Since my last update, life has been… well, quieter than usual. No grand adventures, no dramatic tales — unless you count my ongoing battle with a slightly rebellious immune system.
Well, I thought I’d start with evidence. This is me (for those who may have forgotten already)
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The highlight of the week was a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque — and what an experience that was. It’s one of those places that instantly lowers your heart rate and raises your sense of awe. The marble glows, the chandeliers sparkle, and you start whispering without even meaning to. It’s beauty and calm all in one — the kind of architecture that politely tells you to get your life together.
Once inside, one starts noticing the dedication to detail and splendour. The floors and pillars are all inlaid with floral designs in a variety of stone and ceramic.
Above me is the largest crystal chandelier in the world. The photograph does it absolutely no justice. The carpet area is huge and detailed. See below this text.
I am so glad I don’t have to vacuum this carpet.
Now, to get to the mosque, you need to start at the visitor centre. The image below is from just outside the mosque. The dome in the distance is the roof to the underground visitor centre, with one long tunnel to get to the Mosque. Thankfully, they have travelators installed, so the walk is quite quick, although some feeble folk do get shuttled around by the golf carts from end to end.
Finally, to remind oneself that you are in another country with its own culture, I post the “rules”, and there is an army of security guards on duty to ensure everything is done correctly.
Training, Time-Off, and Tactical Marking
After that dose of serenity, the rest of the week slowed right down. We had more training, followed by a few glorious days off, which everyone used to catch their breath. I, too, joined the collective exhale, though my idea of “rest” looked a lot like sitting with a pile of marking, and the naïve hope that if I turned pages slowly enough, they might mark themselves. A cold was tagging along for the ride, so keeping still felt like the most responsible adult choice I could make.
Online Discovery & New Reading Material
Of course, I didn’t go completely quiet. I embarked on a little online “discovery” — which, in plain English, means browsing with intent and a debit card. I ordered a few “library books”, which were conveniently delivered right to my door. So now I can read the next chapter of “Klippies en Coke” without paying those hefty hotel prices.
A Gentle Ending to a Gentle Week
And that, more or less, was the week: a mix of marble and mucus, faith and flu, training and tea. Nothing wildly eventful, but sometimes calm is its own small luxury. Here’s to quiet weeks, delivered “library books,” and finding joy in simply catching one’s breath — preferably without coughing.
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