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Trelograms #28 — Beware of People in [Fill in Your Next Country]

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Speaking of borders, i was recently watching long-term traveler Tomislav Perko’s stimulating TEDxTUHH talk. His remarks towards the end resonated with something i’ve experienced myself traveling overland across international borders:

Incidentally, i first remember experiencing that when crossing from Croatia to Serbia as well — i was warned by one of my acquaintances that Serbians are xenophobes to be approached with caution.

Passing from Serbia to Romania, i was advised (at least twice that i can clearly remember) to keep my possessions always within sight, and be very watchful of the sneaky Gypsies, who will take any opportunity to rob me — “they believe they have been cursed, and have no other choice but to live like that,” said one of my acquaintances.

Leaving Romania into Ukraine, i was discouraged by the border officer to proceed into a country at war.

In Ukraine, i was then warned by another host to expect rampant corruption from authorities in Belarus — and so the anecdotes continued . . .

Granted, the Croatia-Serbia-Romania-Ukraine-Belarus outline above was the longest border-to-border streak i can account for. I also don’t know what percentage of the underlying populations is represented by each of these anecdotes — these are just notes and memories from some of the occasional conversations i manage to have at length and in clear English on my way.

If you’ve been following me, you know that my experience has been dramatically different — some Serbians have become my warmest friends from the road, and Romanians have actually offered me money (cash) on the road at a greater rate (times per days traveled) than anywhere else i’ve traveled — that must be the exact opposite of being robbed!

I have also felt safer from violence in West Ukraine than in just about any other place i’ve lived before (except Denmark), and i haven’t had to pay any bribes into, in or out of Belarus, at least not so far.

Just a couple of generations ago, Germany invaded Poland marking what is widely held in the West as the beginning of World War II. I felt especially joyful being able to cross the (now open) border between the two nations along a cycle path and a beach where Germans, Poles and any other affiliations around may refresh themselves without even knowing in which side of that imaginary line they might be peeing.

I hope more controlled borders between nation states will also become beaches, parks, monuments or museums across which nobody feels pressed to give travelers any nationally charged warnings.

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Featured photo: cycle touring across the Polish-German border from Swinoujscie to Ahlbeck (Summer ’16)

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‘Trelograms’ is a wordplay between ‘telegram’ and ‘trélos’ (Greek for ‘mad’)

Trelograms: inspiration; cycle touring, hitchhiking; worldwide

Trelograms #27 — Speaking of Water . . .

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When i was little, i’d often leave the tap running while brushing my teeth. If Grandpa noticed, he’d poke me — “did you buy the Descoberto River?” — that’s where most of the water used in my hometown (Brasília) comes from.

I didn’t really understand what he meant back then — water comes from the tap! I even remember crossing the Descoberto River in a car, reading the name on the sign before the bridge, and just feeling further confused . . .

It wasn’t until i started cycle touring that i began to make a more mindful connection between the water from my tap and the sources and bodies of water around or underneath us — and it seems like i still have a long way to go establishing this connection.

I started writing this piece with the observation that i only need about 7 liters of water per day when i’m cycle touring for drinking, cooking and bathing — seven liters! Although i’ve only traveled so far in places where water is relatively abundant and clean, just having to look for water several times a day and carry all of it on me has already taught me a lot.

I felt pretty smug. I wanted to share this powerful lesson from the road and my water collection/consumption protocol with all of you.

Now i’m embarrassed that, upon further reflection, things might not be so simple — i’m still alienated from how much water goes into the meat i eat a lot more often when i’m on the road than when i’m not, or the laundry i’ll still do the “conventional” way at a host’s every one or two weeks, or just the infrastructure in general i benefit from (for “free”) during my travels.

And even that is just the beginning of hydro-ethical considerations.

Still as a kid, i was once thirsty walking back home on a hot day, and asked a landscaper if i could have some of the water he was working with — “of course, denying someone water is a sin,” said the man. I shared that exchange with Grandpa when i got home, adding that water should be free for everybody — “sure, but who’s going to pay for it?“

Maybe Grandpa was onto something — maybe i did feel and act like i owned the Descoberto River — and didn’t have to share it with anybody else.

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Featured photo: drawing water from a well in Moldovan countryside ( May ’17 )

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‘Trelograms’ is a wordplay between ‘telegram’ and ‘trélos’ (Greek for ‘mad’)

Trelograms: inspiration

Fuji & Mika #13 — Infinity + 1

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This video picks up the Creative October Challenge — my collaboration with my friend, artist and supporter Fuji Hoffmann [vimeo, website] — where we left it off last year.

I have little to say beyond the few words describing my third challenge to Fuji in the beginning of the video, and his hypnotizing response afterwards!

We’re now in the process of giving some closure to this experiment we started last October, collecting our thoughts, and seeding the way forward. Stay in the loop — follow me on vimeo or sign up for the Not Mad Yet mailing list!

Fuji and i challenged each other throughout the month of October to experiment with different habits and create something new every week. We made videos describing our process and results and sharing our dialog here on my blog. It starts with Fuji & Mika #0 — Creative October Challenge, where we explain the concept and share our first challenges to each other. To read and watch all posts from the challenge in chronological order, visit Creative October Challenge.

If you prefer to start with some results from the challenge, then i recommend fiction_Extract_test1.0, The Stubborn Face of Matter or Haikus from Borzhava🙂

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Experiments: Creative October Challenge; Fuji & Mika

Out of My Head and into the World! — My Ossobuco May ’18 Presentation

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I gave a presentation earlier this year at the May edition of Ossobuco – Mais tutano pra sua vida, a local “TEDx-like” event in my hometown (Brasília). The presentation is in Portuguese, but i’ve now added English subtitles to the video, so more of you may enjoy it!

In the presentation i talk about my journey from growing up protected by my grandparents, to a nomadic career in academia, and the eventual transition into my current lifestyle as a full-time long-term traveler. I talk, in special, about how i gradually learned to stop indiscriminately fearing strangers along my way.

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Featured photo: courtesy of Jataí Fotografia

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