Some time ago I blogged about truth being stranger than fiction. After completing that sentence I went to the search engine of my blog and typed truth is stranger than fiction and up popped several blogs, the first being November 5, 2019. At this point things got even stranger because and therefore – this was the title: Extra Extra Read All About It; A Sultan Here at This Hotel; What a Difference A Blog Makes; Truth is Stranger Than Fiction; Exoteric and Repercussion Defined.
So November 5, 2019
So much is happening here in London that if I do not blog every day I get behind. That is happening at this moment.
There is that saying: Truth is stranger than fiction, a Mark Twain quote, is most apt for my life.
“1) Why shouldn’t truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense.
2) It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction must be credible.
3) Truth is stranger than fiction. It has to be! Fiction has to be possible and truth doesn’t!
4) The difference between reality and fiction? Fiction has to make sense.”
Yesterday I was sitting in the lobby of my hotel after a complete failure at the Dulwich Picture Gallery (more about that later). Suddenly, I looked up and there was an utterly handsome man – utterly – in a dress with a scarf around his head. But it was not a usual dress and it was not a usual scarf. He was a Sultan and he was wearing the garb of his nation. I could not help myself and went over and commented about his handsomeness. He was accompanied by an aide or two. He definitely looked the part and he had a name tag around his neck which did have the word Sultan upon it. I do get away with a lot because I am 76 – I throw caution to the winds and say what comes to mind. He seemed quite pleased – and his aide (who must have been blind) called me beautiful. I showed them my blog on my phone (I cannot find my blog cards at the moment)
I was utterly blown away but this awe deepened when I Googled Sultan. My goodness gracious me, they are Royalty. Wikipedia told me: “Sultan, pronounced [sʊlˈtˤɑːn, solˈtˤɑːn]) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning “strength”, “authority”, “rulership”, derived from the verbal noun سلطة sulṭah, meaning “authority” or “power”. Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who claimed almost full sovereignty in practical terms (i.e., the lack of dependence on any higher ruler), albeit without claiming the overall caliphate, or to refer to a powerful governor of a province within the caliphate. The term is distinct from king (ملك malik), despite both referring to a sovereign ruler. The use of “sultan” is restricted to Muslim countries, where the title carries religious significance, contrasting the more secular king, which is used in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries.
In recent years, “sultan” has been gradually replaced by “king” by contemporary hereditary rulers who wish to emphasize their secular authority under the rule of law. A notable example is Morocco, whose monarch changed his title from sultan to king in 1957.”
I was most impressed, to say the least. Then I also read that a Sultan could have more than one wife. Hmmmmm. I do not like the heat so living in his country might be uncomfortable, but what if I were the London wife??? I clearly have a vivid imagination BUT I did meet him, converse with he and his aide and showed them the blog on my phone. It is impossible to reach me through the blog but just in case I did email Chris, my blog master, to tell him that if a Sultan called, to put him through. Hahahaha.”
Then two days later a man walked up to me in the lobby and said:
He: Its me the Sultan.
Me: I know, I would know those eyes anywhere.
We had a most delightful chat, I do remember each and every word. We walked to the elevators together and he did fist bang me when he got out on the second floor. If you use the search engine, several other blogs will emerge. The relationship did not go well, to say the very least. I ended up being too fond of him., to say the very least. Oh well! It did actually take me months to realize that he had already read the blog, that is why he referred to himself as the Sultan. He once paid me the greatest of all compliments, thanking God for the first real person he had ever met. Now that was sweet, almost makes me cry thinking of it.
Faithful readers will know that I am leaving for Dubai any day now. It has nothing to do with the Sultan, who I later found out was the Crown Prince of Dubai. Trust me, I am NOT going to see him, I am going to Expo 2020. If I do see him we will laugh together I am sure. We sort of made up on Instagram. He liked an Instagram of me and my Lexus. I challenged him to a driving contest. I know I would win in my Lexus, and told him so. It might be a little awkward as the Lexus IS staying here at the moment.
But here what I was going to talk about. I am rather anxious, for a lot of reasons, let us just say that about this. Now where did that expression come from? The comedian David Frye’s Nixon often keyed off the President’s own catchphrases (“Let me make one thing perfectly clear”, “Let me say this about that”, etc.) I spent most of the day packing for my trip to Dubai, thought that being packed would lessen the anxiety – nope it did not.
Finally decided that a trip to the jacuzzi, a few feet away might help. A neighbor, Joe, was soaking away and we began chatting about all sorts of things. He had actually been in Dubai when he was in the military 1995-1997. We talked about living here and we agreed that there is absolutely no sense of community here. He is going through a divorce and is having an understandably difficult time. We were saying good bye,
He: The one thing that I do that brings me happiness is ride my horse.
Me: Oh, yes. I have never been on a horse but understand they are valued highly in Arab countries.
He: Yes. My horse is an Arabic horse, I bought it from a Ruler who was a renowned equestrian.
Me: Really??
Well it end up that he bought his horse from the Ruler of Dubai. The horse was a champion by the name of FarRee (spelling is not correct). So tomorrow Joe is going to bring me photographs of the horse and the Ruler of Dubai. Now that is so unusual, so unbelievable that all of this should happen. So I will take the photographs with me when I go – you never know, I just might run into the Ruler of Dubai. Stranger things have happened.
All of this served to reduce my anxiety level. I am back in my four poster bed typing my second blog of the day. I think I will go to water aerobics tomorrow morning. Then to Holly for a mani and a pedi. She is thinking of coming to live in Dubai, I will look for a job for her when I am there. It would be nice to have a friend, an imported one at that. She came to the USA from Vietnam but she is getting fed up with the USA as well. Owns her own business and does very well but does not see a future here. Nor do I see a future here so I am going to live in Dubai. I have a wonderful team – a man and a woman who organize trips and excursions for me. They can help me with the appointment at the government agency that supplies visas. I am taking all the required paper work. I am ready!!!
But meeting Joe here at this apartment complex who owns a horse once belonging to the Ruler of Dubai – that is down right supernatural.
Photograph is of me leaving my hotel room in 2020 to come back to San Francisco. It was the last trip I took, what with the pandemic and all. The luggage tags are still attached. The other photograph is my last night in Dubai, at the Vault. The lucky guy, dressed in white, had three women at his side. He was plying us all with liquor. Hahaha
