Yesterday, I had to wake up early as I had to accompany my eldest son to the hospital who was due for an operation. He developed an epidermal cyst on his right thigh which alarmed me and my wife. Thank God that it looked harmless to the doctor although she said it has to be removed just the same. We will know for sure as soon as the result of the biopsy comes out.
So, with nothing to do, I bought a newspaper, tried doing the sudoku and the crossword puzzles, when both cannot be finished (had to redo the sudoku on another paper at home as I used ballpen which cannot be erased) I read the paper which as usual contained news on the MILF and the GSIS vs. Meralco. What struck me was that it also contained a story on the 15 richest monarchs in the world as covered by Forbes Magazine. It turns out that the king of Thailand is the richest with a net worth of $35 billion and the king of Swaziland as number 15 with $200 million. The list is as follows:
1. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Thailand - 80 yrs. old) $35 billion
2. Sheikh Kalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan - (UAE, 60 yrs old) $23 billion
3. King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Arabia, 84 yrs old) $21 billion
4. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (Brunei, 62 yrs. old) $20 billion
5. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid (Al Maktoum Dubai - 58 yrs. old) $18 billion
6. Prince Hans-Adam von und zu Liechtenstein (Liechtenstein, 63 yrs. old)$5 billion
7. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (Qatar, 56 yrs. old) $2 billion
8. King Mohammed VI (Morocco, 46 yrs. old) $1.5 billion
9. Prince Albert II (Monaco, 50 yrs. old) $1.4 billion
10. Sultan Qaboos bin Said (Oman, 67 yrs. old) $1.1 billion
11. Prince Karim Al Hussein (Aga Khan, 71 yrs. old) $1 billion
12. Queen Elizabeth II (UK, 82 yrs. old) $650 million
13. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (Kuwait, 79 yrs. old) $500 million
14. Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard (Netherlands, 70 yrs. old) $300 million
15. King Maswati III (Swaziland, 40 yrs. old) $200 million
Looking at the list, my wife, exasperated just looking at the list said, "samantalang tayo, utang yan" (we may have that much although in the form of debt). Come to think about it. How much does the country owe now? Maybe we can get these guys to donate a billion, each?
What piqued my interest is that it seems that these guys really had it good in life. What did they do to deserve this vast wealth? Why are they so special? I am sure they also eat for sustenance, go to the toilet to relieve themselves, cater to the same human needs. My only consolation is that knowing that they are human beings like me, they also have their own problems. Maybe even more. Kings have been assassinated even by their own blood, solely because of the power and the money they have. Maybe the real monarch who thinks about the common man, works just as hard to keep his nation afloat, and that is not an easy job. Who knows? All I know is that I am contented with my family, a small house on a small piece of land I call my own (well as soon as I have paid the mortgage completely, hehe) afford a few luxuries in life. And that is all I prayed for. So I will always work hard and stay poor.
12 comments:
As far as I'm concerned, they can have all that wealth and power. I enjoy the life of a private citizen who can go to any place I want to go at any time of my choosing. I can do such thing without having to worry about some nut wanting to assassinate or murder me. They can have all their billions and/or millions but one thing I have that they don't have is freedom.
Oh NO, operation! I hope all turns out well. Health is wealth after all!
I feel like throwing up every time I read about people with so much money. I don't envy them but I sure feel very bad about the millions of poor people in this world who barely have a single decent meal a day. Where is the Great Equalizer?
Tito Rolly, those on the list are the very few lucky individuals on this planet born to such dizzying wealth. They didnt have to work for it. But we wouldnt know if they are really happy with what they have. They're like born and living in springtime all the time without ever knowing winter, that they couldn't possibly know the joy spring brings.
Somebody once said, wealth is relative. It is a state of mind. He that has less wealth but wants less is richer than one who has much and wants more.
Ka Rolly, Christina Onassis, Grace Kelly and other. They are born rich or married to riches yet they weren't happy. A lot of these rich people put up an image of happiness and contentment but deep down inside they are prisoners of their wealth.
well, my King is 4th...hahaha. He is a good person as we know him there. Mabait yan saka ayaw ng gulo. That's why the country is peaceful.
perhaps in the next life I will be a true queen, hahahaha. ngayon reyna ng banyera.
according to my stars, i will work hard to earn my keep. kahit bingo, wala akong suerte dyan. :(
ah, some people have all the luck in the world!
anyway, i am happy for what i have. :)
Tito Rolly, I'd still go for the happiness that a close-knit family brings. Yun hindi mawawala ... ang pera pwedeng nakawin.
I hope your son gets well soon.
panaderos Oh yes, freedom is something we enjoy. These guys cannot just go to any place as we can.
tintin I hope nothing complicated happens with his operation. Thanks
bertn My thoughts exactly. Wait till you get that forwarded mail showing the opulence of the king of Zimbabwe's house. Tremendous.
siu Very profound. Nice
blogusvox I think you gave good examples
ipanema And that is what's more important. You being happy and contented with what you have.
bugsy Exactly.
siguro mas praning ang mga isip nila ngayon dahil sa takot na may pumatay sa kanila at mawala lahat ng kayamanan nila sa mundong ito. unlike sa tulad nating simple lang ang buhay. applicable pa rin diyan ang lahat ng sobra ay masama.
Ka Rolly, I passed a blog award to you. You may claim it here.
i think we're much happier than them.. mas masarap yung pinaghirapan ang pera na binubuhay natin sa family natin.
get well soon po sa anak nyo.
marami ka namang kaibigan bossing na pwedeng utangan.
at katulad ng sinabi ni bert tawa marcelo, mayroon tayong san miguel beer na pwede namang utangin.
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