Normal Nomads

Normal Nomads

Today as I was dressing up in the morning, I realised how bare and limited my wardrobe is. It has been so because I have always made a conscious effort not to acquire and accumulate too many things; it makes packing and moving difficult. It is a habit I've acquired in these past 7 years of constant travelling, leading almost a "nomadic" lifestyle.

Nowadays the word "nomadic" has become a geek term. Google the word "nomad", you'll end up with links to the latest MP3 player from Creative Technologies. Being nomadic to IT-savvy people conjures images of someone with a laptop, connecting to the Net from a wireless hotspot or dialing up from a hotel room. We have forgotten the real meaning of being nomadic.

Since the beginning of history, human beings have been living a nomadic way of life. It is initially driven by seasonal survival needs; tribes have to move from place to place in search of food, water and trading opportunities. The livelihood of people are tied to the land; and landscapes change with the seasons. Animals migrate in search of grazing pastures and water. Man and Nature are bound by an interlocked cycle of mutual embrace. As the earth revolves round the Sun, the seasons come and go, drought, floods and other cosmic calamities shape the distribution and destinies of all living creatures. We move in Space based on the dictates of Time. The nomadic way of life is in essence a normal and natural one. We move because Earth is itself a nomad in space.

The gypsies, the Bedouins and tribes and the Penans in Sarawak are still leading a nomadic life even until today. Eric Hansen's book Stranger in the Forest, which describes his years of living and hiking with the Penans in the jungles of Borneo is a highly recommended read. In some countries, the right to live the nomadic life is protected by the law, even in an urban environment. Safe camping grounds are provided for modern day gypsies and other travellers and is considered part of good urban planning.

Being nomadic drives us to be constantly on the alert for new opportunities and experiences. Every new place, like the start of a new day, is a new beginning. We are constantly refreshed by new people and places that we encounter. Like it or not, we are all travellers of Time. The minutes and the hours drive us on inevitably to our old age and death. Nothing in Nature remains static. The question we should ask ourselves is: Why shouldn't we be constant travellers of Space too - like the nomads?