"He went by train to St. Petersburg where his parents were, and he met a Russian girl there," her weak blue eyes stare unseeingly ahead of her, seeing instead in her mind's eye the past as she can best remember it, concentrated on the memories that she is telling me about her father.
"She had worked for the Czarina, who you know," she prompts me to remember, "was married to Nicholas II. That was before the revolution. She was a chambermaid for the Czarina."
I nod, listening as my great-grandmother tells of the St. Petersburg of Czar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra before 1917, and how the former chambermaid became her father's second wife and mother for his young children. Although the chambermaid is not really related to me, it is still fascinating to hear of the events and people that took part in shaping the life of my 101 year-old great-grandmother. Hers are not all "happily ever after" kinds of stories, and now they are slightly faded at the edges of her memory and probably replayed many times throughout her life.
We all have stories, no matter what age we are. I think it is important to tell them; primarily for ourselves, because telling them is a positive creative action that helps us heal, deal with pain, process thoughts, share happiness, entertain, bond socially and know each other. If the story is sad, a sympathetic listener works as a balm. And if the story is happy, the joy is doubled in telling it. If the story is clever, the reaction is worth waiting for.
Also, telling stories is important for the listener. To borrow the words of Scheherazade in Arabian Nights, stories teach us how to live. For centuries people have told stories: sometimes fantastic tales of magic swords or talking animals, perhaps genies in lamps, sometimes about the local news or historical occurrences, even allegories and personal experiences. Famous teachers and the best speakers capture our interests with illustrations and stories, much in the same way Scheherazade did with her husband, the Sultan Shahryar who planned to kill her after their wedding night. She told him stories for 1001 nights, it is said, and through them his madness was cured, he let her live and even defeated his villain brother.
Storytelling is integral to human community. Societies and cultures have stories about the beginning of the world and their group of people, about ethics and the workings of nature. They have stories of infamous characters and national heroes which are then recalled in times when an example to live by is lacking, or a common foundation is needed. For example, Simón Bolívar, the Liberator of Latin America, is one of those characters whose story rouses from its historical slumber to give impulse and inspiration for current causes--one of the most obvious being the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela's revolutionary agenda. Some stories are so well-known that a mere allusion to a name can conjure complex implications: 9-11, Noah, Shakespeare, Bush, to pick a few.
Truly the spectrum of human activity can at times dismay as well as inspire. Whether the story is about a Russian chambermaid, your summer holiday, insecure sultans or freedom-fighters, I will concur with Madeleine L'Engle when she says, we are amazing, we human beings. We do wonderful things, and we do terrible things--but, above all, we make marvellous stories. We do. So let the stories be spun and the audiences be hooked, for we the people have much to heal from and much to learn.
Tuesday, August 28
Thursday, August 23
...from the last week
Be still, sad heart!
and cease repining;
Behind the clouds
is the sun still shining.
-Longfellow
Tuesday, August 14
Nach der Schule
It's that time of year again.
This morning there were evidences of it in the streets and on public transportation. New backpacks full of new markers and sharpened pencils, unscuffed erasers and blank notebooks paraded by as their little owners began their first day of school!
I always recall it being an exciting time of life--each fall entering a classroom with perhaps a new teacher and a few new students. My school was small with some 35 children (give or take a handful, depending on the year), and my grade was even tinier, often with just me and one or two other kids! But our classes were combined, so that two grades were taught by the same teacher. Due to its small size, in a way the school became its own family, and wasn't as strict as I imagine schools here are. Here, I don't think you can bring an ocelot to school, stop class to go look at a snake, cook clay pottery in a pit in the back yard, make cookies with your teachers, have eighth graders play the same game with first graders during recess, walk around barefoot or go to the river every week as part of P.E. class!
I'll be back in the classroom soon as well, but not till next month. This year promises to be academically even more challenging than the last, as I must research and write my thesis!
This morning there were evidences of it in the streets and on public transportation. New backpacks full of new markers and sharpened pencils, unscuffed erasers and blank notebooks paraded by as their little owners began their first day of school!
I always recall it being an exciting time of life--each fall entering a classroom with perhaps a new teacher and a few new students. My school was small with some 35 children (give or take a handful, depending on the year), and my grade was even tinier, often with just me and one or two other kids! But our classes were combined, so that two grades were taught by the same teacher. Due to its small size, in a way the school became its own family, and wasn't as strict as I imagine schools here are. Here, I don't think you can bring an ocelot to school, stop class to go look at a snake, cook clay pottery in a pit in the back yard, make cookies with your teachers, have eighth graders play the same game with first graders during recess, walk around barefoot or go to the river every week as part of P.E. class!
I'll be back in the classroom soon as well, but not till next month. This year promises to be academically even more challenging than the last, as I must research and write my thesis!
Friday, August 10
Passing it on
A few years ago, as I leaned against the wall of a taupe classroom in California, my professor shared a reflection as was her habit before class. This time she passed on some information that had been gleaned from 95-year olds in a nursing home. When asked to look back on their lives and share some advice about what they would do if they could live it again, the responses they gave boiled down to:
1. Reflect more
2. Risk more
3. Invest in what will outlast you
I thought I would pass it on, so you could reflect on this advice from those nearing the end of their lives, and then act out of new conviction to risk for something you think is worthwhile, and in so doing, begin something that will echo down the halls of time in a positive way.
1. Reflect more
2. Risk more
3. Invest in what will outlast you
I thought I would pass it on, so you could reflect on this advice from those nearing the end of their lives, and then act out of new conviction to risk for something you think is worthwhile, and in so doing, begin something that will echo down the halls of time in a positive way.
Monday, August 6
7 Wonders
As her most traveled friend, Gem tagged me a few months ago to share my realm of expertise by listing my Top 7 Must-See Destinations. So I will give you my seven, but with the stipulation that I have yet to see much of this vast world, and I can only tell you of the places I have been. Ask me again in 10 years and the list will contain some newcomers and revisions, which I hope will include more of Africa and Asia. But as of today, the "Seven Wonders of the World" that I think everyone should experience:
1. Cairo-Sinai, Egypt. No surprise there to any of you. You know my love affair with the place. But simply for its history and culture, it is a must-see for any cultured traveler, and nowhere else can you see the last Wonder of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid, from camelback. The treasures of the Cairo Museum, the crowded traffic and local cuisine will leave a lasting impression on you, as will the hospitality of the Egyptians, because after all, a place is about the people. (This is assuming that you don't get a package deal at a 5-star hotel and then spend your days at the pool. That would be a waste of Egypt.) Please, go eat at someone's home, play with their children and buy at a local market. Take an "utubis" ride to your destination or spend the night at a Bedouin hotel in Sinai.
2. Summer Cottage, Finland. This is also an essential place I recommend for anyone. If you can't come to Finland and see it, get yourself to a lakeside cabin somewhere else. Let it be rustic and have a sauna and a rowboat. Here you will relax simply because you are in nature, away from the daily grind in a more rural setting where you can sit on the dock and watch the twilight reflect on a glassy lake. Play card games late into the night while eating plenty of candy, sleep in late in soft sheets and eat your breakfast in the morning wind. Some summer cottages (mökki) in Finland don't even have running water, but it must be brought in from a well, and electricity may not always be available either. Our summer cottage has both, but what we do still hold on to is an outhouse! And nothing beats having to pee on a crisp August night with a full moon to light your flight to the privy and back! :)
1. Cairo-Sinai, Egypt. No surprise there to any of you. You know my love affair with the place. But simply for its history and culture, it is a must-see for any cultured traveler, and nowhere else can you see the last Wonder of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid, from camelback. The treasures of the Cairo Museum, the crowded traffic and local cuisine will leave a lasting impression on you, as will the hospitality of the Egyptians, because after all, a place is about the people. (This is assuming that you don't get a package deal at a 5-star hotel and then spend your days at the pool. That would be a waste of Egypt.) Please, go eat at someone's home, play with their children and buy at a local market. Take an "utubis" ride to your destination or spend the night at a Bedouin hotel in Sinai.
2. Summer Cottage, Finland. This is also an essential place I recommend for anyone. If you can't come to Finland and see it, get yourself to a lakeside cabin somewhere else. Let it be rustic and have a sauna and a rowboat. Here you will relax simply because you are in nature, away from the daily grind in a more rural setting where you can sit on the dock and watch the twilight reflect on a glassy lake. Play card games late into the night while eating plenty of candy, sleep in late in soft sheets and eat your breakfast in the morning wind. Some summer cottages (mökki) in Finland don't even have running water, but it must be brought in from a well, and electricity may not always be available either. Our summer cottage has both, but what we do still hold on to is an outhouse! And nothing beats having to pee on a crisp August night with a full moon to light your flight to the privy and back! :)
3. Tirol, Austria. This pick should not surprise you either, as I rank mountain landscapes as some of my favorites in the world. This is a place to rest and rejuvenate, to exert your muscles by climbing and feast your eyes on meadows of flowers flanked by snow-covered Alps. Go to the mountains I say! Spend a few days wandering from one mountain alm to another and get to know their keepers and other hikers passing through. And when you crave paved streets, visit the charming towns with mural-painted buildings, flea markets and local pubs with excellent food. I recommend the Johanesbeersaft (black currant juice)!
4. "Shell Road," Ecuador. I had a hard time picking a place from this country, as the scenery ranges from gorgeous Andes mountains to warm beaches and rainy jungles (so basically, see the whole country). The road section I am recommending begins at Baños, which may well be my favorite "to-visit" city there, nestled dangerously under an active volcano. Stop here for breakfast at one of the many cafes, stay at hotels with jacuzzis, eat fresh taffy or buy "indian pants" as souvenirs for your loved ones. The place has an odd mixture of colonial atmosphere littered with adventure tourists and people who make their living off of them! The best way to see the "Shell Road" that leaves Baños toward the jungle town where I grew up is by bike. On one side you will have the dense foliage of the mountainside, and on the other, a 100 ft drop down to the Pastaza River. There are a few small towns along the route as well as some waterfalls to visit should your bum be numb from too much biking!
5. Madrid, Spain. This is a city of culture that is relatively easy to get around and has plenty to see. People actually spend time in the parks with their kites and kids, just lazing or running some laps. The busy downtown sector is easily accessible via the metro and bus systems, and bursts at the seams with shops and museums to suit city-sightseers. Be sure to stop in the local cafés for their delicious pastries and buy some "chucherías" (candy) to keep your energy up as you wander the winding streets. From Madrid it is also possible to visit the smaller towns on the outskirts, which are quaint and quiet compared to the capital. I would also add that perhaps Toledo is a particulary interesting city a few hours away, containing influences of Muslim, Jewish and Christian heritages in the architecture that lines the narrow and winding cobblestone streets.
6. National Parks of California, USA. I have not seen even close to all of the states in the US, but I pick these places because they are beautiful and the hiking is gorgeous: Yosemite, Ansel Adams Wilderness and Joshua Tree (Is it cheating to pick three places in one state? Heheh, they all fall under the same category though!). I spent 10 days backpacking through the terrain and would gladly do it again! Lakes, mountains, rock piles and forests are all yours for the wandering. The experience of backpacking in such a place is not to be missed, as you must carry all your wares with you, exhert your body to get to your destination, and sleep under the open skies. (And if the camp life is not for you, at least you will better appreciate a shower when you get home!) Please go rock climb in Joshua Tree and salute El Capitán as you hike the Panorama Trail through the Yosemite Valley and perhaps get lost along the trails of the wilderness!
7. Mumbai, India. India is place of interesting juxtapositions, and simply for that reason, I think you should go there. People are helpful, especially when you get used to the bobby-head technique and pick it up yourself! Please don't go there in monsoon season, and please see both the north and the south of the country, which are two regions very different from each other (I saw only the north). I think to understand the sheer masses of people living in India is difficult. It's hard to wrap your head around 1 billion people in one country, but here's the crux: 1 billion people eat their cornflakes with sugar and hot milk, would they be the trendsetters then? In India you see that the world is really not about the West.
Well, that concludes this round of wonders, subjectively selected by Yours Truly. The world contains so many interesting cultures and beautiful views to be experienced, so go out there and explore them!
5. Madrid, Spain. This is a city of culture that is relatively easy to get around and has plenty to see. People actually spend time in the parks with their kites and kids, just lazing or running some laps. The busy downtown sector is easily accessible via the metro and bus systems, and bursts at the seams with shops and museums to suit city-sightseers. Be sure to stop in the local cafés for their delicious pastries and buy some "chucherías" (candy) to keep your energy up as you wander the winding streets. From Madrid it is also possible to visit the smaller towns on the outskirts, which are quaint and quiet compared to the capital. I would also add that perhaps Toledo is a particulary interesting city a few hours away, containing influences of Muslim, Jewish and Christian heritages in the architecture that lines the narrow and winding cobblestone streets.
6. National Parks of California, USA. I have not seen even close to all of the states in the US, but I pick these places because they are beautiful and the hiking is gorgeous: Yosemite, Ansel Adams Wilderness and Joshua Tree (Is it cheating to pick three places in one state? Heheh, they all fall under the same category though!). I spent 10 days backpacking through the terrain and would gladly do it again! Lakes, mountains, rock piles and forests are all yours for the wandering. The experience of backpacking in such a place is not to be missed, as you must carry all your wares with you, exhert your body to get to your destination, and sleep under the open skies. (And if the camp life is not for you, at least you will better appreciate a shower when you get home!) Please go rock climb in Joshua Tree and salute El Capitán as you hike the Panorama Trail through the Yosemite Valley and perhaps get lost along the trails of the wilderness!
7. Mumbai, India. India is place of interesting juxtapositions, and simply for that reason, I think you should go there. People are helpful, especially when you get used to the bobby-head technique and pick it up yourself! Please don't go there in monsoon season, and please see both the north and the south of the country, which are two regions very different from each other (I saw only the north). I think to understand the sheer masses of people living in India is difficult. It's hard to wrap your head around 1 billion people in one country, but here's the crux: 1 billion people eat their cornflakes with sugar and hot milk, would they be the trendsetters then? In India you see that the world is really not about the West.
Well, that concludes this round of wonders, subjectively selected by Yours Truly. The world contains so many interesting cultures and beautiful views to be experienced, so go out there and explore them!
Wednesday, August 1
elokuu
The first of August is upon us. Here in the center of Helsinki it is currently sunny and windy. But the nights actually darken now and yesterday's stormy weather plastered leaves helplessly on the wet sidewalks and curbs, like the discarded calling cards of Fall. However, August is still far from being actual Autumn, I tell myself, as it is often the warmest month, and not to mention most Europeans' favorite month for taking summer holidays.
At the workplace the month kicked off with a client coming to request a visa to gain protection from the human rights problems he faced in his home country. What followed that strange episode was a lively conversation about my boss's previous work posts and encounters with similar situations as well as bomb scares. Such stories seem inconceivable occurrences in a quiet country like Finland, but somehow they don't surprise me in a South American setting.
The first weekend of August also starts off the month with a brief visit to the country next door: Russia. St. Petersburg, I've heard, is a beautiful city and less than six hours away by rail. Other than my curiosity and desire to see the place anyway, the added incentive is that my roommate is there for the month and she speaks Russian, knows her way around the place, and wants to show me her favorite sights! Needless to say, I'm thrilled. I love to travel by train, stay with locals, and see places that are important to my friends. I need to brush up on the few phrases I know in Russian; I figured I could get quite far in any difficult situations by batting my eyelashes and saying with a smile, "Mne harasho patamusta ya staboi." (I'm good, because I'm with you! heheheh) Ok, maybe not, but it's worth a try if it makes the stern border guards smile!
May your voyage through August be full of the pleasant and unexpected!
At the workplace the month kicked off with a client coming to request a visa to gain protection from the human rights problems he faced in his home country. What followed that strange episode was a lively conversation about my boss's previous work posts and encounters with similar situations as well as bomb scares. Such stories seem inconceivable occurrences in a quiet country like Finland, but somehow they don't surprise me in a South American setting.
The first weekend of August also starts off the month with a brief visit to the country next door: Russia. St. Petersburg, I've heard, is a beautiful city and less than six hours away by rail. Other than my curiosity and desire to see the place anyway, the added incentive is that my roommate is there for the month and she speaks Russian, knows her way around the place, and wants to show me her favorite sights! Needless to say, I'm thrilled. I love to travel by train, stay with locals, and see places that are important to my friends. I need to brush up on the few phrases I know in Russian; I figured I could get quite far in any difficult situations by batting my eyelashes and saying with a smile, "Mne harasho patamusta ya staboi." (I'm good, because I'm with you! heheheh) Ok, maybe not, but it's worth a try if it makes the stern border guards smile!
May your voyage through August be full of the pleasant and unexpected!
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