gerburgkamm

Continue reading →

… Suu Kyi (Don’t say “key”, “ky” is pronounced “ch” like in “cheese”!)

I expected tears to well up in my eyes when I would be standing in front of Shwedagon Paya thinking of Aung San Suu Kyi holding her mass rally here (1988) speaking to thousands of people and citing her father’s (Aung San’s) ideas on democracy and freedom. Instead no peace for nostalgic looking back on history or silent meditation. We approached the biggest, golden, bell-shaped pagoda (paya, zedi, stupa, it contains important relics) together with crowds of pilgrims that were flocking to and fro this most religious Buddhist site. The atmosphere was that of an amusement fair, with stalls  offering all types of souvenirs from religious paraphernalia to colourful children’s toys. August 2 was Full Moon Day, a holiday on which families visit renowned religious places. Shwe is the word for “golden” and Shwedagon Paya is the biggest of its kind, so big it doesn’t fit on a photo. If you can never get enough of gilded pagodas and buddhas go to Myanmar. They are everywhere. Travelling through the countryside you can see them sparkling in the middle of a field that is being ploughed by oxen as in the Buddha’s age. I wasn’t in time to shoot a photo. But needless to say, it’s not because of the golden pagodas, payas and Buddhas that the country is so utterly backward and poor.

Huge reclining Buddha at Chaukhtatgyi Paya

Botataung Paya, we couldn’t get in because our US$ were not new enough. They didn’t take Kyad either.

Sitting Buddha at Ngahtatgyi Paya

around Shwedagon Paya

Shwedagon Paya

worshippers at Shwedagon Paya on August 2

Sule Paya, the centre of downtown Yangon[gallery orderby="ID"]

 

„Oh my God, oh my God, it’s gonna snow, it’s gonna snow,” Rome’s Mayor went in tilt even before the city did. He told all the school kids to stay home on Friday (and Saturday) and all the teachers to come to school, in case working parents wanted to go to work and didn’t know where to leave their offspring. The decree was clear. Nevertheless some principals kept their schools closed on Friday and left their teachers literally standing in the rain (!!!) looking in disbelief at the sign: Closed because of snow. A vice-principal of Naples origin was heard shouting (in her native dialect) at an unaware mother who tried to leave her daughter and friends at school, to “git de hll lost”. Saint Peter had pity on Rome’s first citizen (in retrospect) and sent snow in the afternoon. It didn’t stay and was almost gone by the time I started sloshing through the city to take pictures. Police cars (with snow chains on) were everywhere waiting for accidents to happen. Most people stayed home (except for those hopeless nutcases who wanted to take pictures). By morning the snow had reached my garden trying to crush my already blossoming mimosa tree or else lying picturesquely on the old plastic sheet with which I had wisely and foresightfully covered  my lemon tree.

Enjoy the picture show.

Cheers and a happy wintertime (or summer in case you are in the other hemisphere)

Gerburg

The slideshow refused to publish my comments, so here they are in the same order.

1. enchanting view of the Colosseum under and surrounded by melting snow
2. the Roman Forum under …. snow
3. Marcus Aurelius greeting the snow
4. The staircase leading to the Capitol under snow
5. The snowman …. Guess where! And win a trip there…
6. The Altar of the Motherland under melting snow
7. Does this mean “celebrity” or “hunger”?
8. Giordano Bruno in ice and snow (just to add to his tribulations); note the insensivity with which the surrounding restaurants heat up with flickering flames
9. A café waiting under the snow
10. My mimosa tree crushed by the snow
11. A dwarf palm tree from Sicily covered by snow
12. The swing waiting for spring (the snow is melting)

Gerburg

Wie man schon im Titel sieht …

As you can easily guess from the title …

Come si capisce subito dal titolo …

… grüße ich Euch in allen drei Sprachen

… my greetings come in all three languages

… vi saluto in tutte e tre le lingue.

Morgen beginnt die Schule wieder, wo wir Schüler zu Kritikfähigkeit erziehen.

Tomorrow school starts again, a place where students are educated to become critical citizens.

Domani ricomincia la scuola,

Ich bin froh, dass ich die hochkalorige Zeit mit meines Bruders Weihnachtsgänsen und meinen selbstgebackenen Lebkuchen in vollen Zügen geniessen konnte, …

I am happy to have enjoyed the high calorie period to the utmost with my brother’s roast geese and my homemade gingerbread cookies….

Sono contenta di aver goduto al massimo il periodo altamente calorico con le oche arrosto di mio fratello e con i miei biscotti di natale fatti in casa…..

……… dass ich den Rückzug aus dem Hochland von Asiago gut überstanden habe, ……

….. to have come through the retreat from the highlands Asiago safe and sound….

…. di aver compiuto sana e salva la ritirata dall’Altopiano di Asiago ….

….. und dass ich wieder im milden Rom mit seinen typischen Speisen  und Getränken bin ….

…… and to be back in Rome with its mild climate and its tipical beverages and dishes ….

….. e di essere tornata a Roma con il suo clima mite e le sue bevande e i suoi cibi tipici …..

….. ich freue mich auf morgen, auf die Schule …

…. I am looking forward to tomorrow, to be back at school …

….. non vedo l’ora di domani e di tornare a scuola …

und wünsche allen, and wish you all, e auguro a tutti voi

Gerburg