Tagged: Have You Ever...?

Hey friends,

I haven't been tagged in the longest of time, and was so delighted to have been tagged by Jowhara's Chamber. The original question goes:

"Have you ever . . . .?"

(X) Smoked a cigarette (way back in school..gasp gasp...do I hear my friends fainting in the background)
( ) Drank so much you threw up
( ) Crashed a friend's car
( ) Stolen a car
(X) Been in love ( yes, yes, and yes)
( ) Set yourself on fire
( ) Been dumped
( ) Shoplifted
( ) Quit your job
( ) Been in a fist fight
(X) Snuck out of your parent's house(don't we all...don't look at me as if I a criminal or something!)
( ) Been stabbed
(X) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back (no comments)
( ) Been arrested
( ) Gone on a blind date
(X) Lied to a friend
(X) Skipped school
(X) seen someone die
( ) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Been lost (worst was when I was about 8 and I got lost in Hamleys, the world's largest toystore...it was pure heaven for me at the time and didn't even realize my parents had forgotten me there for more than an hour!)
(X) Been on the opposite side of the country
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Felt like dying
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers (as well as doctor doctor)
( ) Recently coloured your hair
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose (all the time!)
( ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus (he even got me my present, which I later found out was a scam involving the school's secret conversation with my parents!)
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Made a bonfire on the beach
( ) Crashed a party
(X) Gone roller-skating
(X ) Ice-skating

So there you go. Some of you may know me on a more personal level now. Now, I will tag everyone you see on my Links section! You don't have to, but if you have the time, would love to see what you have to reveal about yourself.

Mansur

Reciprocation

Hey friends,

My sister and her best friend from university left for London yesterday afternoon. I had an incredible time with them showing them around Dubai, going to the beaches, Ski Dubai, shopping, eating out, sheesha among other activities. They were such a fun group of people to hang out with. On top of that, my other friends MA and NR joined us couple of times for dinner. All in all, it was an incredible time spent together, so much so, I will have to get into the details.

I knew I would be a little sad when I would come back home to find that no one is there. However, to my surprise, I saw something amazing in my home. All the mess that was there in my house, which I had anticipated I would clean up, was more or less cleaned up. The bed was made, linen folded, kitchen cleared up. However, the sweetest thing the girls had done was leave something on my dining table.

There was a such a sweet letter from my sister, and a black gift bag from her friend. I took about 15 minutes taking in the moment, and then decided to open the gift. They were so wonderful about it, and it made the moment all the more special when I least expected anything like this from them.

More on our awesome time later when I get the pictures!

Mansur

Who Am I?- updated

Hey friends,

Most of you may have received an email from me asking you to describe me in ONE word, and I want to thank you all for participating in this little game in which the main aim is to get to know me better. Below are the one words I received from you. This list helps me understand how other people view me, and what qualities I have. Funnily enough, I asked everyone to describe me in ONE word and no one came up with any negative ones, even though I kept the question vague. Without further ado, here is the list:

Cooperative
Unpretentious
Enigmatic
Brave
Innocuous
Caring
Witty
Candid
Knowledgable
Sincere
Honorable
"Bhola!"

Adorable
Trustworthy
Cute
Human
Correct
Honest
Searching



So there you go. It's a fun thing to do, and I urge you all to do it too. It helps to know who you are as a person and how others perceive you.

Mansur

Questionable Quotes

Hey friends,

I am starting up something which I have not yet seen anywhere. It's a series called QQ: Questionable Quotes! Too often we read or hear a quote and start thinking to ourselves how cool it is, or how applicable it is to our lives. However, there are some quotes which famous people have said but somewhat makes no sense to us. My goal through QQ is to understand those quotes, phrases, paragraphs which may seem easy on the mind but is actually questionable. To start us off, here is a quote by Karan Johar, from Koffee With Karan.

"Everyday is a lifetime when you are with a woman."

What kind of phrase is this?

Mansur

What Dessert Are You?

Hey friends,

SEE THE PICTURES OF DESSERTS FIRST, THEN READ ABOUT IT.



No cheating. If all of the desserts listed below were sitting in front of
you, which would you choose? Pick your dessert, then look to see what
Psychiatrists think about you!

OK - Now that you've made your choice, scroll down to see what research
says about you!

ANGEL FOOD CAKE ... Sweet, loving, cuddly. You love all warm and fuzzy
items. A little nutty at times. Sometimes you need an ice cream cone at the
end of the day. Others perceive you as being childlike and immature at
times.

BROWNIES... You are adventurous, love new ideas, are a champion of under
dogs and a slayer of dragons. When tempers flare up, you whip out your
sabre. You are always the oddball with a unique sense of humor and
direction. You tend to be very loyal.

LEMON MERINGUE... Smooth, sexy, & articulate with your hands, you are an
excellent after-dinner speaker and a good teacher. But don't try to walk
and chew gum at the same time. A bit of a diva at times, but you have many
friends.

VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING... Fun-loving, sassy, humorous. Not very
grounded in life; very indecisive and lack motivation. Everyone enjoys
being around you, but you are a practical joker. Others should be
cautious in making you mad. However, you are a friend for life.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE... Romantic, warm, loving. You care about other people
and can be counted on in a pinch. You tend to melt. You can be overly
emotional and annoying at times.

CHOCOLATE ON CHOCOLATE... Sexy; always ready to give and receive. Very
creative, adventurous, ambitious, and passionate. You can appear to have a
cold exterior but are warm on the inside.Not afraid to take chances. Will
not settle for anything average in life. Love to laugh.

ICE CREAM... You like sports, whether it be baseball, football, basketball,
or soccer. If you could, you would like to participate, but you enjoy
watching sports. You don't like to give up the remote control. You tend to
be self-centered and high maintenance.

CARROT CAKE... You are a very fun loving person, who likes to laugh. You
are fun to be with. People like to hang out with you. You are a very warm
hearted person and a little quirky at times. You have many loyal friends.


Well, I no doubt chose the chocolate on chocolate and was impressed what the psyhciatrists had to say for people like me. I am not to sure about the 'sexy' part though. But I do know some people think I have a cold exterior but in reality I am quite warm on the inside. I am creative, adventurous and not willing to settle for anything less than average in life.

Mansur

Busy weekend!

Hey everyone,

I am really excited. My sister and her best friend are visiting me here in Dubai from London. We have planned out a lot of things, namely tanning at the beaches, Ski Dubai, eating out, Karaoke Night, movies and of course Shopping!! I am the host so I will have to make sure they have a great time here. They will be staying at my place and I have cleaned it all up, just so they can come and mess it up and feel like at home! So, in other words, I will be really busy from tomorrow all the way through Monday night next week!

Mansur

Old Wives' Tales

Hey friend,

This is the first time I am blogging from work, and while I was cutting the humungous A1 size paper into smaller pieces, I accidentally cut the tip of my finger. Now, my instant reaction was to suck on it, instead of washing it or cleansing it. Why I did that, I don't know, but it's an impulsive reaction. Anytime there is a cut on my finger, I suck on it. It's something I have seen others do and so thought it must be effective. Plus it's a clever thing to do in public where you may not have access to tissue paper or wash room.

While I was sucking on it, I was instantly taken back to Jeddah, where at a party, one of the kids hurt herself. Another came up and told her to suck on the wound because you are taking in your own blood, thus avoiding any blood loss from your body. "What? How silly can you get?" I argued with her, but she was adamant that by sucking on your own blood, you are maintaining your quantity of blood. (So, like, if I suck on someone else's finger, will that blood be mixed in with mine or what?)

While on that topic, below are some of the more absurd old wives' tales I have heard over the years, and I wonder how much truth there is in each of these.

1. Anytime you cut yourself, either suck on it, or apply toothpaste.
2. Cleaning your teeth with your finger and toothpaste is more effective than a regular toothbrush.
3. Avoid drinking milk after eating fish to avoid developing white spots.
4. Anytime a cat or dog bites you, you need several injections in your stomach.
5. Eating almonds helps you keep your memory strong (my dad does this every morning!)
6. Biting your fingernails is like eating pork.
7. Using any perfume is not allowed because it has alcohol contents (I refuse to believe this one, but my cousin still strongly believes in this one till today!)
8. *For Men* Wearing briefs instead of boxers is not good for sperm production.
9. Carrots gives you amazing eyesight (yeah right!)
10. Never have lentils for dinner (someone told me this one, and I still don't understand the logic, hence the term Old Wives' Tales!)

Ok, so these are all I can come up at the spur of the moment. By the way, I once defied my grandfather and drank a whole glass of milk after eating tuna sandwiches just to prove to him you don't get white spots. I was being so bad.

Hey, do you guys know any more to add to the list?

Mansur

Movie :: Ice Age 2

My friend and I saw Ice Age 2 last night. It was a full house show, and we both had a good time, but now that I think about it a day later, I think it could have been much better. I am huge fan of computer animated movies, with Toy Story, Shrek, Monsters Inc. being some of my favorites. Of course they are not as warm as the hand drawn cartoons that Disney made so famous, but there is just so much more fun in watching these computer animated cartoons.

I wasn't a huge fan of Ice Age initially because it left me feeling, pardon the pun, cold. The characters were not those who I could relate to, and I was hoping I would warm up to them in their second outing. Well, I didn't entirely.

The basic plot goes like this: due to global warming, the ice caps are melting creating huge lakes everywhere, because of which the animals have to move to higher ground and get into the boat a la Noah's Ark to avoid being killed and eaten by the villainous vultures. That's the basic story line. It's very weak and very loosely held together. In between the wafer thin story, there is a parallel story of a squirrel who is on his hunt for this one nut which inevitably gets him into trouble each time he thinks he gets it. People were enjoying the squirrel story more than the main feature.



There are a lot of issues/ messages given out in this film, which at times felt was being forced on the audience: family first, stay true to who you are, realize your potential, live your dream, it's important to stay close to your friends even if they are different from you, importance of brotherhood, conquering your fears, and most importantly three cases of sacrificing yourself to save your friends.

The movie worked great as a series of small comedic sketches, but sadly, nothing connected all these funny clips together. I felt like I was watching 10 mins comedy clips and not a cohesive movie. Not a bad movie, but not a great movie either.

3 out 5.

Mansur

L'Oreal for Men

Hey friends,

I always have had the problem of dry skin. My skin on my face tends to become dry rather fast. Maybe it has something to do with living in a harsh, arid climate that my skin has become dry. I remember going to the doctor when I was in 10th grade, and he told me specifically that I have sensitive skin and that I need to moisturize it often. So, I started using Nivea cream. I never really tried anything else, and so for the past many years, i would just use Nivea each morning. Till I discovered something so amazing I felt like I had to tell all teh discerning men out there!

It's from the L'Oreal For Men series of products, and I bought the Hydrating Cream.



I just dab a little of the cream on each cheek and rub it in. Believe me, I feel it's on me for more than 24hours. My skin feels so moisturized and so smooth and fresh looking, so much so, one of my colleague asked me what I did to my skin because it's looking so fresh.

I am so pleased with this small cream. I am in love with it. It's powerful and it's effective. I will check out the rest of their range too. I usually don't delve in such products, but my loyalty has switched from Nivea to L'Oreal for Men now!

Has anyone else tried this out yet? Would love to hear from you too!

Mansur

My Mom's Father

Hello friends,

So I am back! Long story to tell you about my decision to leave and to come back, but more on that later.

I wanted to share this very poignat picture with you.



The minute I saw it, I felt such a strong emotion in me, I actually wept for my mom. It's my mom kneeling down at her father's grave in Kenya. You see, she lost her dad when she was only 13 years old, and she has shared the night of her life when she was in the hospital, knowing her father is dying on his bed. She and her family grew up in Kenya, in Nairobi and Mombassa, and they had a great life there, till the day her father passed away young. She has three brothers and four sisters, and she is the second youngest one.

She has shared with me so much about her dad, I feel like I have known him my whole life, despite not having seen him, except for one old black and white photograph. Sometimes I wish so badly I knew my mom's father because everyone talks so highly of him. He was a very respected gentleman in his days, very refined and proper.

My mom and dad recently got a chance to go to Kenya, and my mom took the oopportunity to visit her childhood home, which is still standing there. She went to the beaches where she and her friends would hang out. She relived her childhood, and every moment of her journey, she would call me up and share it with me. I sometimes wonder if maybe 30 years down the road if I will go through the same emotions if I visit Jeddah, and relive my childhood. Will it be the same for me?

In the meantime, I just look at this picture of my mom, and I see a daughter, looking at her father's grave. A child, who may be asking why her father had to die when she was only 13. I see a strong sense of a bond between them. Even if her father has left her, she continues to carry him in her heart. This moment at the grave has given her a chance to be at peace at heart that her father is in a better place.

Mansur

Song :: Sleeping With An Angel

hey friends,

another favorite songs of mine...not more so because of the latter part of the ylyrics but because of the message of finding that someone special in your life and realizing that you are not worthy of being up to their level. Sometimes we do so much in life we dont know where we went wrong and why and start to feel weird when something good happens.

.....

I've been around, been in the lost and found.
Then I found myself a new love.
Thought it was just one more night on the town.
Then I realized I realized

I'm sleeping with an angel.
She makes me feel so good.
Sleeping with an angel.
I didn't know I could.
But I've done too many wrongs, sung too many songs,
To be sleeping with an angel, sleeping with an angel.

I've been in love, and I've seen it all fall apart.
I hurt so bad, and I hurt somebody real bad.
I didn't think I could ever feel love again.

And in your eyes I see the light of a million candles burning bright,
And in your eyes I see the light of a million candles burning bright.
My mother and my father were divorced, my father remarried,
My mother died alone and so angry.
Sometimes I feel shell-shocked like I've been through a war.

Wicked Game

One of my favorite songs...means a lot to me because a certain female friend made me feel this way....

World was on fire, no-one could save me but you
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do
I'd never dreamed that I'd need somebody like you
No, I'd never dreamed that I'd need somebody like you
No, I don't wanna fall in love
this world is always gonna break your heart
No, I don't wanna fall in love
this world is always gonna break your heart
..with you
What a wicked game to play
To make me feel this way
What a wicked thing to do
To let me dream of you
What a wicked thing to say
You never felt this way
What a wicked thing you do
To make me dream of you
No, I don't wanna fall in love
this world is always gonna break your heart
No, I don't wanna fall in love
this world is always gonna break your heart
..with you
World was on fire, no-one could save me but you
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do
No, I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you
I'll never dream that I lose somebody like you, no
Now I wanna fall in love
This world is always gonna break your heart
Now I wanna fall in lust
This world is always gonna break your heart
..with you
Nobody loves no-one


.....


Mansur

Goodbye My Friend

Hello friends,

This is probably the hardest blog entry I have had to write. I wrote it last night, but then removed it, but then today morning, I felt like I absolutely had to do it. I have been contemplating a lot over whether I should continue to maintain my blog Life of Mansur or not, and those close to me know that I am going through a very bad period in my life at present. I don't even know where to begin to even start explaining why I feel Life of Mansur should end right now. I think I had reach my peaked sometimes at the end of last year. As I see the number of people visiting my blog drop faster and faster, I think I should have quit when I was at my peak. I don't know what I can do to maintain my base of readership. At one time 50+ people would visit it daily, now its dwindling down to the 20s.

Since I have also started my new job, I find it extremely difficult to maintain my blog the way I want to. Everyday I have new ideas and thoughts, but am just so tired to start writing it up here. I can do it in my hand written journal when I am commuting, but to actually get online and start typing up my thoughts can be cumbersome to me now.

I don't think I need to get into any further explanations as to why I am leaving my blog. As you all know, I have been obsessed with Blunt's songs in the last month or so, I feel like I can safely to my blog, "goodbye my friend, you have been the one for me!"

Take care you all, and thanks a million for being a part of a short-lived blog called Life of Mansur.

Mansur