January 11, 2011
More than a year ago when I packed for the Peace Corps, I wanted to bring a lot of books with me (I did not have Kindle yet). Due to the luggage weight limited, I had to leave all of them behind except one book; the “Arabian Sands”. I am glad I had chosen this book, for today reading this book for the 7th time; I am still fascinated by the journey the author undertook. This book unquestionably is my favorite paperback. I enjoy reading it as much as I did back in 2006.
Wilfred Thesiger, the author has since become my hero. I read his autobiography written by Michael Ashes as well. Some people may say Thesiger was a stranger man and I totally agree. I guess you have to be a little crazy or weird in order to live a life so differently from the others. How many of us are willing to give up the comfort of our home, to endure the harshest living condition, to spend five years on one of the most remote and hostile places on earth, to experience life with the “savages”, and at the end come out to acknowledge that those periods are the happiest years of our lives. Well, I guess it is pointless to continue expressing my love for this book; you just have to read it.
After I read the book, it had inspired me to go on a desert journey in Sudan. It was also this book that led me to Peace Corps and finally helped me to make my decision to join Peace Corps. Compare to the “Empty Quarter” of Saudi Arabia, the living condition here in Azerbaijan is far less hostile than that of the Arabian sands. Nevertheless, the analogy may be similar. Like all the Peace Corps Volunteers throughout the world, who are willingly to give up the comfort of their home in the US, spend twenty seven months living with people whom they do not even know, to give them the help they need and at the end, to bring home with those experiences and share them with their friends and family. I just hope that when they look back to those years, they will proudly to acknowledge that:
The life with Peace Corps has given them the two happiest / most rewarding years of their live.
More than a year ago when I packed for the Peace Corps, I wanted to bring a lot of books with me (I did not have Kindle yet). Due to the luggage weight limited, I had to leave all of them behind except one book; the “Arabian Sands”. I am glad I had chosen this book, for today reading this book for the 7th time; I am still fascinated by the journey the author undertook. This book unquestionably is my favorite paperback. I enjoy reading it as much as I did back in 2006.
Wilfred Thesiger, the author has since become my hero. I read his autobiography written by Michael Ashes as well. Some people may say Thesiger was a stranger man and I totally agree. I guess you have to be a little crazy or weird in order to live a life so differently from the others. How many of us are willing to give up the comfort of our home, to endure the harshest living condition, to spend five years on one of the most remote and hostile places on earth, to experience life with the “savages”, and at the end come out to acknowledge that those periods are the happiest years of our lives. Well, I guess it is pointless to continue expressing my love for this book; you just have to read it.
After I read the book, it had inspired me to go on a desert journey in Sudan. It was also this book that led me to Peace Corps and finally helped me to make my decision to join Peace Corps. Compare to the “Empty Quarter” of Saudi Arabia, the living condition here in Azerbaijan is far less hostile than that of the Arabian sands. Nevertheless, the analogy may be similar. Like all the Peace Corps Volunteers throughout the world, who are willingly to give up the comfort of their home in the US, spend twenty seven months living with people whom they do not even know, to give them the help they need and at the end, to bring home with those experiences and share them with their friends and family. I just hope that when they look back to those years, they will proudly to acknowledge that:
The life with Peace Corps has given them the two happiest / most rewarding years of their live.
1 comment:
My favorite book too. -Jim
Post a Comment