I awoke to read emails and discovered that there are wild fires throughout California – mass evacuations in Napa County. The fires were triggered by lightning strikes – it rained over the weekend – thunder and lightning and everything. I did stay dry – well a few raindrops kept falling on my head, but very few. Then to make matters even worse there are blackouts and a million or so people will not have electricity. What good new to wake up to. Hahahaha Trump, somewhere I read, is threatening to cut off federal funding. Does that man not realize that it is election year and California is very well populated? He seems to have his own sense of reality – or is it unreality?
For some reason the word apocalypse comes to mind and, as usual, it is the correct word and used correctly: “often the Apocalypse) the complete final destruction of the world, as described in the biblical book of Revelation. In the alternative it is an event involving destruction or damage on an awesome or catastrophic scale:. Used in a sentence :an era of ecological apocalypse. Wikipedia tells us: In religious and occult concepts an apocalypse usually discloses something hidden, or provides what Bart Ehrman has termed “a vision of heavenly secrets that can make sense of earthly realities”.[1] Historically, the term has a heavy religious connotation as commonly seen in the prophetic revelations of eschatology obtained through dreams or spiritual visions. It is thought by certain sects of Christianity that the biblical Book of Revelation depicts as an “apocalypse” the complete and final destruction of the world. However, there is also another interpretation of the Book of Revelation in which the events predicted are said to refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 by the Roman armies of Titus.”
All I can say is this. mosques had best open so that I can join the Muslim faith before it all happens – but here in California it is not bloody likely. Therefore, I am actively seeking other means. I am not converting because of the Apocalypse, as I have expressed my intent some time before all of this happened. It has nothing to do with this mess but rather that I think I was born to be a Muslim – they believe as I believe and give so much hope, particularly to women. Recent history has distorted their contribution to the world and to most societies. I do have to admit that Qatar is looking very appealing for reasons which will be shown in subsequent blogs. They have the virus under control and soon their mosques will open. There are no wild fires there – as it is mostly sand. They have a very strong infrastructure – which California does not. Real estate would not be expensive – well to me anyway as there are offers of accommodation in very swank places. What is Swank? It is: stylishly luxurious and expensive.
I called Personal Driver in a great panic, the fires and the black outs and the air quality. There was a haze and my eyes began to water. He was most helpful, telling me to close all windows.
Me: What will I do if there is a black out and it will not be possible for me to charge my computers.
He: Make sure that all of your devices are fully charged at all times.
Me: Thank you! What would I do without you.
Later, a wind came up and blow some of the haze and smoke away. It is now Thursday morning, the sun is shining and the skies clear.
I am about to describe a day, Tuesday calling it a Day in the Life of a Princess. It was the Anniversary of the Attempt and was dreaded but as you see it turned out quite fine. The plan was to go on the roof garden. loo down on the City and be thankful for the rescue, The goons, dressed as police officers were going to throw me off the roof. Defenestration is the name of that game. Defenestration (from Old French fenestre, inherited from Latin fenestra) is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window.The term was coined around the time of an incident in Prague Castle in the year 1618 which became the spark that started the Thirty Years’ War. This was done in “good Bohemian style”; this referred to the defenestration which had occurred in Prague’s City Hall almost 200 years earlier (July 1419), which also on that occasion led to war: the Hussite war.[2] The word comes from the New Latin[3] de- (down from) and fenestra (window or opening). Likewise, it can also refer to the condition of being thrown out of a window, as in “The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch”.
Personal Driver arrived with breakfast – a fantastic egg dish prepared by his wife. There was a change of heart – feeling that the experience just might serve to retraumatize me. So instead Personal Driver cleaned my apartment, dusted, floor cleaned, all the dishes done and the sheets on the bed were changed. He brought some necessary groceries so lunch was easy to prepare. Now that is being treated like a princess – I do not do anything on my own, a helpless creature. He left and I had a bubble bath with my rubber duckie. Later, a call and a text from a wonderful young Qatar woman, She sent pictures of herself and some of her handsome relatives. WOW. She laughingly offered me a line up of them if I came to Qatar. We spoke of the extreme heat in Qatar, but her abode has air-conditioning.
She: You could stay in my room #3 – I keep it very cold.
Me: Sounds like a good plan
We spoke of many things, in the words of Lewis Carroll : “The time has come,” the walrus said, “to talk of many things: Of shoes and ships – and sealing wax – of cabbages and kings”
Some things we spoke about were disturbing.
Me: Have you been to Mecca
She: Yes.Mecca is a beautiful place but crowded.
Me: I am going to go but cannot until this pandemic is over
She: But sadly Saudi Arabia blocked the people of Qatar from going there.
Me; That is horrible and inhuman. It prevents you from practicing your faith. What right do they have to do that!
She: The Saudis and the Emirates are our enemies.
Me: From what I have read recently the Emirates are jealous of the success and sovereignty of Qatar. I have written about it in prior blogs but I shall summarize how I got the two countries confused. I thought the wonderful children and relatives I met in London were from the Royal Family of Dubai – months later learning that they were actually from Qatar. Then even later discovering the wrongs inflicted on Qatar by the UAE which, includes, of course Dubai. It is most strange that a woman born in Saskatchewan should be somewhat involved in the quagmire of Middle East politics which are a muddle, , mix-up, mess, predicament, mare’s nest, can of worms, quandary, tangle, imbroglio; trouble, confusion, difficulty; informal sticky situation, pickle, stew, dilemma, bind.
The Emir of Qatar is an amazing man who struggles to bring peace to the region is constantly undermined by the UAE and Saudi Arabia. So, for fascinating reasons, I started out on the wrong side by mistake. But I have definitely seen the errors of my ways.
