Hello friends,
I have a burning question to ask.
Do you think it's possible God has willed it for me to not get married?
(According to my online research, most sites say it is desirable to marry, but should one find oneself in a situation where marriage is not for them, it's perfectly permissible for one to not marry. I am doing my research on this, because every single passing day, I am getting more and more convinced marriage is not for me-- not that I wanna sleep around-- but getting into a relationship/ having sex/ starting a family is not within my grasp-- and I am happier being on my own, and given my past, it's all the more difficult to get into a married life )
Mansur
Monday, March 26, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Pakistan Day
Hello,
On March 23rd each year, it's Pakistan Day. This is the day when the Lahore Resolution was passed in 1947, paving the way for the creation of Pakistan as the first Islamic republic in the world. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the enigmatic leader who led the way to creating a separate homeland for the minority Muslims in largely majority Hindus India.
To commemorate this event, the Pakistan Association in Dubai screened the movie Jinnah for free, and I took my bean bag to enjoy the movie in the open air, amid some delicious kebab rolls and Krispy Kreme donuts. Not too many people showed up, but it turned out to be a pleasant evening.
Sitting amidst the lighted candles, and portraits of Jinnah all over, the mood was set right for the event. Jinnah is a very well made movie, and the only one made on the leader of Pakistan. While he is highly regarded as a great leader in Pakistan, there are also a lot of criticisms for the way he lived his life. He married a Parsi wife, who later became a Muslim; he wore suits most of the time; he lived a purely Western lifestyle, his own daughter was estranged from him and didn't believe in his idea of a the creation of Pakistan. However, the biggest criticism of Jinnah is that he was a secular Muslim, if one can be called that.
Did Pakistan came into creation because it was an issue of religion? Or was it an issue of human rights? Jinnah is accused of being a humanist in the movie and he refuses to label himself this way. Some even argue that Pakistan should not have been created in the first place, hence avoiding the mass killings that took place as a result of the creation of a new nation. Should Pakistan have been created in the first place? Was Jinnah deliberately killed as he was being transported to the hospital? Did Lord Mountbatten and Gandhi deceive Jinnah? There are lots of such questions that could only be answered in a scholarly and open debate, which is very rare since a lot of Pakistanis would not want to get out the comfort zone and confront the reality of the situation.
The saddest thing is that Jinnah said in one his last speech that he has a vision to see Pakistan become one of the greatest nations of the world. Sadly, Pakistan has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, and makes me wonder whether Pakistan is a failed country. There can massive debates on these very topics, but at the end of the day, I am a Pakistani, and I am very proud of it, and while I can get very patriotic about it, I am also reminded that while I am a Pakistani my religious identity is more important to me.
Someone once said to me that placing your cultural identity over your religious identity may not be a good idea, because of the end of the day, its not where you are from that matters but what your faith is.
Happy Pakistan Day to all my Pakistani friends!
Mansur
On March 23rd each year, it's Pakistan Day. This is the day when the Lahore Resolution was passed in 1947, paving the way for the creation of Pakistan as the first Islamic republic in the world. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the enigmatic leader who led the way to creating a separate homeland for the minority Muslims in largely majority Hindus India.
To commemorate this event, the Pakistan Association in Dubai screened the movie Jinnah for free, and I took my bean bag to enjoy the movie in the open air, amid some delicious kebab rolls and Krispy Kreme donuts. Not too many people showed up, but it turned out to be a pleasant evening.
Sitting amidst the lighted candles, and portraits of Jinnah all over, the mood was set right for the event. Jinnah is a very well made movie, and the only one made on the leader of Pakistan. While he is highly regarded as a great leader in Pakistan, there are also a lot of criticisms for the way he lived his life. He married a Parsi wife, who later became a Muslim; he wore suits most of the time; he lived a purely Western lifestyle, his own daughter was estranged from him and didn't believe in his idea of a the creation of Pakistan. However, the biggest criticism of Jinnah is that he was a secular Muslim, if one can be called that.
Did Pakistan came into creation because it was an issue of religion? Or was it an issue of human rights? Jinnah is accused of being a humanist in the movie and he refuses to label himself this way. Some even argue that Pakistan should not have been created in the first place, hence avoiding the mass killings that took place as a result of the creation of a new nation. Should Pakistan have been created in the first place? Was Jinnah deliberately killed as he was being transported to the hospital? Did Lord Mountbatten and Gandhi deceive Jinnah? There are lots of such questions that could only be answered in a scholarly and open debate, which is very rare since a lot of Pakistanis would not want to get out the comfort zone and confront the reality of the situation.
The saddest thing is that Jinnah said in one his last speech that he has a vision to see Pakistan become one of the greatest nations of the world. Sadly, Pakistan has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, and makes me wonder whether Pakistan is a failed country. There can massive debates on these very topics, but at the end of the day, I am a Pakistani, and I am very proud of it, and while I can get very patriotic about it, I am also reminded that while I am a Pakistani my religious identity is more important to me.
Someone once said to me that placing your cultural identity over your religious identity may not be a good idea, because of the end of the day, its not where you are from that matters but what your faith is.
Happy Pakistan Day to all my Pakistani friends!
Mansur
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Babel
Hey,
I just saw Babel on the DVD tonight. Thankfully I didn't get to see it in the cinema for it would have been heavily censored this missing out on key points in the movie. The title of the movie Babel refers to the incident mentioned in the Bible, where arrogant people were attempting to build a massive tower to reach up to God, and God suddenly caused everyone to speak in different languages, thereby confusing everyone; Babel being the byword for miscommunication.
We follow several different stories.
A Moroccan buys a rifle gun and teaches his two sons how to use it to kill the jackals to avoid their goats being killed. While practising their aim, one of the boys accidentally shoots the tour bus.
An American couple with soured relationship are forced to spend time in a local Moroccan village where the wife is bleeding seriously. With no one to speak English fluently, the husband finds it a chore to get an ambulance to help save his wife.
While, over in Japan, a deaf-mute girl tries to lose her viriginity from as she learns to deal with the loss of her mother.
In the States, a Mexican nanny is forced to babysit the two kids, as her employer is unable to give her time off. The nanny wants to make it to Mexico for her son's wedding, and decides to take the two white kids into Mexico.
As we follow the stories of these people, we realize that the movie is taking us to a point where it will all inter-connect somehow. While the movie may be slow for some, I think it's one amazing movie to watch, especially as we can relate to some situations where our lack of cultural understanding and lack of knowldge of a foreign country can put us into unenviable situations. The acting is top notch and everyone seems very natural in their element. However, its the cinematography and the music that's the most wonderful thing about this movie.
Bable was nominated for Best Movie at th Oscars, and won several awards around the world at various film festivals. Make sure to check it out and just be aware of the heavy mature content.
Mansur
I just saw Babel on the DVD tonight. Thankfully I didn't get to see it in the cinema for it would have been heavily censored this missing out on key points in the movie. The title of the movie Babel refers to the incident mentioned in the Bible, where arrogant people were attempting to build a massive tower to reach up to God, and God suddenly caused everyone to speak in different languages, thereby confusing everyone; Babel being the byword for miscommunication.
We follow several different stories.
A Moroccan buys a rifle gun and teaches his two sons how to use it to kill the jackals to avoid their goats being killed. While practising their aim, one of the boys accidentally shoots the tour bus.
An American couple with soured relationship are forced to spend time in a local Moroccan village where the wife is bleeding seriously. With no one to speak English fluently, the husband finds it a chore to get an ambulance to help save his wife.
While, over in Japan, a deaf-mute girl tries to lose her viriginity from as she learns to deal with the loss of her mother.
In the States, a Mexican nanny is forced to babysit the two kids, as her employer is unable to give her time off. The nanny wants to make it to Mexico for her son's wedding, and decides to take the two white kids into Mexico.
As we follow the stories of these people, we realize that the movie is taking us to a point where it will all inter-connect somehow. While the movie may be slow for some, I think it's one amazing movie to watch, especially as we can relate to some situations where our lack of cultural understanding and lack of knowldge of a foreign country can put us into unenviable situations. The acting is top notch and everyone seems very natural in their element. However, its the cinematography and the music that's the most wonderful thing about this movie.
Bable was nominated for Best Movie at th Oscars, and won several awards around the world at various film festivals. Make sure to check it out and just be aware of the heavy mature content.
Mansur
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
New Movies....
Hey friends,
I saw several movies that are worth watching. Don't have time to write out full reviews but should you get the time, make sure you can check them out.
The Queen
Truly a captivating and engrossing movie into the life of the Queen as the death of Princess Diana makes world headlines. Why the Queen behaved the way she did forms the crux of the movie. Certainly an oscar winning performance by Helen Mirren as the Queen, this movie moves at an interesting pace and gives you a glimpse into what life is like inside the Bickingham Palace.
Little Miss Sunshine
The story of a dysfunctional family of four, with a coke-addicted grandfather and a gay suicidal gay uncle, go on a road trip to make sure Olive gets a chance to participate at beauty pageant for little girls. En route, each member of the family gets to confront their issues and deal with them. Particularly moving was the son who has taken a vow of silence and ultimately discovers his fate has other options for him. Moving, funny and a hearth-warming film.
Kingdom Hospital
For those Stephen King fan who enjoy mini-series like It, Storm of the Century and The Shining, Kingdom Hospital is yet another one of Stephen King's mini-series. Taking place in a hospital that is situated above a fault line, mysterious events take place leading certain people from society to get admitted into the hospital. Little do they realize that they are being brought into the hospital deliberately as part of a bigger plan to help Mary escape from the horrific past.
Godsend
An older movie about cloning and how one doctor approach a grieving couple to give them a chance to have their son cloned. While the dad doesn't agree, he gives in to his wife's desire to have another son who looks like their previous son. The experiment goes fine, till the son approaches the same age he was killed. Something is wrong with the clone, and the parents begin to suspect the doctor had ulterior motives in cloning their son. Good movie to think about the ethical, moral and spiritual aspects of cloning.
More movie reviews to come soon.
Mansur
I saw several movies that are worth watching. Don't have time to write out full reviews but should you get the time, make sure you can check them out.
The Queen
Truly a captivating and engrossing movie into the life of the Queen as the death of Princess Diana makes world headlines. Why the Queen behaved the way she did forms the crux of the movie. Certainly an oscar winning performance by Helen Mirren as the Queen, this movie moves at an interesting pace and gives you a glimpse into what life is like inside the Bickingham Palace.
Little Miss Sunshine
The story of a dysfunctional family of four, with a coke-addicted grandfather and a gay suicidal gay uncle, go on a road trip to make sure Olive gets a chance to participate at beauty pageant for little girls. En route, each member of the family gets to confront their issues and deal with them. Particularly moving was the son who has taken a vow of silence and ultimately discovers his fate has other options for him. Moving, funny and a hearth-warming film.
Kingdom Hospital
For those Stephen King fan who enjoy mini-series like It, Storm of the Century and The Shining, Kingdom Hospital is yet another one of Stephen King's mini-series. Taking place in a hospital that is situated above a fault line, mysterious events take place leading certain people from society to get admitted into the hospital. Little do they realize that they are being brought into the hospital deliberately as part of a bigger plan to help Mary escape from the horrific past.
Godsend
An older movie about cloning and how one doctor approach a grieving couple to give them a chance to have their son cloned. While the dad doesn't agree, he gives in to his wife's desire to have another son who looks like their previous son. The experiment goes fine, till the son approaches the same age he was killed. Something is wrong with the clone, and the parents begin to suspect the doctor had ulterior motives in cloning their son. Good movie to think about the ethical, moral and spiritual aspects of cloning.
More movie reviews to come soon.
Mansur
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Dad Arrested Amid Pakistan Political Turmoil
Hello everyone,
--- Before I get into what I have to say, I must say the dialogue going on in the comments section of my previous post is fairly interesting, and I would like to continue that, however, what happened yesterday deserves space here too. ---
Yesterday afternoon my mom called me and left me a message on my cell phone. "Don't worry Mansur. Everything is all right. Your dad is all right. There is no harm. Just follow the news on tv." I usually don't turn my tv on Fridays, but with this phone message, I was curious and turned on the tv and was glued for the next several hours.
President Musharraf had sacked the Chief Justice of Pakistan, apparently as the papers say because a rival lawyer accused the Chief Justice of getting his own sona job in the police. That's abuse of authority the rival lawyer screamed, and brought the issue to Musharraf, who immediately sacked him.
The Opposition Parties in Pakistan had planned a nationwide protest to bring to light the unfair sacking of the Chief Justice. My dad, being the Punjab director for PTI, had gone with his team for the Friday prayers, when right after the prayers, some people started forming lines and prepared to march forward. The police showed up and arrested some people. My dad and his friends went back inside the mosque to wait for the furore to die down, but the brutality of the police was evident as they raided the mosque and forced everyone out and arrested them. ARY tv also mentioned my dad's name several time in the news bulletin, and that made me realize how big the issue had become.
When my mom called again, she mentioned that my dad was in jail, and that they took away his cell phone and no contact was allowed. My world came crashing down. My own dad in jail? Someone who always stands up for justic and goodness for everyone was sitting in jail. Political developments were changing by the minute. President Musharraf called and apologized to the nation. Punjab police attacked the GEO tv news office and damaged the premises. A bomb threat was made at the Karachi office and everyone was evacuated. Former prime ministers commented on how Musharraf was leading Pakistan into crises after crises.
Naturally, when one's dad is in jail for no good reason, the worse case scenario comes to mind. Pakistani police are not well known for kind treatment to prisoners, but rather known for torturing inmates. I sent out sms-es to my friends for prayers for my dad. I went into prayer myself. Hours later, my sister sms-ed me and told me dad is realesed, thanks to the president of PTI who helped secured his release. An hour later, my dad called me up and I told him how scared I was for his life. He took everything in his stride. "Mansur, when I am going through something like this, for no wrong reason of mine, I am strengthened and more determined to do something for Pakistan." The ever so determined my dad that is! Nothing will stop him from bringing about a good change in the country.
Something is wrong when the President of Pakistan is running the country like a dictator. More and more people are unhappy with him. He is an unconstitutional President and self elected. He is not a democratic leader, and sadly things are going from bad to worse. However, according to my dad who lived through the experience, there is a silent revolution coming along. There is a time for upheavel coming soon. Pakistani politics, as unpredictable as it is, will keep on changing by the day.
As for now, I am thankful my dad is out of prison. For a few hours, I feared for the worst, and for the first time in my life, when I got back on the phone, I managed to talk to my dad openly about my fears and told him that I love him.
Mansur
--- Before I get into what I have to say, I must say the dialogue going on in the comments section of my previous post is fairly interesting, and I would like to continue that, however, what happened yesterday deserves space here too. ---
Yesterday afternoon my mom called me and left me a message on my cell phone. "Don't worry Mansur. Everything is all right. Your dad is all right. There is no harm. Just follow the news on tv." I usually don't turn my tv on Fridays, but with this phone message, I was curious and turned on the tv and was glued for the next several hours.
President Musharraf had sacked the Chief Justice of Pakistan, apparently as the papers say because a rival lawyer accused the Chief Justice of getting his own sona job in the police. That's abuse of authority the rival lawyer screamed, and brought the issue to Musharraf, who immediately sacked him.
The Opposition Parties in Pakistan had planned a nationwide protest to bring to light the unfair sacking of the Chief Justice. My dad, being the Punjab director for PTI, had gone with his team for the Friday prayers, when right after the prayers, some people started forming lines and prepared to march forward. The police showed up and arrested some people. My dad and his friends went back inside the mosque to wait for the furore to die down, but the brutality of the police was evident as they raided the mosque and forced everyone out and arrested them. ARY tv also mentioned my dad's name several time in the news bulletin, and that made me realize how big the issue had become.
When my mom called again, she mentioned that my dad was in jail, and that they took away his cell phone and no contact was allowed. My world came crashing down. My own dad in jail? Someone who always stands up for justic and goodness for everyone was sitting in jail. Political developments were changing by the minute. President Musharraf called and apologized to the nation. Punjab police attacked the GEO tv news office and damaged the premises. A bomb threat was made at the Karachi office and everyone was evacuated. Former prime ministers commented on how Musharraf was leading Pakistan into crises after crises.
Naturally, when one's dad is in jail for no good reason, the worse case scenario comes to mind. Pakistani police are not well known for kind treatment to prisoners, but rather known for torturing inmates. I sent out sms-es to my friends for prayers for my dad. I went into prayer myself. Hours later, my sister sms-ed me and told me dad is realesed, thanks to the president of PTI who helped secured his release. An hour later, my dad called me up and I told him how scared I was for his life. He took everything in his stride. "Mansur, when I am going through something like this, for no wrong reason of mine, I am strengthened and more determined to do something for Pakistan." The ever so determined my dad that is! Nothing will stop him from bringing about a good change in the country.
Something is wrong when the President of Pakistan is running the country like a dictator. More and more people are unhappy with him. He is an unconstitutional President and self elected. He is not a democratic leader, and sadly things are going from bad to worse. However, according to my dad who lived through the experience, there is a silent revolution coming along. There is a time for upheavel coming soon. Pakistani politics, as unpredictable as it is, will keep on changing by the day.
As for now, I am thankful my dad is out of prison. For a few hours, I feared for the worst, and for the first time in my life, when I got back on the phone, I managed to talk to my dad openly about my fears and told him that I love him.
Mansur
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Transient
Hey friends,
Ever since I have moved out of my old apartment, and into a temporary house, waiting to move into my new apartment, I feel like I am stuck in between worlds. I am neither here nor there, and it's a very strange feeling. I also left my old job and will be starting a new job soon, so that's been a bit weird too. It's like those situation in the movies, where you see characters stuck between the two worlds: life and death. I am in a very transitional phase of my life right now: moving from one house to another, moving from one job to another. Every single person I have talked to in Dubai has came up with one term for this city: Transient. Here is what it means (courtesy of dictionary.com):
1. not lasting, enduring, or permanent; transitory.
2. lasting only a short time; existing briefly; temporary: transient authority.
3. staying only a short time: the transient guests at a hotel.
4. a person or thing that is transient, esp. a temporary guest, boarder, laborer, or the like.
I thought back to the time when I came here in 1998, and all those friends I made, and stayed in touch with have all disappeared off the face of the planet. Where are they now? People move on. Old people leave. New people come in. At my last workplace, I saw more people coming and going in my life than my entire lifetime. This phenomenon was something I did not witness in my years at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. There things seemed more permanent. I think a lot of factors play a role in people coming and going in and out of Dubai: rising cost of living/ expenses, job insecurities, better opportunities abroad among other reasons.
I myself am thinking along the lines of leaving Dubai too because of better job offers elsewhere outside of this country. Nothing is confirmed, as I am going to be working in my new job soon, but I know there will come a day soon when I would want to pack my bags and move elsewhere to a different country, probably my own home country of Pakistan, and make a better living.
Transient. Transitory. Temporary. I am only but a person, simply in transit.
Mansur
Ever since I have moved out of my old apartment, and into a temporary house, waiting to move into my new apartment, I feel like I am stuck in between worlds. I am neither here nor there, and it's a very strange feeling. I also left my old job and will be starting a new job soon, so that's been a bit weird too. It's like those situation in the movies, where you see characters stuck between the two worlds: life and death. I am in a very transitional phase of my life right now: moving from one house to another, moving from one job to another. Every single person I have talked to in Dubai has came up with one term for this city: Transient. Here is what it means (courtesy of dictionary.com):
1. not lasting, enduring, or permanent; transitory.
2. lasting only a short time; existing briefly; temporary: transient authority.
3. staying only a short time: the transient guests at a hotel.
4. a person or thing that is transient, esp. a temporary guest, boarder, laborer, or the like.
I thought back to the time when I came here in 1998, and all those friends I made, and stayed in touch with have all disappeared off the face of the planet. Where are they now? People move on. Old people leave. New people come in. At my last workplace, I saw more people coming and going in my life than my entire lifetime. This phenomenon was something I did not witness in my years at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. There things seemed more permanent. I think a lot of factors play a role in people coming and going in and out of Dubai: rising cost of living/ expenses, job insecurities, better opportunities abroad among other reasons.
I myself am thinking along the lines of leaving Dubai too because of better job offers elsewhere outside of this country. Nothing is confirmed, as I am going to be working in my new job soon, but I know there will come a day soon when I would want to pack my bags and move elsewhere to a different country, probably my own home country of Pakistan, and make a better living.
Transient. Transitory. Temporary. I am only but a person, simply in transit.
Mansur
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Sushi...
Hello friends,
My sister was here this last one week and I was busy hanging out with her. I was also busy going around for various job interviews, and thankfully got a job with Tatweer, which is part of Dubai Holdings. I would be working at the Global Village Office, and it was a pretty intense interview, considering the interviwer was the CEO himself. I am hoping to start soon, and am just waiting for them to call me back and let me know where and when I can start.
In the meantime, I did some fun things with my sister. We went to the Jumeirah Beach and got ourselves a tan, although the weather was not apt to get a tan as its still windy and all. There were two things that I did that were the most fun.
1. The Karaoke Experience. While I have done karaoke before with my work colleagues, my sister took center stage and did her rendition of Can't Fight The Moonlight, as made popular by Leann Rimes. She didn't want to do it alone, so she asked another young man there, with excellent singing skills, to join in with her and they both sang that song. It was fun to see my sister doing something that I had never seen before.
2. Yo Sushi! The well known Sushi place, originating out of the UK with a branch here in Bur Juman Center, Dubai. I have never had sushi before, and the very thought of it puts me off. Why have raw fish? Why have anything raw? Well, it turned out to be a very pleasant experience. As we were sitting on the stools, with a high countertop, we were able to see the small plates with a colored ring around the plate, passing before our eyes on the converyer belt. The whole deal was that each color was coordinated with a price. So the green circled plate was 11dhs, and the purple one was something like 20dhs or so, with a range of them in between. I had my first ever taste of sushi, and it wasn't bad after all. I had it with rice and soya sauce, and so these two extras made it up for the lack of taste of sushi that was.
All in all, a fun filled trip. The only thing left for me to do is to move into my new apartments, which Nakheel delayed yet again for another 2 weeks.
Mansur
My sister was here this last one week and I was busy hanging out with her. I was also busy going around for various job interviews, and thankfully got a job with Tatweer, which is part of Dubai Holdings. I would be working at the Global Village Office, and it was a pretty intense interview, considering the interviwer was the CEO himself. I am hoping to start soon, and am just waiting for them to call me back and let me know where and when I can start.
In the meantime, I did some fun things with my sister. We went to the Jumeirah Beach and got ourselves a tan, although the weather was not apt to get a tan as its still windy and all. There were two things that I did that were the most fun.
1. The Karaoke Experience. While I have done karaoke before with my work colleagues, my sister took center stage and did her rendition of Can't Fight The Moonlight, as made popular by Leann Rimes. She didn't want to do it alone, so she asked another young man there, with excellent singing skills, to join in with her and they both sang that song. It was fun to see my sister doing something that I had never seen before.
2. Yo Sushi! The well known Sushi place, originating out of the UK with a branch here in Bur Juman Center, Dubai. I have never had sushi before, and the very thought of it puts me off. Why have raw fish? Why have anything raw? Well, it turned out to be a very pleasant experience. As we were sitting on the stools, with a high countertop, we were able to see the small plates with a colored ring around the plate, passing before our eyes on the converyer belt. The whole deal was that each color was coordinated with a price. So the green circled plate was 11dhs, and the purple one was something like 20dhs or so, with a range of them in between. I had my first ever taste of sushi, and it wasn't bad after all. I had it with rice and soya sauce, and so these two extras made it up for the lack of taste of sushi that was.
All in all, a fun filled trip. The only thing left for me to do is to move into my new apartments, which Nakheel delayed yet again for another 2 weeks.
Mansur
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