Hey friends,
Someone sent me this email with the title Islamic pick up lines. I was certainly amazed that someone came up with this list. A lot of them I have read before in mass forwarded emails, and Islamic words have been substituted into them. Some of the words are Arabic/ Urdu words, and I am assuming some Pakistani guy/ girl came up with this list. Let me know what you think about it!
Mansur
1. I'm looking for the "Made In Jannah" tag
2. Are those legs halal?
3.OMG!! I just saw part of your hair, now your obligated to marry me..
4. Wanna pray in jamaat? shoulder to shoulder, feet to feet?"
5.wanna date? i bought a whole box when i went to madinah"
6. Marry me so I don't have to lower my gaze everytime you walk into the room..
7. Girl you fine, I see that praying 5 times a day has really payed off
8. Girl when i saw you i said mashallah, then i said inshallah
9. Would you like to help me wake up for Fajr?
10. Are you a Shiite? Because when I saw you, I said to myself, "She aiight"
11.You’re so fine, I wanna marry you, get 10 kids with you and pray domestic jamaah for the rest of our lives.
12. "U thief. u know, its wrong to steal in islam""how am i a thief?""u stole my heart"
13. Are your feet tired? Because you've been performing Tawaaf in my mind all day long?
14. How would you like to help me fulfill half of my deen?
15. "Nice ankles. Very nice"
16. Girl...I know its haraam "paying" so much "interest" in you...but I can't help myself...17.wanna ride shotgun on my camel?
18.Girl you fine, TAKBEER
19. Girl you're so hot, you make Shaytan sweat.
20. You are the noor of my eyes.
21. Hey do you want to pray together? Should I call you or Nudge you?
22.Your face shines with so much noor that it could launch a thousand (Jihadi) ships
23. Have your ammi call my ammi
24. You are the reason hijab was mandated.
25. You are the coolness of my eyes.
26. I didn't trip over my robe, I fell for you.
27. You're so beautiful, You would make hur-al-ayn jealous.
28. I have some sort of sickness but Allah*swt* has created a cure, thats you.
29. Sister, I'm not drunk, just intoxicated by you.
30. Any cup of water that you pour for me will taste like Zam Zam.
31. The noor on your face is soo strong, I think I'm going to go blind!
32. "Hey I'm a nice muslim boy and you seem like a nice muslim girl, so what do you say we make a halal match?"
32.Allah created everything in pairs, so what are you doing single?
33.Sister For a moment I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Now I see that I am very much alive, and heaven has been brought to me.
34.Our parents engaged us when we were little, they must have forgotten to tell you.
35.I'd like to be more than just your brother in Islam.
36.To watch you pray is a sin of its own.
37.Will my platinum VISA cover your dowry?
38.You can't play basketball with a hijab on, marry me, and we will go one-on-one our entire life. 39. Muslims are supposed to have many children, and I am willing to do my part...
40. Will you help the cause of the Ummah by helping me fulfill my deen?
41.What school of thought do you follow because I thought about you all through school.
42.Do you believe in the hereafter? Oh you do? Then you know what I'm hereafter.
43.It must be Laylatul Qadr. Because that's the night that angels come down from Heaven.
44.I've had to fast every day since the day that I first saw you.
45.I must have died a shaheed and gone to heaven because you are my 72 virgins all in one.
46.I know Halal meat does a body good, but damn, how much you been eatin.
47.Would you like to share my prayer-mat?
48.I'm not sure of the Nikah process. Can you help me through it?
49.I just made dua for YOU
50.I think I just lost my wudu by the sight of you.
51. I'm not staring, I'm just enjoying my first and only allowed look.
52.Sister, you are a hijabi fitnah.
53.I'm new here, can you take me to the closest masjid?
54.You make me realise why we're asked to lower our gaze so much
55.I love the way your Abaya flows when you walk
56.I dont need mahr...YOU are my mahr
57.Do u remember me?...from the alam al-arwah?
58.Is it me or is it getting a lil halal in here?
59.Assalamu alaikum, so what time does a hur al-ayn like you have to be back in paradise?
60.Black is definately your color.
61.Girl if lookin at u is gunnah then i don't want to get any sawab
62."I hope everything I can't see is as hot as everything I can see."
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Blogger's Block
Hello friends,
In case you are wondering where I am, I have a case of Blogger's Block. Don't know what to write.
Mansur
In case you are wondering where I am, I have a case of Blogger's Block. Don't know what to write.
Mansur
Movie:: Disturbia
Hey,
I just saw a movie that I totally fell in love with: Disturbia. Disturbia is, for those with proper movie knowledge, an updated version of Hitchcock's classic Rear Window, where the protagonist is home-bound in his wheelchair because of his lg injury, and gets to see what's happening in his neighbors homes. Disturbia puts its main protagonist under home arrest for an entire three months. Seems like a dream come true for many, but now for Kale. Kale bides his time playing games, surfing the net, watching tv and pigging out, but then is drawn to his new neighbor hottie who just moved in next door. Using his binoculars, he spies on her, and eventually begins to spies in on his neighbor, including several kids who secretly watch porn on their tv and a neighbor who seems morose.
A series of events leads Kale to believe that there is s serial killer living next door, but who will believe him till he has evidence. So he gets his best friend Roland, and eventually the new hottie girl on the block in his shenanigans. One things to lead to another, where all three are convinced that the next door neighbor is a serial killer. But then it turns out to be a case of misunderstanding.
Is Kale really imagining thing having been inside the house for weeks? Or is there really a serial killer next door? I won't spoil the answers, because I think the movie needs to be seen to truly appreciate the concept. This movie is a heavy dose of psychological-thriller-suspense movie with a lot of unintended humour.
Disturbia also poses a serious question about society. When does a simple observation becomes an act of voyeurism? Is people-watching voyeurism? Is it wrong to watch into the neighbor's house, even if there seems to be a murder going on? Disturbia poses all these questions, and in today's age when everyone seems to be hooked onto YouTube, maybe we all have a voyeuristic tendency in us after all.
Mansur
I just saw a movie that I totally fell in love with: Disturbia. Disturbia is, for those with proper movie knowledge, an updated version of Hitchcock's classic Rear Window, where the protagonist is home-bound in his wheelchair because of his lg injury, and gets to see what's happening in his neighbors homes. Disturbia puts its main protagonist under home arrest for an entire three months. Seems like a dream come true for many, but now for Kale. Kale bides his time playing games, surfing the net, watching tv and pigging out, but then is drawn to his new neighbor hottie who just moved in next door. Using his binoculars, he spies on her, and eventually begins to spies in on his neighbor, including several kids who secretly watch porn on their tv and a neighbor who seems morose.
A series of events leads Kale to believe that there is s serial killer living next door, but who will believe him till he has evidence. So he gets his best friend Roland, and eventually the new hottie girl on the block in his shenanigans. One things to lead to another, where all three are convinced that the next door neighbor is a serial killer. But then it turns out to be a case of misunderstanding.
Is Kale really imagining thing having been inside the house for weeks? Or is there really a serial killer next door? I won't spoil the answers, because I think the movie needs to be seen to truly appreciate the concept. This movie is a heavy dose of psychological-thriller-suspense movie with a lot of unintended humour.
Disturbia also poses a serious question about society. When does a simple observation becomes an act of voyeurism? Is people-watching voyeurism? Is it wrong to watch into the neighbor's house, even if there seems to be a murder going on? Disturbia poses all these questions, and in today's age when everyone seems to be hooked onto YouTube, maybe we all have a voyeuristic tendency in us after all.
Mansur
Movie:: The Reaping
Hello friends,
Saw two movies within the last one week. One I really enjoyed, the other I somewhat enjoyed. Let's look at the one I didn't enjoy as much as I wanted to: The Reaping.
The Reaping is a Christian-Horror movie, something that I haven't seen for a long time. The premise of the movie sounded promising, and the suspense and build-up was amazing. The Reaping stars Hilary Swank (of Boys Dont Cry and Million Dollar Baby Oscars fame) as an ex-missionary, who now works as a professor who debunks religious miracles and explains them in scientific terms. I saw a little bit of myself in her, as I also like to look into all other possible scientific explanations of anything that claims to be a religious miracale. However, our heroine is called down to a small town in Loisiana, in the heart of the Bible Belt region to investigate a series of what the townspeople deem Biblical plagues, which includes river turning red with blood, locusts infection, boils and other plagues.
Our heroine is accompanied by her co-worker who is a strong Christian and has suffered for his faith, and yet does so in this small town. While investigating the river of blood, our heroine encounters a small girl, who is shunned by the townspeople. Certain events lead for our heroine to reassess her decision to renouce her faith, and seeks answers for the bizarre happenings around her. How she comes to term with her own disastrous history regarding faith forms the crux of the story. It's a great movie, but the ending was a let down. It turns into a typical Hollywood movie.
The direction is ace, with a very realistic feeling to the whole series of events. The suspense was top notch, with certain scary scenes (which freaked a friend of mine!), but like I said, the ending was a total wash-out and should have maintained a sense of realism for this movie to be truly creepy.
I give it a 3.5 out of 5.
I also have to wonder why a two-time Oscar for best actress has to work in movies like this...why aren't people giving her good scripts work with?
Mansur
Saw two movies within the last one week. One I really enjoyed, the other I somewhat enjoyed. Let's look at the one I didn't enjoy as much as I wanted to: The Reaping.
The Reaping is a Christian-Horror movie, something that I haven't seen for a long time. The premise of the movie sounded promising, and the suspense and build-up was amazing. The Reaping stars Hilary Swank (of Boys Dont Cry and Million Dollar Baby Oscars fame) as an ex-missionary, who now works as a professor who debunks religious miracles and explains them in scientific terms. I saw a little bit of myself in her, as I also like to look into all other possible scientific explanations of anything that claims to be a religious miracale. However, our heroine is called down to a small town in Loisiana, in the heart of the Bible Belt region to investigate a series of what the townspeople deem Biblical plagues, which includes river turning red with blood, locusts infection, boils and other plagues.
Our heroine is accompanied by her co-worker who is a strong Christian and has suffered for his faith, and yet does so in this small town. While investigating the river of blood, our heroine encounters a small girl, who is shunned by the townspeople. Certain events lead for our heroine to reassess her decision to renouce her faith, and seeks answers for the bizarre happenings around her. How she comes to term with her own disastrous history regarding faith forms the crux of the story. It's a great movie, but the ending was a let down. It turns into a typical Hollywood movie.
The direction is ace, with a very realistic feeling to the whole series of events. The suspense was top notch, with certain scary scenes (which freaked a friend of mine!), but like I said, the ending was a total wash-out and should have maintained a sense of realism for this movie to be truly creepy.
I give it a 3.5 out of 5.
I also have to wonder why a two-time Oscar for best actress has to work in movies like this...why aren't people giving her good scripts work with?
Mansur
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Flat Handover...Finally!
Hello friends,
So finally I got the keys to my apartments in International City yesterday. I was so over joyed I called up my friend and we went to see the apartment together. Nakheel had a last minute change and decided to switch the initial building with this new one, and for once I am thankful they did that, because now, my apartment is two floors higher and it's right in the middle of the Italy section, which is good because it's facing a very open space with a massive roundabout soon to be filled with greenery.
The apartment look really nice, pretty much like what I had before in Sharjah, but this was a tad bit better. There are built in wardrobes, and there is an opening in the wall between the kitchen and the lounge, creating a more open space. I love the size of it and the cosiness factor. Now, all I have to do is start moving and furnishing it my own way.
Because this apartment, and the studio apartment are in my name, I can do with them whatsoever I please. I will surely rent out the studio apartment and live in the 1 bed room apartment. I am hoping to move there in about a week's time. About time I got out of Meadows!
Mansur
So finally I got the keys to my apartments in International City yesterday. I was so over joyed I called up my friend and we went to see the apartment together. Nakheel had a last minute change and decided to switch the initial building with this new one, and for once I am thankful they did that, because now, my apartment is two floors higher and it's right in the middle of the Italy section, which is good because it's facing a very open space with a massive roundabout soon to be filled with greenery.
The apartment look really nice, pretty much like what I had before in Sharjah, but this was a tad bit better. There are built in wardrobes, and there is an opening in the wall between the kitchen and the lounge, creating a more open space. I love the size of it and the cosiness factor. Now, all I have to do is start moving and furnishing it my own way.
Because this apartment, and the studio apartment are in my name, I can do with them whatsoever I please. I will surely rent out the studio apartment and live in the 1 bed room apartment. I am hoping to move there in about a week's time. About time I got out of Meadows!
Mansur
Monday, April 23, 2007
Hugs For All
Hello friends,
Of late, I have been feeling like doing one thing I have been meaning to do for the longest of time: give hugs. I need to start giving hugs to people and start a chain reaction of people hugging each other. I think it's the best way, the most silent way, to express your feeling for someone. I want to hug the poor beggar on the street to let him he is not unworthy and that I acnowledge his presence. I want to hug the taxi driver, to let him know that I can understand his frustrations as he drives in the madness traffic here. I want to hug the tea boy at the office place who is having a bad day and let him know it's all right. I want to hug the cashier at McDonalds who just had a shouting from her boss. I want to hug people all around me because I know how a random hug from a stranger can make you feel. We live today in times where it's frowned upon for a man to express his feelings in any way or form to anyone else. But I want to break that stereotype and let people know it's all right for a guy to hug another person, be it a guy or a girl.
Today, as I was getting my paperwork done at the Dubai Traffic Department, a very kind, young local woman did very efficient paperwork for me. I so appreciated her ability to do things timely, and efficiently and diligently, I wanted to give her a hug. But she was covered from head to toe in her black abaya, and had only slit openings for eyes to peer out. It would have been wrong for me to hug her, but I wanted to let her know I appreciate her work. lol.
Hugs to you all,
Mansur
Of late, I have been feeling like doing one thing I have been meaning to do for the longest of time: give hugs. I need to start giving hugs to people and start a chain reaction of people hugging each other. I think it's the best way, the most silent way, to express your feeling for someone. I want to hug the poor beggar on the street to let him he is not unworthy and that I acnowledge his presence. I want to hug the taxi driver, to let him know that I can understand his frustrations as he drives in the madness traffic here. I want to hug the tea boy at the office place who is having a bad day and let him know it's all right. I want to hug the cashier at McDonalds who just had a shouting from her boss. I want to hug people all around me because I know how a random hug from a stranger can make you feel. We live today in times where it's frowned upon for a man to express his feelings in any way or form to anyone else. But I want to break that stereotype and let people know it's all right for a guy to hug another person, be it a guy or a girl.
Today, as I was getting my paperwork done at the Dubai Traffic Department, a very kind, young local woman did very efficient paperwork for me. I so appreciated her ability to do things timely, and efficiently and diligently, I wanted to give her a hug. But she was covered from head to toe in her black abaya, and had only slit openings for eyes to peer out. It would have been wrong for me to hug her, but I wanted to let her know I appreciate her work. lol.
Hugs to you all,
Mansur
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Facebook!
Hey friends,
A friend all the way in the States encouraged me to join Facebook. I was always hesitant, as I was with Orkut and didn't intend to create any profile. I was skeptical of joining yet another online profile community, but upon her insistence, I made a profile, and slowly started adding my family and relative members, as well as friends I grew up in Saudi with. Then I added a blogger friend. Then I added another friend from my high school. Then my class pictures were posted up from as early as grade 6. Surprisingly, I found three friends from there who were on Facebook, and I managed to get in touch with them. I even heard back from them. It certainly is a great feeling to re-connect with old friends and to see how they are doing and what they are upto. It's also a great thing to see what they look like now.
Facebook is a great tool to re-connect with old friends, and to stay in a more regular contact with your new friends too. It's also a faster, more convenient method of staying in frequent touch with each other. So my friend, the one who encouraged me to join Facebook, thanks! You know who you are! And in the same my friend encouraged me, I will encourage you to join Facebook too and stay in touch with me and others!
Mansur
A friend all the way in the States encouraged me to join Facebook. I was always hesitant, as I was with Orkut and didn't intend to create any profile. I was skeptical of joining yet another online profile community, but upon her insistence, I made a profile, and slowly started adding my family and relative members, as well as friends I grew up in Saudi with. Then I added a blogger friend. Then I added another friend from my high school. Then my class pictures were posted up from as early as grade 6. Surprisingly, I found three friends from there who were on Facebook, and I managed to get in touch with them. I even heard back from them. It certainly is a great feeling to re-connect with old friends and to see how they are doing and what they are upto. It's also a great thing to see what they look like now.
Facebook is a great tool to re-connect with old friends, and to stay in a more regular contact with your new friends too. It's also a faster, more convenient method of staying in frequent touch with each other. So my friend, the one who encouraged me to join Facebook, thanks! You know who you are! And in the same my friend encouraged me, I will encourage you to join Facebook too and stay in touch with me and others!
Mansur
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Drama:: It is so if you say so!
Hey friends,
Last night, a bunch of us went to see a drama performed by the students of American University of Dubai. It was held at the Mall of the Emirates auditorium, and it was my first time in there. Quite impressive I must say. In fact, it's the first time I was going to a theatre inside a mall. The play's called It Is So If You Say So, which is adapted from Luigi Pirandello's "Right You Are If You Think You Are."
A lot of us were confused in the beginning as to what was happening in the play. It was only after the drama when we picked up the booklet and read through it that we understood what it was all about. This is play is one of those play where there are abstract meanings and profound statements. Not everything was meant to be literal, but each character and scene was supposed to represent something larger than life.
The basic synopsis focuses on a family (mother in law, son in law and wife), who arrive in a new town searching for success, but their mysterious ways intrigue the townspeople. The son in law keeps the wife and mother in law separate from each other, and so the only way they communicate is through letters. The rest of the drama follows on the relationship between the son in law with the mother in law, and the son in law with his wife. There is a lot of ambiguity and mysteriousness, but everything is revealed towards the end, where there is a massive twist.
My understanding of the drama.
The author of the original drama loved writing about "identity issues," because his own life was filled with people with identity crisis, including his own wife who "suffered mental breakdown." This encouraged the author to epxlore the issues regarding the "problems of identity, the ambiguity of truth and reality" and thereby focused on the idea of "who am I?" and "what is real?"
So, the drama last night aimed to bring that idea of identitiy crisis to the Middle East, and in particular to Dubai, where we have a vast melting pot of different nationalities. Like the booklet says, "Dubai, while a true melting pot, seems to have a lot of indirect segregation going on between the communities that dwell in it. Only through openness and fosusing on what brings us all together can the social fabric of this city develop into a real community."
Point being: everyone who comes into the city of Dubai is forced to seek out an identity amidst the hustle and bustle, and people around you have general stereotypes about who you should be and what you should be. I find that happen to me a lot. Many people are surprised when I tell them I am from Pakistan, because they have a certain conception of what a Pakistani should look like. It is in the midst of a vibrant city like Dubai where we are forced to carve out an identity for ourselves, otherwise we would be just another face in the crowd.
Also, one of the central concept of the author works is "naked masks" which refers to the "social roles," and on the stage, "the dialectic relationship between the actor and the character portrayed."
All righty, I am outta here. I hope to get to see more interesting dramas like this one. The acting was superb, the music and lighting was effective, and knowing this drama was performed by students, it was a job well done.
Mansur
Last night, a bunch of us went to see a drama performed by the students of American University of Dubai. It was held at the Mall of the Emirates auditorium, and it was my first time in there. Quite impressive I must say. In fact, it's the first time I was going to a theatre inside a mall. The play's called It Is So If You Say So, which is adapted from Luigi Pirandello's "Right You Are If You Think You Are."
A lot of us were confused in the beginning as to what was happening in the play. It was only after the drama when we picked up the booklet and read through it that we understood what it was all about. This is play is one of those play where there are abstract meanings and profound statements. Not everything was meant to be literal, but each character and scene was supposed to represent something larger than life.
The basic synopsis focuses on a family (mother in law, son in law and wife), who arrive in a new town searching for success, but their mysterious ways intrigue the townspeople. The son in law keeps the wife and mother in law separate from each other, and so the only way they communicate is through letters. The rest of the drama follows on the relationship between the son in law with the mother in law, and the son in law with his wife. There is a lot of ambiguity and mysteriousness, but everything is revealed towards the end, where there is a massive twist.
My understanding of the drama.
The author of the original drama loved writing about "identity issues," because his own life was filled with people with identity crisis, including his own wife who "suffered mental breakdown." This encouraged the author to epxlore the issues regarding the "problems of identity, the ambiguity of truth and reality" and thereby focused on the idea of "who am I?" and "what is real?"
So, the drama last night aimed to bring that idea of identitiy crisis to the Middle East, and in particular to Dubai, where we have a vast melting pot of different nationalities. Like the booklet says, "Dubai, while a true melting pot, seems to have a lot of indirect segregation going on between the communities that dwell in it. Only through openness and fosusing on what brings us all together can the social fabric of this city develop into a real community."
Point being: everyone who comes into the city of Dubai is forced to seek out an identity amidst the hustle and bustle, and people around you have general stereotypes about who you should be and what you should be. I find that happen to me a lot. Many people are surprised when I tell them I am from Pakistan, because they have a certain conception of what a Pakistani should look like. It is in the midst of a vibrant city like Dubai where we are forced to carve out an identity for ourselves, otherwise we would be just another face in the crowd.
Also, one of the central concept of the author works is "naked masks" which refers to the "social roles," and on the stage, "the dialectic relationship between the actor and the character portrayed."
All righty, I am outta here. I hope to get to see more interesting dramas like this one. The acting was superb, the music and lighting was effective, and knowing this drama was performed by students, it was a job well done.
Mansur
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Movie:: Provoked
Hey guys,
Last night we saw Provoked, starring Aishwarya Rai and Naveen Andrews (Sayid from Lost) I was not willing to go see this movie because of its nature (domestice abuse-- and tend to avoid movies dealing with such issues) but in a peculiar way, I was glad I went to see this one.
Ash plays Kiranjeet Ahluwalia, a Punjabi girl who comes to England having married her husband. Two kids later, all seems hunky dory for Kiran till that fateful night when her husband is burnt in his bed. Kiran is arrested and charged with attempted manslaughter and sent to prison. In prison, like the movie's tagline says, Kiran found her freedom.
There are a lot of good things going on for this movie.
1. Aishwarya did a very commendable job getting into the character and her transformation from a timid woman to a brave woman with her new found freedom was credible. This is the type of movie Aishwarya can excel in and not Dhoom 2 type movies. Her acting was controlled, under-stated and effective. We feel for her through every step of her way.
2. The supporting cast also excel in their own little ways, expecialy Radha and Ronnie.
3. The simplicity of the film made it all the more effective, as it was not filled with Hollywood cliches with over-powering orchestral music in every scene to highlight whatever emotions there are. The treatment of this movie is very much like Dead Man Walking.
4. My favorite thing in the movie was the 'parallelism' that ran throughout to show Kiran's life in home and prison, for example, when she steps into the prison cell for the first time, we intercut to her flashback of stepping into her new home as a married woman. In another case, when she is being served a meal in prison, we see her kids eating lunch at home. I loved this direction!
I would give this movie a 4 out of 5 only because I think the character of the husband was demonized. We don't know why he acts the way he acts. He was not human enough to gain any sympathy from us, but then again, this movie is based on a true story on this woman and it's her side of the story.
Mansur
Last night we saw Provoked, starring Aishwarya Rai and Naveen Andrews (Sayid from Lost) I was not willing to go see this movie because of its nature (domestice abuse-- and tend to avoid movies dealing with such issues) but in a peculiar way, I was glad I went to see this one.
Ash plays Kiranjeet Ahluwalia, a Punjabi girl who comes to England having married her husband. Two kids later, all seems hunky dory for Kiran till that fateful night when her husband is burnt in his bed. Kiran is arrested and charged with attempted manslaughter and sent to prison. In prison, like the movie's tagline says, Kiran found her freedom.
There are a lot of good things going on for this movie.
1. Aishwarya did a very commendable job getting into the character and her transformation from a timid woman to a brave woman with her new found freedom was credible. This is the type of movie Aishwarya can excel in and not Dhoom 2 type movies. Her acting was controlled, under-stated and effective. We feel for her through every step of her way.
2. The supporting cast also excel in their own little ways, expecialy Radha and Ronnie.
3. The simplicity of the film made it all the more effective, as it was not filled with Hollywood cliches with over-powering orchestral music in every scene to highlight whatever emotions there are. The treatment of this movie is very much like Dead Man Walking.
4. My favorite thing in the movie was the 'parallelism' that ran throughout to show Kiran's life in home and prison, for example, when she steps into the prison cell for the first time, we intercut to her flashback of stepping into her new home as a married woman. In another case, when she is being served a meal in prison, we see her kids eating lunch at home. I loved this direction!
I would give this movie a 4 out of 5 only because I think the character of the husband was demonized. We don't know why he acts the way he acts. He was not human enough to gain any sympathy from us, but then again, this movie is based on a true story on this woman and it's her side of the story.
Mansur
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Paulo Coelho's The Witch of Portobello
Hello friends,
So there were about 400 or so people at the Paulo Coelho's latest book signing of The Witch of Portobello. I managed to get there a bit late, and I was person number 292. The organizers were spreading the news that Paulo will only sign personally the first 200 people who were standing in line and they will aso get a chance to meet him personally, and the people following the 200 will get only a signed copy from him. I didn't mind that because I had met Paulo personally, shook his hands and took a picture with him at Borders on Oxford street in London for the signing of his book Eleven Minutes.
I was still very excited about his new book and to get a signed copy. While I was standing there, I happened to see a family I knew, and they asked me to join them, and so I got bumped up about 30 people ahead, which was a blessing because as we came to the entrance of the bookshops, there were only a handful of tickets left to get the signed books. I thanked my heavenly stars, and I managed to get the new book signed, complete with the tshirt, pen, and a 30dhs discount voucher from Magrudys. I started reading the book the minute I got home, and I am almost half way through. It's really exciting and fun to read it. I am deliberately trying to slow myself down now so I can enjoy reading it for the longest time possible.
I have read all of his other books, except for The Zahir, and my favortie one is Veronika Decides to Die, because that book was given to me by a friend when I was on the brink of suicide. That book made me re-evaluate my life and knocked some sense into my head about trying to kill myself.
I will post up the pictures and review of the book once I am done.
On a more different note, as I was driving in the morning, I was listening to Channel 4 fm, and a competition came up. Listeners had to call in to win The Departed dvd, but you had to be the 4th caller. I didn't bother, but then I did call. "Hello, whom am I speaking to?" "This is Mansur." " Do you know you have to be the 4th caller to win?" "Oh yes, and I am hoping hard I am the 4th one!" "Well, Mansur, I have to inform you that you are indeed the 4th one!!!!"
For the first time ever in Dubai, I have actually won something-- even if its a dvd of a movie with 4 Oscars and one I havent seen-- I still won something!!!!
Mansur
So there were about 400 or so people at the Paulo Coelho's latest book signing of The Witch of Portobello. I managed to get there a bit late, and I was person number 292. The organizers were spreading the news that Paulo will only sign personally the first 200 people who were standing in line and they will aso get a chance to meet him personally, and the people following the 200 will get only a signed copy from him. I didn't mind that because I had met Paulo personally, shook his hands and took a picture with him at Borders on Oxford street in London for the signing of his book Eleven Minutes.
I was still very excited about his new book and to get a signed copy. While I was standing there, I happened to see a family I knew, and they asked me to join them, and so I got bumped up about 30 people ahead, which was a blessing because as we came to the entrance of the bookshops, there were only a handful of tickets left to get the signed books. I thanked my heavenly stars, and I managed to get the new book signed, complete with the tshirt, pen, and a 30dhs discount voucher from Magrudys. I started reading the book the minute I got home, and I am almost half way through. It's really exciting and fun to read it. I am deliberately trying to slow myself down now so I can enjoy reading it for the longest time possible.
I have read all of his other books, except for The Zahir, and my favortie one is Veronika Decides to Die, because that book was given to me by a friend when I was on the brink of suicide. That book made me re-evaluate my life and knocked some sense into my head about trying to kill myself.
I will post up the pictures and review of the book once I am done.
On a more different note, as I was driving in the morning, I was listening to Channel 4 fm, and a competition came up. Listeners had to call in to win The Departed dvd, but you had to be the 4th caller. I didn't bother, but then I did call. "Hello, whom am I speaking to?" "This is Mansur." " Do you know you have to be the 4th caller to win?" "Oh yes, and I am hoping hard I am the 4th one!" "Well, Mansur, I have to inform you that you are indeed the 4th one!!!!"
For the first time ever in Dubai, I have actually won something-- even if its a dvd of a movie with 4 Oscars and one I havent seen-- I still won something!!!!
Mansur
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Wild Wadi
Hey everyone,
Yesterday a bunch of us went to Wild Wadi, the amazing water park right here in Dubai. I guess when you don't have a proper theme park in Dubai with roller coasters and all, Wild Wadi isn't a bad option. We spent the entire day there, from 11am to 730pm, and time just flew by so fast. Our favorites were:
1. Sliding down the highest and fastest free-fall slide (outside of US), which literally makes you feel like you are flying off the slide since you experience weightlessness for a second or two!
2. Standing beneath the massive bucket of water that is poured down on the 20 or so people!
3. The lazy river, on which you are merely floating along, and suddenly a wave comes from behind you sending you along the river faster.
4. The Tunnel of Doom-- screaming all the way in pitch black tunnel!
It's a lot of fun when you are hanging out with a good group of friends. We are looking to do something fun of a similiar nature next time around.
Oh, by the way, Paulo Coelho is in town for the signing of his new book The With of Portobello, which is about this orphan who is taken in by a Lebanese Christian family, and then the civil war breaks out, thereby forcing the orphan to come to Dubai. Should be an interesting book, since I am a huge fan of his books.
Cheers!
Mansur
Yesterday a bunch of us went to Wild Wadi, the amazing water park right here in Dubai. I guess when you don't have a proper theme park in Dubai with roller coasters and all, Wild Wadi isn't a bad option. We spent the entire day there, from 11am to 730pm, and time just flew by so fast. Our favorites were:
1. Sliding down the highest and fastest free-fall slide (outside of US), which literally makes you feel like you are flying off the slide since you experience weightlessness for a second or two!
2. Standing beneath the massive bucket of water that is poured down on the 20 or so people!
3. The lazy river, on which you are merely floating along, and suddenly a wave comes from behind you sending you along the river faster.
4. The Tunnel of Doom-- screaming all the way in pitch black tunnel!
It's a lot of fun when you are hanging out with a good group of friends. We are looking to do something fun of a similiar nature next time around.
Oh, by the way, Paulo Coelho is in town for the signing of his new book The With of Portobello, which is about this orphan who is taken in by a Lebanese Christian family, and then the civil war breaks out, thereby forcing the orphan to come to Dubai. Should be an interesting book, since I am a huge fan of his books.
Cheers!
Mansur
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Questioning Faith?
Hello friends,
Last week, two friends of mine messaged me and asked me if I ever felt as if I have everything in life but still there was something missing in life. I told them 'all the time!' They were relieved to know that they were not alone in feeling this way, and this got me thinking: are there more people out there who are scared to expose the real them for fear that others may think differently of them?
I know while growing up in a Pakistani-dominated culture in Saudi Arabia, the tendency is always there for parents/ relatives/ older cousins/ grandparents to shut the kids up if they are crossing the line, especially with regards to religion, namely Islam.
I remember one of my first question to my mom when I was a kid was: If God created us, where did God come from? Surely, as a young kid with an inquisitive mind, this question got me no answer. Instead, I would be told to not think along this line, and to accept whatever I was born into. We would have an imam come to our house to help me and my elder brother read the Quran, and I would ask him two question several times: Why do I have to read the Quran in Arabic since I don't know the language? and Why do my five times prayers have to be Arabic when I would rather pray/ communicate with God in Urdu or English? Again, the answer I would get even from the imam was basically to shut up and accept what I was born into.
I was never the kind to just shut and accept what I was born into, but growing up in Saudi Arabia, I had no choice to search for answers elsewhere. There were no internet, no emails, no online encyclopedias; the encyclopedias we had was censored and blacked out, and so my only time where I could do some research was when we would travel abroad. In London, the bookstore WHSmith became my best friend as I would spend hours in there reading the information I wanted to know.
My mind certainly opened up and my horizons were definitely broadened. Growing up, I could never find any answers to that missing part of my life. I gave up on God for a mere few months because He wasn't there for me. I didn't want to pray in Arabic; I wanted to pray in English. I would be scolded by others if they caught me reading my Quran in English and not in Arabic. I was scolded by some when they saw me highlighting and underlining passages in the Quran. And I would most certainly be scolded and reprimanded for asking some of the more daring questions that Muslims generally like to brush under the carpets. I would wonder why they would do that?
Maybe they are afraid to know something about their faith that they don't want to hear.
I had one amazing long conversation with a friend here last week, and that only confirmed to me that generally, while a lot of us lot would be happy to be born into the faith we are born into, questions and doubts arise, and only a few are brave enough to question the meaning of their life.
As for me, I am still searching for my answers, and no one has been able to answer them. Some people give me answers, but they delicately, cleverly, creatively avoid my real dilemma and gloss over the reality of my dilemma.
Mansur
Last week, two friends of mine messaged me and asked me if I ever felt as if I have everything in life but still there was something missing in life. I told them 'all the time!' They were relieved to know that they were not alone in feeling this way, and this got me thinking: are there more people out there who are scared to expose the real them for fear that others may think differently of them?
I know while growing up in a Pakistani-dominated culture in Saudi Arabia, the tendency is always there for parents/ relatives/ older cousins/ grandparents to shut the kids up if they are crossing the line, especially with regards to religion, namely Islam.
I remember one of my first question to my mom when I was a kid was: If God created us, where did God come from? Surely, as a young kid with an inquisitive mind, this question got me no answer. Instead, I would be told to not think along this line, and to accept whatever I was born into. We would have an imam come to our house to help me and my elder brother read the Quran, and I would ask him two question several times: Why do I have to read the Quran in Arabic since I don't know the language? and Why do my five times prayers have to be Arabic when I would rather pray/ communicate with God in Urdu or English? Again, the answer I would get even from the imam was basically to shut up and accept what I was born into.
I was never the kind to just shut and accept what I was born into, but growing up in Saudi Arabia, I had no choice to search for answers elsewhere. There were no internet, no emails, no online encyclopedias; the encyclopedias we had was censored and blacked out, and so my only time where I could do some research was when we would travel abroad. In London, the bookstore WHSmith became my best friend as I would spend hours in there reading the information I wanted to know.
My mind certainly opened up and my horizons were definitely broadened. Growing up, I could never find any answers to that missing part of my life. I gave up on God for a mere few months because He wasn't there for me. I didn't want to pray in Arabic; I wanted to pray in English. I would be scolded by others if they caught me reading my Quran in English and not in Arabic. I was scolded by some when they saw me highlighting and underlining passages in the Quran. And I would most certainly be scolded and reprimanded for asking some of the more daring questions that Muslims generally like to brush under the carpets. I would wonder why they would do that?
Maybe they are afraid to know something about their faith that they don't want to hear.
I had one amazing long conversation with a friend here last week, and that only confirmed to me that generally, while a lot of us lot would be happy to be born into the faith we are born into, questions and doubts arise, and only a few are brave enough to question the meaning of their life.
As for me, I am still searching for my answers, and no one has been able to answer them. Some people give me answers, but they delicately, cleverly, creatively avoid my real dilemma and gloss over the reality of my dilemma.
Mansur
Monday, April 02, 2007
Why Men Don't Have a Clue & Women Always Need More Shoes
Hello friends,
I am reading this book nowadays called Why Men Don't Have a Clue & Women Always Need More Shoes. I picked it up at the discount bookstore as the title looked interesting. Not expecting to get much out of it, I was pleasantly surprised to actually find this book helpful. I have read several other books on men and women and and they all attempt to explain the the dynamic of women and men and why they behave the way they behave.
However, this book that I am reading, just delves directly into the mindset of women and men, and explains the ideas in a simple, direct, easy to understand manner, without getting into too much complexities. One chapter in particular, Why Women Cry, exposed to me the ways some women may use their tears as a way to get something out of their husbands/ boyfriends. In one case, there is also a way men use tears to manipulate women. Some of it may be deliberate, others may be subconscious.
Another chapter which I found usefiul was what men and women look for each other in a long term relationship, or in a potential wife and husband. It's comforting to know women look at the personality of a the man and not looks in a long term relationship.
There are also some quizzes and questionnaire to help you understand better where you stand in the eyes of women. Definitely a good book and informative book to read.
Mansur
I am reading this book nowadays called Why Men Don't Have a Clue & Women Always Need More Shoes. I picked it up at the discount bookstore as the title looked interesting. Not expecting to get much out of it, I was pleasantly surprised to actually find this book helpful. I have read several other books on men and women and and they all attempt to explain the the dynamic of women and men and why they behave the way they behave.
However, this book that I am reading, just delves directly into the mindset of women and men, and explains the ideas in a simple, direct, easy to understand manner, without getting into too much complexities. One chapter in particular, Why Women Cry, exposed to me the ways some women may use their tears as a way to get something out of their husbands/ boyfriends. In one case, there is also a way men use tears to manipulate women. Some of it may be deliberate, others may be subconscious.
Another chapter which I found usefiul was what men and women look for each other in a long term relationship, or in a potential wife and husband. It's comforting to know women look at the personality of a the man and not looks in a long term relationship.
There are also some quizzes and questionnaire to help you understand better where you stand in the eyes of women. Definitely a good book and informative book to read.
Mansur
Movie:: The Namesake
Hello everyone,
The Namesake is based on a great, emotional novel of the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri. Like all over immigrants coming to the United States to fit in, The Namesake tackles upon the idea of changing our names to fit in. Much is made of this in the movie, like it is in the book.
Seen primarily through the eyes of Ashima, who marries Ashok, and moves to New York City and immediately feels like a complete stranger. They make it through and have two kids, Gogol and Sonia. The kids grow up to be completely American in their mind-set and attitudes towards life, much to the chagrin of the parents. Gogol, just having graduated from high school, has an white girlfriend Maxine. Through their several trips back to India, Gogol gets a sense of where his actual roots are, and thus begins an awakening in him as to where he is really from and the origin of his name, which actually is the highlight of the movie.
The story of Ashima and Ashok was the most entertaining thing in the movie, as we get to walk along with them settling in New York City, dealing with the conveniences of life ("do you know we get gas 24 hours a day"). In contrast to their story, the story of Gogol and Maxine seem rushed through, although that's also quite entertaining. When a dramatic event takes place forcing Gogol to re-evaulate his identity and name, the rest of the movie falters and feels like as if the director just decided to wrap up the movie on the spot, which is a let down.
The movie does a good job of translating the book on to the screen, some parts even better than the book, but ultimately the book is a better deal than the movie. All actors have done a commendable job, especiall Tabu and Irrfan Khan, and credit ust be given to Kal Penn who has shown his ability to do some serious acting.
The identity of who we are and how we are defined by our name forms the crux of the movie as Gogol struggles with his name which others around him tease him for. I personally had issues with my name when growing up, but today, I realize that my name is not an accident but that I was meant to have it. Like Ashima says in the movie, "there are no accidents in life" and with that idea, I am convinced I was given the name Mansur because it means "victorious" and having to overcome the struggles in life, I am definitely the victorious one!
3 out of 5 for not being as deeply emotional as the book is.
Mansur
The Namesake is based on a great, emotional novel of the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri. Like all over immigrants coming to the United States to fit in, The Namesake tackles upon the idea of changing our names to fit in. Much is made of this in the movie, like it is in the book.
Seen primarily through the eyes of Ashima, who marries Ashok, and moves to New York City and immediately feels like a complete stranger. They make it through and have two kids, Gogol and Sonia. The kids grow up to be completely American in their mind-set and attitudes towards life, much to the chagrin of the parents. Gogol, just having graduated from high school, has an white girlfriend Maxine. Through their several trips back to India, Gogol gets a sense of where his actual roots are, and thus begins an awakening in him as to where he is really from and the origin of his name, which actually is the highlight of the movie.
The story of Ashima and Ashok was the most entertaining thing in the movie, as we get to walk along with them settling in New York City, dealing with the conveniences of life ("do you know we get gas 24 hours a day"). In contrast to their story, the story of Gogol and Maxine seem rushed through, although that's also quite entertaining. When a dramatic event takes place forcing Gogol to re-evaulate his identity and name, the rest of the movie falters and feels like as if the director just decided to wrap up the movie on the spot, which is a let down.
The movie does a good job of translating the book on to the screen, some parts even better than the book, but ultimately the book is a better deal than the movie. All actors have done a commendable job, especiall Tabu and Irrfan Khan, and credit ust be given to Kal Penn who has shown his ability to do some serious acting.
The identity of who we are and how we are defined by our name forms the crux of the movie as Gogol struggles with his name which others around him tease him for. I personally had issues with my name when growing up, but today, I realize that my name is not an accident but that I was meant to have it. Like Ashima says in the movie, "there are no accidents in life" and with that idea, I am convinced I was given the name Mansur because it means "victorious" and having to overcome the struggles in life, I am definitely the victorious one!
3 out of 5 for not being as deeply emotional as the book is.
Mansur
Movie:: 300
Hey friends,
300 is one of those movies which you either love or hate, depending on which age bracket you are. If I were a teenager with raging hormones, 300 would definitely have been my kind of movie, but as a guy in his late 20s, I was left desiring for more substance than just what I was delievered on screen.
300 is about the battle of Thermopylae, set in Greece in 480BC, where the Spartan army of just 300, led by Emperor Leonidas, fight off the advancing Persian army led by Xerxes. Leonidas is bound by custom and tradition to not fight, but he still persists and leads his men of just 300 to fend of what some historians say 20,000 men from the Persian side. The first question that went through my head was how could a mere 300 men fight off 20,000 men? Well, this movies proves it possible, and once the battle starts, you are entirely convinced that it's entirely possible for this to happen.
Let's get over with the good things first. No doubt 300 is one of the most stlyish film to come across the cinema screen. Since it's based on a graphic comic novel by Frank Miller, the makers of the movie attempt to get the same comic book feel on the big screen, with much success. The print is grainy in texture, the action scenes are graphic, full of gore and violence. The fight scene in itself is more like a work of art than the fight scene you would see in, for example, The Lord of the Rings. With Matrix-like action sequences, with slo-mo and then sudden movements, the violence is glorified and passed off as a piece of moving art, which is quite cool.
However, having said that, there are other things that let down this movie. Leonidas is played by a Scottish actor, and everytime he spoke I was reminded of Braveheart, and had to remind myself over and over this is Greeks versus Persians, not Scots versus Persians. Secondly, the story moved all over the place, not giving enough time to me to like the characters. Like I said, it was more about the style and not the substance. Comparisons arise between this movie and other movies like Troy, The Lord of the Rings, Alexander and in particular Gladiator as the end of 300 takes place in a barley field a la Gladiator, which is not a good thing because 300 cannot stand on its own.
A very well made movie, with enough action to please those seeking testosterone filled action. A movie to definitely see in the cinema given it's epic canvas sheet. 300 is let down by it's director and it's structure.
3 out of 5.
By the way, all those six-packs you see, they have been air-brushed in the movie, so don't be fooled by that!
Mansur
300 is one of those movies which you either love or hate, depending on which age bracket you are. If I were a teenager with raging hormones, 300 would definitely have been my kind of movie, but as a guy in his late 20s, I was left desiring for more substance than just what I was delievered on screen.
300 is about the battle of Thermopylae, set in Greece in 480BC, where the Spartan army of just 300, led by Emperor Leonidas, fight off the advancing Persian army led by Xerxes. Leonidas is bound by custom and tradition to not fight, but he still persists and leads his men of just 300 to fend of what some historians say 20,000 men from the Persian side. The first question that went through my head was how could a mere 300 men fight off 20,000 men? Well, this movies proves it possible, and once the battle starts, you are entirely convinced that it's entirely possible for this to happen.
Let's get over with the good things first. No doubt 300 is one of the most stlyish film to come across the cinema screen. Since it's based on a graphic comic novel by Frank Miller, the makers of the movie attempt to get the same comic book feel on the big screen, with much success. The print is grainy in texture, the action scenes are graphic, full of gore and violence. The fight scene in itself is more like a work of art than the fight scene you would see in, for example, The Lord of the Rings. With Matrix-like action sequences, with slo-mo and then sudden movements, the violence is glorified and passed off as a piece of moving art, which is quite cool.
However, having said that, there are other things that let down this movie. Leonidas is played by a Scottish actor, and everytime he spoke I was reminded of Braveheart, and had to remind myself over and over this is Greeks versus Persians, not Scots versus Persians. Secondly, the story moved all over the place, not giving enough time to me to like the characters. Like I said, it was more about the style and not the substance. Comparisons arise between this movie and other movies like Troy, The Lord of the Rings, Alexander and in particular Gladiator as the end of 300 takes place in a barley field a la Gladiator, which is not a good thing because 300 cannot stand on its own.
A very well made movie, with enough action to please those seeking testosterone filled action. A movie to definitely see in the cinema given it's epic canvas sheet. 300 is let down by it's director and it's structure.
3 out of 5.
By the way, all those six-packs you see, they have been air-brushed in the movie, so don't be fooled by that!
Mansur
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