Traveler's Journal by Abraham Bin Yiju

Reflections:
I wrote this record throughout my life as a trader. For the bulk of my life, I travelled between Aden and Mangalore trading pepper, cardamom, and other spices (Howard 146). The Crusades kind of messed me up, and I turned to producing this music to cope with that (Gordon 93).

Most of my land travel was done via camel caravan and my sea travel by boat (Gordon 84). Once I had a slave working for me, I had a lot more time to write this music. Boat travels were tough, though; monsoon winds made some days extremely dangerous and I lost a lot of my music because of that. But with skilled sailors and segmented trips, we survived well (Gordon 83).

Thanks to everyone who persisted through my journey. In Mangalore, a lot of Hindu and Gujarati people really accepted and loved my music, and I thank them for transcending cultural boundaries (Gordon 89). Like my trading setback, a lot of Muslims did not accept me with open arms, but that's the nature of such a heterogenous community.

I do regret not connecting as much with my fellow Jews, though. I do know that marrying a girl that wasn't Jewish set boundaries in my companionships and partnerships (Gordon 90). I never did understand why they wouldn't accept me; I hoped our kids would marry Jews. But I do have to remember that as my mother passed my Judaism to me, she would pass Judaism to our children.

This is dedicated to the family that I lost when the Crusaders kidnapped them. Every day I mourn for my lost family and hope that one day the Jewish people can be accepted even by the Catholic church. You'd think that with such diverse communities such as Mangalore, the supremacy of certain communities would cease to exist.

A few highlights from writing this album and my trip in general:
1. The Indian recipes and spices I retrieved in Mangalore were wonderful not only for my business but also for my tastebuds (Gordon 77). Steak recipes called for coriander, cumin, and black pepper, and before I arrived at the port, never before had I tasted such a wonderful combination of spices.
2. My slave, Bamah, despite being a slave and subordinate to me, kept me good company and always carried my goods with skill (Gordon 89). I really didn't give him enough credit in the song I wrote for him; he was more skilled than most slaves.
3. Despite my friends, family, and fellow Jewish traders completely disapproving of my Nair slave wife, I did love her company (Gordon 90). If only she was Jewish...
4. My son. When he died after my family was kidnapped, my heart sank and I never emotionally could recover. I miss his companionship and support dearly (Gordon 93).
5. My companionship with Mahmud Ibn Bandar. He valued my yield and work immensely and I do appreciate his bond. If it weren't for him, I would not be at the place I was in the trading community (Gordon 81).

I'm Abraham. I'm a Tunisian Jewish spice trader.