notes from the traveller’s christmas journal (part 7)

(Read Part 6 HERE)

Central Europe

It was reported that children had been witnessing several golden pigs running around in Central Europe on Christmas Eve. The tradition puts forward that if children can fast until dinner on Christmas Eve, they might be lucky enough to see these mysterious pigs.

It was also the only time where people attended church. It was believed that if they went to church for Christmas, it would make up for all the times they didn’t attend church throughout the year. Maybe the priests there need to walk around with umbrellas too.

Czech Republic and Slovakia, Central Europe

These golden pigs can be found in Czech Republic if you’re fast long enough. Psychologists there are still debating if it’s the result of hallucination for not eating for prolonged periods of time.

Since psychologists entered Czech Republic and Slovakia on Christmas Eve, they found another odd happening; girls threw their shoes over their shoulders repeatedly. Apparently, it was a way of finding out if they would get married soon. This worried psychologists and declared both countries are in a state of crisis.

I couldn’t work out how exactly the shoes told their future of marriage, I was too busy trying to land my eyes on one of those golden pigs!

(to be continued …)

notes from the traveller’s christmas journal (part 6)

(Read Part 5 HERE)

Philippines, Asia

After heading up to the Philippines, I thought I had missed Christmas. In the Philippines, Christmas begins in September and ends early January. I wasn’t sure if that made me late or not.

You can go to church whenever you feel like it; the masses go for nine days; however, a feast is enjoyed after which is a rather enjoyable incentive to stay until the end of the mass.

Most people had left the church before it ended; those who stay received the ‘good news’ at the end. Harsh, but true, patience pays off usually.

Most children in the Philippines lose their shoes on Christmas as they believe by putting their shoes outside; the Three Kings will put gifts in them. However, it seemed as if the Three Kings took the shoes instead. I didn’t see them in the act, but it was later reported that thieves heard about the unattended shoes and jumped at the opportunity.

Some children cried due to the size of their feat. It was widely believed that the bigger the shoe was, the more gifts they would get. Either way, size didn’t matter to the thieves.

Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, Asia

Singapore followed in Hong Kong’s footsteps and decided Christmas is a time to boost the economy and bounce on vulnerable consumers, South Korea decided to be the only East Asian country to declare Christmas as a national holiday and Taiwan still doesn’t know what Christmas is.

I didn’t stay long in Taiwan.

(to be continued …)

notes from the traveller’s christmas journal (part 5)

(Read Part 4 HERE)

India, Asia

A transition happens in India, one of a celestial kind. The children there witnessed a ‘goat’ in the night sky. I didn’t see it, but the children had this innocence about them, it was hard to tell if they spoke the truth or made up stories. The expression of fear coated with disbelief on their face was hard to ignore. Even if it was an act, I fell for it.

It was not until one of the locals there told me about how on Christmas, the Sun passes Capricorn. After all, maybe there was some truth to the goat that wanders in the night sky in India after all.

Indonesia and Israel, Asia

Indonesia sometimes debates if it’s wrong to celebrate Christmas or not, where in Israel, they don’t debate it at all. That is because Hanukkah is on at the same time.

Lebanon, Malaysia and Pakistan, Asia

If you want to attend church later at night, Lebanon is open for midnight mass. Where in Malaysia there seems to be some confusion on the use of Christian religious symbols.

I found the Star of Bethlehem hanging on the rooftops of homes again in Pakistan so make sure you don’t think you’re in Bangladesh if you get confused.

If you see goats wandering in the night sky again, you probably still haven’t left India yet.

(to be continued …)

notes from the traveller’s christmas journal (part 4)

(Read Part 3 HERE)

Bangladesh, Asia

The Star of Bethlehem hangs on the rooftops of homes in Bangladesh. It’s not a real star contrary to what the children believe there. You don’t have to look far to find the real stars in the night sky, they’re used for those who want to make a very particular kind of wish. They wish for things like world peace and to eliminate poverty.

However, on Christmas Day, the middle class are reminded about those wishes that will never come true and we are reminded once again that no one will do anything about it. I wonder if that is the reason why we have turned to the stars for help.

China and Japan, Asia

Christmas was a private affair in China and Japan. Those that were Christian often celebrated the festive season in secret and were not seen.

Hong Kong, Asia

I ventured to the south coast of China and I encountered a giant Christmas tree outside a shopping mall in Hong Kong. It’s a public holiday here. Does Hong Kong celebrate Christmas?

It seems those who wanted to celebrate Christmas found their sanctuary under this particular tree. They appeared to be happy as their eyes enjoyed the lights and each other’s company.

(to be continued …)

notes from the traveller’s christmas journal (part 3)

(Read Part 2 HERE)

Nigeria, Africa (continued)

After church, families come together to hug and kiss as this is the first time all year that they have seen each other. Everyone is living in different parts of the world; it’s hard to keep a track of everyone.

The family man has little to no money. Wealth was not a common subject, but if you have travelled here from a better off country, you can afford to fly over, but you feel distant, as if you don’t belong to your family anymore.

By the way, Akinlana is the name of that man and his name means ‘courage’.

Ethiopia, Africa

In Ethiopia, the priests walk with umbrellas to brighten the mood even if there is no sign of rain.

It’s not unusual to see strange things like that, the wealthy finally commit a good deed towards the end of the year by sharing some food with the poor.

Ganna (is what you would find the folks in Ethiopia call Christmas as) is all about giving and the wealthy want to cash up on the opportunity.

With the New Year hovering across their fortunes, Christmas has past and the poor sadly are forgotten, as the wealthy don’t feel like giving anymore. 364 days left until next Christmas before the poor see such generosity again.

(to be continued …)

notes from the traveller’s christmas journal (part 2)

(Read Part 1 HERE)

Nigeria, Africa

A sigh of relief is exchanged between the working-class in Nigeria as the world makes its last turn in Africa before it hits midnight. They’re relieved that Christmas Day is a public holiday. Mixed opinions are shared amongst the population as the general consensus in most families who work consider the day off too expensive.

With the only solitary day they have off, it’s tradition that you must go to church. The working class man has other plans, but for the sake of his family, he didn’t say anything. He thought it was like work. In fact, he thought it was a lot worse than going to work; at least work paid him to do something he didn’t like.

Before the church thing, Christmas Eve is probably the most important aspect of the tradition. It’s where the meals get prepared. This man who didn’t like church had little money to spend for food. This annoyed him because he has to attend church where he could have worked and earned money. However, this was no problem. Meals are offered at every household, he took advantage of this because it was seen by the Yoruba people to be very offensive to refuse food if it has been offered to you.

(to be continued …)

notes from the traveller’s christmas journal (part 1)

No dates will appear at the start of my journal entries, but my observations were viewed right in the thick of Christmas.

No times will appear either, I have forgotten about the time and because of that factor, I don’t take notice of the aging sun. Have you noticed it is aging? It reminds me though, every time it rises and sets, however, I use this as an indication of when I have to sleep and wake up. The Sun is my alarm clock with no short or long hands. I enjoy the days a lot more without having to worry about a time limit. As a traveller, time is not important to me.

I also don’t keep a calendar, the events, weather, objects often hint to the season. I like the sense of adventure it gives me. The thrill of it all, getting away from the boundaries of life, with no strings attached or rules to obey. If time is a rule you obey, then you might not have had the chance to experience Christmas around the world.

These are the notes from the traveller’s Christmas journal.

I arrived in Nigeria, Africa (to be continued …)

diversity

Moving along our day, our diversity is mapping out our way. Countries not accepting of those who have been exiled looking for a place to live, refugees abandoned on the shores of their dreams.

It’s never ending; the government is pretending we live in a nation of diversity. Authorities can’t handle the breakouts; conformity is the only way to accept the changes. Even if it’s controlling and destroying our way of life, it’s penetrating the core of society like a knife.

All this is simply because we live in a nation of diversity.

We are all so unique, and we all try to see the changes that makes us so different, from me to them and the rest that guess, we really only have one identity for the best.

They lie to us telling you and me that we are all so special, important and no one is just like you.

Everything seems to change and nothing really stays the same.

You grow and evolve to solve the problems you blame for the diverse and you know you stay the same. You thought you lived in a country of diversity and you thought you will never stay the same.

You thought you had changed in a diverse nation; we all thought change was possible, in a country where everything stayed the same.

Within raging wars, we were promised diversity. Under heavy artillery, we were told to embrace diversity.

A nation that had been seeking one identity for the best, governments would rather invest in wars while they leave our dreams abandoned, hanging wet in the cold.

Nothing ever changes.

an inseparable companion

It’s because of me you walk away and when I see you, I tried to run away … but still you linger right next to me.

I’m fine in the day, you’re not there. It’s during the night; I can’t get you away from me. You have clear boundaries, you’re noticeable.

You follow me where there is light, but only when darkness is next to me. I feel my emotions walking away, they escape from you, but you don’t care, you seem interested in me instead.

I tried to run away; it looked like everyone else was hiding behind you, or in front of you.

You only exist because I exist. You would appear where there is brightness, but you would cast darkness in partial areas. To think we all try to wonder why?

Looking at you in hope we would find some answers why, but we found ourselves finding more questions during those nights.

Sometimes, it felt like I was being followed and I thought you were there, but I knew you were always somewhere behind me. Even if you didn’t think I knew you were hiding in that corner, behind concrete walls.

Whatever I would do, you would do as well. You wouldn’t make a move, until I would move. It makes sense how you would fade away during the morning light. When the Sun rises, you quickly jump out of sight.

I couldn’t make it on my own to tell you the truth; I needed you so I can make it through. I was always divided about you and I. I feel that I was sliced in half and this side of me will always wonder why my day would fade away so fast.

We’re inseparable where there is light that shines in the darkness; I have no fear knowing you’re right next to me.

We should never part … my very own shadow.

this man’s shoes‏

There once was a man …

This man would walk in the shoes of others as he could never find a perfect pair of his own. He did not care for the colour, what they were made of or if they were branded. As long as they kept the blisters far and the pressure low on his heel, each shoe would be the warmer and protector of his feet.

The feet that these shoes cushioned would walk on many paths. Some were man-made, some were laid by nature and some paths did not yet exist but were created if the feet dared to journey. But the feet never journeyed this path; only walking the roads where the destination was too well known. So these feet roamed and roamed on the roads all too familiar, not knowing exactly the where, how or why. Each step moved to the beat of the same old drum, someone else’s drum.

This drum would beat, thump thump thump. It had no rhythm or melody. The beat of this man had yet to be found as he never realised that he had a drum of his own. So he did not dance, did not skip and did not run. He kept walking to the thump thump thump, along a path of another, in shoes that were not made for him.

One day, this man saw a lost pair of new shoes …

This man did not expect to find them. They were just there, so unexpectedly. He thought that maybe these shoes had found him. He took off his old pair and carefully tried on each shoe. They were soft on his toes, contoured to his feet and soft on his heels. These shoes seemed perfect. So he said goodbye to the old and welcomed the new.

The old paths he roamed were too familiar and safe, so he decided that it was time to try a path untouched. Now that he had found his own perfect pair of shoes, he thought it was time that his feet dared to journey. He farewelled the man-made roads and ignored the paths that nature laid. He travelled a path that did not exist, creating it as each foot took a step. Although he still did not know where, he now had a how and why. The thump, thump, thump was no longer a fitting sound. It was time to make music to the beat of a different drum.

This drum would beat, da di da do da bop ba bi boo, with a rhythm and melody that gave a bounce to each step. The drum of this man had been found, a drum of his own so he could dance, so he could skip and so he could run, on a path of creation in the shoes that were made for him.

Written by Charles Daaboul