Within a Sky Full of Earth

Passei os últimos dias a ouvir as entrevistas da Antena 1 sobre o estado do jornalismo em Portugal. Uma parceria entre a rádio pública e o Centro de Estudos do Século XX, a cargo do jornalista da Antena 1 Ricardo Alexandre com a colaboração de João Figueira, investigador e académico do Instituto de Estudos Jornalísticos da Universidade de Coimbra que, entre outras coisas, foi jornalista em Macau. No âmbito das comemorações do 25 de Abril a Rádio Macau levou-as para o éter.
No fim-de-semana enquanto andava de um lado para o outro, entre Macau e Coloane, apanhei parte da entrevista de Emídio Rangel, a primeira a ir para o ar; quase por completo a de Joaquim Letria, plena de vida e de tempo; e ainda, no meio da chuva de Domingo, a de Maria Elisa, à qual prestei menos atenção. Durante os dias da semana procurei as outras: Vicente Jorge Silva e Sena Santos.
O primeiro vagueia pelo seu passado numa espécie de sufoco e alude-nos aos episódios da sua vida profissional plena de paisagens. Liberta-se no fio das palavras que vai dizendo, em alívio, e agradece no final por isso, numa perspectiva assombrada de acontecimentos que nos são de todo comuns. São estas imagens tornadas imaginação que fazem a grandiosidade do mundo falado e em particular do universo da rádio, que se ouve e onde se esconde o nosso próprio sabor, na visão mental de outras vidas e outras cronologias.
Longe, tanto em distância como em tempo, no escuro da noite, enquanto enganava o sono, olhei para as histórias do Expresso, com Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa em cima da mesa, a transe da Madeira com a boçalidade de João Jardim, que aludiu um pouco ao sítio onde vivo, e as tricas do Público a terminar com o desprezo de Belmiro de Azevedo e o desejo de novos projectos.
Sena Santos alude-nos ao jornalismo como alguém que se apaga para dar luz, como um ofício de claridade, e é uma experiência ouvi-lo. Ainda não cheguei ao fim.
Cada um deles abre o seu jogo. Todos mudaram a forma de fazer jornalismo no Portugal depois de Abril e são marcos das história de um país. Estas são as primeiras cinco entrevistas de um projecto que terá outros entrevistados e que no futuro resultará também em livro. Podem ouvi-las nas ligações seguintes, aqui nas versões integrais:

Emídio Rangel • Joaquim Letria • Maria Elisa • Sena Santos • Vicente Jorge Silva

The Swine Flu outbrake is getting the world in flames. It as been a consequence of previous cataclysm scenarios which, apart from the real threat, are always a bit overrated when compared with other contagious diseases who are taking lives every minute and are not on the spotlight. This doesn't mean we shouldn't be aware and follow the indications of local healt institutions and take extra care.
But this post comes from the opportunity that we have on following it now in another way using Google Maps. Logging into the world almost in real time we can walk behind the news on the flu, just by clicking on the map above or through this link. But refrain by being too scared.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the symptoms and transmission of the swine flu from human to human is much like that of seasonal flu. Common symptoms include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing, while runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea have also been reported. It is believed to be spread between humans through coughing or sneezing of infected people and touching something with the virus on it and then touching their own nose or mouth. Swine flu cannot be spread by pork products, since the virus is not transmitted through food. The swine flu in humans is most contagious during the first five days of the illness although some people, most commonly children, can remain contagious for up to ten days.
Experts agree that hand-washing can help prevent viral infections, a surprisingly effective way to prevent all sorts of diseases, including ordinary influenza and the new swine flu virus. Influenza can spread in coughs or sneezes, but an increasing body of evidence shows little particles of virus can linger on tabletops, telephones and other surfaces and be transferred via the fingers to the mouth, nose or eyes. Alcohol-based gel or foam hand sanitizers work well to destroy viruses and bacteria. Anyone with flu-like symptoms such as a sudden fever, cough or muscle aches should stay away from work or public transportation and should see a doctor to be tested.
[FROM WIKIPEDIA]

Olha a menina a dançar tão bela no seu saltitar. Canta a roleta a rodar mistérios da sorte e do azar. Olha a menina a dançar quem vai com ela ficar? Canta a roleta a rodar mistérios da sorte e do azar.

É um jogo a que não podemos jogar, um jogo de que somos os espectadores, um jogo de desconhecidos jogadores, um jogo a que nunca iremos ganhar.

Olha a menina a dançar tão bela no seu saltitar. Canta a roleta a rodar mistérios da sorte e do azar. Olha a menina a dançar quem vai com ela ficar? Canta a roleta a rodar mistérios da sorte e do azar.

É um jogo feito para nos comandar, um jogo de que desconhecemos as regras, xadrez de que se retiraram as negras, um jogo feito para nunca acabar.

Olha a menina a dançar tão bela no seu saltitar. Canta a roleta a rodar mistérios da sorte e do azar. Olha a menina a dançar quem vai com ela ficar? Canta a roleta a rodar mistérios da sorte e do azar.

É a nossa a vida que está em jogo, é a nossa a vida que outros jogam.
VOLSTAD - É UM JOGO
{do Tributo aos Mão Morta "E Se Depois", disco que passou no ROOFTOP no dia 35 de Abril.}

"Smells Like the Nineties" was the theme of our previous party, that took place on The Rooftop earlier on April 18. You can see now some of the photos and the faces that were there. Check them
here!

Stay tuned for more news on Bloom's involvement with the St. Paul's Corner.
THE LINK: SMELLS LIKE THE NINETIES PHOTOS [OR CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE]

Alguém pode ter ficado espantado por não ter escrito em português o anúncio da festa do 35 de Abril que teve lugar ontem no Rooftop. Foi apenas uma questão de opção na completa falta de tempo. Ao passar a informação não queremos restringi-la apenas a uma comunidade, queremos que, mesmo as nossas datas, cheguem a todos os campos. E foi isso que aconteceu. A preferência por uma divulgação mais vasta do que pela evidência da língua, se assim se pode dizer.
A festa essa foi mais uma vez um sucesso, apesar de algums contra-tempos iniciais com o sistema sonoro. Música portuguesa de todos os quadrantes, de hoje, de ontem, e algumas do tempo da minha avozinha. Fechámos com Zeca Afonso e o "Verdes Anos" do Carlos Paredes. O 35 de Abril, uma data a recordar. Sempre!

"35 d'Abril"
[APRIL 25 • Saturday • Starting at 10 PM]

The 35 of April is quite a universal date in the Portuguese calendar and probably in fairy-tales, but it happens only every odd year, it means that every 35 years after the revolution the 35 of April comes. And this goes for every country.

It's a date to celebrate liberty and self-determination and most of all the joy of singing on the hope for a new future.
In this special occasion we invite you to commemorate all the steps of the art of making a song through the leaps of Portuguese music. Some would call it the April Songs. We call it Creation.
On the first light of the 25th of April, 1974, in a faraway land, some men and women composed their new destiny saying to the world that the heart and voices could never be stopped. And peacefully history changed. This was achieved through a strategy of many lines and the power of song writing helped it to the final push to what end up to be a spontaneous movement..
This was known as the "Carnation Revolution" but we think that that just happened by chance and is overrated and so any flower goes! ;-)
Well said you just need to come and feel it with your heart, while having a great time at The Rooftop!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! THANK YOU!

DETAILS
Host: Corner's Club
Start Time: Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 10:00pm
Location: St. Paul's Corner • Travessa de S. Paulo • Macau

IIUM PUBLIC LECTURE • Center for Global and Strategic Studies
China’s Age of Openness Before Mao
A LECTURE BY FRANK DIKÖTTER • CHAIRPERSON: ERIC SAUTEDÉ

The era between empire and communism is routinely portrayed as a catastrophic interlude in China's modern history, but this engagingly written book shows instead that the first half of the twentieth century witnessed a qualitatively unprecedented trend towards openness.
Frank Dikötter argues that the years from 1900 to 1949 were characterized at all levels of society by engagement with the world, and that the pursuit of openness was particularly evident in four areas: in governance and the advance of the rule of law and of newly acquired liberties; in freedom of movement in and out of the country; in open minds thriving on ideas from the humanities and sciences; and in open markets and sustained growth in the economy.
Freedom of association, freedom to travel, freedom of religion, freedom to trade and relative freedom of speech wrought profound changes in the texture of everyday life. While globalisation itself was a vector of cultural diversification, pre-existing constellations of ideas, practices and institutions did not simply vanish on contact with the rest of the world, but on the contrary expanded even further, just as much as local industries diversified thanks to their inclusion into a much larger global market. Arguably the country was at its most diverse in its entire history on the eve of World War II – in terms of politics, society, culture and the economy.
Accessible to general readers, while providing an integration of ideas that will be valuable for specialists, this book presents a fresh way of approaching the history of modern China.

In this succinct and vigorous book, Frank Dikötter presents a cornucopia of graphic examples to show that China in the first half of the twentieth century, far from being in a state of decay that called for revolutionary action, was in fact a vibrant and cosmopolitan society. In such a reading, the current Chinese leaders should not be seen as striving to do something bold and new; they are merely struggling to rebuild a network of global connections that Mao and others had systematically helped to destroy. This should be an ideal book to spark class discussion on modern China.
Jonathan Spence, author of The Search for Modern China and Return to Dragon Mountain.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Frank Dikötter is a Professor of Chinese Modern History at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and Chair of Humanities at the University of Hong Kong. He has published a series of innovative books, including The Discourse of Race in Modern China and the controversial Narcotic Culture: a History of Drugs and China.

VENUE: IIUM AUDITORIUM • RUA DE LONDRES, 16 (NAPE) MACAU
DATE: APRIL 23, 2009 AT 6:30 PM
TEL: +853-87964404
MORE INFO AT: www.iium.edu.mo
RELATED LINK: FRANK DIKÖTTER WEBSITE

The Age of Openness - China Before Mao, by Frank Dikötter
HONG KONG UNIVERSITY PRESS • 2008 • 125 MOP$ • RESERVE ONE FOR YOU NOW!

* In collaboration with IIUM, Bloom will be present at this session making the book available to all the readers of Macau. Don't miss it!

Ernest Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954, he was hill and could not attend a presentation at the official ceremony. The following was his speech at the Nobel Banquet at the City Hall in Stockholm, in December 10, and was read by John C. Cabot, United States Ambassador.
[The photo was taken when Hemingway was a soldier in World War I, 1918, in Milan]

Having no facility for speech-making and no command of oratory nor any domination of rhetoric, I wish to thank the administrators of the generosity of Alfred Nobel for this Prize.

No writer who knows the great writers who did not receive the Prize can accept it other than with humility. There is no need to list these writers. Everyone here may make his own list according to his knowledge and his conscience.

It would be impossible for me to ask the Ambassador of my country to read a speech in which a writer said all of the things which are in his heart. Things may not be immediately discernible in what a man writes, and in this sometimes he is fortunate; but eventually they are quite clear and by these and the degree of alchemy that he possesses he will endure or be forgotten.

Writing, at its best, is a lonely life. Organizations for writers palliate the writer's loneliness but I doubt if they improve his writing. He grows in public stature as he sheds his loneliness and often his work deteriorates. For he does his work alone and if he is a good enough writer he must face eternity, or the lack of it, each day.

For a true writer each book should be a new beginning where he tries again for something that is beyond attainment. He should always try for something that has never been done or that others have tried and failed. Then sometimes, with great luck, he will succeed.

How simple the writing of literature would be if it were only necessary to write in another way what has been well written. It is because we have had such great writers in the past that a writer is driven far out past where he can go, out to where no one can help him.

I have spoken too long for a writer. A writer should write what he has to say and not speak it. Again I thank you.
Ernest Hemingway, 1954

"SMELLS LIKE THE NINETIES"
[APRIL 18 • Saturday • Starting at 10 PM]

Have you heard of THE ROOFTOP?
Well, there's something going on through the leads of St. Pauls Ruins that is bringing all the saints awake to what's the whiz in town.

THE ROOFTOP is the bar at the St. Paul's Corner Club on the steps of the most remarkable landmark of Macau and it's back with a party. Once more on a venture with Bloom * Creative Network is creating what might be something different in town and surely not to be missed!
"SMELLS LIKE THE NINETIES" is a return to that great stream of sound and fury marked in time and deep down on everyone's memories. That's it, we're inviting you to come on this BUZZ evoking all the hits of Indy, Pop, Punk, Rock, Dance, and Hip-Hop, and whatever, that made the whole of a decade and that are still echoing in our minds.
With the illustrious JORGIBOY, the rage of DJ KUNMING and introducing THE LOUNGE at the Corner's Club, what will be a surprise and a trial for following events, you must come and dance through out the night.

JOIN IN and invite your friends to come! It's simple as that.

DETAILS
Host: Corner's Club
Start Time: Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 10:00pm
End Time: Sunday, April 19, 2009 at 3:00am
Location: St. Paul's Corner • Travessa de S. Paulo • Macau

'THE SOLDIER, HIS WIFE AND THE BUM'
I was a bum in San Francisco that once managed to go to a symphony concert along with the well dressed people. And the music was good but something about the audience was not. And something about the orchestra and the conductor was not. Although the building was fine and the acoustics perfect I preferred to listen to the music alone on my radio.

And afterwards I did go back to my room and I turned on the radio. But there was a pounding on the wall. 'Shut that god damn thing off!' There was a soldier in the next room bubbling with his wife and soon he would be going over there to protect me from Hitler. So I snapped the radio off and then I heard his wife say 'You shouldn't have done that'. And the soldier said 'Fuck that guy' which I thought was a very nice thing for him to tell his wife to do. Of course she never did.

Anyhow I never went to another live concert. And that night I listened to the radio very quietly, my ear pressed to the speaker.

War has it's price and peace never lasts. And millions of young men everywhere will die. As I listened to the classical music I heard them making love. Desperately and mournfully, through Shostakovich, Brahms, Mozart, through crescendo and climax and through the shared walls of our darkness.
BY CHARLES BUKOWSKI

"Yup, life's a big ice-cream. Have it before it melts."

I can't remember who said it. It was probably from a movie I saw ages ago. Or from a friend back in the days in the rainy island. Or from someone pretty similar to myself, who happens to be me, in my dreams. The latter is very unlikely to be true since I'm not usually that quick-witted in my marzenia. All I know is this quote came to my mind while I was having my mint with chocolate chips ice-cream. And as I was looking back at my previous 98760891 hours spent here in this cozy corner of the world, my ice-cream was turning into a drinkable milkshake kind of thing... Yup, it melts. It melts very quickly. Lick it before it's too late.

Parte da equipa deste blog está longe na ilha do Bornéu. Voltará em breve. Thankz!

Para quem não saiba, ou anda distraído, José Saramago continua com a sua actividade de blogger mesmo aqui ao lado. O Caderno de Saramago, é o espaço vivo, diário, escrito pelo Nobel português no espaço virtual da Fundação com o seu nome e que pode ser lido, de imediato, pelos quatro cantos do mundo. Quase que podemos ouvir o autor a respirar e a dedilhar as notas do teclado como se de uma viola se tratasse fazendo-nos chegar toda a música das suas palavras por entre as brisas da Ilha de Lanzarote, ou lá onde ele estiver.
No mesmo espaço foi também aberta uma secção onde podem ser lidas as "Cartas ao Escritor", espaço dedicado aos leitores onde podem dar a sua palavra e que nos ajuda a reflectir sobre o acto de ler e de pensar. É também uma janela aberta ao mundo da literatura em confronto com a realidade individual e experiências de leitura, local idílico onde os imaginários voam por entre as páginas dos livros.
A Fundação José Saramago vai instalar-se este ano na Casa dos Bicos em Lisboa. Unem-se assim, de forma homogénea, dois símbolos da cultura portuguesa.
• SITE DA FUNDAÇÃO JOSÉ SARAMAGO