Stories of Our City

Welcome to a new season of Stories of Our City—real stories from real people around the globe.  This week's story comes from Lima, Peru. The daughter of Mexican immigrants to the United States who was born during the Great Depression, Gloria Aguilera Nichtawitz (Nēsh-ta-vitz) has a can-do spirit that perseveres. Coming from a line of honest, hardworking people, she found a way through various obstacles and challenges to realize her dream of helping others around the world through nursing.

Hip-hop is more than a genre of popular music; it's a global culture and lifestyle. Having left its mark across the globe in the last several decades, no place has been untouched—not even the farthest islands. Ireland is no exception. Irish native Stevie G, both a music and radio DJ and one of the many worldwide influenced by this global phenomenon, has taken up the mantle of passing the history and culture of hip-hop on to the next generation. Listen as he shares his passion for sharing the knowledge and values of hip-hop culture with today's youth in Ireland and beyond.

For fine artist Muhammad Abu Aziz, music and art—particularly that of Arabic calligraphy—share an intimate relationship. The Arabic calligrapher's pen itself is made from the same material as that of the flute. And, so, the role of calligraphy in Muhammad's eyes ultimately becomes “making rhythms on its own like music.”

Although her collegiate studies initially brought Begum, a native of Turkey, to the United States, love is what ultimately brought her back. As one of only a handful of Turks in a small Texas city, this holistic nutritionist and expectant mother found that breaking out of her comfort zone was eventually the way to home sweet home.

Lucy Waja is a self-described multicultural cocktail who is a big fan of elephants. As a half Indian, half Sudanese native of the cosmopolitan capital of Jordan, a predominantly Arab country, Lucy naturally developed a love for other cultures and a knack for effectively navigating between several of them on a daily basis, being the daughter of a triple citizen of India, Sri Lanka, and Jordan. Listen as she shares her colorful journey of cultural and self-discovery.

For Ribal Jafari, a multi-talented twenty-something living in Amman, Jordan, story is everything. As an aspiring filmmaker, Ribal is looking to make his mark in the world by getting his interpretation of the cosmopolitan culture and story of the Middle East onto the big screen. Ultimately, he's seeking to expand the world's perspective toward Arabs through the art form of film—one frame at a time.

Many across the Arab world use the fully ripened fruit of the luffa genus of vegetables, of the cucumber family, as a soap sponge. But more than a decade ago, retired copywriter and editor Ibrahim Alfar, of Amman, Jordan, began exploring the application of luffa in other ways.

When Abood Aladham began beatboxing more than a decade ago, he had little knowledge about music in general and the local music scene in Amman, Jordan. Fast-forward 12 years, he's now the host of an Arabic podcast called Wallah Miaow (والله مياو), which currently seeks to spread knowledge about the Arab music world, its artists, and music and art in general.

Whether it's food or music, Issa Dababneh of Jolly Man Food Company in Amman, Jordan, loves to produce. When the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily closed the doors of his restaurant and factory, Issa turned to his first production love—music—and Pandemic Beats was born.

Dance plays a vital role in preserving Circassian culture and customs, as this indigenous people from the North Caucasus have been scattered abroad due to genocide and war in the 19th century. The Highlanders, the dance troupe of the International Circassian Cultural Academy of Amman, Jordan, aims to do just this: preserve its people's rich folklore through fancy footwork.

One of two things likely comes to mind when you hear the word heroin: the infamous narcotic or a woman admired for her courage and bravery. This week's story is one that encompasses both.   Gretchen Courting first started using cocaine when she was only 15 years old. Later, followed a nearly decade-long battle with heroin addiction. Refusing to sugarcoat the many difficulties she faced along the way, Gretchen describes those years in her 20's as being filled with homelessness and self-destruction. But her story is not void of redemption. Listen as Gretchen shares the story of her transformation from heroin addict to a heroine of sorts who seeks to share her story in hopes of helping anyone caught in the dreadful throes of addiction. Please note: the following story contains detailed descriptions of substance addiction. Listener discretion is advised.

When 14-year-old artist Zeina, of Amman, Jordan, was confined inside the walls of her house during the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic, she decided to expand her creative canvas by painting on the outdoor walls of her parents' villa to share her art with passersby and spread positive messages for all to see.

As the world’s second-largest religion, and fastest-growing major religion to boot, Islam and the people who adhere to its tenets are still largely misunderstood worldwide. Sara AlZyoud, a Jordanian university student, relates some of her experiences traveling as a Muslim and some commonly-held stereotypes against her people and region that she encountered along the way. May you be enlightened as Sara sheds light on the broader picture of Islam and the varied nature of the Arab world.

For many worldwide, the Islamic month of Ramadan is associated only with fasting. But for Sara AlZyoud and other Muslims, this holy month is about intentionally connecting with God and their communities in various ways. Listen as Sara relates how Ramadan is “the epitome of family values” and serves for her as a vehicle for gratitude and sacrifice, as well as a way to keep her grounded in the faith she shares with her family and culture.

Hannah Walker was only five years old when she was first introduced to horseback riding at summer camp. And she immediately fell head over heels for horses. But when a tragic horseback accident occurred, Hannah hit rock bottom, not knowing if she’d ever get back in the saddle again.

British native Christine Brisley is a self-proclaimed painting addict who can't imagine a life without painting. She considers herself very blessed by a God-given talent which became her livelihood and took her around London, throughout England, and across the world. When tragedy struck, Christine came to America on a month-long walkabout, or visit, with only 400 dollars. Never intending to stay, she returned to the U.S. for good just months later, settling in Texas where she continues to create a colorful life she loves.

The global coronavirus pandemic that began in 2019 has taken a lot away from many worldwide. And it continues to ravage and shake the world. But for Katie Norregaard, COVID-19 also provided a once-in-a-lifetime chance to break free from routine, affording her the opportunity to combine her passions for children, music, and social change into one online music education platform for kids: Miss Katie Sings.

In episode 198 from last season, Jocette (jō-set), an American expat living in Turkey, talked about her life there and her cross-cultural marriage to Salih (sä-lee). She is back again and this time dives into her lifelong love affair with food—a  passion so deep that she even studied the subject at the graduate level. For Jocette, food is more than just the taste. It’s the people and the culture behind it, and most importantly the folks whom it brings around the table. Through her blog Hasat Günü, which means the day of harvest,  Jocette seeks to help people “see the beauty of Turkey and then have a slice of it for themselves.” Listen as she shares about her passion for food and people and then check out Hasat Günü for yourself at hasatco.com.

Lance G. Newman II, aka Mr. SpreadLove, of Louisville, Ky., is a self-described renaissance man—and he has the quality, diversified artistic product to back up that assessment. But as his moniker indicates, Mr. SpreadLove is committed to more than simply dispersing his art among the masses; he is devoted to passing on a living legacy of spreading positivity and love through poetry (as well as other art forms), education, and the nurture of the next generation—all in the hope of affecting lasting change.

The long-inhabited city of Amman boasts many historical and cultural gems of the Middle East, one being the famed citadel. But hidden within the mainly monotone cast of this desert cityscape lie many modern, colorful gems from the emerging generations imprinted on the city’s winding walls. Alaeddin Rahmeh, a member of the local hip hop community and founder of Underground Amman Tour, makes it his aim to raise awareness about Amman’s colorful hip hop and street art scene. Come along for the tour!

Mili and her husband, Deep, are passionate about traveling, new cuisine, and culture. Their shared love of travel is in fact one of the things that brought them together and helps keep their love alive. In this episode, as Mili recounts their latest adventure of an international move, it’s obvious she never forgets to pack her sense of humor. Mili’s contagious laughter reminds us that if we will let it, traveling can provide new perspectives, time to connect with loved ones, and a repertoire of stories to share.

Stories of our City was started in August 2009 in Beirut and has grown to include real stories from real people in 38 cities and towns on four continents from around the world. We do this in an effort to cultivate community and understanding cross-culturally. This current episode is extra special as it marks our 200th episode. But instead of simply sharing the story of how Stories of Our City was founded, we wanted to highlight the substance of this organization—the stories themselves. So, as is our custom, for this special episode we wanted to let the subjects themselves do the talking by sharing excerpts of four of our most popular stories through the years.

Though the country of Jordan may not be internationally known for its environmental initiatives and green living, one citizen is doing all he can to turn the tide. What began as a one-off project for Therwah Abdelhaq to transform a glass bottle into a piece of art for a contest turned into an ongoing green initiative called T Bottle, which has redeemed an estimated 20,000 bottles from the landfill—upcycling them into works of aesthetic and functional art.

Welcome to Stories of Our City! This week's story comes from Izmir, Turkey.    Jocette's (jō-set) story is a story that crosses continents and cultures and reminds us of the beautiful work and gift that marriage can be. Listen as Jocette, an American expat in Turkey, shares the challenges of a cross-cultural marriage with her husband, Salih (sä-lee), as well as the joy of creating a new culture together as a couple—a home and family life that suit them and display their personalities and values. No matter your relational status, we trust you will learn something from Jocette about life and love and especially Turkish culture.  

Have you ever had an identity crisis? Or a crisis of faith? For Harriet Dodea, her journey to find answers started with a move to a foreign country and a subsequent chance encounter with a stranger on the way to the bus station one day. This life-changing experience challenged her to wrestle through some deep heart questions and discover herself and her true identity. Now a few years later, having created a sisterhood community through social media, Harriet launched a Warrior Princess Challenge to help other women grow in their faith, identity, creativity, and health. Through all this, she hopes to inspire people to live out their God-given gifts and “be faithful in the small things that they have [been given] and just trust that God is well able to multiply it into the things that he sees them to be.”

In the early 90s, guitars were hard to come by in Jordan’s capital of Amman. But instead of bemoaning the problem, local music aficionado Muhammad Khaier Al-Kukhun decided to be part of the solution—he made his own. Now nearly 30 years later, as the only known luthier, or guitar maker, in all of Jordan and one of merely a known few in the Middle East at large, Muhammad seeks to establish in his MKK Instruments a reputable Arab guitar brand made in the Middle East.

From growing up in a small town where entering the world of fashion wasn’t even on her radar screen to becoming a fashion designer in one of the largest cities in the world, Canadian-born Megan Mummery is living proof that dreams can come true—even dreams you didn’t even know you had! With her OhSevenDays women’s wear brand based in Istanbul, Megan seeks to make unique everyday staple wear that is as fashionable as fast fashion, while being ethically sourced and made. Listen as Megan shares her cosmopolitan journey of professional and self-discovery.

Welcome back! The first story of this year's fall season comes from Irbid, Jordan. The street is Laila Ajjawi’s canvas. A self-described activist graffiti artist from Irbid, Jordan, Laila sees the mural as a platform for a message that transcends self, given its vast public visibility. For that reason, she pursues her craft with great responsibility by using the walls to raise awareness about local and regional issues and to inspire and help empower women.

Since she was a little girl, Rasha Mubideen, of Amman, Jordan, always dreamed of being a fashion designer. But as she grew up and began to pursue her dream, she faced a culture that wasn’t yet as forward-thinking as she was. So, she did what any passionate creative would do: blaze her own trail forward—from A to Boutique.  

Previously, we shared the story of Gaith, a street librarian who sold books from his classic Mercedes to spread reading culture in his native Jordan and to raise money for the first bookstore in his hometown of Madaba. Now, he’s finally fulfilling his dream of living in a bookshop.

It’s hard to deny the power of music. Many refer to it as the universal language that builds bridges between diverse peoples and cultures. Music has the power to connect us, move us, take us back, and propel us forward. In this week’s episode, Texas singer/songwriter Melissa Briseno shares how the magic of music has impacted her life and how she hopes her music will have the same powerful impact on others as she seeks to sing songs that feed the soul. May Melissa’s passion for her craft inspire you and leave you asking, “What is it that I cannot live without?”

This week’s episode is part two of a two-part series. If you haven’t had the chance to listen to the first part of Elles’ story, check it out in Episode 189! In the first half of her story, Elles shared about her start and life as a model. This week, she shares some of her other passions and achievements—touching on a multitude of topics such as mindset change, gaining courage to give her first TED talk, changing direction in her career, fast fashion, small steps toward living a more sustainable lifestyle, and being a learner and leveling up!

As a lover of fashion from a young age, Stories of Our City producer Jessica Spann spent her childhood cutting out photos from magazines of gorgeous models wearing brilliant outfits. Now living in a large city, on any given day on her commute she will likely see and admire fashion trends on a billboard or in an advertisement with a model posing for a brand wearing their latest products. One day, Jessica had the chance to meet one of these billboard models. Elles (pronounced “Ellis”) has been modeling all over the world for the last six years. She secretly dreamt of becoming a model as a teenager, and it came to fruition. She shares what a typical day in the life of a model looks like and how her career has shaped her into the woman she is today. In an industry where appearance is everything, Elles found that her true worth comes not from her looks, but from feeling good enough from the inside. This is part one in a two-part series, so be sure to stay tuned for the second half.

Around the turn of the century, Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group, wreaked havoc in northern Uganda, murdering many and kidnapping tens of thousands of children. JR (not his real name) is one of these thousands. Listen as he shares his story of lost youth, sacrifice, forgiveness, and redemption. Editor’s Note: Due to the sensitive nature of this story, the subject's name has been changed and specific locations have been removed from the recording.

Alaeddin—yes, like the famed movie character, though pronounced correctly—sprang up from the poverty-stricken streets of Amman, Jordan, to become a successful civil engineer. But something wasn’t right. Though he had a good job, he was thoroughly dissatisfied with the standard nine-to-five lifestyle. So, he turned to the only thing he knew and loved: hip hop.

We never know when—or even if—and where love will find us. It happened to find Nazife Uner of Izmir, Turkey, as she travelled home from high school in the early 1960s. At that time in Turkey most marriages were arranged by family members, but the mysterious stranger of fate seemed to have orchestrated Nazife and Mustafa’s relationship as their eyes met on a ferryboat one afternoon 57 years ago. One could call it love at first sight, but sometimes a simple, silent glance speaks powerfully. After Nazife transferred to a bus for the final leg of her journey home, she looked back as the bus began to push off to see if Mustafa was in pursuit. He was. And after their eyes locked for a second time he began to run after her bus. Listen as Nazife shares the rest of her and Mustafa’s unconventional Turkish love story and learn how dedicated devotion can overcome even the most ingrained cultural customs.

At eleven years old and suddenly an orphan, Sandy found himself without a home and on his own. All he had was a friend with a plan for how they could make it rich. But as Sandy and his friend set off on their adventure, events quickly took a turn, and Sandy found himself even further from home and now even more alone. From collecting scrap metal to make a buck to sneaking into a church to catch some shut eye, learn how perseverance, helping hands, and encouraging hearts propelled Sandy along, moving him from orphan to education sponsor who seeks to pay the blessings forward—or pass a dollar, in his words. May Sandy’s story encourage the downhearted and alone and remind us all that life often has many pleasant surprises up her sleeve.

It had just started to drizzle again. My family and I were headed to Richmond, Virginia, via Interstate 64, confronting a bit of rain along the way. We had just taken a timed family selfie at the Virginia is For Lovers sign outside the state welcome center, when a man on what I thought was a motorcycle pulled up—camouflage jacket drenched with rain. He asked if I would take a photo of him. I obliged, taking his cellphone, thinking that if he’d arrived a minute earlier we wouldn’t have had to use the timer on mine. Given the amount of gear he was carrying, it was clear this was a man on a mission. Detecting an accent, I asked where he was from. He said he was coming from San Francisco, a city we had also recently departed, but by air. Pressing further, I discovered this sopping, sociable sojourner came all the way from Germany and was on the tail end of a remarkable journey. Sixteen thousand eight hundred and forty-seven miles. Eighty days. Eighteen countries. Three Vespa scooters. One man. A few weeks later, Markus Mayer would become the first person to complete a solo scooter trip around the world in just 80 days.

Technical project manager by day. Folk dancer by night. This is the life of Rima Sliat, of Amman, Jordan, a practitioner and teacher of dabke—a type of Levantine Arab folk dance. Aside from traversing between the worlds of Information Technology and dabke on a weekly basis, Rima also works at bridging the gap between the historical roots of dabke and its more modern manifestations which sometimes challenge prevailing gender stereotypes and the status quo.

Meet Cemre (Gem-ray): a researcher, scholar, and prolific writer in the field of child psychology. Much of her career focuses on the weighty subject of child exploitation and abuse, and she spends many hours in counseling sessions with children and their families working through a variety of problems—trying to bring wholeness to broken family systems. Cemre’s passion for children has led her to write children's books that help them and their families process big issues in a way that young minds can digest and in which they can have discourse. In this podcast, Cemre highlights one of those books, which was born out of her own feelings during the 2013 Gezi protests in Istanbul. These protests started as a demonstration to save the Gezi Park greenspace from being turned into a shopping mall but evolved into an historical event where thousands of Turkish citizens from all walks of life gathered to protest the policies and general direction of the government. Listen as Cemre explains how this book came to be and how she uses it to engage with children in their world.

Sami Malik (ma-lik), an Uber driver from Pakistan, and his wife have devoted much of their adult lives to fostering children in the United Kingdom. Since his arrival in Scotland more than 25 years ago, Sami and his bride have fostered nearly 70 children—ranging in age from newborn to five years old. Hear Sami share about his heart for fostering, its joys and challenges, and what keeps this couple carrying on as they help care for humanity.

In the middle of the ongoing Syrian War, Esra, a Syrian national from Kuwait, and her father founded a small orphanage in Istanbul, Turkey, where she is helping oversee and care for a group of high-potential, yet vulnerable Syrian children. Esra credits her father with inspiring and motivating her to do good even when it goes against others’ expectations and to be a source of change in the world. He also encouraged her, she says, to set the standard for attitude and behavior rather than simply letting her thoughts, attitudes, and actions be dictated by her surroundings. In her father’s words, she was taught to “be a thermostat, not a thermometer.” Listen as Esra recounts the endeavor this father-daughter duo began on behalf of their family and other Arabs worldwide who want to make a difference in the lives of those affected by the Syrian crisis.  Editor's note: The subject’s name in this week’s story has been changed to protect her identity.

Sarah Abu Shawish (sha-weesh), of Amman, Jordan, is using her love for sports to challenge commonly-held gender stereotypes throughout Arab society and help her country progress toward gender equality.

Nuray (nur-eye), an accomplished teacher who runs her own language school in Istanbul, has been teaching the Turkish language to foreigners for over a decade. Although an experienced educator, Nuray still considers herself a student of sorts who is consistently learning something new from her diverse pupils who have taught her everything from basic cultural lessons to different parenting techniques. Some of these lessons arose from cultural mishaps that still make her laugh to this day. Listen as Nuray shares the joys and challenges of cross-cultural education and how the "yabancilar" (ya-bon-ja-lar), or foreigners, help bring the great, big world a little closer to her heart and home.

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.