ex Ponto

Geen leger zal er ooit voor kiezen, maar ik weet sinds kort dat oranje een goede schutkleur kan zijn. Niet alleen omdat de helft van de hoofdstad oranje kleurt, en je dus niet opvalt in de menigte als je met een feloranje t shrt aantrekt met wat beessies in je haar. Je kunt tegenwoordig haast overal schreeuwen en meedeinen in een massa fans met toeters, zonder al te veel op te vallen. Maar er zijn mensen die altijd opvallen.

While working on a projectplan called Wanderers, an art project on migration in a transition neighborhood in The Hague, a very basic question came up. What is a local these days?

One might be a local in many places: migrating from Maroc, living in France, having dear friends and relatives in Canada, Jamaica, Singapore and The Netherlands and staying with them for months. When do you start to be a local? Is there a definition? 

Is it after the official registration? Paperwork? That would mean that an Ethiopian family living illegally in The Netherlands for 10 years would be non-local whereas an Italian man, married to a Dutch woman, would be a local upon his arrival in The Netherlands.

Could it be duration of stay? How many years would one make a local? Or is it about having a legal job? Then, how about the housewives? Is it the language, speaking Dutch?

All these factors could contribute to making someone feel like a local. But, we have to conclude, to be (or not to be) a local cannot be defined by one factor only. 

'It can be really frustrating, fund raising, doing volunteer work,' says Ugochukwe, 'You know so many million illegal dollars are being put on Swiss and American bank accounts, and here you find yourself putting aside 5 dollar, maybe a couple of hundred. What is the use?'

In het dorpje Sobeslav in het zuiden van Tsjechië worden de kramen van de wekelijkse markt bemand door Vietnamezen. Zij verkopen groente, fruit en textiel. Tsjechen kopen er alleen maar. Sobeslav telt zo’n 5000 inwoners, een ijssalon, twee fietswinkels een spar, twee campings, drie pensions. Even buiten het dorp staan een enorme Lidl, Tesco en Albert met import van over de hele wereld.

Protests are not over, reports www.voteforiran.com

The Friday Prayer in Tehran today, July 17, was a overwhelming Green manifest of the supporters of Mr Mousavi. A huge crowd of apparently more than one million people where in the streets of Tehran around the Tehran University where the sermon has been held.
The slogans that about one million people today were chanting during and after Friday sermon: We would support you Mousavi; our blood is a gift to the People and their will; long life Hashemi; down with China and Russia; Free the political prisoners & Allah Akbar.

Update 9 juli: Er zijn weer mensen bij elkaar gekomen om te demonstreren op Engelab plein in Teheran, blogt http://shooresh1917.blogspot.com/ , er wordt schijnbaar ook gedemonstreerd bij de Chinese ambassade vanwege de Oeigoerse opstand in Urumqi. 

De waarheid over Neda

Een ronde tafel gesprek met Iraans Nederlandse en Nederlandse journalisten over de onrust in Iran.

The girl who was shot dead and filmed, Neda Salehi Agha-Soltani, has become an icon. People were trying to gather and mourn over her. this Monday. 'BBCfarsi confirms: Basij didn't allow vigil @ mosque earlier 2day in Tehran 4 Neda. ppl not allowed into mosque.'...

The link http://www.presstv.ir headline yesterday night 'Guardian Council: Over 100% voted in 50 cities'

Evening news from Twazzup.iran: Fatemiyeh Hospital Tehran: 30-40 dead as of 11pm (local time); 200 injured. Police taking names of incoming injured.