I have been very brave throughout this all but I have been surviving in utter chaos ever since I left Canada on September 20, 2023. I am not discounting my many blessings but there definitely have been hardships, betrayals, abandonments, usury, exploitation, money worries, lack of long distance telephone service, service disconnects, lost mail, Canadian bank worries, transportation problems, lack of trustworthiness by previously trusted folk. – You name it, I have had it. Looking back at it now it seemed a gargantuan test, a mountain of hardships.
Gargantuan is great word., it means enormous. The origin of the word is fascinating: late 16th century: from Gargantua, the name of a voracious giant in Rabelais’ book of the same name (1534). A voracious giant, now that is BEEEG. It has stunning synonyms: massive, huge, colossal, vast, immense, cosmic, tremendous, gigantic, giant, monstrous, towering, mammoth, prodigious, elephantine, mountainous, mighty, monumental, epic, king-sized, titanic, Herculean, Brobdingnagian, hefty, whopping, humongous, hulking, whacking, ginormous.
It is almost impossible to pick favorites, but here goes. Ginormous, elephantine, colossal and humongous are all whacking words.
Goodness knows I have experienced adversity in my life, throughout my ages. When I am going through adversity I hunker down. Oops, now has become the time to define a word and then a phrase. Examine, if you will, the synonyms of adversity and you get an idea of what I have been going through: disaster, misadventure, suffering, heartbreak, heartache, wretchedness, tribulation, woe, torment, torture; reversal of fortune, setback, catastrophe, calamity, vicissitude, hard times, dire straits, hell on earth, hassle, travails. It is most difficult to pick out a favorite from that lot but hell on earth does have a certain familiarity.
Hunker down, a phrase meaning to make yourself comfortable in a place or situation, or to prepare to stay in a place or position for a long time, usually in order to achieve something or for protection. I have definitely been hunkering. Admittedly occasionally ritzy hunkering, but hunkering! In American slang it means you try to avoid doing things that will make people notice you or put you in danger.. I am actually good at that, people notice me but are not threatened by me when I am in my friendly hunkered down mode. Faithful readers will know that my origins are Scottish, therefore it is interesting to note that the phrase started appearing in Scotland in the 18th century. It means squatting down on the balls of your feet. The term was in a 1720 poem, “And hunk’ring down upon the cald Grass.”
There are two more phrases to describe my survival mode during these past four months. Double down is another phrase that describes what I did during those months. One takes a further risk in a situation or passionately re-commit one’s efforts to a cause or course of action. I tried harder, remained supportive toward Oberio staff and tried to mollify the rude pilgrims and some erratic members of upper management. As well as that I buckled down, got serious about my writing, about my observations of the desecration of the Medina Prophet’s Mosque. I was most diligent on the task at hand, attempting to find a measure of peace. Slowly began to understand and comprehend that we all worship in different ways. I have a YouTube reel with over seven hundred views picturing a level of acceptance.
Left the Oberio Hotel because it was one of their (occasional0 busy times, December 23-December 31, 2023. A Bahrain Sheikha issued a false promise, I guess you could call it a lie. She said her sister would get in touch with me, then Royalty would meet the plane and show me Bahrain. It did not happen. Fortuity and perseverance ‘bought’ me three weeks at the Bahrain Ritz Hilton – touted as the best hotel in Bahrain. It most probably is and was and always will be.
But as I described today an acquaintance on Instagram:
Me: Bahrain was too rich for me, in many ways.
Planning to return to Medina, to a quieter place near King Fahad Park when the treachery of a man was finally and completely revealed. Instead found myself in Khobar – where everything fell into place – so beautifully, so thoroughly. Almost like the final piece of an extremely complicated jigsaw puzzle.
I have been here just over a week. Everything, is working. This hotel is affordable unlike the Ritz and the even more expensive Oberio. Two photographs, taken from my hotel window, last evening and night, will reveal, what seem signs showing Allah’s approval. Pink clouds and a full moon. I am surrounded, utterly and completely surrounded, by kind, gentle, faithful folk.
The Drurham Shopping Center in all its glory is within walking distance, only if one is fearless. The ring road traffic is constant, chaotic and crazy. But upon arrival there is everything and everybody there. I seem to have solved almost all of my earthly problems. There is an Apple Store and the Amazing Woman Technician not only fixed my frozen phone but yesterday taught me how to post (my very own self) on my YouTube account. This will allow the coordination of many reels, collected over the past year with blog descriptions of the adventures encountered. It makes me feel that I am slightly in control of my life and my past. I can look with fondness at the good times. I was able to meet with a very helpful woman from my Saudi phone plan – now have long distance access. With long distance access I can solve banking problems and perhaps contact US Social Security in order to get monthly payments, including arrears. I can contact by Canadian Financial Advisor to arrange some necessary transfers. The Medina people were utterly and entirely useless. I am able to purchase incidentals at the Japanese store. For example, able to buy masking tape which enabled meet put up the wall calendar that you shall see. There are many delicious restaurants in the mall including a Marks and Spencer with a food court. All within walking distance. It is possible to hail a cab from there to get ‘home’ – for about six dollars American.
I am making so many new friends – people that work with this hotel. One absolutely funny man offered to pay for an upgrade for me – I politely declined. We are both Muslims, and laugh about our availability. Two of my husbands died – so I am technically a widow. Widows are preferred brides for Muslim men. He is a widower, for a secret reason he is pretending he is 55. He is bald, so lacking the wonderful Muslim men’s hair I find so attractive. Yesterday at the mall began talking to two men. One of them, called Muhammed (of course) said he had been the Saudi Ambassador to the USA – showed me many pictures of his youthful handsome self. I had a picture or two to show him as well. Everyone is SO friendly and welcoming.
Me: I love Saudi Arabia.
They: Saudi Arabia loves you!!!
It is difficult to let down my guard again, risk being hurt, being betrayed. But why should good kind people (and me) suffer because there are hypocrites and Shaytans in Saudi Arabia. They re hypocrites and Shaytans everywhere. I thought I was safe in Saudi Arabia – but alas and alack, this was not so.
But the despicable folk, the hypocrites and the Shaytans do not cast an influence on my life. I am not a proponent of revenge. Living well is the best revenge is my motto. “If someone does us wrong—perhaps dumping us or betraying us—the BEST way to ”get back at them” is by unintentionally showing them that we are doing perfectly well without them.” “Living well is the best revenge” is a quote from George Herbert, a 16th century poet. “The best revenge is living well.” Act as if whatever happened that provoked your revenge affected you in no way. Put up barriers and get on with things as you always do. Even if you’re stuck in a jam because of what someone has done to you, hold your head up high and don’t let them see how it has hurt you.
The best revenge is massive success. Frank Sinatra.
The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury . Marcus Aurelius
My favorite has to be: Survival was my only hope; success my my only revenge. Patricia Cornell.
It is both comforting and motivating to know that those hypocrites and Shaytans will not be in Jannah (in all probability). Comforting because I will never see them again and motivating because it keeps me on my best behavior so I will be able to face Allah (SWT) on Judgment Day.
This is a short blog for the reason that I am rewriting the About Me section of the blog – bringing everyone up to date on my current existence. It will remain a permanent banner, so all new viewers can see the rather perilous journey I have travelled to get here.
Another photograph is so positive so miraculous you will not believe it. Seeing is believing. My first visit to Ithra was nothing short of spectacular. I was given a gift. The gift was a Year of Inspiration – unrolling it revealed a calendar. It is divinely inspirational. Each month has a message. January is Let Inspiration Lead. You will note that several days are crossed off. Being retired has both its advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage is that you can lose track.
Me: I never can figure out what day it is workday, weekend, what?
Alter Ego: What do you plan to do about that?
Me: I now have a solution. I track the days on my calendar – carefully crossing out each day as it passes.
Alter Ego: Aren’t you lucky you were given the gift?
Me: That is not luck. Alhandullan. It has to be Allah (SWT) .In Khobar one can cover or not cover. One photo is the covered me of yesterday.
