Author: Ana Catarina Palma Neves

Linguistic by trade, my previous experience in international relations and project management has been paramount to my dynamic professional path. Having worked in higher education, secondary education, sports, and in an NGO has allowed me to see the world in different perspectives and developed terminology in specific areas. Comparing different cultures in the world and decoding the true meaning of words (and other meanings that are given to them) is what drives me forward. Check my website where I discuss the meaning of words, "WORDS IN IDEAS": https://wordsinideas.com/

What happened in October

Words in Ideas is taking a little break for the Christmas season. We take this opportunity to show you what was published in October, so you don’t miss out on anything.
 


 

 
 
 
 

 

 


 

WEEK 44 | from 27 October to 2 November

02.11.2025
Journalism should be the face of democracy and freedom. If journalists get killed, it means those values are in peril. Especially if the perpetrators are not punished. November 2nd is the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. Because journalists should be protected and killers should be brought to justice.

Also:

UNESCO: Observatory of Killed Journalists.

UNESCO: Safety of Journalists – What is being done?

01.11.2025
The Peace Ark is a medical ship (or, better yet, a Healing Ship) that crosses the sea around the world providing medical help for those in need. After 15 years of missions, we get to know how it works and what it has been doing. Watch the report here.

Also:

Mosul was destroyed by IS in 2017. It was rebuilt by its communities, with the help of UNESCO.

31.10.2025
How to combine technology (including AI) and city planning in addressing the challenges people face? That’s the discussion of this year’s World Cities Day. Follow the conference online, which will take place in Bogotá, Colombia.

Also:

Read how it is to be a war photographer.

30.10.2025
Polio is a crippling disease, affecting children and without a cure. Fortunately, there are vaccines. In 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was established to eradicate it all over the world. Today, there is only 0.1% left to go.

Also:

Good news! But still a long way to go…

29.10.2025
Esteban Chaves is a professional cyclist from Colombia. Coming from a difficult economic background himself, he co-founded the Fundación Esteban Chaves, FUN, to help kids with the same background become professional cyclists. The foundation provides all equipment, training, and support they need; the kids give all they have to fulfil their dream.

Also:

Is there a way to reduce pollution in a big city, improving the health of its population? Yes, says the Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia.

28.10.2025
Taiwan was a Japanese colony from 1895 to 1945. As part of his research about the Chinese resistance against Japanese rule, the Taiwan author Lan Bozhou traces the path of one of its heroes in a video produced by CGTN. Following his journey, we have a glimpse of how life back then was for Taiwanese people.

Also:

Is there a way to invest in protecting the forest and get a return of that investment? Yes, it is called the Tropical Forest Forever Facility.

Is there a way to renew old technology and eliminate waste? Yes, says ATRenew, the Chinese company making it happen.

27.10.2025
Join UNESCO and the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Association (CCAAA) celebrating the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage! Audiovisual products are not just entertainment, they are a way to get to know other cultures, other parts of the world, other stories. Check the events taking place around the world here.

Also:

Is there a way to rebuilt the borrow and investment international framework to address climate change? Yes, said Barbados’ Prime Minister.

See how preserving audiovisual material is protecting cultural heritage.

 

WEEK 43 | from 20 to 26 October

26.10.2025
The International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme is the UNESCO research programme in Earth Sciences. It includes the 229 Global Geoparks, places of unique geographical heritage. The Programme’s themes are: Earth resources; global change and the evolution of life; geohazards; hydrogeology; and geodynamics.

Also:

Why UN is important? Watch the video “The UN at 80: What Has It Achieved? | United Nations”.

25.10.2025
Photo competitions are traditionally about people or landscapes. Nikon Small World is about what is visible only through a microscope. Be amazed with the beauty of this small world and check the winners in photos and videos.

Also:

Watch the UN Trade & Development Conference closing remarks: “And because it matters, we did not give up. You did not give up. (…) This is what multilateralism looks like – not perfect, not easy, but possible. Always possible.”

24.10.2025
The Global Media and Information Literacy Week starts today. You can attend the online conference, take the MOOC, or simply get more information about Media and Information Literacy (MIL). Knowing how to navigate information from reliable and fake sources and access to scientifically proven facts can be a matter of life or death.

Also:

Watch how AI and humans are uncovering the secrets of Antarctica.

Watch the vide: “World’s largest seed bank marks 25 years safeguarding wild seeds”, by Reuters.

23.10.2025
Deconstructing prejudices is the goal of the Canadian documentary series “Face cachée”. In each of the 13 episodes, Karina Marceau brilliantly shows the viewer an uncharted and surprising side of a country.

Also:

What does UNESCO do? Watch the video “How UNESCO contributes to society by supporting Earth Sciences”, by UNESCO.

Reuters coverage of the Middle East: video and discussion at the Reuters NEXT Gulf summit [from 5:25:37 to 5:59:48].

22.10.2025
In 1964, UNESCO launched a very ambitious project: to write the history of Africa by African historians and experts. Thirty-five years later, eight volumes were published in 12 languages. Recently, three new volumes were added. Read more about the General History of Africa here.

21.10.2025
The winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 have been announced and the exhibition with the 100 best photos submitted to competition is already open. See the best ones here. You can also see here the best photos of the World Nature Photography Awards, which were announced in February. They are currently accepting entries for the 2026 competition (until October 30).

Also:

See the “Sumo wrestling at the Royal Albert Hall – picture essay”, by Tom Jenkins for The Guardian.

20.10.2025
Today is World Statistics Day. Demographics, clinical trials, political pools, financial reports, strategic planning… Statistics are everywhere and are essential for making decisions. To commemorate it, a 24-hour webinar will be live today. A continuous discussion about quality and access to everyone will travel around the world.

 

WEEK 42 | from 13 to 19 October

19.10.2025
Artists are fighting back AI! Watch how a photographer is beating it in its own game (with cats).

18.10.2025
Children in Bangladesh had a problem: how to go to school when facing major floods? The architect Mohammed Rezwan had the idea of transforming boats into schools that go and pick up students. It worked so well that his project won a UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy and used the same model for libraries, and clinics. Read more about it and watch the report from Reuters.

Also:

Check the organization helping Indigenous Peoples legally fighting for their rights: “Tenure Facility works alongside Indigenous Peoples and local communities to advance their community land rights while sharing the knowledge, innovations and tools that emerge.”

Get to know a new architectural trend: “But rather than simply demolish and rebuild, a visionary coalition of architects, engineers, building contractors, and developers chose a radical alternative for the building: deciding instead to upcycle and retrofit the iconic skyscraper.”

17.10.2025
Poverty is not just about lack of money. It is related to “dangerous work conditions, unsafe housing, lack of nutritious food, unequal access to justice, lack of political power, limited access to health care”. Read more about it here and attend the main event of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

Also:

Check these activity books for children: learning and having fun.

Read the statement: “UNGA 2025 – Global cooperation in a fragmented world: proposals for action”, by The Elders – “… the Elders set out a series of recommendations to make global institutions more effective and representative, focusing on global security, public goods, solidarity, respect for international law and greater inclusion of women, youth and marginalised groups”.

16.10.2025
Food is a world. From farming to haute cuisine, there is knowledge, technology, innovation, passion, and dedication. Celebrate today the World Food Day by getting to know successful stories, attending one or more events taking place all over the world, or taking a look at the brand-new Food and Agriculture Museum and Network (which is opening today to commemorate FAO’s 80 years).

Also:

Watch the video: “World Food Day 2025”, by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award “is given annually to a person or organisation for their outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature”. Check the nominated candidates for 2026.

15.10.2025
W. Eugene Smith was the photographer who initiated what is now known as photo essay. His best photo stories include “The Pacific War: 1942-1945” and “Country Doctor”. After passing away on October 15, 1978, W. Eugene Smith Fund was founded to carry on his legacy.

14.10.2025
How to monitor if the Paris Agreement is being achieved? Through the Global Stocktake. On its website, everyone can check the documentation that is being submitted and read the reports that are being published. Things are not going that great…

13.10.2025
This year, the theme for the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is “Fund resilience, not disasters”. It is a fact that disasters cost more to deal with than to prevent and prevention is increasingly more important due to climate change. Thus, risk reduction is an investment, not an expense.

 

WEEK 41 | from 6 to 12 October

12.10.2025
The World Health Organization (WHO) provides a service based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for countries to make decisions that improve health services by reaching their population more efficiently. Check here some of the successful stories.

11.10.2025
UNESCO has announced 26 new Biosphere Reserves. These Reserves are chosen due to the way nature and humans live in harmony. They are spaces of learning and examples on how to preserve the planet. Learn more about them here.

10.10.2025
Catarina de Albuquerque was a fierce and tireless advocate for water as a human right. The first UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, she was currently the CEO of the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA). She passed away last Wednesday, but her legacy will remain.

09.10.2025
Post Offices are both local (because it is rooted in the community in which it is located) and global (because it connects the local community with the world). Even in a world with a strong digital component, post offices are still relevant for the services they provide besides sending letters. Therefore, Happy World Post Day! To celebrate it, read the letters who won the International Letter-Writing Competition, whose theme this year was “Imagine you are the ocean”.

08.10.2025
The finalists of the Earthshot Prize 2025 have been announced. Founded in 2020, the Earthshot Prize aims to finance every year the best initiatives that effectively help tackle climate change and environment issues. It’s truly remarkable how many people are working to make the planet a better place for all of us to live in.

07.10.2025
Desmond Tutu was born on 7th October 1931 in a country where apartheid was implemented when he was a teenager. He did not accept it and fought it non-violently, but firmly. When apartheid was over in South Africa, and after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, he kept going, advocating peace all over the world.

06.10.2025
Today is World Habitat Day. Besides sessions about the 2025 Theme: Urban crisis response, the winners of the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award will also be known. It awards the best initiatives around the world that improve in some way human settlements.

 

WEEK 40 | from 29 September to 5 October

05.10.2025
Gone are the days when an apprentice would have to find a master to be trained in a certain profession. Nowadays there are teachers providing essential education for children to thrive in life. In such a complex world, collaboration between professionals is essential, not only within the national system, but also digitally with the entire world. This is precisely the theme of this years’ World Teachers’ Day. Check the events taking place around the world and participate.

04.10.2025
Ah, Space. The final frontier. What if it was possible to live there? That is the theme of this year’s World Space Week, which includes events around the world taking place from 4th to 10th October. Check what experts have to say and get to know how advanced technology really is.

03.10.2025
Dr. Jane Goodall was supposed to speak at an event in Los Angeles, USA, today. Unfortunately, she died of natural causes on 1st October. She was 91 years old. She started studying chimpanzees in 1960 and for the next 65 years she fought for protecting them. She was a world reference and her legacy will live on.

02.10.2025
Mahatma Gandhi was born on 2nd October 1869. He was the leader of the successful fight for India’s independence using non-violent means. As a way of honouring him, and as a way to promote his way of fighting, the General Assembly of the United Nations established 2nd October, the day of his birth, as the International Day of Non-Violence. Watch the commemorative event, which will be held in New York, USA, at 15:00.

01.10.2025
Happy International Coffee Day for all coffee lovers! The International Coffee Organization decided that the theme for this year is “collaboration”. There will be events around the word and a chance for everyone to share their love with the drink through posters on social media. Be involved!

30.09.2025
The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly ended yesterday. Besides numerous meetings and events, every country had the opportunity to make a speech to the world. And there were many translators and interpreters making communication possible between people speaking different languages. Their work is paramount for diplomacy. Happy International Translation Day!

29.09.2025
CERN was officially born on 29th September 1954. In collaboration with many countries, it aims to make discoveries about the universe. Besides many great achievements, CERN was crucial for the research of François Englert and Peter W. Higgs that led to the discovery of the Higgs boson, which was awarded the Nobel Prize.

 

WEEK 39 | from 23 to 28 September

28.09.2025
Access to reliable information can be a matter of life and death, especially regarding environmental issues. For this reason, the International Day for Universal Access to Information (on 28th September) this year is focused on “ensuring access to environmental information in the digital age”, so people can have a say in their future.

27.09.2025
Today is World Tourism Day! Travelling the world to get to know other countries is great, but mass tourism is destroying places and communities. Therefore, this year’s theme is “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”. Check the events and be part of the change!

26.09.2025
Interpol has launched the Operation Identify Me aiming to ask the public to send any information that may help identify murder women, whose identification has eluded police officers for decades. From the 47 cases presented to the public, 3 have already been solved.

25.09.2025
How do you balance maritime economic activities and the protection of the ocean? That’s the theme of this year’s World Maritime Day (25th September).

24.09.2025
Last Monday (22nd September), United Nations marked the 80 years of its establishment, followed by a high-level meeting to mark the 30 years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, aiming to advance women’s rights (read here the document).

23.09.2025
23rd September marks the International Day of Sign Languages. While learning whale language is fascinating, allowing deaf people to communicate between each other and with people who can hear is a crucial step to integrate deaf people in society. And it’s easy: it’s like learning a foreign language.

 

A book about India: “Midnight’s Children”, by Salman Rushdie

Having decided to become a writer after graduating from the university, Salman Rushdie was failing by all accounts. His first book had been a flop, but he was not willing to give up just yet. It was 1976 and Salman Rushdie was wondering what he would write about next. So, he thought about going back to his happy childhood. He booked a trip to India and made a tour through memory lane. Being born a few weeks before India became officially independent, he decided to base his new book on a boy born exactly at midnight on 15 August 1947. The result was the book “Midnight’s Children”, which was awarded the Booker Prize in 1981, the Booker of Bookers in 1994, and the Best of Bookers in 2008.

The story is told by a boy born at the exact time as his home country has acquired independence from its coloniser (the British Empire). Later in life, he decides to write the memories of his life, not taking anything out. Full disclosure: even the most shameful events would be recounted. Throughout the narrative, we learn how the boy’s life is closely connected to the first 34 years of India as a sovereign country. The tale starts in the paradisiac landscapes of Kashmir, when the boy’s grandfather meets the boy’s grandmother, at a time when the country is still under British administration. As the family grows, it moves around throughout India: Delhi, Bombay, and Pakistan.

In a unique style, the author, through the narrator’s voice, describes what is happening to the boy as he grows up, to his family, and to his country. It is a roller coaster of changes and emotions. After knowing the story of his grandparents and his parents, we get to know how the narrator’s childhood was in Bombay. At some point, we learn that a nurse dramatically influenced his fate at his birth, something that marked him later in life. In the meantime, he finds out that has a special power that he loses in exchange for physical improvement.

What looked like a bright future turned into a troubled present as the country descended into dark times. Conflicts and wars affect everyone one way or another, especially in what the schism between Pakistan and India is concerned. The narrator navigates his existence as he can, gaining allies and rivals along the way. He loses people, loses his home, loses everything; gets misplaced and misunderstood in a very Indian way. Indeed, his story could only happen in India to an Indian person. The ending is what is possible: happy or sad is up to the reader to decide.

In a nutshell, a wonderful journey through history and a magical story.

 
Suggestions:

 

QUIZ

1. How did Amina pay for the legal process?

    A. Didn’t pay – her lawyer worked for free this time.
    B. Sold her family jewels.
    C. Won the money on horse racing bets.

2. What was the narrator’s gift?

    A. Shiva had excellent fighting abilities.
    B. Saleem had the ability to read people’s hearts and minds.
    C. Parvati had the abilities of a true witch.

3. How the members of the Midnight Children’s Conference communicate between themselves?

    A. Via telepathy.
    B. Via post.
    C. Via telephone.

4. What happened in 1965?

    A. Saleem got married with a woman he didn’t love to look “more” Pakistani.
    B. Saleem lost his family, killed during the war between Pakistan and India.
    C. Saleem was expelled from his family and went to live in exile to another country.

5. With whom did the narrator married?

    A. Jamila, his greatest love.
    B. Padma, his greatest comfort.
    C. Parvati, his greatest supporter.

Check the solutions here.

 


 

Zarazoga, in Spain, has set a strategic plan to turn the whole city, including their many UNESCO World Heritage sites, accessible to everyone (this means, accessible to people with disabilities). It’s a huge effort, which they want to be a success in five years’ time. You can read the Plan (in Spanish) here.

Check the website daily to read the highlight of the day.

 


 

The Silk Road great adventure: past and present

Photo by UNESCO
When Nicole Anna got married, she probably thought she would have a family life beside her husband. Maybe things went wrong with the marriage, maybe her husband did not love her enough, or maybe he just loved adventure too much. We do not know. The fact is that, as soon as she got pregnant, Niccolò left her and their unborn child and departed (ran away?) to Constantinople with his brother and business partner Maffeo. When the child was born in 1254, they were already establishing themselves in the new city, where they stayed for three years.

At that time, Venice was an independent republic and an international trade hub, intermediating commercial exchanges between the East and the West. Most (or maybe all) of its population was living from international trade, directly or indirectly. Nicole Anna had married a wealthy merchant from Venice and moved to his palazzo, where she ended up living alone, taking care of their child. If she hoped Niccolò would come home after setting up his trading post in Constantinople, she would be disappointed.

At some point, the situation in Constantinople went badly, but Niccolò and Maffeo did not return to Venice. They closed their business there and moved further and further East, exploring precious routes in the pursuit of many riches and new endeavours. By the time Niccolò finally came home, his wife had died and his son was already a teenager, with a good education that had been provided by his uncle and aunt. For some reason, Niccolò decided to depart again, but this time he took his son Marco with him. During the next twenty years, they travelled extensively all the way to China, India, and Indonesia. Besides setting up trading posts and doing business, they ran away from wars and served as diplomats to kings.

The return to Venice was not pacific. A war was being waged and Marco ended up in prison. There, he met Rustichello to whom he told his adventures in far away and exotic lands. Rustichello decided to write them down and the first and probably most famous book about the Silk Road was published. It was a bestseller at the time and made Marco Polo world and timelessly famous.

The Silk Road was, in reality, a network of different routes by land and by sea (these also known as spice routes) used by travelling merchants. The name was coined only in the 19th century and it referred to the most precious merchandise traded. However, many other goods were exchanged, some coming from the West and others coming from the East. For centuries, these trading paths were privileged ways not only to exchange merchandise, but also to exchange knowledge: linguistic, scientific, cultural, artistic, and even religious. Cities along these roads were full of life… and money. Beautiful and magnificent buildings were constructed, many of them are still standing, marking and remembering a golden period in time.

With so much happening in the East, it is no wonder that the Polo family was fascinated and drawn to this adventurous and diversified world. In comparison, life in Venice was quite monotonous, despite this city being at the time a very much cosmopolitan city. Rustichello’s book, nowadays named as “Marco Polo – The Travels”, reflects the image Europeans had about the East: strange, but seductive, full of exotic animals, of people with bizarre habits and beliefs, of rulers always at war with their neighbours. Yet, it also shows us respect for other cultures.

After 1,500 years, the Silk Routes were closed in 1453 by the Ottoman Empire. Europeans immediately started to look for another way to continue the trade with the East. Hence, the Age of Discovery and the many maritime routes to India, China, and Japan. In the meantime, they also found the Americas and a whole “new” world of opportunities was opened. This led to colonialism and the division of the world between the “developed” countries and the “poor” countries (the now ex-colonies).

Yet, the Silk Road is still a reference, especially due to its multiculturalism. The trade was made between merchants of different countries and different cultures with the only aim of getting the best deal possible. They did not have any political intentions or desire to dominate other folks. They did not have any power either. In fact, the routes were built by the travelling merchants, according to the conditions they would find.

Inspired by this, the government of China decided to revive the old network in a modern way 560 years later. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aims to reconstruct some of the old routes by land (through Central Asia to Europe) and by sea (towards India and Africa) and build new ones, for example to Chancay, in Peru (America). The investment in infrastructures, namely ports and train lines/stations, in different countries is part of this strategy. Like in the Roman Empire, where all roads would lead to Rome, these connections aim to be linked to one major hub: China.

Contrary to the original Silk Routes, these paths are designed by a single country with national strategic plans in sight. Besides trade, China is looking to gain other advantages. Security is one of them, building military bases alongside the civil infrastructures. For example, the Djibouti port, strategically located at one end of the Suez Canal, serves both goals. Extending diplomatic relations is another objective. As China is willing to pay for the bills, it expects countries to be loyal to them. However, it is not just about infrastructures. China also provides other services, like healthcare. For instance, the Chinese Navy has a hospital ship (called “Silk Road Ark”) that travels through the BRI routes providing healthcare services for free. China gives back as much as it takes, in a win-win mentality.

When Marco Polo returned to Venice after twenty years, he had turned into a man of almost forty years-old. Contrary to his father, he got married and stayed in his hometown, becoming a wealthy merchant and raising three kids. If he lived nowadays, he probably wouldn’t leave his country for so long. There are airplanes and online conference services that make travel and communication much easier. He probably wouldn’t be an individual merchant, would probably have a company and sign contracts with other Chinese companies… and companies from other parts of the world. And he probably wouldn’t live in Venice, but maybe in Rotterdam. The way to do business and connect with other countries would be different, but the respect to multiculturalism would remain the same.

 
For more information:

 


 

In January this year, the island Santorini in Greece was shaken for a month by multiple earthquakes. Panic took over, especially because no one knew what was going on. Finally, scientists came up with the explanation.

 
Check the website daily to read the highlight of the day.
 


 

Adventure vs Certainty

Photo by Mark Neal – Retrieved from Pexels
When the first mountaineers climbed the first high mountains, most people thought they were crazy (chances are, even today most people think that is insane), but they did it anyway. For outsiders, it was a great adventure: something daring and full of danger. For them, it was just something they had to do, a certainty in life: the mountain had to be climbed. They prepared as much as they could and went on their journey to reach the summit. Once there, they paused and came back down. Mission accomplished.

The word “adventure” comes from the French word aventure, which originally comes from the Latin word adevenire, meaning “to arrive”, as in arriving here from somewhere else. That was exactly what mountaineers did: they simply arrived at the top of the mountain coming from below. How the word’s meaning transformed itself to become “an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks” (Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary)? Well, maybe because back to those days, “arriving” somewhere was, in truth, overcoming many perils. The risk of being robbed or even killed was very high. Travelling was, indeed, a great adventure, every time. Not today, especially in developed countries. Security and certainty are something we take for granted so much that we get upset (or have the right to make complaints) when the trip does not go how it was advertised.

We often say that “life is an adventure”. The truth is we never know what may arrive. It is just like climbing a mountain, really. You can prepare and imagine everything that is going to happen and exactly how it is going to happen, and then suddenly there is a storm and everything changes. Arriving at your destination may seem harder, certainty less secure. No matter how well prepared you are, it may not be enough. We get used to life being sure and predictable, but it really is not. Not even Earth is that stable – hence climate change. Volcanos, earthquakes, floodings, avalanches, droughts, tornados, wildfires, can arrive at any moment and change the course of our lives. However, life can change with “ordinary events” like being fired from your job, having a baby, going on a business trip, meeting new people. Life is made of events that can have unexpected results and lead you to arrive at a different destination from the one you initially intended.

So, nowadays, “adventure” refers to something that is out of the norm. The norm is supposed to be certain and well-defined, whether in life, business, or leisure time. It is what society tells you it is and it is what you are supposed to do. This may change from country to country and, for sure, in different periods of time. For example, building and trying airplane prototypes was a great adventure until they found the right design. Now, airplanes have a norm and they are a certainty. Catching a train in some countries is a certainty: you just need to look at the timetable and the train will leave at the designated platform and time (with more or less delay). Yet, in some countries, catching a train is a true adventure: you never know when there will be one and, if you manage to catch one, you will never know when the train will arrive at its destination… or even if it changes destination mid-way!

If we do a search through the Internet for adventure, the results usually revolve around travelling to exotic places or extreme experiences. In reality, it is a commercial package: the idea is for you to pay for an endeavour only available for very few people, usually people with a lot of money. Sometimes, strangely, “adventure” is connected to “luxury”, which makes total sense in light of the business concept, but makes no sense to the pure concept of adventure. After all, “luxury” is something that is certain and adventure is something that is unpredictable. So, you pay for an adventure holiday and expect to have the full experience as advertised. What if you do not? For example, outdoor adventures may be dependent on the weather. You have one week to do your activity, but it might be cancelled for security reasons… Ironic. On the other hand, there are experiences that are supposed to be very predictable, but turn into an adventure when something goes wrong. A beach holiday can be transformed into a jungle expedition if it is raining all the time. Or you can stay inside the resort, playing board games… which may be a discovery by itself.

In a nutshell, certainty is an illusion and everything is an adventure because it always involves a risk. You may or may not arrive at the place you wanted to go. If you get there, your journey may or may not be as you thought it would be. What is certain is that you will get somewhere. So, live the adventure!

 
Sources:

 


 

Age is just a number. Confirm it with Odilon Martins, a rower who still trains daily and competes after 78 years. He is 96 and says his health comes from his sportive life. Check the report from Reuters.

 
Check the website daily to read the highlight of the day.
 


 

Suggestions for Portuguese readers – Part II

Portuguese version

A criadora do site “Words in Ideas” é, na verdade, uma tradutora, especializada em tradução literária. Atualmente, é a tradutora de português de Christoffer Petersen, um autor britânico independente com ligações dinamarquesas. Inspirado no tempo que viveu na Gronelândia, escreve policiais e histórias de ação passadas nessa ilha gelada.

English version

The founder of the website “Words in Ideas” is actually a translator, specialized in literary translation. Currently, she is the Portuguese translator of Christoffer Petersen, a British independent author with Danish connections. Inspired by the time he lived in Greenland, he writes crime stories and thrillers taking place on that iced island.

 

The Greenland Trilogy | A Trilogia da Gronelândia

Quando Fenna Brongaard começou a trabalhar na patrulha SIRIUS, pensou que o maior desafio seriam as tempestades de gelo ao longo da rota através do deserto da Gronelândia. Estava errada. Desde a missão secreta no Livro 1, passando pela curta carreira como agente secreta no Livro 2, até ao autoimposto dever no Livro 3, ela vive muitas aventuras perigosas. Uma história de ação alucinante que surpreende a cada passo. Entretanto, ela conhece David Maratse, um polícia gronelandês e a personagem principal da série Crimes na Gronelândia.

When Fenna Brongaard started her job with the SIRIUS patrol, she thought her biggest challenge was the ice storms along the patrol route through the Greenland desert. She was wrong. From her secret mission in Book 1, her short career as a secret agent in Book 2, to her personal self-imposed assignment in Book 3, she lives many dangerous adventures. A fast-paced thriller that surprises at every step of the way. In the meantime, she also meets David Maratse, a Greenland Police Constable and the main character of the Greenland Crime series.

 
BOOK 1: “The Ice Star”
TRADUÇÃO para português: “A Estrela do Gelo”

BOOK 2: “In the Shadow of the Mountain”
TRADUÇÃO para português: “À Sombra da Montanha”

BOOK 3: “The Shaman’s House”
TRADUÇÃO para português: “A Casa do Xamã”

 
 
 
 

FENNA SHORT STORIES

Depois dos acontecimentos dos livros anteriores, Fenna é recrutada por uma agência de serviços secretos e é destacada para várias missões. Algumas dessas missões são contadas nos livros seguintes.

After the events that unfolded in the previous books, Fenna is recruited by a secret services agency and is assigned several missions. Some of these missions are told is the following books.

 
BOOK 1: “In Strange Hands and The Frenchman”
TRADUÇÃO para português: “Em Mãos Alheias e O Francês”

BOOK 2: “At All Costs”
TRADUÇÃO para português: “A Qualquer Preço”

 
 
 
 
 

Greenland Crime | Crimes na Gronelândia

Devido aos acontecimentos que tiveram lugar n’A Trilogia da Gronelândia, David Maratse, um polícia gronelandês, é obrigado a reformar-se mais cedo. Decide mudar-se para Inussuk, situado na costa, no outro lado do país, para se dedicar à caça e à pesca. Bem, esse era o plano. O plano muda no Livro 1 quando Maratse encontra uma pessoa morta, assassinada. Contra a sua vontade, participa na investigação policial. No Livro 2, encontra um barco abandonado, cheio de sangue… Entretanto, apaixona-se por Petra Jensen, uma sargento da polícia gronelandesa e a personagem principal na série Pessoas Desaparecidas da Gronelândia. Porém, Petra desaparece no Livro 3 e, por causa do que ele faz por ela, Maratse vai parar à prisão no Livro 4.

Due to the events that took place in The Greenland Trilogy, David Maratse, a Greenland Police Constable, is forced into an early retirement. He decides to move to Inussuk, situated on the coast, on the other side of the country, to hunt and to fish. Well, that was the plan. The plan changes in Book 1 when Maratse finds a dead body, murdered. Against his will, he gets involved in the police investigation. In Book 2, he finds an abandoned boat, full of blood… In the meantime, he falls in love with Petra Jensen, a Greenland Police Sargent and the main character of the Greenland Missing Persons series. Yet, Petra disappears in Book 3 and, because of what he does for her, Maratse goes to jail in Book 4.

 
BOOK 3: “We Shall Be Monsters”
TRADUÇÃO para português: “Seremos Monstros”

 
BOOK 4: “Inside the Bear’s Cage”
TRADUÇÃO para português: “Na Jaula do Urso”

 
 
 
 
 
 

Greenland Mission Persons | Pessoas Desaparecidas da Gronelândia

Quando Petra Jensen terminou o curso na Academia da Polícia não havia um gabinete de Pessoas Desaparecidas. Um dia, Petra atendeu um telefonema. Depois de resolver o primeiro caso, foi recompensada com a sua própria secção. No entanto, ela é uma novata, portanto, ainda precisa de fazer trabalho de base. Estas são as histórias de Petra antes de conhecer David Maratse e “fazer parte” da série Crimes na Gronelândia.

When Petra Jensen graduated from Police Academy, there was no Missing Persons desk. Then, Petra answered a phone call. After solving her first case, she was rewarded with her own section. However, she is still a rookie constable, therefore, she still has to do basic work. These are Petra’s stories before she met David Maratse and “be part” of the Greenland Crime series.

 
BOOK 1: “The Boy with the Narwhal Tooth”
TRADUÇÃO para português: “O Rapaz com o Dente de Narval”

 
BOOK 2: “The Girl with the Raven Tongue”
TRADUÇÃO para português: “A Rapariga que Falava como um Corvo”

 
BOOK 3: “The Shiver in the Arctic”
TRADUÇÃO para português: “O Arrepio no Ártico”

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

The Indigenous peoples living in the Western region of the Arctic are called Innuit (Eskimo is considered offensive). Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) has three major groups: one in the West, one in the East, and one in the North. Get to know their world better here.

 
Check the website daily to read the highlight of the day.
 


 

Suggestions for Portuguese readers – Part I

Portuguese version

A criadora do site “Words in Ideas” é, na verdade, uma tradutora, especializada em tradução literária. Atualmente, é a tradutora de português de Isabella Muir, uma autora britânica independente com raízes italianas. Inspirada em Agatha Christie, principalmente na sua personagem Poirot, escreve uma série policial cuja protagonista é uma mulher muito especial…

Janie Juke é uma típica mulher da década de 1960: terminou a escola, apaixonou-se e casou-se. Porém, preza a sua independência e quer trabalhar. Os seus intentos tornaram-se realidade quando é convidada a gerir a biblioteca itinerária. É o trabalho perfeito já que ela adora ler, especialmente os livros da Agatha Christie com o Poirot, que a inspiraram no Livro 1 a resolver um caso que lhe era pessoal. À medida que a investigação avança, ela apercebe-se de vários preconceitos, nela e nos outros. Como resultado, ela muda a sua perspetiva e desafia a visão tradicional da realidade.

English version

The founder of the website “Words in Ideas” is actually a translator, specialized in literary translation. Currently, she is the Portuguese translator of Isabella Muir, a British independent author with Italian roots. Inspired by Agatha Christie, especially her character Poirot, she writes a crime series whose protagonist is a very special woman…

Janie Juke is a typical woman of the 1960’s. She has finished school, fell in love and got married. However, she cherishes her independence and wants to work. Her wishes come true when she is invited to manage the mobile library. This is a perfect job for her as she loves to read, especially Agatha Christies’ books with Poirot. This inspires her in Book 1 to solve a case that is personal to her. As her investigations advance, she becomes aware of several prejudices, in herself and in others. As a result, she changes her perspective and challenges the traditional view of reality.

 

BOOK 1: “The Tapestry Bag”

Janie Juke está a adaptar-se à sua vida de casada e como bibliotecária profissional. Um dia, encontra Zara, uma boa amiga que ela não via há anos. A amizade delas é retomada e reforçada até Zara desaparecer sem deixar rasto. Janie aplica todas as suas competências detectivescas para descobrir o que aconteceu.

Janie Juke is settling in her married life and as a professional librarian. One day, she crosses paths with Zara, a good friend she hasn’t seen for many years. Their friendship is resumed and reinforced until Zara disappears without a trace. Janie applies all her detective skills to find out what happened.

TRADUÇÃO para português: “O Saco de Viagem”. Disponível em:
BARNES & NOBLE: ebook | paperback
BOOKSHOP: paperback
BLACKWELL’S: paperback
WATERSTONES: paperback
KOBO: ebook
Quem mora na Austrália e no Reino Unido também pode procurar na app BorrowBox

 
 
BOOK 1: “Lost Property”

Janie Juke está grávida e toda a gente lhe diz que ela deve parar de trabalhar e preparar-se para ser mãe, mas ela não quer saber: continua a gerir a biblioteca itinerária como sempre. Entretanto, a sua reputação como solucionadora de mistérios espalha-se e um estranho está disposto a pagar-lhe para resolver um puzzle ligado a um velho segredo.

Janie Juke is pregnant and everyone is saying she should stop working and prepare herself for motherhood, but she doesn’t listen: she continues managing the mobile library as before. In the meantime, her reputation of solving mysteries spreads out and a stranger is willing to pay her for solving a puzzle that is connected to an old secret.

TRADUÇÃO para português: “Perdidos e Achados”. Disponível em:
BARNES AND NOBLE: ebook | paperback
BOOKSHOP: paperback
BLACKWELL’S: paperback
WATERSTONES: paperback
KOBO: ebook
Quem mora na Austrália e no Reino Unido também pode procurar na app BorrowBox

 
 
BOOK 3: “The Invisible Case”

Janie acabou de ser mãe e a sua tia Jessica está de regresso após ter viajado pela Europa por nove anos. Luigi acompanha-a desde Itália e traz sarilhos com ele: uma pessoa morre e ele parece ser o culpado. Janie tenta descobrir a verdade, mas desta vez ela tem a ajuda de um aliado improvável.

Janie just became a mother and her Aunt Jessica is returning home after travelling through Europe for nine years. Luigi comes with Jessica from Italy and brings trouble with him: a person dies and he seems the culprit. Janie tries to find out the truth, but this time she has a little help from an unlikely ally.

TRADUÇÃO para português: “O Caso do Sr. Williams”. Disponível em:
BARNES AND NOBLE: ebook | paperback
BOOKSHOP: paperback
BLACKWELL’S: paperback
WATERSTONES: paperback
KOBO: ebook
Quem mora na Austrália e no Reino Unido também pode procurar na app BorrowBox

 
BOOK 4: “A Notable Omission”
TRADUÇÃO para português: em progresso | previsto em 2026

 

 

As it was not enough for men to mistreat and harm women in the physical world, now they also do it digitally. For all the observance days, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is the one which should not be necessary to exist but it is of the most pressing. Let’s turn things around.

 
Check the website daily to read the highlight of the day.
 


 

The amazing Amazon rainforest

Photo by Cesar Aguilar – Retrieved from Pexels
A rainforest almost as big as Australia, evergreen and full of life, the Amazon is as mythical as it is disputed. For natives, the trees, the rivers, and all the beautiful and abundant biodiversity are an extension of themselves; they are like family members. For foreigners, it is full of precious resources waiting to be exploited (whether legally or illegally); and land that can be transformed into agricultural fields or mines. For scientists, the Amazon is a fundamental component of the huge and complex system of Planet Earth’s operation.

Contrary to what is believed, the Amazon is not the lung of the world, the ocean is. In fact, the oxygen produced by the forest is totally consumed by the forest. Yet, if it were to disappear, the Planet would be unbalanced and it would probably collapse. Knowing this, the Amazon’s Indigenous peoples fight to defend their home and their family. They protect the rivers and the trees such as Westerners protect their children and their parents. Therefore, when Amazon is hurting, each member of each Indigenous tribe is also hurting. And they send the warning to those who are inflicting the wounds: sooner or later, nature will seek revenge.

Troubles started when Europeans first navigated the second longest river in the world (right after the Nile, in Egypt), back in the 16th century. Completely unaware of what they were going to find, they glimpsed a tribe of warriors that looked like women to them. If those Europeans actually saw a tribe of warriors or not, and whether they were women or not, it is not certain. However, rumours have it that this episode gave rise to its name: the Amazons were female warriors in Greek mythology, that may or may not be inspired by real women. Several stories were written, glorifying this women-only society, skilled in horse riding and arrow throwing, both fierce and feared. Both the river and the rainforest were named after them.

Forests know no borders and, although the majority of its area belongs to Brazil, Amazon spreads across eight other countries: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. This is a perfect ground for criminal activities, trafficking all sorts of illegal goods from one country to another, as it is not possible to keep watch at such an extensive border. The National Foundation of the Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI – Fundação Nacional dos Povos Indígenas) was created in 1967 with the aim to protect the native tribes, especially those who have little or no contact with the “external world”… and protect them from these criminals.

Bruno Pereira was a Brazilian national that worked with the FUNAI. He was collaborating with Dom Phillips, a British journalist, who had given up of everything to dedicate himself in the writing of the book “How to Save Amazon”. On June 5th, 2022 they both disappeared. The news hit the world and a search was carried out. Finally, it was revealed they had been killed by a poaching leader, exposing to the world the dramatic situation unfolding in some parts of the Amazon. This was exactly the reality Dom Phillips wanted to reveal in his book. He paid that effort with his life. Luckily, the book was almost finished when he was killed and it was later published. You can hear the whole story through the podcast “Missing in the Amazon” (check the link below), recorded by Dom’s colleague and friend Tom Philips. It’s a chilling story.

The destruction of Amazon is devastating at many levels and all the warnings seem to fall on deaf ears. Indigenous peoples have been shouting about it for decades and, despite few people in power actually listen to them, they do not give up. They shout a little louder, they manifest, they talk to people in power as many times as necessary. The interview of Wajã Xipai, an Indigenous journalist, to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres during the COP30 was one of those opportunities. Published in The Guardian, the article and the video is worth reading and watching (check the link below). At some point, the Secretary-General stated that “If I’ve learned anything from the Indigenous peoples I contact in so many parts of the world, it’s this concept (…) Of Mother Earth. Indeed, between nature and humanity there is a single family.”

It was not by chance that Belém was chosen to host the COP30 in Brazil. The Amazon is a symbol of the importance and the urgency of fighting climate change and respecting nature and the environment. It is ironic though that when a group of Indigenous people broke in to protest and demand to be heard, security had been reinforced after they were expelled (not in a nice way). It reflects reality as it is: people in power lock themselves in fancy rooms to discuss matters that concern the world population, but block the very people who know how to solve those problems.

We often take nature for granted. Just as the sun raises every morning, we believe the Amazon forest will always be there, unblemished. Yet, people from the so-called developed world often forget that we need to take care of what we cherish and if we fail to do that, everything comes tumbling down…

 
Sources / more information:

 


 

World Toilet Day seems like a laughing matter… but it is not! Sanitation is hugely important to keep our society clean and healthy. Where there is no toilet, there are diseases and other types of dangers. Fight for the right to everyone have a safe toilet everywhere.

 
Check the website daily to read the highlight of the day.
 


 

Ambassadors vs Lobbyists

The name says it all: lobbyists are people who linger at lobbies of law-making institutions waiting to meet lawmakers to pitch them something (check “The Origins of ‘Lobbyist’” on the link below). This practice began, on a regular basis, in the 19th century and it has been evolving ever since. Now, it is a recognized profession. The European Union has even created a way to officially interact with them, in the name of transparency. The idea is to give an opportunity for everyone to be heard. This means that environmental conservationists have the same opportunity as oil companies to influence lawmakers, for example. Except… oil companies have way more money and the possibility to provide more lucrative advantages. Is it equal? No, definitely not. Besides, in lobbying, the line between presenting arguments truthfully and presenting them using manipulative tactics is very thin. And manipulation usually wins.

Ambassador is a very old word, with an interesting evolution. The English word comes from the French word ambassadeur, which comes from the Italian word ambasciatore, which comes from the Latin word ambactus, meaning “servant” (at that time, servants were actually slaves). The first time the term was used was in the 14th century, when Europe was immersed in turmoil. Alliances were made and broken often, thus, kings needed to know what was going on in other countries. So, they would send “servants” to be their representatives. They had a limited scope to negotiate in the name of their king, being in constant contact to provide information and receive instructions. These ambassadors were sent in missions to different countries and could be called back or redirected to another country at any moment.

In reality, they were spies. As foreigners, they didn’t belong to any organization, but, as representatives of kings, they could access everywhere and talk to everyone. The information gathered could serve as leverage (or blackmail) in official negotiations. The ambassadors’ role was not to pitch anything, but to find ways to make their kings’ will prevail. It could be a kind of manipulation too, like lobbyists, although with a different focus: instead of defending a cause or the interests of a specific company or a specific industry, ambassadors defended a political view and the (economic) interests of a country.

Gradually, permanent embassies were built and steady diplomatic relationships between countries were established. The goal was still the same: defend the interests of their country and getting to know what was going on in that country (especially backstage). Of course, those embassies were also used by the secret services… unofficially, in most cases. Breaking diplomatic relationships is rare and it is usually mainly symbolic because it is important to stay present to achieve the goals mentioned. Over time, embassies’ duties were expanded and they became responsible to protect national citizens visiting or living in that foreign country.

Nowadays, ambassadors are definitely not servants (much less slaves). They are respected diplomats. Diplomat comes from the French word diplomatique, which comes from the Latin word diplomaticus, meaning “regarding official documents”. In other words, they are official agents. The term has expanded to other (diplomatic) domains, such as the United Nations. The UN has “Messengers of Peace”, “Goodwill Ambassadors”, and “Advocates”, famous people who champion a certain area. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio is the Messenger of Peace for Climate Change, Cate Blanchett is a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, and Petra Nemcova is the UNDRR World Tsunami Awareness Advocate. Recently, Professor Brian Cox was appointed UN Champion of Space. Their role is to raise awareness and positively influence public opinion, taking advantage of their public image. Other organizations, such as non-governmental organizations, are following the example and appointing their own ambassadors. Some organizations have ambassadors, to raise awareness, and lobbyists, to press lawmakers.

Although these concepts are very well defined and distinct from one another, in practice they can be mixed up. Ambassadors may act as lobbyists and lobbyists can become ambassadors. Nevertheless, in both cases, corruption has a very fertile ground here to flourish. When lobbyists or ambassadors are championing a cause, the corruption factor may be minimized (but not entirely eliminated, unfortunately). Temptations are abundant and, in some areas, a lot of money is circulating. However, when they are championing a company or an industry, anything goes as long as there is a win. Is it fair? No, of course. Partly, this is the reason why climate change is being ignored, for example.

 
Sources:

 


 

Many of us want to be more environmentally and socially responsible, but we don’t know how. Well, you can start by following “The lazy person’s guide to saving the world”.

As Mahatma Gandhi said: “We but mirror the world. (…) If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.”

 
Check the website daily to read the highlight of the day.
 


 

A book about consequences: “The Secret History”, by Donna Tartt

“The Secret Story” is a story about a murder. We learn that right in the first sentence of the book, so no surprises there. What we are going to discover throughout the book is what led to that murder and the consequences it had in the lives of those involved. Strongly based on Greek tragedies, the story is a tragedy of modern times.

It starts very innocently, when a young man is looking for a way out of what he considers his wretched life. By chance, as it was fate, he finds the brochure of a small and unknown university on the other side of the country. After earning a grant, he moves with the intention to never return again. Once there, he tries to enrol in a Greek class, to continue his previous studies. The problem is that the only Greek professor in the university takes very few students per year and registrations are already closed. Later though, almost as by change (or fate), he has an opportunity to be accepted, and he succeeds.

The class group is very restricted and soon they become very close and isolated from everyone else at the university. Yet, two elements of the group are going to be excluded from certain activities developed by the others. Such activities have dreadful consequences and those consequences lead to other consequences that lead to the decision of murdering one of them. The murder is planned for a long time and executed in a few seconds. After it is done, they live in peace with what they did for a while. When their Greek professor and some other students notice the murdered person is missing, the killers are asked if they know what happened to the missing person. Police are called and it becomes harder and harder for the murderers to deal with the secret they carry. In the end, each one follows their own path, quite different from the one they were supposed to follow. None of them really recovers from that murder.

 

QUIZ

1. Where did Richard spend his first Christmas holidays in the university?

    A. He accepted the invitation of one of his colleagues to spend it with their family.
    B. He went back home, spending it with his parents, because he didn’t have any other choice.
    C. He stayed in a room with no heating and with a hole in the roof, almost dying with a pneumonia.

2. What other options did they consider before deciding to kill Bunny?

    A. None.
    B. They thought of going to the police and confessing, but they didn’t have the courage.
    C. They thought of telling everything to Bunny’s parents to help them convince him to change university.

3. What happened to Henry?

    A. He moved to Argentina.
    B. He killed himself.
    C. He was arrested and accused of killing Bunny.

4. The activities developed by some elements of the group were encouraged by their Greek professor. How did he react when he learned the result of those experiences?

    A. He was happy because they yielded the results expected.
    B. He helped them to cover up what happened.
    C. He left the university and never contacted them again.

5. When did they realized the consequences of murdering Bunny?

    A. When the police started to investigate.
    B. When they were at his funeral.
    C. When the body was discovered.

Check the solutions here.

 


 

Tsunamis are rare, but they are highly destructive. It is cheaper to prepare for it than to deal with the devastation and loss of human lives. That’s why the theme of 2025’s World Tsunami Awareness Day is Be Tsunami Ready: Invest in Tsunami Preparedness.

Check the website daily to read the highlight of the day.

 


 

Words in Ideas Book 1: “Articles 2024-2025”

Words in Ideas website was launched on March 3rd, 2024 with a single purpose: to understand the world through the meaning of words. Human societies are based on language and language is based on the cultural background and the geographical region where it was born and/or evolved. The same word can have different meaning due to the different evolutionary path it has taken in a different geographical region. For example, English was born in England, but it has taken different evolutionary paths in Australia, in the USA, and in all other countries which were under the United Kingdom administration at some point in history. Likewise, Latin evolved differently in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Romania, but it also influenced other languages, like English.

Words can clarify and they can deceit. Going back to the source and analysing its evolution was the challenge Ana Catarina Palma Neves, the author of this website, proposed herself. The articles were based on three main components: a book chosen according to a keyword, the analysis of a specific word, and the cultural background of a concept, every month. The first two years (2024 and 2025) had different approaches and 2026 has currently taken another avenue.

To celebrate the third year of existence, a compilation of articles related to the word meaning and the cultural background components was made and published in the book “Words in Ideas: Articles 2024-2025”. Online, some articles are available to the general public and some are only available to subscribers. In the e-book, you can read them in a sequence (or randomly) without restrictions.

 
Where is the e-book available?

 
Read the book, check the website.
 

Recognition vs Anonymity

© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Clément Morin
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Clément Morin
In the film “The Wife”, Glenn Close plays the role of Joan, the wife of Joe (played by Jonathan Pryce). Although the action is cantered on the fact that Joe was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the focus is on Joan. Once in Stockholm to receive the prize, Joe is drunken with all the attention he is receiving and constantly belittles his wife. She clearly does not like it, but endures in silence. Until she is approached by a journalist who wants to know if the rumours that her husband’s books were in fact written by her are true. She denies it, but everything that she has hidden deep down inside herself starts to surface. During a particularly heated fight, Joan throws in Joe’s face that she was the one who had won the Nobel Prize. Then, in a flashback, we learn that, after they got married, Joan would spend more and more time locked in the studio writing the books, strongly encouraged by Joe and, as a result, neglecting their son.

It is a great film, with a lot more to be appreciated, but the focus here is the undeserved fame obtained by exploring the work of someone who remains anonymous. It did not start like that. Joan wanted to be a writer, but soon she understood that she would never be published because she was a woman. So, writing in the name of her husband sounded a good deal: she would write and fulfil her dream of being published, and he would become a world acclaimed author as he aspired. The film is fictional, but could easily be a true story. Joan’s dilemma happens more than people think, even today. For example, the publisher of J.K. Rowling decided to ditch “Joanne” in the author’s name for fear that boys would not want to read a book written by a woman. Many years later, Rowling chose a male pseudonym (Robert Galbraith) to anonymously send the first manuscript of a crime series (the Cormoran Strike series).

The Nobel Prize in Literature is the most prestigious award in this domain. It is part of a set of awards that also includes Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Peace. In 1968, a new prize was added: the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. Those original five awards were created by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist, in a will where he established exactly how the prizes should be awarded and which were the criteria. When he died, in 1896, scientific developments and inventions were heavily dependent on individual reputation. Researches and discoveries were made with a lot of dedication and it could take many years before there could be a breakthrough. Most of the time, scientists worked alone in their lab, without any assistant. Those who were recognised could more easily obtain funding and carry on with their experiments. Therefore, public recognition and a good reputation were paramount.

Science today moves quite differently. It is not about a sole scientist pursuing difficult advances after several failed experiments anymore. Now, there are teams of scientists working together and basing their work on scientific articles written by other scientists and on knowledge being developed in other departments and institutions. Thus, although scientific Nobel Prizes are awarded to individuals, each one is in fact supported by many other anonymous individuals working with him/her that make him/her shine: colleagues, assistants, students, admin people. In the case of Literature, editors, translators, advertisers, graphic designers, typographers, logistics personnel, book shoppers, and librarians turn the writer’s manuscript into a book distributed and made available to readers all over the world. For Peace laureates, there are all those who were directly or indirectly helped by them.

Anonymity can be an advantage: one is free to explore and do whatever they want. Recognition implies playing by the rules, working at the right place and on the right issues, duly accepted by the “committees” in power. For example, Galileo Galilei was the first to state that the Earth (and not the Sun) revolved around the Sun (and not around the Earth). This statement got him in a lot of trouble with the Inquisition and he was forced to retract. If the Nobel Prize had existed back then, he would probably never have received it. Einstein won the Nobel Prize, but not for his famous theory of relativity, which the Nobel Prize committee has always rejected (read the article “Nobel Prize: 7 facts we bet you didn’t know” on the link below). On the contrary, there were laureates who later proved themselves unworthy of the prize (read the article “Here are the most controversial Nobel Prize-winners ever” on the link below). And, of course, the worthiest person to win the Peace Prize was not given such an honour, despite being repeatedly nominated: Mahatma Gandhi.

The Nobel Prize follows the “rules” and prejudices of European culture, for good and for bad. Alfred Nobel was Swedish and the prizes are awarded by Swedish committees, except for the Peace Prize, which is awarded by a Norwegian committee. One of the “rules” of European culture is to respect the power in place. At the beginning of the 20th century, the power was in Europe, especially Central Europe. After World War II, the power was “transferred” to the USA. Therefore, it is not surprising that most prizes were awarded in the USA, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Sweden, according to the World Population Review. Mahatma Gandhi was the one who led India’s fight for independence from the United Kingdom. Therefore, it would be highly improbable for him to win the prize… On the other hand, when Le Duc Tho, the Vietnamese diplomat who made the 1973 ceasefire deal with Henry Kissinger, was awarded with the Peace Prize, he refused. First, because it had been a ceasefire and not a peace deal (the war continued until 1975, proving him right). Second, the USA was the aggressor, therefore, not that peaceful.

Another feature of European culture is to be male-centred. According to the official website of The Nobel Prize, from the 1026 laureates, only 68 are women, which corresponds to 7%. Interestingly, 56% of those 68 women were awarded the Peace and the Literature prizes. Science decided to investigate the matter and wrote the article “One reason men often sweep the Nobels: few women nominees” (read it on the link below). Although these days there are many women who are scientists, published authors, and hold important positions in institutions related to peace, there are still very few nominations of women for the Nobel Prize. The rules were changed to address this problem, and women nominations doubled. Not the number of women laureates, though. Luckily, women are being recognized through other awards.

Unfortunately, women are used to remaining anonymous, whether they are willing or not. Vivian Maier chose to remain anonymous. Working as a nanny, she travelled the world, always with her camera hanging around her neck wherever she went. Despite never having had any formal training, she had learned the basics with a professional photographer. Then, throughout her life, she developed her style totally by herself. When John Maloof found her photos, she had just passed away. Since then, he has been tireless in finding all her photos, which are scattered in different places. Today, she is considered one of the best street pornographers of all time.

How many individuals remain anonymous and their amazing work never recognised? We will never know.

 
Sources:

 


 

In 1964, UNESCO launched a very ambitious project: to write the history of Africa by African historians and experts. Thirty-five years later, eight volumes were published in 12 languages. Recently, three new volumes were added. Read more about the General History of Africa here.

 
Check the website daily to read the highlight of the day.
 


 

A book about translation: “Babel”, by R. F. Kuang

The mother of a Chinese child dies. A stranger takes the little boy to London to give him an education. The boy goes with the stranger because he is suffering and there is nothing left for him in his hometown. The boy changes his name and becomes an Englishman. His tutor enrolls him in a special university in order for him to get a degree in translation. And there is where things turn sour. A secret organization, the true nature of his work as a translator, the return to his hometown, the bond with his friends, all collides in a spectacular and unexpecting ending.

The author R.F. Kuang built a fantastic story, full of magic, taking place during the last period of the British Empire when Britain went into war with China. Having researched the Opium Wars for her first book “The Poppy War”, she based her main character on a Chinese-born boy living in Canton a few years before the First Opium War began. In the book, he will later have a crucial role in that, in a scene inspired by real events and real people. The trade of silver was an essential part of the trade relationship between China and the British Empire and R.F. Kuang uses it in a creative way to tell the story of “Babel”. Furthermore, the real violence and exploration of the colonies by the British is at the heart of the whole story and is fundamental for the final outcome.

A translator herself, R.F. Kuang centres the action in the Royal Institute of Translation, a university in Oxford, UK. This fictional university is located in a fictional tower named Babel and their graduates are destined to fulfil key positions within the empire. The Babel Tower is part of a biblical story. It tells the tale of how humanity tried to build a tower to reach Heaven. God got angry and punished them by giving a different language to different people so the construction would be stopped and people would depart to different parts of the world.

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QUIZ

1. Why is silver so important in the story?

    A. Because translators need to buy expensive equipment.
    B. Because it improves everything with the right translation.
    C. Because translators are paid with silver.

2. What is the role his tutor wants Robin Swift to play at the university?

    A. As a native speaker, he can help the university understand Chinese grammar.
    B. The university is in need of a Chinese teacher.
    C. Considering that he was born in China and educated in England, he is the perfect spy.

3. What do students do on the top floor of the tower?

    A. Parties.
    B. Test translation pairs.
    C. Get access to the archive of the university.

4. In Canton, the Chinese city’s administrator makes his decision based on:

    A. The honest opinion of Robin Swift.
    B. A translation mistaken from Robin Swift.
    C. A false information given by Robin Swift.

5. What happens to Victoire?

    A. She dies.
    B. She becomes the Dean of the university.
    C. She escapes and goes start a revolution.

Check the solutions here.

 


 

W. Eugene Smith was the photographer who initiated what is now known as photo essay. His best photo stories include “The Pacific War: 1942-1945” and “Country Doctor”. After passing away on October 15, 1978, W. Eugene Smith Fund was founded to carry on his legacy.

Check the website daily to read the highlight of the day.

 


 

World Globalization

Every year, Heads of State and/or their representatives (for example, Foreign Affairs Ministers) travel to the headquarters of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) for the opening of its annual session. Besides high-level meetings and events, the week includes the General Debate, where all 193 countries integrating the UN have the opportunity to make a speech to the General Assembly.

In the UN General Assembly all countries are equal and each represents one vote. Of the 193 countries, 130 (67%) were colonized by European countries. Of these 130 countries, 45% (58 countries) were colonized by the United Kingdom (UK) and 18% (24 countries) by France. The other 48 countries were colonized by both, by other countries, or by more than one other country. To be noted that the UK and France are 2 of the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council and have the right of veto.

The General Debate speeches this year clearly shows a division between the countries:

      Group 1: Those justifying some kind of war and stating that the UN is going through an existential crisis.

      Group 2: Those defending peace (ending all conflicts through diplomacy) and thankful for the work of the UN, which have been helping their countries overcome their struggles and challenges (mainly related to climate change and the improvement of their population’s living conditions). They are fierce defenders of the UN, stating, however, that the seats at the table are unevenly distributed.

Colonization is still an open wound. Ex-colonies have many complaints regarding ex-colonizers, of interference in their sovereignty and financial aid that keeps them in poverty. However, these countries, that fought and successfully achieved their independence, are not giving up. They are finding ways (most of them as alternatives to those provided by the Western countries) to solve their problems. Organizations aiming at international collaboration are being established between them and funding in alternating channels is being sought for their innovative projects.

The United States of America (USA) is leading Group 1. In his speech, which lasted for 56 minutes, the President of the USA stressed the need for protectionism, threats, and war (both domestically and internationally). No country was spared: all of them were on a wrong path, according to him, especially in what climate change was concerned. He also stated that the UN was useless.

China, leading Group 2, made a point to contradict the USA’s statement. In 20 minutes, the Premier of the State Council of China advocated for peace, international cooperation, and the need to fight climate change. Although recognizing that the UN is in need of a reform, especially to distribute more seats to non-Western countries at the table, he reinforced how important the role of the UN is to the world. He also showed that alternatives to the Western rules and initiatives are being developed. In sheer contrast to the USA’s statement, China summarized their achievements on the path to peace, international cooperation, and fight against climate change. The Premier of the State Council said:

As a founding member of the UN, China has all along taken an active part in Global Affairs and worked for the betterment of humanity. Over the years, President Xi Jinping has put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity: the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilizacional Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative.

The fact that Heads of State from 193 countries can make a speech at the same podium shows that the UN is a place where everyone can have a voice. Whether that voice is heard or not by the other countries is another matter. Countries from Group 1 do not listen to anything but their own voices whereas countries from Group 2 pay attention to everything everyone is saying… and they learn. Interestingly, the UN principles were set by the countries of Group 1, but they are followed and advocated by the countries of Group 2. Countries from Group 1 vowed never again to go down the very same path they are walking on now. And countries from Group 2 are warning them to leave that path and go back.

As it was repeated abundantly in the General Debate, this year marks the 80th year of the end of World War II and the establishment of the UN Charter. German Nazism and Italian fascism were defeated by France, Russia (then Soviet Union), the UK, and the USA in Europe (with repercussions to the rest of the world due to the colonies) and Japanese fascism was defeated by China in Asia (with repercussions to neighbouring countries). These victorious countries are the permanent members of the UN Security Council with the right to veto and the ones that created the UN Charter and defined the rules for its implementation and operation.

Since then, many countries were divided into more countries and many colonies gained their independence. In 1945, of the 193 current UN countries, 91 countries (47%) were still under the sovereignty of one or more founding members as colonies, protectorates or under a UN trusteeship. These countries have a total of 30,556,569 km2 of surface area, which correspond to 23% of the total surface area of all 193 UN countries (which is 133,663,404 km2).

Of these 91 countries, 67 countries (74%) were under the direct administration of the UK (45 countries, 49%) and France (22 countries, 24%). The other 24 countries (26%) were under the administration of the UK together with France and/or other countries, the USA (3 countries), or the direct administration of other countries. On the other hand, when the Soviet Union collapsed, 12 countries (6% of the total of the current UN countries) gained their independence. As the Russian Federation was the “heir” of what was left from the Soviet Union, in a way these 12 countries were under Russian administration. This means that 82 countries out of the current 193 countries were, in 1945, integrated in 4 (out of 5) of the permanent members of the UN Security Council. It corresponds to a total of 22,671,758 km2 of surface area, 17% of the total surface area of the 193 current UN countries

As we can see, the world has changed. Or, better yet, the political world has changed. Nature is still the same, resources are still in the same place. Yet, those precious resources have changed hands. Until 1945, the world was divided between those that would provide the resources (the colonies) and those that would transform the resources and get wealthier and wealthier. Now that the ex-colonies are independent, they are looking to learn how to transform their own resources and create wealth. And the wealthier countries are losing ground.

Of the 49 remaining UN founding countries (Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia gave rise to new countries), 22 countries are from America (45%), 12 countries are from Europe (25%), 9 countries are from Asia (18%), 4 countries are from Africa (8%), and 2 countries are from Oceania (4%). Now, in 2025, 54 countries are from Africa (28%), 47 countries are from Asia (24%), 43 countries are from Europe (22%), 35 countries are from America (18%), and 14 countries (7%) are from Oceania. It is obvious that the weight of African countries has shifted. Actually, the weight of African countries in the UN grew from 4 countries to 54 countries, which corresponds to a 1150% increase in representation. Oceania is the second continent with the greatest increase: from only 2 countries to 14 countries, it had a 600% increase in representation. Asia increased 422% and Europe increased 258%. America was the continent with the smallest increase: 59%.

Due to the loss of their colonies, the UK and France have considerably shrunk their territory and influence in the world. Their surface area is 242,495 km2 (UK) and 551,500 (France), which corresponds to 0.2% and 0.4%, respectively, of the total surface areas of all 193 UN countries. On the other hand, Russian Federation is still the largest country in the world (17,098,246 km2 of surface area, which corresponds to 13% of the total surface areas of all 193 UN countries), even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and it remains an important player in world politics. The USA is the third largest country in the world (with 9,833,517 km2, which corresponds to 7% of the total surface areas of all 193 UN countries) while China is the fourth (with 9,600,000 km2, which corresponds to 7% of the total surface areas of all 193 UN countries).

Therefore, the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council (those with the right to veto) have together a surface area of 37,325,758 km2, corresponding to 28% of the total surface areas of all 193 UN countries. African countries have a total of 30,023,968 km2 (22%). If the surface areas of Oceania countries (a sum of 8,488,032km2, corresponding to 6% of the total) are added, then these two continents surpass the 5 permanent members of the Security Council because they have 29% of the total.

Europe includes the Russian Federation in its statistics. However, and considering that most of Russian territory is in fact located in Asia (Siberia), if we take out Russian surface area from Europe’s, the sum of the surface area of all other countries is 5,886,912 km2, corresponding to 4% of the total surface areas of all 193 UN countries. European countries, especially the UK and France, which used to rule the world, are now facing their real dimension. It is scary and it is no wonder they are trying their best to remain relevant. Unfortunately, their continued arrogance is not doing them any favors. In the meanwhile, the USA is relying on their wealth and military power to keep its hegemony, but the Russian Federation and, especially, China have already understood the figures. And the figures are saying that African countries, together with the islands in the Pacific, all the countries south of the USA, and China’s Asian neighbours are rising. Independence was just the first step. Now, they are climbing the other steps, regardless of having the support or the opposition of their former masters.

 
Sources:

 


 

The finalists of the Earthshot Prize 2025 have been announced. Founded in 2020, the Earthshot Prize aims to finance every year the best initiatives that effectively help tackle climate change and environment issues. It’s truly remarkable how many people are working to make the planet a better place for all of us to live in.

 
Check the website daily to read the highlight of the day.
 


 

Best of “Foreign Lands”

Dear Readers,

After renewing its website, “Words in Ideas” is preparing its 3rd year of fresh new articles, starting in October. While you wait, you can read (or re-read) the best articles under the category “Foreign Lands”. These articles aim to compare languages and cultures.

 

 
During the first year, articles described some traditional food around the world. Here are the 5 best:

 

 
In the 2nd year, we followed the discoveries of a group of language learners. Here are the 5 best:

 

 
This 3rd year, “Words in Ideas” will discuss some cultural crossroads.

 
If you wish to comment or send suggestions, please fill in the form at the end of each website page.

Thank you!
Words in Ideas
https://wordsinideas.com/
 

Best of “Word Chronicles”

Dear Readers,

After renewing its website, “Words in Ideas” is preparing its 3rd year of fresh new articles, starting in October. While you wait, you can read (or re-read) the best articles under the category “Word Chronicles”. These articles aim to clarify words’ meaning.

 

 
During the first year, articles were focused on words’ origin and meaning. Here are the 5 best:

 

 
In the 2nd year, keywords are analysed under two different perspectives. Here are the 5 best:

 

 
This 3rd year, “Words in Ideas” will confront two opposite concepts.

 
If you wish to comment or send suggestions, please fill in the form at the end of each website page.

Thank you!
Words in Ideas
https://wordsinideas.com/
 

Best of “The Intrepid Book Society”

Dear Readers,

After renewing its website, “Words in Ideas” is preparing its 3rd year of fresh new articles, starting in October. While you wait, you can read (or re-read) the best articles under the category “The Intrepid Book Society”. This “Society” is a fictional book club, analysing a book per month according to a keyword or a key place.

 

 
During the first year, articles were written as reviews. Here are the 5 best:

 

 
In the 2nd year, fictional members discussed the plots between themselves. Here are the 5 best:

 

 
This 3rd year, “Words in Ideas” will test your knowledge (or, hopefully, making you curious in reading) the book of the month.

 
If you wish to comment or send suggestions, please fill in the form at the end of each website page.

Thank you!
Words in Ideas
https://wordsinideas.com/
 

Keyword: MAIL | Post vs Mail vs Email

Email (or better yet, electronic mail) has been with us for several decades now and one can say that today it is essential for both professional and personal purposes. It is useful to digitally send and receive messages and files to/from other people, and much quicker too. The “e”, from “electronic”, refers to the fact that these messages are sent using electronic means. The term “mail” was not chosen by chance, although it may have been an unconscious act. Although with different meanings and different language origins, “mail” in this context came from the French word malle, meaning “bag”. As the letters to be delivered were carried inside bags, soon the term was expanded to the letters themselves.

“Post” has basically the same meaning as “mail”, but “mail” is used in American English while “post” is chiefly used in British English. This term also comes from French: poste, which in this context means “station for post horses”. If nowadays cars have to go to petrol stations to refuel, in the past horses would have to rest and get fed at regular intervals. These “posts” were located in strategic positions to make sure the horses would have places to “refuel” or to be replaced. As the horse riders would carry the “letter bags”, these posts became known as “post offices”.

Therefore, in the old days, the letters were transported inside bags on horses. The person who rode the horse with the bags full of letters, or just messages written on a piece of paper (especially in war time, which was rather often), was called a “courier”. This word came from an older version of the French word courir, which means “to run”. Obviously, the messages had to reach their destination as fast as possible, thus, the horse riders would have to “run” from “post” to “post”. Nowadays “courier” is connected to diplomacy, drug traffic or contraband, espionage, and tourism.

The couriers would ride the horses at all speed to make the delivery as soon as possible. In Europe, at least, they used to carry a horn to warn the post offices that mail was arriving. That is why many postal services in different countries have horns in their logos. Sometimes, the couriers would deliver the messages or letter bag to another courier who was ready to go and just waiting for the first one to arrive. The horse would stop just long enough for the exchange to proceed and the second rider would depart at full speed as soon as he had the message or the letter bag with him. This has inspired the relay races in sport. The English idiom “don’t shoot the messenger” has its roots in couriers. In truth, it is not clear if messengers would be killed when delivering bad news, but the receivers would surely be infuriated.

However, the postal system as we know it was not invented in Europe, but in Persia. Royal roads were built especially for couriers, covering the entire empire. Tests were made to know the distance a horse could run before it collapsed and then post offices were built accordingly. At the time, only official mail was delivered, thus, there was no personal correspondence.

At the beginning, messages were pieces of papers that were relayed from hand to hand. Later, the postal system expanded to include personal correspondence. Messengers on horseback were replaced by mail coaches and postal service was paid by the receivers. As most of them weren’t willing to pay, a new solution had to be found. Hence, the stamps, which were pre-paid by the senders and allowed for the letters to be delivered in mailboxes. In emails, mailboxes are called inboxes (the incoming or arriving email). The courier, in the meantime, turned into a postman or mailman or mail carrier.

The pieces of paper became “letters”, a name that came from the Latin litterera. It meant letters from the alphabet, the way someone would write, a message sent to someone, or literature. Nowadays, the letters have turned into emails as most people communicate digitally. This has led Denmark’s postal service to decide to stop delivering letters at all, with consequences. However, parcels may be booming. The orders people make online on shopping websites and apps are sent via post service, thus giving mail carriers extra hours at certain times of the year, like Christmas.

Times are changing and mail as we know it may change dramatically. Yet, postal service has undergone many changes over thousands of years, adapting to the needs of each epoch. In a globalized world, the exchange of correspondence between people in different parts of the world is more important than ever, and also faster than ever thanks to technology. No one is expecting to send a courier on horseback to deliver a message between France and Australia… but thanks to technology a message can travel that distance in seconds (by its own!). On the other hand, some packages cannot be sent by email. Of course, today, instead of horses, we have vans, trains, boats, and aeroplanes.

 

Jazz, rock and other tunes

Any given music fan who studies languages may become curious about the origins of the names of the different types of music, like “jazz” and “rock”. Strange and intriguing names. Music is music regardless of its category, but most people need to organize everything in clear labels. After all, names are important to identify the music and, thus, the people who enjoy that specific genre. Indeed, music is much more than tunes, it can be a lifestyle. It is hard to find individuals who don’t like music and/or who don’t identify themselves with a specific genre. “Tell me what type of music you like to hear and I’ll tell you who you are…”

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Classical music doesn’t refer to “old” music, not least because there are currently good composers who still create classical music. Strictly speaking, classical music refers to the period between the second half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. Until then, what is now considered classical music was in fact Western religious music. In other words, composers would create music to be played in churches and to praise the Lord. It’s no coincidence that composers like Bach are known for their religious pieces.

However, the “classic era” witnessed a change of the situation and composers like Mozart and Beethoven, with their major breakthroughs, paved the way for possibilities to be expanded. They have influenced musicians to this day. The following era was dominated by the introduction of the piano, which gave rise to big stars like Chopin. We could say that, at the end of the day, classical music is the Western evolution of human melodic composition.

FOLK MUSIC

Folk music is a very broad term that encompasses traditional music from all over the world. It is also known as “world music”, meaning music which is not English-related. In truth, each country has its own musical style with different categories. However, as they don’t usually reach international status, they are considered “folk”. This word comes from Old English and Old German, meaning “people”, as in “common people”. Therefore, folk music means that it is the music of common people (as opposed to classical music, for example).

BLUES

The blues is a musical folk genre originally sung by the Southern African-American, mostly slave descendants. It emerged in the second half of the 19th century to sing away the oppression and misery felt by them. The name comes from the expression blue devils, which refers to the feeling of melancholy and depression.

JAZZ

Jazz is a “child” of the blues, but with upbeat melodies. The true origin of the word is not clear, but it is believed it comes from unwritten (and unspeakable) slang. Besides the musical genre, “jazz” nowadays can mean enliven and “similar but unspecified things”. The music was designated as jazz unintentionally, but the name stuck.

COUNTRY MUSIC

If blues and jazz are considered “Black” music, country music can be considered “White” music, namely the music of white people living in rural areas. This musical folk genre was born around 1920 in the Southern USA and it sang the life of countryside people, especially using the harmonica and the banjo. Nashville is the capital of the State of Tennessee (USA) and it is also considered the capital of country music.

POP MUSIC

Pop is the abbreviation of “popular”, which is basically whatever is the most listened to at a given time. These types of songs tend to mix different genres and use key words, which is different from generation to generation. The melodies are simple enough to appeal to a large number of people and are created by using the technology available. It is believed that popular music was born with music hall shows, which were live musical shows performed in theatres during the Victoria time (in UK), with easy-to-follow songs. However, it was in the 1950s and in the USA that the term was broadly applied.

RHYTHM AND BLUES (R&B)

This name came directly from its roots (the blues) and the beat with which they were now played. In a time when Black and White people were segregated in the USA, R&B was the popular music of Black people. It was mostly played in cities and aimed to help escape the trouble times Black people were living.

A type of R&B for many, soul music aimed to strengthen the pride in belonging to that culture and it was based on blues and gospel. Gospel is a kind of religious music, which was adapted by Black people at the beginning of the 20th century to reflect their cultural heritage.

ROCK AND ROLL

Rock and roll (or rock ‘n’ roll) is a type of rock music, which, in turn, is a type of popular music. Probably, the term rock ‘n’ roll came first and, then, when it expanded, got its name abbreviated. Emerging in the 1950s in the USA, it was initially a mix of blues, jazz, and R&B, and was played by Black musicians. It is believed that the name came from an expression seamen used in the 17th century to describe the movement of boats. Just as jazz, this expression could have another meaning and, just as jazz, the name was unintentionally designated, but stuck.

Rock ‘n’ roll boomed when a white young man with a black voice, who played the guitar and had very characteristic dancing moves, came to the scene. His name was Elvis Presley and he dramatically changed the course of music in the USA. In the meantime, a group of young men from Liverpool, UK, did the same on the other side of the pond. Their name was The Beatles (which actually is the name of an insect). Rock was played in cities and soon became a way for young people to express themselves and rebel against what was established in society.

HEAVY METAL

Originally a rock sub genre, heavy metal became a genre of its own in the 1970s. It is not clear how the name came to be. The electronic guitar was a feature of rock music, but in heavy metal that sound was pushed to another level. Maybe it was due to this sound, maybe because the concept of “heavy metals” was in the air, no one knows. The fact is that this type of music characterized a generation and it was connected to a certain type of looks (men with long hair, black weird outfits and mean face). Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Kiss, AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Alice Cooper are some of the most famous groups of this genre.

PUNK MUSIC

The first time the word “punk” was written (as “puncke”) was in Shakespeare plays. At that time, it meant “female prostitute”. Centuries later, the word evolved to mean a kind of male prostitute. Some centuries later still, the term expanded and became a general insult for all kinds of minor criminals or similar. By the 1970s, it was used to designate a rock sub genre that was emerging and taking a path of its own. Punk music was characterized by its strong social criticism, reflecting the disillusion and lack of perspectives of the younger generation at the time.

DISCO MUSIC

Although disco music was around since the 1960s, it was only in the late 1970s that it boomed, mostly due to the famous film “Saturday Night Fever”, featuring John Travolta. It was a genre connected to nightclubs and its name came from the French word discotheque, the place where people went to dance at night. “Discos” were what DJs played for people to dance. Later, disco music became linked to the LGBTQ+ rights’ movement.

HIP-HOP

The name of this music genre has many stories. The most told one is that of a man who enlisted in the army and his friend told him he was hip-hop-hip-hop, imitating the soldiers’ marching. True or not, hip-hop was not just a musical genre, but a cultural movement that started in the South Bronx, New York City, USA, in the 1980s, mixing cultural influences from the Black community, the Caribbean community and the Latin community. It includes rap, break dancing, and graffiti.

ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC

This type of music used synthesizers and was created to make people dance all night long. Although there had been some experiences since the 1970s, it was only in the 1980s that it officially emerged. It includes sub genres, like “house” and “techno”. It is also connected to “rave parties”, where people would party to the sound of electronic music sometimes for several days. Drugs were known to be used in those parties to keep up the pace.

CONCLUSION

As we can see, the 20th century was very prolific in terms of discovering new musical genres. This is connected to the profound social changes that were undergoing at that time. People left the countryside to live in the cities, creating a whole new cultural scene. The segregation between Blacks and Whites in the USA was reflected in different musical genres that evolved in parallel. Underground movements gave rise to new styles. Old tunes were reinvented to match the new social realities and make use of new instruments. Will the 21st century keep up the pace, or all the genres are already discovered?

** YOUR WORDS AND IDEAS **

By Isabella Muir | On 12 June 2025 at 07:52
A fascinating summary of music genres, which leads me to think that there really is something out there for everyone! I can’t imagine a world without music and to paraphrase Shakespeare…’if music is the stuff of life, then thank goodness for it!’

By Words in Ideas | On 12 June 2025 at 23:11
Indeed!

Keyword: MAIL | “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Ms Clara Smartest began the session summarizing the story of the book: “The author tells the story through the letters that are being exchanged between the main character, Juliet Ashton, and the other characters. Juliet is a writer and, naturally, she loves books. She is on a book tour when she receives a letter from a man living in one of the islands of the English Channel. He is contacting her about a book that used to belong to her. Conversation gets going and Juliet learns about an intriguing book club created unexpectedly during the Second World War. The letters are exchanged shortly after the war has ended and emotions are still running high.”

“It is easy for us nowadays to look back at that time and criticize what people did, during and after the war. I mean, common people. They were living in uncertain times and in fear. No one had any idea when the war was going to be over and they wanted to survive. Some tried to have fun and live to the fullest, without being concerned about the consequences. After all, they could be dead the next day. Others did what they had to do to feed themselves or their loved ones, especially feeding children”, said Ms Johanna Practicewell.

“Very true. But there were also very bizarre episodes as well. I think the book aims to focus on the funny ones, instead on the horror people were living in. In this case, the author focused on how creative people had to be just to be able to live their lives. Hence, the way the book club was created and, especially, its name”, said Miss Amelia Matterfis.

“And how they tried to encourage people by making fun of the war, kind of, like Juliet was doing with her books”, added Miss Martha Lovefeelings.

“The novel also shows how ‘fun’ was hand in hand with tragedy and loss. The story of the child is an example”, said Ms Johanna Practicewell. “That happened a lot. Sometimes the children were the result of love, but sometimes were the result of rape. In both cases, women were labelled as the enemy whores.”

“On the other hand, there were caring communities, whose members would protect the other members when something bad would happen to them. It is the case in this story”, said Ms Abigail Vooght. “Although, I think this is very rosy… Reality probably was crueller.”

“I had no idea that Guernsey had been occupied by the Nazis”, said Mr Matthew Barnepy. “Actually, I didn’t even know that island existed. And it is even more astonishing the fact that it is situated not far from the French coast, but it is in fact British. Occupying it should have made sense as it was a strategic location.”

“My surprise was the way the story was written: through letters. I didn’t even know that you could write a book like that, but then again, why not, right?”, said Mr Jeremy Toughready and laughed.

“It was a very popular genre in Jane Austen’s time. Actually, Jane Austen herself wrote a book using that technique, but she didn’t like it very much, so she dropped it”, informed Mr Mark Mindhearting.

“Wow. I had no idea”, said Mr Jeremy Toughready and many others agreed with him.

“Now, we can perhaps wonder if at that time the mail was that efficient. Naturally, it was more important than it is today. These days, we communicate digitally and the post offices deal more with packages than with letters. However, the war had destroyed most of what societies provided to the population. The mail never stopped being delivered (and a word of appreciation to all those who have succeeded in this great achievement), but may have not been so regular and not so fast”, added Mr Mark Mindhearting.

“I’ve watched the film”, said Sophia Vooght. “It was really good. In the film we can actually see a little clearer the brutality, but also how people would find ways to enjoy themselves, together, as a community. And to support one another, facing that horror. I can’t imagine what must have been like to see the Nazi army marching through the streets all of the sudden.”

“The love story is also interesting, isn’t it? I mean, they started writing to each other and then they fell in love… As a writer, Juliet was in her element, and Dawsey, the shy book worm, also found a way to express himself”, said Miss Martha Lovefeelings. “Plus, there’s the kid who found adoptive parents.”

“A nice story with a happy ending”, noted Leo Weave.

“But all traumatised, one way or the other”, added Ms Johanna Practicewell.

“War is always an awful thing. Even the positive, isn’t really, because it’s tainted by horror”, said Mr John Booklish, wrapping up.

 

** YOUR WORDS AND IDEAS **

By Isabella Muir | On 06 June 2025 at 07:59
Thanks so much for the excellent summary of the novel. I haven’t read the book, but I have seen the film several times. The story shines an important light on how dreadful it must have been for the people of Guernsey to suffer Nazi occupation for five long years. The story also highlights the threat of starvation that the people suffered, a threat that was only relieved when a Red Cross ship arrived with food supplies – but not until December 1944./p>

By Words in Ideas | On 06 June 2025 at 18:10
Thank you for pointing that out. Actually, that is related to the name of the book club. The film is really good and, although the book provides more details, it is very faithful to the book.

 

The Foreign Lands’ Explorers go to Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam is known for its special cakes and colourful districts. Looking at its peaceful, village-like streets, it is easy to forget that this city was once a centre of world trade and an important place during the Second World War. The best approach to get to know Amsterdam is to keep all types of preconceptions out of one’s mind and pretend one has never heard anything about the city, which was what the members of The Foreign Land’s Explorers tried to do. It was an intense week, full of fun and cultural knowledge. They didn’t change the idea they had about the city, but they expanded it. Amsterdam proved to be much more than they thought it would be.

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The religion, la religion, die Religion, la religión

“So, ‘religion’ comes from the Latin (what a surprise!), meaning ‘scrupulous, conscience, honour and loyalty’. This means that it was a kind of moral conduct that people would follow by worshipping God”, said Jack. “During prehistoric times, there were many deities, God and Goddesses, each one representing a natural phenomenon, a quality, or an activity. For example, there was a God for thunder, a Goddess for beauty, a God for war, and a Goddess for hunting. Later, it emerged other religions that focused on only one God. Religions tend to personify the gods, representing them as if they were human beings, so people can identify with them and better understand the message being conveyed”.

“Whatever the religion you choose, you need to have faith, which basically is a belief in something for which there is no proof”, said Sophia. “Latin-related languages distinguish between ‘faith’ and ‘belief’, but German and Nordic languages don’t.”

“That’s interesting. Why is that?”, asked Elizabeth.

“I don’t know, but this reminds me of the war between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestants. Protestant countries were the ones where there is no distinction. Maybe they are not very keen on believing in things without some kind of rationale”, said Sophie, shrugging her shoulders.

“Did you know that ‘Carnival’ was a big feast that Catholics would hold before the 40 days of penitence and fasting until Easter? They took the opportunity of that day to eat and drink as much as they could (especially meat) to endure the sacrifice that was coming”, said Jack.

“Fasting was only mandatory for those who couldn’t pay the fee to skip those duties…”, noted Elizabeth.

“Speaking of Christianity, when Jesus was alive, ‘bible’ designated a set of books that were bound together. I guess the other ‘bibles’ were lost or the term was glued to the importance of the book we now call the Bible”, said Michael. “It is interesting that the term has evolved to another meaning in slang language. When we want to say that one specific book is the foundation of a specific field of study, we call it the ‘bible’ of that field. For example, some say that the bible of economics is the famous book ‘The Wealth of Nations”, by Adam Smith”.

“Speaking of evolution of terms”, said Leo, smiling to Michael, “temple, as we all know, is the physical place where religious people worship God. Muslims worship Allah (that’s how they call God) in Mosques. Well, ‘mosque’ comes from the Arabic word masjid, which means ‘temple’. Minaret is the tall tower, which is part of the Mosque. The purpose of the tower is to call the congregation to pray. Catholic Churches have bells. The Muslim call for prayer is made by the Muezzin, who is the person who ‘sings’ at the top of the Minaret. They now have loudspeakers, so the Muezzin doesn’t need to go up there anymore. However, the Muezzin is not just anyone, he is chosen especially for that task due to its ‘singing’ qualities. Yet, he undergoes specific training after being chosen”.

“All Mosques are oriented towards Mecca because that’s where the Kaaba is located. Every Muslim is obliged to make a pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime to walk around the Kaaba. This pilgrimage is called Hajj. The Kaaba is a huge black cube with nothing inside. It is a symbol”, added Elizabeth.

“When Muslims and Catholics were engaged in war centuries ago, Muslims called ‘infidel’ to Catholics, and to all who didn’t share their faith. Catholics called ‘heretics’ to everyone who didn’t believe in their God“, added Jack.

“According to Statista, in 2022, Christians represented 31.6% of the world population and Muslims 25.8%. The third biggest religion is Hinduism, representing 15.1%. Hinduism is the oldest religion still in existence and it is practised mainly in India. At the beginning, there were no formal rituals or organization, just a set of written documents, now dated thousands of years”, said Sophia.

“A kind of ‘bible’, then”, commented Elizabeth.

“The religious teachings were called ‘doctrine’, especially those from the Catholic Church”, said Jack. “Nowadays, ‘doctrine’ can be used in other domains such as politics, the law, or military”.

“Anything to do with ‘doctor’?”, asked Elizabeth, laughing.

“Well, actually, yes. ‘Doctrines’ were taught by ‘doctors’”, replied Michael, looking at his computer. “This word comes from Latin and it then meant ‘teacher’. At the time, a ‘doctor’ was an eminent scholar specialized in a field of study. Nowadays, a doctor is someone who has a PhD, which, in a way, meets its original meaning.”

“Ok, this is interesting”, said Leo, looking at his computer. “The word ‘sin’ comes from Old English, which is similar to another word that comes from Old German. Probably, it is a similar word in German and in Nordic languages. However, the English language has a word that comes from Latin and it is similar to the word for ‘sin’ in Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese. You may have never heard of it, but you have surely heard the word ‘impeccable’, which means ‘flawless’. If ‘sin’ is something that goes against the laws of God, ‘impeccable’ is following the laws of God to the letter”.

“We could be here for a week talking about words related to religion and everyday words that come from a religious background. Unfortunately, it is time to go”, said Jack and everyone prepared to leave.

 

** YOUR WORDS AND IDEAS **

By Isabella Muir | On 26 May 2025 at 14:45
It’s fascinating to see the way so many of the topics you choose for your articles seem to mirror the topics of my studies. Just last week we were exploring the way that ‘religion’ is dealt with in historical research, and the difficulties with bias and subjectivity. Your article highlights the complexity of meaning – which is in itself full of subjectivity, as well as historical implications! What fun!

By Words in Ideas | On 27 May 2025 at 16:44
Yes, I think they are two fascinating and complementary perspectives: history and language! Combining the two gives new leads on what the future may be?

 

Keyword: RELIGION | Telling stories through mythology

Ever since humans are humans, stories have been told as a way to convey wisdom while entertaining. Imagine a neolithic tribe, eating meat around a bonfire. “John hunted this mammoth this morning”, grown-ups would say to the youngest. “It was hard, but John managed to kill the animal and bring it to us”. This is pretty dull and it would not motivate the youngest to go hunting. So, they would have to make up an incredible story to leave them amazed and to grow their desire to join the exploration team. So, they would emphasize the perils and show how clever and strong John and his team had to be to beat the beast.

At some point, it was not enough to praise the qualities of the heroes. As a way to explain phenomena that seemed incomprehensible, storytellers would invent Gods and Goddesses that had supernatural powers, but, deep inside, were just like ordinary people: they were jealous, envious, vindictive. These stories would narrate how the world was created or the epic conflicts between them or between the worlds where they lived, like “heaven” and “the underworld”. There were tales of love and marriage between gods and between gods and humans. The “Iliad” and the “Odyssey” are among the most famous Greek mythology stories. The Trojan War was told by Homero in the first of these books.

Greek and Roman mythologies are very similar and sometimes are mixed up. They have common characters with different names. For example, Athena, the Goodness of wisdom, war, and handicraft, belongs to Greek mythology (hence the name of Greece’s capital). Her “equivalent” in Roman mythology is Minerva. The Gods and Goddesses of both these mythologies gave their names to months and planets. Mars, the God of war in Roman mythology (Ares in Greek mythology, who was Athena’s brother), is now a planet and a month. The Roman Venus / the Greek Aphrodite was the Goddess of love and beauty and many men would fall in love with her. She now has a planet named after her. Apollo (both in Greek and Roman mythologies), the God many women admire because he was considered the most beautiful of them all, was the God of the sun, healing, archery, music, and prophecy. He has nothing named after him.

Norse mythology was the ground of Vikings’ religion. Thor, Odin, and Loki are characters of this mythology. Thor is Odin’s son and he has a magical hammer, which makes him very powerful. Loki is his faithful companion, but he is very mischievous and is the father of Thor’s fatal enemy, who will kill and be killed by Thor in the end of the world (the Ragnarök). As in the case of the previously mentioned mythologies, relationships here are complicated and confused.

In Asia, mythological tales have many animals and dragons, especially in China. Dragons are benevolent creatures, protecting the people against all kinds of dangers. They are important for agriculture, as they can control the weather and help farmers with their crops, and are tokens of fortune and good luck. It is said that China was founded when the emperor at the time connected himself telepathically with a dragon to re-established peace and prosperity to the country.

Mythological stories were created to be believed. They explained why the world is as it is. However, those explanations had to portrait Gods and Goddesses as human beings, with the same good and bad feelings, so people could relate to them and understand what was being conveyed. For example, thunder was Zeus’ or Thor’s doing. People would imagine individuals like themselves up in the sky throwing lightning bolts down to earth for whatever reason. The God of the Seas was short-tempered because the sea was unpredictable. They also had to include love and marriage, war and conflicts, hunting and fishing as these were daily events of everyone’s lives.

Today’s fictional stories are not mythologies. They aim to entertain and not to provide an explanation for unknown phenomena (we have science for that now). Some stories aim to raise awareness of social problems, make us see situations in a different perspective. There is a trend for fictional stories to replicate reality and for writers to do extensive research to get it right. One of the “rules” is that writers should only write about what they know. Therefore, no writing about God, no writing about crime (unless you are a criminal), no writing about parallel universes. In a nutshell: no room for wild imagination.

Epic stories are old, but they still fascinate us. They used to be connected to a religion, hence the characters being Gods. Yet, it was more than that. They would transform our reality into something exotic and exciting. But they would also convey precious lessons, as, for example, that we all have a weak point (Achilles’ was his heel) and we all need friends and allies to succeed (Frodo couldn’t save Middle Earth by himself).

 

** YOUR WORDS AND IDEAS **

By Isabella Muir | On 19 May 2025 at 09:25
Your post has provided a wonderful journey through mythology with imagination at its heart. It seems to me that everyone needs something ‘other’ to take themselves out of their day-to-day life, whether that a belief in the divine, or a chance to join Frodo on his magical journey. Through our imagination we can travel far and wide without ever leaving our comfortable chair!

By Words in Ideas | On 20 May 2025 at 16:18
Very well said!

 

Keyword: RELIGION | God or no God, is that the question?

God is a supreme being that is above all other beings. Religion is a system that sets the rules for worshipping God. It is possible to believe in God and not follow a religion such as it is possible to follow a religion without really believing in God. Religions are social spaces that give people a place of belonging and an identity in society. Being part of such a community and following its rituals bring a sense of security and stability that is important for mental well-being.

Although nationality and religion are two separate concepts, religion is so deepened and entangled in a country’s identity that many people think religion is part of the national identity. However, even in religious countries, there are nationals who choose a different religion. This is the reason why Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that people have the right of freedom of religion, including change of religion.

Before there were states with full sovereignty, people belonged to borderless communities, for example, tribes or clans. Some of these communities were bonded by blood, which was strong enough to keep the community together. Family is still very important nowadays and loyalty to the family is deemed paramount. Yet, people sometimes would change families due to marriage, due to orphanage (they would be adopted by a different family), or due to some other reason. Besides, different family members could have different ideas about the future of the community.

Religion was (and it is in some cases) the glue that would keep the community together, especially in the case of communities not bonded by blood. In a time when science was not very developed, religion gave the answers; when there were no therapists, religion provided mental support; when there was no humanitarian aid, religion helped people in need. In return, religion would demand loyalty and exclusivity, exercising its power by making people believe in dogmas, making threats and even terrorizing them. If someone would “sin”, God would punish him/her, religion would state. If someone would neglect the Church, God would destroy him/her crops. And if someone would change religion, he/she would be cursed forever.

Ritual ceremonies are designed to anchor believers to the Faith. Besides having a social component that helps people bond with each other, rituals are important to keep people calm and stable, encouraging them to face and overcome difficulties and challenges. For example, praying is a balsamic action to avoid despair, panic, and the feeling of powerlessness. There are also ceremonies of initiation and milestone achievements, providing a sense of purpose and evolution.

In the name of religion, many atrocities were carried out, for example: the Crusades (Catholics vs Muslims), Inquisition (Catholics against everyone else), the Thirty Years’ War (Catholics vs Protestants). In these examples, the aim was for the Roman Catholic Church to obtain power. Recently, we are witnessing Muslim fanatics carrying out acts of terrorism to gain a foothold on the world stage. There are also some local cults, whose spiritual leaders isolate the community from the world and commit all sorts of crimes. None of this has anything to do with religious purposes. Religion is a peaceful endeavour aimed to help its community.

If in the past it would be difficult to find someone who did not believe in any religion, nowadays it is very common to stumble across someone with no religion whatsoever. Societies today provide structures to support citizens in areas where religions used to dominate. Thus, religion is increasingly seen as an option and not as a duty. However, it is also common to find those who believe in God, but do not follow any religion. And then, there are the agnostics, who have doubts about the existence of God, and atheists, who do not believe in God at all.

Religion is important for believers, but those believers do not have the right to impose their religion on others. Likewise, it is not right to deny a community or a specific person the practice of the religion of their choice. There are different reasons why an individual chooses a certain religion (or no religion at all), family tradition may be the first one. Yet, if someone does not believe in God, he/she should not be judged by those who believe. Faith, in the sense of a “firm belief in something for which there is no proof” is personal: whether you believe or you do not. Non-believers should also not try to convince believers they are wrong. Rational arguments will not work in one way such as emotional arguments will not work in the other way. However, fanaticism of all forms is not religious and should be fought by everyone.

 

Belonging to a nation

Immigrants/emigrants, children and grandchildren of immigrants/emigrants, people that are born in a country, but move to another within their first month of existence, people that are born in a country, but are adopted by a family of another country, people who move from country to country for professional reasons and take their family with them… Belonging to a nation can be tricky. The concept of nationality includes other concepts like identity, language, territory, traditions. Below, these concepts are explored and shown how they are interconnected. After all, words are not chosen by chance. 

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Keyword: RELIGION | “Three Daughters of Eve”, by Elif Shafak

Written by the British-Turkish author Elif Shafak, “Three Daughters of Eve” tells the story of Peri, a Turkish young woman who goes to the UK to study in Oxford. Daughter of an ultra-religious mother and an agnostic father, she witnesses her brothers taking different paths. Her older brother rebels against the system and is imprisoned and tortured, leaving him traumatized for life. Her younger brother follows a religious path, like his mother, with many pitfalls. Peri tries to stay neutral, with tragic consequences. In Oxford, she becomes friends with two young women from other Islamic countries, with different attitudes towards religion. She also meets Professor Azur, hoping he could help her with her questions about God, but instead that path leads to a scandal.

“I don’t know much about Turkish society, but, from what I gather from the book, it seems there is a great divide between those who fiercely defend the religious regime and those who fiercely fight it”, said Ms Clara Smartest.

“It seems there are a lot of problems in Turkey. The opening scene is told with many notes. I guess it is for the readers who are ignorant about Turkey to understand exactly the meaning of that scene within a bigger picture. There are other scenes taking place in present-day Istanbul that contribute to show us the bigger picture”, added Mr John Booklish.

“The family scenes are very insightful, too”, noted Miss Martha Lovefeelings. “A marriage was destroyed due to religion. The woman has become increasingly religious and the man stopped believing in it. At some point, they were no longer talking to each other”.

“That was reflected in their children”, said Ms Clara Smartest. “One was influenced by the mother, the other was influenced by the father, and the daughter was caught in the middle. She found a way to flee and went to the UK, only to find the same problems she was trying to escape”.

“I don’t think she was trying to escape. I think she was trying to find answers. She was very confused and enrolled in Professor Azur’s class to clarify those questions, in vain”, said Mr Jeremy Toughready.

“It’s interesting to see the different perspectives women have on religion in Islamic countries. Shirin is Iranian and she doesn’t believe in religion. You can say she turned into a true Western person. Mona is an Egyptian-American true Muslim and likes to use the scarf on her head. Mona talks about the prejudice people have about her choice. If women should dress the way they want, women that want to wear the scarf shouldn’t be criticized. Actually, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was unthinkable for Europeans to leave their houses without a hat on their heads, men and women. And in the middle of that century, women usually used a scarf on their heads, including Queen Elizabeth II, from the UK. I think this novel puts the question where the question is: how religion can negatively affect people’s lives. It’s not about the scarf, it’s about false beliefs which lead people to hurt themselves and others”, said Miss Amelia Matterfis.

“I agree”, said Ms Johanna Practicewell. “In this case, it was not Mona who hurt the others, it was Professor Azur, who probably is not even Muslim. His twisted vision of the world led to several conflicts and disastrous consequences”.

“Elif Shafak considers herself as Turkish, although she was born in France and lived in several European countries as well as in the USA. Apparently, the time she lived in Turkey was decisive for her identity. Yet, she has a different view from people who have only lived in Europe or from people who have only lived in Turkey. Therefore, she sees Turkish reality from the outside, with inside information. Sometimes, people with these capacities can see things that those fully immersed in the environment can’t see. I believe she intended to show this with her characters. Peri is the one who moves in both worlds and realizes how difficult it is for people to look at things from the other’s point of view, hence all the misunderstandings and the conflicts”, said Ms Clara Smartest.

“It also shows how people can come into conflict with themselves. Peri ended up having the life she was trying to avoid”, said Ms Abigail Vooght.

As usual, the Society’s members discussed the ending and imagined different ways for the novel to be finished. This time, they also imagined different ways to continue the story. Afterwards, they discussed their lives and how religion had or had not influenced them positively or negatively.

“Religion can have a strange effect on people. Those who truly believe in it can’t see a world beyond it and have difficulty in understanding other religions. Those who doubt about the existence of God may spend their entire lives with that conflict, if they come from a background where religion is important. People who don’t believe in religion can also clash with religious people and be pressured to ‘be part of the flock’. Some countries have a religious regime and others don’t, but even those that don’t have a dominant religion. Therefore, the questions presented in this book are relevant for many people”, concluded Mr John Booklish.

“I think this is a perfect ending to our meeting. Before you go, please note that the book for next month is ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows”, said Ms Clara Smartest.

 

** YOUR WORDS AND IDEAS **

By Isabella Muir | On 9 May 2025 at 09:10
It certainly sounds like a thought-provoking book and one I should to be massive TBR pile!! :))

By Words in Ideas | On 10 May 2025 at 11:43
It makes us think, indeed! 🙂

 

The Intrepid Book Society goes to Oslo, Norway

The Intrepid Book Society decided to organize a trip to Oslo, Norway, to get to know the hometown of the writer Jo Nesbø. Contrary to what was customary, the idea was not to visit the places where action took place in his books, but to capture the essence of the city that inspired him. The capital of Norway is a pragmatic city, made for people to live there. Yet, it has a few surprises in store for less well-informed tourists. Looking like a simple village, Oslo is peaceful and quiet. Yet, it is also full of life and activities. It preserves its history, yet it is modernizing.

 

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The family, la famille, die Familie, la familia

Family is a classic topic of every language learning syllabus. The members of “The Foreign Land’s Explorers” approached it the usual way initially, but they wanted to go further. So, they made a new table with terms related to family, but which were not learned in regular language classes. They built a table, knowing it was just a reference. Each word should not be taken as exact equivalents to the other languages. Once they had the table, they constructed the same sentences in every language, for example: “the spouses become parents and constitute a household with their offspring”.

[click to enlarge]

“Ah, ‘offspring’ in Italian is ‘prole’”, noted Leo. “Did you know that ‘proletariat’ comes from the Latin word ‘proletarius’, which means someone belonging to the lowest (and poorest) class that would only be considered as ‘citizen’ if they had children? I guess ‘children’ here would mean labour force or soldiers. Therefore, ‘prole’ in Italian comes directly from the Latin word meaning ‘children’”.

“Sometimes people don’t realize how much Latin language has influenced European languages, all of them”, said Elizbeth. “For example, ‘adoption’ is similar in these languages and comes from the Latin word ‘adopto’, which is the combination of ‘ad’ and ‘opto’. ‘Ad’ means ‘to’ and ‘opto’ means ‘choose’. So, basically ‘adoption’ is ‘to choose’”.

“I may be wrong, but it seems that word is the only word here in the table to come from Latin in what German, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish are concerned”, noted Sophia. “Interesting that ‘offspring’ in Nordic languages is ‘of coming’. Well, in English it has a similar meaning: getting out of where they were made. Like the rivers that leave the place where they were ‘born’ and run until they reach the sea. They ‘come’ from somewhere.”

“Knowing where you come from has always been very important. Look at Royal families. Being part of a Royal family can determine if you will lead the country or not, whether you want it to or not”, said Elizabeth.

“Some Kings have renounced the post, so it’s not inevitable. But, yes, for them, it is something that is always there, since childhood. And they are also pressured to have a ‘prole’, a male heir to the throne and some ‘spare’ male children, just in case something happens to the oldest. It’s not exclusive for poor people, although it is different, of course”, added Michael.

“Poor people provide the labour force in sequence. Rich people build dynasties to rule the poor people. It is the system of castes. Once you are born in one, you have to play your role regardless of your wishes”, said Elizabeth.

“That is not entirely true nowadays”, said Sophia. “Royals can now marry commoners and commoners can aspire to climb the social ladder”.

“Dynasties still have weight in society. Being a son or a daughter of an important family is always a mark, even if that person follows a different path”, said Michael.

“Ok, remember I told you that we use more Latin-based words than we realize? Well, I checked the word ‘dynasty’ and it is actually a Greek word, although it was stolen by the Latin language’”, said Elizabeth.

“Let me see”, said Michael, looking at her computer and starting to read. “It says that a dynasty is ‘a succession of rulers of the same line of descent’ and it gives China as an example. Then, it says it can also be ‘a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time’. It meets what we were saying, I think”.

“Royal families are a reference. They are a symbol of continuity, tradition, and identity”, said Sophia. “That’s why they are so important for people. People see them as the leaders of the nation. It’s no coincidence that the countries’ history timeline is told through dynasties, especially in China. They say ‘this was done during this Dynasty’. For example, the Great Wall of China was constructed during the Ming Dynasty. You need to know when they ruled to know the respective period of time. In Europe, you talk about epochs, like Ancient Times, Medieval Times, Renaissance.”

“Well, in Europe, history is also made of dynasties, although they are named ‘Houses’, like in ‘The Game of Thrones’”, said Elizabeth and laughed. “For example, the House of Habsburg was one of the most influential families in European history. In the UK, the House of Tudor is one of the most famous Royal families due to King Henry VIII and his six wives. The current UK’s Royal family is the House of Windsor. And, of course, there were prominent families that didn’t belong to any Royal family, like the Medici, who ruled Florence for many years”, said Elizabeth.

“In the USA, they also categorize their history periods according to presidential administrations: the President Obama’s administration, the President Biden’s administration…”, noted Michael. “Actually, the story of the name ‘President’ is curious. When the USA became independent, they had to choose a name for their Head of the State. ‘King’ was suggested, but they didn’t want to give ideas of grandeur to a man who should be feeling humble. So, they decided to give him the name of ‘someone who chaired meetings’. They thought it was humble enough. Not any more”.

“Well, they also have dynasties of some sort there, like the Bushes and the Kennedys…”, said Leo. “Like the Medici, these families became powerful after they had become very rich.”

“In the end, money rules the world. And, sometimes, the families who have it”, concluded Jack.

 

** YOUR WORDS AND IDEAS **

By Isabella Muir | On 30 April 2025 at 12:08
Some very interesting insights into the meanings of ‘family’ – a term that has changed significantly over the centuries. Nuclear families (often blood relatives) contrasts with ‘blended’ families, where a wide range of relationships come together. It would be interesting to explore how ‘family’ contrasts with ‘community’ – both can be supportive networks, but both can be just the opposite!

By Words in Ideas | On 01 May 2025 at 21:19
That would be very interesting, yes. “Blended” families is a good term – maybe in future “blended” will replace “nuclear”?…

 

Keyword: FAMILY | What are friends for?

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language has a very interesting entry on “friend”. It says that the word “friend” in English came from Old English and Old German meaning “to like”, “to love”, “to set free”, and “peace”. In a way, our ancestors considered someone as a friend as someone who would “set them free” from oppression or imprisonment of some kind. Someone who would provide us with peace.

There are different types of friends. Acquaintances are people with whom one gets along with, in peace, but with whom one has a superficial relationship. The majority of people we know fall in this category. Allies are those with whom we do something, often against other groups of individuals. For example, our business partners or our team colleagues. Then, there are the ones we cherish and trust. Some may say these are true friends or best friends. Finding peace is difficult, as we live in rather competitive and aggressive societies. And there are more chances of finding someone who wants to boss us around than to set us free. Therefore, “true friends” are hard to find, indeed.

Girlfriends and boyfriends are those with whom we have a romantic relationship. Interestingly, in the English language, as in other languages, the difference between “friend” and a romantic partner is very thin. In other languages, like Spanish, the distinction is quite clear (“noivo” and “noiva” are romantically involved whereas “amigo” and “amiga” are not). Does this mean that in some languages speakers see romantic partners as “friends with benefits” or that in other languages they simply need to make the romantic status clearer? Considering the English connection between “friend” and “freedom”, maybe, in the latter case, romantic relationships are seen as more “captivating”.

At this point, it is useful to check what an enemy is: “one that is hostile toward another”. Some synonyms are: opponent, foe, hostile, adversary, antagonist, attacker, rival, competitor. It sounds simple enough. If you bring peace and are likable, you are a friend. If you are hostile and you are against me, you are an enemy. Now, the question is: if someone you cherish and care about is hostile towards you for whatever reason, is that person your enemy or a friend with a temporary dysfunction?

This is where the concept of trust comes in. For example, in war situations, negotiations are extremely difficult because there is no trust between antagonists. If you reach an agreement, you really don’t know if the other side will comply with the duties agreed upon. In friendships, especially the closest ones, the possibility of betrayal can be very high. That is why a betrayal hurts so much: you put your trust in someone and that person uses it against you. A former friend turns into an enemy. On the other hand, a former enemy can also turn into a friend. Once the initial hostility is gone, you may find you can trust that person whom you previously thought was hostile.

The problem in real life is that the line between friend and enemy is not always so clear. For example, in a toxic friendship, you trust a person who is actually doing harm to you. He or she is not exactly an enemy (they can even make you believe they have your best interests at heart), and yet they don’t bring you peace nor set you free. On the other hand, someone may be trying to make you see that you are mistaken about a situation or a person. You regard this person as aggressive, even though he or she is actually trying to set you free.

Friendship doesn’t have a purpose in itself, but can be very useful. Friends can help us face an aggressor or leave a bad situation. They can help us build something or destroy something that is hurting us. They give us hope in desperate situations and give us a hand when we are almost drowning. They make us feel good about ourselves instead of belittling us or pointing out our faults. They help us think instead of telling us what we should do (and then be angry when you don’t follow their advice). They know we are not perfect human beings and that we are going to fail and make mistakes (and they still keep on liking us and trusting us). They don’t expect anything from you, but are the first to get closer when something bad happens.

You can have different friends for different situations. For example, the person that helps you choose your car insurance may not be the same that helps you leave a toxic relationship. A stranger can be crucial in a moment of distress and then you never see him or her again. A childhood friend can give you the appreciation you need to have confidence in yourself throughout your life. Different types of friends for different situations.

The trick to distinguish between friend and foe is to pay attention and keep these concepts in mind. You may be surprised.

 

** YOUR WORDS AND IDEAS **

By Isabella Muir | On 19 April 2025 at 12:51
A thoughtful piece and a reminder that we all need a support network, even if that network is just one or two people who we rarely see, but we know that we can trust them to be good listeners. I reckon that although there are many people who like their personal space, there are few who want to live their lives in total isolation. Hooray for friendship in all its forms!

By Words in Ideas | On 19 April 2025 at 14:15
You are absolutely right! Hooray, indeed! 🙂

 

Keyword: FAMILY | It takes a village

If someone asked someone else what family was, that person would probably answer: the father, the mother, and their children (adopted or not). Or two mothers and their children, or two fathers and their children. This is what is called the “nuclear family”. “Extensive family” would include aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents, grandparents, maybe even family friends. If that someone wanted to go even further, he or she could talk about the “distant family”, which are second cousins, third cousins, great uncles, great aunts, and the like. People that you probably never met in your life.

The historian James Casey wrote the book “The History of the Family”, published in 1989, advancing the studies of Friedrich Engels, whose book “The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State” was published in 1884. These studies were developed from different perspectives: while James Casey aimed to write the history of what is considered “family”, Friedrich Engels aimed to explain how the State came to be, as a result of an evolution of the primitive blood-related organizations.

James Casey began his book by defining what “family” actually is. His conclusion was: there is no clear definition. Etymologically, “family” comes from the Latin word familia, that used to mean the assets of a household: the man, the woman (each one with their own role) and everyone else who lived in that house, including the slaves. It was more like an enterprise than a “nuclear family” as we understand it today. Yet, this was not the first kind of family that existed. Primitive peoples had complicated structures that included all blood-related members under the same tribe or clan, although it was possible to “adopt” some outsiders.

There are a few traits we still keep from those primitive times, like loyalty towards our blood relatives. Back then, being part of a tribe or a clan would imply the duty to avenge a member who was attacked or killed by a member of another tribe. This is still important in some “tribes”, especially families, but also groups of friends acting as alternative families. Bloodline would also determine each person’s place in society and it is still very influential today, especially in some cultures or in certain circles.

These primitive peoples were matriarchies, meaning that bloodlines were defined by mothers. However, children were raised by the community. According to Engels, this changed when men became the owners of the agricultural equipment, which they wished to pass on to their children (in other words, heritage). This became even more important as men acquired more property. So, men decided that bloodline would stop being defined by mothers and became defined by fathers. To ensure that children born to their wives were theirs, women became their property, together with houses, equipment, slaves, and servants. Hence, the familia.

Engels proved that society was structured by the way families would relate between themselves and would exercise power socially and politically. In the feudal regime, each family would belong to a caste (the main castes were nobility and commoners) and their hierarchy would depend on their possessions. The concept of family as we know today (the nuclear family) is a product of the changes that took place from the 17th century onwards (during the Industrial Revolution) with the decline of the feudal regime. The private sphere detached from the public sphere and children started to go to school in order to become professionals. From an early age, children would learn about individual responsibilities and would acquire the skills to compete with others for a job and a position in society. By losing their central role, “extensive families” lost their power to influence social and political matters. As the individual became the social unit, his “family” became smaller: only his wife and their children, living in a domestic home. However, some things did not change: men remained the heads of the household.

Under this new society structure, people could marry whoever they wanted and were not obliged to have their parents’ consent (due to heritage purposes). Love turned into the main reason for marriage and divorce started to rise. Individuals were liberated from the bonds and duties of belonging to blood-related communities, but they also lost their benefits. For example, raising children is now the sole responsibility of parents when it was a community task. Social life was more spontaneous because the houses were open to everyone and several nuclear families lived in each house. Today, individuals are more alone and with more responsibility on their shoulders.

Yet, the concept of family is changing again. Men are losing their permanent position as heads of the household. Domestic roles are shifting and both adults are taking on equally household chores and raising the children. As divorces increase, people create new nuclear families that cross over with the nuclear families previously created. Grandparents are living longer, but they keep their independent lives after retirement. On the other hand, professional careers are getting more demanding, the internet is leading to isolation, and people are feeling lost. How will families adapt to these new times?

 

Information, knowledge, wisdom

Fake news is not a new phenomenon. Propaganda, falsehood, and pure lies have been around since human beings are human beings. The difference to our days is quantity. There is so much information going in every direction that it is hard to keep track of what is true and what is false. There is plenty of information about how to verify the authenticity of information circulating in the public domain. For example, media channels have teams to do just that.

Common people may feel lost with contradictory information. Besides distinguishing what is true and what is false, or deciding what to believe in, people also have to discover what is the best course of action for any given event. These are increasingly difficult tasks and basic concepts may help. Clarifying those concepts is the aim of the following.

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Keyword: FAMILY | “Hamnet”, by Maggie O’Farrell

“Hamnet” is the story of how the death of a child impacted a typical 16th century family living in England. The boy was living in Stratford-upon-Avon with his mother and his siblings. His father had moved to London to find better ways to provide for his family. The boy was called Hamnet, a variation of Hamlet, and his father was William Shakespeare. The boy’s death, and his father’s subsequent grief, gave rise to the renowned theatre play “Hamlet”.

“Maggie O’Farrell did extensive research to write this book”, said Ms Clara Smartest. “There are very few records about Shakespeare’s family and the death of his son, thus, she had to guess a lot. She deduced most of it from other information of the time. Although this is fiction, she wanted to be as accurate as possible.”

Most of the members of the Society had been completely unaware of Shakespeare’s personal and family life, let alone that he had a son who died aged 11.

“Sometimes people ask me what makes a masterpiece in literature”, said the Literature Professor Mr Matthew Barnepy. “Most of them think it is about the story. So, they go and write a very intriguing plot with a lot of action and many events happening in the background. Of course, the story is important, but it’s the way you tell the story that makes the difference. Maggie O’Farrell could have written the same story in a much simpler way, as a sequence of events, for example. Instead, she chose to take time to describe the details of everyday life as a way of casting a spell on us and making us captive to the narrative.”

“It must have been really hard to be away from his family, especially when a son dies. Life at that time was really hard”, said Ms Abigail Vooght. “I think the author wanted us to feel that. It was like we were part of the family, like we were there and it was happening to us as well.”

“It shows us the true meaning of ‘enjoying the little things’. The writer shows us how important they are, how much we should pay attention to them, for good and bad”, said Miss Amelia Matterfis. “We take a lot for granted. Like, we assume that children will grow up and prosper. Sometimes, they fall ill and die.”

“That is what happens in areas in conflict. People just don’t know if they will be alive the next day. In 16th century England, there was little hygiene and therefore many diseases. Death was just around the corner, but people would go on nevertheless. Nowadays, in the richest and most developed countries, people believe that medicine will cure everything. Sometimes we ask the impossible from doctors, who are just human beings, thus, not perfect”, said Ms Johanna Practicewell.

“Grief is grief regardless of the conditions or the time. Many deaths could have been avoided in the 16th century, it is true. However, children still die unexpectedly today and parents suffer the same. That’s what impressed me the most. Although she was describing a family from centuries ago, the same could be applied to a modern family”, said Miss Martha Lovefeelings.

“I think that the story is about love. Shakespeare married Agnes despite her being considered unconventional. She warned him many times until he was sure of what he was doing. Then, we can “see” the love between family members, including the father who is away for work”, said Mr Matthew Barnepy. “The focus is on Agnes, the mother, her relationship with her family, with society, and with her husband. How she coped with her loss, which was different from the way her husband coped. People react differently and sometimes that is not fully understood.”

“It’s interesting that no direct mention is made to Shakespeare. I believe the aim is to show that it’s just one family among many and the fact that it’s the family of the most famous playwright of all times makes no difference. They are just human beings, struggling to survive in an unforgivable world and trying to make the most of what they have. It could be our own family. It could happen to anyone”, said Mr Jeremy Toughready.

“Exactly, it makes us think how fragile life is and how fragile human relations are. It can all change in a moment. One minute the boy is alive and kicking and a few hours or a few days later he’s dead. Everyone is affected: the mother, the father, but also his sister, who was his partner of fun and accomplice of mischief”, said Miss Martha Lovefeelings.

After exchanging their first impressions, they discussed further some details of the story and how accurate they were to what is known. In the end, they concluded that it didn’t matter if the records showed a different perspective, for example about Shakespeare’s wife. Little was known anyway. Most of what was recorded were interpretations that could be wrong. Maggie O’Farrell had focused on facts.

“It is a great book, indeed”, said Mr John Booklish, ending the meeting. “Next month the book is ‘Three Daughters of Eve’, by Elif Shafak. Have a lovely week!”

 

** YOUR WORDS AND IDEAS **

By Isabella Muir | On 5 April 2025 at 15:11
Thank you for a wonderful review of what sounds like a wonderful book, which will now go to the top of my TBR book pile! Having read several of Maggie O’Farrell’s other books, I would agree that she is certainly an incredible author!

By Words in Ideas | On 5 April 2025 at 20:49
She is an amazing writer, indeed! I’m glad you liked the review and that it sparked your curiosity to read it. You won’t regret it!

 

Ms Clara Smartest in Morocco

In 1917, during the First World War, the writer Edith Wharton was invited to visit Morocco by the French Governor of the then French protectorate. She travelled around the country for a month, witnessing traditional events, admiring historical landmarks and meeting women who were part of the Vizier’s harem. Back home, she wrote a book, which was intended to be the first tour guide book of the country. It is a Westerner’s view of what was then considered the “Near East” (meaning North Africa). Edith Wharton fiercely and openly defended French governance and implicitly criticized some Arab practices. For example, she described the women of the Vizier’s harem as prisoners and unhappy and the ceremonies she witnessed were deemed primitive.

After reading the book, Ms Clara Smartest decided to travel to Morocco to get to know the country a century later. What she found was a surprising country, rooted in its traditions and accepting modernity on its own terms.

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Time changes in different languages

“Hi, guys!”, said Michael, taking his place at the table. “I read an article about how time is different in each language. Actually, the article is about a book that is based on research. Did you know that Chinese people set a timeline from up to down?”

“What do you mean?”, asked Sophia.

“So, in some crime stories we see on television, detectives draw a timeline on the board to understand what the victim did before he/she died, right?”

Michael waited to make sure everyone was on the same page. Then, he continued.

“They usually draw horizontally the line from left to right and write the events chronologically considering that the event on the left is the earliest and the one on the right is the latest. Those are Western TV shows. Well, if those TV shows were Chinese, that timeline would be drawn vertically in which the event on the top would be the earliest and the one at the bottom would be the latest.”

They all looked at Michael without saying a word.

“That doesn’t make any sense”, said Sophia at last.

“Indeed, it does. Western languages’ writing is from left to right. Therefore, we see time coming from the left to the right. Chinese people, at least traditionally, write from top to bottom, thus, they see time as coming from top to down”, replied Michael.

“So, languages whose writing is from right to left also consider time coming for right to left?”, asked Elizabeth.

“Yes. At least that is true for Hebrew, according to the study”, answered Michael. “In the article, they also say that for Aymara people, from the Andes in South America, and Mandarin speakers, the future is behind them because they can’t see it. What they can see is the past, which is in front of them”.

“It seems like they are walking backwards…”, noted Sophia.

“It kind of makes sense, if you think about it. We have memories of the past, photos, objects, experiences… It is as life opens up, as if it gets wider and wider as time goes by. Every step backwards reveals a little more of what we can’t see”, said Elizabeth.

“But we leave the past behind us and are walking towards the future! We move forward, not backwards!”, said Sophia, looking very confused.

“I guess that’s just how Western learn to see things. There are tribal languages that have no past nor future”, said Jack.

“So, how can they refer to the past and future?”, asked Sophia.

“Maybe they don’t need to. They live in the present”, said Michael.

“That sounds like one of those mindfulness things…”, remarked Leo, laughing.

“We all live in the present!”, said Sophia, who was getting really disturbed with the conversation. “But we have a past and plan for the future!”

“Ok. The article also states that Australian Aboriginal refers to objects as being in north, south, east, west, and all in between. For example, Sophia is north of the table. Actually, I have no idea if north is in that direction, but you understand what I mean”, said Michael as a way to change the subject a little bit.

“That’s more precise than saying on the right-hand side or left-hand side”, noted Leo.

“Yes. Maybe that’s why in London underground the lines are presented with the eastbound and westbound direction”, said Jack.

“It is very confusing for someone who can’t tell which way is east and which way is west…”, said Sophia.

“But it’s more precise, as Leo said”. Michael looked at Leo and nodded to agree with him. “There’s an example in the article that is: ‘the ball is on the left of the dog’ versus ‘the ball is on the dog’s left’. It seems the same, but the truth is that the ball is in the opposite direction. In Spanish there is no confusion. Spaniards don’t refer to the ball from the dog’s point of view.”

“It’s like the right bank of the river and the left bank of the river. I always ask myself ‘from whose point of view?’ If we say the north bank of the river and the south bank of the river is much simpler”, said Elizabeth.

“True, but, again, you have to know where north and south. I never do”, said Sophia.

“Australian Aboriginal have learned the cardinal points since they are children. We trust on GPS”, said Jack. “Maybe we are wrong and they are right.”

“Another curiosity mentioned in the article is that some languages see time as a volume and others as a line. For example, English people say ‘it’s been a long day’ and Spanish people say ‘it’s been a full day’. As in: ‘the day was longer than it usually is’ versus ‘the day had more events than it usually has’. Something like that”, continued Michael.

They stopped talking and wondered about it.

“Both are right, isn’t it?”, said Elizabeth finally. “If you end the day later than usual, it will inevitably have more events.”

“Not necessarily”, replied Leo. “During the same number of hours, you can have more events than usual. Or you can have fewer events during more hours…”

“That is all very confusing”, said Sophia.

“Imagine if you were bilingual… They switch from one way of seeing things to the other in a second!”, said Michael.

Sophia looked at him with a very desperate expression.

“Each country sees things in different ways. Australia is huge and it’s mostly a desert, so knowing the cardinal directions was essential for surviving. Spanish people focus on events while English people perceive the day as a sequence of events, and that sequence can be longer or shorter. Some languages state that we are walking towards the future, others see the past ahead”, concluded Jack.

“Some tribes don’t see a past nor a future. They only see the present”, added Michael. “Maybe they are right. The past is only in our head and the future hasn’t happened yet… There is only the present.”

“Not exactly. We walk forward towards the future. We plan the future, we visualise it. The past is behind us because we have already lived it. There is evidence about it all around us. Events happen in order, one after the other”, contradicted Sophia.

“Einstein was right: it’s all relative”, said Elizabeth.

 

** YOUR WORDS AND IDEAS **

By Isabella Muir | On 26 March 2025 at 10:02
Another fascinating article! Past, present and future – all determined by individual perspectives, affected by nationality, language and culture. I suppose it proves that nothing is static – almost that there are very few ‘facts’ just someone’s opinion (one man’s terrorist is another’s freedom-fighter). It also emphasises the wonder of language – which is just what your articles are all about!

By Words in Ideas | On 26 March 2025 at 14:56
Thank you so much! Indeed, we are not aware that our mother tongue, which shapes our culture, determines how we see the world. The words we use have weight and are highly revealing. Learning foreign languages is truly opening the door to see the world under another perspective! 🙂

 

Keyword: TIME | Diamonds are forever

Diamonds are forever, sparkling round my little finger
Unlike men, the diamonds linger

According to Shirley Bassey in her song “Diamonds are Forever” (from the James Bond film’s soundtrack), a diamond ring is more valuable than a romantic relationship. Considering that the ratio divorce-marriage is generally 50% nowadays, maybe she is right. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of relationships are not forever. And that is fine. They don’t have to be. However, it is paramount to have means of subsistence. Financial independence is crucial for both men and women. And diamonds are extremely valuable. Having a diamond ring means having an object that you can sell if you need a lot of money.

“Diamonds are forever” was actually a marketing slogan of a private diamond mining company. The message was: giving a (big stone) diamond ring when proposing marriage to your fiancée shows how much you love her and proves that your love will be forever. The marketing campaign was so well executed that people still believe in such an idea today. Which is false, obviously. The quantity of couples who break up after the man had given the woman such an engagement ring speaks for itself. In the meantime, diamond companies are making a lot of money.

Human beings like to chaise “forever”: they want to live forever, want to be forever young, want to love forever, want to be friends forever… But is there anything that lasts forever? And what is “forever” anyway? Until Earth ceases to exist? Yes, Earth will cease to exist when the Sun dies and engulfs Earth 4,500,000,000 from now”. Therefore, not even Earth will last forever.

In truth, “forever” can last until we die, until the relationship ends or until tomorrow. Forever is a perception, representing our wish for something (good, of course) to never end. Or representing something bad that seems to never end, regardless of our wish for it to end. At some point, it does end, both the good and the bad. The truth is: nothing lasts forever. Even diamonds can be damaged and destroyed and, if that happens, their lustre would wear off.

“Timeless” can be a less elusive term. It means that its value doesn’t change over time. For example, a song that is timeless is a song that is beautiful long after it was composed. Classical music is timeless: we still listen to and appreciate it centuries after it was first heard publicly. You can say diamonds are timeless too. Since that marketing campaign, diamonds have stopped being common minerals to become a precious piece of luxury jewellery. Its beauty and expensive cost are still the same.

Diamonds are not endless. At least, not the natural ones, the ones which are mined in places like Russia, Botswana, Canada, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Africa, among others countries. Researchers have found a way to fabricate synthetic diamonds. However, this process is too expensive, thus, its production is not massive. Besides, the natural ones are considered to be of higher quality. When the mining ends, and it will at some point, will the production of synthetic diamonds skyrocket?

Life is always changing. We get older, children grow up, we get promoted or fired, we get a new job, we move to another city or another country, we meet new people. Society changes too, as well as beliefs, traditions, perspectives. Therefore, holding on to “old stuff” can make us weak and vulnerable, as we lack the flexibility to adapt. “Forever” may not be as good as it sounds. Imagine what it would be like if Europe was stuck forever in the Roman Empire…

Forever can be especially terrible in harmful situations. For example, countries that are in war, marriages where there is violence, jobs with toxic cultures. It is good to know that these situations are not endless, although some problems can be timeless. Yet, negative situations can trigger evolution. They can actually be an opportunity to improve and find creative and innovative solutions. When everything runs smoothly, no matter how good it may sound, it leads to a standstill and standstill leads to decay. In reality, improvement is the guarantee for maintaining good stuff.

“Living in the moment”, “appreciate the little things”, “be in the moment”, are some of today’s mantras. These are other “versions” of “forever”, attempts to freeze the good things and ignore the bad things. We can see this to a great extent in social media, where people want to show how happy they are. There are common themes like (good) food, sunsets, drinks with friends, luxury holidays with romantic partners. In other words, the lifestyle which is considered ideal. And people are made to believe that this ideal lifestyle can last forever.

At the beginning of June 1940, the inhabitants of Paris were living their lives as usual. The echoes of war were still far away and many believed war would not get there. Suddenly, they were surprised with the news that the German Army was only a few kilometres away. Panic took hold of people and in two days two million men, women, and children filled the roads with the possessions they could gather in such a short time. Their “forever” life ended on the next day and no one knew what to do or what would come next.

 

** YOUR WORDS AND IDEAS **

By Isabella Muir | On 19 March 2025 at 15:21
Fascinating article and one that gets us thinking about time and the importance of moments. How would our priorities shift if we were told we only had a year left? And what we have told our younger selves if we knew then what we know now? And who can explain how it is that the older we are, the faster time seems to slip by?! If we could slow down ‘forever’ surely that would be worth more than diamonds?!

By Words in Ideas | On 20 March 2025 at 12:43
Thank you! I’m glad it made you think about how short-lived our life here on Earth is. Time is truly precious, more precious than diamonds. Einstein discovered that time is relative. As we get older, time seems to go faster, but it doesn’t. The pace is the same, our perception is what changes. We can’t slow down time, but it’s up to us to make it worthwhile. Like Gandalf said in the book “The Fellowship of the Ring”, by J.R.R. Tolkien: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

By Isabella Muir | On 20 March 2025 at 15:41
Thanks Ana Catarina, yes, how fortunate we are to have the wisdom of Tolkein and other great thinkers and writers to help us to stop and re-evaluate! Thanks for all your great articles, they are well researched and thoroughly enjoyable!

By Words in Ideas | On 21 March 2025 at 12:02
Thank you so much for your kind words! That is exactly my aim 🙂 Yes, we should pay more attention to what great thinkers and writers had/have to say. They figured it out before us. Like a great Portuguese artist once said: “When I was born, the sentences that would save humanity were already all written, there was just one thing left to do – to save humanity”. This is actually written on the walls of Saldanha tube station in Lisbon.

By Isabella Muir | On 23 March 2025 at 10:43
What a beautiful quote and a wonderful sentiment!

By Words in Ideas | On 23 March 2025 at 13:12
Indeed! 🙂

 

Keyword: TIME | Time and Space

Einstein once realized that if a person and a ball would fall from a building at the same time, the individual would not be aware of the speed in which the ball was falling. For him/her, it would look like the ball would be still. The same phenomenon happens when we are in a speeding car. If a car next to ours is at the same speed, it seems we are both still. We are unaware of the space and the time passing by. This means that space and time are relative.

Objects in the universe are moving in a space-time continuum. As they move forward in space, time is also moving forward. We are not aware that Earth is moving, but it is. And we are not aware that time is passing unless we look at the clock or we watch the sun rise and set. For example, people lose track of time if they are living in a place where the sun is blocked and they do not have a watch (like in a bunker).

Seasons are dependent on the movement of Earth around the Sun. Through observation, humans realized that seasons would follow a cycle with four different phases. Astronomically speaking, solstices mark the most extreme points (Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn), hence winter and summer. Halfway in each direction, the Sun goes through the equinoxes (on the Equator line), signalling Spring and Autumn.

Calendars were built as a way to measure this for agriculture purposes as it was necessary to plan when to sow and when to harvest. Different methods were used, and some are still in use simultaneously. The reference is the Gregorian Calendar, which is based on the movement of Earth around the Sun. After some adjustments, it was established that one year would correspond to a complete turn around the Sun. The year would be divided into 12 months and each three months would correspond to a season. Christianity determined the birth of Jesus Christ as the first year AD (Anno Domini, Latin for “in the year of the Lord”). That was 2025 years ago (or 2025 complete turns around the Sun). The years BC (Before Christ), or BCE (Before Common Era), are counted backwards from that first year.

There are other calculations, which consider other starting points. Assyrians are an ancient people from the Mesopotamia region (somewhere between today’s Iran, Iraq, and Syria) and are currently in the year 6773. According to the Hebrew calendar, Jewish people are currently in the year 5785. Buddhists are currently in the year 2565 and Persians in 1402. The Islamic Calendar is based on the Moon cycle and started its counting on the year the prophet Muhammad moved to Medina (the Hijrah). They are currently in the year 1446. In China, they built a calendar based on the lunar cycle, but taking the Sun cycle into consideration. Instead of indefinitely adding up years, they named them. The Chinese created a 60-year cycle combining the names of 12 animals with the 5 elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). That was 4722 years ago.

Age (the number of years each individual has “completed the turn around the Sun”) is increasingly gaining weight for determining a person’s life. For any given age, there are certain types of duties and demands that are asked of people. It can be tough if you do not meet those age requirements and it can be a reason for discrimination. This is called Ageism. Discrimination towards older people is a known phenomenon, but it can happen at any age. Like many other discriminations, this one is “hidden” because these actions are considered “normal behaviour”. In other words, age discrimination is accepted. Like other discriminations, it should be censored.

For centuries, people organized their lives based on seasons because agriculture was the centre of their lives. Then, during the Industrial Revolution, people began to organize their lives based on years, months, weeks, days, and hours in a combination between the movement of Earth around the Sun (years) and the movement of Earth around itself (days). It was established that noon would be when the Sun would reach its highest point in the sky. The hours of the day were then calculated accordingly. Due to the rotation of Earth on itself, adjustments were made around the world to meet these criteria, hence time zones. Except in China. There, it was established that the whole country, which has five time zones, would use the same standard time. So, the Sun can reach its highest point in the sky in a different time, depending on the region.

Earth is about 4,500,000,000 years and homo sapiens exist for 200,000 years. In a way, there is no past and no future, only evolution. Earth has been evolving since its creation, going through different phases. Life on Earth has already been extinct five times in the “past”, but it was born again in different forms. If humans get extinct, Earth will keep moving through space and time and another type of life will be born.

We are connected with space and time as a tiny piece of a celestial object moving through the universe, interacting with other celestial objects. Whenever we take a step forward, a second has passed. If we travel to another country, we also travel into the “future”. Even when we are still, we are moving because we move with Earth, both in space and in time.

 

World domination

Thucydides is considered the “father” of history because of his book “The History of the Peloponnesian War”, which he wrote in the 5th century. Besides describing the war itself, in which he was an active participant, he also describes the context and behind-the-scenes political manoeuvres, portraits both sides of the conflict, and makes other considerations. The book is not finished, but the story of this war is known. In a nutshell, the Peloponnesian War was a conflict between a declining power (Sparta, home of the famous 300) and an emerging power (Athens). They were both fighting for world domination, which, in this case, was Greece.

Graham Allison studied Thucydides’ book and compared what was written there with other similar conflicts. Then, he coined the term “Thucydides’ Trap” to explain the phenomenon theoretically (which is to say, academically). His goal was to understand how the rising of China could impact the world and lead to a war with the USA. The conclusions…

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“Longshore Drift”, by David EP Dennis

Charles Dickens came to Hastings in 1861 to perform a public reading of A Christmas Carol in the Old Music Hall now called Yates’s Wine Lodge. This event is celebrated during the Hastings Literary Festival in the autumn as ‘Dickens Day’ during which, other aspects of Dickens’ life are highlighted. He saw poverty all around him in workhouses and factories and described them in harrowing detail in books such as Oliver Twist, Bleak House, Little Dorrit, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations.

When he came to Hastings, he may well have walked on the sea front and watched the waves shooshing the shingle from Eastbourne to Hastings in a slow rolling movement that has never ceased since the beginning of the world. However, the first recorded use of the precise term was not written down until 1893 by someone unknown wizard of coastal geomorphology. It refers to the geological process by which sediments such as sand and gravel are transported along a coastline, parallel to the shore, due to the action of waves approaching at an angle.

The word ‘Long’ derives from the Old English word ‘lang’, meaning ‘having considerable linear extent.’ ‘Shore’ comes from the Old English ‘scora’, referring to the land adjacent to a large body of water. ‘Drift’ stems from the Old English ‘drifan’, meaning ‘to drive’ or ‘to force along,’ which evolved to denote movement caused by external forces.

But this article is not purely about shingle movement. Instead, it is about the drift of ideas along the shoreline from Eastbourne to Hastings.
Karl Marx was born on 5 May 1818, in Trier, Prussia (now Germany). His great friend Friedrich Engels was born on 28 November 1820, in Barmen, Prussia (now Wuppertal, Germany). They first met on August 28, 1844, when Friedrich Engels visited Karl Marx in Paris, where Marx was living in exile. They spent ten days discussing philosophy, economics, and revolutionary politics, forming an instant intellectual and political bond. This meeting led to their first major joint works, ‘The Holy Family’ (1845), and later ‘The Communist Manifesto’ (1848).

Much later, Volume 1 of Das Kapital (Kritik der politischen Ökonomie – Critique of Political Economy) was published on 14 September 1867 in Hamburg, Germany. The book analysed capitalism’s structure, introducing key concepts like surplus value, class struggle, and commodity fetishism.
Marx and Engels both visited Sussex, coming to Eastbourne in the autumn of 1881 because Marx had bronchitis and pleurisy. In those days, the seaside with its alleged iodine atmosphere (really the smell of rotting seaweed) was recommended by physicians for its sea air and mild climate. Coming to the seaside was also an intellectual escape from the pressure of London.

Marx then died in 1883, but Engels continued to come to Eastbourne and other coastal towns to relax but also to continue to develop Marxist Theory. Engels died in London on 5th August 1895 aged seventy-four at his home at 122 Regent’s Park Road, Primrose Hill and, being a resolute atheist, he wanted to be cremated.

This growing movement away from churchyard internment had already become associated with radical, freethinkers and secularists. He had his wish at Woking Crematorium in Surrey, Britain’s first crematorium established in 1878. A large group of colleagues and friends attended this ceremony including Eleanor Marx who was Karl Marx’s daughter. There also were Eduard Bernstein, a leading socialist for the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), August Bebel, co-founder of the SPD, William Liebknecht who was a Marxist convert and friend of Engels. There were many other people there from the British Social Democratic Foundation (SDF).

Part of Engel’s time in Eastbourne had been spent walking on the beautiful landscape of Beachy Head with its massive chalk cliffs, downland scenery and iconic Belle Tout Lighthouse built in 1834. Following his wishes, most of the people who attended his cremation service at Woking then travelled to Eastbourne where Eleanor Marx and others in a simple secular ceremony cast his ashes into the westerly breeze – out over Beachy Head cliffs and down into the grey-blue sea where the longshore drift carried him ever so slowly towards Hastings.

With each angled wave, the tiny particles of Engels’ dust came along the coast, adding to patches of fine low tide sand as they settled in deep by Hastings Pier, opened in 1872. However, a large part of him continued through the English Channel and landed on the coasts of Europe, where they coated the feet of migratory birds – those wonderful swifts, swallows, cranes, and eagles that had come each year from Georgia.
When the birds returned each year to Georgia, tiny particles of Engels reached the Georgian shore of the Black Sea and some birds flew as far inland as Tbilisi, known then as Tiflis.

One day in 1898 a migratory bird landed on the shoulder of a 19-year-old student priest named Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili who attending Tiflis Theological Seminary. The bird flapped its wings and tiny particles of Engel’s flew up the young lad’s nose, infecting him with Marx and Engel’s ideas. He quickly changed his name to Stalin, meaning ‘steel-like’ and then proceeded to kill millions of people because he was a psychopath.
One year later, living in St Petersburg there was a law student named Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov who was sorrowful because his brother Alexander had been arrested and executed for planning the assassination of Tsar Alexander III. He heard about Marx and Engels from friends who had been watching migratory birds having dust baths and became infected with ideas. Then, when he moved to Samara on the Volga River, some 620 miles from Moscow, he gave himself the undercover name of Lenin, derived from the River Lena, to mask his revolutionary activities.

Stalin and Lenin first met in Tornio, Finland in 1905, during a time when Lenin was coordinating efforts for the 1905 revolution. At that time, Lenin had heard of Stalin’s efforts and his work with the revolutionary movement in Georgia, and they discussed the potential for coordinated action in the broader Russian revolution.

Meanwhile, the portion of Engel’s powdered remains that had embedded itself in the low tide sands of Hastings came into contact with the toes of a man called Robert Noonan, an Irish-born socialist who was walking on the shore in 1901. The dust of Engels caused him mystically to author his famous book The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist, using the name Robert Tressel. This described poverty, exploitation, and harsh working conditions. By 1910 Tressel was ill, and poverty-stricken himself. He died of tuberculosis in Liverpool on his way to a better life in Canada in 1911.

However, before he left Hastings, he and others formed the Social Democratic Federation (SDF) – a Marxist group hoping to counteract the dominance of Tory capitalist ideology. The SDF in Hastings actively campaigned against local councillors who were perceived to be colluding with big businesses, particularly concerning utilities like gas and electricity. Their efforts sought to expose and challenge corruption, advocating for the rights and welfare of the working class.

Members organised public meetings, distributed literature, and engaged in discussions to raise awareness about socialist ideals. These activities aimed to educate the people of Hastings on issues of social justice, workers’ rights, and economic equality.
Nowadays we steer sharply away from the horrors of Stalin and even from the excessive revolutionary radicalism of Marx and Engels. However, we do wish for social improvement and a reduction in the gap between rich and poor – if you get my drift. •

David EP Dennis [external link] worked with the Royal Air Forces for 25 years and travelled to remote places like Ascension Island, the Falklands Islands, and Oman. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and writes about Medieval Times in England for Sea Road Creative Research [external link] and uses photography to champion nature conservation. He also collaborates with the Hastings Independent local newspaper [external link].

 

Keyword: TIME | “L’Anomalie” [“The Anomaly”], by Hervé Le Tellier

Ms Clara Smartest, who had “officially” been put in charge of introducing the book of the month, took the floor.

“I must say that I’m not a big fan of scientific fiction. I mean, it’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just that I usually choose other types of books. That said, I really enjoyed this sci-fi novel. So, the story is about Blake, Victor Miesel, Lucie, David, Sophia, Joanna, Slimboy, and André. One day, on a stormy night, all of them were on board a regular flight from Paris to New York. All of them had their lives and their own problems. And, after that flight, all of them came to have their duplicates. The question the book tries to answer is: and now what happens?”

“It’s interesting that the question of what had happened is secondary”, said Ms Johanna Practicewell. “It’s mentioned, but the mystery is left unexplained. There are not many efforts in that regard. The ‘authorities’, so to speak, are more concerned with practical matters like ‘what to do’ and ‘how to avoid this in the future'”.

“Hence, the experts that are called unexpectedly. They are not called to explain the phenomenon, but to create instructions to manage the situation”, added Mr Jeremy Toughready. “It shows the USA way of thinking: it doesn’t matter why; it matters people are told what to do.”

“The Chinese have a different approach to the same situation”, said Mr Matthew Barnepy.

“Which was the solution the Americans came up with in the end”, commented Miss Amelia Matterfis. “Then, the ethical question arises: is it right?”

“Well, introducing the passengers to their duplicates was not better”, said Ms Abigail Vooght.

“What I found more interesting is the confrontation of oneself to his/her 3-month-previous version: the choices that were made that changed the course of their lives, the regrets, the wins, the tragedies, the successes”, said Mr Mark Mindhearting. “It makes us think about our lives. What kind of person were we 3 months ago? And 3 years ago? And, for those who are older, 30 years ago? If we had a chance to start over, would we do things differently?”

“On the other hand, memories can trick us. We don’t remember how things were exactly. And they are always changing”, added Ms Johanna Practicewell.

“It’s also interesting to see the evolution of the perception of one’s feelings and the feelings of others. We are trapped in our own mind and don’t know what is going on in someone else’s mind”, said Miss Martha Lovefeelings.

The group then discussed details of the book. The solution found by Blake, the regular guy who was actually a hitman for hire in his spare time, was the most radical. André, the architect in love with a much younger woman who didn’t love him with the same intensity, was the most practical, accepting the new reality and adapting rapidly. The confrontation between the two little Sophias, uncovered a hidden secret about their families. The singer Slimboy and his duplicate found the most original solution and the success of the “oldest” was doubled. David’s fate was repeated. Joanna, who had married and became pregnant in those three months, realised that she shared the love of a man with another person. Lucie realised she had to share her son. Finally, Victor Miesel had a golden opportunity to start a new life.

Then, they talked about their own lives and how they would react if they would find themselves in that situation. They agreed that they wouldn’t know until the situation presented itself, but still they imagined how it would be like. Following what Mr Mark Mindhearting had said, they extended the exercise from 3 months to 3 years and 30 years, for those who were old enough. The youngsters were upset when they were told how young they were and how their perception of reality would change.

“Things will become clearer, and yet more uncertain. Clearer because we have more knowledge and more experience. More uncertain because we realise that our youthful certainties can be misleading. That’s why older people are more prudent, which is something that despairs young people”, said Mr Mark Mindhearting, who was the oldest in the room.

“That may be true, but I personally find it pointless to compare the present with the past, or to revive past events. The past is the past. We can’t go back or change anything; we can only go forward and make wiser decisions. I mean, it’s important to acknowledge our path, but we have to live in the present”, said Ms Johanna Practicewell.

“Well, I think this discussion has left us a lot to think about. I personally like these kinds of books that make us think and challenge the way we look at what surrounds us.” Mr John Booklish was wrapping up the meeting. “Before we go, just inform you that next month the book will be “Hamnet”, by Maggie O’Farrell. Have a lovely week!”

 

** YOUR WORDS AND IDEAS **

By Isabella Muir | On 5 March 2025 at 10:25
An excellent review of a thought-provoking subject, although I may challenge Ms Praticewell and say that we need to remember the past in order to learn from it? Also, I look forward to the review of ‘Hamnet’. I have just finished O’Farrell’s book, ‘The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox’ – a completely awe-inspiring book, beautifully written by an extremely talented writer!

By Words in Ideas | On 6 March 2025 at 19:12
Thank you for your praise! Yes, Ms Practicewell “admits” you are right. She is a pragmatic person who is used to work with what she has at any given moment and not thinking “if we had this as before…” That said, knowing the past can help us prepare for the future, no doubt. Yes, Maggie O’Farrell is an amazing writer! Thank you for that recommendation! Not to give anything away, but the book of next month is really a lovely piece of literature.

 

Elizabeth in Vietnam

The decision to visit Vietnam was made on an impulse after months of looking for possible travel destinations. The descriptions of how beautiful the country was, the fact that the country was located in an exotic geographical location, or just because Elizabeth knew nothing about it, could have influenced her choice. She was aware that a fierce war had taken place there, which the USA had lost. After booking the trip, she found out that Vietnam had been a French colony and this sparked her curiosity even more, as she was a student of the French language. What would have been the legacy left by the French, she wondered.

Once there, she realized that the French influence was elusive, but the country turned out to be surprising, with a fascinating culture. The war with the USA was present, yet gone. It was like it was something that had happened and which had shaped the country, but, although the people were still overcoming it, it was a closed matter. Interestingly enough, Elizabeth didn’t see any burgers or pizzas franchises. The Western influence was like the Chinese influence: had been assimilated and transformed into something typically Vietnamese.

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The sport, le sport, der Sport, el deporte

“Is there any major sporting event in 2025?”, asked Jack when they were sitting down for the 5th gathering of The Foreign Land’s Explorers.

“What do you mean by ‘major’? All sports have major events annually”, replied Leo.

“Like the Olympics and the Football World Cup”, specified Jack.

“You mean, MEN’s Football World Cup? Because, you know, there’s the WOMEN’s Football World Cup too. It’s high time we all make the distinction for both events”, said Sophia.

Everyone stared at Sophia in awe.

“Yes”, she added, “women’s competitions are as good or even better than men’s competitions. Besides, men’s competitions are now more about money than sport. Anyway, answering your question: not really. Some sports have their World Cups or Worlds Championships, which will be major for their fans. But, in case you’re interested, this year the Women’s Football European Championship will be held in Switzerland, between 2 and 27 July.”

“Well, after I’ve been put in my place in terms of sport ignorance, how about we talk about sports around the world? For starters, how do you say ‘sport’ in different languages?”, said Jack, with a slightly hurt voice.

“Hey, no hurt feelings, I didn’t mean to offend, ok?”, said Sophia. “So, sport in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish is the same as English, but with a slightly different pronunciation.

“I think Sophia is right in distinguishing which competition we are talking about (men’s or women’s). About the French word for sport, it is ‘sport’ too, with a different pronunciation. Same situation as Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish”, said Elizabeth.

“Same in German. And, yes, I also agree with Sophia”, said Michael.

“Aye, aye, Sophia! And in Italian it is also the same. However, it is slightly different in Spanish (‘deporte’) and in Portuguese (‘desporto’). Nevertheless, they probably have the same root”, concluded Leo.

“Right, thank you everyone. And I also agree with Sophia, no offence taken. I’ve just never thought about it until now. We are used to refer to a certain sport event as it is only a men’s event and make the distinction only in women’s events. It’s wrong, indeed, we should all correct it. Now, the origins of sports! Obviously, many sports had their origin in war, or rather, in preparation for war, for example: archery, fencing, wrestling…”, said Jack.

“Martial arts, like judo, karate, kung fu, taekwondo, were also preparation for fighting, whereas to defend and attack or just to defend. Later, it became a path to personal development”, said Michael. “Actually, Judo is mandatory in Japanese schools”.

“Different ways to fight and make war gave birth to different sports. By the way, biathlon came about when the military border patrollers of Norway and Sweden decided to compete between themselves. They patrolled the border on skis and had their rifles at hand in case of need”, said Sophia. “One day, they thought it would be fun to make a competition between countries”.

“All skiing events come from daily life in Nordic countries. Telemark skiing is a style that was ‘invented’ in a Norwegian region called… Telemark!”, said Elizabeth.

“However, Alpine skiing was developed as a sport in Switzerland”, added Sophia.

“Other winter sports also came from daily life in countries where it snows. For example, it was usual for people in the Netherlands to skate the canals as a way of travelling between villages, hence speed skating. Figure skating was probably a variant”, said Elizabeth.

“Hunting was also a fertile ground for sporting activities, like shooting and equestrian. Archery also, I suppose”, said Leo. “Running is as old as human beings, probably. First, they run away from predators, then they run after their prey. Competition to see who would run faster among themselves was a question of time.”

“Football is an interesting phenomenon. Its origins are controversial, but an undeniable fact is that it became incredibly popular. You only need a ball that you can make with some rags or other material and the goalposts can be drawn on the ground or identified by using some objects. Then, you just need to run after the ball and try to cross it between the “posts”. On the streets, there aren’t many rules. So, it can be played anywhere and everyone knows instinctively how to play,” said Leo and paused for a moment.

“Ok”, said Michael, “why is that so interesting?”

“Like I said, on the streets, there aren’t many rules… so, you can make them up. And that’s how you ended up with different types of football around the world. In England, there’s rugby. In the USA, there’s American football. In Australia, there’s Australian football. In Ireland, there’s Gaelic football. In Scotland, there’s Scottish football. Even in Canada you have a specific type of football. All with different rules. You also have beach football and futsal. Table football is a variant where you play with wood figures attached to a table. In a nutshell, there are many ways of playing football”, concluded Leo.

“Gymnastics is a global sport as well. It dates back to Ancient Greece, where athletes would ‘exercise naked’ (which is the meaning of the word). Only men would exercise. At that time, athletics and wrestling were included. Over the centuries, many forms of gymnastics were born, not only in Europe, but also in China, sometimes linked to the circus: tumbling, acrobatics, jugglers, trampolines. In the 19th century, other forms of exercising the body were developed in Germany, Sweden and Denmark. Artistic gymnastics, aerobics, and calisthenics were born during this time. Afterwards, gymnastics kept on evolving and it is still evolving today”, said Elizabeth.

“So, circus is related to gymnastics, at least some part of it. Interesting”, commented Leo.

“I did a quick search here on my computer while you were talking”, said Michael, “and there are at least two very local sports which became worldwide. One is cricket. It’s huge in England; you see it being played everywhere during summer. It is also very popular in old British colonies like Australia and India. The other is curling, which was developed in Scotland and it is now important in places like Canada. Apparently, British people like to take their sports with them wherever they emigrate (or colonize, more likely)”.

As everyone had their own computer, they searched for other sports and discussed their findings. Then, they built a table with sports’ names in different languages and wrote sentences as “Curling is a winter sport while cricket is a summer sport” also in different languages.

 

“Looking back into the future”, by Isabella Muir

I’ve been looking back as a way of looking forward! Studying history is a useful way to reflect on the past, to discover lessons that may be learned to prepare ourselves for the future. The more I look back, the more I can see that so many world events recycle themselves in a never-ending repetition of gain and loss.
My personal fascination with history is in events that affected Britain during and after the Second World War, and the more I learn, the more I see a familiarity in the arguments being posed today about the way forward for our increasingly fractured world.
But for now let’s focus on the 1960s, when more than a decade after the end of the Second World War, Britain was still reeling from the loss of life, the devastation, and the underlying fear that such hard-earned peace might be short-lived.
The sixties brought with it a generation of youngsters who believed they could put the past behind them and surge forward to a better life. Social and political attitudes began to change, with significant events acting as forerunners of even greater change.
I explore some of those changes in a series of fictional stories, entitled the Mountfield Road Mysteries where we meet some tenants who come to live in a tiny bedsit at Number 1, Mountfield Road, in the Sussex seaside town of Hastings. The tenants have little in common, except for their decision to rent a room from a certain Mr Humphrey, a landlord who is a stickler for traditions and protocols that were fast disappearing.
The first book in the series, Storms of Change [external link], is set in 1960. We meet Marcus Chase, a young man keen to throw off the constraints of his childhood and teenage years, breaking free from his home in London and moving south to Hastings.
He meets Fred and Gilly Barnes, the couple who rent the flat below, and is soon absorbed by their tales of adventure, impressed by their carefree attitude to life. But like everything in life, all is not as bright as it would first appear…
One year on, in Whispers of Fortune [external link], we meet Sally Hilton, a young woman who is certain 1961 could be her year.
‘You can be whoever and whatever you want to be,’ are her mother’s words to Sally throughout her childhood. But Sally doesn’t know who she wants to be. That is the problem.
When the thirty-fifth President of the United States is elected to office, Sally Hilton is worrying about the ladder in her stockings. It’s her only pair and needs to last until payday on Friday. In his augural speech, John F. Kennedy promises significant change to his fellow Americans. In Britain, the sense of euphoria is contagious. If not us, then who? If not now, when? Powerful words spill out from the skilled orator, and Sally Hilton, with her laddered stockings and empty purse, wants to believe they will make a difference. Change is coming, not just for Americans, but for the ‘free world’, whatever that means.
Then Sally notices a card in the newsagent’s window. It feels like a sign…
In the third book in the series, Flashes of Doubt [external link], we meet William Arnold. Forced into retirement, having to leave his cosy cottage and move to a tiny bedsit in Mountfield Road, Hastings, William Arnold wants nothing more than to remember the past, a time when he understood the world, when he had a role to play, a purpose. Then William meets sixteen-year-old Peter, a young lad who challenges William to revise his thinking completely…
The 1960s was a decade when young people were finding their voice and older people were struggling to come to terms with the newly defined ‘generation gap’.
Some say the ‘swinging sixties’ really took off in Britain in 1964, the year that saw the Beatles rise to international fame, but it was 1960 when the group first got together, playing sessions in the now world-famous Cavern Club in Liverpool by 1961. An explosion of talent emerged during the next few years, with a host of pop and rock artists, many whose music is just as popular today.
Mary Quant, among others, transformed the way young people dressed, as interior designers, such as Terence Conran, transformed the way many people furnished their homes, offering contemporary furniture at affordable prices.
As well as music and fashion, the growth of consumerism and the widespread availability of labour-saving devices meant people had more leisure time to enjoy.
It was also the decade when car ownership took off, with estimates suggesting the numbers of people owning cars rose during the decade from around nine million to fifteen million. Thinking back to my childhood, I recall so few cars passed by our house there was no danger for me to cross the road on my own at the tender age of eight. And yet, that same road now sees tens of thousands of vehicles pass along it every day, with young and old taking their life in their hands should they decide to venture from one side to the other.
A typical 1960s house was difficult to heat, with windows that let in as much of the weather as they kept out. Central heating hadn’t arrived for most families, leaving them with few options – a coal fire (with coal being an expensive commodity), a two-bar electric fire, which would eat up any money being put into the meter, or a paraffin stove with its fumes.
Young people had grown up in the shadow of war, with new threats being posed by the Cold War and growing tensions between the East and West. National Service was still in place, an experience that brought up conflicting emotions for many young men. What was right and what was wrong when it came to conflict? There were no easy answers then and many would say, there are no easy answers now.
With the threat of nuclear armaments circling, many young people joined the peace protests taking place across Britain. The term ‘teenager’ only entered into common usage in Britain during the 1950s. Around that time young people started to find their voice, with two distinct groups emerging: beatniks and teddy boys.
Both groups were strongly influenced by American music, Teddy Boys loving rock and roll, wearing long, draped jackets, and sporting the kind of hairstyle worn by Elvis Presley with his slicked back quiff, all kept in place with plenty of Brylcreem. Beatniks, by contrast, wore duffel coats and berets, long hair and preferred jazz. The ‘beat generation’ was said to have been inspired by writers such as Jack Kerouac, among others. Reacting to the experiences of the Second World War, this was a movement that sought to promote peace. Later in the sixties, the ideals promoted by beatniks were taken forward by another aspect of the counter-culture of that period – the hippies.
Both groups frequented coffee bars, vying over the jukebox. In the 1950s and 1960s, coffee bars were popular meeting places for teenagers. They were often the setting for live music, as well as the ubiquitous jukebox. Skiffle music was popular at that time, a type of jazz and blues-influenced folk music that was the precursor to British rock ‘n’ roll.
British teenagers made coffee bars their own; they were a cheap place to ‘hang out’, after all, coffee had no legal age limit. It’s said that London’s most famous 1950s coffee bar – the ’21s’ – famously launched, among others, Tommy Steele and Cliff Richard. In Liverpool, the Jacaranda club in Slater Street was a haunt for the Beatles in their early days, while Cilla Black waitressed at the Zodiac coffee bar in Duke Street, another musicians’ favourite.
Many women in their middle years who survived the Second World War came to realise they could achieve more with their lives than previously imagined. With so many men away fighting, women had taken on vital roles as mechanics, engineers, air raid wardens, bus and fire engine drivers. They took on dangerous work in munition factories and helped to build ships and aeroplanes. The end of the war brought an enormous change for them, as well as for the men who returned from the front. Attitudes had shifted, new horizons had opened up, and the years that followed confirmed that nothing would be quite the same again.
Aside from the changes that a strengthening youth culture brought about, Britain began to see the problems brought about by intensive farming, with nature beginning to suffer. Alongside the rise in car ownership, new towns were built where there was previously agricultural land. How much consideration was being given to the environment? We see the longer term effects now, with our loss of wildlife habitats and the very real fears about climate change.
Across the world, in China, as part of Chairman Mao Zedong’s ‘Great Leap Forward’ initiative that ran from 1958 to 1962, the Chinese people were ordered to eliminate rats, flies, mosquitoes, and sparrows. The order came as the authorities decided that these ‘pests’ were damaging crops and the sparrows were eating too much grain. Over that period some one billion sparrows were killed, including the total population of tree sparrows. However, it seems the Chairman’s plan would backfire. The sparrows were a vital part of the Chinese ecosystem, as well as eating grain, sparrows ate locusts. Without the sparrows the locusts flourished. By 1960, locusts decimated the rice crops, resulting in one of the worst man-made famines ever experienced. The exact numbers of people who died during the famine is unknown, but it’s suggested that it was between twenty and forty million people. It’s certainly a reminder that tampering with nature will inevitably create problems for our whole ecosystem, mankind included.
I will continue to explore the past, to learn from the good and the bad, and above all, continue to hope for a positive future. •

Isabella Muir [external link] writes novels, novellas, and short stories about post-Second War World Britain and she runs an independent publishing company, Outset Publishing. Some of Isabella Muir’s books are translated into Italian [external link] and Portuguese.

 

Keyword: ENTERTAINMENT | Social Life

In the novel “Anna Karenina”, written by Leo Tolstoy, the main character is a socialite, happily married and with children. She moves with ease and joy from one social event to the other, without much care about the world outside. She feels good inside her bubble until she falls completely in love with Count Vronsky. What starts as a scandalous adulterous affair, ends with a decision to divorce her husband. Due to this, Anna Karenina is banned from society. At first, she doesn’t mind, but, as time goes by and passion diminishes, she begins missing her beloved social life. She endures her isolation as much as she can, but, at last, she can’t take it anymore and tragedy strikes.

Just like Anna Karenina, people who are used to having an intense social life may suffer greatly when such social life is interrupted. The lockdowns due to the COVID pandemic made this quite clear. These lockdowns were temporary, but lasted long enough to increase mental problems like depression. If we take Anna Karenina’s example, not even love is strong enough to face the challenge of being without social life. And it’s not just about fun and entertainment, it is about missing the people: the loved ones, the friends, the accomplices of jokes about the others. It’s the feeling of belonging somewhere, of being important, of mattering.

Social life has always been vital for human beings. In prehistoric times, people lived in communities where every member had a role to play and survival depended on everyone playing their part. They had to hunt together and agree on the strategy to follow, build together, do daily tasks together, raise the children together. Free time was also spent together. When exactly did they start singing and dancing it’s a mystery, but once entertainment started, it never went away. As society became more complex, so did entertainment. Nowadays, it’s hard to do something spontaneously. Everything is organized and people need to buy tickets or register in advance. Entertainment has to be part of one’s personal calendar. There are those who even have weekly appointments: cinema or theatre on Fridays, dinner out on Saturdays, day out on Sundays. Then, there are the annual events (like Christmas) and fairs.

We follow the unwritten social rules everyone else follows. We live by example; what others do, it’s what we do. Anna Karenina mastered this. She knew how to speak, what she could say or not say, how to dress, how to behave, which parties to go to and which parties to avoid, the men and women to talk to and those to avoid. All was fluid, all was right, all was perfect. That’s the aim because that’s how we are accepted in the group. However, there can be a downside: you can lose yourself in the crowd. To be accepted in the group, one has to talk like the group, think like the group, be like the group. Usually there is no formal hierarchy, but you have to know who set the example and follow them. And you have to prove all the time that you deserve to continue belonging to the group. If you fail, there are consequences and punishments. Anna Karenina dared to break the rules of society and got expelled forever without any possibility of redemption.

Lonely people can be seen as outcasts, like they would have an infectious disease and should be avoided at all times. Yet, the number of people living alone tends to increase as the GDP per capita increases. This may mean that when people have a higher income, they also have more options. For example, in the past, women had to get married to survive, as it was difficult for them to get a job; they depended entirely on men. Nowadays, working women are an undeniable reality and many of them prefer to live by themselves. Therefore, these “lonely people”, may be people who are unable to comply with the unwritten social rules or who just reject such rules so they can be themselves.

Society is changing and social life is changing with it. For example, people go to the cinema less often because they can stream films and TV series at home. They prefer to buy a house with a swimming pool instead of going to the public swimming pool. They don’t need to go shopping; they can do that online. Museums and travel destinations can be enjoyed online as well. There is no need to go to a restaurant when you don’t have food at home; you can call a courier service and the food goes to your house. All these little errands people used to do in-person would inevitably lead to interactions with other people. If you would go to the same place regularly, you would start to get to know those who worked there and other customers. You would socialize. Not anymore; you can do everything by yourself in the comfort of your home… alone.

Nevertheless, new ways of interacting with others are emerging. It is no surprise that the number of workshops, conferences, music festivals, thematic fairs, and other types of events are increasing. Well, yes, it’s a way to make people spend their money on things other than daily life, but it’s also a way to meet new people in-person. Meeting people online is fine, but, at some point, everyone needs an in-person interaction. After all, human beings are social creatures, they need to socialize.

 

Keyword: ENTERTAINMENT | The weight of entertainment

Everyone wants to have fun, even those who take life too seriously and seldom smile. James Suzman’s study about work informs us that “leisure” was born after our ancestors learned how to master fire. This provided free time, which was spent by painting, building tools, and creating accessories (like necklaces). Just as working time evolved, so did leisure time. Nowadays, we have plenty to choose from: television, radio, cinema, amusing parks, museums, theatre, music, circus, comedy, ballet, workshops of different sorts, a wide range of parties, sports, literature, social media, video games, travelling… The list is very long.

What started as a way to pass the time (hence, the word “pastime”), turned into various industries. Entertainment means work for millions of people around the world. Moreover, the variety is so great that many people dedicate themselves to telling others what they should do to have fun: the dreaded critics. Of course, there are also journalists and bloggers who just recommend what they think is best. They are probably paid to do that. So, besides spending our working time being told what to do by our bosses, we end up being told what we should be doing in our free time: what books we should read, what films and TV series we should watch, what destination we should travel to, the amount of time we should play games, what sports we should practice, which parties we should go to… In a nutshell, we are constantly being advised on the right way to have fun.

The line between advice and censorship can be very thin. Throughout the centuries, there has been censorship for a numerous of reasons. Morality (often linked to religion) is number one. For example, the “Index Librorum Prohibitorum” was a list of banned books by the Roman Catholic Church, which existed between 1559 and 1966. Political regimes, especially dictatorships, are also very keen on banning books. The most terrifying event of this kind was the Book Burning on 10th May 1933 that took place in 34 cities in Germany almost simultaneously. Chosen by university students, thousands of books were looted from libraries, book stores, and publishing houses. Afterwards, the students piled up those books in public squares where thousands of people watched the students set the books on fire in a huge bonfire. And this was just the beginning.

Entertainment can also be used for propaganda purposes and for spreading a certain type of culture. That was the aim of the Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda of the Nazi regime. They did not just censor information and culture, they spread their ideology via cinema, theatre, education, the media. All information was controlled by the State. After World War II ended, the USA used the film industry (especially, but not exclusively) to portray the Soviet Union as the “bad guys”. The Cold War was particularly fertile in spy movies, where the CIA would always be better than the KGB.

Discrimination and preconceived ideas can also be spread through entertainment. For example, Western’s image of Eastern countries is based on what is depicted on television, cinema, and fictional books, which are based on crystallized notions that are passed down from generation to generation without being questioned. Most of these notions were built during colonialism. The acclaimed writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie shared her experience in her TED talk “The danger of a single story”. Not only her American university colleagues were mistaken about her Nigerian reality, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie also had a wrong image about other countries. Moreover, she tells us about how she became “African” in addition to being “Nigerian” and how she struggled with rejections about her writing not showing her “authentic” background enough. Culture can open our minds, but it can also limit them.

The weight of entertainment can be heavier than we realize. Having fun can become a political statement. Consuming entertainment products can shape your mind, limit your view of the world and twist your idea about “the others”. However, entertainment can also be an opportunity to get to know different realities, to open our minds to other cultures, to learn about ourselves and to realize that “the others” are basically like us, but with different backgrounds. Or, it can simply be a way to relax and stop thinking about serious things.

 

Keyword: ENTERTAINMENT | “Tierra” [Earth], by Eloy Moreno

As the book for this month was not translated to English, the members of The Intrepid Book Society had to help each other. Those who knew Spanish helped those who didn’t and many emails were exchanged between them. Sometimes, they would meet in person. This exercise helped bring them closer and to get to know each other better. It also made them realize how important it was to know foreign languages. There was so much in the world that was inaccessible for those who only knew one language! Indeed, by choosing which were the books “worthy” to be translated, publishers were deciding what their readers should read (or what would earn them more money…). Knowing other languages would broaden the perspectives about the world and the power of deciding what to read.

“Let me just say that it was delightful to see how much we helped each other to ‘decode’ this book. I heard that some of you decided to learn a new foreign language, which I personally think it’s great. Knowing a foreign language opens a door to a whole new world”, said Ms Clara Smartest.

She paused while the members would agree with her.

“This is a story about a family and about a TV show, although it is much more than that. Some of you may disagree with me, which is wonderful, but I think the ultimate goal is to make readers change their perspective of the world, to make them see beyond the surface”, she continued.

“Indeed”, Mr Matthew Barnepy agreed. “As a writer myself I greatly admire how the story was written, how we are led to a certain interpretation until, all of a sudden, we realize everything is different from what we thought previously. It’s brilliant.”

“Yes, I think it’s in the ending where good books reveal themselves and this book has a very good ending. Unexpected as well”, said Miss Amelia Matterfis.

They discussed the ending for a while. Usually, they would come up with different versions or they would disagree about what the writer had decided. Not this time. They all agreed that the ending chosen was the best fit for the story. If the ending was different, the story would be different and the point that the writer was making would be lost.

“I think the story also shows the misunderstandings between family members that can be perpetuated over time, turning them into apparently unsolvable problems. If people would talk to each other before things get to that point…”, said Miss Martha Lovefeelings, leaving the conclusion of the sentence in suspense.

“Sometimes it’s just not possible. For that to work, it would be important to know how to listen, something that can be very difficult due to the emotions associated with the matter in question”, said Ms Johanna Practicewell.

“True. I think that is shown in the book. Parents are not always aware of how their actions may affect their children. In this case, two children were affected in two distinct ways”, said Ms Abigail Vooght.

“The TV show was also very interesting to follow. We found out how much it is linked to the family story. Besides, it’s incredible how the public would have such strong reactions to all that was happening and never suspected the truth”, said Mr Jeremy Toughready.

“Precisely. It’s the capacity the group has to follow false beliefs, believing they are true. We see it every day these days”, Ms Johanna Practicewell. “Here, it was harmless, but this kind of blindness can be very dangerous.”

“Lying to the audience can be dangerous too”, replied Mr Jeremy Toughready. “Who knows how aggressive the crowd can become. Actually, there’s an example of something that happened in the show and the consequences that it had. Not so harmless, actually.”

“There was a good reason for that!”, protested Miss Martha Lovefeelings.

“The matter was solved in two ways: the public way and the private way. Not exactly the same…”, commented Mr Jeremy Toughready.

“We live in a society of lies and deception”, said Mr Matthew Barnepy. “I think that is what the book is showing us.”

“Is it possible to end the cheating? The double lives some people have?”, asked Miss Amelia Matterfis.

“That is the question, right? In the book, the deceit plays an important role. The goal would not be possible to be achieved if there was not a deceit”, concluded Mr Matthew Barnepy.

“I enjoyed following the brother and sister’s adventure. They were apart from each other for a long time, but the game they had to play together brought them closer together. It was nice”, said Miss Martha Lovefeelings.

“And their emotional evolution was also interesting. As they were finding out the truth, they changed their perspective, and what they believed was put into question”, added Miss Amelia Matterfis.

They discussed the details of the story and Ms Abigail Vooght made an interesting contribution as a parent and as a person who had to pretend all the time. Mr Mark Mindhearting talked about how the narrative was intertwined and how the writer weaved the events in a way that both the reader and the siblings would find the answers step by step.

“Well, having a reality show set on Mars is genius! I would definitely follow that show!”, said Miss Amelia Matterfis.

“It was a good catch, indeed. I think the whole story is very well structured and it keeps us guessing until the end. Full of twists along the way. It’s really good”, said Ms Clara Smartest.

“Well, that concludes today’s meeting”, said Mr John Booklish. “The book for next month is ‘The Anomaly’, by Hervé Le Tellier.”

 

Miss Honeypraise and Mr Williams in Egypt

The pyramids! Miss Honeypraise was looking forward to seeing them. However, when searching about the country, she realized there was much more to see and visit. She was going on a tour with a travel agency for logistics and safety reasons. Considering that there was a “Tourism Police” in the country to make sure tourists were safe at all times, Miss Honeypraise thought it would be better not to risk going by themselves. Mr Theodore Williams, who was going with her, was her best-friend-turned-boyfriend and this was going to be their first trip together.

Miss Honeypraise had been prepared to be marvelled and to enjoy her new relationship. She wasn’t disappointed, quite the contrary. It was a wonderful vacation. Sitting back home on her balcony, drinking a cup of tea and watching the sunset, she recalled her grand adventure…

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The beauty, la beauté, die Schönheit, la belleza

“Did anyone research beauty?”, asked Jack as soon as everyone sat down. “I’ll start. The English word ‘beauty’ comes from the French word ‘beau’. Therefore, I give you the floor, Elizabeth”.

“Thank you, Jack. I thought you were going to start… Well, the French word ‘beauté’ also comes from the word ‘beau’, which in turn comes from the Latin word bellus. The meaning is the same, there was no great change over the centuries”, said Elizabeth.

“In Spanish it is ‘belleza’, in Italian it is ‘bellezza’, and in Portuguese it is ‘beleza’. All these words also come from Latin. No surprises there”, said Leo.

“The German word is ‘Schönheit‘, which comes from ‘Schön’, an old German word”, said Michael.

“The Nordic languages follow the same logic and are not that different from the German word. However, the sound seems much different than the writing: ‘skönhet’, in Swedish, ‘skønhed’, in Danish, and ‘skjønnhet‘, in Norwegian. Nothing very exciting”, said Sophia.

“Yeah, very boring. I don’t know if you looked up the opposite word. In English it is ‘ugliness’, which comes from ‘ugly’. Now, ‘beauty’ comes from Latin, but ‘ugly’ comes from Old Norse, which, back in the day, meant ‘dreadful, fearful’”, said Jack. “So, I guess someone ugly was someone who was feared. In today’s Nordic languages, the word should be similar to this one, no?”

“Well, actually I did that exercise too. Interestingly, the words are different in Norwegian (‘stygg’), Danish (‘grim’), and Swedish (‘ful’). None of them is closer to ‘ugly’. Maybe it is closer to the German word?…”, asked Sophia, looking at Michael.

“No”, replied Michael, looking at his computer. “I didn’t look for ‘ugly’ before, but I did it now. In German it is ‘hässlich’. What about Latin languages?”, said Michael.

“The Spanish word (‘feo’) and the Portuguese word (‘feio’) are similar, but in Italian it is ‘brutto’. This is curious because, in Roman times, ‘Brutus’ was a name. Remember Cesar’s son who stabbed him? It also meant ‘stupid’ in Latin. In Portuguese and in Spanish there is also ‘bruto’, which means someone who is not very bright, but very aggressive”, clarified Leo.

“In French it is also different from everything you said: ‘laid’. It can also be ‘moche’, in a more informal way”, said Elizabeth.

“I guess ‘beauty’ is pretty much the same in every language whereas ‘ugly’ depends on the culture”, comment Jack.

“Ok, this is great”, said Elizabeth, “but I have a presentation to give you all. Ah, yes, I got carried away when doing this research. At first, I thought of a presentation about art and beauty, but that could become a bit technical and you could all get bored. Then, I thought that beauty is usually related to well-being. Therefore, I gathered information about famous beauty rituals around the world”.

Everyone was delighted and sat comfortably in front of her in expectation. Elizabeth stood up, prepared her notes, and started her presentation.

“So, Leo mentioned the Roman Empire. At that time, there was no plumbing providing water to private houses. As Romans liked to imitate the Greeks, and the Greeks liked to bathe, they developed the habit to bathe in public spaces, which were built for that purpose. The Greek public baths were small and Romans, as was their nature, wanted to make them big. They built these luxurious public baths where people would socialize and participate in numerous activities. They called it ‘thermae’ and, besides having a bath, Romans could do physical exercise, enjoy hot rooms, use the swimming pool, and stroll through the gardens for relaxation. A true health centre of Ancient Times.”

“I guess that’s where the concept of gyms with saunas and SPAs came from. By the way, SPA is the abbreviation of Sanus Per Aquam in Latin (healthy through water). That’s how the thermal springs were known in the Roman Empire, right?”, commented Leo, very proud of himself.

“Wrong”, said Elizabeth. “Spa is the name of a town in Belgium where a very famous thermal spring was built. Throughout their Empire, the Romans had discovered the places where the water had special mineral characteristics, hence the term ‘thermae’. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Roman concept of luxurious healthy centres was revived. New buildings were constructed, with new social activities, like balls. They also built houses and hotels to lodge (rich) people from all over Europe. True towns emerged around those thermal springs. Spa was one of the most famous, but there were many others, like Bath, in England, where the Roman Baths are still a tourist attraction and are still operating. UNESCO now has a heritage category called ‘Great Spa Towns of Europe’ to help preserve these historical landmarks.”

“Spa has also a famous car racing circuit”, said Michael suddenly.

Elizabeth nodded and continued.

“The Roman thermae were built everywhere in the Empire, including in North Africa and in what is now Turkey. There, ‘hot baths’ evolved into what are known nowadays as ‘hammam’, or ‘Turkish baths’. Some people may confuse these with Sauna. Basically, while in Turkish baths we are in a room full of very hot steam, in the Sauna we are in a heated room where you sweat. Both aimed to expel the toxins from our skin. Like I said, Turkish bath is an evolution from the Roman thermae. Sauna is a Scandinavian tradition. While you are sweating from the heat, you can also hit yourself (gently) with birch twigs to help the process. Afterwards, you get out of the wood panelled room and jump to the very cold waters of the nearest lake or sea. The extreme difference in temperature does wonders for the skin, if you can handle it.”

Elizabeth stopped talking while everyone was shivering.

“Public baths were not an exclusive idea of Europeans. Japanese people made good use of the natural hot water that emerged to the surface everywhere throughout the country. They built Onsen (meaning ‘hot spring’) of different types. In other parts of the world, beauty rituals were not about going to public baths, but using special ingredients from Nature. In Africa, it’s tradition to use Shea butter to take care of skin and hair, in Polynesia it’s coconut oil. Traditions are linked to what nature provides in each land. In other countries, it’s not about the ingredients, but the process. For example, in Korea, a 10-step skincare routine was developed to maintain the skin healthy, which is now considered a world reference. And that’s all I had for you today.”

“Brilliant! Thank you so much, Elizabeth. Anyone has anything to add, have any questions?…”

Jack waited for someone to say something, but as everyone kept silent, he ended the meeting.

 

Keyword: BEAUTY | Beautiful Monsters

There is something fascinating about monsters. Maybe it’s because of their diversity. Perfect bodies of women and men are very much alike, whereas each monster has its own shape and is different from all others. Like Umberto Eco said, “[b]eauty is frequently boring, everybody knows what beauty is”. Therefore, he thought ugliness was much more interesting and fun. In a lecture about ugliness, he said: “It is a general phenomenon of our nature that sad, terrible, even horrific things are irresistibly attractive to us”. As it is scenes of suffering, as long as it doesn’t affect us directly.

In the Merriam Webster Thesaurus, monster is the same as demon, grotesque, ogre, Frankenstein, devil, terror, bogeyman, horror, mutant, abomination, abnormality, freak, weirdo, villain, brute, beast, savage, devil, criminal, offender, bandit, rogue, assassin, thug, gangster. Basically, everything that is considered bad in society. On the contrary, beautiful is everything that is considered good, like lovely, gorgeous, cute, charming, elegant, delightful, glorious, magnificent, perfect, fascinating, wonderful, excellent. According to the Catholic Church, monsters are part of Hell while good people go to Heaven. However, many people might say they would prefer Hell to Heaven as Heaven is a place where nothing happens and no one does anything. Apparently, suffering all kinds of horrors for all eternity is not scary enough…

The enemy is always ugly, monstrous, able only to commit atrocities while “our side” is composed exclusively of moral, just, and beautiful fighters. In literature, the good guys are also described with the best adjectives and their opponents, the villains, are described as ugly and deformed. Yet, monsters can be beautiful and nice, like the monster in the story of “Beauty and the Beast”. The “Beast” is a monster until he complies with the norm, which is explained to him by the “Beauty”. We might analyse this as men being beasts until they meet a beautiful woman who falls in love with them and transforms them into good people. Reality shows us every day that the story is not always like that. In fact, some men become beasts after they marry (hence, domestic violence). So, the idea that a woman can change a man through love is embedded in fairy tales. More recently, we have “Shrek” (although, in this story, the beautiful princess becomes an ogre, but essentially the story stands).

However, women that are monsters are beyond rehabilitation. For example, mermaids are beautiful women that live in the sea and have these wonderful singing voices, which they use to lure men (sailors, more precisely). These men are seduced and persuaded to follow the mermaids to the bottom of the sea, where they drown. Yes, modern stories have tried to give a better and romanticised picture of mermaids as miserable creatures, prisoners of some evil character. These mermaids are good and refuse to go along with evil. Then, a good man falls in love with her and saves her. The difference here is that women who are saved are not monsters, but victims of monsters. Besides being physically appealing, beautiful women are those who don’t fuss about anything, are patient no matter what happens, don’t look to other men (let alone have the desire to be with someone who is not her husband), don’t raise their voice, are self-confident, and lovely. Yet, beautiful women who are powerful are pictured as mean, bossy, lonely, frustrated, and someone to avoid at all costs; hence, monsters.

As Umberto Eco mentioned in his lecture, centuries ago women were seen as using makeup to conceal their imperfections. Yet, beautiful women (especially those who take care of their image) can also be seen as immoral, as little monsters who seduce men for evil purposes (like the mermaids). The balance is difficult: men want women to be beautiful and perfect, but women are expected to let men do whatever they want with them without women complaining. If they complain or, even worse, if they are the ones who take the initiative of seduction, they are monsters. There is a pattern of power playing in these stories, one where men always have the upper hand. By the way, have you noticed that witches are depraved young women or very ugly old women? Male wizards are old wise men who are pillars of society while witches should be kept away from men’s eyes (because who knows what can happen to men if men see them…).

Then, there are the monsters who are defective. Sometimes they are linked to people with disabilities, who were seen as monsters by society. In the old days, disabled people were locked up in dark places or were simply killed. They were considered as “damage goods”, which was how soldiers coming from war without a leg or an arm would also feel. These were people who were not perfect (thus, not beautiful), hence monsters.

In a nutshell, monsters are all those creatures or human beings who don’t comply with society’s norms for some reason, and should be cast out from society.

 

Keyword: BEAUTY | Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

The Cambridge Dictionary online has different definitions for beauty:

  • 1. “the quality of being pleasing and attractive” or “a person or thing that is pleasing and attractive”;
  • 2. “the business of making people look attractive, using make-up, treatments, etc.”;
  • 3. “something that is an excellent example of its type”.

1.
Beauty does not exist by itself; it is linked to what we value. For example, it is proven that we value symmetry, thus, humans who have a symmetrical face are considered more beautiful than all others. The same is true for architecture, especially buildings dating back to Classical Antiquity. However, symmetry by itself is not enough. Proportions are also important and the study of the Golden Ratio has confirmed that it was crucial for constructing the most beautiful buildings and representations of the perfect human body.

Other features are also important, for example, expression. Statues that are perfect, but have empty eyes and a neutral posture can be considered less beautiful than those which show some emotion, whether it is suffering, joy, fury, or expectation, for instance. People feel more attracted to what they can identify with and we all have emotions. And, of course, the more pleasurable those emotions are, the more they catch our eye. Colour is also another characteristic to consider. It is not by chance that the most famous paintings are colourful. However, the balance between colours is also important. Too much red and yellow in the Western countries might be considered tasteless. On the other hand, in China, these two colours are hugely appreciated.

Purpose has also some influence. Obviously, you can have objects with the sole purpose of being pretty, but this is not usually the case. Decorative objects usually have a theoretical function, even if they would never be used as such. Natural landscapes can also have purposes: to get fresh air, to escape from city life, to go hiking, to climb (the mountains), to connect with nature and feel energized. As long as it is enjoyable in some way, it is beautiful. For example, the image of chimneys spewing dark smoke in a bleak city is not enjoyable at all; it can actually make us feel miserable. However, not everyone enjoys the same landscapes. Some people prefer beaches to mountains, snowy fields to forests, historical buildings to modern buildings. Or the way around.

Although a major contribution, physical attraction is not enough for someone to be considered beautiful. Other qualities such as honesty, sense of humour, confidence, courage, kindness, and intelligence, are crucial. In fact, characteristics considered “bad”, like hypocrisy, being sullen, insecurity, cowardice, arrogance, stupidity, can taint the beauty of a perfect body. Of course, the way we dress and present ourselves matters. Dressing properly is equally important to make a good impression.

2.
Hair dyeing, make-up, perfume, beauticians and barber shops, SPAs, lotions of all kinds, fashionable clothing and glittering jewellery, gyms and health centres… Natural beauty is a wonderful thing, especially if it has a little (big) help. The richer you are, the more chances you have of becoming beautiful. If everything fails, you can always resort to plastic surgery. Money can make you slimmer, younger and more radiant. It can also pay psychologists or coaches (or both) for you to learn how to look happier, more confident, and more accomplished. It can also pay for luxury holidays for you to enjoy the most spectacular places on earth… as long as there is a swimming pool and massages and all kinds of treatments.

The beauty industry is based on an image that was created by the industry itself. For example, companies that sell pills and diets for people getting slimmer, present slimmer bodies as an ideal body. If you look at the paintings in Art Museums, we see women posing as models who today could be considered “fat”. However, you do not see many “old” women with wrinkles, so skin care companies may be right to want to eliminate wrinkles on the faces of modern women. As for men, the ideal image still stands: strong, powerful, and wealthy (regardless of how ugly and old they might be). Yet, some decades ago, the beauty industry thought it was a good idea to help men in such a quest (and make men less fat, less ugly and less old, just in case).

3.
We aim to be perfect and we aim to achieve perfection. Perfection is the ideal solution, the benchmark against which all other possible solutions are compared. Sometimes perfection is unattainable, but when it is achieved it is considered a “beauty”. In truth, it does not have to be perfect (but almost) to be considered a beauty: a beautiful music, a beautiful mathematical equation, a beautiful gourmet meal, a beautiful archive, a beautiful book, a beautiful adventure. In some fields, excellence is generally recognized the same way, like in sport, but in others fields it depends on each one’s perception. For example, a person can consider that a living room totally white (walls and furniture) with very few objects is excellent, and the person living in the apartment next door may think that warm colours, wood furniture and a lot of objects are what makes a perfect living room.

 

Keyword: BEAUTY | “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, by Oscar Wilde

“The book for this month was written by Oscar Wilde, an Irish writer who lived in the last half of the 19th century, during the last years of Queen Victoria’s extensive rule. His famous playwrights wittily characterized the society at the time and surpassed his numerous poems and short stories. His only novel, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, tells the story of a beautiful young man throughout his increasingly decaying life. At the beginning of the story, a friend paints his portrait, forever preserving its untainted beauty. This painting will have a crucial role in his life”, said Ms Clara Smartest.

“Thank you, Clara. Now, who wants to be first?”, asked Mr John Booklish.

One by one, the members of The Intrepid Book Society gave their opinion about the book. In general, they thought the story was about vanity and how important appearances are in society, which is to say how someone who is very rich and very beautiful is beyond reproach, no matter what he does behind the scenes. The painting allowed him to maintain his youth beauty undamaged, giving him a free pass: he could do whatever he wanted that nothing would ever happen to him.

“The portrait would absorb all his ugliness, so Dorian Gray would remain immaculate before other people in society”, said Ms Abigail Vooght. “I know a lot of people who wish that could happen, even though they still can get away with a lot of ‘ugliness’. If only people knew what happens in the background…”

“I think Johanna made an important point: Dorian Gray was negatively influenced by Henry Wotton”, said Miss Amelia Matterfis.

“Yes, but he made his own decisions and, by realising he could get away with anything, he stopped restraining himself”, said Mr Jeremy Toughready. “It was his choice, no one forced him.”

“Maybe he was traumatised by the death of his fiancée; he felt guilty about it. So, all the wickedness was a result of that”, said Miss Martha Lovefeelings.

“That is just excusing him. He has no excuse. He became an evil man and that’s the end of it. Maybe he had always been evil. He certainly was very vain; only his beauty mattered to him”, said Mr Mark Mindhearting.

“Well, people around him were always praising him. That didn’t help…”, commented Miss Amelia Matterfis.

“I think it shows the hypocrisy of society. People would praise him because he was beautiful and rich. However, behind his back, the story was different. Many close friends had stopped speaking to him and they were spreading rumours about his bad conduct”, said Mr Mark Mindhearting.

“Except Basil, the painter, who actually wasn’t part of his social circle. He saw what was going on and he went there to warn him. Look what he got in return…”, said Mr Jeremy Toughready.

“Basil turned out to be his only true friend. All others, and especially Henry Wotton, weren’t really his friends. No one really cared about Dorian Gray. Only Basil, who had been cast out of his life”, said Ms Johanna Practicewell.

Then, they discussed the ending, how appropriate it was and how the story could have ended differently. Some thought the ending was perfect, others said that they would have preferred it if the story could have had a twist of some kind.

“We have to consider the time in which the novel was written. It shows the people’s mentality then”, said Mr Matthew Barnepy. “Besides, police work was different in those days, although police are mentioned in the book.”

“I don’t think people’s mentality is that much different today, to be honest”, said Ms Abigail Vooght.

“One thing is certain: nowadays no one would paint a portrait. They would just take several photos with the smartphone making funny faces”, laughed Miss Amelia Matterfis.

“When photography first appeared, it was believed it would capture people’s souls. If Oscar Wilde had written the novel at the beginning of the 20th century, instead of a painting maybe the story would be about a photo…”, said Ms Johanna Practicewell.

“I think he was inspired by the time he was living with a painter, at the beginning of his professional life. He had just graduated from Oxford and moved to London to pursue his literary career”, said Ms Clara Smartest.

“Well, nowadays, Dorian Gray wouldn’t be able to go so unnoticed. Someone would have taken pictures of him with the smartphone. Then, it would all be blown up on social media”, said Miss Amelia Matterfis.

The group went on discussing other scenes and other characters of the book and how they influenced the story. They also compared the differences and the similarities between the Victoria Era and the present day.

Wrapping up, Mr John Booklish announced that the book for next month would be “Tierra” [Earth], by Eloy Moreno.

 

The happiness, le bonheur, das Glück, la felicidad

“Welcome to the 3rd Gathering of The Foreign Lands’ Explorers!”, said Jack. “Today’s topic is happiness. So, I did a little research and I found that ‘happiness’ comes from the Middle English word ‘hap’, which means ‘to happen’ and ‘chance or fortune’. Therefore, from the old days to these days, ‘hap’ turned into ‘good fortune’, ‘something that occurs by chance’. Nowadays, ‘happiness’ also means ‘joy’ and ‘a good experience’”.

“Well, in German, it’s ‘das Glück’, which is the word for ‘happiness’ and ‘luck’”, said Michael.

“In Spanish it’s ‘felicidad’, in Italian it’s ‘felicità’, and in Portuguese it’s ‘felicidade’. It comes from the Latin word ‘felicitas’, which means ‘good luck’… and also ‘fertility’. I guess that for Latins fertility was connected to good fortune somehow”, said Leo.

“The word for happiness in French is a little different: ‘le bonheur’. It brings together the words ‘bon’ and ‘heur’. ‘Heur’ means ‘chance’. So, it’s literally ‘good chance’”, said Elizabeth.

“It’s the same in Nordic languages. For example, in Norwegian, the word for happiness is ‘lykke’, which also means ‘luck’ and it has the same root as the German word ‘Glück’ and the English word ‘luck’. In Danish is ‘lykke’ and in Swedish is ‘lycka’”, said Sophia.

“It seems that happiness is in fact good luck. It’s when things are going well, when everything is in our favour”, concluded Jack.

“Speaking about Nordic countries, there is a book about happiness in Denmark. It’s called ‘The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well’ and it was written by Meik Wiking. I haven’t read it yet, but I think it is about the little things, being with the people we love, and cosy homes. Denmark was considered the happiest country in the world for some years, but not anymore. I think it’s Finland now”, added Sophia. “However, he gave a TED talk about the ‘dark side of happiness’. Through their studies about happiness, they found that comparing ourselves to others is very important to determine our own satisfaction with life. So, if you are surrounded by people who are more successful than you, even if you are successful, you will feel like crap.”

“Success is relative, isn’t it? What is success anyway?”, asked Elizabeth.

“Ok, let’s look at the dictionary. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, success is ‘the achieving of desired results, or someone or something that achieves positive results’”, said Jack.

“So, if ‘happiness’ is when things are going well and ‘success’ is achieving results, then successful people are happy because they are getting the results they were looking for, whichever they are”, concluded Michael.

“It’s all about standards, right? In Western countries, there is a model of the happy family and how a successful life should be, which may be different from other regions in the world. In any case, you want to be part of it, to fit in, to show that you comply with the norm. It’s hard if you are different. You may feel like a pariah”, said Elizabeth.

“And no one wants to be a pariah. By the way, pariah comes from the name of a lower caste. People belonging to this caste would be avoided by everyone else”, said Jack.

“Well, that fits. Whether you are part of the happy ‘caste’ of society or you are avoided until you get promoted”, laughed Leo.

“Do you think there are happier countries than others?”, asked Michael.

“There are definitely countries where you have a higher possibility to be happy than in others. In poorer countries you are so worried about surviving that happiness is not even an issue. On the other hand, in wealthier countries, surviving is, in principle, guaranteed. Thus, you can afford (literally) to think about it”, commented Jack.

“But you also have poor people in wealthier countries and what you said also applies to them”, added Michael.

“That’s all true. However, people in poorer countries sometimes seem happier than people in wealthier countries. Maybe because in wealthier countries people compare themselves more to others and are more pressured to be happy? I mean, if you don’t earn a lot of money, go on luxury vacations, or have a beautiful family, you may be considered a failure even if you don’t actually want a family, earn enough money to live the life you love, and don’t care about luxury”, said Leo.

“People in different countries have different values. Are you familiar with the expression ‘first world problems’?”, asked Sophie, but she didn’t wait for an answer. “This means problems that are not real problems compared with problems faced by people in underdeveloped countries. For example, getting annoyed because you don’t get an internet signal in certain parts of the house. Some countries struggle to have internet signals at all.”

“That’s not different values, that’s just a different dimension of problems”, said Leo. “In terms of values, in some countries people value life at home, like in Denmark, but in other countries happiness is to go out and meet friends somewhere, like in Ireland, where people like to meet at the pub. Happiness is different in these countries because of this.”

“Yes. In some countries, people love to go camping in nature, like in Scandinavia”, said Sophie. “There, being in contact with nature is extremely important for one’s happiness.”

“People in Latin countries go mad if they have to stay inside the house all the time. So, maybe Denmark’s definition of happiness can’t be applied there”, laughed Leo.

“Perhaps, but, in reality, what makes people happy it’s up to each individual. Some Latin people can be perfectly happy at home, watching TV while drinking hot chocolate”, said Sophie.

“Yes, there’s no rules, no models, although culture does play a part in it, I think”, said Jack. “Cultural shock can happen when you move to a country completely different from your own. Some people struggle to find a way to fit in and become miserable when failing. If they have moved for professional reasons, they can move back to their original country. If they had moved because they married someone from that country, then the marriage may not hold due to cultural differences.”

“Thus, fitting in is important to be happy”, concluded Elizabeth. “Some people adapt so well to another culture that are no longer able to return to their original culture.”

“It’s like they were born in the wrong country”, commented Michael.

 

Keyword: HAPPINESS | Women’s happiness

It is generally believed that happiness for women is to get married. Or better yet, to fall in love and then get married. This usually means that single women are miserable and are desperately looking for a man to love them. However, many married women (or not married, but in love with a man) are miserable and some single women are very happy with their lives and have no plans of changing such a status. Against this fact, the argument is invariably the same: happy single women are just pretending they are happy; deep inside they are eager to find someone to love them. So, no matter where the conversation begins, it always ends in the same place. It’s exhausting, really. Obviously, this question doesn’t apply to men. In fact, single men are often seen as people who are enjoying life, who are free and careless, especially the successful and rich ones. Apparently, they have no need for love. They can have all the women they want and that’s good enough for them. Only women have a (pathological) need for it, it seems.

Instead of considering that happiness is different for women and men, maybe we should consider that happiness is just different from person to person, regardless of being a man or a woman. Some people need to be loved to be happy and some people are happy with their jobs. Some people want to have children and others don’t. Some people want to get married and others don’t. Some people love to travel and change scenery every chance they get, others like to stay put, maybe having a holiday home. All this, regardless of being a woman or a man.

Happiness is when what it should be equals the reality of what is. In other words, it’s when everything goes well. This is different from those situations when apparently all goes well, but you have a feeling that something is wrong. We tend to ignore that feeling because rationally we think we shouldn’t feel like that. We live as there is a guide on how to live and how to be happy. And now there are apps that set goals for us and tell us how to achieve those goals. Instead of actually living life as it is, we spent our time trying to live the life we are supposed to live.

This is not just in our personal life, but also in our professional life. Especially now, with Chief Happiness Officers controlling people’s “well-being”. They make sure workers are feeling excited about the projects they are involved in, they enjoy the food and drinks provided for free by the employer, they go to office parties and don’t miss the team building workshops, the mindfulness sessions, and the sports events organised by the company. In some organisations, like Google, they even have a playground so people can relax during office hours and have fun. “Fun” is the key word. People are forced to have fun everywhere, smile all the time and show enthusiasm about everything. It’s stressful and exhausting.

Then, in their (rare) spare time, people are almost forced to show themselves having fun on social media: dinners with friends, idyllic weekends with lovers, luxurious holidays abroad. Besides, buying expensive objects is perceived as highlights of happiness. Every day, we are bombarded by ways of spending money and wealthy people are seen as examples to follow. Therefore, the plan is: getting a highly paid job in order to have enough money to spend it on all the things mentioned. Relationships with other people are like products to be consumed or theatrical stages to show off one’s wealth. Being admired is mistaken for being happy.

Expectations are also at the root of happiness (or unhappiness). We create many expectations about our lives, our jobs, our families, our friends. Partly, these expectations come from the “guide” about how to live and what to buy. Adverts show happy families (or happy young people) buying stuff and living in luxury as saying: “this is the happy life; this is your goal”. The expectation is, thus, if we buy that product, it will make us happy just like those people in the adverts. Experiences are the next level of this idea. It is not enough to buy a car; we now need to buy an adventurous car. It is not enough to go to the gym; we need to pay a personal trainer and sign up in triathlon and marathon events. It is not enough to travel abroad; we need to go to an exotic country and have an adventure. Always something more, always more exclusive, always more expensive.

For women, additional pressure comes from the expectation to become mothers. Drama can set in when women who want children have trouble getting pregnant. Fertility treatments, which are presented as an alternative, are painful, expensive, and draining. Draining for women and draining for their husbands or partners. And can drag on for years; more than one treatment may be needed. When they finally become mothers, the pressure is on for them to be “perfect moms”, whatever that means. They are considered “lucky” if they have the help of their husbands or partners, but still the responsibility on their shoulders is enormous.

All in the name of happiness. Is it worth it? Perhaps. Some people do find happiness in the middle of this chaos. Others just pretend (following the motto “fake it until you make it”). The truth is there are no rules to be happy. We made up rules to deceive ourselves or to help us cope with sadness and suffering. Thinking positive has its benefits, but, if its main objective is to ignore negative feelings, then it can be pointless. “Bad” feelings need to be felt alongside the “good” feelings. That’s how we see the difference. Sometimes they are intertwined. As the saying goes: «good things can come from bad situations». And vice-versa.

 

Keyword: HAPPINESS | The meaning of happiness

In the early 1990’s, after graduating, Christopher McCandless rejected society, gave his money away, and went to live in nature from what nature could provide. He wanted to be happy and isolated himself to go and look for it. Jon Krakauer wrote his story in the book “Into the Wild”, which was adapted to cinema by Sean Penn. Sadly, Christopher was found dead four months after he had settled in an abandoned bus in the middle of Alaska wilderness. He died alone. At the time, he had had no contact with anyone for a long time. In the diary he was writing, there was an interesting quote: “Happiness is only real when shared.”

This quote goes against the current neoliberal concept of happiness, which is extensively analysed in the book “Happycracy – How the science of happiness controls our lives”. At the beginning of the book, the authors Edgar Cabanas and Eva Illouz made use of the film “The Pursuit of Happyness”, starring Will Smith, to introduce such a definition. The film is based on Christopher Gardner’s true story, who was broken and homeless with a small child in his charge. Due to his determination, resilience, and optimism, he became a successful broker and a rich man with the help of nobody. Now, he is also a motivational speaker, sharing his experience and helping others to achieve the same as him. He is one of several motivational speakers and coaches that instruct people on what to do to become rich and happy. As happiness has become more important in society, the number of these professionals have increased in recent years. Currently, happiness is seen as individual-driven, the sole responsibility of each person, and disconnected from any social or economic circumstance. Yet, Edgar Cabanas and Eva Illouz emphasized the irony of how a man like Christopher Gardner, who “made it” alone, is now helping others achieve success in life.

Interestingly, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is seen as a self-made man that moved to USA to achieve the so called “American dream”, recently wrote a book stating that success (and happiness) stems from being useful to others and having a purpose in life. In order to achieve our goals, people need the help of others and should give something back in return. Of course, ultimately it is up to each individual to achieve their own goals, but the underlying idea is that each individual is part of a community. Therefore, “making it” by yourself and alone, like Christopher Gardner did, it’s quite unusual.

The book “Happycracy” concludes that the current obsession with happiness has fed a very lucrative industry (or the other way around). National policies and management guidelines are now aligned to “positive psychology”, forcing people to be happy all the time and, in a way, blaming them if they aren’t. In some cases, managers argue that companies should only hire happy people and fire those who are not because happy people are more productive and resilient. Resilient to toxic cultures, for example, while remaining productive during the many hours overtime, they need to work to do “more with less”.

Every year the ranking of countries by life evaluations, included in the World Happiness Report, is announced in the media. It is based on «individuals’ own assessments of their lives», as said on the website. This means that it is highly subjective and relies solely on people’s perception: what seems very good for some, can feel very bad for others. Furthermore, people can respond according to what is expected rather than what they really feel. It is no coincidence that the top countries are the wealthiest in the world. There is a general perception that money brings happiness, thus, living in a wealthy country will mean being happy.

According to Edgar Cabanas and Eva IIlouz, the science behind the studies on happiness is faulty and can lead to wrong conclusions. The indicators based on happiness ignore economic and social indicators which directly influence people’s lives and can also influence their perception of what happiness is. For example, the wealthiest countries are the countries with the greatest social and economic inequalities. So, being poor in a wealthy country means being happy whereas being poor in a poor country means being unhappy? In reality, in the wealthiest countries, “happiness” increasingly means to isolate oneself: you can walk listing to music and disconnect from the world around you, you can practice meditation and mindfulness to look inside yourself, you can buy books and courses to learn the techniques to improve yourself and overcome the obstacles and the difficulties that make you unhappy. However, despite all of this, people are getting more and more unhappy and depressed. So, maybe this is not the path to true happiness.

Britannia states that «happiness, in psychology, is a state of emotional well-being that a person experiences either in a narrow sense, when good things happen in a specific moment, or more broadly, as a positive evaluation of one’s life and accomplishments overall—that is, subjective well-being». So, forget about isolating yourself via technology, always pursuing something unattainable, living in permanent dissatisfaction. Happiness is nothing like that, it’s much simpler: if you feel good and feel like smiling, then you’re happy. It could be about a specific thing or a specific memory, or it can be a general feeling about your life. Of course, you can fake it, you can just think you are happy, or you can convince yourself that you are. Usually, in these cases, you can keep it to yourself. However, if it is a true feeling of happiness, you want to share it with other people. You have the tools to distinguish the difference: don’t think and don’t analyse, just feel.

 

Keyword: HAPPINESS | “Le Petit Prince” [“The Little Prince”], by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

“Thank you for coming, folks”, started Mr John Booklish. “Our book for this month is ‘The Little Prince’, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. This is the second most translated book in the world (the first is the Bible). Basically, the story is about an encounter between a pilot that crashes in the desert and an alien. This alien is a little boy that comes from a star far away and is travelling throughout the universe, meeting other aliens who live on different planets. Like him, those people live alone on their little planet and each one has a certain purpose.”

“A few remarks about the author before we give you the floor”, added Ms Clara Smartest. “Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a pilot during the war and a courier, having crossed over the desert many times. He wrote several books, including one which stem from his nearly-dead experience after crashing in the desert. The description of his hallucinations is very interesting and lively. In a way, ‘The Little Prince’ also stems from such an experience, but reflects as well his concerns about the direction the world was heading. The thesis in the book is that grown-ups forget to be open to the world, as when they were kids, and understand nothing.”

“Martha, you may take the floor now. Tell us why you enjoyed the book so much”, said Mr John Booklish.

“Well, I think the Little Prince is really sweet. He is polite, but doesn’t let go of something he wishes to understand until he does. He is curious and is exploring the world with an open mind, ready to absorb what comes in his way. It’s a pity that only too late and when he was too far away he understood how much he loved his rose and how much his rose loved him.”

“Well, the rose was really annoying, wasn’t it?”, commented Mr Jeremy Toughready.

“She was acting like that because she wanted the Little Prince to pay attention to her”, replied Miss Martha Lovefeelings a little bit irritated.

“That didn’t work very well, did it? She made him go away.”

“He went away because he wanted to explore the universe.”

“That could be true, but if she wasn’t so annoying, he wouldn’t think of leaving, I’m sure.”

“Well,” interrupted Mr John Booklish, “let’s move on. Johanna, Mark, what do you think about the book?”

“I think the pilot was having a hallucination, which helped him to cope with the situation. He was alone, had just crashed in the middle of the desert, and needed to make a repair on the plane in record time. Imagining there was a boy there with whom he could talk to would be a good distraction”, said Ms Johanna Practicewell.

“It’s a beautiful fable about how adults lose sight of the most important things in life, like what love really is and how to make friends. Those people who the Little Prince met during his journey had become so focused on their purposes they had forgotten anything else. Therefore, the story aims to remind adults how it was to be a child, full of amazement and curiosity about the world”, said Mr Mark Mindhearting. “I especially like the fox. It’s like the voice of conscience we sometimes have in our mind, telling us to look closely, to become aware of what it is all about, really. It’s the fox that says the ‘essential is invisible to the eye’, as saying to look beyond what you can see with your eyes, that the important things, or better yet the most important things, are felt, not seen.”

“Yes! People usually don’t pay attention to feelings, it’s like they are blind”, said Miss Martha Lovefeelings with an indignant tone.

“Adults have responsibilities, children don’t. We need to focus on solving problems, not in guessing that some drawings represent elephants inside snakes”, commented Mr Jeremy Toughready. “The drawing does seem like a hat.”

“A hat with eyes…”, whispered Miss Martha Lovefeelings.

“Ok, people, it’s great that you have different opinions, but you don’t need to fight. This is just a book, nothing else”, interrupted Ms Clara Smartest. “Maybe this was the author’s goal when he wrote the story, to make people stop and think about their lives. Are we really paying attention to what is important to the people in our lives? Yes, people can be annoying, but, without them, life would be very empty.”

“I agree. All the people the Little Prince encountered during his journey lived alone. Yet, they didn’t notice it because they were so absorbed with the role they were performing. Do you really miss people if you don’t even notice they aren’t there?”, asked Ms Johanna Practicewell.

“Maybe, in time. If someone is too absorbed by his or her work, once they retire, they look around and there is no one there, no one to do things with, no one to share the wins and the fails…”, said Mr Mark Mindhearting.

They went on, discussing the ending. Some were sad because they hoped that the Little Prince would be rejoined with the rose. Others presumed that the Little Prince had found a way to get back home and lived happily with his rose.

“I’m afraid our time is almost up. There was much said to think about. And I guess the best endings are those which can have different interpretations”, said Mr John Booklish.

“True”, confirmed Ms Clara Smartest. “Before we wrap up, just to let you know that the next book will be ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, by Oscar Wilde. See you all (hopefully) in a month.” 

The war, la guerre, der Krieg, la guerra

While in Europe nations were busy with wars like the Greco-Persian Wars (including the Battle of Thermopylae, when King Leonidas from Esparta, with his 300 soldiers, faced the troops of King Xerxes from Persia), in China people were living under the Zhou Dynasty. Sun Tzu, the author of “The Art of War”, and Confucius lived and developed their work at this time. The latter deeply influenced China and his philosophy is still at the root of today’s society. He based his teachings on family devotion, rituals, and a sense of community, refusing the idea that wealth and power were paramount. Complementarily, Sun Tzu stated in his book that “supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting” (chapter III, #2). Chinese culture was based on the belief that diplomacy and trade was more effective than war and war should only be considered as a last resort, only when it was absolutely unavoidable. When finally going to war, according to Sun Tzu, five factors would be taken into account: the moral influence, time, terrain, commander, and doctrine. In other words, they would carefully study the enemy, the terrain and its conditions before they would attack.

Nearby, Feudal Japan was permanently in war because warlords were always fighting for power. Samurai were a group of warriors (called bushi) that were allowed to carry swords everywhere and had a licence to kill. The word means “to serve”, as in serving their master, their daimyo. The onna-musha, meaning “female warriors”, were women-samurai, who fought alongside men-samurai. Over time, samurai became more powerful, rising to an aristocratic level and being even more important than warlords.

However, at that time, there were other groups of warriors. Ninjas, meaning a “person (ja) that perseveres, conceals, moves stealthily (nin)”, were trained very secretly in different martial art techniques, especially ninjutsu, to become spies and assassins. The ashigaru, meaning “light foot”, were former peasants turned into foot soldiers that were under the orders of samurai. The ikkō-ikki were rebels that stood against samurai. Then there were the “monk soldiers”, the sōhei, who had their own agenda. A final mention to the rōnin, who were samurai that had lost their master and were roaming the country. Often, they would become trouble makers.

If Robin Hood and his gang were Japanese, they would belong to the ikkō-ikki class. In Feudal Europe, instead of daimyo there were kings, instead of samurai there were knights, instead of ashigaru there were mercenaries. Knights were loyal to their kings or to their religious order (like Templars). If Templars were Japanese, they would belong to the sōhei class. Mercenaries were men hired by the armies to fight for money. Back then, the notion of “nation” or “country” was very different from today’s concept and men didn’t fight out of patriotism. It was a job, like any other, and men would fight for whoever paid higher. It could happen that they would fight one day for an army and fight for the opposing army the next day. They were loyal only to money. Before their country would become neutral, Swiss mercenaries were considered the most prestigious soldiers. They were regarded as “elite”.

Germany was also a great provider of mercenaries and this had an impact in its culture, namely in some idiomatic expressions that are still used today. For example, in the battlefield, there were men whose job was to hold the flag to serve as reference for the troops. It was not easy, but they would “bei der Stange bleiben” (“stick with it” by standing by the pole). There was also a lot of dust, with horses running up and down and warriors fighting fiercely. Those who would desert during the battle would “aus dem Staub machen” (“make a run for it” by getting out of the dust). If they would desert outside the battlefields, they would only have “die Flinge ins Korn werfen” (“throw in the towel” by tossing their rifle to a corn field). Back in the day, mercenaries didn’t wear a uniform, like military do nowadays, so they would only be recognised by being in the possession of a rifle. If they would get rid of their rifle, they would kind of stop being a soldier. However, they could leave the army without deserting if the army would one “Laufpass geben” (“end the relationship” by giving a pass).

According to the United Nations, peace «not only is the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation». This definition is included in the “Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace”. In a way, this is in line with the Chinese ancient view of war: to avoid it and focus on trade prosperity instead. In fact, peace is much more advantageous, economically and socially. Check the examples of Germany and Japan after the Second World War. However, war fills mythological stories around the world. Warriors are seen as heroes and conflicts are often shown as necessary to defend a nation from aggressive, powerful, and overwhelming armies or to liberate some oppressed nation. The “best” stories are those where a few defeats many. On the other hand, there are also stories about the consequences of the war on civilians during and/or afterwards.

The Second World War is the period with (by far) most “stories”, mainly because of spies. Oh, yes. A spy in this context is someone who is paid to “spill the beans” about the enemy. In Britain they are known as “spooks”. This means that “ghosts” are trying to find and disclose secret information, like “flies on the wall” (someone who hears without being seen).

Wars continue to evolve, even if they are basically the same and are based on similar “justifications”. Nowadays, new concepts are emerging like cyberwar and hybrid warfare. In an increasingly globalized world, where everything and everyone is connected, war is also becoming a global issue and the ways to fight it are getting similar from country to country.

 

Keyword: WAR | Women in war

War is no place for women. There is too much violence and terror. Women should be protected and stay at home where it is safe, patiently waiting for men to return while taking care of the children. Except… “at home”, they are left to be raped my enemy troops, bombed by enemy planes, expelled from their houses by enemy invaders. Violence and terror are unavoidable, unless war is thousands of kilometres away. In this case, apprehension takes over and women live in constant anxiety. Better to do something. That is why they prepare the defences of the places where they live, they go to work the fields and feed themselves and their children (and also sending supplies to the troops); they replace men in factories (especially of weapons and ammunition); they take care of their husbands’ businesses; they fundraise money to send to the army. Others enlist as nurses, as spies, as members of the resistance, as code breakers, as strategists *.

War is no place for women. John Keegan, an English historian and Professor in the Military Academy, stated that “women (…) do not fight” and that “warfare (…) is an entirely masculine activity”. John Keegan forgot (or was totally unaware) about the many women who disguised themselves as men to go to (probably) all battles that were ever fought. There are some records of this, but many remain hidden in history. John Keegan also forgot (or was totally unaware) about women like Queen Boudicca, who led her people in the fight (and beating) the Romans; the emperor’s consort Lady Fu Hao, who successfully commanded an entire army and conquered many lands; Queen Nzinga Mbande, who fought (and having some success) the Portuguese colonialism; and the university student Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who is still the most accomplished female sniper (having killed 309 Nazis). This is just to name a few **. Men with John Keegan’s mentality have been doing research on history and archaeology, deliberately preventing women from contributing. So, when a DNA test was made on a Viking’s skeleton, who everyone assumed was a male warrior, and it was discovered to be a skeleton of a female warrior no one could believe it. Surprise, surprise.

War is no place for women. Nowadays, there are 11 countries in the world where military service is mandatory for women (as well as for men): Benin, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Israel, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, North Korea, Norway, Sweden, and Tunisia. Denmark will soon be part of this list. Many other countries accept women in their armed forces as volunteers. Thus, today there are many generals, military engineers, commanders of Navy ships, Army troops, and Air Force squadrons, military nurses and military doctors who are women. There are even female snipers and submarine crew female members. This time, all official and duly registered.

War is no place for women. In a conversation with the military historian Margaret MacMillan, the writer Sarah Hall realized that “women’s exclusions from armies and from institutions are commonplace, but they are also excised from historical documentation and artistic representation”. It’s as if women are not allowed to write about war, whether it’s imposed by men or self-imposed. Margaret MacMillan ignored men who were trying to belittle her and wrote many books about war. Born right after World War II, Svetlana Alexievich had heard about war since a little child. War was everywhere, but little was being said about the one million women who fought alongside men in the Soviet Army. Thus, Svetlana Alexievich, as a journalist, decided to write the book “The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II”, a collection of stories directly told by Soviet women who fought in World War II. More recently, a former USA trooper who served in Iraq, Brian Van Reet, chose a woman to be the protagonist of his book “Spoils”, where he describes, in a fictional story, the true horror of the war.

War is no place for women. Our society still sees women as “vulnerable”, “non-violent”, and only going to war as part of the “resistance” or to carry out “auxiliary jobs”. If we look closely, the narrative about women in war is often about how they sacrifice their motherhood, leaving their children behind, and how they stop feeling “feminine” as in becoming cold with their boyfriends or husbands. Or remaining unmarried, the horror. Men also have children and also leave them behind. Men also miss their families. Men also become cold with their girlfriends or wives when they return home due to the terrible things they have witnessed. But men are heroes whereas women are not even mentioned. The job is the same, the horror is the same, the consequences are the same to both men and women. Both men and women have to learn how to kill, learn the tactics of war, learn how to work with each other to avoid dying. The training is the same. But men are seen as more capable than women, regardless of the fact that women have proven over and over again that they are perfectly able to do the same as men. On the other hand, there are also pacifists among men. When military service is mandatory, there are always many men who try to escape it. And, as you read above, when women can’t be accepted, they disguise as men to take the place of those men who are escaping it.

War is no place for women. Yeah, right.

 

* Watch the documentary “War Gamers” on how a group of women found the way to beat the U-Boot strategy, turning the tables in the Battle of the Atlantic.

** Check the extensive lists of women in ancient warfare, women in warfare (1500–1699), women in 18th-century warfare, women in warfare and the military in the 19th century, women in warfare and the military (1900–1945), women in World War I, women in World War II, women in warfare and the military (1945–1999), and women in warfare and the military (2000–present).

Also…
. Read and watch the video at the end of the page about what happened to British women during the World War I: “12 Things You Didn’t Know About Women In The First World War”

 

Keyword: WAR | War’s Propaganda

In 1622, the Sacred Congregation for Propagation of the Faith (known as Propaganda), was established to regulate the work of missionaries. Their mission was to spread the word of the (Catholic) Lord to the entire world. It was not always peaceful and the word was sometimes more imposed than spread. The term Propaganda evolved to mean “the spreading of ideas, information, or rumour for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person”. Nowadays, it pretty much means making people believe in ideas or false information for a certain purpose. The difference between propaganda and marketing (or advertising) is the aim. The first aims to make people believe in governmental lies for political purposes, the second aims to make people believe they need to buy products or acquire services they don’t really need.

War is an especially fertile ground for propaganda. Governments need to make people believe that war is absolutely necessary and, thus, they twist the facts or simply lie about them. Arthur Ponson was a Member of Parliament in Great Britain and he was one of the few who stood against the participation of his country in World War I. In truth, he spent his life advocating for peace and he was even physically and psychologically attacked because of it. In 1928, he published the book “Falsehood in War-time”, where he stated at the beginning of the introduction:

      Falsehood is a recognized and extremely useful weapon in warfare, and every country uses it quite deliberately to deceive its own people, to attract neutrals, and to mislead the enemy. The ignorant and innocent masses in each country are unaware at the time that they are being misled, and when it is all over only here and there are the falsehoods discovered and exposed. As it is all past history and the desired effect has been produced by the stories and statements, no one troubles to investigate the facts and establish the truth.

In this book, Arthur Ponson exposes the lies told by governments during the World War I. Based on this, in 2001, Anne Morelli summarized his work and published the book “The Basic Principles of War Propaganda” *. She explains each Principle and gives examples from other wars that took place after World War I, showing that the same techniques are still used today. This is also confirmed in a documentary from Spiegel TV called “Fake War”, under the perspective of the use of mass media in war propaganda. The first episode is about World War I and mentions some of the false events described by Arthur Ponson.

Before World War I began, photography was used to complement articles published in newspapers. Film, which had been discovered by the end of the 19th century, was also used for the first time for propaganda purposes. Staged scenes of atrocities carried out by the enemy served Principle #3, showing the enemy as evil and full of heartless creatures. It also prepared the population for war. In fact, the British Government had created the first (secret) propaganda department with the aim of conveying false information in a way that looked objective and true. The target was the Germans and the Germans failed to properly respond to this campaign. However, years later, the Nazis took propaganda to another level. Inspired by the corporation advertising, the Minister of Propaganda conceived a coordinated plan using newspapers, photography, radio and film to influence the minds of the German population (they also tried to influence foreign countries, but failed), feeding them with lies and manipulating their thinking.

In the Vietnam War, the situation was reversed. There were no restrictions on journalists’ movements and there was not any kind of governmental censorship. This did not mean that the USA Government had given up on official propaganda. By this time, television was widespread throughout the world and journalists were no longer limited to written articles, outdated photos, and staged films. The problem was that the lies conveyed in official statements were being systematically debunked on a daily basis by the images that were shown on television and by the photographs that were published in newspapers. The discrepancy between these images and the official statements was considerable, which resulted in huge demonstrations and protests in the USA.

This was a lesson that the USA learned very well. In the Gulf War and in the Iraq War journalists were no longer authorized to go to the front line and they had no information on what was actually happening. This time, all the Principles were successfully applied. Both the general public and the journalists were fed with lies they could not dispute. Therefore, the war looked perfectly justifiable. It was only later, when the USA finally left Iraq, that journalists were made aware of the consequences of the US invasion and all the atrocities committed.

The Internet, especially social media, is making it increasingly difficult to control information. Yet, it is also making it increasingly easier to spread false information. Nowadays, propaganda is more than ever being confused with authentic information, even when it is proven to be false. Furthermore, there is this idea that propaganda is something that is only produced by the other side. People from “the other side” are the ones who are being brainwashed. Those in “our side” who disagree with what is said about the other side are liars and traitors. If we look closely, this is Principle #10.

As Aeschylus, the Greek and so-called father of tragedy, said: “in war, truth is the first casualty”.

 

* The 10 Principles are:
1. We do not want war.
2. The opposite party alone is guilty of war.
3. The enemy is inherently evil and resembles the devil.
4. We defend a noble cause, not our own interests.
5. The enemy commits atrocities on purpose; our mishaps are involuntary.
6. The enemy uses forbidden weapons.
7. We suffer small losses, those of the enemy are enormous.
8. Recognized artists and intellectuals back our cause.
9. Our cause is sacred.
10. All who doubt our propaganda are traitors.

 

Keyword: WAR | “Das Boot”, by Lothar-Günther Buchheim

Lothar-Günther Buchheim was born in 1918. He was 15 years old when the Nazis took power and, while attending the Hitler Youth’s meetings, where he had military training, he seized the opportunity to take photos and write articles about the activities of the organization. When World War II broke out, he was studying art, but he left his studies to become a war reporter for the regime. The Ministry of Propaganda had created military structures (called Propagandakompanie, known as PK) to train and employ war reports in the service of propaganda. These reporters would transmit information for the general public about what was happening in the front line (according to the Minister’s guidelines, obviously) via photography, cinema, and written articles.

After finishing his PK training in Potsdam, he was sent to Baule-les-Pins, 15 kilometres away from the port of Saint-Nazaire, to report about U-Boots. In the meantime, the U-96, whose Commander was Captain Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock, arrived there around that time and the first photos Buchheim took in the port was precisely of its return from its 3rd mission in the Atlantic, in March 1941. Both men met later and, in October 1941, Buchheim was assigned to participate in the 7th mission of the U-96 submarine. A dedicated, thorough, and enthusiastic “PK man” (as he was known), Buchheim took 5000 photos, documenting everything and everyone. The result was unique and historical. His photos were published in several newspapers and magazines, influencing many young men to enlist in the Navy as submarine crew.

The mission began in October 1941 and ended in December 1941. During those months, Lothar-Günther Buchheim lived in the submarine alongside the crew and became a great friend of Captain Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock and First-Engineer Freidrich Grade. Years after the war had ended, when he wrote a book about this experience, the two military officials were paramount to review the details of “Das Boot”. Although it was a novel, he wanted the story to be as authentic as possible. Freidrich Grade corrected and explained all the technical details of a submarine and Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock gave him all the detailed information about the chain of command and how orders were given.

The book became an international bestseller precisely due to its detailed and authentic description of how life was inside a U-Boot. It starts with a scene at a hotel, as a way to describe the military setting. This was probably inspired by what Buchheim witnessed in the Hotel Majestic, where the U-Boot officials stayed when they were not on mission. The second chapter is dedicated to the submarine itself, how it was constructed, how it operated, how people would move around performing their routines, where they would sleep and eat, how they would relate to each other. The description of each post is detailed and we get an idea of the role that each man played inside the submarine. Then, the author tells what they did when there was nothing to do. Contrary to what one might expect, this is actually very interesting due to the mastery of the narrative.

The action itself (the attack on a convoy and the attempts to escape from the British Navy) are so vivid it seems the readers are there, alongside the military personnel, feeling the same emotions. The encounter with another U-Boot in the middle of a storm actually happened. In fact, the attacks and the escape also happened, as did the stopover in the Port of Vigo and the attempt to enter the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar. Impressive is also the description of being inside of a submarine during a storm. It’s something similar to being inside a washing machine.

The book was published in 1973 and in 1981 a film was released, aiming to meticulously depict the book. A documentary entitled “U-96 – The true story of Das Boot” was released in 2022 with accounts from people who were involved in the production of the film. It also includes an interview with the First-Engineer Freidrich Grade himself, the last survivor of the U-96, who was still alive at the time.

The film was faithful to the book just as the book had been faithful to reality. After watching the film, submariners were surprised at how much the film captured what they actually lived. The aim of the book’s author was to show the military’s point of view, those who were fighting the war inside the German submarines and had just on mission: sinking British ships. Some say it was an antiwar story. Regardless of whether this is true or not, the book (and the film) is a remarkable historical document, even though it is fiction.

By reading the book and/or watching the film, we learn what those German military went through during the Battle of the Atlantic. About 70% of the U-Boots’ crew died.

 
The book for next month will be “Le Petit Prince”, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

 

The work, le travail, die Arbeit, el trabajo

“I declare the first gathering of The Foreign Lands’ Explorers open,” said Jack and everyone clapped and cheered. “The topic for today is ‘the work’.”

“’El trabajo’, in Spanish; ‘il lavoro’, in Italian; ‘o trabalho’, in Portuguese,” said Leo.

“’Le travail’, in French”, said Elizabeth.

“’Die Arbeit’, in German”, said Michael.

“’Arbejdet’, in Danish; ‘arbeidet’, in Norwegian; ‘arbetet’, in Swedish”, said Sophia.

“’Trabajo’, ‘trabalho’, and ‘travail’ come from Latin. The original word, at the time, was related to a torture instrument with three stakes. I have no idea how it progressed, but we can assume that there was a connection made somewhere by common people between ‘work’ and ‘torture’…”, explained Leo. “The Italian word comes from the Latin word ‘labor’, which was the official and standard word for ‘work’ at the time. In Spanish, French, and Portuguese a similar word also exists with a similar meaning, but usually is used in handcraft work or in the farming context. It makes sense because at the time most of the work was related with agriculture. In English, we can also see this word being used in some contexts, like in ‘labour market’.”

“Actually, there is a similar situation in German. The word ‘Werk’ also means work in a more formal manner, but it is mostly related with factories and the like. Both words ‘Werk’ and ‘work’ have the same origin. In English language the word ‘labour’ can be used, but it’s more commonly used in the farming context”, added Michael.

“Then, there is ‘job’, which can mean a task or an employment”, said Jack.

“In Spanish and in Portuguese the word is the same, but there is also the word ‘empleo’ and ‘emprego’, respectively, for ‘employment’, which is similar to English”, informed Leo.

“Yes, ‘employment’ was adopted to English via French, whose word is ‘emploi’. In French slang you can also say ‘boulot’”, added Elizabeth.

“Ok, what about ‘unemployment’? In Swedish is ‘arbetslöshet’, in Danish is ‘arbejdsløshed’, and in Norwegian is ‘arbeidsledighet’”, said Sophia. “Basically it means ‘without work’”.

“In German is not so different: ‘Arbeitslosigkeit’”, added Michael.

“In French is ‘chômage’”, said Elizabeth.

“’Chômage’?! Where that came from?”, asked Jack.

“It comes from the Latin word ‘caumare’, which means to take a break during the heat”, explained Elizabeth.

“That doesn’t seem to make much sense…”, laughed Sophia.

“Well, try working during the heat and you’ll probably start to see some sense…”, commented Jack. “We all have to learn the ropes with those who came before us.”

“Learn the ropes? What do you mean?”, asked Leo.

“It’s an idiomatic expression that means learning to do a job”, answered Jack. “It was used when new sailors had to learn how to tide the ropes in sailing boats.”

“As they say in Germany: ‘die Arbeit, die uns freut, wird zum Vergnügen’. This means ‘the work that we enjoy becomes pleasure’”, said Michael.

“Unless you ‘tombes dans le panneau’”, said Elizabeth. As everyone stared at her, she explained: “You can fall into a trap”. Then everyone went “Ahhhh”.

“You can always take a ‘föräldrapenning’, as the Swedish say. Or ‘foreldrepenger’, in Norwergian. Or ‘forældreorlov’ in Danish”, said Sophia.

“What exactly is that?”, asked Leo.

“Parental leave”, clarified Sophia.

“Oh, ‘congé parental’, in French”, said Elizabeth.

“’Permiso parental’ in Spanish; ‘congedo parentale’, in Italian; and ‘licença parental’, in Portuguese”, said Leo.

“’Elternurlaub’, in German”, said Michael.

“Well, you would have to have a child first…”, commented Elizabeth.

“I declare the first gathering of The Foreign Lands’ Explorers open,” said Jack and everyone clapped and cheered. “The topic for today is ‘the work’.”

“’El trabajo’, in Spanish; ‘il lavoro’, in Italian; ‘o trabalho’, in Portuguese,” said Leo.

“’Le travail’, in French”, said Elizabeth.

“’Die Arbeit’, in German”, said Michael.

“’Arbejdet’, in Danish; ‘arbeidet’, in Norwegian; ‘arbetet’, in Swedish”, said Sophia.

“’Trabajo’, ‘trabalho’, and ‘travail’ come from Latin. The original word, at the time, was related to a torture instrument with three stakes. I have no idea how it progressed, but we can assume that there a connection was made somewhere on the way by common people between ‘work’ and ‘torture’…”, explained Leo. “The Italian word comes from the Latin word ‘labor’, which was the official and standard word for ‘work’ at the time. In Spanish, French, and Portuguese a similar word also exists with a similar meaning, but usually is used in handcraft work or in the farming context. It makes sense because at the time most of the work was related to agriculture. In English, we can also see this word being used in some contexts, like in ‘labour market’.”

“Actually, there is a similar situation in German. The word ‘Werk’ also means work in a more formal manner, but it is mostly related with factories and the like. Both words ‘Werk’ and ‘work’ have the same origin. In the English language, the word ‘labour’ can be used, but it’s more commonly used in the farming context”, added Michael.

“Then, there is ‘job’, which can mean a task or an employment”, said Jack.

“In Spanish and in Portuguese the word is the same, but there is also the word ‘empleo’ and ‘emprego’, respectively, for ‘employment’, which is similar to English”, informed Leo.

“Yes, ‘employment’ was adopted to English via French, whose word is ‘emploi’. In French slang, you can also say ‘boulot’”, added Elizabeth.

“Ok, what about ‘unemployment’? In Swedish is ‘arbetslöshet’, in Danish is ‘arbejdsløshed’, and in Norwegian is ‘arbeidsledighet’”, said Sophia. “Basically, it means ‘without work’”.

“In German is not so different: ‘Arbeitslosigkeit’”, added Michael.

“In French it is ‘chômage’”, said Elizabeth.

“’Chômage’?! Where did that come from?”, asked Jack.

“It comes from the Latin word ‘caumare’, which means to take a break during the heat”, explained Elizabeth.

“That doesn’t seem to make much sense…”, laughed Sophia.

“Well, try working during the heat and you’ll probably start to see some sense…”, commented Jack. “We all have to learn the ropes with those who came before us.”

“Learn the ropes? What do you mean?”, asked Leo.

“It’s an idiomatic expression that means learning to do a job”, answered Jack. “It was used when new sailors had to learn how to tide the ropes in sailing boats.”

“As they say in Germany: ‘die Arbeit, die uns freut, wird zum Vergnügen’. This means ‘the work that we enjoy becomes pleasure’”, said Michael.

“Unless you ‘tombes dans le panneau’”, said Elizabeth. As everyone stared at her, she explained: “You can fall into a trap”. Then everyone went “Ahhhh”.

“You can always take a ‘föräldrapenning’, as the Swedish say. Or ‘foreldrepenger’, in Norwegian. Or ‘forældreorlov’ in Danish”, said Sophia.

“What exactly is that?”, asked Leo.

“Parental leave”, clarified Sophia.

“Oh, ‘congé parental’, in French”, said Elizabeth.

“’Permiso parental’ in Spanish; ‘congedo parentale’, in Italian; and ‘licença parental’, in Portuguese”, said Leo.

“’Elternurlaub’, in German”, said Michael.

“Well, you would have to have a child first…”, commented Elizabeth.

 
After this introduction to the topic, they decided to compare the name of some professions in different languages. They started with the firefighters.

While in the Anglo-Saxon and Nordic languages the focus is on fire (they are the people of the fire / those who fight the fire), in Latin languages the focus is on the pumps that were used at the beginning of firefighting (they are the people of the pumps).

Between ‘assistant’ and ‘host’ / ‘hostess’ or ‘steward’ / ‘stewardess’, there is not much difference.

In this case, except in the Spanish language, the expression is very similar to all other languages. “Journalism” was a term born in the 18th century in France and comes from “jour”, as in “report every day”. In Spanish, “newspaper” is “periódico”, hence the “periodista”.

In German and in the Nordic languages, the word refers to an instructor, someone who provides training for someone to acquire a skill, which has a similar meaning for “teacher”, although the root is different. The perspective is “to show how it’s done”. In Latin languages, the perspective is “someone who dominates an art and transmits its knowledge to their disciples”. In these languages, the teacher is regarded as a kind of “keeper of knowledge”. This is even more emphasised in Spanish, where the teacher is considered a “master”. Actually, in the other Latin countries, a teacher used to be called “master” and in some contexts it is still the case.

 
As it was getting late, they decided to wrap up. They could discuss and compare terms in different languages for hours, but they all had classes the next morning. However, when everyone was preparing to leave, Leo remembered something.

“Do you know the origin of the word ‘salary’?”

Everyone looked at Leo.

“Salt was extremely important during the Roman Empire. So, it was the reference to pay soldiers what was due to them. It was the ‘salt portion’ they could have. They still use that term in English, in Portuguese (‘salário’), in French (‘salaire’), and in Spanish in certain contexts (‘salario’).”

“If it’s a constant pay, for example every month, it’s ‘sueldo’. If it is an irregular pay it’s a ‘salario’”, said Elizabeth.

“Exactly”, confirmed Leo. “It’s similar in Italian: ‘salario’ is an hourly pay whereas ‘stipendio’ is a fixed pay”.

“That’s also similar in German. If it’s fixed it’s ‘Gehalt’ and if it’s variable it’s ‘Lohn’”, said Michael.

“Ah, in Swedish it’s ‘lön’, in Danish it’s ‘løn’, and in Norwegian it’s ‘lønn’”, added Sophia.

And, on that note, they reluctantly went back home.

 

Keyword: WORK | The role of women in society

At some point in human history, the role of women in society became bearing children. Of course, this was disguised in many ways. For example, as the dream of every woman to marry the Prince Charming and be happily ever after (with a bunch of kids, naturally). Or as the idea that every woman’s happiest day was when they would get married and start a family (and be pregnant as often as possible). Women who wouldn’t get married were spinsters or promiscuous, the kind no man would ever want. These women would be excluded from society and duly ignored. Or made fun of, as we can read in Jane Austen’s books. Married women with no children wouldn’t have their lives easier either, as a matter of fact. They were seen as having some kind of defect. “Real” complete women were those who got married and had children. Obviously, this is wrong. Women don’t need to get married and have children to be complete. They are born complete. As do men.

Try as they may, men never fully succeeded in selling this lie to all women. Most women bought it, it’s true, and many still do nowadays. However, working women (single or married, with or without children) have always been a reality throughout history. For example, Artemisia Gentileschi (1593–1653) was a famous Renaissance painter. Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) found how butterflies were born (male scientists before her thought butterflies would magically appear in nature out of nowhere). Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) was the first ever computer programmer (yes, the first programmer was a woman, not a man). Dorothy Garrod (1892-1968) was the archaeologist who found evidence of the first farming people and made other groundbreaking discoveries.

True, only women can have children, but this fact should not be a reason to restrict women to just one role in society. It should not be a reason to treat women as merchandise either, giving men the “right” to make them marry whoever they might think fit. All in the name of future heirs. Male heirs, that is. Women are much more than that. They have brains and courage and are capable of extraordinary things, whether they are allowed or not.

When World War II broke up, men were eager to join the military to fight (on both sides). At the time, men would see women as “weak” and “in need of protection”, but they didn’t have any problem leaving women alone during a very dark and dangerous time. Alone and with no livelihood resources to support themselves and their children. Plus, men left their countries without anyone to make the economy work. Thus, it is hardly surprising that women decided to step in. Many found their place in war, despite not being allowed to fight. They were nurses, spies, entertainers, translators, secretaries, code breakers, strategists. Those who were “left behind” proved they were neither defenceless nor incapable of doing a “man’s job”: they became farmers, factory workers, administrators, members of the Resistance. They kept the economy working and made sure provisions of all kinds would reach the troops in the front line. Once men were back, broken and defeated (even those on the winning side), they realized that women not only had found ways to sustain themselves and their children, but had thrived in places where only men were previously allowed. Good luck in trying to convince women to go back being just bearers of children.

Yet, men tried, even to this day. Working women are constantly seen as “bad mothers” because they supposedly neglect their children. In addition, women who wish to further their professional careers are often seen as bossy and aggressive while men are seen as ambitious and driven. Women who don’t want children are (still) seen as abnormal and those who don’t want to marry have “their priorities mixed up”. Children are presumably more important than work only to women, never to men. In interviews, actresses and female writers are much more likely to be asked about their families than actors and male writers. It’s like women couldn’t stand alone without a husband or children, while for men that is not remotely important for their professions.

Women have always been able to stand by themselves. Each year we learn more and more stories of extraordinary women who broke the mould. Since the beginning of human history, women have been mothers and wives, but also property owners, business people, queens and administrators, artists and scientists, explorers and farmers, writers and sportspeople. Women have been everywhere and they have been doing everything. There are those who are competent and those who aren’t, just like men. So, maybe those extraordinary women didn’t break the mold. Maybe there was no mold, just prejudices. Keeping women out of the labour market is as senseless as it is useless. They will always find a way to get there, not because they challenge the system, but because it’s their natural place. It takes more effort to keep them out than to embrace their input. Women can further society the same way as men, not because they are “caring” or “peacemakers”, but because they are as smart and competent as men.

 

Keyword: WORK | The purpose of work

In his book “Work: A History of How We Spent Our Time”, James Suzman starts by defining what work is. He goes back and forth, discussing different angles, and comes to the conclusion that “work” is every activity living beings (humans, animals, plants, and fungi) do, for which they need energy. This means that, under this definition, what some people consider “leisure” is actually “work” (in fact, the same activity can be considered “leisure” by some and “work” by others).

According to James Suzman, the concept of “leisure” was born when humans learned how to master fire and they found time to spare between hunting and recollecting food. Instead of “doing nothing”, they dedicated themselves to painting, building tools, and creating accessories (like necklaces). This means that, just like other animals, plants, and fungi, humans have the compulsory need to be engaged in some kind of activity. Once the energy intake is secure, imagination is the limit of what one could do.

As imagination evolved, so did the number of activities and their complexity. After figuring out how to plant and master crops, everything changed. Humans were now able to store “energy” to consume later, which gave them even more time without being worried about hunting and recollecting. They began to plan yearly: there was a time to sow, a time to let crops grow (controlling pests and the like), and a time to harvest. Then, during winter, as humans didn’t hibernate, they were “free” to do what they liked. Usually that meant making big constructions (like Stonehenge, for example). For these purposes, communities were needed and societies were developed. Hierarchies and specializations were ever more consolidated. Besides, as the agricultural fields were being exhausted, people had to move to other lands. Thus, migration commenced.

Fast-forward to our highly complex and globalized society, in which people move around all the time, we can see where imagination and “free time” has led humanity. People still work to sustain themselves and their families (that haven’t changed) and they still use their free time to do other things they find more interesting (that haven’t changed either). What is changing is the purpose, the meaning of work.

At some point during the Industrial Revolution, workers fought for the idea of having 8 hours per day of work, 8 hours of free time (to have fun and spend time with the family), and 8 hours of rest (mainly to sleep). It was also believed that the 8 hours of free time was the most important of them all. Hence, the hobbies, the focus on the family, the holidays and day outs. People would work to make money to meet the needs of survival, and their compensation was to have fun in their free time.

Now, people are realizing that work is actually more important, that it builds their sense of self. So, it needs to have meaning to themselves and to the community. People relate to work more than it was expected during the Industrial Revolution and having fun after hours is just not enough. Besides, people are working increasingly more hours. The 8-8-8 balance is getting lost (if ever was a reality). As a result, the separation between work life and personal life is also getting lost. In truth, this separation only made sense during the Industrial Revolution, when people went to work in the factories and then went back to “their own life”. With the rise of “flexible working hours” and “working from home” it feels like we are going back in time, when people were developing agriculture and their own life was intertwined with the work they did.

As we can read in James Suzman’s book, developing agriculture throughout thousands of years was hard work filled with much frustration. Farmers would probably have felt they had enough of it many times over during the course of their lifetime. When the Industrial Revolution came, moving to the cities to work in the factories was like a promise of a better life. After all, they wouldn’t depend on climate to have their earnings; they would have a salary at the end of the week or the month. However, this type of work brought with it a number of new problems, and workers had to deal with them in new ways: hence Unions and social fights that are part of history.

Nowadays we have burnouts, stressful objectives to be met, toxic working environments, fierce competition, long hours of work… We are also witnessing the emergence of new ways of work, like: the 4-day work week, remote work, hybrid work. We have an enormous variety of different jobs and the possibility to change jobs. Specializations are not the end of the line. If we think back, before the Industrial Revolution, farmers’ children didn’t have much choice. And whoever started a trade would hardly switch to another trade. Today, there are infinite possibilities (or so it seems).

The future is unforeseeable, although many experts are busy trying to predict it. However, one thing seems to be certain: people need to work, whatever may that turn out to be.
 

Keyword: WORK | “Levantado do Chão” [” Raised from the Ground”], by José Saramago

The first meeting of The Intrepid Book Society was held on a chilly Sunday afternoon. Summer was definitely over, but winter was still far away. Instead of lazing on the sofa in front of television, the members of the Society put on their warm coats and headed to the local library. Mr John Booklish, the President and co-founder of the Society, was the first to arrive. He needed to open the library and prepare the room, which had been kindly made available for that purpose. Ms Clara Smartest, the Vice-President and co-founder, arrived shortly after and helped him by placing the chairs around and putting some drinks and biscuits on a table. The other members arrived on time one by one and they all sat on the chairs.

Mr John Booklish officially opened the meeting briefly introducing the book under discussion: “Levantado do Chão”, by Jose Saramago. Before he would go on about the story of the book, he made a bibliographical note about the author.

“Jose Saramago was born in Portugal into a family of landless farmers. As such, his family struggled financially. Even after moving to the capital, Lisbon, where they found slightly better living conditions, they always had little money to spare. As he grew up, Jose Saramago was unable to buy books, but he often went to the local library. He started to develop some literary knowledge and he later wrote his first novels. However, now with a family of his own to support, he had to work to make money. Thus, literary affairs were put aside. In the meantime, he got involved in political matters, which got him fired from his job. Luckily, he found a new job in a publishing house, where he worked in the operations department and as a translator. Later, he became a journalist for many years until he got fired again for political reasons.

“This time, he decided to dedicate himself to writing literary books. He moved to a place called Lavre, in the Alentejo region, to research for his first ‘serious’ book: “Levantado do Chão”. Although he had been born in Ribatejo (a different Portuguese region north of Alentejo) he could relate with the landless farmers that were the majority of the population there. The result was a story written in a totally different style. This was the first book of a new style, which was so unique he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for it, many years later.”

After a little pause, Mr John Booklish added: “However, ‘Levantado do Chão’ is distinctive from the subsequent novels Jose Saramago wrote. Although the style is similar, contrary to the other novels, ‘Levantado do Chão’ is based on true events. It is a fictional story, but could have been a true one. The national and local events mentioned in the book happened. His other novels are based on ‘parables sustained by imagination, compassion and irony [that] continually enables us once again to apprehend an elusory reality’ (in the Nobel Prize official website). Therefore, ‘Levantado do Chão’ is a literary work like no other, which bore the seeds of his extraordinary literary work”.

“So, in a nutshell”, Mr John Booklish concluded, “this is the story of the Mau Tempo family (‘Bad Weather’ family). It starts somewhere at the beginning of the 20th century and ends somewhere after the 1974 Revolution. While we read about what is happening with the family, we also get to know about what is happening in Portugal at the same time because the political events directly affect the family. They all work the land, but they don’t have a land of their own. They work for the landlords when there is work to be done. When there is no work, there is no money, and no other way to make money. The landlords know this and take advantage of it by paying as little as possible, and forcing them to work from sunrise to sunset. Then, an idea emerges among the workers: to fight for better pay and less working hours. And here is when problems arise.”

At this point, Ms Clara Smartest decided to intervene, saying that the book was a political statement, a reflection of the author’s political involvement. After all, it was not by chance that he decided to write his first “serious” novel about his topic. He wanted to show how difficult the life of landless farmers was, a life of misery, without any hope of improvement. Well, at least during three-quarters of the 20th century. It also aimed to show how brutal the dictatorship was and the struggle farmers endured while fighting for better working conditions, which were due and fair.

Although not disagreeing with this entirely, Mr Jeremy Toughready said that the story showed how resilient the farmers were, and how that helped create a strong will and a strong mind. They were prepared for everything that might come, not afraid of the consequences. They just went for what they wanted and for what they thought it was right, despite political affiliations. What he meant, he added, was that they did what they did not because of some political belief, but because it was just right.

Ms Clara Smartest agreed and said that was precisely the point. Political belief resulted from what people thought was right. Obviously, the landlords thought that the regime at the time was the right one because it defended their interests. That was why it only took the landlords to call the Guards for the farmers to be arrested.

Miss Martha Lovefeelings interrupted saying that was true, but the novel also talked about love. It was possible to find love even in the hardest possible conditions and to build families even with very little money. The family stayed together because of what they felt about each other and those feelings were what made them stronger. To this, Mr Mark Mindhearting strongly agreed and added that it showed how the toughest guys could also be capable of feeling the purest love.

Ms Johanna Practicewell, who was feeling bored with all that sentimentality, mentioned how interesting it was to see the evolution of the country from monarchy to republic and then ending in a dictatorship… until the revolution took place and everything changed. And yes, the story was about a landless farmer family, but at the beginning, the man who gave rise to the family was a drunken shoemaker, forced to move from town to town due to the troubles he would make wherever he went. Plus, he mistreated his wife and neglected his children. That was during the monarchy. Then, the men of the family changed tune during the republic and the dictatorship and women began to be treated with more respect.

Ms Clara Smartest said that was because of their political beliefs. The shoemaker didn’t have any political beliefs. Thus, he didn’t have any purpose in life.

Miss Martha Lovefeelings replied that taking care of his family should have been a strong enough purpose, but it wasn’t. He was just a bad man.

Mr Jeremy Toughready added that it was different times. Fighting tyranny had nothing to do with taking care of the family. It was a joint effort. Other people were relying on them. It would put everything in another perspective.

“Your family is relying on you”, exploded Miss Martha Lovefeelings.

“Yes”, said Mr Jeremy Toughready, “and that is why those men are more attentive to their families. Exactly. They realize that their fighting buddies are relying on them and they have responsibilities. They recognize they also have responsibilities towards their families because what they are fighting for will benefit them as well. It’s all connected”.

Mr Mark Mindhearting intervened saying that the shoemaker was a selfish man, he only thought about himself. He didn’t have the sense of community their children and grandchildren developed.

The debate went on for a while longer around these topics until Mr John Booklish closed the meeting. He thanked everyone for coming and he scheduled the next meeting for 3rd November, informing the book for the following month: “Das Boot”, by Lothar-Günther Buchheim.

All members confirmed it and left the library, still commenting on that month’s book on their way out. Ms Clara Smartest stayed behind to help Mr John Booklish to clean the room and close the door. Then, they said farewell until the next meeting.

 

The peaceful Switzerland

Cows gaze lazily at the high mountains surrounding them while taking full advantage of the sunshine. Soon it will be time to go indoors, when the snow starts falling from the sky. For the moment, there is snow only at the mountain summits. Down below, in the valleys, clusters of houses outline several villages and cities along the rivers and by the lakes. One couldn’t imagine that for centuries this region was the stage of fierce battles.

The Helvetians were a Celtic tribe that had settled here when Romans expanded their Empire throughout Europe. They couldn’t escape it, but they were granted enough autonomy to govern the different provinces of this land and manage the most important commercial routes that crossed the territory. This was a great experience for them, from which the Helvetians learned much. After the fall of the Roman Empire, they were invaded by the Germans, from the north, and by the French, from the west. In the meantime, the Helvetians, now converted to Christianity, agreed to fight in the German army in exchange for money and land. Yes, they had really learned how to make business.

Yet, their leanings would continue. Now part of the Holy Roman Empire, the former Helvetians were in charge of different pieces of land and, like in the Roman Empire, they enjoyed a certain degree of autonomy. However, this time, they came to the conclusion that they should work together to keep peace and economically prosper. A confederation began to take shape and Schwyz inspired them to become “die Schweizer” (the Swiss). To the first three “orte” (pieces of land), five more joined them in the 14th century. Ah, but men are greedy and selfish and internal battles for power were waged…

The next centuries were full of wars, inside the “Land of the Swiss” and outside. Fighting each other, fighting the invaders, and also serving as mercenaries in foreign armies were daily business. Finally, in the 17th century, Switzerland became an independent country de facto, kept out from other people’s wars, and dedicated themselves to agriculture, trade, bank activities, and watchmaking… until a French person named Napoleon and his troops invaded the Swiss Land and everything collapsed. The Old Confederation was dead…

… long live the New Confederation (after Napoleon had been expelled, of course). All the learnings were applied then. The “orte” became “canton”, each Canton became almost fully independent, and later the Confederation turned into a Federation. The Swiss people decided to focus on making money and not war, living in peace and harmony. In the meantime, they adopted the direct democracy political system, which means individuals decide by vote (via referendum or initiatives) the rules of the country. Oh, Switzerland looks like a very advanced country… except in what women are concerned.

It took 103 years of fighting, and a fear of “looking bad” internationally, for women to be granted the right to vote. It all started in 1868, when women in Zurich proposed to be granted the right to vote. They failed, of course, but they didn’t give up. An organisation was created and the fight turned national. Due to the direct democracy system, many petitions were presented to the Parliament. They were first ignored and then rejected over and over again by men (those who could actually vote), as men viewed women as not able to understand politics and whose place was at home taking care of the children.

At some point, Swiss men were on the verge of being humiliated internationally as almost all European countries had already allowed women to vote. In the meantime, Swiss women kept pushing and presenting initiatives while peacefully protesting on the streets. After much internal and external pressure, men finally approved the right for women to vote in 1971, even though in some Cantons this would only become official 20 years later…

Ah, the peaceful Switzerland, with the placid lakes and the serene Alpine mountains, perfect for sanatoriums specialised in healing the body and the mind. A land where nothing much happens and people are focused on their farms and their business affairs…

 
Read more about Switzerland:

  • The History of Switzerland
  • Political system
  • Women’s suffrage in Switzerland: 100 years of struggle
  • The long road to women’s suffrage in Switzerland

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    Keyword: INVESTIGATION | “The Judge and his Hangman”, by Friedrich Dürrenmatt

    Lieutenant Ulrich Schmied, working with the Police of Bern, is found murdered inside a car on the roadside. The police officer responsible to solve the case is Walter Tschanz and he is helped by Commissar Bärlach, who cannot investigate the case as he is very ill. However, Bärlach tells Tschanz that he knows who the murdered is and hopes that Tschanz can discover who he is by himsellf and bring him to justice. As the investigation progresses, the case gets stranger and stranger. Bärlach’s actions are bizarre and obscure until we reach the end of the story and everything is explained. Although it is a crime investigation and the main characters are all police officers, the short story is not about the investigation itself. In reality, it is about criminals who get away with murder… or at least try. It is about the good and the evil and the battle between the two. And it is about Commissar Bärlach’s relationship with a great criminal…

    Friedrich Dürrenmatt was born in Switzerland, in the Emmental region, moved to Bern when he was 14 years old, and ended his days in Neuchâtel. Travelling from east to west, he relocated gradually about 90 km. Despite always living in Switzerland, he travelled the world, like he had dreamed when he was a kid. In the meantime, he studied literature and philosophy while dedicating himself to painting. In the end, he decided to become a writer.

    When Second World War broke up, he was studying at the university, in Switzerland naturally. He wasn’t directly affected by the war, but his writings were influenced by it. They are dark and obscure, bizarre and strange. At the time, neutral Switzerland was crammed with war refugees, spies, and Nazis who wanted to hide their war looting in Swiss banks. It was perfect to study the dark side of people. The Cold War had also an impact on him.

    “The Judge and his Hangman” was published in 1952, at the beginning of his writing carrier. The story takes place where he lived, so he knew the landscape very well. The story reflects the WWII influences and the writing reflects his literature and philosophy studies. Likewise, “Suspicion” is under the same spells and has the same main character, the Commissar Bärlach. It takes place after “The Judge and his Hangman”, but this time in the Zurich area, where Dürrenmatt briefly studied and, thus, was also familiar to him. This short story revolves around a Nazi medical doctor that may or may not still be alive and may or may not have his own sanatorium. Dürrenmatt explores here the WWII traumas and the people’s attitudes before these issues.

    Friedrich Dürrenmatt died in 1990 as one of the greatest Swiss writers.

    For more information:

  • Friedrich Dürrenmatt – from Emmental to Broadway
  • Centre Dürrenmatt Neuchâtel

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    Investigation

    When reading or watching a crime story we know there is always someone who investigates the crime and, at the very end, solves it. We follow that person’s investigation and sometimes we try to solve the crime before the character. After all, there are clues scattered around and the idea is to build the puzzle piece by piece until we get the big picture. Real police investigations are like that: they follow certain procedures that have been proven to be the best ones to solve the crime. In this case, they also need to gather evidence to put the criminal in jail.

    Academic investigation, also known as research, follows certain procedures in order to find new knowledge. In this case, the procedures are different because the purpose is different. Well, sometimes it also involves dead people, if it is an historical or medical research. In pathology, the dead person could have been the victim of a microbe. These microscopic creatures can be truly serial killers.

    According to the Cambridge Dictionary, an investigation is “the act or process of examining a crime, problem, statement, etc. carefully, especially to discover the truth”. There are two main components at play here: it implies a process and it aims to uncover the truth. Research, according to The Britannica Dictionary, is “careful study that is done to find and report new knowledge about something”. The difference is very thin, but it does exist.

    Apparently, the first police department was set by an Egyptian pharaoh in 3000 BCE, but murder is as old as humans. As society evolved, the police methods, forensic science and research methods (especially the scientific method) also evolved and they gradually became the norm to all forms of investigation. We hear that a company is opening an investigation on some wrongdoing, crashes (airplanes, trains, boats) are also being investigated, and banks are investigating financial frauds.

    Sometimes, common people do their own little investigations in order to find out the truth in their lives. For example: who ate all the butter? If you don’t have guests in the house, the culprit must be one member of the family. So, you start to gather evidence and ask questions. You establish the timeline of everyone to discover who was the last person to leave the kitchen… Sadly, scientifically identifying the fingertips on the knife is too expensive, so you can only apply empirical methods…

    Maybe inspired by this, British crime writers, like Agatha Christie, created a very peculiar sub-genre: cosy mysteries. These stories are characterized to have an amateur detective (or sleuth), who is minding his/her own business until a crime occurs in his/her little village and it’s up to him/her to find out who the culprit is. The main character doesn’t have access to forensics, so he/she only has his/her brains to figure out the solution. In the case of Agatha Christie, she invented a sweet old lady called Miss Marple who is nosy, but lovely.

     

    News, actualités, Nachrichten, noticias, notícias

    Reading the news in the language we are learning is a wonderful way to train that language and get to know the culture and the way speakers of that language see the world. News media around the world usually organize themselves in an identical structure. Furthermore, some of the world news is the same, so one can read the same news in newspapers from different countries. This will give you the chance to compare the way each country sees the world, what they value, and the words they use to describe the same things.

    Nowadays, some reference media have versions in different languages. For example, Euronews is available in 17 languages, including Arabic and Persian. However, be aware that it doesn’t necessarily mean that all versions have the same news or, if they have, the article will be exactly the same. Editions are independent from each other. National media may also have news available in different languages. For example, Deutsche Welle (DW) is a German TV channel and its website is available in 29 languages.

    Below, we compare the basic structure of news media in English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.

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    Information

    Information is a two-step process. Firstly, data is collected. The data has no meaning as it is a list of numbers and/or words. Secondly, data is processed and transformed into information. The way information is created depends on the purpose for which it is created. This means that the exact same data can result in opposite results. It is not a question of denying or dismissing facts, it is a question of choosing the facts and using the wording that best fits the purpose. However, information must always respect the facts and be based on the data that is collected (assuming that the data were correctly collected).

    Sometimes, the result is misinformation, which is “incorrect or misleading information”. In this case, the data was incorrectly used. It is a little bit different from disinformation, which is “false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumours) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth”. In this case, the information is not at all based on data, but in lies (or in manipulating information on purpose to make people believe in false information). Fake news is disinformation. That is why nowadays most media use “fact check” tools to verify if the news is based on lies and not on true data/facts.

    Then, there is propaganda, which is a specific type of disinformation: “dissemination of information—facts, arguments, rumours, half-truths, or lies—to influence public opinion”. It may have many different purposes, but usually is related to political motives. Interestingly enough, the term comes from a religious organization aiming to spread the Catholic faith (or better yet, to convince other people that the Catholic faith was better than all other religions). Propaganda sometimes may be confused with advertising (which also aims to convince people of something) as it can use similar techniques.

    A new concept is now emerging: information pollution. In today’s digital world, information is overwhelming and, as filters are removed, true information equals false information in so many different channels that people lose their capacity to distinguish between the two. These channels are also full of irrelevant and redundant information that help distract and confuse. The result in the long term is hate speech, disrespect of human rights, and general violence.

    António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, stated that “[c]ountering disinformation requires lasting investment in building societal resilience and media and information literacy”. Measures and solutions exist and are available online (just search it on the Internet with “countering disinformation” as key words), but the problem is hard to fight. Knowing this, the United Nations published the report “Countering disinformation for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms”. In 19 pages, the report explains what disinformation is, what its legal framework is, and how states can tackle it.  

    Pamplona, beyond the bullfighting

    When walking the streets of Pamplona on a summer’s day, feeling the sun gently burning your skin and the quietude of a countryside town, one can’t imagine that every year the same streets fill with people running from angry bulls that were set free to run through a determined route. The city is then transformed, with thousands of people coming from all over the world, cheering those who are brave enough to run in front of the enraged bulls. Some get injured, a few may die, but all are full of adrenaline and exhilarate everyone around them.

    When a young American journalist, stationed in Paris as a European correspondent, arrived in this city, he got immediately and forever hooked. Ernest Hemingway was so impressed with it that he included it in his book “The Sun Also Rises”, turning the running of the bulls, the main event of the Fiesta de San Fermín, into a world attraction. Pamplona reciprocated his love and it still takes pride in Hemingway’s admiration for the city. Yes, because Hemingway didn’t just enjoy the bullfighting, he enjoyed the food and the people.

    Another foreigner, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey the Great, passed through this terrain a very long time ago during military campaigns on behalf of the Roman Empire. He thought there was a good place to settle the troops and, in a not very original way, he gave his name to the place he was founding (well, sort of). Over the years, the town evolved, became Christian and turned into the capital of the Kingdom of Navarra. The Fiesta de San Fermín took shape in Medieval Times to honour a Christian Saint and now is part of the city as much as the buildings that were constructed throughout the centuries.

    After many battles and wars, Navarra became a Spanish region in the 16th century and, although not completely independent, it enjoys autonomy. Yet, walking through Pamplona, its capital, you could be foul into thinking that they are in fact independent. Navarra’s flag is hung everywhere and you can feel proud of being from Navarra, rather than being Spanish. However, contrary to Catalonia, people in Navarra seem to enjoy their status and they don’t wish to change it any time soon.

    Bordering France in the Pyrenees, there is an immense French influence in its core. It also borders the current Basque country region and it is influenced by the Basque culture too, especially in the north. Although there are many Basque people living there, and they are considered to be part of the greater cultural Basque region, people from Navarra like to keep themselves apart. The fact they were once a powerful kingdom may have something to do with it.

    In a nutshell, Pamplona is a quiet countryside town with a violent past, a unique cultural mixture, and a lively tradition.

     

    Keyword: WRITER | Ernest Hemingway

    Instead of going to study in a university, Ernest Hemingway preferred to go and work in a newspaper as a journalist, where he learned how to write objectively and to-the-point. Then, before turning 20 years old, he tried to be recruited by the army to go and fight in World War I. As he was refused, he found another way to be involved in the war: as a driver for the Red Cross. He was injured in the war and, after spending a long time in a hospital and being rejected by the nurse with whom he had fallen in love, he returned to the USA. These events forged his whole life.

    As a journalist, he went back to Europe many times as a foreign correspondent. He was stationed in Paris, France, for some time, but Spain was his favourite country. He covered the Spanish Civil War and World War II, when he landed in Normandy with the American troops on D-Day. In the meantime, he went to Africa to do a hunting safari and bought a boat to go fishing. He lived life to the full, survived wars and plane accidents, and travelled extensively, soaking everything and turning it into masterpieces, before he died in 1961. He had been born five months before the 20th century started and witnessed all major (and terrified) events of the century.

    Deep inside, he saw himself as a writer. Reporting was a way to achieve this (and make some money) and all his adventures were food for his novels and short stories. He wrote them in a style that was innovative at the time and had been inspired by his reporting: objective, without sentiment, with short sentences and without adjectives and adverbs. His mastery was in the rhythm of the words. Besides inspiring many subsequent writers, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize, mostly due to his best work, named “The Old Man and the Sea”. This was the last work to be published while he was still alive and it is considered his best work. It tells the tale of a fisherman that goes fishing and his struggle to catch a fish. The story is very simple. It’s in the way it is written, what it tells and what it implies, where genius lies. However, other books written by Hemingway are as good (or, at least, almost).

    “A Farewell to Arms” is a vivid description of his experience in World War I and aims to show the reader how war is in reality. It is heavily based on his own experience. The main character drives ambulances like he did and he falls in love like Hemingway did. Although the descriptions of the war are authentic, the romantic connection is not (maybe he wrote what he wanted to have happened).

    Also about war, but this time in the guerrilla point of view, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” is about an American who joins the Spanish resistance during the Civil War. It’s an intense account on how it is like to face death on a daily basis. These fighting men and women live lifetimes during short periods of time, living each day as if it could be their last, which would prove to be correct in most cases.

    Inspired by his time as a foreign correspondent stationed in Paris, “The Sun Also Rises” (or “Fiesta”) is about how young people got lost after World War I ended. Starting in Paris, the narrative takes the reader (via characters) to Spain and the bullfighting, an event very dear to Hemingway’s heart. They also go to the south of France and Madrid, roaming from place to place without purpose and without feeling.

    Those who wish to know how Hemingway’s hunting safari was, can read “The Green Hills of Africa”, his journal of the journey. However, if you don’t want to know details of chasing and killing animals, skip it. In any case, it is a beautiful view of the Africa landscape, and an insight on how humans can preserve (or destroy) nature.

    Sources:

    Writer

    A writer is someone who writes, but writing is not as easy as it seems. One has to know the language well enough to not make grammar mistakes and one has to know how to organize the ideas in order to build a logical text that its target audience will easily understand.

    There are different types of writers. The most noticeable are the authors, those who write books that are published. If the books are not published, they are not authors. However, sometimes “writer” and “author” are used interchangeably. Authors are seen as creators, even when it’s non-fiction, and the term can be applied to other artists. In literature, they can be called novelists, poets, short story writers/authors, playwrights, non-fiction writers/authors. There are also writers who are not recognized as authors, but are published. These are the ghost-writers. Song writers can be considered poets, like Bob Dylan who was awarded the Nobel Prize of Literature in 2016.

    Speaking of the Nobel Prize in Literature, there are lots of prestigious (and not so prestigious) literature prizes in the world. There are also national and local prizes, European prizes, bookshop prizes, prizes sponsored by brands that have nothing to do with books. From all of these, the top of the tops, the one every author wants to win, is the Nobel Prize. Then, there are others which are reputation builders: the Pulitzer Prize and the Booker Prize. If you want to keep up with the best in literature, but don’t have much time to check all the prizes, focus on these three.

    Actually, the Pulitzer Prize started as a prize to award outstanding journalists; it was later extended to include fictional and non-fictional authors. Journalists, especially newspaper journalists, are another type of writers. Often newspaper journalists become book authors for both fictional and non-fiction books. One of the most well-known is Ernest Hemingway, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.

    Academics can become authors as well, as an extension of their research. Academic research implies a lot of writing. Like journalists, academics aim to investigate a theme and make their discoveries available to the public. The style is different, though. While journalists can write in a more creative and attractive way and they base their writings on sources, academics have to be very rigorous and base their writings on vast bibliography and scientific studies.

    Then, there are the bloggers and the content writers, whose mission is to “feed” the internet. Technical writers are responsible for manuals, help guides, instructions, specifications, plans, and similar documents. There are those who write reports and white papers. Copywriters focus on marketing and advertising and screenwriters are those who give the lines to the characters in films and TV series.

    A final note for editors and translators: the former use their writing skills to correct and improve the texts others have written and the latter make texts available to speakers of other languages.

     

    Homeland, patrie, Heimat, patria, pátria

    It is a well-known fact that Europe was devastated many times due to numerous wars throughout the centuries and, consequently, frontiers changed frequently. At that time, kingdoms and empires were really a collection of principalities and counties. The rulers of those territories would pledge their allegiance to the King or the Emperor and they were under their authority from then onwards. Common people didn’t feel they belonged to a country or that they had a nationality. They would feel they would belong to a religion or a region.

    Nationalism is a political ideology that aims to make people believe they have a national identity superior to all others. This means that only a group of people (those who are part of a certain identity and possess certain characteristics) are part of a “nation”. On the other hand, patriotism is the love for one’s country and includes everyone who was born there (or acquired its citizenship) regardless of the characteristics they may have. The difference may be thin, but it does exist.

    Below, we will discuss patriotism in a linguistic (and cultural) perspective.

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    Alien

    For most people in the world, aliens are those little green creatures that may come from Mars, or somewhere else from space. For English speakers, aliens are everyone and everything which is foreign. So, yes, everyone is an alien the minute they leave the country where they were born. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, alien comes from the Latin word (via French) aliēnus, meaning “belonging to another”. Foreign comes from the Latin word (via French) foris, meaning “from outside”.

    Both concepts reinforce the idea of “us and the others”. “We” have a certain culture and the “others”, from the outside, have another. That is pretty obvious in the stories of extra-terrestrials. The little green creatures are either violent (they want to dominate the world and exterminate humans) or naïve (they want to understand humans and become one of them). In the latter, the extra- terrestrials are “accepted” only because they value humans’ culture and see it as better than their own.

    Naturally, this is not only applied to people from different countries. It is widely known the controversy a member of Buckingham Palace initiated when repeatedly asked a person where she was from and she kept replying she was from London. This can come to a surprise to many people, but it is actually very common in the UK. For the British, everyone who hasn’t had a family that has been born in the UK since the beginning of time is a foreign and they will always be, regardless of how long they have been living in the UK. There are British people and there are aliens. Both don’t mix.

    On a larger or smaller scale, this happens in all countries that used to have an empire and had colonized other countries. They “dominated” the aliens… or they were the aliens that invaded those countries to dominate them? In any case, although colonization has ended, there is still a feeling that there are those who were the colonizers and those who were colonized. Of course, theoretically at least, everyone is equal now and everyone is trying to get along, living side by side as if nothing had happened. However, this is not working very well.

    Yet, there could be aliens among people from the same country. Like in the movies, when aliens take a human body and possess it, there are also fellow countrymen that belong to another culture. This can be a different social class, a different subculture, a different regional perspective. Strangeness within can be as real as they were from a different country. Or the strangeness may be even greater because those people should be “like us”. The fact they aren’t can be problematic for some people, especially when aliens are seen as monsters.

     

    Keyword: EVIL | “The Help”, by Kathryn Stockett

    Kathryn Stockett was born in Jackson, Mississippi, USA, in 1969, in a time when there was segregation of black people by white people. The irony was that white children were raised by black maids, and black maids would raise them with love. However, after those white children would grow up, they would discriminate against all black people, including the black maids who had raised them. In the book “The Help”, the author intended to show that exact reality, a reality she knew very well. She was one of those white children who were raised by a black maid.

    Mississippi was where the racial issue was most dramatic (in a way it still is) and Jackson, as the state capital, was the centre of it all. The story of this book revolves around two distinct groups of women who, although living close to each other, don’t mix: the white rich women and the black poor women. These black women are hired as housemaids and babysitters by the white women. Little things are shown that portray things as they were: even though they are the ones who clean white people’s toilets, black maids are not allowed to use those toilets, they have to use the toilet outside the house.

    As the story unfolds, we get to know the lives of both groups of women and especially how different their lives are. We follow a young white woman who returned home after graduating from university and wants to find out what happened to the black maid that had raised her and suddenly had disappeared. She comes closer to the black maids that serve in the houses of her white married friends. She then builds a friendship with one of those black women, someone who has a vocation to write and tell stories. The young white woman decides to write a book together with the black woman and both of them soon discover how dangerous and scary that simple job is. But they don’t give up, and they start to collect stories of black maids serving white people.

    “The Help” is about the writing of that book with the maid stories. It’s about injustice and discrimination, segregation and inequality. It’s also about true friendship and false friendship, people being evil while thinking they are being good, and the courage it takes to change things.

     

    Evil

    Etymologically, evil means everything which is not good: wars, diseases, misfortune, crime, mistreatment, abuses, shortcomings, disabilities, irresponsibility, inconsistency, disloyalty, immorality… ugliness and poverty. You name it. For example, “pretty” is good and “ugly” is evil (but, in truth, pretty people can be evil and ugly people can be good).

    When we are little, we are told that there is Good and Evil in the world. Children’s stories are filled with battles where Evil tries to dominate the world, but Good always prevails, even when all seems lost. Good doesn’t want to dominate, only Evil does. Good doesn’t want to fight, it only does it to stop Evil. As we grow up, the stories become reality and the metaphors we’ve learned help us navigate the world. Supposedly, we should aim to do Good and fight Evil whenever we encounter it. However, Evil is smart and seductive and we end up joining the Dark Side most of the time.

    Here’s where Evil sometimes takes you to the Dark Side: when it becomes righteous. In the name of Good, people become Evil. Wars are a great example, especially wars in the name of God or, most ironic, in the name of peace. Censorship is another great example: to promote morality and good behaviour, one takes away everyone’s freedoms. The feeling of being superior to others, for whatever reason (race, wealth, high morality, religion, being older, being prettier, being more competitive, being more successful, being smarter…), leads people to belittle others, to dehumanize, to be cruel.

    There are many theories and philosophies, stories and points of views, rational justifications and religious beliefs about what is evil and what is good. Some say good can be evil and that evil can sometimes be necessary in order to do good. The concept of “Realpolitik” emerged as a way to explain why sometimes governments pursue “evil things”. It kind of justifies the doing of “necessary evils”, stating that governments have to do what they have to do regardless of ideals, what is right, or the values defended by them.

    Basically, the concept of what is evil and what it is not revolves around power. So, to maintain power (“dominance”), people might “have to” resort to Evil. This is not just true to governments, it also applies to individuals. People can become cruel not only to retain power, but also to comply with the norm, especially in institutionalized environments. The “herd mentality” and the crowd psychology demonstrate and study how people can be led to behave in a certain way. Obviously, in the latter, if the behaviour is Good, then it can be a good influence. The problem is to distinguish what is Good and what is Evil and, most importantly, to avoid be influenced by Evil.

    Evil is everywhere, but, then again, so it is Good.  

    Keyword: PLACES | Exotic food

    Exotic means foreign. So, basically, all food which is not traditional in your own country can be considered exotic food, including the traditional food of the neighbouring country. However, especially for travellers, exotic is usually applied to food so strange we question ourselves if we would be able to eat it.

    Nowadays, the Internet is full of websites, videos, lists, advice and tips about food around the world. The strangest it is, the greatest emphasis it has. In a time when “experience” is more important than “feeling” or “knowledge”, having what may be considered “weird experiences” beats them all. So, people go and film themselves eating insects, insides of animals, and all things considered disgusting.

    Exotic food can be marvelous and delicious. Think, for example, of tropical fruit like banana, coconut, mango, pineapple, papaya, and passion fruit. Or some traditional dishes, that are probably now available everywhere, like curry (originally from India), paella (originally from Spain), fish ‘n’ chips (originally from England), sushi (originally from Japan), pizza (originally from Italy), donuts (originally from USA), Peking duck (originally from China), moambe chicken (originally from Angola), tagine (originally from North Africa).

    All these foods are daily food in their original countries and they give you a cultural insight of the country you may be visiting. For example, in Europe, when going on field trips, people (and especially children) usually take sandwiches with them to eat during the day. In Japan, they serve sushi. In some countries, the traditional Christmas dinner is based on fish, while in others it is based on meat. In the USA the Thanksgiving dinner is traditionally a roasted turkey whereas in China people usually eat dumplings to celebrate New Year.

    Each country also has their typical desserts, for example: tiramisu (in Italy), cinnamon rolls (in Sweden), Apfelstrudel (in Austria), baklava (in Turkey), brownies (in United States), sesame balls (in China), tres leches cake (in Mexico). Besides trying the desserts, you might as well try typical drinks such as: mango lassi (in India), apple cider (in England), bubble tea (in Taiwan), sangria (in Spain), coconut water (in Brazil), sake (in Japan).

    Exotic ideas for your exotic trip.

     

    Freedom

    Every year on 25th April there is a parade in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, to celebrate the coup d’état that ended dictatorship in 1974. Since then, this day is called Freedom Day and people walk down Freedom Avenue to celebrate Freedom. So, yes, freedom means a lot to Portuguese people, even for those generations who were born in a democratic regime and never witnessed dictatorship (thankfully!).

    In a way, everyone knows what freedom is, even if they struggle to define it in words. The Oxford English Dictionary has 15 entries with different examples from different periods of time. Basically, freedom means not having constraints. Portuguese people instinctively understood this on 25th April 1974, when they learned that the military were there to end the highly restrictive regime they were living in.

    If you look up the meaning of the word freedom, you will find many different types of freedom and many associated concepts. It is also interesting to note the relationship between freedom and responsibility. As an example, you can read the (small, but meaningful) article of Seth Godin about it. At a time when the far-right is rising again throughout Europe and other parts of the world, it is worth recalling three fundamental types of freedom we all must fight to maintain.

    The first is Freedom of Speech, which is the freedom of saying what you want without fear of retaliation, prosecution, or punishment. In the workplace, it is the freedom to state your opinion about the matter being discussed without fear of being devalued just because you are a woman, you are young, you are not part of the privileged group of people who make decisions (and play golf together). It is the freedom of drawing attention from your boss about a procedure that is not working right or it is heading to a disastrous outcome without fear of being fired, being blamed for it, being told not to say anything because that could raise alarms no one wants to be raised. In social life, it is the freedom of talking to your friends about anything without fear of someone outside the group listens and denounces you to the police (and you being arrested for it), your friends stop talking to you because you said something different from everyone else, being marginalized because “you’re weird”. However, as stated in a poster in the 2024 Freedom parade in Portugal, “hate speech is not freedom of speech”, meaning, you are free to say whatever you want as long as you respect other people. Insulting, humiliating, dehumanizing, inciting to violence is not freedom of speech.

    The second is Freedom of Press, which is the freedom for journalists to publish or broadcast what they think is important without any kind of censorship or external interference. States or companies (trying to “maximizing profit”, for example) that control what should be published or broadcasted are violating this principle. This doesn’t mean that all pieces should be published or broadcasted. The role of editors is to choose what and in what order should the pieces be published or broadcasted. The violation of the freedom of press is when someone from outside (a politician, a public official, the owner of a company) tries to replace the editor in such a task (or pressures them to do what they want). In addition, journalists should not be threatened or killed because they are doing their job. In conflicts, and especially in wars, journalists are clearly identified precisely because of this. Of course, journalists must have strong evidence (documents and/or reliable sources) to support their information. Releasing information without verifying it first can be considered defamation or lying. This can hurt the reputation of the journalist or the media where they work.

    The third is Freedom of Association, which is the freedom of you to associate with whoever you want to discuss something, do something, or defend a cause. It ranges from a simple book club, where a (small or big) group of people come together to talk about books, or a group of friends that gather once a week to play a sport, to an association aiming to do something that can transform society for the better (for example, end poverty, end the mistreatment of animals, end domestic violence, encourage cultural education, encourage sport activity, defend the environment). This includes political parties. In a free country, people have the right to state and defend their opinions and beliefs as long as they respect other people’s views. Democracy is made of a plurality of parties. In a country where some political parties are forbidden, other freedoms such as freedom of speech or freedom of press are compromised as well, for sure.

     

    Places, lieux, Orte, lugares

    When learning a foreign language, it is advisable to use it in context. That is why books and classes have simulations of situations such as “in the airport”, “meeting new people”, “daily routine”. You can do the same in real situations. Imagine you are going to travel. You can recreate the “in the airport” scenes and write and perform them in the language you are learning. All you need is the vocabulary, simple sentences, and a willingness to practice.

    The airport is a good place to start. From there, you can go to different countries and different sceneries. You can make up travels, describe trips you have already made, or journeys you are about to start. You can also talk about your city or your country. The possibilities are endless.

    Below we provide a list of vocabulary that you can use (in a pdf, which you can download) and some examples in English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. You can compare and get inspired.

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    Cartography

    Nowadays there are many people who can’t get around in a car without using the GPS. Funny enough, 30 years ago not many people would have heard about Global Positioning Systems. Back in the earliest days, the error between one’s position and the position given by the satellite was big enough to require a series of calculations. Today’s systems do the calculations automatically and way more accurately, so we don’t need to worry about it.

    GPS shows where you are, where you want to go, and which route you should take on a map. Today, maps are digitally designed, but mapping is still an art. Cartography (which comes from the French word carte, meaning “map”, and graphy, meaning “draw”) started in prehistoric times. Back then, humans would draw maps on cave walls to determine hunting and fishing grounds. Slowly, the drawing of maps got better and during the Age of Discovery they became essential. Exploring the world in search of raw materials and precious goods has led to an explosion of different maps. These maps were especially used for navigation purposes, but soon geographers were drawing maps reflecting what they were discovering all over the world on land.

    Gerardus Mercator was a geographer that lived in the 16th century. He is famous for the Mercator project, which is basically the map we all know and use these days. At the time, it was the most accurate, particularly for navigation purposes. This projection was the result of extensive travelling and many mathematical calculations. Today, this map is contested because it does not respect the true proportionality of continents and countries. For example, Greenland is too big and Africa is smaller than it actually is. Many other projections have been made, especially in the 20th and 21st centuries. One of the most controversial is the Gall–Peters projection, which is a kind of Mercator’s with the right proportionalities.

    Google maps have revolutionised maps for the general public because it made them interactive. You can zoom in and zoom out, have different views, analyse different routes. It is not perfectly accurate, but it is enough for people to use it with confidence. Currently, there are many other similar platforms that provide the same services. It now seems that maps are essential for our life: to go from point A to point B, to run on the street, to find the best route, to locate something.

    In a globalised world as it is today, it is fundamental that we know the location of the countries, the cities, the villages. In politics and international relations, maps have become crucial to understand the complex relationships between countries, which are limited by their own geography. Although the concept of geopolitics is relatively new, geography has always been important in war (therefore, at some level, in politics, as war is a political matter). The Chinese war general Sun Tzu mentioned it in its book “The Art of War”, which dates from the 5th century.

    The idea of mapping the world has expanded to other areas. There are projects to map the ocean and even the universe.

     

    Keyword: PLACES | “Prisoners of Geography” by Tim Marshall

    “Prisoners of Geography” is a book about geopolitics. It is written in a very easy-to-read manner, but with all the depth needed to fully understand what really is going on in the world. Most of the time, reporters fail to give us the news with the necessary depth for us to comprehend the events which are unfolding. Many grey areas are left unexplained and many layers remain to be unveiled.

    In this book, we can find answers to some of the most pressing geopolitical issues that shape the world today. Why is Russia always looking to expand its territory and influence the neighbouring countries? How is China challenging the USA as a world superpower? How did the USA become a world superpower? Other topics are also explored about Europe and the geography that shaped its nations, Africa and its difficulties for developing itself economically, the Middle East and its eternal conflicts, India and Pakistan and their constant mutual threats as well as their relationship with Afghanistan, the history of Korea’s division, Japan after the World War II, the geographical reasons why Latin America struggles in the global economy… and the Arctic. The readers’ view of the world will definitely change.

    Tim Marshall is a British journalist specialized in foreign affairs. He was in the field during the Balkan wars in the 1990s, Kosovo’s bombardments in 1999, and the “Arab Spring” in 2010. He also followed on site the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria. Besides reporting throughout Europe, USA, and Asia, he was a Middle East Correspondent in Jerusalem and a Europe Correspondent in Brussels. After more than 30 years interviewing different people, from those in the field doing the fighting to world leaders making the decisions, he now dedicates himself to writing and analysing.

    Tim Marshall wrote a second book, “The Power of Geography: Ten Maps that Reveal the Future of Our World”, detailing issues regarding some of the regions analysed in the first book plus other regions that were not included, like Australia… and the Space. Then, he furthered the Space topic in a third book, “The Future of Geography: How Power and Politics in Space will Change our World”.

     

    Keyword: MONASTERY | Bread

    One of the most widespread foods, bread is greatly differentiated from region to region. As a base of probably all countries’ diets, it is sometimes a synonym of food or meal. For this reason, bread is metaphorically used on several occasions. It is a token of sharing and socializing, a way of saying that people are earning money, a religious symbol.

    Bread is as old as the Neolithic. Back when humans settled in the same place and began farming and raising livestock, mixing flour (crushed grains) with water seemed a very good idea to make a nutritious food. Since then, it has evolved in terms of the flour used and the ingredients added. Egyptians found out that if the dough would ferment, the bread would be lighter. Romans invented the concept of bakery shops: shops specialised in baking bread to sell to customers. Then, during the industrial revolution, bread began to be mass-produced. Nowadays, it is recognised that artificial ingredients are not healthy and new solutions are being sought. Furthermore, people with allergies can already choose types of bread that take that into consideration.

    Although quite ancient, bread has managed to remain modern. Sandwich, pizza and calzone, bun, toast, crouton are some of the dishes based on bread, but there are also soups, salads, main dishes or even desserts. You can buy bread everywhere and you can also bake it at home. There are even machines to help you with it. If you are imaginative, you can bake your own bread using different types of flour and adding original ingredients.

    A life without bread is unthinkable for the majority of humankind. The truth is, few things make you feel at home like the smell of fresh bread. Therefore, bread has a past, but also a future, definitely. What future that will be, we will have to wait and see.

     

    Monastery

    Today, the need to “disconnect” and to “isolate” from the world is increasingly advertised as the solution for the stress caused by the Internet and social media. Technologies are modifying the way we work, the way we live, and the way we entertain and relax. Going to the countryside and spending some time in an isolated house seems to be the cure for the diseases related to this reality. You can go to a yoga retreat, to a SPA weekend, or to a holiday week with your family. The options are endless.

    The idea of isolating oneself from society is not new. Centuries ago, it was applied for those who wished to dedicate themselves to religion. This is true not only to Christianity, but also to other religions like Buddhism, and Hinduism. The concept is the same: monks go to live, permanently or temporarily, in a building in the middle of nowhere to pray, study, and work. “Monk” comes originally from the word monos, which means “alone”. A “monastery” is the place where “monks” live. Originally, it came from the Greek work monazein, which means “to live alone” or a “hermit’s cell”. In a way, monks were “forged” in the idea of being hermits, those who went to live in caves totally alone and without any contact with the outside world. However, in monasteries, monks usually live in a community, although they have their own “cell” where they sleep and spend some time alone, like a bedroom. And celibacy is mandatory.

    Monasteries are usually located in idyllic places, surrounded by nature, often on top of mountains. Curiously, the connection between “God” and “nature” is very strong. The top of mountains is considered to be closer to “Heaven”, thus, closer to “God”. And it is true that by being in the middle of nature one is further from the noisy society and it is easier to concentrate on divine matters.

    Meditation is regularly practised by Buddhist and Hindu monks whereas Catholic monks pray several times a day. Although a little different, the aim is similar: to detach oneself from earthly matters and give yourself to something beyond oneself. Besides praying/meditating, work is also very important, especially cultivating vegetables and aromatic herbs, cooking, and producing beverages. Delicious desserts, cheeses, bier, and wine are among well-known monks’ creations. They had time to think about it during theology’s breaks. They also had time to copy important books and built distinguished libraries.

    Monks are men and live in monasteries. In the case of women, they are called nuns and live in convents. In addition to the same roles as monasteries, convents had another role in society. Before disobedient women were considered hysterical and were locked up in psychiatric institutions by their fathers or husbands, they were locked up in convents and forced to follow a “life of faith” as a solution for their “sins”. Although contact with the outside world was cut, many nuns would become pregnant. Then, they would say it was the Holy Spirit who impregnated them. Yet, the truth was different and sometimes the babies were actually from monks… as monks and nuns would work together many times. All in the name of God.
     

    Keyword: MONASTERY | “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco

    In the Middle Ages, Friar William of Baskerville arrives at an Abbey to address a matter related to a dispute within the Catholic Church. Shortly after, dead bodies start to surface in a very sudden and mysterious way and soon it becomes clear that those friars were murdered. A serial killer is on the loose and William of Baskerville is put in charge of the investigation. He can only count on his analysis and deduction skills, and the help of Adso of Melk, a novice travelling with him.

    As the investigation unfolds, we learn that the dead men have strange ink stains on their bodies and that they were poisoned. What the ink means and which was the poison remains a mystery. A mystery is also the library of the Abbey. This library safeguards some of the rarest editions of valuable books and it is unique in the world. It had been constructed as a labyrinthine, and only authorized persons are allowed inside: knowledge is power and power must be contained.

    Time is running out. Bodies keep showing up and Inquisition is on William of Baskerville’s heels. In the meantime, all paths of the investigation lead to the library. The dead bodies seemed to be related to the library and, to solve the crimes, William and Adso must solve the library riddle.

    Umberto Eco was a Professor at the University of Bologna specialized in medieval literature and philosophy. This period of history and his great interest in sign processes and meanings influenced not only his academic work, but also his work as a writer. “The Name of the Rose” was his first and most famous novel, which combined all these elements. It was a success so great that a film was made only six years after the book was published. Sean Connery played the role of William of Baskerville and Christian Slater (a very young actor at the time) played the role of Adso of Melk.

    Six novels followed this first book and many literary awards. He also developed work as a translator and was a brilliant scholar. His private library was so unique that it was the subject of a documentary. The most peculiar characteristic is that the content of all books in his library was false. Umberto Eco thought false books were far more interesting than books narrating true facts because they were more imaginative. After his death, the books were donated by the family to the University of Bologna.

     

    Lawns, cherries, cows, and chickens

    Proverbs or sayings are one of the best ways to get to know the culture of a country, or a language. A language is developed according to the place where it is born. That is why snowy countries have many words for snow and words and expressions related to the sea are common in coastal countries. Of course, with colonialism and the imposition of European languages in other parts of the world, this got a little distorted. However, European languages are evolving differently in each part of the world where they were introduced. This means that European languages are adapting themselves to other realities. That is why we have British English, American English, and Australian English, for example. It is the same language (English), but with specificities in each region. Even British English is not as harmonious as people might think.

    As people are similar everywhere, some proverbs or sayings have the same meaning although they are presented differently, according to the reality of each language. On the other hand, there are those which are unique and don’t have a direct equivalence. When translating these, chances are they need to be explained rather than translated.

    Let’s analyse a practical example, comparing an English proverb with its equivalent in French, Germany, Spanish, and Portuguese:

    The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

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    Deceit

    Deceit is “an act of keeping the truth hidden, especially to get an advantage” (Cambridge Dictionary). This means that people deceive with a purpose. They want something and think that only by deceiving others will they get what they want. “Hidden the truth” can mean “lying” or “omit”, although some people say that “omitting” is a way of “lying”. There are many reasons for lying or omitting. In fact, deceiving is a daily activity. From little lies (for example, telling someone we meet on the street that we are fine when we are not), to living a double life and lying about it to everyone. Some say that a lie is a lie and it doesn’t matter if it is a little one or a big one. Some say that those who tell little lies are also capable of telling big ones. The truth is: everyone lies.

    Treachery is the worst kind of deceit. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, it is the “behaviour in which a person deceives someone who trusts them”. The main difference from a “simple lie” is related to “trust”, that is, you are lying to someone who believes in you, who thinks you are being true and cares about you. For example, if you say you are fine to someone you find on the street, this person doesn’t necessarily trust you or really cares. Treachery is like stabbing someone’s trust. The deceit is more serious and, thus, has more dramatic consequences once revealed. This is valid regarding personal relationships and actions against one’s own country. In the latter, it is called treason and it is considered a crime. Spies deliberately pretend to be someone they are not in order to gain the trust of those who possess the information they need to pass on to the enemies. The enemies, thus, get an advantage they wouldn’t otherwise.

    People can betray the trust of other people in other contexts, like in friendship or in love. They can also betray their own principles and values, when they act against what they believe and/or against their own feelings. Sometimes, people even lie to themselves. This means that one can betray themselves knowingly or they can find arguments to justify it (hence, lying). Honesty with oneself and with others is very difficult due to various reasons such as expectations, pressure, fear, politeness, shame, wanting to be accepted or to belong… even feelings of wanting to protect oneself or others.

    Another type of deceit is manipulation, which is “to control someone or something in a clever way so that they do what you want them to do” (Cambridge Dictionary). This can be done by distorting the truth so the other person believes in false information and acts accordingly. In this case, it’s not just about deception, but also control. People can manipulate other people, but a State or an Institution can also manipulate a large number of people. In the latter, you can say they are “brainwashing”.

     

    Keyword: DECEIT | “Fatherland” by Robert Harris

    What if Hitler had won the war and succeeded in achieving his terrible plans?

    The story of “Fatherland” starts in 1964. Preparations are ongoing for a glorious celebration of Hitler’s birthday. We are presented to Nazi Berlin and its grand new monuments built in honour and to serve the new regime. In the meantime, a body is found and Xavier March is called to investigate it. He is a regular German policeman who is not very happy with his job. His lack of enthusiasm with Nazism leads his colleagues to avoid him and his family to desert him. That’s the reason why it is Xavier March investigating the murder; everyone else is too busy with important things: the celebration of Hitler’s birthday.

    The case is deemed unimportant, but soon he realizes that it is not an ordinary murder. During the course of the investigation, he meets a foreign journalist who tells him disturbing things about the regime, something about massive murder in concentration camps… At first, he does not believe her, but he keeps on thinking about what she said and tries to uncover the truth.

    Robert Harris tells the story from the point of view of a regular person, fully integrated in the system, but one that can pay attention to what lies beyond. As a “normal” person, he believes in the Nazi propaganda, partly because he has no reason not to. After all, there are no other sources of information. When he meets a foreign person, with information unavailable in his country, he starts questioning everything. What she is telling is too unbelievable. He doesn’t even comprehend it. However, he starts thinking, connecting the dots… and he goes on investigating although he is not allowed to do so. The investigation puts his life in danger, but he pushes forward. Until, one day, he discovers the horrifying truth.

    The book is based on the fact that the German population was completely unaware about the concentration camps and portraits how people were required to comply with the regime. Those who did not were sidelined, maybe even arrested by the Gestapo and tortured. Eventually, they were killed. Even those who would comply could be killed anyway. No one was safe and people would do anything to survive.

    As a former journalist, knowingly or not, Robert Harris shows how important free press is, to investigate in depth and denounce all wrong doing of the State, regardless of the regime. Authoritarian regimes want their populations to be kept in the dark, and be ignorant. So, they feed people with propaganda and they force them to be part of organizations where they can mould their brains. We can see this in Xavier March’s son. He thinks he is doing the best he can do for his father, believing his father needs to see reason. He doesn’t know better, but he should.

    The role of the American journalist is the opposite of Xavier March’s son. She represents the free press that investigates and denounces. She shows the truth and how it is important for people to be informed.
     

    Key place: USA’s EAST COAST | Sandwiches

    Everyone knows what a sandwich is and everyone has eaten one. No mystery there. Some people have heard the story of how Earl Sandwich wanted to have something to eat without having to leave the gaming table. Hence, the name. True or not, eating bread with something inside is something that people have been doing probably since bread was invented.

    The most basic sandwich you can do is to spread butter on a slice of bread. From there, you can add ham, cheese, jam… and another slice of bread. Then, you can add another slice of bread, making a kind of a double sandwich. If you fancy vegetables, you can add lettuce, tomato, grated carrot… In order to be more substantial, like a lunch or a dinner, you can put mayonnaise, a boiled egg (or a fried egg), meat or fish.

    Sandwiches can be as different as your imagination. However, there are pre-defined types and some typical sandwiches per country. In The Netherlands, for example, they put the French croquette between two slices of bread and called it broodje kroket (croquette sandwich). As great fish eaters, and directly from their colonial heritage, they also have the broodje bakkeljauw, which is a sandwich with fried cod and is based on Suriname cuisine. In England, the Afternoon Tea usually comes with various sandwiches, namely the famous cucumber sandwich. They look like miniatures and can be displayed in those three-tiered dishes, like the mini-cakes. Then, there is the world-renowned club sandwich, which was invented in New York, USA. And speaking about the USA, they were also the inventors of putting the hamburger between two slices of bread.

    Sandwiches can have different forms: rectangular, triangular, round, squared, baguettes. You can also design animals or other figures with different ingredients, or serve it as an “open sandwich” (the bread is the base and the ingredients seem to be escaping from it). All types of bread are allowed, and you can choose to have a healthier sandwich or one full of calories with lots of sauce or jam.

    Options are endless, enjoyment is granted, fun is a plus.

     

    Mercantilism

    The word “mercantilism” comes from “merchant”, a person who buys goods to resell them. Merchants make money with the profit of the sale (the amount of money that is left from the sale after all expenses related to the buying and selling are paid). Since the beginning of time people have bought goods somewhere in order to resell them somewhere else. The Silk Road is a great example of this, these routes were very slow, very expensive, and full of dangers.

    The world changed in the 15th century. Until then, in Europe, the economy was based on feudalism, a system where Lords owned vast agricultural lands and received a rent from the farmers who actually worked those lands. The lands were given by the King, in exchange for some service worthy of them (like becoming Knights, going to war, and being successful). Back then, merchants were considered an inferior class. Like the farmers, they existed only to serve the King and the Lords, to provide them with goods from far away.

    The Era of Discovery aimed to expand the land of European Kings and, consequently, expand their wealth. The “mother land” would send people to the lands of the “new world” (the settlers) and the idea was for them to serve the King in a similar way as the Lords. However, they failed to foresee the role of merchants. While they became the intermediaries between the settlers and the King and the Lords, trade routes became less long and less expensive, and maybe a little less dangerous.

    Long story short, merchants started to make a lot of money. And with wealth, came power. They organized themselves in guilds and companies, like the Dutch West India Company. These guilds and companies were owned by the State, but they acted as they were independent. Wealth increased exponentially, both for the State and the merchants. This led to a shift in the economy and feudalism gave way to mercantilism. In countries where agriculture was not as important, trading became the core business of society. This is what happened in The Netherlands, and which gave rise to the Dutch Golden Age.

    Then, in the 18th century, came the Industrial Revolution and the economy shifted again. Trade was still the main focus, but this time the profits were to go to “capitalists”, people who had capital to invest in factories that would produce goods to be sold. The difference is that these capitalists were individuals and they would “compete” with other individuals/capitalists for the customers whereas in mercantilism, trade was made by the State and there was no competition.

    Nowadays, capitalism is still the base of the economy.

     

    Key place: USA’s EAST COAST | “The Baltimore Boys” by Joël Dicker

    Harry Quebert was Marcus Goldman’s mentor when Marcus Goldman was a student and an aspiring writer. Harry Quebert had become a great writer, not in the most honest way, as we learn in the book “The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair”. The mentorship gave rise to a good friendship, but the friendship came to an end due to the “Affair”. At the beginning of the “Affair” book, Marcus Goldman has a writer’s block and goes to visit Harry Quebert in his house by the beach in search of help. He is under pressure from the publisher to write a second book and he has no ideas. Witnessing first hand all events that led to Harry Quebert’s downfall, he reluctantly writes the book about the crime investigation that took place.

    This second book is also a success. The first book had been inspired by his friendship with his cousin when they were kids and had been a huge success. When “The Baltimore Boys” starts, Marcus Goldman is trying to write his third book and… he has no ideas. In the meantime, he receives a call saying his uncle had died. He then goes to Florida to his uncle’s house and revisits his friendship with his cousin: how appearances can be deceiving, how never-told-words can become misunderstandings, and how basic human emotions can lead to thoughtless and disproportionate actions.

    The Goldman’s family had two branches: the “poor” branch, living in New Jersey, and the “rich” branch, living in Baltimore. Marcus was part of the New Jersey branch, but he would go to Baltimore whenever he could, to spend time with his cousin. They were joined by a friend of his cousin, who became a non-official Marcus’ cousin. There was also a girl, who caused troubles, and a tragedy, that changed everyone’s lives. It turns out that the girl is, in fact, Marcus’ lost love. By chance, Marcus finds out that she is living not far from his uncle’s house… but she is engaged to be married.

    Joël Dicker takes us on a journey between the past and the present, where the present is conditioned by the past and the present can change the course of the future. A Swiss national, he spent many childhood summer holidays in Maine, USA. This experience inspired some of his first novels such as the famous “The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair”, which has turned into a successful TV series. Besides “The Baltimore Boys”, “The Alaska Sanders Affair” also includes characters of “The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair”. In his first novel set in his home town, “The Enigma of Room 622”, Joël Dicker is the main character of the story and pays tribute to his editor who had just died. With the death of his mentor, he decided not to have any other editor, and, thus, established his own publishing house: Rosie & Wolfe.

     

    Key place: LONDON, UK | Ice-cream

    Ice-cream is probably a national food in Italy, where you can find good gelato everywhere. Gelato is a specific ice-cream type. Other types are sorbet, frozen yoghurt, sundae, soft ice-cream, frozen custard… What differentiates each type is how they are made. You can also find national types of ice-cream in some countries. Sorbet, for example, is based on fruit and it is an Italian version of the Persian sherbets. Frozen yoghurt uses yoghurt instead of milk or cream and it is a USA invention.

    Existing since ancient times, ice-cream boomed in the 19th and 20th centuries when new techniques allowed it to be widely commercialized. Before, it was a special dessert for the rich, when its confection was too expensive, but, when the production costs decreased (much due to refrigerators), it became available to anyone. Just imagine 18th century aristocracy eating ice-cream for dessert as it was a distinct delicacy…

    Agnes Marshall (1855-1905) was an English cook who understood the potential of ice-cream. She wrote and published two recipe books about it and invented the first ice-cream machine. She also created a cone from almonds to be eaten together with the ice-cream, what she called “cornets with cream”. This was the first version of the ice-cream cones we all know today. Agnes was a real pioneer and visionary not only in what ice-cream was concerned, but also in terms of cooking in general. Together with her husband, she bought a cooking school in her name shortly after a law was issued allowing women to own property. This school thrived, much due to her travels around the country giving lectures and advertising the books she published. A true entrepreneur, she did not stop innovating and she even founded a human resources company for people who wanted to hire cooks, complementing, thus, her activities in the school.

    Nowadays, ice-cream is part of our daily lives. We can buy them in specialized stores, on the street, and in the supermarket. We can eat them on a plate, on a glass, on a cup, or on an edible cone. Besides the traditional flavours (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry), many new ones are being made (imagination is the limit). In fact, there are people who are paid to discover new mixes, so basically their job is to taste ice-cream. Pretty cool, yeah? There are also ice-cream cakes and baked ice-creams (look for “baked Alaska”).

     

    Tourism

    Since the beginning of human settlements people have travelled from settlement to settlement for trade purposes. While doing business, these people would share new cultures, new languages, new views of the world. These merchants lived for travel and would always be on the move. Then, during Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, people started to travel for pleasure. They would go on a “circle”, meaning they would go somewhere and back again. However, these “tours” were only for a selected few.

    Somewhere during the Middle Ages, the Grand Tour began to take shape. Members of the upper class got into the habit of travelling through Europe to educate themselves about painting, sculpture and ancient architecture. Each group of people would decide the length of time and the itinerary, often hiring a guide to accompany them. Paris and Italian cities like Venice, Florence, and Rome, were usually part of the trip. Switzerland, especially Geneva, was included in some of the most daring and intrepid journeys.

    In the 19th century, due to the development of railways, the price of travel decreased and accessibility increased. This meant that people from the middle class were also able to afford to travel, making the business around tourism to flourish. The tourism industry was born and mass tourism followed. In fact, the travel agencies’ tours are a modern version of the Grand Tour, adapted to a large number of people and very limited in time. Nowadays, you would probably have to do several of these tours to make one old Grand Tour.

    Today, many people are keen to distinguish between “tourists” and “travellers”. “Travellers” are those you want to meet people from different countries, who want to immerse themselves in the culture and learn about it. “Tourists” are those who just go and see what is presented to them. In reality, people who did the Grand Tour wanted to learn about art and ancient culture, but they did not wish to immerse themselves in the culture. They were known for criticising the “natives” and would only get along with their countrymen. Pretty much like tourists nowadays.

    So, tourism has been around for a long time. It has evolved and now the possibilities are endless. People go touring for all kinds of purposes all over the world. There are pre-defined tours, but you can also plan your own voyage. Different budgets will provide you different trips to different destinations. For the same destination, you can choose different means of transportation, hotels, services. And, if you can afford it (in terms of money and time), you can replay a Grand Tour of your own making.

     

    Key place: LONDON, UK | “The Cuckoo’s Calling”, by Robert Galbraith

    Cormoran Strike is a former military policeman who lost part of his leg in Afghanistan. He became a private detective without much success and now he has a huge debt to pay. On top of that, he has just ended his troubled relationship with his long-time love and, as he lived with her, he now has nowhere to live. Therefore, he spends his nights in his own detective office. To make things worse, he found out that the temp agency he used to work with has just sent him a new temporary secretary without asking him. He doesn’t have any money to pay her, but he feels bad for her, as it is not her fault the agency got mistaken. He decides to employ her for the week she was promised.

    Robin Ellacott has just moved to London to live with her boyfriend and she is looking for a permanent job. In the meantime, she is taking temporary jobs while she goes to interviews. Strike’s office is her most recent post and her first day there is also her first day as a bride to be; her boyfriend had proposed to her the night before. Although she arrives overwhelmed with happiness, the first impression of her temporary employer is not very pleasant and she can’t wait for the week to be over and leave.

    London is the stage of all the action. Strike’s office is located in the trendy Soho, at the heart of the city. On the same day, the brother of his childhood, and dead, best friend knocks on the door to ask him to investigate the murder of his sister, which was ruled a suicide. The case has nowhere to go, but the client promises him a lot of money, enough money to pay Strike’s debt and the one-week salary of his new employee. He reluctantly accepts the case and heads to Mayfair, the city’s poshest borough, where the wealthiest people in the country, and maybe in the world, live.

    Throughout the story, the reader follows Cormoran and Robin as they walk, and sometimes take the tube, around London to find out the truth about the affair. Not everything is what it seems and all details matter. During one week, the case gets solved and both our protagonists change their lives.

    “The Cuckoo’s Calling” is the first book of a series by Robert Galbraith, the pseudonym of J.K. Rowling for crime fiction. After the huge success of the Harry Potter series, she wanted to write something different. She wrote “The Casual Vacancy”, a fictional story about the events that follow the death of a parish councillor in a rural town. This was a success, but what she really wanted was to write detective stories. However, she wanted to test if she was good enough, if her detective stories were not sold just because J.K. Rowling wrote it. So, she sent the book anonymously under the name of Robert Galbraith and got published. However, the journalists found out the truth and the sales of the books escalated. The freedom of anonymity is gone, but the series is solid and growing.

     

    Key place: ITALY | Wine

    Italy is one of the largest wine producers in the world and Tuscany is one of the largest and most prolific wine regions in Italy. Wine has been produced in this region since before the Roman Empire. Rome was not that far away (from Florence to Rome is about 217 km), and this region was ideal to produce the precious nectar that Romans loved so much. Therefore, wine production in this region boomed and it has never stopped since.

    Despite all technological advances, producing wine is still an art. For starters, it depends on nature: rain, temperature, sunlight, bugs… and the type of soil is also important (which is different from region to region). That is why it is so important to know where and when the wine was produced. Exceptional weather results in exceptional wine whereas bad weather makes bad wine. Tuscany has good soil for growing grapes and also good weather conditions.

    Choosing the right time to reap the grapes is crucial. Grapes transform acid into sugar, which will be later turned into alcohol. If the grapes are reaped too soon, the wine will be too acidic. If they are reaped too late, there will be too much sugar, producing a too alcoholic wine. Therefore, producers start tasting the grapes about a month prior to their harvest to decide the exact date of the big day. Then, people have to cut the grapes in a certain way and prepare them to be transported also in a certain way. All details matter because everything will influence the quality of the wine.

    Wines are defined by their grape variety and by their type. The most well-known varieties are, for example, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Pinot Noir, but many more are available. As for their types, they can be white, red, rose, sparkling, or dessert. The distinction between the different types of wine comes from the process rather than the colour of the grapes. One of the best-known sparkling wines is Champagne, named after the region where it was originally produced. This wine is usually made with Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay grapes. Porto wine is a dessert wine, named after a city near the region where it was originally produced (the Douro Valley). It can be made from a great variety of grapes, but the most common are the Touriga Francesa and the Touriga Nacional.

    Lastly, the same wine can produce different styles, which depend on how long the wine ages and where this process occurs. Wine that ages in wooden barrels will taste differently from a wine that ages in other types of barrels. The time they age can also be decisive on the resulting style. After this process is considered finished, the wine is bottled. It is no coincidence that wine is bottled in a certain type of glass and closed with a cork. As mentioned above, all details matter. Finally, the way wine is stored also hugely influences the preservation of quality. Hence, the cellars.

    True wine connoisseurs take all this information into consideration when choosing the right wine. And there is no “one” best of them all. It all depends on the purpose and personal preferences. Well, yes, there are annual awards for those considered “the best”. However, when choosing the right wine for your dinner, for example, there are many factors to consider. For starters, the type of food you are eating. In general, fish match better with white wine and meat with red wine. However, it all depends on the kind of fish/meat and how it is cooked…

    Difficult? Well, yes, but with training and experience comes wisdom.  

    Bank and Banking

    According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary the word “bank” comes from the Italian word “banca” meaning a table where money was exchanged. In early days of trading (meaning the early days of human settlements), people would exchange goods for goods directly. However, at some point, this became impracticable, especially when dealing with distant settlements. Thus, coins were introduced, which were usually made of gold and/or silver, therefore, their value was calculated based on its material. However, coins were different from place to place and people needed to go to the “banca” to exchange it. This process was very informal and usually performed by merchants, who used to travel a lot.

    Then, people found that they needed a place to store their money, a safe place that is. And what safer place was there than the religious temples, guarded by the gods themselves?… Priests were soon lending money to people and robbery started to happen. Things became more serious during the Roman Empire, when buildings were designated especially for storing money and lending money became a common practice. Everyone could lend money and get it back, usually at very high rates. Those who engaged in such activities in small scales were called “usurers”.

    During the Medieval Times and Renaissance, Italians consolidated their vocation for trading between themselves and the outside world. At the same time, Kings and Popes (and nobles, too) were increasingly resorting to debt to pay their grand projects. Back then, Italy was not a united country as it is today. The cities were independent and some of them, like Florence, were very rich. Using all their knowledge about trading, exchange of money, and lending, Florentine families, like Bardi and Peruzzi, founded the first official banks. Later, they were completely surpassed by the Medici, who founded what was soon the biggest bank in Europe. At this point, “usurers” were already looked down upon and the word became a bad name.

    So, this is how banks of deposit (people needed to store money in a safe place) and exchange banks (people needed to change coins to pay for goods in other places) came to be. Banking activity came about with the necessity of people to get loans to pay for their projects in advance.

     
    For more information about the history of banking:

     

    Key place: ITALY | “A Room with a View”, by E. M. Forster

    Lucy is an English middle-class young lady that visits Italy with her unmarried cousin Charlotte. When arriving in Florence, disappointment awaits them. They were expecting an authentic Italian hotel, but they find that the hotel is actually managed by an English woman and is full of English guests. In addition, they were given the wrong room: they specifically asked for a room with a view to the river, but they got a room at the back. This was the beginning of several misunderstandings based on English prejudices. However, Lucy discovers a whole new world inside of her that will change her perspective of the world. Something happens in Florence, between her tours around the city, which she will try to forget before returning home. Once there, she tries to go back to her former life, unsuccessfully.

    E. M. Forster travelled extensively, especially through Europe. He also had a keen eye for people’s behaviour and was a sharp critic of English society, for his hypocrisy and class stratification. His writings reflected that so accurately that he was nominated for the Nobel Prize several times, but never won it.

    “A Room with a View” is about the journey of Lucy, both to another country and of self-discovery. The book starts and ends in Florence, the symbol of such a change in her. All characters in the story have their own important role to play. There is a contrast between native Italians, with a free lifestyle, and English visitors, trapped in a meaningless life full of rules that they themselves struggle to follow. Also, there are English people from different classes and we are informed on the prejudices between them. Lucy wants to fit in, and she almost succeeds if it was not for a certain (impertinent?) young man.

    The book was published in 1908, when it was fashionable for the members of the English high society to travel around Europe (and other members of the middle class, with money). In 1985, the book was adapted to the cinema, starring Helena Bonham Carter as Lucy and with the participation of Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, and Daniel Day-Lewis. There is also a 2007 TV movie based on the book.

    Key place: PARIS, FRANCE | Le croissant

    People can eat croissants at breakfast, in the afternoon, with tea or coffee, at lunch or as a snack, as bread or as a sweet. You can eat it by itself or add cheese, ham, butter, jam, cream, chocolate, spinach…. It is typically made with puff pastry (laminated dough filled with butter), which gives it that crunchy feeling we all love. Nowadays, there are different types of croissants, with different types of dough, but the shape is usually the same: a crescent shape.

    “Croissant” means “crescent” in French. And “croissant” is a very typical French delicacy that has become incredibly popular. Except it was originally Austrian… and it only came to be in the 19th century, when an Austrian man opened a pastry shop to sell Austrian delicacies in Paris. These delicacies were based on a typical Austrian bread, with centuries of existence, which had a crescent shape.

    No matter. “Le croissant” changed enough to become a French product that has been “exported” to the whole world and it is now quite different from that typical Austrian crescent bread. And, because food is always evolving and changing, croissants gave rise to many other similar delicacies, like the pain au chocolat. In truth, nowadays, you may find pastry called “croissants” without the typical crescent shape, but the spirit remains.

    In literature, you can find some books with “croissant” in the title. Usually it is a romance, but it can be a rural crime mystery. However, most likely they are all set in France. There are also some references to croissants in films and TV series. Probably the “coolest” scene in the movies is when Meryl Streep (or rather, her character) bakes croissants from scratch.

     

    Revolution

    Probably the most well-known revolution is the French Revolution. This revolution was, in fact, a symbol of the collapse of the feudal system that took place throughout Europe at the time. The date of 14th July 1789 is usually referred to as the date of this revolution, but, in truth, the revolution began before that and ended much later, about ten years later or so. Can you pinpoint a precise date for a revolution? No, you cannot. In this case, the 14th July 1789 was actually the Storming of the Bastille, when the people that were fighting on the streets suddenly entered into the Bastille, which was a political prison at the time. Today is commemorated as the National Day in France.

    A Revolution is, in fact, a long process that completely transforms society. In the case above, the feudal system was abolished and the monarchy ended, together with many other profound changes that occurred at the same time. This is different from a revolt, which is “to renounce allegiance or subjection (as to a government)” (Merriam-Webster dictionary). A revolt, or an insurrection, lasts less than a revolution and aims to a certain goal. It can succeed or fail when changing something specific. Some revolts could become revolutions (like the French Revolution, which began as a revolt, or several revolts, and grew until it turned into a real revolution), or at least they can have such a goal. If they fail in becoming a revolution, they are just revolts.

    Revolts imply violence, but revolutions may not. For example, the Digital Revolution, which refers to the undergoing changes in today’s society from analogical and mechanical technologies to digital technologies, is not violent. Due to new technologies, the way we live, work, and are entertained is getting profoundly different little by little.

    Then, there are specific types of revolts that can have certain names depending on the context. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

    • “REBELLION implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful.”
    • “UPRISING implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion.”
    • “MUTINY applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority.”

     

    Key place: PARIS, FRANCE | “Das Parfum”, by Patrick Süskind

    Paris, 18th century. 51 years before the French Revolution, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born in the most stinking place in the most stinking city of the most stinking Kingdom: a fish market in Paris. This is how the story of the most exquisite perfumer begins.

    Grenouille has no body smell and, because of that, he is feared. People are not afraid of him, they just feel he is different in a completely and unbeknownst way and just keep their distance. No one knows, except Grenouille himself, that he has an enormous gift: he can smell and precisely categorise all the smells (good and bad) in the world. He can also detect the tiniest fragrance that has travelled from far away. For Grenouille, who has no moral values, only this gift matters. So, killing to acquire the body smell of a particular person is just a collection method, nothing more.

    We navigate through this story of smells through fabulous descriptions and enumerations. First, we learn how he survived when all circumstances were against him, then we learn how, little by little, he discovered and developed his gift. In the end, his wish comes true and he becomes a perfumer’s apprentice. Well, not much of apprenticeship, as he already knows how to mix the smells to obtain the most marvellous perfumes. However, some of those techniques are going to be surprisingly helpful for him to advance in his exploration of his gift… and his final goal, which will have a dramatic ending.

    Patrick Süskind wrote the book and there are films and TV series based on it, like the 2006 film with Dustin Hoffman as the perfumer master, and the 2018 TV series produced in Germany.

     

    Key place: SIBERIA | Solyanka soup

    Like most recipes, the origin of the solyanka soup is controversial (read here more about it here). It is believed it was a main dish back in the 17th century that turned into a soup in the 19th century. At that time, it became very popular, especially in taverns, and the way of cooking it was a hallmark of each cook. During the Soviet period, the soup was spread throughout the countries that were part of the Union, all the way to East Germany. Nowadays, it is still very popular here, with different versions according to the creativity of who cooks it.

    Solyanka is a broth with many different ingredients and the ingredients that are added is what differentiates each version. Usually includes pickled cucumbers, sauerkraut, onions, and other vegetables, maybe potatoes and tomatoes, a lot of salt, fat and spices. Typically, it is a hearty soup with meat, but it can also have fish or mushrooms instead. However, it is mandatory to add sour cream when it is ready, just before it is served. Olives are also traditionally added.

    The reason this broth was so popular in taverns was because it is great to eat together with vodka, and great to cure drunkenness (read here more about it) due to the quantity of fat it includes. Nowadays, you can find good choices in the supermarket, also as frozen food, but you still can find the best option in the restaurant.

     

    Snow

    For people who live in countries where there is not much snow or none at all, there is only snow and ice. Maybe we can add “frost”, the ice that forms in the early morning and usually damages crops. However, for people who live in “frozen” countries, recognizing different types of snow can be a question of life and death, literally. Therefore, people who live in countries like Greenland or within the Arctic Circle, have many more words for snow and ice, most of them may not even have a direct translation in other languages.

    Snow is “rain” when temperatures are below the freezing point (0ºC). If there is no moisture, there is no snow, even when temperatures are really low. For example, in Antarctica, there are vast spaces called Death Valleys where there is no moisture, therefore, no matter how low the temperature is, there is no snow, ever. The level of moisture determines the type of snow and, ultimately, how dangerous it is. The temperature also influences as the ice crystals form differently under different temperatures. This is also true for ice, which, in a way, is a form of snow. Or better yet, snow is a form of ice. The difference is that snow is formed in air (hence, “frozen rain”) and ice is formed on the ground.

    However, it is not only the level of moisture and temperature that determine the type of snow. There is also the snow that accumulates on the ground and then melts and then freezes again (hard-packed snow). The best snow for skiing is the snow that has just fallen when the weather is dry, but cold enough to freeze water (powder snow). Then, there are the types of snow that are more than one year old, but are still loose enough for skiing (firn snow). When this type of snow consolidates, it forms a glacier. Wet snow is a snow that is heavy with water, the best one for building snowmen. Drift snow is the snow that is “transported” by the wind and can cause avalanches.

     
    Well, this is a very extensive subject. For more information, you can start by reading:

     

    Key place: SIBERIA | “The Lost Pianos of Siberia”, by Sophy Roberts

    Russians conquered Siberia between 1580 and 1778. In the meantime, in 1762, Catherine the Great became empress of Russia. This means that, when Catherine took the throne, almost all (and later all) Siberia was part of the Russian Empire. Under her ruling, Siberia acquired its status of “prison” and “exile”, but it was also invaded by a “piano fever”.

    Sophy Roberts is a British journalist specialized in travel writing. When she heard there was lost pianos worth looking for in Siberia, she thought this was the perfect excuse to finally get to know this part of the world. What started as a piano quest, ended as a collection of stories about Siberia and the importance of music (and pianos) in the region. In truth, since Catherine the Great, music and pianos are entangled with Russian history and culture and it is impossible to talk about one without talking about the other.

    This non-fiction book is a journey through time from 1762 to present days. Throughout its narrative, stories of pure horror go hand in hand with sublime stories of human endeavour. Catherine the Great was a huge fan of European culture and, in a time when pianos were the latest music technology, she adopted them and was the driving force to spread them to the entire Empire, even to the most remote and (almost) inaccessible places. At the same time, she was complicit with the slavery of her people and the use of Siberia for getting rid of dissidents.

    Time passed by and dissidents kept rebelling and kept being sent to Siberia. However, these dissidents were educated people, with a love for music and the pianos. Therefore, when they went to exile, they made a point to take the pianos with them and educate people there. Then, during the soviet period, the state funded music schools to make the piano available to (literally) everyone. The “piano fever” gave rise to a whole piano industry for constructing pianos, fine-tuning them, learning how to play them, and enjoying them in every possible way.

    Finding these old pianos was a journey to the most remote and isolated locations. There were amazing discoveries, great disappointments and also the possibility to connect people that loved the same pianos. Hearing their stories, the stories of the people connected to them, or simply the historical context in which each piano “lived” (and sometimes “died”) was the foundation of this book. Sophy Roberts was joined at times by the photographer Michael Turek. They also have a website dedicated to this book, where you can see some photos and videos, and hear some music played on a piano.