30 years since the end of the Vietnam War / On writing / Daily crono / Strange things…

30 years since the end of the Vietnam War

After each war
somebody has to clear up,
put things in order,
by itself it won't happen.

Somebody's got to push
rubble to the highway shoulder
making way
for the carts filled up with corpses.

Someone must trudge
through muck and ashes,
sofa springs,
splintered class,
and blood-soaked rugs.

Somebody has to haul
beams for propping a wall,
another put glass in a window
and hang the door on hinges.

This is not photogenic
and takes years.
All the cameras have left already
for another war.

Bridges are needed
also new railroad stations.
Tatters turn into sleeves
for rolling up.

Somebody, broom in hand,
still recalls how it was.
Someone whose head was not 
torn away listens nodding.
But nearby already
begin to bustle those
who'll need persuasion.

Somebody still at times
digs up from under the bushes
some rusty quibble
to add it to burning refuse.

Those who knew
what this was all about
must yield to those
who knew little
or less than little,
essentially nothing.

In the grass that has covered 
effects in causes
somebody must recline,
a stalk of rye in the teeth,
ogling the clouds.

-- Wislawa Szymborska "End and Beginning" (translated by Joseph Brodsky)

On writing

Reflecting my working style and habits I have now realized, that I can only write anything serious only after 6pm, and before 2am. Before 6pm I just too nervous, too full of energy. It is good time for reading, taking notes, writing blog, talking in the phone, having walks, sitting in classes. After 2am, I am usually too tired to construct a single grammatically correct sentence with any real meaning. It is time for sleeping, and dreaming. Speaking of dreams, my old repeating dream, in which I am reading a book of my own writing, while it unfolds, has changed. In the current version, I am reading my blog as it unfolds.

Daily crono

It is good to take care of trivialities in the morning.So, I did part of my part for the presentations for the PDD and disruptive classes. Both of them are going to be fine, but not stellar: there is no point in spending much time on them: one does not learn anything by doing presentations. Unless one wants to be a secretary after graduation. Then lunch in the Island Hopper, coffee in Espresso Royale, reading for Apollo-project at home. Late, dinner with Kumar in Pho Pasteur. We also had hot chocolate in Dunkin Donuts. There were 10 other customers drugging themselves, when a bum walks in. Surprisingly, he walks directly to me, and asks for money. They always come to me. It is so nice.

Strange things in USA, part 4

12. Limousines 13. Hummer-limousines (Yes, I saw one today) 14. The time it takes many people to select a muffin or a cookie. Today, one girl spent 3 minutes in the front of the line. 15. The size of muffins, cookies, and cakes. They are huge! 16. The popularity of decaffeinated coffee. Why to use drugs if one cannot handle them? What's next? Dechocolated chocolate? Non-alcoholic vodka? 17. The new Budweiser-beer, which contains ginseng, guarana, and caffeine. 19. Calling Budweiser a beer. 18. Having a special type of cars for taxis and police. 19. Using the unpractical English measurements (inch, feet, yard, etc) 20. Toastmasters.

On S.U.V-drivers

According to Malcolm Gladwell the car industry has done some research about their customers, and found out an interesting thing:

"internal industry market research concluded that S.U.V.s tend to be bought by people who are insecure, vain, self-centered, and self-absorbed, who are frequently nervous about their marriages, and who lack confidence in their driving skills."

What does this tell about anyone, who rents an Hummer-limousine?

Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs April 2005".