Querencia

Life is a lot like a Bull Fight. You are happy in a cage that has been built around you. You may or may not be aware about the cage, but once you are, you cannot get it out of your mind. There is always someone sitting on top trying to use you. In a bull fight it’s the rider. In life, it’s everybody.

The difference comes once you get a chance to get out of your cage. Unlike the bull, most choose not to. Here is where one must take inspiration from the bull. The Bulls runs out, and realises who is on top. That’s when he decides to break free of his bonds and topple the rider. If only, we humans were just as smart. Evolution has killed the wild instinct we had.

Once the bull topples the rider is again when the story diverges. This is the part where most humans outsmart the bull. Querencia is the place in the ring where a bull feels safe. It is the place where he looks to reach, a place where he cannot be harmed. Every human has a Querencia too. It could be his home, the arms of his loved one , his family , a place in the mountains, a bike ride or anything. Most humans once they break free, take a leap of faith. But there are still quite a few who get stuck in their Querencia.

Life is unpredictable and one knows not what happens next. Every human has a choice to stick to his safe spot or rather stay in the cage. But those who do manage to get out, know what it feels like to wander under the free skies, to sail through uncharted waters, to fly over the mighty mountains.

Ofcourse I am being poetic, but to discover new oceans, you have to lose site of the shore.

"A world without Borders"

Exactly three months ago, i was in Aachen in Germany. Aachen is a small town on the western border, famous as the coronation place of the German Kings.It borders with Belgium and Netherlands.

Now being an Indian, I know only a few kind of borders. One are like Nepal, where it's relatively easy to get across. The second is Pakistan and China, where you'll be "welcomed" by two hostile armies.

What I imagined while visiting the border at Vals (Netherlands) was a toned down version of the Indo-Pak border at Wagah (Atari in India), with soldiers standing on each side. Maybe an evening ceremony wherein soldiers from both the sides would bow down to each other, among trumpet sounds, and thousands of people watching as the gates were closed at sundown, with an understanding that there shall be no war tonight. At least that's what happens at Wagah.

I imagined there would be a gate where people were asked for their Passports.Maybe make a register entry of some kind. A Bar code scanner that scans your passport number. But I was in for a surprise.

The above is a picture of me, standing with my right foot in Germany and my left in Netherlands. At the right is 'Raffay' , a friend of mine clicking me. While this photo was clicked by Hashyt. I just couldn't get myself to cropping him.

Did I mention that Raffay was from Pakistan ? So were Shahrukh and Osama who accompanied us there. From a so-called Enemy nation, that our parents warn us about. Who's citizens we are warned to stay away from in a foreign land.

In fact in both my international outings, Tokyo and Cologne, my closest friends apart from Indians have been the Pakistanis. It may be the language, the common culture, the cricket connection, the same music taste or maybe something else. What I realized was that we are essentially the same.

Sadly, there is a possibility that I may never meet  Osama, Raffay, Shahrukh, Rafi or a woman from Pakistan I call my sister, Maria ever again. The reason being the stupid visa restrictions imposed by our ever so friendly Governments.

I did't write this as a piece of India-Pakistan friendship. The reason I mention this story is that relationships like India-Pakistan are the reason why we have visa restrictions in the first place !

 I am a firm believer in a world without borders. The Schengen area is a start. 26 countries, where one needs no travel documents to travel around. One may think it couldn't get any better. I think it could.

Uk-Canada-Australia-New Zealand recently suggested a free movement pact. Citizens of Norway, US, UK, Sweden and Japan can practically travel the world visa free.

Open borders in the Schengen were responsible for a major increase in trade, revenues and tourism. India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders have been open for over 60 years. India is thus the largest trading partner of both these nations. Would it not be good for any economy to open it's borders to others. I admit threats such as terrorism, smuggling, human trafficking, criminal escapes may take place, but hasn't the EU managed that so well for so many years.

Of course it will be difficult, but had it been easy, would it have been fun ?

India and China have an annual trade of 50 billion USD, the highest for India. Still it's pretty damn tough to obtain a Chinese visa for Indians (tourist) and vice versa. India and Russia have been war time allies for over 50 years. These two countries practically have no other dependable allies. Yet, it's very difficult to obtain a Russian Visa for Indians. It's pretty easy for Russians though.

I tried not to bias myself due to the Visa issues I feel I may face as an Indian. However, I like to travel and this blog is basically the result of the whims and fancies of a traveler's heart, who's passport doesn't command a lot of power !

Enough venting my frustration regarding the same. Since it's not in my control, the best I can do is to travel as much as I can, and hope that my visas are never an issue !

A world without borders : It's just a dream. But some dreams do come true.

L to R : Raffay, Me, Osama, Shahrukh, Harshyt in Vals, Netherlands. Except me. I'm in Aachen, Germany.