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I really like Portland and I do not

see myself moving from here. I

came here with my mom a year

and half ago because Burundi

was no longer safe. My sister,

who came four years earlier, told

me how great Portland is and I’m

glad I decided to come. I am

benefiting from the education

that I am receiving here, and I’m

honored to work at Coffee By

Design, an amazing coffee shop!

I love my work because I get the

opportunity to serve and talk

to a lot of wonderful customers.

Most people are surprised by the

weather—people come to Maine

for skiing in winter. I like it, too!

It was a game changer for me—I

never knew snow before I moved

here from Burundi. I enjoy

listening to songs and dancing,

and reading is also something I

enjoy doing in my free time.

Portland has the best coffee shops

and so many beautiful things.

I consider myself equally a

poet and an artist, but large-

scale paintings, eight feet or

larger, are my passion! I also

teach Arabic Calligraphy as

an art form at Maine College

of Art. I moved directly to

Portland as a refugee from

Iraq because my two sons are

here—now it’s my new home-

town. I was a prisoner of the

Iraq-Iran war for eight years. I

became a U.S. citizen on

September 16, 2011 and enjoy

Greater Portland because of

the people, the painting, and

writing, and that it is a small

city—a visitor can walk easily

and discover many interesting

things in one place. We have

the Arts District centered on

Congress Street with the

Portland Museum of Art, the

Children’s Museum and

Theatre of Maine, galleries,

Portland Public Library,

theaters etc. Incredible bars

and restaurants put Portland

among the top U.S. cities. And

of course, I love the beautiful

geography and climate.

Audiences in Greater Portland

are so enthusiastic and have

such appreciation for classical

music, which makes it a pleasure

to work here, beyond being able

to work at home (which in my

field is a luxury!). As a freelance

opera singer, I travel around

the world, and after years based

between Rome, Italy and New

York, my husband and I decided

to “come home” to Maine for our

daughter. It’s nice to be able to

absorb all that Portland offers

without having to deal with

insane traffic, subway crowds,

and packed streets. Yet, we are

strangely busier living here than

in the larger cities. I think most

are surprised that for such a

small metro area, Portland is so

progressive, with many aspects

that you could only hope to find

in a big city—you can get around

town with ease, but you have the

amazing restaurants, shops, and

experiences that usually only a

big city affords.

KIFAH ABDULLA

Artist / Poet

KATE ALDRICH

Mezzo-soprano

GREG JUKINS

Deckhand

MBONIMPA EARL-DADOU

Barista

I can see why visitors come—

Greater Portland is a good

pace because there’s a lot

going on, but it is always

changing. Visitors are amazed

how compact everything is…

there’s lots to do so close by

and everyone is friendly. The

water is my favorite thing

about this area. I am from

upstate New York, outside

Albany, where we don’t have

water like this—I love the

ocean! I first came here to

attend Bates College. After I

graduated I started working at

Casco Bay Lines, and once a

full time position opened up,

I took it. The pace is perfect…

if it was always busy or always

slow it wouldn’t be enjoyable,

but the seasonal visitors keep

it fun. I work a lot. But in my

spare time I’m outdoors

playing soccer or at the beach.

My favorite island in the

harbor is Long Island because

it is nice and quiet, it’s a great

place to walk around, and

there’s a nice beach most

people don’t know about.

PHOTOS, FROM LEFT: COY GUTIERREZ/LINDA KATE LOBSTER; VISIT PORTLAND/ROBERT WITKOWSKI (2); COURTESY OPERA MAINE/KATE ALDRICH; VISIT PORTLAND/ROBERT WITKOWSKI

VISIT PORTLAND / 7