The Word of mAn[S]o0r

“I’m moving to lahore, accepted a job offer there and after completing my notice period in karachi.. will fly out”

That way in May 2007. Since then, i met the love of my life, an opportunity at work which i didn’t even think would be possible, and a chance to be closer to parents in Islamabad. A month later, the lahore offer tanked, and i was still left in karachi…

The new offer saw me moving to Islamabad to October, or so i thought. As soon as October rolled around, i got a project at work which required me to be in Karachi. So the trip was delayed.

The new date was in November….

On 14 November, after numerous consultations with everyone around me on the best way to move, i was informed by my office that the reason i was going to shift early, a new business opportunity, was delayed… my stay in karachi had just been extended to 18th December.

By now, the move was a standing joke, with most of my friends considering that i had already shifted and more and more people were continuously surprised to see me around the city. Many thought i had come back on business trips or was just visiting. Little did they know….

The 18th December date, however, was not to be either. The project was not yet finished, and i needed more time, so Dec 31st was selected as the date.

Then the bhutto incident happened, and we lost almost 4 to 6 working days because of that. This time i even had a confirmed ticket for the 31st, which i had to have postponed.

The next date i got was 13th January. Determined to make it this time, i completed all i had left there. Luckily, even my viva was completed (which deserves another post in itself), and i didn’t have anything to hold me back….

Till the morning of Jan 13th, i was waiting for some other thing to happen, something which would again postpone the event…. but it didn’t come. I started packing at 2 AM for a flight at 10 AM, was done by 4 and almost dropping from exhaustion.

And then i slept.. after setting a multitude of alarms ofcourse. The sleep was disturbed at best, but the alarms didn’t work still, she called over 20 times, i answered 7 and promptly slept on her.. (it was hilarious, atleast to her and so im safe).

So after waking up at 9:40, going out of my mind that i’ve almost missed the flight, leaving home in under 10 minutes and reaching the airport a minute after the deadline for check-in, i entered the airport apprehensive. The girl at the counter, looks over to her supervisor, asking the dreaded question “should i process this? he’s past his time and i’ve closed the counter”. I look at the supervisor, for what seemed like an hour, waiting for her response… in reality, it took only a second, a quick nod, followed by the affirmation “yes, yes, process it! i haven’t sent the stats yet” saved what would’ve been a very embarrassing, not to mention a very expensive event.

Thus begins the new life, in Islamabad.  Now, im waiting for her to come and join me, and to make this life a lot more exciting.

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like a house of cards, things come tumbling down and you’re left wondering..

what the fuck happened!

its 11:25, and i’ve had four strikes already.. what else can go wrong today, i wonder!?

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I have a confession to make…….

“hi, my name is mansoor, and im an addict!”

Yes! that’s my deep, dark secret…  today, im sharing it with all of you, in the hopes that maybe i can stop feeling so guilty all the time.

I’m totally, madly, deeply, addicted…

to…

gluco biscuits!

i just cannot get enough!!! not plain, not dipped in tea, in coffee or covered with cheese!

…and i dont wanna stop either

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oh and i love the taste of hot, sweet coffee with it the best!

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sometimes, the best kind of dinner is with family, just two of you, discussing events in your lives, and being carefree for that half hour!

yesterday, i took my brother out to dinner, and after a very long time, we bonded really well. before, it just used to be while driving back and forth.

we talked about our day, our jobs, the upcoming moves, car fixing and future ideas.

sometimes, i feel as if i’ve really neglected him and dont really know anything about him…

but then he comes up and surprises me with clear, thoughtful insights into the mysteries of life and i have to take a step back and think, he’s done really okay for himself.

at the end of the day, doesn’t matter what or how he does what he does, i still feel proud of calling him my brother!

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on a side and totally unrelated note, why are call center operators at banks often named ‘laila’? and why do they have a sultry and seductive voice? especially if they’re working at a ‘islamic’ bank?

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Happy new year all!

2008 comes with new hope and new promises, but it also promises to bring about a transformation for the better.

Looking back at 2007, it was a year with mixed events. Had some of the best mini vacations, infact, the only mini vacations i’ve ever had, in this year, with a trip to sukker right at the start, followed by trips to Islamabad, Lahore, Murree, Bhurban amid others. A long chapter in my life closed down, put to an end after a long drawn out drama. A drama which had me on the brink of a nervous breakdown, following emotional and physical outbursts, amid other tantrums. It did, however, make me realize exactly what it was i wanted in life, so it wasn’t all bad. Another chapter which began this year was family drama, where star plus serials took on a real life with characters too close to my heart.

Another feature of 2007 was how many times it made me see the inside of a hospital. From both sets of grandparents, to my chachi, cousin and the most awful of all, my father, to myself and a close friend, hospital visits became almost a sickening part of ‘normal’ life. I hope, and i pray, i never have to go through that again.

My father was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military) this year. One of the higher awards conferred on  people for services rendered in the line of duty by the President of Pakistan. That was definitely a high point in life.

But then, she happened, the true high point in my life. From humble beginnings at a poetry reading, after i had come back to get my things, having accepted an offer of employment in Lahore, to a fabulous one-day-notice engagement a few months later, having turned down the lahore offer and staying on in Karachi since now i had a better offer at my current workplace, to the numerous highs i’ve received each day i’m with her, she’s the perfect embodiment of what i ever hoped and prayed a partner to be. She’s managed to enchant whoever she’s met so far, even making older generations forget an ultimate incident and welcome us back with open arms, a smile, and a dua. Magical creature she is, weaving her magical smiles in our lives, with her little wand and pixie dust, making herself home with people and places i never thought possible.

Yes, 2007 was a mixed plate. But now that i look back at, it wasn’t all bad.

A countdown has begun. A countdown to the change of our status from singles to doubles, a day i await with much longing.

Welcome 2008!~

Note:  I’ve purposely left out any/everything related to the recent incidents in Pakistan, as i believe many others have done justice to it, and i cannot add anything of value other than ranting about it. 

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