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.

Dreams - is the impossible really impossible ?

The impossible is impossible.(Sam C. Chan)

Recently, I have come across several of the "don't give up your dreams and they will come true" sentiments that give so much hope, but also  seem to me like an order to stop thinking rationally. Dream your dream and stop looking at the real world, is that a way to live?  I thought about it.

We all have dreams - big and little ones. We dream of a Sunday without work or a journey to Mexico or meeting our favourite star. Good news: dreams can be realized ! Some of them, at least. If you set yourself a realistic goal and if you think about what you must do to make it come true,  you can work for the realization of your dream. You can also set yourself a more realistic goal, or one on the way to the final destination. This way, dreams can come true - and you may have noticed I spoke of "goals" rather than dreams. Because most of our "dreams" are goals that we can achieve if we work for them - or change if we see they are wrong or impossible.


The word "impossible" reminded me of the simple  statement on a friend's website that I quoted above:The impossible is impossible. I find this important to bear in mind, because it is so true. I am dreaming of being 20, slim, young and ravishingly beautiful. As I am a normal middle-aged woman, this is impossible, and as the impossible is impossible, I can stop wasting my time dreaming of this and go for something more realistic. Of course, my friend's statement is a useful thought in a lot of situations - if politicians promise the impossible, we should not believe them.

This leaves the question who determines what is impossible. Of course, we can use logic, our  knowledge of the laws of nature, our general knowledge and experience. And yet ... there are dreams that seem impossible, but can be the driving force behind our activities. The dream of peace and justice for all the world, for example, has made a lot of people make a lot of little steps. The dream that all these little steps will one day add up to a great change for the better, is also at the back of my mind and it will be with me until the end of my life. And maybe it is not so much  a dream, but mankind's long-term goal...

And what is your big dream ?

Visiting Hong Kong in 2007 - a dream came true !

About a good teacher - or a true friend

When I was 30 I took up skiing. Right in my first winter I had an accident and hurt my knee severely, which resulted in six weeks of leg in plaster and a lot of pain.

The year after, we went skiing again and the skiing school  put me into a group of people who had been experienced skiiers, but had not done the sport for some time and needed practice. It was the wrong group for me, for, despite my obvious talent and skills, I was so scared that I really panicked at one point. So they "downgraded" me to a group of slightly advanced beginners and here I met the best instructor and teacher of my life.

He was a young Norwegian and he listened to my story of the accident with little visible sympathy (which I had gotten used to) , nodded and told me to get going. Whenever I fell, he waited until I was on my feet again and asked : "And what did you do wrong this time ?"  I soon realized that the accident had not been the work of some cruel fate, but my own fault. Which meant, I could learn to avoid this mistake and not have an accident again. This was one of the most important lessons of my life.

Sometimes I feel as if a giant wave of despair and bad luck is washing over me and I feel like drowning. In this situation there are friends who pull me out of the water and provide me with a towel and hot tea and a box of tissues. But the really precious friend is the one who teaches me to swim.

If you have a friend like this, you are lucky. I am that lucky - although I sometimes swear at the tiring lessons...

Photo: Sam C. Chan

Viva México !

VIVA MÉXICO!!!!

Today is the 200th anniversary of the day on which the fight for Mexican independence started.

Happy Independence Day to all my Mexican friends... I wish I could celebrate with you !!!

Esperanto

The other day I read an article  on Esperanto. This first part of four dealt mainly with the idea that Esperanto is a suitable means of worldwide communication  due to its ability to express even complex and litarary contents and the fact that it is easy to learn.

This made me think about English, which is considered "the" world language. I teach English, I converse in English with most of my international friends and I love this language.  Of course, English is also a rich language, one that can express a lot of thoughts, emotions and facts (like all languages that are spoken by thinking human beings).  I realized that "English" (like all languages) has so many facets. For me it is not the language of the US political, economic and military leaders, for me it is first of all the language of literature that I love very much. The language of Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Paul Auster. The language of books like "To Killl a Mockingbird", or the language of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest." The language that created immortal lines in "Romeo and Juliet" or "Hamlet".

English got this image of "world language" not because it is spoken by so many people. If that was the criterion, we would all be learning Chinese or Spanish. It is true that English grammar is easier to memorize than French or Spanish verb  forms, but the details of expressing things can be just as complicated and delicate. English is a flexible language, one that has absorbed words from a lot of languages, and it is a language that is used and adapted to individual needs in its local varieties.

But the main reason why English is considered a  "world language" is one of power, history and politics. The British Empire also spread its language (made easy by the facts  I mentioned above) and today the USA are the remaining superpower... American politics, economy and culture rule and so does the language.

And when I got to this point, I thought that a "world language" that has nothing to do with power and oppression, but was created as a means of peace could maybe really help us. I should find out more about Esperanto ...

The article mentioned at the beginning is:
Guillermo Macías y Díaz Infante: Pasado, presente y futuro del Esperanto (Primera de cuatro partes), in: La Jornada Aguascalientes, 2nd September, 2010, p. 6  (written in Spanish and Esperanto)

The Paricutin ... one of the wonders of Mexico

After a few quiet days in Pátzcuaro I moved on a bit further south to the city of Uruapan. It is again an interesting city with old houses, churches and museums (and a building that once was the oldest hospital on the American continent...) plus a wonderful park with fountains and waterfalls, the Parque Nacional. But my main objective was a trip to the village of Angahuán, to see the ruins that were left over when in 1943 the volcano Paricutin was born.

The Paricutin is the youngest volcano in the Western Hemisphere and during the years it took for it to be created, an Indian village was destroyed (the inhabitants could be relocated). Everything is covered by a mountain of black lava... and plants growing again out of it. Only the church towers can still be seen  - and the altar. It is really a miracle that the lava stopped and spared the altar of the church. I just had to see this with my own eyes.

Usually you go through the village of   Angahuan to the visitors' centre where you can also stay over night and from where you can start your way to the lava fields either on horseback or on foot. On the day I was there, however, the village was closed because of a "fería", but there were "shuttle horses" between the parking place and the ruins. There and back for 150 pesos. Oh my, the last time I had been on a horse was when I was 12, so I had my panicky 10 seconds, but then decided that the horse knew what it was doing and relaxed. It was also good that I had gone fairly early, because I not only avoided the midday heat, but also could enjoy the peace and quiet on the way through the forest, which has a certain magic quality. It is a place to think and remember that nature is stronger than humans and that we cannot control everything.

My Indian guide was also with me in the ruins, which was a good thing, because climbing around on the lava rocks is quite a challenge , but I managed with a helping hand now and then. And then I finally stood in front of the altar. I remembered the first time my friend had told me about it. It is a sight that makes you wonder ...

The things I had seen, heard and smelled on this morning did not leave me for the rest of the day and even now, a few days later, I still feel the atmosphere of that place. It is a special place and I am happy I could see and experience it ... it is one of the many wonders of Mexico.

The altar .. I am standing on the lava

Hotel Estancia de al Era, Pátzcuaro

After Guanajuato I moved south to the Mexican state of Michoacán and did some sightseeing in its capital, Morelia, where I learned a lot about the fight for Mexican independence.Then I took a bus to the province town of Pátzcuaro, which is a lovely place that reminds me a bit of South Austria... if it was not for the language. But here I stayed in the cutest hotel I have ever seen: Estancia de la Era.

The owner is a painter and you can see her artistic touch in every corner. The beauty and harmony of the place comforted my soul and gave me peace after all the hustle of the big cities. I had time to think and to write and was spoiled like a queen. I got a different Mexican breakfast every day, good tips what to do and where to go and always a cup of coffee or a glass of wine in front of the fire when I needed it.

If you should be in the Morelia/Uruapan area and want to get some peace : go to Pátzcuaro and stay here. You will not regret it !!

http://www.delaera.com/