The Purpose of Traveling

Bosnia and Herzegovina-Mostar

When the photo studio owner was wiping the photos, I asked, "Are you in Mostar in the 1990s?"

"I was there then."

"It was dangerous to stay in Mostar then."

He said, "Yes." He pointed to the uniform on his body. "At that time, there were more civilians dead than soldiers in Mostar."

Looking at my curious eyes, he continued to tell the scene at that time: "At that time Mostar was short of drinking water. Sometimes when the tanker delivering water came to the station, the civilians of the Bo nationality rushed up, but did not expect another city. Croat snipers on one side started firing, blood and water mixed together, flowing on the road. "

When I heard this, I could not help but sweat a lot. Brothers who were brothers and brothers in Yugoslavia during the war became your deadly enemies during the war. Seeing the wrong impression on my face, he said, "Let me show you something."

After that, he took me to the computer, opened a folder, and wrote 1994.12.

In the previous photos, I saw how the old bridge was blown up, and now the old city is full of ruins. Rubble and blood spilled on the stone road, washing this 500-year-old land.

I asked him why everyone else wanted to go abroad, but he chose to stay in Bosnia and arrange the photos. He said that now someone wants to tamper with the history, and he wants to keep these memories so that what has happened will not repeat itself. I think this is not only his, but also the common wish of many people who have experienced that history.

Knowing that I was leaving Mostar soon, he washed out the wartime photos I was interested in and gave them to me, waving goodbye.

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Istanbul, Turkey

We shook hands. He was wearing a straight white suit with eyes full of energy.

After a brief greeting, I was very curious about his profession, "When did you start to be a comedian?"

"ISIS launched a terrorist attack in Turkey in April 2016. They want to spread fear among people. But I want to say to them, 'f ** k you', I want to do the opposite of them, and I want to make people laugh. "From 16 years ago, ISIS extended its devil's claws to Turkey, Istanbul's tourist attractions, business districts, and airports. There were successive terrorist attacks, and the people were apprehensive. Friends said that there were fewer people on the street.

"Is it your dream to be a comedian?"

"Yes, my dream is to bring all those‘ motherfuckers ’together, Turks, Kurds, Arabs ... make each of them laugh, let go of their burdens, and then let them start a conversation.”

"Do you think this dream can be realized?" Because in Turkey now, it is more likely that it is not union but division. Kurds and Turks, secular and traditional Islam, different people are naturally classified, and the tension between them has intensified under the incitement of nationalism.

He smiled, looking at the lights in Istanbul outside the window, his hands together, leaking the watch on his left wrist.

"When you live for your dreams, you have already realized your dreams. My 10th drama will start next week."

He left in a hurry, and we shook hands and said goodbye. His hands are delicate but powerful.

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Georgia-Batumi

When I came to this cafe, the atmosphere was a bit unusual, and it was difficult to hear other sounds except music in the room. Seeing someone make a video call with sign language and others, I seem to understand something.

I found a table and sat down. The boss came over and asked me what I wanted. After ordering a glass of juice, I want to know the story behind this cafe.

"Boss, why is your coffee shop so quiet?"

"Because business is not too much in the afternoon, these employees of mine are all disabled and some are dumb, so there is no voice to say."

"How did you think about opening this cafe?"

"Because of the stereotypes of Georgian society, these disabled people can only stay at home and find it difficult to find work outside."

"So how did you first think about helping these disabled people?"

"I used to perform in a theater company, and one day our audience was blind. That was a challenge, but it was a good challenge because I have been in close contact with these disabled people since then. I realized How important it is to support them. We all have one life, but the world is not as good for everyone. Some people have more opportunities, some people don't. This is unfair. Blind, deaf, dumb, It ’s all people. Why are everyone nice to me and they can only stay in their own homes. Since then, I want to work with them. ”

"It must be your wish to build this cafe."

She smiled, "Yes, now this desire has been experimented, but I want more, I want to do more publicity, let more people come to this free space. Georgian society still has this stereotype The impression is that the employees in the cafe are disabled, so the customers are also disabled. I want to break this stereotype. "

"Also, I want to put a canopy outside the cafe so that we can use the outside space when it rains."

After that, she looked outside.

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The history, politics, and social environment of a country shape each of them, and their lives are rewritten by social changes; some people choose to follow the fate, but at the same time, there are some people who have Sisyphus Unyielding, a kind of courage and persistence to overcome difficulties even when frustrated.

Someone asked what was the purpose of the trip?

For the flowers and grass in different areas

Or is there a moment of peace in the busy schedule?

Pursuing poetry and distant projections in reality

Or measure your own value system in foreign cultures

For me, I would rather listen to those ordinary stories on the journey.

Some stories, I think about the end, but can't guess the beginning. Because the social environment in which we live is so different that we may all be at odds with our most fundamental value judgments, life, love, freedom, and mission.

And everyone's life is a book. By listening to their stories, and by knowing their interpretation and definition of life, I also ask my own choices and values ​​in my heart. The more people we see and the more stories we hear, we are also writing our own biographies, and seeing our own clouds and clouds in the flowers and flowers of other places.

Society uses its tens of millions of hands to shape the individuals in it, and each person is also shaping the pattern of society. The relationship between the two, I think, I need to take longer to answer this proposition of life.