'Cheesy' in the urban dictionary means trying too hard. That which is unsubtle or inauthentic in its way of trying to elicit a certain response from a viewer, listener, reader, audience. Cliches are often cheesy because they are an obvious way of making a point. What obvious point I want to make? That this world…Read more My cheesy Christmas reflections on this beautiful mess
Relationships
Season of Advent reminds us why universal declaration of human rights still matters
Universal declaration of human rights? United nations? International cooperation? International order? Preventing wars? Striving for peace? Respecting human dignity? It is almost 70 years since this declaration was proclaimed and yet it is hard to shake the impression that many people/nations/leaders could care less... I look up at the calendar on my kitchen wall and…Read more Season of Advent reminds us why universal declaration of human rights still matters
Lustration and flushing out the Soviet poison for good
I belong to two generations. Gen X - Nirvana, grunge, MTV, The Cure, flannel shirts, cynicism... but also a generation between two worlds and two truths. Born in the USSR, I became an adult in free and independent Latvia. The feature photo was taken at a former Soviet military facility in western Latvia which used…Read more Lustration and flushing out the Soviet poison for good
Rohingya and soul searching in Myanmar
Myanmar is making international headlines again and the news is not good. Tragedy for the thousands and thousands of people who are losing their homes, ancestral land, possessions and fleeing to neighboring country Bangladesh... hundreds are also losing their lives and their loved ones. The story of Rohingya ethnic minority has repeated through the years…Read more Rohingya and soul searching in Myanmar
Helpful or harmful to talk about painful national past?
This is a common and valid question. When do the wounds, losses and memories from time ago truly become things of the past? When does it heal and hurt no more? When does dwelling on the past become harmful and we get stuck in it? Increasingly many people in my global circle of friends are…Read more Helpful or harmful to talk about painful national past?
I don’t want to be another brick in the wall
Few days ago I was giving a lecture on peace building and reconciliation and our group had a very good discussion about some of the issues and challenges that our societies are facing. It was in a religious context but the principles of good and healthy relationships vs bad and broken ones are the same…Read more I don’t want to be another brick in the wall
What I learned from pilgrimage of trust in Rīga
Hope is on my mind. Hope is different from simple optimism or positive thinking because hope is living both in the reality of "now and here" and in "not yet and not there yet". It all depends on the ultimate truth and purpose of life you believe in. Few weeks ago the capital of Latvia…Read more What I learned from pilgrimage of trust in Rīga
I will not give up on truth seeking
Few weeks ago Oxford Dictionaries announced the word of 2016 is “post-truth". Followed by “alt-right” (alternative right) or “Brexiteer and others. It was chosen because this year there has been such a sharp increase in how and when this concept is used. Especially during the Brexit campaign and US elections. According to Oxford Dictionaries, post…Read more I will not give up on truth seeking
Giving thanks for my vivacious sojourners
I love this photo and I love the memory of this moment. Mae Sot, Thailand may be a small town (developing and growing fast) on the Thailand - Burma border where tourists go for border crossing and locals for shopping and business, but for me it is "home away from home". These kids from Mae…Read more Giving thanks for my vivacious sojourners
Dear Latvia, I love you
This is my dear grandmother Margaret who is only 5 years younger than the Republic of Latvia. Born in 1923, she has seen and experienced many things, lost much but also gained much. She teaches me how not to take things for granted. She also teaches me about courage, sacrifice, creativity, gratitude and hope. Today…Read more Dear Latvia, I love you
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