I am currently pursuing a PhD in Arabic literature and philosophy at the University of Oslo, Norway. I come from a small town in northern Sweden, home of the aurora borealis and midnight sun, but studies and work have kept me moving from country to country. Currently moving slowly from Lebanon to the Balkans!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Because meeting people is what changes our perspective, teaches us what we didn't expect and makes us grow, not visiting new places.

Interests

I love writing and performing poetry. Languages are my biggest passion. When I chose a language to learn in depth, I fell in love with Arabic, for the beauty of the language, the richness of its history and the ability to help people who come to Sweden seeking refuge. I've spent about five years studying Arabic so far and while it's still a difficult language, I can speak it in most situations now. I also know decent German and a tiny bit of French, hoping to improve on this!

• literature
• human rights
• politics
• reading
• music
• guitar
• history
• languages
• philosophy

Music, Movies, and Books

I love music, from pop to industrial noise. I grew up listening to all kinds of heavy metal, which will always be my home in a way. Some other all time favourites I always come back to are David Bowie, Tom Waits, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, the Velvet Underground, PJ Harvey, Bob Dylan and many more.

I wrote my MA thesis about the prose of Mahmoud Darwish, so he is very close to my heart. Outside of Darwish, some of my favourite books are al-Subbar, Seasons of Migration to the North, Jane Eyre, Howl, Slaughterhouse-Five, The Brothers Karamazov, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, The Trial, One Hundred Years of Solitude and Naked Lunch.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Eating ice cream in the Hamidiyah Souq in Damascus.
Taken a train through the clouds in Switzerland.
Meeting the kindness, strength and resilience against all odds in Palestine.

Teach, Learn, Share

I always love learning about languages, art, history, culture and religion. I'm happy to help with the English or Swedish languages!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love cooking for others, sharing what I know and finding any way to pay back the hospitality and kindness I receive on Couchsurfing!

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, England, Finland, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Palestine, Poland, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Ireland, Jordan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland

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