Hello everyone.
I have the secret to losing weight...well, it's not a secret anymore since I am disclosing it here. I know everyone claims to be doing one thing or another, but I have finally found something that is working for me. It is not a new diet. It is not something where you don’t eat a particular thing. I actually got inspired by this book that I saw on television called French Women Don’t Get Fat. I applied the French way of eating and it actually works. So, what is it?
There are three parts to it.
1. You need to eat only half of what you would normally eat. This is something that even my personal trainer told me when I was going to the gym last year. This really works for me. For example, if I were to eat a 1/4 Pounder, I would choose to take a small cheeseburger. If I ordered pasta, I would eat half of it and take the other half home for next day. If I made Chinese at home for one person, I would split it up into half, and eat the other half the next day.
2. You need to eat your food slowly. Eat your food as if it were your last meal. There is emphasis on chewing your food minimum three times before swallowing it. Sometimes when we are very hungry, we eat really fast, without even chewing it properly. You need to chew it as many times as you can, and then swallow. Take your time to eat your meal. COOL FACT: It takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that you are full. So, whatever food you are eating, within 20 minutes you will begin to feel full. So for example, if I am having 1.5 slices instead of the usual 3 slices of pizza, and I take at least 20 minutes to eat my 1.5 slices, I will feel full- so no need for the other 1.5 slices. (Normally, I would eat 3 slices as fast as I can.)
3. Exercise is important. You don’t have to slog it out at the gym. Walk up the stairs instead of using the elevator. Thankfully I live on the 3rd floor so it’s not a bad walk. If you live on the 24th floor, get out at 20th floor and walk the four floors. Walk over to your shopping market, or restaurant if they are close to your home. Try to walk as much as you can.
In addition to this, you need to make healthy choices. I can afford to have a pizza meal for dinner, but I balance my diet by having bran flakes for breakfast. I can have chocolates for snacking, but I need to have at least one kind of fruit as well. I can drink all the diet cokes, but I also need to drink milk or juice as well. Introducing healthy foods into your diet will be beneficial.
This technique of eating doesn’t ask you to not eat anything. You can eat anything you want to, from that juicy steak to that delicious chocolate cake, but remember, eat half of what you would normally eat, and to balance your favorite foods with the more healthy ones.
I have been doing this for about two weeks, and I am telling you IT WORKS! As we are in the month of Ramadan, there is a lot of emphasis on eating for meals in the morning and evening and dinner. So one has to be responsible and sensible in what one eats, and to not over indulge into eating.
I already live on one meal a day (I cannot imagine eating two full meals a day—I will fall sick), and my issue is that I make unhealthy food choices, and then not burning it off. I become lazy. I also over indulge in chocolates and chocolate milk. But hopefully, with this new plan, I shall be able to lose my weight around my stomach!
Mansur
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Absolutely Sickening...
Hey everyone ,
As I was watching Geo TV, the Pakistani news channel, there was a report on the first "gay" marriage in Pakistan. We just entered this month of Ramadan, and here is a news report that a 42 year old man married a 16 year old teenager in the remote Khyber region bordering Afghanistan. I checked out the news online, and even BBC news reported it.
'Pomp and show'
A local Urdu-language newspaper said the elder man, named as Liaquat Ali, had taken a local boy called Markeen as "his male bride".
The paper said the boy's impoverished parents accepted 40,000 rupees (£380) for their son's hand in marriage.
"The marriage was held amid usual pomp and show associated with a tribal wedding," it said.
Malik Waris Khan, a prominent local politician and former federal minister, confirmed to AFP that the marriage had taken place.
"I checked the report with people in Tirah Valley and they confirmed it," he said.
All I can say is that I am absolutely sickened by this news. The boy's parents know about it. The whole village celebrated with "pomp and show." I am sickened that people feel they compromise on such beliefs to get money.
Mansur
As I was watching Geo TV, the Pakistani news channel, there was a report on the first "gay" marriage in Pakistan. We just entered this month of Ramadan, and here is a news report that a 42 year old man married a 16 year old teenager in the remote Khyber region bordering Afghanistan. I checked out the news online, and even BBC news reported it.
'Pomp and show'
A local Urdu-language newspaper said the elder man, named as Liaquat Ali, had taken a local boy called Markeen as "his male bride".
The paper said the boy's impoverished parents accepted 40,000 rupees (£380) for their son's hand in marriage.
"The marriage was held amid usual pomp and show associated with a tribal wedding," it said.
Malik Waris Khan, a prominent local politician and former federal minister, confirmed to AFP that the marriage had taken place.
"I checked the report with people in Tirah Valley and they confirmed it," he said.
All I can say is that I am absolutely sickened by this news. The boy's parents know about it. The whole village celebrated with "pomp and show." I am sickened that people feel they compromise on such beliefs to get money.
Mansur
Accidents in Ramadan...
Hey everyone,
Remember how I warned you to stay off the streets in Dubai pre-iftar time? Well, here is what happens. According to Gulf News: Accidents rise. Police were not able to send their patrol to all the scenes of accidents. When will people learn? Always take a box of dates and a bottle of water if you think you will be stuck in the traffic! Learn to be patient, and calm, and considerate of other drivers out there!
Mansur
Remember how I warned you to stay off the streets in Dubai pre-iftar time? Well, here is what happens. According to Gulf News: Accidents rise. Police were not able to send their patrol to all the scenes of accidents. When will people learn? Always take a box of dates and a bottle of water if you think you will be stuck in the traffic! Learn to be patient, and calm, and considerate of other drivers out there!
Mansur
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Blogger Blocked?
My friend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia tells me that Blogger is blocked in Saudi Arabia and that she cannot access her blog, nor visit other blogs. What's up? Does anyone know anything about this?
Mansur
Mansur
Reading the Quran
Hey everyone,
Since everyone is in a religious mood because of Ramadan, I wanted to share with you about the Quran that I am reading. I have read the Quran in its entirety thrice in Arabic in the presence of an Islamic scholar. Somehow I wished I had read the translation back then too, because I was clueless each time I read it in Arabic.
There are two translations that I am reading now. Since I don't know Arabic that well, I cannot understand the Quran when I read it in Arabic. Even reading it in my mother tongue Urdu, I get lost. So I understand best when I read it in English. I have had gone through several different English versions, but not all of them appealed to me. But, there are two that are wonderful to read.
One translation is by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, published by H&G International. It is entirely in English, and reads like a novel. There is no Arabic text in this version. It is also not entirely in old English language, so none of that Doth, Thou and Thee kind of words slow you down. It actually is easy to understand and easy to grasp.
The other translation that I am reading is by Mohammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik, who has published his translation at the Institue of Islamic Knowledge in Houston, Texas. This translation is in simple English with absolute no old English langauge and uses a new revised translation. The best thing about this translation is how there is a synopsis of each chapter at the beginning. So for easy reference, you can browse through the brief summary of each chapter, and then going to the page number. Then, another cool thing is that at the beginning of each chapter there is background information, and a detailed summary. The concept is lifted off the study Bible, and I think it is a great concept. It is fun to read, easy to understand and easy to grasp. This translation is also very good for those who have never read the Quran, or for new Muslims.
Like I said, not all translations work for me. The ones I have mentioned above actually speak to me the most. I know for a fact that since 9/11 the language has been softened in the translation. I mean, in one of the earlier translations, the verse on wife-beating would say that as a last resort a man is allowed to "beat" his wife. In the newer translations, they have added a clarification, "beat (lightly)." Someone also gave me a copy of the Quran last year in Jeddah and when I checked it out, all the places where Allah is mentioned, it was in red. I knew immediately they had taken this concept of highlighting Allah in red from the Bible, where if you actually read some of the translations, Jesus' words are in red, or the word Lord is red.
So how do I read the Quran? I read it like I am doing a manuscript study. Seeing a lot of people revere the Quran to the point of wrapping it in a cloth and placing it on the highest shelf, I knew something was wrong with that. The Quran is the manual for life. It is meant to read and understood, not simply be read in Arabic and then place it away. So, I take out my highlighters and notebook, and I read one chapter, and if a chapter is too long, I break it down. I make notes. I highlight those verses that speak to me. I make notes of people, places, events and times. When I do all this, I actually understand the Quran on a deeper level as opposed to reading it in Arabic, or English, and then not doing anything about it.
Mansur
Since everyone is in a religious mood because of Ramadan, I wanted to share with you about the Quran that I am reading. I have read the Quran in its entirety thrice in Arabic in the presence of an Islamic scholar. Somehow I wished I had read the translation back then too, because I was clueless each time I read it in Arabic.
There are two translations that I am reading now. Since I don't know Arabic that well, I cannot understand the Quran when I read it in Arabic. Even reading it in my mother tongue Urdu, I get lost. So I understand best when I read it in English. I have had gone through several different English versions, but not all of them appealed to me. But, there are two that are wonderful to read.
One translation is by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, published by H&G International. It is entirely in English, and reads like a novel. There is no Arabic text in this version. It is also not entirely in old English language, so none of that Doth, Thou and Thee kind of words slow you down. It actually is easy to understand and easy to grasp.
The other translation that I am reading is by Mohammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik, who has published his translation at the Institue of Islamic Knowledge in Houston, Texas. This translation is in simple English with absolute no old English langauge and uses a new revised translation. The best thing about this translation is how there is a synopsis of each chapter at the beginning. So for easy reference, you can browse through the brief summary of each chapter, and then going to the page number. Then, another cool thing is that at the beginning of each chapter there is background information, and a detailed summary. The concept is lifted off the study Bible, and I think it is a great concept. It is fun to read, easy to understand and easy to grasp. This translation is also very good for those who have never read the Quran, or for new Muslims.
Like I said, not all translations work for me. The ones I have mentioned above actually speak to me the most. I know for a fact that since 9/11 the language has been softened in the translation. I mean, in one of the earlier translations, the verse on wife-beating would say that as a last resort a man is allowed to "beat" his wife. In the newer translations, they have added a clarification, "beat (lightly)." Someone also gave me a copy of the Quran last year in Jeddah and when I checked it out, all the places where Allah is mentioned, it was in red. I knew immediately they had taken this concept of highlighting Allah in red from the Bible, where if you actually read some of the translations, Jesus' words are in red, or the word Lord is red.
So how do I read the Quran? I read it like I am doing a manuscript study. Seeing a lot of people revere the Quran to the point of wrapping it in a cloth and placing it on the highest shelf, I knew something was wrong with that. The Quran is the manual for life. It is meant to read and understood, not simply be read in Arabic and then place it away. So, I take out my highlighters and notebook, and I read one chapter, and if a chapter is too long, I break it down. I make notes. I highlight those verses that speak to me. I make notes of people, places, events and times. When I do all this, I actually understand the Quran on a deeper level as opposed to reading it in Arabic, or English, and then not doing anything about it.
Mansur
Monday, October 03, 2005
Happy Ramadan...
Hey everyone,
Happy Ramadan to you all. May this month be a meaningful and blessed month to you and your family. May God reward you for your prayers, and bless you as you fast during this month.
Daily Production Line
(Starting from Top Right corner, moving towards left then down ending at bottom right corner...
Sleeping--- Work--- Sleeping--- Breaking of Fast--- Televsion---Breakfast!)
Mansur
Happy Ramadan to you all. May this month be a meaningful and blessed month to you and your family. May God reward you for your prayers, and bless you as you fast during this month.
Daily Production Line
(Starting from Top Right corner, moving towards left then down ending at bottom right corner...
Sleeping--- Work--- Sleeping--- Breaking of Fast--- Televsion---Breakfast!)
Mansur
Height of Stubborness
Hey everyone,
As I was crossing the road in front of my house today to get to the other side, I stood on the hard shoulder. Now, we all know the cars are not supposed to be using the hard shoulder as a driving lane. I don't understand why cars use it.
So, I just stood there while there was a break in the traffic so I could cross. All the while cars coming down the hard shoulder were forced to slow down and get back into the proper driving lane. I know what I was doing was dangerous and could have gotten myself hurt or killed, but I felt like teaching a lesson to the drivers who are doing something illegal. Taxi drivers honked at me. Buses flashed lights at me. Other cars were forced to slow down, and look at me as if I were a crazy person. Only once did I take a step backwards to let a bus whiz past by me, missing me from probably inches. I was at the height of my stuborness at that particular moment.
I have my bouts of being stubborn, especially when it comes to arguments. I don't take anything at face value. If someone tells me something which is debatable, I take their statements as just a statement, and aim to seek the truth about it. I am sure you must have seen my bouts of stubborness here on my blog too when I posed the article on Islam and Music, as well as Free Will and Predestination.
I think it is very important to seek the truth out, instead of taking someting at face value. If I believe in something very strongly, I stick to it. It would take a lot to convince me otherwise. I have my sets of beliefs and values, and I stick by them. This doesn't necessarily make me inflexible or rigid. I am most flexible, and am willing to listen to all sides of the arguments, but then I form my opinion after I do some searching. That's my stubborness!
I think all Taurus are like this. They are stubborn bulls. Even my mom is a Taurus, and at times she can be stubborn about things. Are there any other Tauruses out there who are stubborn about things?
Mansur
As I was crossing the road in front of my house today to get to the other side, I stood on the hard shoulder. Now, we all know the cars are not supposed to be using the hard shoulder as a driving lane. I don't understand why cars use it.
So, I just stood there while there was a break in the traffic so I could cross. All the while cars coming down the hard shoulder were forced to slow down and get back into the proper driving lane. I know what I was doing was dangerous and could have gotten myself hurt or killed, but I felt like teaching a lesson to the drivers who are doing something illegal. Taxi drivers honked at me. Buses flashed lights at me. Other cars were forced to slow down, and look at me as if I were a crazy person. Only once did I take a step backwards to let a bus whiz past by me, missing me from probably inches. I was at the height of my stuborness at that particular moment.
I have my bouts of being stubborn, especially when it comes to arguments. I don't take anything at face value. If someone tells me something which is debatable, I take their statements as just a statement, and aim to seek the truth about it. I am sure you must have seen my bouts of stubborness here on my blog too when I posed the article on Islam and Music, as well as Free Will and Predestination.
I think it is very important to seek the truth out, instead of taking someting at face value. If I believe in something very strongly, I stick to it. It would take a lot to convince me otherwise. I have my sets of beliefs and values, and I stick by them. This doesn't necessarily make me inflexible or rigid. I am most flexible, and am willing to listen to all sides of the arguments, but then I form my opinion after I do some searching. That's my stubborness!
I think all Taurus are like this. They are stubborn bulls. Even my mom is a Taurus, and at times she can be stubborn about things. Are there any other Tauruses out there who are stubborn about things?
Mansur
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Happy Ramadan!
Hey friends,
Once again the blessed month of Ramadan will be descending upon us. The tentative date is the 4th of October, and it all depends on the sighting of the moon. I am sure we all have our wonderful moments of Ramadan. I for one certainly miss the Ramadan we would have in Saudi Arabia.
Growing up in Jeddah, the period of Ramadan took on a whole different schedule for us kids going to school. We would get up in the morning, have our breakfast and pray the fajr prayer. School hours would be reduced, and we would be home earlier than usual. Many times my friends I would bring in "Ramadan" excuse notes for our sports class. The main gist of such notes was: please excuse my son from swimming today as he fears he will swallow water thereby canceling his fast, or, please excuse my son from participating in sports today as excessive time in the heat will make him extra-thirsty and dehydrate him. We all knew we were ok, but it was just an excuse to not play sports.
Iftar time, the breaking of the fast, would be a fun time. Dates, Samosays, Rooh Afza, Pakorays and so on. After praying the Maghreb prayer, the kids would settle in front of Channel Two, to watch Full House (which would be heavily censored, with some episodes lasting as long as 10 minutes) followed by America's Funniest Home Videos. All the shopping or going out would happen after the last prayer is finished.
Somehow, growing up over the years, these sweet moments changed. Ramadan just isn't what it used to be for us kids growing up in Jeddah. Ramadan is becoming more and more commercialized. Just like the Christians complain about how Christmas has been commercialized, I think there will come a time when the Muslims will cry out to stop commercializing Ramadan. I have observed Ramadan in Dubai since 1998, except for the year 2004, and each passing year made me see Dubai observing Ramadan more as an opportunity to make money than to observe the real tenets for fasting.
So what is Ramadan essentially? Ramadan is that time of the month which God has set for the Muslim to unite in fasting and prayer, in remembrance of those who are poor, hungry and needy. By restricting our intake of food, water, smoking and avoiding all sexual acts if married, we are supposed to experience what it is to feel like the under-privileged. Not only this, fasting has several spiritual dimensions to it. It is meant to discipline us. It is meant to help us develop a routine of prayer and meditation on the Holy Quran. It is meant to bring us into line with the Quranic teachings on developing a Muslim character and personality. It is meant to make us aware of the needy and suffering Muslims around the world. It is meant to bring us back in line with what being a Muslim is about, and encourage us to carry what we learn in Ramadan over the course of the year till the next Ramadan.
So what's happening to Ramadan? Why aren't people doing what they should be doing?
1. For starters, let's witness the pre-Ramadan rush at the supermarket. A week before Ramadan begins, we have all these supermarkets giving full page ads showing their discounted prices on all basic food stuffs. The madness that you see just days before: long lines, shouting and screaming at the cashiers, arguments between people over stuff running out and so on. All the characteristics of patience, humility, calmness, decency are vanished for a couple of days. Not only this, once Ramadan progresses, it is a bad time to be out on the streets in Dubai as the iftar time nears. No one driver will spare you. They will all be rushing like mad drivers in an attempt to get home on time to break the fast. Somehow, people think if they don't break their fast at home it will be invalid. I don't understand why they don't carry a box of dates and bottle of water if they know they will be caught in the traffic. The pre-iftar is the best time to see all those characteristics of patience, decency and seving others vanish into the air. Instead you see anger, rage, rash driving, cursing and so on.
2. Also, Dubai has a sudden boom in "Ramadan Tents," which are basically places in hotels and restaurants which serve Iftar and dinner. They are very fancy, luxurious and often expensive. Some places can cost as much as 300-400 Dirhams per head for iftar meal. There are some middle range tents as well, and often time you see families in these tents from the minute they break their fast all the way through dinner, to shisha smoking playing games, watching tv and other activities. You hear of people talking about scheduling their day around dinners. "Oh, we are commited to Intercontinental on Thursday, and on Friday we have to go to Jumeirah Beach Hotel..." Lavish iftar and dinner parties are thrown, and the pictures are splashed in the newspaper for the country to see.
3. Ramadan is also a time when the charity organizations are very active. They know people will give and donate more, so these organizations are out there in full force. Sometimes I begin to feel like that these organizations take advantage of the generosity of the fasting public. It's like as if they are thinking: hey guys, everyone is fasting, let's pitch this advertising scheme so they feel sympathetic and we get more money. It's exactly like what the hotels in Makkah do when Ramadan is here: raise the prices of the roommate obscenely high because we know the people will choose to stay no matter what.
4. Dubai, as well as Sharjah, will Ramadan Shopping Festivals, where you will find bargains galores. Dubai has late night souks, filled with stalls after stalls selling traditional items and other goods for those who go shopping late into the night. According to Time Out Dubai, most, not all, nightclubs will be closed, and alcohol will be served only after iftar. Some restaurants will have closed off sections to serve breakfast and lunch. Some may even do takeaways.
5. Office hours are reduced. Schools and Universities let the students go home early. I tell you, the people fasting in this part of the world have it a lot easier. Restaurants are closed. People are fined if they are caught eating or drinking in public. You work less hours. You sleep all afternoon. The whole environment makes it easier for you to fast because you don't see any food or drinks. I remember fasting in the States one year, and that was actually one of my best Ramadan because I was challenged. My university hours were regular timings. My friends would be having breakfast and lunch, I would see students snacking in class, all the while I would be fasting. When I fast here, I realize how much easy it is. Life slows down, people are less active, except in the evening when every is hanging out at the tents or a gathering.
6. The only "Islamic" thing I see during Ramadan here is the International Holy Quran Reading competition that Dubai holds, which is good and encouraging. But even this Holy Quran reading is a competiton, where it's mostly about the money awards. When you have one such event against 100s of Ramadan Tents, I question the perception that people of Dubai have of Ramadan.
7. The saddest thing for me is when every year I see newspapers reporting the same news: more food is consumed during Ramadan than is during the rest of the year. This is so ironic. My Christian friends would ask me: how come more food is consumed when the entire nation is fasting for most of the day. I guess, it's because people choose to fill their stomachs to the max in the morning, and then filling themselves to the max in the evening. So, they don't really feel the hunger pangs as such.
Let's be honest here. Dubai is a commercial city. It thrives on shopping and tourism. So I don't really find it strange that Dubai would choose to see Ramadan as an opportunity to make more money. There will be raffle draws and prizes being awarded in every shopping malls. That's the bottom line here: it's all about the money.
I am sure you all must be thinking why I am taking such a critical view of Ramadan. I am not. This is the reality, and while people may not speak about it, I think I am being honest about things here, instead of brushing it under the carpet. There is no denying the Ramadan is being commercialized, with all the shopping and "festival" like atmosphere in the city, what with all the lights and decor coming up like it is during the Dubai Shopping Festival.
And, oh, Happy Ramadan to you all!
Mansur
Once again the blessed month of Ramadan will be descending upon us. The tentative date is the 4th of October, and it all depends on the sighting of the moon. I am sure we all have our wonderful moments of Ramadan. I for one certainly miss the Ramadan we would have in Saudi Arabia.
Growing up in Jeddah, the period of Ramadan took on a whole different schedule for us kids going to school. We would get up in the morning, have our breakfast and pray the fajr prayer. School hours would be reduced, and we would be home earlier than usual. Many times my friends I would bring in "Ramadan" excuse notes for our sports class. The main gist of such notes was: please excuse my son from swimming today as he fears he will swallow water thereby canceling his fast, or, please excuse my son from participating in sports today as excessive time in the heat will make him extra-thirsty and dehydrate him. We all knew we were ok, but it was just an excuse to not play sports.
Iftar time, the breaking of the fast, would be a fun time. Dates, Samosays, Rooh Afza, Pakorays and so on. After praying the Maghreb prayer, the kids would settle in front of Channel Two, to watch Full House (which would be heavily censored, with some episodes lasting as long as 10 minutes) followed by America's Funniest Home Videos. All the shopping or going out would happen after the last prayer is finished.
Somehow, growing up over the years, these sweet moments changed. Ramadan just isn't what it used to be for us kids growing up in Jeddah. Ramadan is becoming more and more commercialized. Just like the Christians complain about how Christmas has been commercialized, I think there will come a time when the Muslims will cry out to stop commercializing Ramadan. I have observed Ramadan in Dubai since 1998, except for the year 2004, and each passing year made me see Dubai observing Ramadan more as an opportunity to make money than to observe the real tenets for fasting.
So what is Ramadan essentially? Ramadan is that time of the month which God has set for the Muslim to unite in fasting and prayer, in remembrance of those who are poor, hungry and needy. By restricting our intake of food, water, smoking and avoiding all sexual acts if married, we are supposed to experience what it is to feel like the under-privileged. Not only this, fasting has several spiritual dimensions to it. It is meant to discipline us. It is meant to help us develop a routine of prayer and meditation on the Holy Quran. It is meant to bring us into line with the Quranic teachings on developing a Muslim character and personality. It is meant to make us aware of the needy and suffering Muslims around the world. It is meant to bring us back in line with what being a Muslim is about, and encourage us to carry what we learn in Ramadan over the course of the year till the next Ramadan.
So what's happening to Ramadan? Why aren't people doing what they should be doing?
1. For starters, let's witness the pre-Ramadan rush at the supermarket. A week before Ramadan begins, we have all these supermarkets giving full page ads showing their discounted prices on all basic food stuffs. The madness that you see just days before: long lines, shouting and screaming at the cashiers, arguments between people over stuff running out and so on. All the characteristics of patience, humility, calmness, decency are vanished for a couple of days. Not only this, once Ramadan progresses, it is a bad time to be out on the streets in Dubai as the iftar time nears. No one driver will spare you. They will all be rushing like mad drivers in an attempt to get home on time to break the fast. Somehow, people think if they don't break their fast at home it will be invalid. I don't understand why they don't carry a box of dates and bottle of water if they know they will be caught in the traffic. The pre-iftar is the best time to see all those characteristics of patience, decency and seving others vanish into the air. Instead you see anger, rage, rash driving, cursing and so on.
2. Also, Dubai has a sudden boom in "Ramadan Tents," which are basically places in hotels and restaurants which serve Iftar and dinner. They are very fancy, luxurious and often expensive. Some places can cost as much as 300-400 Dirhams per head for iftar meal. There are some middle range tents as well, and often time you see families in these tents from the minute they break their fast all the way through dinner, to shisha smoking playing games, watching tv and other activities. You hear of people talking about scheduling their day around dinners. "Oh, we are commited to Intercontinental on Thursday, and on Friday we have to go to Jumeirah Beach Hotel..." Lavish iftar and dinner parties are thrown, and the pictures are splashed in the newspaper for the country to see.
3. Ramadan is also a time when the charity organizations are very active. They know people will give and donate more, so these organizations are out there in full force. Sometimes I begin to feel like that these organizations take advantage of the generosity of the fasting public. It's like as if they are thinking: hey guys, everyone is fasting, let's pitch this advertising scheme so they feel sympathetic and we get more money. It's exactly like what the hotels in Makkah do when Ramadan is here: raise the prices of the roommate obscenely high because we know the people will choose to stay no matter what.
4. Dubai, as well as Sharjah, will Ramadan Shopping Festivals, where you will find bargains galores. Dubai has late night souks, filled with stalls after stalls selling traditional items and other goods for those who go shopping late into the night. According to Time Out Dubai, most, not all, nightclubs will be closed, and alcohol will be served only after iftar. Some restaurants will have closed off sections to serve breakfast and lunch. Some may even do takeaways.
5. Office hours are reduced. Schools and Universities let the students go home early. I tell you, the people fasting in this part of the world have it a lot easier. Restaurants are closed. People are fined if they are caught eating or drinking in public. You work less hours. You sleep all afternoon. The whole environment makes it easier for you to fast because you don't see any food or drinks. I remember fasting in the States one year, and that was actually one of my best Ramadan because I was challenged. My university hours were regular timings. My friends would be having breakfast and lunch, I would see students snacking in class, all the while I would be fasting. When I fast here, I realize how much easy it is. Life slows down, people are less active, except in the evening when every is hanging out at the tents or a gathering.
6. The only "Islamic" thing I see during Ramadan here is the International Holy Quran Reading competition that Dubai holds, which is good and encouraging. But even this Holy Quran reading is a competiton, where it's mostly about the money awards. When you have one such event against 100s of Ramadan Tents, I question the perception that people of Dubai have of Ramadan.
7. The saddest thing for me is when every year I see newspapers reporting the same news: more food is consumed during Ramadan than is during the rest of the year. This is so ironic. My Christian friends would ask me: how come more food is consumed when the entire nation is fasting for most of the day. I guess, it's because people choose to fill their stomachs to the max in the morning, and then filling themselves to the max in the evening. So, they don't really feel the hunger pangs as such.
Let's be honest here. Dubai is a commercial city. It thrives on shopping and tourism. So I don't really find it strange that Dubai would choose to see Ramadan as an opportunity to make more money. There will be raffle draws and prizes being awarded in every shopping malls. That's the bottom line here: it's all about the money.
I am sure you all must be thinking why I am taking such a critical view of Ramadan. I am not. This is the reality, and while people may not speak about it, I think I am being honest about things here, instead of brushing it under the carpet. There is no denying the Ramadan is being commercialized, with all the shopping and "festival" like atmosphere in the city, what with all the lights and decor coming up like it is during the Dubai Shopping Festival.
And, oh, Happy Ramadan to you all!
Mansur
Friday, September 30, 2005
Dubai Treasure Hunt Drive!
(FYI: I have some few pictures in my previous post about the horrific race....)
-----
Hey everyone,
Having recovered sufficiently from yesterday's horrific ordeal and embarrassment, I was looking forward to the Treasure Hunt in Dubai today. "Wake up Mansur" the message shouted in my phone which my friend sent me at 7am! I got ready in 15 minutes and made my way over to her house. Anita and Ziad were waiting for me at their place, and we left Sharjah at 730, and got to the Dubai Creek Park at 8am so we could register our team and got our goodies bag. The race was to start at 10am, and the first group who made it back in the fastest time would be declared the winner.
The newspaper that we purchased in the morning had 21 clues, which we had to decipher. So that gave us an idea, and we started solving the clues. Four of the clues were such that we knew the answer and just had to fill in the space. The other clues we had to decipher, and figure out the location in Dubai, and reach and get the stamp. So, we had an hour and half to spare and over breakfast, myself, Anita, Ziad, and Anita's friend Maria with her husband Amir and their young son also joined us. We were armed with a map and started figuring what route would be best to take, where to start, what the locations are and so on. Ziad would be the driver, and Amir knew all the place. I was armed with the newspaper which I would have to take to the people who would have to stamp my newspaper as proof that I visited the place.
Come 930, about 100 or so cars are lined up at the Creek Park, and at 10am, the start off! I felt like pretty much like the contestants on The Amazing Race. Our start time was 10:07am. We decided to begin with the places which are the furthest from Dubai's city center, and work our way inwards. Our first destination was a furniture store at the other end of Dubai in Jumeirah.
(We passed this new mall, which has the skiing slope. This mall opened this past Wednesday, albeit a partial opening.)
We had already made a wrong turn somewhere and lost about 30 mins. Anita was upset. Others were calming her down. We finally got to the place, and got our stamp. There were other contestants rushing in and out of their cars. The tension began to develop. Some of us in the car became competitive. Ziad drove the car amazingly well. Amir gave perfect directions.
Soon, we were getting more and more stamps on our paper. On top of this, when we left the starting point, we were handed a clues sheet, which were extra set of things we had to answer or get. So one had to get a ticket from a weighing machine, another had to get a picture of a celebrity. As we were seeing other contestants out on the roads, we started panicking as we had one hour left, and several more stamps to get. Anita and Ziad erupted into a fight in the car. I tried pacifying them. It wasn't helping. The atmosphere in the car was one of fear, tension and such competitiveness. Some of us gave up hope, and figured we were losing. We heard on the radio one team was 15 minutes away from completion. Another were close. We felt we lost the game, but Amir gave us the encouragement. BE POSITIVE.
(Passing through Dubai Marina)
Near Dubai Museum, which is located in Downtown Dubai, complete with small interconnected roads and paths. We were looking for one of the photo developing studios. There were people running here and there, and I got out. Running in and out of the lanes, holding the clues sheet, people were asking one another where the shop was. Such level of tension made me panic, and I realized the shop was elsewhere. I left and got back in the car and it took a while for us to find the place.
Then we headed over to our last area, where three stamps were close to each other. Anita ran inside the mall to get the ticket from the weighing machine. Maria looked for the picture for the celebrity. I called up the police to ask for the answer for one of the clues. Ziad was driving like a formula racer. Finally, we made it to the park, and realized we had to run inside into the park and submit the form. We had done all this within two hours, and there was still 40 minutes for the deadline. We all sighed a huge sigh of relief. We all thought we did good.
(Creek Park, where we sat and enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon.)
It was an amazing experience for me because such times calls for team-work, team coordination and good communications. When the big fight took place in the car, we all had to keep our heads and egos on the ground level and not let the situation get the worst of us. I certainly learnt new things about my friends, as such situations exposes our characters and how we would react.
There was about an hour and half for the declaration of the final prizes. In the meantime, those who made it early were given the opportunities to participate in the smaller games they had prepared. I went up to one which called for the "hairiest leg -male." I thought I was hairy, when I saw the other boys and men expose one side of their legs...and they made my leg seem hairless. One Indian boy, probably a teenager, did not even raise his pants up to his knees, and when he did raise it a little, he had gorilla haired leg. GASP! We all just walked away knowing he would win the gift certificate!
(Games!)
Other categories included largest tattoos, longest hair, man-woman coordination games, etc.
15 mins after 3pm, they announced the winners. We were team 202, and all we had to do was keep our ears open to hear the three numbers: 2-0-2.
"The first team, in 5th place" shouted the man into his microphone, "is, 1-3-5!" Applause erupted from the audience. Ok, we still have a chance. "The fourth place goes to, wait for it, team 2....0...." We all sat up in our chairs- is it us?? "2...0...5!" Another group close to us shouted in joy and ran to get their prizes. Don't worry, we still have a chance, we told ourselves. "The third place is 2...8..3." 3rd place was gone. "The 2nd place goes to....1...8...4...." Do we have any chance...? Myself, Anita and Ziad were gripping our chairs. Is it us? Is it us? Please! Let it be 202! 202! 202!
"The team that wins the 29" television, microwave oven, watches.." the host trailed on. We don't care, is it us? Is it us? "The team that came in first is....hold your breath ladies and gentlemen, is...2......." Tension!. ".....0....." We literally gasped. We need to hear the number 2 now. Is it us? Come on! The host started laughing, and deliberately postponed the final number. I got up from my chair. "The number is, 2....0.......zerooooooo!!!!"
I sat back down. We were a little disappointed.
However, despite the brief intial disappointment, I think the experience in itself was good enough to go through. I would do anything to do something like this again. It was fun, it was exciting, it was challenging, and it was certainly much much better organized than that poorly organized hopeless 6km run by McDonalds yesterday! Dubai does it better. Even the host spoke in English to satisfy the different nationalities there. The organization was top notch. We all left with a huge sense of achievement. What would have been a lazy Friday morning otherwise, turned out to be one fun-filled, adrenaline rush, action packed treasure hunt as we dashed into and out of shops and malls, frantically filling out the clues, asking other contestants out on the streets for answers and loctions, making phone calls, searching for the stampers and raced through the Dubai roads, giving us a chance to see Dubai from a different perspective.
Mansur
-----
Hey everyone,
Having recovered sufficiently from yesterday's horrific ordeal and embarrassment, I was looking forward to the Treasure Hunt in Dubai today. "Wake up Mansur" the message shouted in my phone which my friend sent me at 7am! I got ready in 15 minutes and made my way over to her house. Anita and Ziad were waiting for me at their place, and we left Sharjah at 730, and got to the Dubai Creek Park at 8am so we could register our team and got our goodies bag. The race was to start at 10am, and the first group who made it back in the fastest time would be declared the winner.
The newspaper that we purchased in the morning had 21 clues, which we had to decipher. So that gave us an idea, and we started solving the clues. Four of the clues were such that we knew the answer and just had to fill in the space. The other clues we had to decipher, and figure out the location in Dubai, and reach and get the stamp. So, we had an hour and half to spare and over breakfast, myself, Anita, Ziad, and Anita's friend Maria with her husband Amir and their young son also joined us. We were armed with a map and started figuring what route would be best to take, where to start, what the locations are and so on. Ziad would be the driver, and Amir knew all the place. I was armed with the newspaper which I would have to take to the people who would have to stamp my newspaper as proof that I visited the place.
Come 930, about 100 or so cars are lined up at the Creek Park, and at 10am, the start off! I felt like pretty much like the contestants on The Amazing Race. Our start time was 10:07am. We decided to begin with the places which are the furthest from Dubai's city center, and work our way inwards. Our first destination was a furniture store at the other end of Dubai in Jumeirah.
(We passed this new mall, which has the skiing slope. This mall opened this past Wednesday, albeit a partial opening.)
We had already made a wrong turn somewhere and lost about 30 mins. Anita was upset. Others were calming her down. We finally got to the place, and got our stamp. There were other contestants rushing in and out of their cars. The tension began to develop. Some of us in the car became competitive. Ziad drove the car amazingly well. Amir gave perfect directions.
Soon, we were getting more and more stamps on our paper. On top of this, when we left the starting point, we were handed a clues sheet, which were extra set of things we had to answer or get. So one had to get a ticket from a weighing machine, another had to get a picture of a celebrity. As we were seeing other contestants out on the roads, we started panicking as we had one hour left, and several more stamps to get. Anita and Ziad erupted into a fight in the car. I tried pacifying them. It wasn't helping. The atmosphere in the car was one of fear, tension and such competitiveness. Some of us gave up hope, and figured we were losing. We heard on the radio one team was 15 minutes away from completion. Another were close. We felt we lost the game, but Amir gave us the encouragement. BE POSITIVE.
(Passing through Dubai Marina)
Near Dubai Museum, which is located in Downtown Dubai, complete with small interconnected roads and paths. We were looking for one of the photo developing studios. There were people running here and there, and I got out. Running in and out of the lanes, holding the clues sheet, people were asking one another where the shop was. Such level of tension made me panic, and I realized the shop was elsewhere. I left and got back in the car and it took a while for us to find the place.
Then we headed over to our last area, where three stamps were close to each other. Anita ran inside the mall to get the ticket from the weighing machine. Maria looked for the picture for the celebrity. I called up the police to ask for the answer for one of the clues. Ziad was driving like a formula racer. Finally, we made it to the park, and realized we had to run inside into the park and submit the form. We had done all this within two hours, and there was still 40 minutes for the deadline. We all sighed a huge sigh of relief. We all thought we did good.
(Creek Park, where we sat and enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon.)
It was an amazing experience for me because such times calls for team-work, team coordination and good communications. When the big fight took place in the car, we all had to keep our heads and egos on the ground level and not let the situation get the worst of us. I certainly learnt new things about my friends, as such situations exposes our characters and how we would react.
There was about an hour and half for the declaration of the final prizes. In the meantime, those who made it early were given the opportunities to participate in the smaller games they had prepared. I went up to one which called for the "hairiest leg -male." I thought I was hairy, when I saw the other boys and men expose one side of their legs...and they made my leg seem hairless. One Indian boy, probably a teenager, did not even raise his pants up to his knees, and when he did raise it a little, he had gorilla haired leg. GASP! We all just walked away knowing he would win the gift certificate!
(Games!)
Other categories included largest tattoos, longest hair, man-woman coordination games, etc.
15 mins after 3pm, they announced the winners. We were team 202, and all we had to do was keep our ears open to hear the three numbers: 2-0-2.
"The first team, in 5th place" shouted the man into his microphone, "is, 1-3-5!" Applause erupted from the audience. Ok, we still have a chance. "The fourth place goes to, wait for it, team 2....0...." We all sat up in our chairs- is it us?? "2...0...5!" Another group close to us shouted in joy and ran to get their prizes. Don't worry, we still have a chance, we told ourselves. "The third place is 2...8..3." 3rd place was gone. "The 2nd place goes to....1...8...4...." Do we have any chance...? Myself, Anita and Ziad were gripping our chairs. Is it us? Is it us? Please! Let it be 202! 202! 202!
"The team that wins the 29" television, microwave oven, watches.." the host trailed on. We don't care, is it us? Is it us? "The team that came in first is....hold your breath ladies and gentlemen, is...2......." Tension!. ".....0....." We literally gasped. We need to hear the number 2 now. Is it us? Come on! The host started laughing, and deliberately postponed the final number. I got up from my chair. "The number is, 2....0.......zerooooooo!!!!"
I sat back down. We were a little disappointed.
However, despite the brief intial disappointment, I think the experience in itself was good enough to go through. I would do anything to do something like this again. It was fun, it was exciting, it was challenging, and it was certainly much much better organized than that poorly organized hopeless 6km run by McDonalds yesterday! Dubai does it better. Even the host spoke in English to satisfy the different nationalities there. The organization was top notch. We all left with a huge sense of achievement. What would have been a lazy Friday morning otherwise, turned out to be one fun-filled, adrenaline rush, action packed treasure hunt as we dashed into and out of shops and malls, frantically filling out the clues, asking other contestants out on the streets for answers and loctions, making phone calls, searching for the stampers and raced through the Dubai roads, giving us a chance to see Dubai from a different perspective.
Mansur
Thursday, September 29, 2005
HUMILIATED, INSULTED AND DEGRADED!
HEY EVERYONE,
PARDON ME FOR WRITING IN CAPS, BUT I HAVE BEEN HUMILIATED, INSULTED AND DEGRADED TODAY. I WENT TO THE "FUN DAY RACE" EVENT SPONSORED BY MCDONALDS, AND HERE IS A BLOW BY ACCOUNT OF EVERYTHING THAT WENT WRONG.
1--- THE MAP SAID THE START FOR THE 6KM WAS BEYOND THE TAWUN MALL. WHEN THE TAXI DROPPED ME THERE, I BUMPED INTO THREE FILIPINOS, WHO WERE ALSO LOOKING FOR THE START POINT. IT TURNED OUT THAT THE START POINT WAS BEFORE THE MALL AND NOT BEYOND THE MALL. WHOEVER MADE THE MAP SHOULD BE FIRED BECAUSE WE HAD TO WALK THE EXTRA KM AND GOT THERE LATE.
2--- SO WHEN WE FINALLY GET THERE, WE SEE BUS-LOADS UPON BUS-LOADS OF SCHOOL KIDS. THERE WERE ALSO FEMALE STUDENTS, COMPLETE IN HIJABS AND ABAYAS! ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU WILL RUN 6KM IN YOUR ABAYA IN THIS HEAT? I GIVE CREDIT TO THOSE WHO DID! SO, WE GO UP TO THE REFEREE, WHO UPON US PRODUCING THE PORTION OF OUR APPLICATION TO RECEIVE THE CAP AND TSHIRTS REFUSED TO TALK TO US. IN HIS THICK ARABIC ACCENT HE TOLD US "KHALAS! BAS!" I WAS INSULTED. I BEGAN LOSING MY MENTAL STATE OF MIND FOR RUNNING THE RACE.
3--- I TOOK MY PHONE OUT AND ASKED HIM FOR THE NUMBER OF THE ORGANIZER. HE REFUSED TO TALK TO ME. THE WHOLE TIME I WAS KEEPING MY COOL AND TALKING PATIENTLY WITH HIM. HE IN TURN WAS BEING RUDE AND MEAN WITH ME. I FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE WHO WAS ABLE TO TRANSLATE FOR ME, AND THIS SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT YOU CAN RUN AND AT THE DESTINATION YOU CAN GET YOUR REGISTRATION DONE AND BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PRIZES. I WAS SKEPTICAL BUT I DECIDED TO DO IT ANYWAY.
4--- "YALLA!! SHABAAB!! YALLA!!" THANK GOD I KNOW ENOUGH ARABIC TO UNDERSTAND IT WAS TIME, AND I TOLD THE FILIPINOS TO JOIN IN. IF THIS RACE WERE MEANT FOR THE ARAB-SPEAKING PUBLIC, THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE TOLD US.
5--- SO THERE WERE FOUR GROUPS OF PEOPLE. (A) FEMALES WHO WERE ASKED TO STAND WAY BEHIND THE MEN (TALK ABOUT UNFAIR!) (B) PEOPLE LIKE ME AND THE FILIPINO WHO CAME HERE FOR FUN. (3) SCHOOL KIDS WHO WERE HERE TO HAVE FUN AND CREATE HAVOC. I OVERHEARD A CONCERNED INDIAN DAD TELL HIS TWO STICK-THIN SONS "SONS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL. THIS CROWD WILL GET ROWDY AND PUSH YOU AROUND!" (D) THE SERIOUS MARATHON RUNNERS, COMPLETE IN THEIR RUNNING SHORTS AND ALL. SO, I WAS THINKING "IS IT A FUN DAY RACE, OR IS A COMPETITIVE MARATHON RACE?"
6--- GUNSHOT! PEOPLE RAN AS IF THEIR SHORTS WERE ON FIRE! LOL! I WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE. I THOUGHT I WOULD LET THESE TROUBLE MAKERS GET IN FRONT OF ME. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THEY WORK OUT WHO IS THE WINNER. SOMEONE AT THE FRONT OF THE RACE COULD BE RUNNING, AND SOMEON AT THE BACK COULD BE RUNNING AT THE SAME PACE, BUT THE ONE IN THE FRONT GET'S THERE FIRST BECAUSE HE WAS FRONT IN LINE. UNFAIR.
7--- SO WHILE WE WERE RUNNING, SOME OF THE RUNNERS WERE CHEATING AND GETTING CAR AND BUS RIDES TO GET TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE. EVEN THESE GIRLS WERE DOING IT. CHEATING! I WONDER IF THEY GOT THE FIRST PRIZE OR NOT. I MEAN, IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO DO 6KM, DON'T. WHY RUN 6KM AND CHEAT IN THE MIDDLE?
8--- ALSO, THERE WERE NO PROVISIONS FOR ANY WATER OR DRINKS AT ANY POINT OF THE RACE. THERE WERE POOR STUDENTS WERE FALLING ALL OVER, HAND SIGNALLING THE AMBULANCE AND POLICE CARS TO GIVE THEM WATER. ALL THEIR PLEASE FELL ON DEAF EARS. LUCKILY I HAD MY BOTTLE OF WATER. THE FILIPINOS EVEN HAD THEIR BANANAS.
9--- OK, SO WHILE I WAS RUNNING, THE CAMERA CREW WAS WHIZZING UP AND DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHICH WAS A SANDY AREA. SO WHEN HE WAS DRIVING UP AND DOWN SO FAST, HE WAS THROWING SAND AND DIRT INTO MINE AND OTHER RUNNERS' FACE. I DID NOT COME HERE TO RUN TO HAVE SAND AND DIRT THROWN INTO MY FACE. TOTALLY DEGRADING.
10--- THERE WERE NO PROPER MARKED DIRECTIONS. SOON, SOME OF THE RUNNNERS WERE RUNNING ON THE OTHER ROAD, WHICH MADE IT A SMALLER RUNNING DISTANCE FOR THEM. WHERE ARE THE AUTHORITIES TO CHECK ON THE CHEATING?
11--- HALF WAY THROUGH, WHEN I HAD DONE 3KM OF RUNNING, THERE WERE TWO INSPECTORS STANDING THERE. THEY WERE MARKING THE LIST. I STOPPED TO MAKE SURE I WAS ON THERE. "MAFI MANSUR." I LOST IT THEN. I REALIZED TALKING TO THESE CLUELESS, BRAINLESS ORGANIZERS WAS LIKE TALKING TO A THICK CONCRETE WALL. THE REFEREE EARLIER WAS LIKE EVEN THICKER THAN A CONCRETE WALL.
12--- SO I WALKED THE REST OF THE WAY. SOME OF THE RUNNERS STARTED SWIMMING IN THE LAGOON. SOME STARTED TO WADE IN THE WATER. WHAT KIND OF MARATHON IS THIS? SOON, I HEARD "YALLA!! YALLA!!" FROM BEHIND ME. A RUNNER TOLD ME I HAVE TO HURRY UP AND GET TO THE END BECAUSE THEY WANT TO PLEASE THE CHIEF GUESTS SITTING AT THE DESTINATION, SO WE HAVE TO MAKE IT ON TIME THERE SO HE DOESN'T FEEL THE HEAT. WHATEVER!
13--- SO I GET TO THE END. THERE ARE ALL THESE VIPS SITTING ON THE LEFT SIDE. THERE IS A GROUP OF UAE FEDERATION OF ARMY SITTING ON MY RIGHT SIDE. THEY LATER TURNED OUT TO BE A BAND.
14--- I WALK THROUGH THE FINAL GATE. "NO, YOU DON'T GET CERTIFICATE BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO NUMBER OR CAP!" BAS! I LOST ALL HOPE IN THIS PATHETICALLY ORGANIZED EVENT. I FELT INSULTED AND HUMILIATED. I RAN 3KM, WALKED BRISKLY FOR 3KM AND I AM NOT APPRECIATED FOR MY EFFORTS, WHILE ALL THESE CHEATING GUYS WERE WALKING AROUND WITH THEIR CERTIFICATES.
15--- SO DRINKS WERE THERE AT THE END. THANK GOD. WHAT? I HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM!!!! FORGET IT MAN! THIS IS WHAT I GET AFTER 6KM!
16--- THE WHOLE PRIZES CEREMONY WAS HELD IN ARABIC WITH ALL THE AHMEDS AND MOHAMMADS WINNING THE PRIZES. IT WAS TOTALLY INSULTING, EVEN FOR THE FILIPINOS. THE ARABIC GUY WHO TOLD ME AT THE BEGINNING THAT I WILL GET MY THING AT THE END WAS EMBARRASSED HIMSELF.
SO TO CUT IT SHORT, I FELT INSULTED, HUMILIATED AND DEGRADED IN ALL WAYS POSSIBLE. I WENT TO MCDONALDS IN THE EVENING AND TALKED TO THE REGIONAL MANAGER HIMSELF. HE APOLOGIZED AND APOLOGIZED TO ME. HE EVEN SAID HE WILL GIVE ME THE CAP AND THE TSHIRT. I TOLD HIM THE ISSUE IS NOT ABOUT THE CAP AND TSHIRT BUT ABOUT HOW I WAS TREATED THERE.
HE CLARIFIED TO ME THAT MCDONALDS WERE CO-SPONSORS, THE REAL SPONSORS WERE THE UAE ATHLETICS FEDERATION. I REALIZED THEN THAT I HAD TOO HIGH OF MY HOPES TO EXPECT SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE AND MEANINGFUL FROM THIS ORGANIZATION.
(If I could do ANYTHING to strangle this Ronald McDonald guy, I would! I need a gun! I need some heavy artillery machines! I need to drive something through him to make him go through what I went through!)
SURE ALL THE SCHOOL KIDS HAD THEIR SHARE OF FUN, OF CHEATING, GOING IN THE WATER, GETTING THE CERTIFICATES AND TROPHY, BUT PEOPLE LIKE ME AND THE FILIPINOS WERE FEELING TOTALLY INSULTED. IS THIS THE WAY YOU ARE TREATED, WITH IGNORANCE AND HUMILIATION?
I SHALL BE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS EVENT TO ALL THE NEWSPAPERS IN DUBAI AND SHARJAH, AND WILL PERSONALLY TALK TO MR. DAHEM OF THIS ORGANIZATION TO GET AN EXPLANATION FOR SUCH BLATANT HUMILIATION.
TO TOP IT OFF, MY TAXI RIDE HOME TOOK ME PAST THIS PLACE WHERE IT SAYS IN FLOWERS: SMILE YOU ARE IN SHARJAH!
YEAH RIGHT!
This was the only comforting thing- to reflect on nature, and be in amazement of the God who created such wonderful moments, which are more powerful than the pathetic moments I went through in the race!)
PARDON ME FOR WRITING IN CAPS, BUT I HAVE BEEN HUMILIATED, INSULTED AND DEGRADED TODAY. I WENT TO THE "FUN DAY RACE" EVENT SPONSORED BY MCDONALDS, AND HERE IS A BLOW BY ACCOUNT OF EVERYTHING THAT WENT WRONG.
1--- THE MAP SAID THE START FOR THE 6KM WAS BEYOND THE TAWUN MALL. WHEN THE TAXI DROPPED ME THERE, I BUMPED INTO THREE FILIPINOS, WHO WERE ALSO LOOKING FOR THE START POINT. IT TURNED OUT THAT THE START POINT WAS BEFORE THE MALL AND NOT BEYOND THE MALL. WHOEVER MADE THE MAP SHOULD BE FIRED BECAUSE WE HAD TO WALK THE EXTRA KM AND GOT THERE LATE.
2--- SO WHEN WE FINALLY GET THERE, WE SEE BUS-LOADS UPON BUS-LOADS OF SCHOOL KIDS. THERE WERE ALSO FEMALE STUDENTS, COMPLETE IN HIJABS AND ABAYAS! ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU WILL RUN 6KM IN YOUR ABAYA IN THIS HEAT? I GIVE CREDIT TO THOSE WHO DID! SO, WE GO UP TO THE REFEREE, WHO UPON US PRODUCING THE PORTION OF OUR APPLICATION TO RECEIVE THE CAP AND TSHIRTS REFUSED TO TALK TO US. IN HIS THICK ARABIC ACCENT HE TOLD US "KHALAS! BAS!" I WAS INSULTED. I BEGAN LOSING MY MENTAL STATE OF MIND FOR RUNNING THE RACE.
3--- I TOOK MY PHONE OUT AND ASKED HIM FOR THE NUMBER OF THE ORGANIZER. HE REFUSED TO TALK TO ME. THE WHOLE TIME I WAS KEEPING MY COOL AND TALKING PATIENTLY WITH HIM. HE IN TURN WAS BEING RUDE AND MEAN WITH ME. I FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE WHO WAS ABLE TO TRANSLATE FOR ME, AND THIS SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT YOU CAN RUN AND AT THE DESTINATION YOU CAN GET YOUR REGISTRATION DONE AND BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PRIZES. I WAS SKEPTICAL BUT I DECIDED TO DO IT ANYWAY.
4--- "YALLA!! SHABAAB!! YALLA!!" THANK GOD I KNOW ENOUGH ARABIC TO UNDERSTAND IT WAS TIME, AND I TOLD THE FILIPINOS TO JOIN IN. IF THIS RACE WERE MEANT FOR THE ARAB-SPEAKING PUBLIC, THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE TOLD US.
5--- SO THERE WERE FOUR GROUPS OF PEOPLE. (A) FEMALES WHO WERE ASKED TO STAND WAY BEHIND THE MEN (TALK ABOUT UNFAIR!) (B) PEOPLE LIKE ME AND THE FILIPINO WHO CAME HERE FOR FUN. (3) SCHOOL KIDS WHO WERE HERE TO HAVE FUN AND CREATE HAVOC. I OVERHEARD A CONCERNED INDIAN DAD TELL HIS TWO STICK-THIN SONS "SONS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL. THIS CROWD WILL GET ROWDY AND PUSH YOU AROUND!" (D) THE SERIOUS MARATHON RUNNERS, COMPLETE IN THEIR RUNNING SHORTS AND ALL. SO, I WAS THINKING "IS IT A FUN DAY RACE, OR IS A COMPETITIVE MARATHON RACE?"
6--- GUNSHOT! PEOPLE RAN AS IF THEIR SHORTS WERE ON FIRE! LOL! I WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE. I THOUGHT I WOULD LET THESE TROUBLE MAKERS GET IN FRONT OF ME. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THEY WORK OUT WHO IS THE WINNER. SOMEONE AT THE FRONT OF THE RACE COULD BE RUNNING, AND SOMEON AT THE BACK COULD BE RUNNING AT THE SAME PACE, BUT THE ONE IN THE FRONT GET'S THERE FIRST BECAUSE HE WAS FRONT IN LINE. UNFAIR.
7--- SO WHILE WE WERE RUNNING, SOME OF THE RUNNERS WERE CHEATING AND GETTING CAR AND BUS RIDES TO GET TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE. EVEN THESE GIRLS WERE DOING IT. CHEATING! I WONDER IF THEY GOT THE FIRST PRIZE OR NOT. I MEAN, IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO DO 6KM, DON'T. WHY RUN 6KM AND CHEAT IN THE MIDDLE?
8--- ALSO, THERE WERE NO PROVISIONS FOR ANY WATER OR DRINKS AT ANY POINT OF THE RACE. THERE WERE POOR STUDENTS WERE FALLING ALL OVER, HAND SIGNALLING THE AMBULANCE AND POLICE CARS TO GIVE THEM WATER. ALL THEIR PLEASE FELL ON DEAF EARS. LUCKILY I HAD MY BOTTLE OF WATER. THE FILIPINOS EVEN HAD THEIR BANANAS.
(The ambulance that was just going up and down, ignoring the runners who were falling all over the place. You can see the Coke stand, who charged money for the drinks at the end! Totally sad!)
9--- OK, SO WHILE I WAS RUNNING, THE CAMERA CREW WAS WHIZZING UP AND DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHICH WAS A SANDY AREA. SO WHEN HE WAS DRIVING UP AND DOWN SO FAST, HE WAS THROWING SAND AND DIRT INTO MINE AND OTHER RUNNERS' FACE. I DID NOT COME HERE TO RUN TO HAVE SAND AND DIRT THROWN INTO MY FACE. TOTALLY DEGRADING.
10--- THERE WERE NO PROPER MARKED DIRECTIONS. SOON, SOME OF THE RUNNNERS WERE RUNNING ON THE OTHER ROAD, WHICH MADE IT A SMALLER RUNNING DISTANCE FOR THEM. WHERE ARE THE AUTHORITIES TO CHECK ON THE CHEATING?
11--- HALF WAY THROUGH, WHEN I HAD DONE 3KM OF RUNNING, THERE WERE TWO INSPECTORS STANDING THERE. THEY WERE MARKING THE LIST. I STOPPED TO MAKE SURE I WAS ON THERE. "MAFI MANSUR." I LOST IT THEN. I REALIZED TALKING TO THESE CLUELESS, BRAINLESS ORGANIZERS WAS LIKE TALKING TO A THICK CONCRETE WALL. THE REFEREE EARLIER WAS LIKE EVEN THICKER THAN A CONCRETE WALL.
12--- SO I WALKED THE REST OF THE WAY. SOME OF THE RUNNERS STARTED SWIMMING IN THE LAGOON. SOME STARTED TO WADE IN THE WATER. WHAT KIND OF MARATHON IS THIS? SOON, I HEARD "YALLA!! YALLA!!" FROM BEHIND ME. A RUNNER TOLD ME I HAVE TO HURRY UP AND GET TO THE END BECAUSE THEY WANT TO PLEASE THE CHIEF GUESTS SITTING AT THE DESTINATION, SO WE HAVE TO MAKE IT ON TIME THERE SO HE DOESN'T FEEL THE HEAT. WHATEVER!
13--- SO I GET TO THE END. THERE ARE ALL THESE VIPS SITTING ON THE LEFT SIDE. THERE IS A GROUP OF UAE FEDERATION OF ARMY SITTING ON MY RIGHT SIDE. THEY LATER TURNED OUT TO BE A BAND.
14--- I WALK THROUGH THE FINAL GATE. "NO, YOU DON'T GET CERTIFICATE BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO NUMBER OR CAP!" BAS! I LOST ALL HOPE IN THIS PATHETICALLY ORGANIZED EVENT. I FELT INSULTED AND HUMILIATED. I RAN 3KM, WALKED BRISKLY FOR 3KM AND I AM NOT APPRECIATED FOR MY EFFORTS, WHILE ALL THESE CHEATING GUYS WERE WALKING AROUND WITH THEIR CERTIFICATES.
15--- SO DRINKS WERE THERE AT THE END. THANK GOD. WHAT? I HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM!!!! FORGET IT MAN! THIS IS WHAT I GET AFTER 6KM!
16--- THE WHOLE PRIZES CEREMONY WAS HELD IN ARABIC WITH ALL THE AHMEDS AND MOHAMMADS WINNING THE PRIZES. IT WAS TOTALLY INSULTING, EVEN FOR THE FILIPINOS. THE ARABIC GUY WHO TOLD ME AT THE BEGINNING THAT I WILL GET MY THING AT THE END WAS EMBARRASSED HIMSELF.
(The prize-giving ceremony. I was told 3000 people signed up. Does this pic show 3000 people? Hardly!)
SO TO CUT IT SHORT, I FELT INSULTED, HUMILIATED AND DEGRADED IN ALL WAYS POSSIBLE. I WENT TO MCDONALDS IN THE EVENING AND TALKED TO THE REGIONAL MANAGER HIMSELF. HE APOLOGIZED AND APOLOGIZED TO ME. HE EVEN SAID HE WILL GIVE ME THE CAP AND THE TSHIRT. I TOLD HIM THE ISSUE IS NOT ABOUT THE CAP AND TSHIRT BUT ABOUT HOW I WAS TREATED THERE.
HE CLARIFIED TO ME THAT MCDONALDS WERE CO-SPONSORS, THE REAL SPONSORS WERE THE UAE ATHLETICS FEDERATION. I REALIZED THEN THAT I HAD TOO HIGH OF MY HOPES TO EXPECT SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE AND MEANINGFUL FROM THIS ORGANIZATION.
(If I could do ANYTHING to strangle this Ronald McDonald guy, I would! I need a gun! I need some heavy artillery machines! I need to drive something through him to make him go through what I went through!)
SURE ALL THE SCHOOL KIDS HAD THEIR SHARE OF FUN, OF CHEATING, GOING IN THE WATER, GETTING THE CERTIFICATES AND TROPHY, BUT PEOPLE LIKE ME AND THE FILIPINOS WERE FEELING TOTALLY INSULTED. IS THIS THE WAY YOU ARE TREATED, WITH IGNORANCE AND HUMILIATION?
I SHALL BE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS EVENT TO ALL THE NEWSPAPERS IN DUBAI AND SHARJAH, AND WILL PERSONALLY TALK TO MR. DAHEM OF THIS ORGANIZATION TO GET AN EXPLANATION FOR SUCH BLATANT HUMILIATION.
TO TOP IT OFF, MY TAXI RIDE HOME TOOK ME PAST THIS PLACE WHERE IT SAYS IN FLOWERS: SMILE YOU ARE IN SHARJAH!
YEAH RIGHT!
This was the only comforting thing- to reflect on nature, and be in amazement of the God who created such wonderful moments, which are more powerful than the pathetic moments I went through in the race!)
(Oh, also, just so you know, Sharjah has the Sharjah Eye, taken from the London Eye. It looks very impressive, but it isn't that popular!)
MANSUR
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
