Firsts
More than two weeks passed after I decided to be a-more-active-blogger. What an irony! Many things happened and many horrible headlines in the news about Iraq and many things are there to be discussed. What to talk about and where to start from? Luckily, I don't talk politics so that crosses many topics from the list. Hence this post will be only about me.
The biggest thing happened is that my mother's residency papers is being processed well at last and all the papers are alright after submitting it many times and being rejected for certain missing stamps or attached papers. Hopefully this week it would all end so at least we can have an official residency instead of leaving UAE every now and then.
| View Show | Create Your Own
While I was having my terminal exams I received a phone call about an exhibition and that I need to submit my work a week earlier. Only one week left and I have three exams at the same time, therefore, I didn't prepare anything and just forgot about it. Three days before the exhibition The Institute of Art called my, while I was brushing my teeth so I asked my mother to take the call. It appeared that there was no exhibition. It was much bigger. It was a graduation exhibition where all the work of those graduate must be exhibited. And guess what, it was my graduation.
I immediately called one of my teachers and told him that I received the phone call just now and I didn't know submitting the work is a must. He said that there was no problem. My ceramic and sculptures are already there in the showroom and that I only need to take my paintings as soon as possible. There was only two days left. The two days I spend it the institute. Most of the job is done. There was a less-than-a-meter-width column left for me and two of my works are too big for that. I also had an unfinished work; therefore only two of my paintings will be displayed.
On the exhibition day I went in the morning and luckily for some reason or another, an entire board was emptied and ready for my sketches.
The other dilemma for me was how to manage to receive the Completion Certificate around 7 pm when my MBA lecture starts at 7:30 pm? The exhibition started 6:30 this was just as planned. It wasn't till 7:30 when my name was called and I received the certificate. I left my parents and friends there and had to run to find a taxi. Thanks to God it took me only five minutes to walk to the main street and find a taxi. The taxi was the slowest taxi I've ever took.
I called one of my colleagues and asked in which classroom we were taking the lecture for it was the first in the semester and we know that the room in the schedule is being painted. Unfortunately they did not change the classroom. But it was good for me because the lecture started 7:50. The smell was horrible and it was the first time for me not to sit in the front row. Being late gave me the chance to sit on the first desk next to the door. And we left the door open. The smell did not bother me much.
On my way home, after I took a taxi, a rented car from another emirate followed me. For two traffic lights they were next to the taxi. The driver was moving the window pane up and down and looking at me. I took my cell phone out and pretended I was calling and turned to the other direction (they say if you feel danger in UAE just show that you have a mobile). On the second traffic light I noticed Y (one of my colleagues) was near. I knew his home was close to our area thus I told him about the other car and that the taxi will drive behind him. He offered to drive me home but I said it was ok. Then he noticed the car was still following us so he stopped the taxi and told me he must drive me home. The poor taxi driver thought there was something wrong with his driving. I got home and told my mother all about it and these days one of my colleagues (A) is driving me back home.
***
I can't believe it yet! I'm studying HR & Research Methods for Business. What astonishes me most is I'm taking Financial Accounting. I know I've studied chemistry, physics and Bio in high school, and I got high marks that everyone thought I would be a doctor. I know I'm one of those people who enjoy solving mathematical problems in the newspapers and magazines. When I changed my high school the Math teacher told my sister's class that they lost the best Math student in the entire school. However, Financial Accounting seems scary.
Oh, and we went for a picnic on Friday with other 4 Iraqi families. Some are friends, others are relatives.
I mentioned in a previous post that my mother's cousins escaped from Baghdad and one of them had the chance to bring his family too. He went to Qasham to change visa and he is stuck there. I'll post about it soon.
I know I said 2007 will be the year for acheivement and firsts but never saw a car chaising me.
......................................................
I'll post more photos soon
The biggest thing happened is that my mother's residency papers is being processed well at last and all the papers are alright after submitting it many times and being rejected for certain missing stamps or attached papers. Hopefully this week it would all end so at least we can have an official residency instead of leaving UAE every now and then.
| View Show | Create Your OwnWhile I was having my terminal exams I received a phone call about an exhibition and that I need to submit my work a week earlier. Only one week left and I have three exams at the same time, therefore, I didn't prepare anything and just forgot about it. Three days before the exhibition The Institute of Art called my, while I was brushing my teeth so I asked my mother to take the call. It appeared that there was no exhibition. It was much bigger. It was a graduation exhibition where all the work of those graduate must be exhibited. And guess what, it was my graduation.
I immediately called one of my teachers and told him that I received the phone call just now and I didn't know submitting the work is a must. He said that there was no problem. My ceramic and sculptures are already there in the showroom and that I only need to take my paintings as soon as possible. There was only two days left. The two days I spend it the institute. Most of the job is done. There was a less-than-a-meter-width column left for me and two of my works are too big for that. I also had an unfinished work; therefore only two of my paintings will be displayed.
On the exhibition day I went in the morning and luckily for some reason or another, an entire board was emptied and ready for my sketches.
The other dilemma for me was how to manage to receive the Completion Certificate around 7 pm when my MBA lecture starts at 7:30 pm? The exhibition started 6:30 this was just as planned. It wasn't till 7:30 when my name was called and I received the certificate. I left my parents and friends there and had to run to find a taxi. Thanks to God it took me only five minutes to walk to the main street and find a taxi. The taxi was the slowest taxi I've ever took.
I called one of my colleagues and asked in which classroom we were taking the lecture for it was the first in the semester and we know that the room in the schedule is being painted. Unfortunately they did not change the classroom. But it was good for me because the lecture started 7:50. The smell was horrible and it was the first time for me not to sit in the front row. Being late gave me the chance to sit on the first desk next to the door. And we left the door open. The smell did not bother me much.
On my way home, after I took a taxi, a rented car from another emirate followed me. For two traffic lights they were next to the taxi. The driver was moving the window pane up and down and looking at me. I took my cell phone out and pretended I was calling and turned to the other direction (they say if you feel danger in UAE just show that you have a mobile). On the second traffic light I noticed Y (one of my colleagues) was near. I knew his home was close to our area thus I told him about the other car and that the taxi will drive behind him. He offered to drive me home but I said it was ok. Then he noticed the car was still following us so he stopped the taxi and told me he must drive me home. The poor taxi driver thought there was something wrong with his driving. I got home and told my mother all about it and these days one of my colleagues (A) is driving me back home.
***
I can't believe it yet! I'm studying HR & Research Methods for Business. What astonishes me most is I'm taking Financial Accounting. I know I've studied chemistry, physics and Bio in high school, and I got high marks that everyone thought I would be a doctor. I know I'm one of those people who enjoy solving mathematical problems in the newspapers and magazines. When I changed my high school the Math teacher told my sister's class that they lost the best Math student in the entire school. However, Financial Accounting seems scary.
Oh, and we went for a picnic on Friday with other 4 Iraqi families. Some are friends, others are relatives.
I mentioned in a previous post that my mother's cousins escaped from Baghdad and one of them had the chance to bring his family too. He went to Qasham to change visa and he is stuck there. I'll post about it soon.
I know I said 2007 will be the year for acheivement and firsts but never saw a car chaising me.
......................................................
I'll post more photos soon
posted by attawie at Tuesday, February 27, 2007
6 Comments:
Hey Attawie,
Its good news about your mother's residency! I am glad for your family. :)
As usual, your art work amazes me! The small and frightened children in "Unsettled Family" make me feel sad for all the families that have been displaced by the war. Your figure "Bound to Earth" seems especially powerful!
I really don't like to be near or in a freshly painted room. The paint fumes not only smell bad, they can be dangerous to people's health! Sorry you had to endure that!
Some men are really insane when it comes to their desire for women! It must have been very uncomfortable for you to be stalked like that (literally, some men stalk women like predatory animals!). I'm glad that you got home ok and that you will be riding with a friend from now on!
If you were very good at math in high school, I am sure that you will do well in the accounting class. I struggled with math when I was in high school, but I did a lot better in college when I had some really good teachers. Math became a challenge for me in college, and I ended up taking enough math to qualify for a Minor in the subject. However, I always had to work hard at math!
I wish the best of luck to your mother's cousins!
Hey girl! I miss you soooooo much! What about our agreement that you would make me a missedcall when you get online???? How am I supposed to know that you are online with all the time difference that we have!
A car following you?? Maybe it's just a paparazzi trying to take photos of the future most famous artist ;)
Did I tell you? I was in Miami for the weekend! :D It was awesome. I wished if you and the girls were all there with me. I finally got a reply from Shabnem, she called me "zumala" though!!! But no replies from the other girls at all. Are you getting anything?
Salam to your family
David,
We are still waiting for the official papers. I'll let you know once I'll get my residency.
I made those little children and liked them so much. I didn't put any expressions on the parent's faces but they are there to support each others.
There's a story behind "Bound to earth" I'll post is soon.
About the new painted room, the good news we changed the room for the next lecture.
It didn't bother me much the first few minutes when I discovered those guys were following me. But after the second traffic light I knew they were stalking me and there's nowhere to run. That's why I asked for help.
Morbido,
I miss you tooooooooo. I didn't spend much time online. I just logged in and published the post. I think we need a new agreement.
I knew about your going to Miami from the cbox. Write me about it. Or at least post something.
Glad you had fun.
About the girls, Joy Building (lol) and I are chatting once a week. Nothing from the other girls. Shabnem sent me last month and started "do you want to be like Morbido?" I can't believe they still think like that. Lol
Salam to your family too.
the name's Bond. Attawie Bond!
Glad you have a secure ride now..
:)
congrats for graduation, i really like your art!
and accounting shouldn't be very difficult for you, everything goes according to rules and equations and they're not very abstract at that, so it should be entertaining!
@David: i hated math in highschool and the first year in college, but 2nd year changed it4me, now i can't get enough of math!
words are too complex and superficial. numbers rule all :D
Attawie, I will look forward to reading the story of Bound to Earth! :)
Anarki, hopefully a numerically based machine intelligence will not actually rule us all some day! ;) As for me, I love to play with words far more than numbers. :)
Anarki
The name's Bond. Attawie Bond
I liked it
Math can be fun and yeah it rules sometimes. but i find myself better in playing with words. it's my game.
thanks and yeah it's much better to go home with a friend than to freak out most of the time.
David,
hopefully I'll write more about my art soon.
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