Kibii wi koni, Marcel Pinas, the event

foto readytex art gallery collectie 2011

Beeldend Kunstenaar Marcel Pinas bereidt voor, zijn overzichtstentoonstelling Kibii wi koni, the event.. een event vooraf aan het event. Wanneer alles nog stil is, geen woorden over wat het betekent en er geen gedachten ingeplant worden door het geroezemoes om je heen, kan je kijken en tot je nemen, kan je genieten van de ruimte en hoe die gevuld wordt, kan je voelen het werk van vele handen. Dat is nog voordat vele ogen de ruimte zullen aftasten terwijl handen het pootje van een goed gevuld glas omklemmen en monden bewegen in zinnige en misschien ook onzinnige teksten over wat zij wel of niet zien. Maar dat geeft niet, want het staat er, het is er en het is niet te ontkennen, niet weg te cijferen, het vangt je en het houd je vast, of het glijd je voorbij en dan nog roep je, ik heb iets gezien.

Marcel Pinas creeert een event dat zijn naam eer aan doet, ook in de voorbereiding. Voorbereiding met kunstenaars, leerlingkunstenaars, kunstcritici, schrijvers, productie, technici, bouwers, installateurs, dansers, regisseurs, cameramannen, fotografen, adviseurs, chauffeurs..zovele handen. Een wonderlijke samenkomst van waardevolle kennis om te koesteren.

Een ieder die zijn eigen gedachte en kennis geeft aan een onderdeel, van de inspiratie die hij voelt. De bladzijden van een boek, de stenen vloer, het balanceren op grote hoogten voor het bevestigen van het zo essentiele licht, een touwtje om een wekker, het binden van een lepel, het testen van de monitor. Vanaf vanavond zal elk stukje vloer dat nog braak ligt gevuld worden met verwachtingsvolle voetstappen. Dan gaat 'het event', zoals het bedoeld is, zijn leven voor het grote publiek beginnen. Geen politiek gebrabbel over wat mooi is dat behouden moet worden. Geen loze kreten over wat cultuur is die gekoesterd moet worden. Geen inhoudsloze beloften over wat fout is goed maken. Maar de schoonheid van de kunst die de kale waarheid brengt, handen die gedachten vorm hebben gegeven uit pure noodzaak van het leven van elk mens die kennis en hetgeen hij ziet, op waarde schat. Kibii wi koni the event, gaat van start, maar voor degenen die alle maanden en dagen hebben gewerkt, heeft kibii wi koni zijn start reeds gemaakt en is het aan het publiek om de komende dagen daarin te delen.

KKF beursterrein 21-28 juni 8-12 18-22 uur.

Yes we Can, Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathi

foto credits Lisa Merton



Yes we can!
Although popular after the election of President Obama, this statement has been the inspiration for many in the world to demand the right of respect for people, their culture and our nature. Taking Root, is the stunning documentary of the vision of Wangari Maathi. She demonstrates to us to act on the thought yes I can. Taking Root tells the story of the Green Belt Movement of Kenya and its founder Wangari Maathi, the first environmentalist and first African Woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. The documentary is part of the Forest film festival in Paramaribo, which has started this week and will be running every thursday in the month of June

The story takes you through 30 years of struggle byMaathi and her women in Kenya, starting with taking care of the causes of deforestation. Planting a simple tree proves to be the root for justice, freedom and human rights. As women were seen as unimportant lives, they could just carry on with their movement untill it became clear how succesfull they were in creating a better life by themselves with only one thought, they could do it. For years and everywhere in the world we see these examples of women taking their lives in their own hands, deciding their own destiny by taking action, by building, not destroying, by speaking, not standing quiet.

Maathi 'Living with the forest is an understanding of the forest. Never in your mind it will occur to you that 'living with' can transform in 'breaking down'. Cause how can you live with something which you yourself destroy, only a sick mind, whith no respect for other human beings will do this.' Indeed sick minds have destroyed. The English colonizer, thereafter the governement of Kenya untill the new elections of 2003.

The documentary is more then about trees, it shows us that the fundament of relations of respect is rooted in our respect for nature, a basis for the relationship between people. The documentary is a mix of footage, news items and interviews. Maathi believes that the soil carries our souls. 'When you take nature away from its people you take out the soul of people.' It took Maathi a journey of thirty years to fight for the soul of the people of Kenya. Her spirit gives us the argument to prove.. 'yes we can'.

Documentary by Lisa Merton and Alan Dater.
www.greenbeltmovement.org

zoveel

zoveel
woorden
die nog geen letters vinden
ik omkleed ze met een zachte kus
zoveel
wachtend om uit te spreken
mijn lippen gekoesterd om ze heen
in de streling tussen jou en mij
reizen ze heen en weer
mijn naam, jouw naam
aan elk verbonden
zoveel
soms glipt er ongemerkt
eentje weg,
om een zin te vormen
jouw richting op
zoveel
zoveel.

Clark Accord, afscheid nemen bestaat niet....

'Had ik het hoofdstuk geschreven, dan had ik hem pratend, dansend en lachend op het toneel laten verschijnen, de stem met rollende r mijn oren laten kriebelen en uitgestrekte handen die een brasa konden geven, maar, het was zijn boek.'

Zo stapte ik op een regenachtige donderdagavond de singineti in, een hoofdstuk van Clark's boek, alsof ik plotseling op een bladzijde was beland die ik niet helemaal begreep. Een boek van Clark Accord, waarin een toneel was geschapen voor Clark zonder dat ik hem kon zien. Ik moest de woorden zeggen die ik nog niet geoefend had en die mij al even vreemd terug aanstaarden terwijl de zang mij droeg naar een nieuwe dimensie van Clark. De onbekende woorden van dit hoofdstuk, vermomd in hun warme klank , die mij en allen die deel van dit toneel waren omringde. Nee afscheid nemen bestaat niet... afscheid nemen van jou, Clark, bestaat niet.... I see you when I get there.

Music and words connecting, sharing to grow..

Clark Accord, proze with percussion, november 2010, boxel night wan tru puwema unplugged.

Jim and me, the music dialogue. Boxel night, wan tru puwema unplugged, music and words floating into each other, saying what you don't hear, playing what you don't say.

letters and rice grains in Nickerie

Nickerie. It is all about the harvest, rice harvest so it seems...

It is rice harvest season this time of year, and also the period when children of all surroundings of West Suriname will visit the children's book fair. The quiet green of the fields seems in contrast with the hard working men in their combines and on their trucks, driving on and off into the rice fields. A plate of rice will never be the same for me again as I watch these hard working men, from dawn too late in the evening. Every rice grain will taste of hard labor, of green fields, of sun and wind, of team effort, for all mouths

to feed, in Suriname and over our borders. It is all rice what's on my mind as I am confronted with big letters on a wall.. it is not just letters.. these are words..this is a poem.

I stand still , standing in front of a wall much bigger than me.

Words by the famous Surinamese poets Dobru and Shrinivasi written on the walls of the WIN building of the Cultural Center of Nickerie. When standing close I can see letters, like rice grains, filling the wall with more letters, becoming words, becoming sentences. Moving a little further away from the wall the sentences become alineas and much further all of this becomes a poem. Suddenly every letter has a meaning, the b of bruine zandweg (brown sand path) in Shrinivasi's poem is not just a 'b'. It is carefully painted, a black curly peace of art work is planted in the beige wall. When sunlight hits the wall the words seem to dance in the air the longer you look at it.

Letters holding hands, waving, finding each other in a structure to become a poem. Dobru and Shrinivasi connected the thoughts in their mind in the art of words, thread the words to become a field of words we call poem. I harvest every word from the wall, with my camera, with my eyes with my mouth, speaking it out loud in the heat of the one o'clock afternoon sun. I know in twenty-four hours lots of children visiting the children's book fair will be here, on this spot and will meet with these walls of words. It will never be just a poem again. It will be like a rice field, to take care of, reading every word carefully, tasting the meaning of the poet, harvesting every sentence and never spill one letter of it.

Karin Lachmising

De wurggreep van Potentie

Potentie, bruisend , stil
Daar lig je dan
Een kluis.
Een stapel bankbiljetten
Enorme waarde
Onzichtbaar voor de buitenwereld.
Ze horen je niet, zien je niet
En nee, willen niet
Op je rug, op je buik
Gevouwen, languit
Brandend om te leven,
Ben je daar niet voor gemaakt?
Geld moet rollen, is het niet
Schuivend en rollend materiaal
Behouden
Vergeet de handen
Die zich over je zullen ontfermen.
De kleur waaarin je zal veranderen,
Of vorm
De taal van je waarde
Jouw tijd is nog niet aangebroken
Je weet het niet
Wanneer het zover is
Stille wanden van jouw ruimte
Als je geluk hebt, zijn ze glimmend
Soms
Soms lig je op een soort tapijtje
Denk je dat het goed is
Tot het creme deurtje
je afsluit
Dat is wanneer je meegenomen bent
Verre reizen
Op de golf dat leven heet
Een klik
Nummers draaien voor je ogen
Je hoopt dat je ontploft.. dat het dan maar over is
Maar ook daartegen ben je beschermd
Aan alles is gedacht
Alles
Het bruisen
Achter comfortabele zones
Vergeeld zal je niet raken
Versleten ook niet,
Gewoon
Goed bewaarde potentie
Voor eens,
of niet.

Wat is?

wat is nog gewoon
als er zoveel niet gezegd word
als de handen in een groet opgaan
zonder dat ze willen

wat is nog normaal
als er zoveel niet gedaan word
we lachen als we huilen
met ons verwonde hart

wat is er nog vreemd
als ongewone dingen
gewone dingen worden
woorden niet vertellen
kunnen
hoe het werkelijk is

wat is nog herinnering
als simpelweg
vertrouwen
wegglijd in wat is

wat is er nog aan waarheid
een argument
van vrede
vrede met wat is
vergiffenis in de lucht?



Karin Lachmising

label: the best choice

It was the sign on a car right before me while I was in a weary mood. 'the best choice'. As if it was winking at me.. the best choice , the best choice. Does it feel great, such a sign on your car? I thought how convinced must you be to put on a label " the best choice". No other car than that one. How can you know, maybe this car will run someone over? Will it still be the best choice than? I wanted to stop the car, asking the driver if he really really was very very sure it was surely surely the best choice? I didn't of course. But the question kept on bothering my mind. Why label something with 'best choice"? I felt a littlebit guilty because for myself i couldn't say anything about the best choice, my car, wel sometimes yes.. depending on which road i drive on. So, sometimes things prove to be the best.. and that same thing in another situation or timeframe, proves to be worse than ever. It is not only cars, it is religions, jobs, friends, boyfriends, clothes, politics.. I think i will design my own label.. the best experience. And maybe that experience can be the worse choice, but maybe also the best.

Kibii wi koni, connecting?

Afaaka symbols, a language almost forgotten, are the first things to be recognized in the work of Suriname's popular and promising visual artist Marcel Pinas. Marcel's maroon cultural background and everything that endangers this culture, its people and the land of the people is visualized in his installations, paintings and multimedia work. This is his last day of the exhibition in Saint Laurent, Guiana, "kibii wi koni" (conserve and hold on to our knowledge).

I follow the afaaka symbols on Marcel's work. In the red, blue , black and yellow surface, in the wooden installation, in every art peace of Marcel they show themselves to me.

I try to figure out what i feel , how i connect with this work but somehow i just feel myself watching, like the work wants me to watch, without coming to close to it. It is not an emotional statement, far from that. It is about facts, about life as it is, about trying to teach children to be aware of who they are and what they need, to have a life to be proud of.

When the work is transported back again to Suriname with grace the big afaaka symbols lay there in the small boat. I travel with them , while they are lying in the sun, water splashing, wind blowing, but still, they hold themselves in perfect shape, these quiet symbols. I watch the boatsman carry the symbols high in the air.. as for everybody to see it, watch it.. while they move.. move back from Guiana to Suriname. They lay down softly in the pickup for a bumpy ride back to Moengo, Marcel's former hometown.

Than it is almost with grace, as we take out the afaaka symbols. And they stand feer, as nothing can harm them, surviving sun, water, wind.. going from place to place. When I look at them , they look back, strong characteristics of symbols of a language conserved, of a history captured, of people strong enough to take their lives in their own hands.

It is then i realize this is the symbolic of the strength of life. Marcel creates this strong inner being in his work. Giving us pace to connect to our own strong self. Showing us symbols to stand tall in a world that seems to forget life in its most true state.

Walking together with Marcel is like stepping on a strong , clear path of engagement , engagement to be true to yourself , to the ground that feeds you and the creation of us humanbeings. It is what Marcel's work tells me,.not to give up, to hold on to ourselves, kibii wi, and from that space.... connect.

Karin Lachmising, Saint Laurent January 8th 2011.

Pictures exhibition kibii wi koni, Marcel Pinas, Saint Laurent november 19th 2010- january 7th 2011

Club Touche

Finally it opened, Suriname's hottest discotheque during the 80's. Club Touche. The dark brown building of before has changed into a modern metallic cube, adapted to our view in 2010. The red carpet was out, a small band playing at the front door. And there i stepped into the new Touche, shaking hands with the owner and most experienced event entrepeneur in Suriname, Baldew, known by everyone as Bally. And although it is totally restyled.. the walls metallic , steel frames.. as i come insight all the Touche vibes are there. On solid ground.. the music, the talks, the loves, the looks, the dates. The place where so many loves started..and some great many times.. also ended! Even the latin room somewhat seemed to throw me back in time with the music and the people sitting around a new styled bar. Yet, still i have no need to stay 'in this smaller latin 30+ dance area, although now my age would allow me too!

As I walk into the ground floor dancing area I see huge walls, the bar on my right hand, a spacious dance floor and a Dj who can be seen. He has his own 'lightened up' space. Bally totally recognizes this new DJ role of the millennium , being part of the scene, being the one who makes the scene. The high wall on my left side is totally transformed into a screen, showing pictures of the guests and video clips. A second good adaptation of Bally. We live in the time of exposure, with facebook, twitter, partypix. People want to be seen, want to expose themselves to the world. In front of the camera and video suddenly people open up, sometimes a kind of way out for not having the ability to socialize. Bally deals with a professional photography company, as can be seen on the wall, where guests, who just came in can see themselves: huge and exposed.

The bar is bizzy as always, guys in black pick up glasses from the nice stand alone tables. I walk around the dancefloor, great music of nowadays, nobody dancing. When the 80's music starts, the dancefloor comes alive. The lights are one on the most sophisticated. The dancing floor lightens up in soft blue light... the crowd almost seems to be part of a huge concert. The marmer used for the podium on the left, taking the whole lenght of the wall, makes the place much bigger, reflecting the wall visions. The place is crowded... and at twelve, when officially the new discotheque announces it's rebirth, the floor is invisible, body's, feet, heads , arms moving with smyling faces into the great light.

Touche hits the floor, Bally surely knows his country and its people. Suriname seems to be the country to bounce back, no matter what happened, no matter what people did or do, and in this case, no matter how long doors have been closed. This country makes place to get back into drive as nothing ever happened. New clothes, new hat, new shoes, and there it is. With old music, some new music, older guests and new guests, it all comes to one place. The old place in a beautiful new outfit and same old great vibes.

Touche!

Expression of Emotions

Art conversation Karin Lachmising , Sirano Zalman
Exhibition EXE , Sirano Zalman,
Expression of Emotions, De HAL december third.
Picture: Roy Ritveld

Expression , surely Sirano wanted to express something of his feeling about life as he sees it. Visitors seemed to look beyond the nude. Even the taboo's that so many of us felt before, seemed to be forgotten. Maybe we cannot run for president, posing nude, and maybe it is not acquiered to have the higher judge in a nude pose, but come to think about it. Who sets the rules for that? Which boundaries are the ones that lead a healthy society? When it comes to taboo's it is a structure of disfunctional rules, which art will challenge. Some spoke out, 'it is not about nude, it's about art'. 'It isn't even about how good Sirano has photoshopped'. Indeed it is the artist at work, wanting to express his feelings about life by exposing the human body in an enviroment he creates. He paints with pixels. It is typical that the ground poses he uses for the man figures seem to express hidden emotions, man fighting with feelings. When in the air, emotions come in balance, the man is flowing, his legs and arms are much more relaxed. The woman figures, in all poses, are open, and quite comfortable, in touch with nature. The exhibition shows a painter, wanting to be as close to human life as he possible can. And we sensed something more, during this discussion. The challenge of the artist with his own talent and desires, finding his way to express his feelings. Exe is not only about the pictures, or the artistic view which inspired Sirano. It is maybe even more.. a spiritual preperation for more to come, visualized by nude body's in the air, flying above history and voices in rooms, silent figures above the crowd. The 'fighting emotion' figures on the grounds and in the water seem to have only one purpose, to get to higher levels. So does the artist, he prepares us, a first step on a path of more to come.

EXE, no place to hide.

Expression of emotion, the name of Sirano Zalman's exhibition, december first in DE HAL , Grote combe weg.

Three letters that hide nothing at all, simple and strong. An exhibition with a selection of pictures and erotic art about the beauty of the body, its power, its fear, its desire. Expression of emotion, as simple as that. In extremely large print outs we will be sure not to walk away from it, as we do in daily life. Be sure to face it, be sure to feel it and to confront ourself with it instead of hiding in the comfort zone. A comfort zone seems to me inhuman, without the energy of life, and life = emotions. Sirano's work is not only creation, it is the free spirit of a man who believes in the energy of the heart, who believes in the very basic truth of life. But it will also be the visualization of so many people struggling with emotions. The celebration for the people who have come from far to be respected for their expression of emotions. Finally EXE , it will be shown everywhere, no place to hide!

Lieve Hugo, de king of Kaseko, Musical A Poku Tori.

Koningen zijn best wel eenzaam. Ik vroeg me af of Lieve Hugo ook eenzaam was. A poku tori, liet een sterke moeder zien, die echte dya dya sranan uma die haar zoon geen seconde uit het oog verliest, haar zoon, van haar en voor haar en met haar.. altijd en altijd. Misschien ook uit eenzaamheid, behorend tot de moeders zonder man die zich als 'koninklijke staf' vastklampen aan die zoon.. die koning, die het leven voor hun moet moet waar maken. Hoeveel ouders leggen hun kinderen hun hoop en hun verlangens op? Is het niet het leven van de koning eigen om dat leven te leiden wat anderen willen dat hij leidt, alsmaar verantwoording afleggend? In die zin ja, in die zin was Lieve Hugo een echte koning. Een koning in het rijtje van King of Pop en King of Rock en Roll die allen veel te vroeg, naar de smaak van de achterblijvers, overleden en die misschien wel veel te veel eenzame hoogtes hebben gekend. Dan toch maar liever geen King denk ik dan, maar een man die in staat was om Kaseko te dragen , te beleven, te spelen en al het gevoel dat daarbij hoorde te delen. Een inspiratie voor allen om hem heen. Voor mij was Lieve Hugo mijn ritme, mijn verlangen naar Suriname, de geur van lekker eten, de warmte van de grond, mijn herkenning, mijn sranan vriend. Met zijn muziek in mijn oren, voel ik mij op eenzame dagen een stuk minder eenzaam. Iko, kaseko mati.. me gii da fu alla den poku fu yu san kloru mi libi. Ay. (dank voor je muziek dat mijn leven kleurt)

Ik schuil in mijn hart

Een traan draait zich om
van de weg naar buiten.
Een oase van stilte
neemt de plek in
van een veel te grote pijn.
Ik schuil voor even,
voor even,
in mijn hart
totdat het leven
zijn kracht hervind.

Karin Lachmising, november 2010.

wan tru puwema ... unplugged.. blessing from the sky

De fatubangi stond schoon te wassen in de hevige regen.. ik lag binnen op de bank languit... en langzaam susten hevige bliksemflitsen en zware neerstortende druppels mij in een diepe slaap zoals ik die in geen dagen had gehad. Het was alsof de hemel zich klaarmaakte, samen met ons , om de energie golven die zouden komen goed te geleiden.. het was een lawaai van jawelste daar in de hemel.. alles moest op orde gebracht worden.. alles in place.. want daar in boxel zou het gebeuren. daar kwamen mensen bijelkaar die al heel lang gewacht hadden om bijelkaar te komen.. ook al wisten ze dat niet. En toen het half 8 was... en de regen nog zijn laatste druppels uitdrupten op de schoongewassen fatubangi ontstond binnen in het huis een warme gloed.. die steeds mooier werd naarmate schrijvers , kunstenaars, musici, artiesten, binnenkwamen. George Struikelblok met zijn spiegel kunstwerk, Bongo Charly met zijn percussie , Jimmy Westfa met gitaar , Michael met de indiase hapjes, schrijvers met hun woorden vanuit het hart. Het was een avond van iedereen. Clark en zijn prachtig voorleeswerk met begeleiding van drum, Tolin met drama, een dat een cirkel van leven door het huis trok, de inwijding van de inheemsen , met lachende gezichten gericht naar boven.. en de zegen die over ons heen daalde. Raj Mohan met zijn indiase liederen.. begeleid door westfa en bongo een eerste ontmoeting..maar alsof dat allang in de sterren geschreven stond, net als Munje uit Curacao die begeleid werd met de maraka's van bongo, florence die haar zuid afrikaans gebed voordroeg, Diana Ferrus die met haar peace gedicht de stoerste mannen tot tranen bracht en ik zelf die mijn woorden van verlangen naar een zuivere klank met de gitaarmuziek van Jimmy westfa verbond.Verdriet en pijn, liefde en geluk, zegening en dankbaarheid, het kwam allemaal bij elkaar op wan tru puwema unplugged.

Wan Tru Puwema unplugged.. some hours to go..make it happen

Last day at Berg en Dal, visiting school , and then Marieke and I on our way to Boxel, where .. in some hours writer, performers, musicians, singer, creative talent will wandering in the garden here in Boxel , and will really make it happen tonight!. We attached the lights to the trees, arranged the tables and meanwhile preparing ourself.. as writers, thoughts flying through our minds. So many thoughts passed by, these last couple of days.. sometimes making our wings to heavy to fly, sometime making us feather light and sometimes it made us just fly. Fly with us tonight.. let your mind free..and open up for thoughts that make it happen.

wan tru puwema unplugged , one day to go.. planten

kapasi kele. boven suriname, Taal en Leven

Alwin Linga..." ik ben hier omdat ik verbonden ben aan deze grond, waarom ben jij daar, vraagt hij aan Raj Mohan, zanger, dichter, improvisator, musicus, die in Nederland woont. 'Ik woon daar omdat ik verbonden ben aan die grond'. Alwin vraagt 'en wat plant jij op jouw grond?' 'Ik plant gedachten' antwoord Raj. Planten wij niet allemaal, op dat stukje waar we zijn, in dat moment waar we zijn? En zullen we dat water geven, dat wat wij planten, of laten wij het verdorren, verschrompelen, dood gaan.? Hoe verdrietig is het niet om dat wat je plant niet te mogen oogsten. Morgen 3 november zullen wij op Boxel unplugged, planten, zaadjes die tot bloei mogen komen, met heel veel liefde, soso lobi..

wan tru puwema unplugged, .. two days to go soso lobi

De fatubangi is af, signed Roberto.. soso lobi. Marieke en ik hebben het getest.. wat we voelen .. soso lobi! En toen.. toen konden we naar Berg en Dal, de eerste dag van het confest wan tru puwema na wan skreki sani.. , taal en leven. Daarom Berg en Dal. met 30 schrijvers . Om te beleven.. de dorpen hier, met de mensen.. spreken, luisteren,. kijken. schrijven..meenemen.. praten, presenteren, discussieren. Een week van veel.. van veel moois.. en misschien ook van skreki sani.. maar ook dat dragen we mee. Want als het leven..een gedicht is.. en dat denk ik werkelijk.. een tru puwema.. dan is het ook een skreki sani... confronterend. Dan bid ik dat de woorden van wan tru puwema...ons zullen dragen.. dragen de komende dagen.. dragen langs en met talen.. dragen om te ontdekken..dragen met liefde... soso lobi.. dat is het enige dat telt

wan tru puwema.. 4 days to go... cyberspace

Silence yesterday ..but not in my head! 'I skipped the five days to go update on cyberspace..not meaning i had no ongoing mail, talks, and telephone but i also had the gift of the flu ! Hand in hand, flu and me .. we walked through the day yesterday.. on the street, at home, on the telephone, in bed.. as a silent partner and sometimes as a very present partner! Good thing i got me a booster medicine and even more important, the love of dear friends supporting me. In this area of cyberspace connections.. the most common thing, people nearby, feels almost unique. Unplugged on wednesday will be especially not the connection through cyberspace but reaching out to each other on 'earth'. The Suriname river on the background, real grass under our feet, a fatubangi to sit on and share the the different words with each other face to face. A human need, besides cyber connection. Speaking of this evening.. I was in search of light.. and yes got it.. marlon who has three standards for me to connect the light for Els Beerten's performance. Have to pick it up wednesday after coming from Berg en Dal. Also had to prepare for the other days of the Tru Puwema Confest. The Divali Wan Tru Puwema festivity in tori oso at the fifth of november, me doing a dialogue of poetry with my dear friend Jimmy Westfa on guitar. We had to do our rehearsel but than his gig at the parbo beer celebration (55 years of good surinamese beer!!! wow!) got totally in a squeez. Heavy rainfall caused the organization a lot of problems. As for rain. if so on the third, we will move into the house.. enough space.. another space than cyberspace!

6 days to go.. wan tru puwema unplugged... gifted.

A gift! Something is taking over my body.. a fever not yet hot.. a flu not yet in it's full bloom, irritated throat and watery eyes while working on a document that has to be finished today and has nothing to do with wan tru puwema but moves on the vibe of it all. Gifted by a body that speaks, tellling me that 'cherish' and 'care' is also part of it all, while everything moves on. And yes, in this state my thoughts are with (besides many other lovable good things) good food. Well, the menu is arranged, the indian/hindustani kitchen speaking the words of welcome! Roberto is coming over sunday, to work on the fatu bangi, Ory Plett will connect dots by rapping and Gerrit Baron will perform with poetry. We skipped the faaka tiki, as Marcel Pinas is also gifted with 'flu and fever', but no problem, he will be there with his other great work. Guests are confirming and this is the greatest part of it all.. people to share with. So great y'all! Tanya from South africa has arrived. It is great to hear the soft words of the Afrikaans language again. Baia dankie Tanya. Have to find a Tabla player still.. but with Divali next week this will not be easy. Will ask Bongo if he has some great ideas about that. And yes realize..that it is a gift to know about about tabla's and faaka tiki's , fatubangi's and rap... do wonder about this gift of moving in a multilangual society.

7 days to go......wan tru puwema unplugged. licht!

Het thema is meertaligheid, van het 'wan tru puwema confest; waarvan de boxel avond wan tru puwema unplugged een onderdeel is. Ik merk dat ik zelf in het Engels denk, soms in het Nederlands, soms in beelden en soms in een taal die nog geen naam heeft, afhankelijk van waar mijn binnenste licht op schijnt. Vandaag ga ik achter het licht aan.. waren letterlijk mijn woorden, wat raar is, want in mijn eigen naam zit licht opgesloten.. maar misschien is dat nou juist de paradox van het leven. En is het de paradox die de creatieveling aanzet tot het scheppen. Scheppen klinkt bijna goddelijk..maar ook god is licht. Els Beerten, onze vlaamse gast, schrijfster, gaat een stuk voordragen 'luisterogen". Woord en beeld.... luister... ogen. En daarvoor..voor die ogen.. ga ik achter het licht aan. Toch nog een lamp in de tuin van Boxel.. een looplamp.. een staander. Els voelt ons..zegt ze.. en dat is zo zichtbaar aan wat zij voor die avond wil delen met ons, met jullie. We voelen de spanning van een connectie die we zelf niet van te voren bedacht hadden maar wel onze diepste wens was voor lange lange jaren... Blijkbaar is het Universum nu ready hiervoor! Pauze dan nu, en even bellen voor het licht.

wan tru puwema..boxel night.. 8 days to go.

Today, october 26th.
Text for invitation mail is ready.. so expect this in your mailbox soon and if not please mail us to be part of this 'make it happen' evening at boxel, wan tru puwema unplugged.
Marieke and i discussed the program in the weekend, the seating,. light, the place of the fatu bangi.. the performences and the visual art exposure. Now the program is set. Some of the names...Sombra will speak out and Tolin will be peforming, Diana Ferus from South Africa , Bongo Charley percussion, Raj Mohan on tabla..are some of the wan tru puwema artists. Visual art of Sri Irodikromo, Rinaldo Klas, Marcel Pinas, Sirano Zalman, Tosari and Marcel Pinas. Today phoned Bongo charly to accompany the evening and the words with his percussion.. and perform himself and yes...he likes it. It is inspiring how many people feel so close to us in arranging this evening and be part of it. Reina Kolf-Telgt met with us sunday, she will be the host of the evening. It was like even without words knowing exactly the inspiration we feel and we want to share this evening and the vibe we feel to make this happen. We ask a little contribution from our guests, a fee of 50 srd. Robins with his indigenous group will start the evening.. performing the indigenous ritual of blessings and good spirits. Friday i meet with Bongo to fill in the program regarding his music. He is a great percussionist and instrument maker. Ah, I have to call Marcel about the faaka tiki.. so off i go.. again on the telephone..... keep y'all posted. And Roberto is bizzy making the fatu bangi for under the palmtrees....soso lobi!

Wan tru puwema, boxel unplugged

"Het belangrijkste van de muziek staat niet in de noten."
Gustav Mahler

Wan Tru Puwema Unplugged
A Garden Conversation at Boxel
Organized by marieke visser en Karin lachmising
NOVEMBER 3td, 2010


Het onderwerp meertaligheid heeft zoveel meer kanten, kent zoveel meer aspecten, dan de puur linguïstische uitleg: het gebruik van verschillende talen naast en door elkaar. Op de avond in Boxel komt aan bod wat op de andere momenten tijdens de Wan Tru Puwema-week geen plaats heeft. De avond staat in het teken van de ongesproken taal van muziek, beeldende kunst en theatrale voordracht. Verschillende expressievormen krijgen de ruimte en/of worden - al dan niet terloops - belicht door de gastvrouw van de avond. Ook is de avond zelf een uiting: in onze “taal” van Surinaamse gastvrijheid zeggen wij door middel van ongesproken (en gesproken) taal: “Welkom, wij voelen ons verbonden met jullie!”

De taal van de beeldend kunstenaar en de taal van de muzikale artiest, de taal van de spoken word artist: al deze verschillende uitingsvormen verbinden ons en plaatsen hiermee meertaligheid ook in een ander perspectief door de connectie tussen woord en beeld.

Het doel dat wij nastreven is dat deze avond voor verdere discussies blikverruimend én drempelverlagend werkt. Meertaligheid is een natuurlijk fenomeen: ook in een mono-linguïstische samenleving wordt niet altijd letterlijk één taal gesproken. Juist het uitgangspunt dat het gebruiken van één taal tot minder spraakverwarring leidt, heeft beperkingen en miscommunicatie tot gevolg. Op deze manier bekeken kan meertaligheid juist een hulpmiddel zijn om het hebben van een open mind te stimuleren.

Het tweede uitgangspunt voor deze avond is dat onze gasten iets meemaken van onze Sranan samenleving; dat zij in contact komen verschillende disciplines, ideeën, geuren, kleuren, woorden, beelden, geluid. Het is de bijdrage van Karin Lachmising en Marieke Visser aan de voortdurende dialoog die de Diversity is Power-reeks van festivals en activiteiten voor ons is. Onze buitenlandse gasten komen uit Zuid Afrika, Curacao, India, Nederland en Belgie .

Geïnteresseerd in deze unplugged avond op Boxel en wil je je opgeven, stuur een mail naar : waranasolutions@gmail.com. Wij vragen een bijdrage voor deze avond en er zijn maximaal 25 plaatsen beschikbaar. Dus wil je erbij zijn, mail dan gauw.


Programma:
19.30 - Aanvang buffet: diverse specialiteiten uit de hindostaanse keuken zijn bijeengebracht om ook op culinaire wijze smakelijk hun boodschap van “welkom in ons midden” en “wij voelen ons met jullie verbonden” over te brengen. Ook zijn er Libanese snacks.

20.30 -22.00 - Voordrachten: er is een avondprogramma uitgewerkt waarbij door Karin Lachmising en Marieke Visser uitgenodigde gasten een aandeel leveren, afgewisseld met vooraf afgesproken bijdragen van deelnemers aan Wan Tru Puwema, onder leiding van Reina Kolf-Telgt.

Meer details over Wan Tru Puwema Unplugged volgen in aanloop naar het festival, volg ook de website van schrijversgroep 77.

de foto

vastgelegd in een klik
die ontspannen de vlucht van ons leven omsloot
vluchtte ik
in de marge van het vertrapte beeld
schiet ik voorbij de foto
van het verpletterd vooruitzicht

creative talent (mis)used by political party's

music and flags on the streets of Paramaribo.

Elections in Suriname are now in their final stage. Tomorrow may 25th, voting day. I remember that my television was bought with the last elections, when i was also very curious who is going to get the most votes as a small new progressive political party was 'the rising star'. This year this party was ,like the big ones, fighting over names on their list, a falling star? A new star is rising maybe, they have no flags, no shouting on podia, no songs, no dancing, just one phrase: 'do good for Suriname'. But what is good for Suriname? Are the people themselves doing 'good'?
The last couple of weeks were marked by the normal, boring, hollow speeches which you could easily exchange from one to another political party. Flags everywhere, in all colors, and lots of songs, jingles, advertisement spots and live music performences. It was a rush on the most popular artist by the different political parties. It could have been the time for artists to be critical , not to lend their voice to one or another party, but were they? Were they doing good to lend their image to get used by the party to attract the younger (new voters) generation? Creative talent as input for a seat in the parlement? Have they ever in their carreer experienced the support of government or one political party? Does governement or one political party stimulate creative talent? Were they thinking about that when they wear their t-shirts and sing the party song. It seems like just a one time 'earning money action' just as it is a one time action of the political party to pay attention to creative talent , but than again it is only for their own 'good' sake. Tomorrow it's up to the voters to do 'good' for Suriname.

People of the world.

Reading that more than 30% of the Surinamese population is of mixed race i wonder why this group isn't prominent exposing themselves here in Suriname. Maybe because there is no need to expose the most natural thing. While we are talking about the javanese groups and the creole, the hindustani and the maroon it seems we totally forget about this large mixed (growing!) group, the blend of all colors in one. I call them people of the world. And we, people of the world, we don't ask for a national holiday, nor claiming any political party, land use or what so ever. We are far beyond that. While all these racial groups seem to live in the past, forgetting how time flies and how the 'people of the world" are the most natural group of nature's force. I assume one day all these 'trying to define groups" will just look into the crowd and realize that something happened while they were bizzy with their limited visions, looking at roots and identities of one group. Our strength lies in our 'mix' , with the background of our colorful roots instead of the other way around. The only thing we , people of the world, claim is "the future'.

Capetown,

Time is love, that is time.

Poetry evening in cafe Madness, Capetown, march 9th

On a monday evening, a crowd in the garden, laughter en talks and drinks. We are in Cafe Madness. The place where writers, poets, musicians , artists come together. I walk with my friends Willem and Susan through the garden , up the stairs where even more people sit around a bar, behind tables and standing , talking. We are heading for the room, yes also with a view , where the poetry recital will be held. High windows, drawings of europeans on the wall with heavy clothes on. It could be the room of one of the old Dutch houses of the Prinsengracht. It isn't. It is Cafe Madness. The room is crowded with people, standing and sitting. It is hot , the windows are open but still. I zip my kaapse red wine. The evening starts with the 'poet of the evening'. A beautiful young woman, standing in front, singing, speaking. The words grow bigger as they flow into the room. Two languages are spoken, woven in to each other, by mannini mokirotu and Anki Krog. It is not just words but the creative form in which these words are brought to us. The crowd is enthousiastic, free in expressing what they feel towards the speaker, to what they hear. The whole room is vibrant, is filled with the creative spirit of the people in it. Creativeness flows, form speakers to crowd , from crowd to speakers. englisch, isixosa, zulu, afrikaans, Surinamese, Dutch, Middle Englisch, American English. Singing , guitarplaying, and the sound of a rainmaker. I am warmly welcomed and eyes are waiting for my words . I feel my mother, my grandmother and my great grandmother on my sholders, they enjoy. I brought them here with me. And i speak. The Poem 'Suriname', in Dutch, and the poem about South Africa 'Yu kondre teki mi skin' (I feel your country as the wind beneath my wings) in Surinamese. It is sharing and receiving that makes this evenening a very inpiring one, special because of the love and friendship you feel with people you can connect with. It is the blankness of just listening and feeling, without prejudice. It is time. As from the words of one of the performers "Time is love, That is Time"

No words needed, iziko apartheids museum , capetown march 10th 2009

languages to build bridges

The subject of the paper presented was to give a view on how to connect languages with each other by shared heritage. What it is that divides us and how bridges can be build to connect us.
As a start i asked the audience to answer me in the language that first pops up in their minds. This resulted in a mixture of Sotho, Sranang, Nederlands, English, Afrikaans. Suriname and South Africa deal both with issues in what language you best express yourselve and our eagerness to still reach an audience. The difficulty of speaking a mother language and the gap between the motherlanguage and published books. Reading material is essential to develope yourselve. Language is part of self esteem, part of identity. We have to recognize Dutch heritage as part of this, although the history of it all started out on a negative base. It is not how it started but what we do with it and how different cultures in one country can find a way to communicate with each other . Recognizing the meaning of language as part of our cultural heritage. That heritage is not about buildings and objects alone but about a lively spoken language connected to these objects and to keep this language alive we have to publish and need places to connect with each other. During the noon sessions the discussions defined activities to meet these issues. It was stated that it is difficult to force diverse cultures in one country to speak one language , that we should focus on the celebration of languages and encourage a broad perspective by working with both our countries. It is a connection between our continents that can free our languages of barriers, prejudice and negativity.

Active role in preserving and knowledge exchange

District Six museum

All of the material of the district six museum is donated by the people who lived in it.
The photo's, the stories. It is a people's place that tells the story of the un humanity of the apartheids regiem. I walk on a map that is a line drawing, with handwrited street names, covered with plastic it covers the whole floor. All people who had once lived in the district six wrote their name on the block where their house was. Old name plates of streets hanging in the middle of the church. Faces on white linnen clothes. Plates with different stories. People celebrating once.. before they had been moved by the government into townships. A whole district wiped away by bulldozers just because people lived happily together and showed no boundaries between religion, race, language. It was the monument of apartheid being insane and therefor all of it had to be removed, bulldozerd. It took almost 11 years to break it down . But they never could brake down the human spirit. Surviving, telling their story to this and the next generations to come.

Heritage symposium and impressions

Bo kaap musem

Heritage symposium, 'Language is not to divide but to connect on an equal base'

Celebration of languages, our tool to communicate and build bridges with shared heritage.Mother languages coming together on shared heritage ground, sotho, afrikaans, sranang, nederlands, english.

Slave lodge museum

South African Heritage Agency

march 6th

A vibrant session on heritage at the symposium in the Castheel of Good Hope.
Meeting with people of the maritime underwater heritage, language museum, publishers,
afrikaans skrijwers genootschap, build heritage. .

relaxing

Afrikaantjes and tablemountain

the park

city bowl

company's garden

city bowl view from signal hill

the park

Day 4 Bo Kaap

Location: Bo Kaap , moslim Area, on the signal hill
Opposite : Table Mountain
In between: City Bowl, this is the town and the waterfront with its gateway to robbeneiland
In the night the lights of the city from my view from signal hill become almost like dancing stars, a gateway of more to come , safely in the arms of table mountain and signal hill.
Temperature today 30 degrees celcius.
I exchanged my first rands, bought a calling card and got me a nice stellenbos bottle of wine.
Explored the venue of the symposium, Castheel de Goede Hoop. The Castle area is much bigger than I imagined it , from october, when i visited South Africa for the first time. This time Capetown is like a second chance to really get to know the place . It is seeing the real face after i've falled suddenly in love. I am glad is a beautiful 'real' face, this love. It is like getting the space to feel and touch , to allow thoughts and live the experience. I feel part of it but without loosing myselve. "Capetown, South African and Me " is like identities matching and making something wonderful out of that.

Day 5 Companies gardens

Route of today:

I am driving down to the company's gardens. A park in the middle of the city surrounded by historic buildings like the Slave lodge and the st. George Cathedral. A park with statues of important persons . People are lying on the grass, enjoying lunch, enjoying. South Africa constantly gets me confused in knowing where I am. It feels very english, reminds me of London, years ago, walking with friends through hide park. The statues are from important men with fierce faces and a uniform. Even without a statue I suppose they looked like a statue in those days and acted like statues . Jan Smuts, Jan van Rietbeek. Some people are talking a language I recognize the words from. Dutch heritage. Afrikaans. It is talked with an intensity that makes me feel warm inside. I sat down on the grass, on my plastic bag...you never know what comes out of the grass. And than in front of me I see them . Yellow almost orange.. I smell them.

Afrikaantjes..... lots and lots of them. And for the first time I repeat the name of this, what i have always known as the most common flower , Afrikaantjes, Afrikaantjes. As I say it out loud it gets more intense.. like the Afrikaans language. As if I hear it for the very first time. The meaning of it, Afrikaantjes, has changed forever.... here in south africa in the company's garden, the most common flower becomes precious and forever special.

day 3, A day in a aircraft.

Machu Picchu is his name, my aircraft of today.
Time 10.10 am
Flying time 11 hours and 10 minutes.
Sleep: four hours
Food: delicous vegetarian pasta.
Chair with a view: the African dessert, flows of sand, sometimes covering black rocks, shades of light orange and than again creamy colors. Passing Tripoli, tamanrasset 14.48 hour
Tv screen wit a view: Oscar nominating movie Australia.. another dessert!
Music play list: Pavarotti, Usher, and Beonce
Body exercise: drawing circles with my food and hands.
Beautiful landing with welcoming round dimmed lights of blue and orange shining on land and water.
Yes, second time around. time 22.30 pm

Day 2 Surinamese heritage in Hollandse weilanden

Overnight stay in holland and driving through this typical dutch farmer landscape,
boerderijen.. de dijk.... fietsers.... kanaaltje en een erg smal weggetje met gevaarlijke gaten langs de berm. Surinaams erfgoed? Ik ben op weg naar de manege waar mijn nicht een wedstrijd zal rijden. Hoefgeschuifel.. flinke dijpartijen, rook uit grote neusgaten, teugels, zadels en een deken voor de kou. Ik wil schrijven over de contrasten die door mijn hoofd gaan maar tegelijkertijd zo natuurlijk het beeld van de ogen vertalen. Mijn nicht in hoge rijlaarsen en een zweepje. Gedachten racen door de tijd heen. Ook deze, Gladour heette hij, mijn paard, knol, veulen. She drives a littlebit 'easy going' today. Smiling at me, maybe thinking about the talk we had about Surinamese food. Horses sniffing, en ik zie middenin een weiland tussen twee bomen een hangmat. Surinaams erfgoed?

DAY 1

Pbm-Ams
Not remarkable: flight delay 4 hours
Highlights on board: old people with heavy bags they can hardly carry by themselves, smiling stewardesses, seat 4a (me) , half mouth open sleepers (two men on row 5).
Highlights outside: flying in a cotton ball.

South Africa, Artistic weeks to come march 2- march 15

In capetown in october 2008, standing on top of the tablemountain I wrote a poem with the last line.....it is here I met my Africa. The heart spoke.
When saying 'my' it sounds like posessing but it is not. It is really something you want to be with, to go home to , go back to, be together with because it feels so good, it feels connected it feels special. It is like love, not possessing someone but wanting to be with someone. So with South Africa. And I am so glad South Africa wants to be with me too! In the most artistic weeks to come in Capetown I will be in the middle of it. A combination of art, culture, heritage, literature and music on different spots, with as highlight the heritage symposium and the Sara Baartman festivities , a story in which Diana Ferrus played a very important role. As part of the heritage symposium I connected with my South african friends, Diana Ferrus, a great writer and Marius Absalom , a sensitive poet, to present a piece on diversity of languages, bridges to cross and the heritage of dutch/afrikaans. We will connect our visions, our experiences and it will be very exciting to do this together. The heritage symposium will give us the opportunity to connect and share this vision and to discuss our experiences in the field. Also different heritage organizations of Capetown will present there work and there projects. So in the coming weeks, i will connect You with the artistic weeks in Capetown and my experiences. It is great to be back againg in My South Africa!.

communication 2

So easy to send all these boaring forward mails.. jokes.. winning money.. gaining good luck or more of this #&(%#&&# . Today I deleted again a couple of those non communicative mails. It worries me. Is it such an easy way to avoid personel communication, avoid giving to people , avoid sharing something of your own, avoid the touch of your souls, avoid being human.
It is communication so far away of what we are meant to be, ubuntu.

Knowledge transfer

Communication
Everyday I become more aware of the differences in what i communicate and others. What others want from me and what I want to do. What is it , about this profession , that made it mine. How does it work for me, what do I do with it. Why do I choose for one special tool of communication and not for the others. I found out that for me communication is sharing, is giving. That the heart of communication lies in knowledge transfer. It is something from the inside, going outside and live on. Communication for me is worth it , as long as it involves this knowledge transfer, it will always be for others to share with.

The year begun.. the chinese year also begun...

Dark and Light
Year of the OX! , yesterday the chinese people celebrated the first day of the Chinese New Year. Fire works again in Suriname. I have to look up what the year of the Ox will bring us.
The Indigenous Moon Calendar already started counting... i think we are already half the new year. So what is it all about. this new.. year.. It is just time passing. One day flowing in to another. Differences between light and dark, dark and light. Seasons change, cold, hot, windy , wet. I could get out my coat, my shawl, or my umbrella or bikini. So for now.. OX, MOON, TIME... Light and dark, dark and light. It is all about light and dark, dark and light. Nature, mind and Soul, it changes into new .. when light becomes dark, dark becomes light.
So I sat with my dear friend on a terras high above the atlantic ocean in the caribbean and we renewed, new can of beers, new cigarette, as the evening moved with the light of the moon, dark and light.. light and dark.

Symposium Cultural Heritage Capetown, South Africa

March, 6th. 2009
Inclusive workshop where the priority themes of Southern African heritage organizations can be discussed.
One of the topics: Language and the connection between South Africa and Suriname,
Heritage and Indigenous languages
Organization: Centre for international heritage activities and SAHRA
Place: Capetown, South Africa

2008 ...... 2009

Well, certainly there is always a lot to wish for, new year, new things, clear minds, new stuff, new promises. Well no need to be creative about that. The difference this year for me is that I just want 2008 to carry on in 2009. The changes that have been made to be succesful in 2009, that the good creative spirit of 2008 will even be stronger in 2009. That first steps that have been taken in 2008 can be followed up in 2009. It is like the olympic fire.. crossing the border of 2008 ... going into 2009. I wondered for several time why I felt so good about 2008, from the beginning on I really loved 2008, and as now almost saying goodbye to this year I know.. because creativity celebrated.. and creativity made changes possible, it is what i feel as close to nature as can be.

Blessed all.

The Hindu Gods

'Yes' she says, 'that is laksmi, I love lakshmi, also vishnu. I wear my sari and than we are going with the boat and we throw the god in the river and than everybody gets wet and we celebrate'.
Jeenah, 6 years old
Heritage: German, dutch, mixed creole but above all...
No boundaries for children, the world is theirs.

Identity, the suitcases.

Identity is hot. Research your heritage and find your identity! It is like suitcases coming in big amounts, full of content you yourselve didn't pack. I feel like I was totally blank, that without all this research where I come from I will be with no identity at all. And if I already had a identity I am now totally confused because suddenly I am a lot of things I didn't know of. Does it really matter? Does it say anything of what I am today because I know?

Here I am, sitting in this room talking about heritage and suddenly people are talking about how this will give me my identity, knowing who I am. Research is doen about where we all come from. Research about the hindustani, the javanese, the chinese, negros's. Research about our heritage of slavery, and I can mention more! I was not a slave, yes my great great great great grand mother and father were. I was not a contract labaror, my great great and so on.. was. Where is the 'now'? The things we do today, that make us what and who we are. Do we take responsibilities for the actions we do today, now?
Yes ofcourse i want to know about my history, there wouldn't be a me without it . But. I think sometime by myselve it is a great cover not to go with the progressive flow of all the things happening today, so bizzy constantly looking back instead of ahead. It is like legal stopping yourselve from going forward, while the whole world is moving and dynamic changes are made.
As for me , today , I suddenly got a lot of suitcases whith labels saying ' this is you'. Strange huh.. I am shaking hands with someone I don't know, the 'me' of the research.

I want to pack my own suitcases, label them with my own peace of paper as from my own work, from what I've learned when I grew up, from my own experience. Let this be my identity and leave history to identify the great great great grand mothers and fathers of all of us. Give them a place. Let my place be the one in the now, not through the window of what was, but what is. Let people look at me now, without trying to label 'Me' with history. Let me be the one I feel to be. It is what I choose from what the world offers me. It is where I feel comfortable and what makes me comfortable. It is the language in which I like to express myselve and the spirit I feel that carrieed me through history. It is the friendship I choose and the people that surround me. These, yes these things, I put in my suitcase of identity.

Yes we can!

No Boundaries!

With tears in my eyes i watched the emotion on people's face as the news of Barack Obama elected president of the United States of America came through. It was almost two o'clock in the morning, i was lying on the sofa watching figures passing by on television, 30% 40% and than the telephone ring.. OBAMA IS THE NEW PRESIDENT, he REALLY IS! I looked at the tv again, there it was... Barack Obama elelected new president of the United States of America. Than came Kenya, people dancing.

As for almost 14 years ago I also sat on my sofa with tears in my eyes. Different setting..same feeling. It was the moment when Nelson Mandela walked out of prison.. thousands and thousands of people.. Amandla!. yes it can happen.. yes we can.. we really can make a change.

Change, but change together. Change not to turn your back but change with open arms. Change not to forget but change to face and move on. Maybe it is this , Bisshop Desmond Tutu means by people who have this Ubuntu, this real human spirit.

Moments of truth. To make things happen, Yes we can. Thanks for the spirit that is given to Barack Obama. Hope this spirit can touch many others to make a change, not turning there back to love life.

LOVE !
UBUNTU

Township, column in the Dutch language

Ik zat achterin de auto, moe van het gehobbel van de weg naar het Coesewijne natuurreservaat, achter Zanderij. Ik was in slaap gedommeld, besefte dat ik inmiddels in de stad was en deed langzaam mijn ogen open. Ik zag een lange zinkplaten schutting voorbij gaan met daarachter verweerde zinkplaten daken van huisjes dicht op elkaar, heel dicht op elkaar.

Was ik nog in Kaapstad dan. 'Township' flitste het door mijn hoofd, herkenning? Ik reed voorbij de wijk Abra Broki.

Mijn gedachten maakten een sprong naar een week of twee geleden. 'We moeten naar een township'. 'Je moet het gezien hebben' was me vooraf verteld. Maar ten eerste moet ik volgens mij sowieso niets en ten tweede, vind ik zelf wel dat ik 'iets gezien moet hebben'? Heb ik mezelf nu dan tekort gedaan, helemaal in Zuid Afrika en geen township in gelopen, geen armoede en ellende bekeken, geen zwarte ellende gezien, aanschouwd, gehoord uit monden van degenen die er wonen?

Ik heb wel een ex-gevangenis gezien, Robben eiland en de cel van Nelson Mandela, mooi opgeknapt en geverfd. Ik heb ook een verhaal gehoord uit de mond van een ex-gevangene van Robben eiland. Hoe verschrikkelijk de dagen van apartheid waren, de opsluiting, hoe erg het eraan toe ging. Hij heeft me rondgeleid. We kwamen nog langs een aantal hard werkende schilders die druk bezig waren deze ex-gevangenis een mooie grijze kleur te geven...
Iets klopt niet. Townships met verweerde daken en bijna vergane muren, verroeste zinkplaten schuttingen en hier stond ik in de ex-gevangenis van Robben eiland. Ook een belangrijke bezienswaardigheid , toch, waar echter niemand meer verbleef maar die wel een mooie opknapbeurt kreeg. Ja ik heb veel bezocht, gezien, de lege frisse ruimtes van vroegere ellende en ik heb de huidige ellende overgeslagen.

Ik weet nog dat ik vroeger, in mijn Europese jaren, op bezoek in vreemde landen wel de ellende opzocht. Zielige mensen in kartonnen huisjes, armoede in Thailand, sloppenwijken in Maleisie. Nu , jaren in Suriname wonend, elke dag geconfronteerd met armoede, gebrek aan drinkwater of schoon drinkwater, onbegaanbare bauxiet wegen, wijken met huizen waar drie generaties wonen op twintig vierkante meter, hutjes zonder electriciteit, kinderen zonder school, de dagelijkse struggle van het uitkomen met minimaal budget...misschien was ik wel even heel blij om van het stuk Afrika te genieten zonder de herkenning van de ellende van mijn eigen land!

Ja ik heb genoten van het landschap, de bergen die zich oneindig ver leken uit te strekken in een onuitputtelijke schoonheid. Ik heb de intense warmte die daar vanaf straalde gekoesterd. Ja ik heb het een beetje omgedraaid, gekeken naar het leven zoals het hoort te zijn. Als ik dan toch iets vind, dan vind ik dat ik RECHT heb te voelen en te ervaren wat de natuur bedoeld heeft voor ons: Dat het leven immens mooi is en ellende onnatuurlijk.

@KL-Paramaribo-25 october 2008

Foto gallery south africa october 2008

De mamela band , friendship so warm, songs and music so beautiful, the power of words in music and music in words and the proudness of everyone's skills.
watch the pinguins, on the road from cape point to cape town.
and this is tablemoutain, feeling south africa, in my heart, my soul. 'Het is hier dat ik jou gevonden heb... table mountain poem,'mijn africa from myselve.
As die son op witgekalkte klippevan die slanghoekberge lig kom suggestiesvan die vakansie-oord in sig ...the first lines of a poem by my friend Marius Absalom.
views driving from cape point to cape town aside the indian ocean. South africa is all of the beauty one can imagine, it is a country worth fighting for, it is freedom in all its facets. Nature shows us the unhumanity of boundaries, of discrimination, of everything that happened during apartheid and before in South Africa. South Africa made me realize even more the power of life and the hope to live and love again and again. UBUNTU.

Africa and its diversity

And with all those months of preperation, of all those feelings of this 'big thing' to happen, i'm now back from Africa, back in Suriname and i should say. back home
But my home is now diverse, it is home with my children, home with thoughts and very dear friends in south africa, home with my work in Suriname; Yes home is so diverse!
It took a lot of days to ground again in Suriname as if thoughts were still in Africa, trying to unfold. As for my suitcase, it followed my thoughts and was left behind and came in after four days. The content of it was all shaken up, as it was in my head. Nature has it ways you know, to tell you things.
So about diversity. I felt how much influence non diversity has on diversity. That it is very difficult for this beautiful african country still to find the strength of diversity, to take advantage of this diversity, to live the diversity. I missed a diverse bunch of people, different colours, different languages. I know it is there, but it seems to have nog place to encounter, to share, to meet. Diverse people who do share, who do meet, therefor feel to me as very special people. I think it takes time to cross the borders of what was once a rule. There where it crossed, i felt the mixture of cultures in music and languages. As it was with the Mamela band and at the Table mountain. Table mountain not because of the mixture of people but because of the differences in views, every step you make on this mountain gives you a new vibe, a new view, a new feeling a new discovery and that all together felt so strong. Not just strong but unbelievable strong. It was there that i felt South Africa and its diversity.

Guyana's Diversity

I am in Guyana, Georgetown for a couple of days.
It looks like Suriname but it is not. What intrigues me the most is the influence of the Indian culture on the Guyana nation. The food, the music and the Indian religious tradition. I compare of course with my country and although we are promoting our country like 'many cultures who live nice and happy side by side it doesn't melt in to the nation in general. Not this extra flavor on the whole society as in Guyana or also Trinidad. We really kept our cultures apart from others. It didn't integrate nationwide. We look at it , and just pass by. We let it be, don't fight as long as it doesn't come to close. People in Guyana fight yes. And in Trinidad there is also a firm line between the people with Indian ancestors and Negro ancestors. But still they fight for one country, one nation. Here in Guyana i feel something different than Suriname. People feel Guyanese, and Guyana belongs to them. Even though you have firm lines between Negros and Indians, it is for both groups their country. It seem like we in Suriname are missing the feeling of living in a country that really belongs to us.

Diversivty Divides.

So now it's a countdown to the writers in exchange festival, diversity is power, in south africa, 22 day to go!

As for the last couple of months i'm like a hungry child reading everything i can get my hands on about South Africa. Nelson Mandela, his first autobiography and Winnie Mandela, een stuk van mijn ziel (ein stuck meiner seele ging mit ihm). I've subscribed to the thought leader, of the mail & guardian online, for getting a sense of the Africa I’m visiting, what's going on and especially, South Africa post apartheid.

The struggle of the people of South Africa who were against Apartheid and Nelson Mandela's role is for me almost beyond reality. A list of all the banning orders, and imprisonment for forty years! Both Nelson Mandela and Winni Mandela fought for something bigger because it was in fact impossible to have happy personnel live as man and woman, as a family in the South Africa of the white leaders. Diversity was used by people to divide more.. for the benefit of holding to it own ethnic group. I admire the strength of both Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela not to get lost in this madness but still , even with all this pain hold on to the idea of unity and a Africa for all people, whites, blacks, colored, communists, socialists.

I'm confronted with diversity daily in my country with its different ethnic groups , cultures and therefore different political parties, different ethnic groups, different religions and traditions, languages and ethnic based broadcasting companies. Bollywood channels, Indonesian TV, Chinese broadcasting, Braz TV (Brazilian TV) . In these last years instead of moving more to a united society where diversity can add to one united community with the energetic diverse vibes we are moving apart and trying to gain power out our own group. Because of our diversity it seems almost unable to develop this country in a way it benefits all the people who live in it. With the indigenous tribes on one hand who don't speak the same language as the people of the cost and the people of the coast are yet even more divided because of their ethnic and cultural background.

Reading about the anti apartheid struggles in South Africa makes me wonder. The power of the Nationalist Party became only stronger using the diversity of groups . More diversity gives parties more power, a tool to suppress, a tool to divide, a tool to gain development only for one particular group, meanwhile suppressing the other.

Diversity divides is my statement of today. And still diversity is the most powerful tool for creative development!

Diversity is Power writers festival South Africa, Capetown gets to me!

October the sixth, the date we all will leave to take part into the festival in Capetown.I'm reading my lonely planet guide... yeah i know, tourist guide. But so hungry for information about this far away continent. In my vision a continent where the word forgiveness is more meaningful than anywhere else. As if the only true meaning of forgiveness can be found in South Africa, in Nelson Mandela and Bishop Tutu. As i'm dealing ,and have dealed, with my own little struggle of forgiveness in all kinds of situations, i always see him in front of me, Nelson Mandela. His calm but firm strongness, his ability to be the soulmate of his own soul, and yet so close to the nature of people, as God made them.
Soon, soon, i will be visiting "his Capetown" and that makes me feel very very special. To freely walk the paths, his light has shined upon.
Blessed man!

Diversity is Power: the poem factory2

The gap of caring

Do you care about global warming
the loss of forest
traditional knowledge
down under fading away
in one melting pot

Do you care about eco systems
the ocean, the mountains
people fishing
in poisoned waters
water..rising and rising

Do you care and still don't act
for the body you live in
the green you breath
the people you live with
and nature, who lives you

Do you. Do you act
or just sit quiet
seeing, knowing, reading
and in the fuzz of all
nature's loss
just feel paralized to act
feeling the gap of caring.

Diversity is Power: the poem factory

Searching

You wanted just to see
Me in you
And you in me
Words sounding like yours
Trusting only
the you in me

And as i speak
I see your eyes looking away
You’re hands crossing the
Way to your heart
Me not speaking the language
you know


As my voice grows stronger
My heart is filled with tears
Looking at close doors
Here, without you
While my hands touch
The many colors
of live

FESTIVAL DATE

CAPETOWN, WRITERS IN EXCHANGE FESTIVAL SURINAME SOUTH AFRICA
OCTOBER 7TH-OCTOBER 17TH CAPETOWN- SOUTH AFRICA
MORE INFORMATION info@schrijversgroep77.com

Travel arrangements South Africa

Diversity is power: travel arrangements
So as I am in charge of the travel arrangement of the participants for the writers in exchange festival in South Africa, the diversity is really getting to me and the power is really needed. Group travel is group travel but with our Surinamese diverse links in Holland it is not. So, here I am, struggling with more than eleven different travel dates. A very diverse travel plan must I say. And so I encounter a diversity in Travel prices and so diversity in Airlines. But finally, yes! Reservations, with the help of the wonderful Mala of the travel agency! A diverse travel plan as you may say. ‘Suriname Airways to Amsterdam, British Midland to London and South African Airlines to Cape town’ And yes I feel blessed with this opportunity to cross so many borders to exchange talent from different continents with different people and different opinions on different subject with different stories.. Yes very diverse and yes very energetic...a energy flow through my body. Somehow it is the diversity of it all that gets me going! Today Diversity is power!

Diversity is Power

Diversity is power! Could be or could not. Depends on how you look at it. Seeing it as a lot of diverse people, being powerful because they are diverse is not the power of diversity. Diversity comes from the insight, when you feel the diversity in yourself it can indeed be powerful and challenges you to cross boarders. The power therefore lies not in the amount of diverse people but the quality of people to recognize diversity as a part of their life.
The writers in exchange festival will be held in South Africa october 2008 with the theme Diversity is power. Writers from Suriname, The Netherlands and South Africa will exchange their creative work with the public. The theme of the festival is Diversity is Power! As part of the Suriname group I will keep you posted on the development of ideas and writing, the creative flow...for the next months. For more information on the festival www.schrijversgroep77.com