FAVORITE PLACES ON EARTH 1

Far de San Sebastia-Costa Brava-Catalunya

On the 24th of May 2007, not even a year ago I got a card... It said I shouldnt worry because soon once again we would be living in the same city again. We both have lived in Prague,Buenos Aires,Barcelona and The Hague... How then could the future "separate" us? It has only been 11 months, and tommorrow you are moving to Paris. There are things I cant even believe. We didnt even plan it out. WoW. Next Destination?

Unconfortable Views - Help Falun Gong Practicians!

Which medal for human rights???

"By giving Pekin the chance to organize the games, you will contribute to the development of human rights"( Liu Jungmin, vice president of the comitee to presente the Pekin Candidature for the 2008 Olympic Games, April 2001)

"When China was chosen to host the Olympic Games, the authorities of the country promised to improve the situation of human rights. Now that the time of the olympic flame is getting closer, serious worries still exist" Iren Khan, General Secretary of Amnesty International.


Downtown Paris a campaign was taking place today by Amnesty International to sak for human rights in China. I listend for 30 minutes to a speaker who was explaining her story and how she was tortured for being a practician of Falun Gong. Falun Gong is a traditional chinese meditiation method, which helps to harmonise the spirit and the body.Falun Gong practicians are tortured to get their organs and sell them. From a lung costing 150,000 Euros to the pancreas for 45,000 Euros. Falun Gong practicians are victims of the chinese communist party as the number of practicias is larger than the number of members who support the communist chinese party (according to a survey of the chinese goverment in 98). In addittion the chinese goverment applies a policy of unique thought, which goes against that of Falun Gong- Truth-Bonté-Tolerance. In 1999 Jian Zemin launched a plan to eradicate the Falun Gong practician in 3 months. Due to the failure of the plan in 2002 there was a new order to kill the practicians. There are at least 36 secret extermination camps used for the trafic of organs. More than 500 000 people are being tortured and deported to "forced work camps".

The woman talked how she was taken three times, how they put liquids into her, threw freezing water on her. All her friends and family where also blamed for her acts, thus her husband was told that he would never get a promotion at work as a consequence of her actions -practicing Falun Gong- His work collegues told him it would be better to get rid of her. She went to a place where they brain washed her, and she survived as she told them her name and she was forced to help "the policemen" torture other practicians. Finally her husband was able to "get rid" of her by somehow (didnt fully understand it) sending her to France. It was the exchange, she was going to leave him alone he was sending her to France.

For more info:

www.infofalungong.net
http://www.amnesty.org/en/appeals-for-action/end-persection-falun-gong-practitioner

FREE TIBET

Let me be more precise than the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), this person in the picture is not "a Tibetan monk and riot police", but this is Wangchen a long time family friend and the rest are the Mossos d'Esquadra (catalan policeman) at ,as the SMH states, a rally in Barcelona last week.

I've been at the casa del tibet (house of tibet) in Barcelona a few times, ive been with tibetan monks in dhramsala, India and its hard to believe how people so calm as Tibetan's are being submitted to such a cultural oppression. I've seen the DalaiLama and I have heard two of his conferences. I dont think ive ever heard such wise words and logical spiritual sense from anybody than from him. Chinese persons spy on the house of tibet in Barcelona often to know what is going on. And in fact nothing on goes on there but the difussion of the Tibetan culture. Is that a crime?

Its good to take the opportunity of the olympic games to make more sound for the cause of Tibetan Freedom. However, is this a reason to boycott the olympic games? Is there a relationship with the 17 year old girl that has spend the past 11 years of her life training to beat a world record or get a golden medal with the life of a tibetan monk that has been supressed of its freedom and culture since 1949? I dont know, I dont want to destroy the dreams of the girl, but I dont want to accept cultural suppression either. The tibetans have accepted to be part of China, they dont even ask for independance but for autonomy. Are representatives of world countries trully going to go to the opening of the games? That will be shamefull. How can we accept that China has human rights with the country exploiting all its workers, and banning all connections with the exterior? I remember in Beijing seeing all the embassies with double electrical fences so that nobody would jump into them and ask for assilium. That represents freedom?

Shouldnt the international olympic comitee have a look at the levels of human rights in a country before giving them the opportunity to host some Olympic games? Its been long since I have thought that China should not deserve to be hosting the Olympic games.

I hope you get to hear the DalaiLama one day or other.

Chartres

Southwest of Paris lies Chartres, the place where I spend the first and last day of my easter holidays. I was able to escape from the city for only 18 euros retour to visit a gigantic and magnificent cathedral which stands out from a long distance. There is not much to visit in the town besides narrow alleys, a tranquil town atmosphere and plenty of restaurants. Of course the city has also been conquered by the McDonald's, place at which we had our lunch. Later we headed into the church, to which we managed to arrived without beeing too wet. With special lighting that illuminated all the details of the hand crafted rocks that build the church we walked thorugh all the corners of the church. A small concert also took place in the cathedral and we refuged there from the rain for about an hour. Later we took a small strall around the town and missed our train by a couple minutes, having to wait for 1 hour while drinking a nice warm coffee with a typicall french pain au chocolat.

foto by me. Chartres 25.03.08.France

I have to thank all the tourists for staying at Paris,Versailles and Disneyland during the weekend and not following me to Chartres. I tend to take a stroll through the city everyweekend and I have never heard as much spanish as I have this weekend. Im specifically refering to the spanish/catalan, if it wasnt for the eiffel tower I would have thought I was in Spain. At least in Chartres the easter celebrations were not inundated by too many tourists. On my way back I shared the train with a lot of people who were together with me traveling back to Paris to start another week at work. Many of them carring their luggages full of (i assume) cloths for the rest of the week-- until they get to go back home.

My day did have a couple of incidents. Although I had planned to catch the train to Chartres on time as in the stop at Versailles my friends were meant to jump on the same train I almost missed it. First I got lost in one of my multiple metro connections. Later once in the station, the machine was not willing to sell me a ticket to the city. After 10 minutes of queue the person who sells the tickets did not understand that I wanted a two way ticket. So, I had to just buy a one way ticket. I ran and jumped in the train, walked down four wagons to find a nice seat (4 minutes before departure) . At that moment I realized I had forgotten to stamp my ticket. I got off, ran all the way to the beggining of the station,stamped it, jumped on the first open door and heard the messages "ladies and genteleman this is the train in direction Chartres, the train is closing its doors". Relief.

Le Refuge des Fondus à Paris

Last nite I discovered a very fun restaurant in Montmatre, right by the metro Abbesses. Cheap food, loud/familiar/young ambiance, Le Refuge des Fondus offers only 1 menu for 17 euros. You start with a tray of starters (olives,potatoes,peppers,cheese,ham etc) and later continue with a meet or cheese fondue. For 2 extra euros you can get a dessert ( a lemon icecream goes perfect after having eaten an entire cheese fondue). And you even get a small alcoholic drink with your startes. What differentiates this restaurant from others is that your wine be it red or white is served in "baby bottles". The place is small and has space for only two large tables of around 20 people each. So to get to the other side of the table you have no option than to jump over the table. Definately recommendable to go with a group, relax and have fun.

17, rue des 3 Frères 75018 Paris

Tel.0142552265