met marek − 4 December, 2002
on a return flight out of amsterdam back to the states after being stuck on the tarmack at schiphol for an excruciating four hours and switching planes due to alleged mechanical difficulties, i met marek. he was heading to minneapolis from geneva via amsterdam. he hadn't eaten anything all day. he was famished. i offered him my bag of clementines and snacks. he was turning twenty-seven the next day. his family was scattered all over the world. his parents were in lausanne, his grandparents were in florida and his older brother was in paraguay doing humanitarian work.
he was born in dakar, senegal. he had a dual citizenship, both us and senegal. his father once headed the office of the united nations high commissioner for refugees and also the ford foundation in west africa, till one day when a gang of machete wielding rebels tried to take his life, and he called it quits. marek had lived and traveled all over the world. he has lived an extraordinary life. he worked helping wayward youths get back on the right path. he is multi-linguistic. when i asked if he had read any good books. he broke them down into languages -- english, french and spanish.
i found him and his family quite amazing.
he was born in dakar, senegal. he had a dual citizenship, both us and senegal. his father once headed the office of the united nations high commissioner for refugees and also the ford foundation in west africa, till one day when a gang of machete wielding rebels tried to take his life, and he called it quits. marek had lived and traveled all over the world. he has lived an extraordinary life. he worked helping wayward youths get back on the right path. he is multi-linguistic. when i asked if he had read any good books. he broke them down into languages -- english, french and spanish.
i found him and his family quite amazing.
