CulturalFest Preview: A glimpse into Libya
A representative from the Libya booth at the CulturalFest Expo shares insight into Libyan history, geography, and more.
CulturalFest, FIUTS' annual celebration of all things global on the University of Washington campus, is coming up on February 14 and 15. Over the next few weeks, we'll be profiling some of the many student volunteers who make CulturalFest happen, asking them each the same series of questions to learn more about where they're from and what they hope to share about their country or culture.
The CulturalFest Expo provides a unique opportunity to connect face-to-face with students from parts of the world that most people usually only learn about from news reports. This week, we are excited to share a brief interview with Suhaib, who is from Benghazi, Libya and who will be leading the Libya booth at the CulturalFest Expo on February 14.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Suhaib Borgeia. I am a UW graduate student. I am from Benghazi, the second largest city in Libya. I was born there, and I am here for higher education.
What will CulturalFest visitors be able to see and do at your booth to learn about Libya?
Visitors will be able to look at artifacts, learn about Libyan history, listen to music, and see traditional dress.
A photo of Benghazi, Libya, where Suhaib is from
What do you most want people to know about Libya?
I would love them to know about our traditional food, and how our food is influenced by the Italian culture, because the Italians were in Libya for a long time, so our food is kind of a mixture between Arabic and south European!
In terms of geography, Libya is in a unique position between Europe and Africa, and also has the longest Mediterranean coast among all the north African countries. I also want to mention the Roman ruins, and talk about the Green Mountain in the eastern part of Libya too.
I would also like people to know about the Libyan occupation time by the Italians; then independence when Libya was a kingdom; the dictatorship time; and finally our great revolution that toppled that brutal regime.
If someone was going to travel to Libya, where would you recommend they visit?
Well, Libya has the longest stretch of beach in Northern Africa, and also has some of the best kept and untouched ancient Roman ruins. Libya has various climates and geographical regions- so you can see beaches, mountains, deserts and forest. Khums has beautiful beaches, Yefren has beautiful Mountains, and Tripoli has beautiful old architecture.
If someone wanted to know more about Libya, beyond what we hear in the news, what books, movies, or websites would you recommend? Read more about CulturalFest here.
Movie: Lion of the Desert
Book: History of Modern Libya by Dirk Vandewalle
When you first arrived at the University of Washington, what surprised you the most about the local Seattle area/culture?
I was surprised at how people here smile a lot for each other. This is so good for me when I go out and see so many people smiling, even if I don’t know them!
Also, I like the way people here express their emotions and talk about their personality.
Moreover, I like how beautiful the streets are here, and how nice it is that people are so concerned about keeping them clean and nice.
Thank you, Suhaib!
The CulturalFest Expo takes place on February 14 from 11:00-3:30 at the University of Washington HUB. It is a free, family-friendly event at which students from around the world will lead activities and teach visitors about different aspects of their countries and cultures. Over 30 world regions will be represented