Have Accordion / haveaccordion.com

If you read one thing today, read this

When I’m traveling, it’s easy to get caught up in little annoyances like a broken camera or a missed train. But then I have an experience like this, and all of that suddenly seems a lot less important.

I met Kader Belmouaz at the Hotel Concorde in Nimes. His story is one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever heard.

He is originally from Algeria and emigrated to America (legally, he says - apparently he has extensive documentation for all of what you’re about to hear) in the early 1990s, leaving his wife and children behind while he sought to earn a living for his family. He settled in East Boston, teaching karate to kids in the neighborhood. Little by little, he made a life for himself and became a respected figure in the community.

Then came September 11 and its aftermath. Without any warning, Kader was arrested on account of his Arabic last name - he has no criminal record - and thrown into jail. He didn’t have time to pack a suitcase. He left with nothing more than the clothes he was wearing. Even now, he remembers how the local children cried when they took him away.

Seven months later, and without a trial, he was finally released from jail and immediately deported. He had nothing. His wife divorced him. He ended up in France, working odd jobs and wondering what had happened to him.

Kader told me that he wants nothing more than to return to America. He had a life there. But he doesn’t know what happened to his apartment. His stuff? Who knows. Because he wasn’t allowed to take anything with him when he was arrested, he doesn’t have any phone numbers, any emails, any pictures - nothing.

He has tried contacting immigration authorities in America. They won’t return his calls.

But, he says, despite what happened to him, he still has faith that he can return to the country he loves.

-     -     -

The thing is, I don’t think this story is over. I think we can help Kader.

Kader says that a first step in gaining a visa is having a sponsor; he can remember his best friends from home - his neighbors Ronnie and Lydia - but he doesn’t have any contact information for them, and he can’t remember their last name.

But he does remember his address: 210 Paris Street, Boston, MA, across from the Salesian Boys and Girls Club. Ronnie and Lydia lived a few doors down.

I wonder if they still live there. I wonder if one could find them and tell them about Kader’s situation. I wonder if he could start his visa process again, and eventually return to America.

You see, usually in this kind of horrible situation, there’s not much we can do to help. But in Kader’s case, I think that we can.

My first step is to publicize this story. I’m planning to pitch it to magazines once I get to Ireland in September.

But there’s something that can be done right now, by some adventurous person in Boston. Go to Kader’s old apartment. Ask around. Try to find Ronnie and Lydia. Who knows - maybe there can be a happy ending to this story after all.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=210+paris+street,+boston,+ma&sll=42.380327,-71.13891&sspn=0.060232,0.129776&ie=UTF8&ll=42.375397,-71.035151&spn=0.00753,0.016222&z=16&iwloc=A

3 Days and Counting…

My flight leaves on Thursday evening from JFK. That means I have a lot of packing to do.

As I’ve found over the last few summers, packing is one of the most important - if least exciting - parts of a trip. Your backpack needs to have everything you’ll need, and nothing you won’t. It can be a tough balance to get right. Inevitably you’ll be on the road before you realize what important little thing you forgot (for instance, an extra plastic bag for when the first one breaks). Some extra thinking beforehand can save you tons of inconvenience down the line.

So, after experiencing plenty of these little inconveniences over the last couple summers, here is my revised and battle-tested packing list, for the curious:

Electronics

Laptop and power cord
Camera, charger, SD card reader (which saves me an extra USB cable)
Flip Ultra HD video camera
Headphones
Portable hard drive
Power adaptor - European to American
USB thumb drive (to upload pics at internet cafes)

Check out how small all of this packs down to! (minus laptop)

Next: Clothes

This is usually the category that gets overlooked with me. Because really, who needs more than 2 pairs of socks? Tough it out! As a result, things get UGLY after a few weeks on the road and zero laundromats.

1 pair of shorts
2 pair of hiking socks
2 t-shirts, 2 button-down shirts (for when I don’t want to look like a complete hobo)
6 pairs of underwear (one thing you can’t compromise on!)
Flip flops
Hiking boots
Raincoat
Bathing suit

Other things - odds and ends

Lots of plastic bags to put things in:

Accordion
Lightweight (read: cheap) tripod
Sleepsack (basically a sleeve to sleep in when the hostel bed is dirty)
Toothbrush, contact lens solution, bar of soap, etc.
Foldable towel
Folder of flight info, copies of passport, other important papers
Let’s Go: Europe guide
Money belt with passport
First aid kit
Swiss Army knife and the ever-useful spork

So while this might all sound like a lot of stuff, it packs down small, all into my old backpack:

I’m sure I forgot something. At least I have three days to remember.

By the way - great weekend. Spent it in Boston and NYC, visiting people, playing music, and buying a $3 bathing suit at TJ Maxx. A rare shopping victory.