I am also an ailurophile and a recipe for cultural confusion. Growing up in multiple countries wasn’t easy but having lived between cultures has taught me plenty. Some of you may not have heard of the term or met a TCK (Third/Fourth Culture Kid) in your workplace or institution but I am an Adult TCK. Having had a parent in the foreign service, I grew up in transit and learnt to speak several different languages. Home is an opaque concept to us. It is not defined by nationality, heritage, birthplace or passport countries. It is shaped by multiculturalism, scattered memories, loved ones, and shared experiences with individuals who understand our unique but difficult journey. Stories can’t be gleaned from outward appearances, accent/s or a site. I hope to continue using my experiences to reach out to communities most vulnerable.
When I am not at work, you will find me: Spending time with my feline family, going on and on about my love affair with Persian, Bengali, Arabic, and Japanese literature, somewhere in nature – objecting to how much we are destroying it, walking by the shores, doing yoga, reading, going through medical journals and pretending to be a doctor, writing, judging moot court competitions, including Jessup, listening to 70s/80s music, indulging in heavy sarcasm and assisting my mother with her NGO in Dhaka.
Additionally, I am an avid cyclist, and cricket enthusiast and occasionally ride horses. I also volunteer for non-profit organisations and currently working on a book.
Academic/research interest
Concentrates on decolonisation, histories of colonialism, medical and healthcare law, Environmental Health, intellectual property law (including biotechnology, trade secrets, patent litigation, trademark and copyright), cybersecurity and AI, human rights, national security and criminal justice systems.
Do get in touch if you would like to exchange ideas and share stories over tea, know more, or simply say hello. I prefer the “offline” world but feel free to say hi on social media; Facebook/Twitter: Afifa Waheed and do visit the gallery.