Celebration of womenhood is celebration of life
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Malta resettlement
yes,
yesterday the news finally became official: Germany is going to take up 100 refugees from Malta in 2010, mostly from Somalian, Eritean and Sudanese people. I´m really happy to hear Germany is finally showing a little more responsibility towards this issue.
I think of all the young people I have met, desperately hoping for a better life, not really getting a life outside their camps and how hard is was to try to encourage them for patience, keeping on hoping and in the meantime getting as much education as possible when you don´t really know yourself what will happen.
It might be a drop on a hot stone, or rather a cup of water. But it hopefully makes a positive difference for these 100.
In the meantime Frontex warned Malta to advertise too much on resettlement as this would be "exploited by organised crime in Libya to market Malta as the destination to send asylum seekers and irregular immigrants."
Ok, its surely neccessary to be aware of the structures of organised crime who are exploiting the hopes for a better life and will to survive of many people. But first of all we are only talking about resettlement of people who have a protection status which means they are coming from countries which are either war-torn and/or where political persecution is on the daily agenda.
So the choice to leave is not just made upon the information of possible destination countries but also on a will to survive.
The will to survive will find its way.
Organised crime in Libya was also able to flourish, because the EU build up its border control structures, where Frontex is part of, in a way that people are not able to enter the EU regularly and seek asylum and protection.
Moreover, people don´t just get their information from smugglers quoting Maltese government on advertising resettlement programmes. People have networks, use the internet, have friends or relatives who´ve been resettled, etc.
It´s not just a "problem" to be dealt with, or naive victims who´ve been misinformed. WE are people with each individial and collective stories making our choices mostly based on a will to survive and live dignified lives.
People will find their way.
yesterday the news finally became official: Germany is going to take up 100 refugees from Malta in 2010, mostly from Somalian, Eritean and Sudanese people. I´m really happy to hear Germany is finally showing a little more responsibility towards this issue.
I think of all the young people I have met, desperately hoping for a better life, not really getting a life outside their camps and how hard is was to try to encourage them for patience, keeping on hoping and in the meantime getting as much education as possible when you don´t really know yourself what will happen.
It might be a drop on a hot stone, or rather a cup of water. But it hopefully makes a positive difference for these 100.
In the meantime Frontex warned Malta to advertise too much on resettlement as this would be "exploited by organised crime in Libya to market Malta as the destination to send asylum seekers and irregular immigrants."
Ok, its surely neccessary to be aware of the structures of organised crime who are exploiting the hopes for a better life and will to survive of many people. But first of all we are only talking about resettlement of people who have a protection status which means they are coming from countries which are either war-torn and/or where political persecution is on the daily agenda.
So the choice to leave is not just made upon the information of possible destination countries but also on a will to survive.
The will to survive will find its way.
Organised crime in Libya was also able to flourish, because the EU build up its border control structures, where Frontex is part of, in a way that people are not able to enter the EU regularly and seek asylum and protection.
Moreover, people don´t just get their information from smugglers quoting Maltese government on advertising resettlement programmes. People have networks, use the internet, have friends or relatives who´ve been resettled, etc.
It´s not just a "problem" to be dealt with, or naive victims who´ve been misinformed. WE are people with each individial and collective stories making our choices mostly based on a will to survive and live dignified lives.
People will find their way.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
random
the T9system of my mobile suggests "EU" before "Du" (you), quite scary
Unexpected compliment of the year 2009. During a lift-conversation: "I never met a women knowing so much about refridgeration engineering."
haha, I hardly know anything about it, I´m just interested in the topic, was just listening to him and giving some thoughts on what I read in the newspaper... fun anyway
from the age of 24 years one has to pay more into the compulsory long term care insurance, in case you don´t have children. With the age of 23 it was still ok not to have children, but now, really girl, you should get going;)
Unexpected compliment of the year 2009. During a lift-conversation: "I never met a women knowing so much about refridgeration engineering."
haha, I hardly know anything about it, I´m just interested in the topic, was just listening to him and giving some thoughts on what I read in the newspaper... fun anyway
from the age of 24 years one has to pay more into the compulsory long term care insurance, in case you don´t have children. With the age of 23 it was still ok not to have children, but now, really girl, you should get going;)
Sunday, January 03, 2010
reality check
"Everything that meets the eye
Is everything there is to life" this beautiful mess, 2003
Dreams are not enough
Good intentions are not enough
Words and declarations are not enough
it only can be a beginning.
I´m more and more convinced:
If the invisible does not manifest in the visible it does not mean anything nore becomes reality.
Uhm, it´s sometimes quite sad looking at myself. "But I have pleaded in prayer for you, ..., that your faith should not fail."Luke 22,32
Also:
Der universale Anspruch, der in 1989 steckte, das Rahmensprengende und Grenzüberschreitende, die Neubelebung der schon müde gewordenen demokratischen Idee: Daraus haben die Europäer wenig gemacht. Ein Jahrzehnt Verfassungsdebatte, die mit dem Lissabon-Vertrag minimalistisch zu Ende gebracht wurde, hat den Geist der Selbstbeschäftigung und der Überschätzung des Institutionenwesens in die EU zurückgebracht. Großzügiger als jede andere Weltgegend gibt sie staatliche Entwicklungshilfe – und macht den praktischen und moralischen Effekt durch eine engherzige Schutz- und Bevorzugungspolitik für die eigene Landwirtschaft wieder zunichte. Die EU begrüßt die Mühseligen und Beladenen, die über das Meer bei ihr Zuflucht suchen, nicht mit einer Freiheitsstatue, sondern mit Patrouillenbooten der Küstenwache und Auffanglagern für illegale Migranten. Vor dem anderen, Fremden, vor dem Draußen hat Europa Angst – nicht nur vor der Konkurrenz, der Globalisierung, den Billiglöhnern und Outsourcing-Standorten, sondern auch vor jenen, die im EU-Paradies nach Wohlstand und Lebenschancen suchen. Der »europäische Traum« ist den Europäern selbst unheimlich.
Is everything there is to life" this beautiful mess, 2003
Dreams are not enough
Good intentions are not enough
Words and declarations are not enough
it only can be a beginning.
I´m more and more convinced:
If the invisible does not manifest in the visible it does not mean anything nore becomes reality.
Uhm, it´s sometimes quite sad looking at myself. "But I have pleaded in prayer for you, ..., that your faith should not fail."Luke 22,32
Also:
Der universale Anspruch, der in 1989 steckte, das Rahmensprengende und Grenzüberschreitende, die Neubelebung der schon müde gewordenen demokratischen Idee: Daraus haben die Europäer wenig gemacht. Ein Jahrzehnt Verfassungsdebatte, die mit dem Lissabon-Vertrag minimalistisch zu Ende gebracht wurde, hat den Geist der Selbstbeschäftigung und der Überschätzung des Institutionenwesens in die EU zurückgebracht. Großzügiger als jede andere Weltgegend gibt sie staatliche Entwicklungshilfe – und macht den praktischen und moralischen Effekt durch eine engherzige Schutz- und Bevorzugungspolitik für die eigene Landwirtschaft wieder zunichte. Die EU begrüßt die Mühseligen und Beladenen, die über das Meer bei ihr Zuflucht suchen, nicht mit einer Freiheitsstatue, sondern mit Patrouillenbooten der Küstenwache und Auffanglagern für illegale Migranten. Vor dem anderen, Fremden, vor dem Draußen hat Europa Angst – nicht nur vor der Konkurrenz, der Globalisierung, den Billiglöhnern und Outsourcing-Standorten, sondern auch vor jenen, die im EU-Paradies nach Wohlstand und Lebenschancen suchen. Der »europäische Traum« ist den Europäern selbst unheimlich.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
shaping words
I recommend this article
'Africa is to be pitied, worshipped or dominated. 'Binyavanga Wainaina
How to write about Africa
A friend of mine always says: 'Language shapes reality.' I think this is very true.
This is quite a topic that really makes me mumble, also in my present work. How do I speak about the people I work with or work for and claim to care for? How do we represent people when we write about them, also to get money from potential givers to charity?
To be continued...
'Africa is to be pitied, worshipped or dominated. 'Binyavanga Wainaina
How to write about Africa
A friend of mine always says: 'Language shapes reality.' I think this is very true.
This is quite a topic that really makes me mumble, also in my present work. How do I speak about the people I work with or work for and claim to care for? How do we represent people when we write about them, also to get money from potential givers to charity?
To be continued...
Friday, October 09, 2009
nomadic.better
My flatmate lies on my bed and sleeps while I blog and try to order the many papers on my desk. I feel like protecting her. I´m sad to leave. Just received my official Diploma today. Had to look for over 15 minutes in the new building for the office of our deacon. Suddenly, I felt old and a little melanchonic. Can´t even find rooms anymore. Desk is also filled with papers about new working contract in the south and contract for renting new room. Quite thankful everything worked out that quickly. Still wondering if that quick is that good. But looking forward to it.
Back in home country again.
Spend last weeks in home region and Netherlands. Meeting friends again, attending two weddings, meeting new few weeks old human beings. Birthday-parties. Talks about breast-feeding and pink-needs for girls. Saying good-bye to my brother going to the army. I tried preventing it. Hope you are all well.
That was fast.
Back in home country again.
Spend last weeks in home region and Netherlands. Meeting friends again, attending two weddings, meeting new few weeks old human beings. Birthday-parties. Talks about breast-feeding and pink-needs for girls. Saying good-bye to my brother going to the army. I tried preventing it. Hope you are all well.
That was fast.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
I fought the water
3 years ago bought a bikini again
after haven't had any for years
slowly started to get used to open water again
I get pressure on my lungs and start to get nervous
when I have to cross a lake
but I did it to fight my fears
I can't really breathe while trying snorkelling
but a few weeks ago I managed to calm down and really enjoyed it
coastal line of Malta is so beautiful clear water and full of fishes
Last weekend we did it
discover scuba diving course
was panicking when training the skills under water
but we had to go through
yeah
Saturday, July 25, 2009
In the last weeks...
I found myself standing on seatings of the airport
shouting out mostly arab names of over 90 people
trying to bring them in the order for the check in
on their way to France
I felt most happy in the middle of this chaotic buzzling of
too much luggage, goodbye tears, happy expectations and
children running around
----------------------------------------------------------
Soldiers opened the gate
we sit in containers
15 bunk beds each or more
some are sleeping
there is no air, no breeze, just heat
my body is covered with flies
like everybody else's
here you eat and sleep if you can
"we are living like animals, you now"
-----------------------------------------------------------
I found myself in the most fancy restaurant
sweaty, in harem trousers and worn out t-shirt
eating expensive saffron salmon
trying to follow embassy talks
and being a little insecure in how to use all this cuttlery
-----------------------------------------------------------
My friend and I hiked for hours
down the cliffs
and swam to a bay with natural clay
we covered ourselves
and dried on a stone
-----------------------------------------------------------
I listen to all these young people
"it's better to die than keep on living like this'"
safety and dignity is not the same
and we are left without hopeful answers
we have mainstreamed media
and bombarded the world with advertisment
so that everybody shall want
still we are left with surprise when
everybody seems to take the message seriously
-----------------------------------------------------------
everything is salty
shouting out mostly arab names of over 90 people
trying to bring them in the order for the check in
on their way to France
I felt most happy in the middle of this chaotic buzzling of
too much luggage, goodbye tears, happy expectations and
children running around
----------------------------------------------------------
Soldiers opened the gate
we sit in containers
15 bunk beds each or more
some are sleeping
there is no air, no breeze, just heat
my body is covered with flies
like everybody else's
here you eat and sleep if you can
"we are living like animals, you now"
-----------------------------------------------------------
I found myself in the most fancy restaurant
sweaty, in harem trousers and worn out t-shirt
eating expensive saffron salmon
trying to follow embassy talks
and being a little insecure in how to use all this cuttlery
-----------------------------------------------------------
My friend and I hiked for hours
down the cliffs
and swam to a bay with natural clay
we covered ourselves
and dried on a stone
-----------------------------------------------------------
I listen to all these young people
"it's better to die than keep on living like this'"
safety and dignity is not the same
and we are left without hopeful answers
we have mainstreamed media
and bombarded the world with advertisment
so that everybody shall want
still we are left with surprise when
everybody seems to take the message seriously
-----------------------------------------------------------
everything is salty
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
in my street loitering is prohibited
i love this onenearly all dairy products in malta are
imported from Denmark or Germany
cows on german alps
speaking arabic
the maltese crosseverywhere
undertaker
coffin maker
end of june
too many changes
i´m currently dealing with the resettlement of about 100 migrants with protection to France
to tell those who have not been chosen to go "sorry, you are not on list" is extremely frustrating
have not met a single migrant who planned to come to Malta nor wants to stay here
most heard: "here i have safety, but I have no life"
so many young people, just spending the years in Libyan prisons or maltese detention, bodies wearing off by no adequate medical care, minds get crazy by just waiting, waiting for better times
"My girl friend bought me a pair of shoes...
This shoe has been used to cross Ivory Coast, Mali, Algeria, Lybia.
In the desert the police did not catch me, but i lost my shoes while i was running"
(comment under a painted picture from a shoe, drawing project initiated by MSF)
and i have the priviledge of learning so much here.
no easy solutions nor answers
i have been on a very good seminar about the current political discourse to externalise asylum procedures, eg. with the proposal to set up asylumseeking centres in Libya
the main transit country for migrants coming to Italy and Malta
problem: Libya has not signed the geneva convention, the UNHCR office there has no power
people are getting detained for just being migrants and tell horrible stories about it.
Libya at least in terms of Migrants seems to give a shit about human rights.
But yeah the EU pays money to Libya to get better in control of the immense trafficking in human beings going on.
It´s a big money machine
and Malta and Italy keep on breaking the international rule of non-refoulement
meaning sending boats back to libya without checking the asylum claims
it´s just disgusting, but i´m slowly not even shocked anymore
anyway its good to do something productive and hopefully being able to make a difference
happens so quickly that one does not see anymore the beauty while going to work in the morning
it is a beautiful place here, despite all the sick conditions and stories
and it´s good to be in contact with people being comitted to work for something better
i´m currently dealing with the resettlement of about 100 migrants with protection to France
to tell those who have not been chosen to go "sorry, you are not on list" is extremely frustrating
have not met a single migrant who planned to come to Malta nor wants to stay here
most heard: "here i have safety, but I have no life"
so many young people, just spending the years in Libyan prisons or maltese detention, bodies wearing off by no adequate medical care, minds get crazy by just waiting, waiting for better times
"My girl friend bought me a pair of shoes...
This shoe has been used to cross Ivory Coast, Mali, Algeria, Lybia.
In the desert the police did not catch me, but i lost my shoes while i was running"
(comment under a painted picture from a shoe, drawing project initiated by MSF)
and i have the priviledge of learning so much here.
no easy solutions nor answers
i have been on a very good seminar about the current political discourse to externalise asylum procedures, eg. with the proposal to set up asylumseeking centres in Libya
the main transit country for migrants coming to Italy and Malta
problem: Libya has not signed the geneva convention, the UNHCR office there has no power
people are getting detained for just being migrants and tell horrible stories about it.
Libya at least in terms of Migrants seems to give a shit about human rights.
But yeah the EU pays money to Libya to get better in control of the immense trafficking in human beings going on.
It´s a big money machine
and Malta and Italy keep on breaking the international rule of non-refoulement
meaning sending boats back to libya without checking the asylum claims
it´s just disgusting, but i´m slowly not even shocked anymore
anyway its good to do something productive and hopefully being able to make a difference
happens so quickly that one does not see anymore the beauty while going to work in the morning
it is a beautiful place here, despite all the sick conditions and stories
and it´s good to be in contact with people being comitted to work for something better
Monday, June 15, 2009
strange days
last week i had an awesome evening with all my colleagues at ones flat,
seaview, great food, nice company, real holiday feeling
next day we got to know one of the people we care for died
after a bouncer at a nightclub punched him and made him fall
his skull broke
at the weekend my spanish flatmate and I visited some smaller villages
and hang out at some cliffs, it was very beautiful
in the evening I have been at an antiracist demonstration following the death of Suleiman
it´s disgusting to read all these comments in the online newspapers whenever the topic of migration turns up
Dublin II makes it easy for the states not being at the border
pointing fingers and not taking responsibility is also easy
Today i drove with the my colleague on the scooter over half the island
visiting different centres for the non-european migrants
in front of one centre there a huge old poster from the state employment agency
that used to be there "Do you want to live and work in Europe?"
inside people living in containers and tents 8-10 in each being hold from going to Europe
I have also been in detention camps
people here are kept up to 18 months in detention after arrival
the prisons in germany look better
40 people in a room or more
sometimes in tents
the outside area looks like birdcages
nobody has cared for some sunprotection
in the offices the military guards
and the stickers claiming
"God is love" and "God is merciful"
and outside all the trees are flurishing like crazy
seaview, great food, nice company, real holiday feeling
next day we got to know one of the people we care for died
after a bouncer at a nightclub punched him and made him fall
his skull broke
at the weekend my spanish flatmate and I visited some smaller villages
and hang out at some cliffs, it was very beautiful
in the evening I have been at an antiracist demonstration following the death of Suleiman
it´s disgusting to read all these comments in the online newspapers whenever the topic of migration turns up
Dublin II makes it easy for the states not being at the border
pointing fingers and not taking responsibility is also easy
Today i drove with the my colleague on the scooter over half the island
visiting different centres for the non-european migrants
in front of one centre there a huge old poster from the state employment agency
that used to be there "Do you want to live and work in Europe?"
inside people living in containers and tents 8-10 in each being hold from going to Europe
I have also been in detention camps
people here are kept up to 18 months in detention after arrival
the prisons in germany look better
40 people in a room or more
sometimes in tents
the outside area looks like birdcages
nobody has cared for some sunprotection
in the offices the military guards
and the stickers claiming
"God is love" and "God is merciful"
and outside all the trees are flurishing like crazy
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
buzz the bus
the buses here are love and hate together
they are beautifully painted, everything personal
with the icons of jesus and maria inside and the playboybunnies
and sticker saying "Love is GOD is love"
the door is always open, which sometimes leaves you in the fear of loosing your bag
considering the driving style some drivers here have...
sometimes the breaks are squeeking and and it takes quite a while until the bus stops...
lately i entered the bus, morning-
sleepy and there was just some loud baile-funk playing, yep. then its early a love story
also
we finally also kind of finished deep cleaning our flat, which i assume hasn´t been done for a long long time. Washing carpets, curtains, pillowcovers, rugs and blankets took some days, and the pollution soon will do its duty in blackening it again... anyway its nice to have some clean feeling for a while.
My head is full
I met some very interesting people
as it is
a very catholic gay activist
a christian arab women working in palestine at a norwegian human rights agency
I meet such super strong somali women every day
had some awesome sushi with my italian colleague and a georgian college from moscow office
the politics here sadden and upset me
"its disgusting, but I´m not shocked anymore" is what i hear in the office
more about that later
I so have to go to bed
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
looks
old beauty everywhere
the office, just different rooms around a courtyard
one of many balconies on my way to work
Valetta streets
fragments
when I travelled to Malta
I wasn´t asked to show my passport/ID- card
a single time
nobody wanted to see it
I travelled
to work with people
where a passport means everything
and who are controlled in extreme ways
concerning their identity
yesterday we woke up early in the morning
to go with some people to the airport
for resettlement in the States
"if you think about what these people went through:
growing up in war countries, some have been persecuted and tortured,
they have travelled a hard way, some have been in prison on their way to Europe in Libya
for years, crossed the mediterrean sea in small boats, have been in detention (which basicly means prison) in Malta for several months, sometimes seperated from their families, endured often long time of waiting for protection and their resettlement... it´s a wonder they are not mad"
"He really comes from a persecuted minority group, has endured torture and prison
has been for 5 years in prison in Libya, you know their families have to buy free from prison,
made his way to Malta, was in detention, though is was clear he would get a status of protection. Out he got hit by a car on the street, he is going to be disabled for the rest of his life"
Currently the European commission is discussing their strategies on redistributing refugees granted international protection among the EU and for setting up an asylum vetting centre in Libya
So far,- redistribution, yes- in my opinion the Dublin II convention totally has to be changed
Europe has a responsibility to give protection to people in need of it.
Human rights watch has recently critised the sending back of migrants to Libya as it is simply dangerous for them...
Here is an e-petition against migrant detention centres in Libya
Better vote for an EU strong on Human rights on 4th to 7th July...
I wasn´t asked to show my passport/ID- card
a single time
nobody wanted to see it
I travelled
to work with people
where a passport means everything
and who are controlled in extreme ways
concerning their identity
yesterday we woke up early in the morning
to go with some people to the airport
for resettlement in the States
"if you think about what these people went through:
growing up in war countries, some have been persecuted and tortured,
they have travelled a hard way, some have been in prison on their way to Europe in Libya
for years, crossed the mediterrean sea in small boats, have been in detention (which basicly means prison) in Malta for several months, sometimes seperated from their families, endured often long time of waiting for protection and their resettlement... it´s a wonder they are not mad"
"He really comes from a persecuted minority group, has endured torture and prison
has been for 5 years in prison in Libya, you know their families have to buy free from prison,
made his way to Malta, was in detention, though is was clear he would get a status of protection. Out he got hit by a car on the street, he is going to be disabled for the rest of his life"
Currently the European commission is discussing their strategies on redistributing refugees granted international protection among the EU and for setting up an asylum vetting centre in Libya
So far,- redistribution, yes- in my opinion the Dublin II convention totally has to be changed
Europe has a responsibility to give protection to people in need of it.
Human rights watch has recently critised the sending back of migrants to Libya as it is simply dangerous for them...
Here is an e-petition against migrant detention centres in Libya
Better vote for an EU strong on Human rights on 4th to 7th July...
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
online action
two online actions worth telling about:
German e-mail action to candidates for the European parliament to make them aware of the violation of human rights at the outer borders of Europe
http://www.proasyl.de/de/home/aktion-ihre-stimme-fuer-die-menschenrechte/
Humanitarian Aid is never a crime!
e-mail action to the italian minister of justice concerning the trial on cap anamur
German e-mail action to candidates for the European parliament to make them aware of the violation of human rights at the outer borders of Europe
http://www.proasyl.de/de/home/aktion-ihre-stimme-fuer-die-menschenrechte/
Humanitarian Aid is never a crime!e-mail action to the italian minister of justice concerning the trial on cap anamur
Monday, May 25, 2009
update
it´s finally, finally, finally official!
the "miststück" (my final thesis) has found its way beautifully wrapped in black hard cover on the desk of my professors
what a way! It´s done!
the last weeks have been pretty busy
finishing thesis
lots going on in the commune
did visit my dear parents, brothers+ friends in hometown
just for two days
AND organising an 3 months internship in Malta at IOM
I´m so glad about this...
such a good opportunity to see whats going on on the outer borders of Europe
it kinda worked out on short notice
A turkish erasmus student is going to move into my room while I´m away
and i found a room in Malta in an international 4 persons living commune
rented out by the cutest japanese women
too much to realise right now
I arrived today
feels like being somewhere in northern africa
malti sounds so much like arab
and there are palm trees and all these sandstone houses
the buses are hilariously cheap and orange- yellow old british empire style
they drive with open doors, people are ringing an old bell via a string on the roof of the bus when they want to get off
good first impression of my italian, belgian, somalian, maltese colleagues
...more to come
the "miststück" (my final thesis) has found its way beautifully wrapped in black hard cover on the desk of my professors
what a way! It´s done!
the last weeks have been pretty busy
finishing thesis
lots going on in the commune
did visit my dear parents, brothers+ friends in hometown
just for two days
AND organising an 3 months internship in Malta at IOM
I´m so glad about this...
such a good opportunity to see whats going on on the outer borders of Europe
it kinda worked out on short notice
A turkish erasmus student is going to move into my room while I´m away
and i found a room in Malta in an international 4 persons living commune
rented out by the cutest japanese women
too much to realise right now
I arrived today
feels like being somewhere in northern africa
malti sounds so much like arab
and there are palm trees and all these sandstone houses
the buses are hilariously cheap and orange- yellow old british empire style
they drive with open doors, people are ringing an old bell via a string on the roof of the bus when they want to get off
good first impression of my italian, belgian, somalian, maltese colleagues
...more to come
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
no integration!
this country is so hilarious... and so badly racist
year long debates in the news and magazines
about the oh so bad migrants ('die pöhsen muslime') who isolate themselves from the majority of the society and develop parallel - communities and want to live in quarters by themselves where they undermine OUR oh so homogenic culture and seek to destroy US. THEY get out of OUR control...
We actually have nothing against THEM, but surely THEY should INTEGRATE themselves into OUR of society of fully organic Germans (Germs?), so called 'bio-Deutsche'.
THEIR kids are too many and surely too uneducated. This makes them CRIMINAL. It´s the parents fault that they are so uneducated, because they DON´T CARE and don´t teach them THE language, OUR language.
OOPS, and then the PISA- study showed that Germany is one of the countries with an educational system that discriminates pupils not being christian, white, middle-class most.
Hmmm...
of course WE want EVERYBODY to have the same chances.
Of course WE want that there are masses of kids "with turkish background" (this is what defines you) to enter the gymnasiums and high schools. And its a nice idea to mix up the "GHETTOS" with the young students and creative people.
BUT, when it actually happens that the 'foreigner kids' (ausländerkinder!) enter OUR high schools, then suddenly WE take our kids out of these schools and into private ones, because we don´t want OUR kids to play with the ASSI-KIDS.
And when, like currently in Hamburg, the city wants to enlarge primary schools from 4 to 6 years of learning together for beneficial learning for all kids, the gucci-parents start to protest, cos they want THEIR kids to be seperated and THEIR gymnasiums shall not loose prestige.
Yes THE MIGRANTS (THE OTHERS) isolate themselves because they take flats affordable from the wages of the kanak.jobs in the BAD quarters and this is BAD BEHAVIOUR.
But the people able to afford a variety of apartments, they of course don´t isolate themselves into the WHITE CLEAN GHETTOS because they ARE the society.
Just to ask the question again:
Who is not integrating?
Who is seperating?
Deconstruct racism, start with yourself.
Yes, and I tell it to myself.
year long debates in the news and magazines
about the oh so bad migrants ('die pöhsen muslime') who isolate themselves from the majority of the society and develop parallel - communities and want to live in quarters by themselves where they undermine OUR oh so homogenic culture and seek to destroy US. THEY get out of OUR control...
We actually have nothing against THEM, but surely THEY should INTEGRATE themselves into OUR of society of fully organic Germans (Germs?), so called 'bio-Deutsche'.
THEIR kids are too many and surely too uneducated. This makes them CRIMINAL. It´s the parents fault that they are so uneducated, because they DON´T CARE and don´t teach them THE language, OUR language.
OOPS, and then the PISA- study showed that Germany is one of the countries with an educational system that discriminates pupils not being christian, white, middle-class most.
Hmmm...
of course WE want EVERYBODY to have the same chances.
Of course WE want that there are masses of kids "with turkish background" (this is what defines you) to enter the gymnasiums and high schools. And its a nice idea to mix up the "GHETTOS" with the young students and creative people.
BUT, when it actually happens that the 'foreigner kids' (ausländerkinder!) enter OUR high schools, then suddenly WE take our kids out of these schools and into private ones, because we don´t want OUR kids to play with the ASSI-KIDS.
And when, like currently in Hamburg, the city wants to enlarge primary schools from 4 to 6 years of learning together for beneficial learning for all kids, the gucci-parents start to protest, cos they want THEIR kids to be seperated and THEIR gymnasiums shall not loose prestige.
Yes THE MIGRANTS (THE OTHERS) isolate themselves because they take flats affordable from the wages of the kanak.jobs in the BAD quarters and this is BAD BEHAVIOUR.
But the people able to afford a variety of apartments, they of course don´t isolate themselves into the WHITE CLEAN GHETTOS because they ARE the society.
Just to ask the question again:
Who is not integrating?
Who is seperating?
Deconstruct racism, start with yourself.
Yes, and I tell it to myself.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
the meat market
I´m so excited and glad!just another example of the small world we live in...
i was just taking a look on the online gallery for photography
where some of my friends from this town are involved in,
and was checking up the news
which was that one of the members of this gallery, Kim Thue, is taking part
in a photoexhibition concerning human trafficking in Copenhagen
then i searched the net to find out some more about the event,
organised by quiet injustice, an initiative to end human trafficking.
not just that I´m super excited about the initiative to involve artist,
photographers and musicians and to plan events to make people more aware of the subject of human trafficking... but as I looked further on this page I realised that this is a new initiative
my friend Jessy Rae from Copenhagen started...
two years ago, I remember, a group of international students started doing some free documentary nights in CPH to raise awareness concerning different social or environmental topics.
One night we organised a dox-night concerning human trafficking,
it seemed to Jessy and me like a small thing we could do.
Now I´m so excited to see the work goes on with this topic embeded in her heart
and that people I know from a total different context are involved with it
and yes, also to see that a small thing i was able to help with years ago might have a bigger impact, than i/we would have thought at that time
jessy, you go girl
so on the 30th of april there is the meat market party and exhibition
to fight human trafficking
in the art rebels gallery in Copenhagen
be there if you are in town, maybe we´ll see each other
lets keep on raising awareness on this topic
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
april
three days ago 24 afghan children have been found in Rome
living in a sewer close to railway stations
same day around 50 afghan people were found suffocated to death in a container
on their way to Iran via Pakistan
in 2007 19164 people first time applied for asylum in Germany
62% of them are below the age of 25 years
and I wonder where you are now
we had the most awesome weather last week
I planted some mini-pumkins
and in our kitchen there´s a tomato-plant growing
I really have no clue where its from, I had no seeds
maybe once a tomato fell into the window pot
and now its battling with the rosemary
had a dear friend over last week
we just spend time walking along the rivers
and i realised again, man in what a beautiful area I live
it´s not to be understood
we also made a day-road trip to Luxembourg villè
it´s pretty beautiful and strange, build around an old fortress
a cracy quarter full of posh bank buildings and EU- instututions
and a restaurant in the midst called" the last supper"
we made sarcastic jokes about visiting the "financial crisis" in situ
we never knew which language to speak,
cause everything is written german, french and "letzeburgesch"
and with the languages it felt the cultures mixed as well
we embarrased ended up speaking english and little french
cos it feels so rude speaking german in foreign land
Had some awesome hot chocolate with honey and sea salt
...which made quite a good mix,
they also offered some hot white chocolate with banana and wasabi
man, i´m not so much into white chocolate
but i´d be definetely up for dark chocolate with wasabi
been thinking a lot about friendship the last weeks
its never enough, i never give enough
being mobile and having all the options
also means always missing out
on spending time with you when i should be there
maybe
how much should we invest
and how much do we always "understand"
an internship abroad seems more important than a
friends wedding...
off to spring
living in a sewer close to railway stations
same day around 50 afghan people were found suffocated to death in a container
on their way to Iran via Pakistan
in 2007 19164 people first time applied for asylum in Germany
62% of them are below the age of 25 years
and I wonder where you are now
we had the most awesome weather last week
I planted some mini-pumkins
and in our kitchen there´s a tomato-plant growing
I really have no clue where its from, I had no seeds
maybe once a tomato fell into the window pot
and now its battling with the rosemary
had a dear friend over last week
we just spend time walking along the rivers
and i realised again, man in what a beautiful area I live
it´s not to be understood
we also made a day-road trip to Luxembourg villè
it´s pretty beautiful and strange, build around an old fortress
a cracy quarter full of posh bank buildings and EU- instututions
and a restaurant in the midst called" the last supper"
we made sarcastic jokes about visiting the "financial crisis" in situ
we never knew which language to speak,
cause everything is written german, french and "letzeburgesch"
and with the languages it felt the cultures mixed as well
we embarrased ended up speaking english and little french
cos it feels so rude speaking german in foreign land
Had some awesome hot chocolate with honey and sea salt
...which made quite a good mix,
they also offered some hot white chocolate with banana and wasabi
man, i´m not so much into white chocolate
but i´d be definetely up for dark chocolate with wasabi
been thinking a lot about friendship the last weeks
its never enough, i never give enough
being mobile and having all the options
also means always missing out
on spending time with you when i should be there
maybe
how much should we invest
and how much do we always "understand"
an internship abroad seems more important than a
friends wedding...
off to spring
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
green, grün, grön, vert, verde, l´ü, groen
in the kitchen is a huge bag of green hay-tea
some kind of purifying stuff
it looks like horse food and nothing else
as we ask V how it tastes, she just answers: "Functional"
the trees are not exactly green yet, but we have a lot of expectations
we finally got a dishwasher, which is an awesome investion
for a 4+ person household
it´s 2nd hand and we actually got it cos the girls wrote a
very charming e-mail to a guy on ebay
to give us the machine for very few bugs
it´s an german AEG- eco something and has so many programmes
normal, quick and intensive and these 3 programmes also as "bio" (eco)
and then eco-special 50° and eco save 50°
eehm... I´m pretty excited
and: green searching
as you know one search on google needs a lot of electricity
so there are two new options to use google over a different website
www.znout.org
it stands for zero negative output and neutralizes the CO² emitted
by searching with bying certificates for renewable energy.
the same with www.forestle.org - the money from this website
goes to the nature conservancy who takes care for rainforests
_________________________________________________________________
and more news worth knowing (and that made me happy)
two danish guys invented a searching homepage
where refugees who were seperated from their families
can register anomynously and look for their family members
such a good thing
The ministers within the EU finally decided to take up 10´000
iraqi refugees which fled to Syria and Jordan.
Germany will take up 2500, mainly people who need medical care,
single moms, ethnic and religious minorities - people where the chance of
resettlement in Iraq is very low and who need special protection.
Finally a sign of showing responsibility.
some kind of purifying stuff
it looks like horse food and nothing else
as we ask V how it tastes, she just answers: "Functional"
the trees are not exactly green yet, but we have a lot of expectations
we finally got a dishwasher, which is an awesome investion
for a 4+ person household
it´s 2nd hand and we actually got it cos the girls wrote a
very charming e-mail to a guy on ebay
to give us the machine for very few bugs
it´s an german AEG- eco something and has so many programmes
normal, quick and intensive and these 3 programmes also as "bio" (eco)
and then eco-special 50° and eco save 50°
eehm... I´m pretty excited
and: green searching
as you know one search on google needs a lot of electricity
so there are two new options to use google over a different website
www.znout.org
it stands for zero negative output and neutralizes the CO² emitted
by searching with bying certificates for renewable energy.
the same with www.forestle.org - the money from this website
goes to the nature conservancy who takes care for rainforests
_________________________________________________________________
and more news worth knowing (and that made me happy)
two danish guys invented a searching homepage
where refugees who were seperated from their families
can register anomynously and look for their family members
such a good thing
The ministers within the EU finally decided to take up 10´000
iraqi refugees which fled to Syria and Jordan.
Germany will take up 2500, mainly people who need medical care,
single moms, ethnic and religious minorities - people where the chance of
resettlement in Iraq is very low and who need special protection.
Finally a sign of showing responsibility.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
komm unity
it´s the days when you are on a random lift
and people ask you what you do besides studying
then it appears to me: i have no "hobbies" no more
I work and travel
and I hang out with people
it´s the days when you come out of the shower
and one study mate is already over in the kitchen for some coffee
and it goes on like this until the evening
and one is wondering why one d0esn´t get the work done
I love it and it disturbs me
guess love and disturbance are good
My little brother was over visiting me
it was lovely, he is so cute and tall
and has a strong east german accent
he became so much more open the last years
and finally he came to visit me after years
one of the girls is going to leave us
she´s getting married
we had a strange living commune cast
it´s the weired days you invite people
to spend some time with them to find out if you want to live together
so now in april a guy is going to move in with us
he has seven bikes and a lot of humour
is a teacher for home economics and environmental protection
"the workflow in your kitchen is interrupted by this door"
punk music and butter cake
he seems to be a "angenehmer mensch"
and people ask you what you do besides studying
then it appears to me: i have no "hobbies" no more
I work and travel
and I hang out with people
it´s the days when you come out of the shower
and one study mate is already over in the kitchen for some coffee
and it goes on like this until the evening
and one is wondering why one d0esn´t get the work done
I love it and it disturbs me
guess love and disturbance are good
My little brother was over visiting me
it was lovely, he is so cute and tall
and has a strong east german accent
he became so much more open the last years
and finally he came to visit me after years
one of the girls is going to leave us
she´s getting married
we had a strange living commune cast
it´s the weired days you invite people
to spend some time with them to find out if you want to live together
so now in april a guy is going to move in with us
he has seven bikes and a lot of humour
is a teacher for home economics and environmental protection
"the workflow in your kitchen is interrupted by this door"
punk music and butter cake
he seems to be a "angenehmer mensch"
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
random goodness
Netanya Lilia is born
this makes me glad
finally we offer fair trade coffee in the cafè i work
the nights are sleepness,- take pictures of it
the days are dizzy
but we will overcome winter
science is the enemy of language
and hosts beauty in the same time
current favourite terms:
"menschliche Verflechtungszusammenhänge"
"medienvermittelte Sinnlichkeit"
"inherently nomadic being"
this makes me glad
finally we offer fair trade coffee in the cafè i work
the nights are sleepness,- take pictures of it
the days are dizzy
but we will overcome winter
science is the enemy of language
and hosts beauty in the same time
current favourite terms:
"menschliche Verflechtungszusammenhänge"
"medienvermittelte Sinnlichkeit"
"inherently nomadic being"
Sunday, February 08, 2009
memorandum
1982- 2009
far too early and unexpected, baby
nicht wahr haben wollen
I remember so much
how you laughed
the rhythm we developed living together
I loved the mornings, you coffeejunkie
sitting outside on the pathetic balcony
with the even more pathetic garden
we tried to plant with some stolen soil
the so long weekend-sit-ins in the kitchen
with classic radio and reading "Die Zeit"
ironic comments about our deformed stomaches
coming home from work and making some hamburgers
"Mit gaaaanz viel HACKKKK"
the kefir-productions and the fantasies about investing
in a kefir-factory for living- and you wanted to open a literature-cafe
(where we would sell kefir too, of course)
besides we would easily apply together for the job of the federal chancellor
we already had made some fitting pics for advertisement reasons
in the old trainstation hall
I loved how you were to have for all kinds of stupid ideas
we wanted to spray the dogshit of the port city golden
but there was only some red and green colour left
this did it too (a sausage is a sausage is a sausage...)
hanging out on the river beach
your perfect good-night-story-reading-voice
die Selbstverständlichkeiten
I never felt I had to be ashamed
vieles blieb ungesagt
stille Übereinstimmung
you made a lamp and a skirt
and asked us to get you out of the bathtub
in case you exaggerate it
Verschworenheit
You tought me drinking coffee
and bringing lilies home
so on friday
your band played some comforting Klezmer
your clarinette was missing
we threw lilies to you
water and sand from the river
and coffeebeans
as they buried you in the city
you never wanted to go back to
gratitude for the time we had together
far too early and unexpected, baby
nicht wahr haben wollen
I remember so much
how you laughed
the rhythm we developed living together
I loved the mornings, you coffeejunkie
sitting outside on the pathetic balcony
with the even more pathetic garden
we tried to plant with some stolen soil
the so long weekend-sit-ins in the kitchen
with classic radio and reading "Die Zeit"
ironic comments about our deformed stomaches
coming home from work and making some hamburgers
"Mit gaaaanz viel HACKKKK"
the kefir-productions and the fantasies about investing
in a kefir-factory for living- and you wanted to open a literature-cafe
(where we would sell kefir too, of course)
besides we would easily apply together for the job of the federal chancellor
we already had made some fitting pics for advertisement reasons
in the old trainstation hall
I loved how you were to have for all kinds of stupid ideas
we wanted to spray the dogshit of the port city golden
but there was only some red and green colour left
this did it too (a sausage is a sausage is a sausage...)
hanging out on the river beach
your perfect good-night-story-reading-voice
die Selbstverständlichkeiten
I never felt I had to be ashamed
vieles blieb ungesagt
stille Übereinstimmung
you made a lamp and a skirt
and asked us to get you out of the bathtub
in case you exaggerate it
Verschworenheit
You tought me drinking coffee
and bringing lilies home
so on friday
your band played some comforting Klezmer
your clarinette was missing
we threw lilies to you
water and sand from the river
and coffeebeans
as they buried you in the city
you never wanted to go back to
gratitude for the time we had together
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Fight your inner Schweinehund!
The days go by
quickly
such inner resistance against writing
vs. days of super motivation
man, it´s so annoying to write this final thesis
being so confronted with yourself
my lack of discipline
reading again and again what I wrote and
thinkin it all sounds stupid
the thought of just hesitating is appealing at times
why not just staying in bed and home forever?
At the same time I know: Do not hesitate!
Gotta fight my fear,
the self-centeredness
and my inner schweinehund!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Maternal verstrahlt
ok
I thought being "megaexcited" for babies was a thing I lost when I was 17or something like that
but
after having been bombed with babystuff, -talks,- onesies, beautiful girlish baby showers
(thank U Joce)
I pretty much was forced to at least read and think about babyissues too
cos they are about to invade my friendship world more than ever before
so fight "the baby-issue" (this is ironic!) or embrace it?
Yesterday little 2-week Marek gave me the honour of sleeping in
on my stomach with his face between my breasts,
slightly snoring
his little arms hanging down on both sides
grabbing my shirt every now and then during sleeping and dreaming
and goodness, he calmed me so down that I had to sleep in too
total dual knockout
he made me embrace
as one of my friends would put it:
"I don´t need drugs,
I get high on baby hugs".
and soon welcome Netanja!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
SPERRMÜLL- Autonomous Nationalists!
Today I went to a information evening about the new "autonomous nationalists", some kind of nationalist subcultures/groups that seem to develop and spread more and more in Germany. Was quite good to get some update, - man, we have to be so aware what´s happening in this country. Found a newspaper-article here and one with some deeper insights here (disclaimer: this article is excellent, but from 2004- I don´t know about the rest of the HP)
The right wing/nationalist movements in Germany as in other countries are of course continuously changing,- the old stereotypes don´t suffice any longer. One of the most dangerous developments I understand took place the last years is that nationalist groups are trying to occupy political topics that "traditional" were not of so much importance to them, e.g. fighting a surveillance society, fighting capitalism, fighting for a better welfare system, promote socialism, environmental issues, etc. Yes, with these topics they might draw more people, and confuse the old black and white patterns of "left-wing" and "right- wing".
The actual mindset behind comes through more subliminal: being against capitalism as another coat of anti-semitism (being against "the capitalist Jew"), socialism as a national socialism which takes care for the "organic- germans" first, fighting the surveillance society because the rightwing scene is quite affected in their work by it... . It´s necessary to be aware of the "racist knowledge" (as Mark Terkessidis would call it) that is content in most of the good sounding slogans. Lets make it naked!
On the way home, informed, but never left with a good feeling- some happiness passed my way.
It was bulky waste time again. I love it. People put old furniture outside and you can take what you want. No need for IKEA. I got a small white sideboard and carried it home on my bike. My flatmates got totally excited, so we chose to make a little roadtrip in the middle of the night to check out some of the bulky waste along the streets. And this is what we brought home:
Totally intact, beautiful stuff. For zero bucks and with zero bugs (thanks for the comments:)+ less environmental pollution.
This made our night.
And I claim we even have some LASER SWORDS placed beside the mirror!
The right wing/nationalist movements in Germany as in other countries are of course continuously changing,- the old stereotypes don´t suffice any longer. One of the most dangerous developments I understand took place the last years is that nationalist groups are trying to occupy political topics that "traditional" were not of so much importance to them, e.g. fighting a surveillance society, fighting capitalism, fighting for a better welfare system, promote socialism, environmental issues, etc. Yes, with these topics they might draw more people, and confuse the old black and white patterns of "left-wing" and "right- wing".
The actual mindset behind comes through more subliminal: being against capitalism as another coat of anti-semitism (being against "the capitalist Jew"), socialism as a national socialism which takes care for the "organic- germans" first, fighting the surveillance society because the rightwing scene is quite affected in their work by it... . It´s necessary to be aware of the "racist knowledge" (as Mark Terkessidis would call it) that is content in most of the good sounding slogans. Lets make it naked!
On the way home, informed, but never left with a good feeling- some happiness passed my way.
It was bulky waste time again. I love it. People put old furniture outside and you can take what you want. No need for IKEA. I got a small white sideboard and carried it home on my bike. My flatmates got totally excited, so we chose to make a little roadtrip in the middle of the night to check out some of the bulky waste along the streets. And this is what we brought home:
Totally intact, beautiful stuff. For zero bucks and with zero bugs (thanks for the comments:)+ less environmental pollution.
This made our night.
And I claim we even have some LASER SWORDS placed beside the mirror!
Monday, December 29, 2008
zweitausend(N)ACHT: zweitausendNEU(n)
last saturday...momma makes weihnachten
december is so hard to get in christmas mood as its usually
the busiest time studying and serving the tables
but we made an advent-calendar in our living commune
- a very nice german tradition: everyone of us bought some
little presents for the others and we hung them on a wall
so every day of december one of us can open a little present
i came home after, nicely cold and dark and empty flat
vivi wrote on the blackboard:
"2009: vulgär aber glücklich"
was soll man dazu noch sagen
Harald Martenstein: 2009; "I´ll kill that bitch!"
2008 was such a strange year
very slow, full of goodness life
still feels like I lost so much
jeg savner
but
i´m positive
also
cos I´m happy to announce Hope and Marek were born
babies make it all new
Saturday, December 06, 2008
et, to
1 meritocracy
They tell me. The student magazines tell me. How to polish up ones CV. How to take care that there are no "holes". They all worked besides studying in some kind of relevant jobs. All the job offers seem to look for somebody else than me. Do I read enough newspaper? I´m afraid of assessment centers, yes I hate job interviews. I need time to become comfortable to show who I am and what I can. Somewhere out there there seems to be a strange group of elites who seem to be able to meet all the expectations, who seem to have the qualifications.
I know its bullshit. We are the people we have. And no one meets it all. But it seems to be the strategy of meritocracy. Always let people feel they are not enough, make them afraid of being dismissed. So we´ll adapt better, do more, learn more, strive to be better than anybody to have a second of safety. But true learning comes out of interest and curiousity and with the time needed.
- defrag my brain-
2 community
The girls. It´s so nice to be with them. To come home, to have common meals, to invite people. To know each other, so one starts to adapt a lot of ordinary daily actions, like setting a table how the other person likes it. To have night shifts together if one has to finish a paper. Yes, also being there when you don´t feel like.
And, its comfortable. So much that it also crazyly feels we have build up a world of our own in this city, made of work, uni, friendships, living commune. Spending less time with other friends. Being lazy to get to know new people. Not knowing what´s actually going on in the city.
People tell me they´ve been much more active, until they moved into a living commune which was really living community. Is this the dilemma of community living? Does it need explicit common purpose/goals/vision to not get stuck? Or is maybe the thought of needing something to achieve with community just meritocratic? Is being enough?
They tell me. The student magazines tell me. How to polish up ones CV. How to take care that there are no "holes". They all worked besides studying in some kind of relevant jobs. All the job offers seem to look for somebody else than me. Do I read enough newspaper? I´m afraid of assessment centers, yes I hate job interviews. I need time to become comfortable to show who I am and what I can. Somewhere out there there seems to be a strange group of elites who seem to be able to meet all the expectations, who seem to have the qualifications.
I know its bullshit. We are the people we have. And no one meets it all. But it seems to be the strategy of meritocracy. Always let people feel they are not enough, make them afraid of being dismissed. So we´ll adapt better, do more, learn more, strive to be better than anybody to have a second of safety. But true learning comes out of interest and curiousity and with the time needed.
- defrag my brain-
2 community
The girls. It´s so nice to be with them. To come home, to have common meals, to invite people. To know each other, so one starts to adapt a lot of ordinary daily actions, like setting a table how the other person likes it. To have night shifts together if one has to finish a paper. Yes, also being there when you don´t feel like.
And, its comfortable. So much that it also crazyly feels we have build up a world of our own in this city, made of work, uni, friendships, living commune. Spending less time with other friends. Being lazy to get to know new people. Not knowing what´s actually going on in the city.
People tell me they´ve been much more active, until they moved into a living commune which was really living community. Is this the dilemma of community living? Does it need explicit common purpose/goals/vision to not get stuck? Or is maybe the thought of needing something to achieve with community just meritocratic? Is being enough?
Monday, November 24, 2008
last autumndays
The last sunny autumndays have been overrun by snow
yeah, writing about weather always works
have been sitting in trains for some hours
yesterday early morning half asleep but eyes open
it has been so calming seeing the light moving
on all these snowy vinyards and small villages with castles
we were travelling to some conference presentingthe outcomes of our summerworkcamp to the people/organisation who have funded us
felt quite grown up
Last weekend we have been out having some wine at a local bar
nice sounding music from the cellar
the band situation leclerq still needed a sleeping place
I love to have people over
making coffee and waking up nearly strangers
just so
songs that struck me the last novemberdays
my body is a cage
that keeps me from dancing
with the one I love
but my mind holds the key (Arcade Fire)
allein, allein (Polarkreis 18)
aaahh video; band from place of belonging
Isn´t that Norway?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Sunday, November 09, 2008
october/november
Resa was over...thank you
sadly just for a short time, but good time ...double desserts and tea is good
body politics... see beneath
commune party... nothing as nice as being together with masses of people you like, dancing til morning, partying helps your non-existant cleaning schedule
starting final thesis... young refugees/ transnational/ education
sadly just for a short time, but good time ...double desserts and tea is good
body politics... see beneath
commune party... nothing as nice as being together with masses of people you like, dancing til morning, partying helps your non-existant cleaning schedule
starting final thesis... young refugees/ transnational/ education
all of my body rebells against cosmopolitan/Dein Arsch 2
Body politics and it´s impertinences, the 2nd:
("Achtung"=attention!/respect)to Penelope (1,5x 2m) by vivi
("Achtung"=attention!/respect)to Penelope (1,5x 2m) by vivi
chair on italian women magazines by vivi
figures ...
Friday, November 07, 2008
all of my body rebells against cosmopolitan/ Dein Arsch 1
Body politics is still a topic in our commune
one action how we try to deal with daily cosmetical impertinences is:
one action how we try to deal with daily cosmetical impertinences is:
Dislabel your products
and give them names you want them to have
dislabel your products Produkte ent-etikettieren
de-construct meaning Bedeutung dekonstruieren
de-frag your brain Gehirn defragmentieren
and give them names you want them to have
dislabel your products Produkte ent-etikettieren
de-construct meaning Bedeutung dekonstruieren
de-frag your brain Gehirn defragmentieren
allowed- hair- nothing- else- shampoo
Exciting/tense skin body lotion
Ups and downs cellulite gel
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Dat Kurze
today I´ve been with my friend at a ultra-sound- checkup
it gave me quite a good kick in my palm
I saw it´s heart beating
and the toes nearly in its mouth
"filled blatter", said the doctor
"its probably going to pee soon"
it gave me quite a good kick in my palm
I saw it´s heart beating
and the toes nearly in its mouth
"filled blatter", said the doctor
"its probably going to pee soon"
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Rhine, don´t you do that to me!
the hours spend in the forests are not lost
It´s pumpkin time again.
Cutting whatever pumpkin in cubes
frying it quickly with some cubed onion
and thai red chilli paste (chillies, garlic, Galangal)
boiling it with some soy-sauce, coconut milk and water
mashing the soup
peanutbutter or ginger with itif we like it
Last weekend two of my former Danish studymates and
professors have been over
we had a seminar on social work in an age of globalisation
so nice to see them all again
and to discuss e.g. different integration-strategies for migrants in Europe
I remembered how I liked to study in Denmark
the time to read so much, to think and to discuss
not always produce, produce, produce papers as it is here
i finished my last procrastinal one
now ready for the final thesis
I liked Resas post to blog action day
there are a lot of small or bigger things we can do to minimize poverty
and keeping awareness
helping is powerful
in many ways
it also includes putting the helper in a powerful position
we help according to our own mindsets
to what we think is good
How do we actually know what poverty is?
Definitions are plenty,
one is that poverty is when you have less then ca. 45% (these numbers differ) of the average income of your country
another is that poverty is defined by not having enough to feed your body what it needs, etc. - this is what we most urgendly talk about: people dying from hunger.
It´s about inequality, the belief that every human life is precious, that we should have the same rights and chances making a good life. That we have responsibility to help each other when we are in need. (...)
Ulrich Beck, a german Sociologist wrote recently in "Die Zeit" that global social inequality actually becomes a (political) problem when morals or norms of equality spread. People born equal, are yet unequal according to national borders. National borders determine how we perceive social inequality. Social inequality becomes quickly a political problem within national borders,- but is stabilised at the same time (in the same thought)outside national borders. The system of inequality is legitimated by the achievement principle (Leistungprinzip) on the national level, and by the principle of the national state on the gobal level. (...)
Quite visible in our nowadays migration policitics. (A homepage where you can sign to stop the death trap at European borders.) And empire politics.
We need a stronger identification on the global than on the national level. Ironically financial crisis and climate desasters might help us with this.
Besides:
current music that strucks is Boxer from the national, brainy.
And we get more and more aware of the fact that "All our bodies rebell against cosmopolitan."
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Bestandsaufnahme reloaded
(Manchmal, wenn man nachts nicht schlafen kann, schreibt es einfach nieder. Schon Wochen her. Und wenn man wieder nachts nicht schlafen kann, denkt man sich, man könne ja mal seine Umwelt mit diversen aufgeschriebenen Gedankenströmen belästigen, die man vielleicht später als halblöden Generationblablabla-wahnsinn abtun wird:)
Ich habe mich überwunden. Brav nochmal die Hochzeitshomepage meiner Freunde durchgeschaut, mich nochmal über die immense Geschenkeliste geärgert und den Toaster und Wasserkocher reserviert + bei Amazon bestellt. Brav die Bewertungen durchgelesen, in der Hoffnung, dass es ok ist, meinen Freunden einen Wasserkocher zu schenken, der nur 3 von 5 Sternen hat und nicht 5 von 5. (Diktat des Konsumenten.)
Es stößt mich schon ab.
Ich versuche es zu verstehen. Und doch ist es gegen mich. Der Gedanke an Hunderte von Toastern weltweit, die niemand braucht, und alle wollen neues. Ich mag unser Sammelsorium an alten und neuen Sachen hier, Geschenke, vom Flohmarkt, WG-nachlässe und von Leuten abgestaubt, die´s nicht mehr brauchen.
Heiraten und bumm ist alles da. Solls das sein?
Ich weiß, ich übertreibe.
Lied nr. 7 von der "The shins" CD isses grade voll.
Ich habe heute unsere Gewürze sortiert; schönere Behälter, langsamer Mononatriumglutamatausstieg. Fertigdressings und Knorr-Würzmischungen,- ich kann sie nicht mehr ertragen. UND ich brauche saubere Arbeitsflächen!
V. probt für ihr Vorsprechen. Ihr Zimmer ist "ein einziger Gedankenfluss". Auf riesigen Papierbögen steht in dicker Eddingschrift die Geschichte einer Vergewaltigung geschrieben. Die Wände sind damit tapeziert.
V.:"Meine Gefühle sind verschwunden. Die sind weg. Ausgekackt."
"Ich möchte keine Emotionen spielen, sondern hervorrufen."
Auch ich habe keine Gefühle mehr dazu. Das Stück ist schnell gelesen.
Was bilden wir europäische behütete Frauen uns eigentlich ein, das noch an die große Glocke zu hängen, wo es so sehr Lebensrealität von Frauen in der ganzen Welt ist?!?
Ist meine Vergewaltigung schlimmer als die einer Frau im Kongo?
Im Text heißt es: "Sie spreizen meine Beine. Ich habe Hosen an. Warum spreizen sie meine Beine, wenn ich Hosen an habe? Das ist schlimmer, als wenn ich nackt wäre."
Wir haben es nicht verstanden.
Werde ich jemals wieder in der Lage sein, wissenschaftlich zu schreiben?
Werde ich jemals wieder die Leute in meinem Herzen in meinem Herzen behalten können, präsent?
Wir haben ein Brett mit unseren Namen zum "benutzte Gläser" abstellen gebaut. Eine Maßnahme zur Vermeidung von Mega- Abwasch. Unsere Namen, die Namen der Love-Freunde und Fragezeichen. Man weiß ja nie. Wir sind so scheiße offen.
"...,manches war schwer auszusprechen, die Tage wurden zunehmend fremder,..."
(aus der Weltensammler, Ilija Trojanow)
Ich habe mich überwunden. Brav nochmal die Hochzeitshomepage meiner Freunde durchgeschaut, mich nochmal über die immense Geschenkeliste geärgert und den Toaster und Wasserkocher reserviert + bei Amazon bestellt. Brav die Bewertungen durchgelesen, in der Hoffnung, dass es ok ist, meinen Freunden einen Wasserkocher zu schenken, der nur 3 von 5 Sternen hat und nicht 5 von 5. (Diktat des Konsumenten.)
Es stößt mich schon ab.
Ich versuche es zu verstehen. Und doch ist es gegen mich. Der Gedanke an Hunderte von Toastern weltweit, die niemand braucht, und alle wollen neues. Ich mag unser Sammelsorium an alten und neuen Sachen hier, Geschenke, vom Flohmarkt, WG-nachlässe und von Leuten abgestaubt, die´s nicht mehr brauchen.
Heiraten und bumm ist alles da. Solls das sein?
Ich weiß, ich übertreibe.
Lied nr. 7 von der "The shins" CD isses grade voll.
Ich habe heute unsere Gewürze sortiert; schönere Behälter, langsamer Mononatriumglutamatausstieg. Fertigdressings und Knorr-Würzmischungen,- ich kann sie nicht mehr ertragen. UND ich brauche saubere Arbeitsflächen!
V. probt für ihr Vorsprechen. Ihr Zimmer ist "ein einziger Gedankenfluss". Auf riesigen Papierbögen steht in dicker Eddingschrift die Geschichte einer Vergewaltigung geschrieben. Die Wände sind damit tapeziert.
V.:"Meine Gefühle sind verschwunden. Die sind weg. Ausgekackt."
"Ich möchte keine Emotionen spielen, sondern hervorrufen."
Auch ich habe keine Gefühle mehr dazu. Das Stück ist schnell gelesen.
Was bilden wir europäische behütete Frauen uns eigentlich ein, das noch an die große Glocke zu hängen, wo es so sehr Lebensrealität von Frauen in der ganzen Welt ist?!?
Ist meine Vergewaltigung schlimmer als die einer Frau im Kongo?
Im Text heißt es: "Sie spreizen meine Beine. Ich habe Hosen an. Warum spreizen sie meine Beine, wenn ich Hosen an habe? Das ist schlimmer, als wenn ich nackt wäre."
Wir haben es nicht verstanden.
Werde ich jemals wieder in der Lage sein, wissenschaftlich zu schreiben?
Werde ich jemals wieder die Leute in meinem Herzen in meinem Herzen behalten können, präsent?
Wir haben ein Brett mit unseren Namen zum "benutzte Gläser" abstellen gebaut. Eine Maßnahme zur Vermeidung von Mega- Abwasch. Unsere Namen, die Namen der Love-Freunde und Fragezeichen. Man weiß ja nie. Wir sind so scheiße offen.
"...,manches war schwer auszusprechen, die Tage wurden zunehmend fremder,..."
(aus der Weltensammler, Ilija Trojanow)
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
rebellas and so forth
read an interesting article about machsomwatch.org
an organisation of israelian women who volunteer watching the checkpoints
and reporting on their homepage what they see
One conclusion of the interviewed volunteers:
„Über der ganzen Bedrohung durch Terrorismus verlieren wir unsere Moral.“
("Over all this threats of terrorism we loose our morals".)
So true for a lot of stuff going on in the "western world" nowadays.
I like this idea, keeping an eye on the things your government and the executives are doing, especially those actions you disagree with.
Guess in Germany we should do that more concerning the war in Afghanistan,
requiring more accountability from our politicians.
man, we all so forgot about it, not even recognising anymore when the parliament quickly passes bills about sending out more soldiers and so forth,- as it happened this summer without big public discussions. The question is left how to do that best.
Another interesting project pro asyl and some welfare organisations in Germany recently started is the "save- me - campaign" where they want to motivate citizens to plead and inform in their cities for a willingness to take up a certain "contingent" of refugees per year more than already. The contingent should consist of refugees having a refugee status under the geneva-convention and whose need for protection is declared as very immediate by the UNHCR.
Background to this campaign is also, that Germany due to the Dublin II convention takes up very few refugees who need help as so few people even make it to enter the borders.
Yep, thats about responsibility...
besides that it´s already far too late again
current favourite term: "nationalstaatliche Vergemeinschaftungszumutungen" (Hormel/Scherr, 2004) / "national collectivisation impertinences"
favourites for working times and being alone, still
Erol Alkan- Mix hot chip boy from school
Beyond the wizards sleeves - Remix Midlake-Roscoe
an organisation of israelian women who volunteer watching the checkpoints
and reporting on their homepage what they see
One conclusion of the interviewed volunteers:
„Über der ganzen Bedrohung durch Terrorismus verlieren wir unsere Moral.“
("Over all this threats of terrorism we loose our morals".)
So true for a lot of stuff going on in the "western world" nowadays.
I like this idea, keeping an eye on the things your government and the executives are doing, especially those actions you disagree with.
Guess in Germany we should do that more concerning the war in Afghanistan,
requiring more accountability from our politicians.
man, we all so forgot about it, not even recognising anymore when the parliament quickly passes bills about sending out more soldiers and so forth,- as it happened this summer without big public discussions. The question is left how to do that best.
Another interesting project pro asyl and some welfare organisations in Germany recently started is the "save- me - campaign" where they want to motivate citizens to plead and inform in their cities for a willingness to take up a certain "contingent" of refugees per year more than already. The contingent should consist of refugees having a refugee status under the geneva-convention and whose need for protection is declared as very immediate by the UNHCR.
Background to this campaign is also, that Germany due to the Dublin II convention takes up very few refugees who need help as so few people even make it to enter the borders.
Yep, thats about responsibility...
besides that it´s already far too late again
current favourite term: "nationalstaatliche Vergemeinschaftungszumutungen" (Hormel/Scherr, 2004) / "national collectivisation impertinences"
favourites for working times and being alone, still
Erol Alkan- Mix hot chip boy from school
Beyond the wizards sleeves - Remix Midlake-Roscoe
Friday, September 26, 2008
life is not a ponyfarm
last friday it happened
we had the big DK-re-uinon
our doorbell rang and i just heard some voices singing
a very funny german "Schlager"
My beloved former spanish flatmates and a friend of them came to visit
and oh surprise also larsi-parsi- the dutch one joined
it was so exciting and beautiful to see them all again
to recognise all these small things again which we got to know
from sharing our lives for half a year
how they eat their bread, how they wake up, how one covers his toothbrush always wish some tissues, they way they express themselves
and these awesome questions (during visiting our city): "Two rivers? Why?"
we played Koehandel, like in old times
I love all these details
we went to the vinyards eating the most juicy and sweet grapes ever
small roadtripping in Germany and to Holland
and, of course we went out a lot
the first evening all 4 put on these overalls in pink, green, red and blue. People in the city and club started talking to them,- it´s so easy to astonish people and make them smile.
And sure the last after them leaving days I´ve been sad.
Missing people sucks. And sometimes realizing that things aren´t the same as they used to be.
But yes, good times come to an end. Other good times come.
Anyway
it really feels like summer is over
time to start working and getting in some rythm again
to meet with the friends that came back from all over
and to have some onioncake and "federweißer" (young wine)
together
(Pictures by Ricky)
we had the big DK-re-uinon
our doorbell rang and i just heard some voices singing
a very funny german "Schlager"
My beloved former spanish flatmates and a friend of them came to visit
and oh surprise also larsi-parsi- the dutch one joined
it was so exciting and beautiful to see them all again
to recognise all these small things again which we got to know
from sharing our lives for half a year
how they eat their bread, how they wake up, how one covers his toothbrush always wish some tissues, they way they express themselves
and these awesome questions (during visiting our city): "Two rivers? Why?"
we played Koehandel, like in old times
I love all these details
we went to the vinyards eating the most juicy and sweet grapes ever
small roadtripping in Germany and to Holland
and, of course we went out a lot
the first evening all 4 put on these overalls in pink, green, red and blue. People in the city and club started talking to them,- it´s so easy to astonish people and make them smile.
And sure the last after them leaving days I´ve been sad.
Missing people sucks. And sometimes realizing that things aren´t the same as they used to be.
But yes, good times come to an end. Other good times come.
Anyway
it really feels like summer is over
time to start working and getting in some rythm again
to meet with the friends that came back from all over
and to have some onioncake and "federweißer" (young wine)
together
(Pictures by Ricky)
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
harvest
so
the experiment of planting something on our iny balcony was fun
we really have some great red hot peppers, and the squash- plant had lots of nice flowers, and gave birth to one fruit which actually looks like a pumpkin and is pretty hard- I´ll guess, we´ll taste it and decide then what we think it might be most. we proudly present:
Yesterday night i found a good board on the street, I brought it with home to see if I can build something "kitchen working space" with it- we sawed it, covered it with adhesive book-foil and put in a grand-mommy- style some fabric to it
I really like the experiment to try building just with things we find or we already have at home, Re-use!
what also happened
I´ve been lately on a concert of the Band efterklang
I haven´t heard music like that for a while
8 people, all playing different instruments and all singing , partly like a choir, man it´s been beautiful
and
what i lately like to watch on youtube is memri TV
its the middle -east-research institute who subtiteles sequences of arab TV
it´s so interesting to see some of the talkshows where e.g. the hijab is discussed
the good thing i see about it is, that it broadens our picture of the arab world
its shows the different people, opinions, the discourses taking place=> against the mono-picture a lot of western media try to paint of the arab and muslim world.
Though I lately read that memri mostly translates the sequences which show muslims in a negative light, so surely one has to be aware what kind of picture it paints. But as I´m not able to understand Arab, its a good opportunity for me to understand at least something and it´s interesting to follow a lot of the discussions from women on their own rights.
the experiment of planting something on our iny balcony was fun
we really have some great red hot peppers, and the squash- plant had lots of nice flowers, and gave birth to one fruit which actually looks like a pumpkin and is pretty hard- I´ll guess, we´ll taste it and decide then what we think it might be most. we proudly present:
Yesterday night i found a good board on the street, I brought it with home to see if I can build something "kitchen working space" with it- we sawed it, covered it with adhesive book-foil and put in a grand-mommy- style some fabric to it
I really like the experiment to try building just with things we find or we already have at home, Re-use!
what also happened
I´ve been lately on a concert of the Band efterklang
I haven´t heard music like that for a while
8 people, all playing different instruments and all singing , partly like a choir, man it´s been beautiful
and
what i lately like to watch on youtube is memri TV
its the middle -east-research institute who subtiteles sequences of arab TV
it´s so interesting to see some of the talkshows where e.g. the hijab is discussed
the good thing i see about it is, that it broadens our picture of the arab world
its shows the different people, opinions, the discourses taking place=> against the mono-picture a lot of western media try to paint of the arab and muslim world.
Though I lately read that memri mostly translates the sequences which show muslims in a negative light, so surely one has to be aware what kind of picture it paints. But as I´m not able to understand Arab, its a good opportunity for me to understand at least something and it´s interesting to follow a lot of the discussions from women on their own rights.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Sammelsorium
it's kind of shocking how quickly the days come sun sets around 8 pm.
the days just float by, working and not managing to write a paper i wanted to write
-actually i don't want to write, which might be the reason i don't get to write it
Besides that there is always time having good food with friends
which might sometimes leave the "guilty" feeling of being lazy
but in the end I guess i'm glad about the days i rather spent with friends
than with my dear laptop
currently I'm residing in my beloved city DD
and went with my dear pregnant friend Joce shopping,
one of the good things about current fashion which we like is that pregnancy-bellies fit under nice bubbly dresses which are also wearable in daily non-pregnant-life, - this is one aspect what i understand by the concept of "sustainability".
we found quite some stuff which definitely gets the certificate of being a nice "prego".
during shopping we saw masses of girls/"young women" being pregnant or young dads carrying really small babies in scarfs on their bodies. A friend of mine commented on this; people just move to this part of the city to get babies.
Yes it can feel strange to have a flat tammy.
besides that I happen to be at one wedding after the other
which is nice and strange
its those lazy summer evenings, when you wander tired through the streets of a home town
it turns me all quiet, and things are hard to realise
but it's nice to dance with my shiny beautiful bridal friends.
the days just float by, working and not managing to write a paper i wanted to write
-actually i don't want to write, which might be the reason i don't get to write it
Besides that there is always time having good food with friends
which might sometimes leave the "guilty" feeling of being lazy
but in the end I guess i'm glad about the days i rather spent with friends
than with my dear laptop
currently I'm residing in my beloved city DD
and went with my dear pregnant friend Joce shopping,
one of the good things about current fashion which we like is that pregnancy-bellies fit under nice bubbly dresses which are also wearable in daily non-pregnant-life, - this is one aspect what i understand by the concept of "sustainability".
we found quite some stuff which definitely gets the certificate of being a nice "prego".
during shopping we saw masses of girls/"young women" being pregnant or young dads carrying really small babies in scarfs on their bodies. A friend of mine commented on this; people just move to this part of the city to get babies.
Yes it can feel strange to have a flat tammy.
besides that I happen to be at one wedding after the other
which is nice and strange
its those lazy summer evenings, when you wander tired through the streets of a home town
it turns me all quiet, and things are hard to realise
but it's nice to dance with my shiny beautiful bridal friends.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
home is people
the time has been intense
somehow people all over the world seem to be able to play basketball, soccer or chess
we always found something to do together
and they told us how the Yesidis get under a series of violence attacks in Iraq
a year ago on the 14th of August 2007 the villages El Khatanijah and El Adnanijah got attacked by suicide bombings
over 500 people died
we lit some candles for his killed brother and friends
they wanted us to know about it
and I realised I had never even really heard of this religious group
has it been big in the media, as it should be?
and the young guys from Iran who don´t see any future for themselves
there
and so many more stories
and easy times with painting the walls and lots of laughing
It was soo nice to come home after this time
having a real bed and shower
and big windows
its so beautiful here
vivi wrote on the blackbord in our flat for us:
"mein zuhause kommt nach hause"
(my home is coming home)
yes
somehow people all over the world seem to be able to play basketball, soccer or chess
we always found something to do together
and they told us how the Yesidis get under a series of violence attacks in Iraq
a year ago on the 14th of August 2007 the villages El Khatanijah and El Adnanijah got attacked by suicide bombings
over 500 people died
we lit some candles for his killed brother and friends
they wanted us to know about it
and I realised I had never even really heard of this religious group
has it been big in the media, as it should be?
and the young guys from Iran who don´t see any future for themselves
there
and so many more stories
and easy times with painting the walls and lots of laughing
It was soo nice to come home after this time
having a real bed and shower
and big windows
its so beautiful here
vivi wrote on the blackbord in our flat for us:
"mein zuhause kommt nach hause"
(my home is coming home)
yes
Sunday, August 10, 2008
it´s just pure happiness
as we painted altogether this huge paper
the small kids with green hands
lots of hearts with arabic names in it
"love russia"
and
"love for all, hatred for none"
yes, it sounds hippie and we don´t care
big handclapping when we hang it up in the café of the
asylum seekers centre
the men from syria started to sing so beautifully in the night
and we gathered all around dancing and clapping
man, how i loved it
the girl from the states has spend the whole evening talking to the old lady who recently fled from Iraq, it seemed to be good for both
the russian workcamp participants hanging out a lot with the young people from tschetschenia,
and we are just standing here and it feels like a dream coming true
I feel at place in the middle of all these amazing people,
and it seems like the majority has this experience too
"when you guys are here, i don´t care about what has happened in the past
and don´t worry about the future, I just live in this moment"
i just feel gratitude, that we can give each other these moments
week two to go
the small kids with green hands
lots of hearts with arabic names in it
"love russia"
and
"love for all, hatred for none"
yes, it sounds hippie and we don´t care
big handclapping when we hang it up in the café of the
asylum seekers centre
the men from syria started to sing so beautifully in the night
and we gathered all around dancing and clapping
man, how i loved it
the girl from the states has spend the whole evening talking to the old lady who recently fled from Iraq, it seemed to be good for both
the russian workcamp participants hanging out a lot with the young people from tschetschenia,
and we are just standing here and it feels like a dream coming true
I feel at place in the middle of all these amazing people,
and it seems like the majority has this experience too
"when you guys are here, i don´t care about what has happened in the past
and don´t worry about the future, I just live in this moment"
i just feel gratitude, that we can give each other these moments
week two to go
Saturday, August 02, 2008
the summers
suomi has been nice
very light, relaxing and foody
some strange people let me pick tons of strawberries on their field for little money as i asked them
the countryside has been full of violet flowers
and a kid asked on the airplane: "mama, why are there so many trees here? And why is it all needle tress?" (Are there short answers for that?)
(Mama, where do seeds come from? From bread!)
Saw the crazy anime.freak finnish teenagers on streets,
met an philipine nanny,
a small boy speaking finnish and french asking me why i´m not able to do the same, i said: well i never learned, he kept on asking me why and finally you end up really asking yourself: yes, why the heck did they not teach us all the languages in the world...
back in saksa
today: start of the workcamp
there they are all downstairs now
we all try to communicate somehow
the taiwanese guy with excellent english watched how we make our slices of breads to do so himself
I have never seen anybody washing apples that carefully.
The quiet russians, the extroverted spanish girls ("I am desaster"), the so US girl, and an always smiling swiss boy
loking forward to what the next weeks will bring
very light, relaxing and foody
some strange people let me pick tons of strawberries on their field for little money as i asked them
the countryside has been full of violet flowers
and a kid asked on the airplane: "mama, why are there so many trees here? And why is it all needle tress?" (Are there short answers for that?)
(Mama, where do seeds come from? From bread!)
Saw the crazy anime.freak finnish teenagers on streets,
met an philipine nanny,
a small boy speaking finnish and french asking me why i´m not able to do the same, i said: well i never learned, he kept on asking me why and finally you end up really asking yourself: yes, why the heck did they not teach us all the languages in the world...
back in saksa
today: start of the workcamp
there they are all downstairs now
we all try to communicate somehow
the taiwanese guy with excellent english watched how we make our slices of breads to do so himself
I have never seen anybody washing apples that carefully.
The quiet russians, the extroverted spanish girls ("I am desaster"), the so US girl, and an always smiling swiss boy
loking forward to what the next weeks will bring
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
we watched this documentary tonight about sexual violence on women and girls in the democratic republic of congo (former zaire).
there are no words for this.
The bodies of women and girls always have been battlefields in wars,
cos with destroying women, nobody wants to marry them, nobody takes care of the farming,
the kids get traumatized- it´s in fact a very effective way of destroying a whole community and society.
They have hospitals where women can get medical help, they can only take "the hard cases" as there are so many who have suffered and still suffering sexual violence. After the hospital they have to send the women back home, again in danger:
"there is no where we can go"
The leader of the hospital said; if the international society knows of this, the UN, and all kinds of media have written about this dramatic situation, how can it just stay like that?
Everybody knows about it, and nothing changes.
This is where we sit again, f* don´t know what to say or do
this is a homepage giving some information about, there is also a petition to sign
in the meantime it just feels so fake thinking about a current discussion about a phenomena called "new feminism" taking place in Germany
it started with some books called "alphagirls", etc.
the main threads seemed to be like:
- the twenty/thirty-something girls woke up and realised, hey we don´t feel unequal treated anymore, but there are much more subtile structures of discrimination nowadays- find out about and act against
- old feminist stuff is not hip- Alice Schwarzer (one of THE feminist icons of Germany) is out and not up to date; the new feminists want it to be fun, be sexy (porn is ok) and still want to claim equality
- how the heck to put having kids, drinking caffe latte with friends and making career in a 24 hour day, (and to look good in the same time)
-...
Important points so far:
Read two critisisms of this "movement" lately:
1: feminism light: the autor claims the new feminsim is kind of wannabe
- it stays just wannabe-provocative in the sex-corner
- or gets caught by the "nice girl trap" (girl still want men to approve them- so they bring on appealing behaviour again, as they have learned and always done it)
2. Mely Kiyak critisises the new feminism as far away from reality
and just a debate from christian, white, middle-class women who think about which kindergarden is best or if parental leave fits together with their life plans
forgetting that there is quite big group of women in the country who are not eben able to ask those questions as they only fight for enough money to live, being allowed to go studying, or getting out of violent relationships.
priviledged women write about feminism, without taking the battle especially of migrant women into consideration, which is often also a battle of class and ethnicity than just gender.
in the new we-women-feeling, those were left out who were not considered as "we" anyway?
i´m off to suomi
there are no words for this.
The bodies of women and girls always have been battlefields in wars,
cos with destroying women, nobody wants to marry them, nobody takes care of the farming,
the kids get traumatized- it´s in fact a very effective way of destroying a whole community and society.
They have hospitals where women can get medical help, they can only take "the hard cases" as there are so many who have suffered and still suffering sexual violence. After the hospital they have to send the women back home, again in danger:
"there is no where we can go"
The leader of the hospital said; if the international society knows of this, the UN, and all kinds of media have written about this dramatic situation, how can it just stay like that?
Everybody knows about it, and nothing changes.
This is where we sit again, f* don´t know what to say or do
this is a homepage giving some information about, there is also a petition to sign
in the meantime it just feels so fake thinking about a current discussion about a phenomena called "new feminism" taking place in Germany
it started with some books called "alphagirls", etc.
the main threads seemed to be like:
- the twenty/thirty-something girls woke up and realised, hey we don´t feel unequal treated anymore, but there are much more subtile structures of discrimination nowadays- find out about and act against
- old feminist stuff is not hip- Alice Schwarzer (one of THE feminist icons of Germany) is out and not up to date; the new feminists want it to be fun, be sexy (porn is ok) and still want to claim equality
- how the heck to put having kids, drinking caffe latte with friends and making career in a 24 hour day, (and to look good in the same time)
-...
Important points so far:
Read two critisisms of this "movement" lately:
1: feminism light: the autor claims the new feminsim is kind of wannabe
- it stays just wannabe-provocative in the sex-corner
- or gets caught by the "nice girl trap" (girl still want men to approve them- so they bring on appealing behaviour again, as they have learned and always done it)
2. Mely Kiyak critisises the new feminism as far away from reality
and just a debate from christian, white, middle-class women who think about which kindergarden is best or if parental leave fits together with their life plans
forgetting that there is quite big group of women in the country who are not eben able to ask those questions as they only fight for enough money to live, being allowed to go studying, or getting out of violent relationships.
priviledged women write about feminism, without taking the battle especially of migrant women into consideration, which is often also a battle of class and ethnicity than just gender.
in the new we-women-feeling, those were left out who were not considered as "we" anyway?
i´m off to suomi
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
now
the other afternoon
´ve been sitting with a friend on my cosy couch trying to finish some papers
we just all had some nice summer lunch
cooked potatoes, "quark", fresh vegetables and some smoked salmon
love it
with six girls
like nearly every day
thought about how much it has become a lifestyle of us
to work, eat, shop, go running,... together
´ve been sitting with a friend on my cosy couch trying to finish some papers
we just all had some nice summer lunch
cooked potatoes, "quark", fresh vegetables and some smoked salmon
love it
with six girls
like nearly every day
thought about how much it has become a lifestyle of us
to work, eat, shop, go running,... together
and how it can be so home, ordinary, yet special
but also hard, sometimes, to allow people being close to you
we´ve been some days in beautiful france, bourgogne
small car, small house in the mountains, some girls, good food
loads of garlic and wine
no make-up and being as loud as we want to
yes, good days
but also hard, sometimes, to allow people being close to you
we´ve been some days in beautiful france, bourgogne
small car, small house in the mountains, some girls, good food
loads of garlic and wine
no make-up and being as loud as we want to
yes, good days
got a new link: zimmer 117 is a group of photographers
from this city and the capital
some are friends
all are talented indeed
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
´ve been a weekend in northern Germany
meeting my old living commune from HH
and dear friends Resa and Krister on their trip
round the baltic sea, - nice and chill time
also great to get to know the 24-7-community there
so hospitable
it´s been really interesting to hear about their plans...
on the trip back i went with a guy
who drove 250 on the highway (yes i like that)
and teached me about all the mistakes other car-drivers
do- feel much more smart now
back here
got a really bad cold, have no clue where from
and it really sucks as i have so much stuff to do:(
anyway, hope it will get better soon
and i also hope i soon will start studying effectively again:)
meeting my old living commune from HH
and dear friends Resa and Krister on their trip
round the baltic sea, - nice and chill time
also great to get to know the 24-7-community there
so hospitable
it´s been really interesting to hear about their plans...
on the trip back i went with a guy
who drove 250 on the highway (yes i like that)
and teached me about all the mistakes other car-drivers
do- feel much more smart now
back here
got a really bad cold, have no clue where from
and it really sucks as i have so much stuff to do:(
anyway, hope it will get better soon
and i also hope i soon will start studying effectively again:)
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
planting
planted some more herbs, flowers, chillies and zucchini today
small balcony, - will see if it gets enough sun to grow
planting makes the day to a productive one
some friends and i spent the weekend at a wonderful
organic little farm a living commune keeps together,
really like those places where you can feel some people came together to
make a life thats meaningful to them ...
we had there some training for organizing and leading workcamps
if you are interested in taking part in the work camp
you can email me and i give you more information :)
(taking place between the 2nd and 16th of August in Germany
Topic: seeking asylum- unknown neighbors
for taking part you need to be between 18 and 26 years old
- a workcamp means living together with an international groups
for some weeks and doing some meaningful work-)
small balcony, - will see if it gets enough sun to grow
planting makes the day to a productive one
some friends and i spent the weekend at a wonderful
organic little farm a living commune keeps together,
really like those places where you can feel some people came together to
make a life thats meaningful to them ...
we had there some training for organizing and leading workcamps
if you are interested in taking part in the work camp
you can email me and i give you more information :)
(taking place between the 2nd and 16th of August in Germany
Topic: seeking asylum- unknown neighbors
for taking part you need to be between 18 and 26 years old
- a workcamp means living together with an international groups
for some weeks and doing some meaningful work-)
Friday, May 09, 2008
may...
had some interesting days with mongolian youthworkers
i wrote their names on my hand to be able to remember them
beautiful language
sounds like a mixture of finish and icelandic i thought
super nice people, and cool humour
we talked about the current challenges for young people in mongolia
an new increasing problem trafficking seems to be, to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
would be interesting to visit this country one day
read recently in some of those blogs
http://blogsbyiranians.com/
Iran has a really active blogging scene, which is quite engaged and respectless
" Here i am again,after a rather long time i feel i can write again.Tehran is so hot. 42c today and will be 44 tomorrow. i cant stand my clothes, this nasty hijab bothers me everyday and every minute and every moment of the day! hurts my body and my soul. but it doesnt keep me from being active, im not dead tired yet.i go to work everyday, while my male colleagues wear cool Tshirts, i have to stand my heavy warm dark long clothes. i also dont forget to wear my mask, a kind of behaviour mask, showing yourself what you really are not! the first thing you learn in iran is how to "Pretend!". its more essential for life than water is! you choose a kind of role that keeps you safe. like the one i chose, a calm serious girl who doesnt think of anything but her work, someone who obeys well with a very simple routine life! and god! how much i hate telling lie! its so difficult to play the role you are not! little by little, you find out that all other people around you are wearing masks too, and you see eachother everyday and work in the same place but never have the chance of knowing eachother truly. the hope for finding real friends is lost for ever. life is so artificial. no smell, no color, no beauty." by http://iranian-girl.blogspot.com/ (from July 16th 2005)
lazy afternoon with taggging "the notwist" in the last fm-radio
so good to have the girls here
so freeing to scream around harsh songlyrics together in the eves
when its necessary
anybody going to Roskilde festival?
i wrote their names on my hand to be able to remember them
beautiful language
sounds like a mixture of finish and icelandic i thought
super nice people, and cool humour
we talked about the current challenges for young people in mongolia
an new increasing problem trafficking seems to be, to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
would be interesting to visit this country one day
read recently in some of those blogs
http://blogsbyiranians.com/
Iran has a really active blogging scene, which is quite engaged and respectless
" Here i am again,after a rather long time i feel i can write again.Tehran is so hot. 42c today and will be 44 tomorrow. i cant stand my clothes, this nasty hijab bothers me everyday and every minute and every moment of the day! hurts my body and my soul. but it doesnt keep me from being active, im not dead tired yet.i go to work everyday, while my male colleagues wear cool Tshirts, i have to stand my heavy warm dark long clothes. i also dont forget to wear my mask, a kind of behaviour mask, showing yourself what you really are not! the first thing you learn in iran is how to "Pretend!". its more essential for life than water is! you choose a kind of role that keeps you safe. like the one i chose, a calm serious girl who doesnt think of anything but her work, someone who obeys well with a very simple routine life! and god! how much i hate telling lie! its so difficult to play the role you are not! little by little, you find out that all other people around you are wearing masks too, and you see eachother everyday and work in the same place but never have the chance of knowing eachother truly. the hope for finding real friends is lost for ever. life is so artificial. no smell, no color, no beauty." by http://iranian-girl.blogspot.com/ (from July 16th 2005)
lazy afternoon with taggging "the notwist" in the last fm-radio
so good to have the girls here
so freeing to scream around harsh songlyrics together in the eves
when its necessary
anybody going to Roskilde festival?
Thursday, April 24, 2008
sun is coming
yippie yay
had the other weekend some kind of "arty-party" in our house
was so nice
loads of people
dancefloor in the kitchen
with drum´n´bass and Balkan music
photoexhibition
collective painting in one room
a friend did some readings from his writings in the other
a sticker action
videos
making origami out of EKG-paper
flashed with happiness
currently we are about to organize a seminar on
"challenges in international social work"
the participants are from Luxemburg and Mongolia
if thats not exotic... :)
have to write a paper about an
interesting aspect of elementary education
found somewhere in Europe
could also be concerning older kids...
Any ideas?
yippie yay
had the other weekend some kind of "arty-party" in our house
was so nice
loads of people
dancefloor in the kitchen
with drum´n´bass and Balkan music
photoexhibition
collective painting in one room
a friend did some readings from his writings in the other
a sticker action
videos
making origami out of EKG-paper
flashed with happiness
currently we are about to organize a seminar on
"challenges in international social work"
the participants are from Luxemburg and Mongolia
if thats not exotic... :)
have to write a paper about an
interesting aspect of elementary education
found somewhere in Europe
could also be concerning older kids...
Any ideas?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
productivity
a phase of (in my opinion) extreme unproductivity hopefully slowly seems to end
we declared the word "productivity" to the "un-word" of our living commune
scientist might call this lazyness "procrastination"
BUT
there´s a great song of the german band Tocotronic
" ...ja ich habe heute nichts gemacht,
ja meine Arbeit ist vollbracht,
ich atme nur
ich atme nur..."
("...yes i´ve done nothing today,
yes my work is completed
i just breathe,
i just breathe...")
it´s fun to be on parties trying to smalltalk without the question
"And what are you doing?"
Good alternatives:
Have you already eaten today?
Any siblings?
How did you get to know each other?
we declared the word "productivity" to the "un-word" of our living commune
scientist might call this lazyness "procrastination"
BUT
there´s a great song of the german band Tocotronic
" ...ja ich habe heute nichts gemacht,
ja meine Arbeit ist vollbracht,
ich atme nur
ich atme nur..."
("...yes i´ve done nothing today,
yes my work is completed
i just breathe,
i just breathe...")
it´s fun to be on parties trying to smalltalk without the question
"And what are you doing?"
Good alternatives:
Have you already eaten today?
Any siblings?
How did you get to know each other?
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
I´m a feminist
last saturday was womens day
the news remembered:
in europe Statistics show that for women between 16 and 44 years of age, domestic violence is thought to be the major cause of death and invalidity, ahead of cancer, road accidents and even war.
hellloooooooooo?
this basicly means: home (and a love relationship) is the most dangerous place where a women can be...
isn´t that shocking
besides:
statistics show that in Germany women still earn 25% less then men, though they are better educated, have better qualifications then men and so forth,
I´m not talking about the issue of women having more part time jobs and men being more often in the leading offices, NO!
Its usual that a women with the same qualification and experince as a man, having the exact same job, tasks, role and position, yes in the same company!- often get up to 500 or 600€ less payment than men. And women simply get offered less payment already at job interviews than men, just because. Because why?
People see reasons for this in the old role picture, the image that women only need to earn supplementary payment, ect. And companies use women to simply not to have that many staff expenses i guess.
YES, its time for a new feminism. With this I don´t mean women trying to be like men, anti-men thinking or stuff like that.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica feminism is simply the belief in the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. So hard?
Equality is actually not enough, we need the same appreciation and acknowledgement for women than for men. And we need more male feminists, this is not just a cause for women to fight for themselves. We need protection.
And especially "the christian world" has to take a very clear stand in that. To long violence was not discussed, feminism was seen as "bad", and unjust actions were tolerated under the belief that women should submit to men. Come on! Submission is a different discussion. This is about equal treatment, and basicly the right to live.
...
the news remembered:
in europe Statistics show that for women between 16 and 44 years of age, domestic violence is thought to be the major cause of death and invalidity, ahead of cancer, road accidents and even war.
hellloooooooooo?
this basicly means: home (and a love relationship) is the most dangerous place where a women can be...
isn´t that shocking
besides:
statistics show that in Germany women still earn 25% less then men, though they are better educated, have better qualifications then men and so forth,
I´m not talking about the issue of women having more part time jobs and men being more often in the leading offices, NO!
Its usual that a women with the same qualification and experince as a man, having the exact same job, tasks, role and position, yes in the same company!- often get up to 500 or 600€ less payment than men. And women simply get offered less payment already at job interviews than men, just because. Because why?
People see reasons for this in the old role picture, the image that women only need to earn supplementary payment, ect. And companies use women to simply not to have that many staff expenses i guess.
YES, its time for a new feminism. With this I don´t mean women trying to be like men, anti-men thinking or stuff like that.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica feminism is simply the belief in the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. So hard?
Equality is actually not enough, we need the same appreciation and acknowledgement for women than for men. And we need more male feminists, this is not just a cause for women to fight for themselves. We need protection.
And especially "the christian world" has to take a very clear stand in that. To long violence was not discussed, feminism was seen as "bad", and unjust actions were tolerated under the belief that women should submit to men. Come on! Submission is a different discussion. This is about equal treatment, and basicly the right to live.
...
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