Perceptions...

by ALINA SORLEI (Romania)

A leap into the unknown Canary Islands

Perceptions... Some quests need to be pursued in order to reach the guiding lighthouse... Heavy clouds surrounded the island… I found myself for the first time, alone, somewhere in the Canary Islands - a leap into the unknown I long yearned for. A shiver ran down my spine. I was alone, in the pursuit of a warm and heavenly place, far from the mainland that I compared to a never-ending circle. Yes, I was on a quest, on a quest that once Columbus took himself in the pursuit of a New World, not far from the place I was standing. The colonial style houses exhaled old time vibes, the colorful buildings sparkled nuances that reminded the joy of living and the importance of small details able to spice up the senses. A sweet echo of a romantic ballad was resounding as I was walking down the cobbled streets of the Passage Pedro de Algaba: -Nino Bravo, “Un Beso y una Flor”, I whispered, while passing by the old man who managed to revive the Spanish '70s with his guitar and his voice alone. The city had the power to absorb negative thoughts and fears, I reckoned. It was a sort of a European Havana. I was walking on Playa de las Canteras, trying to understand how people live on the island, and more, if they really face difficulties. I wanted to understand myself too. I then took the bus and travelled to the extreme South of the island. The Sun was about to set. The motifs that were once giving life to stories, unfolded in front of my eyes. The full Moon over the ocean made me think how far I am from the place I called home, yet how close. I stepped in the desert, barefoot. The sand dunes were bathed in golden, but yet this holographic image would disappear in the night. I would go up and down, down and up, listen to the waves and think. I would see unknown people attracted by this natural paradise. The desert was the oasis where I found the inner peace I was looking for. I closed my eyes… Gazing at my favorite tropical flame trees, I would keep going down the alley of huge, thin palm trees. I would stop by my favorite shop to buy bananas and talk to the only friend I made, a young Canarian girl from a fisher village, that would always greet me with a natural smile on her face - “Hola, amiga”. Curious as I was, I asked her how people can be so positive around here. She said innocently: “This is how we are”. I would then step out in the sweltering sun. In front of the Cathedral of Saint Ana, they were filming a movie: two people were sitting in a café having a chat. I went to sit on a bench to cool off. I could only perceive the curiosity of the people and the calmness installed during the siesta time. The island seemed a small spot which gathered a curiously huge energy in itself. I felt it is a place that refuelled my inner senses: the birds that slowly disappeared from my country had revived here, the fish in the crystal clear water, the latino vibes, the playful tone of the buildings, the well-alive history… The last walk I took was a symbolic one. I found myself between the ocean and the dunes, the locals and the foreigners, the old me and the new me. I took my notebook on a hot day of June, somewhere around midday and I wrote: “I discovered it is always impressive how much a step out of your comfort zone can teach you about yourself and others. What did I learn? The perception we have about the people we meet, the times we live, the attitudes with which we confront our challenges and last but not least, the community and the values we share, make the great story of our life.”