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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Thursday, June 29, 2006
New Presentation
Which one?
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Eight teams leftThe second round is over, I keep asking myself, why are those refs keep on screwing things up? The teams are not to blame for their poor performance, but those refs are the reason for that. Let us recap....Germany/Sweden, nothing really happened in that game for it was a very fast one, respect for Sweden for their unique defence and their goal keeper. Argentina/Mexico, although I was cheering for the blues but Mexico made this game one of the best ones for this tournament, the ref didn't count a 100% goal when the ball passed completely the goal line.
England/Ecuador, I actually felt bad for the ref for this game was so boring and the goal was like any other goal, not too special just because Bekham scored it. Potugal/Holland, wow!! The ref was on fire!! I mean, red card here, red card there!! I was surprised he didn't start flashing the red card to the crowd.
Italy/Australia, the Aussies played beautifully but couldn't score, it is not easy scoring a goal on Buffon, the most expensive goal keeper. But again, a red card for no reason!! Maybe the ref felt guilty for sending that Italian out so he wanted to make it up to the Azzories by giving them an undeserved panelty. If that panelty was not given to the Italians, I garuntee you Australia would have own that game, but this is the beauty of football, or not?
Switzerland/Ukraine, no comment cuz I just saw the highlights. Congratulations Ukraine!! Total Surprise, and I am sure you deserved it!
Brasil/Ghana, although Brasil played like shit they still won, what is up with this team!!! Their second goal scored by Adriano was offside 100%. I think that the refs are very easy with Brsil just because they won the championship five times!! I just hate them!!!
Spain/France, that was a wierd game!!! France, out of nowhere, awakened the sleeping dragon inside them, hope they will repeat that with Brasil!!
Next round:
Germany VS Argentina - Oh man!!! My heart is beating fast now!!!
Italy VS Ukraine - call your bookies!!! It is going to be war!!!
England VS Portugal - There is no Michael Owen, There is no England!!
Brasil VS France - I know I said I hated the French, but I change my mind now....I love you guys!!! Kill Brasil!!!
Monday, June 26, 2006
TestingAfter a couple of bad scene shots and frustration with the actors, I grabbed my producer and writer to a coffee shop to read the script again in order to see any potential changable scenes, and trying to get it not effecting the main storyline.
As we were walking to the coffee shop in one of the malls in Abu Dhabi, the pay phone started ringing. My producer (Rami) stood in shock telling me that this is the first time that he hears a pay phone rings, he only did in American films!! I got cerious and picked up the phone and this is what happened:
Me: Hello?
Can you hear me?
Umm yeah, loud and clear.
Awesome, so it is working now!! (I could hear clapping in the background)
Umm, what is going on?
Yeah, well, we just added this service to all our pay phones but this is our first successful call. Isn't that exciting?
Sure, that's amazing!!
Yeah man I am so proud of myself!!
I am sure you are!!
Listen do me this favor and write the number down.
What number?
The number for this phone you are talking from, so people know that this phone is for incoming calls as well
Umm, isn't that your job?
Yeah but I still have so many other phones to try, c'mon man, it is a small favor
Hold on, you are going to call other phones in hopes for someone to pick up?
Yeah, I did it now and it worked, didn't it?
I guess I can take that number, what is it?
He gave me the number and I wrote it on a piece of paper and taped it on the phone!!!
Saturday, June 24, 2006
And the first round is over...Well not a lot of surprises during the first round except the fall of the Czechs giving their seat to Ghana to play in the second round. Other than that, all the "big" teams passed the first test. So far, in my opinion, the best game was Argentina VS Ivory Coast, it was so fast and so frustrating I couldnt sit down for most of the game hoping for the Africans to win or draw, but yet again like most of the games was dissapointed that the big team won although they played like shit like all other big teams. The refs in this tournament need some schooling of how to run a football game, there are so many mistakes and for some reason all the underdogs are getting the heat while the big ones walk freely.
Next Round:
Germany VS Sweden - Both are wicked, but at the end Germany is my favorate!
Argentina VS Mexico - Argentina for sure!!
England VS Ecuador - Could Ecuador surprise us?
Potrtugal VS Holland - Tough game
Italy VS Australia - hmmm
Switzerland VS Ukraine - I root for Switzerland for this one
Brasil VS Ghana - Ghana, please, PLEASE do something!!!
Spain VS France - Going to be interesting
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Cover Change
Before & Now
What do you guys think?
Monday, June 19, 2006
PoliticsI went to a coffee shop here in Abu Dhabi to watch the game between Ghana and Czech Republic hoping for Ghana to win, and they did with an amazing tema work, they Czechs were really out of it which surprised me and everybody in the Cafe was rooting and cheering for Ghana. When Ghana scored the second goal everybody jumped and yelled with excitement but in less than a minute everybody went on a sudden silent with eyes popping out of their heads not believing what they are saying and the excitement turnt to cursing and spitting on the television, some even threw their empty cups at the Television, I didnt understand why this sudden change with the crowd. They were ctually cursing at Ghana not the Czechs.
I turned to the TV to watch the replay and it shows that one of the Ghananian players held the Israeli flag while celebrating the goal and I understood right away. Politics!!
Even with Ghana winning, the crowd kinda felt dissapointed with that reaction from the player and kept on hoping that Ghana won"t make it to the next round. Because of a flag.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Back to UAESo here I am, back to UAE. I still can't believe that I was in Germany just few weeks ago, and the thing that really pisses me off for being back is that, there is no worldcup fever here whatsoever!!
I had my best airport transit ever, I emailed a friend of mine, Murat, who I have not seen since 1999 when I was studying in Turkey, telling him that I will stopping in Istanbul for 6 hours, and he actually came to the airport. although we stayed in the airport the entire time, but we had an awesome coffee talk, recalling some of our stories during University and the best part was that he brought along one of my really good friends that I thought I lost touch with, Dogan, who surprised me in the airport.
Time flew so fast and it was time for me to hop on my plane back to Abu Dhabi, although I was just 6 hours in Istanbul but I felt sad leaving those guys again, but at least I had the chance to see them again.
So I am back now here, I switched my cell phone back on to receive more than 11 voice mails from work telling me to be in a meeting first thing Saturday morning. Thats when I knew for sure that my vacation was over!!
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Germany Last Day!I guess everything comes to an end one way or the other, 8 more hours and my adventures in Germany is over. But let me recap what we did yesterday. LC Stuttgart had a BBQ dinner in the University park with lots of food and lots of funny activities. Of course all the guys ate as if they not going to live to see tomorrow and then decided to play football, I mean a match against two teams. I first thought that it was a bad idea since I was really full but didn't want to sound like a wuss infront of all those Germans and I played, I almost puked few times, but i was reliefed that I was not the only one, all the guys stopped for a moment cuy they all felt like puking all the steaks and hotdogs they just ate!! I don't even remember the score but I guess we won!!
This morning was my last interaction with AIESEC Stuttgart, I joined them in a survey. Walked around the city greeting the Swiss and the French fans who started arriving as early as 9am, this the match between the French and the Swiss is going to be played here in Stuttgart, the WorldCup fever was off the limit!!! Crazy pumped up fans from both sides cheering and chanting, I really felt as if it was the finals already not the first round!
There was alway a myth that kept hunting me since Canada, everybody I know didn't really like the French, but I was always protesting that the French are cool and very social people. Today it was proven to me that I was completely wrong!!! Those French fans were so .....how to I say it....hmmmm.....fucken stupid!!! Ok, I know that Germany does not speak Arabic, so I speak to them in English knowing that someone has to speak it....The French? They think everybody speaks their language, and actually couple of them got so pissed off at me cuz I greeted them in English not French!!! Thats when I sat and prayed that the Swiss will kick their asses for this game!!! Well, they did not but almost did which satisfied me!!
I have so much respect to Croatia after their battle with Brasil. Althought they lost the game but the after party in the streets of Stuttgart was all Croatians, as if they were the ones who won, and the brasilians knew they played like shit and didn't deserve to win so they just walked around pretending to celebrate their victory......I was really sad that Brasil won, I hate that team, I know they are goo dplayers, but I just don't stand that team at all, and if they win this world cup I know for sure that it is sold to them!!! For they are absolutely not the best!!
I am going to miss the new friends I made here, and I will really mess the vibe of the worldcup, in UAE people watch the games in the sheeshas or at home and then switch the channel to a TV show or thw weather network hoping for some desent weather!!!
I stop in Istanbul for 7 hours where I will meet up with my old friend Murat who I haven't seen for 7 years!!! I am really excited that I will end my trip seeing a very old friend :)
Saturday, June 10, 2006
WorldCup FeverWell the time has finally arrived....the worldcup!! Unfortunatly my stupid digital camera broke down on me, I took it to some camera shop to take a look at it and they told me that the lens is broken from the inside and it would take four weeks to repair it!! That is when I decide I have to go ghetto again and buy myself a disposable camera!!!
I went yesterday to the city center in Stuttgart to watch the opening game between Germany and Costa Rica, where the coty built huge screens for fans who couldnt make it to the staduim.
It was awesome seeing all those football fans from all different ages cheering almost too extremely for their national team, and I was so glad that Germany won with a good number of goals, knowing that I wont get killed for people thought I was Costa Rican!!!
I think that Germany has a really good potential winning this cup, but don't forget Brasil, Argantina, England and others who has as good potential winning this cup as well.
Who do think will win this the Cup this time? I root for Germany!! :)
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
CivilizationWell Matt started driving us back to Stuttgart, but before we hit the highway, he looks at me and asks me: Do you want to leave civilization for an hour or so? I was really confused but I still nodded my head with curiousity. Then he explained to me that he is going to meet his grandmother is another village about an hour from where we were. He warned me that his grandmother is really old and does not speak a word of English and that she had to escape the russians during the war when the Nazis lost it all, she was only 12 at that time.
We drive in silence listening to music, I was just watching the beautiful scenery. After less than 40 minutes Matt looks at me with a shocking look. He never mae it to his grandmother's place in less than an hour. I guess that was good that he was not sleeping or anything during the ride, and the highway allows you to drive as fast as you can, now that is cool!!
Matt's grandmother greets us with open arm and a big smile. She starts talking to me in German but all I did was smile and nodd and looking at Matt to help me through the day so I would not offend his grandmother who looks like a very sweet lady. I understood the body language of, sit down please, do you want gravy on your beef? Do you want something to drink with that? and of course, Do you want some more food!!
After eating two plates of ..... I dont really know what that was .... but that was the best meal I ever had since I arrived to Germany three weeks ago!!! Then Matt took me on a tour of the house, the house where his father and the rest of his uncles grew in. I swear, I thought that I was in a museum, everything was so old, the wall papers, the beds, the carpets, even the books on the shelves, the black and white photos, and the best part was a typewriter instead of a computer in one of the rooms.
Matt's grandmother made us some coffee and we played some cards, after that we thanked her for the great hospitality and drove back to Stuttgart. We chilled around the city for a bit and then decided to chill at home watching movies, and since Matt have not yet seen the godfather, I guess that was the best film for chilling out!! Unfortunatly the film did not work on my laptop or Matt's laptop, so we looked around to see what movies do we have at the moment. We end up watching - The 40 Year Old Virgin- & - Old School -
Oh yeah and we ordered a pizza through the internet!!! not through the phone but online!!!
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Culture ShockI was aware that I would go with Matt to visit his parents in his village that he grew up in, it is called Krumbach, south of Stuttgart. The ride was quiet funny because Matt was so stressed out after finding out that he forgot his discount card in his flat and now he has to pay the full price for the train ticket. When we reached our distenation, we didnt even got checked in the train to validate our tickets so we sold them at the Metro to others who would paid the full price but instead paid way less.
Krumbach is a very small town, everybody seem to know each other, and everybody is so friendly. They kinda get surprised when they realize that I am not from around here because it looks like they don't get any tourists at all.
Saturday morning we had to drive Matt's mom to Munich for she was taking the plane to Athens to visit some of her friends. We took the chance to check out Munich while we were there, and it was a city of culture. Too many North American tourists, which made me feel like a tourist for the first time since I arrived to Germany three weeks ago. That was kind of a culture shock to me, being a tourist, after feeling that I belonged to this place and having so many German friends!
On the way back to Krumbach, Matt asked me if I still want to visit the consentration camp in Duach, it is a town between Krumbach and Munich. I have read and studied and seen a lot of pictures of those consentration camps but never seen one live. I don't know how I felt when I first entered the camp, I was reading the posts that was around to get you the feeling of the camps and what those innocent people had to go through, it was something from the past and history that struck me when I entered the camp. Going through the barracks, although it was renevated it was still the real thing, it was not from someone's imaginations, it was the actual thing. The human ovens, I still don't believe that a human being would think and do such things. It was a really educational trip.
When we arrived to Krumbach, Matt's father invited us for dinner at an italian restuarant. Really cool person and a lot of stories to tell since he is a doctor. Now I am just doing my laundry and relaxing. Although I am a bit dissapointed with the weather because it seems not to stop raining for the past four days and the world cup is just five more days. I am thinking now what can I do before June 9th.
I would probably hit Berlin, for 25 Euros!!
Friday, June 02, 2006
MotivationTo be honest, the last couple of day I was feeling very depressed, I felt some way or another that the entire project has failed, there was a point where I wished I never started something like this. But after last night, and the session I had with Robert Makenzie for 4 hours talking about to improve ourselves in the discussion and be able to deliver our message to the public.
The feedback I got from him and the ways and methods to change that motivated me in a way that my entire message is not a load of crap, it is actually a very good message but its the transition of how to deliver it to the public.
I woke up this morning with a big smile an another morning entirely motivated. Myself and Matt are travelling this weekend to visit his parents and perhaps go on a very short trip to Progue? But I'm really happy for yesterday's session, it really opened my eyes!
Thanks Robert!!