Oh my goodness, gracious me! Goodness gracious me is an interjection expressing surprise. This is all good!! There was an amazing reel posted speaking of the program of education, the luxury attending university in Saudi Arabia. The reel spoke of Students Housing for sisters at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. . You must watch Students receive benefits, assistance and support, unheard of in the USA where the burdens of student debt are excessively burdensome and despite promises, never solved or addressed in any meaningful or compassionate manner.
I responded to this upbeat reel in the following fashion.
Me: Makes me want to go back to school!! But I am 80 and and already have four university degrees. Alhamdullah. I now live in Saudi Arabia. A recent revert.
Me: Please fasten your seat belts, Shoulder, not just just lap.
Alter Ego: Why?
Me: I have received 507 Likes to that Response. You must watch the reel, it is such a blessing for women, for students. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2o3_L2gzno/?igsh=MW01ZmFpY2FocjYzeg==
I also received SO many positive responses, honoring the faith: Assailaliamjalaikium , Mash Allah, May Allah Bless you.
Someone suggested:
She: You can teach.
Me: Good idea! I am excellent in English and writing in English.
I have started to get Likes for that statement and a response from the author” . Go for it..start voluntary then get a position with online teaching.
That is a huge boost and encouragement for my two core and central beliefs, also central to the Islamic Faith. Positivity and Education for Women.
Then there was another reel showing the school and a sign that said I Love KSA.
To that I responded. I must visit. I graduated from the University of Alberta, Canada in 1964 with a B.A. At that time only ten percent of the student population were women!! Look at this!! Alhamdulillah! I went to law school much later and then two more master’s degrees. Education is SO important for women. It is so gratifying to see this in my newly adopted country. I am a recent revert, a refugee here in Saudi Arabia because of Islamaphobia in the USA and Canada.
To this I have had some replies.
One: Welcome to Islam? Can you say you face Islamaphobia and they grant you refugee status.
Me: I am not an official refugee. I have retirement income and able at this time to have a tourist visa. I do have the ability to apply for a Saudi Green card at a later time.
Then this: How much is a green card.
Me: Go on line and see for yourself. One price yearly and another price for longer.
Lots of other responses from others asking the author questions, wanting easy answers rather than going online and checking things out for themselves. I am so proud of the author for getting the information out there!! Here is the link to that Instagram post. https://www.instagram.com/p/C2t4aVPgh6C/?igsh=MWxuNW9hc3g4MTRxYQ==
Then, totally and accidentally, I found emails that had been sent to me four emails sent years ago via the blog.
They filled my heart with job and tried to respond to some of them at this late date.
Hi…..
U did write a blog about our conversation.
Hahahahahha….
And again thank you for making my day. I was laughing almost the entire shift that day.
Then this one from another time, another place.
Hi, it was nice meeting you at breakfast this morning in Corte Madera. My husband and I enjoyed the conversation and felt bad having to leave. Our kids were waiting patiently as we were to go sailing in the SF bay.
Started reading your blog and enjoying it.
When you have a minute take a look at the book I was telling you about. It’s called Coping by Howard Acosta and can be found on Amazon.
All of this was fabulous because I am beginning to be mired in negativity, from sources that will remain unnamed – not that these negative individuals are reading my blog, anyway.
Mire means • (mire someone/something in) involve someone or something in (a difficult situation) Love some of the synonyms: sink, sink down, stick in the mud, get bogged down.
I do realize that I have been being a bit serious. Serious is good but a constant diet is a bit tiresome, and curiously bland.
Bland: • (of a person or behavior) showing no strong emotion; dull and unremarkable
Some synonyms will catch my meaning: monotonous, tedious, wearisome; uninspired, vapid, unanimated, zest less, bloodless, commonplace, mediocre, nondescript, prosaic.
All of those words are applicable to those who post material, particularly on Instagram, and its sibling TikTok, on the atrocities in Gaza. They are convinced they are doing the right thing but it has gotten to the point that the awful negativity has become wearisome, nondescript, prosaic and practically commonplace etc etc etc. We absolutely must support the Palestinians but must find innovative ways of doing so, not burdening those around us.
Alter Ego: Yes, Alexis. You are becoming tiresome. Perhaps those around you can see your sense of humor but your readers cannot.
Me: Okay Okay Okay. One cannot change this cruel world, only Allah (SWT) can, so in the meantime best I spread some cheer, some joy. Worrying and fussing about Palestine does nothing at all for Palestine. Makes people feel good I guess because they are feeling miserable over Palestine and spreading the word of the atrocities but that has not helped AT ALL since it all began. I will take a different direction for a blog or two or three.
These days I travel up and down (not sideways) on elevators – in my hotel and at Ithra. It was most amusing therefore to find an article in The New Yorker from October 21, 2021 by Colin Stocks called Ice Breakers for Elevator Rides. I am often entertaining when going up and down but not I have some help. Here are some examples.
“Some great conversation we’re having, right?”“Care to make things interesting?”“Does anyone have a revolver that’s loaded with a single bullet?” “If the elevator got stuck and we were all trapped, who would be voted the leader?”“If needed, who could fit through that hatch in the ceiling?”“If I run out of supplies, who has hidden food, and where is it exactly?”“How do we feel about cannibalism?” “Anyone in here ever made love in an elevator?“Anyone in here ever thought that it’s kind of strange to write a song about having sex in an elevator when the obvious implication is that that experience would last, like, forty seconds, max?”
If you would like to read the entire article, here is the link: https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/icebreakers-for-elevator-rides
I cannot wait to try some of these ice breakers. Yesterday while at Ithra I traveled all the way to the Fourteenth floor to a Greek restaurant for the most fabulous food ever. More about that experience later. When I go back, and if there is someone on the elevator with me then I can try some of these witticisms. Perhaps suggest that Ithra hire me to go up and down and entertain the Ithra guests. The place is SO innovative, they just might say yes.
I am adjusting well to life in Khobar as will be shown in the photographs attached to the blog. Two are of an amazing, absolutely amazing, sunset taken from my hotel window. They were taken within minutes of one another. Pick a favorite if you wish. Then a photo of me and a waiter at the hotel who comes from Nepal. I sent the photo to my former Edmonton hotel manager who is also from Nepal with the following message:
Me: Hi. I told this kind man about you and your family and my care giver when in San Francisco recovering from surgery. Nepal people are kind and good -well most of them. Hahaha Alexis.
I also sent the photo to my Malaysian friend with the following exchange.
Me: Good morning. I think I am going to Ithra again. Decided to cover but with a different head scarf. What shall you do?
She: Good morning. Better cover. Different is better. Send me a pic Okay?
Me: Okay I will. When dressed from the breakfast table.
She: Yezzza
Me: Here is the picture of me and another waiter who is from Nepal. Mahmoud took the picture.
She: Beautiful n nice. We always beautiful.
Me: We are!!! Hahaha
The fourth photo is the serious book that I am reading. It is fascinating – beginning with a chapter on the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) and continuing from there. Getting one’s information from books is the most reliable source, these days. This said in an email to a Saudi man.
I copied this from an article in Al Jazeera earlier in the day yesterday as it does parallel your thinking on the continuing effect of colonizers on people’s thinking. It is not the entire article which can be found on the Al Jazeera website. It was dated February 2 – the writer’s name is Vidya Krishnan. Then later, in the middle of the night, received a TikTok from you. It is my opinion that TikTok is no different than colonizer journalism – perhaps even more tainted as the source and the reason why certain reels are put into the world are not in any way discernible I do not think it is a very good way to get information. Books are the best in my opinion. As you know who is speaking, what their agenda is and there is often the ability for hindsight. The USA New Yorker does fact check, and so is reliable with regard to facts. However, the topics they choose to write about are limited as they are clearly owned and controlled by Jews. So news of the Middle East is extremely rare as to be almost non existent. The writers thoughts, not mine from this point on, are in quotes.
I then included excerpts from the writing, sending a WhatsApp ‘warning’ this morning.
Me: I sent you an email It is an excerpt from an article on the continuing effects of colonialism journalism. It is excellently reasoned. And written by a woman. Hahaha
He: Good morning and thanks for your insightful guidance. Your are a blessing. Read it thanks for sharing your thoughts on the matter.
Me: Thanks for reading it. You are a blessing as well!! I did not get back to you until now as I lost my phone. But found it again. Nobody is perfect. Hahaha
