What made you want to become an English teacher?
I fell in love with reading...at a very young age. I cannot remember myself without a book in my hand. We had a tradition: every Eid, my dad would take us to the toy store and the library and I’d want to buy both gifts from the library. I’d need more books; I don’t want the stuffed toy but I want that book!
I’m not a very social person. I’m not very outgoing, although I have had to become that with the job and everything, the book has always been my best friend. It’s always been, not only my escape, but my source of comfort and strength…I couldn’t imagine studying anything but comparative literature. I did also minor in history and sociology, but literature remained my passion. I remember ever since I was young I'd tell my parents I wanted to be a teacher and I'd hear the usual “Are you sure?”, “You’re not going to be paid well”, “That’s not a career to go into”, “re-think, you're too intelligent for it”; but it’s a vocation, it’s a calling. Putting those two together just meant that I would naturally go into teaching language and literature.
What drives your fascination for Shakespeare?
What can I say? His language, and his genius in creativity comes through in his plays. When you think that these plays have been around for 400 years and they’re still as relevant today as they were the time they were written and performed, then you’d have to recognize that there is something about the way he writes and about the themes he presents and about the characters he creates that is timeless, and it is something that has touched individuals no matter where they might be. So, I don’t think you can or anyone who studies literature can discount how much Shakespeare has given to the English language and how much he’s added to the wealth of recognizing our place in life and what we as humans bring to life and also our flaws. His characters are very human you don’t find that black and white (your either a villain or a hero) his heroes have flaws, his villains have understandably human weaknesses so in this sense you cannot approach the world without recognizing the genius of certain authors and for me he’s one” of them.”
Where you a disciplined or wild child?
“I was a very good child. I’m the oldest of four and so a lot of the time I would have to be the one to babysit. I wouldn’t just babysit my brothers and sisters but also the cousins and you know how it is with our families and our culture, summers are the time when everyone comes in from abroad and we’re all together and it meant that I took on responsibility very early and because my parents worked abroad or my father specifically and my mom would spend some of the year with him and some of the year with us I had to step up its not by choice.”