Sandier Pastures

To those of you wanting to earn some cash while blogging, check out the new online money making gig of the block. Get paid to blog with Smorty!

Smorty is an online service which connects advertisers with bloggers. Simply put, bloggers write their opinions and/or reviews on certain things or products and then paid when the advertiser approves. Sounds simple, isn’t it? Actually, it is! It’s fast and easy and you get paid while doing the thing you love. 

The requirements are easy: your blog must be indexed by Google and Yahoo, must be older than three months, must not contain any form of hate, violence or adult content, among others. Once your blog is approved, you can start writing reviews of at least 150 words. Payments are made weekly through Paypal only, so you need to open a Paypal account but that itself is also a very simple procedure.

So if you are interested to blog for money, Smorty might be a good place to start. After all, you’ve got nothing to lose.

This week’s theme: Plastic

Don’t bite! Unique flash drives, anyone?

After 8 months, you know you’re in Dubai when:

• There’s someone called the office boy in your work place who does all the copying, scanning and faxing. You don’t have to stand to do these things! He even brings you a nice milk tea twice a day.

• the office boy does not know much English and you have to recall your sign language classes 20 years ago

• some people keep on saying “yes” when they meant “no” and they don’t understand either

• everyone seems to be talking their own dialect you can’t understand and it’s not Arabic

• people go on annual vacations for an average of 30 days (some even extend up to two weeks) and bring loads of sweets when they come back

• people go out (and don’t return after at least 40 minutes) at the call of prayer twice every day

• People are unusually quiet while working on Saturdays and Sundays.

• You actually start your work week on Saturdays!!

• work colleagues get their full course (Indian) lunch delivered in the office

• people watch Indian drama in YouTube at lunchtime in full volume

• you are the only female in the department

• you have difficulty to recognize your Indian colleagues because they look all the same!

• 80% of the men have moustaches and/or beards

• you can blog and chat in the office!

• but you can’t access Skype, Flickr, Friendster and Typepad blogs…etc

• you want to go back home if you forgot to bring your blazers/light jacket/cardigan

Now, do you want to try working here?

13 FACTS ABOUT RAMADAN AND FASTING

Today is the start of Ramadan in the Islamic world. Here are some facts about Ramadan and the fasting ritual, a timely Thursday Thirteen list for me. This is my first time to experience Ramadan here in Dubai so I educate myself as I go.

• Ramadan is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from break of dawn to sunset.

• It begins about eleven days earlier each year.

• In many Islamic countries, the beginning of Ramadan is announced by a firing of a gun or cannon on the eve of the first day.

• Ramadan will end about October 12 (give or take a day depending on the sighting of the new moon) and then there will be a 1-3 days holiday called Eid Al-Fitr.

• Fasting is compulsory for those who are mentally and physically fit, past the age of puberty, and in a settled situation i.e., not travelling (so don’t freak out, you can have in-flight meals when coming to Dubai during Ramadan!). Pregnant women and nursing mothers are exempted and non-Muslims of course!

• When do you start to fast? The rule is that when it becomes light enough where you can tell a white thread from a black thread.

• The timing of Iftar(time where the fast is broken and you are allowed to eat) varies from day to day and is usually announced on the radio or television today. But the old tradition is to listen for the call from the minarets of the mosque.

• Muslims break their fast by drinking water and eating dates, just as how their prophet broke his fast years prior. This will be followed by a regular dinner.

• On the 27th day of Ramadan, fireworks are often used to celebrate The Night of Power - - the night that Muhammad first received the revelation of the Quran in 610.

• Most coffee shops and restaurants are closed during the day. Some of the hotels have at least one restaurant open for public but screened-off in some way.

• No music should be played in public. No live music or dancing for the entire month. However, pubs play some low background music.

• Office hours are shortened, work is from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm only.

• Ramadan is a time for self-examination and increased religious devotion. The fast ends when the new moon is sighted again and the month of Shawwal begins.

The main buzz at the bus stop today was, “Did anyone see the moon last night?”

According to the news, Thursday will be the first day of Ramadan, the UAE moonsighting committee announced yesterday. In the Islamic world, the holy month of Ramadan is observed every year, for a month. Tomorrow is the first day of the fasting month. Muslims follow a lunar calendar so the start and the end of Ramadan is based on the sighting of the new moon, thus the moonsighting committee.

The committee said the Ramadan moon was not sighted yesterday after using astronomical and Sharia methods. The moon should be visible by tonight.

If the moon had appeared, work would have started at 9:00 instead of 8:30 and people should have not stared at me running to my desk to grab the ringing phone. I was late, thanks to the traffic congestion of unknown reason this morning. Normal commuting time of just 15 minutes stretched to an hour and a half. What a pain in the butt!

Yone Minagawa, who became the world’s oldest person earlier this year died in a nursing home in southwestern Japan. She was 114.

It is amazing to note that she outlived all her children except her youngest daughter, who I think will also live longer. Japan has one of the world’s longest average life spans - a factor often attributed to a healthy diet rich in rice and fish. But I’d have to add the efficient service of nursing homes to this long life expectancy.

The nursing home:

Growing up in a country with different family values, I would cringe at the thought of living and dying in a nursing home. In my vocabulary 20 years ago, that is harsh, disrespectful and the most unloving gesture children can do to their parents.

Year 1999 - M took me to his hometown and we visited his grandmother at the nursing home for the first time. He did not tell me anything about a relative living in a nursing home so I was shocked and ready to question his family values as soon as we parked the car. Why did he allow his grandma to live in an isolated place, away from her family?

When we were there and finally met her, I realized that I had been wrong.

She was happy there, with friends who share the same interests with her, she is around qualified nurses, with a resident doctor that will attend to her needs 24/7. The nursing home is temperature controlled, very warm and cozy at the peak of winter and very comfortable even during the hideously humid and hot Japan summers. Food is served in a balanced way, programs are held and the elders love it very much. They even have outings in spring.

Families put their elderly in nursing homes not because they don’t love them. It means they care for them, more than anything.

The temperature inside my in-law’s house in Japan is almost the same as outside during winter. I hate how I have to cover myself in more than 10 kilos of thick blanket. I hate how I breath white smoke inside the house. Only one part of the house is warmed, the living room while the rest is dead cold. Central heating or fire places are not popular in Japan.

If M’s grandma stayed in my in-law’s home, she would not be around now. M’s paternal grandmother stayed in the house and died 6 years ago of pneumonia. She was just 78.

Left pic taken August 2006 and right pic taken August 2005

Pristine and Kono ba-chan share the same birthday, 85 years apart

* In 2006, Japanese women set a new record for life expectancy at 85.81 years, while men live at the average of about 79 years. *

** Kono ba-chan’s mother lived until 95 **

It’s always touching to receive awards. Honestly, the Blogger Reflection Award is one of the awards I least expect to receive. It is given to people (bloggers) “who have been an encouragement, a source of love, gave you an impact in some way”. 

Sabine and I found each other, well, she found me first - - and we started communicating endlessly after she left a really long comment in one of my posts.

Thank you so much Sabine, friends like you make blogging a little bit more special.

Now, to pass this award to five individuals who inspire me in their own special way:

• Tupelo Kenyon @ TupeloKenyon.com- I discovered Tupelo Kenyon’s inspirational blog in one of the editions of the popular Carnival of Family Life. He writes articles for personal development and inspiration that is easy to read and understand.  It’s also amazing to listen to the accompanying instrumental music while reading.

• Melany @ Supermom - Melany is a full time working mom, gracefully raising 3 boys in South Africa. I am humbled at how she juggles all the challenges she face everyday. Reading her articles will make me stop whining about the one little boss I have at home.

• Karin @ Heart Songs - I am inspired by Karin to enjoy life more, to appreciate what I have and my health.

• Robin @ Around the Island - Robin and I just got acquainted recently. We share the same expat life, living in two places both from the same region yet so different. I love the way she captures her day to day living and inspired by the carefully written beautiful posts she does which shows her genuine love for writing.

• Karen @ Write From Karen - I like Karen’s enthusiasm and energy to write great posts every time. She has a way with words that inspires me to write everyday.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Speaking of reflection, let’s take a moment to remember today, the people in the towers six years ago. September 11, 2001 is a calamitous day I will never forget. Much has been speculated, conspiracy stories abound but one truth remains - -  that hundreds of lives have been taken and the lives of the people they left behind will never be the same again.

It’s blog carnival time once again. Check out the wonderful family-related entries this week of The Carnival of Family Life at My Two Boys. You can submit your posts for this carnival through the form here.

Love travelling? Stacey at the Travels of Stacey takes you to the world’s cities at The Carnival of Cities. Next week, I will be hosting this carnival so if you have something interesting going on in your city, tell the world about it! Submit your post here.

Cut-off date for submission of articles for both carnivals are on midnight of Saturday every week.

There was reportedly rain in Al Ain yesterday and residents in some parts of the UAE, especially in Dubai began to enjoy more pleasant conditions. The weather bureau says the worst of summer is over.

Since Saturday, the winds have become cooler and my sweating has mellowed down. But if I tell you the actual environmental figures, you will think I am crazy. I’ll tell you anyway.

As I walked to work this morning thanking my lucky stars for the mild weather, I saw the huge digital board over at Salahuddin Road reading 35C (95F). My friends back in Japan thinks I am strange to think 35C is cool. But if you have been used to temperatures over 40’s everyday, you will truly know that my description of the current desert weather situation is justifiable.

UAE Temperature forecast (taken from GulfNews)

Too much sun? Diet? Hormones? Allergy? Sand?

Just after coming to Dubai, specifically, right after summer started, I had mild acne appearing in the left side of my forehead. It is a cause of panic because I haven’t had pimples after turning 14. I had visibly clear skin while in Japan (come on, some witnesses come forward please!) and waking up with some unsightly zits is not a joke, at my age now! I am 30, too old for puberty breakouts yet too young for hormone-driven menopausal symptoms!

Though never a makeup person, I follow strict skin cleansing regimen. I don’t use soap for my skin, always a mild face wash, follow it up with a toner and then moisturizer. I exfoliate regularly, drink lots of water, take vitamins and never slept later than 11 pm. I can confidently go out without a tinge of foundation.

Desperate to seek help but too preoccupied with seeing a dermatologist, I begin to self-medicate. I bought Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Cream Cleanser as it promised to wipe out acne with its 2% Salicylic Acid solution. Effective, yet gentle it proclaimed on its label.

What happened next was, the morning after, my face was red and dry, flaky and worse, swollen! I looked like Mohammad Ali after a boxing bout.

I am allergic to most makeup and could only buy a few chosen products so most probably I had a terrible allergic reaction to the face wash.  I need to consult a dermatologist because detecting the underlying cause is a medical responsibility. I am never going to experiment again.

Note: So many expat women in Dubai claim to develop pimples/acne after they came here. Looks like I am not alone in this dilemma. Doesn’t make me feel or look better, though.