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9273 roots
40 posts
Real people, real stories. Documenting the lives of passionate learners and professionals who built their entire careers and identities around the Arabic language.
“Seeking to discover the world through literature” | Betül Aslan | 9273 Roots #30
As a teacher and academic, Betül Aslan helps bridge the worlds of Arabic and Turkish literature. With four friends, she founded Mirkat.org to share their passion through translations, and here she discusses her favorite novels, the beauty of the word 'soul', and teaching Arabic to children.
“How a dive trip to Egypt led a 14-year-old to teach himself Arabic” | Georg Binder | 9273 Roots #29
Long before the internet, a dive trip to Egypt inspired 14-year-old Georg Binder to teach himself Arabic in his small Austrian town. He discusses his lifelong passion, his love for Khalil Gibran's The Prophet, and his "have a go" approach to mastering the Egyptian dialect.
“I went from zero to fluent in Levantine Arabic in one year” | Uchechi Kalu | 9273 Roots #28
After struggling with traditional methods in college, Nigerian-American writer Uchechi Kalu tried a new approach. Using mass immersion, she went from zero to fluent in Levantine Arabic in just one year. She explains her method and why you should believe in possibility.
“I drove 4 hours across mountains for an Arabic class” | Marco Rateitschak | 9273 Roots #27
What drives a Berlin-born economist to travel four hours across the Hajar mountains for an Arabic class? Marco Rateitschak discusses his 15-year career with Middle East investors, his love for Gulf Arabic, and why he believes every new language makes you a new person.
“Learning (languages) should become a joy, your job, and a friend” | Andreas Dietrich | 9273 Roots #26
He studied Semitic languages in East Germany, worked for an Arab ambassador in Berlin, and now leads tours through the Middle East. Andreas Dietrich discusses the deep etymological links between Arabic, Hebrew, and Aramaic, and why the root system makes the language so predictable.
“I became just knowledgeable enough about Arabic to be really annoying at parties” | Connor Seidenschwarz | 9273 Roots #25
He started learning Arabic in Montana and became "just knowledgeable enough to be annoying at parties." Connor Seidenschwarz shares his journey through a Master's in Arab Studies, his work promoting Arabic education at QFI, and his love for over-complicated board games.
“If only I were happy with my fate, I would be free” | Yehia Moldan | 9273 Roots #24
Yehia Moldan is a Palestinian writer and graphic designer who takes Arabic calligraphy to a new level. Now based in Sweden, he discusses his favorite historical novel about Ibn Khaldun, the beauty of the word for "reflection", and the classical poetry that inspires his modern art.
“If your friend was honey, don’t lick him all up” | Sami Morcos | 9273 Roots #23
He's the Syrian computer scientist who solved a common problem for Arabic speakers: converting numbers into words. Sami Morcos discusses creating his popular tool Tafqit.com, his work in the IT industry in Dubai, and his favorite historical novels and Egyptian expressions.
“If you’ve been burned by soup you blow on yogurt” | Nesrin Amin | 9273 Roots #22
She's the creator of Bilmasri, a free blog and podcast that helps learners master the Egyptian dialect through movie clips, proverbs, and slow readings. Nesrin Amin discusses her passion for the colloquial poetry of Bayram al-Tunsi and how to "buy your head" in Egyptian Arabic.
“The relatives are scorpions” | Nikolaos van Dam | 9273 Roots #21
He was the Dutch ambassador to Iraq, Egypt, and Turkey, and is a world-renowned authority on Syria. Dr. Nikolaos van Dam shares insights from a lifetime in diplomacy, his love for Palestinian Arabic, and his favorite, cynical proverb about family.
