Another twenty four years of wandering?

It is a sunny day and I cannot be in Lüneburg Nord-Ost Institute organized conference this weekend due to personal reasons. Students defended their BA thesis early this week and the mental drainage still overwhelms me. It looks as if the former status of mind is easy to replenish, however its not easy as it looks. After all the paperwork the only wish I have now is to sit on my porch, enjoy nice weather, drink coffey and read philosophy. I am simply emptied.........

The politics in Latvia is emptying ones willpower as well, thus better not to read the morning press. Still had a snapshot into todays Diena, and our parliament passed and is preparing for another controversial legislative act. Yesterday, the parliament instead of listening to the Transparency International (anti-corruption watchdog) recommendations eased the law allowing officials & civil servants to accept in-kind payments while off duty. It seems that electing Mr Zatlers as a new prez. has given the parliamentary majority the feeling that they are participating in the FEAST of the CENTURY (popularly dubbed by the acting prime minister just after the elections in 2006 as the seven fat years...). In the meantime the current account deficit has reached the level of 29% and the inflation is spiralling.

For the June 21 session the parliament plans to pass amendments in the education law in the third reading. The amendments plan to equalize academic degrees received during the Soviet era with the ones awarded now in Latvia and being accepted also by the EU. What does it mean? When we talk about hard sciences there is no doubt that equalization is rationally explicable, however how one should react on dissertations written about scientific communism, the leading role of CPSU in the industry and agriculture and finally Soviet genetics? This legislation is utterly controversial and it seems that it would be passed even though fiercely objected by the opposition, unfortunately...

There is this feeling of continuous and sometimes aimless struggle with the past demons in Latvia today. Whenever you listen to the governing coalition pronouncements you may hear machiavellian rhetoric par exellence. Majority of society is not happy with the situation but still somehow dormant. The referendum about the security organizations is approaching and there is stillness in the air - a sign of quiet breeze prior a storm or helplessness? Latvian folk tale hero Antiņš was trying to reach his princess whilst climbing up to the glass mount. He reached his sweetheart only in the third attempt. What I just said is full of symbolism and the question is whether the referndum in 070707 is going to be the second or just the first attempt of Latvian people? Similarly one may take symbols from the bible and compare the present wanderings of the Latvian folks with the one of Moses and his flock in the Sinai desert. It took him forty years to lead the jews out of the desert, and Latvia is being self-governed only a short sixteen years...Another twenty four years of wandering?

p.s. I am spiritually drained and waiting for some muses to inspire me and perhaps should escape into the woods:) Thus, in case you cant reach me the coming weekend knoweth that I am looking for the spiritual balance in nearby forest.