No one can forget the insane school schedule they put us through, the stress that has amounted to many years of leg shaking (I still do this). Walking out of the exam and asking everyone what they put as their answer. Waiting patiently for your score. Going on Saturdays to make up for a bad grade.
It's true. No matter which Choueifat you went to, it's marked you in ways only other Chouiefatties will understand.
1. AMS
We're pretty sure the S in AMS stands for stress. You had about six of them a week, and you still don't remember what the acronym stands for. Panic ensued when you realized: 1) you were circling in the wrong answer (on the ugly orange sheets) or 2) you realized you circled your third C in a row.
2. Like the ex you can't get over
It's in your very being, in every decision you make, every proposal you suggest. Every breath you take, every move you make, Choueifat hyper work ethic haunts you.
3. Dabke
This was about as far as extracurricular activities in Choueifat went. After all, Choueifat did start in Lebanon and had an olive tree as it's... mascot? Deeply imbedded in them is the right to Dabke! And if you didn't want to join that you had no other choices left.
4. "Advising" class
This tweet is a very unpopular opinion.
In advising class, time seemed to stop as Mr. Germanos spoke to Abu Dhabi kids in the flesh and over ancient video conferences to other kids. I don't remember a single word of what he talked about. All I remember is that we were all stilled into silence by the supervisors watching our every move.
5. "Choueifat is the best school on Earth"
If any ISC had a mantra, it would be "ISC is the best school ever," told to you by Mr. Germanos himself, while doing a little fist pump in the air. That, or "your parents spend a lot of money on this education because it's the best." Does "best" include trauma or was that part just a bonus?
6. The exam hall
You spent more time in this huge high-ceiling room than you did in your bedroom. Because in addition to AMS (and later on, Homework exams), you had two to three "periodic exams" a week. They would even be on the first or second day of the week. Weekends be damned.
7. The Panadol Nurse
Everything from a headache to a panic attack could be cured by Panadol, if you ask a nurse employed by Choueifat. "Take Panadol" are words no Choueifati will ever forget.
8. Student "Life" Organization
The SLO had one purpose: to stay inside instead of in the smoldering heat. However, no one took their "SLO" job seriously, I really can't remember a single thing we did other than slack around. It was really just overcompensation for the lack of a life we had.
9. The "Choueifati accent"
I'm sure I'm not the only one who was ridiculed for this. Apparently, all across the U.A.E. people could "tell" if you had gone to a Choueifat school because we had a certain accent. Personally I don't get it cause 1. The schools have different teachers. 2. I DON'T HEAR ANYTHING.
10. Baggy pants
They were ugly, but they were comfortable. You especially liked P.E. days because that uniform was like wearing pajamas to school!
11. The Cage
Why is there even a cage? Why is it called that? Choueifat, we need answers. Why are we filming this little girl like something doing tricks at the zoo? #FreeTheChildren
12. Grey, grey, grey all day everyday
When you graduate and see someone in their grey pants and white shirt, you give them a gentle nod to express solidarity with the poor soul going through what you went through.
13. Your music lessons consisted entirely of the memorable Recorder
#ThingsweneedtoaskGermanos
14. The most difficult lesson of all was learning to spell your school's name
It's really the only word off the top of my head that has all 5 vowels. Well, Choueifat was always teaching us to be overachievers.
Supervisors came in all shapes and sizes and with one goal: To get you to class, or to "discipline" you if you were kicked out of class. Some supervisors were cool and didn't really care so they'd just chill with you in the hallway (unless you were in Chouiefat's capital, Abu Dhabi)... unfortunately most supervisors were not. You getting kicked out of class gave their lives meaning.
16. Finals being the best and worst time of your life
Oh, the stress (and pimple breakouts) that came with Final Exams. I have folders of photos for each term of finals because of the crazy things that happened. Yet, those happened to be the most memorable times.
17. In spite of yourself, you defended the school against the haters
If you met someone else who went to Choueifat, you feel the bond of solidarity. They went through what you went through, like a brother or a sisterhood of traveling traumatic experiences.
But once someone who is not a Choueifati insults your school (the most common insult being "shwey fat" which isn't even an insult like, "you're a little fat," ok thank you?), that's when you and all the Choueifatis band together and defend the school with everything in your being.
All in all, Choueifat was a very trying time and we remember it... fondly? I don't know about you, but Choueifat is part of my past and looking back, I actually enjoyed it.