So, here I am, finally, on the 50th day post of my stay in Saudi Arabia. It feels good because I am still at the crease, and batting more comfortably than before. Of course, this is all because of the wish of Allah and the help and support I get from my family, well-wishers from all over the world, good buddies at Al Muweh and elsewhere, and the kindness shown by strangers one meets on a daily basis in my town.
Do not underestimate the power of the last-mentioned category; these are nothing short of angels sent by Allah to ease your journey in times of stress and trouble. Or, at least, that is the way I look at them. They must be angels, don't you think? The Hyderabadi manager of the hardware shop gave me four steel nails free when I needed them, saying that it was no big hassle; the washing machine repairer from Mumbai will invariably call me to sit with him and run to get "shai" (the way chai is pronounced in SA because there is no ch- sound in Arabic, :-)); the Pakistani barber who had offered me room in his own house on the second day of my arrival in the town, and he actually took me to his house to show me the room he wanted me to take ("you can pay me whatever rent you want, sirji" he had said); the numerous instances of car drivers who will stop the car and offer you a lift (these include some nice Saudis too, by the way); I can go on and on, but I think I have illustrated the point fairly strongly.
Wednesday turned out to be a routine day and there were no surprises - pleasant or otherwise. We came to know (by "we", I mean the medical and paramedical staff of the hospital) that our present Mudeer (hospital director) has been transferred out, and the current Asst. Mudeer Ahmed Faar (Abu Tukaa - which is the Arab way of calling someone as the father of .... , in this case, Father of Tukaa, his son) has been appointed in his place. The prevailing opinion seems to be that the new incumbent is more meticulous and efficient. Only time will tell what the change entails for the hospital, and for us.
In the evening, Dr. Niaz and I went for the usual walk in the direction of the garden. On the way, we stopped at the local Kerala restaurant to have a cup of tea each and picked up some chapatis and dosai to have with the gravies at home for dinner and for subsequent meals over the days to come.
I think that's it. Nothing else to share with you all, so I will end here. The next post, inshallah, will be about the weekend.
Do not underestimate the power of the last-mentioned category; these are nothing short of angels sent by Allah to ease your journey in times of stress and trouble. Or, at least, that is the way I look at them. They must be angels, don't you think? The Hyderabadi manager of the hardware shop gave me four steel nails free when I needed them, saying that it was no big hassle; the washing machine repairer from Mumbai will invariably call me to sit with him and run to get "shai" (the way chai is pronounced in SA because there is no ch- sound in Arabic, :-)); the Pakistani barber who had offered me room in his own house on the second day of my arrival in the town, and he actually took me to his house to show me the room he wanted me to take ("you can pay me whatever rent you want, sirji" he had said); the numerous instances of car drivers who will stop the car and offer you a lift (these include some nice Saudis too, by the way); I can go on and on, but I think I have illustrated the point fairly strongly.
Wednesday turned out to be a routine day and there were no surprises - pleasant or otherwise. We came to know (by "we", I mean the medical and paramedical staff of the hospital) that our present Mudeer (hospital director) has been transferred out, and the current Asst. Mudeer Ahmed Faar (Abu Tukaa - which is the Arab way of calling someone as the father of .... , in this case, Father of Tukaa, his son) has been appointed in his place. The prevailing opinion seems to be that the new incumbent is more meticulous and efficient. Only time will tell what the change entails for the hospital, and for us.
In the evening, Dr. Niaz and I went for the usual walk in the direction of the garden. On the way, we stopped at the local Kerala restaurant to have a cup of tea each and picked up some chapatis and dosai to have with the gravies at home for dinner and for subsequent meals over the days to come.
I think that's it. Nothing else to share with you all, so I will end here. The next post, inshallah, will be about the weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment