Leaving...

It's night...It's late.....and Life is ready to start. I'm leaving in 6 hours from my little tiny town in a little tiny country, towards an unknow destination.....and what do about the place? Almost nothing....
I'm going to bed now, but I am quite sure that I will not be able to sleep. I actually like nights a lot more than daytime. It is in the nights that I get the chance to travel, to see the people I Love and to experiences all the things that I don't have time for. Anyway, you shouldn't sleep much; if you sleep 3 hours less each night for a year, you will have an extra month and a half to succeed in :-)

Western Sahara....I had never heard about it before some few months ago, and I will soon be living there amongst refugees and a Swede - and a friend. Why did Life take me to that place? I have yet to find out.

Stay in contact while I am away, I will not have access to phone or internet in the camps, but I will write a travel diary when I come back to publish on this blog.

Life is Sweet so go and live it!

/Mads - "....I'm leaving on a jet plane...."

Goodnight...

BY WILLIAM BLAKE

The sun descending in the west,
The evening star does shine;
The birds are silent in their nest,
And I must seek for mine.
The moon, like a flower,
In heaven's high bower,
With silent delight
Sits and smiles on the night.

Farewell, green fields and happy groves,
Where flocks have took delight.
Where lambs have nibbled, silent moves
The feet of angels bright;
Unseen they pour blessing,
And joy without ceasing,
On each bud and blossom,
And each sleeping bosom.

They look in every thoughtless nest,
Where birds are covered warm;
They visit caves of every beast,
To keep them all from harm.
If they see any weeping
That should have been sleeping,
They pour sleep on their head,
And sit down by their bed.

When wolves and tigers howl for prey,
They pitying stand and weep;
Seeking to drive their thirst away,
And keep them from the sheep.
But if they rush dreadful,
The angels, most heedful,
Receive each mild spirit,
New worlds to inherit.

And there the lion's ruddy eyes
Shall flow with tears of gold,
And pitying the tender cries,
And walking round the fold,
Saying, "Wrath, by His meekness,
And, by His health, sickness
Is driven away
From our immortal day.

"And now beside thee, bleating lamb,
I can lie down and sleep;
Or think on Him who bore thy name,
Graze after thee and weep.
For, washed in life's river,
My bright mane for ever
Shall shine like the gold
As I guard o'er the fold."

I like...

I like to fall in Love, the feeling in the stomach when I laugh, a hot shower, no lines in the mall, a special look in someone eyes, an e-mail, to drive on a beautiful road, and to listen to my favorite song in the radio. I like to lay in my bed and listen to the rain dancing on the window, I like the towels when they are warm after they have been in the dryer, to find the perfect shirt (on a sale), to talk for hours on the phone, to go in the jacuzzi, and a nice deep talk. I like the beach, to find 50 KR in a old jacket, to laugh at myself, to meet a stranger on the street who smiles, to run towards the fjord, to finish a "to do" list, to laugh without a reason, and when someone tells you that you are beautiful. I like to wake up and realize that you can sleep a lot more, friends, the first kiss, to play with a dog or a cat, to get pet by someone, to climb a mountain, or to get lost. I like sweet dreams and hot chocolate. I like long drives with friends, to wrap in gifts and put them under the tree, to sing as loud as I can...without feeling stupid, to go to a concert, to see a beautiful old man on the street, to win a difficult game, to bake a cake, and to hold hands with someone I like. To talk with an old friend and realize that some things never change, to drive a rollarcoaster, to see the Sun rise, and to TRAVEL..........

how many of these things will I try the next year? I dunno.....but I just hope that I will like it.

/Mads - leaving soon...very soon.

Iternary

This summer I went to: Iceland, Greenland, Canada, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Sweden.

18th of August: Leaving for Western Sahara with Max (Milano - Algier)
19th of August: Algier - Tindouf
22nd of October: Leaving from Tindouf
1st of November: Going to Gran Canaria to join Roselina to Cap Verde and then across the Atlantic.
Some times between 16th of december and 8th of january: From Barbados or Antigua to La Paz.
End of May: Backpacking or maybe working somewhere in South America!

Travel plans: To visit all the states in a big american car after uni.
To take the Trans-mongolian railroad
To go to Iran
To see Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma)

/Mads - To travel is to Live

A little story for all the people out there...

Footsteps In The Sand
One night a man had a dream.He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the "Lord". Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand:one belonging to him, and the other to the "Lord".
When the last scene of his life flashed before himhe looked back, at the footprints in the sand.He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints.He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the "Lord" about it:" "Lord", you said that once I decided to follow you,you'd walk with me all the way.But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my lifethere is only one set of footprints.I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."
The "Lord" replied:"My son, My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you,During your times of trial and suffering,when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

SMILE!

People who knows me will know that I am not always the most positive person in the world; and yes that is true. Because things can ONLY get better if you are a super pessimist, however I have started a new thing. I'm reading a great and funny book these days called: "How to Win Friends & Influence People" by Dale Carnegie, and I am actually trying to do some of the things from the book, even though most of it is common sense. My "main focus" is to smile everything I enter a shop, greet people, yes I even smile when I talk in the phone with someone.

Everyone keeps saying: Be careful mads...., and yes, the chance that I will die is there (but I guess that there is a chance of dying in London, Copenhagen or Flekke as well). I must say that it will be a bit sad if I die, not that "I am scared of dying, I just don't want to"...But I just want to see all the continents before I die....and then I want to get something published as well....so, someone out there...Please publish all my blogs, mails, articles etc.

And the reasons for my travels (another question I get quite often)....I want to understand Denmark, I travel to see my own country. Furthermore, I travel because I want to "be the change", nonetheless I have to see what to change! I have to go out and feel what people want and need. I will never let the "weak" people behind me, even though that I get a nice education, a house, a wife and 2 kids. There are still 3000 people, mostly kids, dying everyday from a mosquito bite! I have to do something about this...and yes, I know that I cannot change everyone....but I can try! :)

The most interesting part is that everyone can do what I am doing; or at least similar things. It doesn't cost a lot of money as long as you seek the opportunities. Remember one thing guys, you don't have to go to uni.! Yes, maybe I am extremely naive, spoiled etc., maybe I am an idealist who lives in my own little "Live-8" world. yes maybe........ I should be realistic...., nevertheless, if you can dream it....then you can do it!

I'm just thinking....Wondering....how will next year be....Loose thoughts connects....and then split again. I need a guardian angle next year...! I'm collapsing now...My brain runs 24/7 all the time - for the first time. I am done with the schooling, now my education start.

/Mads - ready to go

"World Harmony Run"

I ran with a "olympic-wannabe" torch in my hands, when I went to the artic region with "Students on Ice". Why? Because of an organization called "World Harmony Run" which is a global torch relay, seeking to strengthen international friendship and understanding, as it says on its homepage. To be honest, I find it rather silly. First of all, see the "world" that they visit? Try to take a look at the countries....they should really try to cover more. Second of all; WHY!! Why spend time, money and energy running around with a torch, smile and sing? You have to do more than that to put focus on the suffering in the world; they could at least run with food and water!!
Too many talk the talk, but no one walk the walk! (or run :)...)
Stop talking!
START ACTING!

/mads - actionpacked!

8 days to go....

I'm sitting here in my boring, its just another wednesday late afternoon and I got nothing to do...apart from watching a Danish soccer team beat (hopefully) Ajax Amsterdam - which is Patrick, my dear x-roommates, favourite team.
The days are moving slowly, I am planning and planning more and more for my desert trip, furthermore I have to plan my sailingtrip over the Atlantic and my year in south-america (without money :S)...

I also spend my time reading; I have read "Lady Chatterleys Lover", "The Metamorphosis", "Letter to Father", "The Outsider", some poems of William Blake, different texts by Nietzsche, and then I am reading a great biography about Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (SAK). All in all a great mix of litterature, the only problem is that I have to pick ONE or TWO books to bring with me to Western Sahara. A book which will last for 2½ months...any suggestions?

The only book I know that I will bring is my diary; I don't live to write, I write to live!

/Mads - 8 days....

In the world today, 6 biliion 300 million people live.If this world were shrunk to the size of a village,what would it look like?If 100 people lived in this village,
52 would be women, 48 would be men
30 would be children, 70 would be adults.
7 would be aged.
90 would be heterosexual, 10 would be homosexual
70 would be nonwhite, 30 would be white
61 would be Asian, 13 African, 13 from North and South America, 12 Europeans, and the remaining one from the South Pacific.
33 would be Christians, 19 believers in Islam, 13 would be Hindus, and 6 would follow Buddhist teachings. 5 would believe that there are spirits in the trees and rocks and in all of nature. 24 would be believe in other religions, or would believe in no religion.
17 would speak Chinese, 9 English, 8 Hindi and Urdu, 6 Spanish, 6 Russian, and 4 would speak Arabic. That would account for half the village. The other half would speak Bengal, Portuguese, Indonesian, Japanese, German, French, or some other language.

In such a village with so many sorts of folks, it would be very important to learn to understand people different from yourself and to accept others as they are. But consider this. Of the 100 people in this village,
20 are underonurished, 1 is dying of starvation, while 15 are overweight.
Of the wealth in this village, 6 people own 59% (all of them from the United States), 74 people own 39%, and 20 people share the remaining 2%.
Of the energy of this village, 20 people consume 80%, and 80 people share the remaining 20%.
75 people have some supply of food and a place to shelter them from the wind and the rain, but 25 do not. 17 have no clean, safe water to drink.
If you have money in the bank, money in your wallet and spare change somewhere around the house, then you are among the richest 8.
If you have a car, you are among the richest 7.
Among the villages, 1 has a college education. 2 have computers. 14 cannot read.
If you can speak and act according to your faith and your conscience without harassment, imprisonment, torture or death, then you are more fortunate than 48, who can not.
If you do not live in fear of death by bombardment, armed attack, landmines, or of rape or kidnapping by armed groups, then you are more fortunate than 20, who do.
In one year, 1 person in the village will die, but in the same year, 2 babies will be born, so that at the year's end the number of villagers will be 101.

Draft!

Listen everyone, lets stop this crazy idea about a draft to the military! Lets have a draft for Life istead. Everyone have to go outside in the nature one week every year until they turn 15, after that people should be forced to do social volunteer work for 2 weeks every year the rest of their Life. LETS GET DRAFTED!

/Mads - ready for draft

"After School is over you're playing in the park
Don't be out too late, don't let it get too dark
They tell you not to hang around and learn what life's about
And grow up just like them - won't you let it work it out- and you're full of doubt"

The Artic Region

I just came back from the trip of my Life, I don't know if the Middle-East or this trip was the best, however this one for sure had the most spetacular nature and some amazing people. You can read a lot more about the trip on: http://www.studentsonice.com/arctic05 , nonetheless let me explain what I saw. Volcanos, Glaciers, Polar Bears, Tons of Whales (Blue whales, killer whales, sperm whales etc), Old Viking ruins, Ice Bergs, Walruses, Seals, Ace, AK and Margret, Ottawa, Iceland, Greenland and Nunavut. All in all an amazing and "un-payable" experiences. I must mention that it was not a "tourist" trip, but actually very educational. It was kind of Higher Level E-systen with authors, experts and scientists, and I actually learned a bit more about Global Warming, furthermore I realized how ignorant people are. Let me give you an example:
I was driving with X person and explained her that the reason for the artic region is melting is because of her driving the car. She then asked me if her driving the car in DENMARK would influence the artic region!!! We still have a long way to go.

One thing which was really special was to see Global Warmings impact on the local people living in the region, this problem is not about some few animals dying, but about cultures.

I'm leaving to Western Sahara on the 18th, but I will try to write more before I go.

Mads - 4 down, 3 to go!