September 11, 1981:

Born at Hôpital Cochin 27, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, in Montparnasse, Paris, France. First time I screamed or showed signs of life was 2 minutes after. You can imagine the fear on my mother’s face.

• 9/11: The September 11 attacks was a series of coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda on the US on September 11, 2001 where 4 commercial passenger jet airlines were hijacked by 19 terrorists.

• François Mitterand was elected in 1981. he became the first socialist president of the Fifth Republic and the first left-wing head of state since 1957.

 

 October 1985:

I got accepted in the Paris Opera Ballet School, which was a turning point in my life because I learned a lot in the process, which affected what, I do and where I am today!

• Mustafa Saad, Lebanese Militia leader, lost his sight in a car explosion in front of his house in Sidon. His daughter (13) was killed, and his wife lost one eye.

 

 November 1991:

Lead role in the nutcracker was MINE at 10 years old! (Although now it’s the worst ballet EVER to me. Advice: Don’t see it unless the Bolshoi, Stanislavsky, ABT, or Paris Opera Ballet Companies are performing it, otherwise I saw it being butchered so many times)

• Edith Cresson: a French Politician who the first and so far the only woman to have held the Office of Prime Minister of France. 

 

 December-January 1991:

Little company related to the school took us on tour to perform in Germany, Italy, and Russia. I can still taste it. It was MAD inspiring!

• Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon demand the release of 2 Lebanese brothers being held in Germany, warning there would be "grave consequences."

• Lebanon joined Syria in agreeing to participate in Mideast peace talks with Israel.

• Lebanese kidnappers freed British producer John McCarthy, held hostage for more than 5 years. however, a rival group abducted Frenchman Jerome Leyraud, and        threatened to kill him if anymore hostages were released, but he was freed 3 days later.

 

May 1993:

I was 12 years old and we moved back to Lebanon (I’m French/Lebanese). Major culture shock of course even though I knew how to speak and write Lebanese, and even though I used to go there for vacation during the summer)

 

July 1993:

Travelled to Egypt, Turkey, Cyprus, and Greece. It was ridiculously different. I was fascinated by how different the Egyptian Arabic was than the Lebanese, more beautiful, yet I could still understand it!

• Washington state executes Westly Allan Dodd by hanging (the first legal hanging in America since 1965) 

   

January 1994:

Joined Caracalla Dance Company in Lebanon. Their dance technique was so different from Ballet, but it made me well rounded and less stiff.

• Accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy, Michael Jackson settles a civil lawsuit out of court.

• Israeli extremist Baruch Goldstein massacres 30 Palestinians in Hebron.

• Senate rejects a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

 

June 1995:

I was 14. First visit to the United States. I stayed at my aunt’s in Maryland. And went to Washington DC, Disneyworld in Florida, and New York. This is when I decided to come live here someday. 

• Jacques Chirac elected President as the 5th President of the 5th French Republic.

 

1997:

I discovered that I liked women as well as men. In other words, I found out I was bisexual. I also broke my ankle during rehearsal due to slippery stage in one of the lame theatres. (This made me reflect a lot)

 

1998:

I moved back to France while I was still working on French and Lebanese Exist exams (which are called French and Lebanese Baccalaureate BAC), and while I continued dancing in the Paris Opera Ballet School! (I didn’t rest my ankle long enough. Why? Because I get restless which is an extremely negative quality one can have)

• France wins the 1998 World Cup of football on home soil. This is their first fifa world cup title.

  

1999:

I broke the same ankle another time. Took both of my Lebanese/French BAC (graduated high school), and got a job offer from my ballet school to join the company. At the same time, I was applying to Santa Monica College, just for fun! I made a contract with Ballet school till 2001.

• Gunman open fire on Shiite Muslims worshipping in an Islamabad mosque, killing 16 people and injuring 25.

• President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the US Senate in his impeachment trial.

 

August 29, 2001:

I moved to Los Angeles, by myself, with the heaviest accent known to man, not knowing where to go or what to do. I had no relatives, no friends, and no transportation. I was 19 going on 20 and wild!

 

May, 2002:

I met the most amazing French Choreographer who helped me get over my broken ankle fear and helped me dance again.

• Euro replaces Francs as official currency + Chirac re-elected

 

June 2006:

After 2 years of severe accent learning English and deciding I want to apply to Art school, I got my AA from Santa Monica College in Graphic Design, then applied and got accepted at Otis as a Sophomore which opened a whole new door of possibilities. In the meantime, I was working with disabled students at SMC (since as an international student I was not allowed to work anywhere else but school)

• The foreign ministers of the UK, Francs, and Germany declare that negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program have reached a dead end and recommend that Iran be referred to the UN security council. • The New horizons probe is launched by NASA on the first mission to pluto. 

 

July and August 2006:

America Tour:  Chicago, Florida, NY, Washington DC and State, Vegas, SF, SD. It is so amazing how the same country can have states that are entirely different. I LOVE IT!

 

February 2007:

My first internship at MGM Studios (first time I work within my field)

• Nicolas Sarkozy elected as the 6th French President of the Fifth French Republic

 

May 2008:

I was introduced to the most amazing UK musician based in LA called Carina Round. She changed my life, the way I perceive things, and the way I design, and taught me to be open to thinks I thought I never liked, like Jazz, or comedy movies, which I now love by the way!  

• The election of the country's first African American President, Barrak Obama.

   

May 9^, 2009:

I graduated Otis with a BFA in Communication Arts (Graphic Design). It’s an amazing feeling walking in commencement and knowing you have achieved something big. I am “Otisized” forever. No therapy will ever change that. However, I’m definitely stronger and I find myself persevering more than ever.

• January 20th 2009: The inauguration of President Obama where he was sworn as the 44th President of the USA, the first Africa-American ever to hold the office of Commander in Chief.

   

* There are lots of people and events that are life altering to me especially on the emotional level. I just can’t include all of them; otherwise my list would be endless.

* The Historical events are in red.