Double rainbow

Yesterday this what what I saw from the window early in the morning. Two rainbows, well that is a sign of luck in my book...

I wish all of you good luck.

Colmar and Christmas atmosphere

 Colmar in Weinachtsmarkt festive mood and unseasonably cold. The pretty and quiet town sports the typical Alsatian Fachwerk Houses and with the Christmas lights on in town it is quaint and sweet.  Good food and even a bookfair.

 

The first snow prettified  and made it all look even more romantic.

The book fair showed useless mechanical objects. Quiet pretty. A whole section was dedicated to children, where they could actually do something. And at some stands the authors sat next to one another waiting for recognition.

A lot of cook books and the chefs were there all dressed up...
France will be France.

And yes, we had  e few nice meals with the local fare.

Albert

Albert was a friend. He taught me to look at things and see, analyze and then feel it it too. My daughter said: 'Thank you for choosing your friends well. It gave me a happy childhood also because of them.' Here you see one of his paintings... Always fascinating. An other friend and gentle soul gone, too soon. 

Friends and family and those who are for freedom of expression.

Some friends and family try to keep 'posted' on my whereabouts and what I am up to. For the time being I am in the low countries where it has been raining old wives, cats and dogs and all the other expressions you can come up with. Parts of Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany are flooded. Meadows, forests,gardens are waterlogged. Saturated. Canals and streams overflow or break dams. And still at least one more day of rain has been predicted for Western Europe.
For the rest I have been following my passion:poetry and the translation thereof. Being a member of PEN's Writers in Prison committee,  we keep an empty chair for the colleagues who are in jail at all activities we organize. I must say that we live in interesting times. A writer we have defended Chinese Liu Xiaobo has received the Nobel prize for peace. The other great news is that Aung San Suu Kyi from Myanmar after 15 years of house arrest and imprisonment has been freed. Her first speech dealt with the most important right a person has and which according to her is Freedom of Speech. Both facts are good news, now another writer in prison should be freed. Monday evening from 7 to 8 PM, November 15, Bart Stouten will - on the classical radio Klara in Belgium - also deal with the subject of freedom of expression and speak about an story written by Uighur author Nurmuhemmet Yasin, Wild Pigeon. This short story was published in a literary magazine and let to the imprisonment of the author in 2004. May he and others opposing dictatorial regimes be free at last.

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Saint Martin in Orsoy: Rabimmel rabammel rabumbumbum

When dark and stormy November shows the darkness of the days to come what better to do than have a parade with children carrying lighted lampoons and lanterns. Happy music and Saint Marin(a) in red coat on a horse will give you happy feelings even in pouring rain and a cold dark evening along the Rhine in Orsoy.  Of course you will be held warm also by a nice grog or Glühwein spiced up with some Cointreau. After the parade sweets are passed out to the local children or those young at heart. The Weckmann is it, some fruit and a selection of sweets and chocolate. Of Course kids make their own lanterns and the town is decorated. It is all about being together and sharing. A nice feeling.

At the end there is a fire to warm all the marchers and onlookers up and of course it is professionally doused by the local fire brigade.
So we warmed our hands and heart at the fire, thought about the good days children can still experience, we all smile notwithstanding rain and wind.

Tradition can be stifling but in this case tradition makes sense, brings joy and brings a community and families together.  And the next 11.11 at 11 minutes past 11 The fifth season begins.

All pictures by:

© sms:foto duisburg/rhein 2010

Ambassadors

Yesterday the team of 'De Ambassadeurs', (The Ambassadors), program on the classical Flemish radio station, had invited me for a conversation and classical music. This was a special kind of feedback that was a fallout of the three day Small Festival of European Art of Poetry in Antwerp September 16-18. You can read more about is here.

The team goes out of its way to make the guest feel comfortable. their goal is to make an interesting program with lots of good music which has been chosen to please the guest. The atmosphere is intimate, kind and professional. One of the questions was you seem to write seldom about music. Well once in a while I do.

Alle solisten heten Kim

(Tsjaikovsky Pianoconcerto 1- zesde laureaat Koningin Elizabeth wedstrijd 2010)

He taaie trekken
van slepende strijkers
en kaarsrechte
kracht voor 't klavier
de blik op oneindig
te vroeg gedaan
en dan de razernij
getemperd geoefend
voluit
en dan de stilte
als het haar neerkomt
na de donderdag

horen de vingers op de toetsen
de blazers & bazuinen
de pauken & geroffel
en de slag

This as a thank you.

Friends who who missed the program can listen at the De Ambassadeurs

Liu Xiaobo - WIPC - Flanders

 Liu Xiaobo Chinese defender of human rights, condemned to 11 years of imprisonment for exercising his right to free speech has received the Peace Nobel Prize. Here a picture of one of last years actions in support of imprisoned writers. See the empty chair of Liu Xiaobo and then Pen Flanders President Geert Van Istendaal.
sms:foto duisburg/rhein 2009

In The Small Festival of European Art of Poetry five members of a Writers in Prison Committee were involved (16-18 of September in Antwerp). There was an empty chair on stage for Chinese author Zheng Yichun and all writers in prison because of writing what they felt they must. Link to Pen.

Here you see Job Degenaar President if WIPC Netherlands preparing for the finale of the Festival with the chair and poster in the backgroud.

©: Bram Goots