one of those days...

...where one can only breathe and hope that it all happens to make us stronger and greater human beings.

NY childhood Memories Part 1: Sesame Street - Grover and John John Count

Ibsen's Peer Gynt

Last week I also saw Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen at the Barbican. Co-produced by the National Theatre of Scotland and Dundee Rep Ensemble.
It's been a while since I've seen such a powerful play. It was like sinking into a mad men's head for two hours... trolls, dancing, music, philosophy, life, great acting and so much more...
Too bad it's not on there anymore, but anyway, here are the links for more on the play:

http://www.barbican.org.uk/theatre/event-detail.asp?ID=8220
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_Gynt

CHE

I saw it last week, all in one go - so 4 hours 30 minutes! I wouldn't recommend to see it in any other way! I wanted to leave after the first part and see the rest another day and Goncalo made me stay - don't regret it at all.
Really good! Beautiful photography! Benicio del Toro at his best (although he is kind of tall to be Che).

Tough choice!

Since I was little my mother - who is a very wise person and always has very philosophical discourses :) - used to ask us:

What is best?

1 - To eat when you are hungry?
2 - To drink water when you are thristy?
3 - To sleep when you are sleepy?
4 - To take off your shoes when they are hurting?
5 - To pee when you really need to pee?
6 - To take a shower when you are feeling tired and dirty?

It's a tough one - I know!

A crise segundo "Einstein"

"Não pretendemos que as coisas mudem, se sempre fazemos o mesmo. A crise é a melhor benção que pode ocorrer com as pessoas e países, porque a crise traz progressos. A criatividade nasce da angústia, como o dia nasce da noite escura. É na crise que nascem as invenções, os descobrimentos e as grandes estratégias. Quem supera a crise, supera a si mesmo sem ficar "superado".

Quem atribui à crise seus fracassos e penúrias, violenta seu próprio talento e respeita mais aos problemas do que às soluções. A verdadeira crise, é a crise da incompetência. O inconveniente das pessoas e dos países é a esperança de encontrar as saídas e soluções fáceis. Sem crise não há desafios, sem desafios, a vida é uma rotina, uma lenta agonia. Sem crise não há mérito. É na crise que se aflora o melhor de cada um. Falar de crise é promovê-la, e calar-se sobre ela é exaltar o conformismo. Em vez disso, trabalhemos duro. Acabemos de uma vez com a única crise ameaçadora, que é a tragédia de não querer lutar para superá-la."

Albert Einstein

A Call for Hats!

Why oh Why have Hats stopped being an essential item in one's wardrobe?
They used to be indicators of social status... maybe that's why it has disappeared?!
I call for a return of hats! They can be so beautiful, they are useful, they make a person look good... etc etc etc..

Also, the imagination while creating hats is endless... go check out the exhibition at the V&A "Hats - An Anthology by Stephen Jones" - it's on until the 31st of May... it's beautiful and inspiring! I want to be Stephen Jones!
Oh and don't make the mistake... it's not hat-making it's millinery which is the production of unique, elegant experimental hats!

I have lots of favourites! But the Brillo Box one is really cool!
http://www.showstudio.com/project/hatsoff
http://www.vam.ac.uk/microsites/hats-anthology/
http://www.stephenjonesmillinery.com/

HAPPY HIPPO!

L. is back to Ballet after 14 years... this is how she feels - A HAPPY HIPPO!!! :)

Lemon Tree - by Eran Riklis

The Lemon Tree won the award for Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Synopsis from the official website:
Salma, a Palestinian widow, has to stand up against her new neighbor, the Israeli Defense Minister, when he moves into hisnew house opposite her lemon grove, on the green line border between Israel and the West Bank. The Israeli security forces are quick to declare that Salma‘s trees pose a threat to the Minister’s safety and issue orders to uproot them. Together with Ziad Daud, her young Palestinian lawyer, Salma goes all the way to the Israeli Supreme Court to try and save her trees.
Her struggle raises the interest of Mira Navon, the Defense minister’s wife, who is trapped in her new home and in an unhappy life. Despite their differences and the borders between them the two women develop an invisible bond, while forbidden ties grow stronger between Salma and Ziad. Salma’s legal and personal journey lead her deep into the complex, dark and sometimes funny chaos of the ongoing struggle in the Middle East, in which all players find themselves alone in their struggle to survive.

My rating: **** - Very good film, beautiful photography, the political side gives way to the simple ideas of the human relationships. I definitely recommend it. Although I thought the romantic story created within it between Salma and the laywer was not necessary.

Dina: Amor de Agua Fresca (Love of Fresh Water)

This music is a classic of portuguese 90's culture. It was sung by Dina in 1992 for the portuguese representation in the Eurofestival. I think everyone that was around still knows the lyrics by heart! I had arrived in Lisbon 6 months before and I must say I learned my portuguese accent with Dina's help! hahaha!
The lyrics are just the most absurd ones, but in a way it just stuck!
Enjoy it!




LYRICS:
Translation to english is beneath each verse, so that everyone can grasp the intensity of the lyrics...

Quando eu vi olhos de ameixa e a boca de amora silvestre
Tanto mel, tanto sol, nessa tua madeixa, perfil sumarento e agreste
(When I saw the plum eyes and the blackberry mouth.
So much honey, so much sun, on your hairlock, juicy and rustic profile)

Foi a certeza que eras tu, o meu doce de uva
E nós sobre a mesa, o amor de morango e cajú
(It was the certainty that it was you, my grape jam
And us on the table, the strawberry and cashew love)

Peguei, trinquei e meti-te na cesta, ris e dás-me a volta à cabeça
Vem cá tenho sede, quero o teu amor d'água fresca
Peguei, trinquei e meti-te na cesta, ris e dás-me a volta à cabeça
Vem cá tenho sede, quero o teu amor d'água fresca, ohoh...
(Got it, Bit it and put you in the basket, you laugh and my head goes round
Come here, I'm thirsty I want your love of fresh water... ohohoh)

Tens na pele travo a laranja e no beijo três gomos de riso
Tanto mel, tanto sol, fruta, sumo, água fresca, provei e perdi o juízo
(On your skin you have orange smell and in the kiss three slices of laughter
So much honey, so much sun, fruit, juice, fresh water, I tasted and lost my mind)

Foi na manhã acesa em ti, abacate, abrunho
E a pêra francesa, romã, framboesa, kiwi
(It was on the lit morning within you, avocado, ???
And the french pear, pomegranate , raspberry, kiwi)

Peguei, trinquei e meti-te na cesta, ris e dás-me a volta à cabeça
Vem cá tenho sede, quero o teu amor d'água fresca
Peguei, trinquei e meti-te na cesta, ris e dás-me a volta à cabeça
Vem... vem... vem cá, tenho sede, quero o teu amor d'água fresca

Ah... foi na manhã acesa em ti, abacate, abrunho
E a pêra francesa, romã, framboesa, kiwi

Peguei, trinquei e meti-te na cesta, ris e dás-me a volta à cabeça
Vem cá, tenho sede, quero o teu amor d'água fresca
Peguei, trinquei e meti-te na cesta, ris e dás-me a volta à cabeça
Vem cá, tenho sede, quero o teu amor d'água fresca

Peguei, trinquei e meti-te na cesta

My TAP plane from Lisbon to London arrived ahead of time today... so we had to fly around up there for aprox. 15 min.
I knew there were quite a lot of airplanes arriving in Heathrow at a time... but it's really amazing to see it from up there! There were so many of us just flying around, it resembled a flock of birds waiting to get fed! The sun was coming down and the sight of this all was just surreal! We do live in an era where everyone is flying around - just like the Jetsons family!


Anyway... when we finally landed, the plane turned right and as I looked through my window I could see all the other planes coming down in such an organized manner... one after the other, one could see only the lights, that went from the runaway up to the sky! Beautiful! I wish I could have photographed it!