Past Two Weeks: From Intern Social to Mediterranean Food

Readers,

It all seems to have flew by. I had just been reminded today, that it has actually been 2 weeks since I updated this blog. I could say that I've been busy and haven't had time to write, but I think I got stuck in a.... routine! Yes, you read that write, Omar has a routine. After a hectic school semester and a hectic first weeks of summer, I got into the habit of the daily routine at work. I go to sleep no later than 11 pm and I wake up around 5am, pray, go back to sleep/lay in bed until about 7am when I start getting ready to head to work. I try to arrive at The Carter Center at about 8 am to allow myself to get situated before I start the work list. I have gotten in the routine to attend a soccer pick-up game 3-4 times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and either Saturday or Sunday. It's a good way to meet people, exercise and get out of the house. I haven't done much fun over the past 2 weeks. I went to a neighborhood festival on June 2nd which was nice but it rained and so the trip was cut short. I really enjoy the festivals; local artists and food vendors all come out to display their goods and it's generally a very happy atmosphere with live music and so you're somehow forced to have a good time. I've been trying to organize a get together after work every Friday for anyone who is willing to socialize and it had been pretty successful. I'm not into the "party" nor the drinking scene and so I try to avoid those kind of atmospheres. I've gotten a few compliments on my attire the past week and it was very pleasant. Having to wear "business casual" every day for the week gives someone the opportunity to expand and get creative, I guess.

This Wednesday we have the Intern retreat and that should be nice, followed by a potluck this Friday. I'm excited for the potluck because I'm going to try to display some of my Saudi/ME cuisine. I will update on that later. Honestly, it hasn't been too exciting and there isn't much I can say unfortunately. Since I am restricted as to what information I can share about my work, I can only share the information of the things outside of work and my general perception of the good Ol' south, and that till now is very limited. I can however, tell you all, that my cat, my lovely adorable cat, is really a challenge in Atlanta. The room is too small for her so I've been opening my room door and allowing her to explore our floor, which I guess has made her happier but as cats will always be, very sketched out. It's nice having her around for company though, even with the responsibility.

Active Oval - Piedmont Park

I do enjoy the neighbourhood I am in. The nearby CVS is a great convenience in my emergencies or when I need something quick. I have started cooking because they finally installed the kitchen on my floor and it is nice. I made pasta with red sauce and sausage the other night and it was very pleasant. I will continue to cook, the trick is to get small amounts of food and spices because of my short stay. Eggs will be my best friend, easy breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think that's all for now. I'm thinking of maybe driving somewhere near for a weekend trip or maybe within Atlanta. I still need to explore the city. One thing that has really pleased me in Piedmont Park and the area called "Midtown" in general. The park is beautiful, large and very very accommodating (it's where I play soccer most of my days). Near to the park I found a Halal Arab food place . It's not perfectly like home, but it does it pretty close with a Iraqi twist on the typical mediterranean favourites. The best part is that it's Halal and so I am guilt-free when consuming. I think that's all for now....

Cheers,
Omar 

First Week: From Confidentiality to Munich

There is much to update about, precisely from May 22nd to today May 25th. I will give a brief timeline and then provide more detail in separate paragraphs. So if anyone is interested in a specific date, just scroll down I guess. May 22nd was the 2nd day of Orientation and the first insight into what I will be actually working on at the Carter Center. May 23rd was the first full day of work at the Carter Center. May 24th was a half day because of the Memorial Day weekend holiday that is celebrated in the US. May 25th is the start of the first weekend in Atlanta, which happens to be a long weekend because of Memorial Day weekend holiday.

On Wednesday May 22nd, I had woken up as always before sunrise and had started preparing for my day. The dress is business casual and so I tried to represent myself in the best of manner. At about 8:45 am I picked up a couple fellow interns on my way to the Carter Center and that began the 2nd day of work. They were kind enough to provide us with a hearty breakfast, coincidentally my favorite, of an assortment of bagels and cream cheese. I opted for a sesame bagel with chive and onion cream cheese which was delightful. To my bagel fan readers out there, and you know who you are, these bagels were Ah-Maze-ing! I never knew where the bagels were from, but I found out later that week and it was a pleasant surprise but more of that on May 24th. We met with our respective program directors and coordinators and learned what we will be doing for the summer. That was all for that day as I returned home tired and hungry, had some food and went to sleep. Oh interesting fact, I am supposed to keep my work at the Carter Center outside of the public eye and so I will not be blogging about any specifics  in regards to what I am working. I will rather focus on my experience at the Carter Center as a whole, and Atlanta as a larger scale.

On Thursday May 23rd, twas my first non-orientation day and so I felt a bit of pressure to perform and please. I dressed up nicer than usual, with a little addition of a red tie done with an Eldridge knot, which adds to the plain white shirt and grey khaki combination I was wearing. I had decided to arrive earlier than my official start time so I can give myself more time to get acclimated. The time was beneficial, as I used the old trial and error technique to get one of my first assignments done. It got done thankfully and many lessons were learned that helped expedite the process the next day. I had the Carter Center lunch, which is headed by a very passionate cook that told us that she would have to teach us ( all the new interns) how the cafeteria works. It's very similar to a school lunch line, but with better food. I had some Chicken and dumplings, which turns out to not be my thing but was tasty nonetheless. This is very fluff information, but trust me it's all part of the experience. Chicken and dumplings was thick and I believe is a classic southern dish and I do not think southern cooking is much of my thing. It's too heavy, so I will try to opt for the salad the next time. The day went by surprisingly quickly and in the end, as usual, I returned home exhausted and hungry. I quickly chowed down some food and went to bed. By this time, I am getting used to and recognizing better street names and directions. I don't need the GPS to direct me but just as to serve as a easily accessed map. I'm getting there, slowly but surely.

On Friday May 24th, the relationship history between bagels and I was re-written. It was the first friday of the internship. Fridays are special for three reasons: 1) It's casual Friday, which means I get a break from the formal attire and get to dress it down a bit. 2) It's bagel Friday, which means that their are free bagels and cream cheese at the Carter Center in the morning. These bagels are majestic. Maybe it's the context, or the fact that they are fresh at about 9 am but it was one of the best bagels I've ever had. Now, I am a Tim Hortons fan through and through, we have an emotional bond and I drive 45 minutes sometimes just for a bagel but the bagel I had that morning, I'm sorry to say, was just better. When you factor price in, the picture seems to be clearer. Bagels from Panera Bread ( where I found out the bagels were from) are much more expensive and are larger than ones offered at Tim Hortons. My love for Tim Hortons will not go away, but I have found it's competition. 3) It's Friday, which means the weekend and in this case a long weekend. We have Monday May 27th off as well and so I am using that time wisely to write up this blog.

On Saturday May 25th, I woke up ready to go play some soccer with a pick-up group that I found online. The game was unfortunately canceled and so I opted to visit the local gym instead. It is a small place but it does the job. It has a free weight room, which really isn't my thing, a aerobics/combat room, a few treadmills, bicycle machines, steppers and ellipticals, which I'm sure I'll use over the course of my stay here in Atlanta. There is also a basketball court, which isn't my thing either but I might try it out and a small swimming pool that is mostly used for water aerobics and exercises. I had neglected myself this past semester and it had been a while since I had been to the gym and so as after my hour session my muscles had ached and I was exhausted. I went home and got clean and headed over about 7 blocks south of where I live to a cafe that was opening early for the Champions league game.  I met a few friends there from the Carter Center and we had a good time. Congrats to Bayern Munich for their victory and better luck next time to Dortmund. After that I returned home and spent the rest of the day relaxing and not doing much really.

That's my update for now. I am currently sitting in at a Coffee place enjoying the weather and the nice internet, which the place I live in doesn't have.

Cheers,
Omar Kurdi

Carter Center: First Impressions

Hello,

So I forgot to bring a pillow with me to Atlanta, that resulted in a less than optimal sleep before a very important day. Nevertheless, I powered through and made it to the morning. It was the first day of my internship today, and even though it was only half a day, it was a very exhausting one. Typical to most establishments and programs, the first few days are reserved for orientation. And so, today we, the interns spent most of the day following a powerpoint and tour guide around the Carter Center drilling mass amounts of information into a sleep deprived mind. Besides that, it was very pleasant.


The Jimmy Carter Museum and Library is beautiful and the Carter Center as a whole seems to be a very professional and breathtaking place. It's hidden in Downtown Atlanta, on about 36 acres of land. Most of that land is a beautiful garden, filled with geese and ducks and all kinds of trees from different parts of the world. The size of the place is really hidden by all the greenery around and takes away from the size of the actual building. I still need to much more exploring but that's my first impression. Tomorrow will be more exploring and orientation. My colleagues are all very educated and seem to be great people. I am the youngest of all, by many years most likely, and it's a humbling feeling. More on that later. That is all for now.

Cheers,
Omar Kurdi

Drive Part II, Move-in and First Impressions of Atlanta.

Hello All,

Dalton, GA treated me nicely. I mostly stayed in my room and went to bed at a reasonable time. This morning I continued my drive to Atlanta (only an hour and 10 minutes away at this point) and successfully reached the area knows as Midtown where I will be staying. I say successfully because at many times during the drive through Interstate I-85 and I-75, I doubted if the people ahead of me would  "successfully" stay out of an accident. Midtown is about 1 mile away from downtown, so it is busy and lively but also nicer than downtown and less dangerous. The apartment complex that I'm living in is interesting. I am on the 11th floor, a floor that only opened this week as renovations are still occurring.  The building, which was vacant for about 10 years before the current ownership and plan, used to be a housing center for a nursing college and was originally built in the 1960's. This was convenient as the Atlanta Medical Center and complex is but a few steps away and is actually connected (somehow, I'm still confused on the shape of this building) to the Medical Center. We, as residents, get access to the AMC's gym and parking, the gym is small but does the job and the parking is safe (key card entrance and exit with 24/7 security, which is a plus in a big city like Atlanta. The room is very nice. It used to house 2 nurses that shared a bathroom but was converted into a 1 bed/1 bath and the space for the other bed is occupied by a couch and a desk. The whole floor, 24 rooms total, shares a common area ( TV/Couches) and a Kitchen (Full sized). Luckily, this new floor only has about 5 other occupied rooms besides mine so sharing wont be a problem.

This is not my actual room but it is very similar. It has a mini fridge and a weird microwave/oven/grill combination contraption ( I will update on use of this device). The mission of the day is to unpack and get situated. I have a CVS across the road and a Chick Fil-A near by so I am set for life. Thank you for reading.


Cheers,
Omar Kurdi

Drive Part 1

Hello,

Today I started the drive to Atlanta. I left Athens, OH at about 9 am. I took my kitten with me, and that was an interesting challenge. For the first 2 hours, she wouldn't stop meowing and whining. She really wanted to let me know how much she was unhappy with the move. At about 11am when I went to get lunch, I let her roam in the car and when I returned she seemed much more relaxed and situated. From that time till the time I arrived to where I currently am, 1 hour outside of Atlanta, she was calm and composed. She would leave her nest I made for her when the car was stationary but would return when I started to move.

The drive was surprisingly not that bad. I didn't get too exhausted or too bored thanks to the many calls from friends and family. I got caught in thunderstorms from Mid-Kentucky to Georgia which slowed my pace to about ten under speed-limit. It didn't bother me too much as I arrived to Dalton, GA at around 5pm. I could have continued but wanted to find a cheaper rate for the night and was getting tired. I stopped at Athens, TN to stretch my legs and rest assured Athens, OH is much nicer. Pittsburgh at Ottawa tonight for Game 3 of the NHL Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, but that's not important. I guess that's  my update for now. Atlanta and move-in in the morning. 

Cheers,

Omar Kurdi

First Step

Greetings all,

I should start with an introduction, but I don't know why anyone who doesn't know me is reading this. Anyway, if you're the kind of person who lives on the edge and reads strangers' blogs than I should at least give you a small introduction. My name is Omar Mohammad Kurdi and I am a third year student at Ohio University. I am studying Political Science and Global Studies: War and Peace ( a fancy name for conflict resolution studies). I will be interning at the Carter Center in Atlanta, GA for about a period of 10 weeks starting this Tuesday. So, the purpose of this blog is to somehow document my experience and time in Atlanta for the whole world to see.

Georgia has been dominating my thoughts lately. I'm nervous about it but also very excited. I don't know anything else to say.  My predictions is that I will learn a lot from this experience, and inshallah it will be a positive one. I start driving, tomorrow! I'll be taking my kitten, Korra, with me which will also be an experience. Hopefully, she'll provide company and comfort. I guess that's all for now.

Cheers,

Omar Kurdi