Here We Start – Issue # 62: May 2015

This month, many students will be undergoing their final examinations, whether in schools or universities. Those exams can get hard, challenging, frustrating, and pushes many to give up and just aim to pass rather than excel. I believe this applies not only to exams but also to everything in life.

If life had taught me anything, it’s that each time I was about to just give up and quit whatever I was working on, after I’ve forced myself to have a mental break for just few minutes (or sometimes a week), and then went at it again, the results were remarkable, the success was mind-blowing, and I always feel so grateful for not falling for my moments of doubt or weakness, cause I would have missed out on all this.

So if that’s where you are: a moment of weakness, about to quit, settling to just pass when you can excel; just take a mental break, take exactly the length of the break you need to get back on track, and then get back to work and try harder. May success always be on your side.

With this issue, we are joined by two new members: Shurooq AlBanna & Farah AlBaloosh. Shurooq AlBanna joins us as a columnist. She has been on a journey of self-discovery, ever since she opted out of a career in Genetics and Forensic Science to work for the Noor Dubai Charitable Foundation for the prevention of blindness. She has found joy through her humanitarian work-travels in some remote villages in Africa and Asia. Her interests include: travelling, visiting museums, foreign films and reading. Shurooq’s column “Uno Momento” is influenced by her Toastmasters championship speech that made her reflect on those distinctive moments that give a deeper and different perspective on life.

Farah AlBalooshi joins us as an artist. Farah is a down-to-earth architect and photographer, with a passion to capture beauty in all things in their simplest form. She aims to inspire and create projects that will make a difference and help those in need through Art and Architecture. Farah is a minimalist at heart who posts religiously on Instagram to share and broaden her creativity.

And now to our 62^nd issue for the month of May 2015:

• Interview with Khayarat Founder: Najla AlMidfa: We interview Najla to get to know more about her and Khayarat, an online career development platform targeting young Emiratis.
• Feature – Middle East Film and Comic Con: Omar AlOwais gives us his review of exploring MEFCC for this year.
• Guest Article – Reflection on a Social Media Suicide: Alia AlShamsi reflects on the phase she disconnected from social media platforms and how it changed her perspectives.
• Ebb & Flow – Is Your Child Obese?: Dr. Mariam Ketait gives us an insight on childhood obesity, its impact and ways to prevent it.
• Emirati Reflection – East or West, UAE is the Best: Abdulla AlWahedi calls for making the UAE a summer holiday destination instead of traveling abroad given all the tourist attractions it has.
• Brining Out The Rumi In You – Kilimanjaro; My Introverting Journey: Haleema AlOwais reflects on her mountaineering journey.
• Habillez Moi – The Dazed Scene That Is Fashion Forward: Reem AlSuwaidy discusses Dubai’s own fashion week through Fashion Forward.
• Hidden Promises – A Hall Too Big: Alia AlHazami discusses the disadvantages of students attending lecture halls.
• Just A Nassasary – Societies & “Bushido”: Nasser AlFalasi explains through research that unity comes in various shapes and forms, and a united Middle East does not come by force. War, murder, and terrorism are not means of uniting the region, rather, we should start at a smaller yet significant onset: a working social structure.
• Mental Pondering – Disagreements Without Casualties: Budoor AlYousuf tells us about people who get upset when someone tells them they are wrong; some even get offended and get into a heated argument, they may even eventually win the argument. However, did they lose the person they were speaking to?
• Musings of an Entrepreneur – Insights about Workplace Morale: Sidiqa Sohail gives us couple of ways we can be good bosses and improve everyone’s performance abilities.
• Of Ships and Kings – I Pity the Blind in Granada: What does it take to be a thriving cultural, economic and manufacturing hub? Money? Land? People? Yes, to a certain extent. In this article, Omar Al Owais explores an additional factor.
• Pocket Full of Books – The Alchemist Book Review: Maitha AlMuhairi writes her review and reflection on rereading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• The Words Within – Without Roots, You Cannot Grow Part II: Bahar AlAwadhi looks at how the current school systems are not conducive to learning Arabic while also receiving a good education.
• Uno Momento: A Moment of Contemplation – Redefining Volunteerism: Shurooq AlBanna explains to us how volunteerism is a lot more than simply carrying heavy boxes in poor countries.

Hats off to our great editorial team: Aida Al Busaidy, and Deena Rashid. Enjoy our reads, and don’t forget to check out the inspired artworks by our talented creative team: Aalaa AlBastaki, Amna AlSaleh, Dana AlAttar, Farah AlBalooshi, Hayat AlHassan, and Marwa Fuad.

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Warm regards,
Iman Ben Chaibah
Editor in Chief