Moonlight Break

I am gone to dream and explore the universe for my solar return birthday!I will enjoy my beloved constellation and cherish my stars.I will savor the art of sun napping, good eating and real living. Until next time keep on dreaming...

Same Moonlight for our Dreams

Artsy Peeks of the week

North Fork Silver Creek' © Melody Cleary here

Lotus Flower Gallery here

Flinders Rocks by Garry Purcell Australia here
This one is my son favorite!!!

Phillis Wheatley-Thoughts On The Works Of Providence

I just discovered this poem of Phillis Wheatley-Thoughts On The Works Of Providence. Philis Wheatley is the first  African Poet in America. She was the first African American female writer to be published. She was born in Gambia-Senegal and was enslaved at 7 years old. With the Wheatleys in Boston, she became fluent in English and was reading Greek and Latin classics at 12 years old. She is legend!!! Even Voltaire had to recognize her as a magnificent poet and black indeed. 
Enjoy!!!

Phillis Wheatley - Thoughts On The Works Of Providence

A R I S E, my soul, on wings enraptur'd, rise
To praise the monarch of the earth and skies,
Whose goodness and benificence appear
As round its centre moves the rolling year,
Or when the morning glows with rosy charms,
Or the sun slumbers in the ocean's arms:
Of light divine be a rich portion lent
To guide my soul, and favour my intend.
Celestial muse, my arduous flight sustain
And raise my mind to a seraphic strain!
Ador'd for ever be the God unseen,
Which round the sun revolves this vast machine,
Though to his eye its mass a point appears:
Ador'd the God that whirls surrounding spheres,

Which first ordain'd that mighty Sol should reign
The peerless monarch of th' ethereal train:
Of miles twice forty millions is his height,
And yet his radiance dazzles mortal sight
So far beneath--from him th' extended earth
Vigour derives, and ev'ry flow'ry birth:
Vast through her orb she moves with easy grace
Around her Phoebus in unbounded space;
True to her course th' impetuous storm derides,
Triumphant o'er the winds, and surging tides.
Almighty, in these wond'rous works of thine,
What Pow'r, what Wisdom, and what Goodness shine!
And are thy wonders, Lord, by men explor'd,
And yet creating glory unador'd!

Creation smiles in various beauty gay,
While day to night, and night succeeds to day:
That Wisdom, which attends Jehovah's ways,
Shines most conspicuous in the solar rays:
Without them, destitute of heat and light,
This world would be the reign of endless night:
In their excess how would our race complain,
Abhorring life! how hate its length'ned chain!
From air adust what num'rous ills would rise?
What dire contagion taint the burning skies?
What pestilential vapours, fraught with death,
Would rise, and overspread the lands beneath?
Hail, smiling morn, that from the orient main
Ascending dost adorn the heav'nly plain!

So rich, so various are thy beauteous dies,
That spread through all the circuit of the skies,
That, full of thee, my soul in rapture soars,
And thy great God, the cause of all adores.
O'er beings infinite his love extends,
His Wisdom rules them, and his Pow'r defends.
When tasks diurnal tire the human frame,
The spirits faint, and dim the vital flame,
Then too that ever active bounty shines,
Which not infinity of space confines.
The sable veil, that Night in silence draws,
Conceals effects, but shows th' Almighty Cause,
Night seals in sleep the wide creation fair,
And all is peaceful but the brow of care.

Again, gay Phoebus, as the day before,
Wakes ev'ry eye, but what shall wake no more;
Again the face of nature is renew'd,
Which still appears harmonious, fair, and good.
May grateful strains salute the smiling morn,
Before its beams the eastern hills adorn!
Shall day to day, and night to night conspire
To show the goodness of the Almighty Sire?
This mental voice shall man regardless hear,
And never, never raise the filial pray'r?
To-day, O hearken, nor your folly mourn
For time mispent, that never will return.
But see the sons of vegetation rise,
And spread their leafy banners to the skies.

All-wise Almighty Providence we trace
In trees, and plants, and all the flow'ry race;
As clear as in the nobler frame of man,
All lovely copies of the Maker's plan.
The pow'r the same that forms a ray of light,
That call d creation from eternal night.
"Let there be light," he said: from his profound
Old Chaos heard, and trembled at the sound:
Swift as the word, inspir'd by pow'r divine,
Behold the light around its Maker shine,
The first fair product of th' omnific God,
And now through all his works diffus'd abroad.
As reason's pow'rs by day our God disclose,
So we may trace him in the night's repose:

Say what is sleep? and dreams how passing strange!
When action ceases, and ideas range
Licentious and unbounded o'er the plains,
Where Fancy's queen in giddy triumph reigns.
Hear in soft strains the dreaming lover sigh
To a kind fair, or rave in jealousy;
On pleasure now, and now on vengeance bent,
The lab'ring passions struggle for a vent.
What pow'r, O man! thy reason then restores,
So long suspended in nocturnal hours?
What secret hand returns the mental train,
And gives improv'd thine active pow'rs again?
From thee, O man, what gratitude should rise!
And, when from balmy sleep thou op'st thine eyes,

Let thy first thoughts be praises to the skies.
How merciful our God who thus imparts
O'erflowing tides of joy to human hearts,
When wants and woes might be our righteous lot,
Our God forgetting, by our God forgot!
Among the mental pow'rs a question rose,
"What most the image of th' Eternal shows?"
When thus to Reason (so let Fancy rove)
Her great companion spoke immortal Love.
"Say, mighty pow'r, how long shall strife prevail,
"And with its murmurs load the whisp'ring gale?
"Refer the cause to Recollection's shrine,
"Who loud proclaims my origin divine,

"The cause whence heav'n and earth began to be,
"And is not man immortaliz'd by me?
"Reason let this most causeless strife subside."
Thus Love pronounc'd, and Reason thus reply'd.
"Thy birth, coelestial queen! 'tis mine to own,
"In thee resplendent is the Godhead shown;
"Thy words persuade, my soul enraptur'd feels
"Resistless beauty which thy smile reveals."
Ardent she spoke, and, kindling at her charms,
She clasp'd the blooming goddess in her arms.
Infinite Love where'er we turn our eyes
Appears: this ev'ry creature's wants supplies;
This most is heard in Nature's constant voice,
This makes the morn, and this the eve rejoice;

This bids the fost'ring rains and dews descend
To nourish all, to serve one gen'ral end,
The good of man: yet man ungrateful pays
But little homage, and but little praise.
To him, whose works arry'd with mercy shine,
What songs should rise, how constant, how divine! 

'Life in a Day' on July 24

Tomorrow it is life in a day!!!If you feel like it take your camera and share.More on the contest here . Videos have to be uploaded between July 24 and July 31. If you win, your masterpiece will debut at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival!Well be creative anyway!!!

Beyond the dreams: Marion Jones

Beyond a lifetime commitment to thrive, she made the wrong choices, cheated and lied like the rest of us. I wanted her to win in Sydney. Yes I did cry when she won the 100 and 200 meters. She was the ideal “big sister” model. Her work, dedication and commitment did inspire me.  And yes… I did cry when she admitted doping. I did lose my ideal “big sister”. However, the images of her tears made me realized that beyond the dreams there is life. No matter how much we want to accomplish our dreams, life is real. It is as real as blood, sweat, money, loss, lies, deception, pain, fear, shame, and tears. I needed to have a fairytale ending; I wanted her to be clean and proud. I needed one thing to be the way it should regardless of reality.Her confession made me grow up.

In 2007, she confessed about doping from September to July 2000. She was a mother of two.  I was a mother too.Her tears made me realized that beyond the dream of glorious victories in the Olympia, she was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a friend, and a mother.  I felt her pain, her shame and her fear for her family. I am happy that her teammates in relay have their medals back. I am amazed and proud that Marion Jones is coming back in the WNBA. This 34 years rookie is showing us that when you fall way down, you must stand up. It is life.It is real. It is the ideal way to reach our dreams and peace.

Thank you Marion Jones! You inspired me, and you are still inspiring me! And let us not forget that she won gold medals in 1997 in Athens!!!  Even Homer in the Iliad said “It is not possible to fight beyond your strength, even if you strive.” Let us be gentle and compassionate with ourselves. Let us forgive because life is hard enough…Let us be, beyond our glorious dreams of victories because life is “the real”Olympia.

Same Moonlight for our dreams.

Children's World by Maceo Parker

 One of my favorites. It is a magnificent, splendid, sublime and soulful prose. It is Maceo Parker's music.
 Enjoy! Happy Monday...

Book of the week: Devine Combien Je t'aime -Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Just cute and adorable!! It is about love between father and son.
A perfect book for bilingual children.Or a great way to introduce a new language or just to say I love you just one more time. 
English or French

First International Mandela Day July 18, 2010

The UN General Assembly did adopt a resolution declaring the 18th of July “International Mandela Day”. The UN wants to celebrate Mr Mandela's birthday - July 18 – as well as commemorate his tremendous contribution to the world.  In 67 years, he did resolve conflicts, promote race relations, human rights and reconciliation.Therefore July 18, 2010 is the first celebration of Mandela Day throughout the world. According to Mandela Foundation, “On Mandela Day people are called to devote just 67 minutes of their time to changing the world for the better, in a small gesture of solidarity with humanity, and in a small step towards a continuous, global movement for good.”

Mandela dynamic of forgiveness is a gift to the human kind. With this in mind, he is just a man not a saint. He is a great man indeed but still a man. At the crossroads we all know which path is the right path. Often we convince ourselves that the wrong one is the right one because it is just too hard to follow what is right.  He takes tremendous courage and sacrifices to follow such path to fulfill fate and destiny. Mandela preserved his integrity and forgave others. He is not a saint but sure look like one. He gave a lesson to all African leaders; power is nothing if you do use it to lead your people.

Mandela is my beloved dreamer. He did dream big and commit to his dreams until they came true. And the beauty is that he keeps on dreaming at 92 years old. Antole France said that “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” Mandela did believe, plan, act, accomplish and dream for us.I want to thank Nelson Mandela, the man not "the Leader, Comrade, Negotiator, Prisoner and Statesman." Thank you, bless you and happy birthday Dear Mandela!

Let us gave back 67 minutes this Sunday!

Same moonlight for our dreams…

Some of my favorite Quotes:

• I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses.
• I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.  
• "I am the product of Africa and her long-cherished view of rebirth that can now be realised so that all of her children may play in the sun."Nelson Mandela's final speech as president to the South African parliament, Cape Town 26 March 1999.
• If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness.
• I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. 
• And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 

Artsy Peeks of the week

 Foo Hong Tatt-Malaysia

African by Ferah Wand - Fine Artist Berkeley, California 

Brian Brown: "Virus" Florida 2008

 

International Justice Day on July 17

Yes!! There is a system of international criminal justice. July 17th is the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, the treaty that offered the International Criminal Court (ICC). On the international Justice Day’s website, you can read this slogan: “July 17th will be a day of ACTION, REFLECTION, and most importantly, CELEBRATION!”

The ICC was adopted at a diplomatic conference in Rome on 17 July 1998 and was implemented on July 1, 2002. About 111 states are members of the statute. However we must know that as of March 2010, the members make up all of Europe and South America, and about half the countries in Africa. This international “political country club” on justice only account for a minority of the world's population according to Wikipedia. In addition 37 states have signed but not ratified the Rome Statute. On top of this— Israel, Sudan and the United States — have "unsigned" the Rome Statute. Russia, china and India did not sign the statute.

Oh well, July 17 is a celebration of international Justice! And the international court is dealing with the situations in Kenya, Congo, Uganda, Sudan and Central African Republic. On a last note, ICC is recruiting African female lawyers. Go sisters; please go fight for international Justice, so we can keep on celebrating. 

Wisdom whispers by Kim and Joe

To escape the heat, we took a bike ride to the river. My plan was to chill in the shade and read in peace. My son was planning to enjoy the freezing cold water. However we got there in a middle of a couple's courting rehearsal. I wanted to go farther away but my son was already in the water. I sat down and watched their little opera. The lady apologized for the scene and the man moaned at her. I told them that it was cool and they were cute together. And they started arguing about the labeling of their relationship. I knew my peaceful reading just drowned. Few minutes later,the lady introduced herself as Kim and her “friend” was Joe. Kim had a sweet, sandy and rocky voice. She had that protective armor that we build when we do not trust anymore. Joe was preaching every one of his sentences with all his strength. Joe in his fifties is from Michigan and Kim in her forties is from California. They are homeless and watch out for each other.

We talk about everything and nothing. Some parts were pure nonsense but they also shared pure and real wisdom.Joe had a necklace with a wood cross. His father left him when he was five years old. I could feel his childhood pain in his voice.Joe told me “Baby Girl, I will be real with you! Life is hard .You must never worship men. The secret is to love everybody and the rest will come. I love every motherfucka out here but the most difficult shit is to love myself. Baby girl, I am rich! God is my father!!” He also made me promise to read Jeremiah chapter 29 verse ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Kim mothered my son like a loving auntie. She told him to be proud and confident no matter what others say. Watching her mothering my baby made me realize that I was lucky to share this moment with her. Next to my son, Kim dropped her armor and she was soft and fragile even my son became aware of her calm and delicate aura. Kim shared that she has four kids that are staying with her mother. She has a drinking problem caused by really violent domestic violence. She has a large scar on her throat. She said “it is hard to be trusted again but it is harder to trust. It is hard to find a good man that see you and do not hurt you inside. I need to find myself first”
 

Kim and Joe were missing their children. They were longing to belong. And they starved to be needed. Beyond their opera characters, I have seen glimpses of very deep and powerful persons inside. They were very appreciative of my listening. They were proud to share their wisdom and parenting skills. They were happy that I could see beyond the homelessness. They gave me priceless compliments and blessings that warmed my soul. We whispered to each other words of wisdom and hope.

Kim is dreaming to get back to her children and protect them from life stuff. Joe is dreaming to travel around and be in his children life before he becomes a grandfather.Kim also dreams to have a place called "home with her children". And Joe also dreams to say “I am going home for diner”. I am forever grateful for these two wisdom whisperers. At the end, we exchanged grateful salutations and blessings. Then we left. And in our way home, I realized that beyond all my issues and problems I am so blessed.

Thank you Kim! Thank You Joe!

The Nearness of You by Branford Marsalis

Please take this sublime song as gift for my 100^th post.
Thank you very much. I wish all your precious dreams come true.
When words can't take us where we need to go, our dreams take us where we belong.

Thank you again and many blessings to you all.

Same moonlight for our dreams…

Book of the week: Lady white snake from Chinese Opera by Aaron Shepard

For Children: Nice summer read! We got it from our library excursion. Beautiful drawings but it definitively "a girl" story according to my seven years old.
Lady White is a thousand-year-old snake who, through centuries of meditation and self-discipline, has managed to attain human form. On a visit to China's famous West Lake, she falls in love with a young man and soon becomes his wife. But when a Buddhist abbot discovers her true origin, she must fight for both her marriage and her freedom.From one of the most popular of Chinese operas comes this tale of love and courage in the face of blind intolerance. Accompanied by illustrations depicting traditional costumes and staging, this retelling brings to life a timeless legend and a classic art form.

_

Patrice Lumumba’s Independence Day speech

Well, I shared “La Marseillaise” so I must share the Independence Day speech of Patrice Lumumba. This is Afropolitan for you!  It is a global community with global politics sharing common dreams of peace and justice.

Victorious fighters for independence, today victorious, I greet you in the name of the Congolese government. All of you, my friends, who have fought tirelessly at our sides, I ask you to make this June 30, 1960, an illustrious date that you will keep indelibly engraved in your hearts, a date of significance of which you will teach to your children, so that they will make known to their sons and to their grandchildren the glorious history of our fight for liberty.

For this independence of the Congo, even as it is celebrated today with Belgium, a friendly country with whom we deal as equal to equal, no Congolese worthy of the name will ever be able to forget that is was by fighting that it has been won [applause], a day-to-day fight, an ardent and idealistic fight, a fight in which we were spared neither privation nor suffering, and for which we gave our strength and our blood.

We are proud of this struggle, of tears, of fire, and of blood, to the depths of our being, for it was a noble and just struggle, and indispensable to put an end to the humiliating slavery which was imposed upon us by force.

This was our fate for 80 years of a colonial regime; our wounds are too fresh and too painful still for us to drive them from our memory. We have known harassing work, exacted in exchange for salaries which did not permit us to eat enough to drive away hunger, or to clothe ourselves, or to house ourselves decently, or to raise our children as creatures dear to us.

We have known ironies, insults, blows that we endured morning, noon and evening, because we are Negroes. Who will forget that to a Black one said “tu”, certainly not as to a friend, but because the more honorable “vous” was reserved for whites alone?

We have seen our lands seized in the name of allegedly legal laws, which in fact recognized only that might is right. We have seen that the law was not the same for a white and for a Black – accommodating for the first, cruel and inhuman for the other.

We have witnessed atrocious sufferings of those condemned for their political opinions or religious beliefs, exiled in their own country, their fate truly worse than death itself.

We have seen that in the towns there were magnificent houses for the whites and crumbling shanties for the Blacks; that a Black was not admitted in the motion-picture houses, in the restaurants, in the stores of the Europeans; that a Black traveled in the holds, at the feet of the whites in their luxury cabins.

Who will ever forget the massacres where so many of our brothers perished, the cells into which those who refused to submit to a regime of oppression and exploitation were thrown [applause]?

All that, my brothers, we have endured. But we, whom the vote of your elected representatives have given the right to direct our dear country, we who have suffered in our body and in our heart from colonial oppression, we tell you very loud, all that is henceforth ended.

The Republic of the Congo has been proclaimed, and our country is now in the hands of its own children. Together, my brothers, my sisters, we are going to begin a new struggle, a sublime struggle, which will lead our country to peace, prosperity and greatness.

Together, we are going to establish social justice and make sure everyone has just remuneration for his labor [applause].

Considered so dangerous to imperialist powers that he was imprisoned only 10 after his election and ultimately assassinated, Patrice Lumumba was confident that we who love freedom would fight on, saying: "We are no alone. Africa, Asia, and free and liberated people from every corner of the world will always be found at the side of the Congolese."

Considered so dangerous to imperialist powers that he was imprisoned only 10 weeks after his election and ultimately assassinated, Patrice Lumumba was confident that we who love freedom would fight on, saying: "We are not alone. Africa, Asia, and free and liberated people from every corner of the world will always be found at the side of the Congolese."

We are going to show the world what the Black man can do when he works in freedom, and we are going to make of the Congo the center of the sun’s radiance for all of Africa.

We are going to keep watch over the lands of our country so that they truly profit her children. We are going to restore ancient laws and make new ones which will be just and noble.

We are going to put an end to suppression of free thought and see to it that all our citizens enjoy to the full the fundamental liberties foreseen in the Declaration of the Rights of Man [applause].

We are going to do away with all discrimination of every variety and assure for each and all the position to which human dignity, work and dedication entitles him.

We are going to rule not by the peace of guns and bayonets but by a peace of the heart and the will [applause].

And for all that, dear fellow countrymen, be sure that we will count not only on our enormous strength and immense riches but on the assistance of numerous foreign countries whose collaboration we will accept if it is offered freely and with no attempt to impose on us an alien culture of no matter what nature [applause].

In this domain, Belgium, at last accepting the flow of history, has not tried to oppose our independence and is ready to give us their aid and their friendship, and a treaty has just been signed between our two countries, equal and independent. On our side, while we stay vigilant, we shall respect our obligations, given freely.

Thus, in the interior and the exterior, the new Congo, our dear Republic that my government will create, will be a rich, free and prosperous country. But so that we will reach this aim without delay, I ask all of you, legislators and citizens, to help me with all your strength.

I ask all of you to forget your tribal quarrels. They exhaust us. They risk making us despised abroad.

I ask the parliamentary minority to help my government through a constructive opposition and to limit themselves strictly to legal and democratic channels.

I ask all of you not to shrink before any sacrifice in order to achieve the success of our huge undertaking.

In conclusion, I ask you unconditionally to respect the life and the property of your fellow citizens and of foreigners living in our country. If the conduct of these foreigners leaves something to be desired, our justice will be prompt in expelling them from the territory of the republic; if, on the contrary, their conduct is good, they must be left in peace, for they also are working for our country’s prosperity.

The Congo’s independence marks a decisive step towards the liberation of the entire African continent [applause].

Sire, excellencies, mesdames, messieurs, my dear fellow countrymen, my brothers of race, my brothers of struggle – this is what I wanted to tell you in the name of the government on this magnificent day of our complete independence.

Our government – strong, national, popular – will be the health of our country.

I call on all Congolese citizens – men, women and children – to set themselves resolutely to the task of creating a prosperous national economy which will assure our economic independence.

Glory to the fighters for national liberation! Long live independence and African unity! Long live the independent and sovereign Congo! [applause, long and loud]

En francais : C'est ici

July 14,2010 Bastille Day ,50th anniversary of Former French colonies independence.

Instead of saying Former French colonies, it is labeled as francophone countries. Anyway Africans will celebrate with the French the storming of the Bastille and their independence. I guess diplomacy is “key” for fine connoisseurs. The Senegalese soldiers will be finally recognized by France and honored. If this is the path for peaceful and mutual respect, I am in! And I would love to see the fireworks around the Eiffel Tour. And may the liberty, equality and fraternity resonate in everybody minds.
“And a funny historical footnote, the key to the Bastille now resides in George Washington's residence of Mount Vernon. It was sent to him by Lafayette in 1790 as a peace offering.”
We are all connected even in our revolutions.
Happy Bastille Day and Independence Day!
Let us sing “La Marseillaise”

Allons enfants de la Patrie, Come, children of the Fatherland (Homeland),
Le jour de gloire est arrivé ! The day of glory has arrived!
Contre nous de la tyrannie, Against us of the Tyranny's
L'étendard sanglant est levé, (bis) Bloody banner is raised, (repeat)
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes Do you hear in the countryside
Mugir ces féroces soldats ? Those ferocious soldiers roaring?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras They come up to your arms
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes ! To slaughter your sons and wives!

Aux armes, citoyens, To arms, citizens,
Formez vos bataillons, Form your battalions,
Marchons, marchons ! Let's march, let's march!
Qu'un sang impur May be an impure blood
Abreuve nos sillons ! Water our furrows!

Que veut cette horde d'esclaves, What does this horde of slaves,
De traîtres, de rois conjurés ? Of traitors and conjured kings want?
Pour qui ces ignobles entraves, For whom are these ignoble trammels,
Ces fers dès longtemps préparés ? (bis) These long-prepared fetters? (repeat)
Français, pour nous, ah ! quel outrage Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage
Quels transports il doit exciter ! What fury it must arouse!
C'est nous qu'on ose méditer It is we whom they dare plan
De rendre à l'antique esclavage ! To return to ancient slavery!

Aux armes, citoyens... To arms, citizens...

Quoi ! des cohortes étrangères What! Foreign cohorts
Feraient la loi dans nos foyers ! Would make law in our homes!
Quoi ! ces phalanges mercenaires What! These mercenary phalanxes
Terrasseraient nos fiers guerriers ! (bis) Would strike down our proud warriors! (repeat)
Grand Dieu ! par des mains enchaînées Great God ! By chained hands
Nos fronts sous le joug se ploieraient Our heads would bow under the yoke
De vils despotes deviendraient Vile despots would become
Les maîtres de nos destinées ! The masters of our destinies!

Aux armes, citoyens... To arms, citizens...

Tremblez, tyrans et vous perfides Tremble, tyrants and you traitors
L'opprobre de tous les partis, The shame of all parties,
Tremblez ! vos projets parricides Tremble! Your parricidal schemes
Vont enfin recevoir leurs prix ! (bis) Will finally receive their prizes! (repeat)
Tout est soldat pour vous combattre, Everyone is a soldier to combat you
S'ils tombent, nos jeunes héros, If they fall, our young heroes,
La terre en produit de nouveaux, The earth produces new ones,
Contre vous tout prêts à se battre ! Against you, all ready to fight!

Aux armes, citoyens... To arms, citizens...

Français, en guerriers magnanimes, Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors,
Portez ou retenez vos coups ! Bear or hold back your blows!
Épargnez ces tristes victimes, Spare these sorry victims,
À regret s'armant contre nous. (bis) Arming against us with regrets. (repeat)
Mais ces despotes sanguinaires, But these bloodthirsty despots,
Mais ces complices de Bouillé, But these accomplices of Bouillé,
Tous ces tigres qui, sans pitié, All these tigers who, mercilessly,
Déchirent le sein de leur mère ! Rip their mother's breast!

Aux armes, citoyens... To arms, citizens...

Amour sacré de la Patrie, Sacred love of the Fatherland,
Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs Lead, support our avenging arms
Liberté, Liberté chérie, Liberty, cherished Liberty,
Combats avec tes défenseurs ! (bis) Fight with thy defenders! (repeat)
Sous nos drapeaux que la victoire Under our flags, shall victory
Accoure à tes mâles accents, Hurry to thy manly accents,
Que tes ennemis expirants Shall thy expiring enemies,
Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire ! See thy triumph and our glory!

Aux armes, citoyens... To arms, citizens...

(Couplet des enfants) (Children's Verse)
Nous entrerons dans la carrière[3] We shall enter in the (military) career
Quand nos aînés n'y seront plus, When our elders are no longer there,
Nous y trouverons leur poussière There we shall find their dust
Et la trace de leurs vertus (bis) And the trace of their virtues (repeat)
Bien moins jaloux de leur survivre Much less jealous to survive them
Que de partager leur cercueil, Than to share their coffins,
Nous aurons le sublime orgueil We shall have the sublime pride
De les venger ou de les suivre Of avenging or following them

Aux armes, citoyens... To arms, citizens...

Africa World Cup: 31 days of dribbling, crossing, scoring goals and dreaming.

First, Bravo Spain! Bravo Netherlands! Now we must all have Catalan seafood Paella at least once this month! However Ghana remains my favorite matador. Yes we have seen the ugly, not so cute and the silly. And we had some amazing moment, great dances, intense praying, hoping, and dreaming. Of course, I wanted Africa to win in Africa. It would have been a great moment. Apparently not yet, not yet…regardless it was a great moment for Africa.

Nevertheless, the world cup did stir up a lot of debates on “national identity” and multiracial players. I am still maintaining that there is a difference between nationality and citizenship! And they are not overlapping like many believe. When you are multicultural and multiracial, you know that it is complex and real. All the naturalized immigrants living in adopted countries do understand me. The bottom line, you pick a nation and become a citizen. You are a "virtual" national. Then you are good sport and want to represent your nation. You want to share your pride and support your "adopted" people. Deep down you want to show your “original” people that you made it! You want to prove that dreams come true and give hope to those in needs.

For some "Soccer" is a pitiful metaphor of a national status. However for us "children of football" is a subtitle esquisse of a national landscape. Spain victory is a proof that collaboration and integration is the key to victory. Cantalonia, Andalousia, and Basques were united for 31 days!!! France defeat illustrates the lack of dialogue on integration, and the big taboo on race. And the strike of the French team was one of my favorite moments!

At the World cup, players are like “paid gladiators”. We are not naïve. The game is the game. However there is a little window of light where the underdog shines. He is performing for his social and legal standing and a better pay check of course. The beauty is that in the public, many see those modern gladiators as their personal ambassadors. And we hope that they will send the message to the world, we are here!
And in a mix of dribbling, crossing, scoring we are still dreaming for those priceless goals!!!
To conclude: Thanks you all! Special Thanks to Ghana for true team spirit. And see you in Brazil 2014...

Activist Poet-Saul Williams

He is a very talented Activist Poet! He made me love English. For me, the movie Slam was a revelation of how "English" words can be powerful. With the Hip-Hop obsession in a blackness identity chasing generation, Saul Williams gave us food for our minds. After watch his movie, I wrote my first poem in English.  Before, only French had substance, subtility and nuances. After his amazing performance, I felt the substance, the subtility, the nuances, the catalytic energy and the smoothing message that awake every part of your being. Slam’s tagline is “Words make sense of a world that won't.”

Here is a Video of him

"I am a star, this life is the suburbs, I commute...I am before, before." Saul Williams

Vlisco knows Africa, Go Netherlands!

I like Vlisco! I am still wishing that one day the African Fashion will be dictated by local companies!!!
Vlisco is one of the reasons of my support for Netherlands vs Spain  in this soccer world cup. Netherlands has the monopole of the African fashion. Netherlands through Vlisco has been in Africa for the last 160 years!!!  My favorite quote from the website is "They feature craftsmanship second to none, both in look and in quality. From the very beginning, Vlisco has created exciting and expressive textiles, which never use ‘cliché African’ imagery." Okay! They are good and we have been trained to like and desire a "Vlisco Wax Hollandais". I do not own one but they are beautiful... And in 2006 they gained the status of a Fashion Label in Europe. Just saying that Netherlands is African too!
Here some pictures.

Moon Dreams by Miles Davis

Moon Dreams by  Miles Davis
Enjoy!
Same Moonlight for our Dreams...

Dreaming of Justice for Oscar Grant

We are dreaming of Justice beyond race and ethnicity.
We are dreaming of Justice regardless of stereotypes and prejudices.
We share the same blood and tears.
We share the same fears and dreams.

Oscar Grant was here and  still lives...

Pictures from http://www.sfgate.com

Please read more at:
http://oaklandlocal.com/article/being-schooled-injustice-mehserle-verdict-shows-injustice-bias-our-society-op-ed

TANGAROA - god of the sea by Tiki Taane

This is amazing ... Tiki Taane’s trademark is a fusion of  bass-heavy production with traditional Maori instrumentation.  Tangaroa means ‘God of the Sea’. This song has tribal elements, powerful rhythms and his father  haka on top. It speaks to my soul... Tiki Taane said that "In my heart I believe this song embodies the power and Mana of Tangaroa and Haka."

Slow, Slow(Run, Run Run) by Ayo

Her Poetry is pure and real. This song inspires me.I guess I need to change and I got to find myself.I am going slow. And it is all good! Ayo says it better than I do..Here it is ...

I got to free my mind I got chase my Soul I got to be myself I got to find my glow 
Things are getting strange guess I need a change
But I can't run away no I can't escape
I got to face myself got to free my mind
I got to chase my Soul get back my glow
I got to go
Yes I got to
I got to run run run run run run
Run for my Soul
I better go go go go go go
Making sure I go slow slow

Book of the week: Artist of Life by Bruce Lee

Oh yes!!Master Bruce Lee had a degree in philosophy!! By fusing Eastern philosophy, gung fu ,and  western philosophy, he was revolutionary. Bruce Lee was an artist. In an article, he said that “to be a martial artist means also to be an artist of life.”  “All knowledge ultimately means self knowledge”. This was following Socrates maxim “Know thyself.” Bruce Lee was a perfectionist dedicated to discipline, self improvement and change.

 The logic of his philosophy was labeled Jeet kune do. According to which, the martial artist must inquire two questions. “1) What is it that I want to accomplish? 2) What is the quickest, most efficient and effective way to reach my objective?” In my opinion this applies to all artists of life. We all need to adapt, be flexible and flow like water.  We need to let our emotions flow like water. Even if our emotions make us weak, they are also our strength.  Here a passage from the Tao Te Ching about the nature of water: Nothing is weaker than water, But when it attacks something hard, Or resistant, then nothing withstands it, And nothing will alter its way.

And here more from Artist of Life:

The rivers and seas are lords of a hundred valleys. This is because their strength is in lowliness; they are kings of them all. So it is that the perfect master wishing to lead them, he follows. Thus, though he is above them, he follows. Thus, though he is above them, men do not feel him to be an injury. And since he will not strive, none strive with him.
The world is full of people who are determined to be somebody or to give trouble. They want to get ahead, to stand out. Such ambition has no use for a gung fu man, who rejects all forms of self-assertiveness and competition:One who tries to stand on tiptoe cannot stand still. One who stretches his legs too far cannot walk. One who advertises himself too much is ignored. One who is too insistent on his own view finds few to agree with him. One who claims too much credit does not get even what he deserves. One who is too proud is soon humiliated. These are condemned as extremes of greediness and self-destructive activity. Therefore, one who acts naturally avoids such extremes. 
Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know.
Stop your sense, let sharp things be blunted,
Tangles resolved, the light tempered and turmoil subdued;
For this is mystic unity in which the wise man is moved
Neither by affection nor yet by estrangement,
Or profit or loss or honour or shame.
Accordingly, by all the world, he is held highest.