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Nusaiba Taima NurBack

Nusaiba Taima Nur

"Well, hello there, my name is Nusaiba Taima Nur. I come from a country with fresh water rivers and fertile soil, which I love very much. I love being Bangladeshi and sharing my love with others for the place where I was born."

Nusaiba landed at Odemira school in the middle of the year, not speaking a word of Portuguese. However, her linguistic intelligence and talent for storytelling did not go unnoticed. Offer a word, image, or thought to Nusaiba, and you know that a rich and intricate narrative will emerge. During class she rarely spoke, but we could feel the relief in her eyes when hearing English, a language she understood.

“My first experience with BOWING was in school! I had just moved to Portugal and had some difficulty fitting in, but with BOWING in school I actually had something to look forward to. They had many fun activities to do. I was with BOWING in school for two months until they announced Summer BOWING was starting, and that’s where the real fun began.”

Our relationship grew over the months, through sessions and shared moments at school, on the beach and in the countryside. In the car, Nusaiba told stories full of details. She explained the political situation in Bangladesh, gave us science and paleontology lessons and made jokes about her difficulties in school.

“One of my favorite memories is from Summer BOWING. All of us kids were playing games from our childhood while we waited for adults to finish having lunch. While us kids were playing, the adults came and joined us and we had a lot of fun. I used to love the time when we all dressed up in a hurry and stuffed whatever food we found when we were getting ready for the BOWING BACK performance. It showed a real sense of harmony and chaos.”

During rehearsals for BOWING BACK Nusaiba moved with her mother from Almograve to Lisbon. However, the connection with the project was strong and there was a big desire to include Nusaiba in the performance. We soon found a solution. Every Saturday, for two months, Nusaiba came by car with Margarida Mestre, an artist who participated in creating the performance, and joined the rehearsals with the rest of the participants. She returned to Lisbon on the same day, very tired and very happy.

“BOWING has helped me accept my artistic side more aaaaand it has made me what my mom always wanted me to be- an extrovert. BOWING has led me to make a lot of friends of all ages. It has led me to love group work and not just stand in a side. I love watching artists at work. BOWING has led me to finally embrace writing and it's like a warm hug :)”

In the performance Nusaiba had a solo that she wrote herself, in a room of the abandoned student center. She told a story about her baby teeth. She even gathered the courage to ask someone from the audience to open their mouth wide, to see their teeth!

“In the Bowing Back show I wrote my own stories, mixed with my childhood. They did make me dance a bit, which I thought I would hate, but I ended up liking it. I loved the rehearsals and the show to the point I was not willing to move from Alentejo to Lisbon. BOWING, in many ways, has made me happier than I thought I would be and I cannot wait to start again this year.”

Our relationship has been growing until now. Nusaiba still lives in Lisbon; we talk regularly and sometimes meet up. We continue to exchange jokes, stories, and philosophical thoughts.