To an English Friend in Africa
By Ben Okri, For Daisy Waugh
Be grateful for freedom
To see other dreams.
Bless your loneliness as much as you drank
Of your former companionships.
All that you are experiencing now
Will become moods of future joys
So bless it all.
Do not think your ways superior
To another's
Do not venture to judge
But see things with fresh and open eyes
Do not condemn
But praise what you can
And when you can't be silent.
Time is now a gift for you
A gift of freedom
To think and remember and understand
The ever perplexing past
And to re-create yourself anew
In order to transform time.
Live while you are alive.
Learn the ways of silence and wisdom
Learn to act, learn a new speech
Learn to be what you are in the seed of your spirit
Learn to free yourself from all things that have moulded you
And which limit your secret and undiscovered road.
Remember that all things which happen
To you are raw materials
Endlessly fertile
Endlessly yielding of thoughts that could change
Your life and go on doing for ever.
Never forget to pray and be thankful
For all the things good or bad on the rich road;
For everything is changeable
So long as you live while you are alive.
Fear not, but be full of light and love;
Fear not but be alert and receptive;
Fear not but act decisively when you should;
Fear not, but know when to stop;
Fear not for you are loved by me;
Fear not, for death is not the real terror,
But life -magically - is.
Be joyful in your silence
Be strong in your patience
Do not try to wrestle with the universe
But be sometimes like water or air
Sometimes like fire
Live slowly, think slowly, for time is a mystery.
Never forget that love
Requires that you be
The greatest person you are capable of being,
Self-generating and strong and gentle-
Your own hero and star.
Love demands the best in us
To always and in time overcome the worst
And lowest in our souls.
Love the world wisely.
It is love alone that is the greatest weapon
And the deepest and hardest secret.
So fear not, my friend.
The darkness is gentler than you think.
Be grateful for the manifold
Dreams of creation
And the many ways of unnumbered peoples.
Be grateful for life as you live it.
And may a wonderful light
Always guide you on the unfolding road.
29 September 2007
13 September 2007
An overdue update...
It's September 13th, and finally---I'm updating my blog! In the past year I've abandoned my on-line journal for academia, however, now that I've submitted my dissertation and officially completed my MA in International Relations, I'm free to deviate from reading academic journals, and writing in a rigid structured fashion.
It's interesting though, somehow my sentences are still a bit too long - and my writing style, still too formal. I find it difficult to break away from stringing a chain of ideas together by commas, semicolons and dashes. I write three to four words, but then stop and wonder to myself "is this REALLY what I'm trying to say?"
This entry will be short, but there's more to come soon. I'm off to the gym to lift some weights, and then cycling home to Hove for dinner with Bob and Sheila, my self-adopted English grandparents...
It's interesting though, somehow my sentences are still a bit too long - and my writing style, still too formal. I find it difficult to break away from stringing a chain of ideas together by commas, semicolons and dashes. I write three to four words, but then stop and wonder to myself "is this REALLY what I'm trying to say?"
This entry will be short, but there's more to come soon. I'm off to the gym to lift some weights, and then cycling home to Hove for dinner with Bob and Sheila, my self-adopted English grandparents...
12 February 2007
Point of reference...
As kindly suggested, I've decided to preface the previous random post with a bit of an explanation! Every year the British Council sponsors a competition where they invite international students to "write a letter home" detailing their experiences abroad, how they've been influenced, etc. I thought I'd throw my name in the hat and below is my entry. Results are out by the beginning of April and top prize is for 2,000 quid! I've no idea how many applicants I'm up against, but I presume a LOT. At any rate, it was fun and easy to write, especially because my parents really ARE coming in March! Auntie Sande and Uncle Tommy are coming too---whoo HOOoooo!
03 February 2007
Dear Momma & Daddio,
Greetings! I’ve just read your e-mail and I’m ecstatic to hear you’ve bought airline tickets to visit in March! Until now I’ve tried to convey my English experiences as best I could via phone calls and photos, however, there’s certainly no substitute for experiencing everything yourselves. It’ll be fantastic to expose you to the same sights, sounds and scents that I’ve encountered in England. You’ll see Brighton Pier where I run along the seaside, hear the funny catch phrases my favorite ‘Big Issue’ seller spouts beneath the bridge near Sussex University, and smell savory potato, bacon and egg platters that permeate through each flat on Clifton Road every Sunday for brunch!
It’s a pity you cannot arrive a day earlier, because I’ve been asked to perform flute duets for a Rotary club in Storrington on the 19th! One of their members and I’ve been diligently rehearsing Beethoven’s ‘Allegro and Minuet’ and Hayden’s ‘Echo’. Although, while you ARE in Brighton, you’ll most definitely meet my self adopted English grandparents: Bob and Sheila Hinton. They’re two of many people who’ve helped me to feel at home here, and their kindness and generosity extends beyond what anyone could ever expect. Last night they invited me to Basingstoke to see their daughter and two grandsons in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’! Bob is a retired solicitor who now devotes a lot of time to his own theatrical passions. He’ll partake in the local ‘Jane Eyre’ production this spring. Sheila is a former mathematics secondary school teacher who has terrific tales to tell. I especially enjoy speaking with her about the English education system because of a program called SEAS that I assist with at Sussex University.
SEAS stands for Sussex Education Access Scheme and promotes Higher Education (HE) to students who demonstrate academic potential, but don’t necessarily come from homes where their parents have had the opportunity to pursue HE. We do day programs with secondary schools from London, and I feel so fortunate to come into contact with such sundry students and instructors! Just like Bob and Sheila, they offer yet another insightful vantage point into what it means to be ‘English’ in England. Equally, I’ve really appreciated their interest and inquisitiveness in asking me what it’s like to be an ‘American’ living abroad! We mutually benefit from each other’s experiences, and inevitably I always learn something about English culture. Last week we hosted Alexandra Park College, and it was intriguing to hear students’ perspectives on cafeteria revisions recently instituted under Jamie Oliver’s influence. Not surprisingly, a majority took full advantage of having chips available for lunch that day! I’m hoping that while you’re here we’ll have another school visit so you can get involved as well!
In addition to Brighton we’ll venture to London. I want to take you to Trafalgar Square to see the pigeons which remind me of a scene in ‘Mary Poppins’, to Fortnum & Mason, not for famous sweets but for the miniature figurines who come out of the clock each chimed hour and dance around, and we must go out for ‘Indian Chicken Tika Masala’ too, because I’ve been told it’s England’s most popular dish! Thereafter, we’ll continue further north to Yorkshire for what I believe could be the ultimate highlight: the ‘Spofforth’, also pronounced ‘Spofford’ castle! If we’re lucky we might even encounter some distant relatives. Wouldn’t that be incredible?! I bet we’d discover that although we’ve grown up in diverse countries and cultures we have more similarities than differences.
Even so, prepare to be surprised! During your stay you’ll undoubtedly observe particularities which may seem out of the ordinary. I was initially shocked to see people publicly rolling up what I thought were illicit substances in small pieces of paper! As it turned out, the truth is some prefer to pack their own tobacco for cigarettes in England. Furthermore, you might be startled to find out that the meaning of a word or idea can take on a distinct connotation from previous contextual associations. For example, while in the United States we use the following terms synonymously, here your ‘pants’ refer to what you wear under your ‘trousers’! I’ve made the mortifying mistake of complimenting complete strangers on their fantastic ‘pants’ on more than one occasion. You could also come away from England with an enhanced vocabulary! Perhaps you were aware, but possibly not, that when I spoke of ‘chips’ earlier I was actually talking about what Americans call ‘french fries’. In one way or another your time in England will inexorably have an impact on you; maybe you’ll incorporate new lingo into your repertoire as I have, or conceivably, we may both only realize the extent to which we’ve been affected after returning to Minnesota and reminiscing of memories we’ll make together and most likely remember forever.
Much love!
Elise
It’s a pity you cannot arrive a day earlier, because I’ve been asked to perform flute duets for a Rotary club in Storrington on the 19th! One of their members and I’ve been diligently rehearsing Beethoven’s ‘Allegro and Minuet’ and Hayden’s ‘Echo’. Although, while you ARE in Brighton, you’ll most definitely meet my self adopted English grandparents: Bob and Sheila Hinton. They’re two of many people who’ve helped me to feel at home here, and their kindness and generosity extends beyond what anyone could ever expect. Last night they invited me to Basingstoke to see their daughter and two grandsons in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’! Bob is a retired solicitor who now devotes a lot of time to his own theatrical passions. He’ll partake in the local ‘Jane Eyre’ production this spring. Sheila is a former mathematics secondary school teacher who has terrific tales to tell. I especially enjoy speaking with her about the English education system because of a program called SEAS that I assist with at Sussex University.
SEAS stands for Sussex Education Access Scheme and promotes Higher Education (HE) to students who demonstrate academic potential, but don’t necessarily come from homes where their parents have had the opportunity to pursue HE. We do day programs with secondary schools from London, and I feel so fortunate to come into contact with such sundry students and instructors! Just like Bob and Sheila, they offer yet another insightful vantage point into what it means to be ‘English’ in England. Equally, I’ve really appreciated their interest and inquisitiveness in asking me what it’s like to be an ‘American’ living abroad! We mutually benefit from each other’s experiences, and inevitably I always learn something about English culture. Last week we hosted Alexandra Park College, and it was intriguing to hear students’ perspectives on cafeteria revisions recently instituted under Jamie Oliver’s influence. Not surprisingly, a majority took full advantage of having chips available for lunch that day! I’m hoping that while you’re here we’ll have another school visit so you can get involved as well!
In addition to Brighton we’ll venture to London. I want to take you to Trafalgar Square to see the pigeons which remind me of a scene in ‘Mary Poppins’, to Fortnum & Mason, not for famous sweets but for the miniature figurines who come out of the clock each chimed hour and dance around, and we must go out for ‘Indian Chicken Tika Masala’ too, because I’ve been told it’s England’s most popular dish! Thereafter, we’ll continue further north to Yorkshire for what I believe could be the ultimate highlight: the ‘Spofforth’, also pronounced ‘Spofford’ castle! If we’re lucky we might even encounter some distant relatives. Wouldn’t that be incredible?! I bet we’d discover that although we’ve grown up in diverse countries and cultures we have more similarities than differences.
Even so, prepare to be surprised! During your stay you’ll undoubtedly observe particularities which may seem out of the ordinary. I was initially shocked to see people publicly rolling up what I thought were illicit substances in small pieces of paper! As it turned out, the truth is some prefer to pack their own tobacco for cigarettes in England. Furthermore, you might be startled to find out that the meaning of a word or idea can take on a distinct connotation from previous contextual associations. For example, while in the United States we use the following terms synonymously, here your ‘pants’ refer to what you wear under your ‘trousers’! I’ve made the mortifying mistake of complimenting complete strangers on their fantastic ‘pants’ on more than one occasion. You could also come away from England with an enhanced vocabulary! Perhaps you were aware, but possibly not, that when I spoke of ‘chips’ earlier I was actually talking about what Americans call ‘french fries’. In one way or another your time in England will inexorably have an impact on you; maybe you’ll incorporate new lingo into your repertoire as I have, or conceivably, we may both only realize the extent to which we’ve been affected after returning to Minnesota and reminiscing of memories we’ll make together and most likely remember forever.
Much love!
Elise
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