offlog

poetry in motion

2009-04-25T22:47:00.007+02:00

a real treat for the eyes...

Even though I spoil the fun with a loud reaction, it still is worth seeing it.
Yamilet and Leonel, two of Pasion de Buena Vista's fantastic dancers pleasing the crowd at La Bodeguita del Medio in Skopje, Macedonia.

Una verdadera expresión del arte!

La pasión

2009-04-17T10:08:00.005+02:00

It is asolutely wonderful when the every day life normality is "disturbed" by the awesomeness of the cuban music, the cuban rhythms and especially the cuban people...
I've had the tremendous luck to spend three days with the fantastic group of artists that go by the name La Pasión de Buena Vista (http://www.pasion-de-buena-vista.com/), detach myself completely from the Skopje reality and enjoy the presence of Cuba in my world.

Cari en una superpose!

Flor, la reina :-)

Flor, Yamilet, Cari y Mary... bailando en la Bodeguita del Medio, en Skopje, Macedonia.

un post cortito... pero en castellano

2009-04-17T10:00:00.002+02:00

... ya que mi vida en Girona se acabó, al menos ese capítulo, marcado por los estudios de postgrado en la UB, dejo estas palabras por aquí... Un post que fue creado en marzo de 2008, o sea hace más de un año...

Me parece raro que no escribo nada aquí en castellano, ya que toda mi vida cotidiana la llevo en este idioma (bueno, con alguna frase en catalán, pero como todavía no lo domino)...
Pues... un viernes nublado en Girona (lo que es curioso, porque este lugar tiene un número inmenso de días despejados, algo que a mí me encanta), mi mañana, como siempre, está "sazonada" con el sabor de café y el sonido de Radio 3, la mejor que he escuchado aquí.
...
Me quedé viendo mis últimos posts en este y en el otro blog, y pensé que ya era la hora que escribiera algo en castellano. Pero claro, como normalmente comparto ... lo que me está pasando aquí, con mis amigos en Skopje, pues casi todo me sale en macedonio.
...
Después de una semana de mucosidad totalmente fastidiosa, tos y estornudos super-frecuentes, ahora estoy mejor, y con todo el corazón esperando la primavera en Girona.
Estos días, he pasado mucho tiempo pensando en mi vida aquí... Este pueblo (lo siento, pero es un pueblo, no una ciudad) que hasta ahora ha sido como... casi-casa para mí... Como, hogar a medias...
Y como estoy en ese cruce en la vida donde me esperan unas cuantas decisiones bastante serias (y llamarlas bastante serias es quedarse corto), entre cuales, elegir dónde construir mi propia vida (sin llevarla "a medias"), pienso también en las cosillas que me gustan de este lugar. Cosillas que hacen que este lugar sea "casa", para mí.
El gimnasio (Gimnàs Girona) donde voy religiosamente, cada día, y que me ha cambiado la vida completamente... Los días de sol y la claridad de los días de sol (que suerte que los hay muchísimos)... el barrio viejo, que lo he explorado un montón de veces, y cada vez que doy un paseo por sus callejuelas pequeñitas, me conquista su carisma... La taverna vasca Lizarran, sus tapas, y su azabache - riquísimo... El "cinema Truffaut", me encanta... La cercanía del Mediterraneo... el pan florentina del horno que está en la ave. Sant Fransesc... los árboles de la Devesa...
Y hay más... Quién sabe, tal vez si me quedo aquí más tiempo, descubriré otros toquecitos que hacen este lugar especial...
M.

the art of relaxing

2009-04-17T09:54:00.002+02:00

one example: Saturday eve... First, a movie at Cinema Truffaut, one of my very favourite places in Girona. A cute little cinema, dedicated to the care and nourishment of non-commercial, artsy movies, that always has something intriguing to offer. Saturday's choice was the italian work called "La seconda notte di nozze"...Then, a preparation of a mojito followed (aaaah, that tasty, refreshing drink from the island of Cuba...mmmm, what a perfection)... and then, its consumption, after strategically assuming a comfy position on the couch. Delightful!

a tribute...

2009-04-17T09:49:00.004+02:00

... to LIZARRAN, my fave place in Girona, where I have had many a drinks, tapas and good times.
:-)

Well, I am also very present in a community that is called Virtual Tourist (http://www.virtualtourist.com/), under the nickname of Malecka and in this community I have made some pages about places I have visited so far, or lived in. Great place to find even greater tips about... every aspect of traveling. To any part of the planet. Well, almost any.So... If you've seen my pages there, you'll know what Lizarran is...
If not... it is a Basque tavern located in the very cute Plaza Independencia, where tasty "pinchos" (Basque version of tapas) are served, some incredible white wine, called Txacoli (pronounced: cha-co-lee), and a fantastic red wine, called Azabache. Besides the extraordinary food&drinks, it has a cool atmosphere, nice music, and the people working behind (and in front of) the bar are very kind and make the whole atmosphere even more pleasant.

a postcard from Costa Brava

2009-04-17T09:46:00.003+02:00

... just a few images of the places I visited while living in Girona...

Obama, elections, etc.

2008-11-11T00:35:00.003+01:00

I came across this article on the very day the world was facing the end of ... very interesting elections in the "most powerful country" of the world. Now... don't get me wrong, I too am happy with the election of Barack Obama. In my own, modest, "not-a-US-citizen" kinda way. I mean, hello, he is not "completely white". (those who know me well enough are more than aware that I am far from a racist or give shit about skin colour or whatever) I am thrilled about that...

The thing is... I do not believe that the US foreign policy (and the general state of the world for that matter) depend heavily on the person elected as a president. So... that is why I am sharing this article with you. I read it on http://mediamonitors.net and really loved it, as sad as it may be.

American Election: An Illusion of Democracy
by Elias Akleh
(Tuesday, November 4, 2008)

"The presidential salary of about $200,000 is compared nothing to the millions worth of bribes a president is promised to receive after office. Such bribes come in the form of easy job on the board of a large corporation with huge sum of salary, stock options, perks, privileges, and large payments for worthless one-hour speeches to some businessmen. One cannot help but wonder where a president’s loyalty go, to the people or to corporations?"
Once again, as it has been happening every four years, the American people are suckered into surrendering their necks to a different yoke of slavery through the process of so-called “democratic election” of their president. Little they know that this president, and his administration, is but a tool used by the power elite – international financiers, military industrialists, energy companies and corporatocracy – to control resources, transfer wealth upwards, keep the populace in check, enslave them, suppress their dissent, and conscribe them into wars of greed against their human neighbors. This power elite, with its handful financial institutions, had dominated most of the natural resources of the world through its control of the money needed to acquire these resources. A natural resources monopoly system was, thus, created in the US, and many parts of the world, based solely on capital gain and profit rather than the well being of human life.
This power elite has gained total control over the American government and its departments, and dictates its laws and its foreign policies. President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) stated the following:
“The bold efforts the present bank has made to control the government are but premonition of the fate that awaits the American people should they be deluded into perpetuation of this institution, or the establishment of another like it.”
Despite his warning the power elite succeeded in establishing central banks, that control and manipulate the money of their perspective countries, and to create the Federal Reserve Bank in the US; a nongovernmental privately owned financial institution that makes its own policies and is virtually under no regulation by the American government. It is a private bank that creates money out of thin air, not backed by precious metals, and loans it to the government at interest. It is the exact old British fraudulent central banking model the Americans sought to escape from when they declared independence in the American Revolutionary War. The Federal Reserve Bank controls, now, the American money supply, inflation, loans, and interest. In 1913 the then presidential candidate Woodrow Wilson, who agreed to sign the Federal Reserve Act in exchange for bankers’ financial campaign support, later wrote in regret:
“Our great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is privately concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men, who necessarily, by very reason of their own limitations, chill and check and destroy genuine economic freedom. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated government in the civilized world. No longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of small groups of dominant men.”
Congressman Louis McFadden expressed this enslaving Federal Reserve Act after its passage:
“A world banking system was being set up here … a super state controlled by international bankers … acting together to enslave the world for their own pleasure. The Fed has usurped the government.”
The Federal Reserve Bank had created a monetary system with built in defaults and bankruptcy that had become the bases of the American economy. Through increasing inflation, control of interest rates and perpetual debts the Federal Reserve Bank keeps the American public in inescapable indentured servitude. This is virtual slavery, where the American public spends all their lives paying the national debt that had reached, lately, trillions of Dollars. This American monetary society, where everything could be bought and sold, including the loyalties of politicians and presidents, is in direct opposition to true democracy.
Democracy is not served where the so-called “interest groups” determine who the president is. It has become obvious to more people the great effect the Israeli Lobby (AIPAC) has on determining who the American president is, and what foreign policy he adopts even though such policies harm the interest of the American people. This Israeli Lobby should be called by its real name; the Zionist Lobby, for politicians serving the interests of this lobby do not necessarily have to be Israelis or Jews as Vice President candidate Joe Biden put it: “I am a Zionist. You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist”. Zionism is just another name for a colonial movement, which started with “Biblical Moses”, who led the Israelites out of ancient Egypt to occupy Palestine and annihilate its indigenous people. Moses called Palestine the “Promised Land”. The first American settlers (occupiers), pressed by similar colonial system, had also called America the new “Promised Land” and had annihilated its indigenous people.
The road to the White House goes through this Zionist Israeli Lobby. At the podium of this lobby every candidate must pledge unconditional allegiance and service to Israel, a mercenary terrorist state adamant on annihilating the Palestinian Arabs after wiping Palestine off the map, continues to attack its neighboring Arab countries, and violates UN resolutions and international laws. Every candidate must visit Israel and pay homage to Israeli myths at Yad Vashem in order to receive the blessing of American Jewish financiers, who had fattened themselves on slaves trade, drug smuggling, money laundering, and exploitation of the American financial institutions.
Let us remember that this so-called great free and democratic United States was built on land occupation, annihilations of its indigenous populations, slavery of the African nations, and criminal laws legislated by a newer power elite, who wanted to free itself from the old European power elite. This new power elite – the so-called great American forefathers – created laws to divide the land among themselves, and to regulate the exploitive competition between its members, and not to serve the well being of common man. Let us not forget that those heroic forefathers were the rich, the land owners, the largest slave owners/traders, and the monopolizers of all trades. They needed a political system to protect their interests, and decided to have a chief (president) among them – the land owners – to head that political system. For fear of such chief using his political position to expand his wealth on the expense of other members they decided to limit his term to only four years, after which they chose (elect) a successor among them for the next four years. Later on, when people started protesting and moving against the oppressive laws of the president, the power elite decided that it is safer for them to install a nobody, a puppet, as president while they manipulate him from behind the curtains.
The keen observer can easily notice that during late decades the presidential candidates have been progressively less known to the public and with weak political positions due to lack of political experience. The 2008 candidates are clear examples of such observation with Obama and Palin as exceptional examples. Due to their short political careers people don’t really know the candidates’ real positions except what the power elite controlled media tell them. These candidates are propped up, re-imaged, and rhetorically trained to dance on the stage in front of people on the rhythm of offering them few crumbs while giving the fatty meat to the power elite. Carefully analyzing the agendas of candidates on both sides, one discovers the similarities of their goals although molded in different forms.
The presidential salary of about $200,000 is compared nothing to the millions worth of bribes a president is promised to receive after office. Such bribes come in the form of easy job on the board of a large corporation with huge sum of salary, stock options, perks, privileges, and large payments for worthless one-hour speeches to some businessmen. One cannot help but wonder where a president’s loyalty go, to the people or to corporations?
Republican or Democratic parties had been created and financed by power elite to create an illusion of variety, differences, and choice. A third party, like the one Ralph Nader called for, would never be allowed. Candidates are placed on the ballots because they are acceptable servants to the power elite, who control both parties and run the show. Candidates, who aspire to serve the well being of the people, are weed out by excluding them from financial support, from media access, and from presidential debates. Dennis Kucinich was one example of such weed out process.
Without money a presidential candidate could not sustain a fully employed campaign. Without money he could not advance his political agenda through travel and televised advertisement to reach the multitudes. A one minute television advertisement may cost millions of Dollars. Yet Obama had obtained enough money to pay for a 7 by 24 hours televised advertisement by the name of “Obama’s Plan for America”. I am sure he did not get that money through public donations. One wonders what conditions and promises Obama has to pay in return. The same can be said about McCain’s campaign. The American people are thrown into two streams, two parties; Republican and Democrats, built, sustained and controlled by the power elite. These two parties follow the same agenda; enslaving people and expanding monopoly over global natural resources. The occupier of the Oval Office is pre-determined, and the election process is manipulated and geared towards his winning. The last two elections were very clear examples of such a process. The Americans are left without any other choice. Due to self-preservation and ignorance the majority of the people are easily gained to one party or the other by empty promises and imaginary causes. One politician described the public as a soccer ball getting kicked from one direction to the other by political players. In such a game the peoples’ choices are easily misled. The worst form of slavery is the one where slaves believe they are free.

Дарко страјкс агеин

2008-06-11T13:06:00.002+02:00

Што да коментирам... комбинацијата од перцепцијата и вештата рака на Дарко, супериорноста на Nikon D300 и неисцрпноста на моите гримаси си го направија своето.

:-)

повторна средба со Виена

2008-06-11T12:49:00.003+02:00

И тоа после седум години... И тоа баш на самиот почеток на лудилото наречено „европско фудбалско првенство“... И тоа баш на враќање од Скопје во Жирона, едно интермецо со аристократска арома на виенски меланж испиен со доза пријателски муабет што секогаш, ама секогаш, е најдобредојдена... И тоа баш во еден пријатно топол јунски ден, со сино небо и понекое облаче...

personalized addiction

2008-04-22T11:30:00.003+02:00

Ten days ago, my dear friend, my fifth limb, my intimate companion, VAIO decided to terminate our relationship. I realize it is not entirely VAIO's fault - the age, the use and the inevitability of the system failure must've played their part - but it still kills me...
So now, being pc-less and having to use another person's computer (and mind you, with a limited access to internet and all of the wonders of the ict world), it hits me, yet again, how pathetically dependent I am... How addicted I have become to this thing called information and communication technology.

And you know what else?! It is so clear to me that... the "personal" part of "personal computer" has reached some freakishly personal levels. I mean... the very keyboards... the inclination of my fingers while typing, the pressure of my fingertips while typing, even the structure of my own vocab which uses certain words more than other, and thus certain letters more than others, have had its impact and so... some letters indicated on the keyboards have already lost some of the colour. And some keys have this... shiny effect, because I constantly press them on the exact same spot.
Then, there is the whole concept of personalization... the background of the desktop (yes, I always put a photo, capturing a dear, heart-warming memory that soothes the soul when looked at), the colour of the messenger window, the emoticons I have added... The way the hard disc is organized, the way my folders are organized. The designation of the location for the specific photos, documents, downloads... the bookmarks (oh, how I miss those, and I had different ones for firefox and for explorer)... the choice of four languages when it comes to the language support (english UK, english us, macedonian, spanish)... the cleanness of my desktop (only the necessary shortcuts were present)...
I'm guessing you get the picture...

Oh, farewell my friend... will miss you...

at the end of the beginning

2008-01-29T17:00:00.000+01:00

If we consider the first month of the year a beginning, then... writing at this point (just a couple of days before the very end of January), makes the title of this post logical.

...

Every single december 31st (ok, in the last... say, 12 years) I think of a message that is cleverly synthesised in those recognizible lines:

All is quiet on New Year's Day...

Nothing changes on New Year's Day...

Ok, it is very understandable why that particular change of the date implies a ... chance to start a new, a chance to give yourself a new beginning, turn a new page, have a fresh start, etc... (add any saying, more or less popular, that I haven't), and therefore gives us (I guess all of us) the sensation that something new is about to start. I get that. And in a way I do accept it.

But, I am not that crazy about the actual date change, or celebrating the arrival of yet another year.

And the main reason why is... well, because it only reminds me how fast time goes by. Something I very much dislike. To be honest, I dare go so far as to say that it scares me. It even petrifies me.

Mostly because it appears that I am a character that wants everything, all at once, and I love life and I think no opportunity should be missed and... every single moment ought to be lived to the most, so inevitably, realizing that 2008 has begun, and only one moth before it arrived I turned 28 (which means I will very soon complete my third decade on this Planet), I ask myself what have I done? What have I filled my days with?...

The majority of people are said to have a so-called midlife crisis (though it is debatable how mid-life is defined), or let's say... a time when they take a closer (and a more profound) look back at everything that has been a part of their so-called life, up to a specific moment in that life, and have a... either a more pleasant, or a less pleasant, reaction upon the realization of the truth. Given that they are open and honest enough with themselves to actually admit the truth.

...

Well, I have that... every time the date changes and marks an official ending of a... certain time-period. Whether it's a calendar year, an academic year, or (the worst case) a year of my life.

So it usually is quite exhausting for me to "emit" cheerfulness and positivity during this time. And on the other hand, I'd rather spare the close ones from my philosophical reflections during a time that is, in fact, very joyous for them. And kill the whole "it's New Year, a fresh start" experience.

Anyways...

this last december 31st I was actually in a very hyped-up mood, because I was supposed to go to Barcelona airport and meet my mom and dad, and spend the following three weeks in their wonderful company. So, by default my 2007 was going to end phenomenally and 2008 was to have a smashing beginning. (As it did)

Those three weeks were as splendid as expected, and are now over.

So, this "end of the beginning" of 2008 has made me face (yet again) two sad and very confusing sensations: 1. The whole visit happened months ago and is getting lost in the foggyness of everything that the everyday life brings on; 2. They haven't even got here, because it is absolutely impossible that 20 days go by so fast...

As Mr. Hopkins' character (Bill Parish) so concisely (and realistically) puts it: 65 years... don't they go by in a blink?

What does that make a meer 20-day period...

I knew that getting back to normal would be hard, mostly because being close to my mom and dad, and sharing with them the everyday trivialities that make life... well, LIFE, made me think about how my life is, and how I would prefer it to be, and ... what trivialities I would very much like to fill those time instances we call days.

A state of mind I have had to deal with before. On several occasions. Anyways...

Having in mind that 2008 will be the year when my postgraduate studies will have their crowning moment and my own carefully crafted piece of work, called thesis, will see the light of the day, it is enough to make this year... something to look forward to.

birthday... vol. 2

2007-12-01T19:41:00.000+01:00

A nice, cosy celebration at the Creperie Bretonne, and a giant slice of home-made french cake...
:-) So that I have a ... delicious year!

birthday... роденден

2007-11-30T23:21:00.000+01:00

the last day of november happens to be the day when I was born. So... don't have a lot to say really, I am not a fan of getting older... but on the other hand, I am a fan of... celebrating the day when my journey on this planet began. So...
To all the great days (and nights) to come! And to be shared with close friends and loved ones.
Cheers.
M.

imagenes de Nicaragua

2007-10-07T16:56:00.000+02:00

Gilmores... just one more

2007-08-09T11:34:00.000+02:00

(season 6, episode 13 - Friday Night's All Right for Fighting)

SOOKIE: Hi, Paul Anka! You're going to come spend the night with me! [To Lorelai] You sure this is okay?
LORELAI: Yeah, it's fine.
SOOKIE: We think a dog would be good for Davey. He loves them. I just want to make sure that Jackson and I are dog people first.
LORELAI: Oh, you are!
SOOKIE [hesitantly]: Mm. I mean, I know babies, but dogs -
LORELAI: Are just furry babies. Here, keep him occupied for a sec.
[Sookie sits and baby-talks to him while Lorelai sneakily gets his leash from the corner and holds it behind her back.]
SOOKIE: Hi! Paul Anka! You want to come have a sleepover at my house? Huh? [To Lorelai] What are you doing?
LORELAI: Uh, he freaks out if he sees his leash. You have to make sure you hide it from him and make sure he doesn't see you putting it on him.
SOOKIE: How is he once he's on the leash?
LORELAI: Oh, he's totally fine having his personal freedom slowly stripped away, as long as he's completely unaware that it's happening. Just like a true American. He's all yours...

Gotta love Ms. Sherman-Palladino's work! Well done!!!

the gilmores and I...

2007-08-08T17:51:00.000+02:00

The only show I've considered good enough to be mentioned on my very personal pages has been Friends. ... that is until today.

It's one of the few days (oh, and may there always be as few as possible) when I can chill cause I don't have things to do, responsibilities to deal with, issues to work on etc., and so I indulged in the wit, the awesomely brain-challenging and extremely intelligent dialogues of the Gilmore Girls. Yes, Lorelai and Rory, my fave gals from the small screen. (KUDOS to Ms. Graham and Ms. Bledel for their outstanding performances)

The verbal action of the this mother-daughter duo never fails to amaze me. Every single sentence is a perfectly crafted jewelry that outshines the previous one. And the humour is equally fascinating, IF you actually manage to catch the punchlines. ... To a non-native speaker of English this is ... the ultimate "exercise"... Seriously, it is. But the reward is ... absolutely fantastic.

(Season 5, episode 2: A messenger, nothing more)

LORELAI: Hey, I should bring steak sauce, right?
RORY: For what?
LORELAI: Pizza.
RORY: I just got back from Italy.
LORELAI: So?
RORY: So they'd shoot you in Italy for that.
LORELAI: But this is America, where we unapologetically bastardize other countries' cultures in a gross quest for moral and military supremacy.
RORY: I forgot. Bring on the imperialistic condiments. ...

Brilliant!!!!!

"eme pe tres"

2007-08-01T17:20:00.000+02:00

(un extracto de algo que era mi tarea en cuanto empecé el master en la ub... me parece interesante el tema, y por lo tanto, lo comparto...)

El precio del CD

MP3. Dos letras y un número – una combinación tan sencilla que llegó a ser un símbolo del impacto inmenso que las nuevas tecnologías de informática y comunicación han provocado en el mundo de la música, cambiándolo para siempre, y un “código” para los “fans” del susodicho mundo, que sigue causando disturbios entre los “proveedores” y los “consumidores” de la música.

Sin caer en la trampa de hacer este texto completamente confuso tratando de explicar en detalle y precisamente qué es MP3, usaría su simple definición: “técnica de compresión capaz de encoger la información de audio”. Así, el MPEG Layer-3 permite que la música digital ocupe la doceava parte del espacio original, sin que pierda su calidad audio y de tal manera facilitando su transmisión por Internet. El Internet y, sobre todo, los programas basadas en lo que se llama “comunicación P2P” proveen el apoyo fundamental a los archivos MP3. La P2P comunicación es el elemento esencial de los programas como Emule, Soulseek, Warez, Shareaza – seguidores del legado dejado por el famoso Napster.

En palabras “cyber” más comprensibles - estos datos nos dicen que prácticamente cada canción que nos gusta poner por la mañana mientras estamos en el coche conduciendo, o mientras tomamos un café por la tarde, puede ser empacada en la forma llamada MP3, colocada en la carpeta llamada “Mi música”, compartida por Emule y de tal manera hecha disponible para todas las personas a quienes también les gusta. Añadido a esto la posesión de una grabadora y un CD, y últimamente, una conexión “banda ancha,” la misma canción puede ser copiada unas cuantas veces.

Si esto significa que la música, en general, se acerca cada vez más a la gente, que en realidad es uno de los efectos positivos de las nuevas TIC, entonces ¿por qué hay problemas y discusiones?

La industria musical y la piratería

Fijémonos en unos datos estadísticos:
- El cálculo aproximado de las ganancias de la industria musical en 1998 es 3 mil millones;
- Más que 100,000 álbumes se pusieron en venta en 2004;
- El Reino Unido, Noruega y EEUU son los tres países con más ventas de álbumes vendidos per capita – un promedio de 2.9 álbumes comprados por cada hombre, mujer y niño, en un año en el Reino Unido, 2.7 en Noruega y 2.6 en EEUU;
- Las 4 GRANDES (Sony BMG, EMI, Universal y Warner) casas disqueras, en 2004, poseían más que 70% del mercado mundial:
Universal – 25.5%
Sony BMG – 21.5%
EMI – 13.4%
Warner – 11.3%,
y controlaban más que 80% de los títulos producidos en los EEUU;
- Un total de 1.2 mil millones de discos piratas se vendieron en 2004 – 34% de todos los discos vendidos en el mundo, que traducido en pérdida de dinero significa $ 4.6 mil millones; Entre los países con índice de piratería más alto son: Brasil, China, la India, México y Pakistán.
Es difícil elegir entre la abundancia de “hechos y números” sobre el mercado musical, ofrecidas por los informes de organizaciones diferentes, algunas protegiendo las compañías discográficas y los derechos de propiedad intelectual, algunas preocupándose más de asunto como “oligopolios”. Sin embargo, solo un par de números ilustran muy bien que se trata de un mercado gigante de ganancias de dimensiones que “marean” y que las posibilidades que han surgido con el uso frecuente de las nuevas TIC produjeron unas ocurrencias que reducen “los trozos de la tarta disquera”.
El debate, en su esencia, es precisamente eso: la música se está copiando y transmitiendo por todo el mundo cada vez más, pero sin que eso siempre sea legalmente hecho, teniendo en cuenta que “la piratería simple es duplicación no autorizada de una grabación original, por beneficio comercial, sin el consentimiento del propietario de los derechos.” ¿Se considera, entonces, una copia de un CD hecha en casa y regalada a un amigo como piratería? Dado que las grabadoras se venden libremente, y por cierto las compañías discográficas reciben entre $2 y $12 de cada grabadora vendida (J. Bishop), y que, en este caso, no ha habido una ganancia, un beneficio comercial para la persona que hizo la copia.

La verdad es que este debate contiene ciertos asuntos éticos que ni es fácil concretizar, ni es justo que sean determinados por entidades que tienen en cuenta intereses aislados. Por un lado, es verdad que un CD contiene más que el material (que se hace cada vez más barato) de lo que se produce: lo más importante siendo energía creativa y el esfuerzo de los artistas, luego los costes de la grabación (el estudio, los músicos, ingenieros de sonido, productores), también costes de marketing y promoción, campañas, relaciones públicas, y muchos más. Por otro lado, no se requiere un estudio profundo para entender que la piratería en realidad está más presente en países en desarrollo, países en los cuales mucha gente no puede permitirse comprar CDs de 12€, 14€ o 19€. Tampoco debe olvidarse que se trata de una industria entera, de un “negocio” que, por supuesto, intenta proteger sus derechos de ganar dinero. Y en ese esfuerzo no siempre está claro ¿hasta qué punto hablamos de protección de derechos de propiedad intelectual y a partir de qué punto nos enfrentamos a “business as usual”?

No creo que sea muy posible llegar a una conclusión absoluta e indiscutible. Me atrevería decir que la lógica detrás del precio de un CD, propuesta por las compañías discográficas y sus asociaciones, sería aceptable cuando fuera aceptable la lógica que vivimos en un mundo donde una cantante compra ropa de $ 270 para sus dos perritos, el Director de NARAS, que gana por lo menos $ 2 millones al año, declara que “50% de las compras musicales en América Latina son piratería” y que “la entera cadena alimenticia de la música se muere de hambre”, mientras 1 mil millones de personas no tienen acceso a agua potable. Y hasta entonces me atrevo usar el Emule y mi grabadora.

figures, numbers, digits... (part 2)

2007-08-01T16:58:00.000+02:00

and this time in Spanish. Came across this on one of my very favourite websites: www.rebelion.org

Food for thought...

(by Frei Betto)

En Brasil reducir el analfabetismo femenino en apenas un 1 % equivaldría a evitar 415 muertes por año. Aumentar en un 1 % la red de aguas negras significaría evitar 216 muertes por año. Si el número de viviendas que reciben agua tratada aumentara el 1 %, se evitarían 108 muertes al año. Y si el número de camas en los hospitales aumentara el 1 %, se evitarían 27 muertes al año.

Dos de cada cinco personas en el mundo viven con menos de 1.5 dólar por día. No tienen acceso a los servicios básicos 2,400 millones de personas.

En este año 2007, por primera vez, hay más habitantes en las zonas urbanas que en las rurales. En el 2015 tendremos 22 megaciudades con más de 10 millones de habitantes cada una, 16 de las cuales en países pobres. En el 2030 un 60 % de la población vivirá en centros urbanos, lo que equivaldrá a 5 mil millones de personas. En el 2050 el Planeta tendrá 8.9 mil millones de habitantes.

En los Estados Unidos gastan anualmente casi 60 mil millones de dólares en productos de belleza. Y en Europa gastan 50 dólares por persona al año sólo en helados. (Fascinantes son las prioridades, verdad?)

En la naturaleza la descomposición del papel tarda de 3 a 6 meses; la de la tela, de 6 meses a un año; la de los chicles, 5 años; la de la madera pintada, 13 años; la de los plásticos, 500 años; la del vidrio, un millón de años; y la del caucho un tiempo indeterminado.

Una tonelada de virutas puede sustituir casi 4 metros cúbicos de madera. El reciclaje evita la muerte de unos 30 árboles. Para fabricar una tonelada de papel según el proceso tradicional son necesarios 100 mil litros de agua; si el papel es reciclado basta con 2 mil litros...

Pues, no hace falta decirles que habrá más "cifras y números curiosos"... Hasta la próxima.

фацки

2007-06-23T18:22:00.000+02:00

Факт е дека јас сум непресушен извор на фацијални експресии, гримаси, гестикулации, погледи, движења и слично, како дополнителен материјал при моето изразување (вербал енд нон-вербал експрешн, во комбинација).
...
ова е само еден микромален дел, умешно кепчард од објективот на Дарко Христов, за мене познат како Дацика. (почастете си ги очите на:

http://www.iofoto.blogspot.com/ или

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36443594@N00/)

доста време ерген одев

2007-06-18T21:42:00.000+02:00

За Филип, во име на дружбата на ОТП блок часови, споделувањето на пасијата за шпанските простори и се што може да се искуси посетувајќи ги, во име на замореноста од tapas и желбата да се јаде нешто конкретно (ти текнува ли во Мадрид?), во име на неговата љубов према музиката, скијањето и кошарката, во име на роденденот прославен во трета година гимназија, во име на седумте (или колку беа) прослави по повод дипломирање и неповторливата вечер во ресторан Маракана...
И за Јана, заради тоа што избрала „долга дружба“ со Филип!
:-)
М.

Breaking the silence...

2007-06-18T21:37:00.000+02:00

Wow... almost two months without writing a single word. ... Ok, no excuses here. And I have no idea where the times has gone.
Anyways, to make a long one short: two visits (friends from Sweden, friends living in Prague), an exam, lots of commotion back at home, an 11-day visit to Skopje spiced up with a wedding, mojito in one of the many bars on Makedonija St., great food in a kafana, etc, etc.
So, back in Girona now, again dealing with exam questions and two huge papers...
A lot has happened, a lot has been on my mind, but all's good.

OK... now I can go on with the regular posting.
:-)

Smiles,
Maria

the simplicity of beauty

2007-04-22T20:06:00.000+02:00

I was trying to "clean up" my computer (as if that were possible, but ok...), deleting all the unnecessary crap piled up in that mysterious folder with an ambiguous name "Temp" (how do you define temporary, when it can stay there for years?), and during my cleansing project with a suspicious success, I came across this photo... Not taken by myself... It's amazing how simple beauty is... Or how beautiful simplicity can be... Thought I'd share it...

yet another...

2007-04-12T10:27:00.000+02:00

... no comment kinda-thing. If it weren't for the dose of tragical reality, I'd say it's quite a funny one. Then again, it's a thin line between tragedy and comedy.

глаголи

2007-03-28T18:01:00.000+02:00

... во моето жиронско секојдневие, прилично многу ми недостасува употребата на некои специфични, екстра-автентични и неописливо описни глаголи... како на пример:
онадува
ничкосува
се ѕенѕа
кандисува
обесува
далдисува
...
гарант има повеќе ама во моментов ми текнува на овие.

7...7...7...7

2007-03-16T16:34:00.000+01:00

Monica: (to Chandler) So, did you do it?
Chandler: Yes, yes, we had the sex.
Monica: Uh-oh, it was bad?
Chandler: It was fine, y’know? But she didn’t agree with me as strongly as she agreed with Joey. She was more like, "I see you point, I’m all right with it."
Monica: Well, it was the first time. Y’know, there’s not always a lot of agreement the first time.
Rachel: Yeah, not girls anyway, guys agree (snaps her fingers) like that.
Chandler: Look, you have to help me! Okay? I mean, I know what to do with a woman, y’know, I know where everything goes, it’s always nice. But I need to know what makes it go from nice to, "My God! Somebody’s killing her in there!"
Monica: All right, I’m gonna show you something a lot of guys don’t know. Rach, give me that pad, please? (She does so and Monica starts drawing on it) All right. Now…
Chandler: Look, you don’t have to draw an actual wo—whoa! She’s hot!
Monica: Now everybody knows the basic erogenous zones. (She starts labelling them) You got one, two three, four (Chandler is shocked to find out there’s more than three), five, six, and seven!
Chandler: (shocked) There are seven?!
Rachel: Let me see that. (Monica shows her) Oh, yeah.
Chandler: (Points to one) That’s one?
Monica: It’s kind of an important one!
Chandler: Oh, y’know-y’know what, I was looking at it upside down.
Rachel: Well, y’know, sometimes that helps. (She realises what that could’ve meant.)
Monica: (continuing) Now, most guys will hit uh, 1-2-3 and then go to 7 and set up camp.
Chandler: That-that’s bad?
Rachel: Well if you go to Disneyland, you don’t spend the whole day on the Materhorn.
Chandler: Well you might if it were anything like 7!
Monica: All right uh, the important thing is to take your time, you want to hit ‘em all, and you mix ‘em up. You gotta keep them on their toes.
Rachel: Oo, toes!! Well, for some people. (Chandler eyes her and her toes.)
Monica: All right. Umm, you could uh start out with a little 1, a 2, a 1-2-3, 3, 5, a 4, a 3-2, 2, a 2-4-6, 2-4-6, 4, (Rachel starts getting worked up) 2, 2, 4-7, 5-7, 6-7, 7, …7..…7…-7-7-7-7-7-7…(mouths 7)! (They both lean back on the couch satisfied.)
...
ps. In case you didn't know, I love "Friends". And if I reaaaaaally had to chose one scene, out of all ten seasons, that is my favourite, then this would be it.
:-)

corner...

2007-03-11T22:24:00.000+01:00

едно од најомилените ќошиња... ever.

:-)

најпосебно

2007-03-10T21:00:00.000+01:00

Најпосебно гушнување во свет... ма во Универзум!!!

la cara de la amistad...

2007-03-10T20:38:00.000+01:00

...chilling out, on a quiet saturday eve... The date (march 10th) got me thinking about... well, my friends. It's the birthday of one of my closest friends ever, and even though I know that she and I are not so worried about "celebrating" specific occasions, I have to say I wish I were a bit closer (say 3,4 km instead of the almost 3000 that spread between us at the moment) so that I can tell her that I'd love to celebrate her birth since it meant the beginning of her life, and then, 29 years later, our life-paths crossing and her appearing in my life.
...
Given the options, I decided to dedicate a very small virtual space to a very big and real part of my existence: my friends.
So... here they are... friendly faces or the faces of my friends... Put it anyway you want, it always narrows down to one thing, people that make an ordinary moment, extraordinary.

an end of an era...

2007-02-26T09:30:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, Feb. 25th, Darko and I decided to make some changes in the profile and make this "my" blog, given the frequency of my posting here (and the lack of his).

:-)

His presence hopefully will still add a little something to offlog... at least occasionally.

be born black... and drop dead

2007-02-21T17:44:00.000+01:00

I am aware that the title of this post... well, insinuates racism, or something negative about a certain race, but those who have gotten to know me understand that the title is such because I have something to say. And those who do not know me could, for example, keep on reading.

This was originally an email written to a group of people, my Macedonian friends actually, right after watching the movie: Hotel Rwanda...

See, a few years ago I decided that I would try and forgive myself for not being informed and being ignorant when it comes to the genocide in Rwanda. Almost a million people dead, and the rest of the world barely heard about it. Barely had a glimpse of the horror taking place in the above-mentioned African country.

It is not my intention to preach and annoy with the whole issue about having to be aware of what is happening outside the borders of our everyday life.

It is clear to me that I, as a person, cannot assume responsibility for the events (the unfortunate ones) in so many places of the world – the financial meltdown in Argentina, because of the stupidity of Menem (among other reasons), the civil war in Rwanda, the situation in Burma (Myanmar)... I realize that every person lives her/his life, dealing with his/her own burden, his/her own “mountain” as we say in Macedonian. I realize that Macedonia, as a country, has basically nothing to do with the atrocities happening in the World.

I am simply... astonished and flabbergasted by the “mankind”, and by all of those things that we, as humans, are able to do. I am frightened by the idea of the history of mankind, and the path we have walked in order to get where we are now, today.

I mean... here I am in Spain, or more precisely Catalunya, typing on my, very dear, Vaio laptop, I’m studying postgraduate studies at the University of Barcelona; Ms Aguilera buys 200$ clothes for her dogs; one of the execs at NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, or in other words people behind the organization of the Grammy awards), who undoubtedly earns at least a million a year, makes a statement that piracy has “cut in half” the incomes of the music industry; the “important” politicians (and other big fish) are “deciding” over the economic future of the world in luxurious Davos (how on Earth they manage to comprehend world POVERTY in that place, I have NO clue whatsoever); a tea-bag encrusted with diamonds can be found in London, making the “fabulous life of the rich and the famous” even more fabulous, ... and a WHOLE continent is dying... a whole continent is fighting to SURVIVE. No, not live... survive. One country (Tanzania) eats wormy remains of fish, while the good meat, 500 tons a day, is being transported to the European markets, by the Russian largest cargo-planes (which afterwards return to the African countries loaded with weapons). And about a billion people are living the horrors of hunger.

HOW has the World gotten to this point??? HOW is that possible???

I do sincerely apologise for taking up your time with... issues which... it seems pointless to analyse or elaborate, but I think I am reaching the outer limits of my patience and endurance in the process of learning more about this World.

And, it is hard not to remember that in 2001 the WHOLE world (and probably other planets as well) found out and was constantly being informed with news, of every type, when the planes hit the twin towers in NYC. CNN, Fox, local TV stations throughout the world (or, at least where TV sets can be found)... All of them letting us know every single detail of the horror brought by the “worst terrorist attack ever”.

...

Don’t get me wrong... this is not about establishing... which is worse... it is not about a comparison: whose life is worth more. NO. It doesn’t even matter to me who organized the 9/11 attacks or all of those issues that were later debated. No. Those 3000 people are not concerned with that. They died. And that is by far the most important issue.

All I’m saying is that in Rwanda ... almost a million died. And it was barely heard around the world. But, just as Nick Nolte’s character (a Canadian general) says in the movie: You are worth nothing. You are not even an American nigger. You are an African! (for those of you who have not seen the movie, he is not a villain, on the contrary, these words are being said with a lot of irony and bitterness)
It saddens me to ... admit the truth in that cruel, cruel, cruel quote.

I will go back to my reading now, I’ll make something to eat, or go to the gym, and the Earth won’t stop turning. And... I’ll post something more cheerful in the days to come. I know that. I just felt the need to express all this. It won't resolve a single problem of ... the African people, for example.

... I’m not sure if I still dream (strive) to become UN Secretary General. I would be very radical for the rest of the organisation, I am sure. No more luxurious conferences, in... the Hiltons, the Plazas, or the other fancy hotels, to start with. And I somehow doubt that my “colleagues” would like that...

фраер!

2007-02-20T10:17:00.000+01:00

Својството на фраерштина е... вродено. Или го имаш, или го немаш.
;-)

Боки Смоки, фраерче во кул-поза, овековечен во овој виртуелен простор.

Valen... what???

2007-02-13T21:55:00.000+01:00

It's feb. 13th, a quiet Tuesday eve in the catalan town, I'm getting ready to watch one of the series I like, and it hits me tomorrow is... a date associated with a day I find quite sickening...
I'm not a fan of St. Valentine... And I am not going to get into the whole... "the day of the ones in love"... No. I just want to bitch about it for a very simple reason: Macedonians, at least those who actually would like to celebrate religious holidays, have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with St. Valentine. It ain't even part of their religion. ... What's more, the orthodox church celebrates a MUCH COOLER day...
Мислам дајте ве молам... тровање со цветчиња, пакетчиња, мечиња и остали производи во деминутивна форма и црвена боја, отруени со глупа пропаганда за таканаречен ден на ... вљубени. Отров.
...
А толку симпатичен празник си имаме, ако веќе ни дошло до славење.. па тоа Свети Трифун, па винова лоза, па винце... Валентин МАЈ ЕС! Свашта!

need I say more?

2007-01-21T02:23:00.000+01:00

...

the coffee cult

2006-11-09T22:43:00.000+01:00

(written quite a while ago... but still very true and very applicable)

Coffee-culture code of conduct

One of the most-commonly used phrases in this city: “Let’s go & grab a cup of coffee,” is in fact a whole institution. The profoundness of its semantics has been developed so much, it’s now rephrased in a shorter version: “Na kafe” (sorry, it would be a sad thing to actually try and translate it) which, in case you visit, or live, here for a while, you are likely to adopt as easily as: Hi). See, when you hear the invitation, you need to know it could express more than one thing: it could be a simple invitation to drink this, in my opinion, nice beverage (now found in many forms, sizes, and served in more than 15 variations) during a lunch break; an invitation coming from somebody who wants to get to know you better, but not asking you on a typical night-out; it might be the internal understanding between two friends that they just wanna go and have a nice talk, in which case coffee is very frequently replaced by beer or wine, and the phrase simply indicates their mutual wish for a verbal communication, etc… It all depends on the circumstances in which this simple, yet important, phrase is being used.

Having that in mind, we’re inevitably led to the division of the different types of coffee-drinkers, all having their own motives.

For example, the area in the so-called “City Shopping Centre/Mall” is the location of cafés, better known for their “status” than the actual coffee-offer. Some interesting phenomena can be seen here:

- All the places are only 20% full before 12:30 pm, and then in a sudden motion they become packed;

- Sun-glasses (famous brand of course) are an indispensable item (even when there are just patches of “bluish” skies and basically no sun-light);

- Girls simply have to meet their friends carrying bags from “Mango,” “Phard,” “Energie” (even when the contents inside originate from a flea-market)

- One cup of the beverage ordered is being consumed during an unreasonably long period of time (it’s the presence that counts, ok?)

Then you have small, cosy cafés, scattered through the central area which are always tireless in providing the best supply of this brownish liquid to the consumers that do a research on finding the places with best-tasting macchiato or cappuccino. My Mom would definitely fit in this category, for whenever we decide to go out and browse the shops, she instantly thinks of a new place where we can sit down afterwards.

  Quite amusing are the “places for socialization” located in the centres/malls in the various neighbourhoods. Needless to say, their open arms embrace the very local population, separated by age groups, of course, and the latest news in the neighbourhood are being spread around (the true version, almost always, is lost among the ones with a personal touch, and “additives”)
Note: keep in mind the ratio I’ve mentioned the very first time we met online - it’ll tell you clearly just how much I had to simplify the coffee-culture in order not to write a whole doctorate online!

Живеј го СКОПЈЕ

2006-11-09T16:45:00.000+01:00

(според мене, досега најасален информатор за скопската понуда)

И... практични примери:

без наслов

2006-11-09T13:53:00.000+01:00

... Сакав да гледам ѕвезди во синото небо. И посакав да изберам една, една на која ќе можам да и раскажувам за собата во која лудуваше моето срце, за прозорецот од собата, низ кој заедно го мамевме громот, да ги мери своите своите сили со моќта на нашето доживување. И да и дадам име што ќе вреска со енергија, а никој друг нема да може да го слушне. И да и раскажувам за нуклеарниот миг кој долго, долго останува извор на снажниот дух што сега лута по аглите на спомените...

(М. 1998 год.)

разгледница

2006-11-05T22:37:00.000+01:00

Сонце и студ во Скопје

Rocktober во Скопје

2006-11-05T21:32:00.000+01:00

...Добро, ја пропуштив првата недела од месецот, но сега да не ситничариме, да не губиме време со датуми и бројки.

Ме дочека тмурно небо и дожд, но и веселото лице на Моркислав – интересно, ако денот по утрото се познава, тогаш тој почеток на моите 4 недели во моето Скопје, беше „исклучок“ што би требало да го потврди правилото. Следеше многу сонце, што нежно топли, многу есенски бои, многу насмевки, и уште повеќе смеење, многу дружења... и никакво „сивило“ (неферски спрема бојата, во суштина баш ми е убава).

Елем... стигнав, и секако дека после пост-патувачкиот туш, кој служи да се измие уморот од пасошките контроли и прашања од типот „Мис, а вер ар ју а гоин?“ (италијани во Милано), мирисот на авионите и терминалите, нечистотијата од подвижните скали, и евентуално некоја посета на аеродромски „тојлет“, седнав да поуживам во белото сирење. ДА, класика, сирење и ајвар, ко сите од дијаспората, ама... овде и онака доста клишеа ќе прочитате и ако случајно ви пречи... е па, ваш проблем, што друго да кажам... Неколку часа подоцна, веќе заборавив на Жирона, и на фактот дека истото утро пиев кафе во Барселона, дишејќи каталонски воздух. А меѓу веселата група на улица Маршал Тито бр. 16 1/1, мезињата, гласната музика и познатите доскочици, го истражував чувството на... познатоста, чувство со опис „како никогаш и да не сум била отсутна“, седумте изминати месеци како да не се беа случиле воопшто.

...

Овој роктомври го откривав Скопје, одново и повторно, во секоја прошетка, во секое излегување, во секој пожолтен лист, во секја голтка кафе испиена во некое од многуте местенца, во секое ѓубренце на земја, и оние помалите и некако прифатливи, и оние кои ме тераат да ги задавам сите случајни поминувачи што се нарекуваат скопјани и чија заслуга се купиштата ѓубре... Го доживував Скопје одново и повторно во секој сообраќаен хаос, и во неверојатната способност на учесниците во него да најдат своја патека и да стигнат до сопствената дестинација, во новите градби со симпатичен изглед но со тотално утната локација и крајно неиспланирана поставеност која несомнено го руши и Фенг Шуито, и сите други Шуи-ја и останати архитектонски правила, придонесувајќи кон веќе-споменатиот хаос... Го вкусував Скопје во лешиците и индиските ореви, во мезињата на новите кафанчиња (тиквица и модар патлиџан со магдонос и лукче), а и во старите, оние што не те изневеруваат (ДТЦ Палома Бјанка, прв спрат... фалафел, козјо сирење на скара, буковки на жар, грчка салата), во новите клубови и барови, а и во старите со ново име... во реновираните, ре-декорираните, ре-...обмислените места со мисија да го збогатат ноќниот живот на градот, во вареното винце на „Лезет“... Го слушав Скопје во Домот на АРМ, во свирките, во остарената Универзална која душа испушта и редно е да биде заменета со нешто мааалку од малку подостоинствено за Џез фест, Оф-фест и останати фестови, и случувања..., во метежот на полните улици, во тупцс-тупцс музиката на „кафиќите“ во Рамстор, ... во гласните разговори и изразените гестикулации на неговите жители.

...

Не ми се верува(ше) колку ми недостасувал градот, атмосферата, неговата душа, со сите свои маани, фалинки и „раф еџиз“ кои неизбежно ми провоцираат некоја насмевка на лицето.

...

И сето тоа беше откровение за мене. Јас, граѓанинот на светот, кој најискрено верува дека ако хоум из вер д харт из, а јас срцето со мене си го носам, тогаш од секое место се прави дом... Да, не дека не верувам во тоа... Апсолутно е така.

Само треба да се има на ум дека на едно место, многу конкретно, од оваа планета, може да се покаже на една зграда и да се каже: Еј, овде у средно идев! (Ок, ок – технички детал: може и две места да бидат за тие што завршиле средно во ЈУ Ес оф Еј или некоја друга развиена земја, со намера да го збогатат своето образование).

Ама јас не зборувам сега за техничките детали.

...

Едноставно, се почувствував... не, грешка. Се ПОТСЕТИВ колку неизмерно комотна се чувствувам во Скопје, во сите елементи од она што е МОЕ СКОПЈЕ... во мирисот на пецивата што се печат од сабајле, во прецизното знаење на времетраењето на „зеленото човече“ на раскрсниците, во моменталното наоѓање на такси во било кое време, и покрај нервирањето од однесувањето на некои од нив, во непријатното потресување што толку кучиња и мачки лутаат, но и во задоволството што месари, ресторани, кафани им даваат да јадат на оние посреќните... во сите скопски контрасти, сите противречности на овој град.

...

Не е ни битно дали идеализирам, дали сега и тука (седната на кауч во малото станче на Манел Бонмати, акцент на последното „и“) заталкувам низ романтичната слика создадена во текот на четирите сончеви недели поминати во моето Скопје, дали се лажам себеси верувајќи дека најубаво ми било и ќе ми биде во Скопје. Не ни размислувам за тоа. Ова не се редови напишани за некое минато, или за некоја иднина. Ова се само импресии, и тоа многу, многу, многу лични, од една „афера со еден град“...

И не можам да забранам, ама можам да се понадевам дека никој нема да ми зборува за тоа како „во Скопје све е шит“ и како Македонија... ова или она. Не ме интересира. Конечно, како што фино кажа една хероина во една серија што страшно ми се допаѓа: Cause I can’t have anybody talking shit about my true love...

De qué color...

2006-09-24T21:33:00.000+02:00

... se pinta una sonrisa? He aquí unas de color rojo...

inspirador

2006-09-24T21:30:00.000+02:00

"Muchos me dirán aventurero, y lo soy, sólo que de un tipo diferente y de los que ponen el pellejo para demostrar sus verdades."

a quote to think about...

2006-09-22T19:44:00.000+02:00

Instead of photos, something that I haven been posting a lot lately, I wanted to leave a thought I find quite interesting to ponder over... here it goes:

"I started in this business because this is what I wanted to do. I knew I wasn't going to write the Great American Novel, but I also knew there was more to life than buying something for a dollar and selling it for two."

who would've thought...

2006-08-09T23:54:00.000+02:00

... that this little sunshine would make such a difference in our lives...

no comment...

2006-08-07T08:53:00.000+02:00

relaxed

2006-08-06T22:21:00.000+02:00

or, how I feel after completing (mind you, successfully), four exams and two papers, that, in total, kept me busy until july 30th. Not that I don't have any work left, but it has been a relaxing week. Adequate visual material to depict the mood is attached below.
:-)

application of the arms and lips

2006-06-30T16:59:00.000+02:00

Instructions for a basic hug
... lift up both the right and the left arm, simultaneously, put them around your friend, squeeze, but not too much (we don't want any bonebreaking taking place), and take a moment. In some cases resting your head on friend's shoulder (or chest, for the shorter ones) is an option.
:-)

contentos

2006-06-27T23:22:00.000+02:00

muy contentos... en Turquia...

sonrisas, muchas sonrisas...

2006-06-27T22:50:00.000+02:00

very few of my very favourite smiles. because there can never be enough...

in the spot-light...

2006-06-27T18:17:00.000+02:00

... dedicated to all the great moments i've shared with the talented young fellaz on the photos!!!

НА ЗДРАВЈЕ!

2006-05-24T10:13:00.000+02:00

Don't know whether it's ... the unforgettableness of a moment, or the nice feeling that overcomes me whenever my closest ones and myself say: Cheers and wish each other all the best... or the tasty "beverage", or the click of the glasses... Guess it is all that, and so much more, all at once and mixed in one of those instances in life that make it all worth while.

Живи и здрави да сме!!! На здравје! Salud!

priceless...

2006-05-24T01:21:00.000+02:00

Soooo...

Having mentioned the good times, I found myself quite inspired to... properly show you a tiny little detail of what the good times mean to us... I admit I also found this creative task much more appealing than the statistics one I have to do for my postgraduate studies (I promise I will get on the right track asap)... As I mentioned... this is just a peek at the unforgettable moments we (as in my close ones and myself) have shared. I can only wish that there are many, many, many more to come! ENJOY! ДОБАР АПЕТИТ! Крв да ни се стори... :-)

I want to set the record straight: I remain to be a vegetarian, and the kjebabche-photo (and some others where you see me in presence of meat) should not cause any confusion.

во име на добрите времиња

2006-05-22T14:33:00.000+02:00

... I openly admit my weakness for the good times... shared with close people, preferably over some good food, drinks and music...

perspectivas diferentes...

2006-05-22T12:43:00.000+02:00

Nicaragua getting to know Macedonia... well, my version of Macedonia

2006-05-21T21:38:00.000+02:00

Alí y los músicos...

Alí, Darko e Ivana!!!

T'ga za Jug.

Tengo suficiente espacio en la barriga? Claro que sí.

huele a ajo esta cosa... mmmm...

San Pante... qué?

Caminando por la calle, yo te ví...

Skopje square...

No duele... para nada!

my corner of the world...

2006-05-21T19:29:00.000+02:00

Carol, Sonja and me...

Chillin' out with Lisich...

... Karime, Maria... pollo y patatas en el horno, salsitas, ensalada... sonrisas en una casa "skopjena"... el segundo encuentro de la mejicana y la macondense...

What's cooler than being cool? ICE COLD!!! Ohrid, the first day of 2004...

one hug, two smiles... found at: Stiftgasse 33... Jana and Maria in the summer of 2001

raspberry flavoured ice-tea... and a canada-flavoured moment at NEW AGE... Jenny and myself...

surreal

2006-05-21T19:09:00.000+02:00

...
I take the liberty to, very immodestly and quite boastfully, name this photo as a LEGENDARY ONE. Just like the cuban singer who appears in it...
April 14th, 2004. Señor Ibrahim Ferrer... and myself.

right to die...

2006-05-08T21:53:00.000+02:00

Surely many of you have heard of/seen the movie "Mar Adentro" (Amenábar's piece of art)... and some of you may know that it is based on a true story, Ramon Sampedro's story.
I really seem not able to grasp the whole issue about euthanasia in this place (is it catholisism or just one of those let's-make-a-fuss-cause-we-are-bored issues) - I mean, what is there to discuss: This is MY life and I decide whether I want to continue it in a wheelchair, unable to move nothing but my lips (or left finger, or right eyelid)... And it is NOBODY else's business.
And this comes from a person that loves life... I do. It is a miracle, it is beautifull... But that is not the point.
I don't understand how ANYONE thinks that they have a right to stick their nose into this personal matter. Hell, it is not personal, it is megapersonal.
Am I one of the very few that see this as a "simple" desicion: either I want to continue life or I don't! NOT GOD'S or any other imagined creature or whatever that exists to relieve the impossibility to answer certain questions.

oh, sí, pobre Repsol

2006-05-08T21:48:00.000+02:00

No puedo creer las tonterias que salen en las noticias/periódicos/medios de comunicación en España, después de la decisión de señor Evo (esa de la nacionalización)... Hasta un periódico como El País, que se supone que es progresista, o al menos esa era mi idea, sigue con artículos que de manera, más o menos, sútil trata de presentar esa desición como si fuera el fin del mundo para las compañías que EXPLOTAN los recursos de Bolivia... No importa que es el país de América Latina con más recursos naturales de gas, no importa que se está borrando del mapa mundial... Oh no, pobres las compañías...
mierda de los medios de comunicación... y lo triste es que en este país la tele se consume mucho, y sin un filtro crítico, eh...

Sr. Morales, Usted siga con lo que está haciendo, solo gestione lo de manera prudente!

some things don't come out in English

2006-04-05T09:16:00.000+02:00

... најобично утро во каталонскиот град Жирона, кафе, сонце и Радио „трес“ и секако вести од Македонија. Неодамна видов дека Дневник има променет дизајн и сега може да се објавуваат коментарии на статиите - дал да плачам, ил да се смеам твоите зборови не ми кажуваат. Катастрофа...
Мислам дека се претвора во еден вид мазохистички ритуал, зашто веќе знам дека ако фрлам еден поглед на коментарите ќе се разочарам и одново ќе сфатам дека ни недостасува свест, свест за нас самите, за она што го живееме, за она што изјавуваме дека сакаме да го живееме... Еден тон некултурни, безобразни коментари, различни (но поеднакво гнасни) форми на изразување бес, фрустрација и омраза. Не дека не знам од каде сето тоа потекнува... Не дека јас сега сум во едно друго место, на 3000 километри од Скопје па сега можам памет да продавам за тоа „како“ треба да се живее, мисли, делува. Воопшто не ми е тоа намерата. Ниту пак сум толку долго „надвор“. Едноставно, не гледам каде, кон што води толку негативна енергија. Не сфаќам што менува ако јас на една статија, во врска со новинарка од Албанија, ги испцујам сите албанци и се што е од албанско потекло??? Ми олеснува??? Ми се подобрува денот? Одеднаш ми се појасни нештата? Сум го нашла начинот да си го направам животот поудобен?... Што се менува ако најдам спрема кого да пружам прст и да кажам: Твоја вина е што не ми е убав и удобен животот???
...
Би сакала да знам, да можам да видам како ќе се променат... пардон, како ќе ги промениме нештата (бидејќи сами од себе сигурно нема да се сменат) за нас да ни е поубаво... сега за сега, не гледам како...

no comment...

2006-03-16T14:44:00.000+01:00

15 March 2006 – Culminating months of intensive negotiations, the United Nations General Assembly today voted overwhelmingly on a resolution setting up a new Human Rights Council to replace the much-criticized Human Rights Commission...

170 votes in favour, 3 abstaining and 4 against... do I even need to say who: why the U.S. and their good buddy Israel, of course...

no comment.

as I said (well, wrote actually) I will try and post something more frequently. Not that easy since the World, and everything that is going on these days gives me too much material which I am not able to process. Like for example the "UN news" mentioned above.
I guess, when you are "fighting terrorism" surely you'll have a "few" casualties that have not been planned, so "God (whatever that is) forbid" that you should be judged for that.

back from the... ok, not dead, but lifeless

2006-03-08T18:50:00.000+01:00

it's not like we don't have anything to say anymore... No. In both D's life and mine there have been changes, mine includes a move from Skopje to Catalunya, in order to feed my brain some more and put it through another academic challenge called Master en Comercio y Finanzas Internacionales.
And D, as always, keeps himself busy reading, learning even more about new technologies, gadgets and ... now, planes as well.
I have decided though that I would try and post something at least each week. It doesn't have to be an in-depth analysis of the current world events, psychological or sociological issues or economic and political opinions. I'll take it easy... so bear with me.
:-)

The way of the world

2005-08-20T18:11:00.000+02:00

(another one by M)

This was originally sent as an email to a (large) group of friends of mine, and then I thought why shouldn't I post it as a blog, since it deals with something I really needed to express.
So...
Just after getting back from my holiday in Turkey (could write a lot about that one but I do that, regularly, on another web-site) I got a call from a local office of one of the UN agencies (never mind which one) asking me if I am available for an interview. Being referred to me by the UNDP office, they wanted to know if they could talk to me about a conference that they need to prepare and need an extra person to help them. And that this could possibly lead to a future employment.
Oh wow. Doesn't that sound impressive?!
I show up at the office for an interview and I now consider myself EXTRA-lucky that a friend of mine from high-school, who is working there, warned me about the "possible behaviour" of his boss, i.e. the person in charge of the office, one of those foreign EXPERTS who come here to teach us how things ought to be done. Plus I had just arrived from holidays so... I was quite relaxed.

It would be pointless to try and remember and then retell the conversation... let me just say that for slightly less than an hour I had to listen to quite a few "very negative comments" (read: shameless assaults) on how bad Macedonia is, how incredibly reckless we are, how pathetically close we are to our families, how unbelievably optimistic we are having in mind that nothing is produced here, we don’t do anything, we are lazy, etc. etc... All this (and much more) spiced up with lots and lots of fuck it, fucking this or that... lots of bull shit, etc... Very eloquent, wouldn’t you agree? Oh and as I was supposed to show I am able to read and write emails, and showed that required computer skill on this person's computer, also managed to hear a nice comment on how "projects about AIDS in Macedonia are bull shit cause nobody here is having sex." (Khmmm, that pretty much tells you a lot about this UN official, doesn’t it?)
... I do have to say I was very cool all this time, with a semi-smile on my face and just one comment made: Oh well, you know, different systems of values. Incredible control system, since I am MEGA-OPPINIONATED and NOT tolerant to rude behaviour and offending of that kind. Not that I wasn’t MORE THAN TEMPTED to make a few more comments, polite but thorny, double-dosed in irony and the kind that would make him shut up. Or better yet, frustrate him even more.
Cause the words did ring in my ears. And the synaptic links among my cerebral cells were reaching their high-level activities.
But I didn’t.
Because there was no point. Because he is obviously frustrated enough that he, as such an expert, such a wonderful mind, had to be wasted in this shit-hole called The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, having to put up with people who are pathetic and who cling on to their families and friends for such a long time. Because he hates it here but has to be here.

I know that there are different people out there and that it is VERY possible to meet just about any imaginable and unimaginable character... I have accepted that, along with the fact that it is quite probable I will meet more of them.
And I know that people here are more “laid back” than they should be. That we need to work more on making things better here. For us. That sustainable means “creating and developing internal mechanisms” that will ensure that we are moving onto higher levels. That is NO BIG truth.

The point is... First, that kind of rudeness is not, DEFINITELY NOT, allowed. It is so low, I cannot even begin to describe it. Because it is judgmental. Because neither that person, nor Mr. Kofi Annan HIMSELF have the right to judge about who I am and where I come from. Because no nationality implies inferiority and no nationality defines the person for who she or he is and what she or he is like.
Second, Skopje being so small and everybody knowing everybody, or the very fact that Mr. I-fucking-hate Macedonia couldn’t stand, later allowed me to learn some really NASTY things about this person and how he could not be exposed in the media because of a “strong back” as we say here. And at the same time ... he is one of the internationals. The ones that we “need so much”, the ones that we are supposed to pick on the good example from... How magnificent, is it not? HOW on Earth is it possible that a person like that helps me if he or she has decided that he already despises me because of my origin? How can he or she be a good coordinator and provide useful input, management and knowledge if he or she thinks the worst about his colleagues? And this is a UN... AS IN UNITED NATIONS official. HELLO... UNITED, meaning all together, across the world, no matter what the origin, the race, the skin tone, the religious belief (or lack of such) and the systems of values are.
And last, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST... Oh, this was a true BLOW! This is a person supposedly educated in the field of Sociology and has a degree in Psychology! I consider myself a fairly intelligent person (all types of intelligence included) but I fail to comprehend ... NO, more precisely, it BOGGLES MY MIND to understand how he fits in the field of “understanding the human psyche”.
...
what else can I add except, the ways of the world are truly unique, wouldn't you say so?!

shake it for me!

2005-07-07T19:54:00.000+02:00

just a note before I begin... these thoughts are to be taken VERY PERSONALLY only by the assholes working at the British Embassy in Skopje, especially the airhead that is supposedly AN EXPERT in evaluating the "skills" of the dancers of macedonian folk-dances... (Yes, the level of annoyance, anger and aggravation I am feeling at the moment is damn high... has reached the red zone)

So, July 1st, a group of 35 professional dancers of folk-dances from Bitola head for the British embassy to ask for visas in order to go to Wales for a festival of folk dances. And... (oh how I "love" this) they are "ASKED" to perform outside the embassy so that THE CLERK (praise the MULTI-TALENTED administration clerks employed by the embassy) verifies that they have the "posture and the moves" of professional dancers of folk dances...
I mean, how the fuck should one react to this?
Will spare you the very much expected blah-blah-blah bullshit by the officials and their attempt to JUSTIFY the procedure and the behaviour of the clerk, she, allegedly tried to make the situation easier. Needless to say, makes the whole image even more ... colorful and picturesque.
...
Anyways, July 6th, wednesday, the whole bunch of dancers, all dressed up in the typical, macedonian folk outfits, in front of the Embassy danced their asses away and showed just how GOOD they are at what they do. I truly, honestly and most profoundly am hoping that they ended their spectacular performance with a simple THANK YOU AND FUCK YOU!!!

and p.s.
I really wonder about the possible requirements a British would have to meet in order to get a visa for Macedonia (well, one can dream and hope, can s/he not?) - Drink 10 beers and then try to see if they know what is the 4th song on Beatles' "Abbey Road" and make them sing it???

2005-07-06T14:14:00.001+02:00

fasten your seatbelt please

2005-07-06T14:14:00.000+02:00

fasten your seatbelt please

2005-07-06T14:11:00.000+02:00

fasten your seatbelt please

How far can we go?

2005-07-05T21:23:00.000+02:00

... Ok, so D and I post our thoughts individually and I just read his last post... And as you can see it provoked a reaction right away.
See, I know I have bitched about many things, countries, people, occurrences, but somehow have left (or tried to leave) Macedonia out of it. And BELIEVE ME it is not because of the lack of inspiration.
But... How do you start writing about the chaos? Or the situation? Without sounding too confusing.
Well, luckily, D did it for me... I must admit I absolutely love his example with his 14-month old beautiful Jana because it says something so true about ANY INDIVIDUAL'S behaviour - you cross the line, with the hope that nobody will notice OR that simply you want get punished. If that is the case, not only the next time you'll cross it again, you'll even place it further away. And this goes for everything: interpersonal relations, child's exploration in its early phases of growing up, everyday traffic, you name it...
Becoming aware of all that, I wonder - Until when? When is it that you reach the final point in exercising the "obviously given right" NOT TO OBEY? What is or will be that crucial moment that will make the STATE (seen as an entity that CAN PUT some order at least in several specific aspects of life) REACT? And say: It's enough...
Beats me... If you know, well, share the revelation please...

It started to fall apart

2005-07-05T14:39:00.000+02:00

In the last couple of weeks l have seen buses that drive on sidewalks and pedestrian crossings in the center of Skopje, police officers that drive without belts and lights, pedestrian that are, like my Austrian friend eloquently put it: “Freiwild dass abgeschossen wird”, cars that park on busy traffic lanes ... Not that I haven’t seen it before but the frequency is becoming crushing. Why emphasize traffic problems in a land with much bigger ones.
Because I believe that the everyday traffic is where a state can make or break the law and order obedience. It is the only contact of a normal citizen on a day to day basis with "them". A state that accepts disorder and misbehavior there has no bright future. And our state accepts everything in terms of traffic misconduct. E.g. you park on the sidewalks in the busy Skopje center and you see a cop headed towards you and say to yourself: shit I am gonna get a ticket! But hey he just walks by and ignores you. Ok you'll say I don't need the police to act like a civilized being. The truth is you do my friend. Because you adopt fast to the chaotic environment. At least most of us do. I cursed about people crossing double lanes and making U turns in front of the Sobranie 2 years ago. I am doing it myself now, with cops watching and turning their heads. In fact I started to believe that the only time you have a chance being fined is if their chief told them so: go and write some tickets. How a normal citizen becomes a traffic criminal? It's the same process I observe on my 14 months old daughter. You do something you are not allowed and if it passes unpunished you'll do it again and probably go further next time. The result: Chaos and anarchy. The only thing that's still keeping it together is the memory of law and order. But the truth is - it's fading away, replaced by the impression that breaking the law is a high gain, no pain thing. Extrapolate that experience to everything, mix it with the believe that the state should solve all your problems, add some ethnic intolerance and you'll get a picture of Macedonia 2005.
To further the “state should solve all your problems” comment, 15years ago, after gaining independence we all thought we have got a free ride ticket to the Promised Land. Naturally but unfortunately only few got there. Who were/are they? I see two groups:
1. Entrepreneurs, liberal, cosmopolitan, sophisticated, well educated early adopters who took the chance and used the newly opened opportunities in a positive way. In them I see hope.
2. Old school charlatans ready to do anything (criminal) for profit together with their corrupted institutional back up.
And because the world is not B&W all gradients in between.
The others ended up confused not understanding the world anymore. Are they (the citizens) to blame for their situation? Of course. Are they the only one to blame? Of course not. The government has continually done the things it shouldn’t and on the other hand has not found the courage to do the right things. There are only a few politicians that are distorting that picture, swim against that current: Manasievski, Gruevski, Jakimovski and maybe Shekerinska. I hope that they are good swimmers, cause we need them.
Many analysts have many times well argumented predicted that Macedonia will fall apart. I hope they will remain wrong. But that remains to be my wish. (couldn’t resist ending with the words of Dr. Eleanor "Ellie" Arroway from Contact, one of my favorite movies)
By D.

balcanization and other -zations...

2005-04-13T12:01:00.000+02:00

Looking at a web-site that promotes new books in Spain, I came across a title that seemed intriguing to me, from a linguistic point of view primarily. It said: Contra la Balcanización de España. Now, even though I am quite able to communicate in Spanish, my vocabulary is still in its earlier stages of development and so the “balcanization” moment there left me perplexed. Since I come from a country geographically located on the Balkan Peninsula, needless to say I immediately thought that there had to be a connection between the two. So first I asked, then I searched for a definition of some sort in Google, and there it was: “La división político-territorial de la región de los Balcanes en estados menores da origen a este termino político. Balcanización alude a la fragmentación de un continente o región en unidades político-territoriales menores, separadas y hasta enfrentadas.” (The political-territorial division of the region of the Balkans into smaller states gives the origin of this political term. It alludes (???) to the fragmentation of a continent or a region into smaller, separate and even opposed political-territorial units.)
OH WOW... How fascinating have become the development paths of the political vocabulary...
This is not written because I am particularly bonded to this region – yes, I do come from Macedonia and obviously this society has had its impact upon who I have become, but that’s about it. ...
I am just wondering about a few things...
First of... the Balkan peninsula is slightly larger than Former Yugoslavia, a country that yes, did fall apart and new smaller states began their ever-so-debated transitional period (some have finally gone out of it, others well... are “taking their time”). So... why not call it: Yugoslavization... I mean, hell... Greece is part of this peninsula, no matter how much they dislike it, poor ol’ greeks, but it hasn’t undergone a process of fragmentation. Not to my knowledge.
Hmmm, second... ok, am not the history knows-it-all, but Yugoslavia was split into smaller states beginning of 90’s, has there not been a similar process in another part of the world earlier than the 1990’s? So, we are pioneers in “the country is far too big and we cannot stand each other so let’s just call it quits” course of action? (didn’t realize we were so inventive)
Third... just being curious here... Ok, I have to live with the political vocab and accept the usage of Balcanization, but... what about making use of the situation in other corners of the world... say, Ex Soviet Union, or creating even more authentic terms on the basis of other countries’ attitudes – you have to admit that certain ones give way to a creation of an abundant terminology regarding ... occupation? sovereignty-attacks? Sticking-their-nose-into-everybody’s-businesses?
It is so evident that the modern world, the political structures especially, simply adore the euphemisms and cannot get enough of making up new ones, terms that so subtly allude (???) to certain processes, situations, etc. So why stop at “Balcanization”?

...things I love about Skopje...

2005-01-18T10:43:00.000+01:00

(not necessarily in the given order)

- The laid back atmosphere – when people CHILL, they really do that.
- You can get a great cup of coffee in almost any bar or café you go to – oh, and there is approximately one “coffee place” for every 24 citizens of Skopje, you do the rest of the math.
- VODNO, its nearness to the center of the city and climbing it.
- Radio stations play the songs without censorship – excuse me, but we are NOT DUMB to figure out when someone has incorporated “fuck,” “shit” or any other “bad word” in their lyrics. And no, this does not make teenagers turn out “BAD,” it is the HOME EDUCATION that makes them the way they are.
- Sitting on the benches in the center eating hazelnuts, almonds and cashews, bought at a decent price (read: very cheap).
- Skopje Film Festival, Jazz Festival, Off-Fest
- If you need a cab, in 30 seconds you get one.
- The fruits and the vegetables sold at the green market Bunjakovec.
- The linden trees, and especially the end of may when they are in bloom...

you know... to me X-mas is all about giving...

2004-11-11T09:29:00.000+01:00

As I am expecting another one of the well-known euphorias that bring the “colourful” package of Christmas, this relfection upon the up-coming holidays kind of found its way to this blog.
Ah, the package: tons of Christmas tree decorations, alleged sales in the shops, street sellers offering their balloons, and of course in the case of Skopje fire-crackers, the already heard, and some new, tunes on the radio that follow the famous: here’s-the-season-to-be-jolly spirit, amazing ideas proposed by the travel agencies for an “exotic” way to start 2004 (their prices being the most exotic element).
... Aaah, and my “very favourite” line: “You know, to me, Christmas is about giving” - which I must admit, makes me sick.
Offending somebody is TOTALLY not my intention. I have managed to raise the level of my self-awareness high enough to have respect for any religion and any type of system of beliefs that people throughout the world embrace. And yes, as you might imagine I am not exactly religious myself. (I said not religious, which doesn’t exclude my being spiritual, or having faith, or believing. I simply do not comply completely with any given religious structure.)
However, I do admit that the particular (abovementioned) statement makes me wanna puke. It is by far one of the most false, lame, plain stupid statements I’ll ever hear, containing nothing but artificial unselfishness, non-existing empathy and so-called unconditional love for the human kind. Each time I witness people running around like headless chicken, looking for presents for their loved ones (meaning the cousin of the third cousin on our mother’s side who’s a son of her aunt’s mother whom we’ve seen 0,32 times in our lives), regardless of the actual abilities to buy the socially acceptable quantity and “quality” of gifts (But, Oh, “God” forbid that the family says something about the present not being “appropriate”), my mind simply has to reflect upon my own understandings of values and life, and I realize over and over again that maybe I do come from another planet. Or have a “warped” idea of holidays.
If the readers who have given me the honour of reading my thoughts are even 10% more profound than the “giving essence” of Christmas, then they’d have no problem understanding that this is not written with bitterness or a sole aim to bitch about something, simply because there’s a lack of personal satisfaction.
No.
Somehow the simple sentence “live and let live” tells you every single thing you could know about who I am, and so … I have no problem with people celebrating any holiday in whatever way that they consider adequate to their wishes, needs, desires, plans, expectations…
I am simply a… simple person who believes that… it is OK to GIVE support, and GIVE the time of day to a close friend in need and making the “important appointments wait, and to SHARE a cosy talk over a cup of hot chocolate, or spicy wine (mmmm, even better), and to SHARE an intimate issue you’re having difficulty dealing with over an evening spent at home, cause drinks at clubs cost a bit more than what the budget can take at the moment… without necessarily relating this “gifts” with a specific date. I think that it is OK to say to your loved ones that you haven’t managed to actually go and buy “material things” for them because you didn’t feel like going out for two hours and do a shopping in a hurry, or simply because you didn’t feel like it. At least not in the period before Christmas. In my humble opinion, love is … love, and doesn’t have to be materialized in jewellery, expensive underwear (that itches more than fulfilling its basic function), latest digital camera, cool brand-name sun-glasses (that cause serious pain if lost, or scratched unintentionally) or a nice “peach coloured” (I thought that’s a fruit, not a colour, but that’s a different story) brand-name shirt that you might forget to separate from the black clothes and ends up changing its expensive colour into a undefined tone of… mauve. :-) Always wanted to use this word as I have ABSOLUTELY NO idea what it’s supposed to represent.
Yes, it is ok to buy somebody something … if you feel like it, whenever you feel like it, but putting such pressure on yourself because of a certain date … no thanks. I’ll pass.
Besides, there are more forms of giving, right?

to enter or not to enter... the decision is theirs PART 2

2004-09-03T20:17:00.000+02:00

I have bitched about this to my friends for such a long time, that I decided to vent, by taking advantage of this virtual space of mine and not annoy my friends anymore.
For all of you out there who have suffered the same and all of you out there who have no clue what VISA means... here's a clarification.
When it comes to the macie citizen, thinking about any kind of tourist travel instantly increases the normally-quite-high level of frustration because it turns out that the Macie passport CAN be a source of entertainment at the borders for all the customs officers, but CANNOT be a sufficient legal document that allows entry in … a country blessed with a sea, for example.
As for the process of obtaining the magical spice (aka VISA) that adds some value to our traveling document, it is a totally different story – a creative mix of:
Tragedy: 5:45 am, time of arrival of “applicants” - 8:30 am opening hours of most embassies; a minimum of 14 pieces of documents one is required to have and show; a maximum of 14 countries that don’t ask us for a visa… Need I continue?
Comedy: “Do you seek to enter (place “any” country here) to engage in export control violations, subversive activities? Are you a member or representative of a terrorist organization…?” Just an example of what one is asked and expected to answer! (guess WHO loves to ask this)
Suspense: as one can NEVER be sure whether the oh-so-desired visa will be obtained, despite the pile of documents one has submitted.
Thrill & excitement: varies from a very positive one to an extremely negative one, depending on the moment of truth.
Oh, well, c’est la vie, right?!
...
Oh, oh, oh... one more thing!!!
Every one wishes to apply for the extra-valuable, always-desired-&-dreamed-about U.S. visa, need to pay IN ADVANCE 100$ (it might be more these days), NON-refundable fee. You know, to enrich the POOR funds of the embassy... Man, and then our ass-licking gov gets an erection from receiving a donation by the US government!!!
MAN, DON'T U JUST ADMIRE how that functions!!!

to enter or not to enter...the decision is "theirs"

2004-09-03T20:12:00.000+02:00

Did you know that the name of Janet Jackson’s album: The Velvet Rope, comes from the ‘rope,’ placed at the entrances of “trendy” clubs, and … as it was nicely put on MTV: “separates the ‘haves’ from the ‘have nots’”? I personally didn’t have a clue, as I am not exactly Janet’s fan, nor is this an essential info for survival, but that kind of stayed with me…
I heard that clarification and thought about the situation in Skopje. We need no ropes (let alone velvet ones), as we have such an amazing staff, passionately devoted to guarding the entrances at the clubs and some bars, carefully selecting the crowds that enter (the more curves, cleavage and legs are shown, the easier you go in - quite a “surprise,” isn’t it?).
- Two-digit IQ, and even that one not being utilized enough,
- Basic vocab which means keep-it-simple in case you need to say something to them, or otherwise you won’t be understood,
- Completely consumed by the “authority” they’ve been given.
(luckily, I’m not crazy about Skopje’s clubs – I’m not sure how I would manage surviving in any piece of clothing that cuts off my bloodstream.)

U gotta fight, 4 ur right... to enter a competition!

2004-09-03T19:52:00.000+02:00

AN MTV competition, to be more exact.

Literally 24 seconds ago I tried to enter the MTV/MSN Messenger (HOORAY THE GIGANTIC MERGERS) competition for the show called MTV Icon - OK, I happen to like The Cure and the idea of going to London. But, the so-called MSN COUNTRIES (or in other words Who this competition is open for, or yet in other words: If u are not a citizen of these countries, what the fuck are u looking for) do NOT include Macedonia, not even FYROM - our, let's-not-get-our-neighbour-pissed polliticaly-correct name.
And you know this is like the third competition I am trying to enter - No, I am not an MTV fan, but hell, I wanna visit some place all expenses paid.
There was this VEET competition (and the product is not that good, but OK) cause I got so excited when I saw the CHOSEN ONES, so close to us but.. OOPS THEY DID US AGAIN!
...
3. This competition is open to residents of the Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia & Montenegro, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia and Turkey aged 16 or over...

so please, enlighten me: HOW DO I FIGHT FOR MY RIGHT TO be ELIGIBLE to enter an MTV (the WORLD MUSIC channel) competition???

new look of skopje's city square

2004-08-30T16:46:00.000+02:00

By D.
I very much like the new look of our gradski ploshtad.
judging by the number of people you can find there every nignt most skopjans are enjoying the new look too.

The Fortress and the Embassy

2004-08-28T11:15:00.000+02:00

as much as it delighted me to read this article, written by Kerri Houston, about the building of the U.S Embassy on the Fortress Kale, in Skopje, at the same time it made me feel bummed realizing that a "stranger" out there makes a bigger fuss than the people who are supposed to express a fierce reaction. ...
http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/khouston/2004/kh_0826.shtml

Cannot comment more on this now. Enjoy the article though...

bombing for peace is like fucking for virginity.

2004-08-20T01:36:00.000+02:00

by D.
they have more weapons then the rest of the world together. And they are actually using their weapons aggressively, still they want us to believe that its world peace they are after, when they attack sovereign countries.

they are the only ones who have dropped an A-bomb, without much regret, still they think that its the others who are posing a threat to world`s safety.

there is no other country that has waged more wars and aggressions and invasions in the last 50 years, still they see themselves as the keeper of world´s safety. the problem can never be the cure.

Blame it on the lyrics

2004-08-12T16:49:00.000+02:00

By M:
this is something I have been CRAVING to get OFF of my chest for a while now... A week ago, after seeing something called "100 most shocking moments in rock 'n' roll" I felt it was the final drop...

The case: 1985, Nevada. Two boys, James Vance and Ray Belknap, at that time 20 and 18 respectively, decided to attempt suicide with a gun. Ray died instantly, while James survived, only to die three years later of overdose. Now, the parents of the boys, or as I read, James's parents felt that this tragic event was triggered by music. More precisely, by the music of the British heavy-metal band Judas Priest or... particularly their song "Better by You Better Than Me" which allegedly contained a subliminal message: "Do it"...

...
Myohmyohmy...

I can't even begin my comment on this... It drives me insane.
Yes, there are many idiots out there who are actually convinced in their works of "art" that take up the form of lyrics charged with hatred, aggression, violence... u name it. I mean, take one look at the creature called Marilyn Manson and DARE TO TELL me he has a relatively normally functioning brain!
Yes, there are lot of "fuck you"s, "kill the cops," "anarchy rules" ... out there, printed on the hundreds of thousands of CD's which are in fact adored by public, by young people, by teenagers.
And yes, maybe I'd even go so far as to say they are not exactly expressing the "wisdom of life" to their listeners.
...
But you can gather a group of the world's top psychologists and you won't even get close to begin to convince me that a certain subliminal (as defined by the dictionary: resulting from processes of which the individual is not aware) "DO IT" phrase (or ANY other of that kind for that matter) is behind an attempt to commit a suicide.
No. I am sorry, everything, and I mean EVERY-SINGLE-THING starts at home or in the immediate surrounding. Just because the fashion law tells me that the so-called VPL (visible panty liner for those of u who have not heard of this shit) is a fashion crime, it doesn't mean I am not able to stick my middle finger out (despite my nice manners) and say: U put them on and enjoy the permanent wedgy. Just because the hip hop stars and their own subculture seem to PRAISE the booty and the boobs, preferably in larger sizes, not too large though, and I see women shaking it in their videos that are coming closer and closer to soft porn, doesn't mean that I take them seriously and make the "image of the female in the hip hop culture" my ULTIMATE goal in life. And just because Madonna is the one and only in the show biz, it doesn't mean I'll start taking KABALA lessons.

If you're thinking now "well speak for urself" ... Well, I am not the only one. I can freely say I know lots of people who have passed through their "nobody can understand me" phase during the difficult teenage years (for some specimen the period is even longer), they have gone to parties, gotten wasted and went to rock concerts, and some really like punk or heavy metal music. But at the same time they ARE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT it is music that they are listening to, while actually living their lives and doing something in their lives.
Problems start IN OUR HEADS. Each individual decides how certain lyrics, or book, or movie will be PERCEIVED. And if a person has had somewhat of an OK relationship with the parents or the people in the most personal surrounding, then he or she is more than able to distinguish between JUST LYRICS and "subliminal messages" created by their own subconsciousness.
And those relationships, just like the system of values, or our opinions, our attitude start to form from an early age. LONG BEFORE we actually get to listen to music from the charts.
I personally am not crazy about heavy metal, and I don't think of EMINEM as the rap prodigy (no, I ain't starting that one - that is a whole other ball game), but ... LET THE people do what they do. The decision of a person to hurt himself (or herself) has very little to do with some lyrics written by somebody who doesn't even know them. And has a lot to do with deep, serious problems that most probably could have been noticed long before the suicide has taken place.

There. I feel relieved already.

figures, numbers, digits...

2004-08-12T10:46:00.000+02:00

When u're a person quite interested in (read obsessed with) the globalization, the processes of integration, the differences in the world and other issues concerning this world and its colorfulness, u'd spend some time exploring the "world puzzle" through various facts, figures, percentages...
And if you were the nice person I am (blush+chuckle), u'd also present the more amusing (?) ones, for sheer pleasure (and the tiny bit of hope that MAYBE, just maybe, a few profound souls here and there will feel enlightened by the concept of 'the rest of the world')

1. the second that I checked out http://www.ibiblio.org/lunarbin/worldpop it said: 6 450 588 919 ... Oh, sorry, NUMBER OF the specimen called Homo Sapiens ON PLANET EARTH (august 12th, 2004)
2. By most accounts, 193 would be the correct number of countries in the world.
3. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the poorest 48 nations (i.e. a quarter of the world's countries and yes, most of them located in Africa) is less than the wealth of the world's three richest people combined (William H Gates III, Warren E Buffett, Karl & Theo Albrecht, according to FORBES magazine)
4. In the developing world, more than 1.2 billion people currently live below the international poverty line, earning less than $1 per day.
5. 1 000 000 000 is the number of people who do not have access to drinking water... While I'm at that, 850 000 000 people are malnourished (Malnutrition - term that indicates a lack of some or all nutritional elements necessary for human health). Curiously enough, in 1998, 11 BILLION US Dollars were spent in Europe on ICE CREAM... Talking about priorities in the economical development.
6. 55.21% of the total population in Austria has a mobile/cellphone, 53.23% of the population in the US are internet users, an average of 5 hours a day is the time I spend on the internet and... 0.08% of the population in Chad has access to a main telephone line.
7. $170, cost of Chewy's and Stinky's jackets... Oh, Miss Aguilera's dogs. :-)
...
(to be continued)

NO need to run and hide, it's a wonderful, wonderful World...

Globally urs,
M.

It is SELF EVIDENT that people are just poems

2004-08-12T10:40:00.000+02:00

yes, us people are just poems
we're 90% metaphor with a leanness of meaning
approaching hyper-distillation
and once upon a time
we were moonshine rushing down the throat of a giraffe
yes, rushing down the long hallway
despite what the p.a. announcement says
yes, rushing down the long stairs
with the whiskey of eternity
fermented and distilled to eighteen minutes
burning down our throats
down the hall
down the stairs
in a building so tall that it will always be there
yes, it's part of a pair
there on the bow of noah's ark
the most prestigious couple just kickin back
parked against a perfectly blue sky
on a morning beatific in its indian summer breeze
on the day that america fell to its knees
after strutting around for a century
without saying thank you or please...

And the shock was subsonic

and the smoke was deafening

between the setup and the punch line

cuz we were all on time for work that day

we all boarded that plane for to fly

and then while the fires were raging

we all climbedup on the windowsill

and then we all held hands

and jumped into the sky

and every borough looked up

when it heard the first blast

and then every dumb action movie was summarily surpassed

and the exodus uptown by foot and motorcar

looked more like war than anything i've seen so far

so far

so fierce and ingenious

a poetic specter so far gone

that every jackass newscaster was struck dumb

and stumbling over "oh mu god"

and "this is unbelieveble"

and on and on

and i'll tell you what, while we're at it

you can keep the pentagon

keep the propaganda

keep each and every tv

that's been trying to convince me

to participate in some prep school punk's plan

to perpetuate retribution

perpetuate retribution...

ANI, U ROCK my world!

In case u're interested to see the rest of the POEM, http://www.righteousbabe.com/ani/poem.asp

true wisdom comes in all shapes

2004-08-04T17:30:00.000+02:00

... after having to go through about 20 websites (ignoring another 20, by trusting my gut that they do not have the contents i was interested in), my revelation finally appeared assuming this form:
http://www.eonline.com/Features/Features/Simpson/index2.html

NO, I am not discussing her music which I am not exactly crazy about... I just SOMETIMES wonder WHY would anybody be interested in seeing a show about the very beginning of the marriage between two (reasonably) attractive, RICH, famous people - yes, the TYPICAL example of newlyweds throughout the World (World=Planet Earth, with more than just one continent)!

"Is this chicken, what I have, or is this fish?"
The Situation: Jessica asks her husband to explain the flaky white meat inside a can of Chicken of the Sea (or in other words, tuna fish).

NO, THIS does not worry me at all. What worries me most is the fact that there is a large number of teens who actually look up to Ms. Simpson.
...

what do I know, I'm just a model

2004-08-04T16:54:00.000+02:00

Have u, by any chance, seen any episode of a certain show (or whatever u might call that TV product) about the life of the models? On their-very-own, utterly "fashionable" and completely deprived of any intelligent information FTV, there was this show that was supposed to show the typical life of a young model making her way in ... I think it was London but that is irrelevant. The getting up early in the morning in an apartment shared with other girls determined to become the next Naomi, Linda, (place here the name of any OVERpaid model), running around the city from one shoot to another, and the tiring hours of blah, blah, blah...

DIFFICULT? As OPPOSED TO WHAT???
Oh man... Every single time I think the "wonderful world of commercialization" cannot surprise me anymore, they go and create something like this, trying to show the world that models do earn the "daily bread" (VERY FIGURATIVE speech) with an exhausting strut down the catwalk.
Imagine that!

little bit of action

2004-08-01T12:07:00.000+02:00

By D.
this is my first log on our fresh offlog blog.
One of the things I do in life is owning and sometimes working in a small exchange office in Skopjes City Center. Couple of days ago me working there when a funny american kinda tourist shows up and wants to change 50 bucks.
Here's the conversation:

Funny Guy: Hey, is the dollar 50?
D: No, it's 49.5
FG: Hey, how come the dollar's fluctuating so much?
D: I don't know. Don't ask me, ask Mr. Bush.
FG: You guys, you're never gonna beat the dollar.
D: But we don't want to.
FG: Yeah, you got that euro of yours now, right?
D: Yes.
FG: The euro is stronger than the dollar right now, yeah?
D: Yeah.
(By now, D is simply smiling)
FG: You aren't gonna last that long with that euro of yours, you know...
D: Sir, look, It's not me - it's the International FX market that dictates the dollar rates and volatility.
FG: Just keep wishin'. It'll never come true. It'll remain your wish. You could never harm the US.
D: It's not our wish to harm the US.
FG: Mr. Bush needs to get angry with this small country of yours and take a little bit of action, you know!

"confessions"

2004-07-30T18:22:00.000+02:00

I'll admit it to you... I am, what u might call, a "proactivist" type of a person ... oriented to the "third world" and the economical development (if there is such a thing currently taking place on this planet)... Long live the internet, I manage to read some "things" on the numerous sites and... though I still haven't seen "Fahrenheit 9/11," I came across a cool article, with a slightly different point of view on Moore's "product"... What's more, I really liked his idea of the U.S of A and the very essence of that country.
Treating u with a few sentences, and follow the link for the rest... (http://world.mediamonitors.net/headlines/americas_pathetic_liberals_the_sequel)

...Why does Moore, and I use him to represent all of liberal America, so want to be rid of Bush that he takes what I regard as the unprincipled position of supporting someone as bad or worse? ...
I do not believe it is because Bush represents a danger to American values, the favorite charge of many fuzzy-thinking American liberals, because in many ways Bush accurately reflects those values. I think they are desperate to be rid of Bush because he is an embarrassment. There is something excruciatingly American about Bush, revealing some painful truths about the society he representsYes, Bush has done a lot of damage in the world, but Presidents can't act alone.The murderous fiasco of Iraq happened with the complicity of Congress, notably including Senator Kerry, and with the passive acceptance or indifference of most Americans. You may ask, we know Bush is a brutal, rather psychopathic man, so how can he be like so much of middle America? You see, middle America is not the harmless, gentle place it seems in Hollywood's confections. It is the place where thirty-year old couples assume they are entitled to a five-bedroom home on a sprawling lot in the suburbs with at least two lumbering vehicles in the driveway. It is the place which ignores the ugly parts of its own society, the ghettos, the broken-down schools, the lack of healthcare. It is the place where the relentless demand for still more endangers the planet's future...

a quote...

2004-07-29T22:53:00.000+02:00

Poor is the man whose pleasures depend upon the permission of another...

Intro?

2004-07-29T21:20:00.000+02:00

a different kind though... not the location, but one of the two offbloggers that decided to create their world - preferably dimensionless and unlimited - materialized in this web spot, and... bitch about anything they want to.
So in other words, the main idea is to express ideas, opinions, attitude, points of view, reactions... And if the viewers do not agree, well... we are not necessarily worried about that.
:-)

And... OFF WE GO...

cyberly yours,
M