The monk and the knight

Yesterday I traveled to Sobrado dos Monxes, a small village in Galicia (Spain), to pay a visit to a very good and old friend who has decided to join a monastery and eventually become a monk. He has been a priest for already more than ten years, which means that this step is one more taken on his search for a deeper and more meaningful spirituality or, otherwise put, on his personal search for God and for the others. I found him happy and fulfilled, and that made me happy too. For me, on the other hand, it is time to depart again: first, in a couple of hours, to Lisbon and, then, back to the cold and grey Central Europe. Having the feeling of being constantly departing, I can't help envying the people who manage to stay. Even if within the walls of a monastery.

Merry Christmas!

May the beauty of the season brighten up our lives and decorate our days with love, smiles and happiness!

Home for Christmas!

The last working week of 2008 went fast. It started with one day in the office, working with the new Bureau colleagues, continued with two pleasant days spent with the Secretariat colleagues at the annual staff retreat, and finished with two more days in Vienna, attending a conference on Euro-Arab relations. Then I finally left Brussels and headed South, to Portugal. And now, here I am, in Guimarães, enjoying the sun and the warm weather, the nice Portuguese home-made food, and the company of my son and the rest of my family. And it feels great! Merry Christmas everyone!

You must be the change you wish to see in the world

Bettina has quoted these words of Gandhi several times in her speeches. I enjoyed listening to her speeches, and in many occasions she made me feel proud of being her colleague and her friend.

But Gandhi also said that "genuine laughter is true eloquence and more effective than speech". This is why I prefer to remember Bettina for the many genuine laughters we had together, rather than for the brilliant speeches she made.

"No matter how insignificant the thing you have to do, do it as well as you can, give it as much of your care and attention as you would give to the thing you regard as most important. For it will be by those small things that you shall be judged". Bettina achieved great things as President of the European Youth Forum; but the greater lessons I learned from her are related to insignificant things, like love and friendship. And, for those, I will always be grateful.

Now that your life is going to change, Bettina, and that you will be making less speeches, please keep sharing the laughter and giving this insignificant friend the care and attention that only important things deserve.

Luiza, or a certain sense of emptiness

I was right to fear my return to work... Despite the fact that I only worked three days, I can assure you that I did more than the 35 hours I am supposed to work per week. And I can also assure you that I could have worked even more, should time and physical resistance allow... Of course, the fact that I was on holidays for the last two weeks, made items acumulate on my to-do list; naturally, the time of the year brings along the need to conclude some issues and initiate others, increasing the workload; but the main problem I face right now is related to an under-staffed team, especially in the finances' department: Pedro's replacement won't start before March, and Agata will soon leave on maternity leave. I had already missed Pedro's valuable contribution in the run-up to and during the General Assembly; but now, back to the normal daily routine, his absence is even more obvious and that frightens me. And, as if this was not enough, Friday was Luiza's last day at work... Klavdija will replace her as Head of Department, and I know that, work-wise, her absence won't be felt at all. But I will miss Luiza a lot, in a way that words can't possibly describe. Going back to the office knowing that neither Pedro nor Luiza work there anymore, doesn't seem right... And now that the trinity has been dismissed and the wonder trio won't be more than an old chapter in the YFJ history book, I can't help feeling abandoned and, therefore, alone... There is still a lot of great people working in the YFJ, and most of my colleagues are worth the respect and the admiration I have developed for them; but Pedro and Luiza were the two main pillars that sustained my leadership over these last three and a half years, and with their departures I will lack references. I wholeheartdly wish them the best, and I hope that we will manage to remain close friends, for I don't want to live without them. And, until my own turn to leave comes, in five months, I will work even harder, for I want to honour their legacy and make them proud of the YFJ they helped shaping. So long!

Que padre!

Yeah, I am back in Brussels, still trying to adjust to CET, but my second week of holidays, spent in Monterrey, was really great. Sure, Monterrey isn't the typical Mexican holiday destination. It isn't massive as Mexico City; it hasn't beaches as Zipolite or Cancun, nor ruins as Teotihuacan, Palenque or Monte Alban; in Monterrey you can't immerse in the Mayan world as in Yucatan, nor snorkel like at Isla Mujeres or Cozumel. And yet, Monterrey is my favourite Mexican destination. I could say that it is because of its mix of modern and traditional, of the clichéd and the surreal, of the ancient and the brand-new. But it is simpler than that: I like Monterrey because I have great friends there. Great friends who treat me better than I deserve; and great friends who do great things in their personal lives. And, of course, because of the Mexican cuisine: from the more well-known tortillas, with beans and chillies, to the less obvious fish and seafood tacos, and the recently discovered tamales and nopales, tasted together with beer and tequila. And the best grilled rib-eye steaks ever! Monterrey's cuisine is a fusion of native and Spanish cuisines, with a scent of Texas' grandeur (visible in the size of the steaks, mainly); which means that I could easily get used to it, and become "grand" myself. I have left, but "a Monterrey lo llevo en el corazon"! And I will be back. On Saturday evening I took the bus back to Houston, and experienced once again the border-crossing in Laredo, this time taking the difficult direction. It was easier than I expected and I am still wondering how is it possible that I crossed from the US to Mexico and back and my passport doesn't hold any evidence of that... so much for border controls! The real adventure was still to come... my flight from Houston to Philadelphia was delayed for almost five hours, and I of course missed my connection to Brussels, had to stay overnight in Philly and travel the following day, via Frankfurt, to Brussels. I finally arrived here yesterday morning, 24 hours later than planned. Typical... So, now it is time to go back to work. A bit afraid of what I am going to find waiting for me, but also with the batteries recharged and new memories that I will keep close to my heart. Que les vaya bien!