Begin 2020 confronteerde Covid-19 ons met het gevoel dat we wellicht geen controle hebben
over ons leven. Dat we niet automatisch kunnen rekenen op een dag van morgen in een wereld
die we kennen. De term ‘nieuw normaal’ werd bedacht. Maar hoe kunnen we iets dat nieuw en
anders is als normaal betitelen? En zijn we in deze tijd wakker geschud om onze wereld en
onszelf in een nieuw licht te zien?
In July English historian Simon Schama spoke of “Art as a refuge from the terrible crisis we are all living through.” Two months later, as the second wave of COVID-19 is upon in an interview with the Radio Times, he said: “When we are all feeling imprisoned, art lets you travel into the world of imagination and change the subject in your head. It muffles the drone politics and fearfulness. It’s consolatory and liberating.”
Meditation House teaches Zoom Meditation classes for corporations. These classes are now being taught to
corporations as an answer to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has brought untold changes into our lives. This year,
video conferencing has become an everyday part of life for millions of us. Zoom has become a central part of our
vocabulary. How has this affected corporate mindfulness classes? Are virtual mindfulness classes much more difcult to
conduct than holding classes on-site and being physically in the same room? Do guided meditations for the workplace
work just as well when they are not taught physically in the workplace?
When I first settled in the Netherlands, I had to keep in mind whether what I was writing should be in UK English or American English. Nowadays we have a third English to take into account: Euro English, the language of how UK English has evolved in Continental Europe.
Although the first language of many cross-border institutions and companies, English is, of course, a second language for many EU citizens. It makes sense, therefore, that word usage is simplified to enable everyone to follow what is said or written. But slowly a language adapts over time. Take the example of how the British adapted the French language since 1066. Well except a few cliché’s, such as, well, cliché. Or perhaps wishing each other an enjoyable meal – Which has always made me wonder if the English didn’t enjoy their meals before the French colonised them and taught them to say bon appetit.
Last year the RSPCA recorded that 1500 abandoned cats and dogs were put down in the county of Surry. Could this have been
prevented? O Cats and Dogs Home believes it could have been. We are proud to say that with the help of people like you we
saved 800 cats and dogs being added to that list. Together we saved them not just from being put down, but from unnecessary
suffering.
