When I write I always imagine that no one will read my work! The reason behind this is to write without any barriers or self-censorship. Sometimes I go to completely new places, very ordinary ones like a small cafe in the corner of a little neighbourhood where no one knows me and I do not know anyone. I can meet myself there and I write in peace without preconceptions.
Coffee Traveller
Every time I see an elderly couple walking in the park, holding each other’s hands it makes me feel really happy! Enduring love makes me smile; I wonder how many obstacles and difficulties the couple have experienced together over the years? What keeps them together?: is love alone enough or is it patience and devotion to the other person that’s behind the magic equation? This idea is something I aspire to, it helps me to stick to the person who I love more and more; I hope to get to that stage one day too.
Sometimes I like to mix up with people; I really like to socialize a lot. Laughing and having fun with other people is so important. But other times solitude is essential for me; I love to hang out by myself, with my books, with films, music and I meditate a lot too. My solitary habits can drive my friends crazy.
When I was ten I would finish my homework as soon as possible everyday. Not because I wanted to play or watch cartoons, but because I wanted to watch the classic Arabic films dating back to the fifties. There was an Egyptian TV channel which would broadcast a classic film in black and white every evening, so by the end of that year, I had finished watching most of the best Arabic classics. These important cultural films continue to influence me to this day.
When I was living in Nice in the South of France in 2010 and 2011 I lived with an old French woman. She was wonderful. But I must admit that I was very surprised on the day of my arrival to discover that Madame Josian had no WiFi in her apartment, just a radio in the antique living room that broadcast talk shows and old songs, often from the 1970s. She only used to watch television occasionally; a evening comedy show. At the time, the 3G service was weak on smartphones and when I asked her why there was no WiFi, she told me that I as was in France to learn the French language and that she was a French woman who didn’t speak any other language I should spend my time talking to her, not browsing the web! And she was absolutely right; I actually learned French through great conversation with her. We would talk in the kitchen for hours while preparing dinner, we’d listen to the radio in the morning over breakfast and coffee, before I went to the institute I was studying at, and enjoyed further long chats in the afternoon. I loved our conversations and I learnt a lot from Madam Josian. She is really exceptional.
I have always heard that the Japanese have a reputation for being incredibly hard workers. Before I visited Japan I was worried it might be work, work, work and no play! But I ended up living in Japan for three years and I learned so much by plunging into Japanese society and working to better understand the Japanese culture. I met a lot of interesting people there, some of whom became good friends. I found out that the truth is incomplete; the Japanese people are incredibly hard working, but they also have a deep and sophisticated sense of self, and a quiet resolve. They are able to separate their inner feelings from their public facing personas. They do not disclose their feelings easily except at the right time and with the right person. They respect distance and privacy too. This habit has been part of their culture since ancient times.
I stopped sharing my photos with my friends or people in my life on social media platforms a couple of years ago, and the reason behind this is that I want to keep their friendship real and timeless, and for me that means keeping our beautiful moments and times together just for us. Do we need to post and share our photos with our friends through social media to proof out friendship with them? I don’t think so, they can be more special if they are cherished offline.
Coffee Traveller by Fahad Ben G (published by Clink Street, £8.99 paperback, £3.99 ebook) is out now.