PWRD BY: LUNCH MONEY

"I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence Fear is such a weak emotion that's why I despise it We scared of almost everything, afraid to even tell the truth So scared of what you think of me, I’m scared of even telling you Sometimes I’m like the only person I feel safe to tell it to I’m locked inside a cell in me, I know that there’s a jail in you Consider this your bailing out, so take a breath, inhale a few My screams is finally getting free, my thoughts is finally yelling through"

-Lupe Fiasco "Words I Never Said" (Verse 3)

I'ma lay it all out right now, I'm one of the shyest kids you'll ever meet in your lifetime.

This whole human interaction thing is always such a confusing concept to me at times, hence why it's not much of a joke when I feel like a character from "3rd Rock From The Sun" (Sidnote: Like a young JGL... cheaaa) 

Regardless, one of the purposes that travelling serves for me, is to help me break out of that shell. To break out and become more outspoken. Simply saying "HI" sometimes is one of the biggest battles we have internally. By staying silent, it's like we tend to stay invisible at times. Almost as if we are simply drifting amongst voices resonating in friendly conversation.. with the exception of a few flirts and dirty words out there.

Luckily, with the creation of LETSdeuxLUNCH, partnered with my travels over the past year, I've been able to take small steps into becoming a normal human being when it comes to interacting with others. I'm proud enough to even say I've kinda made some friends here and there during the process.

Setting foot in Barcelona, was a whole new opportunity to do just that.

An opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas with others who share the same love for travelling.

With that said, on the bus I found my first opportunity.

I was thinking to myself, why would they have these mesh coverings on the AERObus window, the bus that connects those who arrive at the airport to the city centre, and vice versa. For people coming into the country, one would think they would allow a clear view to excite them for what's to come, and for those exiting the country, a last chance to take in the sights of the city they have just experienced. 

Regardless, I decided to blurt this thought out..and luckily it did not fall on deaf ears.

The dude sitting to my right then agreed, and said, "yeah.. they don't have those things in the front of the bus..but they do back here.."

The Rest...is History.

Open ended questions lead to a blooming conversation which consisted of thoughts about travelling.. a discussion of Tanzania.. racial profiling.. struggles to get through the airport in due time.. and even the topic of Brooklyn was thrown into the mix.

To me, this is such a huge success. I was able to carry a conversation with a complete stranger for the duration of a bus ride..and even more shortly after.

For a kid like me, small interactions like this mean the world.

For the world..means everything to me.

Ladies & Gentlemen Meet "Masato" .. From Tanzania, Africa.

Hope to cross paths sometime in the future broham.

Best of wishes on your trip to Lisbon, Portugal.

PEOPLE: KIWIS. The people of New Zealand are a kind kiwi bunch. Warming and welcoming, even the house's details give off a sense of "hey, welcome to New Zealand". The lack of tall gates and security systems are also responsible for such. Quick to help a stranger out. I always had a wondering about who lived in New Zealand, as the names always made me think of Hawaii, yet there seems to be a fair mix of people on the Northern Island. As a person who is a fan of music, I found their mix and matching accents to be such a delight to be around. The different ways kiwis pronounce their words, riddled my sense of hearing with excitement. More importantly, the three people I spent my days with, (Rachel, Shawn, Tash) are amongst the coolest people I've met in my lifetime. They welcomed me and took time out of their schedule to show me around. I only wish I had been able to match their generosity and hospitality towards me during my stay. It amazes me that Shawn welcomed me into his home, so I can spend my last hours in New Zealand to just hang out, while his mom made me food. This reminded me all too much of back home, how my mom would make food for my friends when they would come over. It just blows my mind that this simple act of kindness, and sincerity can translate over international date lines. It really just makes me grateful for people like these.

PLACES: QUEENSTOWN, such a mountainous and spread out place. Despite cold temperatures and a rainy overhead, it maintained a certain mystique around it. Just asking out of the airport, the first thing you are invited to experience is a panorama of snow capped mountains that almost look like they've been handpainted on the sky. Photographs could easily be mistaken for oil based drawings. That's how cool it looked from my point of view.