pics #430 - #441

Friday January 21st - Yellow Lunar Star
In the evening, in the cold, I join my first Critical Mass, an event to promote non-polluting transports. For a short time, we ride, cycle, skate on wide roads usually dedicated to car, this killing, stinking and polluting machine. It is great to take main roads, finally cycle in the middle of the street without any danger, while police cars escort us block the access for angry and hurry car-drivers. The space for motorized machines is so huge! We non-polluters are left with nearly nothing. The evening ends in an alternative, self-managed pub, where well-thinking people would be afraid at the sight of people with piercings and dreadlocks. I meet Hendrik who goes working in Sri Lanka and we exchange contacts. Sri Lanka would be great to go to, between two visa for India ... At my hosts, they tell me how bigger Critical Masses are in summer, with musician, jugglers and clowns on obstructed crossroads. For some time, non-polluters and non-stressed people show the prisoners of bigger and faster what our lifestyle offers.

          Critical Mass departing from Schwarzenbergplatz

Saturday January 22nd - Red Electric Moon
A simple and quiet day, with a lot of lecture. Matthias has an interesting library. I currently devour "Cave in the snow" the biography of Tenzin Palmo, buddhist nun from England who stayed in her cave in the Himalayas for 12 years. She was one of the first western woman being ordenated nun, way before buddhism diffused through the world.

           Another FLAK tower, converted in aquarium and bouldering wall

Sunday January 23rd - White Self-Existing Dog
Another guided Primary series at the studio, this time with Reinhard, also an instructor Fabian told me about. He teaches completely in German which has the advantage to disconnect my listening and to concentrate inward instead: breath, drishtis, bandhas. Adjustments notify me how the intense cycling has affected my legs muscles. Feeling stiffer, notably in Supta Kurmasana I need help to touch my fingers behind the back while the feet remain faraway from each other. After the class Reinhard advices me a teacher who gives workshops in Rishikesh: Rudra Dev.

Monday January 24th - Blue Overtone Monkey
It is again a day to teach a yoga class. Good motivation to see four students in five coming back. Afterwards there is a good spirit around the tea. Are we nearly creating a sangha?

Tuesday January 25th - Yellow Rhythmic Human
After Mysore class I meet Victoria, Bulgarian yogini who recommends me a Vinyasa studio in Sofia, now I do not even need to search for it! Next I'm going the the clinic for my right knee, finally. Dr Weinstabl seems to be a big name, considering the gifts from professional sportsmen exposed in his office, and the price of consultation. What would it be if the people he cured where famous champions?! Next getting to the MRI to scan the knee. My first encounter with that machine, communicating through extremely loud 'bips', 'blips' and other sonic farts.

Wednesday January 26th - Red Harmonic Skywalker
I have to make and X-ray as well for the knee. So cycle I under a snowy rain that changes to a rainy snow. Then back to Dr KneeSpecialist to get his final words. I am relieved to hear that nothing is broken, no trauma, only a sign of overuse of the tissues between the patella and the femur bone. He gives me good recommendations that will for sure make my trip safer -and slower-. Last cash machine time and this is done for a -costly- health episode. For the price his assistants could be cute! Yoga class taught to two students, strong and fit, so I give them Modified Primary Series! They seem rather happy after all the sweat, and I could practice the adjustments.

Thursday January 27th - White Galactic Wizard
Mysore class again in the morning, we're only three so the instructor practice with us. It is a great source of inspiration to see him. At night we gather to Stephansplatz for a demonstration against "represionen und controlen". This spontaneous demonstration portest against the forbidding of tomorrow's demonstration, denunciating the meeting of Pan-germanist fascist brotherhood held at Wien Opera. Four police cars are already there, waiting for the demonstrators to march. Most of them are students, brave to endure the cold night, and get out of their books while exams are near. In front of the procession, we exchange political views and our consciousness of many dark facts:
1/ The modernization of fascisme that makes it more attractive now through people like Geert Wilders in The Netherlands or Marine Le Pen in France -she's invited by the fascists on Friday-.
2/ The world economy is recovering from the major crisis of 2009, in 1929 a similar crisis would bring a favorable ground for the growth of totalitarism in Europe, check your history books ten years after.
3/ In streets of Wien, we can see plates with 15, 20 names of people abducted, arrested, deported, killed by the nazis.
4/ In front of me while I am writing these lines, a little man, angry and manipulative, lived a century ago. Later he would have a political career which affected most of the world and especially Europe.
5/ Another little man, angry and manipulative, has been elected president of French Republic, gathering on the first round nearly half of the votes traditionally going to extreme-right candidates.
6/ “THE PEOPLE WHO FORGET THEIR HISTORY ARE CONDEMNED TO LIVE IT AGAIN”

The demonstration is an occasion for me to learn anti-fascists catchwords, although it doesn’t sound as good as slogans in spanish. We disband some time after the police has announced they would use force in accordance with their repressive duties if we go on.

Friday January 28th - Blue Solar Eagle
I cycle to Prater park, a huge green area of Wien, but it is still very cold.

           Schwarzenbergplatz: Monument to the russian army, who liberated Austria during WWII

On the way, as time goes by I see the repressive plan getting ready with wide-shouldered cops in cars and blinking blue lights being more frequent. Because if the anti-fa demonstration has not being permitted, the anti-fa will demonstrate and give up voice. Up the Mariahilferstrasse, there is a group of drummers screaming slogans, then comes a cortege of anti-fa, followed closely by many police cars. I follow at a distance on the bike, observing how police forces operate, intending to surround the demonstrators. I am assisting the disband of this group and funnily notice the police cars left following each others after the next street corner. Enough for me, back home to cook, I do not need to be taken in those troubles. I am joined later by my host and his testimonies: another group has been demonstrating from the university and was completely surrounded at the hospital, the blue standardized uniforms armed with shields and sticks charged. Demonstrators had to flee, over walls, through the hospital... The media report tens of arrests, 500 demonstrators and 900 cops : cowards! The demonstration was the occasion for them to test their new toy, the Taser, to have a shot of adrenalin, and to train in case of real troubles. One day no one will stop at their barrage. When people will be REALLY tired of not being listened to, when they will awake of the lethargy of democracy that never let us speak out but only offers us to choose between two options instead, while general policy orientations remain unchanged. See George W. Bush advocating democracy, enough to doubt it is a good thing. See how the European constitution was forced through, a confession our opinion does not count. It seems hopeless. Look at what is happening in Egypt now. Look at pictures where many cops with one-meter long sticks -they have even more virility troubles there than in Austria- surrounding a few defenseless men. Look at what happened in Tunisia: There is actually hope.

           Duality of demonstration: People walking in the cold defending ideas

           Duality of demonstration: People sitting in warm cars obeying orders