Abel Hein Mogendorff

In every generation; b'chol dor vador.

Today at 17.30(-ish) was born Abel Hein Mogendorff, son and sun of my sister Eva Hein and my brother-in-law Daniel Mogendorff. The first grandchild of my parents, and the first of a new generation. He'll grow up to be the first amongst many.

inhumane law

'There is not much humane about humanitarian law'. That was the first thing my professor in International Humanitarian Law told us, when my LL.M/ MAS started. 'It is not about not killing people', it is about how war is legal or not. And thereby how killing is legal or not.'

We laughed a bit, and did not know how to respond. But now that my first semester is finished, and now that I am studying for my exams, I know that he is right (note to self: but of course, dummy. He is a professor). Humanitarian law does not end wars and atrocities; it ends lawlessness in them.

In three weeks from now my exams will start. My daily rhythm consists of going to the library, having peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, studying again. This rather mundane lifestyle is mixed with skiing in one of the villages around Geneva; with jogging in the hills behind my dorm and with having lunch in the Saleve. Life here is not so bad. Compared with the situations we study as textbook examples, it is in fact extremely good. It is easy to forget that, when you have to wake up in time to ride your bike to the library to fight for your own study-cubicle at 08.30, while it is sunny outside and you can only think about the fact that you have to stay in all day instead of going to the mountains.

I like to moan about Geneva, but in reality it isn't that bad, especially not when the sun shines. I just do not seem to get it under my skin. And that is quite comfortable. Because one day the day will come that I will leave this city as well...