Thoughts in Strange Times

I am truly amazed by what is happening around me, from political reactions and decisions to how people react towards them.  I disapprove a lot of them and no matter where I look I don’t find much of common views. Unless, I look at the conspiracy believers; I don’t really agree with their reasons but oddly, I find their perspective calming :)  (they are among few ones that are more critical to “THE” solution).  

I am most triggered by the condescendence, privileged arrogance, lack of critical thinking, aggressivity, support for dictatorship, lack of sensitivity towards other realities and contexts, fear, paranoia, etc. of so many people around (offline or online).

The world reduced suddenly to one virus and a pandemic.

It actually did- nothing else seems to matter or is discussed anymore. The world became in large extension a voluntary prison and there is little opposition to it (from the “prisoners” themselves). NO, I don’t imply that the suffering of people being affected by the virus is not important but I do imply that there are so many other issues and sufferings which are not being discussed, addressed or they are plainly and intentionally ignored.

We are following every day numbers, in our countries and worldwide- we care about them, we get concerned and worried and we reflect a lot on them. But we don’t follow other numbers at all, nothing else seems to matter anymore or to simply exist for many of us – and by doing this we don’t really reflect on the bigger picture and how so many other numbers might matter more (if not now, maybe later).  (Of course every number matters, especially when this number reflects people’s lives and sufferings – and every person’s pain matters the most to that person – but, if this would have been the reference point for the decisions taken in these times, they would have been different, isn’t it?)

We think short term, because we have uncertainty of long term; not only short term – we also think in selfish terms.

There is virus with no vaccine and treatment. Solution – let’s put the world on hold until we figure out what can we do about it!

 

Really? Who can do that and who benefits from that? Well, the privileged ones! Who decided that- also the privileged ones! Who can stop indefinitely (or at least for couple of months) and still be able to hold a dignified life? Privileged people and privileged regions/countries!

The same people become the biggest soldiers of “hold the planet” measures: from extreme mania and rage towards whomever is disobeying, to a complete lack of critical perspective on such measures. 

This solution, according to me, was based on fear and panic at high level – and was very fast adopted and accepted as “THE” solution by most of the states in the world. Once on this high road seems to me, that we left behind the critical perspective (or thinking in general) and exploration of other possible solutions.

It is this or nothing! 

Even if at the moment, appears to be based only on projection and estimations (which often differ and are not the most objective) and not anymore on present reality!

The IF mentality is ruling us: if we don’t do this, it will be like this; if we do this it will be like this- which basically makes us run in circles!

But how can be “this or nothing”? The world can actually stop for few months – like it just took a long sleep and then we wake up and we go on as usually? Some of us can do that, but are we the majority in the world? Or, in our own countries? I don’t think so.

What about the others? What about numbers of people living in poverty (also extreme poverty) or just with subsistence lives? What about people without houses? What about people from poor countries that cannot support their citizens? What about people with “non-essential” life styles? What about people with medical conditions that are not “urgent”? What about people living with their abusers right now? What about…and …and…

What about them? Are they going to “wake up” from this couple of shut down months and go on with their lives? Are they going to still be there? Alive?

Is there anybody counting that? If now it is so much about projections and estimations can somebody please estimate how many people will be severely affected by this lock down?

Is there anybody drawing lines and estimating how many people might die from this virus

-         In a lock down context?

-         In a not lock-down context?

AND compare them to how many people might starve, loose their homes, live on streets, be abused, malnourished, die, etc.

-         In a lock down context?

-         In a not lock-down context?

It is just me that thinks we might lose more people in our societies with a lock-down approach? It is just me that thinks about other numbers and people that might not be able to do that? 

It is just me that is amazed on how one panic solution become the unchallenged norm at this level?

After 10 years...personal insights!

I was "hunted" to write this article pretty intensively at the beginning of this year …Maybe it was the 10 years itch or something like this!

Yeah, I did have melancholy and nostalgia moments and intense reflections on how my life changed or is after that trip I started 10 years ago and although, I postponed and I didn’t feel so intensive the need to write anymore, I still want to do it!

This blog started little more than 10 years ago, with a clear purpose to showcase my trip around the world, or so it was the plan at that time! Going over the first article now posted here is really giving me goosbumps …literally!

http://trusting-the-sparkling-life.blogspot.com/2008/01/dont-ask-what-world-needs-ask-what.html

It is bordering sadness, but more in the melancholically way the fact that the people I wrote that first article to, are mostly not in my life anymore…I changed, they changed and…. Well, we didn’t meet anymore!

I did had all those things I went looking for and even more  ….this was my heroine’s journey somehow! I allowed myself everything, no borders and limits, no plans, just to go with the flow, following my instincts and expand my limits- what an amazing journey!

Before I started that trip I was starving for other travellers stories- on those days they were few, rare and precious. Now – don’t know how but I have the feeling everyone is doing a trip like this – maybe I am just an old generation representative not been able to keep up with the fantastic progress that social media broth to humanity. Maybe! But I still think less is more and the inflation of all world travellers didn’t increase any feelings in me- it just bores me extremely! When I was devouring blogs of fellow travellers I was really feeding with their energy and it charge my batteries to start same trip, which I did!

I want to mention Kinga FreeSpirit (a polish hitch hiker who travelled the world alone and not only) - her trip was a true inspiration! The movie that her mother and HBO did on what happened after her death is ….a true disappointment!

Reflecting as well, on the fact that in the last 4 years, I posted nothing on this blog I am really kind of ashamed on myself , not for what any follower (which I guess is about zero) might think about me-  but recently I noticed that my so called “elephant” memory is fading- so many cool stories of my life got little bit lost or messed up. I used to brag I don’t have any regrets in my life – well I still kind don’t have BUT really, I do admit I regret I didn’t write more during my travels- didn’t have to be published online ,just to write! What a pity!

When I re-read this article again for example

http://trusting-the-sparkling-life.blogspot.ro/2008/05/story-of-georgian-border-and-romanian.html it was like - did I wrote that?  I almost forgot about that whole story and this article broth it back to me…so yeah- I was very busy experiencing these last 10 years and less busy documenting (at least for myself) and….oh what I did experienced in all these years!

Brief summary of the last 10 years 

• Didn’t actually travel around the world in that trip – priorities changed on the way and I was flexible enough! 
• I left as a rather innocent, optimist and free of fears person but didn't remain like that until the end/now . Maybe it was the maturing process, getting into real adulthood, facing all sorts of situations, being let down when you expect least, etc...I often try to get some of that spirit back in my life now as well.
• I transformed my life in such way that I continued to do this trip in different forms professionally afterwards- I visited and explored places in this world much more after the “official” trip finished and I went back home. Once you become a nomad you kind of stay nomad- it is a fact (for the moment) 
• I lived in 2 countries which I consider my homes (both of them) but I think at this stage I cannot really say I know them very well anymore (I mean their culture and so). They changed in the last years more than my speed to comprehend – but they are my homes (…this does make sense for me);
• I became more radical than ever before on some of the values I follow- which leaded to shortening of the number of people around me. (Although very well could be other reasons for this high turnover of friends in my life). There are articles on this blog that dont reflect my views at the moment - i dont delete them because they are a live testimony how these things change and evolve - is all a continue process!
• Professionally, I am less willing to make compromises and I involve only in projects in which I believe. It passed the time when I said yes to almost every project adventure/proposal because there were a learning experience in it – I did learned a lot from all of them and I am using those learnings now!
• I tolerate less shit from people in my life and I am less eager to be patient with things that cross the limit of my spiritual safety. Some things are just not –negotiable – no matter what reasons, explanations or whatever is on the other side (or in general)– NOT-NEGOTIABLE!
• As you grow older you notice less and less odd people around you same age and more and more “normalised” ones…makes you wonder – to be nonconformist is really harder once you go over a certain age or people just give up on whatever different world view they had after a while because of “something”?
• Love “fucked” my life- in all honesty – my life was fantastic before I become crazy in love…all the emotional troubles came afterwards (again and again) – I have no regrets here, is not like I could control anything I just point out my observation!
• “Women who run with the wolves” – saved my soul life (2 times already and is my annual medicine) 
• “Factufullnes” – is still saving my mind life and I hope it will become my regular sanity drug as well!
• I became a runner- did my first full marathon one month ago – this journey from a runner hater to a runner lover is a story in itself – some stuff really go beyond our limited brain comprehensibility! I am still amazed that I am runner now- like really, me??? I will love to get in touch with some of my sport teachers from primary and high school – they might get a heart attack from the shock of this news;)
• I become almost a full time vegetarian …yeah that’s another story but I am pretty sure I used to say at some point in my life I cannot live without meat!
• I am rather a loner now …maybe comes with age maybe not…is just who I am now and is funny that people have a hard time to accept this – thinking that I am like that forced by faith not by choice – oh they are funny!
• 10 years from now everything can be totally, but totally different than now! It is very funny when thinking about it - people say and said all the time about me that I am super stubborn and difficult to deal with but hey I did change a lot and i will change- even if I don't actually want it!

I did nothing fantastic with my life- I know the term fantastic is very relative but from my own standards I didn’t leave any significant print on the life so far ….the world is huge and big and my work and my whatever is not even zero.something % impacting it ….but guess what- very few of us (humans) can actually do that. Factufullness in practice – putting numbers in perspectives - few people change the world big time (like zero.something from world population) so I am in the standards …and if I do want to compare with other groups (on smaller scale) I could easily make myself some sort of outlier (which I will not). Just want to point out …my life has been just a life of a person which generally followed her instincts, didn’t turn back from hard situations and trials of life, and just continue to do same. 

I had some very bitter lessons from the life in these 10 years:

• Somebody can be your best friend and be there for you’re no matter what ……until they are not anymore!
• True love exists and it is not only one and of course, you will love forever somebody (and the person will love you forever) ……until we/they will not anymore!
• You change without planning to change…same as the people around you and usually the world- there is absolutely no constant that you count on in the life! 
• Life goals are good but they are not the end and they will change – allow yourself the freedom to enjoy new goals and roads in your life!
• World could be quite a hard place to live having in mind the previous points

I wonder if all these count as cynical perspectives on life or just realistic bites ;)

This year I want to go back to Turkey (my second home) and India (http://trusting-the-sparkling-life.blogspot.ro/2009/02/india-like-street-dog.html).

Turkey trip I managed to postpone for couple of months but India one it will happen soon- almost exactly 10 years from the last one!  

The experience I had there is the “black hole” of my world trip, my boiling point, my pain and my lowest point and I am so ready for a new and I guess different experience of India now – because I am soo different now! I am really looking foward for it! Really ;)

I truly hope I will write more from now on...here or just in some notebooks...after all I know better now!
Reading again all the text seems I just did a big ode to Change (everything changes , all the time) - yeah like isn't obvious enough!

But thank you!

Dear African friend – did YOU know that Africa is not a country?

“Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts.”

                                                                                                                                         E. B. White

 

(this image is from http://teenskepchick.org/2011/06/13/logic-me-this-hasty-generalization/ )

This article represents the burst of some of the frustrations I have from my interactions with various friends/acquaintances of African origin! This article is dedicated to them – although I think they will not really get it until they will go out of their countries for a while (at least)!!!

Or maybe is more for me to make my frustration public in order for me to let it go and move on!

I am Romanian – but believe me I am in no way representing with my beliefs and life style most of Romanians. If you meet me you have a small piece of Romanian information through me but only that. I’m well aware of that and I am careful not to talk in the names of Romanians – “we Romanians are like that or like that” although maybe in some instances I might have some right to say stuff like that- when I do it – I try to have it based on as many facts and information as possible – and preferable as many personally experiences.

Now- Romania is in Europe as continent but Romanians are different than other people in Europe – that’s the way it should be, right? When I grow up I never had this European identity developed in me- the system I grow up in didn’t feed such feeling – for me Europe (from growing up in Romania) seemed always a very divers land and indeed once I started explore it with my work and my travels it proved to be exactly like that.

Yes- I follow the news, I want to know what is happening around me, the developments in various countries but what these news give me as information are maybe some aspects related to the political and social situations in those countries (which can be anyway biased or corrupted) and little to nothing about the culture of those countries.

After all these years of working and experiencing on different levels “Europe” (West, East, South, little bit North)…I have almost nothing that I could say “we Europeans are like that or like that”- not in terms of cultural aspects at least. Oh yeah – they are some similarities among some Eastern, among some Western, Nordics, etc. but then again that’s not all Europe no? Even those they don’t really apply so much to everybody!

 (this image is from http://ac2013.eu/annual-congress-2013/trainings/typical-european-coping-with-stereotypes-intercultural-communication/ ) 

 

First time outside of European continent I end up in “ASIA” –better said South Asia (Sri Lanka, India, and Bangladesh). In these countries the people I interacted with had a national identity quite strong (especially in India) but not a continental one (“we Asians…”) and I never felt I am in ASIA- Asia is like that or like that! Later I discovered other countries from Asian side of the world- once again never such feeling come to me and my own mental image for Asia doesn’t really include such generalizations.

I refrain myself from generalizations – doesn’t mean is easy, and doesn’t mean I always refrained. Somehow I think people tend (me included- especially in the past) to generalize more exactly the things they know the least –“never been there – 1 example then is good for all”. Once we start to have more and more experiences (and an open enough mind) then we realize in fact how little we know and how in fact nothing that you assumed about a certain culture could be really applicable to everybody.

For me was like that – once I travelled more and more and realized how complex, divers and complicated is this world and that most of the images I had were distorted, outdated, fake, stupid, not relevant, etc. and that in fact what I thought I knew I should just unlearn it (which by the way is very hard) and just continue to explore the world as critical as possible, with as least as possible expectations and to be careful in how I talk about my experience to the others. 

 (this image is from http://johnkapeleris.com/blog/?tag=mind&paged=3)

I am no “saint” in this being objective, sensitive, politically correct game – you can just check the posts on this blog from my first trips to Asia and Africa (2008 and 2009) BUT nobody is – the point is that is a continue process to work with oneself, to become more and more critical. I suppose I am now more intercultural sensitive than in 2008 and there is a long road ahead of me in what matters my sensitivity and intercultural competences.

So what about Africa? – You know that huge continent (wrongly presented on the maps and here), very rich, very divers, et.- is Africa a country? NO, of course not, even if,  let face it many of non-Africans (I know) might talk about Africa as a country – I did it in the past – I confess!

  (these  images is from http://www.ryot.org/dear-rick-ross-africa-is-a-continent-not-a-country/227809)

First time I been to Africa (yes to Africa I said- when I went to Sri Lanka I didn’t say _ I went to Asia) I was like – Africa here I come (like I was about to conquer the whole continent in the 2-3 weeks I spend in one country) and my limited experience that I had in Ivory Coast in 2009 didn’t stop me from talking to everybody about what “I did in Africa”, to name my photo albums “Exploring Africa” and so on.

Of course the people I meet there (in Ivory Coast) helped a lot in this – “so how do you like Africa?” “First time in Africa?” “We Africans are not like you whites/Europeans, we are like that and like that”, or to find souvenirs with the African continent, etc. – it was just feeding my distorted way of perceiving my own experience.

  

(this image is from http://blog.johnrchildress.com/)

In all these years, as I mentioned before I worked with myself, and with my own intercultural sensitivity and also I continued to travel as well in different countries in Africa (Ghana, Cape Verde, Togo, Tanzania, South Africa, Ethiopia, North Africa (Libya, Morocco) – not sure where the last 2 fit in the context of this article) and I broke that bubble of “Africa”- even if I had small experiences in all these countries I know something for sure - Africa is not the same and Africans are not same!!! Of course they are not – different history, different influences, different context, different people reflects in different cultures and cultural expressions – yes they do!!!(I know I am stating the obvious but this obvious is not same for everybody that’s the thing!)

BUT strangely enough my African friends do not know that! Most of them never traveled in other African countries BUT have absolute no problem in talking in the name of all Africa and Africans!!! No problem at all!!!

  (this image is from http://thyblackman.com/2010/09/24/an-african-identity/)

 So yes- here I am working with myself, to be careful not to generalize and to present as objective and contextual as possible the experience I have on the continent and guess what - my African friends/acquaintances don’t really mind!!! More than this they actually could potential reverse my own process and go back to the way I thought before – they talk about Africa like is 1 – so is ok no? (stay strong Andreea- they are not right- you know that!!!)

Is quite intriguing the following process

• I want to be sensitive, I try to be objective and contextual as possible, not to generalize what YOU do or say, to be careful on how I think and talk about YOU

• But YOU in fact want me to do that!!! YOU want me to generalize you to everybody in your continent, YOU want me to talk about you and your country and I can just replace with the word AFRICA, YOU want me to think that what I experience in another country applies to YOU as well (Or is just what is in your country applies to the others as well not the other way around? Hmm….I’m bit confused at this part)

  (this image is from http://lifeonwry.com/2012/11/16/are-you-sure-you-want-to-do-this-gratitude-experiment-day-93/) 

Now … my dear “African” friend, are you really not aware that Africa is not a country? Are you in some sort of denial? Do you really want me to explain it to you again? But how to do it as we talked about it many times and nothing changed!!!

You, that never travelled to other countries on your continent (or just to your neighbors), that you see some news on television (and not about all countries, and not about cultural aspects), you that not even in your own country you don’t know all the cultural aspects and diversity, you, that tell me that have the right to talk in the name of all Africa? Is that so?  So what gave you this privilege – just that you are born in a country from Africa? Amazing!!!!

How come you have such a strong African identity my dear? (is a mystery to me- I guess for you too as you never managed to explain it to me in clear enough terms)

You don’t know even know how much harm you do you your dear country/ sorry continent- you feed a general image which of course is not applicable to all its people, you encourage the travelers that visit your country to generalize to everybody and they will continue to do so!

Please go and travel – please go far away from your country – please go in all the corners of your continent- please stop talking about things that you never experiences, please be critical about the news you see, please think more critical about the consequences of the way you present your country, culture, PLEASE challenge yourself…and then let’s talk about what means to be African if there is such thing as African (besides somebody living in African continent)

  (this image is from http://ikale.deviantart.com/art/Open-your-mind-271889960)

 Until that stage could you do me at least a little favor? Please don’t talk about Europeans or whites (just from the perspective of the whites or Europeans that visited your country – they are really not representative – really they are not!!!) – Believe it or not – there is no such thing as white or European culture- sooner or later you will realize that (of course if you have an open enough mind)!!! The people that are coming to your country are such a minority/they are exceptions for the fact that they even end up in your country – do you know that? Don’t make any assumptions about their people back home based on them – they will probably be wrong!!!

 (this image is from http://lovelightlaughterandchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/05/am-i-ass-or-are-you.html)

 Done- I said it – is out here online, I'm ready for whatever will come after this ;)

Feel free to approach me and we can talk more about it – if you feel like me , or you feel that I am talking about you or you just don’t feel like anything from this article!