I Have Landed on My Feet, But Landed With a Virus: Three Friends Bring Support and Sympathy; Dumping a Toxic Relationship, Finding Immediate Replacements; Landing on My Feet Proven to be a Character Trait; An Amazing Khobar City Tour

I have landed on my feet. This is a WhatsApp conversation with Mona. She was my trainer at the Oberio Hotel – she of Moaning with Mona fame.  

She: Everything seems to be working in your life now. 

Me: Probably momentarily. Hahaha  But yes, I do not feel financial pressures, this is an interesting city with much to do. I have a three month Saudi Tourist visa. I have gotten rid of the toxic influences of my life.  Thank you for saying that, and for your support. It made me focus on my blessings. 

Then my Malaysian friend and I were WhatsApping. 

Me: I am staying in a simple working class hotel full of working people, no rich ones – with whom I have nothing in common. There is everything here. Pool, gym, great buffet, pool, gym and business center. Most importantly it is inexpensive so I do not have to worry about money. 

She: That’s good! Enjoy yourself then. 

Then this morning texted her: 

Me: Unfortunately I have the virus that is going around. 

She called me in concern and worry, thinking it was the coronavirus. I reassured her that it was not, I know hordes of people in Bahrain and here who caught it, sought medical care and were told that it was not the coronavirus but there was nothing to be done. As it is a virus. 

So I have two trusty loyal Muslim girlfriends, one in Saudi Arabia and one in Malaysia. It is a blessing. 

There is also a wonderful man. WhatsApped him this morning. 

Me: Your initials are AMA American Medical Association. Hahaha 

Now the men in my life (or formerly in my life) are not trusty, a different story. Emailed  Computer Guru Chris 

Me: Thanks for the compliment  about the sunset picture! Thanks! It was great to see. I have reached some stability accidentally, actually. Renewal of 3 month Tourist Visa, cheap hotel interesting city Khobar and a lovely family . Also got rid of three toxi men of course. Replaced two already. Hahaha. I am fast on my feet. There is however a virus going around and I got it. Oh well nothing is perfect. Hahaha Alexis 

No response yet but because of the time difference he is asleep. 

We shall now explore two concepts. Landing on your feet and toxic relationships. 

First the bad news and then the good news. A toxic relationship is one that has unhealthy dynamics and causes you distress or harm because you are unsupported, manipulated or disrespected. While we all have our moments and seasons of selfishness, a truly toxic person will take and take and take and give you nothing in return.

Here is how they act. A toxic relationship is one that makes you feel unsupported, misunderstood, demeaned or attached. A relationship is toxic when your well-being is threated in some way – emotionally, psychological, and even physically. 

Now onto the good news, removed myself from the toxic relationship and landed on my feet 

Landing on your feet is an idiom : to be in good condition or in a good situation after having a bad or difficult experience. This is a slightly more encouraging definition (but also more discouraging). 

If you say that someone always lands on their feet, you mean that they are always successful or lucky, although they do not seem to achieve this by their own efforts. I achieved landing on my feet with my own efforts of terminating a toxic relationship. With that blight, that toxicity gone I was able to rely on the help and support of others who would not be in my firmament if that malignant person was around. 

The noxious person was replaced by four men. Sunny, the Ritz Carlton concierge assured me that my luggage and I would be reunited. He then arranged for a wonderful kind driver to drive me over the causeway, back to Saudi Arabia. The driver helped me navigate customs and immigration. I am not in possession of a three month Saudi tourist visa. I made my own hotel reservations, was warmly greeted at a hotel that is perfect for my needs. 

Later in the day, FAME (now AMA) picked me up in his huge Ford SUV. 

Me: How unusual that you drive a Ford, My father worked for the Ford Motor Company most of his life. 

He: You must remember that I went to school in the US near where those cars are made. 

We then set out on the best ever, the best possible tour of Khobar. We stopped for breakfast (he paid) then drove down the never ending (it seemed) Corniche; stopping to pray Asr prayer by the sea. He explained the development of the city, its grid system modeled on the USA which provided a familiarity to American workers which allowed their integration and the Saudis acceptance of them. This city was founded in 1942, one year before I was born. It has developed more than I have, that is for sure. This is, indeed,  a prosperous city -it resembles and and am constantly reminded of what the USA was like in the good old days, late sixties and early seventies. I now have a Must See list of three places. A glimpse of one at the conclusion of the blog. 

I started to sneeze during this gold plated tour. Woke up feeling absolutely miserable, Texted AMA who offered great medical advice. I followed it. 

He: Do you need to go to the doctor? 

Me: I do not think so,  thanks I have heard there is nothing they can do because it is a virus. I know of many who were tested and it is not the coronavirus. Just sort of a cold. 

He: Boil mint leaves and a few cloves place it on your head and neck and breath especially if you have a cough and congestion. Yes, most probably it is a cold virus. 

Me: That is a brilliant idea. I am sure that the hotel has both. I shall ask them. 

Later: 

I wonderful man in the hotel prepared it for me. Soon the energy to do it. 

Still later: 

Me: It worked!!  

Here is the bright side, the sunny side of this. The hotel employee, Mustafa, is tall and handsome.  

Me: I have been asking tall men what it feels like to be tall. 

He: It has some advantages and disadvantages. I can see over everybody but a sports car is out of the question. 

Me: That makes me feel good because I cannot see over everything but I did own a sports car 

I even remember the brand – it was a Grey Datsun Ladybird, a convertible with a hard top. I had forgotten about it until this conversation.  

Googled Mustafa to learn the origins of the name. There is a great upbeat song by Mustafa Mustafa. The words of the song are so applicable to the day with the offerings of friendship by Mona, my Malaysian friend and AMA . 

Ooh yeah friendship

Ooh yeah friendship

Friendship is what we are looking for

Mystafa-mustafa ..Don’t worry Mustafa

Thinking that Landing on My Feet was a theme explored in prior blogs I used the search engine of the blog, typing Landing on My Feet. There were 48 entries. I guess landing on my feet is a character trait. I do laugh as I type that. The last entry is January 30, 2017, during the first days of the blog. Later I added a Denouement written May 18, 2018 . 

“It ended with the understanding that Uncle Dave and I are two very different people, living in a different time and in a different age. We have our similarities – our ambition, an ability to communicate probably born from a sense of alienation. He died in 1948, I live on.” 

This came as a total surprise because on January 10, 2024 I received the following email from Will Claburn. A man who works for the Regina Leader Post. I met him in 2014 when I was doing research on the biography of Dave Dryburgh. 

He: Are you still researching Dave Dryburgh?

Me: All praise to Allah!!!! I cannot believe this gift at this moment. I have had phenomenal success with the blog. I have become a Muslim and a planning to live in the Middle East.  BUT yes!!!l I MUST honor my beloved uncle. I LOVE  you. Alexis the niece of Dave .

I took this as a sign that I should now focus on my writing. Not just the blog, but books. It did alter my plans to do research for another book, the one on Paths to Glory. I have enough material to write several books, the biography and the Islamic Faith. I best settle down and find a place to write, conducive to further research. And I found one!! 

This was number one on the list recommended by AMA. My cold kept me in, but learned of it through Wikipedia. 

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra)[1] (Arabic: مركز الملك عبد العزيز الثقافي العالمي), also known as Ithra, is a cultural situated in DhahranSaudi Arabia.[2] It was built by Saudi Aramco and inaugurated by King Salman bin Abdulaziz on December 1, 2016.[3]It is operated by Saudi Aramco.[4] The center is located where the first commercial Saudi oilfield was found in March 1938.[5] The center has a museum, library, cinema, theater, and exhibition halls.[5] It was designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta.[6] The center has been listed in Time magazine as one of the world’s top 100 places to visit[1][7] and attracted one million visitors in 2019. 

 Objective: 

The center’s own stated aims is to “make a tangible and positive impact on human development by inspiring a passion for knowledge, creativity, and cross-cultural engagement for the future of the kingdom.

The library holds a special attraction.

 The library is one of the larger and more modern in the region.[9] It is designed to host about 500,000 texts and includes a variety of digital resources. The library also hosts workshops, lectures and book clubs. 

I write from bed, always have. Perhaps I can finally get out of bed and write from the library in the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithaca) 

This is being written on Wednesday morning: Later yesterday afternoon a message which received from AMA. 

He: Your Pringles and your beads are in the car. 

Me: I am always leaving my Pringles and beads behind. What shall become of me? Spent the day reading and preparing myself for King Abdulaziz Cultural Center. Being sick can have some advantages. 

He: Very good, Enjoy, Your visit will inspire both you and your hosts. 

Me: I know!! It is so great to be well prepared. Thanks you for introducing it to me in the first place. 

Two photographs are sunsets from the city tour. Then the view from my hotel window. A definite contrast from my Ritzy Bahrain view. If you look closely your shall see an IKEA. I do love IKEAs.