novembre 19, 2013

The Little Match Girl

The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen

Most terribly cold it was; it snowed, and was nearly quite dark, and evening– the last evening of the year. In this cold and darkness there went along the street a poor little girl, bareheaded, and with naked feet. When she left home

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septembre 12, 2013

Maybe love is the only answer

Millions of books written on every conceivable subject by all these great minds and in the end, none of them knows anything more about the big questions of life than I do … I read Socrates. This guy knocked off little Greek boys. What the hell’s he got to teach me? And Nietzsche, with his theory of eternal recurrence. He said that the life we lived we’re gonna live over again the exact same way for eternity. Great. That means I’ll have to sit through the Ice Capades again. It’s not worth it. And Freud, another great pessimist. I was in analysis for years and nothing happened. My poor analyst got so frustrated, the guy finally put in a salad bar. Maybe the poets are right. Maybe love is the only answer.

août 14, 2013

Caffè sospeso

A simple act of generosity that started in a coffee shop in Naples, Italy is spreading around the world. It’s called ‘Suspended Coffee’ – if you haven’t heard about it, the idea is simple. At participating cafes, you can pay for your own coffee as well as a second one, which can then be claimed later by someone in need. In Italy, ‘Suspended Coffee’ or « Caffè Sospeso » had been around for 100 years but saw a surge in popularity after the Second World War.

Writer Luciano de Crescenzo, author of ‘Il caffè sospeso: Saggezza quotidiana in piccolo sorsi’ (Suspended Coffee: Daily Wisdom in Small Sips).
« When a person who had a break of good luck entered a cafe and ordered a cup of coffee, he didn’t pay just for one, but for two cups, allowing someone less fortunate who entered later to have a cup of coffee for free. »

Baristas would log the purchase and anyone down on their luck could ask « is there anything suspended? » and if yes, would get a free cup of java.

(The Suspended Coffee Movement Is Taking Off Around The World)

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août 8, 2013

Ein Ende ist ein Ende

Arc de Triomphe

Du willst nicht bleiben?
Nein. Und ich werde nie wiederkommen.
Sie stand sehr still. Nie?
Nie. Und du wirst nie wieder zu mir kommen.
Sie schüttelte langsam den Kopf. Dann deutete sie auf den Tisch. Deswegen?
Nein.
Ich verstehe dich nicht. Wir können doch …
Nein, sagte er rasch. Nicht das noch. Die Formel von der Freundschaft. Der kleine Gemüsegarten auf der Lava erloschener Gefühle. Nein, wir können das nicht. Wir nicht. Man mag das können bei kleinen Affären. Und dann ist es auch schmierig. Liebe soll man nicht durch Freundschaft besudeln. Ein Ende ist ein Ende.

Erich Maria Remarque