I'm originally from Karachi, Pakistan but I've been living in Europe for over three years, first in Aarhus, Denmark and now in Hamburg, Germany.

I live to read. I make sure to get in some reading during the day and feel utterly disoriented if I don't. My books are my most prized possessions. I also love writing. Nothing gets me more excited than good writing - be it prose, Instagram captions or even a well-written text message. I truly believe that the written word is the best thing to happen to humanity. I enjoy cooking, both alone and with people. Most days, I'm a vegetarian. Fitness has become a big part of my life and I work out 3 to 4 days a week. I'm a nature buff and hope to live in a house in the mountains some day, near a waterfall. I like having meaningful conversations with people and particularly enjoy talking about social and mental health issues, literature and politics. I tend to shy away from crowds and prefer meeting one on one. Will take cooking at home with friends, having beer/wine and playing board games over going to a bar or a club any day. Having said that, I don't mind a night out every once in a while.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

All of us have inherent biases and stereotypes about people and countries. We can debunk those through conversation and meetings. Couchsurfing is a wonderful enabler for cultural exchange.

Interests

• literature
• cooking
• gardening
• politics
• reading
• sports
• psychology
• mental health
• fiction
• creative writing

Music, Movies, and Books

A few books I like in no particular order:

- Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
- The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
- Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
- Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon
- Arresting God in Kathmandu by Samrat Upadhyay
- The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson
- Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
- The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Films:

- The Silence of the Lambs
- Old Boy
- Lagaan
- Rock Onn

Teach, Learn, Share

In a personal capacity, I'm deeply passionate about raising awareness and challenging taboos regarding mental health issues. If you're interested, I would love to talk about it.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I would be happy to share my experience of growing up in Pakistan and my study/travel experience in Europe. I find cooking therapeutic - it's my favourite downtime, and I can make food from a few cuisines. Would love to cook with my hosts.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, India, Netherlands, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates

Countries I’ve Lived In

Denmark, Germany, Pakistan