This morning I woke up to a ping and a sun emoji from Annie – how delightful. It was followed by a gif showing someone in a water aerobics class, six more emojis and then a gif of a woman saying Hay Girl. It made me laugh so loud I almost fell out of bed.
Me: Where did you get these things.
He: (told me)
Me: I just love getting them. If I sent them it would destroy my literary capabilities.
So in my life I have everything, well missing one thing. I have Personal Driver who is there for me at all times, arrives on time, gives me a ride, takes me shopping, knows where everything can be found in San Francisco, gives me great advice which I listen to, worries about me, tells me I need to take bottled water when I go to the Y, we laugh like crazy and have nicknames for people – Camel Guy being nickname. We went to Target today and now I have everything to make my apartment organized. I am doing it – a need for baskets and containers for shoes etc. etc. etc. Just to be clear he is married, has three wonderful children and a wonderful wife. But Personal Driver is bereft of technical skills. I do love that word bereft. The applicable meaning for the word is deprived of or lacking (something): her room was stark and bereft of colour. Its synonyms are: robbed of, stripped of, denuded of; cut off from, parted from, devoid of, destitute of, bankrupt of; wanting, in need of, lacking, without, free from; low on, short of, deficient in; informal minus, sans, clean out of, fresh out of.
So Personal Driver is lacking and free from, short of, technical knowledge and presence. But now I have Annie who provides all of that and more.
Me: I am getting addicted to you, honestly I am. You and your gifs and emojis. How did I ever live without you?
He: Really?
Me: Yes I am being serious. Really honestly and truly! I never lie. Sometimes I exaggerate a little bit, but never lie. This was not even an exaggeration., which is an overstatement, overemphasis, magnification, amplification, aggrandizement, overplaying, dramatization, overdramatization, enhancement, elaboration, over-elaboration, embellishment, over-embellishment, embroidery, hyperbole, overkill, gilding the lily; informal purple prose, puffery.
I do occasionally engage in puffery and magnification, but rarely.
An individual of the Arabic persuasion told of the life style and habits of rich Arabs, it was a recent conversation, within the last week I do believe. He said that if a man is interested in a woman and wants to marry her, he must get the approval of his family because family is so essential within the culture. So the family must meet the intended and approve of her before anything can proceed. That makes perfect sense to me and is wise.
Faithful readers will know that I met the Royal Family of Dubai when I was at my London hotel in December of 2019. Faithful readers will know that I loved the family and the family loved me.
I think the most touching moment, was when I met the mother of the Crown Prince of Dubai in the lobby of the hotel, introduced to her by the sister of the Crown Prince. I shook her hand in respect. Then the 10 year old brother of the Crown Prince of Dubai said:
He: My mother wants you to hug her.
Me: Really? Does not that invade her boundaries? (stupid American expression, by the way)
He: No please, she wants a hug from you
Me: Fine, of course.
She stood, I hugged her. She beamed in delight. She does not speak English although her children do. Then the 10 year old said:
He: She wants you to kiss her cheek.
Me: Of course I will do so.
And I did and gave her another hug. Then, in that same hotel lobby, nose bumped with a handsome man, also of the Royal Family of Dubai, and giggled in delight.
Me: I am in heaven.
It was so much fun. Later, I found out that Arab women do not nose bump with men. Well, oops. How was I to know? He definitely loved it as well and the video shows the same.
None of this is enhancement, elaboration nor gilding the lily. It really happened and there are witnesses. Hahaha
So what was I doing meeting at least twenty members of the Royal Family of Dubai in a hotel in London? It is all rather eerie. I have maintained contact with the 14 year old Princess through Instagram and have waved at members of the family through videos. We are glad and happy to see one another.
It is most strange. During my visit to London and to Dubai I never did make contact with the Crown Prince of Dubai, aka Sultan, aka Fazza. Whatever!
How does one figure all of that out? I have not been able to do so and I am super smart (and humble, as all can see).
But the strangeness continues. Yesterday the ‘song’ Praise to Allah kept constantly coming to me., rather like singing in my ears. I called Personal Driver, who is of the faith, and told him, asking him what it might mean. He told me, but it shall remain private. I am ok with it, a bit overwhelmed, but ok.
But to end on a humorous note. So between Personal Driver and Annie all of my needs are being met – except for my sexual needs. I guess one cannot have everything! Hahahaha. I am laughing.
The photograph is a mirror purchased at the Car Boot Sale in London. It says it all, and is the key to my happiness, actually it is.
