Sheherazad.net

I attended high school in Paris, France and Memphis, Tennessee and later completed undergrad in San Francisco, California. I went on to work in Prishtina, Kosova and Kobenhavn (Copenhagen) Denmark, with sojourns to Bosnia, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and Sweden before returning to Northern California to complete graduate school at Berkeley. Subsequently I completely assignments in Lebanon and Jordan before spending considerable time living and working in Palestine, Israel, and the United Kingdom. Additionally I have lived and worked in New York, Australia, Nunavut (Northern Canada,) and Vancouver with brief travels throughout Mexico, Singapore, and New Zealand.

International travel is wrought with stress and a number of inconveniences, however, I feel exposure to one's world and first hand knowledge of the environment, only attainable through travel, is tantamount to the only form of awareness unadulterated by bias or distortion. For me, travel is the only real truth and as such important and necessary despite the inevitable complications of air travel, language barriers, cultural alienation, and homesickness.

I feel justified in adopting the globe as my community and exploring it to the extent to which it is available. I find personal satisfaction in the discovery of commonalities between groups separated by vast space and yearn to assist, in whatever way I can, those areas throughout the world struggling for improvement. As I've gotten older, my ability to do this has substantially decreased however I remain hopeful that I can continue, in some way, to contribute globally to the humanitarian cause. It is, for me, a unique avenue of solidarity and evolution toward the essence of what it means to be a human being.

The following is commentary on only those places in which I have lived or spent significant time in. I try to look at the broad spectrum of being a foreigner around the globe while continuing to retain what I believe is a realistic blend of common sense and anonymity. I am on a constant exploration to discover why, in all my travels, so very few places can be home.

France
Pros	Cons
Exquisite Culture Poignant Liberty Incredible Food Affordable (relatively) Excellent Public Transit Vast Array of Geographical Locales Excellent Climate (sans the flood years and short lived mid-summer heat)	Must Speak the Language Well to Avoid Acerbity Crowded Difficult to Drive in if Necessary Impossible to find Vegetarian/Vegan Cuisine Rampant Homelessness in Paris Frequent Misdemeanor Crime Aggressive Vendors Few Sanitary and/or Available Public Restrooms Frequent Public Strikes Dishonest/Aggressive Taxi Drivers

Kosova (*Note that I lived and worked in Kosova in 1996 when the war was, in many ways, still raging. I have been told that the area is rebuilt, safe, and transformed today and I have tried to make the following lists relative to what I know of the area now.)
Pros	Cons
Unique and Beautiful Culture Open Friendly Environment Very Inexpensive Beautiful Landscape	Random Electric Outages Frequent Petty Crime/Unstable Gang Activity Still somewhat unsafe for Serbians (as Serbia is still very uncertain for Albanians) Unable to enter Prishtina if traveling on to Serbia (Serbian Re-Entry stamp a problem) Food Poisoning Common Air Travel Somewhat Difficult Unstable Public Transportation Dangerous Roads Some active mines remain in the outer reaches English understood about 30%-50% of the time Periodic Water Shortages Surplus of Street Children Euros Necessary (in lieu of credit cards or the US dollar) Street Scams Rampant

Lebanon
Pros	Cons
Unique and Beautiful area of the Arab World offering opportunities unheard of and unseen elsewhere in the Middle East Extraordinary Diversity (Arabs/ Phoenicians/ Maronites/Armenians/ Muslim/Christian/Druze/ Allawi/Liberal/Conservative/Gay/ Straight/Eastern/Western) Extremely Open and Friendly Environment Incomparable Modernity - Quality Education/Social Welfare/Standard of Living English Widely Spoken in Beirut (less so elsewhere) French understood throughout the country (I suppose this could be a drawback for some...) Traveling between surrounding countries (except Israel) is easy Large ex-pat community Dynamic Nightlife Vegan/Vegetarian Friendly	Rampant Scams, Petty Crime, Street Children Medical Facilities Require Immediate Cash Payment (prior to dispensing services) Driving Impossible Crowded Expensive Insecure and Unstable Political Situation (internal strife, factionalism, threat of ongoing Israeli aggression) Safe Drinking Water Periodically Unavailable Many Unmarked Streets Landmines still active in the outer areas (especially in the South) Heavy International Military Presence Unstable Public Facilities and Transportation HUMID

Jordan
Pros	Cons
Only Arab country that you can enter after visiting Israel (though you may encounter severe bureaucracy on the other side) Only Arab country with access to the Dead Sea Less Expensive than Lebanon English Widely Understood in Amman Fairly Stable Political Climate (though this is always subject to change especially now with the influx of Iraqi refugees) Can Be Clean Exquisite History and Culture Awe-Inspiring Geography Extremely Open and Friendly People Progressive and Modern Social Climate (less so than in Lebanon/far more so than elsewhere in the region) Homelessness/Petty Crime Uncommon Modern Facilities (Hospital/Governmental Services/Banks...) Vegan/Vegetarian Friendly Ample Ex-pat Community	Driving impossible/Traffic unsafe for motorists or pedestrians Unstable/Non-existent Public Transportation Frequent Scams Aggressive/Disreputable Taxi Drivers Periodic Extortion Prevalent Religious Restrictions Theft common in cheaper hotels Disabled Ramps Non-Existent Smoke is Everywhere HOT

Palestine
Pros	Cons
Beautiful People/Amazing Stories/Inspiring Courage/Incomparable Opportunity to look into an area often forgotten or illegitimized by western society Rich and Phenomenal History Unique Culture and Opportunities Extremely Friendly People Exceptionally Curious and Forward Children Very Affordable English Widely Understood Vegan/Vegetarian Friendly Petty Crime Uncommon	War and Violence Rampant with the Israeli Occupation Movement between areas is difficult to impossible Frequent curfews/power outages/bombings/massacres/air strikes/home demolitions/road blocks imposed by Israel Clean Drinking Water Periodically Unavailable Sewage and Hygiene Facilities Unavailable or Frequently Destroyed by Israel Rampant Homelessness (though scams and petty crime are relatively infrequent) Very Little Nightlife Cash (Shekel/Dinar) Not Always Acceptable (Credit Card Necessary) HOT and HUMID

Israel
Pros	Cons
Taxis Available (though not friendly) Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly English Widely Understood Affordable (relative to Europe) Diverse/Progressive/Open Society (in Tel Aviv) ~ except in regards to Politics Unique Intersection of Eastern and Western Mores Open Late (Tel Aviv) Significant Night Life Access to the Mediterranean/Dead Sea/Important Historical Sites Singular Jewish population unlike any other Presents a Unique Area of Opportunity to Assist in Humanitarian Efforts in the area through Left Wing Affiliations	Aggressive Nationalist Society Extremely Crowded (Tel Aviv) Suicide Bombings Substantial Military Presence Taxes and Civil Spending (relative only as a resident) are high and go, for the most part, to Military Spending Visiting/Residing in the Area and contributing as such can frequently mean indirect support of the Occupation Frequent Petty Crime Driving/Parking Difficult to Impossible - Heavy Frequent Traffic - Very Small Unkept Roads Somewhat Colonial Americanized Value System (this could be a pro or a con depending on your perspective) Prevalent Religious Restrictions Frequent Scams (everything from homeless hustling and landlord extortion to unprofessional service providers.) Lacking Quality Health Facilities and Providers (relative to the US and parts of Europe) EXTREMELY HOT and HUMID

England
Pros	Cons
English Speaking Country (obviously) Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly Disabled Friendly Private (UNBELIEVABLY expensive) facilities are modern and high quality* The public (free) socialized health care system and other civil services, however, are poor; if you live in London, you could wait up to 3 years to see a specialist through the National Healthcare System, even if you are in danger of losing your life to your illness in that time. Good Public Transportation through the whole of the country Rich Cultural History Diverse Populations (especially in London) Driving/Parking Possible (if driving on the left isn't a problem) Sizable Ex-pat Community Taxis Widely Available and Friendly Open Late/Active Nightlife Easy to Access through all Airlines and from almost anywhere internationally	EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE Crowded Poor Public Healthcare (see Pros) Conservative and somewhat Xenophobic Social Climate/Severe prejudice against Muslims and non-whites (this is less the case inside London and more frequently experienced in the smaller towns) Torturous Bureaucracy for ex-pats living in the area (tourists will encounter levels comparable to any European destination) London is ENORMOUS (1000 sq. miles) - Travel can frequently take hours even in good time, with traffic you can sometimes be caught overnight. Standard Pharmaceuticals Available only at a pharmacy that frequently closes early and which requires long consultations for even the most common of remedies (Tylenol, Advil, Pepto-Bismol) Fall and Winter Extremely Cold with Rain 98% of the year (or at least it feels like it)

Scotland
Pros	Cons
Friendly Open Culture and People Rich and Unique History Unparalleled Architecture and City Life in Edinburgh (unlike anywhere else in the world) Open Late/Active Nightlife Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly Disabled Friendly Easily Accessible by plane, train, or boat More Affordable than England Driving Possible (Parking Difficult - see cons) Good Public Transit Very Little Petty Crime (minus the frequent drunken brawl) Scams/Homelessness Uncommon Big Ex-pat community	Accent can be hard to understand (especially in the northern areas and smaller towns) No Wheelchairs/Child Strollers on Buses Parking Difficult/Parking Fines within 30 seconds of the meter time-out are common (in Edinburgh) Hills/90 degree angled sidewalks everywhere (must be athletically inclined to really walk around the city) Very Crowded During Holidays Taxis not available from the street Drunken Crowds Common Diversity (outside the major cities) Uncommon RAIN RAIN RAIN

Australia
Pros	Cons
One-of-a-Kind Landscapes and Geography Rare Flora/Fauna Unique Aboriginal Population Massively Large Country that's (relatively) easy to traverse and explore Major Modern Facilities and Standards of Living Diverse Populations (in the major cities) "English" Speaking Country Huge ex-pat community Affordable (especially in comparison to the UK) Taxis are (fairly) friendly and available Public Transit (fairly) reliable Good Central Point to Explore Oceania	Violent Crime Frequent in the Outback Heat in Summer is Unbearable and in the Outback it can be fatal Dangerous Waters Crowded Spiders/Snakes/Reptiles/Huge Insects (can be) everywhere at times

New Zealand
Pros	Cons
Unique Indigenous Cultural Climate Sensational Landscapes and Geography Modern Facilities and Standard of Living English Speaking Country Diverse Population Good Ex-pat Community Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly Disabled Friendly Taxis Available/Friendly Little Petty Crime	Somewhat Surreal Social Climate (we walked for hours in Auckland and Wendy's was the highest quality food we could find) Rain (sporadic and violent thunderstorms) constant in winter with searing heat in the summer Crowded Driving/Parking Difficult Departure Tax to Leave Traveling the country (both islands) can be difficult and expensive

Canada
Pros	Cons
Extremely Modern/High End Facilities, Standards of Living, and Civil Services English Speaking Country Diverse and Open Culture Extremely Friendly People Easily Accessible Major Cities Good Public Transit Available and Friendly Taxis Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly Substantial Nightlife Open Late (most major cities) Affordable Good Ex-pat communities Apartments/Resources Easily Obtainable by foreigners Driving/Parking Easy Little to No Homelessness/Street Scams Native American Culture Uniquely Alive and Thriving	COLD COLD COLD (8 month winter is frequently 20 degrees Fahrenheit or lower) with sheets of ice and sleet constantly pounding the area,) I've heard the Socialized Healthcare System is poor though I didn't experience it either way myself. Mainly it's just cold......really, really cold.

New York City
Pros	Cons
Open All Night/All Day all the time Unique Diversity non-existent elsewhere in the US Good 24 hour Public Transit Available (though not necessarily friendly) Taxis Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly Disabled Friendly	Expensive Crowded Homelessness/Scams Rampant outside Manhattan while even stopping to catch your breath on the corner inside Manhattan can bring the "No Sitting" police HOT in summer and FREEZING in winter Internet Cafes Uncommon (especially in the outer burroughs) Lots of Crime Public Facilities (everything from restrooms to ambulances) are frequently scary or unavailable All places have a time limit (even if you pay for a meal at a cafe, you're usually required to leave within 30 minutes) Heavy Difficult Traffic - Driving Impossible

Home (San Francisco)

San Francisco is my home. It has its problems but out of the 30 US states, 20 countries, and 4 continents that I have traveled or lived within, San Francisco and the Bay Area holds, for me, the most genuine and exclusive magic. It is a captivating allure of diversity; a uniquely open environment proud and friendly to all walks of life and supportive of its community and social development. It is forever evolving toward something beyond that in the rest of the world and offers a type of enlightenment unseen in the common American city.

The expense, homelessness, petty crime, crowds, and traversing the hills can be difficult but worth the sacrifice when compared to the vast array the city has to offer. You can find anything anywhere and though its 24 hour facilities are lacking, it remains a powerful source of magnetic opportunities unique in the US and possibly the world.