For the love of literature
Unlocking love
By Ma. de la Paz Espino del Castillo Barrón,
June 15, 2007
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Reminiscing about my earliest forays into reading brings to mind cherished memories of my beloved parents as it was an adventure I shared with them. I was about five years old when hand in hand, my mother and I would walk the four blocks to the home of two spinster sisters, Conchita and Josefina, who devoted themselves heart and soul to inculcating a love of all art in children of any age or class. |
Perhaps I inherited my father’s tremendous memory because I had no trouble memorizing the poems I would have to recite at the next class. On our long walks to routine appointments my mother would lovingly rehearse verse after verse with me. The sisters taught me diction, posture and presentation, but I was free to bring whatever emotion I chose to my readings.
I would imagine and recreate situations and sentiments; I felt as though I was the protagonist. I spent many heavenly afternoons revelling in the words of those poets. At the age of nine, my grandmother gave me a book filled with the biographies of famous people which I pored over with inexhaustible delight right up until my 13th birthday, when I was given Ana Karenina. I will never forget the revelations this book unleashed within me. And then on to Madame Bovary, and many more stories of women fighting against traditional stereotypes. It was fascinating and most certainly played a very large part in shaping who I was and who I became.
My father’s library was behind locked doors that stood guard over, what seemed to me, infinite secrets. One day he decided I was ready and able to read and comprehend what was in those pages and he unlocked the door just for me and I was allowed into that sacred room. He loved his books and sharing them with me was an act of love. I still see him and feel his presence in those sepia-tinted tomes I keep so carefully on my shelves.
With this background, this upbringing, my vocation could hardly be any other. I drink in words, they engross and thrill me; I breathe them, touch them, lay them bare. In them and through them I write my existence. It is in this world of literature that I daily lose and then find myself.
Robin’s Picks
The Biblioteca Publica has added a lot of memoirs in the last two years, thanks in part to a generous donation from a library benefactor who loves biography and autobiography.
Here’s a list of ten of my favorites—both old and new. I’ve included the call numbers to make your searching a tad bit easier!
Robin Velte
All Over But the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg, 1988. Alabama born ‘n raised, Rick Bragg, goes on to win the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 1996. This account of his writing career and the tragedies he encounters is riveting. 92 BRA
American Chica: Two Worlds, One Childhood by Marie Arana, 2002. Marie, whose father is Peruvian and mother, American, lived her childhood between the two countries. The reader is treated to the reality, sometimes comical, of a person straddling two cultures. 92 ARA
Are You Somebody? The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman by Nuala O’Faolain, 1999. A journalist recounts the trials of her growing up, her love affairs and her work. 92 O’FA
Breaking Clean by Judy Blunt, 2003. The rural Montana raised author gives us a woman’s view of life on a ranch beginning in the 1950s. You’ll find here an interesting underlying feminist take on the male viewpoint. 92 BLU
A Drinking Life: A Memoir by Pete Hamill, 1995. I remember the way Hamill described his Brooklyn neighborhood as a youth. I wasn’t raised in a city, but I understood it and saw it.. This grand writer suffered from drinking problems, just as his father did. 92 HAM
Tibetan Buddhism—Relevant or a relic? Part III
By Victoria Tustin, June 15, 2007
| Having synthesized knowledge from various medical systems, Tibetans have created an approach to medical science which draws from thousands of years of empirical and intuitive knowledge about the nature of health and illness. | |
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The history of Tibetan medicine is long and varied. Before Buddhism entered Tibet a significant degree of medical knowledge existed within the country as it did among all ancient peoples. An influx of new ideas regarding medicine began around the 4th century. India and the ayurvedic tradition was a strong influence, as well as other more spiritual and psychologically based systems stemming from Buddhism and other sources. Around the 7th-8th centuries the Tibetan government began to sponsor conferences where doctors skilled in the various medical systems of their respective countries would converge to present and debate their ideas. This included practitioners from countries such as China, Persia, India and Greece. Those who were noted to have superior abilities in the diagnosis and treatm
ent of illness were invited to stay and contribute to the country’s medical base. By the 11th century this knowledge was codified into a unique system which contained a synthesis of the principles of physical and psychological medicine imbued with a Buddhist spiritual understanding. This understanding has come to form the foundation of Tibetan medicine and benefits both patients and doctors alike. It proposes that both health and illness result from the relationship between the mind and body and the individual’s connection to the natural world and their sense of spirituality.
The theory of Tibetan medicine states that the universe is composed of five elements, namely sa (Earth), chu (Water), me (Fire), rLung (Wind) and Nam-mkha (Space). They believe that these five elements are responsible for the formation of every cell of matter and that each element has its specific influence on varying parts of the body and psyche. When our relationship to these elements exists in equilibrium then we are able to enjoy full health and vitality. An imbalance is reflected in poor physical or mental health. In a session of Tibetan medicine the doctor feels the pulse at three varying “depths” on each wrist in order to assess the individual’s relative balance or imbalance with the five elements. Based on this the doctor prescribes natural herbal medicine in order to re-establish the body’s harmony, thus enhancing its natural ability to heal itself.
The essence of the Tibetan medical system is to develop a positive mental attitude having its foundation in the four practices of infinite love, compassion, happiness and equanimity. Failing to adhere to this path of wise action brings us nothing but incessant suffering.
It is believed within Buddhism that in order to grow spiritually we must first obtain a state of physical vitality and personal energy. This in turn strengthens us so that we may be effective in removing the obstacles that bar our way to the liberation from suffering and the attainment of true happiness. Buddhist philosophy states that the highest personal realisation is perfect health.
Dr. Soepa from the Gashar Tawon Khangsten Monastic University is travelling with Tibetan monks who are visiting San Miguel between June 15 and 24. He shall be offering appointments for natural healing and treatments with vendosas or cups—these are used to remove negative energy blockages and re-establish harmony in the body’s energetic systems. Please call Alicia Mayo at 152-0376 to make bookings or Victoria at 152-7854 for more information about Tibetan medicine, Tibetan astrology, house and business blessings, pujas and initiations.
Letters to the Editor,
June 15, 2007
Editor,
A daughter’s perspective…
When my parents first told me they were moving to a little Mexican town called San Miguel de Allende, I was in a state of shock. Mexico? How would I get to see them? Not only would I have to fly ten hours to Mexico City but apparently there was another four hour bus ride to get to their town, which wasn’t anywhere near the beach! What kind of place were they going to that was so far removed from civilization?
I went from shock to anger. How could they leave me with no place to call home? I felt lost, alone and betrayed. I no longer had a room of my own to come back to, nowhere to even store my stuff. The message was loud and clear: my parents were doing their own thing and from now on, I would be a visitor in their house in a foreign country that was far far away. Well, I wasn't about to give up without a fight.
First I tried using logic on my dad. Moving to a developing country at their age, when they don’t even speak the language? Was that a smart decision? But they looked at it as a new chapter in their lives and were excited to learn a new language and culture. I turned to my mom, hoping to appeal to her emotions. What about her busy social life…all of her friends? Wasn’t she going to miss them? But it didn't seem to bother her. She said she’d meet new people—more interesting people.
I tried the guilt trip, reminding them they would be leaving my brother and me on our own, with no family, no place to call home. How would we manage? But my dad quickly pointed out that I had left home years ago so what difference did it make where they lived? He had a point.
Finally, I played the one card I had left. Shopping: my mom’s favourite pastime. She would spend hours and numerous tanks of gas driving around the city making sure she didn’t miss a sale, buying (and returning) outfits like they were going out of style. Well, she certainly wouldn’t be able to do that in a tiny Mexican village, would she? But she claimed she was bored of shopping and wanted to explore other hobbies in a new environment.
My parents were set on their decision to trade my safe, comfortable home for the excitement of un-chartered Mexican waters, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it!
The first time I visited my parents in SMA, I really didn’t know what to expect. They had been telling me I would love it..that it was full of artistic people, colourful houses, cafes and bars.
As my bus pulled into the station after the four hour (very comfortable) ride, I looked out the window and saw a couple waving. As we got closer, I realized it was them! I hardly recognized the man standing next to my mom. He was wearing a sombrero, a T-shirt, jeans and runners—attire the father I knew would never have worn back home. They looked great,—relaxed, happy and healthy and ten years younger!
It’s been five years since that first visit and I now see things in a very different light. I love my visits to SMA, it’s my second home I see my parents as brave, adventurous and cool.. I see them surrounded with such wonderful, caring, interesting friends. I notice how living in a new culture and environment has opened them up and made them look at life in a more accepting and tolerant way. I watch them mix with people of all ages and backgrounds, from young backpackers passing through the town on holiday, to established writers and artists—you can find them all at my parents’ home.
And while many of my friends’ parents have aged dramatically over the past few years as they sit at home waiting for their children and grandchildren to visit them twice a year, my parents have become younger, both inside and out.
Often when I call my parents for a chat, they don’t have time to talk. They are either running out the door to a film, gallery opening or meeting friends for lunch. And although I pretend to be offended, I am secretly thrilled that they live have such a busy and fulfilling life.
Finally, I’m convinced.
A proud and loving daughter,
Kim Arazi
Dear Editor,
I am very glad that Atención has found the edge to write about the ecological hazards that so badly need attention, such as the Charco del Ingenio piece. For years I have suffered the sad reminder of living one step away from such hazards. Often I am reminded of how irresponsible we can be with our natural surroundings. To make a long story short, I have an area a few yards away from my backyard where many houses in Los Frailes dump sewage into open air and subsequently to the presa when it rains, and now that several constructions have started in my block, the workers constantly walk past my house and through an empty lot to relieve themselves in the open air in the ejido. I have tried the usual complaints and phone calls, talked to the head of the neighborhood association with little success. I breathe this air so. So I’m writing out of sheer frustration, just thought I would share.
Kind regards
Alejandro Rivera
Dear Editor,
I absolutely love the new Dinner Goddess column. Her passion for food is inspiring, and her recipes stir my hunger just after I’ve eaten. Thanks for printing quality material. I look forward to future Lila columns.
Sam Sherman
Dear Editor,
In joining others in the hope for her speedy recovery, I would like to add a few words about Suzanne Ludekens. I met Suzanne at the end of 2003 when I joined Atención as editor. We soon became close friends and she was a staunch ally and a talented and enthusiastic assistant.
After finally being made editor of the paper in her own right she has proved herself to be even more versatile and resourceful—for example she is responsible for setting up the Atención website—and has successfully combined her very professional management of the paper with the difficult job of single-handedly raising two young children.
As anyone who’s done it will tell you, editing Atención is rather like the old Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” The demands made on the editor and staff can be exhausting; everything about the job is limited, except the expectations of the readership. Suzanne has met every challenge with charm and style, and now she is laid seriously low, by of all things, an ulcer.
A fund has been established where we can contribute to help provide the extensive aftercare she’ll need on leaving hospital. Suzanne has served this newspaper and its community well, with great tolerance and generosity, and now she needs its help in return. I sincerely hope it will respond in kind.
Trisha Vargas
Veracruz