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| Troubled Waters in Paradise |
Sorry about no blog last week. I seem to be getting more and more lethargic. It’s possibly in part due to my horror at the demise of ethics in today’s society as the Geneva Convention, the Nuremberg Code, and Medical Ethics are all completely overturned by world governments and many people aren’t so much as batting an eyelid. But this entry isn’t a blog for all that.
The truth is I lost track of the days and then Monday was incredibly stressful and then I needed a rest and then the week was almost gone. So, I hear you ask, what was so stressful about Monday?
Well, to start with, I was going to the visa office to apply for my next year’s visa. That’s always stressful (and, to be fair, it’s usually stressful whatever country you’re in as an expat). My printer was running out of ink (more stress), but I managed to copy all the documents. Several people said I could use my Sahl Hasheesh annual residence card as proof of residence instead of my 32-page purchase contract, so I took a copy of that as well. I thought I was well prepared.
I got up early in the morning, but got distracted by the fact that Cleo had been sick four times in the night. Two of the patches looked as if she’d just had the food in her mouth and then spat it out (no evidence of chewing, just a wet mess of intact food), so I wasn’t really sure what had happened. But it was clear she hadn’t digested much. I hurriedly scrubbed at the floor. The receptionist rang at my doorbell to say that Tina was waiting for me in the car. I panicked, grabbed my stuff, and dashed for the car.
However, when we arrived at the visa office, I realized I’d left my mask at home. I’d had it ready, but hadn’t brought it with me. Fortunately, they had them for sale. Then, I realized I’d forgotten to bring a pen. What’s happened to me? Last time I was all prepared, but this time I’d made a total hash of it. Tina went off to check with General Islam that our residence cards would be fine; I quickly “stole” her pen and filled out my form and hoped she wouldn’t notice how badly equipped I’d been.
As it turned out, we were in and out within an hour, which is pretty good. We arrived back, I went inside my flat and Cleo didn’t welcome me. Where was she? I hunted about, but couldn’t see her anywhere. I decided she must have slipped out when I was in a rush to get to the car that morning. Never mind, she’d be back for her dinner at 4pm.
I went for a swim, came back. Again, no Cleo. I opened my balcony door and called her. Last time she got lost, she was hiding on my balcony, just waiting for me to be back. No Cleo. Now I got worried. I searched outside. No Cleo.
I heard a meow. I’m sure at one point it was behind my washing machine (which is in my kitchen). But two or three times later, I heard it from behind my shower. Annoyingly, she’d only meow once in a blue moon. Was this because she was weak from hunger/thirst? I looked behind the shower, where she often hides, but she wasn’t there. She wasn’t inside the shower. But her meow was quite clear. I decided she must be in the shaft in the Engineering Office which runs behind the shower.
It’s a huge shaft. I wanted to look over the wall to see if she’d somehow fallen. But try as I might, I couldn’t persuade reception to fetch a big ladder for me. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to climb the ladder in the small space. No ladder, no chance of rescue.
Defeated, I went back into my flat. Four hours had passed since I’d come back from my swim. I turned on the TV to distract myself. Then out Cleo came from the bathroom, all casual, as if nothing had happened. She didn’t even meow for food. Well, not immediately. I looked in the bathroom again, but I still have no idea where she could have been. There’s a bit where all the wires are and I think that’s maybe in between the walls of the shower. I can’t see a way in, but that’s the only place I can imagine she could be. It’s a bit worrying (but the shower did work the following day).
I fed Cleo, and she ate about 50% more than she usually eats. Time to relax. Then I heard a strange noise. I looked over at my kitchen and water was gushing out of one of my cupboards! I squealed and ran to reception, arms flapping, shouting “water, water” and then ran back to my flat. Sometimes being a pathetic female is the best plan of action.
The receptionist gawked, but he was brilliant. He turned off the water and replaced the broken pipe immediately. I’ve never been so relieved. Well, apart from when Cleo reappeared earlier that evening. I gave him a good tip (I hope). So, the rest of the evening was spent mopping up all the water. I left putting all the items back in the cupboard to the next day once I realized there were things in there like lentils from 2015 and flour from 2019. My brain wasn’t up to all that. But I survived.
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This is the last blog from this site. I've moved to WordPress. Here's the link and the link in full:
https://wordpress.com/page/insearchofthedream771585106.wordpress.com/6
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