If I'd packed with a crystal ball....

...I wouldn't have packed so economically.

Here's a list of stuff I "need", now that my stay in Buenos Aires is extended indefinitely. 

(Will the word "need" ever mean the same, btw?)

- Spare tips for my Remarkable. I hate writing with a blunt or scratchy tip.
- My "Some lines a Day" journal
- My other pair of glasses. 
- Cash.
- Bluetooth speaker & bluetooth headphones.
- My Pranamat.
- A hoodie and some long sleeved tops.
- Another pair of jeans.
- Keto strips and Keto bars.
- More of all my toiletries.

Time between Times- Acceptance and letting go

A chain of events found me visiting Buenos Aires, atypically, in early March. For the first time in years, I had no commitments in China for the Spring, and before Coronavirus became a reality for the rest of the world, I took the opportunity and came to visit my family in Argentina.

Less than a week after my arrival, all hell broke loose in Europe. Argentina put newly-arrived travelers (like me) on a compulsory quarantine, and by the time that one ended, the whole country was on lockdown, my flight to Zagreb had been cancelled indefinitely, and the borders shut till further notice.

I'm caught in a time between times, in a place between places. And what's special? We're all in the same situation, give or take. And I cannot but be constantly aware that, as usual, I fall on the privileged side of catastrophe.

Staying at a dear friend's. In brilliant company, the house is gorgeous, well lit, immersed in a canopy of green and with a spectacular terrace that the good weather allows me to use as an office. And a very catty cat who's Queen of the realm.

Not being in Zagreb also means that I avoided the biggest earthquake that hit our city in 140 years! So in case I wasn't grateful, that!

Despite counting all the blessings (repeatedly), I have some bad moments. They're invariably triggered by me trying to make any kind of plan for the future.

Lesson 1 on my end has most definitely been about ACCEPTANCE  and LETTING GO.

Whatever I thought I had learnt about those...I've been catapulted to the super-advanced course. I'll keep you posted.

Small things

A few months back I happened to sit for coffee with a guy who's kind of a publicist of social and environmental causes. Unlike me, he's a declared environmentalist. Publicly green.

What was bugging him at that time, was the realisation that his cause was a lost cause. He felt defeated and convinced that nothing we do at this point, will save our Planet.

He was also struggling to come up with a focus for his TEDx talk, and I indicated I'd love to hear someone speak about what keeps us going when we feel that our efforts are futile. I've no idea if he followed my advice. I still think it would be a relevant topic.

--

A couple of weeks ago I went for a drink with a good friend, here in Zagreb.

My orange juice came with a plastic straw in it, and I expressed my wish that the "default" service should be to not use a straw unless the customer asks for it. Or at least to offer it, rather than impose it. By the time you get a drink with a plastic straw in it, whether you use it or not, is immaterial. The damage's done.

My friend, who also has environmental concerns, commented that straws are not the main problem when it comes to pollution. That's a fact, as far as I know. But it is also a fact that the straw situation is within my reach.

To me, it is not about the straw. It's the brief conversation with the waiter/waitress. Most of them happen to agree and say "I hadn't thought about it." Maybe for one of the people I talk to, this becomes a practice, who knows?

Very few individuals have the opportunity of changing systems at a "macro" level. And even those who can, constantly hit walls. Not only in environmental causes, but in all big issues that are affecting our planet and humanity.

The solutions seem clear, but we are immersed in a system that we created but don't know how to dismantle.

It's discouraging, to say the least.

--

Me?

I'm an educator. I know that habits of heart and mind cook very slow. They are inspired by our experiences of the world, and many of these happen as a consequence of the connection with another.

I believe in the power of relentless individual effort.

If we are in constant awareness of our big causes, we will see them in the small details.

I don't focus on the result of my action. Transformation is so imperceptible, that acting towards the result may well be the recipe for disappointment. Each of us can only hope to inspire a bunch of individuals. Thus the "straw" conversation.

I sustain the effort by keeping faith. By believing that what I put out in this world can make a difference. By taming my ego and not expecting to be treated as a heroine for doing what I think is right. And by being forgiving to myself when I don't meet my own standards.

At least die trying, I guess!

Another reason why Croatia rocks

Yesterday I saw Croatia kick Argentina's ass.  (I'm talking about Russia 2018, for those of you who may be unaware of the truly important world events!) A very well-deserved win for Croatia. 

In the anticipation of the match, my Croatian friends and family had been surprised any time I expressed my genuine concern that Croatia would beat us. We all know that pretty much anything can happen in a World Championship, so I stayed open. Whatever I anticipated, I did not see a 3-0 coming. (Until the match was in progress, that is!)

Knowing that a defeat is a possibility doesn't make it less disappointing. For me, there was no way of losing, considering I am half Croatian and I live in Zagreb. But I rooted for Argentina, as any time we've faced Croatia in sports.

Back home, in Buenos Aires, the FIFA World Cup happens in winter. Here in Zagreb, the championship is an occasion for summer partying. Not that Croatians need a reason to go party.

I have been using the excuse of evening matches to get out of the house and gather with friends. Yesterday was no exception, but I confess I had apprehensions. I have seldom felt safe in a crowd of football fans who happen to also be drinking.

I don't know about the whole of Argentina, but I do know Buenos Aires well. Well enough to wonder if a dozen Croatian supporters in BA, would have felt as safe as we did yesterday evening. Including all the heart-warming messages I got before and during the match.

I went out in the street wearing my national colours an honouring Croatia with bright-red nail polish. Surrounded by a small bunch of friends wearing Argentine vests, we were anything but inconspicuous as we parted the waters of a checkered sea of Croatian fans.

We took our small corner, and those around us acknowledged us, asked some questions, made space for us and let me hang my handbag from their chair, place my beer on their table.

Croatia beat us. 3-0. They wiped us, actually. It was painful to watch, but it was beautiful to see our fellow Croatians cheer and be merry. Every time they celebrated a goal, the ones closest to us turned and showed genuine joy, of course. But it was accompanied by what felt like heart-felt compassion.

There was zero arrogance in their manner, and late into the night, walking through the spontaneous parties happening everywhere in the city, people would approach us and tease us a bit, but invariably in good spirit, and with a tone of camaraderie that you do not find in Argentina, even in friendly matches. 

Little do Croatians know that our way of celebrating sport rivalry is way more aggressive. I hate it. We often celebrate our rivals' defeat more than our own victories. Winning doesn't seem as important as seeing our rivals bite the dust, and it is not unusual for all of that "merrymaking" to get out of hand and turn into aggression.

Could a dozen Croatians have watched the match in BA surrounded by the same generous spirit? It's unlikely.

Croatia's happiness was contagious and it felt easy to feel happy for them. I will not go as far as saying that it got me to celebrate. I was  somewhat deflated. But the partying and celebration had everything to do with Croatia securing their spot in the next round, and playing pretty good football, and nothing to do with Argentina losing.

Svaka čast, Hrvatska! Proud to call you home.

Why Storytelling?

I've been wondering how come I've written so little about Storytelling, considering it is probably the invisible thread that connects my career and, more importantly, that I believe it to be humanity's pre-installed operating system.

But it is not that I haven't written about Storytelling. I have. Heaps. I have just not done much formal writing.

I am doing some serious e-decluttering and I am coming across a lot of stuff I have written for different purposes. Even a few journal entries I started at a moment when I thought that I might start typing instead of filling notebooks, but that's beside the point.

For someone who has not written much about storytelling, I have written enough. The favourite bit of what I've come across so far is this, which I wrote in an abstract a couple of years ago:


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Storytelling is the most natural way of provoking thought and reflection, communicating ideas, and sharing emotions and knowledge with one another. There is reason to believe that people have told stories to one another, for as long as humanity has had speech.   Sharing stories helps enhance virtues such as empathy and compassion, heals emotional wounds, fosters human connection, provokes thought and reflection, promotes global mindedness, makes us care for others and our environment. Research shows that children who know their family history have stronger self-esteem than those who don’t.   Storytelling also complements the school curriculum by improving literacy and communication skills. It is also beneficial for language learning/acquisition and a convenient resource for differentiated education. It is to be hoped that as they recognize its  invaluable benefits, schools and parents will engage more in storytelling and reclaim the essence of human relationships. (April 28, 2016)

That's pretty much my creed.

About Home and School Relationships

The relationship between home and school is one that occupies my mind a lot. Parents and teachers, who represent the  partnership that will be the most influential in a child's upbringing, often establish relationships of competition instead of collaboration.

My method of observation is informal, but my universe is quite ample. Workshop attendees (parents and teachers!), school leaders, siblings, friends, and occasionally strangers. Argentina, Croatia, China, Emirates. Public and private schools.

Parents feel judged by teachers, and teachers feel judged by parents. Everybody seems to have different ideas about what job is whose, and very few seem to establish relationships of mutual support.

I do not intend to assign blame. That's philosophising backwards in time, and I don't see the point right now. However engaging that exploration might be, it would not be constructive.

While I am not pointing fingers at either "party", I do assign responsibility. Isn't it undeniable that there is only one side of this pair that comprises people who are professional educators? Isn't it part of the school's job to teach parents to consider the teacher as an essential partner in their child's education?

Schools seldom train their teachers in effective parent-teacher communication, and they are certainly deficient in providing education for the parents. How many schools have their teachers do lectures for parents? How many schools have an open-door policy? Are parents bringing their professional and personal strengths into school activities? Or are they only invited to watch performances that show little of what the children do day to day?

Are schools effectively communicating their mission, and the why they do things the way they do them? Wouldn't we all be better off if schools were working relentlessly to communicate their mission and realise it on a daily basis?

School is often the first experience of the world beyond the family circle, both for the children and their grown ups in their new role of parents. The effort to build a relationship of trust and mutual respect, and the agreement of acting always in the child's best interest should be a basic pact, and it is the school's responsibility to initiate it and create the community culture that will promote strong home-school ties.

So while I will "defend" teachers with might and main, here is something where  positive action is mainly in their hands. Go talk to parents about the illusions that make your eyes spark. Bring them on to your vision and make it happen!

Here's an idea! 💡

I am drafting a manifesto for an awesome project I am involved in, and seeking inspiration I returned to Iceland's Core Manifesto.

I urge you to read it. It is a faith boost. For a sneak peek, here's the very first bit:

We wish to build a community in which people both can and want to use their skills to the fullest. It is important to ensure stability in economics and to maintain trust in politics and the government’s institutions. We only engage in factual debates and contribute to decent polity with an emphasis on transparency and good morals.

Public interest instead of private interest. Each individual, home and company shall be treated equally.

Natural resources belong to the entire nation. They are to be used sensibly and paid for in quotation.

It goes on. Really awesome. It sparked one of my idealistic ideas. Tell me if you think it is implementable! I think it is a good draft :)

Citizens and residents pay taxes. In the best systems, they pay taxes in proportion to their wealth and income, so let's assume we are in one of those, or trying to get there.

Suppose that for each citizen we combined the following data:

• taxes paid
• positive impact of job (for example teachers, caregivers, health workers, public servants, etc, would rank higher than other occupations)
• services rendered to the community (like volunteering, being a student, support of xx initiatives, etc)
• you probably get my drift. 

The data would combine (algorithm?) and create a category or percentage number representing the value that an individual contributes, not exclusively through money, but through habits and occupation.

So every tax payer would be in a category of contribution that would translate into how much they are charged when using public resources. Why would a tax-paying teacher pay the same price than a foreign tourist to enter a National Park in their own country? Or use public transport, for that matter?

The benefit alone might encourage people to contribute responsibly, and be an incentive to go the extra mile to support and add value to their communities.

Call me naive, but I believe not much stands between our reality and a social pact like the proposed above. One of them is our reluctance to acknowledge that mediocrity is self-determined and starts with low aspirations; another one is that we lack a few more believers with the ambition to work for the public interest, rather than just for themselves.