Hi! I am Bassam. I was born in Saudi Arabia, now living in Canada. and my heritage is from Pakistan originally, interesting blend of cultures and traditions. Personality type ENFP

I hole a diploma in Business Administration and work in the Insurance industry in Canada. I volunteer in different community and cultural events, like music & cultural festivals. Most recently I volunteered at Manitoba Hispanic Show, which is the largest event in Manitoba showcasing Hispanic businesses and professionals. I also volunteer at Festival Du Voyageur which is one of the largest French cultural festivals in Western Canada.

I am fortunate to be living in Canada, and love meeting people from around the world and getting to know them, trying their cultural foods, engaging in conversations with them, which results in sharing of interesting ideas about life. Food is also one of the main ways in getting to know different cultures.

I am a social butterfly, and I love attending events where I can meet new people, attend music festivals. I also like quiet time in nature, and go camping to provincial parks, kayaking down the river sometimes.

I also like thrifting and most of my fashion/wardrobe is thrifted, I believe its a good way to reduce buying new clothes, and you find the best fashion at great prices. I often find stuff donated by older folks to be my style, funky earthy styles.

I have traveled a lot of cities and sites in Saudi Arabia, vibrant streets of Pakistan, explored various picturesque landscapes of Canada, and planning to embark on a Europe-Central Asia-South Asia trip in the upcoming future.

My next trip is to Mexico City, Mexico, and I am excited to meet people there, eat food and practice my Spanish speaking skills. And of course visit the museums and sights in and around Mexico City.

I value open mindedness, communication and honesty.

My goal on couchsurfing is to connect with cool people who share a passion for travel, cultures, and food and find hosts who can help me explore their cities like a local.

🍉 🪶🏳️‍🌈🍃🚗✨

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I was introduced to Couchsurfing by my friend Jo-Ann who is also a regular host on Couchsurfing in Winnipeg. I have met her guests on different occasions and always had an amazing conversation with them.

I think its a good way to connect with local people, get to know their recommendations and tips to travel in their cities and make new friends.

Interests

thrifting
hiking
camping
talking about our interconnected world
cultural exchange
food from different cultures

• culture
• music festivals
• festivals
• thrifting
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• camping
• language exchange
• travel
• food
• nature
• party
• local food
• cultural exchange
• local spots

Music, Movies, and Books

TV: Some of my favorite shows include: Sense 8, Game of Thrones, Orange is the new Black, Schitt’s Creek.

Music: My music taste is all over the place, I enjoy a variety of music from all around the world, one moment I am listening to Fleetwood Mac or Taylor Swift, the next moment its a Pakistani folk song, and then an Arabic song, followed by a spanish song. I find music to be a very good way to build vocabulary in any language I am learning.

My favorite book so far has been Talk to Strangers by Matt Dhalia, from Yes Theory. Highly recommend!!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I take great pride, in the fact that I am the friend maker among all of my friends. I really like connecting people with other people, and feel happiness in the fact that they became friends through me.

I occasionally host activities, like hikes or picnics where people can come together and hang out with each other and mingle.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: I can teach you how to make Foul Medammes, a very common working class food in all around Middle Eastern countries. I can also teach you some basic Lindy Hop swing dance moves.

Learn: I want to learn Spanish and be able to order food, introduce myself.

Share: I always like to share souvenirs with my hosts. I can also share my experience living in different countries and moving countries at a young age, the challenges that come with it and what I learned from my experiences.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share interesting conversations about my culture, my experience with living in 3 different countries and culture shocks I have faced.

Additionally if any traveler needs a ride, you can jump in my car if your destination is on my way

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia