I constantly am shaking my head in sheer wonderment.
Me: Those Saudi’s know how to do things!!
Alter Ego: What do you mean?
Me: Absolutely everything they do. If is totally mind boggling! Entirely!!!
Alter Ego: Give me an example.
Me: They have built this elaborate monorail system that circles the city, a shining example of infrastructure. Not only that – it is running for 24-7 (with no passengers) to make sure there is no glitches, no problems when it goes into operation. That is ABSOLUTELY unheard of in the rest of the world.
Alter Ego: I have never heard of anything like that.
Me: Me neither. But on every level it is brilliant. From an engineering standpoint of course but also from a psychological and patriotic perspective. It gives the populace hope, something to look forward to. They know their safety is important to the government as everything is being done to protect them.
Alter Ego: I can see that! Do you have any other examples.
Me: I asked what was done during covid. People were on ‘lockdown’ in their homes. They could not leave without a permit. All residents were required to be vaccinated – not once, not twice but thrice. That is humane – not the other way around. People talk about freedom – freedom to do what? Infect innocent people. Mandated vaccination and lockdowns provide a sense of security. I lived in San Francisco during those days. It was impossible – restrictions would be lifted, and reimposed constantly. It was impossible to know what was happening and there was no enforcement of restrictions when they were in place. Vaccination was voluntary – misinformation convinced irrational individuals that getting jabbed was dangerous when the opposite was true, allowing the spread of the disease, avoidable deaths and general panic.
Not only do those Saudis know how to construct, ensure the safety and well being of their citizens, perhaps, even more importantly, (during these days) they know how to celebrate, have an infectious partying streak that does not stop. Flags and green everywhere. Children in particular dressed in clothes honoring their heritage and country. It is to be remembered that all of this takes place without alcohol – therefore it is safe, it is real, it is heart-felt not drunken boisterousness.
The definition of boisterous includes both the the bad and the good: (of a person, event, or behavior) noisy, energetic, and cheerful; rowdy. There are both bad and good synonyms First the good synonyms: lively, active, animated, exuberant, spirited, bouncy, frisky, excited, high-spirited, ebullient, vibrant, romping, rollicking.
The synonyms of boisterous which have negative connotations are associated with alcohol:
overexcited, in high spirits, rowdy, unruly, wild, uproarious, unrestrained, undisciplined, uncontrolled, abandoned, rough, disorderly, knockabout, riotous, rip-roaring tumultuous; noisy, loud, clamorous.
Those who extol ‘freedom’ would insist that people should be able to drink, that somehow that is their constitutional right to get smashed. Despite the fact that violent crime, particularly against women, is committed by men under the influence of alcohol.
I do readily admit that I did love my wine – not ’hard liquor’ but wine and champagne. However I have learned to love non-alcoholic beer and “Saudi champagne”. Saudi champagne is bubbly, non alcoholic, effused with fresh fruit. It is not difficult to be a good girl. I have the innate ability to be animated, spirited, ebullient and vibrant without the ‘benefit’ of alcohol. I can be noisy and my laughter is awfully loud – but I am more restrained. In short, the Saudi way of life is working for me.
Statistics show that my Saudi readership is climbing but the majority of readers are from other countries. I shall therefore ’fill them in’, provide Saudi National Day information.
Sept. 23 marks Saudi’s National Day, celebrating the unification of the nations of Najd and Hijaz. In 1932, the merged nations became the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, so named after the House of Saud, a family led by Saudi’s first ruler, King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud. It was first celebrated in 2007.
So it all began when the visionary leader and founder, the late Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman, issued a decree that united the Kingdom of Najd and the Hejaz under a new name: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with Arabic as its national language and the Quran as its constitution. King Abdulaziz was a man of peace but he also was a warrior – had to be to get it all together (so to speak). He was able to conquer the oases of Riyadh in 1902; and al-Hasa in 1913, and by 1925, he unified both Nejd and the Hejaz after defeating the forces of Sharif Hussein.
It is fascinating to compare the constitutions of Saudi Arabia, the United States of America and Canada. Briefly put, the Quran is a religious text written in 610-632. It is believed by Muslims to be the word of God.
Compare that with the Canadian later day inadequate constitution.
Canada did not even have one when I left in 1967. Upon my return in May 2022, I dutifully researched and on January 26, 2023 informed the world of my findings. In brief: “the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms has come to embody Canada’s independence as a fully self-governing entity from the British government.” “The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which was adopted in 1982, guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject to reasonable limits prescribed by law. The charter guarantees such rights as the right to equality, democracy, and mobility. It is a powerful force for progress, protection, and fairness with the power to influence our society by interpreting laws and policies.”
My knowledge of the US Constitution is vast as Constitutional law was required in law school, a necessity to pass the California bar exam and its principles were adhered to during my career as a lawyer. It is a mess, with amendments necessitated by its failings, then made even more confusing and unreliable by differing interpretations according to the whim of the Supreme Court, which has found to be corrupt. No democracy in the world patterns itself on the model of the United States of America. (Or is it Divided States of America.)
Back to the fun times (“At last,” you are saying. Saudi National Day was nothing sort of phenomenal. Adventures galore, incredibly delicious food, hordes or well wishers, many asked for selfies – I am beginning to feel like a movie star (or a soccer player). A Bedouin tent was erected on the Hilton property. It serving as a meeting ground as well as a film set. I played the starring role – as you shall see do watch the reel, I received another tentative offer of marriage. A young man had just graduated from law school. He had a seventy-year old father who wanted a strong second (or perhaps third wife). I do not think so. He is too old for me, he is rich but stingy. So the search goes on. Hahaha. I did receive invitations to two November weddings though and weddings are viewed as happy hunting grounds.
During this momentous fun-filled day I also received a job offer and a (shall we say) real estate offer. They both sound too good to be true. When something sounds too good to be true – it usually is. But in Saudi Arabia anything can be possible,
The reel, photographs of a camel and the celebrants will follow. Posted on Instagram were photos and this caption: “A camel visited the Hilton Riyadh with his devoted caretaker. They were here for Saudi National Day and loved by all. Please swipe to see more photos.” Music played in the background, In My Life.
That says it all actually, great tune, very upbeat. My life at this time. It is time to get serious however. Trips to the National Library scheduled. But later abandoned, I think. I have established other priorities. The Library will have to wait until my return from Medinah.
