tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355851059063869072012-02-16T04:00:03.458-08:00I surprise myself ending up in places I never thought of. I walk with curiousity and learned that having no plans always brings me somewhere. The road ahead is unknown. The road behind me is a memory to cherish.Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.comBlogger441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-11475175815262613062008-10-25T13:25:00.000-07:002008-10-25T13:29:26.616-07:00

Dear Carina,I had a strange feeling past weeks ...I knew it was a birthday I was forgetting but the answer did not come ...this morning I told my mother I wanted to write you ...and tonight I find a gift ... I found your stories ...Earlier today I was chatting with my Burmese refugee friends from Thailand. B2 (a young guy of 25) is still in prison, sentenced for 37 years and hard labour, he was

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-51075511287502628192008-07-15T04:36:00.000-07:002008-07-15T04:38:47.793-07:00

Cobblestoned streets, Dutch signs, I understand what people say and most things feel familiar. I talk for hours with my friends, old friends, friends I know since long. Hitchhiking goes easy because I know the way …I came to Belgium in the beginning of July. Because of many things …but the road, the way just continues …

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-11465330684440046002008-06-04T21:45:00.000-07:002008-06-04T22:11:39.536-07:00

Dear Sue How are u? Where have u been? Still in Indonesia?For me I am busy with my two kids and packing the cloth for Cyclone victim.Our country never get a chance to remove this regime I think.Nobody can help us.What a disappointed for us.This regime is getting worse and worse.I think we don't have a chance of going back home instead of living in foreign country for our life.We still hoping

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-63652082845278678342008-05-28T19:59:00.000-07:002008-05-28T20:02:47.201-07:00

I am in Banda Aceh in the north of Sumatra, Indonesia. The biggest part of this city is new, rebuilt after the Tsunami came on the 26th of December 2004. It is easy to go around without witnessing its past. As an outsider I see a façade. The buildings don’t look so new. Everything looks normal.My friends who work and live here take me behind the façade. It is a very big backstage. I get lost and

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-16791110947758113982008-05-26T19:40:00.000-07:002008-05-26T19:43:32.728-07:00

One month ago I left Mae Sot, I left the house of my Burmese friends, my brothers and sisters, and travelled non-stop to the south to cross into Malaysia on the day my visa expired. I arrived in Buttersworth where a man gave me two options: a train to Kuala Lumpur or a ferry to Penang. The latter brought me to Georgetown, the capital of the Island. I was back on the road without the daily

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-67720433399097082062008-05-12T02:57:00.001-07:002008-05-14T02:07:00.704-07:00

Saturday evening one of my very good friends inside Burma was arrested by the SPDC (the brutal inhuman army). His dream to be free seems further than ever before. As one of the most active youth leaders in the region he was a hope for many, helping hundreds of young people with education. The latter is what the regime did not want him to do.His friends don’t know what to do. We can only hope he

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-60902801243399711392008-05-07T01:05:00.000-07:002008-05-07T01:06:58.630-07:00

Please read more:http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/cyclonenargis.phphttp://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/PDFs/Cyclone%20Nargis%20Update%2005%2005%202008.pdfI am currently in Malaysia and everything is about FISH. (A story to be told later ...)

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-43219246711458874052008-04-25T04:01:00.000-07:002008-12-08T18:50:40.081-08:00

My friends and family made it possible to support some of the Burmese people most in need. In Eastern Burma many people have fled to the jungle after threats or repressions of the military. Today I could hand over 165.000 Thai Baht or 3333 Euro to Saw Hla Henry, director of CIDKP, an organization that reaches out to those people. With your contribution they can buy enough rice for 550 people for

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-10702697819292408782008-04-15T22:52:00.000-07:002008-04-15T23:07:11.082-07:00

On May 10th Burma will decide whether to accept the continuation of the brutal military regime or take a risk and vote no during the referendum on the constitution. The proposed constitution is finally available for the public for 1 USD, for many unaffordable. The government also issued guidelines for the officers of the polling booths but up till today most of the people do not know how the

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-88063511615808189402008-04-12T03:16:00.000-07:002008-04-12T03:19:57.066-07:00

Armed gangs of youngsters drive through the streets in their pick ups. You can’t pass any of the many new checkpoints along the roads without being stopped and facing their one policy for all in the name of ‘protection against the enemy’. People are powerless and prepare themselves by putting their belongings in plastic bags. The enemy attacks have reached new heights so the rebel’s interference,

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-34699571113297592722008-04-09T06:37:00.000-07:002008-04-09T06:44:08.655-07:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Angsana New"; panose-1:2 2 6 3 5 4 5 2 3 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman;

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-64350427189338682142008-04-05T06:26:00.000-07:002008-04-05T07:12:56.997-07:00

On the first day I arrived in Burma the dean of a religious establishment who received me in his very humble house in a poor neighborhood, said this would have brought him in jail just a few years ago. Back in Thailand a friend tells me about how ‘They’ can hear everything you say, even from inside a house across the street. Both in- and outside Burma the sayings go: “The walls have ears! They

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-16569777166418828402008-04-03T04:18:00.000-07:002008-04-03T04:23:29.054-07:00

I can no longer believe in big international institutions who fail to do what they preach. So many international agreements and obligations exist and institutions claim to work, with tax-payers money, for the good cause. Burma is obliged to protect and promote human rights by so many international conventions but is not adequately punished by any of those who proudly state to be a signatory of

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-22447959169212994822008-04-03T04:01:00.000-07:002008-04-03T04:09:49.439-07:00

Regardless of the slogans used by all sides (government, political opposition groups or even the Mae Tao clinic in Mae Sot) stating to be United in Diversity, I noticed a strong emphasis on differences in ethnic background and religion coinciding unfortunately with a lot of strong statements and judgements.Discrimination seems to run through all levels of the society. Karen government teachers

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-41459771502400060032008-04-02T06:59:00.001-07:002008-04-03T04:18:22.842-07:00

The first time since I left <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Europe in the beginning of July I take an airplane. Even with only one hour flying the difference between the place of departure, the busy brand new Bangkok airport, and the place of arrival being the almost empty airport in Yangon (Myanmar/Burma) is huge. Only a couple of minutes before landing I saw asphalt roads and a few cars. I spoke

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-71000776851436786042008-04-02T05:58:00.000-07:002008-04-02T06:22:00.285-07:00

The new Rambo movie, in the cinema’s across Europe since January but not in Thailand, is widely discussed. Sylvester Stallone is fighting and killing enemies in the area across the Salween river which marks the border here between Thailand and Myanmar! In the long lasting conflict of the Karen minority he fights against the Burmese army. Reviews on the Internet do not really link the movie with

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-11082778308720168142008-02-27T02:21:00.000-08:002008-03-30T04:51:07.731-07:00

“It would be nice if I can go to the waste dump today” Manou said to me this morning sharing our breakfast and morning coffee. Manou had been there before to play with the children in the Sky Blue school which is basically located on the waste dump, a place where some 200 Burmese refugees try to survive. When she calls to Hannah, another Farang, to arrange a new meeting the answer is: “After the

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-55978929425305830632008-01-30T21:46:00.000-08:002008-03-30T04:51:40.261-07:00

My friend, a refugee from Burma in Mae Sot told me about the Belgian arms he saw being used in the jungle. Even before talking about the 'involvement' of other countries in Burma I think one should admit that the oppressive dictatorship with it's unlimited human rights abuses is a concern and responsibility of all nations and people how far away Burma they physically might be.Former UN

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-37419500614876845472008-01-27T01:39:00.000-08:002008-03-30T04:51:57.743-07:00

The first thing I found in Thailand was a book about Aung San Suu Kyi. Reading in the nights on my way to Bangkok I was still unaware that I would meet some of the people I read about.Last week I joined a delegation led by Burma Campaign UK on a field trip to the border area in northern Thailand. What I saw, heard and and learned is impossible to forget. When we approached a new camp of

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-54515647013822223452008-01-06T19:12:00.000-08:002008-03-30T04:52:12.743-07:00

When I woke up at the quiet bank of the Nam Song on December 28th neither my time in Laos or my time with Ed were set. I smiled when I met Ed in the middle of the river around 11.00. "I found good bamboo". We had the plan to build a bamboo raft but as plans often seem to do it failed. When Ed was cutting the long and strong bamboo the locals protested. Nowadays with topographical maps being a

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-82736891114640755562007-12-29T06:44:00.000-08:002008-01-01T01:12:31.103-08:00

A little girl aged ten approached me, she came across the river and is soaked. She is truly beautiful and kneels next to me. After her hello (Sabaidi) she asks for money, looks at my stuff and my writings. With her eyes on me she stays with me for a while. With mixed feelings I give her my bottle of water. I don't know if it was a 'right' action. In the meanwhile two other children joined her.

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-81982386955063063242007-12-23T00:27:00.000-08:002008-01-04T23:40:25.208-08:00

Travelling through the South West of China I can only find support for my earlier statement about borders that are vague. After we passed Jinghong Ed and I entered a new space. New dresses, new faces and new houses. I felt kind of surprised that again I was slowly leaving China. With 30 rides from Guangzhou we got to a very simple small border crossing near Mengla. The no-mans land between China

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-12073292675441766472007-12-12T18:23:00.000-08:002007-12-12T19:05:09.977-08:00

Today I received this messagesue: i hope you will have good luck on you trip,and don't forget to keep in touch with me,i think i will do the same thing like you ,and at that time i need to ask you something about the travelling,such as how to save money and how to face to the problem when you are travelling,best wishes to you! yours:bankBank is a young Chinese man I met on the

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-76735679344189243802007-12-11T18:55:00.001-08:002007-12-11T21:21:15.678-08:00

Thanks for your dreams I just said to Phil after we shared coffee and bread for breakfast. It is again one of those nice mornings, the sun shines and I feel very free. China indeed has its own brands which do look a lot like the ones we know and call the 'real ones'. One of the slogans exposed in flashy colours on brand new shops is 'Possible is Anything', we know this one as 'Impossible is

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-47034710845210697852007-12-05T05:28:00.000-08:002007-12-05T06:39:22.170-08:00

I am filled with many impressions, great experiences and lovely moments. My time in Japan has come to an end. It was a sad departure from some dear friends and a special country but I entered the chaos of China with a new big smile on my face. The story of Japan is mostly written in my diary after I wrote you about my great homestay in Kobe. The story starts from the great Shikoku trip where I

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-23935294177293022262007-10-18T05:30:00.000-07:002008-12-08T18:50:40.460-08:00

Since a few days I have become a wwoofer. Sometimes people ask me if I am a student. "Yes, a student of life" I answer. I am also a traveller and a hitchhiker. or "I just am". But right now I am mostly a wwoofer. I am working on a farm at the foot of the Japanese Alps and receive delicious ultra healthy organic food, in huge portions, a warm bed and great company of the young farmers family Akio

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-63762255831758111482007-10-18T04:56:00.000-07:002008-12-08T18:50:41.293-08:00

My working environment near Matsumoto, Nagano PrefectureOnsen or natural Japanese hot spring ... just great watching beautiful coloured leaves slowly finding their way to the ground. One of the great stops during my hitchhiking trips. Go to onsen with your drivers!I ended up being an amazed spectator of the 33rd Japanese National Lifesaving Championships in Fujisawa.One of our truck drivers

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-33625459474982058022007-10-11T01:33:00.000-07:002007-10-22T03:37:02.171-07:00

I felt I was living in a dream. Only a few hours after saying goodbye to Carina at a crossroad in Kyoto I found myself in great Japanese company. People I would meet again and whom I get to know better. My first day in Kobe was about David Juritz, I became his photographer and moviemaker and listened several times to his amazing performances. We visited an International School, surprised people

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-5239996859562740232007-10-10T02:03:00.000-07:002007-10-22T01:39:21.764-07:00

I am seated in a cosy place that acts as the central office of a youth hostel in Yokohama. I just found out that it is the second biggest city of Japan but nevertheless I liked the name. Behind me are some eight people sitting, some in suits, others are casually dressed women. One men is speaking most of the time and occasionally an older women adds some clarifications to his English. Government,

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-32473321672952159702007-10-07T08:40:00.000-07:002007-10-07T08:54:01.097-07:00

I am already more than a month in the land of the rising sun, I have seen sunsets, sunrises, whales, waves, rice and raw fish ... many impressions and stories have remained untold and unshared ... I feel I would need some time, a lot of time to write things down properly ...but life goes on and it is so interesting ...I haven't managed to find access to a computer on the right moment ...so for

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-39123740811208432552007-09-17T02:56:00.000-07:002007-09-17T08:48:56.164-07:00

Cars, especially in Russia were shaking us sometimes to all sides but living 42 hours on a big boat made me walk the Japanese soil for two more days moving unnecessarily from left to right and feeling a bit dizzy. I was surprised how such a big boat can be so much influenced by the waves. Surrounded by sea and after exploring all corners of the ship Carina and I had lots of time to talk and have

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-32588559553614930692007-09-08T23:56:00.000-07:002007-09-09T02:52:47.856-07:00

For the first time I had time to read my previous post. Mmm, so little I have written. It feels almost unjust to give China so few words. My mind has been a bit uneasy about this overload of impressions and stories which remained untold. But what to do? Life was too interesting to look into the past or like I did not want to close my eyes when travelling. So much to wonder about! But now I take

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-74937215919828373402007-08-25T08:17:00.000-07:002007-08-25T09:52:44.031-07:00

I couldn't prepare for an 'unplanned' trip, I did not choose to start to learn twenty new languages but somehow I felt my mind was more prepared to travel through Russia then for being in China. Such a huge amount of 'new' things. And it goes far beyond just leaving fork and knive behind, which we consiously did in Mongolia! I adapted quickly to at least read the cyrillic alphabet but now at the

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-38814595411335572542007-08-25T07:08:00.000-07:002007-08-25T08:16:59.897-07:00

We left Russia with style. In Ulan Ude, capital of Buryatia, my mobile phone being connected to ' Far East' or passing the 'Pacific Bank' already tried to make us aware off where we were. East Asia! After a good time in the temple with making pozi (yes, quite difficult so we mostly helped with dishes) and with some words of Mongolian in our pockets we headed south. After a ride with a small but

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-82106341318968255272007-08-07T02:24:00.000-07:002007-08-07T02:26:07.089-07:00

Russia was for me a place I never even tried to have an image of, Siberia was big and cold. Russians were related to the Antwerp based mafia and its politics which gave an uncomfortable feeling. Halfway the road, while washing myself in one of the beautiful lakes with soft wind from the steppes blowing I said to Carina “I love Siberia”. Though often not being able to understand or to find any

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-28543543387423121872007-08-07T02:19:00.000-07:002007-08-07T02:24:18.150-07:00

The sun shines, it is 25 degrees and I sit peacefully behind a computer in the Central Library of Ulan Ude, our last Russian city. It has been such a full month, a month I could never have imagined. Some facts: we reached this place with 56 rides and 3 trains. Based on signs and drivers’ wisdom we calculated that we covered 9940 km in 21 days on the road. Our route went as following: Tallinn,

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-7513828359834716122007-07-23T08:02:00.000-07:002007-07-23T09:06:50.168-07:00

After just a few days of travelling we stayed for a while in the heart of Ukraine. While visiting local libraries for internet facilities we were invited to speak about our trip. About 30 citizens of Cherkasy and a local journalist listened to us posed many questions and started to dream. By train we went to a very small village called Mehedovka were Carina's father grew up to work in the garden,

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-88292912195464688112007-07-11T03:29:00.000-07:002007-07-11T04:28:23.895-07:00

I am slowly becoming aware of my actions and while my feelings and thoughts have travelled already many thousands of different roads ...physically I made it from Tallinn (Estonia) to Cherkasy (Ukraine)!13 rides, all kinds of kind drivers and from a rainy night in our tent in Lithuania to appartments from babouchkas and aunts ... the road, the road ... on the 10th of July we travelled more then

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-29112789162790025602007-06-11T13:39:00.000-07:002007-10-22T01:22:49.999-07:00

From the writings of a Buddhist monk called Thich Nhat Hanh, with the title “The long road to joy”, summarized by Paulo Coelho1] You have already arrived. So, feel pleasure at each step and do not worry about things that you still have to face. We have nothing before us, just a road to be traveled at each moment with joy. When we practice pilgrim meditation, we are always arriving, our home is

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-8781553736345524672007-06-10T13:07:00.000-07:002007-06-10T13:13:00.184-07:00

If you believe in the dream enough and are willing to do whatever it takes to make it a reality, then you will be a success. It may not be an easy road, but the rainbow at the end will be worth the effort. If you come to a point where it just does not look like you can muster up any more motivation, you should keep on believing. Pretend that everything is working out and that life is great to get

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-86086756928282723062007-06-08T09:40:00.000-07:002007-06-08T10:52:45.183-07:00

"The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them"Quote by Denis WatleyThat our journey is possible I believe based on the many others who did so before. That I am a traveller able

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-11393041504226057082007-06-07T02:31:00.000-07:002007-10-22T01:28:22.172-07:00

One month ahead of our journey. The planning did not get beyond deciding upon a date 07.07.07. The route is still like the one outlined 6 months ago, my passport is some visas richer. And me? I am caught by a travel fever, waiting for the moment to come, curious, anxious ... but ready to go! Just need to get accross that huge to do list and pack my bag. I know that I can not be prepared for all

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-35184128322919892342007-01-21T05:00:00.000-08:002007-10-22T01:31:00.498-07:00

Achievements are so often meassured with professional classes, professional progress. Wishes and ambitions are so often translated into careers. But my father reminded me of this other path of life a human being is walking on: de loopbaan. Career in English, but for us it is something else, it is the path, the road we follow like a heavenly body has its orbit, it is the road we run. But however

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2035585105906386907.post-48396311997907752632007-01-14T03:56:00.000-08:002007-01-14T04:24:15.321-08:00

Honestly, this is a new beginning for me. After writing mostly on small pieces of ripped paper and in several "personal" note books I made a rather rational though intuitive choice for my future. I won't give up writing my ideas and words trying to reflect feelings in my rather illegible handwriting because I like it and because I will never be a daily visitor of the computer world.But soon i

Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890170525299530102noreply@blogger.com0