I have been travelled a lot in my life. 55 countries, but I want to see at least that many or more still.
I was around 30 years old when I decided I will travel around the World for one year and see the real face of the real World. Not going to typical “tourist places”, I do not want to see any museums and famous, “must to see things”. I want to see real citizens of each place where I go, I want to see how they live, their cultures, customs, habits, I want to see their daily life, how their daily routine is, how their way of thinking is, their mindset, their values.
This is my “must to see” thing, my must to feel, must to experience thing.
Living in Europe for 30 years and working for different multinational companies I saw most of the European countries. I knew this will be a very different experience.
On the way back from Australia, I spent almost 2 months in South-East Asia, in 8 different countries.
While I was travelling in Cambodia across a forest I saw a young girl who is selling things next to the path what goes through the forest. I felt something when I passed her. It was intense. Something deep.
I turned back and looked around, what is she selling?
Most of them were very simple items, hand made stuff from bamboo and other things from the nature, such as jaw harp/mouth harp, fun, sculptures, etc.
I saw a very nice scarf. It was so natural and looked so special. It stood out from the rest of the products. It was definitely the most expansive and was very attractive.
– I want this! – I said to myself in an eager way.
– How much is that? – I asked the lady.
She was a bit abashed and hesitated a bit and after she replied in a very shy way. Her voice was very soft and humble.
– Well, it is actually the most expansive item.
She continued slowly:
– It is 8 dollar.
I have been negotiating for more than 10 years with different leaders and business men, with so many sales people in my life, so straight away I replied instinctively:
– 8 sounds a bit ambitious, but I am happy to pay for it 5 dollar.
The young girl’s face was very confused and she replied with a wintry smile:
– Sir, I would love to do that, but unfortunately I cannot sell it for you in that price.
– Alright, my last offer is 6 dollar or if you cannot sell it for me, I am leaving right now. And I put back the scarf like someone who is leaving straight away.
– No Sir, please! She said in a scared way. She was so lost. Her voice was shaky and low:
– Alright sir!
I paid her for the item and we started to talk about her life. She shared with me that: she lives with her 7 siblings and with her Dad. She did not go to the school even though she is 15, because they did not have money for that. Also in her country normally girls do not go to school just very seldom only if they are rich and the parents have an opportunity to take them to the school every day. Because of the witch!
I did not really understand but I was keep listening her. She also mentioned that, her Mum died a few years ago. The witch took her. Here we go! The witch again! I thought she is kidding, but at the same time her face was so expressive, very sad and it was not a question, what she said is true. I did not understand it and she kept explaining that, it was definitely the witch because when they found her Mum in the forest, about 2 km from their house, on her body was a huge open cut and only the witch does that.
– Yes it is the witch! They do that! She said so convincingly.
She also explained me that, most of the time when they are at home, she and her siblings are working, they cook, they look after the young kids and they make, they “manufacture” this handmade things at home with their own hands.
– This one, what you see there was made by my sister about 2 years ago, and that one by my younger brother a few months ago.
She also shared with me that those products what I see is the work of their life. The entire asset of her family.
While she was talking to me, I was still thinking also about the witch, her Mum, other bodies what they found in the jungle from time to time and history lessons from high school and from my University studies and I started to understand what it really is. I remembered what I read about Cambodia and what happened after the Pol Pot Regime and Khmer Rouge and after that how human life was undervalued and how this country became of the main target of organ dealers, human traffickers and people especially young girls and women were the real target. I was astonished, dejected, crushed, totally demolished from the recognition.
Now I understood the witch, it is just explained to kids this way.
My vision became less and less clear, my eyes did not want to serve me, the big rocks – whereupon she placed her products – were more and more blurry.
I was still listening to her but her voice was coming from so far and was so foggy:
– Yes Sir, these products what you see here – she pointed to the rocks- are our family asset and we are really happy for that.
I started to talk, but my voice was so weak, even though I still wanted to show, I am the guy from Europe, I am the tough business man, the confident, who gets what he wants.
But my strength let me down, my confidence betrayed me and in a very emasculate way, I asked shakily.
– What do you think, what is the value of all of these products what you said is your family asset?
– Sir, it is almost 100 dollar. She said so openly.
I felt how I am shrinking, more and more. My posture changed. My vision became totally blurred. I did congratulate to myself.
-Well done man! – I started to talk to myself silently. – Very well done. You are the big business man! You managed a few corporate companies in your life. Studied journalism in Europe, studied Business Management in Australia, travelled across the world, took so many personal development and business trainings. And you are able to manage the price of a scarf from $8 to $6 in Cambodia in the middle of the forest with a 15 years old girl. Very well done mate! This is the top of every business carrier. This is your personal record. Your personal best!
I took out all of my money from my wallet, my hand was shaking.
– I would like to give you something. I said quaveringly, and I put the money in her hand.
That face, that expression on her face and on her body, that look, those eyes, what I will never forget in my life!
I tried to describe it on my own language also numerous times, but I felt that, the words are useless, they let you down, adjectives are not enough, language is good for nothing, sometimes you cannot express what you feel even if you are the most coherent, eloquent, articulated speaker of the World.
Abundance? Awaken? Awakening Abundance? Yes.
That feeling stays with me forever and since that time I do not want to be THE CEO, the best business man, the cool, confident European man, I just try to be, I just want to be human!