About me
Name::Ahmed Arshi
From::Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
A new filmmaker rising from the edge of the horizon.
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Sensibility
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Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Why Should I Care? Stuttgart..The day starts with heavy rain, a very cold breeze, and a very hard cough. Things did not look promising, Matt was very exhausted after the conference, I lost my voice, and kurt was just being himself!! lol
We went to the cinema house to test the film and make sure that the screen and the sound were perfect, and yes it was. Went back to Matt's place so he could get some last minute sleep before the final hour, I kept sipping tea to regain my voice, kurt one again just being himself!!
After an hour or so, Marcus (Former MCP of Afghanistan) called Matt and asked if he can meet up with me and Kurt to talk and get to know each other before the event, I regained my voice by that time and went to meet up with him in the city centre. Had some really interesting conversations about his journey to develop AIESEC in Afghanistan.
Our film starts at 8pm, and it was 7:45 when I last checked my watch. The lineup which was almost extending outside of the cinema house was so overwhelming, a lot of non-AIESECers, which made me really excited to hear what they have to say about the film and the discussion. The film starts and ends, clapping and whispering, this is all something that is not new to me. I was only really looking forward for the discussion. The panel participants took their seats and the questions begun.
It started very slow and I had a feeling that this discussion won't last 20 minutes. But then, a ady at the very back raised her hand, and took the mic, and started bashing the film!!! She said this film made her really upset, not because this is reality but because it was us who did it!! She didn't like the massege of the film and the film as a whole! That comment threw a burning coal into the discussion which flamed the topic unexpectidly. More, and More people raised their hands, agreeing with the lady that this film did not have the massege that we claim to send out to the youth and that this film was made because we wanted to get famous!
I looked closely at those guys and knew that they were not AIESECers, cuz they even asked about AIESEC and even had doubts about the organization. The panel participants, handled this situation amazingly, and I was really sad when I saw those group of people who started this heated discussion leaving the theater because I really wanted to talk to them to enlighten me if I was doing this the wrong way, after all it is a learning experience.
The discussion was over, and we had some personal conversation with so many others who decided to stay a little bit longer to tell me their feedback personaly. I met Matt's parents and had a really awesome conversation with his dad.
I just woke up an hour ago, and now that my brain is back into the function mode, it makes me think, honestly, if we as DAMU are spreading our massege the right way or if we really need to change our way of approaching to the youth. I am meeting up with Robert Makenzie some time this week to discuss this issue.
After all we never claimed we were perfect or if all this would be easy to do.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Change Agents?
One purpose of me being in Germany has been crossed down, which is chairing my first AIESEC Conference, FAME2006 hosted by the lovely AIESEC Stuttgart & Hohenheim.
I won't say that I did the best job a chair could ever do, nor I would say I did the worse. But I would say that this was such a learning experience, learnt a lot and broaden my horizon in such a society. I wrote down few of the improvements I should really implement the next time I get a chance to chair any type of conference, hopefully another AIESEC one.
Started my journey on Thursday where I met with the Faci team that would lead the workshops of this conference and set expectations, along side the OC of course which I had the chance to know them better and understand their needs for this conference. It was really interesting watching the Faci team trying to learn their roll call and the language barrier did not stop the body language from sending me masseges that I understood.
The next day we opened the conference with some AIESEC dances, although I was a bit dissapointed in the beginning because I was informed that all the delegates were old AIESECers and current EBs, but more than %80 of them did not participate in the dancing which made me more concern, and to tell you the truth, I felt a little bit of doubt towards myself if I was going to be able to motivate them. Moritz took the kick off of the conference by introducing me as the chair, and the welcoming claps and cheers, made me very overwhelmed! I never received such crazy welcoming from delegates that never met me before, again, more doubts were filling my head, if I had what it be to be their chair.
I started my kick off with the (HEY AIESEC) shout, the reponse erased my doubts compeletly and instantly. That's when I knew that I would have such an awesome conference with such awesome delegates. I was too right, that I felt I was one of the delegates who is thirsty for a chant or a song to dance with it or simply an encouragement to survive this conference.
I had the honour to work with a great OC , Susanne, Regina, Timo, Rolph and Björn. You guys were more than just an awesome team, and the great thing is that all those guys are first time OC members, if I didn't know that, I would have assumed that they organize AIESEC Conferences for living!
To the Faci team, thanks for the feedback, thanks for the motivations, thanks for the hard work and thanks for the (WE LOVE THE CHAIR) chant you guys did at closing plenary, I didn't expect that which made me so speechless for a moment! :)
I just finished reading my sugar cubes, Thanks for the kind words and thank you very much for this great apportunity....THE FRUIT REGION ROCKS!!!!
Oh yeah, another thing I really missed after any AIESEC Conference, is losing my voice!! lol
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Bingo Night!well I didn't get much sleep last night for I was pulling all nighters burning DVDs of Why Should I Care? I managed to burn so far around 40 DVDs and I think that would not be enough for the amount of people that will be showing up to the event on the 30th.
Matt came back from school and told me that we are going to a bingo pub to meet some more friends and play bingo and if we win which will be around 500 Euros we will spend that money travelling eastern Europe, I got too excited and we were yelling out the numbers but at the end we didn't win. Matt was too dissapointed which mademe laugh, I had a good time after all.
Tomorrow I have another AIESEC Stuttgart meeting before FAME where we will discuss the training weekend and show them more presentations about AIESEC that I brought with me
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Which Colour Are You?
Your true color is Green!
What's Your True Color?
Brought to you by Tickle
Monday, May 22, 2006
Training WeekendI spent this past weekend in Tübingen, south of Stuttgart. Where I met the EB team of AIESEC Tübingen to go through our agenda for the training weekend for the newbies of AIESEC Stuttgart and Tübingen.
The city was beautiful, founded in 1700s, you still can feel it is very old fashioned, especially the stairs in the middle of the city which I really hated because we had to climb up the long stairs in the city every 5 minutes, and I am really not in that great shape!!!
The training weekend went in an awesome stream, the newbies were very excited about AIESEC and they really loved the culture and the AIESEC dances, unlike in AIESEC Canada when we had to ease up with the culture so the new members wont think it is a cult!
I opened the weekend with a motivational speech and told everyone my famous airport story!! Then we where devided into groups, especially for me since I dont speak German, my session was for those who wants to learn about AIESEC in English and I was really impressed and shocked when more than %80 of the planery raised their hands to join my session. Of course not all of those guys joined my session, instead the OC selected the delagtes and assigned them to the different sessions including mine so all the trainers would have a fair number of delegates to train :)
The group I was assigned to were one of the best groups I have ever worked and talked to, they were very active, thirsty for knowledge and had an awesome sense of humor, since I tend to make my sessions more about the people than the text. I even taught them some AIESEC dances, and made them storm other sessions in the progress, that was funny!
Made so many new friends and was glad to have trained some of those new members who I can see them being in a very active role in AIESEC in the future, like being in the EB, LCP and even MC perhaps!
Can't wait for FAME2006 next weekend, and it feels great to be an AIESEC Alumni!!!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
New DAMU websiteUPDATED
WEBSITE
Alright I know I spelled Mannheim wrong but you all understood what city I meant by it. It is funny as well how fucken trainees who lived in Europe for six months pretend now that they know everything!! lol
Anyways, today was a really productive day for me, almost got lost in the German subway line but found my way eventually to the university to meet up with Sussane and Moritz to define our roles in FAME, we got along very well which I guess is a very good sign that we will work together like salt and pepper!!
After that I was a guest at AIESEC Stuttgart General Assembly, where I introduced myself to new members and explained to them what AIESEC is all about and my 8 year involvement in this beautiful organization and the outcome of all this dramatic years....there were so many hotties!! especially the Polish trainees!!!
After that we all went to watch the champions league final and ended our day very happy that Barcalona won the title!!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
A trip to ManhiemMatt told me to get ready by 1pm because we our train is at 2pm. What train, I asked. He simply smiled and told me it is another surprise. I have nothing against surprises but sometimes you just want to know what is ahead of you without the stress. I didn't ask any further questions.
We reached the train station and met Anna and the rest of Matts homies, they were all excited for leaving the city and had German scarfs on and chanting Germany. I looks at Matt and asked him if we are going to watch Germany play in a soccer game, he smiles and was a bit dissapointed that I figured out his surprise. I was even more excited after realizing I'm going to see Germany play live in Germany......Awesome surprise!!
The Trip to Manhiem, a city north west of Stuttgart, was fun. Met more people and ha some funny discussions, and as always they tried teaching me some German words and vocabulary but without good outcome!!
Germany played against some local team and won 7-0 !!
Well as I mentioned before that Anna wanted to cook something for me, so she told us to get home at 10pm no earlier than that. Matt was a bit jealous to tell you the truth, he was complaining as usual about how Anna never cooked for him dinner and now she is cooking something for me. I was like, it is only dinner, but I was really impressed by the setup for the dinner, Anna brought her freind Karina (I hope I spelled her name right) and we had a very educational dinner to tell the truth and a fun mind game afterwards.
Thanks Anna :)
From left, Anna, Matt, and Karina
Monday, May 15, 2006
Germany Day One!!well here I am in Germany, made it in one piece!! Not alot of dramatic travelling experience as usual although I flew through Turkey, I was expecting to be stopped and searched heavy duty style.
Matt picked me up from the airport and went to his place to leave my luggage there, where I met his roommate Anna, really nice lady and her love to music is cool, it is rarely that I meet someone has that passion towards music.
My first illegal act in Germany and getting busted for it was not paying for the subway ticket and thinking that I could ride for free and getting busted and have to pay a panelty of 40 Euros but after a talk with the guy for 10 minutes he reduced the panelty to 10 Euros!! Thanks Matt for convicing the guy that I'm just a dumb tourist that can't speak German!!
I'm now in AIESEC Stuttgart's office in their University. Had the chance to meet suzanne the OCP of FAME2006 and talk about life and our expectations for the conference. I love AIESEC for this, I just met two total strangers and we already made plans for later tonight to hang out as if we were old friends!
More to come later, Anna is gonna cook something special for me tonight, a meal she learnt how to cook when she went to Morocco a year ago I believe, although Matt is warning me not to eat anything she cooks but I guess I'll take that chance.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
My first Trilogy!!Remember guys, my DUEL trilogy? Well, I'm %90 done with it, I'm finishing the last two chapters of book three :)
Monday, May 01, 2006
Refund!Ok, I never tend to tell this to any of my friends, but after what happened yesterday I think I owe you guys this story!! I have been going to a shrink since my comeback, even after the discharge I have been visiting this shrink (Don't worry she is 55 years old) three times a week, but yesterday after only 15 minutes of talking before the wierd questions pop up from her side, she just snapped at me and told me that she doesn't want me to come by anymore, moreover, she gave me a full refund for April!!! I smelled something out of the ordinary when I went in her office but never expected this.... I still remember the entire conversation just a sec before she snapped at me :
Doc: So Ahmed, would you prefer to live in Canada or UAE?
Me: I don't know.
Doc: What do you mean you don't know?
Me: I just don't know
Doc: Where do you prefer to live then? (Still very clam)
Me: I honestly don't know, I have no full plan of where I want to live.
Doc: You don't want to live in UAE?(Still calm)
Me: No
Doc: Why?
Me: I don't know
Doc: Ahmed, this is not an answer. It is a yes or no answer.
Me: I answered with no.
Doc: No you didn't! (starting to get edgy)
Me: Yes I did, you asked me if I wanted to live in UAE and said no!
Doc: No you said I dont know
Me: No I said no, why don't you play back the tape and hear it again, just to make sure.
Doc: I don't need to do that, I am sure.
I got up and rewinded the tape myself and stopped it after few seconds, the tape played and reached the part where she asked me the question if I wanted to live in UAE and my negative answer. Her face grew grey, she even changed her way of sitting on the chair which I understood that she is pissed off now more than admitting to her mistake!
Doc: Ok you know what, I don't want you to come back again, we are done!(she gets up and walks to her desk pretending on looking at some files)
Me: I thought we have another half hour. (I know I was being a jerk now but I was enjoying my time for once with her!)
Doc: I don't want you to come anymore, we are done here, understood?
Me: Why?
Doc: Because I said so.
Me: Why?
Doc: I don't know!! (yelling!)
Me: Thats not an answer doc!! (Almost bursting of laughter in her face, but I was good in controling myself!)
Doc: Here take the money and get out! (She pushes me out of her office with my full refund in my hand)
I looked at the money in my hand and only one word came out of my mouth : AWESOME!
1 minute later...
Went to HMV across the street and bought ER season 5!!