Tuesday, March 24, 2009

What's Going On

I have received several comments from different people saying that they have a hard time opening the blog , or posting comments . Rosebud had this to say about it ....
"
There are two main reasons the posts are not getting to you. 1. When the reader pushes the, "Post Comment" button the message does not always go through with the first try. Readers: Make sure there are no red letters after you push the button. If there are red letters then try again. 2. Your spam filter is catching the posts of the readers. Check your spam filter every once in a while."

While Khadijateri says this ....
"
When ever I look at your blog my pop-up blocker has to block something from ziddu.com - I think it's something that you have added to your sidebar. If you remove it it might make commenting easier. This ziddu thing it trying to install malware or a virus I think. This is one of the reasons I use a feed reader and not look at actual blogs. Unfortunately it means I don't comment very often (because of the risks of the pop-ups etc).

Just letting you know.

Ok , here is what I think , Rosebud is correct in saying that each individual needs to check their spam blocker . As for what Khadijateri has written , I have checked for the ziddu.com and couldn't find the gadget that has this attached . Sorry .If any of you know which gadget this is attached to , please let me know so I can remove it , ok ? I hope this helps any of you having difficultys commenting or opening the blog .

I have been on a hiatus of sorts this last week or so due to 2 funerals in the family. The 1st one was my brother- in- laws wife's father that passed away from a massive stroke unexpectedly . He was a older man that hadn't been ill , so that was a shock to his family . He left behind 2 wives with their own children and house holds .It is strange to imagine 2 separate funerals being held for the same man in 2 different places at the same time by 2 separate families isn't it .

I felt so sorry for their loss and also for the man himself .Because he had 2 different homes , with 2 different families, his body was taken to EACH house for one last time before burial . They carried his body all over town before he was buried . And the cost of the 2 separate funerals . WOW ! Plus the man was originally from a small coastal town outside of Tripoli , so all his relatives that came to town for his funeral were forced to go to each wife's home to pay their last respects to them and the children .So, they were going all over town too .

The second funeral was for a well love cousin .This was over the week end and up until today it continues .She had asthma and was ill with it off and on but we all knew this . Sometimes she would have to be hospitalized for treatment but never for long .On days like we had last week when it was so dusty , it was hard for her to breath. Sometimes this lead to a chest infection , which is what had happened to her last week .

She was feeling bad and having breathing difficulty's and felt the need to go see the doctor . She did and he told her she had a chest infection that needed a injection of anti biotic"s to give her immediate relief , along with a breathing treatment . She said ok , but I can't have penicillin . I am allergic to it . When the injection came she asked what the medicine was and was told it was penicillin . She told them not to give it to her because of her allergies and they told her not to worry about it . She argued with them over it but they gave it to her anyway .

She went home to her elderly mother that is a stroke victim. She cares for all her alone , along with running the house hold, and watching out for a younger brother that isn't married , who still lives at home too . She started to feel ill . Her blood pressure shot up to unbelievable high levels , while at the same time her sugar levels dropped to "0" . Her body went into shock .

She placed a call to her brother to rush home from work , which he did .She told her mother that she knew she was dieing . That she wanted to die at home , not in a hospital. She was so very sorry for having to leave her mother all alone in the world with out her to care for her any more. To please forgive her . The brother made it home at that time and rushed her to the hospital anyway, but it was too late . She passed away .

This woman was what we call here the soul and heart of the family . She was truly a kind hearted woman . She loved all children and cared for her mother with a devotion that is hard to find now a days . I don't think there is a child in the family that didn't love her .Or she them . Her leaving has left a hole in the family .The whole 1st 3 days of the funeral most everyone was in a state of shock .

People from everywhere came for her funeral . She was a teacher, so the whole school came , students and all their families too . Plus the whole tribe . Since she was a double cousin, both sides of the family was there . People were there that I hadn't seen since we moved out of our house to the Condo .

Strange to say this but it was nice to see everyone after such a long time, even in these sad circumstances . This funeral was a little different from the average funeral here in Libya .For one thing , they served sweets one afternoon . They were her favorite sweets and they wanted the people to have them in her memory .I had always said I wanted that at my funeral also . Then another thing they did was to cook some of her favorite foods , instead of the normal food they cook for funerals . That was nice too .

One other thing they did for her that I had only read about from long , long ago but had never seen in all my years here in Libya was they draped her coffin in a pink national covering that a bride might wear , since she had never married . They also made the noise that women do at weddings when a bride comes into the room . I don't know how to describe the sound but it is made by moving the tongue quickly back and forth in the mouth while making this high pitched sound .You might have heard it in a movie if you are not a Arab and don't know what I am talking about .Anyway , they did this sound when they brought her body into the house and again when they took her out to bury her , as if she was a bride . This was considered as a wedding day honor for her , because she never had the chance to marry .I thought this was much nicer than the normal screaming and yelling that is sometimes done at funerals here . As a matter of fact there wasn't that much actual crying come to think of it . More sadness and shock than any other thing .

New topic ..... I have been told that there is a new import tax on ALL IMPORTED GOODS here in Libya .It is 10% on ALL IMPORTED GOODS . That is almost every single thing you can think of from medicines , to clothing , to house hold cleaners.I am not too sure as to whom pays this tax , if it is the individual person that pays when making any purchase , or if it is a tax placed on the merchandise when it is taken out of the port ( maybe /and /or both ?), in addition to any other taxes in place already . But whatever , this will mean that things are going up in price . The cost of a pro-pain tank of cooking gas has gone up more than 2x what it was before . Along with a 20 piaster increase in the price of gasoline at the gas pumps .I don't know how large families or the poor are managing to stay afloat anymore , things are getting so expensive here . And Just wait until Ramadan comes in August , which is the time when the merchants up their prices normally annually .

Oh , I nearly forgot to tell you ..... at the funeral I was sitting with some of the uncles wives that I haven't seen in several years catching up on family news . The topic of my granddaughters in the STATES came up and what their names where .One is named Sophia and that is a Arabic name . They approved of that one . Though it was beautiful . The second granddaughter was given my middle name .

It is Gail . It is a English name and they wanted to know if she was Muslim , why wasn't her name Muslim also . I said because she was a American , born there and that was why . There isn't a letter "G" in Arabic . It is hard
for most Arabs to pronounced .So , I was pronouncing it a little differently than it is really said , to make it easier for them to say . Well, one aunt sat and thought it over for a while as we sat talking .She looked at me and asked me ,doesn't your name have a meaning? At 1st , I was stumped as to what she meant , then I remembered the word "Gale" that sounds the same as my name but does mean" a strong windy storm" , like a hurricane . So , I asked her was that what she was thinking of and she said yes . She translated that to the other aunts . Well .... they loved the idea of my granddaughter being named " Osseefa ". They said she must be just like her grandmother , a real Osseefa !

5 comments:

Iman said...

I just have to comment quickly before I forget...how is it that the cousin didnt fight the injection she was allergic to? I cant imagine this...surely she knew it would kill her--or at least make her ill? And what abt the person who gave it to her--needs to be brought up on murder charges! I know it's Libya which is probably a lot like Egypt in that little could be done via the courts but you can damn well bet if it happened to anyone I know...there would be some private and anonymous SERIOUS ass-kicking, if not worse. I cant understand this!

on the edge said...

I haven't had the opportunity to ask the brother those ?'s yet . I am wondering the same thing .At the VERY LEAST the doctor should be made to go to jail for sometime for a deep reflection on patient's rights , huh ?

Rose Bud said...

This makes me angry a senseless death and no justice to be served.

Iman said...

Oh God! I know it's qadr Allah but I still cant fathom it! Someone seriously needs to be held responsible. Please update if there's any more news. This is going to bother me for a long, long time!

Khedegah said...

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon.We belong to Allah and to him we return.

Asalom Alai Kom wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatoo dear Ukhti,
I am really saddened by your loss sister. Such a hard and sad end. But yes the funeral was very nice sister.
My Du Ahs are for your Family sister.
Ma Saloma
Khedegah xxxx