Maha Al-Ansari

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2012/03/20123119170716434.html 

A news story that means a lot to me is the 1 year anniversary of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that happened in the north of Japan in March of 2011. This story is important to me because I spent 10 of my childhood years in Japan, and moved back to Qatar only a year before this devastating natural disaster. 
Many of my friends lost family members and loved ones, and showed me pictures of their homes that were destroyed and wrecked as a result of the earthquake.  
Although it has been a year, hearing about this disaster still affects me emotionally. The extent to which these people were affected by this disaster is unimaginable. 
Marking the 1 year anniversary, there has been a moment of silence to remember the 19,000 people who died or went missing this time last year.
Although I wasn’t in Japan to participate in this moment of silence, I took the time to remember these people from where I am today, and will continue to pray for Japan as they mourn the loss of their people and are still continuing to rebuild their country. 

A news source that I have been following to get information on this topic is Al-Jazeera english. They have covered this issue extensively, ranging from photos to videos to opinion articles. What struck me most was the videos. It was so emotionally moving to see so many people all across the country all in complete silence, praying for all the lives lost and all the people displaced in the aftermath of this disaster.

As Japan is slowly but surely recovering after this disaster, all we can do is pray. Pray for Japan.  

The random and unexpected drop in temperature startles the population in the desert city of Doha. What surprised people most was not the cold weather, but the spontaneous and sudden change at this time of year in particular. As a Qatari family, my entire family sat wrapped in blankets and tucked in bed all day long. What was once a busy home where the door was constantly being open and shut turned into one where all you could hear was the sound of movies and the clicking of controllers. 
Not only did this change in weather affect me and my family, but it was the most popular topic discussed on my twitter timeline that day. Scrolling down my timeline made me realise that my family wasn’t the only one using the cold as an excuse to be lazy all day. 
Oh and on top of that, Northwestern has declared a snow day on February 14th. It’s good to be hopeful and optimistic about the cold, but don’t get too carried away Doha!  

After much thinking and brainstorming on who would be the best person to interview for my profile assignment, I have come up with several options. One person that I think would be interesting for this assignment is the captain of the Qatari Women’s Basketball National Team, Warda. I think she would be an interesting person to profile as she is one of the first female athletes in Qatar to be recognized on a national scale, and averages the highest number of points almost every game. It would be interesting to get her perspective on female athletes in Qatar and what she has done in order to build up the high level of talent she currently possesses. I picked this story in particular for my profile not only because I enjoy sports and I think that Warda has a lot to offer, but also because the topic of influential women and women in sports is becoming increasingly relevant in Qatar today.