Salma Abu Deif Instagram – Self talk to the root letter, I’m Salma, a North African, Middle Eastern, Egyptian millennial, born and raised in Cairo in 1993. I was brought up to know God through Islam in a beautiful spiritual way. I grew up to know all Fayrouz’s songs and Soaad Hosni’s and Omar el Sherif’s movies. I was raised to gather every Ramadan with my beloved ones from family and friends. I knew Ramadan’s lights and the city that never sleeps. I grew up in an Egyptian education system knowing my country’s culture and history, learning about every other colonized country in our region to the point that I got lost between all of them. I grew up knowing my beloved country through our history and people till it got embodied in us. I grew up on the note that when you are living in bad circumstances, you always give to the other and thank God anyway . I grew up on the generosity of the people in my culture, learnt as if it’s an insult not to be a good host. I grew up with a Palestinian best friend who knew nothing but pureness of hearts until she had to leave to anther country. I grew up knowing makdoos and finally got to know who Handala is, from her. I grew up knowing family always comes first. I grew up knowing betrayal is a sin, And lying is another sin. I grew up knowing pharaohs and queens until i dreamt about that they might be one of my ancestors. I grew up on Umm khalthoum and Abdelhaleem Hafez knowing that when I grew up their lyrics would hit my heart hard. And I learnt the sense of humor of Egyptians is an escape of what true reality is. I grew up on waking up and going to school at 5:00 am in the morning and next thing I see and hear on tv is mama saying “el Iraq is at war!!!!” I grew up on watching Mohamed Elduraa’s assassination in his father arms on tv on 30 September 2000 and watching kids fight with stones. I grew up knowing of a city called Tullkarm and that’s where Farah is from. I learnt that best olives is in Tulkarm but I never visited Tulkarm. I learnt new acting skills through a Jewish Colleague. And that a teacher and guru in life can be a Christian teacher or a priest. I grew up rooted in love, beauty, laughter, and faith. Who is your root self habeeby