VOICES September 2020

MAGAZINE FOR ALL YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD

september 2020

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VOICES team

Тимот на ВОИСЕС

Our homes have become more familiar to us in these past months than ever.

This year the summer was about discovering your neighborhood and traveling through the country you are living in. One can’t say it has been easy but it has brought us beautiful things to our lives after all. This has been the key idea that we have been working in the past weeks, discovering stories of music, culture and art from close to home. We catch so many local voices to write to us positive, interesting and warm topics from our surroundings.

Нашиот дом во изминативе месеци се претвори во добро познато место за нас отколку било кога до сега. Оваа година летото го поминавме во истражување на нашите соседства и патувања низ земјата во која живеееме. Никој не може да рече дека беше лесно но сепак, и покрај сѐ, тоа ни внесе убави работи во нашите животи. Ова беше главната замисла на која работевме изминативе седмици, истражувавме приказни од музиката, културата и уметноста од најблиската околина.

We didn’t have to go far to reach our stories, as our home Skopje has a lot to offer. We sat down with the guys from Fiction band to hear about their music, traveled to Prespa Lake for a swim between the mountains, gathered amazing photography around Macedonia from our friend Krume and followed the green path through Skopje Light Art District. We took a trip to Skopje train station and got to know a few antique shops in Old Bazaar.

Our writers from other countries took their time to write us stories about Earth, about art and about an inspiring woman, Wangari Maathai.

There’s always a peak of beauty in the world when you know where to look for. This month we offer it to you in the form of VOICES, hoping that it will bring a smile to your faces.

Love from VOICES team

Не требаше да одиме многу далеку за да ги најдеме нашите приказни, нашиот дом Скопје има многу да понуди. Седнавме заедно со момците од Фикшн бендот да слушнеме за нивната музика, отпатувавме на Преспанското езеро да попливаме малку помеѓу планините, собравме чудесни фотографии од цела Македонија од нашиот пријател Круме и ја проследивме зелената патека преку меѓународниот фестивал на светлосна уметност во Скопје. Отидовме на скопската железничка станица и се запознавме со неколку продавници за стари работи од Старата Чаршија. Нашите дописници од други земји го искористија времето да ни испратат приказни за Земјата, за уметноста и за една инспиративна жена-Вангари Матај. Секогаш ќе има нешто убаво во светот ако знаете каде да побарате. Овој месец ви го нудиме тоа во облик на ВОИСЕС, со надеж дека ќе донесе насмевка на вашите лица. Со љубов од тимот на ВОИСЕС

This edition is supported by the City of Skopje

VCS DIRECTOR: Nikola Stankoski

EYE: Ewelina Chańska

COORDINATORS: Andrej Naumovski Goran Adamovski Goran Galabov Selina Niemi

VOLUNTEERS: Kirsi Suomi Dogukan Sever Jules Striffler

WRITERS: Mathis Gilsbach Angela Gabor Vitória dos Santos Acerbi Ana-Marija Pejchinovska Júlia dos Santos Acerbi Dafina Veselinoska ARTISTS: Krume Kirovski Andrej Pavlov

TRANSLATORS: Goran Galabov Besmira Ibraimi Emilija Temelkovska DESIGNERS: Selina Niemi Ewelina Chańska Kirsi Suomi Mathis Gilsbach Jules Striffler Dogukan Sever

Ова издание е поддржано од Град Скопје

CONTACT: Volunteer Centre Skopje Emil Zola 3/3-1, 1000, Skopje +389 22 772 095 vcs_contact@yahoo.com www.vcs.org.mk

Voices magazine is coordinated, designed and created by ECS and local volunteers with support of Erasmus+ program.

content

VOICES September 2020 - issue 9

topic of the month 4

FICTION - Macedonian modern rock band

Selina Niemi & Ewelina Chańska

reportage 8

10

Why Earth? Because of you

Angela Gabor

Charming lake Prespa

Kirsi Suomi

12

Illegal trafficing of cultural goods

20

26

Vitória dos Santos Acerbi

Wangari Maathai

Mathis Gilsbach

The golden ratio

Jules Striffler

27

Imagine trains crossing the borders of your imagination

29

22

Jules Striffler

Skopje Light Art Disrtict

Kirsi Suomi

opinion 11

22

To feel is to live

Ana-Marija Pejchinovska

Modernity and the perception of reality

Júlia dos Santos Acerbi

science

14

Water is an Alien (EN, ALB & MK)

Selina Niemi

erasmus+

16 Changemakers

photography 18

Krume Kirovski

interview 24

8

Antique Shops

Dogukan Sever

poetry 28

Прелудиум во е-moll Dafina Veselinoska

about us 30

Volunteers Centre Skopje & VOICES

18

topic of the month

FICTION

On June 2016 three guys in their twenties gathered to their first rehearsal and so was born Fiction – Macedonian modern rock band, acoustic trio between three friends.

T

he guys are sitting side by side, discussing on Macedonian their point of view to the upcoming interview. We are sitting in Beertija Pub with rain banging the roof and thunder yelling in the sky. Petar, the vocalist of the band explains how he and Viktor, one of the guitar players, were playing some gigs in cafes and pubs in Skopje before Fiction was formed and points out that they needed better sound.

“And more money to be honest” Viktor laughs in the background.

The history of the guys goes way back from playing together. Petar and Filip, the other guitarist, met on the first grade in high school, but later on it was Victors’ idea to invite Filip to play with them.

“We were both guitar teachers with Filip, and we were drinking beer together after lessons. It was the friendship that brought us together to play and create music, and so was the band formed.” Viktor explains. The guys started to have rehearsals together and had their first gig together in a café place in

4 - VOICES

GTC, in the center of Skopje. The path continued in different pubs for 4-5 months, and not long after that, guys expanded the band to a full electric band. Petar, Filip and Viktor formed acoustic trio by themselves to play covers in pubs, but wanted to “level up” as Petar stated, to play their own songs in festivals competitions.

“When it’s about our own music, we play like 5 or 6 people together.

We started to create our own music exactly after one year we were formed. The first song was “После Дождот” (“posle doždot”, eng. “After the rain”)” Viktor tells the story how the song formed; it was a bit difficult time for him, and he states how Petar and Filip were there for him, bringing positive energy and shoulder to cry on, which became to be the idea of the song. “Every each of us gave something to the lyrics that describes themselves and the final product was formed.”

The friendship between the guys is sincere and genuine, which

you can see just by looking how comfortable they are together. The thunderstorm on the background creates a cozy mood, while Petar explains the musical cooperation between his bandmates.

“When we are making music, everybody has something to say. No one is talking nonsense.” All of the guys have their ideas, which they bring together to create the final songs. The cooperation is strong; even though sometimes there is minor differ in opinion.

“It’s something minimal, like drum fill or how the baseline goes… But when that situation comes, we are ready to grab each other’s necks and kill each other” Viktor laughs, and states that it is actually a positive thing, not negative. They all agree that when you make music, there is no enthusiasm if you just agree on whatever the other band members have in their minds.

“The tension is very important when you make music. Because at the end the results are always better than anyone of us imagined.”

тема на месецот

e l i t r e f , e m o s d n a h y , r g a n s es c You e n and All the guys have a strong songs together, and they all have background in music, which has their common favorite; the first been leading their road all their song that’s gonna be on the album life. Starting from the wide genres “Oд почеток“ (“Od početok” eng: of music they’ve been listening to, “From the beginning”) that Viktor to the fact that all of them started got an idea at the beginning of the their musical journey at a young pandemic when he was playing age. Filip was studying classical Ludo on Facebook with his friends, guitar and Viktor learned guitar on which explains the song title. The his own, having only background guys are frankly proud of their with violin in his childhood to which music and are waiting to release the he is stating with a bit of an ironic album. laugh. Petar started “There’s a song for “basically as a rock “I’m not saying this star” as the guys are everyone in the album.” because I’m in the laughing. He had his band but because I first album at the age of 12 when like to listen to music, I think it’s a his music teacher Dame Kolarovski very good album. Everyone who heard his voice and wanted Petar to will hopefully listen to it will find sing his songs. their favorite song and maybe some song that they don’t like. But Fiction won a record deal at Loser there’s a song for everyone in the Fest in 2018 and chose to record album.” in “The Basement Studio” of Angel Kjosev. They are currently The album is going to be a mix of recording their first album, which more “radio-friendly” and on the they are going to release next year. other side, heavier songs, combining Five of the ten songs are recorded; energy with heavy guitars, heavy all of them are in Macedonian. drumming and heavy bass, with They are writing and creating their a screaming vocals, which gives

Petar Gjurevski - vocals

petar.fctn

Viktor Zahariev - guitar viktor9zahariev

Filip Andonov - guitar andonov_filip them a lot of adrenaline, especially while playing live. All the songs are sharing one same element, guitar hook, which comes to them naturally while creating songs. The guys are sharing a clear mutual respect towards each other skills and music. When Viktor mentions Petar’s voice, how it is recognizable “when you hear the song, you know it’s Petar”, Petar rushes to talk behalf Filip and Viktor: “But that’s also for the instrumental part, the guitars. You know that it’s our sound.”

VOICES - 5

topic of the month

т о д ж о д е л с

сам м у с га ва ко рот? у к и в т ме по дведе ве ум слаб ј о к глас ќе ме о м кога с пак” м а м а ш а а ѓ “Слу али дом да полет от се ра Д д ла за сле дож и с и о Дај м ождот, п ед Посл

по

The best part of the music comes on the stage; you present the product of what you have been working on in the past months or even years.

Guys are laughing as Viktor explains: “Sometimes we are not trying and we are the best. And sometimes we are trying a lot and we are just bad.”

mountain boys!” Petar laughs after explaining that they were camping without Viktor who can’t stand tents.

“But we leave our hearts on the stage”, Petar continues.

“I have to mention Karadzhica, we were playing 2500 meters above the sea level. And at Joy Fest in Kriva Planka, we had a lot of funny moments, walking around fully naked, doing stupid things…”

They have come a long way together which creates many stories and favorite moments on the road. They have played at D-Festival, “We are

When Viktor starts to explain one of his favorite memories with the guys, the laughing is pure and the story gets many sides as they are

6 - VOICES

talking on top of each other. They had a gig in Berovo on Friday and in Pehchevo on Saturday, and they went there spontaneously without plans for accommodation between the gigs. Petar notes sincerely that they just slept in the car.

“That’s his version! Our version is much deeper because he can’t remember most of the night. Petar was drinking a lot. I mean a lot. It was raining, we didn’t have a place to stay and all the places in the town were booked, and he was drunk. He couldn’t speak. We didn’t

тема на месецот

“Parpata. I think that word doesn’t exist in any language.” find a place to stay, so we went to Bekchavo at 5 am in the morning, to sleep in the parking lot. Petar was silent most of the time, but just when we arrived he said something to his father.”

“I wanted to say that good, we are gonna play here later and here’s also the parking, so let’s sleep here…” Petar explains.

“He compressed it to one word” Filip continues, and the guys burst into laughter: “Parpata. I think that word doesn’t exist in any language.”

The guys ended up getting some sleep on a meadow nearby, where they were awakened by an older lady, who gave them coffee, cookies and juice from elderberry. “The elder lady, juice from elderberry” Filip laughs and shares his favorite moment from Loser Fest where they won their record deal.

“The gig had special energy for me.

Actually, I can’t remember most of the gig, not because I was drinking,

mkfiction fiction_sk Fiction MK

I just can’t. Adrenaline and stuff like that. We won Loser Fest, and we were very happy that night, we drank a lot, of course, celebrated.”

Fiction is a band of 3 people who are genuinely best friends and are equally important with the musicmaking and on the stages. Filip is noting that no one feels left out, everyone has a role and does their job in the band as best as they can. They don’t feel to have one frontman in the band, as Petar is strongly pointing out: “There are people who come just to hear Filip singing “Telefonskiot broj ne postoi” from Nokaut. And there are people who come to hear Viktor playing solo, like “Gypsy song” from Vlatko Stefanovski. And there are people who come to listen to me.”

“And there are people who come to see him! Because he’s cute” Viktor laughs. Petar takes a moment to translate a sentence in English, which is their sentence to describe Fiction. “Young, handsome, fertile and necessary. That’s us.” (Млади, згодни, плодни и неопходни)

Viktor continues: “I’m the young, Filip is the necessary, and Petar is the handsome and fertile. And don’t forget cute.” Guys share a laugh again, which has been the key element for the whole interview.

The thunder outside is not calming down, as we cheer with our drinks.

We’ve been sitting with the guys for two hours straight, chatting about so many details on their careers.

They are relaxed and comfortable and they told that they haven’t been talking like this with each other for a long time. The importance of support from their families and friends becomes very clear.

“I would like to say that we have many people that support us, our families, our friends, that are really important to us, and we wouldn’t accomplish and will not accomplish nothing without their help and their support” Viktor states, and we can see all the band members agree.

We stop recording and share one more drink together with the guys from Fiction, listen few of their unreleased songs and wait to hear them again live, as their energy on the stage is contagious.

Interviewers: Selina Niemi & Ewelina Chańska Article & design: Selina Niemi VOICES - 7

reportage

Why Earth?

Because of you We have heard a lot of stories and theories about Earth.

Some voices say Earth is a special place, unique in the whole galaxy, other voices instead say that it could be like any other planet. We are different, that’s why we have our own opinion about what Earth means for us. For me, it could be a big garden with thousands of roses in different colors and species, separated by water or distance, but united. For you instead, it could be an ocean with small islands, mountains, and woods. Each of us may have its image of our planet.

8 8 -- VOICES VOICES

репортажа

E

ven if we have different ideas about our amazing planet, we have a common point: together. We are living on the same planet, the only difference is that we are on different continents, countries, cities. There are a lot of things to be said about Earth but in the current article, I will focus on four points: Earth’s position, oxygen, magnetic field, and the moon.

Firstly, let’s have a look at Earth’s position in the solar system. Even if I am not yet a professor, though I have the necessary skills, I will try to use simple words for a simple explanation. Earth is the third planet from the sun and the fifth largest of the planets in the solar system. Why the distance from the sun is important? Because we are at the right distance. What does it mean? A simple explanation was offered in an article published by National Geographical: “Earth orbits in the so-called Goldilocks zone, where the planet receives enough energy to allow water to exist as a liquid on its surface.

Too far, and the vital compound stays locked up as ice. Too close, and the water would rapidly evaporate into the atmosphere”.

Therefore, life is possible here because our planet has, among other things, a very welcoming temperature. The liquid water covers 70% of the Earth’s surface, reason for why it is known as “an ocean planet”.

According to specialists, almost all of Earth’s volcanoes are hidden underwater.

An example in this sense could be Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano. It is taller from base to summit than Mount Everest, but most of it is underwater (6,000 meters below sea level).

Secondly, a very important aspect is that the Earth’s atmosphere is oxygen, the gas needed for life. The oxygen came from plants and trees, that’s why nature is important. Carbon dioxide is another

gas that is in the atmosphere but in a small quantity. Even if it is a poisonous gas, it is absorbed by plants during photosynthesis to produce oxygen and helps to moderate the temperature of our planet. Venus and Mars have carbon dioxide in a high amount, this is one of the reasons why there is no life.

Thirdly, the magnetic field of Earth plays an important role. We have mentioned above the distance from the sun, but we didn’t say anything about radiation. Earth is protected by the “bad” radiation by its atmosphere which is protected by the magnetic field.

According to some studies, it is said that Earth has at its core a load of molten iron.

When the Sun sends out radiation, the iron core of Earth produces a magnetic field that is capable to repel the negative electromagnetic radiation from the Sun. By doing so, we do not receive harmful radiation.

Fourthly, what makes our home more special than it is already, is the brilliant illuminated “star” on the night sky, most precisely Earth’s single moon. For sure you have heard once in your life the famous phrase “I love you till the moon and back”. If not, you still have time to hear it. Do we know this “loving distance” till the moon and back? In an article published by NASA, it is said that the moon is farther away from Earth than most people realize. The moon is an average of 238,885 miles(384,400 kilometers) away. That means 30 Earth-sized planets could fit in between Earth and the Moon”.

We are living on this unique planet called Earth being surrounded by nature at its different stages: winter, spring, summer, and autumn. We should enjoy every moment because each one has its beauty. Even if you are on another continent, you should remember that your first home is Earth.

Angela Gabor

Sources: https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html https://www.bobthealien.co.uk/earth/life.htm https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/earth/in-depth/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/03/one-strange-rock-interactive-earth-solar-system-milky-way-galaxy/ https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-big-are-hawaiian-volcanoes?qt-news_science_products=0#qt-news_science_products

VOICES -- 9 9 VOICES

reportage

Charming lake Prespa In the most beautiful environment, everything light blue, sun shining, happy children running around, people laying under shadows avoiding the burning sun, taking cooling brakes in the sparkling, crystal clear water. Only astounding nature where ever your eyes can see.

O

ur small friend group went on a weekend trip to lake Prespa. Because of the unusual circumstances with the pandemic we preferred to choose a place that is in Macedonia, so we decided to drive to Ljubojno, which is a lovely small village in southern Macedonia, close to Greece border, where we stayed over the weekend.

The place is in higher altitude, so it is a fantastic change in the weather compared to Skopje, fresh, cooler air in the middle of the nature. Our plan was to go to a beach nearby called Slivnica because our local host recommended it to have less people than in other beaches and social distancing would be easier to implement. Once we arrived there, it was quite clear that other people were probably thinking the same because the parking lot was full of cars. After finding a proper parking spot our mission was to find sun beds, which proved to be harder than the parking because 10 - VOICES

the beach was full of people and all the sun beds were already taken.

The beach area was divided in two sides from which the other one was clearly too full to have a safe distance from people. But finally, we managed to find space for us to sit down and enjoy the day.

The beach is amazing, I think that I have never swam in such a beautiful place. The water is light blue and crystal clear, temperature just right to give a nice cool brake from the hot summer weather. In the shore the water is low, you need to walk quite a bit to get to deep enough to swim but at the same time the beach is very child friendly in that way, especially when there is no life guards in sight. What is making the view perfect, is of course the mountain surroundings, which keep on amazing especially us who are not used to them. The mountains are not so high but there are so many of them, everywhere you turn your head there is more mountains.

The sand is smooth like being by the seaside, which apparently is exceptional in here. “This is much better than the rocky and crowded beaches in lake Ohrid� said our friend from Skopje while we were drinking ice coffee in the beach restaurant. Happy surprise was also that there was not too much garbage around. The atmosphere of the whole place was pleasant despite the too loud and not so good playlist the restaurant was playing.

In addition, the area is great for hiking, there you can find monasteries and rural sights, a night sky full of stars, charming old stone houses in small villages with beautiful gardens, surprising restaurants, and friendly people.

Definitely a place worth visiting if you want a peaceful and not so touristic experience. There are some organized tours to the area, if you got interested, check them out.

Kirsi Suomi

opinion

TO FEEL IS TO LIVE Some tell us to follow our heart. “The truth lies beneath”-they say. But what do we do if the destination of our heart is foreign to us? Where do we go then? Others say that the brain should be the one in the driver’s seat. They say that feelings are the cause of our destruction. Let’s put it like this.

B Y R A I N

ou are stuck on a rock, alone, forced to make a decision. Surrounded by dead ends. Water on one side. Wild waves splashing, almost touching you, trying to lure you in the depths and mysteries of the unknown. It looks unreal, right. How can the one thing that gives life, end it all. You think to yourself- “Maybe I won’t reach the bottom, maybe I’ll drown on the way there”, then a thought passes - “But what if I only stay on the surface, what if I miss on everything waiting for me below”? All these what if’s… How can we be satisfied and pleased knowing that we missed the chance to have something?

How can we live with ourselves knowing that an opportunity was so close to us, but we turned around? How do we sleep at night with that feeling that something rightfully ours is still somewhere waiting for us and we are doing nothing to claim it?

You turn and catch a glimpse of the raging fire. Powerful flames reaching your feet.

Pleasing warmth that can turn to agonizing pain within seconds. You look down and there is nothing more to see. As far as you can see, those familiar flames are intertwining with each other. You know the outcome, you get hurt, so you don’t entertain this idea. You are tempted but the rational thing to do is to turn it down. Right?

we go more in-depth, our mind gets hazy, the paths we can take all start to look alike.

The end is there, but we fail to know it.

Finally, there is the bottom. The open book.

The risk. The option we want but fear, that we seek but run away from, that can be the healer and the killer. Then there is the brain, no matter how open the mind is, no matter the different views you have, you can see the finishing line, the destination, so you choose.

If you know that it won’t hurt you, you go for it and if you don’t, well then you run. The only flaw here is that you are missing out on the fun, the unknown, the shock factor.

The brain is a beautiful thing, it will never harm us, but it keeps us from experiencing it all. The safe trail is not always the right one. We are given a heart so we can feel, so we can love, so we can hurt. If we weren’t supposed to take risks, live in the moment and explore the choices that scare us and might leave us broken, we would know the end from the moment we were born. Have you truly lived if you didn’t love? Have you truly loved if you didn’t get hurt? By reacting with the brain, we exist. By choosing with the heart, we live.

H E A R T

Ana-Marija Pejchinovska

You see, there are two guides we can choose to follow. The heart, peaceful and familiar surface, safe choice, an easy one.

It’s as if the outcome is presented to us in a way that we can understand, a way that allows us to predict how that part of the story ends. Is it a tragedy or a comedy. As

VOICES VOICES - 11- 11

reportage

ILLEGAL TRAFFICKING OF CULTURAL GOODS Imagine something really precious for you and yours - say, a ring or a painting that has been in your family for generations, a statue from the church you frequent that has been there since the foundation of your town. Imagine it got stolen and resold, maybe online. You wouldn’t like it, right? Wouldn’t you be upset and wish to have it back?

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N

ow, imagine this happens in the world at a large scale, so large that it accounts for the 3rd largest illegal traffic in the world, after drugs and guns, rivaling with the traffic of people and organs, involving 6 billions of dollars in the last decade. Wouldn’t it be terrible?

Well, it actually is true. The illicit trafficking of cultural property is a huge global problem that not many people know about.

It is a problem that has a lot to do with the world’s unbalances and other issues: the countries where cultural goods are most looted from are those with a rich history but currently poor or at war - like Central American, African and Asian countries.

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In Syria, since the war started, it is estimated that 25% of the cultural heritage has been stolen and sold, to buy guns and war supplies. On the other hand, the countries of the buyers of these items are rich, like Europe and the U.S., where art collectors, museums, antiquaries have money to invest in these objects and in the complicated network needed to get them stolen, smuggled, moved from the underworld into the open market, with often fake documents.

This is serious, because stealing a cultural object means more than just stealing an object. It means destroying a whole context, the memories and identity that existed with and through it. It means preventing people from connecting with their sacred or communal objects, from knowing their history It means preventing researchers from studying such a context and discovering more about our past.

And there is much we can do to help fight this crime. In your town or sacred spaces, should you ever notice that something isn’t where it usually is, and no restoration or loan for exhibitions elsewhere has been announced, warn your local authorities. If ever you are travelling somewhere and wish a souvenir, or if you like antiquities and are buying an item online, be attentive to some signs. Is there dirt on it, as if it has just been excavated? If so, odds are that it has, and not legally. Does it look like a broken fragment, part of a larger artifact? Does it have reference number painted on it, as if it is part of a museum?

Is its price too good to be true?

Most importantly, is the seller reluctant to provide you with the objects’ provenance paperwork?

If so, you have a reason to be suspicious and to reach the police.

Great problems sometimes ask for sometimes complicated solutions and simple gestures, that must be put into place collectively in order to have an impact. This is the case for illicit trafficking of cultural goods, that we might inadvertently feed, but with small acts combat.

Vitória dos Santos Acerbi Sources: CHRISTOFOLETTI, Rodrigo. (org.)

O tráfico ilícito de bens culturais e a repatriação como reparação histórica. In: CHRISTOFOLETTI, Rodrigo. (org.). Bens culturais e relações internacionais: o patrimônio como espelho do soft power. Editora Universitária Leopoldianum: Santos, 2017. pp. 113-132.

UNESCO. Fight illicit trafficking, Return & Restitution of Cultural Property. Available at: https:// en.unesco.org/fighttrafficking ICOM International Observatory on Illicit Traffic in Cultural Goods.

Available at: https://www.obstraffic.museum/

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reportage

WATER IS AN ALIEN S

omething you face every day by washing, drinking, cooking. 60% of your body is made of it. You can swim inside of it and walk on top of it. It steams in the air and comes back to the ground as a liquid. Think about it for a minute - water is really weird.

It is everywhere – inside you or any other living thing, every molecule of water has existed for billions of years. It has done an unbelievable journey through the history on Earth even before coming to you, by cycling from ground to air, from animals to plants, from oceans to rivers - the water inside of you has been inside of dinosaurs. Where did it come from?

The oceans on our planet formed hundreds of millions of years after Earth took shape, before that there was no single drop of water.

It traveled here from the edge of our solar system, on asteroids and comets. Every drop of the water on our planet is alien that arrived here nearly 4 billion years ago.

Besides its journeys through space and ending up here, it’s probably the weirdest molecule in our universe. Did you know that warm water freezes faster than cold? No one knows why. And it shouldn’t even form as a liquid on our planet?

Hydrogen and oxygen – two very light atoms – are forming the water molecule. The rules of chemistry say that water should be gas at the temperatures and pressures on the surface of Earth. It freezes and the ice floats on water, how strange is that?

We are not witnessing its weirdness alone; it’s the second most common molecule in the universe. H2O appears on almost every object in our solar system, in the moon, on Mars, Pluto… The scientists struggle to understand it; it breaks so many rules of chemistry. A material so featureless – so tasteless, so colorless – and our world wouldn’t be here without it.

Selina Niemi

Source: YouTube | Why water is really, really weird – BBC ideas 14 - VOICES

UJI ËSHTË

JASHTËTOKËSOR

D

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içka me të cilën përballemi çdo ditë kur lajmë, pijmë, gatuajmë. 60% e trupit tonë përbëhet po nga e njejta.

Mund të notosh në të e të ecësh mbi të.

Avullohet në ajër dhe sërish kthehet në tokë si lëng. Mendojeni për një moment këtë- uji është me të vërtetë i çuditshëm.

Mund ta gjesh gjithkund-brenda nesh apo në ndonjë gjallesë tjetër, çdo molekulë e ujit ka ekzistuar me biliona vite. Para se të vijë tek ty, uji ka bërë një rrugëtim të pabesueshëm në Tokë, duke u rrotulluar nga toka në ajër, nga kafshët tek bimët, nga oqeanet te lumenjtë- uji që ndodhet brenda jush ka qenë brenda dinosaurëve. Prej nga ka ardhur?

Oqeanet e planetit tonë u formuan qindra miliona vite para se Toka të mirrte formën, kurse para kësaj nuk kishte as edhe një pikë të vetme. Arriti këtu që nga skaji i sistemit tonë diellor, nëpërmjet asteroideve dhe kometave.

Cdo pikë uji e planetit tonë është jashtëtokësor që mbërriti këtu para afro 4 bilion vitesh.

Përveç rrugëtimit të tij në hapsirë dhe ardhjes në Tokë, kjo molekulë është ndoshta molekula më e çuditshme në universin tonë. A e dini se uji i ngrohtë ngrin më shpejtë se uji i ftohtë?

Askush nuk e di pse. Dhe nuk duhet të formohet si një materie e lëngshme në planetin tonë? Hidrogjeni dhe oksigjeni – dy atome shumë të lehta formojnë molekulën e ujit. Rregullat e kimisë thonë se uji duhet të jetë gaz në temperaturat dhe shtypjet në sipërfaqen e Tokës. Uji ngrin dhe akulli lundron në ujë, sa e çuditshme është kjo?

Ne nuk po dëshmojmë vetëm këtë; kjo molekulë është molekula e dytë më e zakonshme. H2O paraqitet pothuajse në çdo objekt të sistemit tonë diellor, në hënë, Mars, Pluto…Shkencëtarët e kanë vështirë ta kuptojnë këtë gjë; kjo thyen shumë rregulla të kimisë. Një lënd pa karakteristika- pa shije, pa ngjyrë dhe prapë bota jonë s‘do ishte këtu pa të.

Selina Niemi Përkthim: Besmira Ibraimi

ВОДАТА Е ТУЃА

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ешто со кое се соочувате секојдневно при миење, пиење и готвење. Шеесет проценти од телото ви е составено од тоа. Можете да пливате во неа и да одите над неа. Во воздухот испарува, а на земјата се враќа како течност. Замислете се за момент – водата е навистина чудна. Ја има насекаде – и во вас и во секое друго живо суштество, секоја молекула на вода постоела милијарди години. Направила неверојатно патување низ историјата на Земјата уште пред да дојде до вас, со кружење од копно до воздух, од животни до растенија, од океани до реки – водата што е во вас била и во диносауруси. Од каде потекува? Океаните на нашата планета биле формирани пред стотици милиони години откако се формирала Земјата, пред тоа немало ниту една капка вода. Патувала до тука од работ на нашиот соларен систем, на астероиди и комети. Секоја капка на нашата планета е туѓа која пристигнала пред околу 4 милијарди години. Покрај патувањата низ

вселената и завршувањето тука, веројатно е најчудната молекула во универзумот. Дали сте знаеле дека топлата вода замрзнува побрзо од ладната? Никој не знае зошто. И не треба да се формира како течност на нашата планета? Водородот и кислородот - два многу лесни атоми - го формираат молекулот на водата. Правилата на хемијата велат дека водата треба да биде гас на температурите и притисоците кои се на површината на Земјата. Замрзнува и мразот - лебди на вода, колку е чудно тоа? Не сме само ние сведоци на нејзината чудност. Тоа е втора најчеста молекула во универзумот. „H2O“ се појавува на скоро секој предмет во нашиот сончев систем, на Месечината, на Марс, Плутон… Научниците се борат да го разберат тоа, бидејќи крши толку многу правила на хемија. Материјал толку безличен - толку без вкус, толку безбоен... Ии нашиот свет не би постоел без него. Селина Ниеми Преведувач: Емилија Темелковска VOICES - 15

Vera Romanu is creating mini video series and a “buddy-system” for intl. students at the Bucharest Academy of Economy, providing intercultural guidance and orientation.

Dídac Espí Vallvé works on a hand-made sound system as an alternative way of youth recreation while promoting local musicians and DJs. from Santa Coloma de Gramenet.

Daniel Oprea works on a song and a documentary tackling the issue of teenage suicide aimed to raise awareness about psychological help availability in Harghita county.

Andria Spyrou aims to uncover the dark reality of the “fast fashion” industry & works on a “slow fashion” model to inspire all into conscious consumerism.

Javier Esteves leads an initiative in which 12 Danish homeless youngsters will move into a local Cultural Center and work on their re-inclusion in society.

Sara Jazadziska works on a documentary about Ohrid to raise awareness about it’s UNESCO protected natural/cultural heritage status.

Petar Stevanovic leads an environmental campaign to clean up areas in nature to raise awareness about pollution and inspire behavioral changes.

WE BELIEVE IN MAK

Meet the inspiring Europeans at the Frontlin

Krisztina Kerekes founded an NGO to create opportunities for non-formal learning and active participation of young people in Miercurea Ciuc.

Marios Limnatis started an online shop to show that it’s possible to give back to the community in a sustainable manner and donate net proceeds to charity.

Lidia Fernandes Rodriguez leads workshops for peer social work students using yoga and therapeutic theatre to explore emotional mngt and empathy.

Elena Ramirez Gonzales hosts workshops for drag- kings, as Barcelona lacks safe spaces that offer platforms for reflection about gender identity.

Shubhdeep Singh Parwana is organizing a mini festival and a series of cultural events created and hosted by national and international artists in Aarhus.

Stefanija Stefanoska is facilitating workshops for young people from Struga and the area, aimed to empower them to cope with stressful issues.

Lina Staškevičiūtė aims to raise awareness about food waste through workshops & influences policies to change the current unsustainable practices of food disposal.

Marija Ristova woks with the town municipality to create new green areas and deforest the shores of the nearby lake in her home town Kavadarci.

Ionut Barb works to legalize access of non-motorized boats and kayaks to the Mesteacanul lake in Balan, which will create new leisure opportunities for the entire community.

Daniel de Garcia Morales is organizing a participative youth art festival in Santa Coloma to raise awareness about local and emerging art and artists.

Capucine Chandon organizes events in which people from Aarhus can join activities focused on mindfulness, biophilia and reconnecting with nature.

Marianna Parmatzia leads story-telling workshops for peers using art as a medium for communication, that will culminate with an intercultural art exhibition.

KING A DIFFERENCE!

nes of Active Citizenship

Christoforos Hadjiandreas is joining forces with fellow medical students to provide advice on coping with the effects of the pandemic to our health.

Jana Oltovska is creating an inclusive program for young people on the autism spectrum to ease their inclusion in the organization of scouts in Skopje.

Jonatan Nordentoft de Regt unites the cultural sector in Aarhus to develop projects to promote the city as an up-andcoming intl center for art and culture.

Razvan Cimpean is collaborating with the local municipality to create and establish a much needed mountain biking route in his home town Bălan.

Laia Cuadro Segarra is organizing courses in Catalan for immigrants to Catalonia, focusing on practical language skills that will ease integration into their new society.

Michalis Georgiou created a “recycle fish” and worked with the mayor to place it at a beach in Cyprus to expose the harm from single use plastic packaging.

photography

Krume Kirovski

Sometimes we search for the beauty and happiness far away, but most of the time it is right in front of us. To see it, we have to look and dive within and around. This is what I realized not being able to travel outside of our own country for the past months. The beauty lies within the closest people, nearest mountain or your own garden, you just have to go out and catch the moment with your camera. But most of it don’t forget to enjoy it!

Krume is a portrait, lifestyle and travel photographer, usually shoots with his camera, but these are shots taken with his phone. He says the equipment doesn’t matter that much as long as you have the idea and passion. You can find him as @krumetakesphotos on social medias.

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Wangari Maathai

: e r o M n Lear

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The Green Belt movement: greenbeltmovement.org Wangari Maathai Foundation: greenbeltmovement.org Her memoir: Wangari Maathai: Unbowed – A Memoir Image source: Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-sa/2.0) 20 20 --VOICES VOICES

C

an planting one tree really make a difference? It can, if you let it grow into a movement to preserve nature, protect forests and livelihoods of rural communities. If you plant more and more trees in the backyard of an authoritarian government, to bring about change for nature, for the women, for the people.

All this and so much more is the story of Wangari Maathai. Born in the Highlands of Kenya, still under colonial occupation, influenced by her upbringing between two worlds, the rituals and belief of the Kikuyu people as well as the beliefs of the catholic nuns at her school, she went on to study Biology in the US and to become the first woman to hold a PhD at the university of Nairobi as well as to be the first woman to chair a department there.

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homeland. In 1977 she founded the Green Belt Movement, which has since flourished into a big movement active in 13 African countries, planting trees and improving the livelihood of the people.

She was assistant minister of the environment of her country and became the first Kenyan woman to receive a Nobel prize of peace.

But her true legacy, besides all the prizes and titles, are the preserved forests of Kenya and the inspiration of a whole generation of activists. Her core conviction was the connection of wellbeing of the nature and the wellbeing of human communities. Forests around springs and water sources protect the soil from eroding and the water from drying up.

Consequently the communities living in that area have safe access to water.

The forests are, as well a vital component of the livelihood of rural communities, providing them with firewood, food sources and, as mentioned, water. Much of the labour surrounding water and firewood is done by women in these communites. Therefore it was a logical step for Wangari Maathai to connect these issues. To protect the trees meant protecting the livelihhod of these women.

To campaign for womens rights meant to protect their environment.

Coming back from her studies in the US, she was shocked by the degradation and deforestation that had taken place in her

One early action was a protest against the development of a business centre at a central forest and park in Nairobi. As a symbol of defiance they marched to the park with thousands of trees and occupied the park. She also raised the issue with international media and created a lot of attention and consequently, pressure.

Soon investors started to drop out. The park was maintained and is providing space to trees, animals and humans alike.

This action however brought her the ire of then Kenyan strongman Daniel Arap Moi. Police brutally beat the protesting women and Wangari was imprisoned for some time. Yet she and her movement persisted and the authoritarian government got voted out and Wangari Maathai was made a part of the newly formed government as assitant minister of environment.

In the course of her lifetime over 30 million trees were planted in Kenya alone earning her the nickname Mama Miti mother of trees in Kisuaheli.

In 2011 she passed away from cancer but her green legacy remains.

Mathis Gilsbach

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Modernity and the perception of reality: surrealism as utopia Have you ever had an idea that popped into your head and it felt like something lightened inside you? That is what happened to me in the past few days, after I remembered of these two marvelous namesake paintings “The Human Condition” from René Magritte.

MAGRITTE, René.

[The Human Condition]. 1933. Oil on canvas. 100 cm x 81 cm (39 in x 32 in) Location: National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.

E

ager to dive deep into the various possible meanings of the painting, I searched more about Surrealism, the political and intellectual movement which the artworks of René Magritte were part of.

Surrealism had a big influence from the political ideas of Karl Marx and the psychological theory and dream studies of Sigmund Freud, and it had its origins in Dadaism and the metaphysical paint of Giorgio de Chirico. Dating from the beginning of the twentieth century, it was initially characterized by the search of the automatic writing, supposed to free without limits the imagination, to entirely liberate the subconscious into the text written.

In the year of 1924, in the beautiful

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MAGRITTE, René. [The Human Condition].

1935. Oil on canvas. 100 cm x 81 cm (39 in x 32 in) Location: Simon Spierer Collection, Geneva, Switzerland.

and prestigious city of lights, Paris, the Manifesto of Surrealism was published by the French writer and poet André Breton, it focused on the freedom and spontaneity of creativity. Thus, human feelings and instincts would be the starting point of a new artistic language. The psychic impulse was the most important feature since it would be able to open space to release and translate into art what they believed to be the truer expression of the human beings: the images of the subconscious.

However, to be capable of doing this, it was necessary that the artist had an introspective perspective of himself and reached a point of spirit equilibrium where the outside and inside reality was perceived equally, without conflict.

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It is exactly at the previous sentence that the root of my thoughts starts to get branches. From what I can understand and analyze, “The human condition”, by René Magritte, stimulates us to wonder if what it is behind the painting is really the same landscape represented in it, to question what is hidden from us. Magritte also does this kind of provocation in the following painting.

Is reality just a matter of perception?

What is really behind that apple?

MAGRITTE, René. [The Son of Man] 1964. Oil on canvas. 116cm x 89cm (45.67 in x 35 in). Private collection.

Analyzing the questioning with a contemporary approach, I think our digital and capitalist society characterized by the immediacy, the non-stop work, the social power and status achieved by showing yourself to the world through several platforms -, slowly make us bury our essence at the bottom of our soul in layers of fake reality. We are bit by bit deprived of connecting with our essence and having introspective moments, from which can come out really great ideas, thoughts, and selfknowledge. With so many distractions and pressure to make visible likable versions of us, we lose ourselves by the eyes of outlooks.

This is also a topic discussed in the short story “O espelho” (in English, The mirror) by the brilliant Brazilian writer Machado de Assis, considered by many critics the greatest name of Brazilian literature. So as not to spoil your reading of the short story, if you get interested, my interpretation that came out of it is the idea that we have an interior soul, that looks from inside to outside, and an exterior soul, that looks from outside to inside, and we are frequently subject to losing our own vision of us and our real essence due to often being seduced by the outside soul and the appearances.

Therefore, we are also losing the capacity of reaching what the surrealist artists valued the most: our subconscious, our free creativity, and our dreams. We are losing the important power of questioning that Magritte suggests on “The human condition”: our perception of reality.

We don’t have time for it anymore, we just accept it as it is, even if it hides so many important facts from us, even if it hides what we really are from us.

Shocking, isn’t it? I think to overcome this, we should try small changes in our daily lives to be able to reconnect with our essence, like respecting our work schedule and not bringing work to home anymore… but, wait! In the present world context, home is also our working place! And with so much to do, and our phone ringing with work all the time, it is so difficult to not overwork, right? That is why I think this kind of reflection is so important: each one of us should try to be reeducated and instigated to think about the importance of not losing who you really are. What about you? Have you questioned your perception of reality today?

Júlia dos Santos Acerbi Sources: https://bridgeurl.com/sources-48 VOICES-- 23 23 VOICES

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Душата на старите предмети

Како ќе ја опишете вашата работа? Кој е најтешкиот дел, се исплати ли работата во антикварница? Мојата работа е исклучително благородна затоа што со нејзина помош можам да помогнам на многу луѓе што се социјално загрозени и едноставно имаат проблеми со финансиите. Од друга страна, најтешко ми е кога не можам да им помогнам. Што се однесува до финансиите – плата немам, ситуацијата е тешка. Кризата со вирусот ’Ковид 19’ влијаеше врз бизнисот, луѓето немаат пари, немаме муштерии, туристи не доаѓаат. Дали купувате антиквитети, односно предмети со уметничка вредност и од каде? Антиквитети не купуваме. Купуваме работи што се секојдневни во домаќинството, останати од време на Југославија, што луѓето сакаат да си ги оттуѓат од домот. На пример при преселба во нов дом - старите работи не им требаат и така ни ги нудат па ние ги купуваме. Зошто луѓето купуваат вакви предмети? Затоа што се поврзани за минатото. Или некој што отвара етно ресторан, некој што едноставно копнее по минатото и сака дел од минатото да си сочува во ново-отворениот модерен стил во нивниот стан, салон за мебел. Обично во салоните за мебел се сретнува некој стар предмет како грамофон, старо радио од Југославија, Италија, старо пред војната, после војната... стар мебел, стари пегли како украс за излози. Обично луѓето и заради тоа ги купуваат старите работи, да ги користат како кристални чаши од фабриката ’Титов Велес’, чаши за кафе, вазни, оние работи што не се наоѓаат во обична продавница и што не се произведуваат – ги имаме тука, а некој и има желба да пие кафе во такви чаши. Дали е потребно некое образование за вашата работа? Да. Јас ја работам оваа работа веќе триесетина години, и тоа благодарение на мојот татко. Ние имавме семеен бизнис што се проширува сега благодарение на него и на неговиот занает што го наследивме. Сепак, има доста мои ’колеги’ што се занимаваат со бизнисот, а немаат образование. Него го стекнуваат на улиците. Јас имам завршено ликовна академија каде што научив многу работи.

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Благодарение од учењето од татко ми и од мојот факултет, се стекнав со големо работно искуство и искуство за правење на предметите. Некои предмети ми се донесени во многу стар изглед. Јас со моето учење и занает ги реставрирам, ги поправам, ги цртам и ги донесувам до совршенство. Стар предмет може да се нацрта, да се наслика и така доаѓа до нова техника. Пример, имаме чаши за млеко кои ги цртаме со бои и тие од стари стануваат нови сувенири. Имаме многу слики кои ги реставрираме, мои сопствени слики, имам мои графики, сопствени скулптури. И така модерното со старото се преплетуваат и стануваат едно. Кој е најдобриот дел од вашата работа? Го работам тоа што го сакам. На мртов предмет му даваш живот и тоа ме исполнува. Сопственик на продавница како што е мојата може секој да стане, меѓутоа не секој ја има љубовта и мотивот за работата. Тука доаѓаат секакви луѓе кои мораш психички и физички да ги издржиш. Не секој е добро расположен, не секој е позитивен. Дали ја препорачувате оваа работа? Мојата работа не ја препорачувам на секого затоа што секој и не може да ја работи. Татко ми викаше своевремено: „Од ѓубре направи злато. Злато може секој да има, но од ѓубре злато - не може“. За многу луѓе, старите работи се само ѓубре, меѓутоа еден предмет кога ќе го фатите во рака ја сфаќате неговата тежина, неговата историја. Почнувате да читате по порталите од каде потекнува, зошто и како се служел, почнувате да го изработувате, да го средувате. Почнувате да го чистите, од најмалото штрафче го одвртувате до совршенство. После тоа кога ќе го изложите се чувствувате многу убаво. Меѓутоа секој човек тоа не го прави, па затоа оваа работа не ја препорачувам на секого. Благодариме за репортажата на „Кај баба Мира“ продавница за традиционални занаетчиски производи. Продавницата се наоѓа во Старата Скопска Чаршија. Во неа можете да најдете разни старински предмети. Исто така и сопственичката изработува рачно разни предмети. Би било добро да поминете и погледнете. Подолу можете да ги најдете контакт информациите од продавницата, а ние и благодариме за одвоеното време.

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The Soul Of Old Items How do you describe your job?

Excellent, thrilling. I love it.

What is the hardest point of your job?

The hardest point of my job is when people don’t appreciate antiques. For them, it’s just an old object, so they throw it away. The hardest one and I don’t like it but it’s what it is.

How do you describe your salary?

It’s decent. We can survive with it, we can live. Too bad, it’s nothing compared to Belgrade, or Sofia. A lot of people are coming back because of the pandemic or because of the economic situation, but still, we can survive.

How do you buy antiques and from who?

Most of the people have antiques at home which belongs to grandparents or parents, and the sellers don’t like it anymore, so they come to offer to me. They said I got this, I got that sometimes even they have a photo of the objects.

Most often, I interact with this kind of person. Sometimes, I meet also collectors who want to get rid of their collection.

Why people buy antiques?

To be honest with you, there are many different reasons. Most of them are people who like and know what they purchase, but sometimes people buy just because it’s interesting. They want to have something from Skopje, from Macedonia.

Are there any educational requirements about the job?

First and foremost, the point is to like it. To love it. And investing in books, reference books, and catalogs because there is no college or department to be antiquarian.

History, archaeology could help.

Love it and then invest in it for knowledge

What is the highest point of this job?

Make customers satisfied. It’s not only about giving me your money and that’s it, I don’t want to see you anymore. I’m very satisfied when the customer knows what she or he is buying and s/he is satisfied.

I’m sure they are going to cherish it.

Keep it somewhere, and give extra 10-20 years of life to the object.

How can a person be an antique shop owner?

This is a hard one. As I said, we have to love it, we have to have at least a little bit of knowledge of the things, or history of your country or your culture and to know what to collect and to be able to know what is collectible, what is antique and what is not.

Do you recommend this job and why?

Of course, I do recommend this job but right now this is a very hard situation. Not only here but pretty much all over the world because of the virus. And why, because it’s interesting. You can see everyday new stuff and it’s amazing.

How is your working environment?

We are okay about our working environment. The shop is not that big, I wish I could have a bigger one but it’s good. We have really good, kind customers and it makes the environment better.

Dogukan Sever Thank you for the reportage to “SCVPI” antique shop in Old Bazaar, Skopje. There are many interesting antiques in the shop for the tourists.

The owner was so kind to us. Thank you for his time.

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reportage

THE GOLDEN RATIO φ S Life is all a matter of proportions after all, don’t you think? By the way, are there “perfect” proportions you could use in various fields? Let’s dive into the mathematics to reflect a bit together on this allegedly unanswerable question.

o, mathematics might appear as a surprising choice to think about such a philosophical topic, at first sight. But as one of my my sources says: “maths is fun”. “The golden ratio (the symbol is the Greek letter “phi” φ) is a special number approximately equal to 1.618. It appears many times in geometry, art, architecture, and other areas.

We find the golden ratio when we divide a line into two parts so that the long part divided by the short part is also equal to the whole length divided by the long part.”

“Does the golden ratio exist in nature?

Though people have known about phi for a long time, it gained much of its notoriety only in recent centuries. Italian Renaissance mathematician Luca Pacioli wrote a book called “De Divina Proportione” (“The Divine Proportion”) in 1509 that discussed and popularized phi, according to Knott.

Pacioli used drawings made by Leonardo da Vinci that incorporated phi, and it is possible that da Vinci was the first to call it the “sectio aurea” (Latin for the “golden section”). […]

As evidenced by the other names for the number, such as the divine proportion and golden section, many wondrous properties have been attributed to phi. Novelist Dan Brown included a long passage in his bestselling book “The Da Vinci Code” (Doubleday, 2000), in which the main character discusses how phi represents the ideal of beauty and can be found throughout history. More sober scholars routinely debunk such assertions.

For instance, phi enthusiasts often mention that certain measurements of the Great Pyramid of Giza, such as the length of its base and/or its height, are in the golden ratio.

Others claim that the Greeks used phi in designing the Parthenon or in their beautiful statuary.”

So now I guess you are regretting not having decided to go for higher studies in applied mathematics. But this is all fine, it is still time to get acquainted with fascinating concepts such as this one. So, as they say down under: no worries!

Jules Striffler

26 26 --VOICES VOICES

Sources: www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/golden-ratio.html www.livescience.com/37704-phi-golden-ratio. html

репортажа

Imagine trains crossing the borders of your imagination In these unusual times we are living in, there will never be too many opportunities to see beyond current difficulties and catch a breath of fresh air to foster our imagination and look ahead.

C

urrently, transportation services are in standby, or at least significantly decreased in terms of frequency. Gaining a glimpse of insight into international train connections is a nice way to think of better upcoming days, from Thessaloniki in Greece to Niš in Serbia via Skopje on the one hand, and from Skopje to Pristina in Kosovo on the other hand.

While entering Skopje train station, there is an impression of landing in an abandoned theater stage lacking half of its sets and most of its acting company. The theater play would have been our world without the complications arising from the current pandemic situation hitting our societies quite harshly. Offices’ doors are wide open on empty corridors, while tickets sale staffs look to be desperately expecting customers.

On the entire ground floor, a blinding lighting system strengthens this impression of being in a genuine no man’s land.

Outside exceptional circumstances, connections between Serbia and Greece via Skopje are actually a seasonal offer, from June to September. Right now, these travel

opportunities are suspended because of the current sanitary circumstances.

The connection to Kosovo is running independently of the seasons, but it is also currently on hold for the same reason. Currently, it is possible to travel from Skopje to several cities: Kumanovo, Bitola, Tabanovce (at the Serbian border), Veles, Gevgelija, and Kičevo.

However, while walking on the platform, there is no sight of passengers train, which added to the atmosphere of the moment. Heaps of creative imagination is necessary regarding this seemingly ghost train station to forecast how this facility will eventually come back to life.

Let’s think of an upcoming time when this tough time will be over, and we will find back a context with a warmly appreciated widening scope of destinations to travel. Imagination could be defined as being the twin sister of hope. So imagine, maybe not dragons as it is already taken, but perhaps whatever makes you happy or inspired!

Jules Striffler (with the kind support of Josip Gegaj)

VOICES - 27

поезија

Прелудиум во е-мол (опус 28, број 4) - Фредерик Шопен

С

ептември. Почеток на новата учебна година. Час по математика. Мене ми доаѓа редот да се претставам. Која сум јас? Кога би одговорила...

Кога не би морала да се справувам со судењето на другите и искрено би одговорила, би рекла дека јас сум само девојка која очајно сака да биде сакана, колку што и самата сака. Безусловно и која мора да се задоволи со тоа љубовта да ја пронаоѓа во чоколадни торти со фил од карамела, прелудии од Шопен, прстенчиња со приказни од друго време, романтични романи, парфем со мирис на ванила.... И уште во соба полна со чад од цигари во која милно буди сечии воздишки Били Холидеј, ластовички кои брзаат кон југ, девојчиња со розови панделки во долгите коси, кои се нишаат на нишалки и сонуваат за убавината на животот кој им претстои, преправајќи се дека се Пепелашки, а нивниот принц ги чека во палатата во рајот... ......кога само би одговорила вака..... Ќе застанам тука и нема да се обидам да потенцирам дека она што би го кажала кога не би се плашела го опишува секој жив. Без разлика дали тој некој или таа некоја или тоа нешто љубовта ја чувствува додека става црвен кармин, додека милува мало, бело маченце со сини очиња или пак, додека се грижи и бдее над саканата... Дафина ,,Даффне” Веселиноска

28 - VOICES

VOICES - 28

reportage

The green city shall sprout again

“Lux naturae” Loom prod | France

“Underworld” Aleksandra Stratimirovic | Serbia/Sweden, Leonel Caplan | Argentina

“The great pacific garbage patch” Martin Dimitrijev and Sklad Team | Macedonia

Skopje Light Art District was arranged again for the third time on 19 – 22 of August in Skopje, Macedonia.

An event which is uniting art, technology and science, past, present and future, city and nature by using the language of light.

T

his year the cultural events have been on a break because of the situation with the pandemic, so an event full of light and hope was very welcomed.

For four days people in Skopje got to enjoy various art pieces sprinkled around the park area, starting from the Stone bridge to the old side of the park. The event presented a total of 18 art pieces from multiple artists, themes that are connected from history to a greener, more sustainable future.

“Follow the green path” was an idea of the organizers to lead people from one installation to another, with the help of interactive maps and stickers on sidewalks. In many points, we could hear “Gradot ubav” (“the beautiful city”), which is a song composed

by Aleksandar Djambazov after the big earthquake which hit Skopje in the year 1963. The message in the song is to give hope that the city will grow beautiful and joyful again from its ashes.

”The Light Inside Us” Andrej Pavlov | Macedonia (Photo: Andrej Pavlov)

“The green city shall sprout again” SKLAD Creative team | Macedonia

Kirsi Suomi Sources: https://www.skopjelightartdistrict.com/call-2020

”Magic Garden” Visualia Group | Croatia

VOICES VOICES - 29- 29

POSSIBILITIES. For everyone.

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If you are from Macedonia, we can find you a project and send you to Europe to live abroad and volunteer! You can also volunteer with us in a local level.

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