I was born in Germany and lived there for roughly six-and-a-half years, alternating between Canada and Germany. While I was very young when we left, I can still fondly remember my time there. Particularly, I remember the outdoors; I find the German country side very beautiful, and the time I spent outside as a child - whether that was running around in the field, walking through the woods with my friends or going hiking up the mountain with my dad - really instilled in me an appreciation for the outdoors. When I was about six-and-a-half years old, my parents made the decision to move us back to Canada, so that we could be closer to family. After a brief stay with my grandparents while we were getting our footing here in Canada, we made the move to Calgary. Staying there for close to 4 years, we decided to relocate again. This time, we moved to Edmonton, which is where we've been ever since. After the amount of time I've spent in Edmonton, this city has become home for me, but thanks to our frequent moves, I have been able to get used to the process. Major changes in my environment were not uncommon for me as I was growing up - I went to three different elementary schools over the course of my elementary education, for example - and because of this, as well as the frequent moves, I have gained the ability to acclimatize to changing circumstances very quickly. So, while it might not have been the most enjoyable experience at the time, as I reflect on those experiences, I am grateful for them.
I am very interested in languages. I was exposed to a variety of languages at a young age, due to my multi-lingual family. Thanks to living in Germany for several years, I was able to speak both German and English when I was young; however, since moving back to Canada and not practicing it, I've forgotten much of it. I hope to re-learn it soon, however. In addition to German and English, I was exposed to Arabic through my mother and grandparents, so I know a few words here and there. Maybe one day I'll learn it fluently, but right now I would like to focus on maintaining and improving my French (which I had the privilege to learn at school and later university), as well as re-learning German. The thought of being able to communicate in a variety of languages is very appealing to me, and looking at how multi-cultural Canada is, aptitude in various languages can certainly come in handy.
Another one of my hobbies is reading; I love to read, both fiction and non-fiction. One of my favourite categories is historical fiction, with books such as Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott or Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini. I also really enjoy the Sherlock Holmes stories, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I also enjoy reading biographical books. I also enjoy listening to classical music. I am quite fond of the works of Handel, with Messiah being my favourite, but I like Bach's work, as well.
Recently, I also took up Historical European Martial Arts, focusing on rapier fencing during the Renaissance period. Check out the picture to the right to see my sword! I had tried a beginner's course on the traditional style of fencing when I was young, but this wasn't quite what I had hoped it would be. Recently, I came across Historical Eurpoean Martial Arts, and historical fencing, where they go back to the treatises themselves and rediscover how fencing was taught and done in the old days - not in an actual combat situation (thankfully), merely as a hobby. I managed to find a gentleman in Calgary that teaches how to fight with the rapier (and many other historical weapons). Have a look at his website to find out more. I've always been interested in swords from a young age; my great-grandfather was actually in a fencing fraternity when he was at university - must run in the family! Maybe my interest was also fanned by the swashbuckler movies. On that subject, I'm also fond of older movies (i.e. films from before 1960). Two of my favourites are Ben-Hur (1959) with Charlton Heston and Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) with Jose Ferrer.
Lastly, I also enjoy travelling. Due to my father's work, we had the opportunity to travel around much of Europe. I'd like to go back to Europe again and see some of the art and architecture, now that I have a better appreciation for the history (for example, the Renaissance, and all of the artwork from that period). I also enjoy Arabic food. This is due largely in part to my grandparents, and the fond memories I have of the healthy table of food they always prepared when we went over. I hope to master as many of the dishes that I've grown to love as I can - I've already begun to master hummus! In addition to this, I like Escape Rooms, puzzles, riddles, and boardgames like Pandemic, Scrabble and Risk.