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Masuma Ahuja

Masuma Ahuja

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and strategist working on solutions to systemic problems; author of "Girlhood" and forthcoming "The Infrastructure of Belonging"

Jun 11, 2026

25:16
That's an interesting metaphor, Ashley, like in intro teaser to the free gym session.
25:27
it's a thing I feel like people have and I don't know I'm curious if you feel this way where I think about this a lot of like it feels like people have forgotten how to talk to strangers and to each other and I'm in the UAE and it's a much more I think it's a country where people are much more like accustomed to talking to each other and everything here is very relational and trust-built so that the idea of like having a meal with someone is easier but I spent the last many years in London and I think about like pre-COVID what my life looked like.
25:57
And I remember in 2019, I was traveling and I always think about this.
26:02
I was in Beirut and I was in a restaurant and I had like, I had heard a lot about it.
26:08
It was one of those like bougie, vibey places that was like going around.
26:11
And people kept telling me to check it out.
26:12
And so I went before the dinner rush and I'm sitting at the bar I've ordered.

34 MINS LATER

60:39
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