Wild Brazil.

Two weeks ago, BBC 1 showed a mini series about Wild Brazil. I recorded it and watched all 3 episodes in one go. It’s not quite like David Attenborough, but still pretty amazing.

Watch it, and be amazed of the wonders of our world.

Lxx

12 years a slave.

Some things are more disturbing than others. 12 years a slave is a film, based on a book written over 120 years ago. The good thing is that slavery in the way it was happening in the US back then is no longer accepted. The disturbing thing is that we haven’t come further in our thinking.

It is 2014, and some stupid Danish artist thinks that it is ok to make a new version of an old artwork, with the difference that it now is a racist motive with a white woman using a black woman as a chair. It is 2014, and the Swedish eqvivalent to the Oscars is presented with jokes, not having a racist undertone – but being blatanly racist. It is 2014, and Mexicans need to carry papers with them at all times in Alabama to show that they are allowed to be in the US, otherwise they risk having to spend a few days in custody until “everything is sorted”. It is 2014, and we seem to have forgotten all about our history. Right, Germans can’t apologize for the genocide in all eternity, Brits shouldn’t have to feel guilty about colonalisation forever, Americans living today is not responsible for the slave trade and Australians can’t help that their ancestors were deported and invaded land that did not belong to them. However – EVERYONE should have learnt some lessons, and know that we can’t let any of the above, or other horrific human acts, ever happen again!

12 years as a slave shows very well that we are all equal, we are all humans and we should all have the same rights. Good time for this film to come out know, to remind us about this. If you don’t get that message from the film and somehow think that slavery is right, YOU are severly disturbed.

Lxx

Care about a stranger?

Last night when I went to yoga, the lights happened to go out. One girl completely freaked out and ran out of the room.

When the class finished 5 minutes later, she was still sitting in the changing room pale as if she’d seen a ghost. Most people looked at her, but no one bothered to ask if she was alright. They looked at her as if she was a weird creature, as if she had disturb their session or as if they were very uncomfortable by her presence, not knowing what to do. This surprised me, as my instant reaction was to walk straight up to her, talk comforting with her and make sure that the colour of her face was back to normal before I left.

I’m no Mother Theresa, I don’t think that my behaviour is particularly worth mentioning. Caring for a stranger in such circumstances is simply human, and judging by everyone elses acting yesterday I’m wondering what happened to humanity?

Lxx

Out of work in London?!

Just read in the Evening Standard (not the most reliable source, I know) that 300,000 children in London grow up in families where no one works. Some of the parents are the 2nd or 3rd generation without ever having a job.

HOW is this possible?! Firstly – how do you manage to never ever get any kind of job? Secondly, how do you survive in London with a family without anyone working?

I know that some people will just mutter something along the lines of “surviving on benefits, lazy buggers” or “they shouldn’t have kids, just abusing the system”. To some extent this might be true, but I am honestly shocked about this fact and figure. What can we do to change this? How can the next generation be inspired to break the cycle of unemployment?

Lxx

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013.

Took an annual trip to the Natural History Museum yesterday to see one of the most fab. photo exhibitions ever. I’m not sure if it had quite as high standard as last year, but it was still pretty damn good! 

The endangered species and photojournalism categories were standing out, and are such an important part of the exhibition!

Lxx

New job!

This year is starting on a good note: I got a new job! Same organisation, new titel. “Project and Funding Coordinator” – I am very, very happy!

Lxx

Poaching.

As I wrote very briefly about SA yesterday, I thought it might be worth to mention something that really bugs me.

The poaching of elephants and rhinos are increasing. If it continues at the same rate, there will be no rhinos left in ten years. No more big five. All because of greed. Why, how can it still be a status symbol in some places to have a rhino horn sitting on your mantel piece in 2014?! And why is it consider right in some places to kill an animal to make medicine, which doesn’t even work? Clever idea to poison the horns nowadays- at least dome will learn a lesson and hopefully this practise will stop.

One place that my partner had visited had a male rhino with no horn on their grounds. He was sedated and had it removed by poachers. He woke up just before they were done. This must have scared the poachers, because when it was time to sedate the female rhino, they shot her twice. The sedative was too strong and her body couldn’t take it, she died instantly. The male rhino spent 3 months looking for her, and has since been severly depressed. It is living animal we are talking about.

Ivory is beautiful, out in the wild – it is not meant to collect dust in someones house. Stop the poaching, pronto!

Lxx

SA.

Exactly two weeks ago, I was on route from South Africa. I love that country – yet, it is such a terrible place.

Arriving in Cape Town, it feels like a nice version of a western city…until you drive past the Cape flats.I say drive past, because without a reason you wouldn’t go there.

It is a country with stunning landscapes, fantastic natural resources – but the majority of people from SA never get to experience this. During the apartheid, some people got forced to move to areas where nothing will grow. Others are stuck in shanty towns or townships. I was positively surprised about how pleasant Soweto was in certain areas, but although it holds the only street in the world which has had two Nobel peace prize winner as house owners, it is a rough world.

South Africa has come a long way since apartheid, however, it still has far to go.

Lxx

2013 in review. I promise to keep it up in 2014!

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 600 times in 2013. If it were a cable car, it would take about 10 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.