"Dnevnik jedne ljubavi" 50th Anniversary

 

Not long ago I wrote here about the intense negative reaction to our Croatian rock legend Josipa Lisac performing national anthem on the inauguration of the new president - online discussions and hatred were fanned by constant media surveys and it was just so bizarre that suddenly the most subversive person in the country turned out to be a 70 year old lady. Mind you - there was absolutely nothing disrespectful or wrong with her interpretation, its simply that we always heard that melody as a  bombastic chorus so perhaps people were taken aback that someone had jazzed it up. Lots of people took it personally and some even claimed Lisac mocked our national anthem - it was a huge scandal and for a while the main subject of discussions online, until Covid pandemic swept everything away.

Since Lisac was always my all-time favourite singer, I was alarmed with all of this and even wondered how will she continue after this but continued she did - in fact, being one of the biggest stars in the country, she just kept on going. She was amongst the rare musicians creating online virtual concert for the paying audience and later continued with touring for her ever-faithful audiences. She declined competing anymore for the annual national Porin award, saying that she won enough awards in her lifetime and it they might be more necessary for younger, not yet established musicians. As the concert activity and live performances eventually continued, it became clear that those who loved and supported her trough all these years continued to do so, while those who never liked and understand her, continued to mock and criticise her. Its just that internet gave them soapbox to spew their hatred and frustration. 

This year marks exactly 50th anniversary of her debut album "Dnevnik jedne ljubavi" (The Diary of one love) released in 1973. Accidentally it was also the year when our biggest concert hall Vatroslav Lisinski was open so it was only naturally that the concert celebrating this anniversary will happen there - while online hatred continued, tickets were sold out immediately and because of the huge interest, extra concert date was added. By all accounts, the concert nr.1 was a huge success and people loved it but there was some concern when lady came on the stage with a walking stick - a very stylish walking stick, but still apparently unexpected. It turned out, our ageless rock lady who always refuses to accept years and claims to be forever young inside actually developed sciatica which is a extremely painful condition usually connected with ageing process - now I remember that she was already seen with a walking stick onstage during performance on Porin awards in 2010. but back than nobody paid any attention to it. So it might be that she quietly worked with sciatica for years, until now it became unbearable. The latest news is that the concert nr.2 has been cancelled and postponed for now, since lady can't perform - to be honest, she is 73 now and perhaps this is a sign that she should just slow down.

Resistance Museum Amsterdam

 

I have already written about this interesting place - one of those less known museums that actually has a genuinely interesting story - and was curious to visit it again after refurbishment. The building itself is not big so it takes a lot of ingenuity to create more exhibit space and previously it was done by arranging a certain path trough labyrinth that chronologically followed WW2 years. This time, the idea was more or less similar, except that everything was re-arranged and labyrinth itself is replaced by cleaner directions, now everything is neatly divided into various sections. We still have story about pre-war years and explanation what was a socio-political situation in a country, how various groups lived in a harmony and how German invasion unmasked profiteers who did not hesitate to make a quick buck out of spying on their neighbours and work colleagues. 

What is new - and invited a lot of criticism and hostility - was the idea to show not only well known resistance heroes but also their antagonists, often on the same wall as a part of the same story. It was done with intention to highlight how dangerous it was to be in resistance and who were spies, collaborators and traitors who worked for the other side. Its kind of new perspective and by no means equalisation of both sides - but this is exactly what some people have seen and there was a quite bit of stir in the media and in discussion that museum went to far and insulted the memory of people who actually perished in those dangerous times. For example, the well known story of red haired resistance fighter Hannie Schaft was juxtaposed with the photo of her torturer. I have found those criticisms very short-sighted and ignorant - missing the whole point - there was not one single point where Nazis were celebrated or equalised with resistance fighters. They were visible and often mentioned as illustration of the dangerous times and how situation was never black & white - often same people would even switch the sides and join other group. So, no controversy for me and I will go there again. Even bought two books in the museum's shop.

What I found very interesting - it was not the main focus but somehow just felt between the lines - was the impression that history was not exactly heroic as nowadays people would love to think. There are numerous testimonies from ordinary people (students, factory workers, etc) who did not immediately perceive any danger - in fact, people were constantly expecting war to be short-termed conflict that will end soon - there were people writing in their diary how much they enjoyed sunny day on the beach, agonising about should they get obligatory identity cards and declaration of loyalty to Nazi regime. It would be great if we could present the official story how brave citizens resisted Nazi occupation and fought back but in fact, there were a lot of self-centred ordinary people who were minding their own business and would not risk their lives for any goal. Many had decidedly closed their eyes to suffering of arrested and deported Jews. There were others, who were collaborators too - and their names and pictures are now displayed at the museum as a part of the story. There is even an interesting photo of women who were publicly shorn and humiliated after the war by the street mob - probably very same people who minded their business during the war and were not exactly active in resistance fight. 

I only regret that during the refurbishment, they removed the photo of sweetest little Jewish boy Remi van Duinwijck who was murdered as one of the children in a Jewish orphanage (he was the cutest boy and too well known, he could not be hidden because even Germans knew about him). I do remember him and here is his photo again. It breaks my heart that anybody would want to hurt him, an innocent orphan boy. 

"Nemesis" by Isaac Asimov (1989)

 

Another paperback that I have found discarded on the shelves of neighbourhood street libraries (a concept that I never knew even existed before I moved here) - unfortunately it seems that the thrill of finding such paperbacks for free is approximately opposite of actual reading. Dear reader, I have to admit that for some time now I find it very hard to focus on reading books and it bothers me a lot because I used to be a passionate, lifelong reader who has now metamorphosed somehow into internet obsessive Zombie and I simply get too distracted with virtual world to actually focus on reading, which now feels like a task. I am too embarrassed to even admit how long it took me to finish this particular book, I suffered and forced myself trough this harmless little paperback like its the biggest enemy and its a pity, because I used to love reading. I seriously don't know how to deal with this, should I continue forcing myself and feeling guilty or gradually just giving up on reading books completely?

Sadly, this was my very first introduction to celebrated Isaac Asimov who is supposed to be one of science fiction giants. I have ploughed heroically trough it but frankly, it was just occasional sparks of inspiration sprinkled trough a long-winded saga that probably could have been a very effective short story. Far from gripping books that keep you reading trough the night, I have found myself postponing this one, keeping it at a bedside, carrying it around and finally finishing it with a ridiculously victorious feeling of achievement. I am aware that sometimes the book simply needs a right moment but this one felt as something I would never pick up again, so it was a task, not a pleasure. Not sure that I am ready for another Asimov in a near future. Life is too short.

The story follows two different groups - Earth people, who are focused on creating intergalactic (""hyper-assistance")  spaceship so they can follow space station colony Rotor where residents are planning to create a completely new start and populate new galaxy. Both Earth people and new colonisers are aware that the star Nemesis might bring death to Earth so this is one of the main side stories here, however Asimov than gets a bit distracted with description of deserted moon Erythro and its creepy atmosphere & certain bacterial intelligence that affects scientists in the artificially created research dome. For some reason, characters are just not very appealing and the best cerated ones are actual antagonists, like Asimov had more fun writing about them than about the heroes. 

Inspired by an old photo

Lady came from Baltimore,

All she wore was lace.

She didn't know that I was poor,

She never saw my place.

I was there to steal her money,

Take her rings and run.

Then I fell in love with the lady,

Got away with none.

The lady's name was Susan Moore,

Her daddy read the law.

She didn't know that I was poor,

And lived outside the law.

Her daddy said, I was a thief

And didn't marry her for love.

I was Susan's true belief

Married her for love.

I was there to steal her money,

To take her rings and run.

Then I fell in love with the lady

Got away with none.

The house she lived in had a wall

To keep the robbers out.

She'd never stop to think at all

If that's what I'm about.

I was there to steal her money

Take her rings and run.

Then I fell in love with the lady

Got away with none.

(Tim Hardin)