I have built the data base with default char set as utf8
and it has solved the many of my problems with inserting
foreign char but for some reason when I want to retrieve
the data it is all broken
and the code is as follows...

For nCol := 0 to StringGrid1.ColumnCount - 1 do
for nrow := 0 to StringGrid1.RowCount-1 do
StringGrid1.Cells[ncol,nrow] := nothing;



//tmpStr1 := DateToStr(vgclndrCalendar1.Date);
tempStr := 'select * from day_rslt where m_DATE = '
+ Chr(39) +'TODAY' + Chr(39);

zqry1.Close;
ZQry1.SQL.Text := tempStr;
ZQry1.Open;
nothing := zqry1.FieldByName('slt').AsWideString;

ShowMessage(nothing);
RECCNT := 0;
StringGrid1.BeginUpdate;
while not zqry1.Eof do
begin


StringGrid1.Cells[0,RecCnt]:=
ZQry1.FieldByName('M_date').AsString;
//put the value of ID on to the grid of 1 X recCnt
StringGrid1.Cells[1,RecCnt]:=
ZQry1.FieldByName('m_NAME1').AsansiString;
//put the value of name on to the grid of 2 X recCnt
ZQry1.Next;

Inc(RecCnt);
end;


StringGrid1.EndUpdate;

I will be grateful for any help...