In my previous post I told you about my second master's project The purple drug project
As I left the lab staggering to find my way to a secluded area, tears rolled down my cheeks while I kept my head lowered to prevent others from seeing me crying.
Ready for the worse, next day, I went to my professor to tell her what happened.
Of course, she wasn't happy. Then after a moment of silence she said:
"I heard you talked bad about me behind my back!..."
It was half a statement, half a question.
I asked "Who told you that?". I was getting fed up.
She replied:
"It doesn't matter who told me. I am not ..."
I, honestly, didn't care to wait for her to finish her sentence and said:
"Look professor, this is not the first time this happens to me. It happened before with another professor I was working with."
She said:
"You mean Dr. Shireen?"
I said, while wondering how did she knew I meant about Dr. Shireen:
"Yes, thank you for making it easier for me. But I am not going to try and defend myself for the simple reason that, if you are already convinced, you will not believe me anyway. If you don't want me to work with you, that is fine. But I am here to do my project and graduate and I don't have time for gossips or chitchats with other girls."
She replied:
"I know that the new professor needs a student to work with her, go talk to her. I will ask her to take you in."
I was not expecting that. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad and answered
"Thank you professor, but you don't need to..."
She cut me off
"I don't want to work with you but I will not leave you hanging without a project. Talk to her when she arrives next week, she should be here next Saturday"
She then dismissed any further discussion with a gesture of her hand
I tightened my lips, murmured a "Thank you!" and left
The Dissociation Project
I started working on my third project with the new professor. Luckily, things went smooth (more or less). I kept myself low, working at my project all day, coming before everyone else and leaving after everyone has left. Six months passed without major issues. I finished my project and was time to apply for permission to start writing my thesis for graduation...
I submitted my papers and waited, a week, 2 weeks, a month has passed and nothing to be heard. I tried making few calls until someone told me that the dean of the male Chemistry department is not signing my request and that I should talk to him in person!
INTERLUDE: A background about the education system in Saudi Arabia
Since mixing between sexes is prohibited in Saudi; all schools and universities buildings, departments etc are split between males and females. With males having the higher status and the final word over the effective decision.
After that call, I kept thinking "Why would the dean do that?". I was feeling uneasy and afraid
I raised my eyes to the ceiling, looking for God to ask him,
"Was it too much for me to have 6 months without problems? Not only that! But I also completed them with successful results that look promising for publication"
I gathered myself and decided to call the dean of the Chemistry department. It took few days until I was able to get hold of the dean
"Good morning Mr. Almehejan, My name is Laila, I am a student from the Chemistry department, I applied for the permission to write/discuss my thesis in order to graduate and I was told that you have not signed the request yet. Should I provide further documentation?"
A deep voice on the other side of the phone chuckled
Oh is that you? a moment of silence then the voice turned serious, almost threatening
"I will sign you paper if you make a new one and submit it to me directly without going through the chair of the female Chemistry department."
I felt a bit shaky after what I heard, like a rabbit caught in a trap and is waiting to be killed either by the weasel or the snake. Either way, the rabbit will be killed!
"But Sir, we are not allowed to send any documents or requests without the approval and signature of the chair!?" I said almost with a plea
"I will not sign anything coming from that woman."
The phone line went dead...
To be continued...
Dr. The leaping koala :) If interested to read my story from the beginning, you can find the previous entries here in Part 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5