A day in the life

Peace Brother & Sister Crossers
When MB was at the Preacher Man event last weekend the faithful referred to each other as Brother X and Sister Y. An organiser lad approached MB as MB neared the exit door at the end and said “Excuse me brother, thank you for coming. May I ask if you have a copy of the Quran in English?”. “I do not think so” replied MB, not wanting to display that he was 100% kafir, and trying to create the impression that maybe, just maybe, he had a copy lying around his hotel room somewhere. “Do not worry brother, we wish to present you with a copy, please come this way“. “Why thank you brother” replied MB, “most kind of you“. MB was taken to a room stuffed to the gills full of English translations of the Holy Book and duly received an impressive bound copy. No expense spared trying to convert the kafir Whities and others who have not yet seen the light. “Thank you brother” said MB in grateful appreciation, “I shall have a read for sure“. All the brothers smiled in unison at MB’s confirmation that he would indulge himself in the one true scripture, and who knows where it would all end. Maybe MB would give the speech at next year’s event.

MB was then introduced to brother Yusuf (the Arabic version of Joseph), a Whitie Australian who had discovered the true path and now dressed in the traditional Saudi/Arabic dress. He sported a long unkempt white beard in respect to his new Prophet Mohammad (PBOH). MB informed Brother Yusuf that MB had traveled to Brother Yusuf’s homeland on a number of occasions, as a family member is married to an Aussie. “Heavenly place Brother Yusuf” said MB, throwing out a quasi-religious comment for a bit of crack. Further small talk & banter ensued on the journey to the exit door. MB shook hands with the Brothers and thanked them for their hospitality. If MB was a complete cynic he might suspect that the organiser Brothers had a Whitie brother lined up to engage all the non-believing Whities in attendance, just to show them that if a guy like Whitie Brother Yusuff had turned, then the seed might be sown and a bountiful conversion harvest might be reaped in due course. But in MB’s case the Brothers would be sowing seed on fallow soil, just like that story in the Bible that MB seems to half remember, but its been a long week in the desert and MB can not remember it fully. However, MB is not a cynic, and MB’s theory could not possibly be true. Not in a million years. No Siree.

All the above is merely to explain MB’s weekly greeting to you all, and as usual MB got bit carried away in the explanation and lost in the words. Please forgive MB’s ever-so-slight over-indulgence Brother & Sister Crossers.

Not much happened to MB this week. It was a bit of a hum drum week. No trips. No adventures. No war. No peace. No great highs or lows. Just a normal week. MB worked, ate, slept, went online, sent a few emails, made a pic with an anti-necknomination theme for his Facebook page to do his small bit to stop this crazy worldwide craze that has killed some young kids in Ireland and beyond already, ate chocolate, ate more chocolate, spoke to family on skype, and that was about it. But just like Irish blogger Joyce delved into in his post Ulysses, many things happen in a day that we don’t pay much notice to, stuff of the ‘no nevermind’ variety, but they are in their own way an interesting part of life’s tapestry when we look at the finer detail.

Today for example didn’t seem to be anything special. Just the normal usual stuff. Small stuff. But let’s look at the minutiae (MB loves that word!):

MB friend U-No-Hu is shortly heading on 2 week trip to Europe. He thinks he is too busy to go, but in reality realises that he is always too busy to go and this will always be the case. The project is busy at present, but just when it eases off another project will start and things will just remain the same – busy. So better for U-No-Hu to go with the family flow, as there is clear & present danger that wife and 23-year-old daughter may do him some serious injury if he does not agree. U-No-Hu was explaining all to MB earlier today and just having a little ‘man-moan’ about it all.

Daughter is making all the plans at present, and wants to see all of Italy and all of Austria on a 2 week  trip using nice European trains to travel between all the multiple destinations. Bit of an exaggeration of course. Rome, Lake Como, Vienna and Saltzberg are on the itinerary plus one more destination that MB can not remember (it really has been a tough week). U-No-Hu would just like to go to one single destination, such as lake Como and plank his ass there for the two weeks having a good relax and recharge of his depleted Arabic batteries. Daughter (Miss L, who wrote blog post for MB last year) however sees it in entirely different light. MB sent Miss L mischievous email earlier today about the upcoming trip.

Miss L’s reply was swift, full of female logic (ie. dubious logic) and made the following points: Over 40s like U-No-Hu and MB need to kinda get a life, surround themselves with younger types and then maybe they would see the light (“above 40’s – they all think the same!!“). The trip would not be tiring, but “believe me it is full of adventures!!” replied the bubbly, full of youthful energy, Miss L. MB feels some compromise may be in the offing, and that U-No-Hu and Miss L will reach an amicable settlement. U-No Hu has little choice anyway. If it comes to a vote both wife and daughter will outvote him and he may suffer even more.

MB is sure the above tale of U-No-Hu is full of life lessons. But he presently can not think what they are. If any Crossers can work them out please leave in the comment box at the end!

MB was chatting to the Tea Boy (Pakistani Tariq) at work today. He noticed that PT was on his mobile phone to another Tea Boy who worked with us all some months back. MB grabbed the phone from PT (politely) and gave greeting to old Tea Boy friend Indian Sibey Allum who is now based in Jeddah on the Red Sea coast of Saudi. ISA was happy to hear MB’s voice and engaged in an excited 5 minute reply, completely in Hindi language. MB had no clue what the hell ISA was moaning about, as MB does not know one single word of Hindi, but MB was 200% sure this was a man-moan of large proportions. When he had gotten it all off his chest, MB said “Salam Mr Sibey Allum, good luck to you my friend“, and handed the phone back to PT.

MB ask PT to explain ISA’s moaning. “Sir” replied PT, “SA does not get food like he did when he worked on this project (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Instead at his new work he get food allowance of ten Riyals per day (Euro 2) to buy all his meals. So he must add 5 Riyals per day from his own pocket, or 150 Riyals per month from his 1,200 Riyal monthly salary. He is not happy Sir” explained PT. “What to do PT?” said MB. “He was once here, but now he is there, sad but true” replied MB, giving a useless bullshit answer, as MB could think of nothing better at the time. “True Sir” said PT, impressed as hell at MB’s Zen-like reply.

After the above exchange PT continued to make the tea for the staff and MB continued with his Zen stuff. Neither though much more about ISA. Or any of the other poorly educated ISA’s from the third world who work in the Middle East for peanuts. Because that is the hand of cards that life has dealt them, and it’s better than living back home with absolutely nothing.

Young Somali lad returned from Somalia few days back after one month annual vacation. He had not shaved during that time and had grown a beard that might imply he was going a little more ‘fundamentalist’ that his usual very liberal Muslim persona. But turns out YSL was just too bone lazy to shave since he left, and will no doubt reappear all clean-shaven again in the coming days.

YSL asked MB a question this afternoon, as he has been looking at European Universities on-line, considering maybe doing a Masters in something useful for later life. But when YSL looks at these colleges, or even investigates European holiday destinations, he does so in the probability that he will never actually travel to any of those destinations. Or attend any of those colleges. Reason being that Somalia is considered Pariah state by all Western countries and the rules for even getting a holiday visa are stringent in the extreme. Verging on the impossible for most. You must show 6 months bank statements, for example. Which must show sufficient funds that make it likely you will return after your trip, and prove that you are employed in the country you are presently living. A guy with a job and money in the bank might come back for sure. So all in all a big ask. An impossible ask for most.

“So MB, would you consider Germany or Holland a better country to live in?” inquired YSL of MB. MB replied on the basis of his knowledge of both destinations and his general worldly wisdom (vast). “Do you have choice of colleges then?” questioned MB. “Are you joking MB?” replied YSL. “Like a Somali has a choice MB! Was only hypothetical question MB. Just wishful thinking. No hope of getting to those places MB”, shot back YSL, a 23-year-old Civil Engineer, yearning to travel West to see what all the hype is about, and taste the much yapped about ‘freedom’. “Understand” said MB, or some such inane reply.

YSL has mentioned a few time in the past that he may try the ‘people trafficker/boat across the Med’ route in coming years if all else fails. But bit daunting given the amount of dollars to be handed over to the traffickers and the possibility of death on the unforgiving sea. MB read last night that 8 illegals drowned off the coast of Spain few days back and 1,000 ‘boat people’ were rescued off the coast of Lampadusa Island by the Italian navy yesterday. Tread carefully young YSL.

And those were some of the brief encounters of a day in the life of MB, on today 06th February 2014. Brief & minor events. That on reflection tell a little, or a lot, about life. And Crossers can just work all that out for themselves!

Have a good weekend all.

Woke up, fell out of bed
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup
And looking up, I noticed I was late
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke
And somebody spoke and I went into a dream

MB

This weeks pics – a few desert trees that MB spotted last weekend early morning in Dubai. With the Burj Khalifa many miles in the background. MB stopped his car to get a few shots. To smell the roses as it were!