Hello everyone, this is Nisreen — welcome to the
eighth episode of season three! It’s so lovely to speak with you again. Today,
I’d like to talk about three of my favourite books from my pre-teen or teenage
years. They may not be as internationally acclaimed as Harry Potter or The
Secret Garden, but they are wonderfully compelling stories — not only for
children, but for adults too. There are no spoilers, so please don’t worry. The thumbnail art is my fan art of Flossie Teacake's Fur Coat.
Please find the episode below, available in video on YouTube or audio on Buzzsprout. It's also on Apple Podcasts , Spotify
On 6 December 2025, I had the privilege of being invited to the Raqs Party in Bloomington, organised by Donna Carlton. The hafla/show has been held every year since 2005. It was heart-warming to be part of such a beloved event alongside the wonderful local dancers for the second time. The host dancers, All About Bellydancers, always welcome us with warm hospitality.
私は先日、2025年12月6日にブルーミントンにて、Donna Carltonさん主催のRaqs Partyというイベントにパフォーマーとしてお招きいただきました！このダンスイベントはなんと、過去20年間毎年開催されているそうで、私は2度目の参加です。とても暖かいイベントで、地元ダンサーの皆さんとご一緒できて嬉しかったです。ホストのAll About Bellydancersの皆さんはいつも優しくゲストを迎えてくださいます。
I performed a solo piece to the live music “Zeina”, played by Indy Raqs. My goal was to bring the elegance of Samia Gamal — known for performing this classic song with her distinct coquettish style — into my own dance style. It was also lovely to dance to the beautiful oud improvisation by Andy Smith.
I also had the chance to perform a group piece, “Move Your Belly”, as part of Troupe Oasis — I love the dramatic song and the choreography by Dahlena. It was a joyful experience to dance with such lovely dance mates. The drawing below is my attempt to capture the harmony we felt while performing together.
I will also share the performance videos once I have access to them!
また、Troupe Oasisの一員として、“Move Your Belly”という曲で踊りました。情熱的で私のお気に入りの曲です。振付もDahlenaさん作のとても華やかな振付で、素敵なダンス仲間の皆さんと一緒に踊るのは幸せな時間でした。
下の画像は、みんなで一緒に音楽に身を任せて踊る調和の感覚を捉えようと描いたものです。
ダンス映像をいただけましたらまたシェアいたします！
P.S- I added uploaded the video on my YouTube channel!
Hello, this is Nisreen! Welcome to episode seven of season three. Today I’m talking about the new BBC series Riot Women. It came out last month, and I loved it so much. The story follows a group of women in their forties and fifties who start a punk-rock band to reclaim their voices — classic sharp, emotional Sally Wainwright writing.
As I watched, it reminded me of NANA, the iconic 2000s manga by Ai Yazawa, which I discussed in a previous episode. The settings couldn’t be more different, yet the parallels are surprising. So today, I’ll share five reasons why NANA fans should watch Riot Women — and why Riot Women viewers might enjoy NANA. There will be spoilers, so feel free to come back later if you need to.
Please find the episode below, available in video on YouTube or audio on Buzzsprout. It's also on Apple Podcasts , SpotifyOn YouTube, I also share my process of drawing the thumbnail art for this episode.
Today, I had the privilege of being invited to a visual analysis class at a university as an artist.
The professor—who happens to be my husband—asked me to bring seven pieces of my artwork and answer questions from the students about art, sharing insights into visual language.
It was a wonderful experience to hear the students' fresh perspectives and to contribute to their education through my creations!
I’ve donated my original greeting cards and paintings to Artists for Climate Awareness (ACA), on view and available for purchase at Bloomington Fine Art Supply from December 4 2025 through January 29, 2026.
This special art sale is coordinated by Art for Earth and hosted by Bloomington Fine Art Supply, with 100% of proceeds benefiting ACA’s mission — to reverse environmental destruction and support the Earth’s healing.
Please stop by if you’re in or near Bloomington, or if you have a chance to visit!
この特別なアート販売はArt for Earthの取り仕切りにより、Bloomington Fine Art Supplyが開催しています。売上はすべて、環境破壊を食い止め地球の回復を志すというACAの活動のために寄付されます。
Hello, this is Nisreen!
Welcome to the sixth episode of season three of my podcast — it’s lovely to be speaking with you again.
Today, I’d like to talk about one of the most underrated dramas in TV history: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend! This American musical TV series was created by Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna, and it aired from 2015 to 2019. Bloom herself plays the lead role.
The show has a playful, comical tone and is packed with original musical numbers. I have to say, this seemingly light-hearted romcom is a must-watch — especially for artists. And by “artists,” I mean anyone who expresses themselves through creative work: drawing, singing, dancing, writing, or any other form of art.
In this episode, I’ll break down the reasons why I think so into five key points. I’ll avoid spoilers until the final section — and don’t worry, I’ll give you a warning before we get there!
Please find the episode below, available in video on YouTube or audio on Buzzsprout. It's also on Apple Podcasts , SpotifyOn YouTube, I also share my process of drawing the thumbnail art for this episode!
One cultural
difference I can never get over is how people in the West use the same cloth to
clean countertops and to wipe their wet hands. I know this sounds petty, but
every time I see it, my inner Japanese obāsan dies a little inside. (lol)
If you’re
not familiar with why, it’s because in Japan there are distinct terms—and
distinct cloths—for different purposes: tefuki for hands, daifuki for
the table, fukin for dishes, and zōkin for the floor or ant dusty surfaces. Think about
it: the cloth is already dirty after wiping the counter—why would you then use
it to dry your freshly washed hands or, worse, your dishes? To me, it feels
extremely unhygienic.
This
cultural difference even stirred controversy in my marriage. My husbandcomplained
that there were too many different names to keep track of. Our solution? We
bought a brightly coloured towel used only for drying hands—a visual signal to
him not to use it for anything else. Problem solved (mostly).
