ARCHIVE OF 'world'
AROUND THE WORLD IN 18 MONTHS
Almost one year later after my traveling I got inspired by a little movie from Aline Neumann, who travelled through the united states for 70 days. So here is my version. Quite late, but whatever. I spent the hole night working on it, I have no idea why I actually did it. Just for fun.
NO NEED FOR A HEADLINE HERE I GUESS
This picture I took today on the wedding I photographed in Nanjing. I like it a lot. That’s exactly the kind of picture I like to take in my head. Maybe its the first time I just uploaded a copy of the image from my head instead of a photograph. Oh yeahh. Just wanted to share this. Now, the following lines will be my thoughts I had on the train from Shanghai to Nanjing.
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Sitting in the train to Nanjing, I listen to the music I used to listen when I went for a run to the lake and around it, close to my place in Hamburg, where I lived. Listen to that music creates the images I have of that area, the people I lived with, the food I cooked and ate, but also brings me back to the way I felt during this time. Its almost like the music is the necessary button to push to project the movie on the screen. I have music that reminds me of certain times at certain places. It is a premise though that I listened to that particular music a lot and also had a special feeling, a special time at those places. Otherwise it doesn’t work.
When I now listen to that music I used to listen in Germany, it reminds me of Germany as other music reminds me of other places in this world I am not from. Does it mean I lost the feeling of being home in Germany? The last 8 months (6 months actually only, because of 8 weeks traveling) now just seems to be another stop on my world travel and I can’t really feel the difference anymore between my stop in New Zealand or China or Vietnam. Yes they are differences where ever I lived, where ever I stayed for a while. Different things that make me happy or bring me down. But non of those places feel like “That’s where I am from” anymore. Non of those places feel like breathing through and be who I am. Non of those places give me the feeling of “I have arrived”, “I came back, to where I belong to”. I became a citizen of the world. In English it sounds way more dramatic than it is. The german translation “Ein Bewohner dieser Erde” simply describes the name of the planet I live on.
In exchange of getting to know new cultures, speak new languages, see new geological wonders, I had to trade my home base. The base known as the place where I would be safe. Where I would be more taken care of. Its not like this anymore though. For sure not. Every place asks you to give your best, to except the rules, to get accustomed to a different way of life. It feels like I lost that base. Did I ever had it? Yes. I had it at a time where I didn’t experience different places, different options to live. To sometimes know less can be great. But I longed for it, so I have to deal with it now.
How was I supposed to know that back in the time when I decided to travel the world and take a break, I would change so much. That I am not just gonna come back, tell people about my adventures and sit down at the desk I used to work again was for sure. But further to the point where I would start a new chapter of my life and without the possibility to flip the pages backwards, oops, I guess I was to naive to think I could actually do that. Well I guess nobody really knew it and knows what is going to happen when starting such adventures.
I don’t want to complain, just explain. If the travel mode wouldn’t suit me
so well, I wouldn’t have decided to extend my trip for 6 months and now finally move away from Germany without any idea of a time when I will return again.
The funny thing is, what I am doing now isn’t that unique at all. Many people from all around the world wander around the globe to find their luck, peace, happiness, whatever they seek for. Everyone of those globetrotters is excited to be somewhere else, because nobody really misses the place they are from. They maybe miss the people and the food. hehe.
To live somewhere else for a longer time claims that you need to give up certain behaviors you grew up with. To do new things you haven’t learned in the place you lived before. And the more you change the place you live, the more you need to deal with your new environment. So there is less time to concentrate on yourself and I think many people like that. A life where its more important to be at a certain place than being yourself. It is great to travel the world, to see all these “other” things. The price I need to pay is to give up a piece of myself: My Home.
BOOK ILLUSTRATION AND VISA
After I told you about doing more illustration, I actually do and its so much fun, oh my god … haha. The one above is for the next book from Robin Russell. The first one was for A Prince in Peril. After spending a month in Shanghai and my visa expired, I had to make a decision going to the US or to Hong Kong. I actually planned to renew my visa in Shanghai, but obviously I have chosen the best time in the year, where everybody is asleep in Shanghai since the national holidays are more important than a a Germans problems, unbelievable. So, I have to leave the country and actually it makes a lot of sense going to Hong Kong. Funny though to got to the US, is more or less the same price as I would spend in Hong Kong. The travel costs are much more expensive, but the visa is way cheaper. So, in the end same same, but I see my girlfriend and have the chance to practice my English hihi. Its crazy how much I travel and how normal that feels to go to China, US, China, Germany, China, US, Germany and so on …. When I started to travel in June 2007, I didn’t know it will become a never ending story. Once a traveler, always a traveler, I suppose.
In Shanghai my job searching machine stopped for a while, first everybody is on holiday, second it takes some time to meet the right people. Although i have to say how amazing it is how many contacts I made in less than 2 weeks in Shanghai. 6 really new good contacts, and 20 new friends haha, maybe 508. What I really like about being here in Shanghai. When you talk to other foreigners, they first “welcome to Shanghai” instead of looking up and down on you, telling you within 5 minutes after viewing your portfolio to come back a year later like in Hamburg, Germany. I think I have chosen a very good time to leave Germany and go to China.
By the way: Anybody ever thought about going to China, who is also reading my blog and is a very big fan of my stuff and also things that I am a really handsome and intelligent person and met me at least once in person …. you are welcome to visit me and stay at my place. All the best and thanks to all the people who helped me through this really hard time the last 30 days. Special thanks to my mom and Shawnee.
张 家 界。ZHANG JIA JIE FOREST PARK
THANK YOU HARUKI
Today on my bus ride from Guilin to Liuzhou I realized again that many Chinese people don’t read books. Newspaper they do and anything that contains information. But romances, love stories, travel stories, thrillers, fantasy and anything that gives your mind the chance to be reminded of your own life, a chance to dream, to be afraid, to think beyond your daily life, to get ideas, to be sad, to be happy or amused people don’t read about. Of course that’s what I assume. Maybe they read all at home, because the day should be there to work and not to read. I’m sure it has to do with the restriction in publishing books in China, too. While reading a book from Murakami, what makes me think a lot, I asked myself if reading books (as well as watching movies) is one of the reasons, I keep on thinking about my own way in life more. Its for sure not the only trigger for thinking about more abstract stuff, but it keeps your creativity and ability to imagine on a constant level. One of my wishes though I have in life is to live more simple: Don’t think too much about the dos and the donts. Don’t break my head in two parts when thinking about photography and stories I want to shoot. I want to go out and take a picture, whenever something appears to me, to talk to people, whenever i need to would be the ideal state of being. So far, to be thoughtful means to stop myself from transforming my ideas into pictures. To doubt if I am doing the right thing doesn’t transform anything, only the transformation from a full to an empty bottle of beer is for sure. Therefore it would be great to do something, because somebody told me to do so. Because its more simple to create something wonderful out of a small idea than creating something from scratch. Although this way seems to be the best, I can’t deal with it. That’s why I quit working in advertising and online design. I said good bye to this kind of life and welcomed the free spirit in my heart and head. The free spirit though doesn’t have any boundaries and you are able to do whatever your want to. And that’s exactly what stops me from growing: no tasks, no challenges, no problems to solve.
Its time to set my own boundaries to widen them from time to time. Somehow I learned today that its so convinient to do little steps and to go wild within the little frame you set yourself. In the end I am happy the way I am. To be insecure, doubtful and directionless actually goes along pretty well with my passion for photography and ensures me a special and great life. Hopefully interesting pictures as well. A life which is worth to tell others and great to think back. Thank you Haruki.
我 回 来 南京 了。I AM BACK IN NANJING.
After climbing the chinese Wall up and down we stayed another night in Beijing before taking the train to Nanjing. Now I am back in the city where stayed 3 months, a year ago. Funny to see that a random city in this world can look like home, because of your memories.