Wishing you Eid Sa’eed

Since I am busy in all the weirdness of my last post, I shall not attempt to obstruct the Alice-in-Wonderland-like activities of mine, waiting instead for an Alice-in-UmbrellaCorp-like activity to end the monotony. Going through the past up & downs, I have assured my self that this blog can indeed survive without me, since my 15-day hiatus did not affect the incoming traffic. This is very good, as I am promised a steady stream of visitors; this is very bad since whatever I write (or don’t) does not have any effect on anything! 😦 I am disappoint!

I shall propose to extend my hiatus, taking advantage of the generous Eid holidays to traverse some borders, see some foreign lands. I hear there is a cold front coming along the Eastern Mediterranean shores, maybe I can use that. *nudge nudge* *wink wink*

After thanking you all my reader for this readership, allowing a glance of interest to fall on this very VERY small persona of mine online, making me sigh in satisfaction or astonishment whenever I see the amount of visitors go up or down by a couple or more.

So, after thanking you for all that, I wish to fall upon you a very happy Eid with blessings and benefits and lots of blog hits and exciting trips and inner satisfaction. Most of all, I wish upon all of you money, health & happiness (as my father says, pick two!).

-TFK

“I’ll Be Back!”

Real Life has a way with things. It looks at you, finds you, stops you, pushes you, sneaks up on you, bashed you on the head and then drags you away to where it wants you to be. And currently, Real Life (RL) does NOT want me to blog. I’ve pleaded, begged, hidden from, tried to bypass and even fought it, but it wins. I threatened it once, but then realized that was Not A Good Idea! 🙂

Blog or no blog, life goes on. Things are happening in the world and the world is happening to things. The silly political hoo-ha regarding Obama’s speech, the weird activities of Coalition forces in Iraq & Afghanistan (but why are they called coalition? Why was the word ‘allied’ dropped? How long are they going to come up with similies?), the death of Patrick Swayze, Serena Williams’ tirade at the umpire and more. While The Fark Knight sits in his roller coaster, watching these things zip by, wanting to stop or atleast slow-down to look at them with detail, Real Life wants me to sit tight and go at the pace it wants. I could jump off it and do things at a much slower pace, but the coaster wouldn’t stop. I’ll do that, doncha worry, but when time comes.

Anyway, you don’t do things like that on an empty stomach. 🙂

(Much Belated) Ramadhan Kareeem to all. Remember that there is a person behind this persona. Pray for him in your prayers in The Blessed Nights.

-TFK

Rembrandt Visits Oman

Gulf News has an article titled “Rembrandt show to draw Omanis and Dutch closer”. Basically, it is about a month-long (Ramadhan long) exhibition of Rembrandt’s original paintings at the Grand Hyatt from 10 am to 12 midnight, non-stop.

Expect more of such images, It's titled "The Jewish Bride"

“A hundred original works of Dutch artist Rembrandt will be displayed for the first time anywhere in the Middle East or North Africa (Mena) region when the Grand Hyatt Muscat hosts an exhibition during Ramadan.

“Rembrandt’s original paintings and etchings have travelled world over but this is the first time they are being brought to the Middle East,” the Dutch ambassador to Oman, Stefan van Wersch, said.”

It opens on the 19th of August.

“Al Salmi Library, a family enterprise, is bearing the cost of the Rembrandt exhibition. The total expenses involve 600,000 Omani riyals (Dh5.7 million) plus the insurance cost.

“They are obviously insured and would be well guarded during the month-long exhibition,” said Shaikh Abdullah Al Salami, chairman of Al Salmi Library.

“It is being held for the first time in the region and only in Muscat.”

“The Grand Hyatt Muscat would be transformed completely to look like a Dutch palace,” revealed Ashok

This is not what it looks - "The Return of the Prodigial Son"

Suvarna, CEO of NPA Events, who are managing the exhibition.
The Royal Oman Police will take over security of the exhibits once concerned agencies from the Netherlands hand it over for the exhibition in Muscat.

Entry for the show will be free from 10am to midnight during Ramadan.”

Now since Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salmi has mentioned twice about the security measures and about the paintings’ insurance, it seems security was a hurdle in bringing the multi-multi-million dollar paintings to the region.

This all shall be followed by a reciprocal 7-month event in Amsterdam, featuring something of Oman. Wonder how they pulled ‘that’ off!!

NSFW - I don't think this one'll be there (click to enlarge) - "Bath Seba"

Now since the age of consent in Denmark hovers around the 15-year-old mark, and hash is almost-legal, I’m sure bringing Omanis and the Dutch closer will be all for the good! Atleast no one will be ‘robbed‘ in Thai hotels, that’ll happen in Dutch hotels!

I’m sure the “unclothed art is art, totally fit for viewing” theory shall be useless here, so I think the exhibition shall be kiddo-safe, however I have no idea on how to keep an exhibition safe from a kiddo. And I don’t think a Rembrandt exhibition is the place for a kiddo, especially if they’ve decked out the hotel “in the style of a Dutch Palace”. What does that mean? Is the Dutch foortbaarl team going to be there? I’m sure they live in a castle!

-TFK