Stories of Our City

Asmae (as-ma), of Ouazzane (Wazan), Morocco, shares how her sojourn in the artsy Moroccan town of Asilah inspired her to become an artist in her own right. A lover of travel and speaker of five languages, she also shares why she moved from her native country to the cosmopolitan metropolis of Istanbul, Turkey, and why she encourages everyone to travel.

Music is a powerful thing. It’s the language of life that transcends culture and has the capacity to unite people from a variety of backgrounds and belief systems. Music greets and confronts us throughout day-to-day life in a plethora of environments and circumstances. Ayça (ī-cha), of Izmir, Turkey, has been singing since she was a young girl and especially enjoys choral singing. Being in a choir, with the close-knit community and opportunity for artistic expression it affords, helps this practicing lawyer escape the daily stresses of life and further explore and enjoy the cultural diversity of the seaside city of Izmir. Listen as Ayça shares how her local choir encourages and promotes diversity, unity, and joy in the city she loves.

The country of Liberia is nestled on the Atlantic coast of West Africa between Sierra Leone and Côte d'Ivoire. In recent history, civil war and disease have wreaked havoc on the country's already small population. The country's healthcare sector in particular has taken a big hit and remains understaffed with a largely undertrained workforce in many areas of the country. Sadly, Liberia is also one of the most dangerous places in the world for a mother to give birth. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, out of every 100,000 live births in Liberia, 725 mothers will die. This is compared to six in Australia, 14 in the USA, and nine in the United Kingdom.

But great strides are being made in equipping the next generation of healthcare workers in Liberia through the work of organizations and individuals such as Seed Global Health and Waltona Cummings. Take a listen as Waltona, a native of neighboring Sierra Leone, shares her story of being a nurse and nurse midwife educator. She and her colleagues in Liberia are working to save lives by raising the education standard one student at a time in hopes of building a stronger and healthier future for a country that has already lost so much.

Bassem Nabeel of Amman, Jordan, enjoys creating clay caricatures in hopes of bringing smiles to his customers.

In some small towns, having long hair can be dangerous business. Such is the story of Ufuk (u-FOOK), a thirtysomething from Istanbul, Turkey, who had long hair and earrings as a university student in a one-restaurant town far away from home. Listen how he overcame prejudice and violence with a combination of a strong spirit, a desire to change the world, and the help of some unlikely allies … some former Turkish gangsters.

Once hailed as ‘the Paris of the Middle East,’ Beirut is a city of contrasts, a cosmopolitan crossroads where East meets West. As such, it is a city that unabashedly embraces art. Retired visual artist and art instructor Mahmoud Safa shares his journey as an artist growing up in this famed artsy city, which began when he was four years old and has taken him around the world.  

Multi-family living arrangements, communal decision making, and arranged marriages are all indigenous elements of Pakistani culture that may seem foreign and unfamiliar to many Western ears. For Kiran, a native of Karachi, however, these cultural components are the formative building blocks of Pakistani family life and culture and are the things she loves most about her heritage.

Editor’s Note: The subject’s name in this week’s story has been changed.

Ever wanted to ditch your job, the nine-to-fiver, the good old daily grind and traverse the world? Meet Nathan and Sarah. This husband and wife pair from Boise, Idaho, did just that. Quitting their jobs last spring, the couple is currently fulfilling a decade-long dream of traveling the world for an entire year. Beginning at Springer Mountain in Georgia they stepped foot on the Appalachian Trail and hiked north for five months straight.  They traversed 14 states and ended in Baxter State Park in Maine. After a month of rest, they are back on the road—or in the air, or on the sea—finishing their year of travel with a six-month jaunt around the Pacific.  Their nomadic journey has taken a bit of both planning and an open mind, but these two adventurers are living a lifestyle that some only dream about and are building relationships and memories that will likely remain with them long after their return home. But as with many major commitments, this exciting excursion wasn’t met without cold feet. Listen as the couple shares their initial reservations about leaving their comfort zones for the great unknown and how they worked through the challenges of globetrotting.

The kingdom of Jordan has a long, storied history and tradition. But the collective understanding of the nation’s heritage in the eyes of its millions of residents can be anything but cohesive. This is where Firas Khlaifat and his company, Jordan Heritage, come in. Jordan Heritage exists to help give Jordanians a common understanding of their past and a shared ambition for their future through the research, documentation and promotion of Jordanian heritage—a type of reincarnation of beauty, in Firas’ words.

As one of the world’s most populous cities, Istanbul boasts more than its share of human residents. But this famed historic city also boasts its share of another kind of resident: the fluffy, furry kind. The many cats and dogs of Istanbul’s streets have nuzzled their way into the hearts of many of the city’s residents, who at large have welcomed their fellow city-dwellers, who serve as one of the reasons why people generally fall in love with Istanbul. Common citizens and shop owners alike tenderly care for these street animals, who in return grant the people their faithful companionship. In this week’s podcast, allow Hale, a native of Istanbul, to take you on a virtual walk down an Istanbul street where you yourself can see what all the bark is about.