Funny incidents happen when you least expect them. That is what happened to me several times.
I might have spent only four years at university, but I witnessed several embarrassing situations where I had no clue of what to do.
Here are some of my funny incidents:
Case one - scenario 1: During my first semester, I decided to put on white pants. I've always believed that white pants look cute and fashionable. So I thought why not to wear them, and I regret it. After my 8 am class at Falaki building, I felt off the stairs and I kept on rolling for two floors! Of course my pants looked like a zebra and I had to stay till 6pm that way or else I will lose points for attendance!
Scenario 2 'but with another pair of white paints': My friend and I went to have a tomato soup in Pottery cafe in front of the old campus. And of course we kept on gossiping till she said "Do you know Christine, I hate boys and I won’t ever get married. I remember that day when the bride was supposed to throw her flowers, and it came at me but I threw it away and all people around thought I was crazy' Of course I kept on laughing at her. And over a sudden, the spoon slipped from my hand and fell on my pants. The boys sitting next table and all the waiters kept on laughing at me and I got embarrassed. I learned two things,
1. 'Evil eyes' does exist....it’s not an atheist way of thinking 2. NEVER wear white paints at AUC again.
Case two: I was walking in the street with a friend of mine and I was about to enter the old Greek building when a taxi cab passed by and yelled 'Yaaa Mooooozzzaaaaaa' known in English as 'Hot girl'. Suddenly, all students around looked at me and I never found my friend again!
One of the people I respect the most is Doctor Nada Ismaeil, a television studio workshop doctor at the American University in Cairo.
I am taking this course with her this semester. Although I don’t know her quite well, the past two months were very interesting for me for several aspects. The main ones is that I got to know all the matters related to television from her, and I got to understand how work is in reality since she is a very experienced person.
I respected her even more after making this interview with her. Working ever since she was sixteen shows how embitious she was at that time.
Background:
Graduated in 2001, Dr Nada Ismaeil majored in mass communication specialized in broadcasting and minored in political science and environmental studies. She did Adham center masters in journalism broadcasting.
Dr Ismaeil thought she was going to work in the news for life so she worked at the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). Her work was to follow up with other news channels coverage of the event of the Iraq-American conflict 24 hours a day. It was when she decided to quit this job and work off camera rather than on camera.
Right after her quit, a new job was offered from MBC as a producer, this time for game show. It was her first time to be a producer for a show, and felt scared that she was responsible for this producing something for the MBC especially that the game show was going to be viewed in Ramadan and during the prime time. Yet the channel encouraged her to complete her task and assisted her till she succeeded with the production matter and the show was fine. Since then, Dr Ismaeil had been working with MBC as a producer free lance, and did several productions such as The Green Apple, several cook shows, game shows and other events. She also worked with Al Jazeera were she did several documentaries. Besides the Pyramid show done on the Egyptian channels.
During this period after graduation, Dr Ismaeil was in contact with the Adham Center, offering new graduates job offers as she believed that AUC students have special qualifications, skills and capabilities that are missing in the market.
When the new course 'Television Studio Workshop' was established, the Adham center asked Dr. Ismaeil to teach this course last fall due to her wide knowledge and experience in the field. At first, she felt she was not able to do this, but after several meetings she began to like the idea and she decided on the syllabus and everything else related to the course. And because everything was set, she continued to teach it this semester as well.
I believe that Dr. Nada Ismaeil has great potentials and skills that are enabling her to reach success. And I hope that she will achieve all her goals in the future.
The script:
Good morning :)
Good morning :D
How is your day so far? :)
I've been running since the morning, I slept very late because of my work and I woke up very early for this job, but it is ok, after I arrive here at AUC and on time more or less Iam ok.
<em>Can you give me a little background about you?
I studied Mass Communication specialized in broadcasting at AUC and I did some minor studies in political science and environmental studies. I graduated in 2001. I have done the Adham center masters for journalism broadcasting and I finished in 2003.
I've started working way before I graduated, when I was sixteen or something like this, started writing as a free lancer for some magazines, and I was doing small jobs like teaching english for children.
I was completely independent since then just to support myself. And when I was nineteen or twenty, I got a job at NBC news. I was working at the bureau here in Cairo. It was the first well paid job I've ever had, the first real job I think.I've always thought I wanted to work in news, maybe a news anchor. But then getting in to news at NBC, I quit in 2003 when the Americans got in to Iraq because it was destressing following the news everyday. My job was to monitor twenty four hours a day, how was the big networks in the Middle East states covering the news. So I saw several conflicts, got stressed and decided to quit the news and work in Television production in general, and off camera not on camera.
So in 2003, while I was about to quit my NBC job, I got an offer from MBC. They had a game show and wanted a producer for it and I was surprised. You are hiring a producer who never work as a producer before. Big game show, it was their main show and prime time in Ramadan, very complicated.
They went 'got ahead and try it'. I tried it, and I did it. And since then I've been working as Television producer and free lancer. I constantly have projects going on with MBC on free lance basis. I worked on many programs like green apple, that's been going for five years doing the development program. I've done several cooking shows with MBC, I've done some games shows, I've done some events like hip hop, concerts and stuff like that. I also started free lancing for other stations like Al Jazeera, I've done them several documentaries, worked with Mazzika TV, F.M TV and the Egyptian TV on adaptation of American game shows formats like the pyramid game.
For how long have you been working at the AUC?
I only started last September, last fall 2009. The Adham center, constantly I am in contact with the Adham center, looking for people to work. I believe that people graduated from the Adham center or from the AUC broadcating in general, have a lot of skills, I think they are missing in the market. Posting Advertisments for jobs wanted, script writers, studio producers and so one. So always iam in contact with them. And suddenly last summer they called me up and told to reach the 339, can you do it or cant you do it. I told them I've done that before, I've done different types on teaching like teaching english for children and so on, long long time ago, so let me think about it and so on. So I was a bit, too worried and I did not know if i have the knowledge to do it. There wasnt confidence at the begining, I sat and told them what is the syllabus. They said so and so. I thought that alot of upgrading had to happen in the coursevto match with what happens in the outside. And then I thought it might be a good idea because the department and courses are mainly concentrating on nres production, and few course or none are actually concerned with TV production shows. So I thought well, let bring in some principles and things related to producing tv production programs, how to develope ideas. Wrote the syllabus.
Women and girls tell their stories through film and radio documentaries From: UNICEF Length: 00:18:36
I heard a very interesting topic yesterday on PRX, and I thought of sharing it on my blog.
The audio documentary I heard was discussing the importance of story telling. The interviewer interviewed three guest to share their stories and discuss the film ‘Where the world meet the sky’ which was viewed in a festival in the Unites States of America. The film is all about the transformation of a group of women living in a remote village. These women used their experience to speak out their challenges that confront, from prostitutions to their community’s neglective aids orphanages to fears of living in places with high HIV/AIDS in Africa.
The coming lines are brief summaries of what each guest said about the film.
Ann Cotton, Executive Director of the Campaign for Female Education, did not help with the film production, however she studied the cases in Africa very well. Cotton’s main goal is not only to diminish illiteracy but to give unheard voices, a space to express their worries. That’s why she liked the film because it revealed many problems faced in poor areas in Africa.
David Eberts, the director of the film discussed his challenges in trying to document his film. It was hard for him to ask women talk about their problems at first, that he asked his translators not to pressure on them. It did not come to his expectations that the women will talk freely about their problems concerning prostitution and diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
Joe Richman, award-winning independent producer, and executive producer of the radio production, spent huge time talking with teenage girls about AIDS during the film making. One of the cases who shared her problems asked him to broadcast poject only in the United States for privacy. When she was proven to be HIV positive, she decided not to hide her suffer any more, and agreed to broadcast the project in her region’s station.
The documentary showed a two minute part of the film in order to tackle on one of the devastating cases in the film. The case is a fourteen years old girl, who became a prostitute after the death of her parents from HIV. The girl tried to protect herself by using condoms but the men refused to buy her condoms. At the same time, she had no enough money to buy this product.
The documentary was very interesting in my point of viewm since it opened a new perspective on some cases in poor regions in Africa. It never came in to my mind, that a fourteen years olf girl will be a prostitue just to make ends meat. The documentary also made me more willing to see the real film.
The documentary was neither long nor short, since it had a very good content. The twelve minutes were very important untill the interview showed a part of the movie to allow her three guests to comment on. Here the three people talked almost the same, which made it boring somehow. If she only asked one’s opinion, maybe the director of the film, it would have been better.
The voice of Ann Cotton was not clear at all. It is clear that her mouth was very close to the microphone. Every times she exhales air, the sound becomes disrupted and not clear. Although I heard her part several times, still I cannot understand her first sentence. If she gave space between the microphone and her mouth, words would have heard clearly.
As for David Ebertsm the voice was still low but much more clearly than Ann Cotton’s voice, since he kept a good distance between the microphone and his mouth. Moreover, the delivery was really good and appealing, which I did not feel when Ann Cotton talked in the documentary.
Regarding Joe Richman’s voice, I felt it was the best of the three because it was comprehensible and the tone was good. I did understand his sentences quit well from the first time. The delivery was better than the other two.
There were not natural sounds in the background, which was good, since the voice was low for both Ann Cotton and David Ebertsm. Yet I would suggest the radio documentary to include some voices of African women in the background. It will be distinctive to hear their language in the background. Besides, the sound quality needs to be as good as the sound of the interviewer.
Most of us experience relationships or dating process with men. Some of which fail, and cause severe depression for a longtime. And thanks to Facebook invention, which reveals everything about your ex-boyfriend, and his girl friends who are doing their best to ‘catch the groom’! I had two devastating experiences, and I used to ask myself ‘Why am I so sad that I cant move on’? So I came up with some reasons why being single is a blessing, and ways to find the ONE we are looking for.
Let us start with the reasons why being single is close to heavens:
1. You are free 2. You are ‘me and only ME’ 3. You are perfect 4. You have freedom of expression 5. You no longer need to hear boring conversations 6. You have self growth opportunity
The how to choose the right guy:
1. Likes attract likes 2. Try to listen 3. Listen to your mind 4. Work on your self-esteem 5. You have to choose: 6. Guys must be secretly examined 7. Listen to your inner voice
Hope it is useful and don’t forget to enjoy every second. Your life belongs to you and only you.
The following are news from the National Public Radio. Most of these news are related to the United States of America.
1. In his speech in the White house, President Barak Obama addressed the issue of Haiti believing that the quake was one of the most devastating earth quakes, where eight million people were killed and one hundred million have no access of food, water and houses up till now.
2. U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts criticized the scene at President Barack Obama's first State of the Union address as "very troubling" and that the annual speech to Congress has "degenerated into a political pep rally." Yesterday. Responding to a University of Alabama law student's question about the Senate's method of confirming justices, Roberts said senators improperly try to make political points by asking questions they know nominees can't answer because of judicial ethics rules. Obama chided the court for its campaign finance decision during the January address, with six of the court's nine justices seated before him in their black robes.
3. Berezovsky sued after the broadcaster, known by its acronym RTR, aired a show in which it was suggested he was behind the poisoning death of renegade Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died in 2006. In the ruling at London's High Court, Justice David Eady awarded Berezovsky 150,000 pounds (about $225,000) in damages, believing that there is no evidence before that Mr. Berezovsky had any part in the murder of Mr. Litvinenko.
4. The President Barak Obama gave a speech in his state of union last January. He addressed some issues including job creation, unemployment decrease and better quality of health care.
5. On March the 3rd, the School superintendent announced that all teachers in Central Falls High School will be fired at the end of the school year. The action was taken as a result of bad student performance.
Despite the fruitfull information brought from the Radio, the sound was very low that i hardly distinguished words. The Audio was clear, but the broadcasters needed to rase their voices alot for words to be heard correctly.
Other than that, the Natural sounds of the court gave me a live attendence as if i was there in the Court.
Moreover, the delivery of the news was good, since the announcer talked in a standard rate through out the five minute news.
Anch 1: (Depressed) Do you know that some of these children sleep hungry and others do not have medical care?
Anch2: (Disappointed) And why is that? Anch 1: (In a sad tone) The money we receive from donators annually is not enough. Have you ever considered giving your money to our orphanage?
Anch 2: No, What do they provide for the children?
Anch 1: Awlady Orphanage tries to provide a home for the children, with emphasis on education and vocational training to ensure that they become productive members of society.
Anch 2: How to donate?
Anch 1: Either through Misr International Bank #5505356 or Visit our website www.awlady.org
In 1935 the diamond history of Sierra Leone began when De Beers legally took absolute control of the dining prospects in Sierra Leone for the subsequent 99 years. Despite De Beers presence, Lebanese traders within Sierra Leone quickly discovered the vast profits that could be made by smuggling diamonds out of the country. As a result, illegal mining and trading increased throughout Sierra Leone.
In 1961, Sierra Leone gained its independence from Great Britain. Since then, diamond smuggling became both political and economical problem.
In 1968, when populist Siaka Stevens became prime minister, he was the first to connect the illicit diamond mines to political power and profit officially. To nationalized the diamond mines and De Beers' SLST, he created the National Diamond Mining Co. Through this company, Stevens and his key advisor, Lebanese businessman Jamil Mohammed, controled the diamond mines. It was not before the end of Stevens' rule, when De Beers removed itself from Sierra Leone.
In 1984, De Beers' sold its remaining shares to the Precious Metals Mining Co., controlled by Mohammed. A year later, Joseph Momoh, took power of Sierra Leone. With little political or leadership skills, he placed even more responsibility in Mohammed's hand. As a result illegal diamond mining within Sierra Leone prospered resulting in to a corrupted government by 1991.
On March 23, a civil war began when the Revolutionary United Front, a group of 100 fighters from Sierra Leone and Liberia, occupied east Sierra Leone. At that time, RUF leaders were alert that whoever controls the diamond mines will be able to control Sierra Leone itself.
Finally, in July 1999, under pressure from the U.N. and the U.S. government Sankoh and Sierra Leone's president, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, signed the Lome Peace Accord. RUF agreed to surrender its forces for a share in Sierra Leone's government. As a concession to RUF, Sankoh was released from the death sentence he earned for his war crimes and made chairman of the Strategic Mineral Resources Commission, a position that controlled most of Sierra Leone's diamond exports.
On BBC yesterday I heard the latest news on radio. Here are some news from several countries.
Chile: Dozens of people were arrested after looters fought over goods and set fire to a department store. An 8.8 magnitude earth quake killed more than 700 people last Saturday. Many residents are short of food, water, electricity and others. So several military Lorries distributed goods until the curfew was lifted.
Uganda: More than a hundred people have been killed in a landslide in the mountains eastern region of Buddha in Uganda. Over 60 children are missing. The government had provided hundred coffins to provide these families with respectable burial.
France and Rwanda: Agathe Habyarimana is accused by the current Rwandan government of helping to plan the 1994 genocide, and has long been hunted by prosecutors there. Mrs Habyarimana, who has been living in France for several years, denies the accusations.
Srebrenica: Mr Karadzic is accused of orchestrating a campaign of "ethnic cleansing". Mr Karadzic told his trial at The Hague that Sarajevo, where some 12,000 people died in 44 months, was "not a city under siege" by Bosnian Serb forces. He said claims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of more than 7,000 Muslim men and boys were based on "false myths". He is accused of genocide and war crimes devoted during the conflict.
Pakistan: Muslim scholar Dr Tahir ul-Qadri, from Pakistan attracted the interest of policymakers and security chiefs with his way of thinking. He believes that Islam prohibits the massacre of innocent citizens and suicide bombings. He developed his document last year as a response to the increase in bombings across Pakistan by militants.
Yemen: An explosion took place in the town of Taiz, killing at least ten people including two children so far.
BBC: Mr Thompson also announced that half of the websites on BBC online will close by 2013. Among the closures will be teen services Switch and Blast, with Mr Thompson admitting Channel 4 should lead the way with these audiences. The strategy review has now been submitted to the BBC Trust and a public consultation period will take place.
The quality of sound is clear and pure. All words and letters were clear. Yet the announcer talked very slowly at times and faster in other times. The length of sentences varied from one to another. The best thing about the news cast is its duration. It was neither short nor long. Moreover, each story took almost the same time as other stories. The news cast was smooth at that point.
Regarding Chile story, I disliked the part when a NAT sound of a Chile woman was talking while a translator was translating. Concerning France story, The French man who was interviewed talked in a French accent, which I liked.
Haiti considers Future Quakes While Rebuilding Announcer: Peter Harris Duration: 4:15
It seems that there is a new aspect that is concerning Haiti’s population more than the homeless people and the dead. More earth quakes are expected to occur sooner or later. This issue was addressed on the National Public Radio few days ago in depth, and the following is a summary of the news.
Both scientists and seismologists are studying what happened during the earth quake and the rupture in addition to how much slip there was at depth. According to Richard Harris “Rough estimates now show that six miles underground where the quake started, the fault slipped 15 feet. At the surface, the north of Haiti moved about three feet relative to the south. Calais will nail down those numbers once he measures the exact positions of more than 30 of these benchmarks around Haiti”.
The rapture was going to the west, hitting in less degree the east parts like Port-au-Prince. However, this will not last for a long time, since the earth quake changed a two percent of a magnitude seven quake on this length of the fault from January to February. Thus, the rapture might be directed to the densely populated parts of Port-au-Prince.
All of these changes are driving scientists and geologists to explore possible ways for future safety against coming earth quakes.
I believe that the new cast was interesting, because it did not come to my expectations that some parts in Haiti would be damaged more than other parts. Yet, it can be more interesting for engineers in terms of statistics than other people like me.
The quality of the sound was good, but the announcer’s voice was somehow low. One must follow up by reading the script. It was not only the announcers but people being interviewed like Mr. Calais and Mr. Claude. I liked the natural sounds that were heard in the background. I heard stones being dragged and hammering. These sounds gave sense of belonging to the place. I felt as if I am with them in the place.
Graduated from The American University in Cairo. Major Communication and Media Arts. Minor Economics and Psychology.
High school: Saint Fatima School IGCSE.
