The South American and the Arab

Close to where I live, two men play native American songs and tunes with a collection of pipes and flutes whilst dressed as American Indians or in South American ponchos. They had been doing so for about ten years but I never used to pay attention to them, apart from admiring their talent from a distance. Today I walked up to one of them and had an interesting conversation. I told them I was from the Middle East, and that one day I hope to visit South America. The giant, broad shouldered man who had firmly shook my hand earlier smiled broadly as I said that, earnestly asking me to do so. I bought one of their CD's as my mother had wanted one when she visited a few years ago but I hadn't had any spare cash. We exchanged a few pleasantries, shook hands, and I walked off. Strangers in a strange country, wrapped in warm clothing, talking for a few minutes in the freezing cold about homelands that might as well have been a million miles away.

Ironic that 1492 was the beginning of the collapse for both our people's worlds. I cannot wait to travel to South America and meet its beautiful and vibrant people.