Where do you live?
I live in Ayios Andreas in Nicosia, not far from the prison. I love my neighbourhood – it’s quiet and leafy. I share my home with my two dogs, Lola and Haïko, who very much run the house.

What did you have for breakfast?
Labné with olives and cucumber, and khibz markouk – very thin Lebanese flatbread.

Describe your perfect day
Honestly, my perfect day is quite close to what I’m living right now. Especially if it’s sunny. I wake up, take a shower, have breakfast and go on a walk with my dogs. Then I open my space, etxetera – lift the blinds, turn the music on, water the plants and fill the coffee machine with fresh beans. The day unfolds by welcoming people in, making them tea, a refresher or coffee, and letting them settle in and enjoy the space in their own way. I’ve dreamed of this life for many years, and now I can honestly say my everyday routine feels very close to my perfect day. I feel very lucky that this is now my reality.

Best book ever read?
I don’t really know how to answer that question. I’m usually drawn to books that accompany me through life – books that feel almost like medicine, helping me understand myself and the world a little better, and making me feel more sane and understood. I tend not to read much fiction because my mind already lives quite a lot in imagination. I look for books that ground me.
The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa stayed with me, as did The Letters of Albert Camus. Pema Chodron’s When Things Fall Apart, Esther Perel’s books, and Anxiety by Eleanor Morgan also came to me at important moments in my life.

Best childhood memory?
Rolling down the dunes and camping in the Sahara desert. And many other beautiful camping trips with my family around the world.

What is always in your fridge?
Yoghurt and oat milk. And my dogs’ food, which takes up most of the fridge space.

What music are you listening to in the car at the moment?
At the moment… Chavela Vargas, and Sade.

What’s your spirit animal?
Maybe a sea bird. I love warm weather and the sea, and I really, really wish I could fly. I’d say an albatross, but my wingspan is a bit too short – and I think they prefer colder climates.

What are you most proud of?
I’m not sure there’s one single thing. Creating etxetera is something I’m proud of. I’m proud of the person life has shaped me into. I’ve never given up on my dreams, and I’m proud of my curiosity, my capacity to love, and my constant desire to learn and discover.

What movie scene has really stayed with you?
I’m moved by scenes where you feel everything. In Vengo by Tony Gatlif, there’s a moment where they sing and dance “Arrinconamela” – it gives me goosebumps. And in Time of the Gypsies by Emir Kusturica, the dreamlike scene where Perhan stands by the river holding his turkey while the song “Ederlezi” rises. It’s haunting. It’s overwhelming!

If you could pick anyone at all (alive or dead) to go out for the evening with, who would it be?
David Attenborough, Frida Kahlo and Amy Winehouse. Three very different people, but I think it would make for a very strange and fascinating evening. Hellen Keller might be there too!

If you could time travel when/where would you go?
Probably back to my mother’s womb. I think it was very safe and warm in there. I recently had a dream where it was a law of nature that every four years we had to return to our mother’s womb for a year to rest and gather strength to face life again.

What is your greatest fear?
Probably serious illness – suffering from it myself or seeing someone I love suffer. Losing health or independence is something that frightens me.

What would you say to your 18-year-old self?
You have it in you. You’ll see.

Name the one thing that would stop you dating someone.
Emotional laziness…? A lack of curiosity about themselves, about others, about life. And unkindness, of course.

If the world is ending in 24 hours, what would you do?
I would spend that time with my parents, my brother and my dogs. I would hold them, and we would go to the mountains or the sea and watch the dogs run free.

Aila Mroué El-Bacha recently launched the etxetera collective space in Nicosia. It blends a small café with analog photography, artwear, dog goods and community events. It launched earlier this month and a calendar with upcoming workshops and events will be made public soon. Follow Aïla on Instagram. Instagram: @etxetera.cy