Hey Chris... old time fan here (yes, fanatic.. such a weird word, isn't it LOL) Old time follower (oh no, now it's just creepy...) Better leave it as it was... (LOL)
Recently re-connected with the podcast, listening to it in the long miserable public-transport commute makes all the difference between sanity or not.
Was listening to this episode with the Syrian refugeee, awesome stuff. I was listening to some piece of music whose lyrics reminded me of the kind of life Syria had "prepared" for that guy to waste his life potential on... Search for "Kip Winger - Nothing"... the lyrics start very cynic and hopeless at the verses, but then the chorus turns into this magical optimism like something great it's about to happen (if you throw yourself in the wind) Barely "holding on to nothing" but still having some sense of Hope and Joy. Maybe you will like some more music with "insightful lyrics" like that one.
I wanted to add my five cents about Ukrainian refugees and Europe. From my experience, Zen's observation about the similarities in culture and experiences are definitely one of the main reasons why many people help Ukrainians right now. I've talked to many Polish people and they say that they look at the photos of the bombed apartment buildings in Ukraine and then look out the window and they can imagine this happening to them. Many of people volunteering also have some personal connection to Ukraine/Ukrainians or they were a refugee themselves.
I really wish that you explored more the point that Zen made about feeling different from Syrian mainstream culture and how that affected his assimilation. I personally see that this initial difference as well as willingness to assimilate, affects your quality of life once you move. I often hear that all refugees/immigrants should be treated equally, but as Zen mentioned, you cannot build trust when you aren't willing to challenge your personal beliefs and adapt. I wonder how Zen compares his experience to his brother's experience, as well as that of other refugees/immigrants he met on his journey.
A very illuminating conversation, and possibly the best inadvertent commercial for Nokia telephones ever made --seriously, those bricks can endure anything.
I wish Zen the best, and the idea of him starting a podcast focused on people who've gone through the same ordeals as he has is a very good one --how about Zen and the Art of Millennial Refuge for a title?
I'm wondering if we can continue the conversation here. It seems Chris and Zen are both travelers living two completely different lives. They differed in time, place, religious setting, and many other life circumstances, found as we listened to Zen recount his incredible story. Following this channel, I believe, is a community of 'travelers' navigating a way through life and I'm curious about what they'll think, too.
What is the meaning of home? In the past, Chris has mentioned the feeling of "belonging everywhere, so you begin to belong nowhere at all". Generally, it seems home is a comfortable place, first physical and then psychological, where one feels they belong. What do you all think?
Hey Chris... old time fan here (yes, fanatic.. such a weird word, isn't it LOL) Old time follower (oh no, now it's just creepy...) Better leave it as it was... (LOL)
Recently re-connected with the podcast, listening to it in the long miserable public-transport commute makes all the difference between sanity or not.
Was listening to this episode with the Syrian refugeee, awesome stuff. I was listening to some piece of music whose lyrics reminded me of the kind of life Syria had "prepared" for that guy to waste his life potential on... Search for "Kip Winger - Nothing"... the lyrics start very cynic and hopeless at the verses, but then the chorus turns into this magical optimism like something great it's about to happen (if you throw yourself in the wind) Barely "holding on to nothing" but still having some sense of Hope and Joy. Maybe you will like some more music with "insightful lyrics" like that one.
I wanted to add my five cents about Ukrainian refugees and Europe. From my experience, Zen's observation about the similarities in culture and experiences are definitely one of the main reasons why many people help Ukrainians right now. I've talked to many Polish people and they say that they look at the photos of the bombed apartment buildings in Ukraine and then look out the window and they can imagine this happening to them. Many of people volunteering also have some personal connection to Ukraine/Ukrainians or they were a refugee themselves.
I really wish that you explored more the point that Zen made about feeling different from Syrian mainstream culture and how that affected his assimilation. I personally see that this initial difference as well as willingness to assimilate, affects your quality of life once you move. I often hear that all refugees/immigrants should be treated equally, but as Zen mentioned, you cannot build trust when you aren't willing to challenge your personal beliefs and adapt. I wonder how Zen compares his experience to his brother's experience, as well as that of other refugees/immigrants he met on his journey.
A very illuminating conversation, and possibly the best inadvertent commercial for Nokia telephones ever made --seriously, those bricks can endure anything.
I wish Zen the best, and the idea of him starting a podcast focused on people who've gone through the same ordeals as he has is a very good one --how about Zen and the Art of Millennial Refuge for a title?
Zen, Chris, and everyone
I'm wondering if we can continue the conversation here. It seems Chris and Zen are both travelers living two completely different lives. They differed in time, place, religious setting, and many other life circumstances, found as we listened to Zen recount his incredible story. Following this channel, I believe, is a community of 'travelers' navigating a way through life and I'm curious about what they'll think, too.
What is the meaning of home? In the past, Chris has mentioned the feeling of "belonging everywhere, so you begin to belong nowhere at all". Generally, it seems home is a comfortable place, first physical and then psychological, where one feels they belong. What do you all think?