My name is Carlos Miguel Garcia. I was born and raised in a village near Totonicapan. My ancestors have been farmers and craftsmen from generation to generation, and I, too, make my living this way. We grow and sell corn, which is our main nutritional source. We also make tortillas from corn for both ourselves and commercial purposes. Besides agriculture, we make textile products with a special kind of tailoring that we learned from our Mayan ancestors, and we sell them at the local bazaar. By this way, we are able to continue an ancient tradition, and we also make money for both our living and the education of our children.

As a Quitche Maya, I am proud of my roots. Even today, especially in the villages, Mayan people speak their own language instead of Spanish.

Years ago, after a two month long adventure, I reached the U.S.A. by land. I lived there for 5 years as an immigrant, and I learned English. Afterwards I returned to my homeland, and I continue to live here with my family. We live in a typical village house, and sometimes we rent it to the tourists from Airbnb.

I also continue to farm, but nowadays they have been trying to ban the usage of our traditional corn seeds with Monsanto's pressure on the government. We, as local farmers, try to stand up for our rights with strikes and various demonstrations.

Carlos Miguel Garcia
Totonicapan, Guatemala, 25 September 2018

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My name is Raaji Bharij. I live in Kenya, and my ancestors moved here 120 years ago from North India, Punjab. I’m married, but I don't have kids yet. I live in Nairobi, very close to the Giraffe Center, which is a beautiful part of Kenya to live in.

I own a safari camp. We organize safari tours. Motorsports are my biggest passion in life. I love rallying, motorbikes, and fast cars. 

Other than these, I care about animals. I believe that protecting these animals is not only important for our country, but also for our future and the whole world. To see people from all over the world, come here and experience our country's beauty and unique culture; it is very nice. Organizing tours is a big passion in my life, because seeing people enjoying my country and making them smile is priceless.

While I was growing up, I camped with my family all the time. I love being in nature. There’s no traffic; it is very peaceful here. I like to meet people, as well. At the camp, you meet people all the time, so every day is a new story, and you enable people to see Africa for the first time. We get used to it, but whenever the guests come here for the first time, everything seems amazing for them, even if their first sights involve just a zebra or giraffe. That's why each and every experience is very special.

Raaji Bharij
Nairobi, Kenya, 07 November 2018

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When I was four years old, I had a pair of long, round pillows that I loved to hit with wooden spoons, trying to mimic the drum parts I heard on my parent's records. At age 6 (maybe 7?), I heard the song «Tom Sawyer» by Rush on the radio, and my life was changed forever! I had never heard drumming like that, and I knew at that moment that I wanted to be a drummer. Luckily for me, my parents were very supportive- they got me a small drum kit, and I began taking lessons.

Thirty years of drumming later, in 2012, I got a phone call from my long-time friend Barry Brostrom- he was doing sound for Ritchie Blackmore, and they had a European tour coming up in just a few weeks. Due to some odd circumstances, they were without a drummer! I quickly uploaded my first-ever video to YouTube, shot in my basement as I played along to two of the songs by Blackmore's Night. Two days later, Barry and I drove to Long Island, NY, where I met Ritchie and auditioned for the band... and three weeks after that, I was on a plane to Germany with 40+ new songs swirling around in my head! It was a trial by fire!

The thrill of being on the road and playing live music is one of my life's greatest joys. I love traveling and meeting new friends! I've found that there is a connection between the audience and the musicians that creates an exchange of energy; on good nights it has a profoundly positive effect on everyone involved, sometimes even to the point of spiritual elation!

Simply put, music is good for the soul!

David Keith (Drummer for Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow)
Ludwisburg, Germany, 06 October 2018Follow

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I’m Huang You Cai. I’m 72 years old. I’m a fisherman of the Li Jiang River. My father, grandfather, and my great-grandfather were also fishermen. For hundreds of years, the Li Jiang River has been our income source, our river of life. Here, we fish using the rafts we built by connecting five bamboo trees together for each and the cormorant birds we trained at an early age. In China, dynasties have come and gone, regimes and rulers changed, but our fishing method has never changed. I’m fishing the same way my grandfathers used to fish back in the day.

As the day rises, we go out on the river with our bamboo rafts and cormorants. I tie a thread to the throats of my six birds who have landed on the sticks of the raft, so that they don’t swallow the fish that they catch. Upon arrival at the chosen fishing site, I dance (at least I think it’s like dancing) by gently jumping on my feet. This is the “get ready, fishing is about to start” command to the birds. Then I start singing by imitating their shrieks. As this may be a sign to start fishing for them, for me it’s my cry to the Li River for an abundant catch. Even if it’s the long stick I use to hit the water making the fish easier targets for the birds by the fish’s responding erratic movements, I think it’s my abundance song to the Li River that has a larger impact. To greet this ceremonial fishing trip every day with the rising sun is a magical journey. A feast that makes me feel like my ancestors are beside me.

Huang You Cai
Yangshou, Guilin, China, 22 August 2018

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My name is Azan Gotsman and I am 23 years old. I graduated from a university as an IT engineer. I live with my parents in Southern California. 

Now, we are visiting Peru with my two college friends. I am very excited to travel throughout the world, and to learn about different cultures and new people.

It is the raining season in Peru. Today, we are going to Machu Picchu, it will be a tough trip for us. After the trail, we will go up the hill by bus. 

On the remaining days of the trip we will ride in an ATV in Cuscu and go to a salt cave. The Rainbow Mountains is another destination in this trip, and I am curious about it, because we will have to get up at 3:30 AM for this. It's a little tiring, but I think we'll see nice things. Then we will go to Lima for three days. Lastly, we will visit the oasis village "Huacachina", a holy place where the Incan gurus lived - a town in the middle of the desert, and we are going to stay there for two days. I think it will be a different experience.

I am not sure what to do when I return to California after this trip. But the thing I want to do most is to work in a job that will make me happy, keep me interested, and will take me somewhere else.

Azan Gotsman
Machu Picchu, Peru, 20 August 2018

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My name is Julian. I am 9 years old. I was born as hearing impaired. Today, I heard for the first time in my life when a hearing device was put in my ears. I am very happy.

Julian
Guatemala City, Guatemala, 19 September 2018

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