Looking back and ahead

 Ein gutes neues Jahr ! Happy New Year ! Feliz Año Nuevo ! xin nian  kuai le ! gung hay fat choy ! Bonne Année ! Buon Capadonno ! Feliz Ano Novo !

The days after Christmas are full of TV programmes that try to show us the "highlights" and "most touching moments" of the past year. It is the attempt to catch and hold the time that is passing. Well, apart from the fact that we know we cannot really do that, we should also be aware that December 31st is an arbitrary date to do so. For me the end of a school year (in Germany it is in summer) has always been more important as a point of transition from one cycle of my life to the other. My Chinese friends celebrate their new year on February 3rd. So one could just ignore the date, celebrate a party and then battle the hangover the next day.

However, I have also looked back and found that the past year had the usual mix of ups and downs:

Some of the happiness I found turned out to be an illusion - but most of it was more substantial.
I made an exciting journey and met friends on another continent.
I had success in my job, but also a lot more work and less free time.
I was sick and healthy, like every year. 
I was worried and scared, sad and in tears, happy and full of laughter.
I made mistakes and learned from them.

I guess, the next year will not be much different. I have things I can look forward to (si Dios quiere), I alreaday know at least one moment that  makes me apprehensive, there will be moments of fear, there will be challenges and joys... There will be LIFE !

At the end of this year I say a deeply felt "thank you" to all the people who  crossed my way last year- to the ones I will never see again as well as to the ones who stay with me.  I am thankful for the laughter you gave me, the support, the lessons you taught me, the sorrows you let me share ... I am  thankful for you being in my life.

I wish us all a peaceful new year !

                                                      

Merry Christmas !

Frohe Weihnachten! Feliz Navidad ! sheng dan jie kuai le ! 

Yesterday afternoon I visited a friend and his wife. Although they really have serious problems and worries, it was an afternoon of warmth and laughter. They keep their house open on Christmas Eve for everybody who feels lonely - and I thought that as long as I have friends like these I am truly rich.

I wish you true friendship and love  - and if you celebrate it: may you find the true spirit of Christmas.

 And may you have fun as well !!!

Little Big Soldier

Today on the Facebook status of one of my American friends I read about an American soldier who died shortly before his baby was born  and my friend asked to think (and pray) for him and his family. I am not going to write about the sense or non-sense of American military interventions in the world. This remark made me think of war, of violence and of a movie that I watched recently and that impressed me deeply.

It may not surprise the regular reader that it is a movie with Jackie Chan . Da bing xiao jiang/Little Big Soldier was released in February 2010 in China and is available on DVD also in my country. In fact, it was shown at the Berlinale film festival this year and Jackie was in Berlin as well.

Jackie plays an old and experienced soldier who kidnaps the only other surviver of a battle, a young general from the enemy's army (Wang Leehom). He wants to take him home, collect a reward and then buy a piece of land and retire. The kind of down-to-earth and cunning old man is ideal for Jackie. But what touched me most was the message of the movie. Deep down we don't want to be heroes, deep down human beings just want to survive, to live and grow old in peace. Several times I had tears in my eyes seeing the simple dream Jackie's character pursues - simple and profoundly human.

I had to think of this movie when I read my friend's message. I thought of all the soldiers all over the world, no matter which nationality. I thought of their dreams, their families, their friends. I thought that I cannot prevent wars - and this weekend my heart and my prayers go out to all of them.