Shukran

Back from my journey I feel full and happy. I have truly lived these days, enjoying every moment. There was a lot of time to just stare and marvel at the world. Maybe I have even gotten a little wiser by learning more about myself.

I have been friendly to people, even those who apparently wanted just more money. I guess in some situations I was deliberately dumb because I am so trusting toward everyone. But then I think that I got back home safe and the universe has watched out for me. Most people recognize my weakness in my trusty (some say naive) nature, yet I still have not met the person that really wanted me bad. Will I ever?

There really is a difference between the traveller and the tourist. The people in the desert even have a word for the tour tourists, who they call Tamalou (pronounced French, freely translated as: "where does it ache you?").

Our group has not been aching. In fact we took everything that was offered without bothering if the lemonade glass was 'european style clinically clean' or whether the fruits were a little dusty. We slept on thin mattresses and tried to learn arabic wherever we could. We have been called uncomplicated people because it was easy to make us happy. And we were happy, which I suppose is the best gift you can bring if you are a visitor.
The last thing that makes the tourist a traveller is that he is asked to come back anytime to see more. And that is a real treasure.

This alchemist once again has returned to where he started!

People

Morocco is fascinating. And it seems that I am also interesting for Moroccans. On the 8 hour train ride today from Fez to Marrakech, I had two long conversations with young Moroccans who happened to be in the same train compartment.

They started the conversations, one by handing me a funny sketch of myself and my travel companions that read 'Welcome to Morocco'. He turned out to be a policeman, fighting drugs and practicing Aikido. He was also a big fan of Obama's and had the Yes we can speech on his mobile phone. We talked in English first, switched to Spanish and said goodbye at this internet café in French.

The other conversation equally describes the kind of feeling Morocco gives me. The guy started talking to me because he thought I might want to sleep and he was taking up too much space. From his hobby of breakdancing and music the conversation turned to the Coran. I had my German-Arabic copy with me and after initial hesitation to touch it without washing himself first he showed me some passages in the book he had found important. He was eager to show me and my interest spurned him further. When I asked him to write one Sura in my little book he did so by heart.

Morocco is different from Germany in so many ways, and very different in itself. I feel humbled again by what I don't know. There is so much I still don't understand and want to learn. Inshallah, next semester the Arabic language course will help me get on with my 'studies beside my studies' :) Have a great day everybody!

Marhaba, travellers

Halfway into my great trip to Spain an Morocco I am happy and relaxed and so in love with travelling :-)

Today it is Fez for me, my friends and random traveller connaissances from Spain and Germany. We have been sleeping on hostel rooftops the last two nights in warm sleeping bags and blankets for 30 Dirham (less than 3 Euros). We have eaten well and are about to head South to Marrakech across the Atlas mountains at the border to the desert. The people and the language are wonderful, interesting. The tourist guides are less unnerving than the last time, when the hasslers almost got to me with their pushing from one shop to another.

When I get a chance I will put some pictures in my album which I have no chance for now.

Hope everybody is happy, wherever you are right now! Your place is as good as any to remember how great a planet this is :-)

On the road again

I am about to go travelling once more. Excitement is in my heart as I don't know what is waiting for me in the places I am going. Some places are familiar with good friends waiting to welcome me, some are entirely new. I feel happy and grateful to be able to do what I do, to travel and see so many amazing things. And I can't say how much I enjoy to know so many interesting people from so many different places.

Three weeks from now there are gonna be some more items in every category named above ;)

If you don't feel grateful yet, you should watch this VIDEO and if you are as happy a person as I am you should consider this:

"If being crazy means living life as if it matters then I don't care if we're completely insane." (Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road)

Enjoy your week everybody! And remember to smile :)

What if...

What if you have never tried before?
What if you don't know the steps?

What if it did not work out the last time?
What if you try again?

What if you could hurt yourself?
What if you could hurt someone else?

What if it changes your life?
What if it fails to change you?

What if you change your mind?
What if you don't want anything to change?
What if it does anyway?

What if you decide the wrong way?
What if you never decide?


Life is complicated. Let Woody Allen analyze it :)



To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy, one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down...