Unanswered Prayers

Hey everyone,

A friend asked me last week whether God answers our prayers. She’s been through a lot in life, and wonders If God is listening to her prayers. I wouldn’t have known the answer before, but today I know what happens we pray to God. My experience of doing Hajj has given me a deep insight onto where our prayers go.

There are three things that may happen when you pray.

1. Your prayers are answered immediately.
2. Your prayers are answered later, not immediately.
3. Your prayers are not answered; which means God deems it better to not answer your prayer to prevent you from any harm or disturbance that may come from answering your prayer.

I can hear some of you groan out there. Why would God choose not to answer my prayers? Have you ever been in a situation where something looks so amazing to you now, but then come to realize later that it’s not that great? Well, it’s the same thing with our prayers. Sometimes we pray so hard at a spur of a moment, thinking that a miracle from God will make us happy, but then much later, we realize that what we prayed for was not worth it.

I can tell you when about three years ago I would be praying hard to God to make a girl I loved a lot love me back. I prayed that there would opportunities for me to share my love for her. I prayed that somehow I would get the courage to ask her to marry me. I loved so much so I shared it a with a common friend of that girl and I. I would literally pray everyday. Well, guess what, after about a year having not met with the girl, I was totally shocked to see her again. She was also hooked up with another guy, who was also a not a nice human being. In an instant I thanked God because He did not answer my prayers for that girl and I to hook up. Sometimes, God's best gifts to us are His unanswered prayers!

The one most important thing I learned was that my prayers never go to waste! God always listens to your prayers. God could choose to answer or not, depending on the nature of what you asked for in your prayer. So when my friend asked me that question, I reassured her that just because God doesn’t answer your prayer doesn’t mean He doesn’t care. In fact, He cares so much for you, that in order to prevent you from any unforeseen harm, God doesn’t answer your prayer for your own protection.

Mansur

I Am Just Sad...

Hey all,

Just these past few days, I have been just really sad. I don't know when it started to happen, but I just feel really sad. Maybe it's because I am alone here, or maybe it was because someone close to me made a really personal comment to me, hurting me deep in my heart. I am trying to figure out why I am just so sad. I haven't been able to smile or take something lightly. Sometimes I feel that God is punishing me for something I may done couple of weeks ago. This is not a confession blog here, but I wish I could somehow confess my sin to someone. I'd be too ashamed to talk to anyone about it, even my own parents. I have been repenting and confessing my sins to God, but even then I feel like I am being punished. I don't feel like going out of my house, even though I started a new job today, and I am beginning to hate it so much already. Nothing is able to make me happy, not even the Burberry perfume, not even my home videos. I get choked up in my throat just sitting anywhere. I went for a long walk after I left my workplace today evening, more like a soul-searching walk. I had Burger King all alone, and then treated myself to TCBY, my comfort food. Nothing made me happy. I went to an Islamic bookstore to pick out a Quran in English. I almost started to weep in there as it hit me more and more of what an ungrateful person I am to God. Maybe I need to come back to God. I have strayed so far away from God, it hurts me personally. I just feel so down in the dumps, especially after having done the Hajj this year. I realize that I have not made any changes in my life. Despite doing my Hajj, I still managed to sin in a big way. I don't know what to do. I am so confused and messed up right now. I don't understand why I am being punished this way. I finally talked to a friend here, who couldn't really comfort me with her own words but instead gave me a song to express her sentiments and her friendship to me. It is comforting to know that I have a friend like her who would think about me this way, in terms of pure friendship and not romantically inclined.

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When evening shadows and the stars appear
And there's is no one to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
There's no doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
There ain't nothing' that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on a rolling sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothin' like me yet

There ain't nothin' that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
Make you happy make your dreams come true
To make you feel my love
(Garth Brooks)

I hope I can recover this week. If you don't hear anything from me on my blog, you know where I am.

Mansur

Cologne Experience

Hey everyone,

Last week I was sitting in the reception area waiting to meet someone in the company. There was a guy sitting next to me, from whom was emanating this amazing smell. I absolutely had to know which cologne he was using. Should I ask him? Should I ignore the matter? Is it gay for a guy to ask another guy which cologne he is using? How can I ask him without sounding flirtatious, or sending out the wrong message? Man, why did he have to so much of that awesome cologne?

Finally, mustering up the courage, I finally asked him. He was so elated and smiled a lot. People do like it when you compliment them on something. This guy was so happy. I don't know why, but I told him again that his cologne is too cool making him smile even more!

So it turned out to be Burberry for Men. I tried some on yesterday and it made me feel all lovey-dovey. I am just so mesmerized by this smell. I can fall in love with myself if I have this cologne on. Right now, I use CK Truth, breaking my habit of using Davidoff's Cool Water for nine years. As soon as I finish this CK Truth, I plan on sticking to Burberry for Men for the rest of my life.

I cannot begin to explain to you how awesome the smell is. It gets to me in my head, and I get a light moment of dizziness. I feel elated. I think there are traces of pheromones in this cologne, for I begin to feel as I have been transported to another world. I get a literal out of body experience.



Goodness, what's wrong with me?

Mansur

Rainy Day in Dubai brings Destruction

Hey friends,

We have been having awesome weather here in Dubai. It's been raining, and I wish I were back in London because I love walking in rainy weather in London. There are no places here for me to walk and enjoy the weather. I would be engulfed in the traffic and pollution. Plus, roads and sidewalks are flooded with water. Go to a park, you find u have to walk through puddles of water.

Anyways, I have been enjoying the weather immensely. However, last night, my friend and I went to the Mall of the Emirates, where we were supposed to meet up with our other friends. She lives in Arabian Ranches, which is in the new part of Dubai. Well, guess what? She was delayed by an hour just to leave her home because the downpour created lakes there. In short, rains caused havoc and destruction in Dubai, especially the new Dubai area.

Not only that, there were 513 car accidents here because of the rain. Water was leaking in shopping malls-not any regular one, but Ibn Battuta mall! A friend said water was leaking in the Fairmont Hotel's restaurant. Buckets were placed in shops to collect water leaking from roofs. I wonder what is going on in the minds of the people who are in charge of town-planning and city buildings. Havent they heard of such a thing as water-proofing buildings? Are they cutting costs and corners by refusing to water-proof public buildings? What will the tourists think as they are passing through malls to see buckets in their path collecting water? My friend was pondering how many floors the water must have passed through such a tall hotel in order to get to the ground floor.

I just see a simple act of God in this. Man cannot overcome nature. Yes, we may have defied elements of nature by building high rises in the desert, and air condition them with air conditioners. Man can defy nature by building structures, but nature will always prove its worth and show man that man is still vulnerable. Remember the minor earthquake last year in Dubai? My Civil Engineering professor used to tell us that "should there be an earthquake in the region, these buildings will fall like a pack of cards." I have personally seen and heard the tactics contractors use here. Their aim: to construct as many projects as fast as possible, and if that means to cut corners and costs, so be it. Sad to say, but it's happening here.

The builders and planners of Dubai need to take a lot into consideration, given the number of buildings and projcets being announced and built. I for one hope nothing afflicts Dubai so seriously that people would wished they had taken precautions.

Mansur

What Makes Me Live my Life Each Day....

Hello friends,

I am sitting at my dining table, as another night comes to an end. The curtains are drawn open, and I can see outside, through the balcony. I see few cars zipping down the main road. There are two neon billboard signs standing out prominent. Otherwise the city looks very sleepy. I also see the two minarets of the mosque lit up. Why do I feel I want to be there rather than my home? The weather had been nice last night, with thunder and rain. I hope it rains again tonight. There is just something about rain that I identify with. It is 330am and I am eating my bowl of Frosties. I am not sure if the drop on my cheek is my sweat or my tear. My eyes well up as I take in another day of my life. What is my life? As I try to ponder on what my life and where it is headed, I am left with even more confusing feelings and thoughts. What have I done in my life that I am so proud of? What am I doing in my life that I can look back on at proudly? What have I achieved if anything? Strong feelings of hopelessness over come me. I haven’t really done anything that can make other people proud of me. I have not won any scholarships or any awards. I am not a very popular person. Even though my parents are very well known in Jeddah, I am basically a nobody. Nobody remembers me. They all know me as my “father’s son” but not for me. Why should they even remember me anyways?

Next to my bowl of Frosties I see two things that have defined me my entire life. These two things have been with me as far as I can remember, and every time I look at them, I see how far I have come in my life, for it could have been far worse.

Both these things are my hearing aids for my right and left ear. Having been born deaf, I had always thought I would end up as a miserable loser in my life. What chance am I going to get to prove anything to people? Why would people want to pay attention to me anyways? I have seen how they talk to deaf people, and how some people make fun of them? I also fall under the group of people who are made fun of, or are not treated equally. I grew experiencing hatred, loneliness and discrimination. People would talk behind my back. Students would call me names specifically about my hearing. Others would choose not to talk to me. I would seek desperately for acceptance, but would never really get it. I would come back home from school utterly devastated. At times I would weep myself to sleep. However, I never let anyone know of my true feelings. I had to keep a strong outer appearance. I had to show the others that I am not a defeated person.

There came a point in my life when I was at a crossroad. Do I let people continue to treat me differently, or do I change my attitude and behavior, and go the extra mile to show others that I can be equal, and better than others? I am in no way handicapped, nor am I created inferior to you. Just because I may not listen to you well enough, or that I am deaf without my hearing aids, doesn’t make me an inferior person. As a result of this attitude, I consciously chose to practice my virtues and abandon all vices. I could have picked up smoking, but chose not to. I could have drunk alcohol and eat pork, but chose not to. I could have made girlfriends, not that there is anything wrong with that, but chose not to. I could choose to steal, cheat on exams and lie to others, but chose not to. I wanted to prove to others that my handicap will not stop me from achieving what I want to in life.

Although I have been delayed in school by one year, and have lost out one year in university because of a major change from dentistry to architecture, I feel today that I have achieved a lot for someone who is born deaf. The constant support from my family, and a few of my friends, have made it possible for me to live my life each day with strength and courage. My friends never let me feel anything about my hearing. I learnt early on in life that there will be mean people in this world, and I could let that affect me, or change me for the better.

So while my bowl of Frosties have finished, and cold wind is blowing in my apartment, I see my two hearing aids, which make me realize how far I have become. That drop on my cheek was indeed a teardrop, but one of happiness, as I sit here thankful to God for the life He has given me. It could have been worse, but He has blessed me with so much, and has given me so many opportunities in life. Sure, there are days when I am depressed and sad, and it during those moments when I take one look at my hearing aids, and remind myself of how far I have come in my life.

Mansur

Sandy's Pete

Sandy's Pete
(another short story- 20 mins this one!)

Sandy was upset that Pete was going to have to die. She was so upset about it she cried for three days straight. It got so bad that not even her parents could control her. Sandy was a mere teenager who had fallen in love with Pete when she laid her eyes on him for the first time. Today she has come to a point where she had to witness Pete’s death.

It all started when Sandy had moved to a new town with her parents. She started 10th grade, and while she adjusted comfortably into her classes, she never had any friends. She always kept to herself, strolling around the campus all alone. It was only three weeks into her classes when she met Pete. She fell in love with him immediately. His big round brown eyes made her feel like he was giving her all the attention in the world. His touch was the most tender she had felt in the longest of time. His hair was soft and silky, as she passed her hands over him. She knew it was love at first sight.

Sandy would hang out with Pete a lot. They would go for walks in the park, swim in the nearby lakes, and play catch. They would do so many things together that it came to the point where Pete would eventually sleep with Sandy in her bed. Her parents didn’t like it at first, but when they saw the joy in Sandy’s eyes, they allowed for Pete to be in bed with her. Her favorite time with him would be when they would be in bed. She would talk to Pete all night long, sharing her dreams and desires. Pete, as always, was a great listener. He would never interrupt or say anything. He would just listen to Sandy speak. At time Pete would fall asleep, but Sandy didn’t mind that.

Why aren’t any of my friends like you Pete? Why can’t take the time to listen to me? I wish somehow they weren’t so preoccupied with their other stuff. I know I don’t have any friends in school, which is why I am so thankful to have met you, because I love being around you. You allow me to be who I am, and you don’t mind when I show my true colors. That’s what I love about you Pete. You are so amazing. I wish I could have you with me forever.

And so Sandy would talk to Pete like this every night. Her thoughts in school would be pre-occupied with the imminent death of Pete. It is worse knowing that Pete will die, because waiting for the time to come makes it all the more difficult. Why couldn’t someone just drive over Pete? Why can’t Pete fall off a building? That will be instant, unexpected death. Why do I have to wait in pain and torment to actually wait for his death?

The day finally arrived for Pete’s death. He was going to be given a lethal injection. His state of health had deteriorated immensely. There was no cure. Ever since that bat bit Pete, Pete had been infected with some strange disease, so powerful not even the vaccination could prevent the disease overtaking his immune system. She spent the last few minutes telling Pete, while holding his two hands, how much she loves him and will always continue to do so. She looked right into his big round eyes, and started crying. She kissed him on the mouth, and Pete licked her back on the cheek.

She could barely watch the veterinarian lift Pete up and put him on the table. The two nurses held his two rear legs while the doctor injected the medicine into Pete. 10 minutes later, it was all over.

Sandy left the Vet Hospital, knowing no other pet dog could ever replace Pete.

Three New Movies!!!

Hey friends,

I have written three new movie reviews. They are Wolf Creek (scary), Pride and Prejudice (an amazing new version) and Walk The Line (great country music). I have posted them on my alternate "Life of Mansur's Reviews" site, the link for which you can find on the left-side tool bar. It's the first link, so you cannot miss it.

Here's a catch! In order to get people to read them, I will not post anything on this blog till I get one comment on each of my review (for the movies I mentioned here!) I don't want a simple "hey, great review" kind of comments. I want solid input! Am I asking too much from you all?? :-)

Enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed watching them.

Thanks also to one friend in Riyadh who has said she watches all the movies I review here. It helps her make a better decision to know what movies to watch.

Mansur

Movie:: Wolf Creek

Wolf Creek was nearly an unheard of film. It’s an Australian film to say the least, so why pay attention to it? I hadn’t heard of this movie till I heard how it has been declared a hit upon its release. On top of that, it’s supposed to be a true horror story.

The movie does start off with the “based on true events” tag and that sets the mood for this gritty, ultra-realistic film. Wolf Creek details out the journey two Brit girls, alongside with their Australian male friend. They take a road trip to visit Wolf Creek, a site where a meteor had crashed leaving a vast crater behind. Once they get ready to leave from there, their car doesn’t work. Their watches stop working. A friendly Australian outbacker spots them and gives them a lift. Spending a night at his junkyard, while the friendly Australian is fixing their car, our three friends think they have made it through. When they get up the next day, we find Liz all bound and tied up. Her friend is screaming from the other shed. Their Australian friend is completely missing. Thus begins their descent into hell as they realize the friendly Australian is not so friendly after all. He is hell-bent on torturing the three young travelers. He will not let them escape, and even if they do, he will hunt them down like an animal. “The thrill is in the hunt!” so says the tagline for Wolf Creek.

Wolf Creek is not for the faint hearted, because it is an ultra realistic horror movie. There are no cheap scares. There are no demons or monsters. In the same vein as The Blair Witch Project, Wolf Creek uses the same kind of camera techniques so we are tagging along with the main characters. The movie spends a good 25-30 minutes familiarizing us with the three main leads, showing them on the beaches and clubbing, and that proves to be very effective because when these three people are in trouble, we are with them and want them to safe. We actually sympathize with them, which is a rare thing in a horror movie. We cringe in disgust when they are hurt or beaten. We look away as one is slapped on the face. We feel upset when one is stabbed. Why do these innocent people have to go through this?

The acting is so natural; it almost felt like as if you were watching their home videos. The chemistry between the three leads is so natural you are convinced these three actors are best of friends in reality. The movie has made great use the locations too, depicting the vast, huge outback area of Australia. Powerful images of showing one lone car driving amid a huge desert strike hard. You realize how helpless and lost one could be in such a huge desert.

The Australian outbacker who saves the young people from Wolf Creek site is probably the scariest thing here. How could such a friendly, helpful person turn out to be such a violent and sadistic person? It’s all too real and scary and makes you think about hitchhiking again. The director did a good job of not portraying the villain like a Freddy Kruger or Jason, where the audience actually supports the killer and not those who are being killed. The outbacker in Wolf Creek is a mean thing, and you are genuinely terrified of him. You don’t have any sympathy or support for him, and you wish so hard that the three people all run away from him. You realize that there are sick people out there who are lunatics and will do anything to hurt innocent people.

The ending was not quite what I expected. There were two small twists. However, the most disturbing thing at the end of it all was what we witnessed in the movie was actually based on true events, and we are told, “30,000 are missing each year. 90% are found within a month. 10% are never found.” Wolf Creek is about the 10% that are never found, and that is a scary thought.

Wolf Creek sets a high example of how a real horror movie should be made. Psycho made people scared of taking showers. Jaws made people scared of swimming in the ocean. Wolf Creek will scare you into not hitchhiking again!

Mansur

PS One thing of importance here is that the movie is set in 1999. Before any one jumps into questioning the lack of cell phones or internet, keep in mind in 1999, cell phones were not that popular. Also, being in the outback, there would be no coverage of any cellular network.

Movie:: Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice have been turned into several movies, including an Indianized version in Bride and Prejudice. However, the latest version of Pride and Prejudice is no boring re-tread of the novel. It is in fact the closest to the book from all the previous versions I have seen, and that makes a big difference. What ever you are doing right now, stop, go watch this movie NOW!

From the beginning, it becomes clear that this movie belongs to Keira Knightley, who plays Elizabeth Bennet, the most vociferous from the five Bennet Sisters. It is through the eyes of Elizabeth, or Lizzie, we see the other stories unfold, namely the fate of her sisters. Knightley shines like a true star here, illuminating the screen, projecting her radiance right back to the last row in the hall. Too strong is her presence that the locations in the movie are not restricted to the dank interiors of 1800s England, filled with stuffy decorations and heavy drapes illuminated with candles, but rather outside in the majestic English countryside. Even the scenes inside the house focus a lot on what’s outside, for every shot from inside the house has a window. It’s all about the outdoors, for that symbolizes Lizzie’s strong and outdoor-sy persona.

We begin the movie with the arrival of Mr. Darcy, played by Matthew MacFadyen, who chooses to give Mr. Darcy a very masculine persona, as opposed to earlier depictions of him as a softie. There is a real chemistry between Lizze and Mr. Darcy, so much so, you want them to be together. I had goose bumps towards the end, when I wanted so badly for Lizzie and Mr. Darcy to be together. So impactful were their performances, Knightley got an Oscar nomination for her acting.

Pride and Prejudice of course deals the issue of how we develop first impressions of other people, and judge them. We become pride in not accepting our faults, and prejudiced against others and not seeing them in any other light. Lizzie is too proud of herself, and Mr. Darcy is prejudiced against Lizzie’s background. How they both transform into different human beings through a series of rendezvous ultimately forms the crux of the movie. There are loads of topics that can be raised from this movie, and I can tell you now that this version of Pride and Prejudice will be watched in every literature classroom all over the world.

There was something else in this movie that made it so likeable and relate-able to the audience today. Whether it was the stars, or the music, or simply the behavior patterns of the characters, there was just something that made the 1800s and 2006 connect. While watching the movie, my mind was simultaneously comparing it to the previous versions, when half way through I realize how superior this new version is, I simply stopped comparing.

My favorite scene in the movie clearly is towards the end, when Lizzie is waiting in the moors, with the sun rising. She spots Mr. Darcy walking from a distance, amidst the morning dew, and finally comes up to Lizzie. They both know they love each other but are too proud to admit it. Their pride eventually falls to the ground as they embrace one another.

If only real life were like this!

Mansur

Review:: Walk The Line

Hands up if you know who Johnny Cash is! I wouldn’t be surprised if not many hands went up. I for one have heard about Cash, but never really bothered to know who he is. All I knew was that he was a Country music singer in the States, and apparently, he was very popular.

Walk The Line helped me know who Cash was and how he emerged to be one of the forefront leaders of Country Music in the States. Joaquin Phoenix (pronounced Waah-keen) takes on the personality of Johnny Cash in the movie, and he does an amazing transformation, getting every nuance, body language and style of speaking amazingly well. Reese Witherspoon does an even more amazing transformation to play June Carter Cash, Johnny’s wife. Gone are her famous blond locks, and in comes the dyed black hair complete with a southern accent. So amazing have been the two leads, they have garnered nominations and even an a Golden Globe Award for Witherspoon for acting.

A large part on whether you like this movie or not depend on how much interest you have in knowing more about the country music legend, and country music itself. Most of the movie focuses on the friendship and eventual love between Johnny and June. Johnny’s earlier life is shown as he grew up in Depression hit era in the United States. His brother passes away as a kid, and Johnny suffers torments from his father. We immediately cut to the point where we see a grown Cash leave his house to make it big in music industry. He eventually marries Vivian and has children.

While trying his luck at the local recording studio, the manager tells Cash that the no one wants to hear happy songs, but rather want to hear songs that come from his heart, about heartbreaks, tough life, hardships and overcoming them. Cash sings one of his own song, and that becomes an instant classic. Soon, he has made it big, is touring the country with his band and gets to meet other rockers like Elvis Presley. June Carter is also a budding country music singer and hers and Johnny Cash’s paths are crossed at a show. There is affection and appreciation, but both are married to other people.

Cash eventually stumbles and falls as he is involved in drugs, leading him to perform poorly at some of his concerts. June dislikes Cash’s attitudes, avoids him and also struggles with her own marital status. The only time they have any privacy of their own is when they are on stage performing a duet.

Cash’s lifestyle meddling with drugs eventually leads him to a low point in his life, at which point June Carter chooses to help him out. How she nurses him back to life eventually forms the rest of the story. A lot of people may comment that most of the story is focused on the relationship between the two, and I think that is what the makers of the movie attempted to show. Amazingly enough, the script of this movie was approved by Cash and June themselves back in 2003, right after which they passed away. So with their approval, the makers of this movie created a biopic of Cash.

The acting from both the lead actors is very strong. I was most impressed with Phoenix, who I remember fondly from Signs as Gibson’s younger brother, and Witherspoon, who I remember from Legally Blonde. Both the actors have done a complete change of acting
It’s impressive. Oh, and what would a film about a country singer be without country music? The songs are really great, each one an important one, especially “Jackson” signifying their moving on with their lives. I am not sure, but I think “Jackson” was one of their more popular duets. It is also my favorite song in the movie.

Great acting, amazing music, a strong story line makes Walk the Line one of the highly acclaimed movie of the year. I certainly learned a lot more about Johnny Cash, and how he Walk(ed) the (fine) Line between destruction and redemption.

Mansur

Chocolate Milk!

Hey everyone,

As part of controlling my diet, I decided to not have any more chocolate milk because well, it's too fattening when you are having 6+ packs per day! I broke the rule today. After about three weeks of not having any chocolate milk, I couldn't resist it. I just had to have it! So I had one packet today and I was in heaven! Chocolate milk rules!

Mansur

Dilemma!

Hey friends,

There has been something that I have been meaning to talk about. First I thought I'd stay quiet, but then I thought maybe I should share it with you to get a better idea of how to handle the situation. Mind you, I have not talked about this with my parents, or my siblings, so keep it kind of confidential. You see this apart below:




Well, a very good friend of mine Omran, who is a UAE local, has said to me that he will buy a two bedroom apartment for me in Dubai. Initially I thought he was kidding around, but then he was very serious about it. Omran and I go way back to university days, where I helped him a lot in most of his classes. Without my help, he would have probably never graduated.

We were talking the other night, and he said he would like to get me an apartment. Now, the offer is very tempting. It is located at Jumeirah Beach Residence, and its a two bedroom apartment facing the sea. He says he bought several when the project was launched. There is no catch, so he says. The apartment costs more than 1 million dirhams. He has asked me to seriously consider his "gift."



I am very tempted to get it. But at the back of my mind, I feel like I will be obligated to repay him in someway. He has said it's not a favor he is doing for me, but I feel like 10 years down the road, he may ask something from me.

I don't know what to do. Should I take the offer and get the apartment? Or should I refuse the offer and thank him immensely for his generosity? I don't know. I am confused.

Mansur

Precious Memories

Hey friends,

My mom just handed over to me several home videos that were made 17 years ago. I was a mere 11 years old. My sister was only 4 and my brother was 14. I watched these videos again and again, and some of them are extremely funny. My favorites include:

* SA falling off her chair during Musical Chairs!
* MA winning Musical Chair everywhere
* A small movie we made called The Pakistani Ninja, in which I am playing Lefty!
* My cousin SM and I co-hosting a comedy show!
* My cousin and I performing a play called "Diamonds coming out of your mouth!"
* Two sisters NT and NT fighting over a knife to cut a cake!
* A long session where my sister and I are interviewing each other!

There are loads and loads of more precious moments, and at the end of it all I actually wept because all of us have come such a long way, and in today's world, we all have lost a part of the innocence that we had back in the 80s in Jeddah.

To those of who knew of a group called Johnny Hates Jazz, here is one of their best songs, which is close to my heart. Everytime I listen to this song, I am magically transported back to Jeddah to the age when I was 11.

Another day is ended

And I still can’t sleep

Remembering my yesterdays

I begin to weep

If I could have it over

Live my life again

I wouldn’t change a single day

I wish that I could turn back the clock

Bring the wheels of time to stop

Back to the days when life was so much better

Lying here in silence

Picture in my hand

Of a boy I still resemble

But I no longer understand

And as the tears run freely

How I realise they were the best years of my life

You might say it’s just

A case of giving up, No

But without these memories where is the love

Where is the love

If I could have it over

Live my life again

I wouldn’t change a single day

Why can’t I turn back the clock

Bring the wheels of time to a stop

Back to the days

Oh no no

I remember when

Life was so good

I’d go back If I could

Oh oh I wouldn’t change a single day

Don’t let the memories slip away

I wouldn’t change a single day

Don’t let the memories slip away

---

Precious memories indeed.

Mansur

Shortest Story Ever?

Once upon a time, there was a young girl home alone. The night was dark with strong winds blowing. In the distance, owls were hooting and wolves howling. The girl was watching a movie alone when the phone rings. She picks up the phone nervously, and the cracked, distorted voice on the other end says:

"Do you like scary movies?"

The girl replies, "no."

"Oh, ok. Sorry to bother you. Bye."

The girl puts the phone down and resumes watching The WIzard of Oz.

The End.

=====

Ok, guys, that was my attempt to write the shortest horror story ever.

Mansur

The Locket: A Short Story (penned in 2 hours)

The Locket



The locket in Sameera’s hand shone like a shining star fallen right out of the sky. The longer she held it, the more powerful she felt in her soul. The locket was shaped like a sun, not the ordinary sun we know of, but a very elaborate sun. The centerpiece of the locket was a large diamond. Samira had no idea how much it was worth, but it looked very expensive. Surrounding the diamond, there were concentric circles of small diamonds, which shone so brightly as she studied the locket. She was certainly impressed by it. Sameera was just startled by the locket.

She remembered when her uncle had given it to her on her wedding day. He had mentioned how he purchased the locket as part of the Kohi-noor collection before India was separated from Pakistan. Her uncle had been working there as part of the British regiment, and his travels with them all over Indian gave him opportunities to see and explore part of the country which he never would have done so. Part of his journey included witnessing the Kohinoor Jewelry collection, of which the equivalent would be the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. He has purchased this locket from that collection, at a price that he would not mention, for his wife. Ever since she passed away, she had willed the locket to Sameera on her wedding day.

So overwhelmed was Sameera with her locket, she did not understand how she should thank her uncle. “Take real good care of it,” was all he could say. She realized immediately then that there is more to this locket than just diamonds. Her husband Omar, a simple man, while in awe of the locket, did not take a liking to it. He came from a very simple family with modest means. It was his intelligence and creativity that led him to be a prestigious marketing executive, leading him to travel to all the places he could only dream of. Despite his prestigious position, he held on to his roots, and rooted himself into ground reality. He made sure to not let all the wealth go to his head.

Omar did cringe a little when he saw the amazing locket in Sameera’s hands. His eyes were truly transfixed on them. He too appreciated Sameera’s uncle for gifting her such an expensive gift. It’s not a gift, the uncle would say, it’s more like a family heirloom. It was now months after the wedding that Samira took the locket out for the first time. She had stored it away in a safe place, deep inside her cupboard in her newly renovated walk in closet. She was sure no one would find it. Tonight, she just sat there alone in the closet, holding the locket in her hands, thinking of the unthinkable.

Sameera’s husband did not like it the least bit that she was wearing the locket when he returned from his long business trip. I must cut down on my travels, he had thought to himself on his way over from the airport. Sameera and Omar fought for a long time the whole night. She wanted to continue to wear the locket, and he wanted her to remove it. Ultimately, they came to the conclusion that she should wear it only on special occasions. She relented. Little did Omar know that as soon he slipped out of the house for work, she would take the locket out and wear it. She wore it when she showered. She wore it when she made breakfast, and did her house cleaning. She wore it while grocery shopping, and visiting friends. She wore it while watching television and even while taking naps in the afternoon. She would be careful to remove it and place it back in the box in the closet before Omar came back.

Sameera didn’t know when the sensation first begun, but she knew it was immediately after she had begun to wear the locket.

Why do I feel so powerful, she thought? Why do I feel so invincible? She could not explain her feelings, and her emotions. She chose not to tell Omar initially but eventually did when her emotions would run too high. He did not appreciate her breaking their pact, and was upset, but Omar tried to help Samira out. He could not explain what was going on with her. Sameera would act all weird if the locket was off. It was as if she needed to have it on the whole time, which made Omar all the more helpless and confused.

“We must see a doctor,” Omar finally said. “My best friend Samir is a doctor, so we can keep it confidential.”

Sameera refused.

“But it’s my best friend, Samir, and he is one of the best in town. He will help you.”

She did not want to share her thoughts, feeling with anyone out there. Omar became frustrated. So overwhelmed was Sameera with the locket around her neck continuously, she stopped meeting people, or even shopping for groceries.

Omar contacted the uncle who had given the locket initially and inquired about his wife.

“How did she die?” Omar asked.

The uncle initially refused to talk, but succumbed to Omar’s pressure, and agreed to meet him during lunch break. The uncle was very reluctant to share the details, but after hearing what Sameera had been through, he felt compelled to tell what had happened to his own wife. Apparently, as Omar came to realize, the locket has a wild and unbelievable history.

The uncle’s wife received the locket from her grandmother who belonged to the Mughal Empire that ruled India in the 1800s. Her grandmother wore the locket. Her husband, Badshaah, the King, gave it to her. Because the King had remarried another woman, to keep the first wife happy he gave her a very expensive locket. She was not very happy with the decision, but was temporarily happy with the locket. I can always sell it off and get the money, she thought. But she realized that her husband was spending more and more time with his new, younger wife, leaving herself feel dejected. She was not happy and confronted the King several times. The King was not happy, and had her locked in the dungeon, completely surrounded with thick brick walls, with no sunlight.

It was then she realized she had the locket around her neck, and used that as a visual sunlight. Tilting the locket to a certain angle, she was able to reflect off the light from the candle flames in her dungeon to create a startling effect of reflections on the ceiling. It helped served her pass her time. Several years in the dungeon, she was entering into a state of madness. When the guard who had bought her food was temporarily blinded by the strong reflection off her locket, she made a grab for him and pinned him to the ground using her body weight. Hitting his head on the floor, the guard fell unconscious, and she grabbed the sword from his belt and ran. There was only one place she was going: the King. Entering the dining hall, with disheveled hair and unkempt clothes, the guests screamed and shot up from their seats. The King, at the head of the table, turned around to see behind him. Before he could say anything, the woman brought her sword up and with all her mighty strength, swung it hard. Blood shot out from the now severed neck, as the head hung limply. A botched execution. All the woman could do was laugh maniacally to the point where she was shot with a shotgun by one of the guard.

Omar sat bewildered throughout.

“Surely that cannot be true,” he said to the uncle.

“Well,” said the uncle, “that’s how the legend goes. I cannot testify to what the truth is, but this story is what my wife had told me. Now I am telling it to you so you know what is happening to your wife. I fear she may be going through what my wife went through.”

“What did happen to your wife,” Omar asked.

“I am not sure if I should tell you the grisly details, but let’s just say that overwhelming power of the locket consumed her and grabbed her soul. It was as if her grandmother took possession of her soul through the locket. She eventually committed suicide after hurting our children. She nearly drowned them in the baths.”

Omar gasped. He didn’t know what to believe. I must get home and remove the locket from my wife. That was all he could think of. He dashed home, to find his wife sleeping on her bed, sweating profusely. He made an attempt to remove the locket, but her hand shot up and held Omar’s arm tightly, so much so, it was hurting him now.

“Sameera! Sameera!” He shouted to no effect. He picked up the bottle of water from the side table and doused her completely in water. She fell back down in the bed, uttering profanities. Omar did not know what to do with Sameera. It was becoming extremely difficult to remove the locket. I should have known right from the start that the locket is wrong. I felt uncomfortable looking at it the minute Sameera held it in her hands. What have I gotten myself into?

Over the course of the next few weeks, Omar had no choice but to have his wife admitted into a center where sick people were treated. The doctors could not help her. Even his personal friend, Samir, the doctor eventually diagnosed her as mentally unstable.

“How can a locket do something like this Samir?” Omar asked him.

“Sometimes people like to believe in superstitions and other legends, and when they believe in them so whole heartedly, their mind can take control of their body and soul. She has apparently convinced herself that the same woman who originally had the locket has possessed her.”

Omar left discontent. He did not know what to do.

4 months later.

Omar never forgot his ex-wife. He filed for divorce against his wife, whom even the doctor had proclaimed insane and mentally unfit. Omar was not happy about it, but he was a little relieved hedid not have to deal with a sick person. It has been four months, and while he remembers Sameera everyday, today was the day when he felt like visiting her in the hospital. As he was eating his breakfast, he decided to call in sick at work, and drove over to the asylum, where his wife was supposedly admitted.

Omar wished his friend Samir was still here so he could brisk through the security. But Samir was transferred to the Koh-Samui Island in Thailand. Omar was forced to have his car checked by the security guards at the gate, walk through the metal detector, and fill in the visitor book.

“Whom are you here for,” the receptionist asked?

“My wife,” Omar paused. “My ex-wife. Her name is Sameera Omar, but I think it may be have been reverted to Sameera Ali now.”

“We don’t have a record of a Sameera Ali, or Sameera Omar here sir,” the receptionist said checking through the computer database.

“What? There must be a mistake,” Omar said, please check again.

“Hold on sir while I get our senior nurse here.”

Omar fidgeted a lot with his car keys. Is Sameera dead? What happened? Where did she go? His car keys fell to the ground when Dr. Miriam, the senior head nurse, instantly interrupted him in his thoughts.

“Are you here for Sameera,” asked Dr. Miriam.

“Yes, I am,” Omar replied.

“What is the nature of your relation to Sameera?”

“ I am her husband, well, ex-husband now for 4 months.”

“Well, sir, I am most pleased to tell you that Sameera fully recovered and left town.”

Omar did not know what happened first: the floor beneath his legs fall away, or him hitting his head on the edge of the cushioned chair. When he regained conscious, he saw himself facing the ceiling lights. He knew he was lying on the stretcher.

“What happened?!” he shouted, and got up from the bed. Dr. Miriam came running down from the main desk.

“Sir, it’s all right, you just had a brief fainting spell. You are all right now.”

“What did you say about Sameera, Dr?”

“Sir, I have a note for you which was left by Sameera. Please feel free to use my office to read it.”

Omar made his way through the corridor, lined with green linoleum. The strong antiseptic smell was hitting him hard now. He sat down at the desk and opened up the envelope.

It read:

Dear Omar,

This is probably the hardest letter I have had to write my entire life. I don’t know where to begin or what to say. If you are reading this letter, I am sure you will know by now that I am not here in the hospital. I left as soon as you had dropped me here.

I am sorry I have lived a big lie in front of you. Actually, I think our marriage was a huge lie. You were not the man I had married all those years ago. You were a different person before I married you. I don’t know what happened, but you had changed. I thought it was normal at first, but then, despite my reasoning with you (which always ended up in arguments anyways) I could get through to you. I knew right from the start that our marriage was a doomed one. I wish I had the power to turn back the clock and reverse our marriage.

You may be wondering about the locket too.

I have left that in the safety box with Dr. Miriam. It was of no use to me anymore, although it was very beneficial at the time. I know you will be very upset at me, but I saw no other way out of this marriage. Feel free to take it from Dr. Miriam.

I had paid uncle a lot of money to help me get out of the marriage. I had paid him a lot of money. As you know already, uncle was not doing well after his wife’s death, so he needed the money the most. He was only happy to help me out. The whole locket thing was fabricated. I had spent weeks planning out how to work everything out. The locket is a cheap locket, which I got from the novelty store. Uncle’s wife never had the locket, his wife was never sick and she never attempted to drown her kids. Uncle was in India, but he never traveled around extensively.

The elaborate story of the origin of the locket was a hoax. I am sorry I misled you into believing I was being possessed by the locket. I sure picked up a few acting lessons watching TV.

I hope you are not mad at uncle. It is not his fault. I was the one who coaxed him into this because he needed the money. Please don’t go say anything to uncle. If anything, you should be angry with me. But then again, I am not here in the hospital. I am free. I am free from your captivity.

I am living my new life now. I am pregnant 2 months now. I live with a man who loves me for me. He gives me all the attention I need, something I lacked from you. He also helped me out in getting out of the country. He said he had a lot of problem doing the necessary paperwork to get me out the asylum and all, but it worked out. He feels bad he had to forge some documents to get me admitted in the asylum, but there was no other way.

My dear Omar, if you can find a place in your heart, please forgive me.

Sameera Samir

PS. I am now in Koh Samui Island, Thailand.

The End

As the 14th of February approaches, I wrote this short story in a span of two hours to send out an anti-valentine message! Call me crazy or anything else, but I love this story because its probably more real than the heavy doses of saccharine sweetness valentine brings with itself.

Mansur

Stark Conrtrast

Hey everyone,

I was at the Mall of the Emirates again today. My friends and I went had dinner at Chilis there, and checked out the Magic Planet, where the Robo Coaster was. I so wanted to get on it, but I get a bit weirded out when you see all these people standing right next to the attraction waiting to see your reaction as you ride the ride. It can become embarrassing. Why can’t people just watch and move on, instead of waiting to see who gets on and observe them throughout the whole ride? I left the ride for next time. There were a lot of people, and as I walked around the mall, I came to realize that in this particular mall, you find people from a better class. You don’t find people here from the lower class. This mall is too fancy and expensive for them. You go to Deira City Center, and you will find people from all walks of life. Which got me thinking: Is everything in Dubai catered for the rich or those who can afford it?

Every city has it share of rich and poor citizens, but tonight the contrast in Dubai became too obvious and stark for me. A taxi ride from the Mall of the Emirates to my home in Sharjah would cost me well over 100 dirhams. My friends wanted to watch a movie I had seen already and I had excused myself tonight. So, what do I do? Rely on the public transport. Ok, so Dubai’s public transport is nowhere near as efficient as they claim to be. I walked to the nearest bus stop, which was like 20 minutes away from the mall. Common sense says there should be a bus stop at the mall. There was no schedule posted anywhere, and I was resorted to asking people which number bus goes where. A group of Filipinos arrive, and I see asking the Indians and Pakistanis sitting on the road the same thing (yes, there were no benches at the bus stop!)

I took my chances with the first bus that arrived after 15 minutes, and thankfully it is the express bus, with no stop, directly towards the main bus depot in dubai. Once I got there, the line for Sharjah bus extended out of the bus station area. About 200 men were standing there. I joined the line, and soon noticed how everyone were staring at me. And I realized something else. Every single person in the line, bar a few Filipinos, were Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans or Bangladeshis. You did not see any Westerners here. Very few Arabs too. These people were labor force. I saw guys sitting at the make-shift cafeteria, eating indianized shaswerma, watching some Indian song on tv. I saw men holding the cheapest Nokia phones.

The contrast became glaringly obvious, and I did not even think I was in the same city.

Guys here wore regular pants and shirts. People at the Mall were in designer clothes. Men here wait for an hour to get on the bus to take them to Sharjah. Guys at the Mall drive in their Mercedes, or even ride one of the nice taxis. The entertainment for some of the men at the bus depot was having the 1.5 dirhams shawerma and watching tv with bad reception and low volume. At the Mall people can pay 190 dirhams and ski down the slopes. The people here were holding their briefcases and paperwork, guarding them with cautious. People at the Mall were holding bags from Gucci and Armani.

I am not criticizing anyone or any group here. I am just amazed how in the same city there could be such a huge contrast. Ski Dubai. Dubai Land. Hydropolis. Burj Dubai. With all the developments Dubai has announced for the future, who will be the people who will really get to enjoy them? Those who actually build them, or the tourists or those who can afford it? I think the answer is glaringly obvious.

Mansur

Paper Refuses Jesus Cartoons....

Hey friends,

Another news article that is doing the rounds by the The Guardian of the UK reporting that the same Danish newspaper refused to print controversial cartoons of Jesus. But when it came to prophet Muhammad (pbuh), they had no problems in splashing it all over. Isn't this the height of hypocrisy? The more I read about the uprising of the Muslims the world over, the more it seems evident of a widening gap between the Muslim world and the Western world. As of now, 11 Muslims have been killed over the controvery. Embassies have been attacked, flags have been burnt, and the Danes think Copenhagen is the next "logical target." Will there ever be a successful dialogue between the two worlds? Everyone heard the new audiotape by Bin Laden, who talked about another "attack" on Western soil. Will that attack create a wider gap between the Muslims and the Westerners? I shudder to think about that.

Mansur

Mall of the Emirates

Hi friends,

Last week, my friend had a day off from work, and so we decided to make use of our afternoon off. We went to check out the new Mall of the Emirates (MoE) in Dubai, and guess what? I fell in love with it. This is the first mall where I really enjoyed being in. Of course, the shops are the same everywhere, but somehow, MoE was designed a lot differently. If you remember, I talked about the Ibn Batutta mall earlier, which I was impressed with, but realized the novelty wore off after going there several times. City Center will eternally be crowded, but it is very touristy. Wafi and Bur Juman are for shoppers for more exclusive designer stuff. Mercato is good too, but the novelty has worn off, and is good for those living in close proximity to it.

MoE is very different, because, presently it is the biggest mall in Dubai, soon to be over shadowed by the Dubai Mall, which claims to be the world’s biggest mall! However, MoE has the added attraction of Dubai’s first ever skiing slope. From part of the mall, you can see into the lower half of the skiing slope, where you can also see the Snow Park, which is always full of children, and adults too, playing around in the snow. Who would have ever thought that you would see men and women in local traditional garb playing around in the snow?

The reason why I loved MoE is because of the interior design. It is very European styled, with concealed and dim lighting. The reception area for Ski Dubai is reminiscent of a Swiss chalet, complete with timber frames and beams. The only thing missing was a huge fireplace. There are sections of mall, which incorporates stonework, again reminiscent of Europe.

We also checked out the Magic Planet, the kids’ gaming area. There was something there called Robo Coaster, which was a six dimensional roller coaster. We were so ready to try it out, but my friend had a skirt, and so we decided to postpone it for some other time.

My absolutely favorite place was a small place called Marble Slab Creamery. I first had their ice cream in Houston, and was absolutely delighted to see them here too. What you do is order any flavor ice cream, and your ice cream scoop will be spread out like a dough on a marble, which is being cooled by cool water from below. Once your ice cream is spread like dough, you can have anything on top, like pizza toppings. Now, your toppings include gummi bears, chocolate chips, mars, kit kat, marshmallows, peanut butter, and chocolate syrup, among dozens of other stuff. I had the gummi bears and chocolate chips. Once put, the ice cream is folded over, and mashed up, and put in a cup. It was absolutely delicious.

On a short note, the coffee shops were not that amazing. In particular Columbus Café, where the service was pathetically poor. We ordered milk, and got the bill. I said I don’t want anything to drink, and she was writing latte for me. My friend ordered milk from three different waitresses, and eventually had to get some for herself. We also tried another organic café, Le Pain Quordinaire (something like that). It looked impressive, but once we tried it out, it was so-so. Bar the poor cafes here, MoE is a welcome addition to Dubai’s increasing number of malls.

Mansur

Can You Raed Tihs?

Hlelo fiernds,

I was able to read it...i am passing it on to you

Olny srmat poelpe can raed it. Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Munsar :-)

Changes

Hey everyone,

In a bid to revamp my blog, I have changed my template, and I have added new stuff on the left side bar. There is a tag board, which I have seen on other people's blog. Let's see how popular this proves to be. I am not so sure if I will stick with template for now. I am trying to get rid of the Coffee Time heading, because I for one don't drink coffee. Oh well, let me look around for some more blog templates out there.

Mansur

Movie:: The Chronicles of Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia encompasses a series of seven books penned by C.S Lewis. I had read the first of these series The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe collectively with my class in grade 7. It was no doubt a book filled with awe-inspiring scenes and situations that led us far away into an imaginary world; a world that I thought could not be replicated onto celluloid. BBC came out with a mini-series on the same books, and while they were a commendable series, they just did not click right. Till the movie version came out recently.

Andrew Adamson, who directed Shrek 2, directs the Chronicles of Narnia and while some may have questioned his foray into live action movie from an animated movie, I had a delightful time watching the movie. Those who hold these books to be sacred may not be quite yet satisfied with the treatment the book got on the big screen, but generally speaking, I think everyone will have a wonderful time.

The setting is WW2, where the four Pevensies children are relocated to the English countryside from London to escape the Blitz. Living with the “professor” at a rather large mansion proves boring for Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, the youngest. During a game of hide and seek, Lucy stumbles upon a cloak covered wardrobe in the spare room. In an attempt to hide in the cupboard, she realizes that there is no back wall, and instead walks right into the snow filled world of Narnia.

She meets Mr. Tumnus, the fawn (human-goat), who explains to Lucy that the White Witch has control over Narnia, who has cast a spell of snow and ice for the last 100 years. Mr. Tumnus explains further that the arrival of four children, two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve, will help Aslan, the talking lion, and his army defeat the Witch and restore peace in Narnia. Lucy goes back, and convinces other about Narnia, and how they all come to Narnia, meet Aslan and defeat the White Witch forms the crux of the story.

As we all know, C.S Lewis was a great friend of J.R.R Tolkien, who had written The Lord of the Rings, and it was Tolkien who convinced Lewis to write The Chronicles of Narnia. Some may see this movie as a family-friendly version of the Lord of the Rings. Narnia has all the ingredients that a fantasy epic would: grand scale epic settings, fawns, centaurs, mentaurs, flying horses, unicorn and an icy villain in the White Witch.

Lewis was also a devout Christian, and for those people who want to find it, will find Christian subtext in the movie. Aslan is Christ, who is killed and resurrected. The children are referred to as Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve. However, the Christian subtext is not hammered into you head. It is subtle enough for some of us to merely glance over, while glaringly obvious to those who want it to be there.

The acting is consistently performed by all the child actors. Their acting actually gets better as the movie moves along, evidence of the decision to shoot the movie sequentially. Peter, the eldest boy, and Susan, the second eldest were somewhat weaker. Edmund, the third child, is the rebellious one, and his character had shades of gray making his character more interesting. Finally, a lot depended on Lucy, because it is through her we enter Narnia. Lucy did a fine job, neither being irritating nor overly sentimental. Tilda Swinton, of The Beach fame, portrays the White Witch with much aplomb and glee. She is delightful, and scary, as the Witch, using her powers to lure in Edmund with Turkish delight, and to turn others into icy stone.

Finally, I have to say that CG effects had me fooled this time. Aslan, the lion, voiced by Liam Neeson had so much grace, dignity and power. Half way through the movie, I had forgotten I was watching a CG-ed lion. The makers had me convinced that Aslan is a real lion. Save for a few shoddy CG work, over all, the movie has done a very commendable job of successfully integrating the effects into the movie, so they become a part of the movie and not stand out on its own. (The effects were done by the team in New Zealand, who also worked for The Lord of the Rings)

I enjoyed the movie immensely, primarily because I had read the book and so had fond memories of it. I am not sure however, if I will be the first in line to watch the sequels. Some may compare Narnia to The Lord of the Rings, but I think Narnia is solid enough to hold its own standing.

Mansur

Movie:: Crash

After watching the movie Crash, I was provoked to think about the issue of racism. The movie made a statement that we all are racist to some degree. Some people may claim to be non-racist and all, but I think there is a little bit in each one of us that doesn’t understand a foreign culture or nationality and so disprove of it.

Crash is set over a period of 24 hours, and we follow about a dozen storylines. A rich white couple has their car stolen by two black guys. An Iranian family has their store mobbed, and goes to shoot the Hispanic guy who changed the lock on the door. A Portuguese- Peruvian woman has a run in with a Chinese, and is also having an affair with a black detective. A black man steals the car of another black man. A racist white cop fondles a black woman up her dress in front of her husband. Another white cop is in the making of being a racist prick.

Different people of different backgrounds are pitted against one another, to the point of them crashing into another, thereby changing their outlook on life. The movie has a stellar star cast including Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Brendan Fraser, Thandie Newton, Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillipe and many others. This movie has also been nominated at the Oscars, and was also a winner at the Golden Globe awards.

Like I said in the beginning, this movie raises so many issues about racism. I could certainly relate to it, and have been in positions where I look at others with suspicion. A walk down East London with my mom and aunt, we were targeted by some white guys, who managed to thrown rotten tomatoes on my aunt. On a trip to New York, our car got stalled in Bronx, and we were scared thinking that the black guys will rob us. Sitting in a taxi here in Dubai, I am asked almost always if I am an Indian, and I get offended. There have been so many more moments, and this movie has made me reassess my thinking, and how I view others.

If anything, I am thankful for my recent trip for the Hajj, because that was one time when racism and differences were dropped and we celebrated the similarities and likeness with one another. If only the rest of the world were like that too.

Mansur

The Reality of the Situation

Hey friends,

There has been so much noise about the way the Muslims are reacting towards the cartoon controversy. Much has been made of the violent Muslims in the media. I wish these Muslims would not resort to such tactics. Even the ones who are holding peaceful demonstartions are carrying placards and banners with phrases like "massacre those who insult Islam" and "Slay those who insult Islam." Why must we apply our own code of punishment on someone who is not even a Muslim, let alone living in a different country than ours?

However, let me mention here the double standards the Danish media has. Arab News reporter Tarek Mishkhas has written an article 'Something Is Rotten in the State of Denmark,' in which he exposes the hypocrisy that exists in the Danish media. The reality of the situation is that there is a LAW in Denmark which does not allow for such kind of freedom of expression so why the double standards when it comes to Islam?

------
The Danish constitution says:

"The law prohibits publicly disseminated statements, which threaten, insult, or degrade persons based on their religion."

And this law was used by the Danish government to condemn "anti-Semitic" activities and investigate them, as mentioned in the human rights report made by the US Department of State regarding Denmark in 2004:

"From January through June, there were five incidents of anti-Semitic vandalism, primarily graffiti, and one incident of an anti-Semitic mailing, which the government condemned and investigated."

Why a different stand when it comes to Islam? Of course there is nothing new in this. In April last year the queen of Denmark was quoted by the Telegraph newspaper as saying that we (Denmark) "should show our opposition to Islam".

She said: "We are being challenged by Islam these years - globally as well as locally. It is a challenge we have to take seriously. We have let this issue float about for too long because we are tolerant and lazy.

"We have to show our opposition to Islam and we have to, at times, run the risk of having unflattering labels placed on us because there are some things for which we should display no tolerance."

These countries that boast about freedom of speech and freedom of press are the same countries that make it illegal and punishable by prison for anyone to question the holocaust or brandish Nazi symbols in public.

In France a university professor was sacked because he made a research questioning the magnitude of the Holocaust. In Germany one risks going to jail if one denies the Holocaust or brandishes Nazi symbols in public.

In fact the Italian interior minister confirmed on Thursday that legal action is being taken against 11 football fans for brandishing Nazi symbols during a Serie A game. The 11 face prison sentences of between three months and one year.

There are many examples to show that freedom of press in Europe stops when it comes to some historical facts that two can differ upon, but when it is about insulting Islam then it is freedom of speech.

No freedom is absolute; a person's freedom ends when it encroaches into another person's freedom.

Muslim governments should ask the United Nations to pass a law against insulting any religion. We should use all our resources and powers - economical and political - to make this happen.
If we stay silent now then we will never be able to raise our heads.
-----

Such hypocrisy exists in their own backyards and they are the ones accusing us of double standards. There has to be a fine line drawn between free speech, satire and insult as these lins have been blurry for now.

Mansur

"Real" Dreams

Hey all,

Sometimes I don’t understand how much truth there is in a dream. What am I talking about? Well, I had a very “real” dream last night, and though I got up in the middle of it sometimes, I would force myself to go back to sleep to see how my dream would continue. Sometimes they are like in proper movie form, where I actually experience all the emotions.

Dreams of these kinds are far and few for me, but when they do occur, they scare me because some of them have turned out to be true. I can remember in one dream when one friend of mine repeatedly knocked on my dorm room door, and she asked me if I was praying for her. She asked me not once, not twice but thrice! I was concerned for her, and when I emailed her in reality, she confessed she was going through some problem and appreciated my prayer. In another dream, I saw my grandfather stand at the main door of our house, looking directly at me, eye to eye, waving his hand, all the while there is immense bright white light out there behind him. I was at peace knowing he was going to a better place because he was smiling at me the whole time. The funny thing was that he did not wear his eyeglasses as his eyesight is next to complete blindness. Few weeks later, my grandfather passed away.

Probably the freakiest dream I had was when Princess Diana passed away. The world over was mourning her death, and I had a dream that a woman in white, someone famous will die. Weeks later, Mother Theresa passed away.

About a month ago, I had a dream where a cousin of mine introduced me to his son, and even called out his, which begins with an S (I forgot what the name was, but it was something like Suleiman or Saif). When I woke up, I called my mom to ask if my cousin has any son, and she was like no. So was my dream a foreshadow of future events to happen as it was in the case of my grandfather. Or was this dream just pure fabrication. How much of dreams are rooted in fact? Can God use dreams to convey his messages? Can he use an individual’s dreams to convey His message to others?

The one I had last night was too real for me that I am got genuinely scared.

It all started off when I was visiting my cousin and his eldest sister, with whom I get along really well. My cousin was driving his car, and showing me around the city of London. We entered a lane, which he realized was wrong turn, and made an attempt to make a u-turn on this one-way road. He was being careful that no one spots him, and just as he leaves this road, a policeman spots him. My cousin decides on the spot to make a get away. While he slips away discreetly, the police are after him. We all panic in the car, my other cousin near tears as she thinks he will be jailed or something. My cousin becomes more desperate to get away, and manages to swerve his car in and out of the heavy traffic. We think we have made a get away when we crash into something. The next thing I see is my cousin in the backseat lying unconscious on the roof of the car, while my cousin and I are still buckled up in our seats, upside down. I look at him and realize he is dead.

Without even knowing how, we all are transported back to Pakistan, I find myself being comforted by my cousin from the backseat. Soon, her mother comes up and comfort me. I am in a state of shock. I realize that my cousin is dead, and I cannot comprehend that. Soon, every one of my aunts and uncles come up to me comfort me. I cling to my favorite uncle’s arm the whole time like a little kid. I even remember being in my bedroom, trying to decide if I should wear jeans or shalwar kameez. As I walk down to the lounge, I see people gathered around each other, all crying and mourning. Clinging to my uncle, we make our way out to the funeral. I see my favorite cousin out there, and he and I embrace for a long moment. I find great solace in him. He is like my big brother. While still in a state of shock, I walk through the entire funeral procession like a zombie. I meet people whom I have not met in a long time. But what really concerned me was the death of my cousin.

When I got up, I realize this was the first time I had a dream of someone dying, and not any someone, but my cousin. It’s a big deal. I am scared, although I don’t know if I should be. Was this dream a message from God? Or was it Satan’s whisperings to confuse me? Or was it merely my sub-consciousness rising to the surface and giving me this movie-like dream?

I don’t know the answer, but I do know, as my friend told me to do so, that I will be praying to God about this dream, and may possibly give money to charity.

Mansur

Cartoon Controversy!

[Note: The cartoon controversy that has enraged the world has upset me. I finally managed to see the pictures recently, and I was really upset, angry and hurt. I have poured out my soul in this article, so bear with the length of it.]
------

I was infuriated when I finally saw the cartoons on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through an email, which otherwise I could not see since most of them are blocked. I was really hurt. The one picture of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wearing a turban made of bombs really hit me hard in my heart. Now that I think about it, these cartoons have messed with each Muslim’s heart on a very personal level. A friend of mine who is not a staunch Muslim felt hurt by them too. He told me that these cartoons struck a chord in his heart, and he felt hurt. I felt even more upset, as I have just returned from Hajj, retracing Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) steps there, getting to admire and appreciate Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and here I am face to face with these horrible cartoons.

I have been challenged at the most.

I don’t even know where to begin to sort this mess out. Why did they publish it again? What were they trying to prove? Were they making an attempt to see how far their concept of freedom of speech would go? If they printed it once, and apologized for it, what was the need to have all the major European papers publish it all over again? Is there some sort of hidden propaganda taking place? Lots more questions roam in my head, and I cannot make a sense of it.

These cartoons were originally published five months ago in Denmark, by the same newspaper, as an experiment to see how far “freedom of speech and expression” can go. They pushed the limit and boundary on the level of freedom they have by producing these drawings. No one spoke out five months ago. I think they felt the need to re-publish these drawings, to garner the attention they seeked the first time round. As we can all see, they have the world’s attention.

The Danish newspaper has since apologized for causing hurt, and have said sorry to the Muslim world. However, they have not apologized for publishing the cartoons. They maintain that it is their given right for “freedom of speech and expression.” I am fine with that. It is their country, their rules and I am not going to impose the Sharia laws on them. But what is not ok is deliberately re-publishing these images. Norway followed Denmark. Spain, France and Italy followed. These countries claim they are supporting Denmark for the values they stand for: Freedom of Expression. I personally think these papers did a very tasteless thing by re-publishing these images, either to add more fuel on the fire, or to insult the Muslims, or to increase the newspaper sales.

The Danish prime minister had called for a meeting with the Muslim world’s envoys, and tried convincing them that the government cannot control what the media says. A very poor attempt to reduce tensions I must say. The newspaper is not apologizing for what they have done. The Muslim world is boycotting Danish products, which is resulting a loss of 200 million dirhams for Danish businesses daily in the UAE. European flags are being burnt in countries from Palestine to Iraq to Indonesia. A Danish embassy was stormed at. Envoys are being recalled from Danish embassies. Libya closed its Embassy in Denmark. The scale of the controversy has impacted a lot more than what I am sure the newspaper would have imagined so. Some people have talked about the Muslim’s reactions as being wrong. The Danish Muslims, who are the second largest religious group there, should have handled the matter legally in the court under the pre-text of defamation of Islam. Muslims worldwide should have taken peaceful methods to deal with the issue (petition etc). The Muslim world leaders should have intervened and talked to Danish prime minister about the issue. There really was no need for flag burning, effigy burning, embassy storming. By doing all this, we are again portraying to the world that we a bunch of people ready to kill the “infidels,” and in the end, the interests of the Western world has been served as the world watches the violent Muslims demonstrating, thereby solidifying the image of Muslims being violent terrorists and non-peaceful people.

However, in defense of the Muslim’s reaction, I have to say that these cartoons are certainly inflammatory, offensive, hurtful and downright tasteless. I question the motives of the cartoonists. Were they seeking to insult Islam? Were they testing the tolerance of the Muslim world? Or were they really seeking to see how far their freedom of speech would take them? Does freedom of speech mean you insult something sacred to another group? You have to realize that religion has certainly been on a fast decline in Europe, and the Europeans are god-less people. They are secular, atheists, and agnostics. Church attendance is pitifully low. Gay marriages are allowed. Euthanasia is allowed. With morals on the decline, these people have a secular outlook on life, where the freedom to express themselves is more important than actually following a life of religious law. If the same cartoons were made of Jesus, they would not have bothered to protest. Because of this, they do not understand fully what Islam means to the Muslim. They don’t understand what being a Muslim is about. They are living with a totally mis-understood, confused, wrong understanding of Islam, which is depicted in the drawings. It’s pitiful really.

There will be people in this world who will advocate freedom of speech. Does that mean one can say absolutely one wants to? What if I go to Denmark and start publishing articles that the Holocaust is a lie? Freedom of speech doesn’t mean that you insult. It doesn’t mean you deliberately incite hatred. It doesn’t mean you hurt the sensibilities of a group of people. I remember Christians in America were upset when Madonna came out with her Like A Prayer video, with a black Jesus; they were also upset when The Last Temptation of Christ came out, which depicted Jesus falling in love with Mary Magdalene. They all protested, wrote letters, talked to the companies, influenced the big bosses, and created lobbies. We should learn a lesson from them too. We shouldn’t have to resort to flag burning, or boycotting all the time. When the Iranian president said that the Holocaust is a myth, the Europeans were very upset, so much so, they voiced their concerns. But they did not burn the Iranian flags. They dealt with the issue through diplomatic means. Imagine the impact if the Muslim world had peaceful demonstrations in large numbers, petitions, websites created to counter argue the cartoons, and so on.

I am comforted with the fact that God is in control of this world, and that the situation is not out of hands. He is in control. He knows exactly what is happening here. The predictions that the world will become amoral and without-religion is true. I know that at the end of the day, the people involved with the cartoons will be held accountable for their actions. Each one of us will be judged, and the rewards and punishments will be handed out accordingly. So, even if I cannot do anything as an individual, I can pray over the situation, be patience, persevere in my faith, and know that those who insult my faith, and the prophet Muhammad (pbuh), will be punished accordingly.

To quote Yusuf Islam, “I have no cannons that roar, but I have faith in God and love,” and that is all I need to help me get through this madness that has been unveiled in the name of freedom of speech.

Mansur

Movie:: Rang De Basanti

Rang De Basanti (Colors of Spring)

For the first time in my life, I saw an Indian movie where I left the theatre talking about the theme more than the actors. It is not the case like that with Indian movies, where people usually leave talking about how great the actor was, how cool the cinematography was, or how amazing the music was. But with Rang De Basanti, I left more asking myself the questions the movie brought out.

The Plot

Rang De Basanti (RB) is seen through the eyes of Sue, a British documentary filmmaker who desires to make a documentary based on her grandfather’s diary, which he wrote when he served in India with the British regiment. Sue is touched by her grandfather’s words, as he describes how the freedom fighters, of which Bhagat Singh is one, refused to bow down to pressure to give themselves up. He saw in them a strong passion, a heartfelt conviction to stand for they believed in: freedom.

Sue’s bosses deny her the budget to carry out the film, and so she leave for India, where her Indian friend Sonia, helps her recruit five young guys to act in her movie. Though there is disappointment initially, Sue realizes she needed not have looked further than the circle of friends Sonia is in. Each of these guys, from Dil Jeet (DJ), Aslam, Sukhia, including Sonia, are all the partying kind of guys, hanging out at abandoned areas, singing, dancing and smoking the night away. These people are skeptical about acting in a movie about freedom fighters. They don’t know who they were, nor care to find out about them. But they still agree to act just to help Sue complete her documentary.

A certain tragedy in all their lives leads them to re-evaluate their beliefs and values, and forces them to see and appreciate the freedom fighters, because of whom they have independence and freedom today. Their lives are changed, and as we witness them go through the changes, we see them re-awakening to who they really are, and what their identity is really is.

My Views:
1. The acting from every single actor in this movie has been amazing. With an ensemble of four guys and two girls, each one of them held their own standing against one another. Usually, the star actor hogs all the limelight (think Shahrukh Khan) but here Aamir Khan becomes a part of the group, which is refreshing, because you are not focused on the star actor, but on the characters they are portraying. Sue, a British actress, speaks Hindi with such fluency, I am sure she will win over the viewers. Soha Ali Khan, of whom I had heard bad reviews, shone like a star here; in particular a crying of scene of hers was probably the most natural acting scene in the movie. The other guys held on their own, with each of them making their character distinct from each other. Aamir Khan once again proves his versatility, be it in Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Mangal Pandey or RB, he is the best actor out there. (Well, I may be biased since he is my favorite actor anyways and I admire his guts to do versatile roles!) There are no one dimensional characters here. Each one of the actors here have a background, and their issues, and we get to see where they are coming from. Like DJ (Khan), we think he is a party-boy, who is hanging around in university still after graduating, but when he opens up to Sue, we realize where he is coming from: he is simply to afraid to go out into the real world. We understand their motives and reasons for behaving the way they do.

2. The music, by the incredible A.R Rahman, who is now working on the musical version for Lord of the Rings, has created music for this movie that accompanies it perfectly. It doesn’t hinder the narrative (like it did in Mangal Pandey), but rather carries the movie forward. I was on a bathroom break during one of the songs, as my friend told me there would be no break in the movie, and as soon as I came back in a hurry to not miss the movie, there was an immediate break! I don’t know what to say.

3. I am just impressed with all the technical stuff Bollywood comes out with. I for once completely forgot I was watching an Indian film, and was convinced this was a Hollywood film, which just happened to have Indian actors. I also love the smooth and slick transition from the old to the new, past to the present.

4. There are several interwoven themes in this movie, all of which have been handled with maturity. Credit goes to the director for what could have been a satirical, or non-believable movie, for making it a realistic movie. Issues and themes revolve around racial tension, corruption, decadent youth, freedom among others. I was left with lots of questions as I left the theatre - How do I change a system that is corrupt already? - What can I do on a personal level to bring about a change? - Do I sit around and do nothing because I know I cannot change the system? - What or who would I sacrifice my life for? - What does it mean to be free? - What does freedom mean to me?

RB is the first hit of the year 2006, and has made 1.08 millions dirhams in the first five says in UAE alone. It’s a fun-filled film with a deeper message at heart. See it as soon as you can, and be prepared to be blown away and left with a deeper appreciation of what it means to be who you are as a person.

Mansur

Movie:: The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Hey friends,

[Keep in mind, this movie is based on true events.]

One of the biggest hits of the year 2005 was a small, unknown movie called The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Scary movies excite me, and so I waited with bated breath for this movie to release. The Exorcist (1977) is one of my all time favorite horror movies, and I stayed away from drawing comparison between these two movies.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose stars Laura Linney as Erin Bruner and Tom Wilkinson as Father Moore, and Jennifer Carpenter as Emily herself. Father Moore is accused of negligence of Emily’s health resulting in her death while performing the exorcism. Erin is called in to be Father Moore’s lawyer to defend him from the “people” who are prosecuting him. Thus begins the case trial, through which we get to hear about Emily Rose’ story, her possession and the eventual exorcism leading to her death.

The major attraction of this movie is that it is based on a true story; hence the reality of it strikes a chord in your heart. The prosecution teams argues that Emily Rose was not possessed but in fact afflicted with epileptic-psychotic disorder which made her see hallucinations, use dual voice from her vocal chords, manipulate her body, dilate her pupils so they turn black and so on. They argue that there is no such thing as demonic possession, and that Rose’s condition can all be explained through scientific reasoning and facts. However, Erin on the other hand, defends Father Moore by bringing in the supernatural arguments, making a case for possession as believed in by millions, perhaps billions of people. She even brings in an anthropologist as a witness, who explains that there are some people who are born “hyper-sensitive,” which allows them to experience connections with the supernatural. (At this point of the movie, I could only think about my cousin who told me how he would see jinns from his bedroom window.)

Erin herself is an agnostic whose views are changed as she comes to deal with the supernatural powers that are working against her. This movie is more about the trial, while we see Emily Rose’s story in flashback.

All the actors have given restrained and credible performances, and newcomer Carpenter as Rose is particularly terrifying as she conveys her descent into being possessed. I immensely enjoyed watching this movie, because it attempted to show demonic possession and exorcism from both the supernatural point of view and the scientific world’ point of view. Can we justify a person who one may claim to be demonically possessed in scientific terms? Just like in The Exorcist, the doctors try to understand the child’s condition, and through repeated tests fail to cure her of her disease and ultimately resort to exorcism.

I do believe in jinns, because the Quran talks about it, but what do I make of those people who claim to be possessed by jinns? Can their personality change be justified in scientific terms, or are they really possessed by jinns? I don’t know the answer, but this movie is a great starting point to address this issue. One other small thing. In the movie, as Erin Bruner starts the trial, she experiences sleepless nights, specifically at 3am. 3am, as Father Moore explains, is the demons’ witching hour, which is an inversion of 3pm, which is the time when Jesus Christ was supposedly killed on the cross. I just got thinking: do the jinns, or demons, try to attack us if we meddle with their world?

A friend I know attempted to start writing a book about jinns, and has put that on hold temporarily as she claims she feels some strange force working against her, almost as if it were trying to stop her. As Erin Bruner says in the movie, “the trial is not about facts. Its about possibilities.” When something is a fact, there is no room for doubt. And in our world, isn’t it just possible that jinns possess us?

Mansur

Book:: The DaVinci Code

Hi all,

Over lunch at Chilis, the discussion veered towards The Da Vinci Code penned by Dan Brown. I had heard so much about it, but never really bothered to actually read it since I was not familiar with the works of Dan Brown. However, when the more controversial stuff in the book was being discussed, I was quite intrigued, and went ahead and purchased the book.

In one word: pulsating-mystery-thriller that makes you sit on the edge of your seat. I

t is so intriguing that as I was nearing towards the end before I left for my recent trip to Pakistan, and I forgot my book back in Dubai, I was actually getting frustrated. I was so anxious to come back and finish reading it!

So what’s the big deal about The Da Vinci Code?

Well, it’s a mystery thriller that starts of with the death of a curator at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The death of the curator is no ordinary one, but a murder. However the curator leaves a mysterious message/ code on his body: some symbols and a series of number. Sophie Neveau, a cryptologist, and also the granddaughter of the curator, arrives on the scene to assess the situation. Robert Langdon, an American detective, who happens to be in town, also arrives on the scene.

Thus begins the first steps of an adventure that leads them all over Europe to different locations, encountering various people, good and bad. The French police suspect Robert to be the murderer, and so Robert and Sophie are on the run.

I will not spoil any plot details for you, because the joy will be taken out from reading the novel. However, the interesting part is how our two detectives discover further clues using the previous clues, and stumble upon hidden messages in the painting and works of Leonardo Da Vinci, especially in the world famous painting Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. They come to discover of a secret society, the Priory of Sion, of which Da Vinci and other prominent philosophers and scientists are a part. The more controversial stuff that had led the world to talk about this book deals with the issue that Jesus and Mary Magdalene, the prostitute who Jesus forgave of her sins, are married, and this idea is supported by The Last Supper painting where supposedly one of the thirteen men is a woman, who could be Mary Magdalene, sitting on the right side of Jesus. The two detectives also manage to find clues leading them to the Holy Grail, which is historically known as the cup that held the blood of Jesus Christ. Look at the above picture. Is that person on the right side of Jesus a man or a woman? At the start of the book, the author makes a note about the factual evidence of the existent of a secret society known as the Priory of Sion.

The tricky thing is that the author, in my opinion, mixes facts with fiction, and it becomes quite difficult to separate the two. Following the release of this book, there came ten or so more books refuting the claims that Jesus and Mary were married. Don’t take the book too seriously, read it with an open mind, and be prepared for one huge mystery treasure hunt, filled with clues and new discoveries. The chapters are ridiculously short, and that should make the reading a lot easier.

The only mistake I did was to read it over a long period, and I should have read it in one go. The cool thing is that I recently saw the trailer for the movie, and it looks dark and creepy, yet very exciting. I will be the first in line for this movie as it releases in May 2006!

Verdict: 5 out of 5 for sheer brilliance in plotting, mystery factor and the high level of adrenaline and excitement as we follow the two detectives on an amazing journey.

Mansur