Love is my Religion

Neli, my friend, wants to go to Hawaii. Ziggy Marley went first and made a music for the day she decides to give up everything and buy a surfboard. The eldest son of Bob Marley released his second album in 2006 and since then se has became a proud landamrk of his roots.

Born in Trench Town, Jamaica, Ziggy used to follow his father to the studios. In the middle of 80's he started "The Melody Makers" with his brothers and sister and they sang reggae for fourteen years. This period of his career taught him about friendship and the path to a wider world.

"I don't condemn, I don't convert" is sang in the track that gives it's name to the album and a taste of Rastafari philosophy. Later on, another hue of Ziggy emerges. Now is the time to remeber politics and the lost face of Africa. The past slavery of Sudan, Rwanda and Sierra Leone and other recent crises move through your ears and make you think that another world is still possible.

Emancipate this same world that had his balck brothers sold and now is struggling in the fight against HIV- AIDS is another of Ziggy's mission. Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightement (U.R.G.E.) is a philanthropic organization that spreads awareness about the diease among young people in Jamaica and another countries.

Ziggy Marley and his album "Love is my religion" released independently was awarded with a Grammy. But more than prizes, this work can inspire another way to see the world, the new face of Reggae or just a life trip to Hawaii. For sure that it will be in my friend's IPOD.

Go China, Go!

I left the airplane and after a three-minute walk, I was facing a train. And now, am I supposed to take this? Where am I supposed to go? Let's try it and see. Beijing airport is the biggest in the world. From the terminals to the main building, a pair of legs or even a bike are not enough.
Right, now it's time to fight for my bags. Waiting and waiting and still nothing. Far away I saw a little chinese girl holding a piece of paper. My name was on it and it said my luggage was still in London. Who could I have blamed? Doesn't matter anymore, especially because the company that I flew gave me thirty five pounds as compensation.
Where can I find a Taxi? Do you speak English... I repeated this question a thousand times in Beijing and I rarely found someone that actually could speak it. A big problem for a country that in less than four months was going to host the Olympics. In spite of the fact that every school has English classes for all grades, chinese people are still reluctant when it comes to different cultures. There are around forty thousand taxis in Beijing and it was not difficult to find one outside the airport. I tried to say where I wanted to go but it didn't work. I had to show the driver my notebook and some chinese characters. Ok, ok, said the driver but I didn't understand. Where am I going to? Let's hope for the best, you don't have any choice.
I stayed for three days in a friend's house, than I moved to an apartment, sharing with another three chinese guys. Because of the Olympics, real estate in Beijing was going much faster than my bank account. In fact, of course, It's much cheaper than London.
On the third day living at this place, the police came. Can I see your passaport? Just a second, Sir. Where is your residence permit? Excuse me? Foreigners that want to live in private residences in China have to go to the police office with the landlord and fill in an application form. The chinese society is highly regulated by the government, especially foreigners and their new ideas and ways of life. A lot of people were speculating about another chapter for China because of the Olympics but it's a trick point. In Asia, the Chinese Government is one of the most acclaimed by it's population. Tibet and other rebel provinces are just minor details for the giant China.
LIving in China is not a easy task. Everything has been changing so fast: new roads, underground lines, markets and all different kinds of facilities. I felt that I was in a big plant, breathing smoke and dancing on the sidewalks, trying not to crash into anyone. Let's enjoy the games. Go China, go!

Can you handle it?

First you take the world map, close your eyes and point somewhere. With you bank balance in the other hand you decide where to go. Travelling is all about making decisions, rational hoices between Australia or Vietnan, a pair of shorts or a waterproff jacket, a passaport or a bottle of water.
Having decided where to go, It's time to play Tetris. Professionals in this game can pack their bags in minutes. There is definitely an art to packing a whole wardrobe and making it fit inside two pieces of luggage that are not heavier than 23 kg.
Now it's time to say good-bye. All the family gives you advices and your face is all smiles and energy.
Arriving in a country that is all strange for you is never easy. Travelling with someone that you know makes the first shock easier to get through. Leave a house with a familiar smell, favourite foods in the fridge and a clock that's always telling the path and flying inside a hole with all different colors of rabits can scare everyone. It's also worth pointing out that language is sometimes a barrier. Looking into the eyes of a friend can tell you much more than pointing out a picture inside a menu in a chinese restaurant.
What time is it? I don't know and I don't care. Taking your time, feeling to go or not to go is the most interesting thing when you travel by yourself. Do some sightseeing in the morning, have a big lunch at 4pm and then go to that palace - That's one way of doing it. But I'm tired of monuments and kings and fountains. My friend, can you bring me another beer?