Quality of life

According to a recent article on CNN.com, France has been voted the best place in the world to live for the fifth year in a row.

Switzerland ranks in third place; the United States, seventh.  International Living Magazine, which has conducted an annual Qualify of Life index survey for the past 30 years, ranks 194 countries in accordance with the index which comprises nine categories: Cost of Living, Culture and Leisure, Economy, Environment, Freedom, Health, Infrastructure, Safety and Risk and Climate. The Index analyzes data from several official sources, including government web sites, the World Health Organization, and several media sources.  France scores high marks across the board in the survey, which is done every January, from health care (100 points) to infrastructure (92 points) to safety and risk (100 points).

Dan Prescher, special projects editor at the magazine, is succinct when asked why France keeps on winning: "The bread, the cheese, the wine."  Bindi Dupuoy, an Australian lawyer who lives in France (Australia comes in as number two) also appreciates the health care system and the generous maternity leave, as well as a generous vacation time.  "They treat expecting mums like treasures here," she said.   And she should know.   She got almost five months paid maternity leave from her company for the recent birth of her son.  She can take another seven months off beyond that -- a year total -- unpaid, if she wants, with her job guaranteed under French law.

As one who has the good fortune to spend most of the year in western Switzerland, about 10 minutes from the French border, I literally thank all the Powers That Be.  While I cannot speak firsthand about the French health care system, I certainly can't complain about the care and treatment I have received under the Swiss system, which is not paid for in the same way.  But I do know firsthand about the bread, the cheese and the wine.

So today, I'll give you a taste of what it's like to live around here.  Please keep in mind, however, that most of these photos were not taken in the winter.  Still, some cheering-up never hurts.  Especially after the huge snowfall in the Washington, DC area.

Let's begin with some bread and cheese.

More bread ...

To go with the bread, some nice cured ham.  Cured meats also go well with melon as an appetizer.

Vegetables are always good and Sweet K checks these out at the market in nearby Ferney-Voltaire.

Nice ripe olives go well anytime.

Appetizers can also be fancy, if one wants to impress.

Fish is always good for the diet.  The one looks ferocious but tastes delicious.

Don't forget the herbs and spices!

And now, we're just about ready to eat.  A table, tout le monde!

There's still something missing ... and here it is!  Le vin!  The prices are even more impressive when one realizes that this photo was taken before the euro became the standard EU currency.  Francs are worth a LOT less than today's euros.

Here's how Frenchwomen stay svelte even during meals with several courses: small portions.  But oh, are those small portions delicious!

Don't forget dessert!

And please don't forget to bring flowers for the hostess!  These prices, unfortunately, are in euros.  But the bouquets are truly works of art.

Long, long walk to freedom

Yesterday marked the twentieth anniversary of one of the epic events of a 20th century packed chock full of epic events.  On 11 February 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison in South Africa, having been imprisoned for 27 years for advocating a free and democratic society with equal opportunity for all in that country.  Here is the man himself at the anniversary celebration.

One South African writes movingly of his impressions of that day 20 years ago here.   Yesterday, as part of a commemorative event, thousands retraced the steps Mandela took as he first glimpsed a future where he would no longer be behind bars.  The Guardian describes the event as follows:

"[...]  Against a spectacular backdrop of mountains and winelands, hundreds of anti-apartheid veterans and supporters retraced the last steps taken in captivity by the world's most famous political prisoner.
Twenty years ago Mandela had got up at 4.30am, exercised, made phone calls, undergone a health check, packed his possessions into crates, and finally emerged into the glare of sunlight and global attention.
He wore a grey suit and tie. His wife, Winnie, was dressed in black. Behind them strode rank-and-file ANC ­members, who had been asked to don suits and look tough to provide a vague façade of security.
Today, marching on the same macadam path, the crowd formed a bouquet of pinks, yellows, greens and reds under a cloudless blue sky. They included teachers and nurses, farmhands and domestic workers, and numerous young people in T-shirts bearing Mandela's face who could have no memory of the release. [...]"

In 2005, HWMBO and I were able to travel to the beautiful country of South Africa, now open to the world.  While the early ideals and hopes of the years immediately following Mandela's release have not worked out as well as many had hoped, it was very clear to us, even during our brief visit, that South Africans are profoundly proud of their country.  Most continue to work towards the goals that Mandela still espouses, even now, at age 91.  The tasks, difficult in the best of circumstances, have not only been rendered even more difficult by the harsh, untenable, inhumane and inhuman practices of the apartheid era that Mandela's release from prison officially ended.  There has also been continuing dissent and division in the African National Congress (ANC) since Mandela's tenure as President of South Africa ended.  There are many others more qualified and better informed than I to discuss these issues so I will not dwell on them here.  But yesterday, Mandela's magic was abundantly felt, as reported here.

During our brief stay in Cape Town, HWMBO and I made a point of visiting Robben Island, where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment.

The entrance sign below greets today's visitors. It presumably greeted Mandela and other prisoners as they entered the premises. While it does not express the patent lie of "Arbeit macht frei" ("work liberates") at Nazi-era concentration camps nor the depairing message of "Abandon hope all ye who enter here" that awaited those unfortunates who entered Dante's Inferno, it sends a cautionary message about power to prospective inmates.

Mandela spent 18 years in this cell.  His days were generally spent in the limestone quarries with other prisoners.  The prisoners would ceaselessly haul slabs of rock from one side of the quarry to the other, generally under the blazing hot summer sun, with a small hollowed-out area in the hillside for use as a respite.

At Robben Island today, former prisoners serve as tour guides. Most, if not all, share their own stories and experiences with visitors, which makes any visit there quite personal. Their tales are not simply found in history books. These individuals have actually "been there and done that." One is truly brought face to face with living history. It is a striking reminder that the liberty that many of us take for granted can all too easily be taken away, even today, on flimsy excuses to suit the private agendas of those in power who have no fear of abusing that power and who see law as applying only to the actions of others, not to their own.

We have, unfortunately, seen striking abuses of that power since 11 February 1990. Not merely in South Africa but elsewhere in the world, even where there has been no history of apartheid. Unfortunately, we have witnessed some of the worst abuses from nations that supposedly pride themselves on their "rule of law."

Nelson Mandela made his first visit to the United States as South Africa's President in October 1994. He returned in 1998 in triumph on his last visit as head of state, receiving many honors, among them a Congressional Gold Medal and an honorary degree from Harvard University. In 1999, US President Bill Clinton visited Mandela in South Africa and accompanied him on a visit to his Robben Island cell.

Shamefully, in spite of all that had happened in the 1990s, the humanitarian awards Mandela received, and his apparently cordial relationship with President Clinton, for whatever arcane, mystifying and long-outdated reasons, the United States kept Nelson Mandela on a terror watch list until July 2008.  He and ANC party members could only visit the US after receiving a waiver from the US Secretary of State.   Congress passed a bill that was signed into law by the President in July 2008 that corrected this travesty of justice in time for Mandela's 90th birthday.

At long, long last ....

Recollections of "The Greatest Generation"

Last evening, TSR2 showed the 1977 film "Julia."  The film was based on the eponymous story in the 1973 memoir "Pentimento: A Book of Portaits" by the American playwright, Lillian Hellman.  In the film, Jane Fonda plays the role of Lillian Hellman and Vanessa Redgrave the role of Julia.  The film is very highly regarded and received several major awards and nominations.  Among others, Jane Fonda received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress and Vanessa Redgrave won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

I have never had the pleasure of meeting either woman and admire both generally.  But I did have the great honor and pleasure of being introduced to Jane's father, the great American actor, the late Henry Fonda.

Watching the film, I was transported back in time, not only to the 1930s settings, but also more than 30 years to my own past in the spring of 1978.  At the time, I was living in Missoula, Montana, with my two pre-teen-age sons, in the last throes of my marriage to their father.  Artist Sis had come to spend her spring break with us, together with her own young son.  At the time, we were both secondary school teachers:  that was a couple of professional incarnations ago for me.

1978 was a mid-term, i.e., not a Presidential, election year.  As it happened, one young US Representative from Montana had decided to run for a seat in the US Senate.  Spring was the time for raising funds for his campaign.  One major fund-raiser was to be held in the state capital city of Helena as the Montana premiere of the film "Julia."  Because the candidate's wife was a friend of Shirlee Fonda, Henry Fonda's fifth and last wife, the major draw was to be Henry Fonda himself, who would introduce the film.

Helena, Montana was founded in July 1864 with the discovery of gold in Last Chance Gulch, so named because it was the last place the original prospectors tried, i.e., their "last chance."  That trial ultimately paid off very well: about USD 3 billion worth of gold was removed from the lode found there.  "Last Chance Gulch" became the name of Helena's main street.  In reality, the street lies close to the path of the original winding gulch where gold was discovered.  As was the case with many of the original mining cities in the American West, Helena's past was rough and exceedingly colorful at times.  Be that as it may, by 1888, around 50 millionnaires lived there, more per capita than any city in the world.  Keep in mind, however, that Helena's population was hardly numerous in those days.  Even today, a scant 30,000 people live there.

The original gold barons built mansions, many in the Victorian style of the era.  Many still exist today and have been well-maintained.  For the fund-raiser, it was decided that receptions would be hosted in several of these mansions at which food and drinks would be served prior to the film showing.  The plan was that the candidate, accompanied by well-known figures in state and local political circles, as well as by Henry and Shirlee Fonda, would meet and greet the guests at each of the mansions.  Then all would gather at one of the local theaters for the actual screening.

Artist Sis and I were too involved in the daily routines of our own lives to pay much attention to all this brouhaha.  But our father, very active politically, was very excited.   Henry Fonda, like our father, was a veteran of World War II.   As was also the case with our father, Fonda had enlisted in the US Navy.  They had, in fact, enlisted at about the same time and completed their training together at San Diego, California before being assigned to different ships in the Pacific Ocean.  Although our father rarely spoke of his experiences in WWII, an oft-repeated family story of our mother's dealt with our father's "graduation" from his naval training in San Diego.  According to our mother, who was present at the ceremony, when my father's name was called, two women behind her exclaimed, "Why, he's even better-looking than Henry Fonda!"

Thus, Dad contributed substantially, enough in fact, so that he and his two oldest daughters, Artist Sis and myself, could attend the fund-raiser to be introduced to Henry Fonda.  Fortunately, we had a cousin in Helena who consented to look after our progeny so that we could socialize.  So we packed the car with suitable clothing and the boys, drove to Helena across the Continental Divide of the Rockies, and prepared to be wined and dined.

Obviously, the tour of the mansions and the meeting and greeting of guests took some time.  Artist Sis and I were enjoying ourselves generally.  The mansion we were assigned to was lovely, the hosts welcoming, the other guests interesting and the food and drink abundant.  Finally, the door opened and the candidate appeared with his entourage in tow.  Artist Sis and I hung back, a bit embarrassed to see our father make a beeline straight for Henry Fonda.  Surely, he wouldn't even remember our father.  After the first flurry of displacement, I found myself standing next to Shirlee Fonda, who was quite charming and interesting.  After some initial small talk, we actually began conversing, when I felt a tug on my sleeve.  It was Dad.  There in front of me was Henry Fonda in the flesh, tall, slender and charismatic, a handsome and arresting presence even in his 70s.  I was literally smitten and completely tongue-tied.  "I understand that you're Darby's daughter," he said.  "We used to get up to some hi-jinx together in the old days."  I must have mumbled something.  He leaned forward then, and said, "You know, they made me take a commission.  I really didn't want to do it."  And then he moved on, with the candidate, who looked considerably less charismatic, trailing in his wake.

It was true.  Fonda went into the Navy as an enlisted man, not wanting to be treated any differently than anyone else even though he was famous, older than most enlistees of the time and considerably better educated.  For this, he endeared himself to all those who enlisted and served with him in those dark days.  Fonda, unlike some other well-known actors of the same era who specifically cultivated macho personas but never actually served a day in the military, stated, "I don't want to be in a fake war in a studio."   He was at first assigned to a destroyer, but later was commissioned as an officer in Air Combat Intelligence.  He drew on his own naval experience for the character he played in "Mr. Roberts," which received awards, both as a play and a film. 

After San Diego, our own father was assigned to a tender, the USS Tryon.  A tender was a smaller ship that had to get in close to the battle beaches to pick up the wounded and dying and take them further out to the large hospital ships, that stayed at a presumably safe distance from the battles.  But this is something that we did not learn from him until much later.

Both veterans of the Greatest Generation are probably exchanging tales of the old days right now.  Fonda left us in 1982.  Our father joined him in 2004.   We of the Silent Generation salute you.  We owe you, big-time.

Historical knowledge and treasure troves

Today's Guardian has a very moving video report about the return of the Staffordshire Hoard to Staffordshire in the United Kingdom for display at the Potteries Museum beginning this Saturday, 13 February.  The discovery, made by an amateur treasure hunter on 5 July 2009, is the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold found to date, consisting of up to 5 kg of gold and 1.3 kg of silver in artifacts.  There are more than 1,500 items, most military-related, that experts have dated to the 7th and 8th centuries.

Following the July 2009 discovery and the public announcement on 24 September 2009, the artifacts were on display at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery until they were taken to the British Museum in London for cleaning and conservation.  Now all items have returned home to Staffordshire.  For the Guardian interactive photo views, from which the photo shown above was taken, please see here.  More information and photos can be found on the dedicated website here.

But the most important Anglo-Saxon gold find to date may not be able to stay in Staffordshire.  It is possible that it will not be able to stay in Great Britain at all.  It has been valued at GBP 3,285 million. The Birmingham and Potteries Museums, as the most interested locally-based museums, are hard-pressed to raise that amount of money and have launched a public appeal.  If that amount has not been raised by 17 April 2010, the items will most likely be offered for sale on the open market, which could mean that the collection could be broken up.  In that case, the loss of archeological knowledge that could be gleaned from these artifacts could be immeasurable.

The artifacts are scheduled to be offered for sale, even in the case of such a historically significant find because under English law, treasure belongs to the property owner and the finder.  A “Treasure Valuation Committee” was established and met in November.  Later that month, the value of the hoard was set.  The funds will go to the amateur treasure seeker and the farmer who owns the land.

The Staffordshire Hoard has been compared to Sutton Hoo, the site of separate Anglo-Saxon burial mounds dating from the 6th and early 7th centuries, one of which contains an undisturbed ship burial.  As the Sutton Hoo Society states, "Sutton Hoo’s remarkable finds signaled a radical change in attitude towards early Anglo-Saxon society, until then thought substantially inferior to life during the Roman period. Deeply buried beneath a large mound lay the ghost of a 27 meter (90 feet) long oak ship. At its centre was a burial chamber the size of a small room, built with a pitched roof and hung with textiles. He was buried with his weapons, his armor, wealth in the form of gold coins and gold and garnet fittings, silver vessels and silver-mounted drinking horns and cups, symbols of power and authority, and clothes, piled in heaps, ranging from fine linen overshirts to shaggy woolen cloaks and caps trimmed with fur."

In the case of Sutton Hoo, the property owner, who was well off, gave the artifacts to the British Museum for the benefit of all.  While it is not right that those who make such historically important discoveries should forego payment altogether, it is indeed a shame that market price could very well be the sole decision maker in this case.
 
The Art Fund, which describes itself as an independent charity that exists to save art for everyone to enjoy, is coordinating fund-raising efforts for the Staffordshire Hoard.  May those efforts be fruitful!

Meeting of the twain

In this week's Coopération magazine, the emphasis is on Asian food and culture, considering that the Chinese New Year is approaching.  In fact, in 2010, the New Year will coincide with Valentine's Day, being celebrated on 14 February.

Along with Asian foods and ingredients that are on sale at Coop this week, recipes for using the ingredients, articles about Asian philosophy and culture, together with regular magazine features, there is an article that reports the results of five questions that were posed to ten Asians, aged 17-46, who currently reside in Switzerland.  The countries represented include Japan, India, China, Thailand and Vietnam.  Interestingly, none of those questioned lives in Geneva and only one lives in western Vaud.  Geneva and western Vaud are two of the major international centers in the country.  One would expect to find Asians well-represented among the international communities in those areas.  So it is noteworthy and encouraging to see that they appear to be integrating well into Swiss culture throughout the country.

Two, both 17, are here as part of an American Field Service (AFS) student exchange and will most likely return to their homelands when the exchange period is completed.  Others have been residents for years.  All are attractive and, based on their responses to the questions, well-spoken and enthusiastic about their Swiss experience.

The questions themselves are typical.   The first, "What do you most like about Switzerland?" solicited the following responses, many of which were repeated:  mountain landscapes, tranquillity, efficient public transport, Switzerland's central location in the heart of Europe, the "AG" (l'abonnement général = the general subscription for half-price rail tickets), the quality of life, the climate, the security and the richness of the intercultural mixture here.  The second question asked what they most missed from their home countries.  Responses first mentioned their national cuisines and their families.  Then responses varied somewhat from the infrequency with which they hear their native tongues spoken, the street ambiance of their home cultures, weekend and late evening store openings, to the warm welcomes they remember in their homelands.

The third question asked what they would take back to their homelands from Switzerland if they had to leave.  The most obvious responses were cheese and chocolates.  One was quite specific.   He would take back a SBB-CFF (the Swiss railway) watch because it would be a good memento.  Most others dealt with more intangible concepts: memories of their host families (the AFS students); memories of all their new experiences, natural beauty and their Swiss friends; creativity and the Swiss art culture; seeds of flowers and vegetables.  Asked in the fourth question what part of Switzerland they liked best, they generally responded that they felt most comfortable and at ease in the regions where they were currently living.  Cities like Geneva, Lucerne, Lausanne, Fribourg, Berne and Montreux were also mentioned as places that they had particularly enjoyed.

The last question -- keep in mind that this is a magazine that aspires to market foodstuffs -- was "What Swiss culinary specialties do you like best?"  Chocolate, fondue, raclette, rösti, merveilles de carnaval and Birchermüesli topped the choices.

British author Rudyard Kipling, who lived much of his life in Asia and received much of his literary inspiration from his experiences there, wrote a poem which is primarily remembered for its often quoted first two lines.

OH, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,

Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat; [...]

Many seem to believe that is the end of the quotation and stop there because the concept as stated fits into their own preconceived notions of separateness.  However, that is not the end at all.

Other articles in this particular issue describe how Asians have successfully transplanted themselves and adapted to Switzerland and its culture.  In return, they have also brought rich cultural offerings and traditions from their homelands, some of which have become incorporated into daily routine so as now to form an essential part of Switzerland's rich and growing international culture.  Thus, one should keep in mind that Kipling's poem is essentially a ballad about brotherhood and kinship that transcends differences in cultures.

[...] But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,

When two strong men stand face to face, tho’ they come from the ends of the earth!

Let it snow! Or perhaps not ...

It's official.  The impressive weekend snowfall in the Washington, DC metropolitan area has left its mark.  Schoolchildren are no doubt happy because the list of closures in the area is extensive.  So their worst fears of being snowed in on the weekend -- while still having to go to school today -- have been assuaged.  The area is still digging out.  Snowplows are unable to reach many secondary roads.  It's literally a nightmare if one must travel anywhere.  So most are staying right where they are.  Although some households are still without electricity, most service seems to have returned.  That is a tribute to the many hard-working service people, in both public and private sectors, who literally perform heroic deeds at such times.

HWMBO reports that all is well in his part of Howard County, MD.  He spent time outdoors, with many of the neighbors, trying first to dig paths to their vehicles and then trying to clear snow off those vehicles.  He posted photos of his immediate surroundings and I have borrowed a few to post here.

Believe it or not, those lumps are vehicles!

It's difficult to shovel snow when one can hardly get outside the door.  While this may be a commonplace sight in an alpine ski station, it's hardly typical of low-lying land in Maryland.

Once having dug out to the main sidewalk, HWMBO looked back to see this. I don't believe that the level of the ground water table will be a problem this year.

HWMBO reports that area snow clearing budgets for the entire winter have already been exhausted.  Given that we still have several more weeks of winter, with more snow predicted even this week, it looks as though there will either have to be cuts ahead in other services or people will have to bite the bullet and accept some tax increases.  Frankly, insofar as tax increases can provide benefits to all, I have never seen the problem with them.  Taxes are the price one pays to live in a civilized society.  What I do dislike is that those who can most afford to pay taxes do not seem to pay their fair share.   But what I dislike most is that too many of those who protest tax increases -- or protest paying taxes at all -- never seem to understand that if it were not for those taxes, we would not have roads at all, nor would there be people to clear them.  There is a real disconnect between cause and effect.

Our MSM does little to educate citizens about this cause-and-effect relationship.  Too many of our Senators and Representatives will not deal with the topic honestly.  Instead, we have hopelessly clueless individuals such as the Standard Bearer for the Tea Party (Know-Nothing Party would be a better name for the group, IMO) who actually needs crib notes on her hand to remember what her main talking points should be.  Among those talking points: "cut tax."

Sigh!  How many years did women strive for equality to have such a patently unqualified individual receive such attention?  As we who are here today shudder every time her name is mentioned, the suffragettes must be turning over in their graves.

Women in Politics and the US "MSM"

While surfing through the US "mainstream media" (MSM) this Sunday morning, one could be forgiven for believing that there is no news in the world other than the unprecedented winter storm in the Washington, DC metropolitan area (the first time, for example, that the US Postal Service has been cancelled in three decades) and the "revolutionary" Tea Party "convention" (with no meaningful discussion of how "delegates" were selected).  Oh, and there is definitely pre-game coverage of Sunday's Super Bowl.  But that last is to be expected at this time of year.  And the first is at least worthy of mention, given the scale.

Leading the US headlines, however, there is seemingly endless repetition of the "speech" given by Sarah Palin before the tea partiers.  The so-called convention and so-called speech (which the MSM generally describe as "folksy" but others -- who might anticipate a modicum of coherence in something that one states before a paying audience -- call "word salad") have both received disproportionate attention.  Continuing the deplorable MSM trend, even the New York Times has incorrectly inflated the so-called TP "movement" figures, according to Media Matters.  Given the general level of critical thinking and positive or pragmatic solutions articulated by the preponderance of those present at the convention, however, this wall-to-wall MSM coverage may, albeit unintentionally, prove to be a spur to fund-raising efforts by the Democratic National Committee (DNC).  One is reminded of how Democratic contributions to the Obama-Biden campaign, already at record levels, rose exponentially immediately after Senator McCain announced the not-quite-one-term-ex-governor of Alaska as his running mate in the 2008 Presidential election.

For a lively recap of events at the convention and Ms. Palin's "speech," I heartily recommend "Tea Time with Sarah" at The Mudflats.  The post and the comments provide all one needs to know.  They can also save time, anguish and gnashing of teeth generally.  Neither the "movement" nor Ms. Palin has the widespread support among US citizens that the MSM would have one believe.  Even such sources as the New York Times merely repeat what the movement says about itself, as per recent scrutiny by Media Matters.  Fact-checking?  Phooey ... a remnant of the long-ago past!

Contrast the attention given to this speech and responses to scripted questions before a sympathetic audience by the patently English-challenged Palin with the practically non-existent US MSM coverage of the testimony and responses given by Kristalina Georgieva, the EU Commissioner-designate for International Co-operation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response at a hearing before the European Parliament in Brussels last week.  Keep in mind that Ms. Georgieva, a national of Bulgaria, is a non-native speaker of English.  As an alternate candidate with a very short preparation period, she literally "dazzled" Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) across party lines even though she was subjected to some difficult questions.

The US has plenty of women in politics who are able to "dazzle," although most would not be able to do so in a language that is not English.  The US also has excellent women candidates and office-holders, even across party lines.  Sarah Palin is not one of them.   

But if the US MSM are to be believed, there is a massive "revolution" going on and it's all being led by the woman who first -- and incorrectly -- stated through a ghost writer that health care reform would lead to "death panels."  Sorry, Sarah, the "death panels" have been a fixture of the US landscape for a long time.  They are also known as health insurance companies.  When they deny coverage for "pre-existing" conditions, that can literally mean a sentence of death.  So while the media spotlight is disproportionately fixated on Ms. Palin, let us remember that the US MSM have all too often in recent years let us all down.  They have not, repeat not, lived up to their responsibility to inform.  That is a damning indictment.

In the meantime, the truly qualified women all over the world simply keep their noses to the grindstone doing what needs to be done, dazzling when and where necessary, even -- and sometimes especially -- when the dazzling moments are overlooked.

And thank heavens for that!