Notes to Self

Safa

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Notes to Self is a documentary‑style podcast rooted in the notes I collect on my phone and elsewhere — the moments, questions, and half‑formed thoughts that linger. Together, we follow where those notes lead, into the real stories of living, working, and figuring things out far from home.

30 juin

Ep6 On Music as a Second Language: regulation, expression, and connection

This episode moves through the places where music has helped me reach my inner world and translate it into something I could share. You’ll hear the first song I ever wrote, and we’ll revisit a 20-year-old playlist, early musical memories, and the ways sound has helped me regulate emotions long before I understood it. I open up about my middle school choir songs — the ones that alienated me from singing — and I share Sumeyya’s voice note about growing up with similar experiences on the other side of the planet. I also look at how music supported me in the aftermath of October 2023: the drummers at Berlin demos whose rhythms steady my body, the resistance songs that opened a whole world of connection for me, and the quiet ways music continues to translate experiences that words can’t hold. This episode is a reflection on how music has carried me, clarified me, and stayed with me across time. Many thanks to TorGado for composing the music just for this podcast. Art from my sketchbook. Instagram: @notestoselfpod All links: https://linktr.ee/NotestoSelfPod

43 min
22 juin

Ep5 On Grassroots Fundraising: community-led care and material support

In this episode, I sit down with Ash and Nassim to talk about the steady, deliberate work of grassroots fundraising — the kind that grows out of relationships, trust, and the conscious decision to stay engaged even when it’s difficult. Their Berlin‑based initiative* sells artisanal goods at markets around the city, using every Euro to support families they’re directly connected to in Gaza and, when needed, beyond. What they’ve built is not a simple project, rather, it’s a mutual aid structure shaped by care. We talk about how their work began, how they organize together in practice, and the moments where they’ve seen the most impact. We also explore what it means to build community care in a political climate that often feels hostile to Palestinian visibility and how they navigate that tension with clarity and intention. What moved me most is that Ash and Nassim don’t do this professionally, they volunteer their time and energy. Their resolve is rooted in humanity and the courage to stay present. They share what it’s like to be in ongoing contact with families living through genocide in Gaza: the discomfort of not always knowing the right words, the inevitability of making mistakes, and the commitment to center the people whose needs are most urgent. Their honesty stayed with me long after the conversation ended. This episode is about fundraising, yes — but it’s also about responsibility, connection, and the ongoing work of caring across borders while tending to one’s own capacity. It’s a conversation about what it means to show up consistently, when the stakes are real and the relationships are lifelines. *We intentionally left the name of the initiative out for privacy reasons. Many thanks to TorGado for composing the music just for this podcast. Art from my sketchbook. Instagram: @notestoselfpod All links: linktr.ee/NotestoSelfPod

52 min
15 juin

Ep4 On My Identity Crisis: external projections, Orientalism, and post-9/11

Here I trace the long, complicated arc of an identity crisis that began in childhood, in the misunderstandings and misreadings that quietly shaped how I learned to see myself. I talk about how hard it can be to unlearn the stories we never chose. The episode quotes Edward Said’s “Orientalism” to make sense of the context in which I was emerging and the larger forces that had already been shaping the lens through which others inevitably saw me. I revisit the post‑9/11 moment, which was a time when Arab and Muslim identities were cast under intense suspicion, to understand how those pressures deepened the fracture between how the world saw me and how I wanted to be seen. This is about the complex realities of defining yourself after years of being named by others, the tension between internal truth and external projection, and the slow process of self-awareness. Many thanks to TorGado for composing the music just for this podcast. Art from my sketchbook. Instagram: @notestoselfpod All links: linktr.ee/NotestoSelfPod

48 min
1 juin

Ep3 On Mutual Aid: diaspora Palestinians speak on duty, resistance, and supporting people in Gaza

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Raya and Mira from Turab Mutual Aid — a volunteer‑run, diaspora‑led initiative providing monthly financial support to five families in Gaza. Founded in October 2023, Turab is built on a simple but powerful commitment: offering families in Gaza a reliable, consistent stipend every month. Raya and Mira share how Turab came to life and the principles that shape their approach. They speak about the sense of duty that keeps them moving, and what it means to show up for Palestinians in Gaza. We get a privacy-conscious glimpse into some of the families they’re supporting, and learn more about their realities and needs. This episode is both an invitation and a resource; a space to learn, reflect, and consider the many ways each of us can contribute to sustaining Palestinian life in Palestine. GET INVOLVED! Turab is also looking for support in Arabic or English to expand its social media content. If you have ideas, a knack for content creation, and would like to voluntarily offer your skills and camaraderie please reach out to turab.collective@proton.me Explore and contribute to Turab Mutual Aid via Chuffed chuffed.org/project/turab-mutual-aid Check out Turab Mutual Aid on Instagram @turabmutualaid Many thanks to TorGado for composing the music just for this podcast. Art from my sketchbook. Instagram: @notestoselfpod All links: linktr.ee/NotestoSelfPod

50 min
25 mai

Ep2 On Visiting the Dome of the Rock: one diaspora Palestinian's experience through dispossession, reconnection, and the wasp's nest

In this emotional episode, I give you a glimpse into my 7 attempts to reach the Dome of the Rock. It was my first time in Palestine as a diaspora Palestinian, and the closest I’ve ever been to something I’ve yearned for my whole life. Along the way, I stumble upon checkpoints, a “wasps’ nest” of soldiers, a far-right minister, and the strange tension between the privilege I hold and the things I’m deprived of. Inside, I try to make sense of beauty, fear, longing, and what it means to finally stand where my family once prayed. Note: in the episode when I describe the Al‑Aqsa compound/Noble Sanctuary (الحَرَم الشَّرِيف or الأَقْصَى) I refer to it throughout as ‘the Temple Mount’ to make sure listeners understand, but that is actually the Judeo-Christian term, and I want to make sure that is clear. Check out Instagram for photos of some of the sights I described: @notestoselfpod Lecture performance of Donatella Della Ratta mentioned in the episode: https://www.youtube.com/live/i9o_FYQevJ8?t=360&is=OeLnRgxIy5kyLsg0 (06:00-31:00) Many thanks to Baba for agreeing to be featured reciting Al Fatiha, to Gad for providing feedback, and to TorGado for composing the music just for this podcast. Art from my sketchbook. All links: linktr.ee/NotestoSelfPod

56 min
19 mai

Ep1 On Unemployment: privilege, purple squirrels, and pizza

Here, I explore the emotional and practical realities of unemployment. I break down what I learned from my job search (including an analysis of 40 rejection emails) and what those patterns revealed about the systems we’re navigating. Nina, Amber, and Louise join me to talk about privilege, purple squirrels, imposter syndrome, and pizza… and how all of it contributes to the way we move through work and beyond. This episode offers solidarity, but also a reminder that detours aren’t failures. They’re openings. And sometimes the path you didn’t choose becomes the one that shows you what you’re capable of. Many thanks to Lou for providing feedback on the podcast concept and this episode, and to TorGado for composing the music just for this podcast. Instagram: @notestoselfpod All links: linktr.ee/NotestoSelfPod

44 min
11 mai

Ep0 Introduction to Notes to Self

Episode 0 is an introduction to Notes to Self: who I am, why I’m making this, and the tiny, ridiculous, beloved memories that shape us — including a man in a Batman suit and two Pink Pony Club karaoke scenes I can’t seem to let go of. It’s a soft beginning to a podcast about the inner worlds we carry. Many thanks to Lou for providing feedback on the podcast concept and this episode, and to TorGado for composing the music just for this podcast. Follow along for the next episode, which I plan to release in the coming days. Instagram: @notestoselfpod All links: linktr.ee/NotestoSelfPod

12 min

7 épisodes

Notes to Self is a documentary‑style podcast rooted in the notes I collect on my phone and elsewhere — the moments, questions, and half‑formed thoughts that linger. Together, we follow where those notes lead, into the real stories of living, working, and figuring things out far from home.

Création

Safa
Années d’activité

2 k
Épisodes

7
Classification

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Copyright

© Safa
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Notes to Self