Podcasts by Stories of Our City

231: Out of the Ruin from 2023-11-29T13:07

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230: A New Life Cycle from 2023-09-20T13:36

For Radwan Hashem, cycling is more than a sport—it’s a lifestyle. After undergoing a series of knee surgeries, the bike became a lifeline for h...

229: Holy Dagger from 2023-09-07T13:23

As an essential part of their culture, the dagger is sacred among the Bedouin (nomadic) people, according to craftsman Nayif Abu Muhaysin, whos...

228: Small World from 2023-07-19T12:09

Ahmad Adnan Al-Eriqsousi’s love for the historic version of his hometown inspired him to begin to immortalize it through three-dimensional mini...

227: Renaissance Girl from 2023-04-05T13:03

Even at the young age of fourteen, Ghazal Al-Madadha already has quite an extensive acting résumé and b...

226: Restored: From Corporate to Creative from 2023-02-22T14:33

As a self-proclaimed small town kid who grew up on her grandfather’s farm, Aubrey learned the value an...

225: 1,001 Signs from 2023-02-01T13:20

When Gazi Khattab began practicing Arabic calligraphy as a child, he would go downtown to study the plethora of shop signage and advertisements on display for guidance and inspiration. This expo...

224: A Cowboy Fantasy from 2022-12-14T11:41

When Sanad Albokhari was a child, he had two recurring dreams. One was seeing the ocean. The other was living a rustic life—like a cowboy.

223: El Camino (The Way) from 2022-11-23T10:56

Javier was only five years old when he was separated from his mother and older sister as they tried to cross into the United States from Mexico. His family made it. But he was sent back. After t...

222: Sticks&Stones from 2022-10-19T10:00

Osama Al-Issawi first learned how to work with stone from his father, who was a grouter, during summer breaks in middle school. His craftiness and respect for the environment eventually led Osam...

221: Hope Floats from 2022-09-07T15:59:19

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 S...

220: The New Skool from 2022-04-20T10:32:18

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 fa...

219: Music to My Eyes from 2022-03-30T10:00

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 th...

218: Lone Star Love from 2022-03-09T13:21:48

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 ci...

217: Culture Chameleon from 2022-02-23T22:14:09

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, Lu...

216: Frame by Frame from 2022-01-26T11:00

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 interpre...

215: Soaking Up the Sponge from 2021-11-17T11:00

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 Ibrah...

214: Broadcasting Knowledge from 2021-11-03T10:00

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...

213: Meats&Beats from 2021-10-20T11:19:26

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, Iss...

212: Footwork&Folklore from 2021-10-06T10:00

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. T...

211: From Heroin to Heroine from 2021-09-22T10:00

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 bot...

210: These Walls Can Talk from 2021-09-08T10:00

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 pai...

209: I Ride Camels from 2021-05-12T10:00

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 Jorda...

208: Opening a Door to Heaven from 2021-04-28T11:02:54

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 com...

207: Back in the Saddle from 2021-04-14T10:00

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 ...

206: The Walking Paintbrush from 2021-03-31T10:00

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 livelih...

205: Singing for a Change from 2021-03-17T10:00

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 on...

204: Around the Table from 2021-03-03T11:00

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 t...

203: Spreading Love from 2021-02-17T16:00

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 monike...

202: Tales From the Underground from 2021-02-03T11:00

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...

201: Mili in Paris from 2020-12-09T11:00

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 lov...

200: 200 Stories from 2020-11-25T10:56:03

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 ...

199: Bottled Up from 2020-11-11T11:00

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 projec...

198: Love Without Borders from 2020-10-21T10:00

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 wor...

197: 15 Minutes with Fate from 2020-10-07T10:00

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 stran...

196: The Lone Luthier from 2020-09-23T10:00

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 solu...

195: Everyday Fashion from 2020-09-09T10:00

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 ...

194: Painting Perception from 2020-08-26T10:00

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...

193: From A to Boutique from 2020-06-10T11:00

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 a...

192: Home Is Where the Bookstore Is from 2020-03-18T12:01:47

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...

191: Making Music that Feeds the Soul from 2020-02-13T15:29:55

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 bac...

190: Mindset Matters/Forsaking Fast Fashion from 2019-09-12T16:00

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 stor...

189: Model Behavior: Life on the Runway from 2019-08-23T21:41:22

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 ...

188: Freed from Fighting from 2019-08-10T02:02:43

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 ...

187: Breaking Out from 2019-05-30T14:30

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’...

186: Young Turks: An Unconventional Love Story from 2019-04-26T08:18:03

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 T...

185: Pass a Dollar from 2019-04-11T22:52:52

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 se...

184: Eighty Days Around the World from 2019-03-14T17:50:33

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 th...

183: Steppin' Up from 2019-01-31T14:53:39

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 trav...

182: Far from Child’s Play: A Child Psychologist Discusses Her Profession from 2018-12-20T23:46:08

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 spen...

181: Carrying On: A South Asian Couple’s Commitment to Fostering from 2018-10-25T14:57:48

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 yea...

180: A Crowded House: Father-Daughter Duo Doing Their Part in Reclaiming Syria’s Lost Generation from 2018-10-11T20:36:36

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 h...

179: Raising the Bar: Women Redefining Gender Stereotypes in Jordan from 2018-09-20T18:03:45

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 eq...

178: The Teachable Teacher from 2018-07-19T23:46:48

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, N...

177: Breakfast in Morocco, Dinner in Istanbul from 2018-07-05T10:00

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 ...

176: The Joy of Singing from 2018-06-21T10:00

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 ...

175: Heart for Africa: From a Big City Nurse in the United States to a Clinical Instructor in the African Countryside from 2018-06-07T19:11

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 alread...

174: Sculpting Smiles from 2018-05-10T20:05:24

Bassem Nabeel of Amman, Jordan, enjoys creating clay caricatures in hopes of bringing smiles to his customers.

173: In the Presence of My Enemies from 2018-04-26T15:08:15

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 stude...

172: The Necessity of Art from 2018-03-29T21:21:24

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...

171: A Rich House from 2018-03-15T20:06:59

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...

170: The Wedded Wanderers from 2018-01-25T16:30

Ever wanted to ditch your job, the nine-to-fiver, the good old daily grind and traverse the world? Meet Nathan and Sarah. This husband and wife pair from Boise, Idaho, did just that. Quitting th...

169: Reincarnating Beauty from 2018-01-11T22:23:29

The kingdom of Jordan has a long, storied history and tradition. But the collective understanding of the nation’s heritage in the eyes of its millions of residents can be anything but cohesive. ...

168: Catstantinople: Istanbul's Street Animals from 2017-12-14T11:00

As one of the world’s most populous cities, Istanbul boasts more than its share of human residents. But this famed historic city also boasts its share of another kind of resident: the fluffy, fu...

167: Crossing Lines: Connecting Cultures Through Slacklining from 2017-11-30T22:48:08

In our previous episode, we shared the story of Sonya Iverson, a slacklining and highlining enthusiast who shared how these related sports have helped her succeed in life beyond the line. In par...

166: Achieving the Impossible: The Science of Slacklining from 2017-11-16T16:31:13

To some, slacklining, along with its cousin highlining, is nothing more than an extreme and dangerous sport. But to Sonya Iverson, a geneticist by training, slacklining is a passion and a path t...

165: Books on the Road (video version) from 2017-11-02T10:00

After graduating college, Gaith Jann became a successful insurance risk analyst in his native Jordan. But after only a few years he became jaded by the business world, which left him hungering f...

164: Living Light: Connie and the Miracle Babies from 2017-09-28T17:30:30

In our previous episode, we shared the story of Cathy Rude and Connie Blokkum, two midwives who collectively started a birthing center in west Houston, Texas, six years ago. This week, hear Conn...

163: Labor of Love from 2017-09-14T17:34:46

In a labor of love, three Texas midwives collectively started and are running a birthing center in the west Houston city of Katy six years ago. Hear from two of these women, Cathy Rude and Conni...

162: Ballad of an Exodus: A Syrian Rapper's Memoir from 2017-08-24T10:00

Nasser Shorbaji, aka Chyno, is a bit of an anomaly. The son of a Syrian-Filipino couple from Damascus, Chyno—whose mother tongue is English— works as a hip-hop artist based out of Beirut, Lebano...

161: Turning a New Leaf Over: Breathing New Life Into an Old Art Form from 2017-08-10T10:30

For some, cross-stitch may conjure up images of sewing circles in the olden days or of simple patterns stitched using five shades of the same color. Elif (pronounced "a-leaf"), a native...

160: Looking for America, Longing for Family from 2017-07-27T11:00

Life can be very dangerous for Iraqis who have worked with the United States Army during the Iraq War. Even for those who leave their Iraqi homeland, in many cases, their families and relatives ...

159: Jolly for Jerky from 2017-06-29T19:30

For Issa Dababneh of Jolly Man Beef Jerky in Amman, Jordan, making beef jerky is more than a business—it’s a passion. Raised as the son of an owner of a grocery store chain in Chicago, a young I...

158: Fat Chance from 2017-06-07T11:54:06

When Eddie, a young native of Seville, Spain, got tired of his homeland and caught the travel bug he decided to move to Paris on a whim. Without a job awaiting upon arrival, the obvious question...

157: A Witness, A Testimony, A Fight: Part II (The Fight) from 2017-05-29T17:37:20

Introducing our first video podcast! Last month, we shared the story of Syrian artist Omar Ibrahim. In this week's video podcast we pick up with part two of Omar’s st...

156: A Witness, A Testimony, A Fight: Part I (The Witness) from 2017-04-13T13:30

For Omar Ibrahim, art is an extension of existence and self. As a Syrian, he cannot escape the imprint of the ongoing Syrian war upon his life, his family, and his mind ... and, therefore, ultim...

155: Working on a Miracle from 2017-03-23T17:33:46

American sitcoms first turned Meriç, a Turkish college graduate, on to life in the United States when he was a teenager. A trip to New York a couple summers ago further piqued his interest in th...

154: Band of the Def from 2017-02-23T22:55:02

Like rock n’ roll before it, hip-hop started mainly as a cultural movement decades ago that spread worldwide, affecting even the far reaches of the earth. The Middle East is no exception. In thi...

153: A Brave New World: Finding a New Commonality from 2017-02-09T19:52:54

Miral is an Algerian native studying in Jordan who is seeking to be a catalyst for changing the lingua franca of her homeland from the long-standing French language. Learn the motivation behind ...

152: Gridiron Dreams from 2017-02-02T13:00

Middle Easterners are some of the biggest football fans in the world—football as in soccer. But Hussam Al-Yaseen, a pre-med student who founded the Jordanian American Football League (JAFL), hop...

151: Out of the Flames from 2016-12-31T02:57:48

Musician couple Martin Watkinson and Cherita Meadows met at a party in Portland, Oregon, years ago and now play music together as part of the group Gaea, the namesake of the Greek goddess. Hear ...

150: The Yearlong Wedding from 2016-12-08T20:41:01

Moroccan culture, generally speaking, is a high-context culture with a rich tradition and age-old customs. Listen as Mariam shares about why she loves being a Moroccan and how Moroccans really l...