings, there has been some amazing pictures of the skyscrapers of West Bay and the Pearl popping through, but the building architecture also gave way to some amazing ray reflection pictures, like the two pictures below by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Sauditta?fref=nf" target="_blank">Saudita Ema</a> (pictures used with permission);<br />
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New Year fast approached, and we had considered a couple of places to go for a meal with the kids, but they were doing fixed menu's that really didn't appeal (particularly for the kids) so we ended up heading to <a href="http://www.theanvilrooms.qa/" target="_blank">The Anvil Rooms</a> which is located on the 28th floor of Tornado Tower. They were serving the normal A la Carte menu (with the all important steak!) add the restaurant is licensed, so perfect!<br />
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Heading down into the city centre in the evening we arrived at the restaurant for 7pm and was surprised how quiet the town and place was. The buildings were all lit up and we had a great view out of over the Corniche.<br />
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We arrived home after a great meal, I think Maya was the only one who managed to stay awake for midnight, I feel asleep watching the telly, and Nadia fell asleep in Sasha's bed.....Rock n' Roll!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tornado Tower - restaurant around the middle somewhere </td></tr>
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<br />
So here we are, 2017;<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">HAPPY NEW YEAR..........</span></b><br />
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let's see what this one brings!<br />
<br />Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-54029785935540914152016-12-31T05:19:00.000+00:002017-01-13T05:21:20.310+00:00[TripAdvisor Contribution] The Anvil Rooms - “Very very nice meal!”With the wife and kids we headed up to the 28th Floor of Tornado Tower for a last meal of 2016. We had looked at going to a couple of other places, but given it was New Year's eve, the other establishments were on fixed menu's for fixed price (excluding alcohol) and the menu's were not really what we were looking for. Fortunately, The Anvil Rooms were doing the normal A La Carte menu and had what we wanted!<br />
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We had booked an early table, as thought it might have been busy, and arrived for 7pm. The restaurant was very quiet and didn't really get too busy all evening while we were there, just slowly the tables were taken.<br />
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I had an absolutely delicious meal with Beef Carpaccio, Oxtail soup and then an amazing 10oz fillet steak for main and a brownie and ice-cream for dessert. The steak was without question absolutely perfect. All washed down with a lovely bottle of bubbles.<br />
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I will definitely be back here for another steak!<br />
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Review posted at: <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294009-d3724082-r450170971-The_Anvil_Rooms-Doha.html#">https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294009-d3724082-r450170971-The_Anvil_Rooms-Doha.html#</a><br />
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<br />Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-75985145060390320212016-12-19T10:43:00.001+00:002016-12-19T10:43:58.239+00:00When Uber meets MasterCard...50% discount<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2q72xc49mze8bkcog2f01nlh-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/qatar/wp-content/uploads/sites/360/2016/12/MC-Lockup-Doha.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="114" src="https://2q72xc49mze8bkcog2f01nlh-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/qatar/wp-content/uploads/sites/360/2016/12/MC-Lockup-Doha.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Uber and MasterCard have paired up for a special promo of 50% discount on rides (conditions apply).<br />
<br />
Just use the promocode:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">MCDOHA</span></b></div>
<br />
<br />
See here for more! <a href="https://newsroom.uber.com/qatar/mastercard/">https://newsroom.uber.com/qatar/mastercard/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
If you are new to Uber, you can sign up using this blog's promocode:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>uberQatarIsCalling</b></span></div>
<br />
for further savings and benefits (again, condtions apply and offer subject to change).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Holidays!</span></div>
Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-37704262893796289622016-12-18T11:17:00.000+00:002016-12-18T11:18:31.199+00:00Too much? Hmm...........do wonder!The platform hotel services team have got the decorating down to a fine art.<br />
<br />
Trying to make it feel like that time of year when it should be snowy and cold. Yet, despite being in the middle of Persian Gulf they succeed in bringing 4 trees, fairy lights, tinsel and other decorations to cover the walls and ceilings of the main recreational areas.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CCR</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duty Mess - aka "Starbucks"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duty Mess - aka "Starbucks"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLavqDlPz6t-QkM12DhL7AUtPlWhcz8p985AYiXwhf52YQ95URpF1jape2fXPgNELsEcIIjPqonfRtv1V1p2uL0DGaLQbFkrvGORnndFECsc3eNqkuHmcTxgoVS3iWnjKpqSdjKUbinb_/s1600/DSCN0107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLavqDlPz6t-QkM12DhL7AUtPlWhcz8p985AYiXwhf52YQ95URpF1jape2fXPgNELsEcIIjPqonfRtv1V1p2uL0DGaLQbFkrvGORnndFECsc3eNqkuHmcTxgoVS3iWnjKpqSdjKUbinb_/s640/DSCN0107.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corridor from Boot Room and Gym to Mess Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corridor from Boot Room and Gym to Mess Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFimV-4-Cal0Lx-hXgaD-Mn7YmkdJki7FPW-pVg6p0nNMODj8bzozTkmPOCRiT5wrh03XLqe5UMXrGpdlti7fj9cLFXSQjbcIi-EYFIhS1IHvEOgnVvLdIDTvc61Y7SHd1_AiAjuG5LZd/s1600/DSCN0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFimV-4-Cal0Lx-hXgaD-Mn7YmkdJki7FPW-pVg6p0nNMODj8bzozTkmPOCRiT5wrh03XLqe5UMXrGpdlti7fj9cLFXSQjbcIi-EYFIhS1IHvEOgnVvLdIDTvc61Y7SHd1_AiAjuG5LZd/s640/DSCN0109.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside Mess Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXg4x8tWAoqao5EIjgvqXcxnh-_UD_kNaFG2PW40r_IJUoMIsp45rLg5xYLomB1Kwl6xgr5QmJUWzqgKBRqukiA_X_7zJcaAoCRyvpJlY2wqKtxGtf-IS2Hl0rfdIwPYT5TNIXSqvSyY9/s1600/DSCN0110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXg4x8tWAoqao5EIjgvqXcxnh-_UD_kNaFG2PW40r_IJUoMIsp45rLg5xYLomB1Kwl6xgr5QmJUWzqgKBRqukiA_X_7zJcaAoCRyvpJlY2wqKtxGtf-IS2Hl0rfdIwPYT5TNIXSqvSyY9/s640/DSCN0110.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside Mess Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghano9rNPG_5a6IJa_jihpOVoaNnEhLDYHMc3fRTXwVa-pI2qLCgz8B_-pov3o4H-nkuVOepVpIj8oaaUtiXdm4mygcH31CPDMrMSO-1N5-uGS7GLVhUl-4QzBjM6zMYN1IfDM1LlIOO9T/s1600/DSCN0111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghano9rNPG_5a6IJa_jihpOVoaNnEhLDYHMc3fRTXwVa-pI2qLCgz8B_-pov3o4H-nkuVOepVpIj8oaaUtiXdm4mygcH31CPDMrMSO-1N5-uGS7GLVhUl-4QzBjM6zMYN1IfDM1LlIOO9T/s640/DSCN0111.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mess Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdi8Hm7TDnAopRlj-xc3Qx6hoJ3aqSYGS8IACqXNvkqc2P1bJv7fFtgCTqZvFj53-VJwVXZ7kBM4IiruSeSETyCKTADFNtj9jy0_jMeHwvxtzt8oeDkXHhZ3mY0a5XK_Up9CygFU0e91G/s1600/DSCN0112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdi8Hm7TDnAopRlj-xc3Qx6hoJ3aqSYGS8IACqXNvkqc2P1bJv7fFtgCTqZvFj53-VJwVXZ7kBM4IiruSeSETyCKTADFNtj9jy0_jMeHwvxtzt8oeDkXHhZ3mY0a5XK_Up9CygFU0e91G/s640/DSCN0112.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mess Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHfeMhJ9rGyOEjw-JGoykQBuxt_Vtw7ermGwtUS4y7GPSdHgNy0IPMsRlAGizc1rHPz4GTCilhqZDS58B0IxIhshjO5sw4n80GHQ9qilF42yux_uHThRiPOR-PqfyedAFkB_xZxVs5Xu7/s1600/DSCN0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHfeMhJ9rGyOEjw-JGoykQBuxt_Vtw7ermGwtUS4y7GPSdHgNy0IPMsRlAGizc1rHPz4GTCilhqZDS58B0IxIhshjO5sw4n80GHQ9qilF42yux_uHThRiPOR-PqfyedAFkB_xZxVs5Xu7/s640/DSCN0113.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mess Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1vRblPvEanHk7d5lWuph1LNCU3xlw1uqhAOkiOvG6DvTT8iKPF-UgCRfr5lGmP-jiQ1PcDoDfwn8wEQog4Y1_FDO9wQIr2ueF2c0Wc8dq4pw_SkZclaTnmqlWUim41JlROp3wrG2DWJCm/s1600/DSCN0115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1vRblPvEanHk7d5lWuph1LNCU3xlw1uqhAOkiOvG6DvTT8iKPF-UgCRfr5lGmP-jiQ1PcDoDfwn8wEQog4Y1_FDO9wQIr2ueF2c0Wc8dq4pw_SkZclaTnmqlWUim41JlROp3wrG2DWJCm/s640/DSCN0115.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work in progress!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arrival Lounge</td></tr>
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<br />Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557273 51.208316299999915 25.5151673 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-60732496431999260462016-11-27T15:31:00.001+00:002016-11-27T15:50:08.611+00:00And so the rains came!The forecast was for rain, with Saturday due to be the worst, based on the mid-week forecast.<br />
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Friday saw a little, but more just a tease. Saturday morning, the skies didn't look like it was going to come to anything, then in the afternoon, the skies clouded over and it all begin. A really sharp downpour.<br />
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As you can see from the photo below outside the villa, there was a bit of standing water.<br />
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C'Ring road looked a bit damp, with a lot of standing water near Ramada Signal<br />
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And walking round the villa, you can see how much water had collected in the floor beds<br />
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And then came Sunday.....it was a lovely day, a wee bit of cloud, but around 32c.....then it started, and it started quickly! The sky got very dark, very quickly, and then the thunder and lightning started. It just got heavier and heavier, the wind picked up and the rain was sheeting with the wind.<br />
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It didn't last too long, but the volume of water was incredible. The kids went out round the compound and the standing water was up over the kerb stones, so a good 6+ inches of standing water and the roads in the compound looked like canals!<br />
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Fortunately for us, we didn't have any leaks into the villa, but the maintenance guys were out in their slicker suits, with drain rods and plungers, checking all the drains, on the roof spaces, balconies etc.<br />
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Looks like there has been some really bad flooding in other parts of the city going by the videos on the various media sites.<br />
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<br />Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557373 51.208316299999915 25.515157300000002 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-64513371259546995582016-11-27T12:45:00.002+00:002016-11-29T09:57:40.015+00:00[TripAdvisor Contribution] Sukar Pasha - Excellent food, but restaurant changes come with a 'but'The in-laws were over for a holiday, and took them up to the restaurant as the weather was great.<br />
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Arrived to find that it had all changed since our last visit. The large outdoor seating area had been removed and replaced with a very small seating area. We were looking forward to sitting out enjoying the weather and the view, but sadly, what seats were there were taken, or not enough at a table for our party of 6. Raised our disappointment with the staff and they explained the outside was downsized when they opened the extra inside seating area.<br />
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So, inside it was! Sat down and the staff handed and explained the new tablet menu's. This took a bit of getting used to, and it became very confusing when everyone started adding choices of others (i.e. particularly the childrens). It would be so much better if they were all linked to a single 'order', to see the overall order. Another thing is the basket view could really do with a small image next to the order items, just to make sure what you were ordering was what you thought you decide on, especially when you jump back and forth through the menu.<br />
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The food however, was once again excellent. the barley soup, mixed grill and 'puffy' bread was my choice and all were delicious.<br />
The others all enjoyed there food, and the youngest had the chops and cleared them all.<br />
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Staff were excellent. no issues at all. Just a shame about outside!<br />
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Review posted at:<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294009-d2485857-r440298622-Sukar_Pasha-Doha.html#">https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294009-d2485857-r440298622-Sukar_Pasha-Doha.html#</a>Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557373 51.208316299999915 25.515157300000002 51.853763299999919tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9007407907314526464.post-85570697977228065142016-11-25T07:44:00.001+00:002017-01-10T13:51:03.216+00:00Bird Defences - Stage 1Lying in your bed early morning trying to have a decent sleep, and all you can hear is 'tap tap tap' and the calls of the birds on the windows. Really annoying.<br />
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Add to this and the excessive amount of poop that they leave on the glass and ledges and ground below.<br />
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It was time to engage mission <b><i>Bird Defences - Stage 1...</i></b><br />
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The small ledges on the windows between the panes are only about 60mm deep, so it is not the big pigeons, but the smaller birds, so had to look at the smaller type spikes. I don't want the metal spikes here, as the glass has a reflective coating to help with the summer sun and it would easily get scratched.<br />
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Having searched locally and found nothing, I headed to the the usual, the internet. After looking at few different ones, I settled on Bird Defender Narrow Plastic.<br />
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These are manufactured by Jones & Sons in the UK and I got them via Ebay. under their seller name DefenderBirdSpikes <a href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/defenderbirdspikes?_trksid=p2047675.l2559">http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/defenderbirdspikes?_trksid=p2047675.l2559</a><br />
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Having measured up how much I needed, I settled for 2x10m packs, and shipped them via Aramex Shop&Ship. The package weight was around 1.12Kg so was 112 QAR to ship.<br />
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[<b>Update</b>: <i><span style="color: red;">Do NOT use double sided foam strips</span></i>, they don't stick properly, <a href="http://qatar-is-calling.blogspot.com/2017/01/bird-defences-stage-1-re-visited.html">see update here</a>.]<br />
As the spikes are relatively sheltered out of the elements, not that we get much rain anyway, I elected to use some double sided 20mm wide foam tape (from the local Carrefour) to attach to the metal window frames after first giving them a wash to remove the dust. I simply cut a small strip about 20mm x 5mm and stuck it to the end of each strip.<br />
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Attaching all the whole length section first, to fill in the gaps at the end, it was simply a case of bending the strips to snap them at a breakpoint line and snipping off the ends if necessary to fit the remaining gap.<br />
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It didn't take long at all, and think I had fitted around 17m in about 1 to 1.5 hours, including all washing of the frames and sticking the foam strips to the spikes.<br />
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As they are clear plastic, once they are attached, you don't really notice them unless you are looking for them, and after a while you forget they are there. You don't really notice them from the inside looking out either.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFOxLHQWFy7cVPcgIm4WAlmp7kXn9kG-yISDSR5qSadCa8m2J3Mw2yVJkmcTeIe75onJcG1jsQm6GSb7jiJ3l2rlXRv65kZu3pXaGvPVBb6hPcS8XwcWzMJHWh68wd5m6dxDfGoXlh1od/s1600/IMG_0717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFOxLHQWFy7cVPcgIm4WAlmp7kXn9kG-yISDSR5qSadCa8m2J3Mw2yVJkmcTeIe75onJcG1jsQm6GSb7jiJ3l2rlXRv65kZu3pXaGvPVBb6hPcS8XwcWzMJHWh68wd5m6dxDfGoXlh1od/s640/IMG_0717.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side of the villa</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Bedroom Balcony </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0NO76c16l8iLrSGf4MSvfGJDLeJSWp11Dm6hpx29_w-Rg_WPCwI65O1-NZG7swREKpF3L78ImotQdr2iMgrnYa_TfAye9Rvd53Nay5-0uuEnsw512hD-ZosV4aK65S3rpMml32_yItJG/s640/IMG_0715.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main Balcony</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living Room Front Window</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking out from inside</td></tr>
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You can see more on the different types of spikes they do and get more on the technical specifications like sizing info on their website. <a href="http://www.birdspikesonline.co.uk/Bird-Spikes/default.aspx">http://www.birdspikesonline.co.uk/Bird-Spikes/default.aspx</a><br />
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I certainly noticed this morning, the first morning after fitting, the lack of bird noise, particularly from the master bedroom balcony, as they are always there first thing.<br />
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Next up is Stage 2 - to deal with the pigeons on the ridge lines and overhangs, but think will go for the larger metal spikes, but still to be decided....there is a local company here for them, but tempted to do it myself, as they are dragging their heals, but not sure how the shipping costs would come out. Maybe have to make some more enquiries and to a cost estimate, but also need to factor in '<i>risk of falling</i>'!Dave Auldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110883818824970245noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.53103979999991725.0557373 51.208316299999915 25.515157300000002 51.853763299999919