Preparations for a grand exhibition...

My daughter Maya is curator for an exhibition in the Mu ka. That is very exciting and quite a lot of work. Some people show moving parts, others simultaneous screens. One of the people participating has been my guest for the last couple of days: Darius from Lithuania. A quiet smart guy, smart like all the participants of this really special event. Her house is filled with beautiful people with interesting minds. One can feel the energy of these young scientist, researchers. They still have a few days: the opening is the 27th... I was glad to be able to help by running errands, buying some materials she needs. Her home became a gathering point for beautiful, interesting people. Like a pod of creative scientists doing what needs to be done to inform, to stun, to make people think. At least they make me think about the many options we have in life. They are using their options well.

Claire mc caskil

Antifascism women

Aan de Heer Bart De Wever, burgemeester van de stad Antwerpen

Aan de Dames en Heren van het schepencollege van Antwerpen

Antwerpen, 20 april 2017

Geachte heer Burgemeester,  Dames en Heren van het schepencollege van Antwerpen

Wij Anti-fa vrouwen van Antwerpen zijn uitermate bezorgd over wat er op 1 mei allemaal staat te gebeuren.

Wij, grootmoeders, moeders, en geëngageerde vrouwen vragen dat U, als Burgemeester,niet toestaat dat extreem rechts die dag betoogt in Antwerpen.

Al jaren liepen de meesten onder ons in de 1 mei optocht mee. We willen er ook nu weer bij zijn. Wij zijn steeds verheugd over de optredens en de gezelligheid op de Grote Markt.

Maar dit jaar dreigt er onheil omdat NATION en N-SA hun aanhangers oproepen tot een bijeenkomst op de groenplaats om 15 uur voor een betoging door de Antwerpse binnenstad. Wij vragen U geen toestemming te geven voor deze extreem rechtse, fascistoïde betoging.

Geen fascisten in onze stad!

Anti-fa vrouwen zijn tegen geweld en de 1-mei viering komt in het gedrang indien men de neo-nazi’s een platform biedt.

Geachte heer burgemeester, het is uiteindelijk uw beslissing de gebruikelijke één mei stoet veilig te laten verlopen en te vermijden dat er een hele namiddag van onrust en oproer zou ontstaan.

Wij hopen op de wijsheid van uw besluit,

Hoogachtend,

Alice Holemans, voorzitter

Ann Van Eynde-Neutens

Carmen Van Herbruggen

Renier van Mensel

Annmarie Sauer

Wim Goiris

Onafhankelijke Actiecomitee Vrouwen Tegen Fascisme/Racisme

NAIS- activistennieuws www.denaisgazet.be

2. traditioneel Navajo, a sing - Traditional Navajo, a sing

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Traditioneel Navajo: dit gaat over een sing, een ceremonie dus…  de zanger is de medicijn man.  Wij vergeten immers dat woorden magisch en genezend zijn.

De zanger  streelde het lichaam van de patiënt

en drukte zijn lichaam tegen het lichaam van de patiënt

heb je geleerd? Vroeg men hem

en hij antwoordde, ja.

Ze zongen de hele nacht, en de patiënt leerde

en voelde zich goed.

Toen vertelde men hem zeker alles te onthouden

wat hem was geleerd, wat al het vergetene

zou terug gaan naar de goden –

*

Traditional Navajo: this is about a sing, thus about a ceremony... The singer is the medicine man. We do forget that words are magical and have healing power.

The singer caressed the body of the patient 

and held his body against the body of the patient

have you learned? They asked him

and he answered , yes.

They sang the whole night, and the patient learned and felt good.

Then they told him to surely remember everything

he was thought, because all that was forgotten

would go back to the gods -

With Red Ink - Met Rode inkt

Grootvader,

een stem ga ik sturen

hoor mij

in het hele heelal

een stem ga ik sturen.

Hoor mij,

Grootvader,

Ik zal leven.

Ik heb gezegd.

-- Red Bird, Lakota Sun Dance Prayer

Grandfather,

I will send a voice.

Hear me

In the whole universe

I will send a voice

Hear me,

Grandfather,

I will live.

I have spoken.

-- Red Bird, Lakota Sun Dance Prayer

From Pucini's opera La Boheme

Mimi: It is deadly to be alone in winter, in spring the sun keeps us company... Mimi wasted away from turberculosis and her Bohemian friends brought her to the hospital where she dies.

My mother had tuberculosis and was brought to the Stuyvenberg Hospital in Antwerp. Yet she had already infected me. thus in Februari, while being in first grade, just learning to read and write and I, always a bit clumsy then, couldn't get the letters quiet straight. Without any explanation I was put on a small van with children. I was brought to a room where the windows were always open. There were seven beds and the whether permitting we would go for a walk in the clean air. I didn't like the food. i usually would spill it. And while in the sanatorium I read books in German, English and what they had in Dutch... Of course my handwriting never good clear and beautiful because I never practiced it...

The Brussels Party

Hakata, the big sister of Petra picked me up for our ride to Brussels. I was very impressed by all Petra had been preparing. She had chosen to have everything in the slightly salted version, even the delicious black forest treat. Being former colleagues I asked how work at the EP was these days. I was astonished at what I heard: work is seemingly less interesting, less fun also. The rules seem more mathematic and the hours are counted everyone is sitting it his/her booth for the day. Just a few people dare to speak out. Petra is smart and strong willed, but it was obvious that work was no longer fun. I did love my job, but left a few years early because I saw the sands shifting and work getting less interesting. Petra weathers the storms, does what needs to be done. I recognized also a few younger colleagues. It was a gathering of young professionals and once I was part of that crowd. Yet with what I heard I know my decision was right when I took early retirement. Now when  one doesn't have to interpret in a meeting, one still has to sit in the booth. It seems one has to spend a certain amount of hours in the booth even when not working. I also realize that for some of my younger colleagues life has become hard, maybe boring. I must say I enjoyed my job and when there were foreign missions, I always volunteered. Now there is only the monthly session in Strasbourg. It made me feel sad that my younger, smart colleagues won't have the same for me fulfilling experience in their job. Of course the younger colleagues take it all in their stride. It was good to hear the babble in different languages. I tried to find people for my daughters conference,  but sadly her conference coincides with the plenary session in Strasbourg. I am seriously wondering whether I can still cope with pressure of simultaneous interpreting working from and into two languages that I know well but my English is more solid than my French... The problem for the young interpreters that would be working at DDT conference is that they would be working into two languages which might not be their strongest languages. Well, it was an interesting group of people and actually a nice day.
Thank you Petra, thank you Hakata.