Dislocated - My life away from home - A personal rite of passage

Irene - spiritual adventures on the road

Irene from Switzerland is a yearly guest at the healing centre of Quiet Beach. Like most visitors here she is interested in the spiritual path of Integral Yoga, developed by Sri Aurobindo. This is also the inspiration for the development of Auroville. Irene has spent much of her life dislocated, leading what she calls a gypsy lifestyle.

At age 18, Irene was a successful hairdresser and international model. The best memory she holds of that period is a year of touring with the musical Hair. She got engaged to a wealthy boyfriend in Paris, but decided not to live that life. At the age of 21 she sold everything she owned at a flea market and started travelling.

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The wonders of India

You must be wondering: where is India? I must honestly say I don’t expect to explore India much. With just two weeks on the agenda… I chose to take it easy. And just explore this one place, Auroville, and close-by Pondycherry.

Had a chat with these ladies at Pondycherry Boulevard, Saturday early evening.

The past week I have (re)treated myself to the Quiet Healing Centre at Quiet Beach. I realised how exhausted I was after Beirut, such an intense place. After that, decided to detox, relax and take some treatments.
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Leena - between two cultures

At the same party I met Nadeem, I meet Leena. When she hears about my project she says: - ‘you know, after a divorce things only get better.’ I am of course interested in her optimistic approach, to what she has obviously gone through herself. Leena asks me to meet her at Sporting, an old beachfront club in Beirut.

In the distance on the paved rocks that go to the sea, Leena waves to me. Once I reach her, she says: -‘you have turned half Lebanese!’. Due to the rush hour, the taxi arrived half an hour late. Then, smiling: -‘good you are here. This was my favourite place when I first came to Lebanon, as a teenager. Now I come here with my own daughters in summer. The place has not changed a bit.’

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Why make the best of things?

I’m still thinking of the question ‘why am I here?’ What I do know, is that travelling now is making the best out of a situation I couldn’t get to grips with. I am happy about travelling. But the reason behind it, I don’t know. I have the tendency to make the most of what is there. I make ‘the best’ out of bad situations, relationships, work, name it. Question is, should I do that?

Nadeem - Dislocated musicians in Beirut 2

Nadeem (26) works in journalism, but primarily he is a musician. He came here from Iraq– together with his boy band UTN1 (Unknown To No One). I met him through my new friend Daisy, at a housewarming party of two BBC reporters. We agree to meet again, so he can tell me more about his decision to be in Beirut.

Nadeem picks me up in his orange sports car. He drives to Chez Paul, a bakery/restaurant in Gemayze, where he has the car valet parked, a very usual thing to do here. We order French baguettes with cheese and coffee.

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Anne - Dislocated musicians in Beirut 1

Last week in Beirut, I asked Anne why she left The Netherlands 5 years ago. She answered very determined: -’ just needed to get out! Just leave!’ (followed by a couple of Arabic expressions that I don’t understand). Anne will be performing a concert at Paradiso in Amsterdam on the 5th of April, named Hope4Gaza.

Short impression of Anne’s rehearsal with her two Lebanese band members Labex and Fabi, with whom she wrote the songs they will be performing at Paradiso. There, three more musicians from The Netherlands will join in.

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