***
When Sparks Fly
When all the speakers talked about their own experiences in life, when they showed the audience their research results, when they spread their ideas into different areas while being open to any thoughts, I saw sparks fly in their eyes, and likewise, it caused sparks in my heart. When the inspiration triggers every nerve of your brain, then you will be able to become better and better.
As a second year Master student in Finance, all my study is coursework and I basically have no idea about research. I volunteered at the Students Research Conference 2018 during the orientation week and luckily got the chance to attend the meetings, which gave me a broader perspective about what’s going on in other areas beyond my business courses. It also inspired me to aim to achieve higher, not only in academia but also in life. ‘Turn your curiosity into research.’ That’s what they always said. I got to know how psychology analyses the specific social phenomenon using the structural models, how Art students get inspiration from a simple part of their life and how they visualize their crazy ideas. That’s how I got electrified by all the diverse research areas.
I remember one day I had a conversation with a good friend, where we talked about being at this age, in our 20s, when you just feel confused and overwhelmed. Most of us have no idea what we are doing with our life and what we really want. Then I said, “Hey man, at least you know what you don’t want.” We laughed.
We struggle, we are stuck somewhere and have no idea how to handle it, we feel like we are almost done but something just went wrong and we have to start it all over again, it’s not only happened in research but also in each of our lives. I believe every moment gives us a lot more than to just keep it going.
For me, to put it simply, life is not only about how much you learn, but more importantly, it’s about the awareness and feelings of life and nature, of friends and families, of everyone you’ve met, and to keep yourself electrified.
Comments Off on L’équilibrage de la tradition et l’innovation en Suisse
L’actuelle devise (non officielle) de la Suisse « Un pour tous, tous pour un » incarne l’esprit innovateur du pays mais aussi sa fierté pour ses traditions. Elle assure la stabilité, l’unité nationale, mais aussi la chance d’être audace. Au lieu d’abandonner ses traditions lorsqu’elles ne sont plus les dernières lubies la Suisse réussit à utiliser ses traditions comme source d’inspiration pour leurs innovations.
La Suisse est depuis longtemps obligée à innover puisqu’elle est privée de ressources naturelles (Rutschi). Or nous allons voir que même si elle est régulièrement menée à plonger dans le monde de l’innovation elle n’en reste pas moins respectueuse et fière de ses propres traditions.
Au fil des siècles, le peuple helvétique n’a eu d’autre choix que de se réinventer, ayant besoin d’étendre leurs sources de profits. Le tandem éducation (recherche) et économie tient une place importante dans la longue tradition de développement et innovation helvète. Selon nombreux études, les dépenses de recherche et de développement en Suisse représentent chaque année environ 3% du PIB suisse correspondant au même niveau qu’aux Etats-Unis (Fumagalli), soit environ 22 milliards de francs suisses. De plus, la majorité du financement provient des entreprises privées (86%) (aboutswitzerland.org). Par ailleurs, la Suisse a le taux le plus élevé d’achèvement de doctorats avec 3,3% en 2012 ; et actuellement près de 40% de la population de 25 à 64 ans a un diplôme de niveau tertiaire (aboutswitzerland.org). Ainsi la tradition suisse veut que l’éducation et la recherche soient en première ligne pour les investissements puisqu’elles conduisent l’innovation suisse et contribue fortement à son succès pérenne.
La Suisse a une politique économique libérale axée sur la stabilité mais aussi sur ses valeurs traditionnelles de formation et de sobriété. Le PIB par habitant de la Suisse est classé le second plus élevé du monde. Ceci s’explique fortement sur l’importance de l’éducation puisque les services représentent environ 74% du PIB suisse. En revanche, 25% du PIB provient de l’industrie et moins de 1% résulte de l’agriculture (aboutswitzerland.org). En premier lieu, les grandes entreprises sont les acteurs principaux de l’innovation. Les fameuses et florissantes entreprises telles que Nestlé, Roche, ABB et Novartis ont déposé, en 2014, chacune entre 400 et 600 brevets. Nous savons en outre que selon l’Office européen des brevets elles figurent au sein des 50 principaux déposants d’Europe (Rutschi). Rutschi nous fait remarquer aussi que les petites et les moyennes entreprises (PME) suisses ont également une forte capacité à innover. Souvent elles sont capables d’y intégrer de nouveaux savoirs et méthodes pour offrir des produits uniques de grande qualité, et qui se focalisent dans des niches ainsi que ciblant les marchés mondiaux. Près 10% des PME industrielles indiquaient être leader du marché mondial pour au moins un produit selon un sondage par le Crédit Suisse en 2014 (Rutschi). Ainsi l’économie helvète continue à fleurir puisque ses traditions veulent que l’apprentissage conduise l’économie. De plus, les succès d’autrefois des entreprises restent toutefois vivantes puisque les innovations d’aujourd’hui s’inspirent d’eux.
Toutefois les entreprises helvètes ont pu aussi réinventer leurs produits traditionnels afin de préserver leur succès. L’industrie horlogère fait partie intégrante de l’héritage et l’ADN suisse en partie puisqu’elle fait preuve d’une soif permanente d’innovation sans jamais renier ses racines. Paul O’Neill nous fait apprendre par exemple que le célèbre Swatch Group a pu étendre son produit en se consacrant peu à peu au chronométrage sportif en y produisant de nombreuses innovations qui rendent leurs produits phares dans un monde de concurrence. En 2013, la Suisse a pu exporter 28 millions de montres valant environ 23,5 milliards de dollars (USD), ainsi la plaçant en tête pour l’exportation horlogère dans le monde (aboutswitzerland.org).
Hors l’industrie horlogère, des produits réputés tels que le chocolat, le café et le fromage demeurent populaire dans le monde. En 2013, la Suisse exporta 65 000 tonnes de café et c’est en 1976 que les capsules Nespresso furent inventées (aboutswitzerland.org). Récemment, Nespresso s’est réinventé par l’intermédiaire de leurs fameux publicitaires avec en vedette le célèbre et énormément populaire George Clooney qui, en tant que leur porte-parole, assure la prospérité de cette marque.
Un simple coup d’œil de la Suisse laisse l’image d’un petit pays alpin ayant un foisonnement de vaches, de moutons et de banques. Or la réalité est différente. Si la Suisse est reconnue pour son esprit innovateur, elle reste toutefois un lieu de traditions. En effet, la tradition suisse se renouvelle et prend dans ses bras les changements de la modernité. Ainsi l’innovation Suisse consiste au prolongement de ses traditions qui continue à demeurer avec fierté et succès.
***
Balancing Tradition and Innovation in Switzerland
Switzerland’s current (unofficial) motto “One for all, all for one” embodies the country’s innovative spirit, but also its pride for its traditions. It ensures stability, national unity, but also the chance to be audacious. Instead of abandoning its traditions when they are no longer the last fad, Switzerland manages to use its traditions as a source of inspiration for their innovations.
Switzerland has long been forced to innovate since it lacks natural resources (Rutschi). But we will see that even if it is regularly led to immerse itself into the world of innovation, it is nonetheless respectful and proud of its own traditions.
Over the centuries, the Swiss people had no choice but to reinvent themselves, needing to expand their sources of profits. The education and research tandem is an important part of the long tradition of Swiss development and innovation. According to numerous studies, research and development expenditure in Switzerland represents about 3% of the Swiss GDP each year, corresponding to the same level as in the United States (Fumagalli), about 22 billion Swiss francs. In addition, the majority of funding comes from private companies (86%) (aboutswitzerland.org). Furthermore, Switzerland has the highest rate of completion of doctorates with 3.3% in 2012, and currently around 40% of the population aged 25 to 64 has a tertiary level diploma (aboutswitzerland.org). Therefore, the Swiss tradition wants education and research to be at the forefront of investments, as they drive Swiss innovation and contribute significantly to its long-term success.
Switzerland has a liberal economic policy focused on stability but also on its traditional values of training and pragmatism. The GDP per capita of Switzerland is ranked the second highest in the world. This is strongly explained by the importance of education since services account for around 74% of Swiss GDP. By contrast, 25% of GDP comes from industry and less than 1% comes from agriculture (aboutswitzerland.org). In the first place, large companies are the main actors of innovation. In 2014, the famous and successful companies such as Nestlé, Roche, ABB and Novartis each filed between 400 and 600 patents. We also know that according to the European Patent Office they are among the top 50 applicants in Europe (Rutschi). Rutschi also points out that Swiss small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a strong ability to innovate. Often they are able to incorporate new knowledge and methods to offer unique products of high quality, which have a niche focus, as well as targeting global markets. According to a survey by Credit Suisse in 2014, nearly 10% of industrial SMEs reported being the world market leader for at least one product (Rutschi). Thus, the Swiss economy continues to flourish since its traditions want learning to lead the economy. In addition, however, the past successes of the companies remain alive, since the innovations of today are inspired by them.
However, Swiss companies have also been able to reinvent their traditional products to preserve their success. The watch industry is an integral part of Swiss heritage and DNA, in part because it demonstrates a constant thirst for innovation without ever denying its roots. Paul O’Neill teaches us, for example, that the world-famous Swatch Group has been able to expand its product line by focusing on sports timing, producing many innovations that make their flagship products globally leading. In 2013, Switzerland was able to export 28 million watches worth around 23.5 billion dollars (USD), placing it at the top of the list for world watch exports (aboutswitzerland.org).
Outside the watch industry, reputable products such as chocolate, coffee, and cheese remain popular worldwide. In 2013, Switzerland exported 65,000 tonnes of coffee and it was in 1976 that Nespresso capsules were invented (aboutswitzerland.org). Recently, Nespresso has reinvented itself through their famous advertisers featuring the famous and hugely popular George Clooney who, as their spokesperson, ensures the prosperity of this brand.
A simple glance at Switzerland generates the image of a small alpine country having an abundance of cows, sheep and banks. But the reality is different. Although Switzerland is known for its innovative spirit, it remains a place of tradition. Indeed, the Swiss tradition is renewed and embraces the changes of modernity. Swiss innovation is the extension of its traditions, which continues to live on remain with pride and success.
Ognuno ha un posto felice. Da qualche parte dove il mondo intero si ferma per loro ma non finisce. Il mondo non finisce mai quando sei felice così.
Ci penso spesso: il modo in cui il vento soffiava i nostri capelli sui nostri volti rosei, mentre ridevamo e ci tenevamo l’uno a l’altro, felici e liberi. Le onde si scatenavano sulle rocce giù in fondo, mentre i pittoreschi edifici di color pastello scintillavano alla luce del sole pomeridiano. Sembrava che loro ombre corressero sull’altro lato del faro, sotto il quale eravamo rannicchiati. Non ci rendevamo conto del tempo; per noi era privo di significato, poiché tutto ciò che importava era il momento presente.
Non importava nemmeno che apparenza avevamo, o chi eravamo. I nostri dintorni ci hanno dato una nuova identità, una nuova esistenza alla quale aspirare. Mentre guardavamo il sentiero che ci portava al faro, eravamo sicuri di essere stati colpiti da una forza soprannaturale. L’impeccabile conservazione della natura, isolata da ogni interferenza esterna, ha creato l’illusione di entrare nel giardino di una fata. Abbiamo involontariamente giocato a nascondino tra rocce e cespugli, limoni e aranci che crescevano ai lati del sentiero.
Un cimitero pulito dipinto tutto di bianco accanto a un’antica chiesa del XII secolo. Un hotel di lusso a cinque stelle. Un piccolo vigneto. Non c’era modo di dire cosa avremmo incontrato in seguito! Per tutto il tempo, avevamo voluto di fuggire dalla nostra ‘bolla’ cittadina e ci siamo finalmente riusciti.
***
In the Eye of the Beholder
Everyone has a happy place. Somewhere where the entire world stops for them but doesn’t end. The world never ends when you’re happy like that.
I think about it often: the way the wind blew our hair across our rosy faces, as we laughed and held onto each other, happy and free. The waves crashed onto the rocks far below, while the picturesque pastel buildings twinkled in the afternoon sunlight, their shadows looked as though they were running across the other side of the lighthouse, under which we were huddled. We knew not of time; it was meaningless to us, as all that mattered was the present moment.
It didn’t even matter what we looked like, or who we were. Our surroundings gave us a new identity, a new existence to strive for. As we looked upon the trail leading up to the lighthouse, we were sure we had been struck by some supernatural force. The impeccable preservation of nature, secluded from all outside interference, created the illusion of stepping into a fairy’s garden. We unintentionally played hide and seek among the rocks and bushes, lemon and orange trees growing on the sides of the trail.
A neat cemetery painted all in white next to the site of an ancient 12th century church. A five-star luxury hotel. A small vineyard. There was no telling what we would run into next! All the while, we had wanted to escape our city bubble and we had finally succeeded.
Comments Off on الليلة المضطربة | A Troubled Night
.انْزَلََقَ رِياحٌ ضِعافٌ وباردٌ تحْتَ قميصي وخَدَرَ لهمي ببطء. كنتُ جالس على سقْف شقتي وشْاهدتُ حركة العلم فوْقَ بُرْج ساعةٍ بجانب بنايت
Cold, weak winds slid beneath my shirt and slowly numbed my skin. I was sitting on the roof of my apartment and watching the movement of a flag atop a clocktower beside my building.
.منْ هَذَا الارْتفَاعْ شاهدتُ عَدَدْ منْ مدْخنة البيت ايضاً ولكنْ كان سيكارتي الوحيدة التي نفَثَتْ دَخَّانْ
From this vantage, a number of house chimneys could also be seen, but my cigarette alone was the emitter of smoke.
.انْتَقَلُ عيني الى غُروب الشمس المشْهدي الذي شعلت المدينة في الأفُق وخَلَقََ وَهُم مدينة محٍْترقة
My eyes moved to the scenic sunset, which inflamed the city in the horizon and created an illusory image of a burning burgh.
.يأتي طائرة في رؤيتي وتزْعَجُ محرّكتها سلام المساء. طرت الطائرة الى غُروب الشمس في الأفُق كأنها كان وعدت لركابها الضوء الأزلي
Forthcame an aeroplane into this scope of vision, with its engines irritating the peace of the night. It flew towards the sun in the horizon as if promising its passengers the eternal light.
.في هذه الحظة اشعرت بالدموع على وجهي لكن ما عرفْتُ إذا كنتُ بكيت او إذا دمّعتُ من دّخاني او حتى من اشعة الشمس الأخير
In this moment, a tear formed upon my face, but I knew not if it was because I was crying or whether they were stinged tears from my cigarette smoke, or perhaps even from the intensity of the burning sunset.
.كما يخْتَفي الشمس رويدا رويدا يضيء بنايات المدينة بدرجة أكثر حتى الشمس يختفي كلياًِ وأخذ القمرة مركز السماء أخراً
Slowly the sun dimmed and slowly the building lights illuminated, until finally the sun disappeared completely and the moon took centre stage of the night sky.
.وصل رائحة الذات المقلية لأنفي من مطبخ غير معروفة. كان وقت للعشاء ولكن لنْ اتعشّى هذه الليلة
A scent of burning oil reached my nose from an unknown kitchen. It was dinner time, but I would not eat tonight.
Who can you trust in this unfair game?
Would you ever forget what happened to them?
به که می توان اعتماد کرد در این بیدادگاه؟
مگر می توان فراموش کرد چه بر سر آنها آمد؟
When everything is crystal clear,
to which light you will leave your soul to be salvaged?
وقتی همه چیز مانند روز برایت روشن است،
روحت را به صیقل کدامین نور می سپاری که رستگار شده ام؟
What do you replace the caged birds with
when your rent eyes do not feel the life?
پرنده های پر بسته را با چه جایگزین می گنی
وقتی چشمان دریده ات زندگی را رها کرده اند؟
Whom will you search for
when a bird’s neck is pressed between their harsh fingers?
به دنبال که خواهی گشت زمانی که گلوی پرنده ای
در میان انگشتان زمختی هر لحظه فشرده تر می شود؟
When will your heart’s limbo end the doubt between being alive and living the life
while they are planting the lies in your blood?
برزخ دلت کی به این تردید زندگانی و زنده مانی پایان خواهد داد
وقتی دروغ را در خون تو می کارند؟
Leave the beautiful eyes of the deer in your mountains behind,
so maybe one day you will fall in love again!
…از چشمان زیبای آهوی خرامان کوهستانت بگزر
تا باز روزی به کی، به کجا و به که دل ببندی؟
You look with your eyes full of worry to prove that we can?
Alas, we might have been able to, but not anymore….
با چشمان نگرانت می نگری که بگویی ما می توانیم؟
.دریغ از اینکه ما شاید می توانستیم، اما دیگر نمی توانیم
There is no way left anymore,
Take yourself and go…
دیگر راهی نیست،
!سرت را بدزد و برو
Comments Off on اولین زنانی که در ایران روی صحنه تئاتر رفتند | First Female Theatre Actors on Iranian Stages
اگرچه تئاتر در ایران به شیوه اروپائی از دوره مشروطیت آغاز شد اما زنان نه تنها اجازه بازی کردن در نمایشها را نداشتند که حتی از دیدن آنها هم محروم بودند. چنانکه در آن نمایشها نقش زنان را مردان بازی می کردند که به آنها «زن پوش» می گفنتد.
با آغاز سلطنت رضاشاه پهلوی ابتدا زنان ارمنی و به دنبال آنها چند زن مسلمان روی صحنه رفتند. ملوک حسینی که گفته می شود اولین زن ایرانی مسلمانی است که روی صحنه رفت، گفته است: «من لباس پسرانه می پوشیدم و به اسم پسربچه کلیمی در تئاتر ظاهر می شدم و نقش زن را به عهده می گرفتم. زیرا اگر بو می بردند من زن هستم همانهایی که به تئاتر می آمدند و برایم کف می زدند درجا مرا می کشتند.»
از حدود سال ۱۳۰۰ بازیگران قفقازی به ایران آمدند و همین زنان ارمنی بودند که راه را برای زنان در ایران برای بازیگر شدن هموار کردند. از جمله این زنان میتوان پری آقابابوف، سیرانوش، مادام قسطانیان، لرتا، مادام گلندریان و مادام تریان را نام برد.
مادام تریان در شهر تبریز از پدر و مادری قفقاز در سال ۱۹۱۴ به دنیا می آید که بعدها به تهران کوچ می کنند و به مدرسه ارامنه می رود. در سن ۱۳ سالگی به سوئیس فرستاده می شود و به مدت چهار سال در آنجا اقامت کرده و به یادگیری هنر تئاتر می پردازد. وی در بازگشت به ایران با آرتوتریان که کارگردان تئاتر بود ازدواج می کند. مادام تریان می گوید:«من برای اولین بار روی صحنه تئاتر جامعه باربد شعر شمع و پروانه سعدی را اجرا کردم. تا آن زمان هیچ زنی در ایران روی صحنه تئاتر نرفته بود و به همین جهت برنامه من مورد استقبال فراوان قرار گرفت. متأسفانه در آن زمان زنها اجازه ورود به تئاتر و تماشا {را} نداشتند و خاص مردها بود.» مادام تریان می گوید که تنها در سال ۱۳۱۴ بود که به زنان اجازه دادند تا به دیدن تئاتر بروند.
مادام گالندریان دومین زن ایرانی ارمنی است که روی صحنه تئاتر در ایران رفته است. اما برخلاف مادام تریان، او همیشه با لباس مردانه به ایفای نقش پرداخته است. او هم در تبریز به دنیا می آید و کار تئاتر را از مدرسه ارامنه در تبریز در زمان احمدشاه قاجار شروع می کند. زمانی که زنان مسلمان در ایران اجازه رفتن به مدرسه را نداشتند و تنها در خانه به طور خصوصی تحصیل می کردند. در تهران برای اولین بار در نمایش «آرشین مال آلان» در نقش مردانه عسگر بازی می کند.
جالب است که همه بازیگران این نمایش زن بودند و به همین دلیل به دربار و به کاخ گلستان دعوت می شوند تا نمایش را برای زنان حرمسرا در دربار احمدشاه اجرا کنند. پس از حضور زنان ایرانی ارمنی بود که در بازیگرانی مثل چهرآزاد، ملوک ضرابی، مریم نوری، ملوک حسینی و عصمت صفوی شروع به بازی در تئاتر کردند و راه را برای دیگر زنان هموار کردند تا جایی که امروز صدها بازیگر و کارگردان زن در تئاتر و سینمای ایران مشغول کار هستند.
(این مقاله با استفاده از کتاب «ادبیات نمایشی در ایران» نوشتهٔ جمشید ملک پور، انتشارات توس، ۱۳۶۳ نوشته شده است.)
Despite the fact that theatre in Iran started using the European method in the Constitutional era, women were not allowed to act in the plays, nor were they allowed to watch them. This prohibition meant that female roles in plays were performed by men who were called “Zan Poush” [i.e. wearing like women].
At the beginning of the Reza Shah Pahlavi Kingdom, the first Armenian females – followed by a few Muslim women – found their way to the stage. Molook Hosseini, who is said to be the first Iranian Muslim female on the theatre stage in Iran, said: “I was wearing boy clothes and appeared as a Kalimi boy in theatre and was taking the role in this way. Because if they realised that I was a woman, the same people who were coming to the theatre and clapping for me would have killed me.”
It was around the year 1921 that Qafqaz actors came to Iran and it was the Armenian women who paved the way for actresses in Iran. These women were as follows: Pari Aqabayev, Madam Siranoosh, Madam Asia Ghostantin, Loreta Hairapedian Tabrizi, Madam Galandarian and Madam Terian.
Madam Terian was born in 1914 in Tabriz to her Qafqaz parents. They then moved to Tehran and she attended an Armenian School. She was sent to Switzerland at the age of 13 and lived there for 4 years to learn the art of theatre. After coming back to Iran, she got married to Aarto Terian.
Madam Terian said: “I performed Saadi’s poem of Candle and the Butterfly on the Barbod Society theatre stage. Until then, no woman had performed on the theatre stage in Iran. Hence, my performance was highly welcomed. Unfortunately, in that period women did not have the permission to enter the theatre hall and watch. [It was] especially for men.”
Madam Terian says that it was in the year 1935 that women were permitted to watch theatre plays.
Madam Galandarian is the second Iranian Armenian female who played on the theatre stage in Iran. However, contrary to Madam Terian’s gender, she had always played in male clothes. She was born in Tabriz and started playing in the theatres of the Armenian School of Tabriz during the Ahmad Shah Qajar Kingdom. While Muslim women in Iran were not allowed to go to school and were expected to study at home privately, she played in the “Arshin Mal Alan” play in Tehran, in the male role of Askar for the first time. All the actors in this play were women which caught the interest of many, resulting in them being invited to the Golestan Palace to act for the women in Ahmad Shah’s Harem [King’s Wives House].
It was after the appearance of the Iranian Armenian women that actresses such as Rogheyeh Chehre-Azad, Molook Zarrabi, Maryam Noori, Molook Hosseini and Esmat Safavi started playing in theatre. They paved the way for other women so that now, hundreds of actresses and female directors are working in Iran’s theatre and cinema.
[This article was written based on the book “Acting Literature in Iran”, Author: Jamshid Malekpour, Toos Publications, 1363 (1984)].
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Le ciel était gris et la ville de Milan était trempée de pluie. C’était septembre et officiellement l’automne : un nouveau chapitre de ma vie. Cela m’attristait un peu de penser que c’était prévisible de la météo mais je pouvais déjà sentir que le temps passerait extrêmement vite dans une ville avec beaucoup de choses à découvrir et de nouvelles personnes à rencontrer. Cette pluie passera plus tôt que tu ne le penses, pensai-je. Tu ne t’en souviendras même pas quand le soleil commencera à briller.
Nous avons pu sentir la transition de l’automne à l’hiver un mois plus tard, lors d’une soirée particulièrement belle en novembre, quand nous sommes montés sur le toit de notre appartement pour regarder un coucher de soleil glorieux qu’aucun d’entre nous n’avait jamais vu auparavant. Mes nouveaux amis et moi avons monté les escaliers rapidement, racontant des blagues dans différentes langues. Comme nous avons fait notre chemin à la clairière sur le toit, nous avons été arrêtés dans nos traces par la beauté du ciel au-dessus de nous. Une peinture composée de rose vif et d’orange, de violet foncé et de bleu, et des reflets dorés tourbillonnant autour des nuages pour l’emphase nous entourait. Quelqu’un a même plaisanté en disant que nous étions immortalisés dans un tableau de Van Gogh, résolvant immédiatement nos crises existentielles des jeunes adultes parce que oui, nous pourrions croire que c’était la seule explication plausible pour que la nature soit si gentille avec nous. Nous en avons été témoins, mais en même temps, il nous a semblé réconfortant de penser que nous faisions en quelque sorte partie de la peinture d’un peintre légendaire; la Nuit Étoilée 2.0. J’ai vu mes amis en souriants. Un mélange des langues – d’italien, d’espagnol, de portugais, de danois, et d’anglais – à côté du bourdonnement lointain du trafic de la ville a créé une sensation de paix et d’unité; malgré nos différences, nous n’étions que des êtres humains sous un ciel de Van Gogh. N’oublie jamais ce moment. Alors que le soleil se baisse de plus en plus vers l’horizon à chaque seconde qui passe, accroche-toi à chacun et ne le laissez pas partir car vous ne serez plus jamais à la même place avec les mêmes personnes en même temps.
En décembre, la neige a rendu notre monde blanc. Nous étions devenus comme des enfants, bâtissant des bonshommes de neige et jetant des boules de neige sur le même toit. Les Italiens nous ont dit que c’était la première chute de neige en cinq ans dans la ville de Milan. Nous nous sommes sentis spéciaux de connaitre la ville pendant ce phénomène aux côtés des locaux qui étaient tout aussi excités que nous. La pureté de la neige nous a détourné de nos soucis des échéances de Noël et des examens, mais surtout, nos départs d’un endroit qui avait réussi à unir des gens de divers horizons avec un objectif commun. N’oublie jamais ce moment, continuais-je à me dire.
Même quand on vit un moment important dans sa vie, il peut être presque impossible de ne pas penser au fait qu’une fois le moment passé, il va nous manquer terriblement. La nostalgie n’attend pas de frapper une fois que le temps est passé et que la mémoire a eu une chance de se solidifier, mais elle peut plutôt se produire même pendant que le moment est vécu. Malgré son existence, la nature a la manière d’unir les gens, de nous arrêter sur nos traces et d’oublier n’importe quelle inquiétude à ce moment juste pour admirer sa création. Quand un phénomène se produit dans la nature, les personnes qui en font l’expérience tendent à donner un sens à ce qu’elles faisaient à ce moment-là, rendant ces moments plus mémorables.
Malgré mes vœux d’oublier les pluies de septembre, je les aurais accueillies chaleureusement en janvier si j’avais pu revivre les cinq mois qui ont déjà passé. Je ne m’en rendais pas compte pendant les évènements de ces cinq mois, mais la nostalgie avait déjà un effet sur moi avant que quelque chose n’ait commencé. Je me souvenais de la pluie, et comment elle trempait mes vêtements et me sentait étrangère et familière en même temps. Je me souviens de regarder le ciel embrasé de couleurs, et je pensais que c’est le même ciel partout dans le monde, sauf que j’assiste à une partie spéciale avec des gens spéciaux à mes côtés. Je me suis souvenue de la neige et du fait que ce n’est pas un phénomène propre à la ville de Milan, mais il nous a semblé que c’était spécialement pour nous – un ‘miracle de Noël’ dans une ville où il ne neige pas souvent. Chaque blague à laquelle on riait, chaque personne rencontrée, chaque coucher de soleil hivernal qui était observé sur le toit avec des amis proches enveloppés dans des couvertures – ces souvenirs étaient mentalement enregistrés avec la prise de conscience tacite qu’ils ne répéteraient plus jamais de la même manière. Cependant, pouvoir les revivre dans nos pensées suffisait à calmer nos peurs.
À la fin de mon séjour en Europe, nous jouissions ensemble de nos derniers moments là sous un ciel bleu et un soleil brillant malgré que ce soit encore l’hiver. Fin janvier, j’avais d’innombrables souvenirs de mes cinq mois à l’étranger, mais surtout, chacun était marqué par un phénomène de la nature. Que ce soit la pluie d’automne, la neige de l’hiver, ou le soleil inattendu ici et là, j’avais l’impression que la nature avait catégorisé mes souvenirs pour que la nostalgie puisse les rappeler sans effort; une bobine de film qui peut déclencher des souvenirs partout dans le monde.
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The sky was grey and the city of Milan was drenched in rain. It was September and officially autumn: a new chapter of my life. It saddened me a little to think that this was to be expected of the weather, but I could already sense that time would pass extremely quickly in a bustling city with many new things to experience and new people to meet. This rain will pass sooner than you think, I thought to myself. You won’t even remember it when the sun starts to shine.
We could feel the transition from autumn to winter a month later on a particularly beautiful November evening when we went up to the roof to watch a glorious sunset neither of us had ever seen before in our lives. My new friends and I raced up the stairs, telling jokes in different languages. As we made our way to the clearing on the roof, we were stopped in our tracks by the beauty of the sky above us; it was a painting made up of bright pink and orange, deep purple and blue, and gold highlights swirling around the clouds for emphasis. Someone even joked that we were being immortalised in a Van Gogh painting, immediately solving our young-adult existential crises because yes, we could believe that this was the only plausible explanation for nature to be so kind. We were witnessing it at its best, but at the same time, it was comforting to think we were somehow part of a legendary painter’s painting; a Starry Night 2.0. I turned to see my friends smiling wide and embracing each other. A mixture of languages – Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, and English – alongside the distant hum of city traffic created a sensation of peace and unity; despite our differences, we were all just human beings standing under a Van Gogh sky. Never forget this moment. Even as the sun dips lower towards the horizon with every passing second, hold onto each one and don’t let them go because you will never be in this place with the same people at the same time ever again.
In December, the snow turned our world white. We had become like children, building snowmen and playfully throwing snowballs at each other on the same rooftop where we watched the famed sunset barely a month before. The Italians told us it was the first proper snowfall in five years in the city of Milan. We felt special to experience this phenomenon alongside the locals who were just as excited as we were. The purity of the snow distracted us from our worries of Christmas deadlines and exams, but most of all, our departures from a place that had managed to unite people from various backgrounds with a common goal. Never forget this moment, I continued to tell myself.
Even when one is experiencing an important moment in their life, it can be next to impossible not to think about the fact that once the moment passes, one will miss it terribly. Nostalgia doesn’t wait to strike once time has passed and the memory has had a chance to solidify. Rather it can occur even while the moment is being experienced. Despite its existence, nature has its way of uniting people, making us stop in our tracks and forget any worry in that moment just to admire its creation. When a phenomenon in nature occurs, people experiencing it tend to attach meaning to what they were doing at the time, making these moments arguably more memorable.
Despite my wishes to forget the rains of September, I would have welcomed them wholeheartedly in January had I been able to relive the past five months again. I didn’t realise it at the time, but nostalgia already had an effect on me before anything had started. I did remember the rain, and how it soaked my clothes and felt foreign and familiar at the same time. I remember looking up at the setting sun, the sky ablaze with colours, and thinking that this is the same sky all over the world, except I get to witness a special piece of it with special people by my side. I remembered the snow and how it wasn’t a phenomena specific to the city of Milan, but how it somehow felt like it was specially for us – a ‘Christmas miracle’ in a city where it doesn’t snow often. Each joke that was laughed at, each person that was met, each winter sunset that was watched on the roof with close friends wrapped in blankets – these memories and more were mentally recorded with the unspoken realisation that they will never be repeated in the same way ever again. However, to be able to relive them in our thoughts was enough to put our fears to rest.
At the end of my stay in Europe, we were enjoying our last moments together under a blue sky and the sun shining despite it still being winter. By late January, I had countless memories of my five months abroad, but most importantly, each one was marked by a phenomenon of nature. Whether it was the rain of autumn, snow of winter, or unexpected sun here and there, I felt like nature had categorised my memories so that nostalgia could recall them effortlessly; a reel that can trigger memories all around the world.
Kill a swallow,
And reduce it to ashes with a shepherd’s crook
Whilst drying some leaves.
Then mix it with the urine of young men
Who are unacquainted with copulation (lit. knowledge of matrimony).
Smear (lit. pollute) it upon the hair (esp. of goats and camels, but sometimes men)
and it [the hair] rejuvenates handsomely.
Excerpt from Syrian Anatomy Pathology and Therapeutics.
.من شمعم، شمع وجود تو
I am candle, your inner candle.
.من نورم، نور وجود تو
I am light, the light inside of you.
.من ابرم، ابر چشمانت
I am cloud, the clouds of your eyes.
.من غرشم، غرش فروخفته حنجره ات
I am the roar, the numb roar in your throat.
.مرا دریابی، نور می یابی
Find me, the beam will glow.
.مرا بیابی، مردم چشمانت به بارش آید
Find me, your tears will flow.
.مرا بخوانی، خون در رگهایت به جوش آید
Find me and the blood in your veins warm up.
.مرا گوش فرا دهی، به خدمتت در می آیم
Listen to me and I will be your servant.
:مرا از تو به تو پیامی ست، بشنو و به کار بند
I hold a message from you for you, hear it and use it:
به من گوش کن و به خود برس”
“Listen to me and reach out to yourself.
مرا دریاب و در آغوش کش
Find me and embrace me
.تا خود را دریابی و دوست بداری
to find you and love yourself.
دوستم بدار و در امانم دار
Love me and save me,
تا دوست داشته شوی و در امان بمانی
to be loved and saved.
من خود وجود توام
I am the inner voice of you,
“!خویشتنت را فراموش نکن
Do not forget yourself!”
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Ketika perempuan Indonesia dibahas di dalam Australi, biasanya orang-orang membayangkan wanita-wanita beragama Islam, yang memakai jilbab, berbicara dengan suara yang lembut, dan hidup dengan sikap taat. Benak, suara dan badan mereka terlihat sebagai hal yang kecil dan tanpa kemandirian.
Kalau situasi itu benar begitu, jelaslah mengapa teman perempuan saya yang masih memakai jilbab di Australi. Jelaslah mengapa, walaupun dia mengalami rasisme dan pelecehan yang langsung, dia masih ingin membertahankan keyakinannya.
Kalau situasi itu benar begitu, jelaslah mengapa teman perempuan saya masih memprotes terhadap aturan pemerintah nasional di atas kelompok minoritas dia. Jelaslah mengapa dia pindah ke Australi untuk belajar supaya dia dapat kembali ke kampungnya dan terus berjuang atas nama keluarganya.
Kalau situasi itu benar begitu, jelaslah mengapa teman perempuan saya mengenyitkan dahi waktu dosen mengatakan bahwa homoseksualitas adalah penyakit yang harus disembuhkan, walaupun mahasiswa dilarang menyangsikan kewenangan.
Kalau situasi itu benar begitu, jelaslah mengapa teman perempuan saya putus dari pacar dia setelah pacarnya memukuli dia. Jelaslah mengapa walaupun masayarakat menyatakan bahwa dia adalah wanita yang rusak, dia mengatahui bahwa itu salah.
Kalau situasi itu benar begitu, jelaslah mengapa teman perempuan saya tidak perlu menikah walaupun orang tuanya merasa kecewa. Jelaslah mengapa dia berjuang terhadap stigma itu, karena dia mengatahui bahwa kemandirian ekonomi dan kesenangannya tidak bergantung dari suaminya.
Kalau situasi itu benar begitu, jelaslah bahwa saya masih belajar banyak dari wanita itu.
***
When Indonesian women are discussed in Australia, people usually visualise Muslim women, who wear hijabs, speak with a soft voice, and live in obedience. Their minds, voices and bodies are seen as small and without autonomy.
If this situation is really true, explain why my friend still wears a hijab in Australia. Explain why, even though she experiences constant racism and harassment, she still wants to hold onto her beliefs.
If this situation is really true, explain why my friend still protests against the national government’s control over her minority group. Explain why she moved to Australia for her studies in order to return to her village and continue fighting on behalf of her family.
If this situation is really true, explain why my friend furrows her brow when her lecturer says that homosexuality is a sickness that has to be cured, even though university students are prohibited from questioning authority.
If this situation is really true, explain why my female friend left her boyfriend after he hit her. Explain why even though society claims that she is now a broken woman, she knows this is false.
If this situation is really true, explain why my female friend hasn’t gotten married even though her parents are disappointed. Explain why she fights against this stigma, because she knows that her economic independence and happiness are not dependent on a husband.
If this situation is really true, explain why I still learn so much from these women.