CURRENT MISSION

Be free. Learn. Add meaning to life.

ABOUT ME

I visit my profile page once in a while and reading its 'about me' section, I realize that it's not quite right. So I attempt to rewrite it one more time now. Looking back at how things shaped up, my wanderlust took some time in materializing, but it seems I am going in the right direction now. I had a job that enabled me to travel to 5 continents, and though I don't have that job anymore, still I carry and nurture the bug of itchy feet that I acquired during it. I have a Pakistani passport, which most consulates are not very eager to stamp their visas on, so I find myself a little surprised with the breadth of my traveling footprint. I used to think we could have had a border-less world with everyone a global citizen, but I realize it's a bit naive to hope for that in our lifetimes or those of our progeny.

I have spent countless hours of my childhood poring over world maps, wondering how millions of people could live in places which appear as dots on the map. Names of cities, countries, people, images on stamps, coins and everything foreign and different fascinated me no end. People from everywhere have wondrous stories to tell and pieces of paradise exist here on earth. We, the human race, have done the most awful things to the environment and other creatures, yet we have pulled off some redeeming feats, articulated wonderful thoughts and created striking art, complementing the beauty of nature. And while there is no balance to be found yet, the struggle continues to make lives worthwhile.

Cognizant of that, I continue to go out and see, and what is more interesting to explore than other inhabitants of this planet - the more we think we are different from each other, the more similarities we end up finding.

PHILOSOPHY

Cherish the beauty of diversity. Overcome mental and physical barriers. Embrace love and reject fear. Attack power, support the weak. Be loyal to the universal values of humanity, rather than doctrines based on faith and nationality. Strive to be able to tell real from fake. And ask why! Sounds grand, no?

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have been surfing with some wonderful hosts, and have hosted great guests.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Amazing from start to now. I've met interesting people, and have made great friends, who have made my traveling experience so much richer and memorable. Couchsurfing has done an excellent job of bringing together this global network of open-minded people, however lately the whole concept as it's becoming more widely known is also becoming more open to misuse.

Interests

Writing, reading, sightseeing, arts and crafts, architecture, movies, and above all, traveling! Traveled to 65 countries and counting.

Music, Movies, and Books

Current favourites:

Movies: The Lives of Others, Omar, The Secret in Their Eyes, Incendies, A Separation, The Reader, Baran, Pan's Labyrinth, Frida, Garam Hawa, Harem Suare, Brokeback Mountain, Maqbool, The Color of Paradise, The Song of Sparrows

Music: Cesaria Evora, Iqbal Bano, Nayyara Noor, Abida Parveen, Farida Khanum, Amy Winehouse, Bjork, Gotan Project, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Books: The Wandering Falcon (Jamil Ahmad), The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Milan Kundera), Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden), One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez), Animal Farm (George Orwell), Homeland (John Jakes), The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka), Midnight Children (Salmaan Rushdie), Chandni Begum (Qurratulain Hyder), Aakhir e Shab ke Hamsafar (Qurratulain Hyder), Museum of Innocence (Orhan Pamuk)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Climbed the pyramids of the sun and the moon in Teotihuacan, Mexico.
Took a bath in Blue Lagoon, Iceland under the snow.
Held a lion cub in my hands in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Took the diving, sliding, climbing, swimming tour of 27 Charcos in Dominican Republic.
Sat in the Rock It rollercoaster in Orlando, FL.
Did snorkeling in Maldives.
Went to the Gai Jatra festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal.
Got swindled by a conman but pursued them the next day and recovered most of my money in Istanbul, Turkey.

Teach, Learn, Share

I would love language exchange, and am very much interested in learning more about painting and playing violin.

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bahrain, Brazil, France, Kuwait, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

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