Hello everyone,
First I would like to thank all of the people who helped me and gave me their opinions about the the Fulbright Writing Sample I made. I made some changes, added more details and applied all the other suggestions. Thank you all :)
I have been fighting with the blogshpere lately. My blog disappeared suddenly, and I had to get it all back in some time! It's ok now and I hope it won't happen again although my blog disappeared for three time so far.
The good thing that happened this week was that I met the Fulbrighters for the first time since we have been granted the scholarship. The meeting was yesterday, and it was quick but awesome. We faced many difficulties getting into the Green Zone cuz the meeting was at the Convention Center. We were surprised to know that we were not allwoed to get into the Convention Center, and we had to wait outside in the bad weather.
The meeting was supposed to be at 10:30 in the morning, but all of the Fulbrighters came way earlier than this time. In Iraq, when you have an important meeting, you have to get out of home on an early time cuz you don't know what to face down the streets at any moment. The streets might be blocked or maybe you can't get to your meeting on time. So we go out early to avoid such accidents.
The Fulbrighters were from different regions from Iraq, mainly Baghdad, Basrah, Mosul and Kurdistan. Some took a hard and long trip to Baghdad for this meeting. The big surprise was
that we had to meet our principal in the Center's garden instead of the hall !!! Now the garden is an open space for everyone and everything. Iraqi, American and Georgian soldiers were passing by all time listening to our meeting. There were some gunshots and far away bombings in the Zone.
The meeting was a big disappointment for some of us. We were kinda "rebuked" cuz some of us did mistakes in their applications or something like that! Anyway, the meeting was kinda good, although it was too risky to get into the Zone! Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to talk to all of the Fulbrighters, the time was short and we started to go one by one. The most people I was looking forward to meet were Hala and Ardalan, and again, we hardly talked together!!! I kept searching for Hala but I found her just few minutes before I go! And Ardalan didn't tell me that it was him at first, he just told me that he reads my blog so I had to figure it out by myself. And maybe we talked for less than one minute!!
I don't know what really happened that made the meeting very short and quick. I'm sure that non of the Fulbrighters wanted it to be in this way, but the place was dangerous and we were all "standing" for long time in the garden. But all in all, it was great to see them.
15 comments:
That sounds like a fun excursion, Haneen. Were the other bloggers like you expected them to be? I'm always amazed how different people are in real life, from what I imagined when I only communicated with them on the phone or in e-mail. I don't think I've been right yet :)
Can I make a suggestion about your writing sample? I suggest you take an experience from your life and write about it. The more significant and meaningful the experience, the better. For example, when my nephew was applying for college, he chose to write about the time he caused an automobile accident that injured two of his friends. You might write about your thoughts on the start of the war (what were you thinking and feeling when the bombs began falling?). What did you think and feel and what about the future of your country (include your voting experience)? Include how the experience changed you in some way.
Fulbright Scholarship is very impressive. So you will represent Baghdad, Iraq! Vey impressive.
Hope you enjoy the U.S. and...
... don't drink the water.
JUST KIDDING!
Hey there,
I am so glad that your are going to the States. You’ll love it believe me. But you know what? You should have seize the opportunity and see as much as you can during your vacation time. I am very impressed and proud of you. Hopefully, I am applying for the 2006 fall program in writing at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Finally, we’ve got the chance dude.
Once again, I am so proud of you. I am so proud of Iraqis.
Hi Haneen, glad to see your blog again. it was nice to meet you there. I didn't know you were coming! you were standing beside me all the time! know what, you are as nice as you write. just want to ask, do you have the feeling that we will leave after about a decade from now or in another life! why is it look so faaaar?
hope to see you soon. Hala
Have you discovered Mark Twain? Many people say that American writers can be divided into two groups: Mark Twain and everybody else.
Haneen and Hala,
Just be patient. It took me almost a year to go to the States. But see, here I am! Nothing is impossible. Just be patient and I am sure you will go to America and all dreams will come true.
Programmer Craig, I don't know all of the bloggers, but some of the ones I know are the same as I expected them to be. But of course you will know alot more things about a certain person when you get to meet him\her in reality. This difference in people is really amazing :)
Original_jeff, thank you for your suggestion :) I felt that the essay needed a personal touch or experience, so what I did was that I took a certain community's actions and behaviors under two circumstances, peace and war. I couldn't write as much as I wanted cuz there was a length limit between 250 and 500 words. But it was good and I hope they'll like it.
RG, believe it or not, I'm still afraid of drinking water!!! My cousin was kidding with me yesterday and she told me not to breathe cuz the air is poisoned :) Very funny!! Oh, yes, me and the other Fulbrighters are going to represent Iraq in the Fulbright Scholarship! That's just so cool, and I hope that we'll be a good symbol of the Iraqi Youth!
Hey Treasure, it's been long time no see! I have been following up with you posts and it seems that you are enoying your time in the States. Have fun and seize this opportunity to the fullest. My study program is going to start in 2006 fall as well, but I still don't know at which university!! Good luck for you my dear friend :)
Yes, Hala, it looks soooo faaaaar!!! I was shocked when I heard that we'll leave between May and July!! It seems the other life indeed!! But what are we going to do in this time?! I'm just staying at home, so you can imagine the hell!! :( It was so nice talking to you in those short minutes, I hope to see you again soon.
You go girl!
Deck The House!
http://www.powerpres.com/xmascard03.html
Merry Christmas,
Pebble
Hey Pebblepie, thanks alot :)
Merry Christmas to you too my dear, wish you all the best
I could not get pabbles powerpres.
I did want to wish everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS.
I enjoyed this one:
greetings
Haneen,
You may find Questia (The World's Largest Online Library) a useful resource.
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• A Dangerous Crossing: French Literary Existentialism and the Modern American Novel
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Without a subscription, you can read the first chapter and the first page of each succeeding chapter of a book.
Merry Christmas and may the coming year, and all years yet to come, be the best.
Hello Wanye and Charleswt, Merry Christmas to both you and to everyone else. May all your dreams come true and may the whole world becomes a better place.
Thank's for the Christmas Greeting, Wayne :)
Charleswt, those links are so useful to me! Thank you very much
Hey Haneen ..How are you..well I'm sorry I just read what you said about the fulbright meeting..I mean I was waiting to see you..and to talk to you and I wanted to know you more and even I was asking the other Fulbrighters about you and if you were there yet..I don't remember their names but I think one or two of the ladies were doctors..they told they didn't see you yet, cuz they had met you previously..believe me I wanted to see you more than you did..and when I saw you talking to Dena and Nawar Iguess..I came over and said "Hello"..I asked you if you were a Fulbrighter n you said yes..actually your father said we all are..loool..that was so nice and so funny I am still laughing..I liked him from the 1st meeting..then he said he was younger than me..n I said yes you are n I was serious..He looked so lively n young.!that was so nice and fun to meet you and talk to your respectable father..then I asked about your name..that all was just to know if you were Haneen or not..n WAW it was you..waw!! I was really glad when I knew it was you..unfortunately I don't know what happened that we couldn't talk or get know each other better..may be Ms. Nada came or some thing I dunno. n you are right I should have told you who I was..but I thing Dena told you or some thing or I forget I dunno..any way then Ms. Nada started to talk n talk n talk..then students start to ask n ask n ask...n after it was about to finish I was hoping to talk to you n the other guys..but what happened is you left with your father before the thing is over n I understand you might have your own especial circumstances..but as you said it was a nice breif meeting I enjoyed talking to you n the others.. I hope that it happen again under better circumstances..cuz u know the way was like Hell till I got to Baghdad..but I thing the meeting worth it..thank you Haneen for your nice and kind words about me n Hala..you are gorgeous..bye 4 now.
Morning, Haneen, not coming till May at the earliest, damn. Have patience, time will go faster than you expect. Real curious where you'll be. Be sure to post a big entry when you find out your american destination.
Your excursion to the green zone was interesting. Love getting snippets of life over there. Not fair others from the blog get to meet you. ;~) I wanna meet you too. Love when you've only communicated with one online or via letters and then finally meet them. It's always an exciting/nervous event. No idea what you look like, but from your writings, I have kind of a mental image of you (probably completely wrong, though).
How are things after the election. Heard 21 people killed yesterday from another bombing. How's the mood on the street (or with people you have talked to?). Not much said on the news here except that a lot of groups are protesting the results. Any thoughts?
Better get back to work. Stay safe, miss.
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