The Crown Prince of Dubai made this announcement: “Dubai is proving to be one the most optimistic cities in the world in the face of the current coronavirus pandemic and it’s Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Maktoum is just as optimistic that the UAE will defeat the spread of the COVID-19 virus ” He then announced that a Jewish wedding in Morocco caused the entry of the virus, but the truth of the matter is that a Chinese grandmother returning of Dubai airport at the end of January brought the virus with her when she returned from China. Making this false statement encourages prejudice and hatred against Jews. Such lying, such a distortion of the facts is despicable. What is despicable? Its synonyms are loathsome, hateful, detestable, reprehensible, abhorrent, abominable, awful, heinous, beyond the pale; odious, execrable, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, disgusting, horrible, horrid, horrifying, obnoxious, nauseating, offensive, distasteful, beneath/below contempt; vile, base, low, mean, abject, shameful, degrading, ignominious, cheap, shabby, miserable, wretched, sorry, scurvy; infamous, villainous, ignoble, disreputable, discreditable, unworthy, unscrupulous, unprincipled, unsavoury; informal dirty, filthy, dirty rotten, rotten, low-down, no-good, beastly, lousy; . ANTONYMS admirable; noble. All of those words, read them, if you are reading this Sultan (aka Crown Prince of Dubai, aka Fazza). Contrast this message to the one from the other multibillionaire in my life Joo Kim Tiah, found in April 17, 2020 blog. What a strange juxtaposition.which is defined as the ‘fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.” Then the Crown Prince of Dubai made this pronouncement: “Ending his tweets on a hopeful note, the prince wrote “Tomorrow is always better and happier. The best is yet to come.” I am not too sure of that, things were quite rosy and wonderful in Dubai during my visit in early January of 2020 – look at the mess there today, the economy collapsing, Expo 2020 delayed, tourism and your airlines, your major industry shut down. Contrast it with the message of hope and encouragement made by Joo Kim: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. You are in the palm of my hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Isiah is a book found within the Hebrew bible. Contrast that with the shameful lie about the Jewish wedding in Morocco.
So to say the least my life is a bit unusual; truth is stranger than fiction. CPI made the following observation: it is interesting that you met both CP and JKT in the lobby of a hotel and they both had soft brown eyes, well, and they both were multibillionaires, inherited wealth. Sometimes you need a high school friend to bring you back down to earth. So I met Joo Kim in the lobby of the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Vancouver in 2017 and the Sultan in the lobby of a London hotel 2019. I gave Joo Kim my blog card and flashed my blog site on my phone to the Sultan. I said something funny to both of them, to Joo Kim I said: “Thanks for building this hotel for me.” To the Sultan I said: “What is a Sultan doing with a Primark bag?”
And the long term effect that someone has on your life is also rather amazing. My habit of defining words on the blog comes from an email from Joo Kim:
He: Every time I read an email from you, I learn a new word.
Me: That is the sweetest thing you ever said to me.
But down to ordinary life. I emailed CPI a copy of Joo Kim’s letter.
She: Loved it – just the crap I need. Especially the “this is not an offering for sale” at the bottom. I’m sure your reply was masterful. Ah well, it will sooth some souls. More on the morrow.
Me: I love your pessimism! It made me giggle first thing in the morning! I thought it entirely fascinating that I got a copy. I am laughing at your statement “Just the crap I need.” I did not see the this is not an offering for sale at the bottom. Onward with the day. PUN sends hugs to Wimpy.
So all of this is rather unusual, we are both 76 and PUN and Wimpy are our stuffed animals. We are both actually very smart, educated and well read, believe that or not. She is addicted to gummy bears, I am not. We do have our differences but our chief similarity is that we never had children.
For some reason, I, at this moment recall the last conversation had with Joo Kim in Vancouver. He was leaving to go to China and Malaysia for a few months. We had lunch for the last time, it was his turn to buy, she said laughingly. We got to the door, standing on the steps this conversation took place:
Me: You know, this friendship, this relationship is all rather unbelievable. I was born in Saskatchewan, you were born in Malaysia. You are a multibillionaire, I am not. There must be some purpose in this but somehow I do not worry. It seems like God must have a purpose. I am not in control.
He: I am not in control either, I am not in control either. I am not in control either.
I turned and walked down West Georgia towards the Trump, he to his office in the other direction. I turned, shrugged my shoulder and said:
Me: Then I guess it is up to God.
Perhaps the purpose is to send Joo Kim’s message of hope to hundreds of people through this blog and contrast it to the message offered by another man of a different faith and from the Middle East,
I guess it is back to work on the Dave Dryburgh book. The photograph is of Dryburgh Abbey. Sir Walter Scott is buried within its walls. “Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive” is a quotation by Sir Walter Scott, It means that when you tell lies or act in a dishonest way you create problems and complications which you cannot control. Perhaps a certain man should take heed of this.
