Ezzat

THE 70^TH BIRTHDAY!

A friend announced the arrival of the 70th birthday. I say CONGRATULATIONS!! It is not the chronological age, it is the mental and physical age that counts. Years are nothing but means to harvest achievements, to gain more experience, and to grow more wisdom. My friend, stay happy, healthy, and productive. Have many more years to enjoy and harvest more.

Ezzat 10.21.2009

This painting won the first prize in watercolors on October 18, 2009 during the American Society of Anesthesiologists Convention held in New Orleans (+20,000 attending).

My Hidden Fortunes

 

I must have had the wealthiest relatives on earth who had the kindest hearts, the right vision, the smartest minds of them all. They had the kindest hearts because they put away millions of dollars in my name. They had the right vision because, although they had many choices, they chose me in particular for these huge fortunes. They knew I care about them, although they are dead and I do not even know them. Before they passed away, they must had checked me on Google, asked the IRS, and looked at my bank accounts before reaching the conclusion that I am the right person to inherent their huge mountains of dollars. They also spread the word about me; so much so that men, widows, bankers, etc., etc., from allover the world trust me and would beg to give me hundreds of thousands of dollars. My above-mentioned relatives had the smartest minds because, although none of them left Egypt, they managed to have bank accounts allover the world especially at the sub-Saharan Africa. They had accounts in the Bank of England, the bank of Canada, and their favorite bank was the Bank of Nigeria. They also could disguise themselves and have the accounts under fictitious names, but they trust my intelligence to decode these names. For example, Mr. John Campanili Toshiba is my great uncle Mahmoud who could not read or write, never left the village, and died 83 years ago. He was really a smart and kind man who stacked away one million dollars under my name, even before I was born. He had great connection with Heavens to know, at least 83 years ago, that his grandson Ibrahim, that’s my father, will have a son, he would name him Ezzat, that is me, who would live in the United States and will have an email. Amazing, isn’t it?!!

The kind people back at these countries were the fortunes are hidden wanted some information about me to insure that I am truly the lucky trustworthy Ezzat Abouleish. Otherwise the greedy banks would confiscate the deposits especially at these days were liquidity is hard to find. So what the heck! I provided them with all the information they required, including my bank accounts and the routing because I am smart, “they cannot transfer me the money unless they know my bank accounts”, right? right! And since the sums of money are huge and the banks nowadays are in trouble, I gave them all my bank accounts and asked them not to send over one minion dollars to one account. In fact I opened ten more accounts for this purpose.

Based on the great fortunes I will soon receive, I started to pack. In a few days I will be leaving to the Caribbean after I have chosen an island to buy at a bargain, only $9.9 Millions. All of you, with your families and friends are invited, not only to visit, but also to live if you want; I hate to live on an island the size of Houston by myself. The island has a great mansion overlooking the turquoise Caribbean Sea with iguanas roaming at the back porch and parrots nesting in the mahogany trees ahead. Servants? Don’t worry, since I own the land, all the villagers would love to serve me, and cook for me. I told them, for religious reasons, I can eat fish, dear, but not wild pigs. So come and join me!! To be there by myself in such a paradise would be quite a selfishness and would upset my relatives’ souls. So, good bye for the time being and see you soon on the Abouleish Island!!!!!

 

Ezzat Abouleish, Houston,  9.5.2009

Physician’s art blends East and West

By MARY ANN HELLINGHAUSEN

Updated: 08.19.09

Dr. Ezzat Abouleish loves to sip tea and tell jokes when in his homeland of Egypt. But since coming to the United States 41 years ago, painting has become his love, leading to a unique marriage of Western and Islamic art.

“I like Islamic, Arabic art, but it misses something - the colors and designs of classic Western art,’’ the retired physician said. “I was looking for the birth of a new art.’’

Abouleish, 78, professor emeritus of anesthesiology at the University of Texas-Houston and a longtime Brook Forest resident, has always been artistic.

“I consider medicine an art and a science,’’ Abouleish said. “You can’t take art from medicine.’’ While a teaching and practicing physician, he designed his own text books and drew the illustrations, which were completed by professional medical illustrators.

Over the last decade, with training from College of the Mainland, private instructors and observations of the masters in Paris and London, he has been painting prolifically.

Freeman Exhibit

His exhibit, “Where the East Meets the West,’’ featuring 31 pieces, can be seen at the Clear Lake City-County Freeman Branch Library through Sept. 30, during the month of Ramadan.

Freeman Librarian Karen Akkerman said the library likes to display exhibits about various holidays, especially showing different cultures. “It keeps us as diverse as possible,’’ she said. “”We get lots of feedback from people who really appreciate it.’’

The annual fast of Ramadan is considered one of the five "pillars" of Islam. Muslims who are physically able are required to fast each day of the entire month, from sunrise to sunset. The evenings are spent enjoying family and community meals, engaging in prayer and spiritual reflection, and reading from the Qu'ran.

Illustrating the Qu’ran

Abouleish also is busy creating an illustrated version of the 640-page Qu’ran using calligraphy. It’s taken him five years to complete about 540 pages so far. “Each chapter has its own design to reflect the meaning of the chapter,’’ he said. “Sometimes I’ll work on it until 2 in the morning. I love it. Once I get started working on it, I can’t stop.’’

Abouleish was one of the main artists of the project “Painting for Peace’’ that was displayed at Rice University, Ghandi Center in Houston and the University of Houston in 2006.

Among his works on exhibit at Freeman are “God’s Blessings,’’ which blends Islamic images with the Western image of a turkey and “The Elephant Story,’’ an illustration of a story in the Qu'ran during the period of the birth-year of the prophet Muhammad.

The library also has copies of his three books.

Freeman is located at 16616 Diana Lane, Houston, 77062. For more information, visit http://www.hcpl.net/location/clear-lake-city-county-freeman-branch-library?page=1

For more information about Abouleish, visit http://ezzat2007.spaces.live.com.

 

I live in the Clear Lake area. I have built a studio in the woods adjacent to my residence for art work and meditation. It is my refuge from all materialistic life that is bombarding us every minute. I wanted to have serenity, and my studio provided that. I wanted shade, and the trees offered that. I wanted nature, and the surroundings supplied that.

Then came hurricane Ike, the number one enemy of trees in Texas. Many of them could not face its fierce destructive power and were knocked down.

From our neighbor’s yard, one special oak tree fell on the roof of my studio and smashed it badly. After removing the main trunk from my roof, our neighbor expressed the desire to remove the stump of the tree that looked like a sore thumb, sticking out from his yard and pointing at my studio. I objected to his notion because I loved the tree that gave me shade for many years. Truly it caused the destruction of my studio, but it was not her fault. No one should be mad at her or what she did. In fact both she and I were victims of hurricane Ike. If it were for her, she would have preferred to stay tall and proud. To eradicate completely this lovely tree would have been painful for her and me. It would have indicated ungratefulness on my side. The majestic tree provided me with shade silently and faithfully for many years. Thus I felt I should reciprocate and preserve what is left of her. Therefore, I suggested to our neighbor that I would paint the stump. He said, “You are going to spend a few days doing that, do you expect me to pay you?” I said, “No. This is something between me and the tree.” So I did this oil painting of sunflower on her stump (see attachments). Then I sealed it with a plastic spray to stay always safe and shining. Now I feel great, she gave me shade, and I gave her sun. Each morning as I look at her I feel good and smile. And she smiles back at me.

Ezzat Abouleish, M.D.