As we ponder

Travel addict who likes to share stories & observations. Find me on Instagram @judith.bergkemper.

[asweponder]

[asweponder]

The palengke kids

General Santos, Philippines

In the most southern city in the Philippines, General Santos City, is the palengke market located. Right next to it on the coast you can find a stripe of gathered huts - that's where the kids live.

It's hot if you walk through the little village. Smoke and steam constantly rising up, the surface is covered with dirt and black sand and kids are running around everywhere. A lot of them have lost their parents due to drugs, poverty or accidents, some still have relatives. Mothers are usually home, fathers are partially working if they can find daily labour work. But mostly the kids are on their own, running through the huge palengke market begging for food or sleeping somewhere between the close-knit vegetable, fruit or seafood stands. Some try to save a little bit of money as child prostitutes or by selling whatever they can find to sell. Some of them are going to school, others don't.

Education is a big problem in the village. People are afraid to leave their huts because they might need to spend money they don't have. Some are even afraid of going to the close by women centre that was initiated to teach women about pregnancy, contraceptives and health care for free.

Those kids growing up here - they are different from kids in the westernized world, but at the same time they are so much alike. At first glance, you wouldn't recognize any difference at all. They like dancing and playing soccer on the beach and if you go to visit them, you’ll be overwhelmed with love and dozens of little exuberant hands pulling your arms and begging for attention.

The kids have an incredible sense of loyalty and self-righteousness. If food is brought to the village it will all be shared precisely. But on the other side there is jealousy and fiery tempers parents are hardly able to control. Exactly that caused the death of a little boy who had saved a little bit of money to buy a cake for his sister's birthday and out of jealousy was attacked by a few other boys with a knife.

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Exploring the monasteries of Meteora, Greece #greece #meteora #monastery #traveling #winter #photography (at Μετέωρα (Meteora)) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtTCXNsnDjt/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=s3ip7ohbjfyd

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i want to apologize to all the women i have called pretty before i’ve called them intelligent or brave i am sorry i made it sound as though something as simple as what you’re born with is the most you have to be proud of when your spirit has crushed mountains from now on i will say things like you are resilient or you are extraordinary not because i don’t think you’re pretty but because you are so much more than that - rupi kaur —————————— Today is the first day of the United Nations theme for the International day for the Elimination of violence against women and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

I am im awe of strong women like Malala Yousafzai, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Emma Watson or Rupi Kaur who inspire us all to fight for a world in which boys can be boys and girls can be girls without society’s pressure of having to maintain a certain profile. Freedom & equality instead of gender-based hatred and violence! —————————— “We should all be feminists” by Chimamanda Adichie: https://youtu.be/hg3umXU_qWc

UN speech for the HeForShe Campaign by Emma Watson: https://youtu.be/gkjW9PZBRfk

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Watamu, Kenya

The women of the Girima-Clan

They live in a little village called Watamu not far from Mombasa near the coast of Kenya, Africa. They are mothers, daughters, cousins, wives… Women coming together to make music, sew dresses, gossip and help each other when having problems. Their problems are a little different from mine. It’s all about facing difficulties when the mango sale isn’t bringing enough cash to feed the whole family. It’s all about motivating each other when the husband is making descisions without considering his wife’s feelings. Desperate and pregnant girls appearing, not older than 15 and not knowing what to do next, isn’t a rare occasion.

Pressure ~ to honor the family, not to disappoint the husband. A woman living in the rural areas of Kenya is dependent from her father until she gets married. From now on her husband is in charge of all relevant descisions regarding his wife and if he decides to abandon her because she is not able to bear enough children no one can stop him. She won’t have another choice but accepting her fate while standing there with empty hands and without any future perspectives.

“Why are you bearing so many children if you aren’t financially stable and able to facilitate education for all of them?”, is our question. 

“That’s what it means to be a woman. Reputation and acknowledgement is the reward you get when having a lot of children.”

I realize how lucky I am to be free, independent and able to make choices on my own terms. I am able to decide what to do with my life and I don’t need to fight for the right to go to school. 

I am thankful for these rights.

Now it’s time to make music and in doing so, the Girima-Women are so beautiful in their colourful and self-made dresses. They are singing, dancing, drumming and pulling us towards them to join them and to feel the sense of delight. No words needed. All that matters is being together and the joy in this moment that I’ll never forget.

I am in awe - of these brave women who carry the world on their shoulders.

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Salamanca, Spain

It's exhausting - perpetually saying goodbye to people you just came to call your friends, just feeling at home in a place you feel comfortable in and then having to leave, starting anew all over again. Facing different people, different languages, different food and different cultures to get used to.

But the sunny side of all this is that exactly that makes it special... The most random aquaintances are becoming special because you know your time is limited and you wanna make the best out of it.

So it all breaks down to the core and you start to realize what's imortant and what doesn't really lead you anywhere. And I like living the intense way. That doesn't mean I don't want to build a stable life and have a family some day... it just means that at first I am learning to focus on what is really important and what's to brush aside in order to create a life full of satisfaction and love.

Growth - is it only possible to achieve or maintain that in the long run when you start growing roots instead of pulling out a flower only to replant it again as soon as you change your mind about anything?

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“I stopped explaining myself when I realized people only understand from their level of perception” - anonymous

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Vulkaneifel, Germany

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“You mean why do I pretend? Well, it’s very simple” he said. “Some folks don’t -like the way I live. Now I could say the hell with ‘em, I don’t care if they don’t like it. I do say I don’t care if they don’t like it, right enough - but I don’t say the hell with ‘em, see?”

Dill and I said, “No, Sir.”

“I try to give ‘em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason. When I come to town, which is seldom, if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey - that’s why he won’t change his ways. He can’t help himself, that’s why he lives the way he does.”

“That ain’t honest, Mr. Raymond, making yourself out badder ‘n you are already - “

“It ain’t honest but it’s mighty helpful to folks. Secretly (...) I’m not much of a drinker, but you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live.”

- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

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Chapman’s Peak, South Africa

Here’s one more thing I love about the traveling scene. To me people make places special. Somehow you can end up in the shittiest place but if you meet cool people that doesn’t matter and you can have the time of your life. It’s just amazing meeting so many people from literally everywhere. We were sitting around a camp fire, playing games and laughing together and all of a sudden I found out that the guy from Saudi Arabia right next to me has 8 sisters, 7 brothers and his dad is actually married to three wives. At first I was a little bit shocked facing such an obvious cultural difference - but then I realized it doesn’t matter. He’s just the guy I was joking around with a few minutes ago. And that’s the beauty of it.

When traveling and constantly meeting new people you realize that you don’t need to be afraid of other cultures no matter how different they are. They ARE different but that’s it. They are not necessarily better or worse. And if you can accept that, it is so much easier to understand that people from other countries are just like you - with the same dreams, hopes and desires.. and different accents. No one wants to leave their homes not knowing if they are seeing ther parents or siblings ever again. Some just have to because there is nothing left for them.

And I think especially today that is an important fact everyone needs to understand.

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Cape Town, South Africa

After competing at the World Choir Games 2018 in Pretoria with a gospel choir from Germany I am now working at a backpackers in Cape Town. Having a free place to stay and being connected to like minded travelers from all over the world while exploring the area on a budget is one of my favourite ways to get around.

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Restless?

Belfast, Ireland

Here I am - in a city I didn’t know anything about except for its name only a few days ago. A city in which you can experience all four seasons in one day. The city that is divided after surviving “the troubles”. I am talking about Belfast in Northern Ireland.

The vibes are special here and all of a sudden I am identifying myself with this city. Am I just as cloven and restless? Sometimes it is difficult to seperate my desire to travel from a perpetual need to move. Sometimes I wonder if I am even able to stay in one place for a longer period and I can’t yet imagine settling down any time soon.

But then I remember why I love exactly that - all the unsolved questions. I know they will be answered one day and that’s all I need to know. I wouldn’t even think about trading that for a “secure” future. There is just so much out in the world to see, so many people to meet and so many memories to make. Before I decide to make commitments I wanna know what’s out there to be sure I am actually doing what I’d like to dedicate my life to before I wake up one day wondering if I missed anything. For me this lifestyle is without a doubt one of the best ways to avoid bigotry and narrow-mindedness.

And I have come to learn that life treats you with generosity if you follow your own path and let fate do its part.

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So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a mean than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.

Christopher McCandless

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

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I am constantly searching, craving for intenseness. Feelings, strong enough to cross oceans. Longing, strong enough to move mountains. In order to live life to the fullest. Sadness, joy, grief and fury. I want to feel it all.There is no bigger loss than the loss of the ability to feel. Not caring means living a pointless life and it’s such a gift to deeply love.

Don’t you dare taking it for granted.

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Pretoria, South Africa

Parade of the Nations ~ where people of all races, colours and backgrounds are coming together to sing and celebrate as a symbolic statement for peace and freedom