Politics

A view on the situation between the Iran and the United States of America by a well known American public comentator Noam Chomsky



There are more parts to this interview, but I just wanted to emphasize this one, because I think he says some most important things that not only apply to this current situation, but could be a model to healthier international relations. People think pretty similarly in such very different countries such as the US and Iran. We should think more about the people when we think of other states and take public opinion into consideration before we judge the whole country. How many have heard of Iranian reformists and fighters for democracy outside Iran and the better informed intelectuals across the globe?

I quote the interview above: "Can we do anything to help Iran to become a functioning democracy? Answer is: yes we can! We could listen to the pleas of the very courageous Iranian reformers and democracy activists, who are pleading with the United States to call off the threats. That's people like Akbar Ganji, or Shirin Ebadi [...] they are saying: Drop the threats! And for a good reason, which we can all figure out. When you threaten a government it's gonna react."

Does it not make you more positive about the world that there are good people everywhere? Is it not worth to trust them instead of disregarding them and direct all your actions towards negative and aggressive people? My hope is that aggressive people will one day be less respected and that there will be more emphasis on helping the peaceful...

Relationships

I would like to talk about relationships. I don't know if I am qualified by experience to talk about relationships, but then everything is relative and my experience probably is not so different from that which many of you share.

I do not believe in the one true love, but I absolutely do believe in true love. How is that, you ask, and I answer: I have experienced it myself and especially know that I have felt it (may I say feel it?). This is the strongest guarantee one can have, don't you think?

Every time I fell in love it was like a moment of becoming conscious, a moment of starting to be aware that there is something big to come and most of the time it really scared me. When awareness gradually develops and at the same time it becomes clearer and clearer that one's feelings are reciprocated, slowly life becomes more and more enveloped in this exciting new way of thinking. One goes out of one's way to stay true to this newly found love, to see how it grows and where it will all lead, in spite of the fear.

When days and months go by, this flower blooms and fear subsides. It makes way for pure joy and a feeling that the world is good and that there are no mistakes, only wrong turns that lead to something special and finally get you in a direction that is not worse than any of the directions you took before.

But nothing lasts forever. People and lives change, you never know when will be the next turn of the tide and fear may gradually spring again. It is the other side of the medal when little by little you notice that a relationship is ending... or changing. I have ended relationships in the past and it has never been easy. Most of the time I never even felt it was right, I just knew it rationally and over time everything came to me.

But humans are creative and people learn, so who can say what you find in your heart the next time you look? Maybe you become aware of something big...

Creating a just world

I watched this short documentary about the story of Mohammed Yunus, a Bangladeshi who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

Learn about Mohammed Yunus and the Grameen Bank

Coming from a poor background, but with the lucky chance to get higher education, he little by little engaged in giving micro-credits to poor women in rural Bangladesh. The first loan was over 27 Dollars to 42 women. Today Grameen Bank counts 4 million members and has expanded into many other countries.

I was particularly impressed by his very clear advice about not giving up an idea you believe in. Yunus' demonstration of stubbornness in dealing with bankers all too hooked to the conventional ideas that created the status quo in the first place gives me hope and trust in my own capacity to reach something in this world.

The Secret

In my old blog I once had mentioned a movie called "The Secret". Then and now it does something for me which is very necessary. It reminds me of the importance of being positive and dispense the very feelings I would like to receive. It motivates me to maintain a good mood especially on days that I find me in a somber state of mind. You may think about the movie whatever you like. It has a sensationalist air about it and I admit that it contains very little to no scientific proof, but still... It is a question of belief and personal experience! If you have made the experience that it serves you better to be positive and grateful in what you give and receive in life, or whether you have gotten into the habit of mourning and rueing decicions you made.

Most of the time I am positive now. I got back to my studies and have fun with friends and visit my brother and his girlfriend and always take my brand-new digital camera with me. Still, this life is not quite what it used to be. Or is it? Did the contrast to some months that basically felt like a large vacation make me miss something and now I discard the good life I have here?
Currently I definitely need a lot more reminding of being positive than I used to not long ago! This feels a bit like some days I spent in Germany immediately before leaving for Spain, when I could not wait to get away from it all.

Carrying these thoughts around with me, every now and then I reach the same conclusion: My life is changing rapidly and the next changes are already in sight. I should not be rash now, but patient and calm and grateful for my experience.

I just need to remind myself of that!

Llegando

Hoy es un día para escribir en español! Lo siento para todos que no se enteran, y doy un cordial "¡de nada!" a los que quieren aprender este idioma bonito y lo ven como oportunidad de practicar :) (por cierto: si cometo errores lingüísticos, ortográficos o lo que sea, ¡avisadme!, mi examen del DELE os lo agradecerá...)

Cada vez más me siento cómodo en Alemania! Hace ya veinte días desde que partí de España y estos últimos días he hecho un buen trabajo de colmarme con tareas en la universidad. Ahora ya tengo tres presentaciones de diferentes asignaturas por delante y sigo asistiendo a mis clases de Derecho Constitucional! Los viernes he elegido dos asignaturas para mejorar mi español y no perder los conocimientos adquiridos en Jaén! Las asignaturas se llaman "Español - Comunicación Oral", en la que hablamos mucho de cultura no sólo de España pero también de América Latina, y "Español - Expresión Escrita" para la que tenemos que escribir cada semana un informe o una redacción de 400 palabras que luego corregimos en clase con muchas y buenas explicaciones del profe. Por cierto, el profesor es chileno pero trabajó como traductor y ya vive en Augsburgo desde hace muchos años. Nos sabe explicar todo igual en español o alemán y conoce todas las trampas lingüísticas que hay!

Ya poco a poco voy convirtiendo la tristeza de estar separado de mis amigos en Jaén en energía para atacar de nuevo y sacar créditos en mi universidad aquí. Mis últimos semestres en Augsburgo quiero correr rápido para después cambiar otra vez de sitio y, muy probablemente, de país! Entonces: Ánimo y al ataque :-)