It is hot. The sound of the crickets is loud from the garden immersed in the tropical night. I tried to keep my eyes closed and find the sleep within my thoughts but it does not work. I put my hands under my head and look at the ceiling through the thin mosquito net which hags over the bed. I follow the lines drawn by the shadow of the window frame. I close my eyes […]
Frase tratta dalla recensione del nuovo libro di F. Rampini, Slow Economy: ‘E questo bel saggio del nostro inviato analizza proprio il “passaggio di consegne” da Ovest a Est. Quando descrive il suo viaggio da Pechino a New York, scrive che è stato «come fare un salto nel passato». Il vecchiume dell’aeroporto e degli aerei newyorkesi, il decadimento della rete stradale-autostradale, il metrò scassato e maleodorante sono i segnali che in fatto di infrastrutture la […]
This was written by philosopher Bertrand Russell at the age of 84: ‘Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair. I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy—ecstasy […]
I am standing at the departure area in Noi Bai airport in Ha Noi. People come and go carrying luggages and looking for the monitors which display the check in counters. Young Vietnamese men and women wear cotton jackets with a company name printed on them. It is the company which is sending them to work overseas. They sit in groups on their luggages. They have probably arrived too early and the check in has […]
A week ago. I’am boarding the TG fly from Manila to Bangkok. Walk in the aisle looking up for the row number, holding my boarding card in one hand. I must have looked at the number printed on it at least 50 times an yet I keep on looking at it and then look up to search for the right row. Why can’t I remember these plane seats numbers? I reach it, 34 aisle seat. […]
I left Ha Noi with the girls on 6. April this year. So not too long ago. Seems much longer. We live now in anew country. Rented a nice house which has become home. Girls go to the Silliman school and do their prayers and national anthem ceremony every morning. The Silliman beach is 300 meters from our house. Katja works in an interesting project on forestry and local planning. So Ha Noi. It is […]
What does influence our way of thinking? What does determine our believes, our point of view of the world? These are questions that have been around for some time and probably will never cease to be. Each of us has an own point of view and interpretation of reality. When Obama was elected many people were happy. However that election meant something different to all those people because each of them as a particular point […]
We received a wedding invitation last week. Whitney was getting married with Steve. Whitney we knew as she is been living in Dumaguete for a long time. Steve we did not and I was also unsure as to he was a Pilipino man or a Westerner. Names here not always help with making this (not so relevant) distinction here. The invitation was for 16:00 on Saturday at the St.Monica resort, 10 km north of Dumaguete. […]
Long connecting time in Hong Kong between the flight from Helsinki and the one to Cebu. Had a shower in the pay-per-visit lounge and slept for four hours in their capsule rooms. Found an Illy caffe which is good to start the day with a nice cappuccino Italian style. I sit at one of these small round bar tables which you would find outside a bar in Italy. One big difference is that I am […]
In London. Only few days ago I was in NYC. High up at the 86th floor of the observatory of the Empire State Building. Looking down I already described in an earlier blog how the people walking down on the street were small. Just dots moving in slow motion crossing streets and avenues. Stopping at a red light. Passing zebra crossing. Stopping at shops and thinking whether or go in and buy that nice desk […]