#el khalifa

[filmap]

الأرض‎ / The Land Youssef Chahine. 1970

Mosque Al-Rifa'i Mosque, El-Refaey, El-Darb El-Ahmar, El Khalifa, Cairo Governorate 4292008, Egypt See in map

See in imdb

[krustykurmudgeon]

[emaadsidiki]

The stories are light.

[daeluin]

GO HERE IMMEDIATELY 👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾👆🏾

[thankonomics]

“Every year I create tons of material, most of which I never release. I figured it’s worth hearing and should be made available. Letting go of music I consider undone or not album worthy is an exercise in relieving the pressure I put on myself as a creative.” - Oddisee

[yourmoonie]

Manifested going to 🇦🇪 (Dubai and Abu Dhabi)

(A success story part 1/2)

Last year, I put Dubai on my vision board/manifestation list and let myself experience luxury in my imagination. I had no idea how I would make it to 🇦🇪 but I believed in my imagination better than anything.

Due to my SC being high and me knowing that I am VIP, I was also treated as a VIP wherever I went

Throughout 2023, I kept saying how much I deserved to be in Dubai, and well, in February of 2024, it got externalized in the best way possible.

I went through specific and very interesting circumstances, but in the beginning, I was faced with challenges, but of course, I persisted no matter what. Personally, I am very stubborn and don't accept "no" as an answer from my 3D.

Some things I was also able to manifest while in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

- free rides

- new connections

- free dinner

- gifts and discounts

- a free drink

- had 2 different places to stay for free (so I didn't pay for hotels)

- a free pass to the lost chamber aquarium (Atlantis the palm)

- saw Burj Khalifa + was in Dubai Mall etc etc

- the privilege to be inside the BAPS Hindu Mandir temple when many people weren't allowed to go inside. Also , the prime minister of India, the head of the entire BAPS temple, and the King of Abu Dhabi were all there that day

And many more

I am truly blessed to be living and experiencing all of these things

I am currently enjoying my other manifestation in Sharlm el Sheikh (again, a trip that I didn't need to pay for), but I will make a separate post about it

[episodes-ff]

Ryssa's Reading List🤍

Hello, my beautiful babies! Here is my long awaited Masterlist! While I do have these fics linked on my page, I know a lot of you are purely mobile so hope this helps! I'm linking my older work first, so if you're looking for newer items just scroll down... And if you steal my work, your mother is a gout footed, pimple pussy bitch. Enjoy!🥰🩷🌸

**Chance the Rapper OC**

One Chance (COMPLETED)

**Chris Brown OC**

Are You Loyal? (COMPLETED)

** Lil Bibby/Mychal Kendricks OC**

Life of a King: Trilogy (HIATUS)

**Armando Aretas/Terry Richmond OC**

This is my latest work so I will have all the chapters listed... (+) is for full throwback chapters, (*) is next to chapters that feature flashbacks so there's no confusion. LISTED IN POST ORDER!!!!

Hasta El Fuego 1. Bad Boys and Badder Girls* 2. Hasta El Fuego 3. Family Man 4. Line of Fire 5. Push* 6. Forevermore 7. Grateful Days 8. Please Please Please + Touched + Consequences 9. Perfect In Every Way 10. Winter Storms 11. Aftershock 12. Righteous or Wrong? 13. Can I Love On You?

**Short Stories**

These are all one offs with no planned sequels!!! Just about all of them are smutty so read with discretion!😘

His Deception (Lance Gross OC) Overnight (Wiz Khalifa x Amber Rose) Petals in the Moonlight (PND x Jhene Aiko) Fifty Shades of Loveless (Loveless Anime) Love at First Line (The Weekend OC) The Girl Next Door (Zendaya OC) Pull Up On Me, Baby (OC) Crimes of Passion (Beyonce OC) Delightful Dining (OC) Besties (OC) Strong Man (Armando x Terry OC) Good Girl (Megan Thee Stallion x Trevante Rhodes) The Brotherhood (Multifandom OC)

[dear-indies]

Hi & thank you for your help! I’m looking for a female faceclaim between the ages of 24-34 that has more of an edgy, badass, almost vampiric vibe to her rather than something cutesy.

FKA twigs (1988) African-Jamaican / White, possibly Egyptian - showed up for Mustafa's Artists for Aid Concert in London (Sudan and Gaza).

JuJu Chan (1989) Hongkonger - in Wu Assassins and Fistful of Vengeance.

Úrsula Corberó (1989) - in Money Heist and Snake Eyes.

Rina Sawayama (1990) Japanese - is bisexual and pansexual - has spoken up for Palestine!

Damaris Lewis (1990) Afro-Kittian - in Titans.

Sarah Kameela Impey (1991) Indo-Guyanese / White - in We are Lady Parts - has spoken up for Palestine!

Ruby Soho (1991)

Melisa Aslı Pamuk (1991) Turkish - has spoken up for Palestine!

Shotzi Blackheart (1992) Filipino and White.

Hari Nef (1992) Ashkenazi Jewish - is a trans woman - has spoken up for Palestine!

Abadon (1992)

Jessica Henwick (1992) Chinese Singaporean / White - in The Matrix.

Sky Ferreira (1992) Ojibwe, Cree, Chippewa Cree, Cheyenne, Brazilian of Portuguese and possibly other descent, Galician Jewish, Bukovina Jewish, White - singer and actress - has Chronic Lyme Disease.

Deb Never (1993) Korean - is gay.

Pınar Deniz (1993) Turkish [Lebanese] - has spoken up for Palestine!

Mina El Hammani (1993) Moroccan - has spoken up for Palestine!

Taylor Momsen (1993)

Jordan Alexander (1993) African-American and White - has spoken up for Palestine!

Mia Khalifa (1993) Lebanese - is bisexual - has spoken up for Palestine!

Zheani (1993)

Devery Jacobs (1993) Mohawk - is queer - has spoken up for Palestine!

Slick Woods (1993) African-American - is bisexual.

Dani Miller (1994)

Natasha Liu Bordizzo (1994) Chinese / White - in Ahsoka.

Lyrica Okano (1994) Japanese - in The Runaways.

Emma Dumont (1994) - in The Gifted.

Lily Sullivan (1994) - in Romper Stomper and Evil Dead Rise.

Coty Camacho (1995) Mixtec and Zapotec - is pansexual.

Kehlani (1995) Filipino, African-American, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Choctaw, Mexican, White - is a non-binary womxn and a lesbian (she/they) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Sasha Calle (1995) Colombian.

Adeline Rudolph (1995) Korean / German - in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Resident Evil.

Heather Baron-Gracie (1995)

Tati Gabrielle (1996) African-American, ¼ Korean.

Jasmine Sokko (1996) Chinese Singaporean.

Ruth Codd (1996) - is an amputee.

Emma Mackey (1996) - in Sex Education.

Rhea Ripley (1996)

Lauren Jauregui (1996) Cuban [Spanish, possibly other], likely some Basque - is bisexual - has spoken up for Palestine!

Mei Pang (1996) Malaysian-Chinese.

Kiana Ledé (1997) African-American, Swedish, Mexican, Cherokee - has spoken up for Palestine!

070 Shake (1997) Dominican - doesn’t like to put labels on her sexuality - has spoken up for Palestine!

Blair Lamora (1997) Ojibwe and Argentinian.

Sierra McCormick (1997)

Juliette Motamed (1997) Iranian - has spoken up for Palestine!

Ethel Cain (1998) - is a bisexual and trans woman - has spoken up for Palestine!

Andy Blossom (1998) Chinese.

Doechii (1998) African-American - is bisexual.

Brianne Tju (1998) Chinese / Indonesian.

Lauren Tsai (1998) Taiwanese / White.

Kenna Sharp (1999) - is a lesbian - ha spoken up for Palestine!

Baby Storme (2000) African-American.

Hope this helps!

[secular-jew]

According to Islam, Muhammad was the perfect human being. Maybe it's no wonder that so many adherents to his cult, have such an unhealthy, deeply troubling, and misogynistic relationships concerning women.

This is a fairly complete list of Muhammad's wives, girlfriends, sex slaves, and concubines.

1-Hatice

2-Sevde Bint Zem'an

3-Ayse, daughter of Abu Bakr

4-Hafsa, daughter of Omar

5-Zeynep, daughter of Huzeyme

6-Ummu Salama (Hine)

7-Juwayriya, daughter of Haris

8-Reyhane, daughter of Zayd

9-Zeynep Bint Jahs

10-Ummu Habiba, daughter of Abu Sufyan

11-Safiyya bint Huyayy (married Jewish princess), daughter of Huveyriya. The day before force-marrying Safiyya, his 11th official sex slave, Muhammd killed her husband, her father, grandfather, and all male relatives of her family.

12-Maymune, daughter of Haris

13-Marya Kibri, daughter of Sam

Muhammad's Concubines (Slaves) :

1-Bereke (Ummu Aymen)

2-Emetullah bint Ruzeyme

3-Hudre

4-Redva

5-Maymune, daughter of Sad

6-Ruzeyne

7-Selma (Ummu Rafi)

8-Marya (Ummu Rebab)

9-Marya (Ceddetu'l Musenna)

10-Ummu Iyas

11-Hawla (Ceddetu Hafs)

12-Meymune bint Abi Abis

13-Ummu Dumeyre

14-Ummu Ayas

15-Rebiha

16-Saibe

Women Muhammad married and later divorced:

1-Numan's daughter Esma

2-Qais's daughter Quiteyle

3-Esma or Seba (Sena) Bint Salt

4-Necdet's daughter Selma

5-Huzeyl's daughter Havla

6-Seraf bint Khalifa

7-Yezid's daughter Amre El-Gifariye

8-Yezid's daughter Hind El-Kitabiye

9-David's daughter Mileyke

10-Rufaa's daughter Nesatlsat

11-Kab's daughter Esma

12-Harith's daughter (Saire) Kuteyle

13-Amr's daughter Senba/Seyba/Sabiye

14-Cundup bin Dimre Jind's daughter

15-Serahil's daughter Imeyme (Binti Cevn)

16-Muawiyah's daughter Amre

17-Sufyan's daughter Seba (Sena)

18-Ummul Haram

19-Hakim's daughter Leyla

Women Muhammad took without paying the dowry:

1-Haris's daughter Meymune

2-Huzeyme's daughter Zeynep

3-Ummu Serik

4-Hakim's daughter Havle

Women Muhammad was betrothed to:

1-Amir's daughter Dubaa

2-Nuame Bel'anberi

3-Sahl's daughter Habibe Ansariye

4-Jamrah binti Haris bin Avf bin Kab bin Zabyan

5-Sevde Kiresiye

6-Besame's daughter Safiye

7-Ebu Talib's daughter Ummu Hani (Fagite)

Women that Muhammad could not marry for some reasons:

1-Abbas's daughter Ummu Habibe

2-Hamza's daughter Emame (Ammare)

3-Sister-in-law suggested to Muhammad

Muhammad's divorced wives:

1-Dahhak's daughter Fadime

2-Zabyan's daughter Aliye

3-Kab's daughter Mileyke

Excerpt from Arif Tekin's book Muhammad and the Wives of His Staff.

[everythingbap]

📲 r_seop Instagram update:

저의 첫 K-POP 타이틀곡 연출🎬 도와주신 모든분들 감사합니다!! 정신없이 파도치듯 제작했습니다. All glory to God Moon Jong Up - ‘TWIST YA’ MV CREDIT PRODUCTION | Ad.A @.ad.a_official STARRING | JONG UP MOON @.moonjongyeup DIRECTOR | RYUNSEOP, BOUQUET @.booquet PRODUCER | JASMIN @._sminnnn LINE PRODUCER | SEONA JEONG PRODUCER ASSISTANCE | YOUNG JOO KOH LINE PRODUCTION | GER PRODUCER | SOYOUNG PARK @.nessxap PRODUCER ASSISTANCE | MINJI KIM AD | JAMES CHOI, YEONHUN CHOE, SARAH EL-ALI VISUAL & STYLE DIRECTION | DAFTBOY @d.aftyob DOP | INSEOK JUNG @.dontgoyet FOCUS PULLER | YUNHWAN PARK @.oeenqm 2ND AC | JEONGWOONG CHOI 3RD AC | SEOUNGEUN KIM DIT | JUNGEUN LEE @.19971230_ GAFFER | SEONGILL LEE @.2gender1 1ST | MINCHEOL KIM 2ND | JAEJUN YU, WOOJIN SUNG, JONGSEUNG SONG 3RD | YUSUNG HAN, HYUNJUN LEE 4TH | SIYOUNG KIM, IKHYEON JO JIMMYJIB @.yeonhuidong_dalguzi OPERATOR | KITAE KIM 1ST | JUNGHYUN BING 2ND | JAESUNG LEE 3RD | HYUNGMIN KIM ART DIRECTOR | SEBIN LIM @.our_fourth.avenue , YOOONCHEI BANG @.batodeon ART TEAM | DOHOON SONG, YOONSEO BANG, MINHO LIM, SUNGJUN HONG ROBOT ARM MADE | LEE EUNSEO HAIR STYLIST | HOJIN LEE ASSISTANCE | YERI MAKE-UP | JAEIN HEO ASSISTANCE | JU YEON KIM EXTRA HAIR STYLIST | SEONGHEE JEONG EDIT | RYUNSEOP COLOUR & 2D | CAPRA @.capra.official.colour VFX | POKIN TULAPRAPRUT, NUTTAPUT TULAPRAPRUT @.guidddiii DANCER | GRACE, ILCHEON LEE, JAE HUN JUNG, SEONJIK CHAE, TAE UK PARK, YEON JIN CHO, JI YEON LEE, SUNG YEON JEON, ZU WON YI, JI MIN LEE, SUN BIN KIM, YE JIN CHOI, TAE YOUNG KIM, YE JI JEON, JUN HEE KIM, YO SEOP BYUN, SUN HYEON HWANG, CHAE RIN LEE, YE RAN MOON EXTRA | JUHO SHIN, KYU YOUNG KANG, SCILA SOFIA, LARA, NICOLE ALDAMA, TIM BASO, TITA, KENZA KHALIFA, SOPHIA G THANKS | SURGERY, SAMPLAS, KEEPUSWEIRD

[jartita-me-teneis]

El edificio más alto del mundo 😨🌎

El Burj Khalifa, situado en Dubái, Emiratos Árabes Unidos, ostenta el título de rascacielos más alto del mundo desde su inauguración en 2010. Con una altura de 828 metros y 163 pisos, este edificio, diseñado por la firma de arquitectura Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, es un referente de la arquitectura y la ingeniería modernas, utilizando una estructura que combina acero y concreto. Su construcción comenzó en 2004, con un costo aproximado de 1.5 mil millones de dólares. Además de ser un símbolo turístico, el Burj Khalifa alberga oficinas, residencias y el exclusivo hotel Armani.

[sojourner-between-worlds]

I finally did it. I finally organized my 5Ds playlist. If you saw the original post eons ago, some songs have been abandoned for this one, but, uh, I also added, like, 30 more. So. There's that.

Full track list, all 109 119 126 (currently) organized (roughly) by character under the cut. The first song of each section is linked for (slightly) easier navigation.

General - The Greatest Show - The Greatest Showman (Riding Duels) - NEW Go Big or Go Home - Sam Tinnesz feat. El Ray (Riding Duels) - Whatever It Takes - Imagine Dragons - Catalyst - Linkin Park (Satellite) - NEW Providence - Poor Man's Poison - Nerves - Icon for Hire (Satellite) - Land of Broken Dreams - Jonathan Young, feat Caleb Hyles (Satellite) - Round and Round - 3 Doors Down (City and Satellite) - Hero - Skillet - Lost and Found - Zack Hemsey (First two arcs in particular) - Witching Hour, feat. Brooke Griffith - Tommee Profitt (Dark Signers Arc) - This is War - Thirty Seconds to Mars - Here We Stand, feat. SVRCINA - Hidden Citizens - Ready Aim Fire - Imagine Dragons (Pre-WRGP-Ark Cradle arc) - Finish Line - Skillet (Specifically always makes me think of Jack pushing his runner during the WRGP, but... lol) - See You Again, feat. Charlie Puth - Wiz Khalifa (The final few episodes, as everyone is parting ways)

. . .

All Six Signers - Young - Hollywood Undead - NEW Pretty Lies - Written By Wolves - Renegades - ONE OK ROCK - Relate - for King & Country - We Are - ONE OK ROCK - Hey Brother - Avicii - Meet Me on the Battlefield - SVRCINA - Fight the Night - ONE OK ROCK - Answer the Call, feat. Claire Guerreso - Hidden Citizens - Saviors of the World - Skillet - Time To Go To War - Manafest x UNSECRET - Not Gonna Die (+Intro) - Skillet - We Won't Give Up - The Afters (I specifically associate this with the WRGP but) - NO-LIMIT - Fairy Tail OP25, English cover by AmaLee - Caught In the Fire, feat. Sam Tinnesz - Tommee Profitt - Strike Back - Fairy Tail OP16, English cover by NateWantsToBattle - Unleash the Power, feat. Sam Tinnesz and Rayelle - Tommee Profitt - Born For This - The Score - Lead the Way - Nathan Wagner

. . .

Yusei - Child of the Stars - Fish in a Bird Cage - Speechless - Aladdin, cover by Caleb Hyles (Specifically early FC arc) - Soldier, feat. Fluerie - Tommee Profitt - Fine - Mike Shinoda (DS arc) - Darkness Before the Dawn - Caleb Hyles, feat. Lacey Sturm (DS arc) - Believe in Myself - Fairy Tail OP21, English cover by NateWantsToBattle - Rise - Ashes Remain - Not Alone - Linkin Park (Arc Cradle) - If I Die Young - The Band Perry, cover by Sam Tsui - Where the Skies End - Starset - Can You See Me? - Krista Siegfrids (Second verse doesn't totally work but eh.) - The World You Want - Switchfoot - Shining A Light Over You - Gentle Sparrow (Post-series)

. . .

Jack - Kings - Tribe Society - Leave It All Behind - Cult to Follow (Pre-series-DS) - Vagabond, feat. FJORA - Tommee Proffit (Pre-series-DS) - Lost Souls - Nathan Wagner (Pre-series-DS) - From Now On - The Greatest Showman (Post Fortune Cup) - When I Was King - ONE OK ROCK (Post Fortune Cup) - Run Run Rebel - Hidden Citizens (Burning Soul arc)

. . .

Aki - Brick by Boring Brick - Paramore (Pre-series-DS) - Innocence - Nathan Wagner (Pre-series through mid-way Dark Signers) - Paper Crown - Alec Benjamin (Pre-series. Arguably ship-y but only if you watch the video, lol) - NEW Man or a Monster - Sam Tinnesz feat. Zayde Wolf - I Didn't Ask For This - Beth J Crowley (Pre-series through-DS) - Monster - Beth Crowley (Pre-series through Fortune Cup) - Demons - Icon for Hire - I Want To Live - Skillet - Masayume Chasing - Fairy Tail OP15, English cover by AmaLee - Surviving the Game - Skillet - Unbreakable - Fireflight

. . .

Rua/Leo - Pretender - AJR - Battle Symphony - Linkin Park - The Chosen One - Smash Into Pieces - Something Big - Shawn Mendes - Prove - ONE OK ROCK - Children of the Sky - Imagine Dragons (Kinda all of them but heavy focus on Rua/Leo) - Cool Kids - Echosmith (Rua and Ruka/Leo and Luna; fits better in this spot even though its still for both of them)

. . .

Other Assorted Characters - Fight Song - Rachel Platten (Ruka/Luna) - Counting Stars - OneRepublic (Crow) - A Shot in the Dark - Smash into Pieces (Crow) - Far From Home, feat. Sam Tinnesz - Tommee Profitt (Crow, Dark Signers arc) - Higher - The Score (Crow) - Memories - Maroon 5 (Bruno, or rather the others about him)

. . .

Kiryu/Kalin - NEW Go the Distance (Villain Version) - Caleb Hyles - Watching As I Fall - Mike Shinoda (Pre-series) - Monster - Fight the Fade (End of Team Satisfaction) - Hell's Comin' With Me - Poor Mans Poison - All Eyes on You - Smash Into Pieces (Crashtown arc) - Face to Face - Citizen Soldier (Crashtown arc)

. . .

Villains - World So Cold - 12 Stones - Monster Made of Memories - Citizen Soldier (Dark Signers) - Feed the Machine - Poor Mans Poison (Rex Godwin) - How Villains Are Made - Madalen Duke (Pretty much all of them, but specifically Godwin and Z-ONE) - NEW The Villain - Nathan Wagner (All of them) - With You Til the End, feat. Sam Tinnesz - Tommee Profitt (Z-ONE et al) - Last Survivor, feat. Nilka - Unsecret (Z-ONE) - The Sound of Silence - Disturbed (Z-ONE) - Cold World - RED (Z-ONE) - SCAVA - Hollywood Undead (Z-ONE et al)

. . .

Combinations - Mad World - Tears for Fears, cover by Smash into Pieces (An odd combo: Pre-series Kiryu/Kalin and Aki) - Ready As I'll Ever Be - Tangled: the Series (Signers vs Dark Signers. I feel like this one needs a breakdown but only upon request, lol.) - Hold On For Your Life, feat. Sam Tinnesz - Tommee Profitt (Yusei vs Kiryu/Kalin; Jack vs Carly) - It Had To Be You (Dark Version) - Tommee Profitt x Tiffany Ashton (Jack vs Carly and Yusei vs Kiryu/Kalin) - Battle Scars - Paradise Fears (Team 5Ds and Team Taiyo) - Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush, metal cover by Jonathan Young and Caleb Hyles (Aporia and Team Ragnarok) -The Antihero vs The Hero - Nathan Wagner (Z-ONE et al and Yusei)

- Where We Rise - Neoni (Jack and Yusei) - No Limits - Zayde Wolf (Yusei and Jack) - Who I Am - Citizen Soldier (Yusei and Aki) - This Is Me - The Greatest Showman (Fortune Cup Yusei and Aki. I wish I could use the movie version solely for what’s going on in the background at one point but the only video has ridiculously quiet audio...) - Collide - Skillet (Yusei and Aki, FC-DS arcs) - Wake Up - Smash into Pieces (Jack and Aki, pre-series) - Running Away from Home - Smash Into Pieces (Jack and Aki) - Already Over - Mike Shinoda (Jack and Aki) - Alive - Daughtry (Yusei, Jack, Crow, Aki) - The Musician - 14th Melody (D.Gray-man OP), English cover by AmaLee and Andy Stein (Yusei, Jack, Crow, Aki) - Brother - Kodaline (Yusei, Jack, Crow) - Save You, feat. Redlight King - Manafest (Yusei, Jack, and Crow) - Hall of Fame - The Script (Jack, Crow, Rua/Leo; post-series)

. . .

Ships - Still Worth Fighting For - My Darkest Days (JackxCarly) - Angel With a Shotgun - The Cab (JackxCarly) - Stolas Sings (Owl in a Cage) - Helluva Boss [Sam Haft], cover by Caleb Hyles (One-sided JackxCarly) - Bleeding Out - Imagine Dragons (JackxCarly, specifically Carly as a DS and their duel) - Slip Away - Ruelle (JackxCarly, specifically their duel in the DS arc) - Counting On Me (Acoustic Version) - Smash into Pieces (JackxCarly, DS arc) - NEW The Only Thing Left - Vincent Lima (Both) - If You Fall - UNDREAM & Brad Arthur (YuseixAki) - Better Than One - The Score (In my head, YuseixAki, but any really) - Monsters - Katie Sky (YuseixAki. Could absolutely be interpreted platonically too imo.) - I Found the Answer in You - Loving Caliber (YuseixAki)

[zef-zef]

Salah Ragab And The Cairo Jazz Band - Ramadan In Space Time from: Salah Ragab And The Cairo Jazz Band - Egyptian Jazz (Art Yard, 2006)

[Salah Ragab accompanied Sun Ra on a tour in Egypt, Greece, France and Spain in 1984.]

recorded in Heliopolis Egypt between 1968 and 1973

Salah Ragab - Conductor, Piano, Drums, Congas El Saied El Aydy, Farouk El Sayed - Alto Saxophone Abdel Hakim El Zamel - Baritone Saxophone Moohy El Din Osman - Bass Abdel Atey Farag - Bass Trombone Mohammad Abdel Rahman - Bass Tuba Sayed Ramadan - Bongos, Drums [Ramadan - Baza] Sayed Sharkawy - Drums Abdel Hamd Abdel Ghaffar (Toto) - Ney [Bamboo Nay] Khmis El Khouly - Piano Fathy Abdel Salam - Tenor Saxophone Saied Salama - Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone El Sayeed Dahroug, Mahmoud Ayoub, Sadeek BasyounyTrombone Ibrahim Wagby, Khalifa El Samman, Mohammed Abdoe - Trumpet Zaky Osman - Trumpet, Flute

[leregirenga]

“¿La diferencia entre mente y corazón? La mente te dirá lo más inteligente que puedes hacer, el corazón te dirá lo que harás de todos modos”.

Wiz Khalifa

[bu1410]

Good morning TUMBLR - March 7th - 2024

''Mr. Plant has owed me a shoe since July 5, 1971."

Ch. VIII - 1985- 1989 - Bahrain - Part 1

The 25 km King Fahd causeway that links Saudi Arabia to Bahrain.

Manama, the modern capital of Bahrain.

Bahrain desert - the Tree of Life

Bahrain life

GPIC - Gulf Petrochemical Complex - Sitra Island, Bahrain

The winter between December 1984 and January 1985 was particularly harsh in Italy, characterized by increasingly lower temperatures. Between 13 and 17 January 1985, a depression centered on the Corsican Sea caused what is still remembered in Milan today as the snowfall of the century or the snowfall of '85, constituting the heaviest snowfall recorded in Milan in the 20th century. The snowfall caused serious damage. After four days of real storm, January 17th 1985 the Sports Hall collapsed in Milan due to the excessive weight of the snow that had accumulated on the roof. In this certainly not festive atmosphere, I received a call from an engineering company in Milan, INTECH, an already a supplier of services to SNAMPROGETTI, with whom I soon agreed to leave for Bahrain.

From the SNAMPROGETTI office in San Donato, the Head of HR office Mr. Cincotta reassured me:  ''It's a temporary destination, just a few months, waiting that construction of new Agadir International Airport will start … don't worry…'' I stayed there for 4 years…….

Mind you, not that I minded: Bahrain was a liveable place (drinkable, in the language of shipbuilders) especially because it also allowed families to reach the employees involved in the project. I then left at the beginning of March 1984, with a flight via Kuwait. I arrived at Manama airport and believe it or not there was someone waiting for me! A local guy holding a board with my name written on it almost correctly: Brino Sirino….

Bahrain is a small Emirate in the Persian Gulf (Kaleejj el Arabi) made up of a main island and a myriad of uninhabited islets. It is the ''poorest'' Gulf state, relative to its surrounding neighbors. Above all, Saudi Arabia provides the Emirate with considerable economic aid as the ruling house of Bahrain, like the Al Saud, is of the Sunni faith, in spite to a majority Shiite population The Saudis would never allow a Shiite regime to be established 25 km from the Saudi coast with the approval of the ''Great Enemy'' Iran. And then Bahrain was a sort of ''playground'' for Saudis looking for entertainment just outside their front door. This therefore explains the reason for the economic support to Bahrain by the Saudis. For instance, one of the largest oil well in Saudi waters has always been exploited for free by the Bahraini oil industry. The construction of the 23 km long bridge that connects Saudi Arabia to the island of Bahrain was financed by the Saudis. The free sale of alcohol in Manama by shops managed by a company belonging to the ruling Bahraini family is another concession aimed at helping the Emir Al Khalifa's coffers. In 1986, shortly before the opening of the Dahran – Manama bridge to traffic, King Fahad proposed to the Emir Sheik Eissa the prohibition of alcohol sale, promising to compensate the Emir for the lost earnings: an offer returned to the sender. On top of all this, about 50% of the Southern territory of the island of Bahrain is off limits, due to the largest naval base leased to the US in the Gulf. However, Manama has since then been a modern city, full of skyscrapers, luxury hotels and shopping centres.

AWALI I was housed in Awali, a village of wooden houses built by the Americans of Caltex in 1939, when the first refinery in Bahrain (and the entire Persian Gulf) was built. Someone later told me that around 1942 some Italian planes departing from a base in Egypt tried to bomb the refinery, which produced fuel for the English army. Not having enough fuel to guarantee the return, the planes dropped their bombs into the sea just before the island of Bahrain, and aborted the mission. The village of Awali is located almost in the center of the main island of Bahrain, and its wooden houses are reminiscent of those from the Lassie TV series in every way, including anti-mosquito doors. The houses are 2 and 4 bedrooms, with a large living-dining room, kitchen and two bathrooms. I was assigned to a small 4 bedroom house, but when I got there I was the only occupant. The village also had a club with a partially covered swimming pool (to prevent the summer sun from making the water too hot) and tennis courts, to which we had free access.

RONCI ATHOS A few days after my arrival, around 3.00 AM, I heard some noises: the sound of a car stopping, doors slamming, and than someone throwing something (I than saw that it was suitcases…) inside the house. , on the wooden floor. Then the door of my room suddenly open, and someone said:  Are you asleep?  Before you arrived I was asleep…….  However...... - says the guy - I'm not going to stay here…….tomorrow I'll talk to the HR and then I'll see .....  Okay…. I say…. do as you like but let me sleep now….

For the record, Mr. Ronci Athos – Umbrian from Narni – was still there in 1993, in the place that 8 years earlier he had said he would leave as soon as possible….

THE PROJECT Our client was called GPIC - Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company - a mixed Bahraini, Saudi and Kuwaiti capital company - and was part of the economic aid package from the rich Gulf countries to the ''poor'' relative of Bahrain. Later, at the time of the commissioning and start up of the plants - we would have transformed the acronym into Gruppo Pensionati Italiani Comerint, given the average age of the people that the then company 'ENI had sent to proceed with the commissioning of the plants. The project was in its final phase, and was directed by none other than the P.I. Manoli Benito Italo. Bahrain would be his last construction site personally managing, before becoming Director of the CSO Service of SNAMPROGETTI. The works were even ahead of schedule, so SNAMPROGETTI enjoyed a lot of credit with the Client. Upon delivery of the plant, the Client gifted an extra bonus of 4 million dollars to SNAMPROGETTI for its performance. The credit was than canceled in 1990, during the first Gulf War. GPIC invited SNAMPROGETTI, BECHTEL and UHUDE to provide an initial feasibility study for a urea plant to be built alongside the existing ammonia and methanol plants. BECHTEL replied that she was not interested, SNAMPROGETTI sent a fax requesting an advance of 11,000 USD for the preliminary study. The Germans from HUDE, sensing the deal, in the midst of the Gulf War, sent a representative to Bahrain to discuss the possibility of building the urea plant. In 1992 the belated SANMPROGETTI envoy to Manama was detained at the entrance gate of the plant for a couple of hours, only to be informed that GPIC had officially commissioned UHUDE with the preliminary study.

COMMISSIONING & START UP The long phase of pre-commissioning, commissioning and start-up of the plants soon began. Which were built on a so-called reclaimed land (an artificial island) created by dredging the shallow seabed, characteristic of the Bahraini island. The artificial island - equipped for safety reasons with an outer gate and an inner gate - was connected to the mainland by a causeaway approximately 3 kilometers long, and a second causeaway joined the island to the loading arms of the products, 10 kilometers further into the sea. This is to allow ships to carry out loading operations in complete safety, without the risk of running aground in the shallow seabed. There were many wrecks of ships stranded along the channel dug by the open sea up to the port of Manama - this much to the happiness of the divers, given that the wrecks had been transformed into sanctuaries of Persian Gulf tropical fish. However, I must say a word to describe the characters who are part of the commissioning – start up. These particular people, who believe they are a sort of ''NASA scientists'' intent on launching the SPACE SHUTTLE into space. As soon as they arrived at site their aim was: ''Okay, get rid of Construction people, we're here now''. The fact is that, apart from 3 or 4 of them who really knew what they were doing and were experts in the difficult process of putting the plants into operation (very dangerous indeed) all the others followed suit: ''they claimed to know'' and the less they knew, the more they pretended they were knewing. I met someone who, as soon as they heard someone approaching, started to talk about chemical formulas, operating pressures, and so on, just to put on airs. In any case, within 3 months the start up team had managed to get the two plants up and running, even if the (rhetorical) question that was circulating was - Did you make the methanol?'' ''no…I didn't…So who did it?? No one knows.... ''

Tawfeeq Mohammed Rasul Almansoor - GPIC President The President of GPIC, however, did not seem entirely satisfied, and he demonstrated it with a series of actions that were surprising to say the least. One day Mr. Tawfiq arrived at high speed at the outer gate driving his metallic blue Rolls Royce. The presence of smat guy on the guard post prevented him from ending up against the bars at the outer check point.

Mr Tawfiq continued on the causeway at full speed and the inner gate guard, warned by radio by his colleague at the outer gate, promptly raised the bars. The President's Rolls entered the area of the Administrative offices, where he finally stopped. Tawfiq got out of the car in a rage, and ordered the Security Chief who met him to organize a meeting within 15 minutes. Participants in addition to him were the Security Chef, the Director of COMERINT and the Security Advisor. We mortals later learned that the Security Chef – an British guy, former officer in Hes Majesty's army, had been fired on the spot – Reason given by Mr. Tawifiq:

''Two gates were opened for me and I was able to drive my car into the plant – and this was because at the sight of my Rolls Royce the guards thought I was driving the car. What if he was a terrorist? What if I suddenly went crazy and wanted to attack the plant? What if I had been kidnapped by terrorists who were hiding in the car filled with explosives??'' (I remember that the Rolls Royce was equipped with tinted mirror windows which did not allow anyone to see who was driving the car.) A few days later, a second episode, again with Mr. Tawifiq as absolute protagonist. He had gone between the Main Control Room and Plant Laboratory, in a fairly hidden corner of the plant, and had broken the glass of one of the fire alarms that send a signal to the Fire Department control room. He than set off the stopwatch on his Rolex Platinum Diamond Pearlmaster to see how long it would take for the firefighters to arrive. After 11 interminable minutes - I would like to point out that the Fire Station was about 700 meters from the place where Mr. Tawfiq was stationed - the firefighters arrived to find that it was a false alarm. Again an urgent meeting was called, where this time the HSE manager lost his job. The reason for such a delay – which according to Tawfiq could have led to a disaster in the event of a real fire – was that on the synoptic panel of the fire brigade control room it was not possible to identify precisely where the alarm had went off. Just a week after the episode of the false fire, the start-up of the plants had been successfuly done. The plant was even proding more ammonia and methanol than expected, around 1,200 tons per day per product, instead of the 1,000 tons expected. But many of the ''COMERINT Pensioners'' who had participated in the commissioning were still circulating in the plant. As they say in Southern Italy, ''they were mugging''. Obviously COMERINT was looking for all the plausible excuses to keep them in service, given the daily rates with which they were invoiced to the Customer. (an average of $1,200/day per person). The situation between COMERINT and GPIC had become very tense, with daily requests from the latter to demobilize the technicians. One day Tawfiq lost patience, and went to the Main Control Room - still dressed in the traditional white disdasha, ghutra on his head, he surprised a swarm of Italians having coffee, talking about football, playing on the computer. Tawfiq, who had been taken like an ordinary local, turned to the bystanders waving his arms in the Arab manner and said:  ''What is this? Coffee shop''?  The shift manager, at that moment sitting on the desk with a cup of coffee in his hand and his legs dangling, stood up and in a benevolent manner, took Tawfiq by the arm (a very serious mistake as per Arab habits) pointed to a door at the end of the corridor and told him :  Shouff (look) coffee shop for Arab is there, at the end of corridor – accompanying it all with a laugh. Tawifiq, according to bystanders, didn't show any sign of upset - he left the Control Room, called the Italian Director on the phone. Mr Fiorentino, COMERINT top manager. Mr Tawfiq ordered that all those present at the unfortunate episode were boarded on the first plane to Italy. The offices in the North wing of the Control Room were closed until further notice. But where the President of GPIC gave his best was at the final meeting with Construction Director Benito Italo Manoli and the entire SAMPROGETTI staff present. During the meeting, numbers of questions were raised which mainly concerned the safety of the systems. At a certain point Mr. Tawfiq turned directly to the Italian Doctor Mr. Busonero asking :  Doctor, in case of explosion of one or more tanks of ammonia or methanol, either due to a terrorist attack, or due to an accident, what could be the consequences?

Dead silence in the meeting room… gazes of all those present frantically crossing each other… Mr. Manoli trying to communicate via brain waves with Doct. Busonero, while coughs and noises of chairs moving rang out in the room…. ..and finally the Doctor, red in the face and with drops of sweat running down his forehead (despite the air conditioning being set to 19 degrees C – Tawfiq's favorite temperature) Doct. Busonero replied: - Well…Mr. Tawifiq…with a prevailing wind from the South-East to the North-West, the inhabitants of Manama would have from 7 to 10 minutes to recommend each one's soul to God…''

It was freezing in the meeting room, no one said a word, everyone was waiting for the President's counter-reply. Tawfiq stood up and nodded to Mr. Manoli who followed him into President's private office. The next day there was no trace of Doct. Busonero. We learned that he had been put on a plane to Rome before midnight, the deadline that Tawfiq had indicated to Mr. Manoli. Contrary, Doct. Busonero would have been arrested for telling the truth.

[shitalunya6x9shitugal]

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