Sylvia's Journal

The long trip to Madagascar started in a full plane and ended in an empty one. More people fly to Paris than to Antananarivo. A good thing, as the second leg is longer by some 4 hours.

I watched the movie Lion and cried for the small boy who got lost in India and then found his way back again. At the end of the movie one gets to see the real Saroo (or Shere as he was actually called, hence the title of the film, as in Shere Khan, the lion king) and his adopted mom and real mom when they finally all meet. The movie is bringing to the attention of the world the thousands of lost children. Everyday little ‘Saroos’ get lost, and most stories don’t end that well I suspect.

Movies and books shorten a plane ride. I have a Kindle full of books allowing me to parallel read to my heart’s desire. One book that has moved to the top of the list is one Sita recommended (she is a great source of good-read suggestions). It is call The Hidden Life of Trees, written by a German forester. I had been reading it aloud to Axel during our visit to Tessa, a good three hours of reading for the round trip to Pembroke.

On the day of my departure we went to the Ipswich Audubon Park and this was our first walk in the woods since we started to read the book. It was an entirely different experience from earlier walks in the woods. I am ashamed now about the many ways in which I have abused trees in the past, like carelessly hacking off limbs, putting in hooks for our hammocks. This is one of those books that changes you.