Is it a question of standards or just a way to kill the aspirations of the elite

I rarely spend time with friends, most of the days and weeks I am either at work, or at home working as well. My job occupies 80% of my time, I never thought of changing myself or reducing the working hours. Unfortunately I love what I do, and my students are all very nice, they provide me with energy, the team I work with are also very nice, they all see the imaginary projector placed on my head, and the 60000 thoughts per second that goes inside my brain.

It is amazing how fast I can think, and more amazing how fast I can forget what I thought about, so the team now quickly record my thoughts if they feel that it is of value. For example last week I had the parents of two students of ours, we were discussing how pathetic the middle east is in terms of providing opportunities for students in the medical field in terms of specialisations, internships, and examinations. Both parents are doctors themselves, one is a favourite of mine, as he is a plastic surgeon(the thought of repairing my face and body did cross my mind guys, I don't want to lie about it), so I asked him and her where they did their specialisations? They said that in their country they can specialise, as all the universities there are attached to hospitals. On passing I asked them if the university over there will accept international students? The plastic surgeon said maybe? Why? I said that if it is possible we will place students there? He said in his language to my main counsellor who speaks that language that he will go and check but he wouldn't like it if after he paves the way we forget about the project. The counselor told him something which enforced my feeling that the team knows me by now very well. She told him in that language that Ms Suad gives us the tip of the iceberg and we follow up, so he shouldn't worry. I felt such a relief that god had sent me angels to capture my thoughts and convert them to real things. Thank you god.

Anyway, that is not the subject of discussion today. I was saying that I never spend time with family and friends; this weekend proved to me that I must do this often. So on Friday I had a close friend with me the whole day, we had lunch, watched a movie on TV, discussed current affairs, counseled each other, then in the evening went to the mall, watched another Movie, ate popcorn and maltesers, had our barbican, I.e. Complete indulgence.

On Saturday, I got to know this woman who is wonderful, we struck a cord instantly, she is a dentist, mezotherapist, sculpturist, artist, writer and journalist. The type that you can set with for hours without being bored, she can talk to you about anything and every thing, a walking encyclopaedia! A true treasure. Her daughter is the same, a lawyer and researcher, after the first hour of breakfast I wanted to meet all her family. This morning I met her husband at breakfast, and both were like the yin-yan; Perfect match. He is a heart surgeon, then a minister of health, followed by a minister of education, an ambassador, a writer, journalist analyser, heads many educational boards, and at the same time a good husband and a lover. The way he looks at her when she talks, and vice verse was brilliant. Then we talked more and had lunch together. Pity they are leaving today, my cultural dose is not complete yet, I rarely get enough cultural doses.

Anyway, during the discussion, I finally figured it out. The difference between the west and us? Okay, I will spell the beans. The west establishes standards; we do not! Every minister that comes has on one feet a rubber that deletes what the previous person had established, and on the other feet a stamp. And so it goes. That is why you find road constructions going on for years, you get it?

I explained to them that for example if an epidemic happens in a factory in the west, a new team can come in, and straight away can start production and will produce similar results to the previous team. Why? Because the standards are clearly placed and marked for every nail, nut and bolt. Even in service industry, a new team can takeover straight away, as the job can be replicated. Why do you think it is possible to franchise the likes of McDonalds and Starbucks and we cannot franchise anything? Because of the standards.

So our discussions today lead me to say to our previous minister of education, who by the way did a fantastic system for Bahrain schools at the time, to the extent that the students who graduated in his time were the best of the breed. Of course once he left, the ministry reverted to the old system, and parents started to move their kids to private schools. I told him that if he had made it a standard, and marketed it in the same way the Cambridge examinations or the International bachaloria is done, his system would have given wondrous results for Bahrain.

We also discussed why the elite Arabs do not receive recognition similar to the western people. For example Clinton comes to the middle east conferences and earns 200000 dollars for an hour talk. My friend the ex minister does his TV shows for free? Why? We are under valued.

The second revaluation is, we need to have a PR company that markets our ELITE ARABS.

What say you darling bloggers? Shall we establish this company?