Hey there everyone!!

I’ve got super fantastic amazing news!

www.ramadan-mubarak.com has launched!

It’s a very exciting website for Qatar because it’s probably the first website of its kind. In fact, we’re almost certain that it is!
The beauty of Ramadan-mubarak.com is that it’s so simple. Not only is it easy to navigate but there are some great features!

Dynamic Background

>The website’s background changes depending on the time of day.
- In the morning the sky is dim and a yellow sun rises
- During the day the sun shines a bright white, birds fly around and the wind gently sways the hanging lanterns
- For sunset and because it’s so rare for us to enjoy a beautiful one in real life, our site’s sunset lasts for 15 minutes before night, so you’ve got to go on our website at exactly the right time to see our orange sky.
- When it’s time to break your fast, the moon pops out, the lanterns light up and the stars twinkle.
Why is this special? Because it’s a fun way of letting people know when its time to break their fast! Don’t have a calendar? Have a calendar but don’t know what time it is? Just visit the site and if you see the moon, you can break your fast. It’s also a great tool for kids!

> Phases of the moon.
Every day, the moon on our site changes slightly depending on the phase of the moon. Muslims use this to determine the end of Ramadan! What day do you think will have that perfect crecent?

We’re social!
> Sharing is caring:
You’ll notice Twitter, Facebook, and the FB like button on the site. So sharing the site is extremely simple! Go ahead! Click on our LIKE button.

> Tents and Events:
During Ramadan many people meet up at night at various tents and events to be together and socialize. If you’re looking for a calendar of events, then our site will be there with you. Our calendar will constantly be updated as we get wind of more events!

Send an eCard!
We’ve created some very nice and colorful Ramadan cards for you to send out to family and friends. All you need to do is select the image you want, type in the message you want, move the message so that it’s in just the right spot and click send!
Love the card? You can save it in MMS format so that you can transfer it to your mobile and send it to anyone through your mobile!
Don’t see an image you like? You can upload your OWN image and send it out as an ecard!
We love choices!

Ramadan 101
We know that some people might not know what Ramadan is all about, so we’ve gone ahead and included an “About Ramadan” tab on the site. If you want to brush up on your understand of Ramadan, then visit this section for : when it is, what its about, dates and times, tips about eating, drinking and smoking, dress code and special considerations.

> Convenient Prayer and Iftar times!
We’ve gone ahead and tried to make your life as easy as possible when it comes to knowing when to pray and when to break your fast.
- We’ve got a calendar on our site to view
- Every page has the sunrise and sunset times
- You can download the calendar to your phone or desktop
- You can register to receive FREE sms notifications
- You can pick up a pocket calendar in store
AND you can visit our mobile portal at [mobile.vodafone.com.qa]

What are you waiting for? Spread the word!

I’m sorry for the long delay in writing a new blog post. I’ll be posting an update letting you now what I have been up to and what ILQ has been doing as well

Someone asked me why I was doing everything that I do with ILQ. Reasons?

• I want Qatar to be the country that I ‘WANT’ to have my children grow up in.
• I want to bridge the gap between locals and expats
• People used to say “Qataris are the most hospitable people in the world”. I want us to reclaim that title.
• I want to be vocal about the issues that people are either too lazy to talk about or worried that they don’t have the right to talk about.
• I want to give back to the expat communities that leave everything back home to come to my country. (We’re not debating the reason why different  people are here)
• The Emir has done so much for us Qataris. Shouldn’t Qataris take some of the load off of his shoulders? When we pick up our passports, we’re reminded with a leaflet that each citizen represents his country.
• I want Qatar to improve. (Better service, hard work, quality of life, or even better, for things to actually make SENSE)
• I want to bust some myths and disprove stereotypes
• I want to encourage a different style of thinking
• I DON’T want my children to grow up thinking that I never did anything worth while in life.

Alright bed-time. The more I write, the more sappier I get

If there’s one Arabic country that I have to choose as a country which I respect, it’s Bahrain. I love that country and its people. Quite recently it was ranked internationally as the world’s most friendliest country. I definately agree.

Put simply, if someone were to ask me why I love Bahrain, my list would be a page long. However in the interest of not boring you to death, I’ll list what makes them a great nation and a reason for why they turned out quite different from Qataris.

1) Bahrainis run their own country. No this isn’t a locals vs. expats comment. I feel that if all the expats left Bahrain, they’d be able to survive. You see Bahrainis working as taxi drivers, throughout the business hierarchical chain, and at your local cold store. There’s isn’t an exclusive dependancy on foreigners. Lets face it. If the expats dropped everything and moved out of Qatar, things would pretty much come to a stand-still.

2) Bahrainis work hard and they don’t act like anything is beneath them. You see them working at petrol stations or as security guards in the malls. This touches upon point one, but the reason for their motivation is because they’re hard workers. It’s obvious to me that the government recognizes this because Bahrainis are considered the ‘Golden Expat’ by Qatari companies. (The fact that they’re from the GCC, similar values to Qataris, and are hard workers).

3) They’re incredibly smart. The average Bahraini is very intelligent. They definitely have the entrepreneurial spirit. It all comes down to their education. Qatar only quite recently started putting an emphasis on education with, well… , with Education City. There’s been major changes in the government schooling as well, however Bahrain has a 20 year lead. One of the reasons why I moved to Qatar was because my family wanted a better education for me. I studied at a private school and ended up with an I.B. Diploma.

So why are they like this? They’re poorer. Seems a bit simplistic doesn’t it? Hear me out. As Qataris, we’re given quite a lot of opportunity. I’m priveledged and I’m trying to make the most of the fortunauate position that God put me in. However it seems that people have grown up where they think that government support (in its current form) is their ‘right’. Many people became too rich, too fast, and they forgot about the basics. The basics of raising their own kids, the basics of Islam (peace, respects and tolerance), and probably more importantly, they forgot how hard it was for Qataris two generations ago and aren’t greatful for that. This mentality has spread across to even the poorer Qataris.

If you’re the government of a poorer nation, you have to become more business centric. That’s why the market is open for advertisers (street ads) in Bahrain and we’ve got one company (QMedia) that has an unexplainable monopoly.

4) They don’t receive as much in terms of state support. The cost of living is lower and salaries are lower. So Bahrainis compete. They are forced to survive on their intellect. They are forced to be reasonable. They are forced to be more down to earth.

5) They’re forward thinkers. Their mentality is quite different. Their more open to the idea of being progressive. Qataris are getting there. My friends and the younger generation of Qataris are all working so very hard to prove that we’re not the lazy stereotype that people imagine.

Bahrain isn’t the best country in the world. They’ve got issues. Qatar also has some major pluses too! (The support for media freedom, a progressive Emir,  our strong Shaikha Moza, and of course, the fact that its a country that has so much opportunity come to mind). I just feel that I wish we learned a bit more from Bahrainis, thats all.

You want an ideal Arabic nation? Qatar’s wealth, opportunity, and leadership + Bahrainis mentality + Kuwait’s business focus + Emirates marketing team = the country I wish I could create.

Qatar’s still got a great shot at being something amazing! That’s why I (heart) Qatar Can’t wait for the bridge to be built. Lets see if they rub off on us.

So I’m sitting at Al Jazeera’s fifth forum right now. The event is called unplugged. I’ve seen quite a number of people speak on stage but I still haven’t seen the real juicy stuff.

We talk about the importance of Internet freedom and how social media can affect public opinion or bring us information at record seeds, but aren’t they preaching to the quire?

Anyway, it’s a discussion which is a step forward in the right direction.

For my tweets, follow http://Twitter.com/iloveqatar

There’s been a lot of talk about Facebook and how irresponsible they’re being when it comes to giving their users power over how they can control what’s shared or seen. To be honest, I’d like to think that I’m quite tech-savvy, and getting through Facebook’s control panel, Help, or Forums, is like going through a MAZE.

Nothing is clear and despite clear warnings by government officials and the general public around the world, Facebook seems to just ignore what’s right for people. Yes, they implement some security features here and there, but the fact of the matter is, it isn’t enough.

It’s not only the responsibility of FB though. Parents need to monitor their children and adults need to be weary about what they post online. What’s scary is that even if you don’t post a picture, you know that someone else is going to post something and tag you eventually.

Here are a couple of great videos, I’d love to create a Qatarized/Arabized version. If you need more tips and advice, ictQatar is here to help and be there for you! (probably the only authority that actively engages with the public so openly!)

Contrary to popular belief, you can’t buy these sweets in Qatar.

I was surprised today. While visiting one of my favourite sites www.autoblog.com , I saw the word ‘Qatar’. Yay, we’ve got a mention I thought. Sadly, it made me lower my head in shame.

Someone left their beautiful XJ220 to die. Autoblog got the article from CrankandPiston.com (article here), and by the looks of the photos, it looks like it’s a write-off in the Industrial area. For those that don’t know, the Industrial area is the equivelant of the rusty ship from the movie Waterworld. It’s a dump.

If I find this car, I’m going to chase down the owner and ask to buy it since he has no need for it. (Hopefully it can be restored!)

Mothers day in Qatar is held on the 21st of March, and this year ILQ’s being a part of that. To do our little bit to share a bit of love to the givers of life. iLoveQatar.net has partnered up (yet again) with Vodafone! So what are we doing? At the Vodafone branches in City Center, Landmark, Villaggio and LuLu center, just step in and claim your rose! Remember, this is for Mums!

Or if you’d prefer, we’re also going to be roaming the corniche at night handing out some roses. Are you ready to claim what you rightfully deserve mums? Don’t worry, ILQ didn’t forget you

Note: Yes yes, we did something similar already, but what mother wouldn’t love a beautiful red rose?

I should have mentioned this sooner, however I totally let this slip under the radar. If you’re wondering a bit more about Mr. Q, they asked me some pretty random questions.

If you’re interested —> Visit Mr. Q on the Abode Blog