August 29, 2007

A Friend's Farewell


We brazilians grown up listening to the nationalist propagandas, mainly during the military ages, like "this is a prosperous country!", "Brazil is the country of the future!", or things mixed up with soccer's passion, like "All together now, go ahead Brazil! Brazil!"

Even you are patriot, you cannot just turn your back to the fact Brazil is one of the most socially unjust countries - apart some undeveloped ones. For instance, just came up in a survey carried on in Brazil stating that the 10 richiest families consume more than the 40% of the poorest ones. In other words and some numbers, only 10 families spend more than R$1,800 monthly whilst 40% of the poorest ones barely spend R$180.

This is Brazil, and these kind of things are the ones which bring up all the violence, mainly but not only, among the poor people. We can blame the military period, but the civilian era had time enough to do something about this. The more integrated people say "The country is finding its way", but the apocalyptics say it will take decades to get there... Eventually, it's all a matter of education, formal and informal... but this is another story. What I want to say is that, at least, one of the military propaganda had results on lots of people:
Brazil: Love it or leave it!
And from the green island of Eire, as you can see, where the earth is so light, the wind so breezy and the rain so f**king insistent, I can say that this was a GREEN thing, that gave me the strength to carry on this self-banishment, and create the opportunity to open my mind to other perceptions and to meet such wonderful people.

About Yesterday:
A friend of mine returned to Brazil, for personal reasons. He believes life will be better there. As we are used to say, "May the earth be light on you", meaning the wish that everything goes nice and easy.

I'm sure he will do good and will have all the best. Looking forward to see him again... and soon, I would say "good luck", but as artists, actors and hoofers, maybe is better to say, "break a leg"!

And I could not loose the opportunity of an Irish Blessing, could I?
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
And for those who stay:
May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.
Sláinte!

August 14, 2007

August 09, 2007

bush, bush

You see, not only did the attacks help accelerate a recession, the attacks reminded us that we are at war.
--George w. Bush

Washington, DC
06/08/2005