Ever since I can remember, all I wanted to do was travel. But not any type of traveling, I wanted to FLY. With my grandfather (may he rest in peace) being an aviator for whom planes had been the center of his entire existence up to the last day of his life...it wasn't that hard to imagine why I loved to fly and why planes always exerted such a strong hold on me. I was indeed "Nini's granddaughter". This is how I used to call my grandfather...Nini. I don't even remember how I started calling him that way, I just know my grandmother was fondling him with that name and I somehow caught it and apropriated it myself :)
Up to last year, my father used to joke about my passion for airplanes, saying that "your ideal life would be just in-between airplanes, just like your grandfather". And in a way he was right. I always said that, had I been a boy, I would definitely have been a pilot. That would have been the only thing to suit me. But anyway, my goal on this planet seems to be quite intertwined with the airplanes as well. When I got into the Master's Programme that I'm currently doing, my father laughed again (fatherlike and supportive, of course) and said, quite rightfully, "This MA seems to have been made especially for you. One year and 5 locations. You will really get to be in-between airplanes".
And indeed I am. I was thinking about this while on the plane that took me from Amsterdam to London. You could truly say that airplanes are now my second home. I definitely spent more time in airplanes that I got to spend in my car for the past 3 months. And the first signs of "addiction" have started showing. The thought that I could crop this into a "How do you know when you're a PLANE FREAK" list really made me laugh. So...how do you know?
I know I'm one, because:
- I know by heart all the food-menus of the main carriers (KLM, British, Austrian) so I basically know what to expect every time. My favorite is KLM's pasta, but they only serve that for long-haul flights. And they also have a very good tomato&pepper juice.
- I can check myself in electronically in about 1 minute (with printing the boarding pass included).
- I have a favorite seat (4D is the one that I always pick). When I'm traveling alone I always pick the aisle-seat, because I like the mobility and the possibility of moving around without getting two strangers out of their seats. When I'm traveling with friends, I looove the window seat :).
- I know Amsterdam Schiphol better than I know the streets in the center of Bucharest...and I'm not kidding. You could keep my eyes tied and I would still manage to get my way through Schiphol. Just a few flights more and I could apply for a part-time job at the airport :)))
- I'm starting to know the schedules of the main carriers by heart (Amsterdam-Bucharest flights either arrive at 13:20 or at 00:10 and they usually depart from Bucharest at 06:30 or 14:15; I have the London schedules as well :) ).
- I know my 11-digits Flying Blue code by heart, because I use it all the time and I'm starting to do miles-math in my mind (how many miles do I get for a flight from X to Y, how many Award Miles, how many Level miles etc...);
- I can quote from the "Holland Herald" (the KLM inflight magazine) any time and any place. I know products, prices, available colors, everything. I've skimmed through that so many times that I almost memorized it.
And...the last but definitely not the LEAST...one more argument in bolstering my PLANE-FREAKINESS is...that I love it. I absolutely love it. And yes...I know that somewhere up there...Nini is indulgently smiling back at me ;)
sâmbătă, 27 octombrie 2007
A sunny day in London town
I made it! I'm in London now.
I don't know why, but I have this sudden urge of writing in English. It's both odd and understandable at the same time. Odd because my mother tongue is Romanian and understandable because here I speak English 24/7. As silly as it may sound, I even had a dream a couple of weeks ago in which I was talking to my parents in English...let alone the fact that every time I take a wrong step or drop something my exclamations are now in English... I'm even starting to THINK in English when I'm by myself, which clearly shows a daaaangerous path...the "Americanization" of Diana. Just kidding. That's never going to happen...I'm far too European for that to be possible and I plan on staying this way.
Ok...let's switch to something more interesting. Like me being in LONDOOOON! I love this place. I totally and absolutely love it. I feel like a child in a candy store,I cannot help not staring at the wonderful things around me. Although England is...amazingly enough...my 24th country to visit (and I feel truly lucky and blessed for that), it's indeed different from all the other places I've been to. It has a totally different vibe, it's so "out of the Sherlock Holmes movies" in the best way :). My room faces a typical English street and the building just across the street is identical to Tony Blair's house on Downing Street. Downing Street is basically...almost every English street. You can feel like Tony Blair's next door neighbor wherever in London you might find yourself :)
I got to London through Amsterdam (70 min. flight...I didn't even know when the plane took off and landed...it was such a short time...) and Heathrow Airport was a very weird experience. The first time I had been there I was only transiting it and I remember the endless queues and the immense crowds of people waiting for their flights or for the custom check.This time...it was hardly anyone. Maybe being a Saturday afternoon it was less crowded, but still...the airport was a much less stressful experience than I had expected. Another funny thing about the flight is that I got to "play the mother" in a way with two French kids who were sitting right next to me on the plane. They were probably sent by their parents to visit some grandparents or other relatives, because they were traveling by themselves and had the name tags with them. They were around 6-7 years old but so polite and nice...typically French I would say.
As the plane landed on London Heathrow Airport, Michael Buble's song "A foggy day in London Town" was playing in my iPOD. Although it was no foggy day, it was quite a sunny and beautiful one. By the way - I LOVE Michael Buble, he's an amazing jazz singer. Him and Katie Melua are my absolute sweethearts!
I took a London cab (great experience...they actually look like out of an English movie :) )and ended up on Wyndham Street, in Central London, where our lodging is. Webster is accommodating us at a cosy hotel in Central London (just 2 streets away from Regent's Park). Their campus here is still under construction, so we're staying at the Wyndham, which is great. Being a small hotel, it's basically "our house", there are only a couple of rooms except for ours and we already feel like home. The rooms are really tiny (hey, it's Central London...real estate is more expensive than anywhere else) but they're really neat and...English. I will take some pictures and put them online as soon as I have the time for that.
Tonight I marked one more accomplishment on my "Diana can do it" list :), respectively carrying 2 huge suitcases (25 kg each) from the place we had them stored in up to the Hotel (which is roughly 1 km away). Just imagine a bunch of American students (and me) crossing Regent's Park at 1 a.m in the morning with their huge suitcases.... That was a scene to remember. And, moreover, carrying them 3 floors UP THE STAIRS (there's no elevator in the hotel). Anyway...I could do it so...1 more point to Diana :)))
I think I'm going to love London. In fact, I already love it. I have so many things that I want to experience while I'm here...I feel that everything is just crowding into my mind, fighting for the top place on my "to do list". But there's time for everything. Indeed there is...:)
I don't know why, but I have this sudden urge of writing in English. It's both odd and understandable at the same time. Odd because my mother tongue is Romanian and understandable because here I speak English 24/7. As silly as it may sound, I even had a dream a couple of weeks ago in which I was talking to my parents in English...let alone the fact that every time I take a wrong step or drop something my exclamations are now in English... I'm even starting to THINK in English when I'm by myself, which clearly shows a daaaangerous path...the "Americanization" of Diana. Just kidding. That's never going to happen...I'm far too European for that to be possible and I plan on staying this way.
Ok...let's switch to something more interesting. Like me being in LONDOOOON! I love this place. I totally and absolutely love it. I feel like a child in a candy store,I cannot help not staring at the wonderful things around me. Although England is...amazingly enough...my 24th country to visit (and I feel truly lucky and blessed for that), it's indeed different from all the other places I've been to. It has a totally different vibe, it's so "out of the Sherlock Holmes movies" in the best way :). My room faces a typical English street and the building just across the street is identical to Tony Blair's house on Downing Street. Downing Street is basically...almost every English street. You can feel like Tony Blair's next door neighbor wherever in London you might find yourself :)
I got to London through Amsterdam (70 min. flight...I didn't even know when the plane took off and landed...it was such a short time...) and Heathrow Airport was a very weird experience. The first time I had been there I was only transiting it and I remember the endless queues and the immense crowds of people waiting for their flights or for the custom check.This time...it was hardly anyone. Maybe being a Saturday afternoon it was less crowded, but still...the airport was a much less stressful experience than I had expected. Another funny thing about the flight is that I got to "play the mother" in a way with two French kids who were sitting right next to me on the plane. They were probably sent by their parents to visit some grandparents or other relatives, because they were traveling by themselves and had the name tags with them. They were around 6-7 years old but so polite and nice...typically French I would say.
As the plane landed on London Heathrow Airport, Michael Buble's song "A foggy day in London Town" was playing in my iPOD. Although it was no foggy day, it was quite a sunny and beautiful one. By the way - I LOVE Michael Buble, he's an amazing jazz singer. Him and Katie Melua are my absolute sweethearts!
I took a London cab (great experience...they actually look like out of an English movie :) )and ended up on Wyndham Street, in Central London, where our lodging is. Webster is accommodating us at a cosy hotel in Central London (just 2 streets away from Regent's Park). Their campus here is still under construction, so we're staying at the Wyndham, which is great. Being a small hotel, it's basically "our house", there are only a couple of rooms except for ours and we already feel like home. The rooms are really tiny (hey, it's Central London...real estate is more expensive than anywhere else) but they're really neat and...English. I will take some pictures and put them online as soon as I have the time for that.
Tonight I marked one more accomplishment on my "Diana can do it" list :), respectively carrying 2 huge suitcases (25 kg each) from the place we had them stored in up to the Hotel (which is roughly 1 km away). Just imagine a bunch of American students (and me) crossing Regent's Park at 1 a.m in the morning with their huge suitcases.... That was a scene to remember. And, moreover, carrying them 3 floors UP THE STAIRS (there's no elevator in the hotel). Anyway...I could do it so...1 more point to Diana :)))
I think I'm going to love London. In fact, I already love it. I have so many things that I want to experience while I'm here...I feel that everything is just crowding into my mind, fighting for the top place on my "to do list". But there's time for everything. Indeed there is...:)
joi, 25 octombrie 2007
Atunci cand stii...
Se spune ca atunci cand cunosti "persoana" (si nu, ghilimelele nu sunt intamplatoare) cu care iti este scris sa fii toata viata, o simti. Ai un implus, o tresarire, un fior...oricum ai vrea sa-l numesti. E ceva inauntrul tau care spune ca persoana respectiva e "The One". Am auzit asta de multe ori si da...chiar daca nu am cunoscut deocamdata persoana care sa fie "The One" pentru mine, incep sa inteleg foarte bine ce inseamna sa ai un asemenea sentiment, ca totul este la locul lui, ca toate se leaga, ca esti acolo unde trebuie sa fii. Chiar daca nu e vorba de dragoste, acest sentiment de "belonging" undeva, sentimentul ca asta e ceea ce iti doresti, ca asta vrei sa faci, ca asta vrei sa FII ramane la fel de puternic in orice domeniu al vietilor noastre, cu conditia sa fim suficient de norocosi sa ne gasim drumul potrivit.
Am stiut mereu ca voi fi un "citizen of the world", ca "the world won't ever be enough" :), ca imi doresc sa activez intr-un mediu intercultural. Cand am terminat insa facultatea, nu am avut acel sentiment de "right person, right place, right time", pe care ma asteptam sa il am. Am lucrat in domenii extrem de interesante, am calatorit in toata lumea...si cu toate astea am simtit mereu ca ceva in mine e diferit. Diferit de prietenii mei, de colegii din generatia mea...ca ei isi doreau cu totul altceva decat mine, ca vedeau lumea altfel. O vreme am crezut ca eu sunt cea care vede lumea "gresit", cu niste ochelari roz si cu un idealism mult prea pronuntat. Si poate asa si este. Am invatat insa, de-a lungul drumului, ca nu exista drum "gresit" si drum "corect", exista doar alegeri care ni se potrivesc sau nu.
Acum exact un an de zile, in octombrie 2006, faceam un stagiu la Ministerul Afacerilor Externe si aveam revelatia ca viitorul meu e foarte clar. Ca masteratul in afaceri pe care il incepeam era perfect, ca superjobul meu era exact ceea ce imi trebuia, ca visele mele de a face un masterat undeva in strainatate, de a-mi lua viata in maini si a cunoaste in profunzime alte lumi, alti oameni, alte moduri de gandire...ca toate astea sunt doar iluziile unei fete de 23 de ani cu imaginatie mult prea bogata. Niciodata nu am avut senzatia ca totul e atat de clar si de neclar in acelasi timp mai mult decat in acea luna octombrie. Aveam senzatia ca totul e limpede in fata mea, ca viata mea e oarecum "trasata", dar ma simteam atat de departe de ceea ce imi doream cu adevarat. Privind inapoi, imi dau seama ca m-am amagit multa vreme cu gandul ca asta era ceea ce imi doream. Ca de fapt imi era frica sa ma gandesc la ceea ce imi doresc cu adevarat. Imi era frica de faptul ca, daca mi-as fi dat seama ceea ce imi doresc cu adevarat, ar fi trebuit sa actionez ca sa obtin acel lucru. Ar fi trebuit sa ies din monotonie, sa alung sentimentul de complacere intr-o comoditate pe termen lung, sa obtin ceea ce imi doream. Si, inconstient, imi era frica de asta.
Nu mi-a fost usor sa ajung aici. Si nu, nu o spun ca sa ma laud, ci pentru ca, privind inapoi dupa aproape 3 luni, imi dau seama ca m-am imbarcat in aventura mea europeana cu o doza de entuziasm si una si mai mare de inconstienta. Ca un inotator care se arunca direct in valuri, fara sa calculeze adancimea apei. La momentul respectiv nu mi s-a parut nimic dificil, nu intelegeam de ce prietenii si parintii ma intrebau de cate 10 ori pe zi "Dar esti sigura? Stii ca vei fi singura acolo, printre americani?", ,,Stii ca nu vei avea cu cine sa schimbi o vorba in romaneste macar?", ,,Stii ca ei sunt atat de diferiti de noi?", "Stii ce volum de munca presupune asta?". Da...stiam si stiu. Insa nu mi-a pasat. Nu am putut intelege atunci de ce toata lumea ma batea pe umar si-mi spunea ca am un mare curaj. Nu mi se parea ca e un mare curaj, mi se parea doar ca fac ceea ce trebuia sa fac de multa vreme - imi urmez inima. Acum insa...privind inapoi, le dau un pic dreptate. Privind inapoi, imi dau seama ca am facut un salt fara plasa de siguranta, fara sa ma uit inapoi si fara sa realizez macar dificultatea. Si asta ma incanta si ma surprinde in mod placut. Faptul ca mi-am asumat acest salt si l-am facut sa para firesc, ca entuziasmul meu a facut drumul sa para lipsit de obstacole, desi nu a fost asa.
Inainte sa plec din Leiden, am avut o discutie cu profesorul meu coordonator, Dr.Suransky. Un om extraordinar, un expert in relatii internationale si un mare profesionist. Si dupa conversatia cu el, m-am simtit poate mai mandra decat m-am simtit vreodata pana acum. In ultima mea zi, mi-a trimis un email rugandu-ma sa vin sa-l vad la biroul lui de la facultate, ca sa vorbim despre lucrarea mea finala, "Eastern European Nationalism, between Western Betrayal and Western Bliss"(continutul e la fel de controversat ca si titlul, va asigur :)). M-a surprins faptul ca mi-a spus sa vin fara sa le spun colegilor mei de asta, pentru ca lor nu le-a citit inca lucrarile. Pe moment, m-am intrebat ce are oare de discutat atat de important incat trebuie sa fim doar intre 4 ochi. M-am dus cu o mare curiozitate, stiind ca ii placuse f.mult proiectul meu de Midterm ("A Marxist Perspective on the Latin-American Apartheid") si Reaction Paper-urile mele, ca imi spusese in mai multe randuri ca apreciaza stilul meu critic. De cate ori puneam cate o intrebare mai incomoda la un curs, comenta mereu razand "Great question. Coming from Diana, it had to be a critical one" :).
Am intrat in biroul lui si mi-a spus sa ma asez pe scaun, lucrarea mea fiind pe masa. Reconstitui cu atat de multe detalii pentru ca undeva in mintea mea simt nevoia sa reconstitui momentul pentru a retrai acel sentiment de "right place, right time" despre care vorbeam la inceput. M-a indemnat sa ma uit pe lucrare spunandu-mi ca vom vorbi dupa. Pe ultima pagina din cele 25 erau 3 paragrafe mari scrise cu rosu. M-am uitat la el putin intrebator, nu stiam daca are de gand sa-mi spuna "live" ce scrie acolo sau daca vrea sa citesc chiar eu. "Go ahead, read it...we'll have time to talk later". Am citit si mi s-a pus un nod in gat. "This is a superbly tuned expose, well conceived and developed, considerable research, well rounded and well presented. Excellent work. Your performance in and out of the class have been superior. You are an imaginative and critical thinker, with a fine analytic bent and it's been truly a pleasure to have you in my class. Carry on your way and there will be no stopping for you. Congratulations Diana!"
Sub paragrafe erau 7 casute, cu aprecierile lui finale (Oral Presentations during the class, Participation, Midterm, Reaction Papers etc...), toate cu A. Evident ca nu m-am putut abtine sa nu zambesc si da...mi s-a pus un nod in gat. A fost f.ciudat si emotionant deopotriva sa citesc acele randuri scrise de omul asta pe care l-am simtit mereu atat de zgarcit cu aprecierile si atat de critic. Mi se paruse mereu un profesor dur, nu neaparat prin felul de a fi, cat prin pretentiile lui care erau intotdeauna foarte mari. Colegii mei americani erau tot timpul nemultumiti de faptul ca ne dadea multa munca de facut si ne reamintea mereu cat de important este research-ul. Impunea cel putin 7 surse bibliografice la o lucrare de pana in 10 pagini, in timp ce la cele mai mari impunea minim 14, ceea ce pentru colegii mei americani era de neconceput. Obisnuia sa ne spuna ca "I want you to carry out a RESEARCH. Research does not mean Wikipedia, research means burying yourselves in books!".
Tocmai de asta, cuvintele lui au insemnat atat de mult pentru mine. Au insemnat o confirmare a muncii mele. Stiam ca munca mea e de calitate, stiam ca nu am muncit in van...feedbackul lui insa a fost ca medalia pe care o primeste atletul dupa un maraton. E confirmarea eforturilor lui. Iar asta inseamna enorm. Dupa ce am citit paragrafele, a spus ca vrea pur si simplu sa vorbim, daca am timp. Fireste ca aveam, eram f.curioasa sa stiu despre ce anume vrea sa vorbeasca - despre lucrare, despre criticile mele legate de America, despre munca mea per ansamblu. In schimb mi-a spus ceva f.surprinzator: "I know your work and it's outstanding. But now I want you to tell me something about you...about your background, about your life, I want to know you". I-am spus cate ceva despre mine, despre studiile mele anterioare, despre viata mea in Romania, despre planurile mele de viitor...iar ceea ce m-a impresionat a fost sinceritatea lui fata de mine.
Mi-a spus ca intr-adevar, cand m-a cunoscut, a avut indoieli. O fata din Europa de Est, inconjurata de americani. Isi imagina ca voi fi oarecum stinghera in a-mi exprima opiniile, ca ma voi simti putin "outsider" printre colegii mei. Ca engleza nefiind limba mea materna, nu voi cunoaste tipicurile academice americane in scris. Mi-a spus toate astea cu multa franchete si cu acelasi zambet de bunic blajin (asa mi-l imaginez de fiecare data pe Dr.Suransky, ca un bunic exigent dar si blajin la nevoie), dupa care mi-a spus ca am fost una dintre cele mai mari surprize din cariera lui si ca de asta a vrut sa vorbeasca cu mine. Sa stie de unde vin, care e trecutul meu academic, cum de am ambitia de a face ceea ce fac, ce imi doresc in viitor si...ceea ce m-a facut sa ma simt cel mai mandra in adancul sufletului, cum de scriu cu atata pasiune si cu atata suflet. "Americans don't know how to write, that's the truth", mi-a spus cu un zambet. Nu degeaba colegele mele fusesera trimise in turma la "Writing Center", sa invete cum se scrie o lucrare academica. Da, colegele mele americance. "You, on the other hand, have a superb way of writing"...as fi de-a dreptul ipocrita sa spun ca asta nu m-a magulit. Aproape ca imi venea sa sar in sus de bucurie, si asta pentru ca scrisul a fost mereu viata mea. Ceea ce imi place cel mai mult sa fac, modul meu cel mai placut de a ma exprima. Iar sa aud aprecierile lui...da...a fost un mare ego-booster in cel mai bun sens al cuvantului.
Mi-a spus ca se bucura ca sunt prietena cu fetele din grupa, ca suntem atat de apropiate si...aproape ca m-a bufnit rasul...m-a rugat sa le mai dau sfaturi din cand in cand cu privire la scris. "It has come to my knowledge that the girls give you their papers for you to proof-read them. Cynnetta told me that". Spre surprinderea mea, prietena mea Cynnetta ii spusese ca imi da lucrarile ei sa i le citesc inainte de a le preda si ca ii fac mereu corecturi si ii dau sfaturi cum sa reformuleze. M-a surprins faptul ca o americanca a recunoscut asta, in general sunt f.orgoliosi. "They need help with their work. Don't be fooled by the fact that English is their mother-tongue. Most Americans have problems with writing well and you can really help them better their work". Nu mi-a venit sa cred ca aud asta. Am dat din cap, semi-uluita in sinea mea si am promis ca voi incerca sa le ajut cat pot eu.
Am vorbit apoi de planurile mele de viitor si m-a rugat sa-l tin la curent cu ceea ce voi face, dupa ce i-am povestit ceea ce imi doresc sa realizez in viata. "Let me know when you get there. Cause you'll get there, mark my words". Mi-a strans mana, mi-a urat succes si am plecat din biroul lui cu un sentiment f.straniu de "You're in the twillight zone" :)), ceva de genul ,,Ok...asta s-a intamplat cu adevarat? Sigur? Nu cumva a fost un vis si acum tocmai o sa cad din pat?" :) Am pus mana pe telefon si i-am sunat pe ai mei. Simteam nevoia sa impartasesc cu cineva ceea ce se intamplase. Simteam nevoia sa spun cuiva faptul ca ma simt incredibil de fericita, ca simt ca sunt pe drumul cel bun, ca da...ca am ajuns pe drumul pe care trebuia.
Nu am spus nimic colegilor mei despre intalnire, ultimul meu gand era sa ma laud, pur si simplu aveam o mare bucurie in suflet, care nu avea nevoie de "batut toba", era pur si simplu o certitudine personala. Cu toate astea, surpriza mea nu s-a oprit aici. Cynnetta, prietena mea de care vorbeam mai sus, mi-a batut la usa in aceeasi seara, spunandu-mi ca vrea sa vorbeasca ceva important cu mine. Mi-a spus ca a fost sa-l vada pe Suransky pentru ca are probleme cu lucrarea ei finala (am uitat sa precizez ca americanii mei au o mare meteahna - sunt incapabili sa termine o lucrare la timp, cer mereu extensions la deadline-uri si zile in plus, pentru ca - sincer vorbind - nu stiu sa-si gestioneze timpul si sa faca research altfel decat pe wikipedia) si ca Suransky i-a spus ceva cu caracter confidential dar ea nu poate sa nu-mi spuna. M-am uitat la ea, cu o oarecare curiozitate. Nu-mi dadeam seama ce ii putea spune Suransky in mod confidential dar puteam intelege de ce nu putea sa NU imi spuna, Cynnetta e genul de persoana "Ce e-n gusa, si-n capusa...", care spune lucrurile pe fata. "He told me to continue being close to you in the future, cause you're a great person. I shouldn't tell you this, but he told me that he thinks you're the most intelligent in our cohort, because you always look beyond the surface, you go in depth with things. And I agree with him, I should try being more like that too". "Most intelligent in our cohort?", "I agree with him?"? Ok...suntem prietene, dar sa aud asta din gura Cynnettei a fost al doilea soc al meu pe ziua respectiva, pentru ca - asa cum spuneam - americanii sunt ffff orgoliosi.
Asta a fost ultima mea zi in Leiden. Memorabila...cred ca e un cuvant prea mic. A fost ziua in care am primit - desi aproape ca nu mai aveam nevoie - confirmarea ca sunt pe drumul cel bun. Ca, asa cum a spus profesorul meu, "I will make it!". Dar cel mai important lucru este ca ,,I will make it" in domeniul care imi place, in ceea ce ma face fericita. Puteam sa reusesc si in PR, si in afaceri...cu straduinta as fi reusit in orice m-as fi apucat, pt ca sunt o perfectionista si intotdeauna vreau sa am o munca de cea mai inalta calitate. Diferenta este insa, de suflet, de pasiune. E cam ca diferenta dintre o casatorie din dragoste si una de circumstanta. Poate ca amandoua vor merge pana la urma, dar cea din dragoste va avea intotdeauna ceva ce una din complezenta nu va avea - "the sparkles", "the passion". Astea sunt chestii pe care nu le poti falsifica sau mima. Exista sau nu exista. Si ii multumesc Lui Dumnezeu ca sunt atat de norocoasa incat in cazul meu...exista. Si ca mi-am gasit drumul.
In "Sex and the City", Carrie Bradshaw spune la un moment dat ceva legat de relatii. Am avut acel citat o buna bucata de vreme ca "Status" pe fostul meu blog. Si acum simt ca mi se potriveste, nu in domeniul relatiilor ci in legatura cu ceea ce simt acum in legatura cu cariera mea. "Some people settle down. Other settle. And there are some who won't settle for anything less...than butterflies".
Am stiut mereu ca voi fi un "citizen of the world", ca "the world won't ever be enough" :), ca imi doresc sa activez intr-un mediu intercultural. Cand am terminat insa facultatea, nu am avut acel sentiment de "right person, right place, right time", pe care ma asteptam sa il am. Am lucrat in domenii extrem de interesante, am calatorit in toata lumea...si cu toate astea am simtit mereu ca ceva in mine e diferit. Diferit de prietenii mei, de colegii din generatia mea...ca ei isi doreau cu totul altceva decat mine, ca vedeau lumea altfel. O vreme am crezut ca eu sunt cea care vede lumea "gresit", cu niste ochelari roz si cu un idealism mult prea pronuntat. Si poate asa si este. Am invatat insa, de-a lungul drumului, ca nu exista drum "gresit" si drum "corect", exista doar alegeri care ni se potrivesc sau nu.
Acum exact un an de zile, in octombrie 2006, faceam un stagiu la Ministerul Afacerilor Externe si aveam revelatia ca viitorul meu e foarte clar. Ca masteratul in afaceri pe care il incepeam era perfect, ca superjobul meu era exact ceea ce imi trebuia, ca visele mele de a face un masterat undeva in strainatate, de a-mi lua viata in maini si a cunoaste in profunzime alte lumi, alti oameni, alte moduri de gandire...ca toate astea sunt doar iluziile unei fete de 23 de ani cu imaginatie mult prea bogata. Niciodata nu am avut senzatia ca totul e atat de clar si de neclar in acelasi timp mai mult decat in acea luna octombrie. Aveam senzatia ca totul e limpede in fata mea, ca viata mea e oarecum "trasata", dar ma simteam atat de departe de ceea ce imi doream cu adevarat. Privind inapoi, imi dau seama ca m-am amagit multa vreme cu gandul ca asta era ceea ce imi doream. Ca de fapt imi era frica sa ma gandesc la ceea ce imi doresc cu adevarat. Imi era frica de faptul ca, daca mi-as fi dat seama ceea ce imi doresc cu adevarat, ar fi trebuit sa actionez ca sa obtin acel lucru. Ar fi trebuit sa ies din monotonie, sa alung sentimentul de complacere intr-o comoditate pe termen lung, sa obtin ceea ce imi doream. Si, inconstient, imi era frica de asta.
Nu mi-a fost usor sa ajung aici. Si nu, nu o spun ca sa ma laud, ci pentru ca, privind inapoi dupa aproape 3 luni, imi dau seama ca m-am imbarcat in aventura mea europeana cu o doza de entuziasm si una si mai mare de inconstienta. Ca un inotator care se arunca direct in valuri, fara sa calculeze adancimea apei. La momentul respectiv nu mi s-a parut nimic dificil, nu intelegeam de ce prietenii si parintii ma intrebau de cate 10 ori pe zi "Dar esti sigura? Stii ca vei fi singura acolo, printre americani?", ,,Stii ca nu vei avea cu cine sa schimbi o vorba in romaneste macar?", ,,Stii ca ei sunt atat de diferiti de noi?", "Stii ce volum de munca presupune asta?". Da...stiam si stiu. Insa nu mi-a pasat. Nu am putut intelege atunci de ce toata lumea ma batea pe umar si-mi spunea ca am un mare curaj. Nu mi se parea ca e un mare curaj, mi se parea doar ca fac ceea ce trebuia sa fac de multa vreme - imi urmez inima. Acum insa...privind inapoi, le dau un pic dreptate. Privind inapoi, imi dau seama ca am facut un salt fara plasa de siguranta, fara sa ma uit inapoi si fara sa realizez macar dificultatea. Si asta ma incanta si ma surprinde in mod placut. Faptul ca mi-am asumat acest salt si l-am facut sa para firesc, ca entuziasmul meu a facut drumul sa para lipsit de obstacole, desi nu a fost asa.
Inainte sa plec din Leiden, am avut o discutie cu profesorul meu coordonator, Dr.Suransky. Un om extraordinar, un expert in relatii internationale si un mare profesionist. Si dupa conversatia cu el, m-am simtit poate mai mandra decat m-am simtit vreodata pana acum. In ultima mea zi, mi-a trimis un email rugandu-ma sa vin sa-l vad la biroul lui de la facultate, ca sa vorbim despre lucrarea mea finala, "Eastern European Nationalism, between Western Betrayal and Western Bliss"(continutul e la fel de controversat ca si titlul, va asigur :)). M-a surprins faptul ca mi-a spus sa vin fara sa le spun colegilor mei de asta, pentru ca lor nu le-a citit inca lucrarile. Pe moment, m-am intrebat ce are oare de discutat atat de important incat trebuie sa fim doar intre 4 ochi. M-am dus cu o mare curiozitate, stiind ca ii placuse f.mult proiectul meu de Midterm ("A Marxist Perspective on the Latin-American Apartheid") si Reaction Paper-urile mele, ca imi spusese in mai multe randuri ca apreciaza stilul meu critic. De cate ori puneam cate o intrebare mai incomoda la un curs, comenta mereu razand "Great question. Coming from Diana, it had to be a critical one" :).
Am intrat in biroul lui si mi-a spus sa ma asez pe scaun, lucrarea mea fiind pe masa. Reconstitui cu atat de multe detalii pentru ca undeva in mintea mea simt nevoia sa reconstitui momentul pentru a retrai acel sentiment de "right place, right time" despre care vorbeam la inceput. M-a indemnat sa ma uit pe lucrare spunandu-mi ca vom vorbi dupa. Pe ultima pagina din cele 25 erau 3 paragrafe mari scrise cu rosu. M-am uitat la el putin intrebator, nu stiam daca are de gand sa-mi spuna "live" ce scrie acolo sau daca vrea sa citesc chiar eu. "Go ahead, read it...we'll have time to talk later". Am citit si mi s-a pus un nod in gat. "This is a superbly tuned expose, well conceived and developed, considerable research, well rounded and well presented. Excellent work. Your performance in and out of the class have been superior. You are an imaginative and critical thinker, with a fine analytic bent and it's been truly a pleasure to have you in my class. Carry on your way and there will be no stopping for you. Congratulations Diana!"
Sub paragrafe erau 7 casute, cu aprecierile lui finale (Oral Presentations during the class, Participation, Midterm, Reaction Papers etc...), toate cu A. Evident ca nu m-am putut abtine sa nu zambesc si da...mi s-a pus un nod in gat. A fost f.ciudat si emotionant deopotriva sa citesc acele randuri scrise de omul asta pe care l-am simtit mereu atat de zgarcit cu aprecierile si atat de critic. Mi se paruse mereu un profesor dur, nu neaparat prin felul de a fi, cat prin pretentiile lui care erau intotdeauna foarte mari. Colegii mei americani erau tot timpul nemultumiti de faptul ca ne dadea multa munca de facut si ne reamintea mereu cat de important este research-ul. Impunea cel putin 7 surse bibliografice la o lucrare de pana in 10 pagini, in timp ce la cele mai mari impunea minim 14, ceea ce pentru colegii mei americani era de neconceput. Obisnuia sa ne spuna ca "I want you to carry out a RESEARCH. Research does not mean Wikipedia, research means burying yourselves in books!".
Tocmai de asta, cuvintele lui au insemnat atat de mult pentru mine. Au insemnat o confirmare a muncii mele. Stiam ca munca mea e de calitate, stiam ca nu am muncit in van...feedbackul lui insa a fost ca medalia pe care o primeste atletul dupa un maraton. E confirmarea eforturilor lui. Iar asta inseamna enorm. Dupa ce am citit paragrafele, a spus ca vrea pur si simplu sa vorbim, daca am timp. Fireste ca aveam, eram f.curioasa sa stiu despre ce anume vrea sa vorbeasca - despre lucrare, despre criticile mele legate de America, despre munca mea per ansamblu. In schimb mi-a spus ceva f.surprinzator: "I know your work and it's outstanding. But now I want you to tell me something about you...about your background, about your life, I want to know you". I-am spus cate ceva despre mine, despre studiile mele anterioare, despre viata mea in Romania, despre planurile mele de viitor...iar ceea ce m-a impresionat a fost sinceritatea lui fata de mine.
Mi-a spus ca intr-adevar, cand m-a cunoscut, a avut indoieli. O fata din Europa de Est, inconjurata de americani. Isi imagina ca voi fi oarecum stinghera in a-mi exprima opiniile, ca ma voi simti putin "outsider" printre colegii mei. Ca engleza nefiind limba mea materna, nu voi cunoaste tipicurile academice americane in scris. Mi-a spus toate astea cu multa franchete si cu acelasi zambet de bunic blajin (asa mi-l imaginez de fiecare data pe Dr.Suransky, ca un bunic exigent dar si blajin la nevoie), dupa care mi-a spus ca am fost una dintre cele mai mari surprize din cariera lui si ca de asta a vrut sa vorbeasca cu mine. Sa stie de unde vin, care e trecutul meu academic, cum de am ambitia de a face ceea ce fac, ce imi doresc in viitor si...ceea ce m-a facut sa ma simt cel mai mandra in adancul sufletului, cum de scriu cu atata pasiune si cu atata suflet. "Americans don't know how to write, that's the truth", mi-a spus cu un zambet. Nu degeaba colegele mele fusesera trimise in turma la "Writing Center", sa invete cum se scrie o lucrare academica. Da, colegele mele americance. "You, on the other hand, have a superb way of writing"...as fi de-a dreptul ipocrita sa spun ca asta nu m-a magulit. Aproape ca imi venea sa sar in sus de bucurie, si asta pentru ca scrisul a fost mereu viata mea. Ceea ce imi place cel mai mult sa fac, modul meu cel mai placut de a ma exprima. Iar sa aud aprecierile lui...da...a fost un mare ego-booster in cel mai bun sens al cuvantului.
Mi-a spus ca se bucura ca sunt prietena cu fetele din grupa, ca suntem atat de apropiate si...aproape ca m-a bufnit rasul...m-a rugat sa le mai dau sfaturi din cand in cand cu privire la scris. "It has come to my knowledge that the girls give you their papers for you to proof-read them. Cynnetta told me that". Spre surprinderea mea, prietena mea Cynnetta ii spusese ca imi da lucrarile ei sa i le citesc inainte de a le preda si ca ii fac mereu corecturi si ii dau sfaturi cum sa reformuleze. M-a surprins faptul ca o americanca a recunoscut asta, in general sunt f.orgoliosi. "They need help with their work. Don't be fooled by the fact that English is their mother-tongue. Most Americans have problems with writing well and you can really help them better their work". Nu mi-a venit sa cred ca aud asta. Am dat din cap, semi-uluita in sinea mea si am promis ca voi incerca sa le ajut cat pot eu.
Am vorbit apoi de planurile mele de viitor si m-a rugat sa-l tin la curent cu ceea ce voi face, dupa ce i-am povestit ceea ce imi doresc sa realizez in viata. "Let me know when you get there. Cause you'll get there, mark my words". Mi-a strans mana, mi-a urat succes si am plecat din biroul lui cu un sentiment f.straniu de "You're in the twillight zone" :)), ceva de genul ,,Ok...asta s-a intamplat cu adevarat? Sigur? Nu cumva a fost un vis si acum tocmai o sa cad din pat?" :) Am pus mana pe telefon si i-am sunat pe ai mei. Simteam nevoia sa impartasesc cu cineva ceea ce se intamplase. Simteam nevoia sa spun cuiva faptul ca ma simt incredibil de fericita, ca simt ca sunt pe drumul cel bun, ca da...ca am ajuns pe drumul pe care trebuia.
Nu am spus nimic colegilor mei despre intalnire, ultimul meu gand era sa ma laud, pur si simplu aveam o mare bucurie in suflet, care nu avea nevoie de "batut toba", era pur si simplu o certitudine personala. Cu toate astea, surpriza mea nu s-a oprit aici. Cynnetta, prietena mea de care vorbeam mai sus, mi-a batut la usa in aceeasi seara, spunandu-mi ca vrea sa vorbeasca ceva important cu mine. Mi-a spus ca a fost sa-l vada pe Suransky pentru ca are probleme cu lucrarea ei finala (am uitat sa precizez ca americanii mei au o mare meteahna - sunt incapabili sa termine o lucrare la timp, cer mereu extensions la deadline-uri si zile in plus, pentru ca - sincer vorbind - nu stiu sa-si gestioneze timpul si sa faca research altfel decat pe wikipedia) si ca Suransky i-a spus ceva cu caracter confidential dar ea nu poate sa nu-mi spuna. M-am uitat la ea, cu o oarecare curiozitate. Nu-mi dadeam seama ce ii putea spune Suransky in mod confidential dar puteam intelege de ce nu putea sa NU imi spuna, Cynnetta e genul de persoana "Ce e-n gusa, si-n capusa...", care spune lucrurile pe fata. "He told me to continue being close to you in the future, cause you're a great person. I shouldn't tell you this, but he told me that he thinks you're the most intelligent in our cohort, because you always look beyond the surface, you go in depth with things. And I agree with him, I should try being more like that too". "Most intelligent in our cohort?", "I agree with him?"? Ok...suntem prietene, dar sa aud asta din gura Cynnettei a fost al doilea soc al meu pe ziua respectiva, pentru ca - asa cum spuneam - americanii sunt ffff orgoliosi.
Asta a fost ultima mea zi in Leiden. Memorabila...cred ca e un cuvant prea mic. A fost ziua in care am primit - desi aproape ca nu mai aveam nevoie - confirmarea ca sunt pe drumul cel bun. Ca, asa cum a spus profesorul meu, "I will make it!". Dar cel mai important lucru este ca ,,I will make it" in domeniul care imi place, in ceea ce ma face fericita. Puteam sa reusesc si in PR, si in afaceri...cu straduinta as fi reusit in orice m-as fi apucat, pt ca sunt o perfectionista si intotdeauna vreau sa am o munca de cea mai inalta calitate. Diferenta este insa, de suflet, de pasiune. E cam ca diferenta dintre o casatorie din dragoste si una de circumstanta. Poate ca amandoua vor merge pana la urma, dar cea din dragoste va avea intotdeauna ceva ce una din complezenta nu va avea - "the sparkles", "the passion". Astea sunt chestii pe care nu le poti falsifica sau mima. Exista sau nu exista. Si ii multumesc Lui Dumnezeu ca sunt atat de norocoasa incat in cazul meu...exista. Si ca mi-am gasit drumul.
In "Sex and the City", Carrie Bradshaw spune la un moment dat ceva legat de relatii. Am avut acel citat o buna bucata de vreme ca "Status" pe fostul meu blog. Si acum simt ca mi se potriveste, nu in domeniul relatiilor ci in legatura cu ceea ce simt acum in legatura cu cariera mea. "Some people settle down. Other settle. And there are some who won't settle for anything less...than butterflies".
marți, 23 octombrie 2007
History repeating
As the visit to the International Criminal Court was the final one for our professional seminar in the Netherlands, I inherently tried to compare it to the four previous visits, especially to the ones at the other two international tribunals. Looking back and analyzing my expectations at the first visit and comparing them to my present perspective on things, after having been acquainted to all these institutions, I would definitely say that I embarked on this experience with a fairly more naïve approach on international justice.
I somehow expected these institutions that I had heard and read so much about to be the true peace wardens that I had pictured them to be. I might be biased by my inborn intolerance to injustice and impunity, but since we are boasting with leaving in a 21st century society, completely modern and technologically endowed, I had supposed that people were bettering not only the material side but also their social awareness and the relations between them. That after all the wars and man-induced disasters that humanity had to face we had learned our lesson and our keenness of not repeating the same mistakes was stronger. Regrettably, history always seems to be repeating itself.
I can say that I enjoyed the visit to the ICC. It provided the final piece of the puzzle, the one that I needed in order to have a broader view on how international judicial mechanisms work. Of how law is enforced and how relations between states work. I can truly say that, as rewarding as the readings about the ICTY, the ICC or ICJ may be for a person’s basic knowledge; the actual presence at their premises is a totally different and enriching experience.
Even though the answers that we get to some of our questions bear traceable elements of PR, it is still a valuable insight that we couldn’t have obtained otherwise; it is the simple fact of sitting face to face with people who are closer to the mechanisms that make the world as we know it work. That is something that no book or guideline will ever be able to provide.
Going beyond the broadly known information about the ICC and its activity, one of the interesting things that I found about it was related to the new elements that it has brought to international law. Including gender crimes against women on the list of codified crimes which are subjected to investigation and prosecution is a huge step for law, as it comes to fill a void that existed for too much time. As no innovation or brand new idea can succeed without previous opposition, the concept of “gender crimes” encountered serious opposition from the Arab states which are parties to the Rome Treaty. The use of the term “gender” instead of “sex”, because of its more broad meaning which encompasses both biological differences and social ones, was met with disdain by the conservative and patriarchic Arab societies in which the role of women is highly different from Western societies.
I had wondered whether their objections to the use of the term had led to a change or at least the creation of a system of reservations or provisions that would handle the different debatable aspects of the Rome Treaty. However, our fourth speaker cleared my doubts, as it seems that the law was adopted in its original form, which sets a milestone for international criminal law. This is indeed impressive and hopeful for the future of international justice. Just as interesting from the point of view of improving international judicial mechanisms is the fact that victims are represented at international level and, to some extent, they can even lodge appeals. Although cost-engaging, this brings people closer to the law and gives them the chance to voice their opinions in the right way to have them heard.
An interesting and endlessly debatable aspect of the ICC is certainly the reluctance of the United States in signing the Rome Treaty and becoming a state-party. What had shocked me at first, while reading about this issue, was the assertiveness of the US officials in claiming that “having our American citizens, especially the members of the armed forces, indicted and tried by other than American judges would be unacceptable”. On one hand, this would mean undermining the credibility and the impartiality of the Court (even more, after finding out from our speaker that the US has actively contributed to refining some aspects of the Rome Treaty) and on another hand, it would mean setting different standards for countries, according to their levels of power. Roughly, this could be interpreted as selective justice. Big powers get the easy way out and have a chance at deciding their own fate, while smaller ones are compelled to fully comply with the letter of the law.
What astonishes me is how the world’s biggest democracy can serenely make claims regarding the honesty of its people and of the fact that American citizens are unable to commit any crimes, yet fail to accept the jurisdiction of an International Court to the creation of which it had even contributed. The most dangerous thing for international law is this setting of a double-standard in judging people, when justice is supposed to be equally applicable to everyone.
I had been disappointed with the Romanian judicial system, which still has a long way to go until becoming fully unbiased by personal interests and immune to financial incentives. At times, I was outraged with the impunity of people just on terms of their financial or social power, which might be among the reasons that boosted my hopeful feelings regarding these international courts. I was anticipating that international law still had an unprejudiced seam. It seems however that the international environment is merely a large-scale representation of the low-scale injustices that take place everyday in most countries.
From this viewpoint, my overall impression of the ICC is that there is still a high degree of uncertainty floating in the air, partially nourished by the world powers unable to harmonize their interests. “Crime of aggression” is still a vaguely defined concept, due to political aspects and 80% of the communications from people trying to raise awareness regarding committed crimes fall outside jurisdiction because they “lack the gravity threshold that would trigger the court’s jurisdiction”.
I cannot help not thinking if it wouldn’t be preferable to prevent the committing of crimes in their incipient state rather than to desperately try to stop them when they start plaguing the society. How can someone establish a “threshold” for the gravity of the crimes? Do lives of human beings, pain and suffering fall within a measurement scale? And, more importantly, can we really know what is the borderline between “not enough” and “too much” when it comes to people’s lives?
On the train back from The Hague, I tried to reach at least a preliminary conclusion to what I had experienced in these two months with the Professional Seminar visits, to draw a line and sum up my moral victories and defeats, my expectations and my outcomes. I thought to what Dr.Suransky had told us, about the way we could do something to improve the present state of things. The only thing that I can think of is strongly people-related; the only force that we have to change anything for the future resides in people’s consciousness of their mistakes and on the honest desire of not reiterating them. I do believe that we have reached a crossroads in our world history, a moment in which we have to look deep inside ourselves and figure out what is the right path to follow, since the borderline between the good and the bad seems to have become barely noticeable.
Those were my last thoughts, on my way back from The Hague. With my iPod turned on, I couldn’t help not thinking whether I am too idealistic in my wish of doing something to change and better the world. Whether the world really wants to be changed. The only echo that I found for my thoughts was in a song that I deem just as idealistic as my perspective on life, and whose lyrics I wrote below. As I listened to it and watched The Hague drift away, I tried to provide myself with a conclusion that would serve as a closure for the first stage of my experience. I don’t know if I found it; what I know for sure is that I am going to keep hoping and acting for this world’s change for the better, even if I will only be able to induce an infinitesimally small change. It would be still a place to start. And that is the best I can possibly do.
“Gazing through the window at the world outside
Wondering will mother earth survive
Hoping that mankind will stop abusing her, sometime…
After all, there’s only just a few of us
And here we are still fighting for our lives
Watching all of history repeat itself, time after time...”
International Court of Justice or "Until LAW do us part..."
Although brief, the visit to the International Court of Justice was an informative and thought-provoking experience that left a strong impression on all of us, due to an interesting combination of factors. Having the impressive and breathtaking architecture of the Peace Palace as a background and benefiting from the experience and skillfulness in explanations of Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Secretary of the Court, who not only provided a scrupulously structured presentation but answered all our questions with patience and benevolence, we found out more about ICJ in one-hour than we could have in weeks of reading. The insight information and detailed explanations she provided are unlikely to be found in books and certainly not in the straightforward and practical way in which they were delivered to us during our one-hour discussion in the Red Room.
I would have to admit that the expectations that I had set for the visit to the ICJ were overtopped by the actual presentation, as we had been previously warned to expect more of a PR-oriented speech rather than one tailored to our questions and doubts. However, Mrs.Blairon’s presentation was attention-grabbing and concise, not lacking certain elements of PR but overall very clearly-cut and realistic.
One of the most interesting sides of ICJ’s actual activity has to do with the current pending cases, that our speaker provided insight details and comments on. Firstly, even before starting to work on the actual cases, the challenging issue for the ICJ judges’ activity consists in finding the right way of harmonizing Common Law with Roman Civil Law, given the strong mix of legal people coming from both Law Systems who must work together in solving cases. Moreover, the ICJ system does not resemble any other international judicial mechanism, since all judges partake in the decision-making and each one has to produce a 60 to 90 pages anonymous assessment of the case. The judge that directly handles the case must read all the drafts his colleagues provided before the first meeting, where a majority usually emerges in terms of opinions on the case and where a Draft Committee is elected. This is a fascinatingly complex procedure as, unlike other ruling mechanisms that I came across so far, it is based on the equal participation of all its members, allowing each one to offer his input and thus increase the chance of an impartial and unbiased final ruling. Interestingly, the average age of the judges is around 65, with ICJ president Rosalyn Higgins being the first and only female appointed to the ICJ, later becoming its president.
The complexity of ICJ’s activity also resides in the nature of the written proceedings, which can take between 2 and 6 years to complete, with all the needed steps undertaken. Nevertheless, taking into account that the ruling is made – as our speaker put it - “for eternity”, without even the possibility of appeals, it is considered to be only fair to give the states enough time to carry out all their research, provide all the necessary documents and build a strong case for themselves.
At present, some of the most interesting cases which are pending at the ICJ and which caught my attention are Romania vs.Ukraine –“Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea”, the first ICJ case ever to come from Eastern Europe and the “Pulp Mills on River Uruguay” (Argentina vs. Uruguay), the latter being extremely intriguing given the background of the two disputing countries, Argentina and respectively Uruguay. Researching about this case, I couldn’t help not think about the Global Apartheid that we had debated both during the International Relations class and in our midterm, observing the way in which poverty can even lead to the distortion of relations between traditionally friendly and good-neighboring countries. Argentina brought Uruguay before the ICJ purportedly fearing the pollution that the setting of the pulp mills can cause to river Uruguay, which is a natural border between the two states.
On the other side, Uruguay claims that the pulp mills are completely environmentally-safe, as they represent one of the biggest foreign investments in Uruguay and are to be built by European companies, using non-polluting technologies. The people of Uruguay, however, see Argentina’s attempt of blocking this project as a sign of economic-jealousy, given Argentina’s bad current economic situation, considering that Argentina’s attempt of bringing the case before the ICJ is merely an intention of hindering the foreign investment coming to Uruguay. Indeed, for some of the Latin American countries, especially those confronted with great disparities, the illusion of the West and the hope in the investments coming from rich countries which can rebuild their fragile economies is hard to shatter.
Aside from ICJ’s complex activity, there are a few aspects that I found intriguing and not fully in line with the way in which I had pictured that an “International Court of Justice” would be. From this viewpoint, one of the things that I appreciated the most about our speaker was her willingness in offering answers even to the “inconvenient” and “not fully politically correct questions”, such as those related to the somewhat biased relation between ICJ and the permanent member-states of the United Nations’ Security Council.
First of all, an intriguing aspect of the ICJ’s activity relates to the jurisdiction of the court or, specifically, to the reluctance of UN members in granting the ICJ jurisdiction over disputes that may arise from their relations to other states. Although according to the Optional Clause System , states can submit declarations by which they give ICJ jurisdiction in settling disputes with other states that submitted the same declaration, at present only UK has such a declaration actually enforced. Moreover, the declaration submitted by a state can be, at any point, modified in order to exclude certain types of disputes or even totally withdrew, withdrawing ICJ’s jurisdiction over the state’s disputes just as well. From this viewpoint, I cannot help not wonder how do the principles of justice and solving differences on which ICJ was grounded blend with the reluctance of world powers such as the US, France, Germany or Japan to actually acknowledge the ICJ as the international organism for instituting world peace and solving states’ conflicts ?
The ICJ was created as the highest court in the United Nations System and it represents the main judicial mechanism which can solve disputes between states or provide legal advisory on legal issues. It was therefore a “creation of the states”, a regulatory legal organism whose legitimacy however, the same states who created it increasingly tend to question or to avoid, in most cases due to the collision between law and national or regional interests.
In my opinion, if the UN wants the ICJ to become a true guardian of peace and a fighter against impunity, it should have its own member-states setting the example and fully accepting ICJ’s jurisdiction over all their disputes, without making use of legal loopholes such as reservations or exceptions in order to prevent the ICJ from taking decisions which would not be fully advantageous to them.
I was honestly impressed by the frankness of Mrs. Blairon in answering the question related to the criticisms of ICJ in terms of the powers that Security Council members enjoy. It is known that the ICJ experienced major criticism by the fact that permanent members of the Security Council can use their veto-powers in order to prevent the enforcement of cases to which they had previously consented to be bound. Mrs. Blairon had a blunt reaction on the matter, simply reminding us that this is one of the principles stipulated in the UN Charter, which would have to be amended in order for any changes to happen in the current order of things.
Nevertheless, this issue was never actually brought into discussion, as the amendment of the UN charter is a delicate subject that nobody seems to have the availability of tackling. In many ways, it probably is much more comfortable for the world powers to have a pre-established network of loopholes at their disposal, which they know how to use in their best interest, rather than face the situation of actually having to comply with a clear and unambiguous UN charter, which would offer equal positions vis-à-vis the law for all countries.
As I stepped out of the impressive wrought-ironed portal of the Peace Palace, my eyes caught sight of a small monument that I hadn’t noticed on my way in, the “World Peace Flame”. After this experience at the International Court of Justice, I truly hope for this flame to never cease burning and, optimistically, I wish for it to shed more light over world justice as well.
joi, 11 octombrie 2007
luni, 8 octombrie 2007
Experienta mea germana
Dupa cum am promis :), am pus pe Photobucket pozele din Germania, de weekendul asta.
Koln-ul e un oras absolut superb, am facut si un tur de forta duminica, urcand cele 509 trepte pana in turnul Domului, de unde e o priveliste absolut incredibila (o mare parte din poze sunt facute de acolo). A meritat cu prisosinta.
Cat despre Bonn, e un oras micut, dar atat de fermecator...mi-a placut enorm de mult. Are o arhitectura baroca seducatoare, e foarte german (in cel mai bun sens :) ) si intr-adevar cred ca si-a meritat statutul de capitala in perioada Germaniei de Vest. Are suficienta clasa pentru asta :)
Koln-ul e un oras absolut superb, am facut si un tur de forta duminica, urcand cele 509 trepte pana in turnul Domului, de unde e o priveliste absolut incredibila (o mare parte din poze sunt facute de acolo). A meritat cu prisosinta.
Cat despre Bonn, e un oras micut, dar atat de fermecator...mi-a placut enorm de mult. Are o arhitectura baroca seducatoare, e foarte german (in cel mai bun sens :) ) si intr-adevar cred ca si-a meritat statutul de capitala in perioada Germaniei de Vest. Are suficienta clasa pentru asta :)
joi, 4 octombrie 2007
Two wonderfully busy weeks
Nu am mai scris de (prea) multa vreme pe blog si abia azi mi-am dat seama de asta. Sunt momente in viata cand se intampla atatea lucruri si totul e atat de intens incat nici nu simti cum trece timpul. Mai am 3 saptamani aici in Leiden, dupa care urmeaza noua mea experienta, la Londra. Nici nu imi vine sa cred ca timpul a trecut atat de incredibil de repede, probabil nu l-am simtit in trecerea lui fiindca am avut atat de multe lucruri de facut, atatea experiente de trait, atatia noi oameni de cunoscut, incat nu am avut ragazul de simti cum trece timpul.
Cu toate astea, nu am uitat pe nimeni din cei de acasa. Chiar daca nu am apucat pana acum (dar promit sa ma revansez) sa scriu emailuri individuale fetelor mele dragi (Cornelia, Dana, Alina, Cristina, Lavinia). Imi este tare dor de voi si uneori ma gandesc ce frumos ar fi sa putem impartasi aceste momente impreuna. Stiu insa ca vom avea ocazia sa o facem la un moment dat.
Am avut doua saptamani pline de cand am scris ultima oara pe blog. Doua saptamani in care am invatat si continui sa invat tot mai multe despre mine. Sunt foarte mandra de faptul ca am luat A la primele mele proiecte, despre Tribunalul International pentru Crimele de Razboi din Fosta Iugoslavie (ICTY) si respectiv la Midterm, "A Marxist Perspective on the Latin-American Apartheid". In legatura cu primul, cel despre Yugoslavia, a fost un proiect in care am pus foarte mult suflet si ma bucur ca a avut ecou in sufletele profesorilor mei. Profesorul de IR a tinut sa-mi dea inapoi lucrarea personal si mi-a spus, aproape conspirativ "Very good paper. VERY good!". De ce conspirativ? Pentru ca in lucrarea mea am atacat o multime de elemente oarecum ,,incomode", legate de actiunile mai mult sau mai putin ortodoxe ale Nato in Serbia si Bosnia-Herzegovina. Iar profesorul meu, care e un tip de milioane (un mosulica olandez, crescut in Africa de Sud, care a predat in toata lumea), apreciaza intotdeauna provocarile. Inainte de orice vizita la un organism international gen Curtea Internationala de Justitie, NATO etc, trebuie sa ii trimitem lui intrebarile noastre pentru a primi feedback si sugestii. Ieri i-am trimis intrebarile mele pt ICJ (International Court of Justice), unde vom merge astazi, si am primit un reply care m-a facut sa zambes: "Very good questions....the nuclear one is challenging and typically critical coming from you". Typically critical coming from me? Yuhu...asta inseamna ca am deja un ,,trademark" - fata cu intrebarile incomode. Si asta ma bucura. Pentru ca nu am batut 50 000 de kilometri ca sa fiu fata care da din cap si spune ,,Ihi...asa e". Am batut toti acesti kilometri ca sa "make a statement, take a stand", pentru ca acum e momentul sa o fac. Iar aprecierea profesorilor mei nu poate decat sa ma bucure, desi...daca sunt sincera cu mine, cred ca dezaprobarea lor nu ar fi putut sa-mi schimbe orientarea critica oricum...
Despre al doilea proiect la care am primit nota pana acum, cel de Midterm, despre apartheidul latino-american, practic a fost o abordare a problemelor globale legate de saracie si disparitate sociala din perspectiva neoliberala, care legitimeaza practicile capitaliste si respectiv cea marxista, vazuta in America Latina ca o alternativa (momentan America de Sud se ,,muta" catre stanga incet-incet). A fost cel mai complex proiect de pana acum, alaturi de cel despre Israel si Palestina care nu a venit inca inapoi :) si pot spune ca am pus f.mult suflet si in el. Ceea ce imi place la scoala americana este faptul ca ti se cere parerea. Toate proiectele de pana acum au fost proiecte in care se presupune ca trebuie sa-ti aduci aportul. E perfect sa cauti 20 de surse bibliografice (de altfel ni se cer minimum 10 pt fiecare proiect), atat timp cat nu se pierde din vedere si perspectiva TA asupra lucrurilor. Iar asta e un lucru de care nu prea am avut parte in cei aproape 20 de ani de scoala in Romania. Cred ca motivul pentru care sunt cel mai mandra de faptul ca am luat numai A este pentru ca au fost poate cele mai sincere proiecte pe care le-am facut vreodata. Au fost proiecte pe care sunt mandra sa spun ca mi-am pus semnatura, pentru ca ma reprezinta. As putea sa le dau oricui sa le citeasca si sa spun fara vreo umbra de indoiala "Eu CRED in ceea ce scrie acolo". Si da...e reconfortant sa poti face asta dupa ce in anii de facultate proiectele trebuiau sa fie in marea lor majoritate prafuit de academice. Nu ma intelegeti gresit, sunt f.mandra si de acele proiecte, pe care le-am scris cu toata seriozitatea si cu multa sarguinta, insa regretul meu este de a nu fi putut implica in ele mai mult din modul meu de a vedea lucrurile sau ca nu am putut-o face la modul oficial (de multe ori foloseam artificiul de a strecura o opinie personala sub forma unui citat indirect sau facand o referire voalata la un autor). Da...mediul american e mult mai flexibil si uneori e criticat pentru asta, insa va spun cu toata sinceritatea, dupa ce am trecut prin ambele sisteme de invatamant, cel autohton, profund academic si cel american, academic dar mult mai ,,open-minded", il prefer pe acesta din urma.
Ce am mai facut in astea doua saptamani?
- Am mai predat 3 proiecte, ale caror note le voi primi probabil saptamana viitoare.
- Mi-am stabilit tema pentru proiectul final, pe care il voi preda in 2 saptamani. "The Cultural and Social Identity of Eastern Europe between the Soviet Tenure and Globalization". Profesorul meu de IR, care iubeste provocarile dupa cum spuneam si mai sus :), a fost incantat de tema.
- Am fost la Utrecht, un oras absolut superb (promit ca pun linkurile la Photobucket, cu pozele de acolo)
- Am fost la Haga, unde - ironic - fusesem deja de 2 ori pentru stagiile la ICTY si ICC, dar nu apucasem sa vizitez. Mi-am luat o zi de "loisir" si am vizitat pe indelete Haga. E absolut superba. Am fost si la Maurithuis, muzeul unde se afla picturile lui Vermeer si Rembrandt. Am avut un mare soc, pentru ca ma asteptam la o intrare somptuoasa, unde sa fiu verificata ca la aeroport si la un pret de intrare piperat. Cand colo...intrarea e gratuita si erau aproximativ 4 persoane inauntru. Asta intr-o marti dimineata. O cladire veche, frumoasa, cu doar 2 etaje, dar unde se afla concentrate CAPODOPERE. Asta e tot ce pot sa spun. Olandezii au vrut sa fie asa, considera ca faci o vizita la Maurthuis si vezi tot ce e mai bun, intr-o ora sau mai putin de atat, in loc sa pierzi o zi invartitndu-te printre multe picturi care nu te intereseaza neaparat, incercand sa le gasesti pe cele celebre.
La Maurithuis am stat 5 minute in fata "Fetei cu cercel de perla", una din picturile pe care le ador...E incredibila senzatia pe care o ai aflandu-te efectiv in fata acelei panze. Dincolo de maestria lui Vermeer, de profunzimea privirii fetei, gandurile mele au alunecat fara voie la cartea lui Tracy Chevalier, pe care am indragit-o atat de mult. Chiar daca este doar o fictiune, modul in care a fost scrisa de Chevalier, cu atat de mult suflet si simtire, o face sa ramana pentru totdeauna parte din povestea acestui tablou. Tot de Vermeer, "View of Delft", o pictura in care aproape simti ca poti sa iti afunzi mana si sa atingi acoperisurile caselor...m-a dus cu gandul tot la cartea lui Chevalier si la modul in care prezinta Delftul. Apropo...saptamana viitoare ma duc la Delft cu toti colegii mei (i-am corupt sa mai iasa din barlog, pt ca nu prea sunt interesati de calatorii...un lucru pe care nu-l pot intelege...). Abia astept sa fiu ,,acasa la Vermeer".
- Pe 3-4 octombrie a fost ziua orasului Leiden, o desfasurare de forte absolut impresionanta (se sarbatoreste victoria asupra spaniolilor, in secolul 16. Practic, spaniolii au invadat orasul iar localnicii s-au refugiat pe un deal si au dat drumul la diguri, innecandu-i pe dusmani. In semn de recunostiinta, Wilhelm de Orania i-a pus sa aleaga ce isi doresc - facilitati in plata taxelor sau o universitate. Olandezii au ales universitatea si astfel a aparut una dintre cele mai vechi universitati din Europa, "Leiden Universiteit"). In fiecare an se sarbatoreste acest lucru...si e absolut incredibil ce pot face oamenii astia. In jumatate de zi, au asamblat Montagne-Rousse, Boostere si tot felul de minuni pe care le vezi in parcurile de distractii, plus - fiecare magazin si-a scos un stand in strada, vanzand diverse lucruri la preturi promotionale, iar restaurantele s-au intrecut in oferte de dulciuri si de bunatati. A fost o parada a sportivilor (echipe de fotbal, de gimnastica, pana si de ping-pong!) din scoli, fanfare...absolut superb. Ca sa nu mai vorbesc de concertele live in aer liber si de oamenii care dansau pe strazi pe melodii oldies sau dimpotriva, pe rock sau pe hiturile momentului. Eu, impreuna cu colega mea Alayna si cu Andy si avand ca "back dancers" restul trupei, am dansat pe "Breathless"-The Coors, "Walk of Life"-Dire Straits si pe arhicunoscutul "You can do it if you really want" :d, la un concert de oldies al unor olandezi, pe strazile din Leiden. A fost super! Foarte civilizat si, chiar daca au fost destui care s-au imbatat sau au devenit scandalagii, au fost 2 zile de PETRECERE in adevaratul sens al cuvantului.Iar a doua zi, totul era curatat de parca n-ar fi fost. Incredibil!
- Am avut un field-trip la o ferma de branza de langa Leiden, numita Clara Maria. Povestea e f.interesanta: o fosta studenta de-a profesorului nostru de IR, americanca, s-a dus acum 14 ani la ferma asta in vacanta(are si hotel). S-a indragostit de fiul proprietarei, a renuntat la facultate si s-a facut fermiera. Nu, nu e telenovela! :) Am fost sa vizitam ferma...a fost o distractie pe cinste, pentru ca pe langa masa copioasa de branza si explicatiile legate de producerea branzei si de fabricarea sabotilor olandezi, am jucat ceea ce se cheama ,,Burrengolf", un fel de golf care se joaca pe pajiste(unde pasc vacile, mai precis :) ), avand in loc de crosa o bata de lemn cu un sabot in varf. Ideea e sa lovesti cu sabotul respectiv o minge si sa o trimiti in diverse gauri marcate pe pajiste. Cert e ca alergi in cizme de cauciuc prin noroi, cam vreo 5 km de pajiste...pana cand nu mai stii de tine. Asta printre vaci! Dar e ATAT DE AMUZANT!!!!! A se vedea poza cu mine "in action":
- Am intrat intr-un proiect derulat de mama unei colege de masterat, pentru copiii cu nevoi speciale. Mama Alaynei preda copiilor cu nevoi speciale, in St.Louis si s-a gandit ca pentru ei ar fi ceva extraordinar sa poata comunica cu niste oameni aflati atat de departe, precum noi. Pentru ei ar insemna sa fie parte la o aventura in care altfel nu ar avea cum sa participe. Majoritatea sufera de autism, de paralizie sau de alte afectiuni cerebrale care fac imposibila o viata normala. Dintre masteranzi, cei care au dorit sa devina voluntari (printre care si eu) vor comunica timp de un an, zilnic sau cat de des posibil, cu unul dintre acesti copii. In paralel, pe un site special, putem pune fiecare poze din calatorii (impreuna cu scurte prezentari, ca pentru intelesul lor, pentru ca adora calatoriile) si in felul asta ei pot ajunge in locuri in care nu au visat vreodata. M-a impresionat f.mult proiectul asta si m-am implicat deja, am de gand sa fac cat pot eu de multe pentru ei. Eu voi avea in grija o fetita de 13 ani pe nume Kristen, suferinda de o afectiune cerebrala care a tintuit-o intr-un scaun cu rotile. Nu poate sa-si foloseasca decat o mana, trebuie sa fie hranita tot timpul de cineva si nu poate sa aiba grija singura de ea. Sper ca macar putin si de la departare voi reusi sa aduc putina veselie in sufletelul ei. Uneori ceea ce pentru noi inseamna foarte putin, pentru altii poate insemna totul...
Acum sunt in Koln, in Germania, am venit intr-o excursie de weekend. E un oras absolut extraordinar, nici nu ma asteptam sa-mi placa ATAT DE MULT! Domul e impresionant si orasul in sine e de o cochetarie maxima. Foarte-foarte frumos. Aici e si o petrecere de Oktoberfest in paralel, in centrul orasului, am trecut asta-seara pe langa cortul unde are loc petrcerea(un cort imens, de unde razbate miros de bere lol). Hotelul meu e chiar langa Dom si il vad pe geam, luminat frumos in noapte. Superb!
Maine ma duc la Bonn (e doar o calatorie de 20 de minute cu trenul) iar duminica ma intorc acasa in Leiden. Luni ma asteapta ,,Moot court", o simulare de proces la ora de INTERNATIONAL LAW. Avem un caz fictiv de crimes against humanity iar eu sunt apararea. Mi-am facut deja pledoaria, trebuie doar sa ma mai uit peste ea putin duminica, impreuna cu "my fellow barrister", Margo. Iar marti am o prezentare de articol la ora de IR ("The Collapse of Globalism and the Reinvention of the World"), unde va trebui sa le prezint celorlalti (asta e metoda profului, practic noi "ne predam" unii altora in cadrul cursului) perspectiva lui John Ralston Saul asupra globalizarii in raport cu intoarcerea la statul national. Abia astept!
Va pup pe toti si va rog sa nu va suparati pe mine ca nu scriu emailuri individuale, insa am atatea de zis si atatea persoane dragi carora sa le povestesc incat ar trebui sa scriu non-stop. Asa incerc sa va tin la curent cu tot ceea ce fac aici si sa va impartasesc - fie si virtual - o parte din experientele mele.
Diana
Cu toate astea, nu am uitat pe nimeni din cei de acasa. Chiar daca nu am apucat pana acum (dar promit sa ma revansez) sa scriu emailuri individuale fetelor mele dragi (Cornelia, Dana, Alina, Cristina, Lavinia). Imi este tare dor de voi si uneori ma gandesc ce frumos ar fi sa putem impartasi aceste momente impreuna. Stiu insa ca vom avea ocazia sa o facem la un moment dat.
Am avut doua saptamani pline de cand am scris ultima oara pe blog. Doua saptamani in care am invatat si continui sa invat tot mai multe despre mine. Sunt foarte mandra de faptul ca am luat A la primele mele proiecte, despre Tribunalul International pentru Crimele de Razboi din Fosta Iugoslavie (ICTY) si respectiv la Midterm, "A Marxist Perspective on the Latin-American Apartheid". In legatura cu primul, cel despre Yugoslavia, a fost un proiect in care am pus foarte mult suflet si ma bucur ca a avut ecou in sufletele profesorilor mei. Profesorul de IR a tinut sa-mi dea inapoi lucrarea personal si mi-a spus, aproape conspirativ "Very good paper. VERY good!". De ce conspirativ? Pentru ca in lucrarea mea am atacat o multime de elemente oarecum ,,incomode", legate de actiunile mai mult sau mai putin ortodoxe ale Nato in Serbia si Bosnia-Herzegovina. Iar profesorul meu, care e un tip de milioane (un mosulica olandez, crescut in Africa de Sud, care a predat in toata lumea), apreciaza intotdeauna provocarile. Inainte de orice vizita la un organism international gen Curtea Internationala de Justitie, NATO etc, trebuie sa ii trimitem lui intrebarile noastre pentru a primi feedback si sugestii. Ieri i-am trimis intrebarile mele pt ICJ (International Court of Justice), unde vom merge astazi, si am primit un reply care m-a facut sa zambes: "Very good questions....the nuclear one is challenging and typically critical coming from you". Typically critical coming from me? Yuhu...asta inseamna ca am deja un ,,trademark" - fata cu intrebarile incomode. Si asta ma bucura. Pentru ca nu am batut 50 000 de kilometri ca sa fiu fata care da din cap si spune ,,Ihi...asa e". Am batut toti acesti kilometri ca sa "make a statement, take a stand", pentru ca acum e momentul sa o fac. Iar aprecierea profesorilor mei nu poate decat sa ma bucure, desi...daca sunt sincera cu mine, cred ca dezaprobarea lor nu ar fi putut sa-mi schimbe orientarea critica oricum...
Despre al doilea proiect la care am primit nota pana acum, cel de Midterm, despre apartheidul latino-american, practic a fost o abordare a problemelor globale legate de saracie si disparitate sociala din perspectiva neoliberala, care legitimeaza practicile capitaliste si respectiv cea marxista, vazuta in America Latina ca o alternativa (momentan America de Sud se ,,muta" catre stanga incet-incet). A fost cel mai complex proiect de pana acum, alaturi de cel despre Israel si Palestina care nu a venit inca inapoi :) si pot spune ca am pus f.mult suflet si in el. Ceea ce imi place la scoala americana este faptul ca ti se cere parerea. Toate proiectele de pana acum au fost proiecte in care se presupune ca trebuie sa-ti aduci aportul. E perfect sa cauti 20 de surse bibliografice (de altfel ni se cer minimum 10 pt fiecare proiect), atat timp cat nu se pierde din vedere si perspectiva TA asupra lucrurilor. Iar asta e un lucru de care nu prea am avut parte in cei aproape 20 de ani de scoala in Romania. Cred ca motivul pentru care sunt cel mai mandra de faptul ca am luat numai A este pentru ca au fost poate cele mai sincere proiecte pe care le-am facut vreodata. Au fost proiecte pe care sunt mandra sa spun ca mi-am pus semnatura, pentru ca ma reprezinta. As putea sa le dau oricui sa le citeasca si sa spun fara vreo umbra de indoiala "Eu CRED in ceea ce scrie acolo". Si da...e reconfortant sa poti face asta dupa ce in anii de facultate proiectele trebuiau sa fie in marea lor majoritate prafuit de academice. Nu ma intelegeti gresit, sunt f.mandra si de acele proiecte, pe care le-am scris cu toata seriozitatea si cu multa sarguinta, insa regretul meu este de a nu fi putut implica in ele mai mult din modul meu de a vedea lucrurile sau ca nu am putut-o face la modul oficial (de multe ori foloseam artificiul de a strecura o opinie personala sub forma unui citat indirect sau facand o referire voalata la un autor). Da...mediul american e mult mai flexibil si uneori e criticat pentru asta, insa va spun cu toata sinceritatea, dupa ce am trecut prin ambele sisteme de invatamant, cel autohton, profund academic si cel american, academic dar mult mai ,,open-minded", il prefer pe acesta din urma.
Ce am mai facut in astea doua saptamani?
- Am mai predat 3 proiecte, ale caror note le voi primi probabil saptamana viitoare.
- Mi-am stabilit tema pentru proiectul final, pe care il voi preda in 2 saptamani. "The Cultural and Social Identity of Eastern Europe between the Soviet Tenure and Globalization". Profesorul meu de IR, care iubeste provocarile dupa cum spuneam si mai sus :), a fost incantat de tema.
- Am fost la Utrecht, un oras absolut superb (promit ca pun linkurile la Photobucket, cu pozele de acolo)
- Am fost la Haga, unde - ironic - fusesem deja de 2 ori pentru stagiile la ICTY si ICC, dar nu apucasem sa vizitez. Mi-am luat o zi de "loisir" si am vizitat pe indelete Haga. E absolut superba. Am fost si la Maurithuis, muzeul unde se afla picturile lui Vermeer si Rembrandt. Am avut un mare soc, pentru ca ma asteptam la o intrare somptuoasa, unde sa fiu verificata ca la aeroport si la un pret de intrare piperat. Cand colo...intrarea e gratuita si erau aproximativ 4 persoane inauntru. Asta intr-o marti dimineata. O cladire veche, frumoasa, cu doar 2 etaje, dar unde se afla concentrate CAPODOPERE. Asta e tot ce pot sa spun. Olandezii au vrut sa fie asa, considera ca faci o vizita la Maurthuis si vezi tot ce e mai bun, intr-o ora sau mai putin de atat, in loc sa pierzi o zi invartitndu-te printre multe picturi care nu te intereseaza neaparat, incercand sa le gasesti pe cele celebre.
La Maurithuis am stat 5 minute in fata "Fetei cu cercel de perla", una din picturile pe care le ador...E incredibila senzatia pe care o ai aflandu-te efectiv in fata acelei panze. Dincolo de maestria lui Vermeer, de profunzimea privirii fetei, gandurile mele au alunecat fara voie la cartea lui Tracy Chevalier, pe care am indragit-o atat de mult. Chiar daca este doar o fictiune, modul in care a fost scrisa de Chevalier, cu atat de mult suflet si simtire, o face sa ramana pentru totdeauna parte din povestea acestui tablou. Tot de Vermeer, "View of Delft", o pictura in care aproape simti ca poti sa iti afunzi mana si sa atingi acoperisurile caselor...m-a dus cu gandul tot la cartea lui Chevalier si la modul in care prezinta Delftul. Apropo...saptamana viitoare ma duc la Delft cu toti colegii mei (i-am corupt sa mai iasa din barlog, pt ca nu prea sunt interesati de calatorii...un lucru pe care nu-l pot intelege...). Abia astept sa fiu ,,acasa la Vermeer".
- Pe 3-4 octombrie a fost ziua orasului Leiden, o desfasurare de forte absolut impresionanta (se sarbatoreste victoria asupra spaniolilor, in secolul 16. Practic, spaniolii au invadat orasul iar localnicii s-au refugiat pe un deal si au dat drumul la diguri, innecandu-i pe dusmani. In semn de recunostiinta, Wilhelm de Orania i-a pus sa aleaga ce isi doresc - facilitati in plata taxelor sau o universitate. Olandezii au ales universitatea si astfel a aparut una dintre cele mai vechi universitati din Europa, "Leiden Universiteit"). In fiecare an se sarbatoreste acest lucru...si e absolut incredibil ce pot face oamenii astia. In jumatate de zi, au asamblat Montagne-Rousse, Boostere si tot felul de minuni pe care le vezi in parcurile de distractii, plus - fiecare magazin si-a scos un stand in strada, vanzand diverse lucruri la preturi promotionale, iar restaurantele s-au intrecut in oferte de dulciuri si de bunatati. A fost o parada a sportivilor (echipe de fotbal, de gimnastica, pana si de ping-pong!) din scoli, fanfare...absolut superb. Ca sa nu mai vorbesc de concertele live in aer liber si de oamenii care dansau pe strazi pe melodii oldies sau dimpotriva, pe rock sau pe hiturile momentului. Eu, impreuna cu colega mea Alayna si cu Andy si avand ca "back dancers" restul trupei, am dansat pe "Breathless"-The Coors, "Walk of Life"-Dire Straits si pe arhicunoscutul "You can do it if you really want" :d, la un concert de oldies al unor olandezi, pe strazile din Leiden. A fost super! Foarte civilizat si, chiar daca au fost destui care s-au imbatat sau au devenit scandalagii, au fost 2 zile de PETRECERE in adevaratul sens al cuvantului.Iar a doua zi, totul era curatat de parca n-ar fi fost. Incredibil!
- Am avut un field-trip la o ferma de branza de langa Leiden, numita Clara Maria. Povestea e f.interesanta: o fosta studenta de-a profesorului nostru de IR, americanca, s-a dus acum 14 ani la ferma asta in vacanta(are si hotel). S-a indragostit de fiul proprietarei, a renuntat la facultate si s-a facut fermiera. Nu, nu e telenovela! :) Am fost sa vizitam ferma...a fost o distractie pe cinste, pentru ca pe langa masa copioasa de branza si explicatiile legate de producerea branzei si de fabricarea sabotilor olandezi, am jucat ceea ce se cheama ,,Burrengolf", un fel de golf care se joaca pe pajiste(unde pasc vacile, mai precis :) ), avand in loc de crosa o bata de lemn cu un sabot in varf. Ideea e sa lovesti cu sabotul respectiv o minge si sa o trimiti in diverse gauri marcate pe pajiste. Cert e ca alergi in cizme de cauciuc prin noroi, cam vreo 5 km de pajiste...pana cand nu mai stii de tine. Asta printre vaci! Dar e ATAT DE AMUZANT!!!!! A se vedea poza cu mine "in action":
- Am intrat intr-un proiect derulat de mama unei colege de masterat, pentru copiii cu nevoi speciale. Mama Alaynei preda copiilor cu nevoi speciale, in St.Louis si s-a gandit ca pentru ei ar fi ceva extraordinar sa poata comunica cu niste oameni aflati atat de departe, precum noi. Pentru ei ar insemna sa fie parte la o aventura in care altfel nu ar avea cum sa participe. Majoritatea sufera de autism, de paralizie sau de alte afectiuni cerebrale care fac imposibila o viata normala. Dintre masteranzi, cei care au dorit sa devina voluntari (printre care si eu) vor comunica timp de un an, zilnic sau cat de des posibil, cu unul dintre acesti copii. In paralel, pe un site special, putem pune fiecare poze din calatorii (impreuna cu scurte prezentari, ca pentru intelesul lor, pentru ca adora calatoriile) si in felul asta ei pot ajunge in locuri in care nu au visat vreodata. M-a impresionat f.mult proiectul asta si m-am implicat deja, am de gand sa fac cat pot eu de multe pentru ei. Eu voi avea in grija o fetita de 13 ani pe nume Kristen, suferinda de o afectiune cerebrala care a tintuit-o intr-un scaun cu rotile. Nu poate sa-si foloseasca decat o mana, trebuie sa fie hranita tot timpul de cineva si nu poate sa aiba grija singura de ea. Sper ca macar putin si de la departare voi reusi sa aduc putina veselie in sufletelul ei. Uneori ceea ce pentru noi inseamna foarte putin, pentru altii poate insemna totul...
Acum sunt in Koln, in Germania, am venit intr-o excursie de weekend. E un oras absolut extraordinar, nici nu ma asteptam sa-mi placa ATAT DE MULT! Domul e impresionant si orasul in sine e de o cochetarie maxima. Foarte-foarte frumos. Aici e si o petrecere de Oktoberfest in paralel, in centrul orasului, am trecut asta-seara pe langa cortul unde are loc petrcerea(un cort imens, de unde razbate miros de bere lol). Hotelul meu e chiar langa Dom si il vad pe geam, luminat frumos in noapte. Superb!
Maine ma duc la Bonn (e doar o calatorie de 20 de minute cu trenul) iar duminica ma intorc acasa in Leiden. Luni ma asteapta ,,Moot court", o simulare de proces la ora de INTERNATIONAL LAW. Avem un caz fictiv de crimes against humanity iar eu sunt apararea. Mi-am facut deja pledoaria, trebuie doar sa ma mai uit peste ea putin duminica, impreuna cu "my fellow barrister", Margo. Iar marti am o prezentare de articol la ora de IR ("The Collapse of Globalism and the Reinvention of the World"), unde va trebui sa le prezint celorlalti (asta e metoda profului, practic noi "ne predam" unii altora in cadrul cursului) perspectiva lui John Ralston Saul asupra globalizarii in raport cu intoarcerea la statul national. Abia astept!
Va pup pe toti si va rog sa nu va suparati pe mine ca nu scriu emailuri individuale, insa am atatea de zis si atatea persoane dragi carora sa le povestesc incat ar trebui sa scriu non-stop. Asa incerc sa va tin la curent cu tot ceea ce fac aici si sa va impartasesc - fie si virtual - o parte din experientele mele.
Diana
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