Author: Daniel Maz

Everyone tells the same story in a different way; depending on their own experiences and on their own lives. If I have to share my story, I would say that I’ve recently discovered that the essence to fully living your life is to be able to travel and discover different parts of the world, you will learn how to get out of your comfort zone because whatever scares you will teach you and once you learn how to face it, you will  become a stronger and a more open minded person. In addition, you will have the chance to discover new places in which you will forever fall in love with.

Natalie Esmail

“Can we make this quick? My friends are leaving Portugal soon…”
#International_Friends
Sometimes I find little pieces of paper that give me clues that am really enjoying my time .
Friendship is the soul’s heaven .
#Faro #Portugal

Pouvon-nous faire vite ? Mes amis vont bientot partir du Portugal ”
#International_Friends
Parfois, je trouve de petits morceaux de papier qui me prouve que je profite de moment présente .
L’amitié est le paradis de l’âme.
#Faro #Portugal

!خلينا نحكيها سريعا لنو أصحابي مسافرين قريبا من البرتغال 
مرات بكون ابعبش باغراضي ف بلاقي هيك شوية اوراق بيذكروني قديش انا مبسوط بكل لحظة من حياتي
.الصداقة جنة الروح
#Faro #Portugal

Wisam Jabarin

Although I have traveled a lot, when I came to Portugal, I didn’t know what to expect. Since I came here my experience has been amazing, starting from the professional life, ending with the personal one.

Every day in Faro I meet new people, I learn different values, and language. It’s amazing how my experience could also match and affect others. A few days ago I was walking in the old part of the city of Faro (Cidade Velha), I found a kid playing football, I couldn’t just pass and not play with him, that look on his face just remind me of my childhood in the refugee camp, it was awesome how we don’t even speak the same language but we just played football for almost half an hour, I could manage to know his name by body language “Ricardo”.

My journey in Portugal started almost a month ago, but I already feel like home, I was amazed how quickly I adapted to this place, especially the old part of the city.

I’m truly looking forward to live and add more memories to the beautiful ones that I already have.

Baraah Owdeh

It wouldn’t be weird if I said that this place changes a lot of things in me, I mean in my personality and my way of seeing things around me, having the chance to be in this amazing place with a group of amazing people which I can call them now my Family, also getting friends from other Countries and cultures telling them about Jordan and how beautiful my country is was a whole new experience I hope I can do it more and more again.

As a student of archaeology I was attracted to “Faro” this old quite beautiful city that takes your breath away, I Couldn’t feel bored or getting tired of walking for hours and hours every day through a maze of cobbled streets, watching the incredible Ancient archaeological buildings also decorating the streets with the Ceramic tiles I think it provide a fascinating insight into the history and culture of the city.

The smell of the sea, the waves , the sunset and the sounds of the birds every day is something I Will Always Remember 🙂

Through my tourism tour in Lagos I got a fantastic view of the sweeping sands of Lagos bay with the towering hills and swimming in the Ocean between the Rocks and hills was no one can imagine how i feel after doing that!

I have also visited some of Lisbon’s famous squares, explore vibrant, multicultural neighborhoods, watched a spectacular view of the city, saw the street artists and I was so in love with the electric trams in the Chiado.

It´s going to take me more pages and lines to talk about my life in Portugal, so I will only say that am glad and so lucky to have this amazing experience to work with CRIA Association and be part of CaBuReRa Project.

Much love to ANJE and to all the great team who works there 🙂

Love,

Nardeen Al Sunna´

When we flew over the city the night was still deep black, a puzzle of little orange luminous dots unravelling in intricate lines and circles over the dark hills. Numb from discontinuous and troubled sleep, we landed in the almost deserted Amman airport. One person was waiting for us, dizzier and sleepier than us because of the early waking, with his coffee in one hand, and on his face, trying to conceal tiredness, a big smile, a smile that, as we learned soon, would always welcome us in our everyday life in the office and outside.

Rami left us in our apartment in Khalda, a north-western commercial area of the city. We went out on the small balcony for a cigarette before going to bed finally. The sun was rising over the white city, the sky was of a delicate light blue, when the magnetic voice of the muezzin started to inundate the fresh light air of dawn: “I am in Jordan”, that was the first moment I realized — after so much waiting and organizing for tickets and dates and details — that my journey had really started. Perfect scenario, perfect timing.

Amman is not an easy city for a newcomer. It overwhelms you, with its wide streets packed with cars, hard to find a way to walk through them, through the greyish buildings and the neon light signs of hundreds of shops and fast foods, with the noise of horns and of work-in-progresses filling your ears. But then you manage to draw from that chaos a mental map, no matter how precarious, and to find your way through the traffic and buzz, you start to get used to your new daily routine, and the city starts to look familiar. Only then you can start enjoying Amman. When the guy at the “shisha place” recognizes you and welcomes you with his best smile, when you know where to get the best falafel sandwich ever, when you are sure in that place you’re going to find good music. When you just want to escape from Khalda and enjoy a walk in the greener Rainbow street.

From there I Iike to look at the sunset over the Citadel lying on top of the opposite jabal. The yellow light and longer shades give an uncommon depth to the white city, to the white houses crushed on the slopes of its hills. And reminds you that hidden in the mess of the big metropolis, beyond the appearance of the modern city, Amman offers a warm soul that you can appreciate only by living it, by tasting this little pleasures day by day.

Alessia Carnevale

Antea Enna

Mario Paciolla

Excited. Interested, worried and happy are the complicated emotions that I came up when I first signed a three months away of my country.  When I took the first step I didn’t have any doubt of myself exploring another country and I was definitely sure that this will be one of my fascinating and sensational experiences.

The idea of living abroad was very fun but the truth of departing home was fearful and nauseous.  It was a family gathering on the day I left and lots of heart beating were heard.  Hugs, tears, and smiles were in the space where I had to say goodbye and leave them all alone to travel to Jordan.

At this stage I realized my real suffering with my CABURERA friends whom I met in Palestine since we had to wait for a long long time on the Israeli side where we had to explain every single thing we are going to do in Portugal.  We waited for seven hours with lots of fears, disappointment and lack of hope to learn a new experience away of our country.

After passing this frustrating stage we threw all these bad feelings behind us and overcame it easily and continued looking forward to pass our journey.  Then hope started to light our way when we landed on our beloved Portugal we were rewarded to see Faro’s beach without anyone asking us for our ID’s.

My favorite part besides meeting some new friends and learn some new traditions was seeing the beach every day without any suffering.  I just say “Yallah let’s go to the beach” and everything will be prepared within 15 minutes we don’t have to wait for an age to take a permission to go swimming and breath a clear air.

Thanks God I had my chance to explore a new country, to learn some new words, to meet lovely people and above all to understand that my life is valuable.

Training abroad reveals great and amazing opportunities for a better future and it also gives us the strength to have the ability to change our life to a best one and make all our dreams come true.

Olivia Odeh

I am going to tell you a story about a special city that has a special place in my heart… From the moment I arrived here I had faith that this place will change something in me, will give me an opportunity to see life in a different way. That has happened, not only because it’s about traveling and getting to know new people, I believe that it’s all related to the city itself, its people in the first place, its nature and its simplicity too.

Words can’t describe how gentle, kind and generous people are in here and nothing can give you a clear image of the wonderful nature… Beaches, islands, birds singing all day, move and rose flowers near the Marina, people dancing in the streets, cultural festivals, and live music every weekend… All of these small details bring a peaceful feeling inside me and that what makes it a one of a kind city that will be in my heart and mind forever.

Well, working life here is something that can make you love working! The idea that people work together and have a team spirit as they are a family that aims to achieve a goal will make you proud and pleased to be a part of it. You will have that inside courage to prove yourself and do the best you can do in order to add something valuable to this cohesive and successful family. And besides all of that they always try to strengthen this family through interesting team building activities outside the work.

From today, only one month left and I am trying to feel every single moment in this city to make this month a special one… Thanks to every single person who is making this mobility going in a wonderful way this means a lot to me seeing you doing a great effort so that we can get the best from this experience.

Dalia Lubbadeh

We are not passengers in the city of sun- Faro, but we are not residents in the lights of its streets, we came here for one experience of life, and it turned up to be THE life experience, one of those that opens new doors to discover fascinating secrets behind it.

We are not passengers because those only see the whole image of the painting, but they don’t get the chance to draw its details in their imagination. This magic city have a lot to tell, and different stories to create in it. At the end, it is all about the details, eventually it is what forms our lives; and the details of this city are so magnificent, artistic and charming.

If this city meant to be a well-known character, it would have been a mix of Marilyn Monroe with her fascinating beauty, Charlie Chaplin with his unique composition of joy and smart, Voltaire with his sense of revolution and the history he holds, and Ziad El Rahbani with his music and rhythm.

Faro is a piece of art.. This place allows you to experiment the meaning of belonging and holds your dreams to the wild… Here, time passes in a hurry, you try hard to catch the moments, but it slips away gently with happiness and grief.

In Faro, you will always have a story to Tell.

نحن لسنا زواراً في مدينة الشمس- فارو، ولسنا بمقيمين في أضواء شوارعها. أتينا هنا لنخوض أحد تجارب الحياة، وتبين أنها تجربة حياة بأكملها، تلك التي تفتح لك أبواب لتكتشف اسرار مذهلة خلفها.

نحنا لسنا زواراً لأن هؤلاء يرون اللوحة كاملتاً، لا يتسنى لهم الخوض في تفاصيلها الدقيقة. هذه المدينة الساحرة لديها الكثير لتقوله وقصص كثيرة لترويها. في النهاية، كل شيء متعلق في التفاصيل، فهي ما يكون حياتنا… وتفاصيل هذه المدينة ساحرة.

لو هذه المدينة قدّر لها ان تكون شخصية معروفة، كانت لتكون مزيج من مارلين مانرو بجمالها الساحر، شارلي شابلن بتكوينه المميز من الفرح والذكاء، فولتير بحس الثورة لديه والتاريخ الذي يحمله بين يديه، وزياد الرحباني بموسيقاه وانغامه.

فارو هي بالفعل قطعة فنية… هذه المدينة تسمح لك إختبار شعور الإنتماء وتحمل أحلامك الى البعيد… هنا، الوقت يمر مسرعاً، تحاول جاهداً أن تمسك بلحظاته لكنها تهرب بعيداً بهدوء مع قليل من الفرح وقليل من الحزن.

في فارو.. ستجد دائماً حكاية لترويها…

Reem Al Mohtar

With only a couple of days behind my first trip to Jordan, the memories still linger fresh. Was it yesterday that I was heaving trying to climb the rocky canyon of Petra endeavouring to get the Monastery before the noon sun completely exhausted me or was it last week? When will the desert sand finally get out of my shoes? And finally when will I be able to eat again that delicious Mansaf we all tasted in that isolated Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum?

But let’s take it from the top. Leaving behind us the ordeal of passing through the Israeli-Jordanian borders, we were quickly taken aback by the sudden change of scenery. Even though a few dozens of meters separated us from the other side, even the texture of the sand was different. After departing the terminal finally people seemed more relaxed and helpful. The taxi trip to the Dead Sea resort gave us enough time to clear our mind and appreciate the new view. As long as we travelled parallel to the Jordan River banana farms gave their way to pineapple farms, then finally to desert again as we reached the big salty lake. What took us most by surprise was the absolute absence of anything else than hotels and resorts succeeding each other. Not even one residence was near. Even the road itself was named “Hotel Street”. And then the gates of the resort we were supposed to stay appeared before us. A luxurious, albeit segregated, castle stood between the desert and the Dead Sea. For the next 4 days that we spent there for the meeting all outside world seemed so detached, like everything else stopped existing. 5-star hotel services and audacious luxuries can make even the sternest believers of modesty falter, losing their sway to the sirens’ call.

Of course these feelings dissipated as soon as we boarded the bus for the next part of our trip – the actual Jordanian trip. Passing through the countryside instilled in all of us a feeling of faint guilt. All those days we’ve spent comfortably numb in pretentious pampering in a manmade oasis hit us like a brick. This was the real Jordan, a country ravaged by almost constant drought; with most of its population desperately try to save water, while the rich stay locked away in their ivory towers ludicrously spending gallon after gallon simply because they can afford it. Amidst being lost in my thoughts, the driver stumbled upon a most rewarding sight; a tiny cafe with no more than 6 chairs stood defiantly on the very peak. Although, we had been travelling for at least 3 hours through the winding mountain paths, just sitting on those chairs you could clearly see the Dead Sea and if not for the distant sandstorm I bet we would be able all the way to Israel.

First stop was the mystifying Petra. As soon as we arrived in the hostel late in the evening, everybody was anxious to leave for the canyon. “Petra by night” proved a terrific experience, as much as it was advertised and perhaps even more. Just walking through the narrow lantern-filled path between the cliffs with nothing but the moon lighting your way, could be easily described as bewildering. The eerie and otherworldly silence beckoned us to travel further inside to explore. When we reached the Treasury, another pleasant revealed itself; live tradition music. For the next half an hour all of us were enthralled by the captivating melodies of the Oud, while sitting before the imposing carved out stone building, quietly sipping our tea. The next morning we visited Petra again, this time with the morning light. Personally I was totally mesmerized by the ingenuity process behind the whole rock city. What goaded the very first visionary to carve whole buildings in stone? When everybody was just seeing a cliff side, how could he conceive of palace or a tomb?

Our next sojourn was in Wadi Rum. In the middle of the Jordanian desert tiny Bedouin tents stood out, while being completely camouflaged in their surroundings in perfect harmony. For the first time in my life I could just take my shoes off and walk around bare-footed enjoying it, for even in the inside of the tents was the floor covered in soft sand. The lunar landscape proved captivating beyond measure, inviting us to sleep outside under the starry sky gazing the Milky Way for hours on end. Everything looked like a painting, or for the science fiction buffs like myself like it was a scenery drop from Dune (I could almost hear the thumpers calling out the huge sandworms!). The next morning we took several Jeeps and headed out into the heart of the desert. Vistas of splendor filled our vision and the austere grandeur of the mountain scenery would be etched into our minds.

With all of this now behind us, one cannot help but feel a sense of ennui. Once you touch the primal, the infinite and the all-encompassing call of the desert, any concrete filled city pales in comparison.

George Orfanos
TG2 Greek Ca.Bu.Re.Ra participant in Palestine

Thessaloniki … European Capital of Culture and Youth

Thessaloniki is considered to be the second biggest city in Greece and it is the capital of Macedonia Region, and considered as the city of youth because it has two famous and big universities (Aristotelous and Macedonia). Also, you can notice the multi-cultural sites that have the roots of Byzantine, Ottoman and Greek periods.

Our Thessalonikian experience started with the crowded busy train that we took to reach this amazing city. However, all tickets were sold out we booked tickets with no seats just to have the chance to visit this city.

The first day started with a delicious Greek breakfast specifically with a pastry called ‘Boughatsa’ then we had the chance to visit the ‘White Tower’ that consists of four floors full of history about the periods of Thessaloniki, the roof has the best view of the city and the sea. We continued our day with a nice walk on the reconstructed waterfront path. One of the well noticed views in the city is the beautiful squares such as ‘Aristotelis and Alexander the Great squares’, and the parallel streets which allows you to see the important touristic and historic sites one after the other.

The second day we had a round in the students assembling points like the Bit Bazar which is an area full of cafés and restaurants especially for students. Then we paid a visit to top of a tall hill overlooking the city that has the kastro (castle) whose walls surround the inner citadel of  ‘Eptapyrgio’, fortunately we saw a Greek guy with his Bouzouki and one guy of our group asked him if he can use his bouzouki, and he played some Arabic music on a Greek instrument on the Edge of the castle which helped us to complete the story of multi-cultural experience,  we ended that day with a rest in a Krete specialised restaurant, finally the good news was that we had a good comfortable trip back to Athens with plenty of seats.

Moreover, near Thessaloniki you can find the heaven on earth … ‘Chalkidiki’ has the best beaches in Greece, crystal clear water, and breath taking views, on the map it looks like the devils fork, so it has three legs as what they call it, every leg has its speciality, at the first leg to the west side you can find the best night life, and the youth style places, the second has the relaxing mood and the family type places, and the third has its own boarders, it contains a big number of monasteries and they are self-authorised by the Greek Orthodox church. Thessalonikians are highly proud of having this area, that they also have a very familiar joke, about a Thessalonikian man that had passed away, and he went to heaven, so one of the angles took him for a tour to show him the special places in heaven with the good views, and after that they were done from the tour he asked him ‘do you like those places? Aren’t they amazing? The man said ‘Mmmm … yes for sure I liked them, they are amazing, but there is nothing as amazing as Chalkidiki.

At the end there is a saying to express the warmness of Thessaloniki and its people, which were said by ‘Nikiforos Choumnos who was a Byzantine scholar and official of the early Palaiologan period, which says: ‘κανείς δε μένει χωρίς πατρίδα όσο θα υπάρχει η Θεσσαλονίκη’’ which means no one is left without a homeland as long as Thessaloniki exists

BY:

Ahmed, Haya, Ibrahim and Nahar

TG2 participants in Greece