Migrants

We always think that registration, documentation, asylum problems, being legally or illegaly in some other country's territory is something that is only related to refugees, IDPs, our humanitarian work. We experience burocracy problems each time we got a new assignment in a different Country, where normally the burocracy is done to protect corruption and desorganization and not to facilitate a smooth process for visas and permits. So we all get annoyed because we have to wait, maybe two extra weeks, one month, before leaving or before geeting a visa extension. But at the end, we take it as part of the work like a lot of other stressing circunstances, and it does not threaten our lives and future plans that much.

In these days, I'm reading more and more relates of foreign citizens complaining about immigration law in Italy. And I'm not talking about the common sterptype we have, incorrectly, of the migrants, I'm talking about journalists, scientists, professors, esteemed workers in accademic associations, who are fighting with an unclear and inhuman law as much as the others. Like in the countries we complain about, unclear burocracy and grey areas are done to cover disorder and hidden agendas. The hidden agenda of this law is simply to keep out anybody who is not italian. Stop. Since I'm experiencing this personally, I feel as I was a little bit stranger too, even in my country. I got to know offices that I had never step in, I saw burocrats and policemen delaying without any reason permissions and documents, taking their coffee breaks in working hours without minding the interetnic queue outside the door waiting for them, I saw these people moving their lazy hands to put a stamp only when I shouted at them in italian and they understood they could not foolish me as I was not any poor lost stranger. I don't feel any difference between the supposed third world country, who has to give me a visa and my country, that does not allow others human beings to have access to a clear, quick and easy procedure in condition of dignity and respect. I don't feel any difference when I have to fear to lose every six months people I love, no matter how much they are honestly working or how much I guarantee for them. And even if it's sad, I can't blame these people when they are rude to my country, because if I think about it, my country gave them less chances to feel part of it than what their countries gave to me.

Moments

And I'd give up forever to touch you
Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
Cause sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight

And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

A cavallo stanco Dio manda la mosca (God send the fly to the tired horse)

I've always had a passion for proverbs and ways of saying. They are so wise and true and in two words they explain a whole concept. So, in some very crucial moments, some proverbs occur to my mind; when I've too many words or too many thoughts they just comes out simply and effectivly and they make me smile, because they are definetly the best explanation, even if I know that to somebody I would look like my grandmother or my old aunt Nini. They were very wise persons I've to tell you.

So the proverb of today it's one of my favorites and it says: A cavallo stanco Dio manda la mosca, that means: God send the fly to the tired horse. Translated in english does not have the same impact, but anyway it basically says that when you are already tired, when you have already a problem, as it was not enough, God send you also a fly (so another really annoying thing). And it's true, there are these periods when one thing start going wrong and all the others seem crashing and the whole scenario get worse.

Last night I felt definetly like the tired horse, adding another concern, another tear to an already troubled period. And while I could not sleep, while I was thinking that everything was wrong, while I was trying to limitate the damage to my face and avoid to wake up with the same eyes as a frog, while I was looking for a way to get out, my friend proverb appeared so clear in my mind and somehow so funny that made me smile. A cavallo stanco Dio manda la mosca, it's so true.

So far so close

In the last few days I strangely experienced once again how distance is relative and how "far" can instead mean "close". And how much is also up to myself feeling that somebody is far or close. At a certain point, I had the impression that all the ones who are far today, were really distant and used to my distance, but then they surprised my with their lovely way of being close. And so I confirmed to myself once again that I've never felt anybody of them really far. They have always been close to me and inside me. And we are still connected.

Then there are people who are presently close to me, for choice or for opportunity, who knows definetly in this strange mission life. They are here and some of them show their support or their worry in a descrete way, between chat and indifference, not to overcome the thin border anyone put around his"real"self.

Other people, who have always been close, even in the distance, are today far, no matter where they are. Surprisingly there is no pain in losing them.