Message from The BISAD International Cookbook Authors

I ask that you close your eyes, just for a brief moment, and imagine yourself as a 16-year-old student. For some of you, revisiting 16 may come easy, it may still be fresh and familiar. For others, 16 may feel like a lifetime ago. But despite our individual backgrounds, our distinct differences or even our fleeting memories of that chapter in our lives, despite all of that, one core aspect of that time remains certain – it was overwhelming. 

Two years ago, the five of us completed our GCSEs, a monumental chapter in our lives, one that marked the beginning of our transition to the final stage in our early education, only for it all to be buried underneath the rubble of a global pandemic. The moment we had all been anticipating, the celebrations, the relief – all of it had been stunted. It’s safe to say, the beginning of the end had quite the rocky start. Never did we think that 18 months later, the five of us would be standing as IB Diploma graduates, part of the rare club of students who had to complete their studies whilst wading through such a confusing moment in history.  Additionally, we had never apprehended that the project we had spent so very long preparing, would also reach its conclusion during that time. That we would be able to hold the BISAD International Cookbook between our very hands.

Over the course of 18 months, the International Cookbook took on many forms. At first, it was nothing more than an idea, an idea born out of a love for the international scene at our school. Soon after, this idea made its way to the eager ears of our Year group’s coordinators. And just like that, within the first few months of our IB course, we had secured full backing from the BIS Abu Dhabi Marketing Team. We were overjoyed, to say the least. What had started out as a small CAS project, merely meant to fulfill our course’s requirements, had quickly turned into a school-wide production, a scale none of us had ever even envisioned. With our project now in full throttle, all of 2021 was spent promoting our vision. 

We took advantage of the vast and diverse skill sets present between the five of us, Hamda Al Falasi, Safa Al Dulaimi and Jomana Ghanem- the resident artists of the group – headlined the design-heavy aspects of the process. Posters, flyers, Instagram posts, you name it – all of it crafted with the utmost of vigor and quality. Inshirah Meer was our numbers person, she kept track of the recipes submitted, pre-order sales and everything else you can transform into a Microsoft Excel sheet. I, Mahra Almesaybeh, was the resident scribe of the group and helmed the writing. Emails, articles, letters (including the very one you’re reading right now) were all my division. But despite our varying talents, we all had a part to say in every aspect of this project, we valued each other’s takes and viewpoints. Our unison and group dynamic were a defining pillar in the smooth progression, and eventual conclusion, of our CAS project, all of it owed to the years of friendship built prior. We were hard at work for two years, all of it leading up to this very moment.
 
Now, a little under two years since that idea was born, the International Cookbook team would like to announce, proudly, that the BISAD International Cookbook is finally ready for purchase! Whether you have placed a pre-order or would like to purchase one, all copies are available at reception and priced at 100 AED. Please bring all money enclosed in an envelope labeled with your name, number of copies you would like to buy and the total amount inside. As all proceeds made will be going towards charity, donations are also happily welcomed. 

We thank you again for joining us on this journey, the fruition of this cookbook was an effort shared by each and every person who decided to play a part. Whether you submitted a recipe, placed an order, or even cheered us on at some point throughout these two years – thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. This book was always meant to be a love letter to you. 

With the sincerest of gratitude, 

Inshirah, Mahra, Safa, Hamda and Jomana 

The BISAD International Cookbook Team