https://padlet.com/teddyhs26/journey_to_uplift_my_village After living in poverty for most of my life, I have decided to uplift my village using trade. Instead of growing plants, we can now take advantage of living right by the water by using the Indian Ocean trade routes. I anticipate wealth for all of my village, and am excited to explore the world, but my village does not believe it is possible to become wealthy by trading. I have chosen the Indian Ocean trade route instead of the Trans-Saharan intentionally, just to spite them and make them angry I am leaving my country for goods. en-us 2023-09-27 13:11:14 UTC 2023-09-27 20:27:05 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/26f5.png teddyhs26 https://padlet.com/teddyhs26/journey_to_uplift_my_village/wish/2723109004 Starting in the Aksumite Empire, I begin my journey. People are mostly Christian here, with the occasional Muslim. Unlike most in Ethiopia at my time, I have not taken advantage of the profitable trade opportunities available, and am ready to begin doing so to show my village that it's possible to do so!]]> 2023-09-27 13:28:29 UTC https://padlet.com/teddyhs26/journey_to_uplift_my_village/wish/2723109004 teddyhs26 https://padlet.com/teddyhs26/journey_to_uplift_my_village/wish/2723144018 For my third stop, I traded some gold in order to obtain beautiful rugs and spices from the Vijayanagara Empire. I plan to use the spices in trade further along the route but will bring the rugs home to my family and enjoy the detailed, high quality weavings. The people here seemed pleased at the sight of gold, and commented that it was mostly used across the Trans-Saharan trade routes, and recommended that I check it out. Hopefully, in the years to come, I will be able to do so. For now, I set my sights on China, and in a couple of months, Baghdad once again.]]> 2023-09-27 13:47:51 UTC https://padlet.com/teddyhs26/journey_to_uplift_my_village/wish/2723144018 teddyhs26 https://padlet.com/teddyhs26/journey_to_uplift_my_village/wish/2723173164 Having lived in the Aksumite Empire, I have occasionally witnessed the Islamic faith, but I truly experienced it for the first time in Mecca. Many women wore hijabs, and you could hear prayers in the street and see people following the 5 pillars of Islam. I was very surpised to hear Islam was divided into two sections, the Sunni and Shai, and that this wasn't a new split. It has been around for quite a bit. Turns out I know less about Islam than I thought I did! I have also been enlightened as to a center of scholars in a library in Baghdad, and I can't await my visit to the library!]]> 2023-09-27 14:03:18 UTC https://padlet.com/teddyhs26/journey_to_uplift_my_village/wish/2723173164 teddyhs26 https://padlet.com/teddyhs26/journey_to_uplift_my_village/wish/2723358467 I got to meet the scholars in House of Wisdom, a library in Baghdad. They invited me to study with them, and I even got to learn a bit of mathematics! They said they'd love to analyze texts with me, and I translated some writings from Ge'ez. Even though my first idea to earn income was to trade, I'm starting to open my mind up to studying and becoming a scholar. After taking a look at the library and attempting to study, though, I realized that I wanted to do a couple more stops before I settled down for good. So, I packed my bags and promised to come back. Before becoming a scholar, I will finish my voyage across the Indian Ocean trade routes.]]> 2023-09-27 15:51:14 UTC https://padlet.com/teddyhs26/journey_to_uplift_my_village/wish/2723358467 teddyhs26 https://padlet.com/teddyhs26/journey_to_uplift_my_village/wish/2723723390 After a long and exhausting journey, I plan to rest for a couple of months in China before going back to Baghdad to study. I have discovered an interesting innovation, the Chinese compass, and I anticipate using it for more travels in the future.
My journey has been a whirlwind to remember, starting in the Aksumite Empire, traveling to Mecca in the Ummayad Empire and truly discovering Islam, going to Baghdad in the Abssid Caliphate and discovering the House of Wisdom and the kind scholars there, and even finding a cool carpet in the Vijinithara Empire! It was a wonderful journey, and if I could, I would do it again. And I even got a trade item that my village at home to will probably praise the trade route from; a beautiful carpet! I finally will be able to trade without being scoffed at! Maybe I'll even be able to stay at Baghdad to study without any scorn! But we'll see if that actually happens.]]> 2023-09-27 20:09:00 UTC https://padlet.com/teddyhs26/journey_to_uplift_my_village/wish/2723723390