"New Century Travels" from Philly to DC

(photo courtesy of New Century Travel)

I was suddenly in a travel mode. Although I didn't come to the states as a tourist or a traveller (but to visit my brother and spend Christmas with my family in DC), being in Philadelphia - on my own for once - made me feel excited and put me in a multi-culti-ethnic-mix-internationale kind of mood. In Reading Terminal Markets I was speaking a little Arabic with a Syrian stall-owner and a Palestinian customer named Yusouf, which gave me a sudden backflash to being in the Middle East this summer; and for a splitsecond two worlds connected in my mind, one of which I knew from having been in Iran and the Yemen: the yearnings, hopes and wishes regarding America that are in the air there and in people's thoughts and dreams, the pride with which a Yemeni boy might say: "My brother lives in the United States!" or the curiousness with which an Iranian student might inquire about living costs in the USA. But when speaking to Yusouf and the Syrian stall-owner, it dawned on me how intricately that world is connected to a world over here in the US: the world of voluntary exile. For that split-second I felt like I got a glimpse of these people's lifes - displaced across the sea in search of hapiness or simply safety, interacting in communities of like-fated others, trying to get to terms with the new culture, society and system - known to them only through movies and stories from friends and relatives who in turn have friends and relatives that have already made the journey to 'Amriikaa' - the place that still manages - after centuries - to be the dream-destination for millions of people around the globe.

I bought a Shewara Kebab from the Syrian man and a 4lbs Rock-fish from a Chinese Fish stall, then walked down to 11th street, where the Chinatown bus to DC left from. Waiting in the "New Century Travel" bus terminal lounge amongst dozens of Chinese people, I was glad to notice one black and one other white person sitting in the hard plastic chairs. I thought it funny that their presence provided some sort of comfort. A white, pale punk girl, naturally dressed in black, knitting a light-blue fuzzy scarf and a mid-twenties black guy, casual-smart look - two people I would usually differentiate myself from. But when everyone started lining up outside for what turned out NOT to be the bus to DC, it became apparent that the non-Chinese would outnumber the Chinese on this journey. It used to be a handful of cool students amongst herds of busy Chinese travellers, but the word has spread and I'm sure the Chinese businessmen who organised these bus-companies to transport their fellow countrymen up & down the east coast don't mind the increase in travellers. It's a 2.5 hours trip from Philly to DC.



As hundreds of lights from other cars, buses and trucks, from factories, bridges and ships pass by the bus window, I finally have some time to myself - crammed around a little grey table with 3 other travellers, two African-American women and one half-Indian looking man. Two different kinds of music can be heard, one from a broad homie with a big FILA basketball jacket sitting at the opposite table and another from somewhere behind me. It provides for a comfortable background sound and out-noises the sounds people make when chewing gum or candy, when falling asleep or when rummaging through their handbags.



I've spent 3 lovely days in Philadelphia - and enjoyed the beautiful company of a good friend I'd been longing to spent some time with. She was a wonderful host - showed me 'her' town and introduced me to her friends and family. My brother lived in Philadelphia the last 3 years and I visited him a few times, but through her I got to see many parts of the town I'd never seen before. For example South street and the area around there... very punk compared to downtown, business- and straight-laced-Philly. And for the first time in my life I didn't just go into a Sex shop, but actually looked at what they sell - eatable underwear, condoms of all shapes, consistencies, colours and tastes, toys - MANY TOYS!! - dildos of all sizes and specifications (incredible to what detail some of them are designed - more than I ever imagined!) and tons of postcards, stickers and fridge magnets with funny, slippery and cheesy lines on them. Quite an experience!
Anyway - back to Philadelphia... - like many of these big cities it has so many sides to it and like America in general - you just cannot but generalise if you want to make any kind of statement about it as a whole. I mean, what can one say about America in general, that is also true for every part of it?

America is huge.
--- that's about it.

As Europeans we like to say America this and America that... but we rarely manage to look at all that this country is - all its greatness, its sucess, its progress and modernity AS WELL AS all its dirty corners, its peculiar backwardness, its incredibly varied population and its economical and political challenges.
The other day I was trying to write a blog about what I've been feeling abou the US lately, but I realised as I was writing, that all I was doing was making rediculous generalisations and stupid statements like "there is a certain lack of history here" - I almost feel embarrased about the arrogance of that statement now and am glad I left it as a draft.
Although (being primed and influenced by European media) I can't help having a generally critical attitude toward the US, one has to acknowledge the acheviement of this country and its people in creating an unparalleled life of abundance & availability and of service & friendliness - ever-present smiles, welcomes & "how're you doing"s, the comfort and pleasure of which is undeniable.

I found 'abundance' a very accurately descriptive word for a certain characteristic of the US. Unfortunately very often aiming for abundance yields excess and thus waste - of course only in some parts of the country, while other parts struggle to identify themselves in their near-3rd-world situation with what the media tells them AMERICA is - "the land of unbounded (or infinite) possibilities", as we refer to it in Germany.