Hi! I’m Bismah, an artist and archivist from Pakistan, currently doing a multiple masters degree in Education in Museums and Heritage! Started in Glasgow last year - now in Tartu for my second semester, for 3rd i’ll be in Malta - and for 4th, I’ll be wherever life takes me!

I worked for 5 years as an Archivist at the oldest art institution in Pakistan. I also taught in the same institution. I exhibited my art until I realised my work did not belong to the confines of white walls so instead shifted my art practice to something more political and anti institutional.

I actively rescued and adopted animals in my hometown as well until I relocated to Europe for my masters.

I am very much into politics, art, culture and history and I always enjoy having conversations on these topics. Always open to learning about new perspectives as well. I have an adaptive temperament and I’m very easy going. I was raised in a nomadic way, with a simple, unmaterialistic lifestyle. It’s probably why I’m comfortable with very little

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

i want to meet like minded people, tell them about my world and understand theirs. I’ve seen my friends build meaningful lasting connections here with people from all over the world and thats something i want for myself too.

what really stands out to me is how similar we actually are but still politics and propaganda create so much distance between us that we create assumptions about other people

this is why i think its important to do cultural exchange so we can humanise each other

Interests

• cats
• arts
• politics
• board games
• hiking
• backpacking
• swimming
• printmaking
• weightlifting

Music, Movies, and Books

My music taste is reallyy diverse. I listen to pretty much everything lol. Huge fan of Bjork, Sade, Deftones though. I love classical south asian music too such as qawwali and ghazals!

Used to be a “cinephile”, have seen enough sad, deep, depressing movies but learned more from life itself than movies (i know, deep) Consuming Instagram brainrot is my movies these days. Jokes aside, really appreciated works by Satyajit Ray, Harmony Korine, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Wong Kar-wai

Books - i enjoy historical fiction, political and critical theory, history and culture. Murakami, Bolano, Iqbal, Said, Fanon and Ghazali are some of my favourites!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Got stranded on a remote island in Japan - ended up being the best day of my life

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to draw, paint, make great chai and yummy desi food! I’d be happy to teach my language too! I know lots of random facts about history and politics in general so I have those to share too!

I’m open to learning about anything or everything! Whatever you have to offer! Your language, your world, your food, your hobbies, your skills!

What I Can Share with Hosts

As a guest, I’ll always be respectful of your space, boundaries, and time. I’d love to share experiences about my travels. Would love to cook a local dish from my culture for you. I come from the land of hospitality and it has always been an integral aspect of my upbringing therefore i value it a lot both as a guest and as a host.

Currently I’m in a dorm so I cannot offer a place if you visit Tartu (Im also here for a very short time). But I’d love to invite you over for food though. I’d be more than happy to give you a tour, and there’s lots of fun activities we can do together if you’re up for it.

Countries I’ve Visited

England, Estonia, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Northern Ireland, Norway, Pakistan, Scotland, Sweden, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Estonia, Pakistan, Scotland