Adonis Diaries

#balkans March 5th 2018:

Yesterday we were performing for Pakistani refugees staying at the borders of Italy and Slovenia!

They don’t know what will happen to them, will they be deported? will they be able to stay? Some have been waiting for two years now, they just don’t know yet!

In the afternoon, and just like that, we crossed the border from Italy to Slovenia and performed in Ljubljana for Roma, Serbian Bosnian and Iraqi refugees.

On the train today, passport control! I was the only one asked to empty my bag so they can search it… and search me! Making sure I am not a threat !

And it happened that I was reading “ Charlotte” a book by David Foenkinos, following the life of a German Jewish painter growing up in the times of Nazis, the deportation, the atrocities, the inhumane behaviors, and finding refuge that ended up with death!

Brunner who said “ all of those deserve to die, they were sent by the devil and they’re the garbage of humans”!

Here we are, years later, same thing happening to many other populations and in many different forms!

There’s always someone who thinks that someone else is the garbage of humans deserving to die and there’s some of the oppressed nations/ groups who’ve become even worse oppressors now, while brand new oppressors have also appeared!

And We, humans, we’re mostly watching and nodding ! (The same silent majority, tacitly siding with the state positions)

On the train from Slovenia to Serbia, everything around is white, temperature is between -2 and 5 degrees! on my way to Clown around for people who have been hiding in forests for more than 2 years now and I’m so angry and so sad !
Clowns Without Borders USA Justin Therrien Bekah Smith – Juggler

March 6th – Sombor – Serbia

Long empty far roads covered with white white snow! We drove for about 2 hours to get to a camp in the middle of nowhere in Serbia! we were welcomed by kids and adults who came running and laughing loudly when they saw us.

One little 11 year old kid shouted : ” hey you, I know you. I saw you last year in Sid” ( a camp where he was at – and where Clay Mazing and myself performed.)

Always warms my heart to hear such a thing. We played, we blew bubbles, we laughed and the following day we decided to go back and play some more with the kids and their families. They, apparently, have never had clowns passing by this camp not far from the Croatian border.

Now I am on a mission!

While chatting with two teenage girls, one recounted about her best friend Aya who’s now moved with her parents to a different camp ( 3 hours away from this one) – She and her had locked two swings together with a beautiful ribbon as token of their friendship.

“Here’s another friend whom I lost and won’t probably see again- this is pretty much what’s been happening to all my friendships” this 14 year old girl said.

She took a picture with me and asked me to go to this camp, perform and look for Aya and show her the pic and tell her that her friend there, in the middle of nowhere, misses her everyday…

Fact is: we were denied access to this specific camp and I am thinking, it might be time to think about an undercover clown costume? hmmm….

Clowns Without Borders USA #balkan route Bekah Hammond Justin Therrien Molly Rose Jeroen Wils photos by: Ali Dalloul

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