CURRENT MISSION

Study... Travel.... Study... Travel

ABOUT ME

I am currently living in Rome researching at the Italian archives. In the US, I am completing a PhD in Middle eastern History. My research focuses on Italian colonialism in Libya during the early 20th Century and anti-colonial resistance.

I love left politics, culture, books (both as objects and things to read), cooking, traveling, art, movies (foreign / indie), music (indie rock mostly), and cafes.

I sort of hate writing these things but I would consider myself outgoing, intelligent, independent, and passionate about life.

One small note: I am engaged and only looking for friends on couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is not a dating site.

PHILOSOPHY

"Viver arddendo e non sentire il male (to live burning and not too feel the pain)"- Gaspara Stampa.

Interests

middle eastern history, art, Italian literature, left politics, foreign films, literature, italian politics, mexican surrealism, sushi, arabic, chocolate, email, traveling, indian food, palestine, egypt, syria, morocco, lip gloss, photography, knowledge,

• arts
• culture
• writing
• books
• literature
• photography
• dining
• cooking
• chocolate
• indian food
• politics
• movies
• traveling
• music
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite Music: Florence and the Machine, The White Stripes, Tegan And Sara, Gossip, My Bloody Valentine, Sleater-Kinney, Bjork, Radiohead, The Coup, The Decemberists, Joni Mitchell, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, Fairouz

Favorite TV Shows: I am not that much into TV but I do like Game of Thrones, Parks and Recreation, MythBusters, the Wire, True Blood and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Favorite Movies: Casablanca, Blame It on Fidel, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Taare Zameen Par, Dirty Pretty Things, Children Of Men, Frida, Pan's Labyrinth, Earth, Lord of the Rings, Dr. Strangelove, Gattaca, Interview with the Vampire, Saved!, Battle of Algiers, L'Ulimo Bacio,

Favorite Books: Fiction: 1984, Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade, Pride And Prejudice, Season of Migration to the North, Brave New World, This Earth of Mankind, Una Donna, Cities of Salt, The Handmaid's Tale, The God of Small Things, and Romeo and Juliet.

The Poetry of Mahmoud Darwish, Veronica Franco, Bertolt Brecht, Percy Bysshe Shelle, Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Non-fiction: Colonial Citizens, A People's History Of The United States, Orientalism, The Origins of the Family, Private Property and the State, Lessico Famiglia, A History of Contemporary Italy

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I watch the sunset over the Western Desert in Egypt.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am dying to learn how to cook different local cuisines... Egyptian, Italian, Moroccan, etc. Anyone know how?

I am also happy to help fellow CouchSurfers with their English especially in exchange for conversation practice in Arabic or Italian.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Palestine, Portugal, Russian Federation, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United States