You gotta be kiddin' me!

Just found a new web site and thought that I would share some of the treasures with you.

ENJOY!

New Camelopardalis Meteor Shower

Carl Jones/Flickr

New Camelopardalis meteor shower

A new celestial show is expecting to peak this weekend, as Earth moves through a debris stream of comet 209/LINEAR. NASA has said the shower has never before seen before, but estimates the shower could produce 100 to 400 meters an hour, or even turn into a storm of 1,000 meteors an hour.

The best times to view it are at night in northern America, which is morning in Qatar. However, Jassim Lari, co-founder of the Qatar Astronomy Club, told Doha News that the shower should be visible here at midnight on Friday and Saturday nights, in dark areas like Zekreet, Al Shamal and Al Kharrara. Lari added:

“Astronomers around the world believe it will be something new and unique. The radiant of the Meteor Storm is in the constellation of Camelopardalis. If you are new to Astronomy try to use any astronomical application on you cell phone to assist you locating the constellation.”

Source: Doha News

To Fuwairit Beach we go.

We took a trip up to Fuwairit Beach last night.  It is located on the north-east side tip of the country.  I love these places.  They are very sparsely populated, so when you visit them, there is usually only a few people there and the people that you do meet are genuine and very interested in you.  The kids explored one of the old villages before we went to the beach to try to find some sea turtles who are laying their eggs right now.  No turtles, so I guess we will have to try again another day.

 

Imagine working in a sauna.

Rising heat takes toll on Qatar’s outdoor workers

By: NADA BADAWI AND CHANTELLE D'MELLO | May 18, 2014 | 15 COMMENTS

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Chantelle D'mello

For Indian expat Salahuddin, the days of May have passed in a blur of heat, pressure and perspiration, as he works on pipework near the Thai embassy in Doha.

“We sit down when it gets hot, but the foreman comes and asks us why we aren’t doing our work,” the Mumbai-based worker told Doha News today. “It’s hot, but we have to do it. We cover our faces with cloths so that the sun doesn’t disfigure them.”

Salahuddin’s story is not unique. A significant chunk of Qatar’s population of 2.2 million is comprised of blue-collar workers – many of whom work outdoors on the country’s countless infrastructure projects. Hundreds of thousands more construction workers are slated to arrive before the 2022 World Cup.

As the thermometer rises during the beginning of Qatar’s long summer, these men appear to be bearing the brunt of the harsh weather conditions.

Though temperatures have already climbed past 40C, the country’s mandatory midday work ban does not come into effect for nearly another month. That means companies can use their discretion when deciding whether employees should work outside from 11:30am to 3pm.

Chantelle D'mello

The midday work ban was instituted in 2007, and runs from June 15 to August 31. It mandates that no laborer log more than five hours of outdoor work in the mornings.

This month, however, some companies have sought to limit heat-related illnesses by implementing summer working hours early.

According to a site supervisor at Cybarco, one of many construction companies working on projects in West Bay, workers on their projects in Al Shahaniya are allowed to stay indoors during peak hours.

However, the company’s employees onsite in West Bay are still required to work from 6am to 5pm daily, aside from a one-hour lunch break. Still, they are given several five to 10 minute breaks during the day, the supervisor told Doha News.

Staying functional

To combat the heat and stay hydrated and energized throughout the day, some workers at Cybarco said they consume glucose-infused water. The glucose, according to construction worker Somanna Pojari, is provided by the company in tin cans at their accommodation, and then mixed into water bottles.

However, Salahhudin said he and his colleagues at the Hyundai Engineering and Construction has not yet started providing them with glucose. “They should start by the 31st,” he said.

Other companies, like Construction Development Company, which oversees major projects at St. Regis, Kempinski Residence and Suites, and the Pearl Qatar, are opting to wait until June to provide the midday break.

When reached by phone last week, company representative Sylvia Sabbagh told Doha News: “We follow the labor laws. When the notification comes in the newspapers, we change our policy.”

Workers at a Hamad Hospital project site overseen by Woodland Trade and General Construction Company are also currently required to work during peak hours. Aside from a 20-minute break at 9am, an hour-long break at noon, and a 15-minute break at 3pm, they work non-stop during their 11-hour day, said Nepalese worker Dipan Hasda.

Like many others working outdoors who spoke to Doha News over the past few days, Hasda did not question working in the heat. He said the weather was simply “part of the job.”

Chantelle D'mello

Hasda and many of his colleagues spend their lunch break resting under the shade of the trees on the roundabout in front of the Hamad Hospital parking lot. These construction workers said they also consume copious amounts of glucose-infused water, provided on-site by their firm.

Meanwhile, other companies have even more stringent policies.

The wife of a construction supervisor at Midmac Co. told Doha News last week that the company had banned coffee and water breaks for all laborers working on the new worker’s hospital project.

A memo was posted on one of the walls at the site, outlining the current policy.

The wife, who wished to remain anonymous, said that her husband was photographed violating the rules and reported to the manager. She told Doha News:

“The manager explained to them that drinking water and hot beverages are time-consuming during construction, but workers, including my husband who work from 6am till 5pm, need water and coffee to be able to continue working in this heat.

We know our rights and the proper way to treat workers, and this isn’t right.”

When asked about the policy, Assem Abu Ayyash, the project director at Midmac Co. denied the claim, saying “this the most ridiculous and abnormal thing to hear.”

However, another official at the company said that only managers and supervisors, not workers, were allowed water and beverages during work hours.

The larger picture

Qatar has been in the international spotlight for months over the dismal working and living conditions of its blue-collar employees.

Last July, 32 Nepalese workers died, a record number for this mostly working class segment of Qatar’s population.

Speaking to Doha News at the time, Second Secretary Harihar Kant Poudel, attributed the deaths of the laborers, most of whom were in their 20s, to harsh working conditions. He said:

“Many workers are going without meals, and without enough water, (and are) working in high temperatures all day. The weather here is different from our country. Our nationals are not used to it.”

Several human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have urged Qatar to radically change its labor law policies. However, neighboring countries follow similar summer bans, that do not take May’s heat into account.

Medical matters

For now, the heat doesn’t seem to have sent any outdoor workers in search of medical care. At Hamad Hospital last week, a nurse who asked to remain anonymous told Doha News that they have not begun seeing many cases of heat stroke or heat exhaustion yet.

She added that there has been a marked decrease in the number of heat-related incidents over the last five years, and attributed the change to the implementation of reduced working hours during peak summer months.

However, 95 percent of patients who report to Hamad’s Accident Emergency department are male laborers brought in for work-related incidents.

Another source at the Accident Emergency ward commented on treatment procedures for heat exhaustion and stroke, saying:

“For heat exhaustion, whose effects include generalized weakness, electrolyte imbalance, and muscle twitches, we hospitalize workers for 2-3 hours, give them fluids and hydrate them before discharging them with a medical leave of absence note.”

“For heat strokes, the procedure is much more serious. Patients are admitted to the ICU, where they are cooled down by machines and intubated. Unfortunately, this has a high fatality rate.”

As temperatures across the country continue to soar, whether more companies take precautionary measures remains to be seen.

This morning...

I woke up this morning feeling quite uninspired.  As the clock ticks by, it becomes more and more difficult to pump myself up and seize the work day.  In all my years of teaching, I have never felt like this.  Unmotivated, uninspired, deflated.

That is how my day began and then it progressed further down hill.  I went to get Nate up and he started coughing violently.  Then he puked...not food, but mucus.  The poor little guy has been struggling since we returned to Qatar from Italy.  The air here has been terrible.  Dust storms, pollution from vehicles and refineries and whatever else is present.  Even I find that I need to clean my lungs out in the morning and I still feel like crap.

Nate was sitting at the table eating his breakfast and then he motioned that he was going to throw up again.  This time he had food in him and it went all over the place.  It was 6:30am and we normally leave for work at this time.

Time for Plan B.

I phone my head of secondary and give him the low down.  By the way, Ais has a cough too!!!  I take the kids to work, make some quick plans and then off to the doctor.

Here is my theory.  All of these things, artificial air from the air conditioners, dust in the air from construction and desertification, dust in the house, dust mites, refinery pollutants both large and small particle size, vehicle emissions etc.  All of these things are attacking the health of my kids.  I felt so bad for them today for putting them in this position.

The doctor confirmed all of this.  She said that many children in the country struggle with severe asthma and develop rashes all over their body.  As a result of the pollution and dust, their adenoids become inflamed and harden.  This results in permanent issues with snoring and ear infections because the nasal passageway is blocked.  I fear for Nate and I hope that he doesn't develop any serious conditions.

So there is no AC on and I bought two fans, one for each of their rooms.  We will see what happens.

At the end of the day, health and happiness outweighs any financial compensation.  I simple don't understand how anyone can convince themselves that it is a good place to live.  It is like they are selling their soul and their health.  The environmental conditions are exacerbated by the social conditions inclusive of maniac drivers and disparities in wealth.  I get dizzy just thinking about it.  My head is spinning.

40 days to go!

In today's paper...

I guess that he didn't know about Louis Pasteur.

Not surprising...at all!

Wonderful.

A fragile ecosystem under threat.

http://vimeo.com/91909356

I have visited the mangroves of Al Kohr with Lindsay, Ais and Nate and I have also gone there with my students as well.  Having visited pristine mangroves in Dubai, it is shocking to see the difference between healthy mangroves and those that are struggling.  The impact of human activity on these delicate areas is a terrible sight.  It is almost like the Lorax by Dr. Seuss in real life.  How can people in general be so disrespectful? 

Qatar’s mangroves

Qatar is home to the Avicennia Marina, also known as the grey mangrove or white mangrove tree, communities of which form forests around Qatar’s shores.

There are at least eight mangrove sites in Qatar, and all are protected by a 2006 Emiri decree.

The plants play a vital role in helping to reduce climate change because they absorb up to 50 times more carbon than a similar area of tropical forest. They also offer a safe breeding place for many varieties of fish.

These mangrove swamps are home to a wealth of life, including a new species of sea slug that was found in 2007 by a member of the Qatar Natural History Group.

Al Thakira and Al Khor has the largest and oldest mangroves in Qatar.

Source: Doha News