Nov

30

Street Artist

Filed Under Family & Friends, Society & Culture | 4 Comments


This old chap is my ‘friend.’ I’ve seen him many times during my trips to Basel to visit either my mother-in-law (step-mom of my husband) or my Filipino friend who, incidentally, moved back to the Philippines with her family in February.

The photo you see here was taken by my husband when he went to Basel to meet a former officemate during the recent 15-day Herbstmesse (autumn fair) where visitors enjoyed fun rides and shopped for sweet treats and craftworks.

It seems that this ‘performance artist-beggar’ chooses to be highly visible during special events like the Basel autumn fair for obvious reasons. Otherwise, during normal days, he opts to strategically position himself in front of the Basel train station or near the shopping center with his props, a makeshift timepiece with an updated calendar.

He is such a sweet soul. One summer day in 2003, I had my souvenir picture taken with him, and he gamely posed for me — smiling and putting his arm on my shoulder as my husband took a snapshot of us. Very fatherly indeed. Of course, I had to give him a tip. I felt sad for him. It was so hot at that time and he had to endure the summer heat in his non-cotton, golden costume.

Another time, I spotted him resting in a street corner near the Bider & Tanner English bookshop, looking a bit exhausted. Somehow he recognized me, and I, him. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. After I dropped some coins into his collection pot, he excitedly said, “Thank you! Thank you!” That was culturally sensitive of him to speak English on my behalf, I thought.

Next time I meet this fellow, I would like to ask his name and look beyond the clown mask, if that’s possible. I’m curious how he started this trade. I like to know how he finds his job — that is, the joys and pains of being a street performance artist. And yes, I like to know if he has a family.

Maybe I can bring him some of my brownies this Christmas when we visit my in-laws. I’m sure there’s more to him than meets the eye.

Nov

27

Autumn Snowfall

Filed Under Life & Leisure, Weather | 15 Comments


Boots. I’m back to wearing my pair of black, snow-proof boots, whether I like it or not (I actually don’t).

It started snowing in Biel Thursday night, dumping four inches of snow on frozen ground. In the nearby town of Solothurn, people had to endure six inches of snow. Street maintenance people, who had to answer the call of the snow alarm, had to work before dawn to clear the main thoroughfares before the morning rush hour.

I was cooped up in our apartment — a haven of safety and warmth — up until I had to leave my comfort zone and hie off to the public library for my weekly advanced English language session with a Swiss economist-cum-doctoral student who had once remarked that the weather in Switzerland was indeed becoming “very cold.” But his surprise gift — his very own three-kilogram Webster’s New Encyclopedic Dictionary — made me forget the nippy weather conditions, even though I had to carry this bulky yet priceless reference book all throughout my trip home. I even had to walk through pockets and layers of fresh snow when I reached our apartment backyard, panting along the way. But I figured I needed the exercise anyway, so it was a perfect setup.

I used to have a romantic notion about snowflakes — you know, its whiteness and its icy features. Fairy tales have always depicted them as lovely and whimsical. With my rose-colored Filipino glasses, I dreamt of white Christmas year after year, overlooking the wet and chilly discomforts that usually come with it. But after experiencing just two Swiss winters, the thrill for me is gone. It’s what the Germans would probably call Schnee von gestern (yesterday’s snow), an idiomatic expression which means “the same old thing again.”

Well, this same old thing means having to: 1) scrape off frozen snow from our car roof and windshield if we need to go grocery shopping (we don’t have a covered garage); 2) plow off piles of snow blocking our car from driving off; 3) walk with caution on icy paths lest you fall; 4) wear layers upon layers of winter clothing to protect you from the freezing cold; and 5) contend with grumpy, anti-winter Swiss people who might otherwise dampen your pre-Christmasy mood (if there’s even one to speak of).

Having a sunny Filipino disposition these days will surely come in handy, especially if one is going to spend the Christmas holidays miles away from his/her tropical home. Thank God I have a wonderful husband, a cozy home (with ‘organized clutter’), a trusted pair of boots, and a reliable Webster’s dictionary to see me through the cold, dreary winter season ahead of us.

Nov

24

English Classes

Filed Under Education & Campus Scene, Faith & Values, Travel/People & Places | 5 Comments

Many people, including my family, couldn’t understand why I had to fly to Ukraine on an extensive missions assignment (i.e. English teaching and assisting in the kids’ camp) last summer. I couldn’t blame them: life in the former Soviet republic seems hard (and it is, in some respects).

My Mom, out of genuine concern, even had to call me long distance days before my flight to Kiev, Ukraine’s capital, to remind me to pack Swiss food supplies that would last for seven weeks. She thought I had to dig for food in the Ukrainian farmlands.

But there is food in the Ukraine, albeit not as fancy as those found in the so-called First World countries. People there are generally poor, yes, but they almost always come with good intentions, despite — or probably because of — their state of lack. (When I came back here in Switzerland in late August, my Swiss in-laws and my church leader, appalled by my apparent loss of weight, thought I starved my way to malnutrition in the Ukraine. But I clarified that it was my on-the-go schedule that made my otherwise chubby cheeks look a bit sunken.)

My Ukrainian students were friendly, thoughtful, and generous. They lavished me with ‘heart gifts’ — kind words and appreciation tokens — to say how grateful they were for the free English lessons and student handouts I gave them. Knowing how little they had, I treasured their “thank you” gestures and gifts more than ever.

I shed a thousand tears, for instance, after hearing the emphatic “Spaseeba, Spaseeba” (”Thank you, Thank you”) of a Ukrainian mom whose daughter went to one of my evening classes. On my last day in Kremenchuk, where I was assigned to help a three-member foreign missions team working for a local church, mother and daughter rushed to the nearby supermarket to buy me two shopping bags filled with chocolate treats plus two keychain souvenirs. They said those chocolates were meant to tide me over as I prepared to travel by bus to Donetsk, a city in the eastern part of Ukraine, to meet a Filipino missionary and her church group. Before parting ways, I hugged both of them to show my sincere appreciation.

On another occasion, some of my cash-strapped students in the morning class treated me and a full-time missionary to a special pizza lunch which, I knew by gut feel, blew their budget for the month. They also surprised me with presents (a bottle of homemade honey, a bouquet of flowers, and a decorative figurine). It was truly a humbling experience for me.

Given the chance, I would like to teach English in the Ukraine again. My students said they found the communicative lessons “very interesting” and enjoyed them all immensely. Well, so did I. With students like them, who wouldn’t?

Tanya, a cleaning lady, shared with me that it was the best English course she had had in her entire life. Her words, delivered in broken English, touched my heart no end. It was God’s unique way of encouraging me anew after feeling somewhat unappreciated in Switzerland, career-wise (nobody to blame, really).

It was truly fulfilling to know that the Lord could use me to bless Ukrainians through a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) community outreach program. In the process, I got blessed a hundredfold, much to my surprise.

(Note: To view some pictures on Ukraine, please click here. )

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