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| Eli Bond and her colours |
I'm Eli Bond. I was born in Berlin when the city was divided in four parts: The American, the British, the French and the Russian one. I'm from the German Democratic Republic, a country that doesn't exist today. Living under the URSS was difficult because we hadn't got anything and we lived under a big poverty. I'm a reality show participant, a person who appears on TV creating opinion and entertainment. I like colours, reading and travelling.
-Good morning, Eli Bond and thanks to attend us.
-Good morning. It's an honour.
-How was life in the GDR?
-Difficult. It was very difficult. I think that this age influenced me a lot and, perhaps, this is the main reason about my job.
-Why?
-Because in the GDR you worked thousands of hours and you didn't earn a lot of money. When the wall fell, capitalism arrived to us and, although it isn't a perfect economic system and creates a lot of differences, it's better than living under the communism.
-Do you miss anything about the GDR?
-Well, people were very educated and polite but I don't know if it was because of the control of the system over the citizens or because of the idiosyncrasy of the East German people.
-When did you decide to be a TV Star?
-I'm not exactly a TV Star. I won a reality show and then a lot of TV viewers discovered me but I try to live as anonymous as I can.
-Do you believe this kind of TV programmes are good for children or they're rubbish like some people think?
-I don't understand why people speak badly about these entertainment programmes. There are lots of channels on TV. If you don't like this programme, you can choose another and if children are watching these programmes, I suppose, it's because their parents accept or they aren't at home. In this case, perhaps the problem is about the families' schedules and not about TV.
-How do you define yourself?
-I'm a person with an open mind who likes learning things and travelling around the world. We were prisoners too much time, we couldn't leave the XXX, and now that we have the opportunity, I'm not going to miss it.
-Which is your favourite country?
-All of them. Every country has something to offer but if I have to choose, I like the USA because I'm in love with New York City and Ireland, because all the country is a fairy tale.
-Have you visited these countries, then?
-Yes, I have. I was in New York City and it was an incredible experience. I travelled from NYC to San Francisco because I wanted to visit Berkley University and Silicon Valley. San Francisco is an amazing city and I discovered that the origin of jeans was thanks to Levi Strauss, who in 1850 created them. Later, I visited San Diego and I was the Pacific Ocean for first time. When I remember the Pacific Ocean I think in sharks, especially in the whale shark which is in danger of extinction but also in the 250 other types which live in this ocean and eat fish, seals and crabs. They scare me.
-And Ireland?
-Yes. I was also in Ireland. I visited all the country from the north to the south and I discovered nice people with strong ideas who were very proud of their culture.
-Are you proud of being German?
-It's a strange situation. We need at least two more generations to forget this terrible fact. The role of Germany in the WWII was terrible and we lived the consequences during many years.
-But now, Germany is the most powerful European country...
-I don't agree. I think that Norway, Luxembourg, Vatican City, Netherlands or even Andorra are better than us. Working on TV has showed me how important is marketing to promote your ideas. I think Germany is a big marketing campaign.
-Are you a sceptic?
-Yes, in some things that people accept without thinking twice, I often have other opinion.
-Why do you think people accept the official version so easily?
-I don't know. The influence of mass media over the population is huge. You can't trust on newspapers, TV or radio because they explain the reality that they want and they're interested in. If you say one lie thousands of times, finally, people will accept it like a truth.
-Which is the solution to fight against this?
-It's difficult. You can't live without trusting in anything or anybody but you can try to be critic and observe as things as you can before giving your opinion about something. You must listen to all versions and try to extract the real information which is hidden. We must be proactive citizens.
-How do you feel being a member of The Bond's family?
-Very well. It's an incredible experience. I got married with Jaume Bond and he's an artist. Being with the whole family is like being with Jaume multiply by one hundred. I have lived lots of emotions and great experiences.
-How is a normal day with The Bonds?
-We haven't got similar days. Every day is different and this is something very important because it offers to you the possibility of living fantastic experiences every day and you can enjoy them with all your heart because you know that next day you're going to put the score to zero and we're going to start again. It's a non-stopping life.
-Which is your best memory with The Bonds?
-It’s difficult to choose only one. I remembered my birthday. It was a great surprise and when I talked about colours. I love them.
-Which is your favourite colour?
-There’s a colour for every moment but if I had to choose one, perhaps green, because is the Irish and hopeless colour.
-How long have you been studying English?
-I never studied English in the school. It was forbidden. We studied Russian and Spanish because we only could travel to the URSS and to Cuba. I started to learn English when the wall fell and I had the chance to travel.
-Was English difficult to learn?
-Not a lot. English and German have a lot of things in common. They're from the same linguistic family. When I met Jaume, we talked in German because he's Dutch and he speaks it. Learning English wasn't necessary until we had the opportunity of travelling and have business with foreign enterprises.
-You like reading, don't you. Recommend me a book...
-I like George Orwell. I recommend you Homage to Catalonia, a book about the resistance of Catalan people during the Spanish Civil War. This war was very important for us because if Europe had helped the Spanish Republic, we hadn't suffered the WWII. But Europe, like always, decided to look to other side and the tragedy was consumed in all Europe. I also recommend you 1984, the book where Orwell talks about the big brother and the future idea of governments controlling all the populations.
-Do you think we are under a big brother?
-Of course, we are. We are totally controlled by mobile phone, internet, passports, DNA... We haven't got privacy and this is very important in life because is good staying alone with you without the control of the power. Imagine Christopher Columbus with a drone over his ship when in August 1492, he arrived to Spain to sail to the west because he believed that the Earth was round and after ten weeks a sailor saw a bird and they arrived to an island that they called San Salvador. It could be interesting to know if this story is true or not.
-Define yourself in one sentence.
-True colours are beautiful like a rainbow.
-Thank you very much, Eli Bond.
-You're welcome.
Its hard to take courage
in a world full of people
you can lose sight of it all
and the darkness inside you.
and the darkness inside you.
I see your true colors
shining through.
Cyndi Lauper
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