The New York Experience

The New York Experience: The Cruelty of the Big Apple

Also, his trip to the United States of America was not easy, as he arrived in New York in early May 1984 to assume the mission of Qatar’s representative to the United Nations. He did not take his family with him at first, but they would join him after the end of the school year. He had never been to New York before, and he had to get to know it to be able to navigate it successfully.

He realized from the first moment that the “Big Apple” - as Americans like to call it - was not easy to digest, and that he had to understand it, as it was completely different from soft Paris, and that it was tough at the beginning.

For him, New York represented opportunities and challenges that went hand in hand. In order to benefit from opportunities, you must face challenges in order to ultimately achieve the mission and goals you have set for yourself, and Dr. Hamad found himself faced with two choices: either things proceed routinely, and he deals with matters according to their daily requirements and the days pass and the mission is completed, or he takes responsibility and honors his country.

He chose the second option, created a road map for himself, and moved from one stage to another while simultaneously meeting the daily work requirements in the mission and at the United Nations headquarters. He worked to fully master the English language and master public speaking in the presence of a large audience. He faced the first challenge by joining an institute and taking private lessons at home.

He prepared for his first speech in the General Assembly, wrote it, reviewed it several times, and shaped the text in a different color. However, he was very nervous before delivering it. When the time came, his voice cracked, and he was trembling. The solution was that he enrolled in a public speaking course at the School of Continuing Education at New York University that lasted three months, and this course had a great impact on his life.