Born: Hasan Ahmed Hujairi • Date of Birth: April 29th, 1982 • Hometown: Bani Jamra, Bahrain • Current Location: Tokyo, Japan • Current Status: Monbusho Scholar / Graduate Student in Hitotsubashi University • Academic Field: Economic History • Academic Qualifications: BSBA in Finance (Tracks: Investments and Corporate Finance) from Drake University (Iowa, USA - 2003) • Professional Work Experience: Auditor in Ernst & Young (Manama, Bahrain - 2003 - 2005) • Languages: Arabic, English, Japanese and Farsi (basic)
Without Thinking: My Father, Gibran Khalil Gibran, Adonis, Mahmoud Darwish, Ibn Khaldun, Marcel Khalife, Naseer Shamma, Jamil and Muneer Bashir, Queen, The Beatles, Junoon, Led Zeppelin • Influential Teachers Over the Years, Regardless of Discipline: Hiroshi Kato, David C. Craig, Suzuki Sensei, Saad Mahmoud Jawad, Frederick Adams, Jack Manders, Michael P. Hanson • First Time I Touched a Real Guitar: 1993 in Marshall Music Stores in Manama, Bahrain • First Dog’s Name: Spade • Favorite Musical Instruments: Oud, Classical Guitar • Places I DREAM of visiting: Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Iceland, South Africa, Russia, Tunisia • Nightmares/Strange Dreams’ Recurring Issues: Growing Up, Conspiracies Against Me, Death, Violence, the Sea, Flying, Space, Meeting Random People, Having Kids (really scary!) • Life-Altering Experiences: The 16th Ship for World Youth Program (2004), Cyprus Biology Research Trip (1999), Marcel Khalife and Al-Mayadine’s “Jadal Concert” in Al-Ahli Club (1997) • Things I miss from Bahrain: Wonderful Weekend Family Breakfasts, Walking Around the Old Manama Bazaar, Bahraini Friendliness, Driving around, Karate Practice, Oud Lessons, Complaining About My Previous Job with Friends, Going Out for Coffee and Randomly Bumping into People I hadn’t Seen in Years, Hanging Out with Family and Friends, the Sea, Palm Trees, Fruit and Vegetables, Literature / Musical Recitals, The Political Awareness Rise, The Potential of Bahrain, The Sights/Sounds/Smells of Village Life, Easy-Going Life, Fresh-Juice Shops in Jidd Ali • Things I Don’t Miss About: Traffic Jams on the Way to School/Work, People’s Fascination with Image, Pollution in Sitra and Jaw Askar, Stinky Air Around Toubli Bay, Silly Comments and Ideas • Random Memories of Childhood: Walking Around Barefoot in the Streets of Sanabis Between the Ages of Three and Five, Planting a Tamarind Seed in Sanabis when I was Six and Seeing it Grow (But I Neglected it Later), My Fascination with World Stamps, Having Pen pals in Japan When I Was Eight, Taking Chess Lessons, Loving Basketball, Terrible at Football, Bermuda Shorts in the Summer, Burning the Soles of my Feet on the Tiles Around Swimming Pools EVERY SINGLE SUMMER • The number of times my landlady scared the **** out of me because I suspect she belongs to a cult: 9,245,824,549,258,345 • Camping in Al-Sakhir in the Winters • Playing With Cousins • My Two Lovely Sisters • Childhood Friends Who are Older Now • Karate • The LOUD Noises Kids Made in Middle School As Soon As Teachers Walked Out of Class (If You Went to Al-Raja School, You Know EXACTLY What I am Talking About)