“If we look at the world today, the tribulations, the trials, and every war that we have, we will see that every bit of human suffering is rooted in human hearts. The reason people are aggressive against other people is due to diseases of the heart: covetousness, the desire to conquer, the desire to exploit other people, and the desire to steal their natural resources are all from diseases of the heart. A sound heart cannot commit such acts. Every murderer, every rapist, every idolater, every foul person, every person showing an act of cruelty has a diseased heart because these actions emanate from diseased hearts. If the hearts were sound, none of these actions would be a reality. Therefore, if we wish to change our world, we cannot go about it by attempting to rectify the outward; rather, we change the world by rectifying the inward because it is the inward that precedes the outward.” ~ Mat-hartul Qulub or Alchemy of the Heart by Shaykh Muhammad Maulud al-Musawir al-Ya’qubi from Mauritania on the importance of transforming the heart.
Take a minute and imagine a world without borders. A world where we embraced our similarities rather than our differences. A world where we let go of our prejudices and preconditioning.
Then, imagine a space of healing. A space where we embrace life’s alchemy. A space of peace.
Welcome to my digital space
Taste Culture is an online hub for human connection, and through that connectivity we become travellers for world peace.
My aim is to inspire you to try new things, find spiritual renewal and move out of your comfort zones.
Come and Enjoy A Lil Taste of Kulcha!
Consider Subscribing
Philosophy as a student in the school of life
Nothing excites me more than discovering life’s purpose or the Anima Mundi, developing a better character, transforming my inner world and bringing a little spiritual ruckus into the world.
I’m a unique individual made up of many beautiful stories. As a student of life, every new person I meet or new cultures I encounter offers me new ways of learning, growing and thriving on my quest to unleash my inner alchemy.
For me, we are all full-time travellers. Simply put, the journey isn’t about moving from one place to another – it’s about a state of consciousness, a state of fearlessness, a state of mind.
This is where I share lessons and tales from the road, cultural findings as well as interviews with inspiring spiritual travellers. If you’re ready to harmonise yourself so that together we can harmonise the world, you’re in the right place.
Let’s shake the world up a bit, shall we?
How Taste Culture came about
In 2006, I travelled to Lebanon. Even though racism is nothing new to me, when I arrived in Beirut I was confronted with a reality that shook me to the core. Quickly, I learned that anger, rage and hatred was the wrong way to express my discontent.
In 2009, after a two-month meditation in search of a better way of communicating my outrage, Taste Culture was born. My aim was to expose the Lebanese public to the rich cultural diversity of migrant workers from Africa and Asia. By organising public discussions between migrant community leaders and Lebanese, I promoted a healthy dialogue on racism.
On Labour Day in May 2009, I launched the first public food festival at the Souk el Tayeb in downtown Beirut. The following year, in 2010, Taste Culture hosted the first African dance party during our 24/7 Campaign. In a country where migrant workers and locals don’t mix, we tore down those borders and provided a space for all to have fun regardless of class or race.
In an attempt to expand Taste Culture’s vision, I produced the 7Keeleh series. The monthly open mic event provided a platform for musicians, poets and spoken word artists.
Taste Culture Founder
My name is Simba Shani Kamaria Russeau and I’m an award-winning self-taught multimedia storyteller using the sacred art of storytelling to heal and repair one’s dignity.
I am also a photography monk, a DJ, a seeker of life, publisher and creator of Migrant Stories. At the moment, I live in Southeast Asia. Pleasure to meet you.
During my late teens and mid 20′s, I was homeless for seven years and cleaned homes. During that time, I consciously surrendered to life’s lessons.
Stripped of what little belongings I had, I realised that worldly honours and possessions can be here today and lost tomorrow. In hindsight, those seven years of living on the streets brought me the most bliss. Daily, I was in connection with life’s alchemy.
- Humility came in the form of being a beggar and house cleaner.
- Adventure was achieved in experimenting with dance, poetry, journalism and photography.
- Inner strength developed by risking pennies for a bigger dream.
- Letting the wind decide when and where my next destination would be resulted in patience and trust.
- Fear of the unknown brought transformation.
- Pain was the realisation that I was ignoring my soul’s contract.
- Love manifested out of ritualising my daily acts.
- Shock came from giving birth to DJ Samba Sim and discovering my turntable skillz
- The bricks others threw, became my foundation.
- Healing came from listening to other people’s stories.
For now, that’s it!