Sunday, April 8, 2007
Death of journalist
Today is 13 years since untimely death of Serbian journalist Dada Vujasinovic. She devoted her life to investigative journalism in its finest form. In spite of her sacrifice, Serbia today does not recognize her as a hero. She became more a mere newspaper title in the topic about how her death remains a mystery to this date. If there will be renewed investigation, this time around it has to be done properly. Suicide with hunting rifle, with heart wound, with crime scene that screams that there was a fight, does not sound right. Especially in case of somebody who dared to question motifs of warlords!
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Zoran Djindjic/Sutra se navrsava cetri godine od njegove smrti...
Na zalost, nisam imala prilku da cesto slusam Zorana. Kazem na zalost, jer je bio sjajan govornik. Izrazavao se koncizno, smisljeno, sve sto je izgovorio imalo je smisla i bilo je povezano sa temom o kojoj prica. Iz svake njegove recenice i pokreta je bilo jasno da se radi o, ne samo obrazovanom coveku, nego i produhovljenom coveku ( prava retkost za nekoga ko se bavi politikom!).
Secam se, cini mi se da je to bilo 1997-me ( mozda nisam u pravu, neka oni koji znaju godinu, slobodno isprave), slusala sam Zorana na nekoj od televizija, kako objasnjava zasto je vazno da se dozvoli uvoz polovnih autobusa za GSB. Kao i uvek, "pravo u sridu", objasnio je da ti autobusi nisu neko "staro gvozdje", nego da zbog toga sto u tim zapadnim zemljama odakle autobusi dolaze, standardi odredjuju da posle izvesnog vremena autobus biva otpisan, iako je jos uvek u dobrom voznom stanju, da mi to mozemo da iskoristimo i poboljsamo gradski prevoz u Beogradu.
Tada je Zoran bio gradonacelnik Beograda, cini mi se. Lepo se videlo da je to covek koji voli svoj grad i ljude u njemu.
Ne mogu da se setim da li su napokon autobusi uvezeni ili nisu: tada kada se Zoran obracao javnosti, autobusi su bili zaustavljeni na granici zbog nekakvih carinskih zavrzlama ( citaj SPS-ovska ujdurma...).
Sticajem okolnosti, 12. marta 2003-ce sam bila u Berlinu. Neverovatna i tragicna vest da je Zoran Djindjic ubijen u Beogradu me je duboko i licno pogodila. Zoran je bio veoma cenjen u Nemackoj, ne samo zato sto je bio "njihov student", nego zato sto je to drustvo koje zna da prepozna i ceni coveka njegovog kalibra. Slusala sam ga kako u jednoj emisiji vodi jednako elokventan razgovor na nemackom, kao da govori maternji jezik.
Znam da u Srbiji postoji jos uvek relativno mali broj ljudi koji istinski shvata da je pucanj u Zorana bio pucanj u buducnost Srbije.
Sto se Zorana tice, on je ostao u Srbiji znajuci za opasnosti, ali je verovao da je sve to vredno njegove zrtve.
Da li Srbija danas opravdava Zoranovo poverenje da njegova zrtva nije uzaludna?
Secam se, cini mi se da je to bilo 1997-me ( mozda nisam u pravu, neka oni koji znaju godinu, slobodno isprave), slusala sam Zorana na nekoj od televizija, kako objasnjava zasto je vazno da se dozvoli uvoz polovnih autobusa za GSB. Kao i uvek, "pravo u sridu", objasnio je da ti autobusi nisu neko "staro gvozdje", nego da zbog toga sto u tim zapadnim zemljama odakle autobusi dolaze, standardi odredjuju da posle izvesnog vremena autobus biva otpisan, iako je jos uvek u dobrom voznom stanju, da mi to mozemo da iskoristimo i poboljsamo gradski prevoz u Beogradu.
Tada je Zoran bio gradonacelnik Beograda, cini mi se. Lepo se videlo da je to covek koji voli svoj grad i ljude u njemu.
Ne mogu da se setim da li su napokon autobusi uvezeni ili nisu: tada kada se Zoran obracao javnosti, autobusi su bili zaustavljeni na granici zbog nekakvih carinskih zavrzlama ( citaj SPS-ovska ujdurma...).
Sticajem okolnosti, 12. marta 2003-ce sam bila u Berlinu. Neverovatna i tragicna vest da je Zoran Djindjic ubijen u Beogradu me je duboko i licno pogodila. Zoran je bio veoma cenjen u Nemackoj, ne samo zato sto je bio "njihov student", nego zato sto je to drustvo koje zna da prepozna i ceni coveka njegovog kalibra. Slusala sam ga kako u jednoj emisiji vodi jednako elokventan razgovor na nemackom, kao da govori maternji jezik.
Znam da u Srbiji postoji jos uvek relativno mali broj ljudi koji istinski shvata da je pucanj u Zorana bio pucanj u buducnost Srbije.
Sto se Zorana tice, on je ostao u Srbiji znajuci za opasnosti, ali je verovao da je sve to vredno njegove zrtve.
Da li Srbija danas opravdava Zoranovo poverenje da njegova zrtva nije uzaludna?
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Mad World
Mad World
Yesterday's highlight was so called IPRC ( Identification, Placement, Review Committee). It was held at 2 40 at my son's school. Before going there, I looked at some papers from previous years, confident that nothing would surprise me. After all, he is 12 going onto 13, and I have been in the system for long enough to develop a thick skin.
Not so fast!
There was four of us: the Principal, the homeroom teacher, the lady from the School Board, and myself. Right at the beginning I was told that they were running late, and that there is almost no time to discuss Aleks' needs with me. Almost like: you came just to sign the paper that you agree here with what we say. I could not stop my heart from pounding because of such a hypocrisy. I had to say, I had to mention, and I did: how come there is not one soul in this school who is interested to be with Aleks, to help him learn social skills. Silence. How about the drama class from last Thursday, when he was excluded from the group activities when no group wanted him there? How come the drama class teacher did not intervene and explain to everyone that it is not alright to exclude a person just like that? How about not recognizing the talent Aleks has for drama, and set him for success and not failure?
The principal was not amused with what I had to say. Her answers were more like: we cannot have other kids involved in teaching Aleks social skills ( wow, how will he ever learn if he is not given even a chance to participate in a simple structured class activity, with supposedly close supervision of teacher). Then she went on how this school's philosophy is basically inclusion of everyone regardless of their looks, background, or any other characteristic that makes some children to be different ( is it really?).She also added that she does not expect her drama teacher, who was hired to teach drama, to get involved in helping a child such as Aleks, because the teacher is not trained to do that.
How about showing interest, how about being curious and learn, I said. Had not the drama teacher learnt more about children such as Aleks, not because he had been told, or expected to do so, but because he was in such a noble profession that entails doing things that he was not maybe always paid or trained to do, but is doing them anyway because he understood the responsibility of raising each and every child that comes across his way.Or maybe, a person who is not willing to accept all the children with having abilities, rather than disabilities, should not be a teacher? I had so many questions on my mind, but none were answered, and I am sure they will not be answered. Nor my question about how somebody who is trained to work with children does not have a basic ability to recognize talent in a child? Aleks, in spite of his lack of more sophisticated social skills, and in spite of his slight speech impediment, is a very expressive, very emotional, very talented for art, including music, acting, and painting.
To illustrate this further, I will tell you that the last night, Aleks also performed at school's biggest fund raising event: Cabaret 2007. He accompanied himself on the piano singing the song: Mad World. The song was his choice, and I encouraged him from the day one. Singing this song, and being so confident on the stage, in spite of the fact that he was performing for his peers, who even do not want to share few moments in the school yard with him, was one of his small victories in this mad world where his abilities are mistakenly called disabilities, and where he will have to fight every inch his way to find his proper place.
Shame on you Mr. Drama Teacher that you cannot recognize what a gem you have in your class!
Yesterday's highlight was so called IPRC ( Identification, Placement, Review Committee). It was held at 2 40 at my son's school. Before going there, I looked at some papers from previous years, confident that nothing would surprise me. After all, he is 12 going onto 13, and I have been in the system for long enough to develop a thick skin.
Not so fast!
There was four of us: the Principal, the homeroom teacher, the lady from the School Board, and myself. Right at the beginning I was told that they were running late, and that there is almost no time to discuss Aleks' needs with me. Almost like: you came just to sign the paper that you agree here with what we say. I could not stop my heart from pounding because of such a hypocrisy. I had to say, I had to mention, and I did: how come there is not one soul in this school who is interested to be with Aleks, to help him learn social skills. Silence. How about the drama class from last Thursday, when he was excluded from the group activities when no group wanted him there? How come the drama class teacher did not intervene and explain to everyone that it is not alright to exclude a person just like that? How about not recognizing the talent Aleks has for drama, and set him for success and not failure?
The principal was not amused with what I had to say. Her answers were more like: we cannot have other kids involved in teaching Aleks social skills ( wow, how will he ever learn if he is not given even a chance to participate in a simple structured class activity, with supposedly close supervision of teacher). Then she went on how this school's philosophy is basically inclusion of everyone regardless of their looks, background, or any other characteristic that makes some children to be different ( is it really?).She also added that she does not expect her drama teacher, who was hired to teach drama, to get involved in helping a child such as Aleks, because the teacher is not trained to do that.
How about showing interest, how about being curious and learn, I said. Had not the drama teacher learnt more about children such as Aleks, not because he had been told, or expected to do so, but because he was in such a noble profession that entails doing things that he was not maybe always paid or trained to do, but is doing them anyway because he understood the responsibility of raising each and every child that comes across his way.Or maybe, a person who is not willing to accept all the children with having abilities, rather than disabilities, should not be a teacher? I had so many questions on my mind, but none were answered, and I am sure they will not be answered. Nor my question about how somebody who is trained to work with children does not have a basic ability to recognize talent in a child? Aleks, in spite of his lack of more sophisticated social skills, and in spite of his slight speech impediment, is a very expressive, very emotional, very talented for art, including music, acting, and painting.
To illustrate this further, I will tell you that the last night, Aleks also performed at school's biggest fund raising event: Cabaret 2007. He accompanied himself on the piano singing the song: Mad World. The song was his choice, and I encouraged him from the day one. Singing this song, and being so confident on the stage, in spite of the fact that he was performing for his peers, who even do not want to share few moments in the school yard with him, was one of his small victories in this mad world where his abilities are mistakenly called disabilities, and where he will have to fight every inch his way to find his proper place.
Shame on you Mr. Drama Teacher that you cannot recognize what a gem you have in your class!
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Zavicaj
Oduvek sam zavidila ljudima koji su se rodili, ziveli i umrli na jednom mestu. Oni nisu ni znali sta je "zavicaj". Njihov zivot je bio povezan sa zivotom njihovih predaka. Negde na tavanu su bila sakrivena ljubavna pisma dede babi, ili neki stari kisobran, ili kovceg sa cipkanom haljinom prabake. Nije bilo rata da sve to unisti, iseli, iskoreni. Zivot je bio jednostavan. Nije bilo patnje za nestalim ili postojecim zavicajem.Kada pocnes da pricas o zavicaju, jer tamo nisi vise, neminovno pocinjes da izmisljas kako je to nekada bilo dobro.
Za to postoji i biolosko objasnjenje. Nase rane emocije smestene negde u amigdali, postaju sve nepristupacnije nasoj racionalnoj svesti sto postajemo stariji. Ali zato neki miris, ukus, moze da izazove buru secanja, koja tako "needitovana" salju informaciju nasem svesnom mozgu da je to nesto fenomenalno, i da to fenomenalno nesto postoji samo u nasem zavicaju koji ima taj miris i ukus.Sta bi bilo kada bi mogli da "reprogramiramo" tu riznicu secanja, zakopanu negde duboko nesvesnom delu mozga, sa novim mirisima i ukusima, pa da nas taj zamisljeni zavicaj ostavi da zivimo na miru, kada vec ne mozemo da zivimo u njemu.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Secanje na Dadu
Danas je Dadin rodjendan.
Sveca pored njene slike, secanje na njene reci, tupi bol zbog njenog nestanka, nostalgija za danima kada smo delili ovozemaljski zivot, tuga zbog odlaska Coveka koji je imao Dusu.
Dado, nedostajes mi. Voli te tvoja sestra Sandra.
Jedna od Van Gogovih zvezda u zvezdanoj noci je Dada.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkvLq0TYiwI&mode=related&search=
Sveca pored njene slike, secanje na njene reci, tupi bol zbog njenog nestanka, nostalgija za danima kada smo delili ovozemaljski zivot, tuga zbog odlaska Coveka koji je imao Dusu.
Dado, nedostajes mi. Voli te tvoja sestra Sandra.
Jedna od Van Gogovih zvezda u zvezdanoj noci je Dada.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkvLq0TYiwI&mode=related&search=
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
It is -30 and I do not know French
It seems that it takes the whole family to do the homework. Aleks waited until last moment to finish his French assignment. He has to write the radio announcement about a song, and to include the CD cover, and possibly bring some props, and make an instrument for his presentation. He had more than two weeks, but it seems that we are doing it last minute...
Ivan is helping him to polish his sentences for the announcement. I am sitting here, and cannot wait for them to finish so that we can go to YMCA. I will walk a thousand of miles on that treadmill tonight.
It is very very cold. I hope that this cold weather will go away by Thursday when I am going to volunteer to go with Aleks' school to the ski trip.
It is -30, and I do not know French!
Ivan is helping him to polish his sentences for the announcement. I am sitting here, and cannot wait for them to finish so that we can go to YMCA. I will walk a thousand of miles on that treadmill tonight.
It is very very cold. I hope that this cold weather will go away by Thursday when I am going to volunteer to go with Aleks' school to the ski trip.
It is -30, and I do not know French!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Tai Chi
Recently I have become interested in an ancient Chinese martial art Tai Chi.
There are different styles of Tai Chi, and the class that is offered through my local YMCA is Tai Chi Sword. Yesterday I attended the class, and it was too advanced for me. I tried my best, and at times, when I was in sync with the soft Chinese music played in background, and when my steps and body movements were correct, I felt so light. The arm movement, that represents sword techniques, looks like easy when you watch somebody else doing it.
When you try doing it yourself, you will find out, that the lightness of the movement comes from the body flexibility and strength, that is acquired though repetition of the movement and overall preparedness of one's body to do this type of physical activity.
I love it.
Please see this link to get an idea how it looks like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQGvm-7WYFY
There are different styles of Tai Chi, and the class that is offered through my local YMCA is Tai Chi Sword. Yesterday I attended the class, and it was too advanced for me. I tried my best, and at times, when I was in sync with the soft Chinese music played in background, and when my steps and body movements were correct, I felt so light. The arm movement, that represents sword techniques, looks like easy when you watch somebody else doing it.
When you try doing it yourself, you will find out, that the lightness of the movement comes from the body flexibility and strength, that is acquired though repetition of the movement and overall preparedness of one's body to do this type of physical activity.
I love it.
Please see this link to get an idea how it looks like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQGvm-7WYFY
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)