WOMAN IN CHAINS

Last 25th of November it was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and I was absolutely shocked to know that 40% of women in Finland had been victims of physical or sexual violence or threats of violence by men. How is that possible? Women are economically independent and have positions of high responsability in this country. For instance, the Head of the State is a liberal female polititian. Does anybody understand anything? In Spain, the government released a new law to fight against this disgusting situation but the results are yet to come. The songs attached below ilustrate the difficult situation of suffering woman with particular sensitivity. The first song made me become aware of this situation when I was almost a child (the song is from the 80's!). The second shows how it is possible to create beauty from a tragic situation. Stevie wonder is a genie.

You better love loving and you better behave

You better love loving and you better behave

Woman in chains, woman in chains

Calls her man the great white hope

Says she's fine, she'll always cope, ooh

Woman in chains, woman in chains

Well, I feel lying and waiting is a poor man's deal (A poor man's deal)

And I feel hopelessly weighed down by your eyes of steel (Your eyes of steel)

Well, It's a world gone crazy keeps woman in chains, woh woh woh

Woman in chains, woman in chains

Trades her soul as skin and bones (You better love loving and you better behave)

Sells the only thing she owns (You better love loving and you better behave)

ooh ooh Woman in chains (the sun and the moon), woman in chains

Men of stone, men of stone, hey baby, no no no, ooh

Well, I feel deep in your heart there are wounds time can't heal (The time can't heal)

And I feel somebody somewhere is trying to breathe

Well, you know what I mean

It's a world gone crazy keeps woman in chains

It's under my skin but out of my hands

I'll tear it apart (somebody somewhere is trying)

But I won't understand (to breathe)

I will not accept the greatness of man

It's a world gone crazy keeps woman in chains

Gone crazy keeps woman in chains

So free her, so free her, so free her

So free her, so free her (the sun and the moon)

So free (the wind and the rain) her, so free her

So free her, so free her, so free her, so free her

So free her, so free her (the sun and the moon)

So free (the wind and the rain) her, so free her

ENTRE AMIGOS

"AMIGOS" Ese es el nombre de una asociación de latinoamericanos que tienen algo en común: viven en Finlandia. Y ayer celebraron una fiesta a la que tuvieron la amabilidad de invitarnos. Hubo de todo: comida, bebida, baile, risas, cachondeito...Muchos de ellos tienen historias personales bastante duras que contar. Matrimonios rotos, violencia, discriminación, penurias económicas y de salud...Finlandia no es un país amable si no tienes trabajo, eres extranjero (no europeo) y no conoces el idioma. Y si además, tienes la piel morena pues todavía algo más dificil. Sí señor. No es que Finlandia sea un país racista, en general, pero carecen de la sensibilidad para acoger y tratar de forma humanitaria a personas que buscan honradamente una forma de mantener a su familia. Determinadas personas ven a extranjeros de tez oscura y piensan que vienen a delinquir (uy! de que me suena a mi eso?). Pues sí, salir al extranjero es muy bueno por muchas cosas. Los españoles en España nos creemos el puto centro del mundo y miramos a los extranjeros (a los pobres, claro está) con condescendencia, sino con desprecio. Lo que no sabe ese español medio, acomodado, orgulloso de su país y de pura raza castellana y que nunca sale de su país, es que fuera de él, se convierte en "negro", en el distinto, nadie entiende lo que dices y entonces te miran con caras raras, en el mejor de los casos. Aqui tienen su propio idioma, su propia forma de ser y de actuar y no van a hacer el más mínimo esfuerzo por comprenderte (¿lo hacemos nosotros en España?). Es curioso, pero siempre hay alguien que tiene la piel más blanca que tú, que vive más al norte que tú, y que se cree superior a ti. El objetivo de esta asociación es precisamente la de apoyar a los que se encuentran en una situación dificil. Aqui encuentran ayuda de todo tipo: económica, médica o simplemente compañía. Al igual que España, Finlandia necesita imperiosamente acoger a inmigrantes para ocupar puestos de trabajo que los finlandeses no ocupan, o porque no les interesa o porque no hay personas cualificadas. Como dice mi querido amigo Alfonso (veterinario español trabajando en Helsinki), los finlandeses son de "plastilina". No aguantan la presión, ni trabajar de forma intensiva, ni adaptarse a situaciones inesperadas, son cuadriculados, totalmente. No conocen lo que significa tener que esforzarse, sacrificarse y mejorar en el trabajo para ganar más dinero, mejorar en un puesto de trabajo...¿Que necesidad hay cuando salen de la universidad ganando 3000 euros limpios? Necesitan de sangre latina que espabile a estos hombre y mujeres de hielo. No me cabe la menor duda que, en general, españoles y latinoamericanos trabajan más y mejor que la media finlandesa. La cantidad de parejas interracionales y niños mulatitos que había en la fiesta demuestra que algún que otro individuo de hielo se habrá derretido ante los encantos de los latinos.

LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Here in Finland, we also have time for reflection, of course and today I was thinking that I am sick of watching how american and european neocons lead our world to dispair and destruction. Irak is just a well-known example of how greedy leaders can exchange humans lives for money without even feeling just a little bit guilty at all. "It is Divine's providence and God's intention" they say. They mix up religion, firearms and liberty without batting an eyelide. I am pretty sure that most of us had enough of this disgusting situation. Everyday I feel more and more guilty for letting these despicable and evil people do their way. I believe that my silence is supporting their horrorible behaviour. I will never support polititians willing to reduce oil prices and my gas bill (and increase their bank-accounts) by killing people here and there. A video and some pictures made by my brother (http://www.flickr.com/photos/micock) are attached to this post. WARNING: the video contains hard images, and of course, I don´t mean M. Jackson's face ;)

Down, below the lyrics of the song, you have a more positive version of the song, but still hard to see.

LOVE AND PEACE.

LYRICS

Love was taken from a young
And no one told her why
Her direction has a dimlight
From one old violent crime
She innocently questioned why
Why her father had to die
She asked the men in blue
How is it that you get to choose
Who will live and who will die
Did god say that you could decide ?
You saw he didn't run
And that my daddy had no gun
In the middle of a village
Way in a distant land
Lies a poor boy with his broken toy
Too young to understand
He's awaken, ground is shaking
His father grabs his hand
Screaming, crying, his wife's dying
Now he's left to explain
He innocently questioned why
Why his mother had to die
What did these soldiers come here for?
If they're for peace, why is there war?
Did God say that they could decide
Who will live and who will die?
All my mama ever did Was try to take care of her kids
We're innocently standing by
Watching people lose their lives
It seems as if we have no voice
It's time for us to make a choice
Only god could decide
Who will live and who will die
There's nothing that can't be done
If we raise our voice as one
They've gotta hear it from me
They've gotta hear it from you
They've gotta hear it from us
We can't take itWe've already had enough
They've gotta hear it from me
They've gotta hear it from you
They've gotta hear it from us
We can't take itWe've already had enough
They've gotta hear it from me
They've gotta hear it from you
They've gotta hear it from you baby
We can't take itWe've already had enough
Deep in my soul baby
Deep in your soul and by your side
Deep in my soul
It's so big and i'm still alive
They've gotta hear it from us
We can't take it
We've already had enough
It's going down baby
Just let God decide, It's going on baby
Just let God decideD
eep in my soul baby
We've already had enough
They've gotta hear it from me
They've gotta hear it from you
They've gotta hear it from us
We can't, we can't
We've already had enough

MIKSI?

There are crazy people everywhere and Finland is not an exception. A 18 years old guy has killed at least 8 people in a high-school in Tuusula, a village 50 km away from Helsinki. It seems that USA has exported some of its worse items to this calm and peaceful country. Somebody might think that the lack of light, the coldness and the high consumption of alcohol was behind this horrible event. I don´t think so. In this case it seems that it is just a mixture of Hitler, Plato and Chemical Brothers in the mind of a sad and weak guy who was unable to assimilate his own existence. It seems that the responsible of this murder uploaded a video in Youtube telling about what he was going to do. I posted the video but not it is gone. He said that he wanted to eliminate as many weak-minded as possible. He did not fulfil this objective as he only killed one weak-minded: himself. In my opinion he fulfilled his real objective: share his unhappiness and desperation with more people. This country is sad and they have my deepest sympathy. I wish that peaceful Finland will come again...hopefully.

A Winter Day's Dream

Somebody told me that a nice Spanish couple have been 13 years together already, so they went to Helsinki to celebrate such an important date. First, they had a nice (and cold) walk surrounding the Baltic sea and through Kaivopuisto. When they decided that they were cold enough, they approached a Finish restaurant to have a typical Finish meal (Yes, I know, but MacDonald's was far away from there ;-) The restaurant is called Sundmans, it is recommended by the Michelin guide and I would only recommend it if you earn around 4.000 euros per month ;-) Just a little bit later somebody saw them in Engels Café enjoying hot chocolate and some cakes. They were kissing and hugging each other all the time (not really appropriate in this decent country, but you know about this nasty Spanish people...they cannot help showing their animal instincts). Then, they moved to Viikki to keep on partying with some friends. Nobody knows how it ended up but the neighbourhood was particularly nosy that night ;-)

-

Wherever she is, I am at home, so I am not FOREIGNER any more.

Minä rakastan sinua, Sonja.

-

If I go a million miles away

I'd write a letter each and everyday

'cause honey nothing, nothing, can ever change this love I have for you mmmmm,

make me weak and you can make me cry

see me coming and you can pass me by

but honey nothing, nothing, can ever change this love I have for you

you're the apple of my eye, you're cherry pie

oh you're cake and ice cream

you're sugar and spice, everything nice

you're the girl of my, my, my, my, dreams

if you wanted to leave me and roam

when you got back, I'd just say welcome home

'cause honey nothing, nothing, nothing can ever change this love I have for you

(Musical Interlude)

oooooooo, I know that nothing, nothing, nothing can ever change this love I have for you. (end)

-

SAM COOKE

-

Because not all the moments are good for a couple, I invite you to lend your ears to Salomon Burke. This is a moving and wonderful song.

-

When your baby leaves you all alone

And nobody calls you on the phone

Ah, don't you feel like crying? Don't you feel like crying?

Well here I am my honey Oh, come on you cry to me.

When you're all alone in your lonely room

And there's nothing but the smell of her perfume

Ah don't you feel like crying Don't you feel like crying?

Ah don't you feel like crying? Come on, come on cry to me.

Well nothing could be sadder Than a glass of wine, all alone

Loneliness, loneliness, it's such a waiste of time

Oh-oh yeah You don't ever have to walk alone, oh you see

Oh come on, take my hand and baby won't you walk with me?

Oh ya When you're waiting for a voice to come In the night and there is no one

Ah don't you feel like crying? (cry to me)

Don't you feel like crying? (cry to me) Ah don't you feel like a-ca-ca-cra-co-cra-co-cra-cra,

(cry to me) Cra-co-cra-co-cra-cra crying? (cry to me)
-

-

I first heard this song in a movie you might know. I have never forget it since then.

QUE VIENE EL FRIOOOOOO

Prometí a un buen amigo hacer un post en español y ahí vamos. Aqui empieza a hacer un frío intenso -1/0ºC aunque nada comparado con lo que tiene que venir. Enero, febrero y marzo son los meses más fríos (-15ºC de media). Nos quedan dos mesecitos en Finlandia antes de las vacaciones de Navidad y como podeis ver tenemos nuestras estrategias para combatir el frío: las fiestecitas con otros españoles, cubanos, mejicanos...que si un bailecito, que si un guacamole, que si unas risas...la verdad es que esto es una gozada. A veces me da la sensación que estoy con vacaciones pagadas. Porque trabajo: sí, pero el trabajo me gusta y mis compañeros me respetan y valoran todo lo que hago. Mi supervisora se enrrolla cosa fina: tengo una distensión en la pierna y va a correr con los gastos del fisioterapeuta que la médico de cabecera me recomendó visitar. El lunes me voy a que me den masajitos. ¿Se puede pedir más? Que la fisio fuera una finlandesa, o que coño, mejor cubana o tailandesa...pero en fin, que le vamos a hacer. Lo mejor es la compañía: creo que hemos tenido muchísima suerte con nuestros amigos finlandeses. Y Finlandia esta bonita en otoño. Poca luz pero los árboles tienen mil colores, amarillos, ocres, naranjas, y ahora viene la nieve, que bonito esta todo!!!! Si Juan y Laura se hubieran quedado aquí todo el año, ya hubiera sido la pera. Un abrazo a todos.