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September is a good
month to relax and
take stock, since
weather cools and we
must prepare for
holidays. It's been a
tough summer in
Europe: heat waves,
bombings, European
Constitutions
failing. But we must
not lose heart.
Europe and tragedy are
not strangers. This
month, let's simply
take a breath of joy
and peace, for
ourselves and for
others. Children
return to school and
vacation time is
over. Think how lucky
we are to be alive and
to face another day.
Old friend said:
"Tomorrow is another
exciting day!"
From Europe's news
desks:
The Swiss Blick.ch
shows happy European
politicians (well,
okay, bankers as in
Wim Duisenberg, sports
figures and tattooed
pigs in Beijing,
China.
Yes, summer must be
ending indeed. Not a
grumpy face in sight.
Now it's true
Blick.ch is not
exactly the New
York Times. But
like any rag sheet, it
does give the
temperature of the
time. Terrorism is
there, all right, but
it's in the corner,
under the motorcycle
racers.
Wim Duisenberg shows
up in the Dutch
Telegraaf.nl, but
he seems more
serious. Are the
Dutch getting more
serious nowadays?
What happened to the
freewheeling days of
drugs and sex? It
seems like Denmark,
the growing ties
between the Dutch and
Americans have changed
the old country. More
serious, less fun,
more, well,
conservative. Please
don't think of the
Netherlands as just a
bunch of "red light"
districts. Curious,
in the same issue as
Mr. Duisenberg
appears, so does
Maradonna. Remember
the great soccer
star? Bloated a bit,
but still smiling
after all these years.
He was in the
Netherlands. For the
drugs? For the red
light districts? No,
sir.. No, ma'am.. he
was there to watch
soccer. Times they
are a changin'.
There is something
interesting about
European newspaper
publishing.
Greece's leading
paper, Kathimerini
has an
English-language
edition that is
well-written and
thoughtful. Yet bigger
newspapers such as
France's Le Monde
still write in the
mother language. What
gives? My French is
bad, but the latest
issue that I saw
focuses on the British
terrorists.
Beneath it is an
article alleging the
"avarice" of the rich
industrial countries
in not responding to
the famine in Niger.
Ironically, France is
the country where "Nutriset"
is based; this company
makes "Plumpy'Nut," a
high-protein food bar
that is sold only for
purposes of feeing the
famished and
down-trodden.
Speaking of
English-language Euro
papers, I found
Albanian Daily News.
Why are the peripheral
states such as Greece
and Albania producing
English-language
newspapers, at least,
online editions? 'Tis
a mystery. Meanwhile,
the AND laments the
corruption in the
country whereby folks
don't pay their
taxes. Hmm. I've
always found this so
strange; patriotic
people who refuse to
pay taxes, yet expect
their governments to
defend them, give them
good plumbing and
paved streets. Why
don't we all get happy
paying our taxes?
Tomorrow is another
exciting day!
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