Within a Sky Full of Earth

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]

"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!

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

Vessel One by Adam Farlie

Twenty designers including will exhibit sex toys and other objects on the theme of love in Milan next month, during the furniture fair.
Vessel One, designed by Adam Farlie, is the most original one. It's a bed that asks whether an object can become a substitute for a person. Vessel One was created to replace absent people through sound. This object is always listening, constantly recording the sounds made by those who have lain on it. Designed as a sensitive vessel that captures and contains the ‘audio-memories’ of past occupiers through sound. when Vessel One detects silence, it plays back sound memories at random. Sounds are recalled in the bed in the same way a Memory pops into the mind. One might lie in bed and hear past intimacies, infidelities or conversations from a number of days, weeks or even years ago. Vessel One is made of Corian.

Adam Farlie graduated in 2008 from the Design Academy Eindhoven. He specialises in emotional design. He lives and works in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
[Photo ⓒ Adam Farlie]
• SEE THE OTHER CREATIONS AT THE LOVE DESIGN EXHIBITION

Sobre o público e a massa crítica, um texto muito interessante de Maria do Rosário Pedreira, a não perder.
[VIA BLOGTAILORS • QUE A PARTIR DE HOJE PODE SER SEGUIDO AQUI, À DIREITA, EM 'ONDAS CURTAS']

- Quando ele ia a passar a porta principal do Hotel, eu que já estava à espera há um bom bocado, tirei a pistola do bolso e dei-lhe um tiro. Dei-lhe um tiro e depois outro. Foram dois tiros. Secos.
- E depois?
- Depois começou a chover. Larguei a arma mais à frente num caixote do lixo e fui para casa. Quando lá cheguei fiz um café e sentei-me na cama a ler. É sempre isso que faço. Leio quando chego a casa.
- Quando é que isso foi?
- 18 de Novembro de 1998.
- Tens a certeza?
- Tenho! Era o dia de anos da minha namorada. Esperei que ela chegasse e fomos jantar fora. Num restaurante lá perto. Ofereci-lhe um anel de diamantes, com o dinheiro que me deram.
- Mas quando ele morreu que fizeste? Que aconteceu?
- Não sei, fiz como se não fosse nada comigo. Virei as costas de imediato e não quis saber de mais nada. Nem sei para que lado ele caiu. Nem me lembro da cara dele. Só depois, de ver nos jornais, por acaso.
- E quem te encomendou o serviço?
- Ninguém!
- Ninguém?
- Sim, ninguém.
- Então?
- Não sei. Não tinha nome. Recebi uma encomenda em casa, sem remetente, com a arma, o dinheiro e o local e a hora onde tudo ia acontecer. Só isso, mais nada. Não foi ninguém.
- Alguém terá sido...
- Talvez...
- Mas é assim?
- É! Pego naquilo tudo, olho para o relógio e se for naquele dia meto-me no autocarro e vou lá. Nessse dia ainda tive tempo para ir à ourivesaria. Gastei o dinheiro todo.
- Quanto era?
- Um milhão e meio...
- ...num anel para a tua miúda...
- Sim, na altura ela era boazinha. Eu gostava dela.
Faz-se uma pausa. Depois continuam.
- Obrigado Senhor Juíz. Não tenho mais nada a perguntar.
E todos se sentam.

Quando me sentei o meu coração batia muito depressa. E eu pensei: "O meu coração está a bater tão depressa... nunca bateu assim. Até consigo ouvi-lo, não vou conseguir dizer nada!" E calei-me. Sem ter sequer falado. E esperei que aquilo tudo parasse.
Parou. Porque me esqueci do que estava a bater cá dentro. E comecei a falar e a dizer. E tudo o que falei e disse não foi mais do que o bater do meu coração, a acalmar-se.

A próxima edição de aniversário do jornal Público, no dia 5 de Março, vai ter uma particularidade. Vai estar a cargo do escritor António Lobo Antunes que irá dirigir no local todas as operações. Um dia diferente na redacção deste jornal português que marca nessa data o seu 19º aniversário. Para Lobo Antunes será também uma experiência inédita e decerto do seu agrado.
Já curiosos sobre o resultado, a Bloom irá reservar um exemplar desta edição e guardá-la no seu baú de boas recordações, sejam elas quais forem.

MCCM Creations, by the hand of the wonderful Mary Chan, started as a publisher in Hong Kong. Their dream was to pubblish beautiful and great books and from the first book they were a world apart. Bloom met MCCM even before we opened and from there on we've mantained a close friendship and venture.
Mary Chan and MCCM flow into the endless possibilities of creativity. Living in an age where people can move freely across boundaries of regions and exercise their thoughts through virtual space. These criss-cross experiences often produce surprises and open up new horizons for thoughts and ideas.
Since going into book publishing since 2001, MCCM aspirations in books have not changed – they wish to bring the original and inspiring books from creators who share a passion in books as well as having a strong desire to explore new concepts and visualise their experiences.
These adventurous spirit often take them across boundaries of different categories. Being a ‘crossover’ appeal to different age and interest groups. Most of the titles are published in English or Bilingual, mostly Chinese and English, with a step into published English and French titles. They don’t publish a lot of books every year, but they do have a special talent to make them.
But now is different. MCCM is giving a step ahead by opening The Bookshop at the Hong Kong Arts Centre. They're running it for a few time now, but the official opening will be held tomorrow with "a casual get-together for books, photography, light drinks, chars and... improvised music by guest musicians Kung Chi Shing and Yank Wong." [click on the image above]

Come with us!
26TH OF FEBRURARY • 6.30 PM • HONG KONG ARTS CENTRE • 2 HARBOUR ROAD • HONG KONG

There are things I will never forget!

People ask the question, 'What's a RocknRolla?' and I tell 'em, we all like a bit of the good life; some of the money or the fame, but a real RocknRolla wants the whole lot.'

The thing with the films of Guy Ritchie is that, apart from all, everyone seems real. They're some real bastards pretending they are actors behaving like actors who pretend to be bad guys. RocknRolla (2008) is cool as Snatch was, a crime film full of shitheads, loaded with excitment and filled with great truculent dialogs. In the way you can travel to London and make as if you were there. And because in Macau you can never get the chance to choose a movie on the cinema, you just get what they give you, go and see it now! You can find it on DVD.

RocknRolla feels as if Ritchie is imitating his favourite director here, and that director is Guy Ritchie.
Sydney Morning Herald

Everything is so out of focus. This face seems distant. Distorted. Tormented. Aggravated. - she says.

How are you supposed to focus on yourself if you can't even recognize the real you? - he says.

All I'm longing for is to see beyond what your eyes are reflecting when you look into mine... - she says.

There's nothing beyond. Because it's been too long since we last crossed our eyes. - he says.

Then maybe we should go back to the start. - she whispers.

Japanese comics have been famous in Thailand for a long time. High school girls enjoy reading love stories while the plots that most boys love to read are about sports and fighting.

I will be
the first person in history
to die of boredom
and I will have as my epitaph
the second line of 'black ship in the harbour'
I'll rest this case
condemn my race
I'll stab a knife into the face
of any man who dares to oppose me
DECLARATION by FELT • POEM OF THE RIVER • 1987

ARTIGO SOBRE HENRIQUE SENNA FERNANDES NA REVISTA BRASILEIRA BRAVO

Toca o telefone no escritório de advocacia do escritor macaense Henrique de Senna Fernandes. Chamada de São Paulo. Em Macau, ex-colônia portuguesa na Ásia e desde 1999 região administrativa especial da República Popular da China, os relógios estão no futuro — nesta época do ano, dez horas a mais em relação ao Brasil —, mas o idioma no qual se expressa o jornalista que procura pelo autor ficou no passado. "Can you speak in English?", pergunta do outro lado da linha, com voz constrangida e sotaque achinesado, uma assistente de Senna Fernandes, logo que ouve as primeiras palavras na língua da antiga metrópole.

O episódio reforça a ideia de que Senna Fernandes (1923) talvez represente o último capítulo de peso da história da literatura produzida em português no continente asiático — ou, ao menos, em Macau. Assim, a publicação no Brasil de dois livros do ficcionista, Nam Van (contos, 1978) e Amor e Dedinhos de Pé (romance, 1986), já constituiria, por si só, um acontecimento editorial. Há, no entanto, algo mais a sublinhar: a obra do autor é um paradigma da expressão identitária de Macau, moldada a partir da fricção entre as tradições portuguesa e chinesa, disso resultando uma "cultura de encontro". "O macaense é precisamente o produto do equilíbrio de várias culturas, entre as quais se destacam a portuguesa, a raiz, e a chinesa, o solo. Eu sempre quis mostrar essa possibilidade de duas culturas tão díspares encontrarem uma plataforma de entendimento e de adaptação, criando um mundo novo", explicou o escritor em entrevista a BRAVO.
[TOTALIDADE DO TEXTO AQUI] [FOTO BLOOMLAND.CN]

This is for Boys and Girls! You just need to bring your guts and come along with us. Where SPEED beats TIME in real life!Hey, are you a speed racer? Are you feeling cold this Winter? Are you sure? It doesn't matter if you're sure or note, what matters now is SPEED and TIME! Everyone knows that! You should also know.
So, while you're thinking, while you wait for something better later in the year, why not coming for a great afternoon in the depths of tarmac just outside the border of Macau. Yeah, it's in Gongbei, in China, across the main road of shops and bars, where they have these menus with everything for sale.
Meet up at the Border Macau/Zhuhai. Sunday afternoon at 2pm. Or send SMS to 66800024. Or look for Sergio Perez on the radar, he's the guy to beat!

PRICE: 120 RMB for 30 minutes (in periods of 10 minutes races.)
DAY: Sunday, 18 January 2009. 2 PM.
WHERE: Somewhere in Zhuhai City!! Follow us!
[CHECK HERE FOR THE GREEN HOUSE, is around there]

Welcoming the New Year, St. Paul's Corner is joining forces with you for the best expectations of 2009. A unique and great flavour to start the year to come. Forget the troubles and embrace the next year with a big smile full of good hopes. Are not the others who make it happen, who make it good or bad, it's you, you are the one in control! So... what are you waiting for? Make it shine! Make it big! Restart if needed! And Dance all night long!
Located on the heart of the most Famous Historical Landmark of Macau, the Corners Club, in collaboration with Bloom * Creative Network, invite you for a delightful evening of fun and joy. With live music, DJ's, Stand-up mike performances and a dance floor to twinkle the best beat on you. Don't miss it!

VENUE: St. Paul's Corner - The Corner's Club Rooftop Bar
ADDRESS: Travessa de S. Paulo 3,5 & 7
ORGANIZED BY: The Corners Club and Bloom * Creative Network
WITH: Beto Ritchie, DJ Kunming and Buds
DATE: 31st of December, 2008 - 10 pm
FEE: 80 MOP (60 MOP on advanced booking*) - Entrance + Countdown Champagne
* You can book your entrance by email: cornersclub@ymail.com or root@bloomland.cn / by phone SMS: (+853) 66821066 or (+853) 66800024 - stating your name and contact.

[MORE INFO AT: www.stpaulscorner.com and www.bloomland.cn]

A morte saiu à rua num dia assim
Naquele lugar sem nome para qualquer fim
Uma gota rubra sobre a calçada cai
E um rio de sangue de um peito aberto sai
O vento que dá nas canas do canavial
E a foice duma ceifeira de Portugal
O som da bigorna é como um clarim do céu
Vão dizendo em toda a parte o Pintor morreu

Teu sangue, Pintor, reclama outra morte igual
Só olho por olho e dente por dente vale
À lei assassina à morte que te matou
Teu corpo pertence à terra que te abraçou
Aqui te afirmamos dente por dente assim
Que um dia rirá melhor quem rirá por fim
Na curva da estrada há covas feitas no chão
E em todas florirão rosas de uma nação
[JOSÉ AFONSO • 1972 - TEMA DEDICADO AO POETA JOSÉ DIAS COELHO, ASSASSINADO PELA PIDE EM 19 DEZ 1961]