LIFE OF MANSUR— Married!

Dear friends,

I am closing down this blog once and for all. I recently got married on the 25th October 2008 and I’ve made a new start in my life. I started this blog back in August 2004 when I was in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

So from 2004 to 2008, Life of Mansur was my way of outletting my thoughts. Since I am married now and have a lot of extra responsibilities, I don’t have the time to blog on a more frequent basis. However, I am not writing off blogging. Once I feel I am settled in well enough in my new life, and have balanced out my responsibilities, I will surely get into blogging again!!

Thanks to everyone who’s been a faithful readers, and to those who’ve added my blog to their blog.

You all take care and all the best!!

Mansur

Happy Ramadan

Happy Ramadan to all my readers!

Nawaz Sharif Home Visit….sort of…!

I had a different day at work today. My boss asked me to come to the site where he’s been working for the last 2 weeks. It turns out I will be visiting the home of Nawaz Sharif, the ex- Prime Minister of Pakistan. My boss has some work there, landscaping and construction new blocks there. Since my boss decided to give me a break from my work, he asked me to join him. Sharif’s home is situated towards Sharif Medical City, which is about 20 kms from Thoker Niaz Beg on Raiwind Road. Once we approached the main gate, the security was very tough, with several concrete blocks around which I had to maneuver my car. A long drive inside brought us to yet another gate which was the entrance to the Sharif’s household. Here, more stringent security, complete with armed men, and a barrier fixed on the road that flips down to allow for the cars to pass through.

Once inside, I was given a tour of the new complex that my boss is working on: the visitor block, the kitchen, the meeting rooms, the parking sheds and the parking lot, complete with the landscaping developments. I was also shown around the entire complex, which included the bird cages, the animals enclosures, the homes of Sharif’s brothers, his mother and finally his own home, which was the best and most well maintained of the lot. Behind these homes, is a small man made river which was very stagnant. In front of the Sharif’s home, there is a very professional cricket ground, which was very well maintained. Such grandeur and opulence made me wonder about him living so richly while the poor people are suffering like nothing outside this small self enclosed haven I was standing in.

It was cool to get to see where Nawaz Sharif lives, and the kind of security and perks they have with being ministers and all. I have no particular affection for him, but clearly, his estate was a great place!

Mansur

Lahore Wildlife Park

When I hear the word “Wildlife” and “Park” together, images of lions and tigers roaming freely in a vast open jungle conjure up in my mind. It was with this very image that I went to the Lahore Wildlife Park today. I had always heard about this park but never got a chance to go visit it, till today. As I approached the stretch of road that led up to the main gate I was excited about driving my car into the jungle while watching the lions and tigers ferociously prowling around. After having paid at the gate, I followed the car in front that led up to the gate to enter the enclosure. No one was at the gate to let us inside the enclosure, so we went to the other side, where again, no one was there to open the enclosure. Where is everyone, we inquired. They haven’t come to work, we were told. I mean, it was 11am and if they don’t come to work, then they should expect to lose customers. But then again, does customer service really exist in Pakistan? So while our attempts to find someone to open the enclosure to let us go through was in vain, all we could do was then park our cars on the side and observe the lions through the fence. My goodness, what a pitiful state the lions were in, sitting under the tree while enduring the humidity. I was appalled at the health of these lions. They were no where near as ferocious as I expected them to. At least we got to see the lions, the tigers were inconspicuously absent. I was told they had to kill one of the tiger because it attacked a car—(to which I responded the driver in the car must have provoked the tiger in the first place).

All in all, I was highly disappointed. I mean, why do you want to name a place Lahore Wildlife Park, when you don’t even have anyone to let you inside the enclosure only to see three lions, and no tigers? I wish I could slap the management of this Lahore Wildlife Park and knock some sense into them. But then again, I was told this place is jam-packed on Sunday and the Park must be minting money, so why bother with the upkeep of the park, right?

I would not recommend you to go to this Park unless you’ve never seen one before, or are desperate to waste your petrol, time and energy to visit this place.

Honesty is the best policy, isn’t it? Don’t go to this pathetic attempt known as Lahore Wildlife Park. I see it as my duty to inform you all of this absurdity.

Mansur

The Kite Runner- Movie

Hello friends,

The Kite Runner is one of those books which I just randomly picked out not expecting to be changed by it. Alongside with Life of Pi and The God of Small Things, The Kite Runner encapsulated me into its world, experiencing life and that one moment in childhood which you never forget, through the eyes of innocent children. The book so perfectly captures the world of pre-Taliban Afghanistan that I could imagine myself being there. When they announced a movie was being made on the book, I was hesitant, yet excited at the same time. I was relieved to know it was being directed by a British director (means nothing will be Hollywood-ized) and the author Khalid Husseini had creative input.

I just saw the movie last night. One word: perfect. I’ve got other words too, but perfect was what I could think of at the end of the movie.

The choice of casting the two young boys, the locations, the costume, the supporting characters, and most importantly the kite flying sequences all brought to screen exactly how I imagined the book to be. I won’t get into a detailed review of the movie, for there are loads out there, but there were definitely some scenes that provoked me, in particular the scenes where Hazaras are mistreated, and the scenes with the Taliban leaders having their own amusement with the children at the orphanage outraged me.

The Kite Runner has become one of my favorite movies of all times now, purely for personal reasons and for the issues it raises in this movie.

Mansur