About Refugees, By Refugees

Nour Aldin Fardh

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Nour Aldin Fardh (5) is from Syria and currently lives in Athens, Greece. He left home because of conflict and really misses his friend, Ahmed, who went to Germany: “I love Ahmed.” Nour has cancer and is in the hospital “every day,” but “I like the hospital.” He says he is happy and enjoys playing car video games with his father who “always wins.” Nour has two sisters, Ziad and Salah. He dreams of going to Germany to see Ahmed: “I will go, I want to go, just me.”

full interview

Interviewer
(Father) Nour

What are you eating?
(Swallow it. Swallow the sandwich. Falafel.)

This is a microphone, what are you eating now?
(What are you eating now falafel falafel)

Falafel, you like falafel?
(Falafel. he loves falafel!)

OK, what’s your name?
Noor al-Din. 

Noor al-Din?, Is that your name?
Muhammed (Noor al-Din Al Fardah) Nour al-Din Al Fardah,.

Where are you from Noor al-Din?
Syria.

Do you like to play? What do you usually play?
A car, went to Germany .

A car? Do you like to play with your car?
No. Germany,

Play with a car? Who do you play with?
Germany.

Playstation? like what your father said?
No, Went…

You don’t play with the Playstation?
No…

What do you play?
He went, (He’s talking about his friend going to Germany)

Your friend, did you use to play with your friend who went to Germany?,.
(What’s your friends name?) Noor al-Din.

Your friend.
(Ahmed.) Ahmed went. 

Ahmed went, Ahmed went to Germany? Did you and Ahmed play with your car? Do you miss your friend Ahmed?.
Yes.

You miss him?
Yes!

Why do you miss him?
I’m, I’m here and he went. (He left him here and left)  

Ah, he left him here alone and left, he left you here? why?
I will go, I want to go, just me. 

So you didn’t go? So now you’re not playing with anyone? no friend?
Yes. 

What’s his name?
Papa.

Are you Papa’s friend? Do you guys play Playstation? Do you play with the car? Who usually wins?
Papa.

Papa wins? all the time? And you don’t win? ok, but your sisters, do you play Playstation with your brothers?
Yes.

Are they good?
(Ziad and Salah) 

What are your brothers names?
(Ziad and Salah.)

Ziad and Salah, You play Playstation together?
No, with the car!

Ahaa, you play with the cars on the Playstation? Do you take turns or who plays first?
I’m a car. I’m I’m, She’s a car. 

You take all the cars, you’re a car, you’re a car, But you’re Noor, You’re not a car.
Nooooo. 

You swear?
Say nooo.

You’re a car?
Yes!

Where do you go then?
Outside. 

Ah you go outside with your car to drive fast? ok then, What is your dream?
Germany.

Your dream is going to Germany?
Yes!

To who?
To Ahmed. 

To Ahmed?
Yes!  

Who is Ahmed? Your friend that you told me you played Playstation with? You swear?
No no! on god!

You mean you want to go play some Playstation, you and him?
Me?

You and Ahmed.
Not here, Ahmed.

Ahmed, Ahmed playing Playstation.
Went.

Who normally wins, you or Ahmed?
Ahmed.

Ahmed plays more than you, So he’s a good player
I am a car.

You’re a car and he is a car.
Just me.

Ok then, so when you go to Germany, what do you want to do?
Nooo.

You want to go to school?
Yes! I go to school

You go to the school?
I go to the school  (He loves school.) I love the school  

You love school, okay your sisters go to school
No.  

Why?
Because I go to the doctor. (Because he goes to the doctor he doesn’t go to school)

OK, you don’t go to school either?  No, you go to the doctor. Ok why are you not going to school.
I’m.. (See, he’s sick, he’s sick.) I’m sick..

You’re sick? What is your sickness?
Kerkino (Kerkino. kerkino means cancer)

In younani (greek)
I feel happy, I, I feel happy (He is happy, you feel happy, you are happy? You swear?) I’m a stylist/barber.

Are you a barber or did you go to a barber?.
I’m I’m fige. (Fige means he wants to go)

You are fige? Where do you want to go?
Here.

Where? Where do you want to go.
Here, I said here. 

Where do you want to go?
Germany.

Germany you want to go to Germany, why have you decided for Germany?
Germany, you go I, you and I go to Germany,. 

You want to take me with you? Seriously, Do you want to introduce me to Ahmed and we play the Playstation? All of us, and go to school. (yes) Are going to the hospital every day?
(Every day. Every day he goes to the hospital.) Every day . 

Every day you go to the hospital, you like to go to the hospital or no?
I’m there, I like the hospital.

So that you can get better? And so you can return and play with your sisters and play with everyone and run and play a ball.
No, I’m a car and crash.

You play a car and you want to run and play ball and you like to play ball.
Ball. 

But now you are not playing a ball because your friend Ahmed is not here. Did you play ball with Ahmed?
I don’t. 

Aha he wasn’t playing, So you Ahmed were only playing with cars, cars and Playstation.
I’m a car. 

And he’s a a car and go to Germany. Ok, Noor, what do you want to say to your friend Ahmed? Oh Noor, you want to tell your friend Ahmed?
A car.

What do you like to tell Ahmed?
(What do you like to tell Ahmed) I love Ahmed. 

You love Ahmed, you say you love you Ahmed and you want to go to him, I mean you are going to him?
(As soon as he gets the chance, he will go to Ahmed) I am Ahmed.

You go to Ahmed, I mean there are nothing else to say.
No. (Nothing else can be said) 

To Ahmed always, I mean, from his first words, he talks about Ahmed Ahmed Ahmed Ahmed Ahmed.
I, Ahmed. 

You’re Ahmed.
I, we are friends. (Friends)

You and Ahmed, you’re friends, your beloved Ahmed, you love Ahmed.
Ahmed.

You love Ahmed right
? I love him.

Ahmad, ok, what are you dreaming, you told me again?
Germany.

You go to Germany and go to the school.
No!

Germany, In Germany there is school, they also have school, you love Jana? Who’s this?
Me.

who is this? who’s this?
My sister.

This this your sister? Is this Jana? where is Jana, where is Jana now? 

Many 1000 Dreams interviews were not conducted in English. Their translation has not always been performed by professional translators. Despite great efforts to ensure accuracy, there may be errors.