10 o’clock in the morning. On my right side. Downhill. A clear blue ocean. Greek fishing boats. Boats with real fishermen and fishes, a lot of fish. A picturesque village with a small harbor, bars and restaurants. Sixty years back in time. Bar with Greek karaoke music on television. Loud, but atmospheric. Young and old together with playing cards and Ouzo. An authentic orthodox church with its traditions and services. Mopeds. Farmers selling from the van with speakers. Authenticity. Identity. Also on my right side. Turkey.
Up the hill. People. Children and adults. Routine. African passionate runner. Runs laps for hours and days. Repetitive laps that clear his head for a while. Similar to his repeating sentence: ‘Good morning Ruth. You know, it all starts with the root.’ Wise words.
The tall, muscular Congolese man looking for rocks. Lifting and pressing. A gym. A long session in the morning. A long session in the afternoon. Gains. Group of young men asking for advice. He helps and coaches them. I encourage him to advise more people. Answer. He likes it, but his job as an English teacher for children was where his heart lies. Unexpectedly. Appearances aren’t what they seem. I will follow up on this.
Girl of 11 years old. Afghan father, Iranian mother. Volleyball. Always playing volleyball. Dream of becoming a professional volleyball player. If not, then basketball. Lightly spoken. ‘Fights are not good’. ‘War is not good’. ‘Family is (acting out a shooting)’. Laughing. ‘Volleyball is good’.
Mister with Bible. Place between the olive trees. Reading. Studying. ‘God gives me the strength’.
Group of teenagers. Big speaker. Afghan music. Walking around. Bored. Greeting. Talking. Playing soccer. Talking. Repeat. Definitely 4 or 5 times. ‘Ruth, good music?’ Yes of course I like it. Can they put some really good songs om my phone? ‘You will never forget us’. Permission and hoping the lyrics of the songs aren’t too inappropriate. 😉
Group of elderly people listening to the radio. Apparently Afghan news. Young man next to me listening, but disapproving. ‘News in Afghanistan is useless. Everything is negative. Bombings, murders, kidnapping. Sometimes it’s not even close to you own home’.
Group of boys. 7 to 12 years old. Young and playful. All of them have a ball. Not all of them have a ball. Yellow vests on. Yellow vests off. Playing soccer. Playing volleyball. Playing basketball. Running. Playing marbles. Kite flying. Playing. Kids. A little break. Found some bullets. Give it to that policeman over there. ‘Teacher, football?’
Volunteers. Together or alone. Searching for a rest or reflection. Sometimes playing with a ball in between. A photo. Looking. Thinking. A smile or a tear.
Police. Repetitive. Standing. Watching. In the car or out of the car. Driving around on ‘our’ sports field. Greeting. Watching sports of just watching. Thinking. Challenging them for a game of volleyball. I am still waiting.
People looking for the most decent dixies. They are right. It's a better chance for a little more dignity.
Calling people. People video calling. People making music. Worship. Listening to music. Watching sports. People watching. Thinking. Watching. Thinking. Walking. Walking around. Alone. Or with others. Greetings. Watching. Thinking. Looking. Thinking. Walking. Walking around.
On the left side. Downhill. Tents. Lots of tents. White tents, but brown by gravel, stones, and dirt. People waiting and asking for tarps and palettes. Promised a few weeks ago, but everyone is still waiting for completion.
Always the search for tickets. Paper? Is that a ticket? A folder? Is there a ticket in there? A pile? Are those tickets? Hope for a way out, but often a disappointment.
Lines. Lines everywhere. Food lines for the big tent where the food and drinks (since this week 2 times a day - was 1) are handed out. Lines for the few taps where water comes out. Lines for the scarce electricity cabinets where as many people as possible try to make tea and cook. Lines for the medical posts where people wait hours for help. Lines for info points. Lines for the different translators. Hopefully he or she knows how to express your feelings, thoughts and questions.
Moving and dismantling tents. Digging ditches. First by hand. Now with machines. Filling sandbags. The danger; water, wind and cold is lurking.
High Above. Kites. Airplanes. And faith. Faith in a God who gives everyone the strength to continue. Hope for a future full of love, peace and freedom. A future every human being deserves.
In the meantime I see a red 'Eurorelief' volunteer downhill followed by a large group of ladies from the Unicef tent getting ready for the trip up. All ready for some fun!
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