On Leipzig

So many questions... Penned 2.4.08

The city of Göthe's Faust, the book and trade fairs, not to mention where Napoleon, the emperor the French hold as the symbol of their power finally lost to the Russians and Prussians.

Her streets are wide, her old houses beautiful. The trams roll up and down the main roads, while the side ones sit conjoined looking on.

I wonder what I would hear if bricks and stones could talk. Although they don't all go back 200 years ago, the granite slabs in the pavements have seen so many feet step on them, while the houses have seen builders, occupants, defenders, destroyers, bombs, occupiers, neglect, renovation and new occupants. Of the last 70 years, only 20 have let Leipzig improve, while the others stifled and ruined her and her people.

So far, all I have done is to be an eyewitness of today's Leipzig for a short period of time. She is indeed “not finished”, as my sister-in-law put it to me. Yet, there is much to be discovered by this humble passerby in a city of much history. Whether I will live here 3 or 30 years, my impact will be a small part of the lives and times of the city.

I do wonder at how it might have been 200 years ago here, with its bustling fairs and university. The brain power that stormed through here then was amazing, even if it saw war then. What happened to the people of this city when the Nazis and the Communists clashed to take hold of Germany's reins? Did the Leipzigers also shiver in fear when ally bombs fell, whether from the west of east? Did they celebrate the end of the 2nd world war, and then wake up to what I always think of a grey and dreary GDR? How did they cope with Stasi agents and lack of plentiful food? When did they decide to not repair their houses? How did they feel when their Monday protests finally bore fruit and took Soviet hold off GDR? How did they feel about their richer cousins in the west? How do they feel now when a whole multi-cultural society has sprouted and many westerners are investing in their town? Are they still leaving here in droves? Will the ones who left return?

Oh, so much I would like to know, but this is just the beginning of my life here, so bear with me.


Good things so far. Penned 7.4.08

Not pretending to know much about this city, but she is fine. Public transport aplenty, it runs 24 hours, and the trams are quick and frequent. Wow, what a relief this is. Although, we won't need it much as we can WALK to the centre in around 10 minutes.

To my relief, there are plenty of things to do other than shopping. When baby comes, she's too little for a zoo, but it's within walking distance, so she can enjoy seeing the animals a little later on. Although in principle I don't feel good about seeing giraffes outside of Africa, and have never willingly gone to zoos, I feel maybe I should give baby a chance to decide if she likes animals. I'm used them mostly on TV, and had a couple of pet cats...

Anyhow, the city has some museums, old churches and other heritage that I can get to know. This is good news. I already visited the two big central churches, Nikolai & Thomas. Their decors and so on are pretty good, and some rich history. Seeing Bach's grave in Thomas Kirche is something. However, I can't actually tell which division of Christianity these might belong to. I guess something else for my long Wikipedia list!

I now need to find a public library or two, so I can have my supply of reading material for the coming months, and make sure my German improves. So far, in a month that I've been in the country, it has improved, but starting on a low speaking basis. Understanding is always easier and comes first.

p.s. It awoke my senses and saddened me at the same time as I walked past Leipzig Tafel. Yes, we must help poor people, but heck I hadn't seen this sort of thing before. I shall have to reflect and respond to this later...

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An idiot in France has killed a number of "his enemies", which include children as revenge for children in another part of the world that he probably knows NOTHING about. It is an absolute disgrace and VERY VERY sad.

He is of Algerian origin, influenced by Afghan-based, Saudi-financed idiots. He calls himself a muslim and wants to avenge muslim children who were "murdered" by jews in Israel. FOR GOODNESS SAKE - this is just a mad man. He could also have said he is from the dark-side and would kill all those who wear blue light-sabres. Or he could be a white man from Oslo who kills anyone socialist or brown or ... or....

BUT, we know what will happen now. Marie Le Pen has started it already.

11 months since I last wrote here. There has been and is so much that I want to say and that occupies my mind!

Where do I start, no continue? Okay, in stream of consciousness.

The Arabic spring

Actually I don't know what spring in Arabic is, will have to look it up. It has had some success, much uncertainty and a long way to go. BUT, well done people of these lands. You are making yourselves heard.

Neo-Nazi terror in Germany

This so-called cell of three.

It is a long time since I wrote. In this time I have been growing my second baby, and I guess that is the reason that I have not been busy with other things. There are still 3 months to go, but I cannot avoid what is going on in the area where I kind of originate from, i.e. Mid East/North Africa. This is especially true as I was in Israel for a visit just a month ago.

My first thoughts as I got on my Lufthansa flight back to Germany were "The people here are all mad".

30 years ago it started. 8 year it lasted. It effects will be felt, echoed for many decades still to come.

It put fear in the hearts of millions, cost millions of lives and unbelievable amounts of money of course.

I remember so much fear during the 8 years. It seemed never ending and was the worst thing that can happen to one. Although I saw direct effects far more rarely than those in the south and west, it did and would not stop. It went on and on. For no reason whatsoever.

What is an -ism?

It is a suffix that describes an ideology. Known examples are: Communism, Imperialism, Capitalism, Fascism, Feudalism, Federalism, Optimism, Sexism, Ageism, Judaism, etc. etc.

Another - new-ish -ism

A relatively new -ism is however the ideology that makes Islam (a religion) into a political movement. This is not necessarily a new idea, the caliphate of Islam already existed centuries ago, but the introduction of it to the wide world is new.

Once an immigrant, always an immigrant? Or does this not make any sense? In my case, however it is true. Here I want to put my point of view of immigration across. I am not going to address the whole issue of what a host country should do, how they should prepare for integration or ejection of the immigrants, etc. but how I have gone through it, my personal experience. This is obviously a short summary of the whole deal.

I became an immigrant for the first time at the age of 3.5.

Just eating my lunch, thought again of my theory... The last shah of Iran is not dead, look he is here. Don't believe me, here was the Shah. They are look-a-likes, one has to admit.

How living beings share the sun's light

The light that reaches the earth from the sun changes mostly into warmth and sooner or later leaves our globe. The sun's energy has become the life-giving current, which all take a part of. (Gottfried Schatz, Neue Zurcher Zeitung, 2.11.2009) Translation by Maryam Yahiaoui-Doktor

"The sun rose in Paderborn, with very peevish gesture. She had to indeed carry out an annoying deed.

A poem from Ghadeh Alsaman

An able poet from Syria

If you come to my home, bring me a pencil, a black pencil;

I want to draw a line on my face, so I won't be caged for the crime of beauty, also a cross on my heart so I won't be tempted!

Give me an eraser for erasing the lips, I don't want anyone to blacken me due to their redness.

A shovel, so I uproot my feminine virtues, sow my being... without these is heaven's way easier.

No, I don't mean capitalism gone out of control, but brutality. In Iran a 21 year old man was today killed, because at the age of 17 he had stabbed someone to death. The family of the original victim came to watch the murderer die, and were allowed to also stab him. The mother went along.
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