Monday, May 30, 2011

End of the U, S and A

Dear USA,

In the past two weeks I have traversed your land by bike, plane, car, bus, train and boat. I have traveled with family, friends, strangers and a tom tom navigator -- in fact, I am currently in one of your greyhound buses from Boston back to NY to conclude a US era of 7.5 years (on june 4). I have stayed at family, friends, strangers (couchsurfing), hostels, BB, inns, apartments, motels and hotels...

However, the restless nomad is tired and burdened by all his belongings in the absence of a fixed destination in your nation, the expiration of his visa and bureaucratic complications for getting alternative ones. The nomad is repulsed by all your thunderstorms simultaneously targeting beach and natural resorts. The nomad is homesick for a home yet to be found and eventually inhabited.

After tomorrow, I take a plane to Istanbul before hitting Beirut. I will be relaxing, planning, reading, writing and applying for visas in a much affordable environment. After all, your east coast is a beast in terms of cost. My stay here only aspires for a business plan that produces nothing more than $$ where life is reduced to a darwinian survival of the fittest and fellow humans are all regarded as cold-blooded competitors.

I hate farewells so I shall end this note with a thank you for all you taught me and made out of me...

Until our paths coincide again, take care of your children, many have become good friends.

Yours,
Alaa -- but you can call me Al

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Homesick Nomad

Couchsurfing w/ modelmayhem & carpooling w/ craigslist on US-1 South from Bar Harbor, ME to Cape Cod, MA. Sounds like the ideal vacation but not for a traveler who travels in vain. The fact that I was interviewed by MIT created a catch 22 situation with tremendous hopes and no job. I can barely imagine anything near MIT

as I am sickened by all alternative possibilities -- not that I was in favor of any before the MIT false hope. I am homesick but not sure for which home nor am I sure of how accurate is my sentiment or description of it... I keep exploring new dimensions of vanity that only time reveals to the extremely curious...

Saturday, May 21, 2011

The inevitable futility from nowhere to nowhere


Hello from a train from a train from Boston heading southwards--not sure where exactly it will stop, if at all. Regardless, the wi-fi deal it offers is cheaper than most dealsin airports. I might take it for a long long ride.

Pardon the tablet-induced brevityand typos -- Al

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Un attimo x riflettere su una vita

Non e mica facile ridurre 7 anni della mia esistenza in un posto a due bagagli per prendere il treno e vagare per il mondo, una settimana, un mese, ossia una vita... senza destinazione e senza nozione del tempo.

In quel attimo effemero di mancata solitudine, nonostante la maggioranza asiatica dell'mit che mi circonda dovunque vada, riesco a concentrarmi un po dopo mesi di tesi, trasloco, famiglia e problem I di visit imprevisti. Addirittura mi sono convinto finalmente di voler passare un anno qui.

Tuttavia, questo lo decide domani, senno, il giorno dopo, ad mortem.

Un po mi dispiace per il romanticismo dentro di me che man mano morira coll'imperialismo Americano lontano dall'EUROPA MAGNA e quel che resta oggi del CAPUT MUNDI e del vecchio mondo.