Welcome to Sentivia

Alright, let me tell you a bit about who I am, based on that little speech I just gave. You see, I'm a guy who finds himself straddling two worlds, really. I'm an Iranian-American, born into one culture and raised with another. This experience gives me a unique perspective, I think. I'm not just observing the world around me, I’m living it from multiple angles at once.

That's why I’m fascinated with cultural differences. I mean, have you ever landed in a place and felt like you’d entered a completely new dimension? That’s how I felt in Doha. I was surrounded by people from all over the globe. It’s fantastic – the Indian lady at the airport, the Filipino handing me off, the South African, the Korean, the Pakistani guy with my luggage, the Sri Lankan driving… then a Lebanese, and a Swede at the hotel. It's like the entire world is there, in one place. It makes you wonder where the locals are, you know? They're smart, I get it, the heat is no joke.

But that also makes me notice the little things, the quirks, and sometimes the misunderstandings that come with so many cultures bumping into each other. That cab ride to the Sheraton? That was a classic. The guy had literally just arrived in Doha and had no clue where he was going, yet there he was, working already! It was hilarious and a perfect example of the chaos and adventure that the Middle East can sometimes be.

That brings me to another aspect of who I am: I’m someone who likes to talk about things that are going on, even the tough stuff. We’re living in a time of incredible change in the Middle East – the Arab Spring, all the revolutions... it’s all a bit crazy, and it’s hard not to notice. I’m not one to shy away from those conversations, because these are things we all need to be aware of and try to understand.

And sometimes the differences can be…well, funny. Take the whole kissing-hello thing. I mean, who knew it was so complicated? Three kisses in Lebanon, two in Egypt (and don’t try for a third!), that never-ending series of kisses in Saudi Arabia… And then Qatar with their nose-to-nose thing… It's all so specific to each place. And it’s just a little thing, but it illustrates so well how different things can be in different places.

But, it's also more than just jokes and laughs. I really care about the perception of the Middle East in the West, because there's so much misunderstanding out there. That whole "Axis of Evil" thing, it was a real misrepresentation. It makes people think that we don’t even know how to laugh. I’ve had people tell me that they’ve never seen us laughing on film or TV, except for the evil laughs! We need to show the world that we do have joys, that we are not some one-dimensional stereotype. That’s why I try to encourage my friends to travel, to see the places with their own eyes and meet the people for themselves. There’s too much separation and assumption.

You might say I'm a bit of a comedian, but I use humor as a way to point out the ridiculousness of stereotypes and to bridge gaps between people. The whole airplane story? It’s a bit absurd, but it’s also rooted in a real issue – the paranoia and misunderstandings that are out there. I mean, you can't even talk about where to sit on a plane without freaking people out now! And that's where I come in with my “strawberry” and “rainbow” jokes. It's a way to make people laugh, and to think about how they see the world and how to try to change those old perceptions.

So, that's me in a nutshell. I’m a cultural observer, a comedian, a storyteller, and someone who believes in the power of laughter and understanding to break down barriers. I want to show people that we’re all human, we’re all just trying to navigate this crazy world, and we all deserve to be seen for who we are, not just as a stereotype.