I met Sary by accident, while he was playing the piano, lost in sufi melodies, in the middle of the most bustling avenue in Thessaloniki. What made an impression on me, was the antithesis between his image and his music: a guy with the appearance of a yogi, plays sufi music on a classic, old piano in a small van, parked in front of designers’ shops.
During the last few years, he has chosen a nomadic life as his own reality. His home is a van, where he moved all his belongings when he decided to leave London. Since then, street music is his only source of income, through which he puts a message across. Mystic philosopher George Gurdjieff has been a major influence to Sary’s art, since he is only performing songs composed by him.
Before he left London to begin his long journey, he used to work as a carpenter, but he eventually chose the life of a peripatetic musician, who shares his music with the world, while searching for his own purpose of existence. It was not challenging to approach him and create a brief image. On the contrary, he is very friendly and open once he realizes you are truly interested in his story. With a great sea view and two cans of beer, he began his story.
A new beginning…
Sary never had a luxurius life, so it was quite easy for him to refuse his conventional lifestyle. At the mature age of 30, he first listened to Gurdjieff’s music and instantly burst into tears, without being able to explain why.He decided to buy a second-hand piano and some scores and without having any musical education, he literally started learning from scratch. After a certain period of time and a lot of effort and patience, he made it. When he started playing music in the streets of London, he was not satisfied by the kind of attention he was receiving.
Many people would stop just to listen to the music or take a photo of me, but they were never really interested in the purpose of my performance
It was a day like all other days, when he decided that music could no longer be a parallel occupation. It had to be his mission. With no specific plans on how he will sustain himself, which places he would visit and where he would end up, he decided to leave his ordinary life to become a traveler.
London-Thessaloniki
During his journey, he passed through many European cities but he never stayed for more than three days. He distinguishes that moment though, when he met some musicians in Croatia, with whom he organised a musical event. He also talks about his trip to Germany where he stayed with locals thanks to couch surfing program and created genuine friendships.
Thessaloniki was never pinned in his map of destinations, till a warm September day when he first parked his van near the seaside. It has already been a year since he started living on his music and some DIY woodwork he gives to a local shop. Despite his nomadic lifestyle he does not wish to live on the margin. Apart from his daily activities, he decided to join the Refugee Solidarity campaign of Thessaloniki-Idomeni, in order to help those in need. He asks me if I have ever been at a refugee camp.
If you have never been in such a place, you have no idea how these people live. Even a cup of hot tea can be a great comfort. Thanks to my Egyptian origins, I know how they prefer to drink their tea…
He has offered a helping hand, yet he has received many as well. He rarely accepts any assistance, since he is satisfied if someone simply cares about his personal journey and shows sympathy. Not everyone does that though. For the majority, he is just another homeless person and he is often treated as a misfit.
Choosing Sustainability…
Sary has spent his latest years in a van, without any heating or electricity source. He uses a night lantern when it is dark, he has neither a laptop nor a cellphone. He used to have a tablet in his first travels but he soon gave it away. To my surprise though, he has a personal facebook account and a website, on which he promotes his handmade furniture and decoratives from recycled pallets and whenever he wants, he simply visits an internet cafe.
I am using technology only for professional purposes. Humanity faces a major problem. Our mind is weak, lost in Facebook, cell phones and technology in general
Choosing sustainability is not an easy choice. Last winter, he experienced one of the biggest challenges so far.
You face many difficulties while living in a van made of steel, with no heating. During winter and summer season, I am immediately affected by the external conditions.Last winter, even in the city centre, the temperature was not above -5 °C. At some point, when I thought I reached my limits, I started the van and drove to mount Olympus where the temperature was nearly -30 °C ! I spent the night there and the next day, I returned to the city.
He then explains that he exposed himself to the extreme conditions of mount Olympus, in order to be able to handle the temperatures in the city centre- clearly influenced by the Eastern philosophical statement that a man should submit himself to the – so called- “willing suffering”.
But how can someone sustain himself, while living in the city and without a job? It is impossible to succeed full autonomy when you don’t cultivate your own food.
I earn money through street music. My hat is on the sidewalk, I am inside the van lost in my music, so I have completely separated myself from the working process. I would like to own a carpentry and have tools to create woodwork again.
He shows me a piece of his personal collection, which he made with DIY tools. It looks like a human heart. Without his own workshop, he has no other choice than using disposed pallets as raw material for the furniture he makes. Apart from using one single material for all his creations, he considers his woodwork, eco-art, since he transforms someone’s trash into another’s furniture.
Before we say goodbye , I ask him what his next plans are. He has no idea when he will leave Thessaloniki, but his final destination is Egypt where his younger brother is expecting him.Together, they will travel to Mount Kilimanjaro.
Sary is the kind of person who chooses an irregular life in an everlasting society of consumerism. He is one of those, who despite the challenges, chooses his own true path, without expecting society’s approval. His story reminds me of Mark Boyle , founder of Freeconomy Movement and former economist, who refused his regular lifestyle to conduct a “moneyless”, one-year experiment. In his first book The Moneyless Man , where he records his travelogue, he says the following:
“It is possible to be extremely happy, despite having little money and being officially categorised as poverty-striken. You can also be really unhappy despite earning a high salaty. Those who always want something more, will always live in poverty, regardless of how much they earn, while those who are content with what they have, will always feel they have an abundance”
Also published in Greek on: Parallaximag
Μαρία Ελένη Βασιλειάδη 