I choose to write about presence not presents this Christmas morning, Hahaha. Sent an iMessage to a man:
Me: I wrote something on Threads about a woman’s wedding dress being too revealing. I got 1000 likes. I cannot believe it. I get more famous by the minute. Yikes.
No response from him, as usual. Should he get around to responding you will be the first to know. Hahaha
This is what I had written. Her wedding dress is too revealing and sexy.Only her husband should be seeing that. She has defiled herself. I just viewed the reel again and heard the wedding music. It is my beloved A Thousand Years, my favorite song of all time. Perhaps I will have it played at my wedding, walking toward my husband to be, holding the hands of my two young nephews.
Very recently I have seen photographs of Nigerian wedding dresses. They are absolutely, undeniably beautiful. Never have I seen such colors, such style. Saw one that was a cloud of red, only way to describe it. Believe me it was covered. Not sure what is going on with my wedding – Hammad’s mother was sending me a dress. It looks like the wedding is going to be postponed – very difficult to explain but a very good idea. Miscommunication is the name of the game. We need to spend some time together, get to know one another better first. It was turning into a Saudi traditional arranged marriage – except I have no family to do the arranging for me. I am doing excellent dowry negotiation for myself, The longer he miscommunicates, the bigger the dowry is going to get. Property, jewels, watches, bitcoins. But no camels, and no goats even though goats are a valued Nigerian dowry commodity. Hammad and his goat, he is so funny about the goat. At first he said he would bring the goat with him to Malaysia.
Me: How can I know the difference between you and the goat.
He I will be the one who is bleating.
But then he ran into trouble with the goat and me, I guess.
He: The goat is holding me back. Doesn’t trust to travel in December, it believes he is gonna get slaughtered for Christmas celebrations. I so much love your laugh
Me: And I love your jokes that make me laugh.
Such a weird (and wonderful) couple are we. Commiserating with a Jordanian Instagram buddy.
She: Oh my Inshallah All the best will work out. Sending you love and hugs from Jordan.
Me: Got them thanks. Hammad and I made up again by laughing. We are the weirdest couple in the world.
She: But weird in a good way.
Me: In a great way. Haha We are going to make a difference in this weary world
She: Alhamdulillah
But to get away from the jolly this Christmas. The longer I stay away from Penang Lexis Suites and the more charming Penang Boutique Hotels I visit, the more I realize the more I see how the utter and horrible depravity of Lexis Suites Penang. Depravity is defined as moral corruption; wickedness, All of these synonyms apply to this situation: corruptness, vice, perversion, degeneracy, degradation, immorality, shamelessness, y, dissipation, dissoluteness, turpitude, lechery, lecherousness, prurience, obscenity, indecency, libertinism, sordidness; wickedness, sinfulness, vileness, baseness, iniquity, nefariousness. The antonym is moral.
The day I left the hotel, (itching and scratching with my scabies barely under control) some members of the staff gave me presents and cried at my departure. Discussed this with Hammad.
Me: It was crocodile tears.
He: Yes human crocodile tears. The worst tears in the world.
Some dear Lexis Staff kindly gave me a framed photograph of a photo taken perhaps in pre scabies days. It had been a difficult day and was soon to get more difficult. Nevertheless I thanked them graciously. But then the more I looked at felt the feelings it invoked it invoked, it was nor gratitude.
Me: It feels like I was in jail serving a life sentence. Upon my release they hand me a photo of my jail cell.
Alter Ego: That bad???
Me: Yes that bad. But I look at it in an optimistic and hopeful way.
Alter Ego: How are you able to do that?
Me: There are so many examples of people in jail cells using the solitude and peace to go on and do great things.
Alter Ego: Whom?
Me: At the moment thinking of Nelson Mandela and the Prophet Yusaf. Look what they went on to do?? One needs isolation and solitude to, not just survive, but to thrive.
The Penang staff are haunted. The staff in other hotels are joyous, happy, positive, sharing and productive. The power elite at Penang Lexis Suites gave people tasks, jobs that must be done but gave them no resources to compete the task – blaming staff for poor performance. One particular man stood out – if given a job or a task he would tell GM Ben Ho the resources he needed to do it. He was able to accomplish many tasks and became a good friend. The hotel was built eight or nine years ago, deferred maintenance is the name of the game. No new equipment, the elevators nonoperative, making it so stressful to leave one’s room. Hordes of chefs but no direction. Learned that to qualify as a chef one had to work for six months in a hotel or similar facility. King Ong as I called him, ran a chef’s school. He would funnel his students into the jobs but never take any interest in supervising them. He had so many irons in the fire, so to speak. Ran several businesses out of the hotel. He was promoted to second in command, but his heart was not there and once told me (confidentially) that he was leaving for a new hotel and would take me with him. As if I would go with a disrespectful man who never lived up to his commitments.
But off with the old, and on with the new. The boutique hotel of my dreams was Savv. It saved me, it truly did. Angel, who is one, saved me. She took my photo on the day I left smiling in the garden, by the pool and the breakfast area. I sent the photo to Hammad.
He: Good morning love. How I love this picture.
Me: I love it too. So happy!! I totally loved the staff at SAVV. Total contrast with Lexis. And the greenery and the setting. When they said goodbye to me there were real tears on both of our parts. They gave me a box with jam and honey. Took pictures of me kissing it. They sent their van to take me to the next hotel. My so-called friend Noor gave me a ride to the E and O – what a nightmare. Managed to get into a car accident on the way. We got to the E and O, she got out of the car and walked into the hotel with me.
Me: You need to pick up your husband at work as he insisted or he will be mad at you.
She stood in confusion, so I whispered to the staff that they needed to get her to leave, she was not a guest and her car could not remain.
It took days and days for me to recover from the trauma and the residual disease. Savv’s laundry service was in house and SO efficient. They were booked over Christmas so Angel kindly made the reservations for me at a perfect hotel. She got medication for the scabies. Exchanged some Singapore money in the hotel. That was never done at the Lexis, moreover staff could not even suggest where to find a money exchange place. Savv’s one elevator is a model of efficiency. Call it and it comes immediately. More than once I got stuck in the elevator at Lexis Suites and was criticized for being understandably upset. Savv’s had once cook with one assistant. Lexis Suites had forty. Most stood around looking bored. The one cook made the freshest foods, not immense variety but who needs too many choices?? One money the most delicious roti canale, not stuff soggy and unappetizing as it was made days ago perhaps. Save’s breakfast were quiet, no loud music, just a singing bird. My deluxe room had a huge wrap around deck, of my very own with an amazing view. . Breakfast quiet, with a loud and lone bird as they only music. I had a huge wrap around deck of my very own with a gorgeous view, as you shall see.
At Savv something unpleasant turned into something hilarious on my last night. There was a man screaming and yelling on the telephone beyond the potted plants shielding his deck from mine. I peeked over the bushes, politely asking him to lower his voice. He took great offense. Came over to my deck, dressed in only in jade green jockey shorts and started abusively yelling. I went into my room, then went downstairs to complain. Finding a young capable black woman employee in charge. At first I was angry but we worked out a solution. She first came to my room, supplying me with a beverage to soothe my nerves. Than the plan was to knock on the door of 203. She was to tell the man of the complaint, request he not bother me again. Then say the following words in her own language.
She: She was right. You do have a tiny penis under those hideously ugly green jockey shorts.
We laughed and laughed. He did not bother me again. Never saw him again. How humiliating to this sexist pig. She was beautiful, charming and in charge. What would have, and did happen at Lexis Suites?? I would be blamed for causing a disturbance, charged triply for beverage which was to be free and no compensation follow through or compassion. whatsoever. I have a letter to prove such inaction and persecution. It will be used to pursue my legal remedies. This blog can be used in evidence.
I am also not at all happy with the Canadian Embassy. They no longer staff the Penang office. I sent them the following email.
You have been extremely useless not like the Canadian Embassy in Iran so many years ago. You might not have a knowledge of history, perhaps a little knowledge could be a helpful thing. Please see my blog of yesterday showing how uniquely qualified I am to be a Canadian Ambassador. I would apply for the Penang job but even I could not abate the problems that exist with the runaway and uncontrolled expansion of unoccupied construction with no roads or infrastructure in place. A personal conversation necessary. No desire to come to KL. Thanks anyway This going on the blog probably. . By the way so were the US KL guys. Bahrain US Ambassador SO helpful a few months ago. Will try to get back there for assistance. Regards, Alexis McBride, J.D. (the US degree conferred upon lawyers)
I have not received a response, doubt that I will. WhenI go to Nigeria I will visit the Embassy, the Abuja, the location of the promised dowry property. No date set for the wedding which will probably be in Nigeria, the dowry is growing larger because of the inattention being paid by the future spouse. I am laughing.
Lots of photos of the Savv goodbye. I performed a magic upon one of the photos and put it on Instagram with cute catchy music. Hopefully it can be attached as well.
More adventures on Boxing Day, both good and bad. Think I will discuss the good ones. The trouble with talking about bad experiences is this: you relive the pain. Put it in the past, perhaps learn from them but usually there is little to learn. There are good people, and evil people. Stick with the good get rid of the evil. It is in the Quran.
Many photos of the Savv goodbye including a photo of their special van transporting me to my next destination. Noor was my transportation, with her tiny car. Lexis staff kindly had the driver take the bags to her home so that the bags be shipped to Nigeria at a later time. I was charged for the Lexus driver. Later Noor emailed to say I should come and pick up my bags. How could I do that?? I wrote her back saying that Hammad would arrange for shipping when he had time. I copied Hammad on the email. I am no longer worrying about it – neither is he at the moment, I am sure! Noor, the person who ‘brought’ me to Penang became evil, perhaps she was always evil. Only Allah (SWT) knows, and will deal with her with mercy and compassion. Inshallah. Hopefully.
