As our departure from this country is nearing (in five days, actually!), we are more intently looking from the Western gateway in New York City to the Eastern gateway of North Africa. Catherine and I have committed several years of our lives to attempting this transition from West to East. We hope to learn Eastern languages, develop Eastern ways of thinking and reasoning, adapt to Eastern lifestyles, and discover Eastern cultures.
As we leave the Western gateway at NYU, we look back on the familiarity of stores we frequent, greetings we understand, food we enjoy, and sounds that we expect. These are things we are comfortable with, or, at least, have learned to live with.
But in moving towards the Eastern gateway, we see and hear the bustle of souq (“market”) economies, desert hospitality, guttural languages, and bright foods. Our initial experiences we have had beyond the very gate pictured below have been different and, at times, strange. Excitement and anticipation overwhelm our senses at the possibilities of more participation in this “new” world. With a healthy sense of adventure and reality, we are eager to engage the peoples of the Eastern gate.
As your view into the Eastern gate is hidden in the picture, our purpose as blogging “sandtravelers” is to bring this wonderful Eastern world, beyond and inside the gate, into focus through travel accounts and conversations along the way. Of course, we are beside you in the journey, since most of our experiences will be new for us also.
We welcome you to this site and hope it will be a pleasant way to spend time and keep up with us! And with that...bi-salaama! We leave you until the next entry “with peace.”
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