ABOUT ME

I'm a PhD student and professor of international relations in Barcelona. I moved here after spending the last 12 years living in Cairo working as a wedding photographer, politics professor, antique rug broker, risk advisor and communications consultant (yes all of them - often at the same time).

I'm also took sommelier courses because I love wine and need to find ways to procrastinate on my PhD.

Barcelona is my favorite city and I finally came up with an excuse to be here long term. Now I just need to write a thesis 🤦🏽‍♂️

Before the apocalypse, I used to travel constantly. This year I’ve gotten back to regular travel thanks to work. Also, I’m vaccinated. I prefer that you are too if you’re asking to stay with me.

Warum ich bei Couchsurfing bin

I travel constantly and often on my own. CS is a nice way to meet new people wherever I go. I've made some great friends here along the way.

Interessen

I love politics, history, cooking and photography. I enjoy sharing a good meal and good wine with some friends as we chat and joke around late into the night. That for me is a pretty ideal evening. I’m starting to take sommelier courses alongside my PhD and I started a wine club in Barcelona.

• photography
• cooking
• wine
• politics
• traveling
• history
• languages

Eine tolle Erfahrung, die ich gemacht habe

During the Egyptian revolution I was out photographing and I remember on the first day of the really massive demonstrations that completely filled Tahrir I got on the roof of a building overlooking the square. I put on my widest lens but couldn't quite fit all the people in the frame. Another photographer was up there with me and he had a wider lens (one of the widest Canon makes). I borrowed it off him but I still couldn't fit everyone in the frame and I remembered how minutes ago I was in the crowd barely able to breathe because of how tightly packed they were. I just thought for a moment of the enormous of people, entire families, who in spite of all the violence came and filled the square and would not be deterred. I've been attending political protests since I was 15 and a dozen years later that was the first time I was just awestruck by a demonstration, not only by its magnitude but by the genuine risk so many normal and otherwise apolitical people (more than would fit in my shot!) were prepared to take for a better freer more just future. It was a pretty amazing moment.

Länder, die ich besucht habe

Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Länder, in denen ich gelebt habe

Egypt, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States