Dear friends,
as we went enter into the new year that is 2005, I have decided to do away with the what now seems silly the way I titled each of my article post. It seemed cool in the beginning, but now I am going to change it and will just give some short snappy title, instead of The One with the blah blah blah. I hope that will prove to be more fun and enjoyable to read.
Hope you all have an awesome nwe year, despite the Tsunami coming and destroying so many lives in just days!
Mansur
Friday, December 31, 2004
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
The One with the Racist Comments
Hey all,
For those of you who have passed through the wonderful (?) airport of Jeddah, will surely have heard of scary stories of what happens at the immigration and customs desk. In short: rude and inattentive immigration officers, officers who get up from the desk whenever they want to leaving passengers waiting in lines, officers who refuse to stamp your passport simply because you moved from the longer line to a shorter one etc etc. All the officers are Saudis, and almost all have some sort of superiority complex going on. They do whatever they want to at the expense of the passenger's time.
There are scary stories of people passing through the customs: CD and DVDs are checked at the media room, books are looked at, magazines are ripped apart, food items are sniffed at, and almost always, it is the single men from the Indian Subcontinent who face the harshest treatment. I have had books and magazines confiscated as well had some DVDs looked over by the man in the media room.
But if you are a single male from the Indian Subcontinent, with dark complexion, you are subjected to harrassment and humiliation. They are taunted and are made to tear open the boxes and unpack the entire suitcases. The officers will never help the passenger to re-pack the luggage, and instead with hand gestuers will ask him to move away. If this passenger were someone with white complexion, and blond hair, they would get away with such kind of treatment. Ironically then, it is the Saudis who complain of rude treatments at US airports!! Why don't the Saudis look at the way they treat foreigners at their own airports, before complaining of the way they are treated abroad??!!
However, the attitude of the officers went below the belt when on my return from Dubai recently, the officer at the customs desk displayed his state of racist mind to me. I was no doubt angry, but did not create a scene lest I get jailed or something!
Following is the letter of mine that got published in Arab News on www.arabnews.com.
-----------------
Attitude Problem
Let me share with your readers an unhappy experience I had at the Jeddah airport recently when I returned from a trip to Dubai. I can agree with Mr. E.D (Dec. 25) when he describes the customs officers’ attitude as partly racist.
At the customs desk, the officer very politely asked me what I had in my luggage. After my explanation, he asked me where I was from and I told him the name of my country. He asked me if I had a British mother or father. On hearing that I am a Pakistani with a Pakistani passport, the attitude changed all on a sudden; he became rude and said to me: “You should not be a Pakistani. You have white skin. Pakistanis are not like that.” The experience was distressing and it hurts me to see that some Saudis think Pakistanis are only those people with dark complexion looking for menial jobs.
To be fair, this kind of attitude prevails all over the Kingdom and not just at the airports. As many have suggested, such attitude can only be countered through education and intensive awareness campaigns.
Mansour Ahsan • Jeddah published 28 December 2004
--------------------------------------------------------
Enjoy,
Mansur
For those of you who have passed through the wonderful (?) airport of Jeddah, will surely have heard of scary stories of what happens at the immigration and customs desk. In short: rude and inattentive immigration officers, officers who get up from the desk whenever they want to leaving passengers waiting in lines, officers who refuse to stamp your passport simply because you moved from the longer line to a shorter one etc etc. All the officers are Saudis, and almost all have some sort of superiority complex going on. They do whatever they want to at the expense of the passenger's time.
There are scary stories of people passing through the customs: CD and DVDs are checked at the media room, books are looked at, magazines are ripped apart, food items are sniffed at, and almost always, it is the single men from the Indian Subcontinent who face the harshest treatment. I have had books and magazines confiscated as well had some DVDs looked over by the man in the media room.
But if you are a single male from the Indian Subcontinent, with dark complexion, you are subjected to harrassment and humiliation. They are taunted and are made to tear open the boxes and unpack the entire suitcases. The officers will never help the passenger to re-pack the luggage, and instead with hand gestuers will ask him to move away. If this passenger were someone with white complexion, and blond hair, they would get away with such kind of treatment. Ironically then, it is the Saudis who complain of rude treatments at US airports!! Why don't the Saudis look at the way they treat foreigners at their own airports, before complaining of the way they are treated abroad??!!
However, the attitude of the officers went below the belt when on my return from Dubai recently, the officer at the customs desk displayed his state of racist mind to me. I was no doubt angry, but did not create a scene lest I get jailed or something!
Following is the letter of mine that got published in Arab News on www.arabnews.com.
-----------------
Attitude Problem
Let me share with your readers an unhappy experience I had at the Jeddah airport recently when I returned from a trip to Dubai. I can agree with Mr. E.D (Dec. 25) when he describes the customs officers’ attitude as partly racist.
At the customs desk, the officer very politely asked me what I had in my luggage. After my explanation, he asked me where I was from and I told him the name of my country. He asked me if I had a British mother or father. On hearing that I am a Pakistani with a Pakistani passport, the attitude changed all on a sudden; he became rude and said to me: “You should not be a Pakistani. You have white skin. Pakistanis are not like that.” The experience was distressing and it hurts me to see that some Saudis think Pakistanis are only those people with dark complexion looking for menial jobs.
To be fair, this kind of attitude prevails all over the Kingdom and not just at the airports. As many have suggested, such attitude can only be countered through education and intensive awareness campaigns.
Mansour Ahsan • Jeddah published 28 December 2004
--------------------------------------------------------
Enjoy,
Mansur
The One with the Most-Visited Web-sites in KSA
Hey all,
I came across this page on the website of King Abdul Aziz City (what I am doing here, dont ask me!), which basically monitors the internet in the Kingdom. They have a list of the most popular sites. You should check it out-- you can get to know what the people of the Kingdom are like.
http://www.isu.net.sa/surveys-&-statistics/pupuler.htm
A recent newspaper article talked about how many people try to access porn sites, and that 92% of the internet users have tried to access porn at one time or another. These people don't include those who have internet through the satellite, which means they have uninterrupted and unfiltered access. There are also some people who know how to by pass proxy as well.
Oh well, what I can say is that at times, it is very annoying when you want to access a webpage and it is blocked and you are asked to fill in the "unblock website request form."
Take care,
Mansur
I came across this page on the website of King Abdul Aziz City (what I am doing here, dont ask me!), which basically monitors the internet in the Kingdom. They have a list of the most popular sites. You should check it out-- you can get to know what the people of the Kingdom are like.
http://www.isu.net.sa/surveys-&-statistics/pupuler.htm
A recent newspaper article talked about how many people try to access porn sites, and that 92% of the internet users have tried to access porn at one time or another. These people don't include those who have internet through the satellite, which means they have uninterrupted and unfiltered access. There are also some people who know how to by pass proxy as well.
Oh well, what I can say is that at times, it is very annoying when you want to access a webpage and it is blocked and you are asked to fill in the "unblock website request form."
Take care,
Mansur
Monday, December 27, 2004
Happy New Year Friends!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU, MY FAITHFUL BLOG-READERS!
Hey friends,
The year 2004 is almost coming to an end. I can go on and on about the hi-lites and low-lites of what happened in my life. I think there are a lot of things that were meaningful to me: working and earning, meeting with school friend, living in Jeddah, getting my driving license amidst others. Low-lites for me would include the political situation around the world and Bush’s re-election!
Anyhow, I don’t want to bore you with the summary of the year 2004, but instead am willing to share with you my resolutions for the year 2005. Here they are (mind you, some of them were resolutions I made in 2004!!)
1) Spend more quality time with parents, and siblings wherever opportunity arises
2) Be more prompt in replying to emails and staying in contact with friends
3) Reduce consumption of chocolates
4) Reduce consumption of chocolate milk
5) Exercise regularly and consistently
6) Write thank you letters to those people who make a difference in my life
7) Read at least one book every two weeks
8) Do volunteer work where I ever I can (especially with children)
9) Travel to a new location where I have not been before
10) Learn to play the guitar
11) Take up a new sport
12) Finalizing my house plans and elevations, and eventually the construction
These are just some of them. I have kept resolutions which I know are attainable, and I have a whole year to do them. I would love to know if you all have any—share them with me!
Here’s wishing you a Happy New Year!
Mansur
The One with the Obsession with Chocolate
O Chocolate, chocolate!
Wherefore art thou, chocolate?
You, O Chocolate, are
--- luscious, decadent, divine, seductive, heavenly
--- velvety, dark, rewarding, delicate, exciting
--- smooth, tempting, tantalizing, mouth-watering, delicious
--- sexy, vital, sinful, addictive, naughty
--- faithful, sweet, silky-smooth, irresistible, unforgettable
--- mesmerizing, warm, silky, comforting, bittersweet
--- essential, rich, sensuous, creamy
--- indulgent, alluring, fragrant, sacred, luxurious
--- sticky, sublime, aromatic, fulfilling, enticing
And you, O Chocolate taste, good with
--- almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, peanuts
--- raisins, caramel, coffee, coconut, marzipan
--- vanilla, milk, strawberries, ice-cream, chocolate
--- figs, honey, cream, rum, sugar
--- oranges, macadamias, pistachios, chestnuts
In short, O Chocolate, you make my world go round!
Love,
Mansur
Wherefore art thou, chocolate?
You, O Chocolate, are
--- luscious, decadent, divine, seductive, heavenly
--- velvety, dark, rewarding, delicate, exciting
--- smooth, tempting, tantalizing, mouth-watering, delicious
--- sexy, vital, sinful, addictive, naughty
--- faithful, sweet, silky-smooth, irresistible, unforgettable
--- mesmerizing, warm, silky, comforting, bittersweet
--- essential, rich, sensuous, creamy
--- indulgent, alluring, fragrant, sacred, luxurious
--- sticky, sublime, aromatic, fulfilling, enticing
And you, O Chocolate taste, good with
--- almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, peanuts
--- raisins, caramel, coffee, coconut, marzipan
--- vanilla, milk, strawberries, ice-cream, chocolate
--- figs, honey, cream, rum, sugar
--- oranges, macadamias, pistachios, chestnuts
In short, O Chocolate, you make my world go round!
Love,
Mansur
Friday, December 24, 2004
The One with the Roller Coaster Ride in Jeddah!
Hey all,
today, history is made in Jeddah. There is a steel roller coaster, that takes the riders upside down three times, while going forward, and then, another three times when coming in reverse! It was an awesome experience for me!
For so many months prior to the opening of the latest theme park in Jeddah, I could see the roller coaster steel tracks being built, and I would say to myself: I am gonna get on that no matter what. It is yellow in color, and consists of three loops: two loops are in the boomerang and another one is a regular loop.
The ride starts by lifting the riders in reverse up the slope, and then once we are at the top, we are released. The riders come rushing down, everyone screaming, and then dash straight up into the first loop, which then curves and goes through another loop-- like a boomerang. Once we are all out of the second loop, we go through the third regular loop and then finally up onto the slope, facing the sky. Screams stop, people give a sigh of relief-- and then you hear some mechanism...and suddenly, whoooooosh!!!! You go through the entire track in reverse!! People screamed more when this happened. I screamed my lungs out, as was my sister. You never know when the loop is coming because everything is behind you!!!
I am sure you must have guessed by now... I have a weakness for roller coasters! I am like a putty, and you can make me do anything, only if I can sit on a roller coaster! Every time I go to the UK, I have to go roller coasters--- where-ever it is. I have a weakness for theme parks and fun fairs as well. I love the atmosphere: people, including me, screaming on rides, the way you can be thrown about in all directions, upside down and downside up, the adrenaline rush, the excitement, the cotton candy, and games, the dodgems cars....and everything else! It is a place where you can be anything you want to--- you have a great reason to scream your soul out and no one will say anything to you (psssst, a great way to relieve your frustrations!!)
Here is the link to the first proper theme park in Jeddah: (to those who live/d in Jeddah, Attalah is not, and was never ever, a theme park!!)
http://www.fakiehgroup.com/shallal.shtml
Do any of you have a favorite roller coaster? Tell me all about it!
yours from having-a-little-sore-throat-from-screaming!
Mansur
PS The following pictures are taken from web, but the track and design of the coaster is exactly the same!
today, history is made in Jeddah. There is a steel roller coaster, that takes the riders upside down three times, while going forward, and then, another three times when coming in reverse! It was an awesome experience for me!
For so many months prior to the opening of the latest theme park in Jeddah, I could see the roller coaster steel tracks being built, and I would say to myself: I am gonna get on that no matter what. It is yellow in color, and consists of three loops: two loops are in the boomerang and another one is a regular loop.
The ride starts by lifting the riders in reverse up the slope, and then once we are at the top, we are released. The riders come rushing down, everyone screaming, and then dash straight up into the first loop, which then curves and goes through another loop-- like a boomerang. Once we are all out of the second loop, we go through the third regular loop and then finally up onto the slope, facing the sky. Screams stop, people give a sigh of relief-- and then you hear some mechanism...and suddenly, whoooooosh!!!! You go through the entire track in reverse!! People screamed more when this happened. I screamed my lungs out, as was my sister. You never know when the loop is coming because everything is behind you!!!
I am sure you must have guessed by now... I have a weakness for roller coasters! I am like a putty, and you can make me do anything, only if I can sit on a roller coaster! Every time I go to the UK, I have to go roller coasters--- where-ever it is. I have a weakness for theme parks and fun fairs as well. I love the atmosphere: people, including me, screaming on rides, the way you can be thrown about in all directions, upside down and downside up, the adrenaline rush, the excitement, the cotton candy, and games, the dodgems cars....and everything else! It is a place where you can be anything you want to--- you have a great reason to scream your soul out and no one will say anything to you (psssst, a great way to relieve your frustrations!!)
Here is the link to the first proper theme park in Jeddah: (to those who live/d in Jeddah, Attalah is not, and was never ever, a theme park!!)
http://www.fakiehgroup.com/shallal.shtml
Do any of you have a favorite roller coaster? Tell me all about it!
yours from having-a-little-sore-throat-from-screaming!
Mansur
PS The following pictures are taken from web, but the track and design of the coaster is exactly the same!
Roller Coaster Part 1: In Its Full Glory!
The complete view of the entire track
(Boomerang coaster, Prater Park, Vienna)
Roller Coaster Part 2: The First Loop!
The first loop of the boomerang!
(Six Flags, San Antonia, TX)
Roller Coaster Part 3: Another View of the Coaster!
The Coaster in its entirety
(Prater Park, Vienna)
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
The One where I am a Cartoon!
Hey friends,
can you imagine a cartoon series with me? Maybe something on the lines of SuperMan(sur)!! Hilarious! Actually, growing up, my favorite cartoon was The Pink Panther and I would rock my baby sister to sleep on that famous Pink Panther tune-- tedum, tedum,tedumtedumtedum, teduuuuuum....etc etc!! lol! Anyways, check out the caricature side of me! You can be at peace-- I dont wear the round eye glasses anymore, this was drawn way back in 1996!!!
Mansur
The Other Side of Me!
can you imagine a cartoon series with me? Maybe something on the lines of SuperMan(sur)!! Hilarious! Actually, growing up, my favorite cartoon was The Pink Panther and I would rock my baby sister to sleep on that famous Pink Panther tune-- tedum, tedum,tedumtedumtedum, teduuuuuum....etc etc!! lol! Anyways, check out the caricature side of me! You can be at peace-- I dont wear the round eye glasses anymore, this was drawn way back in 1996!!!
Mansur
The Other Side of Me!
The One about the Madness Sale at Mango!
Hey all,
Now that we have recovered from a day of tension from finding out who Button is, I feel more at ease and relaxed!
I took my sister shopping today to Mango, which is a deisgner store. We actually went yesterday but Mango was closed as they were preparing for the sale today. When we got to the store, there was no parking available. I had to park about five minutes walk away. I dropped my sister, parked the car and walked over to the store.
Once I got inside, seeing the whole store from 6ft4 high, all I could see were women in black abayas, scurrying here and there as if the place was on fire. It looked more like a loot sale. Clothes were thrown everywhere, off the racks, on the floor, over the railings-- just about everywhere. I was looking for my sister, and I realized that I am in for a major challenge: from behind, all women look the same. So I had to resort to looking at women in their faces. I was pretty sure they must have been thinking what a pervert I am, checking out the women!
I gave up, even after having close calls with some of the women, and my sister finally found me. I helped her pick out some items, and at the same time, I was looking at the way these women were: haggling, running all over, shouting, screaming, hitting one another, snatching clothes from other women's hands, all the while trying out clothes over their abayas and throwing them everywhere on the floor!
What annoyed me though was how some of the women came earlier, and picked out what they wanted, and then put them on reserve. I saw so many bags, which had clothes, which were reserved for the women who came earlier. It should not be like that; sale should be first come first served basis.
We finally managed to make it out of the madness that was at the sale. I could only think of the sale at Ikea, which resulted in three deaths. I think such situations at stores who have a sale is universal. My sister was sharing with me how people stand so early in line, as early as 6am, to get to the sale at designer stores so they can get the first choice.
Anyway, the important thing is that my sister and I made it back home in one piece!
Yours from-thinking-about-not-attending-anymore-sales,
Mansur
Now that we have recovered from a day of tension from finding out who Button is, I feel more at ease and relaxed!
I took my sister shopping today to Mango, which is a deisgner store. We actually went yesterday but Mango was closed as they were preparing for the sale today. When we got to the store, there was no parking available. I had to park about five minutes walk away. I dropped my sister, parked the car and walked over to the store.
Once I got inside, seeing the whole store from 6ft4 high, all I could see were women in black abayas, scurrying here and there as if the place was on fire. It looked more like a loot sale. Clothes were thrown everywhere, off the racks, on the floor, over the railings-- just about everywhere. I was looking for my sister, and I realized that I am in for a major challenge: from behind, all women look the same. So I had to resort to looking at women in their faces. I was pretty sure they must have been thinking what a pervert I am, checking out the women!
I gave up, even after having close calls with some of the women, and my sister finally found me. I helped her pick out some items, and at the same time, I was looking at the way these women were: haggling, running all over, shouting, screaming, hitting one another, snatching clothes from other women's hands, all the while trying out clothes over their abayas and throwing them everywhere on the floor!
What annoyed me though was how some of the women came earlier, and picked out what they wanted, and then put them on reserve. I saw so many bags, which had clothes, which were reserved for the women who came earlier. It should not be like that; sale should be first come first served basis.
We finally managed to make it out of the madness that was at the sale. I could only think of the sale at Ikea, which resulted in three deaths. I think such situations at stores who have a sale is universal. My sister was sharing with me how people stand so early in line, as early as 6am, to get to the sale at designer stores so they can get the first choice.
Anyway, the important thing is that my sister and I made it back home in one piece!
Yours from-thinking-about-not-attending-anymore-sales,
Mansur
The One about the Mysterious Button
Hi all,
In my recent article, someone by the name of Button left a comment. Mystery ensued as to who this Button was. Button, in her folow-up comment left a message explaining who she is. However, one of her comment struck me: "Many of us here are interested in the Middle East bloggers. KSA seems very remote and mysterious."
Sure, for the people living in the US, the country of KSA can seem that way, but it does not have to be that way. With the internet and emails, information is freely available, and people in the US can venture beyond the Fox News and others to get the complete picture of events. However, I must say that in this blog of mine, I do not aim to belittle anyone, anything or any nation. I also do not intend to endorse the events that occur here in Jeddah. This blog is more about my life, and my thought processess. People can easily become judgmental of KSA, Jeddah or the Saudis. I do not want that to happen.
I am merely writing here what happens in my life. I am not here to defend Saudis, nor am I here to be critical of Saudis.
Thanks for understanding,
Mansur
In my recent article, someone by the name of Button left a comment. Mystery ensued as to who this Button was. Button, in her folow-up comment left a message explaining who she is. However, one of her comment struck me: "Many of us here are interested in the Middle East bloggers. KSA seems very remote and mysterious."
Sure, for the people living in the US, the country of KSA can seem that way, but it does not have to be that way. With the internet and emails, information is freely available, and people in the US can venture beyond the Fox News and others to get the complete picture of events. However, I must say that in this blog of mine, I do not aim to belittle anyone, anything or any nation. I also do not intend to endorse the events that occur here in Jeddah. This blog is more about my life, and my thought processess. People can easily become judgmental of KSA, Jeddah or the Saudis. I do not want that to happen.
I am merely writing here what happens in my life. I am not here to defend Saudis, nor am I here to be critical of Saudis.
Thanks for understanding,
Mansur
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
The One about White Lies
Hey friends,
I am not sure if White Lies are ok or not. I recently got into an argument with my dad and my sister about this. Thay said that white lies are ok, just as long as you are not hurting anyone, directly or indirectly; whereas I felt that one white lies will lead to many other white lies, eventually making it black.
At a recent dinner party, someone asked someone:
Cool Girl #1: Hey girl, how's life in London? Did you go to China White?
Cool Girl #2: Hey there! London is great. Yeah China White is awesome.
Cool Girl #2 clearly lied. She does not know where or what China White is!! Cool Girl #2, in order to not come across as someone who is boring, decided to lie. Cool Girl #2 thinks, no one is being hurt, so there is no problem.
Cool Girl #1: Isnt that place great? What do you like about that place?
Cool Girl #2: Umm, actually, its been a while now. I just remember it was great.
Cool Girl #2 quickly turns the topic over to some other things she does know about!
What I am saying here is that sometimes people, including me at times, say white lies, maybe to not hurt someone or to not come across as stupid or boring. Following are moments where I clearly lied:
--- In school, when the report cards were out, I would lie about my grades
--- When we would get our exams or projects assignments back, I would always say a higher grade on something I did not do too good on
--- When my mom or sister asks me what I thought of their clothes or hairstyles, I would give false praise
--- When my friend asked me what I thought about that new bestseller book, I would say it was awesome and the ending touched me (when I clearly had not read it!)
--- Sending myself valentines cards and pretending to the people that I am popular
--- When someone says "I hope I did not bore you", and I say, "No, you didnt, I enjoyed your company", only to have that person stick around for longer!
I can continue to give you more examples, but my point now is that I did say many white lies, but today, I dont do that any longer. Sure there are some sticky situations, and I use my best judgment then, like, when my boss asked me what I thought about this 1.2 million riyals housing project, I could only say but good things about it!
But don't worry, today, I try to stay as honest as I can. You can be at peace, that there are no lies in any of my articles here in this blog!
Mansur
PS Confession Time: there are some anonymous comments in my earlier articles--- they were left by me! :S
I am not sure if White Lies are ok or not. I recently got into an argument with my dad and my sister about this. Thay said that white lies are ok, just as long as you are not hurting anyone, directly or indirectly; whereas I felt that one white lies will lead to many other white lies, eventually making it black.
At a recent dinner party, someone asked someone:
Cool Girl #1: Hey girl, how's life in London? Did you go to China White?
Cool Girl #2: Hey there! London is great. Yeah China White is awesome.
Cool Girl #2 clearly lied. She does not know where or what China White is!! Cool Girl #2, in order to not come across as someone who is boring, decided to lie. Cool Girl #2 thinks, no one is being hurt, so there is no problem.
Cool Girl #1: Isnt that place great? What do you like about that place?
Cool Girl #2: Umm, actually, its been a while now. I just remember it was great.
Cool Girl #2 quickly turns the topic over to some other things she does know about!
What I am saying here is that sometimes people, including me at times, say white lies, maybe to not hurt someone or to not come across as stupid or boring. Following are moments where I clearly lied:
--- In school, when the report cards were out, I would lie about my grades
--- When we would get our exams or projects assignments back, I would always say a higher grade on something I did not do too good on
--- When my mom or sister asks me what I thought of their clothes or hairstyles, I would give false praise
--- When my friend asked me what I thought about that new bestseller book, I would say it was awesome and the ending touched me (when I clearly had not read it!)
--- Sending myself valentines cards and pretending to the people that I am popular
--- When someone says "I hope I did not bore you", and I say, "No, you didnt, I enjoyed your company", only to have that person stick around for longer!
I can continue to give you more examples, but my point now is that I did say many white lies, but today, I dont do that any longer. Sure there are some sticky situations, and I use my best judgment then, like, when my boss asked me what I thought about this 1.2 million riyals housing project, I could only say but good things about it!
But don't worry, today, I try to stay as honest as I can. You can be at peace, that there are no lies in any of my articles here in this blog!
Mansur
PS Confession Time: there are some anonymous comments in my earlier articles--- they were left by me! :S
Saturday, December 18, 2004
The One with What Would You Do in This Situation?
Hey all,
If you could just bear with me, just imagine what you would feel in each of the following situations:
... you missed your morning appointment because you did not hear the alarm clock ringing.
... you missed the delivery man with the important package who left simply because you did not hear the door bell.
... you missed the punchline of the joke because some background noise interrupted the speaker.
... you could not hear the person on the other side of the phone and missed an important question.
... you did not answer the question in class because you did not hear the professor cearly.
I am off now
Mansur
If you could just bear with me, just imagine what you would feel in each of the following situations:
... you missed your morning appointment because you did not hear the alarm clock ringing.
... you missed the delivery man with the important package who left simply because you did not hear the door bell.
... you missed the punchline of the joke because some background noise interrupted the speaker.
... you could not hear the person on the other side of the phone and missed an important question.
... you did not answer the question in class because you did not hear the professor cearly.
I am off now
Mansur
Friday, December 17, 2004
The One with the Demonstrations in Jeddah
At 1130pm I received a frantic call from my sister: "Mansur, whatever you do, don’t leave the house. The demonstrators are out on the streets and they are right next to our house."
I could hear the helicopters hovering about in our area, as well as the sirens of the police cars.
For days, people were speculating that there will be widespread demonstrations in the city of Jeddah and Riyadh. The call to protest was called by a Saudi who is living in exile in London. He sent coded messages through his radio broadcast to the dissatisfied youth on the Kingdom to get out and protest against the Saudi Royal family. Tonight was the night.
Ultimately, we realized later that the frantic call my sister made was a false alarm. What actually happened, happened the next day. There were a handful of protestors, two were arrested, the others ran into a mosque, and eventually they were also caught. Two of the protestors fired gunshots from their car outside a mosque. All the images I had of a demonstrations, based on the ones I see in Pakistan and London, did not materialize here in Jeddah. Were the Saudi youths not brave enough? Were the Saudi Royal family so scared they deployed massive numbers of police forces? Were the youths here scared for their life?
Which got me thinking—how the heck can the people voice their grievances against the Royal family? Simply writing about the problems in the papers apparently is not making a huge impact. The government does not allow for public display of protests. The king himself receives only those members of the public he feels he can handle in a day. How can the people here voice their opinions?
Funnily enough, a tape was released by Jazeera television at the same time of these demstrations, claiming that it is Bin Laden on tape praising the attack on the US consulate in Jeddah recently. Right, and what about the Saudis and other non-American staff that were killed? They don’t matter to Osama. Osama is more concerned to kick out anything that has US stamped all over it. A very scary scenario for me indeed is if Osama is successful in over-throwing the Saudi government and establishes his brand of Islam--- suddenly everything American will be thrown out, women will be confined to homes, satellite and internet will be banned and men forced to grow beards! Gosh, we are living in a scary world!
Here is the link to the story of the not-so-purposeful-demonstration:
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=56191&d=17&m=12&y=2004
Till you hear from me again,
Mansur
I could hear the helicopters hovering about in our area, as well as the sirens of the police cars.
For days, people were speculating that there will be widespread demonstrations in the city of Jeddah and Riyadh. The call to protest was called by a Saudi who is living in exile in London. He sent coded messages through his radio broadcast to the dissatisfied youth on the Kingdom to get out and protest against the Saudi Royal family. Tonight was the night.
Ultimately, we realized later that the frantic call my sister made was a false alarm. What actually happened, happened the next day. There were a handful of protestors, two were arrested, the others ran into a mosque, and eventually they were also caught. Two of the protestors fired gunshots from their car outside a mosque. All the images I had of a demonstrations, based on the ones I see in Pakistan and London, did not materialize here in Jeddah. Were the Saudi youths not brave enough? Were the Saudi Royal family so scared they deployed massive numbers of police forces? Were the youths here scared for their life?
Which got me thinking—how the heck can the people voice their grievances against the Royal family? Simply writing about the problems in the papers apparently is not making a huge impact. The government does not allow for public display of protests. The king himself receives only those members of the public he feels he can handle in a day. How can the people here voice their opinions?
Funnily enough, a tape was released by Jazeera television at the same time of these demstrations, claiming that it is Bin Laden on tape praising the attack on the US consulate in Jeddah recently. Right, and what about the Saudis and other non-American staff that were killed? They don’t matter to Osama. Osama is more concerned to kick out anything that has US stamped all over it. A very scary scenario for me indeed is if Osama is successful in over-throwing the Saudi government and establishes his brand of Islam--- suddenly everything American will be thrown out, women will be confined to homes, satellite and internet will be banned and men forced to grow beards! Gosh, we are living in a scary world!
Here is the link to the story of the not-so-purposeful-demonstration:
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=56191&d=17&m=12&y=2004
Till you hear from me again,
Mansur
Sunday, December 12, 2004
The One with the Littering
Hiya,
I see so many people throw litter out of a car. Even today, I saw one guy in his car on front of, driving in a brand new Mercedes, and driving down as if he owns the road. Suddenly, I see him lower his window, and out comes the cigarette butt, then a coke can and then a small plastic bag with other rubbish inside it -- all dumped out on the main road! I wanted to so badly ram my car into his rear bumper!
I do not understand why people do this. They will go to great lengths to take care of their cars, polish it, vacuum it, eash it, maintain the interiors, and yet so easily mess things around them! Why can't they keep the streets clean? They dont own the streets! They should learn to respect public properties.
I think the fact that people thrown litter out on streets goes to show something about themselves: they disrespect public property. As for myself, I keep a plastic bag in my car and throw my rubbish in that. I now go to the lengths of shouting at people who litter from my car when I am driving. I get upset and tell them: "at least you are educated, why do you have to mess the roads!?"
Yours from trying to keep the streets clean (just only!),
Mansur
I see so many people throw litter out of a car. Even today, I saw one guy in his car on front of, driving in a brand new Mercedes, and driving down as if he owns the road. Suddenly, I see him lower his window, and out comes the cigarette butt, then a coke can and then a small plastic bag with other rubbish inside it -- all dumped out on the main road! I wanted to so badly ram my car into his rear bumper!
I do not understand why people do this. They will go to great lengths to take care of their cars, polish it, vacuum it, eash it, maintain the interiors, and yet so easily mess things around them! Why can't they keep the streets clean? They dont own the streets! They should learn to respect public properties.
I think the fact that people thrown litter out on streets goes to show something about themselves: they disrespect public property. As for myself, I keep a plastic bag in my car and throw my rubbish in that. I now go to the lengths of shouting at people who litter from my car when I am driving. I get upset and tell them: "at least you are educated, why do you have to mess the roads!?"
Yours from trying to keep the streets clean (just only!),
Mansur
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
The One about the Attack on the US Consulate in Jeddah!
Hello,
I am sure all of you know by now of the attack on the US consulate in Jeddah yesterday. I myself found out when I had come home for my lunch break. I did hear an exploding noise, but my colleague said that probably something big must have fallen on site. My workplace is about 5 minutes away from the US consulate by car.
I switched on the TV and watched the ticker news on one of the Pakistani channel: Jeddah-US Consulate attacked. I was in disbelief at first. Is this the same consulate where I went to get my I-20 back in 1996? Is this the same consulate that I made several trips to this summer with my sister when applied for her visa? Apparently, as the news became clearer, it turned out to be the same consulate.
I am not going go into the details of what happened, since there are still some conflicting and unconfirmed reports, but I will just give you a brief idea of what happened.
> Just before 11am, 5 gunmen drove up a car up to the main gate of the consulate and threw a grenade, which exploded very loudly.
> Gunmen made their way inside the consulate after exchanging fire with the Saudi guards outside at the gate.
> Local non-American staff taken hostage.
> American staff retreat into “safe haven,” which is like a bunker or a panic-room. The local staff included people from different countries: Sudanese, Pakistani, Indian and Filipino.
> Ambulances and Saudi police arrived on the scene in about 25-30 minutes, and by that time there was a huge smoke billowing out of the compound. Sporadic gunfire could be heard from inside.
> Police and army men went inside the compound, and from my understanding of the events, started shooting at one another randomly. The gun battle lasted for about 3 hours.
> Aftermath: 3 gunmen killed, 2 gunmen arrested, 4 Saudi guards killed (although the Saudi Interior ministry denies this) and 5 local staff killed, some after succumbing to serious injuries.
There were reports of buildings with glass shattered from the impact of the noise of the grenade explosion. There was even one report which said that a window of the 9th floor of a shopping center some 400meters away was shot at. Roads were blocked; traffic was at least a mile long. Schools were off early. Parents rushed to get the children. One of my friend, whose office is close to the consulate, sms-ed me and told me “gun shots are so loud.” All the while, I was glue to the TV. I was in the middle of a serious event in Jeddah.
It seemed so surreal to me at the time. It was scary, and I did not know how the whole thing would end. It is different when you hear news of an event which is over, but it is more terrifying to listen to what’s happening while the event is still on going. I was thinking about the 4 Saudi guards who were killed. They were guards that I would see every time I passed by the consulate. What did they do to deserve death like this? How would they that that fateful morning, death would come to them? I could imagine now what people go through in Iraq, or in any other city which is attacked by terrorists. I can imagine their fear, anger and shock.
There were mixed reactions from the local people. Some Saudis were glad that this happened. “Americans should know what it is like to be killed.” Some were angry and upset that an event like this happened in Jeddah. I fall into the second category. I was really upset and shocked to hear of something like this happening in Jeddah. Jeddah is where I grew up; it is almost like a second home to me. Yet, something like this happens here. I don’t feel so safe anymore now. I think twice now about hanging out in places like Chilis, McDonalds, TGIF and Starbucks now.
I hope and pray that the situation does not get worse. I am thankful to two friends who wrote to me, showing their concern for me.
Till then, take it easy,
Mansur
I am sure all of you know by now of the attack on the US consulate in Jeddah yesterday. I myself found out when I had come home for my lunch break. I did hear an exploding noise, but my colleague said that probably something big must have fallen on site. My workplace is about 5 minutes away from the US consulate by car.
I switched on the TV and watched the ticker news on one of the Pakistani channel: Jeddah-US Consulate attacked. I was in disbelief at first. Is this the same consulate where I went to get my I-20 back in 1996? Is this the same consulate that I made several trips to this summer with my sister when applied for her visa? Apparently, as the news became clearer, it turned out to be the same consulate.
I am not going go into the details of what happened, since there are still some conflicting and unconfirmed reports, but I will just give you a brief idea of what happened.
> Just before 11am, 5 gunmen drove up a car up to the main gate of the consulate and threw a grenade, which exploded very loudly.
> Gunmen made their way inside the consulate after exchanging fire with the Saudi guards outside at the gate.
> Local non-American staff taken hostage.
> American staff retreat into “safe haven,” which is like a bunker or a panic-room. The local staff included people from different countries: Sudanese, Pakistani, Indian and Filipino.
> Ambulances and Saudi police arrived on the scene in about 25-30 minutes, and by that time there was a huge smoke billowing out of the compound. Sporadic gunfire could be heard from inside.
> Police and army men went inside the compound, and from my understanding of the events, started shooting at one another randomly. The gun battle lasted for about 3 hours.
> Aftermath: 3 gunmen killed, 2 gunmen arrested, 4 Saudi guards killed (although the Saudi Interior ministry denies this) and 5 local staff killed, some after succumbing to serious injuries.
There were reports of buildings with glass shattered from the impact of the noise of the grenade explosion. There was even one report which said that a window of the 9th floor of a shopping center some 400meters away was shot at. Roads were blocked; traffic was at least a mile long. Schools were off early. Parents rushed to get the children. One of my friend, whose office is close to the consulate, sms-ed me and told me “gun shots are so loud.” All the while, I was glue to the TV. I was in the middle of a serious event in Jeddah.
It seemed so surreal to me at the time. It was scary, and I did not know how the whole thing would end. It is different when you hear news of an event which is over, but it is more terrifying to listen to what’s happening while the event is still on going. I was thinking about the 4 Saudi guards who were killed. They were guards that I would see every time I passed by the consulate. What did they do to deserve death like this? How would they that that fateful morning, death would come to them? I could imagine now what people go through in Iraq, or in any other city which is attacked by terrorists. I can imagine their fear, anger and shock.
There were mixed reactions from the local people. Some Saudis were glad that this happened. “Americans should know what it is like to be killed.” Some were angry and upset that an event like this happened in Jeddah. I fall into the second category. I was really upset and shocked to hear of something like this happening in Jeddah. Jeddah is where I grew up; it is almost like a second home to me. Yet, something like this happens here. I don’t feel so safe anymore now. I think twice now about hanging out in places like Chilis, McDonalds, TGIF and Starbucks now.
I hope and pray that the situation does not get worse. I am thankful to two friends who wrote to me, showing their concern for me.
Till then, take it easy,
Mansur
Friday, December 03, 2004
The One about What Love Is!
Dear friends,
someone recently asked me what I thought love is. I could only come up with somewhat childish reasons, and not a solid, definte definition of what I thought love is. Love is "trust', love is "unconditional" and so on and on. I decided to search on Google for definitions of love. I came across this one passage, and I thought, hey, this is almost as close as to what I had in my mind, but did not have the words to express it. Here is what I think Love is:
"Love is patient and kind;
love is not jealous, or conceited, or proud;
love is not ill-mannered, or selfish, or irritable;
love does not keep a record of wrong-doings;
love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth.
Love never gives up: its faith, hope and patience never fail."
1 Cor. 13:4-7
I ask you all married couples out there, or those who have fallen in love, to let me know what they think love is!
Warmly,
Mansour
someone recently asked me what I thought love is. I could only come up with somewhat childish reasons, and not a solid, definte definition of what I thought love is. Love is "trust', love is "unconditional" and so on and on. I decided to search on Google for definitions of love. I came across this one passage, and I thought, hey, this is almost as close as to what I had in my mind, but did not have the words to express it. Here is what I think Love is:
"Love is patient and kind;
love is not jealous, or conceited, or proud;
love is not ill-mannered, or selfish, or irritable;
love does not keep a record of wrong-doings;
love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth.
Love never gives up: its faith, hope and patience never fail."
1 Cor. 13:4-7
I ask you all married couples out there, or those who have fallen in love, to let me know what they think love is!
Warmly,
Mansour
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
