Wow! The year is coming to its end. Again! A decade of the new century has gone! And many white (euphemistically called gray) hairs later, here we are, December 16.
As you can imagine, I have been busy. Check the blog I'm working on, about the harmonization of the Education Sector management procedures, through the development of training modules for district officials.
On the personal front, all goes well, only good news to tell you, but as they're so many, I'll postponed the telling of it: my to-do list's still long here...
Wish you a wonderful Christmas time, with family and friends, and ALL the best in the new year, not forgetting the wish for a stronger and joint effort to be happier and free from want - in all senses.
And in Portuguese...
Amigos, há tempos não escrevo, hum? é que tenho andado ocupada com muito trabalho, que pode ser visto num outro blog que mantenho com minha equipa.
Tudo vai bem! desejo a todos um Natal bem feliz com a família, e um ano novo cheio de realizações, e com um esforço muito maior e conjunto para sermos felizes e com acesso às necessidades básicas - em todos os sentidos!
Até!
Friday, 17 December 2010
Sunday, 24 October 2010
POEMA pronto, greve na França, filho casando
E tanta coisa que acontece que nem dá pra acompanhar!
- 25 de Setembro, casamento do Anand e da Iara. Meu primeiro filho que se vai oficialmente. Dançamos até! Marina ainda campeã de organizar as melhores festas! Beijo grande Marina e Fernando!
- os franceses contra a mudança da legislação, que estabelece a idade mínima para a aposentadoria (reforma, em Moçambique) em 62 anos (hoje 60), e da idade para receber uma pensão completa em 67 anos (hoje 65). O presidente (aqui chamado de Monsieur Sako) força a situação. Os sindicatos e grupos da população forçam um retrocesso. Até agora o Governo ganha, com a lei praticamente aprovada. Por outro lado, refinarias estão bloqueadas há algum tempo, e o povo não tem combustível. O ar deve estar bem mais limpo nos últimos dias. Nosso carro está parado há uma semana. Ontem 25 km de bicicleta. Na saúde, efeitos colaterais positivos e inesperados da mudança da lei da segurança social. Quarta-Feira é aprovação final. Vamos ver.
- já nos vamos deslocar de novo, e o próximo post deve ser da África do Sul.
- O projecto POEMA encerrou uma de suas fases mais difíceis: conseguimos completar a elaboração dos módulos, que contêm não só conhecimentos de muitas pessoas sobre muitas partes dos processos de Gestão do Estado Moçambicano, como conseguimos colocar no papel metodologias de capacitação inovadoras. Hurray! Feliz e orgulhosa da equipa!
- O frio chegou aqui com o Outono europeu. Hoje chuvinha e céu cinza. Ontem inauguração da reabilitação da Fonte dos Anjos, uma fonte do século XVII aqui pertinho de casa, que voltou a funcionar, e com água potável! Inauguração à Francesa, com vinhos e petiscos. Primeira vez que vimos o prefeito. Monsieur le Maire. Lembro de Bonn, uma beleza vermelha do Outono!
- E as eleições brasileiras estão à porta. Recebo todos os dias montes de emails pró-Serra e pró-Dilma. Devo confessar que os emails pró-Serra são mais chatinhos, porque são em geral contra-Dilma e não apresentam nenhuma proposta que não seja essencialmente ficar na mesma, e se possível melhorar a vida da classe média e moralizar o país. O PT entra mais no campo das idéias, especialmente seus defensores, que criticam a excessiva privatização, a falta de investimento na educação etc. O páreo é duro quando se entra em algumas áreas em que o PT nunca foi assim forte, como das políticas de saúde pública. Todos os políticos se renderam ao discurso moralista de serem contra o aborto, por exemplo, quando todo mundo sabe que se o pratica na casa de todos, mas com risco somente para os pobres, que o fazem na cozinha. O PT vendeu a alma para ganhar a eleição. Talvez seja melhor assim. Melhor do que o contrário: fingir ser social-democrata e entregar o país pros bancos depois.
- Ixe, acabei de receber mais um email sobre as eleições. E eu que nem posso votar aqui! Vou lá ver os argumentos...
- 25 de Setembro, casamento do Anand e da Iara. Meu primeiro filho que se vai oficialmente. Dançamos até! Marina ainda campeã de organizar as melhores festas! Beijo grande Marina e Fernando!
- os franceses contra a mudança da legislação, que estabelece a idade mínima para a aposentadoria (reforma, em Moçambique) em 62 anos (hoje 60), e da idade para receber uma pensão completa em 67 anos (hoje 65). O presidente (aqui chamado de Monsieur Sako) força a situação. Os sindicatos e grupos da população forçam um retrocesso. Até agora o Governo ganha, com a lei praticamente aprovada. Por outro lado, refinarias estão bloqueadas há algum tempo, e o povo não tem combustível. O ar deve estar bem mais limpo nos últimos dias. Nosso carro está parado há uma semana. Ontem 25 km de bicicleta. Na saúde, efeitos colaterais positivos e inesperados da mudança da lei da segurança social. Quarta-Feira é aprovação final. Vamos ver.
- já nos vamos deslocar de novo, e o próximo post deve ser da África do Sul.
- O projecto POEMA encerrou uma de suas fases mais difíceis: conseguimos completar a elaboração dos módulos, que contêm não só conhecimentos de muitas pessoas sobre muitas partes dos processos de Gestão do Estado Moçambicano, como conseguimos colocar no papel metodologias de capacitação inovadoras. Hurray! Feliz e orgulhosa da equipa!
- O frio chegou aqui com o Outono europeu. Hoje chuvinha e céu cinza. Ontem inauguração da reabilitação da Fonte dos Anjos, uma fonte do século XVII aqui pertinho de casa, que voltou a funcionar, e com água potável! Inauguração à Francesa, com vinhos e petiscos. Primeira vez que vimos o prefeito. Monsieur le Maire. Lembro de Bonn, uma beleza vermelha do Outono!
- E as eleições brasileiras estão à porta. Recebo todos os dias montes de emails pró-Serra e pró-Dilma. Devo confessar que os emails pró-Serra são mais chatinhos, porque são em geral contra-Dilma e não apresentam nenhuma proposta que não seja essencialmente ficar na mesma, e se possível melhorar a vida da classe média e moralizar o país. O PT entra mais no campo das idéias, especialmente seus defensores, que criticam a excessiva privatização, a falta de investimento na educação etc. O páreo é duro quando se entra em algumas áreas em que o PT nunca foi assim forte, como das políticas de saúde pública. Todos os políticos se renderam ao discurso moralista de serem contra o aborto, por exemplo, quando todo mundo sabe que se o pratica na casa de todos, mas com risco somente para os pobres, que o fazem na cozinha. O PT vendeu a alma para ganhar a eleição. Talvez seja melhor assim. Melhor do que o contrário: fingir ser social-democrata e entregar o país pros bancos depois.
- Ixe, acabei de receber mais um email sobre as eleições. E eu que nem posso votar aqui! Vou lá ver os argumentos...
Sunday, 12 September 2010
And September 12 as well, of course
We need another version for my friends who speak English. Arundhati Roy speaks for me.
11 de Setembro, claro
O Antonio Ozaí da Silva postou um video hoje que eu quero mandar pra vocês também.
É preciso MUITA reflexão antes de ter qualquer opinião na vida, não é?
O Ramandan terminando no 11 de Setembro, o Eid al Fitr "tuned down" nos EUA para evitar o confronto, e respeitar os mortos de NY, o presidente Obama admoestando o pastor maluco de que não é hora de brincar ("to play games") com a escalação da violência. Gente pronta a queimar a bíblia, o alcorão, a queimar livros, a queimar gente.
Gente disposta a julgar, acusar, artigo de gente inteligente dzendo que "a grama que a 'Dilma' pisar não crescerá jamais"... Cada coisa!
Que "homo sapiens" é esse?
É preciso MUITA reflexão antes de ter qualquer opinião na vida, não é?
O Ramandan terminando no 11 de Setembro, o Eid al Fitr "tuned down" nos EUA para evitar o confronto, e respeitar os mortos de NY, o presidente Obama admoestando o pastor maluco de que não é hora de brincar ("to play games") com a escalação da violência. Gente pronta a queimar a bíblia, o alcorão, a queimar livros, a queimar gente.
Gente disposta a julgar, acusar, artigo de gente inteligente dzendo que "a grama que a 'Dilma' pisar não crescerá jamais"... Cada coisa!
Que "homo sapiens" é esse?
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
et encore une fois!
A month later, actually more. The news, the same. Working and working. The big things of this project are coming to an end. The end of a phase. Gratifying.
Never more than 2 weeks in a place. Moving from one continent to another so often is taking its toll. I look older, sure. Looking forward to some holidays.
in other news...
Summer in France is quite mild, pleasant. Although I do nothing more than sitting in front of my computer when I'm here, I have the view. And what a view. Biking a bit from time to time, tomorrow for instance: the bike has to go to the workshop to have the gearbox regulated. Reglé. Two days ago, we had HUGE fireworks here, but we are still wondering why... Ah, and a championship of pétanque.
My favorite news of the week is that there is a movement in France for the devolution of the money that Haiti had to pay to France when it became independent. It's a lot of money. Imagine, to become independent, you pay a huge fine, and start your life in deep debt. Typical. I would support this if I were you.
See:
"The open letter to the French president says the debt, now worth more than €17bn (£14bn), would cover the rebuilding of the country after a devastating earthquake that killed more than 250,000 people seven months ago."
Ah, if I start like this...
I like as well:
"through the UN [and your tax payer money], rich countries are about to fund 20 new coal-fired power plants in China and India [and South Africa] — and if the applications are approved, the UN's Clean Development Mechanism will become one of the largest funders of new coal power plants."
Isn't it great?? Check the data here.
Hope you are all fine. Cheers.
Never more than 2 weeks in a place. Moving from one continent to another so often is taking its toll. I look older, sure. Looking forward to some holidays.
in other news...
Summer in France is quite mild, pleasant. Although I do nothing more than sitting in front of my computer when I'm here, I have the view. And what a view. Biking a bit from time to time, tomorrow for instance: the bike has to go to the workshop to have the gearbox regulated. Reglé. Two days ago, we had HUGE fireworks here, but we are still wondering why... Ah, and a championship of pétanque.
My favorite news of the week is that there is a movement in France for the devolution of the money that Haiti had to pay to France when it became independent. It's a lot of money. Imagine, to become independent, you pay a huge fine, and start your life in deep debt. Typical. I would support this if I were you.
See:
"The open letter to the French president says the debt, now worth more than €17bn (£14bn), would cover the rebuilding of the country after a devastating earthquake that killed more than 250,000 people seven months ago."
Ah, if I start like this...
I like as well:
"through the UN [and your tax payer money], rich countries are about to fund 20 new coal-fired power plants in China and India [and South Africa] — and if the applications are approved, the UN's Clean Development Mechanism will become one of the largest funders of new coal power plants."
Isn't it great?? Check the data here.
Hope you are all fine. Cheers.
Friday, 9 July 2010
and again...
It's France and it's hot. After the cold in South Africa, fortunately balanced by the warmth of the people, we're back in Europe. And it's summer!
And I do what? work, work, work, work...
I'm still thinking whether I should start a movement of boycotting FIFA and the World Cup, but wondering if I'll have any success. I must meditate on this. To start, read here a little account on FIFA's accountability and transparency.
And I do what? work, work, work, work...
I'm still thinking whether I should start a movement of boycotting FIFA and the World Cup, but wondering if I'll have any success. I must meditate on this. To start, read here a little account on FIFA's accountability and transparency.
Friday, 25 June 2010
not here...
Sorry guys. I work and work and work, and have no computer energy left to come and write here. I came just to change my "favorite spot of the week", although Caetano is quite cute and charming!
Thursday, 10 June 2010
É amanhã!
Hoje fui ao consulado do Brasil em Cape Town pedir mais um passaporte. Meus passaportes têm uma vida útil MUITO baixa, por causa do meu trabalho em Moçambique. Cada entrada em Moçambique come 2 páginas do passaporte. Este durou um ano e 3 meses, mas foi bom porque a foto minha no passaporte foi tirada às 5 da manhã numa dessas cabines de fotos automáticas, no caminho para ir esquiar em Chamonix! Eu estou toda de preto, de casaco e de cara de cama, eu heim! Isso porque quando eu vi que a cabine podia fazer fotos 5x7 cm eu aproveitei, porque poucos fotógrafos fazem este formato exigido pelo passaporte brasileiro.
Mas agora parece que o Brasil entrou no mundo informatizado também em suas representações no exterior: é tudo centralizado no Brasil, etc etc. Nem sei que cara vai ter o passaporte, mas com certeza vai ter o mesmo número ridículo de folhas! E agora o bicho custa 120 dólares!
Lá no centro da cidade tem um pouco mais da atmosfera de Copa do Mundo. O Peter resolveu comprar várias bandeiras para representar os nossos muitos países: Alemanha, França, África do Sul, Brasil. Pelo menos. Não compramos nem de Moçambique nem da Tanzania, mesmo porque a China esqueceu de fazer bandeiras destes países. A China? SIM, tudo tudo da Copa foi feito na China, excetuando os makarapa, uma invenção local. O resto é tudo chinês!
De volta ao assunto, compramos as bandeiras por muitos e ridículos rands (eu me recusei, mas o Peter não me deixou estragar a festa!). Agora podemos torcer de forma mais nacionalista ou, no nosso caso, internacionalista.
Falta uma TV em casa, temos uma velhinha bem pequenininha. Vai ser difícil ver onde anda a bola...
A Hilda me escreveu lá da Moldova (acho que em Português é Moldávia)e me disse que ela está tendo the time of her life down there! Beijos e beijos procê!
I must go and work.
Mas agora parece que o Brasil entrou no mundo informatizado também em suas representações no exterior: é tudo centralizado no Brasil, etc etc. Nem sei que cara vai ter o passaporte, mas com certeza vai ter o mesmo número ridículo de folhas! E agora o bicho custa 120 dólares!
Lá no centro da cidade tem um pouco mais da atmosfera de Copa do Mundo. O Peter resolveu comprar várias bandeiras para representar os nossos muitos países: Alemanha, França, África do Sul, Brasil. Pelo menos. Não compramos nem de Moçambique nem da Tanzania, mesmo porque a China esqueceu de fazer bandeiras destes países. A China? SIM, tudo tudo da Copa foi feito na China, excetuando os makarapa, uma invenção local. O resto é tudo chinês!
De volta ao assunto, compramos as bandeiras por muitos e ridículos rands (eu me recusei, mas o Peter não me deixou estragar a festa!). Agora podemos torcer de forma mais nacionalista ou, no nosso caso, internacionalista.
Falta uma TV em casa, temos uma velhinha bem pequenininha. Vai ser difícil ver onde anda a bola...
A Hilda me escreveu lá da Moldova (acho que em Português é Moldávia)e me disse que ela está tendo the time of her life down there! Beijos e beijos procê!
I must go and work.
Monday, 7 June 2010
Tanzania x Brazil
We watched the match. Brazilians were playing like they were very very tired, although they were a bit more effusive in the second half. They even did not celebrate when they scored the second goal (I missed the first, it was raining cats and dogs here today... we got there late...). Only the 4th and 5th goals were celebrated, but I'm afraid they were celebrating the match coming to a close as I heard that they would go straight from the stadium to the airport, to their special chartered plane...
It all ended up at 5 x 1 with the Tanzania team (led by another Brazilian, Marcio Máximo, whom I met once in the airplane, off course he flying business class and I the cattle class. But he was friendly, as Brazilians are ;-) very happy to have scored at least one goal!!!
It still rains cats and dogs...
It all ended up at 5 x 1 with the Tanzania team (led by another Brazilian, Marcio Máximo, whom I met once in the airplane, off course he flying business class and I the cattle class. But he was friendly, as Brazilians are ;-) very happy to have scored at least one goal!!!
It still rains cats and dogs...
Sunday, 6 June 2010
Cape Town and the Football World Cup 2010
Here we are, part of the "twenty ten", as the South Africans call this "mega-event", an adjective they do enjoy a lot. People like "mega" things here. Have you ever heard the sound of a vuvuzela (Wikipedia calls it a "stadium horn"!), the "mega" trumpet-like noise-maker secret weapon of mass distraction used by South Africans to destroy opponents by irritating them to the extreme? Ixe, I'm a bore saying this. I guess I'm getting too old to enjoy so many decibels!
OK, we're here. But Cape Town is not South Africa and some friends have already called it "the last refuge of whites in South Africa", which is sort of true, although a tough thing to admit. Demographically speaking, the Western Cape Province is the whitest of the South African Provinces, with most of its population being "coloured". 54% of people describes themselves as Coloured, 27% as Black, 18% as White, and 1% as Indian or Asian (2001 Census). The province is the only one led politically by the opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, which is led by a white (although extremely good in dancing the African dances) woman, Helen Zille.
Having said that, I must tell you: when one talks about "World Cup" here one means nothing else but RUGBY! Yes, rugby is the sport in the hearts of the people, and they're crazy about it. I've seen finals, and it's indeed impressive! I do not know much about rugby, but after watching "Invictus", the film (sort of) about Nelson Mandela, I got to understand it a bit. This is because the film tells the story (Clint Eastwood tells the story) of Mandela's release from prison, his taking power, the whites' fear of retaliation by the blacks and his using the South African rugby team during a World Cup to "unite" the country. Cute. Mandela is always great, even when played by an American.
Using sports to "unite" people and creating a national identity is an old political card, and it works well enough to get repeated often times (oh... Brazilian Lula's also great on that, as "he" got Brazilians the Olympics AND the Soccer World Cup for the next runs!). I remember my first Football World Cup. 1970. The hight of the military dictatorship in Brazil. People disappearing in prisons. I was a cute little innocent girl. It was the first time ever that we'd have colour TV broadcasting. ("Men" had just landed on the Moon the year before, remember?) Brazilian generals needed a victory. The Brazilian football team got it: three times world champions! Pele's team! etc etc
There was a slogan: Brazil, love it or leave it! wow! That was democracy. I actually heard it here today on the news too. The chairperson of the so called opposition party COPE (the Congress of the People!) said that they are a very democratic party: one must love it or one can leave it! Just right!
Anyway. I'm diverting here.
I wanted to tell you that in Cape Town there is not so much of that football atmosphere as there is in Johannesburg. There will be only 8 matches here, and people are quite cool about it all. Maybe this is because they read newspapers. The construction of 10 Stadiums in the country was supposed to cost usd 200 million but ended up costing usd 2 billion, just 10 times what Government told the people they would cost when South Africa bid to host the tournament in 2004 (source: The Sunday Times of today). It seems that tourism is expected to bring about usd 1 billion to the economy, and one can only guess where this 1 billion is ending up.
Well, but I'm spoiling the fun!!!! Hurray! Viva Bafana-Bafana! Talking about the guys (Bafana-Bafana is the national team), you know that their coach is the Brazilian Carlos A. Parreira, who makes some millions (of rands) every month to make an impact? He actually is making an impact in the last weeks, as Bafana-Bafana has been winning on a string of 11 matches. They open the Cup on the 11th of June, playing against Mexico (as everyone probably knows!).
Ah! And more about soccer! Tomorrow "Brazil" will play "Tanzania" in Dar es Salaam, in the Stadium called President Benjamim Mkapa (the former president before the incumbent, Kikwete). I read that the Tanzanian Government had to foot a bill of usd 2.5 million (I'll never get used to so many "millions" being spoken so easily!) as an incentive to the Brazilians to come... And tickets of course are only for the elite: prices between 20 and 120 usd each. Nice Brazilians. The guys mean business!!!!
Meanwhile, in other news, President Zuma continues projecting the image of a very open South Africa, creating a lot of food for the red press: it seems that his second wife is pregnant of his body-guard, who allegedly killed himself. This second first lady was the one accompanying him to his last week's visit to India. She's also said to have paid him a goat last week as compensation for her bad behaviour when he announced that he's gonna get married to his fifth wife soon - see below... And I thought I would have a good time with South Africa, Brazil and India playing a strong body of emergent countries to lead the world into a new era of social justice, when they formed IBSA some years ago!
Ah, guys, I have the newspaper in my hands, and I must tell you, as it's really juice! The prez Zuma is said to have already paid lobolo (the dowry, for non-African experts) to his fifth wife to be, the one mentioned above. Mama Gloria Ngema, with whom he has already a son!
OK, I'll stop now with this Zuma thing, as it's too easy news.
More of other news? Guess what? I work and work and work but got motivated to come here and write because Nina sent me a quick nice message telling me that she read my posts and liked them, saying that I should write more. So, Nina, here's South Africa to you!
OK, we're here. But Cape Town is not South Africa and some friends have already called it "the last refuge of whites in South Africa", which is sort of true, although a tough thing to admit. Demographically speaking, the Western Cape Province is the whitest of the South African Provinces, with most of its population being "coloured". 54% of people describes themselves as Coloured, 27% as Black, 18% as White, and 1% as Indian or Asian (2001 Census). The province is the only one led politically by the opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, which is led by a white (although extremely good in dancing the African dances) woman, Helen Zille.
Having said that, I must tell you: when one talks about "World Cup" here one means nothing else but RUGBY! Yes, rugby is the sport in the hearts of the people, and they're crazy about it. I've seen finals, and it's indeed impressive! I do not know much about rugby, but after watching "Invictus", the film (sort of) about Nelson Mandela, I got to understand it a bit. This is because the film tells the story (Clint Eastwood tells the story) of Mandela's release from prison, his taking power, the whites' fear of retaliation by the blacks and his using the South African rugby team during a World Cup to "unite" the country. Cute. Mandela is always great, even when played by an American.
Using sports to "unite" people and creating a national identity is an old political card, and it works well enough to get repeated often times (oh... Brazilian Lula's also great on that, as "he" got Brazilians the Olympics AND the Soccer World Cup for the next runs!). I remember my first Football World Cup. 1970. The hight of the military dictatorship in Brazil. People disappearing in prisons. I was a cute little innocent girl. It was the first time ever that we'd have colour TV broadcasting. ("Men" had just landed on the Moon the year before, remember?) Brazilian generals needed a victory. The Brazilian football team got it: three times world champions! Pele's team! etc etc
There was a slogan: Brazil, love it or leave it! wow! That was democracy. I actually heard it here today on the news too. The chairperson of the so called opposition party COPE (the Congress of the People!) said that they are a very democratic party: one must love it or one can leave it! Just right!
Anyway. I'm diverting here.
I wanted to tell you that in Cape Town there is not so much of that football atmosphere as there is in Johannesburg. There will be only 8 matches here, and people are quite cool about it all. Maybe this is because they read newspapers. The construction of 10 Stadiums in the country was supposed to cost usd 200 million but ended up costing usd 2 billion, just 10 times what Government told the people they would cost when South Africa bid to host the tournament in 2004 (source: The Sunday Times of today). It seems that tourism is expected to bring about usd 1 billion to the economy, and one can only guess where this 1 billion is ending up.
Well, but I'm spoiling the fun!!!! Hurray! Viva Bafana-Bafana! Talking about the guys (Bafana-Bafana is the national team), you know that their coach is the Brazilian Carlos A. Parreira, who makes some millions (of rands) every month to make an impact? He actually is making an impact in the last weeks, as Bafana-Bafana has been winning on a string of 11 matches. They open the Cup on the 11th of June, playing against Mexico (as everyone probably knows!).
Ah! And more about soccer! Tomorrow "Brazil" will play "Tanzania" in Dar es Salaam, in the Stadium called President Benjamim Mkapa (the former president before the incumbent, Kikwete). I read that the Tanzanian Government had to foot a bill of usd 2.5 million (I'll never get used to so many "millions" being spoken so easily!) as an incentive to the Brazilians to come... And tickets of course are only for the elite: prices between 20 and 120 usd each. Nice Brazilians. The guys mean business!!!!
Meanwhile, in other news, President Zuma continues projecting the image of a very open South Africa, creating a lot of food for the red press: it seems that his second wife is pregnant of his body-guard, who allegedly killed himself. This second first lady was the one accompanying him to his last week's visit to India. She's also said to have paid him a goat last week as compensation for her bad behaviour when he announced that he's gonna get married to his fifth wife soon - see below... And I thought I would have a good time with South Africa, Brazil and India playing a strong body of emergent countries to lead the world into a new era of social justice, when they formed IBSA some years ago!
Ah, guys, I have the newspaper in my hands, and I must tell you, as it's really juice! The prez Zuma is said to have already paid lobolo (the dowry, for non-African experts) to his fifth wife to be, the one mentioned above. Mama Gloria Ngema, with whom he has already a son!
OK, I'll stop now with this Zuma thing, as it's too easy news.
More of other news? Guess what? I work and work and work but got motivated to come here and write because Nina sent me a quick nice message telling me that she read my posts and liked them, saying that I should write more. So, Nina, here's South Africa to you!
Monday, 31 May 2010
ai ai ai
Meus leitores estão me abandonando já que eu não escrevo mais aqui... Que vida maluquinha essa de não ter tempo de contar histórias!
Depois de montar a casa na França, com todas as pinturas (só a garagem ainda precisa de tabalho...) nos preparamos para mais uma viagem. Antes de sair, fomos fazer o passeio inaugural de bicicleta, e foi tão bom que eu acho que dessa vez vai pegar, como nos tempos da Alemanha, quando andar de bicicleta era básico, primário, normal, rotina.
Minha amiga Rita me conecta com as fotos do passeio dela de bike, por muitos e muitos quilômetros, e num bando alegre. Essa minha amiga, sempre me surpreendendo com sua energia. Ela diz que eu não posso só pensar em trabalho. Bom, não é que eu "pense" em trabalho, eu trabalho o trabalho, por assim dizer. Isso porque eu me comprometi com um projeto GRANDE e não tenho como fugir... As pausas têm que ser curtas pro tempo funcionar e eu poder ir relaxada pro casório do Anand (imagine se eu tenho que trazer trabalho pro Brasil!).
Esse fim de semana foi de curtir minha amiga Claudia e participar da Virada Cultural em Bonn, um evento atrás do outro e a gente correndo de um lugar pro outro. Conseguimos nos manter até as 3 da manhã, num show de ska, mas eu já tava morta, porque já tínhamos festado no dia anterior! Ufa!
Agora no aerporto, em trânsito. Mais um.
A Copa do Mundo (claro, de futebol, mas se fosse falar só assim "copa do mundo" na África do Sul, eles pensariam sempre em rúgbi!) começa em 10 dias, temos que procurar os public viewing lá em Cape Town.
É frio aqui, uma peninha, porque na França já estava o maior verão.
Faz tempo que não falo com minhas amigas. Kate, I haven't talked to you for a while!!! I phoned Annette though, and the good news that a baby is coming made my day!
Claudia faz anos hoje, parabéns pra você!
Meu preto chegou!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tchauzinho....
Depois de montar a casa na França, com todas as pinturas (só a garagem ainda precisa de tabalho...) nos preparamos para mais uma viagem. Antes de sair, fomos fazer o passeio inaugural de bicicleta, e foi tão bom que eu acho que dessa vez vai pegar, como nos tempos da Alemanha, quando andar de bicicleta era básico, primário, normal, rotina.
Minha amiga Rita me conecta com as fotos do passeio dela de bike, por muitos e muitos quilômetros, e num bando alegre. Essa minha amiga, sempre me surpreendendo com sua energia. Ela diz que eu não posso só pensar em trabalho. Bom, não é que eu "pense" em trabalho, eu trabalho o trabalho, por assim dizer. Isso porque eu me comprometi com um projeto GRANDE e não tenho como fugir... As pausas têm que ser curtas pro tempo funcionar e eu poder ir relaxada pro casório do Anand (imagine se eu tenho que trazer trabalho pro Brasil!).
Esse fim de semana foi de curtir minha amiga Claudia e participar da Virada Cultural em Bonn, um evento atrás do outro e a gente correndo de um lugar pro outro. Conseguimos nos manter até as 3 da manhã, num show de ska, mas eu já tava morta, porque já tínhamos festado no dia anterior! Ufa!
Agora no aerporto, em trânsito. Mais um.
A Copa do Mundo (claro, de futebol, mas se fosse falar só assim "copa do mundo" na África do Sul, eles pensariam sempre em rúgbi!) começa em 10 dias, temos que procurar os public viewing lá em Cape Town.
É frio aqui, uma peninha, porque na França já estava o maior verão.
Faz tempo que não falo com minhas amigas. Kate, I haven't talked to you for a while!!! I phoned Annette though, and the good news that a baby is coming made my day!
Claudia faz anos hoje, parabéns pra você!
Meu preto chegou!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tchauzinho....
Sunday, 25 April 2010
La France
The myth of France... I have heard of that before, but never really got it internalized. Now, I live (at least part of the time) in France, and people say wow, you live in France. That's indeed interesting! Actually, the people in Brazil, when I say I live in France, say, ah! Paris! It's like if saying I'm Brazilian, people would say Ah! Rio de Janeiro! Garota de Ipanema!
Yes, we know very little of this little big planet Earth. We know very little of our neighbours. We know very little sometimes even of our partners and family, and sons and daughters.
It's good to have a flat rate paid for the telephone as I can phone again a lot of people I almost do not talk to... and it is indeed so good to hear how happy they are when I phone. It's been a bit hectic here (a bit is an euphemism, as we have been unpacking 125 boxes!). But WAIT! You'll be called soon!
I guess life's gonna be normal (??) again in some months. Commuting between the south of France and the Cape in South Africa is not an easy thing to do.
You think it's all flowers in France? No way. A piece of news from my friend Michele (it's a newspaper cut without reference, sorry!): The number of people whose revenues surpasses 100.000 Euros net per year has increased 28% between 2004 and 2007. And the number of those whose revenues amount to more than 500.000 (per year)Euros increased 70%!. This means 84.000 Euros a month. And this is real revenues, and not accumulated fortune or assets. Within the same period poverty increased 22% (8 million people in 2007), that is people living with less than 908 Euros a month.
The French seem to be politically engaged. At least, our little community has an association, and we intend to participate in the next meeting. On the TV, there are quite a few political debates, and not the extremely superficial programmes broad-casted in Brazil and South Africa. Although they have debated a lot recently about the alleged love affairs of their president's (they call him Sako) and of his wife's (la belle de jour, Carla B-S), they do debate as well who should be the next candidate with some change to represent the socialists, in a weak phase in Europe as you all know.
Wait for more exciting news at any time!
Yes, we know very little of this little big planet Earth. We know very little of our neighbours. We know very little sometimes even of our partners and family, and sons and daughters.
It's good to have a flat rate paid for the telephone as I can phone again a lot of people I almost do not talk to... and it is indeed so good to hear how happy they are when I phone. It's been a bit hectic here (a bit is an euphemism, as we have been unpacking 125 boxes!). But WAIT! You'll be called soon!
I guess life's gonna be normal (??) again in some months. Commuting between the south of France and the Cape in South Africa is not an easy thing to do.
You think it's all flowers in France? No way. A piece of news from my friend Michele (it's a newspaper cut without reference, sorry!): The number of people whose revenues surpasses 100.000 Euros net per year has increased 28% between 2004 and 2007. And the number of those whose revenues amount to more than 500.000 (per year)Euros increased 70%!. This means 84.000 Euros a month. And this is real revenues, and not accumulated fortune or assets. Within the same period poverty increased 22% (8 million people in 2007), that is people living with less than 908 Euros a month.
The French seem to be politically engaged. At least, our little community has an association, and we intend to participate in the next meeting. On the TV, there are quite a few political debates, and not the extremely superficial programmes broad-casted in Brazil and South Africa. Although they have debated a lot recently about the alleged love affairs of their president's (they call him Sako) and of his wife's (la belle de jour, Carla B-S), they do debate as well who should be the next candidate with some change to represent the socialists, in a weak phase in Europe as you all know.
Wait for more exciting news at any time!
Monday, 1 March 2010
milk and homosexuality
One of the philosophical issues / questions that arise from time to time in debates between Peter and me is the question of tradition. Even more strange when this "issue" is put into opposing terms: tradition and modernity. Irk!
I've actually read a very interesting interpretation from the feminist studies' point of view (standpoint feminism) about the patriarchal dualistic thinking: "Hilary Rose argues that caring work potentially engages thinking and feeling, bodily and cultural dimensions, autonomy and relatedness in ways that undermine fixed oppositions between nature and culture, reason and emotion and self and other. It is potentially the basis in women's lives for an alternative rationality to the polarizing, abstract, and destructive rationality of the patriarchal world" (in Benton and Craib,Philosophy of Social Science, 2001).
What is it that I'm up to here?
First, I watched Milk (actually, Sean Penn rehabilitated himself in my eyes, as I found his performance in "The interpreter" with N. Kidman, so so superficial - despite Maputo's dilapidated stadium showing there...) this week. Well, isn't it that the persona that is Harvey Milk / Sean Penn does have this non-dualistic standpoint? This is to say that through these insights one can really understand the difference between sex and gender (although sex is also engendered but this is too complicated for this post), meaning a man can be feminine and so on.
In my life, I came to terms with my complete absence of need for a clear and dualistic view of the world. Excuse me? Black and White? Good or Bad? Right or Wrong? Modern or Traditional? National or Foreign? You don't get me there. Exu não precisa de casa, no doubt.
Dualism has given birth to so so many problems and suffering in this (male dominated) world. As it happens, I also watched Skin this week. Wow! I really feel sorry for South Africans, who still have so much racial talk around here. I feel sorry for so much suffering, and Skin also shows how much patriarchal is morality.
Oh, oh, sorry men, I must commiserate for you, as only compassion can give you peace of mind... No, I'm joking. Duality is not a gendered thinking only, although it is, a lot.
Let us see, for instance, the issue of homosexuality in Africa (Africa, what's that?). In my Master's thesis I had already tackled the subject, which was quite innovative, but as everybody knows few people read Master's theses... I asked various young political leaders in Tanzania what did they think about homosexuality and sexuality (among other "issues").
In our Master's course at Wits University some weeks ago, I was quite surprised with my own emotional attitude related to the same topic. A man in the group hinted at a "problem": it is difficult to relate to other men (we were playing a group game). So, I just managed to say some very emotional words about our duty in opposing what's happening in Africa (see mostly Uganda's legal bill criminalizing sex between same sex people) regarding the lack of rights for people who want to love / have sex / whatever with another person without lying. Yes, because lying is ok, as everybody knows.
In the Mail&Guardian this week, there is an article ("not safe to come out"), showing quite a few examples of hate, prejudice, intolerance and radical ignorance in a few countries in "Africa" (although this is not to say that intolerance is worse here than in some other parts of the world).
Some weeks ago, I also wrote a comment to a magazine that published an article about one's reaction when one finds out that one's son or daughter is gay (I cannot find the reference just now), coming back to the same "issue".
So, WHY do I care about all this? Am I an homosexual? A lesbian? Imagine, myself getting into this trap, defining myself by a hetero/homo duality. NO WAY! But why do I care?
I guess it's because I care so much about breaking dualities. About repudiating traditions. I can't help it but laugh when I hear about tradition and modernity. I argue with Peter: this is a useless duality, they're useless categories, why would one need such a thing as separating what is "tradition" from what "modernity" is.
African philosophy has a lot of dualities: just see one example here. They won't get me!
To finish this long post: my viva to Mario de Andrade, the author of AMAR VERBO INTRANSITIVO, written in 1927 (Love, an intransitive verb), which gave birth to Lauro Escorel's movie Lição de Amor (1975). Isn't it really good?
I've actually read a very interesting interpretation from the feminist studies' point of view (standpoint feminism) about the patriarchal dualistic thinking: "Hilary Rose argues that caring work potentially engages thinking and feeling, bodily and cultural dimensions, autonomy and relatedness in ways that undermine fixed oppositions between nature and culture, reason and emotion and self and other. It is potentially the basis in women's lives for an alternative rationality to the polarizing, abstract, and destructive rationality of the patriarchal world" (in Benton and Craib,Philosophy of Social Science, 2001).
What is it that I'm up to here?
First, I watched Milk (actually, Sean Penn rehabilitated himself in my eyes, as I found his performance in "The interpreter" with N. Kidman, so so superficial - despite Maputo's dilapidated stadium showing there...) this week. Well, isn't it that the persona that is Harvey Milk / Sean Penn does have this non-dualistic standpoint? This is to say that through these insights one can really understand the difference between sex and gender (although sex is also engendered but this is too complicated for this post), meaning a man can be feminine and so on.
In my life, I came to terms with my complete absence of need for a clear and dualistic view of the world. Excuse me? Black and White? Good or Bad? Right or Wrong? Modern or Traditional? National or Foreign? You don't get me there. Exu não precisa de casa, no doubt.
Dualism has given birth to so so many problems and suffering in this (male dominated) world. As it happens, I also watched Skin this week. Wow! I really feel sorry for South Africans, who still have so much racial talk around here. I feel sorry for so much suffering, and Skin also shows how much patriarchal is morality.
Oh, oh, sorry men, I must commiserate for you, as only compassion can give you peace of mind... No, I'm joking. Duality is not a gendered thinking only, although it is, a lot.
Let us see, for instance, the issue of homosexuality in Africa (Africa, what's that?). In my Master's thesis I had already tackled the subject, which was quite innovative, but as everybody knows few people read Master's theses... I asked various young political leaders in Tanzania what did they think about homosexuality and sexuality (among other "issues").
In our Master's course at Wits University some weeks ago, I was quite surprised with my own emotional attitude related to the same topic. A man in the group hinted at a "problem": it is difficult to relate to other men (we were playing a group game). So, I just managed to say some very emotional words about our duty in opposing what's happening in Africa (see mostly Uganda's legal bill criminalizing sex between same sex people) regarding the lack of rights for people who want to love / have sex / whatever with another person without lying. Yes, because lying is ok, as everybody knows.
In the Mail&Guardian this week, there is an article ("not safe to come out"), showing quite a few examples of hate, prejudice, intolerance and radical ignorance in a few countries in "Africa" (although this is not to say that intolerance is worse here than in some other parts of the world).
Some weeks ago, I also wrote a comment to a magazine that published an article about one's reaction when one finds out that one's son or daughter is gay (I cannot find the reference just now), coming back to the same "issue".
So, WHY do I care about all this? Am I an homosexual? A lesbian? Imagine, myself getting into this trap, defining myself by a hetero/homo duality. NO WAY! But why do I care?
I guess it's because I care so much about breaking dualities. About repudiating traditions. I can't help it but laugh when I hear about tradition and modernity. I argue with Peter: this is a useless duality, they're useless categories, why would one need such a thing as separating what is "tradition" from what "modernity" is.
African philosophy has a lot of dualities: just see one example here. They won't get me!
To finish this long post: my viva to Mario de Andrade, the author of AMAR VERBO INTRANSITIVO, written in 1927 (Love, an intransitive verb), which gave birth to Lauro Escorel's movie Lição de Amor (1975). Isn't it really good?
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Motherhood
Aqui é para declarar meu amor público ao Anand, o filho que me fez mãe pela primeira vez. Há 31 anos atrás. Cada filho deixa uma marca diferente. A marca que o Anand deixou em mim foi da transformação. Eu era uma, e virei duas.
Obrigada a todas as outras mães que me ajudaram a ser mãe dele! Obrigada ao pai dele, que é responsável por uma boa parte.
E feliz aniversário, Anand!
E ainda... eh, André, meu filhote que fez anos neste mês também e não recebeu declaração de amor pública! Foi só por causa da correria do trabalho, eu estava lá em Moçambique. Você me deixou a marca da redenção. Um dia explico!
Beijos aos belos!
Obrigada a todas as outras mães que me ajudaram a ser mãe dele! Obrigada ao pai dele, que é responsável por uma boa parte.
E feliz aniversário, Anand!
E ainda... eh, André, meu filhote que fez anos neste mês também e não recebeu declaração de amor pública! Foi só por causa da correria do trabalho, eu estava lá em Moçambique. Você me deixou a marca da redenção. Um dia explico!
Beijos aos belos!
Saturday, 23 January 2010
in English
This is the first post of 2010, although January is already past its first half. I write in English after a while, as a friend of mine complained that the news have been only in Portuguese recently. So, my dear, here we are!
A little bit of plagiarism, as my son Daniel wrote about his Christmas and New Year's Eve on his blog. Christmas was in Cape Town, with friends. It was a great time, and thanks for Rob and Helen's great roast, Michael's supportive words towards practicing to roll coins between my fingers (he says this is a basic skill necessary for all candidates to being magicians), Hans-Peter and Claudia wonderful company for Christmas eve. And we were not robbed this time.
I had to work non-stop, including Christmas days, and this is sort of becoming a weird tradition that I plan to break in 2010!
Immediately after Christmas, we headed for Brazil, for my first visit to "my" contry in this time of year since 1996. Wow! We went to a very comfortable place, with rooms for everybody (although Marilia was sharing with Anand and Iara), a swimming pool, a great view, entertaining area, a big TV screen for the obsessed with Guitar Heroes, and easy access. It was really good. The weather was perfect, and everybody ended up well tanned.
I enjoyed a good time with my friend Rita and Lucho. Rita is my sister, and it's amazing how it's becoming even more so. She's sweet and caring. To go away is always difficult.
The kids are all fine, family altogether fine. Anand remains in Campinas, and André has moved there. André wants to continue his work with "After Effects", a final edition application for video and TV, which he mastered while working at TV UFOP in Ouro Preto. If anybody has hearded of something, please, let me know. Caetano started his Masters, Davi is nearly his undergrad studies in Economics. Denise started her new job and has a new house. Carol is almost there with her Masters. Anand and Iara announced that they're going to get married in 2010! I'm hoping for a good party!
Marilia continues her success with her TV programme. Carol won the Biblioteca Nacional's prize for best editorial design of the year. Helo is almost realizing her dream... the house on the island is ready now. The list of achievements is long...
Just now, I'm working in Johannesburg and in 10 days Maputo again, for 2 weeks. Life continues. The big resolutions of 2010 are:
well, I don't believe in big resolutions, more in daily resolutions. So, I will go earlier to bed tonight!
A little bit of plagiarism, as my son Daniel wrote about his Christmas and New Year's Eve on his blog. Christmas was in Cape Town, with friends. It was a great time, and thanks for Rob and Helen's great roast, Michael's supportive words towards practicing to roll coins between my fingers (he says this is a basic skill necessary for all candidates to being magicians), Hans-Peter and Claudia wonderful company for Christmas eve. And we were not robbed this time.
I had to work non-stop, including Christmas days, and this is sort of becoming a weird tradition that I plan to break in 2010!
Immediately after Christmas, we headed for Brazil, for my first visit to "my" contry in this time of year since 1996. Wow! We went to a very comfortable place, with rooms for everybody (although Marilia was sharing with Anand and Iara), a swimming pool, a great view, entertaining area, a big TV screen for the obsessed with Guitar Heroes, and easy access. It was really good. The weather was perfect, and everybody ended up well tanned.
I enjoyed a good time with my friend Rita and Lucho. Rita is my sister, and it's amazing how it's becoming even more so. She's sweet and caring. To go away is always difficult.
The kids are all fine, family altogether fine. Anand remains in Campinas, and André has moved there. André wants to continue his work with "After Effects", a final edition application for video and TV, which he mastered while working at TV UFOP in Ouro Preto. If anybody has hearded of something, please, let me know. Caetano started his Masters, Davi is nearly his undergrad studies in Economics. Denise started her new job and has a new house. Carol is almost there with her Masters. Anand and Iara announced that they're going to get married in 2010! I'm hoping for a good party!
Marilia continues her success with her TV programme. Carol won the Biblioteca Nacional's prize for best editorial design of the year. Helo is almost realizing her dream... the house on the island is ready now. The list of achievements is long...
Just now, I'm working in Johannesburg and in 10 days Maputo again, for 2 weeks. Life continues. The big resolutions of 2010 are:
well, I don't believe in big resolutions, more in daily resolutions. So, I will go earlier to bed tonight!
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