I just arrived to the airport in Brussels, and writing this in the tight seat of the bus that’s taking me to the city.
My last day in Sweden was quite a ride. Linnea, given her background in international relations, was planning to attend the utvecklings forum, a humanitarian forum. Out of curiosity, I decided to join. I would say it was quite beneficial.
- I learned about Shahira Amin, an Egyptian journalist who works at Nile TV. She spoke of the struggle journalists are going through in Egypt and how freedom of the press has evolved since the days of Mubarak (it got worse).
- We did a workshop to discuss how diversity relates to democracy. Everyone in my group presented themselves through their NGO (all the attendees apparently are working for humanitarian NGOs or for the government). I decided to represent “Kayany” since, strictly speaking, I consulted with them in Lebanon this past Summer.
I managed to meet up with Ahmed Elewa, the brother of my great friend Motaz. We’re now exploring creating a DIY youtube series in Egypt.
Towards the end of the day, Linnea was insisting that I try “Surströmming”, a fish delicacy from Sweden that, I must confess, is probably the most disgusting thing I ever smelled and tasted. Here are videos from the experience:
After that painful, yet very authentic, experience. We went for sauna + swimming in the river. The fresh cold water was a great remedy to the horror my taste buds had been through.
Finally, Linnea’s friends Amir and Victoria came over and we baked. I think this is the first time I ever bake in my life. Not a bad start, I’d say:
Anyways, now that I am in Belgium, I am quite tired of “having fun”. Time to change gears a bit.