Diaspora blues: The space between two cultures and two countries
What does it mean to belong to two places, yet fully fit into neither? In this reflection, I explore the “diaspora blues”—the ache of living between Canada and Kurdistan, and learning to embrace the hyphen that connects, rather than separates, my identities.
Saudade: Waves of Melancholy
Saudade is the closest word I’ve found to describe how I felt after returning home from Kurdistan—a longing shaped by love, memory, and the ache of leaving parts of yourself behind. This piece reflects on identity, return, and the quiet melancholy of belonging to more than one place.
If Once More I Return to Kurdistan
If once more I return to Kurdistan, I will return differently. This reflection traces the distance between who I was as a teenager searching for Western modernity and who I am now—yearning instead for language, culture, and presence.
Welcome to Kurdistan: land of myth and magic
Arriving in Kurdistan for the first time by plane felt surreal. As the city lights shimmered below and an immigration officer welcomed us home, I stepped into a land I had carried with me since childhood—real, mythical, and filled with belonging.