Cut to the "Chase": Chasing the past

Today's newsletter is inspired by an accidental encounter.

START: 6:15pm END: 7:32 pm

You may be aware of my daily efforts to walk.

Of course, the walks could be much more efficient and rewarding were I to walk on uneven ground. On a trail not done 100% in a pedestrian zone, on concrete.

There are side effects to that- when walking on concrete, you also sacrifice your foot health.

I was aware of this, but where I live (in a city, the Croatian capital) and when the weather is not dry, concrete is the only option.

In short, I tend to walk some 6,000 steps. I tried to counteract periods of low energy, anxiety, lack of motivation and inclination to depression with walk. It helped some time (maximum 6 months between 2019 and 2020 before the advent of dark clouds) and I found it very invigorating.

I'm still practising it, although I know it may not block out the illness befalling the mind and the soul (all happening in the body too). But I enjoy it, especially if I have my mobile with me, and when I find moments around me worth to document on a photo or video.

If that happens, I'm happy. Then my day is complete. I then head for IG later in the day and upload the newest find (you are welcome to follow me there, too).

Even when no projects are asking for my expertise. I'm satisfied with the visuals of the day.

So it came, on one of my walks this week, that even before aimlessly heading for my secondary school building, I thought of the time spent there. The building was very near and I decided to go in that direction.

Some schoolboys were playing basketball and the back door of the school was open. Out came a figure I recognised.

My physics teacher.

I have never been good at maths. If you are good at it, then you are naturally good at physics too. These two school subjects are interrelated.

I stopped him as he was dashing out of the school backyard.

Of course he didn't recognise me. It was in 1996 that he was my teacher. As a class, we even went to Barcelona to a trip every 3rd class in school goes on before the last year ahead of university.

I tried to describe myself. He said: Remind me, quick. I told him my name.

That didn't ring a bell.

I knew this would happen.

Then he mentioned one of our most notable personalities in class. She was notable for her big mouth, her behaviour, full of self-confidence, but also strange humour. Tamara Despot.

Yes, she was in my class.

Of course, later, she became known because of her dance skills, winning dance tournaments in Croatia and then being almost omnipresent on the CRoatian television- she was one of the judges in the CRoatian TV show Strictly come dancing (Ples sa zvijezdama).

I'm not sure whether I would be like to be remembered that way.

He asked me what I was doing for a living. As I attended secondary school specialising in languages ( I even took up Japanese, Russian and Spanish in 3rd year), it was natural that I should finish either as a teacher or something similar.

I said: I graduated in English and German, but am not teaching.

What, you're a translator?

Yes, I said. Somehow with reserve and lack of enthusiasm (I shouldn't tell him of the current disastrous situation around translators, how it's so hard to make ends meet in Croatia). Let him think highly of us. It's a respectful trade. A complicated one. You can never be confident enough that you've acquired everything there is to know about it. It's a neverending story of chasing something that you can't catch. The fluidity of language. It disappears quickly, if you don't keep a vigilant eye and an open mind.

Well, nice seeing you. And he was off to catch the train, probably.

Yes, I'm a translator. Still at it. I somehow believe in it, although it doesn't secure my living expenses.

Speaking of being known... In the street where I've been living for more than 20 years, since 2016 I've been known as the girl who was in the Chase (Potjera). For the first and ultimate time. I especially liked being on the show, although you had to go through an ordeal (spending almost half of the day at the Croatian television), first doing rehersals and then the final broadcast. The quiz show was aired then some 3-4 months later.

I was not on speaking terms with many people in my street. But having seen me that day, when people (most older people, but teenagers too) sat before their telly to watch the show, changed their behaviour the next day, and they started greeting me with: I saw you on the telly. You were great. Better luck next time etc.... People then opened up more.

But only because of my appearance on the show. That brought up some extra lines in their talk, more curiosity and readiness to breach the silence between us. But it's in human nature to pry into such things, to extract more info, and then go about doing things as always, no change whatsoever.

I was a very silent child in my teenage years. In my school years. So afraid when the teacher called my name. My heart was in my mouth, an intense red colour on my cheeks, almost stuttering after the first few sentences. The first sentence was even Ok, but the in the second, I sank and sank, needing to fetch some courage. Water my mouth somehow. Calm down.

Things have changed.

Slightly.

For the better.

After some 20 years.

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The photo under the title comes from my 1st self-published book Inhaler 2019, published in June 2020.

Available here: https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/10114981-inhaler-2019