Of Obama and butt warmers...

Allthough I did not write it I often thought it. I've been playing this post in my head for more than a week now. It started with another entry for my journey of understanding of the States' very particular culture.

It referred to this amazing need of excelling the comfort levels of this population. So, no longer happy with the fact that ALL buildings+public transportation+etc, etc... have central heating, any respectable car (at least the ones in which I am transported whenever I am blissed with a ride home, that is) is equiped with seat warmers. YES, you heard me! SEAT WARMERS. As you can antecipate by the thing's name, it makes sure that, whatever freezing winds have "attacked" you bottom, IT will prevail thanks to a heating system that, in a matter of minutes, restores your but to its ideal temperathure (a bit too hot for me as I call them burning butt warmers...lol). Trying to think this thing through I realized maybe this is a comodity common to chilli countries such as Russia, Polony, Germany and others and that the reason I had never been introduced to this kind of "technology" is that I am from 1st - a south European yearlong temperate (not so...) country and 2nd an african all yearlong summer country. So there it is. More research on this to follow.

Of course I could not but comment of the commotion around the presidential inauguration last Tuesday. I have to confess I wished I was there in Washington while watching Obama becoming the first black american president. However, everytime I saw the images of the freezing crowd and the enormous lines to get anywhere I was quite contempt to be sitting at the conference room with all my CREC colleagues watching a big screen in a heated, safe room. And if this sounds not very ambitious of me let me just add that I am not an american citizen in this ciuntry which means I do not have the same rights as others do... and I sometimes have to act accordingly and protect myself from risky situations (or at least that's what I'll be telling myself in years to come)...

AND almost two weeks ago, Detroit automakers (still in big trouble) took part in their annual international car showcase. Good surprise: some electrict wonders like the Chevy Volt. Check it out. ALSO italian automaker Fiat is starting an alliance with Chevrolet. The european company will share vehicle platforms, powertrains and components to be built in Chrysler’s U.S. manufacturing facilities in exchange for a 35-percent share in the American automaker...maybe I can have the stylish new Fiat 500 soon...

FINALLY, some reading suggestions:

Mark Bittman, Food Matters (stop eating meat... or at leat reduce it and help save the planet)

Robert Burns poetry, most important scottish poet 250th anniversary celebration (to read eating haggis)

Roberto Bolano, chilean writer (check 2666... I know I will)

Clarissa Dickson Wright, autobiography (the living half of the Two Fat Ladies).

My newest discovery: I finally found a place to listen to the news of the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: BBCNews online!!!

KIMONO

I cannot but mention this sudden japanese invasion in my life. It started very subtile. A conversation with my portuguese-parisien-scottish friend about a trip to Toquio while researching on the use of stones in art. Then a Christmas gift that I read avidily. The author: the nipponic best-selling author Haruki Murakami. His writting compeling, contemporary, moving. While in Lisbon I travelled under the Tokio night veil and followed his characteres thru this foreign (to me) culture. Then the visit to the Museum of Orient... The masks, the rituals, the samurai armours and the small medicine containers beautifully ornamented... New chapter today: I am to cover the celebration of the Japanese New Year happening in a week in one of the schools I work with. I accept you tempura. You are destined to feed me in new ways. Maybe your ingredients will allow me to see further (it is actually an original portuguese recipe taken by the sailors).
I take thee. It is true that I've always wanted to own an authetic Kimono...

PS 1- Arigato Marco. Escondida por detras das guitarras electricas estava Adele. Uma voz magnifica com aquele jazzy feeling que aprecio more and more. Bela descoberta... E so tem 19 anitos. A seguir!

PS 2 - Eu sei, eu sei... o aviao amarou em NY. Ca esta uma das imagens do ano... Mas eu queria era chamar a atencao para o facto de hoje terem feito 7 graus negativos. Aqui, onde eu moro. This means before leaving the house I put on the most ridiculous number of garments: gloves, hat, scarf, ear protector, overcoat, boots... Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!

M (As if it was Me)

Whomever was here yesterday saw a picture of me. It seemed like a logical action at the time. So why did it insist on waunt me right there in the back of my mind where I could not reach unless I were to detach myself of all the mudaine affairs that proceed to steal me out precious time... I failed to grasp the depths of it until I was later blog travelling thru some of the capeverdian blogs I want to follow. As soon as I visited the first (albatrozberdiano) I felt pulled into timetravelling warp speed back to my first blogger experience. In Cape Verde. It ended abruptly and has (apparently) left scars... So much so that I felt compeled to change the picture ASAP. I am still restless. I am still there. I experiment the feeling of violation of privacy that assaulted me then. Now. As I am still trapped there. It is puzzling how in this new era sins are everlasting contemporary. My rigourous upbringing does not allow me a different choice of words. My respects to the less Romane Catholic followers of the world. I envy you. There are things I cannot reach.

And into more frivolous matters (to me not to you).

A correction is in order: setting the record straight a very talented musician from Brooklyn, NY, alerted me to the fact that:

- All US states recognize MLK's day as a holiday.

However,

-It did take 15 years for MLK to be considered a federal holiday, in 1983.

- New Hampshire was the last state to adopt MLK Day as a paid state holiday, replacing its optional Civil Rights Day, in 1999.

- In 2000, Utah became the last state to recognize MLK Day by name, renaming its Human Rights Day state holiday. In the same year, South Carolina was the last state to make MLK Day a paid holiday for all state employees. Until now, employees could choose between celebrating it or one of three Confederate-related holidays.

My friend I revere thee...

PS - My landlord (Hi Jonh...) made breaded eggplant cookies today... LOL. (Bolachas) de beringela panadas... Something lost in translation, you think? Nop...

Diga A

Isto ia ser a primeira letra do titulo mas depois fiquei a olhar... E Janeiro e como diria o George Constanza do Seinfield "it's the time of renewal, rebirth, renaissance..." LOL. E claro que ele se referia a Primavera e o discurso era para justificar a noiva a (nova) mudanca da data de casamento mas isso agora nao importa nada... Dizia eu, que assim e um clean start!

E para quem quer estar a par do que por ca se vai fazendo aqui vai:

- Proxima segunda-feira e feriado: Martin Luther King Jr Day (alguns estados tipo Alabama, nao celebram... I wonder why?!...); o Obama pediu ao pessoal todo para dedicar o dia ao voluntariado... Parece que me leu o pensamento... Andava mesmo a procura de algo para me voluntariar... I'm in!

- Antes disso, sabado vou ter a minha primeira aventura no ski. E mais nao digo. Espero ter fotos para documentar... (Wish me luck... Eu ca acho que se nasci com genes de gente africana vou estar a contrariar a minha natureza, mas ta bem...)

- Durante as minhas ferias fui ao Museu do Oriente, para quem ainda nao teve oportunidade, aconselho. Uma viagem a Asia sem sair de Lisboa. Impressionante a coragem dos portugueses que la foram ao desconhecido e como ambas as culturas se contaminaram. A quem pensou e executou: Arigato!

- E finalmente, preparo-me para espantar meio mundo (ou talvez so a Carmo) e mandar um e-mail a Beatriz a contar as minhas aventuras e tudo, tudo...next.

E por ai? Mto frio? ...LOLOLOLOL

PS - Neste blog faremos (eu, eu e eu) boicote aos acentos (overrated in my opinion) e a lingua de Shakespeare, Voltaire e Manuel Lopes... nao pagam portagem (com ou sem aumentos)