Voices June 2023

VCS Director

Nikola Stankoski

Coordinators

Andrej Naumovski

Goran Adamovski

Goran Galabov

Selina Niemi

Ewelina Chańska

Jolanta Ciopcińska

David Stoilkovski

Editorial

“What time is it? Summertime!”.

Let’s kick off the summer with the month of June, which symbolizes beauty in all its forms, from spring’s flowers to the sunlight heralding the arrival of summer. And what could be more splendid than starting the season with long nights, breathtaking sunsets on the beach, or a warm barbecue with friends on a balmy evening?

The best way to celebrate summer is through music. In this month’s feature topic, delve into the world of “Balkan Rap: A Fusion of Sound and Stories.” Additionally, June marks the beginning of holidays, and if you haven’t planned your vacation yet, you can draw inspiration from Eliza’s travel experiences. Eliza, a Brazilian girl who has journeyed around the globe, shares her insights in the interview titled “Between music and travel - from Brazil to Macedonia”.

Of course, summer calls for sun, but it’s crucial to protect yourself from harmful UV rays. To help you understand this better, we have the perfect article for you: “The Sun - Your Best Friend or enemy?”

In June, special events take place, such as the International Day of the Oceans. If you’re interested in learning how maritime transport utilizes seawater for sustenance, read “FWG: Sea Water into Fresh Water.” We also have “Cat or dog café for animal lovers” which explores the concept of pet cafés - whether you prefer cats or dogs, these cafés offer a delightful experience.

I wish you enjoyable reading and a great start to the summer!

Chloé Le Cair

Едиторијал

„Колку е часот? Лето!”.

Volunteers

Angelina Berndt

Fahim Bounoua

Hugo Lhomedet

Camélia Sghayare

Katariina Weijo

Taika Soihtu

Chloé Le Cair

Youen Le Bris

Translators

Goran Adamovski

Martina Danilovska

Ejona Limanaj

External writers

Andrej Naumovski

Hakan Yağci

Olgica Arsova

Designers

Angelina Berndt

Hugo Lhomedet

Camélia Sghayare

Katariina Weijo

Selina Niemi

Taika Soihtu

Chloé Le Cair

Fahim Bounoua

Youen Le Bris

Cover Marc Zimmer, Unsplash

го започнуваме со месец јуни, кој ја симболизира убавината во сите нејзини облици, од пролетните цвеќиња до сончевата светлина што го најавува доаѓањето на летото. И што може да биде попрекрасно од започнување на сезоната со долги ноќи, зајдисонца на плажа кои го одземаат здивот или скара со пријателите во пријатна вечер?

Летото

Најдобар начин да го прославите летото е преку музика. Во темата на месецот за ова издание, навлезете во светот на „Балкански рап: спој на звук и приказни“. Дополнително, јуни го означува почетокот на одморите, а доколку се уште не сте испланирале каде, можете да црпите инспирација од искуствата од патувањето на Елиза. Таа е девојка од Бразил која го пропатувала целиот свет, а со нас ги споделува своите искуства и впечатоци.

Се разбира, летото бара сонце, но важно е да се заштитите од штетните УВ-зраци. За да ви помогнеме околу ова - имаме совршената статија за вас.

Во јуни се одржуваат специјални настани, како што е Меѓународниот ден на океаните. Ако сте заинтересирани да научите како поморскиот транспорт ја користи морската вода за егзистенција, на вистинско место сте - имаме нешто за вас. Имаме и „Cat or dog café for animal lovers“. Станува збор за концепт на кафулиња за домашни миленици. Ви посакувам пријатно читање и одличен почеток на летото!

Клои Ле Кер

Contact Volunteers Centre Skopje

Emil Zola 3/3-1, 1000, Skopje

+389 22 772 095

vcs_contact@yahoo.com

www.vcs.org.mk

topic of the month

4 Balkan Rap: A Fusion of Sound and Stories

Chloé Le Cair

28 Балкански рап: спој на звук и приказни

Клои Ле Кер

reportage

6 How our native language influences our musical abilities

Angelina Berndt

14 FWG: Sea Water Into Fresh Water

Hakan Yağci

22 Sun - best friend or enemy?

Katariina Weijo

24 Премиер-лигата на дланка: „Чеканите“

против „ѓаволите“ пред моите очи

Андреј Наумовски

26 Cat or dog café for animal lovers

Camélia Sghayare

interview

8 Between music and travel - from Brazil to Macedonia

Camélia Sghayare

opinion

10 Concentrate on the music!

Katariina Weijo

culture

12 Inspiring Nature: The Birth and Influence of the Hudson River School

Fahim Bounoua

18 "Science-Fiction is torn between the desire for progress and the denunciation of its possible perversions” - Gérard Klein

Youen Le Bris

science

16 Your Trauma

Taika Soihtu

20 A Brief History of the Transistor

Hugo Lhomedet

poetry

30 Клик

Олгица Арсова

Balkan Rap: A Fusion of Sound and Stories

Hip-hop, and rap music, have taken place in the Balkans since the 80s, an era that experienced a lot of political and social changes. This music genre developed as an expression tool for young artists who wanted to share their frustrations, hopes, and realities in this context. Like everywhere, Balkan Rap was influenced by American Rap. Then, with time, it developed its own identity and was inspired by local musical genres, like traditional music of Balkans, or oriental music. In the decade after, the region was marked by war and political conflicts, and rap music followed it in writing lyrics about social and political topics with a bigger impact: such as corruption, violence, inequalities…

Pioneering artists have contributed to the emergence of this musical style in the Balkans, such as Frenkie, a Bosnian rapper who leaves a mark on the rap music scene with socially and politically engaged lyrics delivered over energetic beats. Edo Maajka, another Bosnian rapper, captivates listeners with his poetic writing style and his fusion of different musical genres. In Serbia, the rap collective Beogradski Sindikat emerged in the early 2000s, gaining recognition for their politically engaged lyrics and social critiques. The Croatian collective Tram 11 has played a key role in Croatian rap for similar reasons.

As of 2000, rap artists and collectives in Serbia, Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, and Macedonia make step by step themself a place in the local music industry and catch international attention. The fusion of different musical genres, like rap music with rock, electro music, or traditional music of the Balkans becomes a common characteristic in this region. Today, Balkan Rap has an important part

The rap came from Hip-Hop during the 70s in the American ghettos. We recognize rap music by a specific beat and a lot of rhyme. In the beginning, rap music was a way of expressing a kind of life, and it claimed and brought to light social inequalities. In the 80s, rap music was exported around the world in Europe (France, Germany, UK…), in Africa (South Africa, Senegal…), and in Asia (URSS, China…).

in the Balkan culture as a kind of artistic expression, social protest, and identity claim.

During the last years, Balkan Rap continued to evolve and diversify. New artists arise regularly, with new sounds and styles of music, allowing for new music types such as trap folk. This kind of music is a unification strength in the Balkans, where there is a duality between the hard reality of life and a utopia, a dream, a hope. It’s a combo of modernity and tradition, focusing on street life on one side and traditional folkloric music, with instruments, on the other. For some of them, the trap folk begin a process of a new cultural and collective identity of the Balkans.

Today, some artists hold a prominent place in Balkan rap, such as the Serbian rapper Coby, recognized for his successful hits and his unique style that blends rap, pop, and electronic music. Similarly, the Serbian collective S.A.R.S. draws inspiration from rock, reggae, and folk music while addressing social and political topics in their lyrics. In Albania, Majk Spirit is gaining popularity with his hit songs and unique style that

incorporates elements of rap, R&B, and electronic music. The Macedonian rapper DNK, known for his socially and politically engaged lyrics and dynamic style, also touches upon lighter subjects with reflections on everyday life.

Rap finds its place in the Balkans during a particular social and political context that shapes the history of this region. It emerges in the Balkans, initially drawing inspiration from American rap, and then evolves by incorporating folkloric and traditional sounds. Rap serves as a means of expression and protest for artists, but it also contributes to a fusion of cultures, encompassing musical styles, language, and the topics they address. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “Music is the universal language of mankind.”

Chloé

Sources:

Importer, authentifier, revendre. La trap music dans les Balkans – Cairn.info

Brother after arms – Balkan rappers as public intellectuals – University of Helsinki Balkan beats: introducing folk rap, the hybrid music craze sweeping Serbia and beyond – New east digital archive

Le Cair

“ Music is the universal language of mankind” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

PITCH PERCEPTION & MOTHER TONGUE

HOW OUR NATIVE LANGUAGE INFLUENCES OUR MUSICAL ABILITIES

Language and music are two fundamental forms of human expression and are intricately intertwined in our daily lives. Recent research has shed more light on the fascinating relationship between our native language and our musical abilities.

According to recent research conducted by the University of Auckland and Yale University, your mother tongue may affect your musical ability greatly. In their study, they compared the melodic and rhythmic abilities of almost half a million people!

Tonal languages, such as Mandarin Chinese or Yoruba, utilize pitch variations, or tones, to distinguish between words. Growing up in a tonal language environment exposes individuals to a rich melodic landscape, honing their sensitivity to subtle pitch variations. While this can be learned to a certain degree by everyone, individuals who speak tonal languages exhibit naturally enhanced pitch perception skills in music, enabling them to discern and reproduce music melodies with greater accuracy.

This heightened ability to discriminate pitch variations, compared to speakers of non-tonal languages can be attributed to the perceptual expertise developed through a lifelong exposure to tonal contrasts in language. Their finely tuned auditory system allows them to detect

nuanced changes in musical pitch, leading to a deeper appreciation and understanding of melodic patterns.

Beyond pitch perception, our native language also influences our sense of rhythm and timing in music. The rhythmic patterns and prosodic features present in language contribute to our innate sense of timing and beat perception. Languages with complex rhythmic structures, such as African languages like Swahili or Ewe, foster a strong sense of rhythmicity in their speakers. This exposure to intricate rhythmic patterns translates into a heightened sensitivity to rhythm in music.

Conversely, speakers of nontonal languages may exhibit a different rhythmic sensibility. For example, languages with stress-timed rhythms, like English, where emphasis is placed on stressed syllables at regular intervals, may influence individuals’ perception of musical rhythm. These languagespecific rhythmic patterns can manifest in the way individuals synchronize their movements to music, interpret musical phrasing, or even express themselves through dance.

It is crucial to recognize that the influence of language on musical abilities is not solely due to linguistic factors. Culture plays a significant role in shaping both language and music, acting as a bridge between the two domains. Musical traditions, genres, and preferences vary across cultures, and language serves as a carrier of cultural values and aesthetics.

The cultural context in which we grow up impacts

our exposure to specific musical styles, instruments, and performance practices. Our native language provides us with a window into the cultural nuances of music, allowing us to understand and interpret musical expressions within their socio-cultural framework. As a result, our musical abilities are deeply intertwined with the cultural fabric woven by our language and upbringing.

Our native language plays a profound role in shaping our musical abilities. Through tonal perception, tonal

language speakers develop a heightened sensitivity to pitch variations in music. Similarly, language prosody and rhythmic patterns influence our sense of rhythm and timing. Moreover, the cultural context embedded within our language nurtures our understanding and appreciation of music within its specific socio-cultural context.

By recognizing the intricate connections between language, culture, and musical cognition, we gain a deeper appreciation for the diversity of musical experiences across the world. Understanding how our native language influences our musical abilities not only enriches our comprehension of human cognition but also fosters cross-cultural understanding and appreciation for the universal language of music.

Angelina Berndt

Sources:

Your native language may affect your musical ability - The University of Auckland. Native language might shape musical ability Language experience predicts music processing in a half-million speakers of fifty-four languages

“Individuals who speak tonal languages exhibit naturally enhanced pitch perception skills in music, enabling them to discern and reproduce music melodies with greater accuracy”

Si gjuha jonë amtare ndikon në aftësitë tona muzikore

Gjuha dhe muzika janë dy forma themelore të shprehisë njerëzore dhe janë të ndërthurura në një mënyrë të ndërlikuar në jetën tonë të përditshme. Kërkimet më të fundit kanë hedhur dritë mbi marrëdhënien magjepsëse midis gjuhës sonë amtare dhe aftësive tona muzikore.

Sipas kërkimeve të fundit të kryera nga Universiteti i Auckland dhe Universiteti Yale, gjuha juaj amtare mund të ndikojë shumë në aftësinë tuaj muzikore. Në studimin e tyre, ata krahasuan aftësitë melodike dhe ritmike të pothuajse një gjysmë milioni njerëzve!

Gjuhët tonale, si kinezishtja Mandarin ose Yoruba, përdorin variacione të intonacionit, ose tone, për të diferencuar fjalët. Rritja në një mjedis gjuhësor tonal i ekspozon individët ndaj një peizazhi të pasur melodik, duke rritur ndjeshmërinë e tyre ndaj variacioneve më të vogla të zërit. Megjithëse kjo mund të mësohet deri në një farë mase nga të gjithë, individët që flasin gjuhë tonale shfaqin aftësi të natyrshme të perceptimit të intonacionit në muzikë, duke u mundësuar atyre të dallojnë dhe riprodhojnë meloditë muzikore me saktësi më të madhe.

Kjo aftësi e shtuar për të dalluar variacionet e intonacionit të zërit, krahasuar me folësit e gjuhëve jotonale, mund atribuohet ekspertizës perceptuese të zhvilluar përmes një ekspozimi gjatë gjithë jetës ndaj kontrasteve tonale në gjuhë. Sistemi i mirë akorduar i tyre i dëgjimit i lejon ata të zbulojnë ndryshime të nuancuara në intonacion muzikor, duke çuar në një vlerësim dhe kuptim më të thellë të motiveve melodike.

Përtej perceptimit të intonacionit të zërit, gjuha jonë amtare ndikon gjithashtu në sensin tonë të ritmit dhe minutazhit në muzikë. Motivet ritmike

dhe tiparet prozodike të pranishme në gjuhë kontribuojnë në ndjenjën tonë natyrale të minutazhit dhe perceptimit të ritmit. Gjuhët me struktura komplekse ritmike, të tilla si gjuhët afrikane si Swahili ose Ewe, nxisin një ndjenjë të fortë ritmike tek folësit e tyre. Ky ekspozim ndaj motiveve të ndërlikuara ritmike përkthehet në një ndjeshmëri të shtuar ndaj ritmit në muzikë. Nga ana tjetër, folësit e gjuhëve jotonale mund të shfaqin një ndjeshmëri të ndryshme ritmike. Për shembull, gjuhët me ritme të stresit, si Anglishtja, ku theksi vihet në rrokjet e theksuara në intervale të rregullta, mund të ndikojnë në perceptimin e individëve për ritmin muzikor. Këto modele ritmike specifike për gjuhën mund të manifestohen në mënyrën se si individët sinkronizojnë lëvizjet e tyre me muzikën, interpretojnë frazat muzikore ose madje si shprehen përmes kërcimit.

Është thelbësore të kuptohet se ndikimi i gjuhës në aftësitë muzikore nuk është vetëm për shkak të faktorëve gjuhësorë. Kultura luan një rol të rëndësishëm në formimin e gjuhës dhe muzikës, duke vepruar si një urë lidhëse midis

dy fushave. Traditat, zhanret dhe preferencat muzikore ndryshojnë sipas kulturave dhe gjuha shërben si bartëse e vlerave kulturore dhe estetikës.

Konteksti kulturor në të cilin ne rritemi ndikon në ekspozimin tonë ndaj stileve të veçanta muzikore, instrumenteve dhe praktikave të performancës. Gjuha jonë amtare na ofron një dritare në nuancat kulturore të muzikës, duke na lejuar të kuptojmë dhe interpretojmë shprehitë muzikore brenda kornizës së tyre sociokulturore. Si rezultat, aftësitë tona muzikore janë të ndërthurura thellë me pëlhurën kulturore të thurur nga gjuha dhe edukimi ynë.

Gjuha jonë amtare luan një rol të rëndësishëm në formimin e aftësive tona muzikore. Nëpërmjet perceptimit tonal, folësit e gjuhës tonale zhvillojnë një ndjeshmëri të rritur ndaj variacioneve të intonacionit në muzikë. Në një mënyrë të ngjashme, prozodia e gjuhës dhe modelet ritmike ndikojnë në djenjën tonë të ritmit dhe minutazhit. Për më tepër, konteksti kulturor i ngulitur në gjuhën tonë ushqen të kuptuarit dhe vlerësimin tonë të muzikës brenda kontekstit të saj specifik socio-kulturor.

Duke kuptuar lidhjet e ndërlikuara midis gjuhës, kulturës dhe njohurisë muzikore, ne fitojmë një vlerësim më të thellë për shumëllojshmërinë e përvojave muzikore në mbarë botën. Të kuptuarit sesi gjuha jonë amtare ndikon në aftësitë tona muzikore jo vetëm që pasuron të kuptuarit tonë të njohurisë njerëzore, por gjithashtu nxit mirëkuptimin dhe vlerësimin ndërkulturor për gjuhën universale të muzikës.

Angelina Berndt

Përkthyes: Ejona Limanaj

Burimet:

Your native language may affect your musical ability - The University of Auckland.

Native language might shape musical ability Language experience predicts music processing in a half-million speakers of fifty-four languages

Between music and travel -

from Brazil to Macedonia

Eliza is 41 years old and is from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. For two years she’s been traveling around Europe and the Balkans. In addition to traveling, one of her favorite hobbies is to play music! Her experience is out of the ordinary and she shared it with me for VOICES magazine!

Eliza borned in the area of CopaCabana in Rio de Janeiro. From her young age she fell in love with music even if there was no musician in her family. At 3 years old,

years before covid she found an amazing job where she could combine music and social media! She found her place in one of the biggest festivals in Brazil: Rock in Rio festival. This huge event during 7 days is very famous in Brazil and welcomes a lot of famous artists; Drake, Demi Lovato, Post Malone, Cold Play, Justin Bieber etc. That was a real opportunity for her: "It was amazing to work there, I could build my experiences and my skills in social media management. Also, in Brazil, if you have the name of this festival on your CV, never mind which job it was, after, you can work everywhere!". Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic stopped all music events for two years and Eliza couldn’t continue her career in this festival. It was a period of doubt, but hopefully she could quickly find new jobs and with a nice advantage: working online! That was the beginning of her travel adventure.

invited her to play music in Macedonia. For her, the scene here seems very strict. For example, she met some bars owners and they don’t really open the door for musicians from outside. Eliza traveled in different cities in Macedonia and she had a very beautiful opportunity in Ohrid. She met a girl of 15 years old in the coffee place of the bus station and the girl has a metal band t-shirt; enough to start a discussion with her. "The girl told me that she really likes metal music and that one of her dream is to have a band. So then, without hesitation I propose to teach her how to play guitar. She fell in love with the bass guitar. Then I decided to leave her my bass guitar for the week-end and she was so happy. When I came back, her eyes were shining and she convinced her father to buy her a base guitar. So I think I made a new bass player in Macedonia!".

"I’m conscious that I was very privileged and lucky, not all children could have the chance that their parents are buying them music equipment; it’s expensive! According to my father I had the opportunity to exercise my talent". Today the main instrument that she’s playing is bass guitar, but it took time for her to realize that it was this one that she wanted to play all her life! "When I was 12 years old, I watched a free concert in my city. Then there was a women’s band playing and one of them was playing with a blue guitare…my eyes were shining!". Since this day, Eliza knew that she wanted to play bass guitare. Again the same scenario, her father helped her a lot to realize a dream and bought her a bass guitar. Then she never stopped playing. She grew up and started to build her career as a bass guitar player in Brazil. She invested in a lot of base equipment and kept playing in Brazil. Now she never leaves her bass guitar, she always has one of them with her.

Living of her hobbies was amazing, but with the economic situation of Brazil it was necessary to have work in addition. So in 2007, she decided to start her career as a social media manager. The last 6

“Why should I stay in my home everyday if I can travel and work at the same time?” That was Eliza’s reflection. Furthermore, as a musician, there were no concerts anymore, she had no hope, the only issue for her was to travel. So first, she started to travel inside Brazil because borders were closed. She spent a few months in an isolated area called Piaui. It was a resourcing moment for her, she could lived with freedom in Brazil even if there were a lot of restrictions. Then in 2021, France was one of the first countries to open its borders to Brazilian people who had a negative PCR after the pandemic. "When I heard that I could go to France, I just took my backpack and ran there! Even if it was leaving at 8 620 miles from Brazil, I just really needed to move ‘’. France was the beginning of a lot of trips for Eliza: "When I left Brazil, I thought traveling just 3 months and then coming back to Brazil, but finally I never stopped". She traveled around 12 different countries in Europe and the Balkans. One of the obstacles for her is that with a Brazilian passport you have the authorization to stay only 3 consecutive months in the Shengen area, then she has to go outside Europe. That’s why the Balkans were also a good option for her. Indeed, in the Balkans she can stay 3 consecutive months in each country. One of her best music experiences during her trip was in Bucarest, in Romania. There, she met a lot of musicians and they always called her to play with them: "I was living the real life of a musician there. They have an amazing music scene, the best one of all my trips I think". In Macedonia, Eliza also found her place: "I love this country, the culture and people are really welcoming. I met a lot of new friends here and Macedonia is definitely a place where I will come back". Moreover, unfortunately for music, she never met a musician who

Finally it’s kind of the same history than her’s which is reproducing in another country, that’s the beauty of music!

Eliza is continuing her trip and left Macedonia to Germany where her girlfriend is leaving. On the 20 of May a new adventure will start for her; she will start a European Tour with the singer Krishna Das in Oslo. For several months she will combine her two passions: music and travel.

Camélia Sghayare

Concentrate on the music!

When the Eurovision Song Contest finally ended and the discussion on social media has been quite emotional, it’s time to look back and sort out, what has happened to Eurovision and why it’s not the same as it was back on time.

After Sweden won jury votes and reached a big gap compared to the other place, they won the whole competition, even though the popularity from the public wasn’t that numerous. As always, the results, jury votes and live shows cause a lot of discussion. Why jury has so much power? Why neighbour countries gets always the highest points?

Eurovision was created because of the idea to unite countries by music. This same slogan has been used at the very beginning to these days. But is is united by music? What Eurovision was then and was is it about now?

24 of May in 1956, Switzerland won with a live orchestra and a simple live performance. After 42 years they change the rules, and live orchestra wasn’t allowed anymore. There were other rules as well: the song has to be sung in the country’s own language and performed with a soloist. When the time passed, they started to change the rules because they wanted to modernize it.

Modernizing is understandable, and it’s just not possible to host contestants with exactly the same form that it was 70 years ago. But is Eurovision music a contestant

anymore? Nowadays people make their opinion about countries' songs by considering the whole ‘packet’. That includes song, performer, live performance, costume, popularity on social media and for someone, even the country that they are representing. And immediately after the winner has been released, people start to talk about what was right and what wasn’t, and usually it’s not about the songs. Did jury gave 12 point to Sweden because Abba won 50 years ago? Did the jury ignore Croatia, because it was too politic? There is even speculation, that the reason why Finland didn’t get jury votes this year so much is because the biggest Arena in Helsinki is owned by people from Russia.

Can you see the similarities between these comments and thoughts? They are not related to music at all. Sometimes it seems like all is about politics, conspiracy theory or just simple frustration. I have heard a lot of comments that the reason why people are not interested in Eurovision is its ‘fakeness’. The competition is too politicized. And personally, I understand their frustration.

For me, Eurovision is one of the biggest events of the whole year. Every year, I start to wait for it since the first national final, which is already in December. And yes, I’m also frustrated about the political side, but the sad fact is that whatever we are doing, politic is always somehow part of it. That’s why for me best medicine to ignore politics is

just trying to focus on the part that actually matter, which obviously is music. From the start to these days it has been the keypoint, or at least it should be!

In the other hand, can we even assume, that competition between different countries is not related to politic at all? Is it even possible, if competitors are not only representing themselves but also their own country? Also, we cannot make a real conclusion, how political this year’s Eurovision was, but if we think about the history, not the craziest one. The main problem is, that people are focusing to political part. I’m used to, because when I actually started to like Eurovision, it was already like this. Even though geopolitical side of contenstant has been part of it since the beginning, social media has increase it.

It’s not possible to timetravel and go back to ‘good old time’. And personally I don’t even want that. There has happened lot of good things as well. Good example is remarkable work to improve the knowledge and rights of LGBTQ+ community.

World is changing fast, so as Eurovision. It seems like the contestant has reach some kind of turning point and only future can show us in which direction it’s going to be. Can we finally come to an understanding what is important and what is not?

Katariina Weijo

Sources:

The Guardian - This year’s Eurovison was a political statement

Sometimes it seems like all is about politics, conspiracy theory or just simple frustration.

Inspiring Nature: The Birth and Influence of the Hudson River School

Let's dive into the heart of American artistic history and discover the Hudson River School, the very first pictorial movement to be born on American soil. Born from the inspiration and brush of Thomas Cole, this exclusively American and informal movement offers an unprecedented immersion in the artistic panorama of the New World. Let's explore the captivating history of this essential movement and its legendary founder.

Cole, T. (1836). The Course of Empire: Desolation [oil painting]. New-York Historical Society, New York, United State of America.

There are two main generations of artists in this movement. The first generation of artists focused on the Hudson River Valley and its surroundings in the Northeastern United States. They saw nature as the manifestation of beauty, divine goodness and God. This generation of artists died with Thomas Cole, in 1848, of whom he is the most prominent representative. His works remain among the most famous of the movement, and his main and most daring work, The Course of Life, consists of 4 paintings and the references to God, life and especially earthly life are omnipresent.

The second generation diversified the landscapes repres ented, going as far as the Rockies, South America and sometimes even Europe. They are the ones who have deepened the play of lights and atmospheres. Their idea of beauty is similar, and they pushed the representation and the divine parallel a notch higher. This is the generation of Durand, Church, Bierstadt or Moran.

This artistic movement comes from Romanticism, which is characterized by individualism, sentimentality and a strong spirituality in the paintings. The Hudson River School differs from Romanticism by its absence of individuality (only landscapes are represented) and by a stronger continuity towards spirituality. The play of light, which was later perpetuated by the current of Luminism through A. Bierstadt, accentuates the level of spirituality. Indeed, nature takes an almost divine place in the paintings, and the light systematically directed from top to bottom marks a hierarchy within each painting between the immense, divine, almost intimidating Nature and the subjects represented who give life to the paintings, but who remain in the minority, small, crushed by the grandiose landscapes. An example of such a painting can be A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt.

Rosalie, or Among the Sierra Nevada, California, both by Albert Bierstadt.

American landscapes have inspired many painters independently of each other. Indeed, this artistic movement is informal and the style unspoken, the artists did not know each other particularly well and their work was not recognized by their peers at the time. It was not until the 1960's that this movement gained popularity and that the history of this movement could be made.

Nevertheless, it remains a movement of great influence, and its effects have had positive consequences in the United States and throughout the world. One of the greatest benefits of this movement was the influence that the realistic depiction of grand landscapes had on the creation of the first natural parks in the world. Yosemite Valley and Yellowstone Park were the first two natural parks in the world, and they influenced the creation of other natural parks in the United States as well as in Europe and in the world. These first two parks were created thanks to the general vision created by the paintings of Thomas Moran with his painting Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone or Thomas Hill with his work View of Yosemite Valley. In his effort to inform the public, Thomas Cole’s labors are among those that motivated the creation of the National Park Service.

The artists of this artistic movement are not well known. They are not well known, but they have a huge influence on art, art history, the environment, and the world. Durand, Cole and Morse (the inventor of the code of the same name) created the Academy of Fine Arts in the United States. The overall contribution of artists and art in general to our world is too often underestimated. Let's give it back its value.

Fahim Bounoua

Sources:

Kevin J. Avery. (2004, January 1st). The Hudson River School. The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (1998, 20th July). Hudson River school | American art movement. Encyclopedia Britannica.

Kiely, A. (2022). The Hudson River School : American Art and Early Environmentalism. TheCollector.

Bierstadt, A. (1868). Among the Sierra Nevada, California [oil painting]. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C., United State of America.

Moran, T. (1872). Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone [oil painting]. U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, Washington D.C., United State of America.

Bierstadt, A. (1866). A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie [oil painting]. Brooklyn Museum, New York, United States of America.

Seawater into fresh water

Maritime transport plays a critical role in the global economy. Over 80% of the volume of international trade in goods is carried by sea. We have better understood how important this trade is, and the key role of seafarers, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine we have been experiencing in recent years. So, how do the ships, which are gigantic floating factories, get the water needed for the operations and the personnel living in them while they continue their voyage for weeks through oceans? Do you think the seafarers drink sea water, or do they carry out all their needs with the bottled water they get from the ports? Let’s look at the answer to this together.

Sea water poses a risk for humans in long-term use in terms of the minerals it contains, causing dehydration and serious complications. For this reason, seafarers have another option besides consuming bottled drinking water taken from the ports on the ships, the miraculous machine that turns seawater into fresh water: the Fresh Water Generator!

Yes, you heard right, it is possible to obtain fresh water by separating the minerals contained in sea water. But there are places where this water is separated according to its intended use. If fresh water is to be consumed as drinking water, it has to go through a few additional processes on board. Before we talk about how, let’s look at other fresh water areas on ships that are used for non-potable purposes and why we can’t simply use sea water there.

The most important reason why we produce fresh water on board is that fresh water does not cause corrosion as much as sea water. Ships, as factories going in the ocean, run all their systems, from electricity to compressed air, with self-sufficient huge machines. These machines also need to be cooled like every machine. Fresh water plays an important role in this regard, reducing the effects of corrosion while providing cooling of machines such as the compressor producing compressed air, the generator producing electricity, and the main engine giving the thrust to turn the propeller. However, it is worth mentioning that the fresh

water that cools the main engine is circulated between the expansion tank and the fresh water generator in a closed circuit by adding certain chemicals and also referred to as jacket cooling water. We will use this information later. Generators and compressors also use this closed circuit water. Moreover, the main substance of the steam to be produced by the steam generating boilers is fresh water, which has undergone chemical processes and is referred to as boiler feed water.

So how does the fresh water generator work, which turns sea water into fresh water? In short, its working principle is to produce a lowpressure area inside by an ejector and boil sea water at low temperatures, then making evaporated steam pass through a filter for separating salt and particulates and converting this steam into fresh water in a condenser. Let’s go into some details.

First of all, sea water enters the ship’s engine room by passing through filters called sea chests at the bottom of the ship. The ejector pump sucks this water and pumps it to the evaporator part of the fresh water generator by passing it through the ejector, which acts as a vacuum reducer. The evaporator is a heat exchanger where two different water meet with tubes or plates according to the type. Here, our low-temperature water is sea water, while the high-temperature water is the jacket cooling water that

cools the main engine we mentioned before. The main engine is cooled with water at about 80 degrees Celsius in order not to be exposed to thermal stresses, and the waste heat energy of this water is used in the fresh water generator, so the energy is used more efficiently. Thanks to the ejector, which decreases the evaporator chamber’s pressure below the atmospheric pressure, 4050 degrees Celsius of sea water can boil with the jacket cooling water of 80 degrees Celsius!

The boiling water vapor passes through the filter called demister, leaves its carryover salts on the filter, and enters the other heat exchanger called the condenser. Since the sea water passing through here is at a lower temperature than the water vapor, it condenses the steam to become liquid, and thus our fresh water is obtained. This water is stored in tanks through pumps and is ready to be used for non-potable purposes.

On the other hand, the water to be used as drinking water, passes through the mineralizer to gain enough minerals and ultraviolet filter to kill bacteria and finally goes to the accommodation area, by being ready to be consumed by seafarers.

Hakan Yağcı

Sources

UNCTAD: Review of Maritime Transport 2022

Ozonlabs: Deniz Suyu İçmenin Zararları

Marine Engineering Online: Fresh Water Generator on Ships

Marine Insight: Fresh Water Generator

Explained

Sasebo Shipyard Ross Sea: Piping Diagram in Engine Room

Photo: Annie Spratt | Unsplash

Fresh water does not cause corrosion as much as sea water

Your Trauma

Trauma is a psychological response to a distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual and their ability to cope. Trauma has been categorized into many different types, and one of them is generational trauma (also known as intergenerational trauma or transgenerational trauma). Generational trauma refers to the transmission of the effects of traumatic events from one generation to another.

Generational trauma is a form of trauma that can be experienced without being involved in the traumatic event itself. It can be something that a member of a family or a community experiences and the effects are passed to the following generations. We know that trauma can manifest itself through stress, anxiety, fight or flight and other heightened alert systems in our brain and body. But when traumatic experiences

are passed down from generation to generation, they affect how people think, feel and behave. War, natural disasters, genocide and slavery are examples of what forms generational trauma. Some events are traumatizing big communities so much that they’re passing on a thought that they’re not supposed to be learned or talked about. This spreads to the level of whole communities shutting down about it.

Moreover, if parents have unresolved traumas, they may develop negative coping mechanisms they pass on to their children. There are plenty of examples of this. People who grow up in homes with domestic violence and experience childhood trauma may develop a thought that it’s ok to physically discipline their children.

Have you ever wondered why you behave the way you do? Sometimes people look into themselves and realize certain events have modified them into who they are today. But what about the behavioral traits that don’t have an explanation? There’s a possibility your ancestors did the job for you.

They may also have trouble trusting people or forming intimate relationships, showing this example to their offspring. Or if a parent who experienced trauma uses avoidance or substance abuse to cope, their child may also adopt these behaviors. These cycles of unresolved trauma can affect generations to come.

For example, one 2015 study suggests that survivors of the Ukrainian Holodomor genocide were likely to experience feelings of anxiety and fear and to adopt behaviors like hoarding food. Their children and grandchildren later adopted some of these negative coping strategies and fears.

In addition to the above contributors, generational trauma is often accompanied by other disadvantages like racism, sexism, or homophobia, compounding the negative impact. People who suffer from generational trauma often face significant barriers to success in multiple areas of life. This form of psychological trauma can lead to physical and mental health problems as well as social and emotional difficulties.

Everyone experiences trauma in a different way and it can manifest differently in individuals. The effects of trauma can be complex and sometimes difficult to understand. In different cultures and communities, trauma can be experienced in various ways, however there are some types that are more commonly recognized as having intergenerational effects. One way generational trauma also can be passed through transgenerational

beliefs and values such as negative stereotypes or feelings of shame or guilt either toward themselves or other people. It can also cause difficulties in trust and contribute to trust issues and fear of abandonment. All in all, it can affect everyday life due to its strong connection with emotional capabilities. It can be expressed by psychological or emotional distress or physical symptoms as if the person themselves experienced it.

Research has shown that the effects of trauma can also be passed down through epigenetic changes, which can alter the way genes are expressed. This can result in physical symptoms such as chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, and other health problems. Recognizing and addressing generational trauma is important for healing and preventing its perpetuation. It involves understanding the historical context and acknowledging the experiences of those who were affected by trauma. Understanding a community’s or family’s history and cultural practices can help to provide context and perspective on your experiences. This can also be an opportunity to connect with family members and learn about their experiences.

It should be remembered that parents may not intentionally pass on generational trauma to their children. It’s also important to note that coping with any form of trauma can be a complex and ongoing process, and there is no one “right” way to do it. Seeking support from mental health professionals or trauma-informed counselors can be helpful.

Taika Soihtu

Sources:

Talkspace.com - What is generational trauma?

Symptoms & more

Health.com - What is generational trauma?

Insider.com - The trauma your parents experienced well before you were born could explain why you’re so anxious all the time

“Science-Fiction is shared between the desire for progress...

History of Science-Fiction

In the XIXth century, the progress of science inspired a lot of new fiction authors. Rather than to tell about old gods and magic, they wrote about stories taking place in a future relying on science instead of magic to imagine fantastic adventures made possible by technological advances, and that is the birth of Science-Fiction.

The most famous of its early writers are Jules Verne, whose novels take place deep under the sea, in the center of the earth or on the surface of the moon, as well as in forgotten places once inaccessible to mankind but made possible thanks to new means of transportation and communication; and also H. G. Wells, imagining time travel, dystopian futures or an alien invasion of the earth.

The following century brought a new generation of authors, such as John W. Campbell and Isaac Azimov, an engineer and a biochemist respectively, who published successful novels that built the

foundations of the genre: their scientific background made their imagined worlds really coherent, without details left to chance or lazily justified by: “It’s because of science”. Using main social sciences disciplines such as sociology, history or psychology, these stories make you evolve in a realistic adventure, allowing you to dream about how science could make you reach bright futures… Or to have nightmares about how it could corrupt humanity and lead to its destruction. Those are the definitions of utopias and dystopias, closely linked to SF, as Philip K. Dick will later show in The Man in the High Castle, imagining the sixties in a world dominated by the Japanese Empire and the German Reich after their victory in WWII. The two most famous dystopias, Brave New World from Aldous Huxley, and 1984 from George Orwell, are both using ScienceFiction to describe a frightening future where most humans are enslaved by a

totalitarian regime constantly crashing every hope for change inside people’s minds.

This is the real paradox of the genre: “Science-Fiction is torn between the desire for progress and the denunciation of its possible perversions”, summarizes Gérard Klein, French SF author. Over time, Science-Fiction will become a new major genre in pop culture literature, also influenced by the counter-culture that emerged in the sixties, with many variations. Here are some of these subgenres that have enriched ScienceFiction up until today, and some great works from each of them to allow you to discover them and dive deeper into this genre.

Youen Le Bris

...and the denunciation of its possible perversions”

- Gérard Klein

Space Opera is the most iconic genre of Science-Fiction. It takes place in universes where men have managed to tame the space environment thanks to huge spaceships and Faster-Than-Light travel. If the early works weren’t very strict about the science (Star Wars TIE fighters can’t make any sound in space), it became more and more accurate over time, questioning ourselves about our relation with aliens or new planetary environments.

For example, Dune by Frank Herbert explores the colonization of a desert planet populated by giant sand worms and native people, the Freemen. Dune control is really important for the Old Empire as it produces spice, the main fuel for space travel. This fantastic adventure reminds us of the costs of technical progress, based on the continuous extraction of new resources.

The eighties saw a new generation of authors and creators renewing the genre in accordance with the expectations of their time, founding Cyberpunk, a genre mixing the cyber technologies with the punk dissenting spirit of the eighties. Thus, the typical cyberpunk universe takes place in a bright city with huge buildings, flying cars, chips that are enhancing human abilities... But these cities are mostly ruled by tyrannical mega corporations, facing gang violence and new cyber-drugs outbreak.

Exploring various kinds of science-fiction genre, the animated TV show Love, Death and Robots of which some episodes are considered to be cyberpunk. Zima Blue is telling the story of an artist whose paintings become more and more ambitious, hiding a secret behind his works; When the Yogurt Took Over is about the conquest of our world by a clever yogurt… This amazing TV show is a real must-see for everyone that wants to discover this sub-genre, and sci-fi in general.

Derived from Cyberpunk, Steampunk can be considered as “retro-futurism” where the authors imagine another timeline starting from the industrial revolution. There, the steam-powered engines opened new possibilities for mankind. Airships, gunboats but also steam-powered robots or cyborgs abound in Steampunk worlds, first inspired by modern adaptations of Jules Verne’s works on the big screen.

Japanese animation explored a lot of Science-Fiction sub-genres, and steampunk is no exception to this rule. Steamboy by Katsuhiro Otomo and Laputa: Castle in the Sky by Hayao Miyazaki are both describing alternative universes where steam engines led humanity to the skies, but some military agendas are advocating for another darker use of these technologies...

The Cold War marked several generations and nurtured the fear of humanity destroying itself. PostApocalyptic fictions take place in a world destroyed by radiations, looters or mutants, telling about the hard competition among the few survivors of the apocalypse. But this is also about the reconstruction of human communities after the disaster, learning from the past mistakes that led humanity to its ruin… or trying to rule over again.

I must confess though my unconditional love for the Fallout video game series. This universe takes place in the XXIIIth century where humans are slowly going out of massive vaults that kept them safe from the atomic war of 2077. “Because war, war never changes”, as stated at the beginning of the game like a dark prophecy for humanity, the player evolves in a rough world poisoned by radiation, discovering new animals, mutants, cities and nations fighting for the rare resources left untouched by the nuclear winter. Sources

Works

“Qui a tué le cyberpunk?” by Bolchegeek,Works

Katsuhiro Otomo, Steamboy, 2004 Hayao Miyazaki, Laputa, Castle in the Skies, 1986 Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965

Tim Miller, Love, Death and Robots, Netflix, 2019-? Tim Cain, Fallout, 1997-?

A brief history of the transistor

If I were to ask you right now, what is the most important discovery of the XXth century, what would you say? Probably Television or the World Wide Web... But what if I tell you that the most important discovery during the XXth century is the transistor, would you believe me?

It may be hard to do so, but without this tiny piece of technology, there would be no TVs, no MRI scanners, no solar panels, no cellphones and no portable electronic devices. How did we get there? How did we make this astonishing breakthrough that changed the world and paved the way for the electronic era? In today’s article, we are going to go back in time in order to understand where the transistor comes from and the possibilities it offers!

We are in 1947, WWII just ended, the Cold War will slowly staart to impose its dogma around the world while computers are the size of a small car and need multiple people to operate them. It’s in this context that three scientists at Bell Laboratories, a research and development company owned by AT&T (American Telephone & Telegraph), were given a mission. John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley had to replace the vacuum tube, an electronic device used to amplify or switch electric signals.

These tubes were big, consumed a lot and weren’t reliable. You had to often replace them as the heat they produced damaged themselves throughout time and made them improper for a normal use.

Bardeen and Brattain were working on an experiment to study the behavior of electrons in a semiconductor material called germanium. They had built a device called a point-contact diode, which consisted of a small piece of germanium with a fine wire attached to it. They discovered that when a voltage was applied to the wire, it caused a current to flow through the germanium, creating a signal. Shockley, who was working on a theory to explain the behavior of electrons in semiconductors, realized that the point-contact diode could be used as a switch to control the flow of electricity. He then designed a device called a

junction transistor, which used two layers of germanium with impurities added to create a “p-n junction” that acted as a switch. In December 1947, Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley demonstrated the first working transistor, which was smaller, more efficient, and more reliable than the vacuum tube. The transistor quickly became the basis for a new generation of electronic devices, including radios, televisions, and computers.

But how does it work?

Well the answer is of course complex in terms of electronics but we can try to grasp the principles in an easy way. A transistor has three parts: the emitter, the base, and the collector (see scheme). When electricity flows into the base of the transistor, it allows more electricity to flow from the emitter to the collector. It’s kind of like a gatekeeper. When the gatekeeper gets a signal, it opens the gate and lets more people through. When it doesn’t get a signal, it keeps the gate closed. It either lets electricity flow or stops it, depending on whether it gets a signal. But that’s not all it does! Apart from acting like a switch it can also amplify current. When a small amount of current flows into the base of the transistor, it can control a larger amount of current flowing from the emitter to the collector. It’s like a small signal controlling a larger one. So, imagine you

have a toy car that runs on batteries. The batteries produce a small amount of electricity that makes the car move. Now, if you connect a transistor to the batteries, you can use a small amount of current to control a larger amount of current that makes the car move faster. This is called amplification, and it’s one of the most important functions of a transistor. Therefore, with this tiny piece of technology, we can amplify electrical signals (microphone to speaker, LED brightness…) or control the

E B C

used as switches in computer memory to store and retrieve data. In a type of computer memory called dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), each memory cell consists of a transistor and a capacitor. The transistor acts as a switch to control the charge on the capacitor, which represents a binary value of 0 or 1. You must probably know that all of our electronic devices run on binary. And these code lines contain billions of 1 and 0. So, what would we need to operate billions of binary lines? Billions of transistors!

The last processor chip made by Apple for its iPhone 14 and over, the A16 Bionic, contains 16 billion transistors. Yes. That’s right. They don’t look like the one pictured in this article as they are much, much smaller. IBM managed to produce transistors that are (only) 10 times bigger than a Silicon atom standing at an astonishing 2nm (0.0000002cm) even though the standards still remain as 7nm. Those are essential for all the devices we use in our everyday life, and I wouldn’t be able to write this article if it didn’t exist!

In conclusion, the transistor’s invention literally changed our lives. It is considered by many historians as the most important discovery of the XXth century and in recognition of their work, Bardeen, Brattain and Shockley all received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1956. But with the reduction of their size and the improvement of their performances, how far will we go with that version of the transistor? Will it be outdated by the upcoming quantum computers? Let’s see what the coming years have to offer to us!

Hugo Lhomedet

Sources:

“Transistor” - Encyclopedia

Britannica

“How Transistors Work”HowStuffWorks

“Introduction to Transistors”SparkFun Electronics

“Transistors” - Khan Academy

It’sa hot and beautiful summer day, you are spending time with your friends in the park. Soon you notice your inflamed, painful and red skin. Sunburns are a pretty common thing, for someone they are even more ordinary than to others.

Sun, our light and hot star in the sky, usually makes us happier and more outgoing. After a cold and dark winter, the sun is exactly what we need. Be still aware of ultraviolet radiation which unfortunately is included for the sunshine. But what ultraviolet radiation actually is? Let’s take notice of that.

The human eye can not see ultraviolet radiation. Ultraviolet radiation is emitted by the sun but also, for example, tanning beds or some types of lasers. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation includes beneficial effects such as vital nutrients and vitamin D. However, it also has a lot of risks. Excessive UV radiation causes sunburn, premature aging and even skin cancer.

There are three types of UV rays: UVA, UVB and UVC. Of these UVA is the least dangerous while the UVC has the strongest radiation. However, all of these three cause problems to your body. There are studies, that UVA affects your eyes and is one of the reasons for cataracts while UVB is usually the reason for skin cancer.

How much and when you should protect yourself from the sun depends on the UV index. UV index tells the level of UV radiation. The higher the number, the bigger the risk it will be for the skin.

Basically, the UV index depends on where you are. It can be said that the equator has the highest number, and the northern part of Earth is lower. According to the studies of WeatherOnline, the UV index in

Macedonia in June 2022 was usually 8-11 which means that you should avoid being outside during the midday and use sunscreen as much as possible. However, the danger of UV radiation depends a lot on the day and how cloudy it is (even though it’s a recommendation to put sunscreen on cloudy days as well). There are a lot of weather forecasts and different apps that tell you how strong the radiation will be. Using some app or checking the forecast is especially important for people who get sunburn very easily.

But how should you protect yourself? It’s actually quite easy and doesn't take too much effort. Sunscreen is one of the easiest and basically, the best ways to protect yourself. Sunscreen has the ability to protect your skin, but make sure that you choose a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB. In the summertime, it’s important to use sunscreen daily

and pick products with an SPF of at least 30, even 50. This way you can ensure adequate protection. The studies show that choosing only the SPF level of 15 blocks only 93% of UVB rays while the percent of SPF 50 is 98%. Even a five percent difference has a great impact so think carefully next time when you are buying sunscreen. Also, there are recommendations that sunscreen should be added every two hours, especially after swimming.

Another way to protect yourself from the sun is by choosing protective clothes and hats but also being in the shadow as much as possible. Because of the possibility of damaging your eyes by being outside, using sunglasses with UV protection is important.

Tanned skin has been a fashion phenomenon for years. We should still consider how far we are willing to go to fulfill beauty ideals which can be dangerous to ourselves. However, everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy the sunlight and summertime. If you get sunburnt, don’t panic immediately. That happens to everybody. Just

make sure that you do your best and don’t underestimate the power of the sun!

Katariina Weijo

Sources:

MayoClinic - Sunburn

World Health OrganizationUltraviolet radiation

WeatherOnline - Macedonia

KinesysActive - The difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50

BEST FRIEND OR ENEMY?

Премиер-лигата

на дланка:

Англиската Премиер-лига е, веројатно, најсилното првенство во светот на фудбалот, можеби не секогаш најконкурентно, но без исклучок најинтеерсно за гледање и секогаш полно со изненадувања. Секоја година клубовите од Премиер-лигата трошат најмногу средства на засилувања во споредба со сите други лиги во светот и се повеќе играчи сакаат да играат во оваа лига. Гледаноста, најдобрите играчи на светот, најмодерните стадиони и тренинг-центри се оние кои ја прават Премиер-лигата исклучителна во однос на сите други.

„Чеканите“ против „ѓаволите“

пред моите очи

следните редови нема да го прочитате искуството на Горан Попов или Артим Шаќири како играчи во лигатата, туку искуство на гледање на премиерлигашки меч во 2023 година.

Имав можност на 7 мај 2023 година да присуствувам на натпреварот Вест Хем Јунајтед – Манчестер Јунајтед, кој се играше на стадионот „Лондон“, односно Олимпискиот стадион изграден за летните Олимписки игри во Лондон во 2012 година. Откако Вест Хем имаше емотивно збогување од нивниот поранешен стадион „Болејн Граунд“ или попознат како „Аптон Парк“Олимпискиот стадион, во согласност со градот Лондон, им беше доделен на „чеканите“ (прекарот на фудбалскиот клуб Вест Хем Јунајтед или на англиски „Irons“) од источен Лондон. Стадионот можеби се уште ја нема онаа историја на „Аптон Парк“, како европскиот пехар на Боби Мур и дружината или победите во ФА-Купот, но е без разлика на тоа, импресивно модерно издание кое воодушевува на прв поглед. Она што е дополнително импресивно е звучната акустика кој ја има овој стадион, па кога се пее надалеку познатата „I am forever blowing bubbles“ – целиот стадион, но и целото Олимписко село одекнува со тимот и навивачите.

Почнувајќи од оваа песна, некои можеби ја познаваат и од филмот „Green Street Hooligans“ („Хулиганите од зелената улица“) од која ви се креваат влакната на телото кога цел стадион во еден глас ја пее. Мора да се напомене и одличната организација на натпреварот, односно нема повеќе она што можеме да го замислиме или тоа што можеби се појавува во медиумите кога англиските навивачи одат на гостувањата. Во овој случај се е организирано, има

обележана патека која ве води од метро-станицата до стадионот со редари, но со минимално присуство на полицијата каде навивачите, пред се, тивко одат кон стадионот. Влегувате на трибината и ве пресретнува возбуда и екот за победа, како и насекаде разлетани водени меурчиња кои пукаат како што допираат до небото. Веќе од почетокот на натпреварот се чувствува наелектризирана атмосфера, желба за победа и навивање кои се пренесува на играчите на теренот и ги турка да дадат дури и она што е над нивните можности. Иако, можеби, натпревар малку бавен во споредба со критериумите на Премиерлигата, сепак, натпревар со динамика и интересен за гледање. Моментот кога се случува промената, Вест Хем Јунајтед постигнува гол, шут од далечина кој е доста бавен и по земја, но еден од најдобрите голмани на светот на голот на Манчестер Јунајтед прави помалку несфатлива грешка и топката завршува во мрежата. Ерупција! Цел стадион на нозе, ја чувствувате енергијата како поминува низ вас, а вие сте само на трибините, како ли е за играчите...?

Полувремето е време за освежување, седиштата остануваат празни, а се полни подтрибинскиот простор каде што навивачите уживаат по некој студен пијалок и грицки или хотдог. Интересен е коментарот на еден од нив кој вели: „Не ни дозволуваат да одиме со пијалоците кај седиштата затоа што не ни веруваат“.

Второ полувреме кое е подинамично, кое е покреативно, со повеќе шанси и интересни моменти, но без промена на резултатот. Трибините се оние каде што се случуваат промените, од млади парови, другари до дедовци и баби со своите внуци навиваат за Вест Хем Јунајтед да ги издржи последните

налети на еден од најпознатите светски клубови, Манчестер Јунајтед. Одекнува „Come on you Irons!“, тропање со нозе од кое имате чувствто дека земјата се поместува, викање за вадење на сите нервозни моменти од минатата седмица, пеење за својот клуб и водење кон победа која и се случи. Отпоздравување на играчите кон публиката кои знаат колку допринесе во оваа победа, но и знаат колку од нив си одат среќни, токму поради таа победа.

На стадионот „Лондон“ кога игра Вест Хем Јунајтед не е препорачливо да се носи дрес од тимот на противникот што го потврдуваат и редарите кога им укажуваат на некои од навивачите кои дошле од други држави и им кажуваат да ги закопчаат своите јакни до крајот со цел да се не види бојата на дресот кој го носат. Крајот на натпреварот не значи и крај на уживањето, навивачите остануваат околу стадионот каде што има разни киосци за освежување и храна, каде се дружат, но и купуваат продукти од официјалната продавница на клубот.

Не е исто како гледање и доживување фудбал во Македонија или на Балканот, но гледањето на меч од Премиер-лигата е едно посебно искуство. Макар и да не сте голем фан на фудбалот или, пак, на Премиер-лигата, топло препорачувам да отидете барем на еден натпревар доколку сте во можност и тоа не само затоа што тоа е најдобрата лига во светот, туку и затоа што историјата и навивањето длабоко влијаат на целото искуство. Треба да се има на ум и дека токму во Англија, Обединетото Кралство е местото каде што е почетокот на најважната „споредна“ работа во светот. Андреј Наумовски

Cat or dog café for animal lovers

Have you ever wanted to have a cat or a dog but you can’t because you don’t have the necessary conditions at your home? Cat or dog café is a solution for you!

The concept of cat café originated in Taiwan in the 1990s and has since gained popularity in various countries around the world. Then it was developed a lot in Japan, where they called it Neko Café (coffee cats). These spaces were created to be a shelter for cats but also a space of comfort for humans. In cat café, most of the cats were abandoned, and taking them in these spaces allows them to find a safe place, where they can be taken care of. These cafés typically provide a space for customers to relax and spend time with resident cats that are sometimes available for adoption. Most cat cafés established certain rules to respect the well-being of animals, such as:

• Don’t run after cats

• Don’t force cats to stay with you if they don’t want too

• Don’t give them non-proper food

• Don’t wake up or scare the cats

• Don’t talk too loud

• Don’t use camera flash while taking pictures

These kinds of rules are necessary and important in these coffee places to preserve animal’s health,

and not just to use them as a commercial attraction. For humans, cat cafés are relaxing places and allow them to revitalize themselves. Indeed, several studies proved that domestic animals can have real benefits on human health. Petting a cat and experiencing their calming presence can have a positive impact on cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure. Moreover, the cat’s purring is also helpful for human stress. Purring are sounds that cats make when they feel comfortable, and they are between 20 and 50 Hertz. This power of relaxation can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke in the long term. According to Jean-Yves Gauchet, vet and author, these purrings send well-being and positive feelings signals to the human brain. To be more precise, when a human is in the company of a cat, it can make hormonal secretions called endorphin and serotonin which are hormones which provide relaxation and good mood. Cat cafés can have real benefits on mental health, if you are alone or with friends, they are the places to be, for having a chill and relaxing moment in your day.

After the brand of cat cafés, a lot of other coffee places with animals opened in the USA and in Europe.

For example, in 2016, in Lille, in the North of France, a dog café “Waf coffee” was born. The concept is simple: “Gather humans in need of canine affection and dogs in need of human affection”. This coffee place is welcoming around 9 dogs, all coming from a shelter. Some of them can be adopted by visitors but with conditions; the staff members are very attentive to the conditions of living of people who will adopt dogs to guarantee a good life and good conditions for the adopted dog. This coffee place is a very nice alternative for people who are missing time or place to have a dog at home and want to spend time with lovely animals. Other animal places like this are opening, like snake, hedgehog or even owl cafés. Even if these animal cafés are developing around the world, a lot of animal protection organizations are worried about animal conditions in coffee places and they pay attention if people are not using animals as a commercial argument.

In Macedonia, there is no official cat or dog café but you can regularly have cat or dog visitors when you are having a coffee on the terrace. People usually take care of street animals in Macedonia and creating a cat or dog café could be a really good way to help them more as well as to bring joy to animal fans!

Camélia Sghayare

Sources:

Le Figaro, “ Un premier bar à chiens va ouvrir ses portes à New York”

Kanpai.fr “NEKO CAFÉ, Prendre le café avec des chats au Japon”

Femmeactuelle.fr, “Les incroyables pouvoirs du chat”

Балкански рап: спој на звук и

приказни

Рапот дојде од хип-хопот во текот на 70-тите години во американските гета. Рап музиката ја препознаваме по специфичен ритам и многу рима. Во почетокот, рап музиката беше начин на изразување на еден вид живот, а тврдеше и ги извади на виделина социјалните нееднаквости. Во 80-тите, рап музиката се извезуваше низ целиот свет во Европа (Франција, Германија, ОК...), во Африка (Јужна Африка, Сенегал…) и во Азија (URSS, Кина…).

Хип-хопот

и рап музиката се случуваат на Балканот од 80тите години, ера која доживеа многу политички и општествени промени. Овој музички жанр се разви како изразна алатка за млади уметници кои сакаа да ги споделат своите фрустрации, надежи и реалности во овој контекст. Како и секаде, балканскиот рап беше под влијание на американскиот рап. Потоа, со текот на времето, развил свој идентитет и бил инспириран од локалните музички жанрови, како традиционалната балканска музика или ориенталната музика. Во деценијата потоа, регионот беше обележан со војни и политички конфликти, а рап музиката ја следеше пишувајќи текстови за општествени и политички теми со поголемо влијание: како што се корупцијата, насилството, нееднаквостите…

Пионерските уметници придонесоа за појавата на овој музички стил на Балканот, како што е Френки, босански рапер кој остава белег на рап-музичката сцена со општествено и политички ангажирани текстови пренесени преку енергични ритам. Едо Маајка, уште еден босански рапер, ги плени слушателите со својот поетски стил на пишување и со спојувањето на различни музички жанрови. Во Србија, рап-колективот Београдски Синдикат се појави во раните 2000-ти, добивајќи признание за нивните политички ангажирани текстови и социјални критики. Хрватскиот колектив Трам 11 одигра клучна улога во хрватскиот рап од слични причини.

Почнувајќи од 2000 година, рапартистите и колективите во Србија, Албанија, Босна, Хрватска и Македонија чекор по чекор си прават место во локалната музичка индустрија и го привлекуваат меѓународното внимание. Спојот на различни музички жанрови, како рап

музиката со рок, електро-музиката или традиционалната музика на Балканот станува вообичаена карактеристика во овој регион. Денес, Балканскиот рап има важен удел во балканската култура како своевиден уметнички израз, социјален протест и тврдење за идентитет.

Во последните години, Балкан Рап продолжи да се развива и диверзифицира. Редовно се појавуваат нови уметници, со нови звуци и стилови на музика, што овозможува нови видови музика како што е трап фолк. Овој вид музика е обединувачка сила на Балканот, каде што има двојство помеѓу тешката реалност на животот и утопија, сон, надеж. Тоа е комбинација на модерноста и традицијата, фокусирајќи се на уличниот живот од една страна и традиционалната фолклорна музика, со инструменти, од друга страна. За некои од нив, стапицата започнува процес на нов културен и колективен идентитет на Балканот.

Денес, некои уметници заземаат видно место во балканскиот рап, како што е српскиот рапер Коби, препознатлив по неговите успешни хитови и неговиот уникатен стил кој ги спојува рап, поп и електронска музика. Слично на тоа, српскиот колектив С.А.Р.С. црпи инспирација од рок, реге и фолк музика додека се осврнува на општествени и политички теми во нивните текстови. Во Албанија, Мајк

Спирит добива на популарност со неговите хит песни и уникатен стил кој вклучува елементи на рап, R&B и електронска музика. Македонскиот рапер ДНК, познат по општествено и политички ангажираните текстови и динамичен стил, допира и по полесни теми со размислувања за секојдневниот живот.

Рапот го наоѓа своето место на Балканот во одреден социјален и политички контекст кој ја обликува историјата на овој регион. Се појавува на Балканот, првично црпејќи инспирација од американскиот рап, а потоа еволуира со инкорпорирање на фолклорни и традиционални звуци. Рапот служи како средство за изразување и протест за уметниците, но придонесува и за спојување на културите, опфаќајќи ги музичките стилови, јазикот и темите што ги обработуваат. Како што рекол Хенри Вадсворт Лонгфелоу, „Музиката е универзален јазик на човештвото“.

Клои Ле Кер Превод: Мартина Даниловска

Извори : Importer, authentifier, revendre. La trap music dans les Balkans – Cairn.info Brother after arms – Balkan rappers as public intellectuals – University of Helsinki Balkan beats: introducing folk rap, the hybrid music craze sweeping Serbia and beyond – New east digital archive

„Музиката е универзален јазик на човештвото“

Хенри Вадсворт Лонгфело

КЛИК

„Не се јавувај", така ќе ме потпишеш во телефонот чиниш ќе се погрешам и ќе ти заѕвонам. Знаеш

дека нема да се случи тоа. Ти одамна знаеш дека јас не ѕвонам. Јас не барам. Јас нема да те побарам.

Јас сум таа со која сакаше да се фалиш наоколу.

Гордо да ја водиш за рака. Да ја покажуваш на светот. Таа што те инспирираше.

Кога ќе поминуваш по мојата улица, ќе подзастанеш. Ќе свртиш пред зграда да не случајно баш тогаш решам да излезам. Ќе посакаш да свртиш круг повеќе, па бар на секунда да ме видиш, само уште еднаш. И секогаш намерно ќе проаѓаш одовде, демек успат ти бев.

Ќе свратиш во 7ца да јадиш и ќе се навратиш на онаа вечер со мене. Најнеобичниот дејт што си го имал. Енергијата што ја внесовме со нас во сендвичара. Ги расположивме вработените бар за момент, им ја разубавивме вечерта. Бар насмеани да се вратат дома кај своите после напорниот

ден. Јадевме како дечиња, без страв да не се извалкаме. Како да не сме виделе сендвич.

Колку малку треба за среќа.

Кога ќе дознаеш што сакаш и јас точно ќе знам. Сега ни самиот не знаеш.

Јас за тебе сум отворена книга, но ти не си доволно писмен.

Па затоа одлучив да се сакам себеси. Затоа што кога се сакаш себеси, тешко некој да те повреди, затоа што ти сам себеси си доволен.

Како да препознаеш дали двајца се еден за друг? Јас велам дека треба да "кликнат".

Има луѓе кои веднаш кликаат.

Има други кои се мачат за да кликнат но, безуспешно. Дека со сила убавина не бидува.

А има и такви што кликаат толку брзо па водени од изреката "премногу добро за да е вистинито" се

кочат. Ништо не им оди од рака во животот и се добивале на потешкиот начин па ова им е шок.

Па така сами си ја уништуваат среќата.

Ви текнува на масите од Икеа што треба сами да ги склопите? Или шкаф, полица, небитно.

Секој дел си има свое означено место. Иако некој дел изгледа како да се совпаѓа сепак во понатамошниот процес ќе сфатиш дека сепак тоа не е правото место.

И кога ќе го преместиш и ќе кликне, веќе ќе знаеш дека тоа е тоа. Епа така и луѓево. Или кликнува, или не.

Ако кликне, ти ќе знаеш. И тогаш не се прашувај зошто кликнало.

Ако пак не кликнало, значи и не требало.

И ако кликне, потруди се, дади се од себе. Твоите 100 проценти дади ги на таа една личност, не ги расфрлај на сите страни. Ти одлучуваш дали ќе дадеш на 5 места по 20 проценти или на едно место 100 проценти. И ако не успее, да знаеш дека ти си виновен што не успеало.

Како да носиш ранец на себе. Полн со несигурности, бес, страв, трауми, љубомора... Испразни го. Замени го со внимание, комплименти, прегратки...

Почни полека, со тек на време веќе нема да ти тежи толку. Ќе ти остане мир, спокој, разбирање..

Ние се надополнувавме. Излив од емоции, интелигенција, позитива.

Како кога држиш некој за дланка и перфектно ја исполнува

празнината помеѓу твоите прсти.

Ама бевме само кратка приказна која брзо заврши. Но не доволно брзо затоа што сепак зад себе остави лузни. Лузни на душиве.

Олгица Арсова

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