Iran and Moomintrolls
For some reason the current crisis in Iran (beautifully and harrowingly recounted in this article by Robert Fisk - http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-irans-day-of-destiny-1706010.html) is really affecting me. The twitters coming through from the Iranian students (http://search.twitter.com/search?q=iranelection) I find exciting, scary and moving in equal parts. I also wonder how they will seem reading back on this in years to come.
Perhaps it is the nature of the way this event is being reported - the government banning international media, closing down Facebook and preventing official information from exiting or entering the country, maybe it's because it's a largely youthful rebellion actually in action. I feel like most of the educated middle class knows at least a little about Iran whether it's from the Iran-Iraq war, the 1979 uprising or just from watching Persepolis, but there is a vested interest in seeing change here and I'm expecting things to get ugly and some form of democratic change to ensue. The world is watching and has an insight we've never had before. Weird to think that it's partly down to Twitter, a website I'd never previously visited.
My housemate's boyfriend is a journalist for SBS and he was trying to get to Iran last week, to cover the election. He's seething now, but I think he'll go later in the year. I would love to visit as well and help in a health-setting. When I think of a 32 year old semi-educated creative person in Tehran, my problems and personal aspirations seem to be so small.
I've fallen back in love with the writing of Tove Jansson. I read the Exploits of Moominpappa last week and am constantly awestruck by her economy of words, bizarre imagination and the almost Zen worldview of her creatures. I was also excited to find that several FinnAir planes that fly between Helsinki and Tokyo have large Moomins painted on them:
Perhaps it is the nature of the way this event is being reported - the government banning international media, closing down Facebook and preventing official information from exiting or entering the country, maybe it's because it's a largely youthful rebellion actually in action. I feel like most of the educated middle class knows at least a little about Iran whether it's from the Iran-Iraq war, the 1979 uprising or just from watching Persepolis, but there is a vested interest in seeing change here and I'm expecting things to get ugly and some form of democratic change to ensue. The world is watching and has an insight we've never had before. Weird to think that it's partly down to Twitter, a website I'd never previously visited.
My housemate's boyfriend is a journalist for SBS and he was trying to get to Iran last week, to cover the election. He's seething now, but I think he'll go later in the year. I would love to visit as well and help in a health-setting. When I think of a 32 year old semi-educated creative person in Tehran, my problems and personal aspirations seem to be so small.
I've fallen back in love with the writing of Tove Jansson. I read the Exploits of Moominpappa last week and am constantly awestruck by her economy of words, bizarre imagination and the almost Zen worldview of her creatures. I was also excited to find that several FinnAir planes that fly between Helsinki and Tokyo have large Moomins painted on them: