The Word of mAn[S]o0r

Umer posted on his top 5 eating places in the city, and i thought i’d follow it up with my own list. So here goes. These will not be the run-of-the-mill places cuz well.. i choose not to frequent them too much.

1. Chips Fast Food (Boat Basin) - The roasted chicken menu is delightful!
2. Karachi Broast (Boat Basin and M.A. Society) - Especially for their garlic raita!
3. Shawarma place on Saba Avenue (dont rem the name) - Amazing Shawarma’s
4. Darbar Foods (University Road) - Amazing biryani!
5. Okhai Memon Daal Chawal Stall (Sh-e-Faisal, between Park Avenue and Business Avenue) - Standard lunch! and yummy too!

All this talk of food is getting me hungry!! Anyone else care to put up their own list?

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The shadi!

Yes, another one in the family, the bride and groom a very happy couple, a very…. appropriate couple, perfectly complementing each other’s personality. A very happy and fulfilling union for both of them, and the people around them…. well, almost!

It was a happy day, yet it was marred by events, events which started more than a month previously, which showed people we had loved, had given everything we had and did everything we could do, in a very different light. It was like the wolf discarding its sheep’s clothing and barring its fangs. But it had made the fatal mistake of assuming only it had fake clothing, for it did not see the lions in sheep’s clothing around it. It may not have damaged much, but left a very bad taste in the mouth. (wolves are seldom tasty :p)

You see, certain… elements… in the family hierarchy decided it was not conducive to their ‘delicate balance of power’ for the union to proceed. I dont know what was more insulting, the fact that they thought they had power over us, or the fact that they chose to exercise that power through back alley politics. Every day brought with it a set of lies, all designed to have the greatest impact. All were brought down and torn to shreds before they could even begin their assault. We persevered… this time.

Those who led us in the past, got so far ahead that they became the other side! and nature, in its divine wisdom, manifested it so literally it almost took my breath away.

They ruled for a generation! Their scions decided they would rule the next. But the circumstances were different this time. They did not factor in that we would learn from our elders mistake, that we would not, could not, let history repeat itself. A different order has been created. One, which i believe would be the undoing of not only them, but also us. Alas, it has to be this way. We will not be undermined by our own, and we will not be taken down for being the selfless devotees. Its time they learned…

The battle lines have been marked… first blood drawn. This is just the beginning. In the end, we will emerge victorious! And they will have learned we are not who we were before.

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I’ve been very bad lately. Been ignoring the blog. But in my defense, again too many things are happening on the personal front.

Attended the shanaakht festival! That was a hoot! Wrote about it on metblogs, but the posts weren’t well received. Or they were and people didn’t feel the need to blast them. Sometimes i just dont know what happens there.

Also, my cousin got married! Hurray for him!! Hip Hip! Amid a large behind-the-scenes drama, the arranged marriage turned love affair blossomed and climaxed with the signing of the nikkahnama. Yes people! that also happens apparently. And i always thought it would be the other way around too.

Independence day happened! Azadi mubarak to all! The day brought with it my parent’s 26th Anniversary! Also, mobilink screwed me over with mom.. and i spent the morning trying to explain that the reason i didn’t call last night was because my brother did, the bell kept ringing and you didn’t pick up, so naturally we thought both of you had gone to sleep. Turns out, she kept waiting till 2 AM and her phone didn’t ring when my brother called! It didn’t even register a missed call!! Screw mobilink!

However, TCS came to the rescue (almost didn’t even)! The flowers i had sent through sentiments express made their way to them on time. Funny story there too, i called up their help line, gave the tracking number and here’s what happened

me: “The number is 12345667889.”
them: “Thankyou sir, just one minute while i confirm your booking.”
me: “okay.” *waiting, listening to the music while on hold wondering why dont they ever have anything upbeat! i love calling cityfm89! when put you on hold, they put on their station feed”

two minutes later….

them: “thankyou for holding sir. Im sorry i dont have that booking number in the system. Thank you for calling TCS Call Center, good…”
me: “Holddddddd ooonnn!!!! what do you mean you dont have that number in your system??”
them: “we entered it and it is not a valid number.”
me: “could you atleast confirm it then?”
them: “okay sir, is it 12345667889?”
me: “yes, it is.”
them: “thankyou sir, it isn’t present in our system”
me: “check again! i dont care! i paid extra for holiday delivery! it has to be there!!”
them: “okay sir, i’ll check with the concerned department and let you know. your contact number please?”
me: “good! now you’re talking! its 0321-XXXXXXXX”
them: “thankyou for calling TCS Call Center, please call again” *click*

at that time, i started getting worried! no gift means i didn’t think of my parents, and at the moment, i couldn’t afford them to think that!!!! so i waited….  and waited…..

about 10 minutes later the phone rings…

me: “hello?”
them: “hello sir, is this mr. mansoor?”
me: “yes, you found my delivery?”
them: “yes sir! we have found it. our apologies. the system was acting up. you’re package is from karachi to karachi and it will be delivered today”
me: “umm… its not karachi to karachi, its karachi to islamabad”
them: “sir, its registered as karachi to karachi”
me: “what delivery address do you have for it?”
them: “we have X-X, XXX Road, Sector XX, Islamabad, Karachi, sir.”
me: “hmm… do you notice something usual there?”
them: *slightly confused* “umm.. yes sir, please let me confirm it from the concerned department again”
me: “you do that!” *slightly exasperated now*
them: “thankyou for calli…”
me: *click*

about fifteen minutes later i get another call

me: “hello?”
them: “sir, we’re sorry. it was again a system error. the package is indeed for islamabad, and its on its way. it will be delivered today in the second half”
me: “are you sure? its not going to end up in lahore this time is it?”
them: *laughing* “no sir, the package is right where its supposed to be, we’re having system troubles and that’s what caused the error. please dont worry, it will be delivered today!”
me: “i hope so” *starting to worry* “but thank you”.
them: “thankyou for calling TCS Cus….”
me: *click*

that evening, i got the call which saved my ass! mom dad got the flowers! hurray! i was vindicated! Thank god TCS doesn’t rely too much on their system yet.

More happened too, but that’s for another post, another day.

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