[HKz]

Haha, so yeah I joined the forums a few years back but I never really introduced myself. My name is Hakeem Al-Kazak and I just turned 19. I am currently a sophomore attending Arizona State University studying Business Management. My mother taught me tennis when I was 4 and coached me from an early age but she didn't think I was too interested in tennis so we stopped when I was about 8 and switched to basketball because she anticipated that I would become tall and since back in her high school in Japan, she was the top player in her region so she knew the sport well. However I got hooked on tennis once I turned 12 years old, especially after watching some tennis on TV. I became the top player of my high school during my junior and senior year, however I didn't do very well during school matches. Instead, I did very well at tournaments, especially USTA ones, and I have won a couple of them as well, getting those cheesy first place trophies with a sticker on it to make it look flashy, haha. But due to my respect for my father's preference for having an education over everything I did, my mother and I opted out of trying to develop my tennis to the fullest so I ended up only player smaller USTA tournament and I had to say goodbye to my private coach of many years, but I still managed to reach the top 100 or so (not that amazing I know) in my region.

I then enrolled in ASU's 2008 fall session with a full academic scholarship knowing that I could go to school here for free and possibly redshirt the first year and then play tennis for their NCAA D-1 PAC-10 team. Unluckily, the school cut the men's tennis team among other sports teams due to lack of funds... So instead I got stuck with playing on the stupid recreational ladder which has absolutely nobody good. Everyone who was on the ASU team either transferred or dropped the racket to concentrate on school.

So yeah here I am being really bored and now school is just school. Ooh, forgot, I also got married to my high school sweets, which is us in my avatar, just last month, so that is going great too!

I am also an aspiring musician as my mother taught me piano at an early age as well and since then I have been creating hundreds of original songs and I have taught myself to master the piano, get solid on the guitar/bass, can play the flute (lawl) and be decent at drums. Sometimes my vocals aren't too shabby either. But if anyone wants to check out my music, check my Youtube page at http://www.youtube.com/AllGenreMusic I write and record all the music and vocals/instruments myself and I play all different sorts of genres, and I try to invent my own unique sound at the same time. The page doesn't have many songs yet, just the ones that I haven't been too lazy to put up. If you do check it out, some songs I recommend are "Honest Terror," "Free," "Revenge," and "Don't Know" but then again, I like all my songs so whatever.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story

[Ivanatis]

Great introduction.

Good day to you sir.

[HKz]

Originally Posted by Deck

Great introduction.

Good day to you sir.

Thanks!

Good day to you too

[Dextertje]

Yup, good and complete introduction.

Sports & music are the way to go

Congratulations on your marriage, your wife looks nice

[Nathaliia]

Nice to meet you, you sound like a nice person. Although I would creep out if I was married so young. May I ask what country is your background?

[HKz]

Originally Posted by P. Antonius

Yup, good and complete introduction.

Sports & music are the way to go

Congratulations on your marriage, your wife looks nice

Thanks a lot

Originally Posted by Nathaliia

Nice to meet you, you sound like a nice person. Although I would creep out if I was married so young. May I ask what country is your background?

Being married this young is actually a big relief for me haha.. I honestly don't have to worry about trying to find a mate in college like many people do and it is pretty stress free that I do have my woman at home waiting for me. Not sure how to explain it, but it just helps soothe any stress I have.

I get asked this quite a lot by total strangers in the street even haha..

My father is from Syria and his family, maybe 3-4 generatrions prior, hails from both Russia and Kazakhstan (hence my last name Al-Kazak) and they moved to Palestine and got some "blood" from there. So essentially my father is mostly Palestinian but there is a good percentage of Russian and Kazakhstanian mix in there as well. And then my mother is full Japanese. I however was born in the United States so it is very strange growing up with my family as you can imagine because I grew up with the American culture and my parents grew up with each of their own beliefs.

[Dextertje]

Originally Posted by HKz

Being married this young is actually a big relief for me haha.. I honestly don't have to worry about trying to find a mate in college like many people do and it is pretty stress free that I do have my woman at home waiting for me. Not sure how to explain it, but it just helps soothe any stress I have.

Haha, I had the opposite feeling, knowing my wife was waiting for me at home was stressful

[HKz]

Originally Posted by P. Antonius

Haha, I had the opposite feeling, knowing my wife was waiting for me at home was stressful

Lol, hopefully it won't turn out like that. Maybe after a few years of forgetting our anniversary..

[Ivanatis]

Originally Posted by Nathaliia

Although I would creep out if I was married so young.

As it's the girl in his ava, I cannot blame him.

[HKz]

Originally Posted by Deck

As it's the girl in his ava, I cannot blame him.

You're too nice

[Dini]

Lovely intro.

So do you know any Arabic?

[HKz]

Originally Posted by Infini.

Lovely intro.

So do you know any Arabic?

Yeah I can speak both Arabic and Japanese fluently. Actually, I learned both first before English even though I was born here in the US. I talked to my father and his family in Arabic and Japanese to my mother and family. And then when I started pre-school, I picked up English fairly quickly since it is what my parents communicate to each other in.

Writing the languages on the other hand is an up and down thing. There has been times in my life when I have been able to write in Arabic fluently and times when I could write hiragana/katakana perfect with some kanji, but since I live in the states for 9 months out of every year, it is pretty difficult keeping my writing top notch.

[Dini]

Originally Posted by HKz

Yeah I can speak both Arabic and Japanese fluently. Actually, I learned both first before English even though I was born here in the US. I talked to my father and his family in Arabic and Japanese to my mother and family. And then when I started pre-school, I picked up English fairly quickly since it is what my parents communicate to each other in.

Writing the languages on the other hand is an up and down thing. There has been times in my life when I have been able to write in Arabic fluently and times when I could write hiragana/katakana perfect with some kanji, but since I live in the states for 9 months out of every year, it is pretty difficult keeping my writing top notch.

Nice.

I'm Lebanese myself (with Iraqi roots), hence why I asked. I know what you're talking about when you mention the writing etc, it's quite tough to keep up and keep it a good level - having said that I can read and write fluently in Arabic.

You're tri lingual without even trying much.

[HKz]

Originally Posted by Infini.

Nice.

I'm Lebanese myself (with Iraqi roots), hence why I asked. I know what you're talking about when you mention the writing etc, it's quite tough to keep up and keep it a good level - having said that I can read and write fluently in Arabic.

You're tri lingual without even trying much.

Are you from Lebanon? I've been to Beirut many times, fantastic city with a nice mix of English and Arabic speaking people and I love the atmosphere, however I haven't been there for a few years because of the problem Lebanon has had with Israel even though it is more south of Lebanon.. But then again, I haven't visited the Middle East in general for that period of time. Whenever I go, I was take a mini-vacation inside the vacation by going to Beirut and speak some English there because Syria doesn't have too many, especially in Damascus around my grandmother's condo.

[Dini]

I love Beirut but I haven't been there for about 5 years.

I've never been to Damascus, even though two of my grand parents are buried there. My mum and the rest of the famo have been though and they always talk about the big and beautiful restaurants along the way to the airport. I really want to go one day and perhaps give Latakia a visit - they say it's extra nice there.