I do so love The Economist. It has a world wide view, unlike the insular USA press, I have also attempted to subscribe to the Toronto Star to keep up with Canada but they have not delivered despite two requests. Oh well.
This is what was brought to me today from The Economist – news of my ‘former resting place.’ Not home as my retirement visa was refused. All praise to Allah for that.
The Economist reported that “More than half of the weddings in Qatar and Saudi Arabia are between people who are related. In the United Arab Emirates the share is nearly as high. This keeps kinship webs right and property within the family. But consanguinity causes a range of inherited disorders. And even when Qataris or Emiratis marry outside their families, the pool of potential partners is small. Now Qatar is developing a way to retune the risks. The Qatar Genome Programme has sequenced the genomes of nearly one in ten Qataris. Better genomics may one day help doctors offer premarital genetic testing. Sequencing Arab genomes will enrich the world’s data too. Since the Human Genome Project first fully mapped human DNA in 2003, scientists have DNA in 2003, scientists have sequenced the blueprints of around 1m people worldwide. But far less than 1% of those are of Middle Easterners, though they make up around 5% of the world’s population. Adding a consanguineous population too has been described by one geneticist as an ‘actual human experiment.”
I am most impressed with Qatar for many reasons. The country promotes education and educate refugee children which is far superior than handing out free food in the manner of the Ruler of Dubai. They are known for their museums and culture. Dubai is known for its carnival like Las Vegas tourism and shopping malls. The arts are celebrated in Qatar, not just sports and horse racing. Now Qatar is recognizing a problem and attempting to find a solution. Whereas the UAE just denies that there is a problem and suppresses all information that alerts others to the situation, even those most plagued by it. The Royal Family of Dubai is plagued with an inherited disorder – bipolar illness, previously called manic depressive disorder. The Crown Prince of Dubai suffers from the disorder – treatment is available but he (or someone) has stood between him and a renowned therapist who could help him. It is no longer my problem as I am safe in Canada. To the Royal Family of Dubai I say: Denial is not just a river in Egypt.
The Father Emir in Qatar has (or had) many wives – seven I do believe. He sired at least forty one children but from different countries. He had a German wife, a Lebanese wife I do believe and apparently now one from the UK. How do I know this? I met many members of the Royal Family of Qatar in London and for some time, remained in contact with them. Two of the children considered coming to live with their Granny in the USA and going to school. That not practicable because of the rampant crime and lack of safety in the US. Canada is a far safer haven.
But to focus on the here and now. Yesterday, my birthday was a glorious day. As I said in an email written to a young man this very morning.
Me: So it was the best birthday of my entire life – with Allah all day, joined by you. Today I shall rejoin the world. Visit an apartment and then go and open a Canadian bank account. All of that was denied me in the UAE – thank goodness it was. But being there made me SO appreciate my country, Canada, and I am committed to contribute to the country of my birth making it an even better place bringing my new found Islamic values. There is a coffee store across the street. I shall go and treat myself to coffee and breakfast. Call LOG who will transport me to the appointment for the apartment and then to the bank. I will then walk home from there as it is not far. Buy some groceries. All will be well. Did you ever meet Elizabeth? She was front office staff at the Premier Inn. She was from Uganda and was such a fine woman! So many wonderful people at the Premier Inn. One staff member said when I left that they would turn my room into a museum. They did love me there and I did love them back. I told them that I wished I could take the Premier Inn and its staff with me to Canada. But it was too big a job for even Allah. All praise be to Allah. I become more religious every day it seems. That is a gift. With love.”
Photograph is of the amazing store across the street by the name of Artworks. I do love it and feel blessed by its presence. They have the best flowers and funny vulgar cards, thought found only in London. I brought some and will feature them on this blog. They so made me laugh. I have a vast collection but think they are in storage in Marin County.
The inside of one of the cards: Have a ball. It’s your Birthday.
The inside of the other card says: Hope your birthday is smoking.
I am sure that you will be able to figure out which one is which.
People ask me what I write about. As you can see from this blog, almost everything. Countries, research, mental illness, true stories of my contacts with Rich Royals, speak often of the Islamic faith, include touching contacts with those that love me (and I them) and then to round things out – photographs of vulgar birthday cards. So reading this blog is a ride but first of all you have to get on the roller coaster. Hahaha
