Travel

I'll be posting my amusing essays on here just because it looks like I blog regularly.

Travel

It isn't hard to notice that the majority of all travel stories heard and read are about places enjoyed or places one "must" visit. What about the other side of the coin?

Somalia, formerly known as the "Somali Democratic Republic" when under Communist rule, is arguably the worst place on Earth. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some warrant out for my life because I've had the audacity to mention Somalia in this essay. It is possible to visit, you simply need a few hundred armed guards with you so that you might just be able to escape alive, albeit raped and wounded. I think my main reason for being attracted to this war-torn nation is the piracy. Honestly now, who wouldn't want to meet a real swashbuckler? Possibly the people who have just been shot by one.

Another place that I must mention is the Democratic Republic of the Congo, mostly because I find its name ironically amusing. the sexual violence itself is considered the worst in the world; the children are either trained killers or prostitutes; and the peace treaty signed in 2003 was completely ignored to the point that there have been about five and a half million deaths attributed to unnecessary violence but, hey, at least they don't speak French. Oh, they do that too? Now I can't think of a reason why you'd want to visit. In fact, I don't see why anybody would want to. Bloody French!

Finally, my personal favourite "Democratic People's Republic", the "Stalinist Theme Park" itself, North Korea. Luckily for us Maltese, we can visit very easily, all we need it to go through about a million forms and technicalities. You have to pity anyone from the US or South Korea, which actually do have a difficult time getting in, the main difficulty being downright denial of access. Once you do get into everyone's favourite single-party state, you can start enjoying the theme park's rides. You must remember to keep your arms and legs in check at all times and to not stray away from your government-issued bodyguard because you will be shot. Everyone speaks about countries having their own history and culture, North Korea has its own version of current world news too! Good old Kim. I can't think of why not to visit.

It isn't always about dream destinations, you know. Sometimes nightmare destinations are just so much more interesting.

Darryl Bruno (14th December 1989 - 4th August 2010)

On the 4th of August, the world lost a brilliant person. Possibly one of the coolest, most down-to-earth people I have ever met. My writing can certainly never begin to justify just what an incredible person he was, but I try anyway.

I remember when I first met him when I was 11 and he was 13. I was always a geek, I was always picked on and bullied as a young 'un, but he was always cool to me. He always treated me as an equal. There were only a handful of older kids that bothered to talk to the younger ones, let alone treat the outcasts as equals, I was blown away. One might say I looked up to him, both emotionally and literally, seeing as he was a foot taller at least.

He went through so many phases since then, some more amusing than others. I remember there was a time when he used to play the trombone and he was pretty much obsessed with the village feast; then I remember his rapper phase; I also remember his DJ phase. When he left school, and I stopped seeing him twice a day, he began his "rocker" phase. Long hair, beard, guitar, drums, screaming vocals and loud music - the works.

It was in the last 3 years or so that he probably really discovered himself, seeing as he stuck with this lifestyle and made many good friends, none of which had anything negative to say about him. He was an awesome person to everyone.

I saw him a couple years later, about a year ago, and we had only spoken a little online since we stopped seeing each other but we both recognised each other. It took him about 2 minutes to come up to me yelling "AAAWWWW MATE!", in his signature fashion. I saw him maybe six time this year, the last of which being a month ago. He was looking progressively worse but I always attributed it to him being drunk and/or high. I didn't know of his more serious health problems.

Those bastards got him in the end and here we are. I can't possibly say all I would have said to him given one more opportunity to speak to him, I just know that I bawled like a little girl who just got her period at his funeral. But now let's stop mourning his death and start celebrating his life. As is written in a song by one of his favourite bands, Killswitch Engage, "I mourn for those who never knew you".

Until we meet again, I will miss you and keep you alive in my memory and in my heart Darryl, see you mate.