In order to understand the scale of potential KSA investments with the US during Trump-47’s visit, reading Ellen R. Wald, Ph.D. ‘s book on the role of Bechtel in the creation of the Aramco state is visionary, as well as Prof Vitalis’s American Kingdom would be informative as the US-Saudi relationship pre SOCAL and Dhaharan Well number 7 in 1938 is deeply embedded in history.

Write from within, something of worth always is created. Writing as a response to the fluidity of the chaos, the in between ness as a function of the times, while clutching at the straws of normalcy. Ask a family in Gaza, Patani or Kashmir – they have a vocabulary of life framed by numbing violence. Our job as writers is to give the language to lend cohesiveness to the chaos.

Ambassador Hotel

Desi Khaleeji Stories

Three plus decades ago a college teacher of English, went for a series of interviews for the Ministry of Education in Oman at famed Ambassador Hotel in Bombay (as it was called then) held by Jerry Varghese Manpower Consultants. That college teacher went on to teach in the Jabals, or the mountains on the Oman Yemen Border, right before the 1995 war. And went on to build a two generational relationship with Oman and the Khaleej which is still buffering.

That college teacher was my Mother (taken on her 70th birthday on a trip down memory lane).

Cities are mosaics, each part of the city lends to new experiences.

Travel within, there are so many places on our cities which deserves our attention. The sunset at Marine Drive which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is second to none.

An outstanding performance by the PAP, and WP proves that it is the only opposition to persist with close losses in Tampines GRC, Jalan Kayu and Punggol GRC.

Hoped to have Harpreet Singh Nehal in Parliament, for his intellect, but there are avenues of greater dialogue outside parliament.

The deep support for the PAP is not to be underestimated, despite what the Singaporean podcast-scape has made you to believe over the past month.

Majulah!

Trip down to Lisboa/Estado De India

A dinner of Luso-Goan delicacies from Poee to Prawn Curry to Pastel Delnata. The food was exquisite. The Negroni Bianco hit the right notes.

O Pedro is the best of Goan fare, served in an international vibe in the expat banking district of BKC. The crowd on a Friday evening was chic and classy.

It took be back to BB in DIFC. The good old Dubai consulting days before the pandemic.