Blog

Reasons to try

Some situations are helpless and we just take them as they are. It also goes for people. Helpless. We label people and facts ´helpless´ for some reasons like it is scientifically proven (or better saying: so far it has been scientifically proven), people have repeatedly made the same errors all through History, facts derive from the decision of small powerful groups, we have been trying over and over again and there was no positive change and/or we got tired of trying. And we stop. History shows: many (or most?) situations keep on being repeated and fighting for changes is a no go. Psychology shows: many (many many) are arrogant and do not accept their failures. Anthropology(?) or Genetics(?) or Biology(?) show: people are basically stupid and refuse to experiment. Science shows: trial and error is the way to growth.

No need for academical studies or encyclopedic knowledge. After some years on Earth just the day-to-day life is enough as source for observation and learning – and maybe this is the best way to understanding people and situations. Maybe it is also the ground for using the adjective ´helpless´. What comes then? The comfortable sensation of ´I did my best and there is nothing more I can do´. And that attitude can be called... helpless.

No hero-playing here. Let´s step on reality and see the world as it is. Cruel and greedy groups dominating and ruling about life making life impossible for humans and any form of Nature. Trying to save the world has shown to be more suicidal than effective and self-preservation is fundamental for those who love Life in all its forms. Thus an honest and objective look in the mirror is required if we mean to stay alive and do something. Identifying and accepting our limitations, identifying and enhancing our talents. Both help avoiding qualifying something or somebody as ´helpless´ even when it seems the only possible way to deal with our impotence.

Even when the big scenario is desperate there is something to consider: the power of words, particularly those of support, kindness, understanding. Words can build and destroy and a single word can bring so much comfort and be a push to those stuck in negativity or pain! Helpless is a no-word. ´Less´ does not apply when joined with ´Help´.

If we give up helping we become help-less. And just a little little help can mean a big big seed for new flowers to bloom into the minds and hearts. As The Beatles said: ´Oh! I get by with a little help from my friends´. Sing together, yes?

go to top

I know it, but

Different but all the same. Like a carousel, the horses turn round and round with the same music and lights, people get on and off, it restarts turning round and round even if at some stops the faces of those who jump on the horses vary their expressions are very much the same.

This is not an amusement park but real life. There are some other options for what is considered the let´s have fun slogan. Turn and turn here, turn and turn there, be it the carousel or the ferris wheel. At the end you can get dizzy or just tired and bored. And still the attractions will go on and more people will repeat the same experiences, turn turn turn.

We watch those who ride the horses or sit on a small chair on the ferris wheel. It does not seem to be fun to our critical eyes however it is evident that some people enjoy the turn turn turn rhythm and keep coming for more.

We listen to stories from those who live as if there was no other way to being in the park where we all are; they are used to the repetitive movement they are caught in and more and more it become one´s personal attraction, one´s private park.

Some stories, same plot: this is not good for you, yes, I know it. But...

The author is also the narrator and even if what is told has many connotations the background points to pain, suffering, tears. Various authors sharing basically the same stories that resulted from their constant repetition about how to build a life.

E. is at the edge of a burnout. Horrible work environment, bad salary, greedy boss, no perspective of change in that company. Look for another job! You say. This is not a way to make a living, there are so many other opportunities, go for it! Yes, I know it, but... And there come ´impossible´ reasons for not looking for another job.

R. finds no means to improve the teaching methods where he does his best for the pupils. The school is located in a very poor area and the families are relieved to have a place where their kids can have a free meal. Most parents are used to hard work and many of them are violent towards their children who reproduce this attitude while dealing with colleagues and teachers. R feels really bad and starts to have more and more symptoms of exhaustion. Move on! You say. This is hurting you a lot. Yes, I know it, but... R is an idealist and believes in love as a propellant for a new life for the students.

S. has been in a long relationship with someone who is not faithful and over time extra affairs have been proven resulting in many tears and false promises. S. acknowledges the need to put an end to this situation. Stop suffering, break up! You say. You don´t deserve to be treated like this! Yes. I know it, but... S. is afraid of the solitude that might follow and, well, this is a good partner after all.

And so on. How many citizens declare their countries to urgently need fair government, honest politicians, decent representatives, humanitarian law-makers and keep on voting for cruel, greedy, corrupt candidates? Aren´t you aware of what is happening in the world? Why do you vote for this person? Think again, vote for someone else or you´ll be accomplice of what´s ahead in the whole world! You say. Yes. I know it, but... People are stupid.

The same old and ugly carousel.

Our kids deserve better.

go to top

Squash

Internet is full of explanations about squash, be it Wikipedia, videos at Youtube, associations, clubs or sites for those motivated to know more and/or to effectively be member of the squash community as a professional or just as fans. In principle we are talking about two people in a specific small closed area specifically built for the sport where a ball and a racket specially designed for this type of game are required as equipment.

Not as popular in the world as other sports like football (for example) it is rather common to see scenes of people playing squash in films and generally these games involve situations where some charming actors play roles of desirable life style. The ´intimate´ sphere of a squash court is special: indoors and quite small offering the possibility to enjoy the sport in different locations where having fun is not necessarily the point. Think about companies that have a squash court in their premises allowing employees to have sportive breaks!

Generally there are 2 or 4 people in the court but not everyone has a partner to play in life. This also applies to squash lovers who got no company to play it with or those who simply do not like to take part in activities with others but still like to play squash. The solo-squash modality is suitable here. The court can be the same but the concept is very different: the solo-player uses the court walls as feedback-player and that´s it. Boring? Well... Better not to discuss tastes.

Squash can be a very surprising term! For example, in languages like English and Danish this is a vegetable so you not only can play but also eat it. We can also use it metaphorically and refer to ´squash-talk´- probably not officially created but easy to understand and difficult to put up with, it differs from other types of oral conversation. When two persons talk it can end up being a monologue but this not necessarily is squash-talk. Monologue does not imply the presence of two people because it can happen with various individuals sharing a common space in a specific time while just one speaks and the other(s) listen. Otherwise we can have a Dialogue – a two-person interaction – or a Debate, and here we hope that many people will exchange ideas in a polite way.

What defines squash-talk? The basic idea is that two speakers agree to have a Dialogue but the practice differs from the agreement. Instead of a flow of words coming-and-going in a speak-listen-speak-listen way between the talkers what (almost always) happens is one talker mentioning a (his/her) problem and the other trying-and-suggesting (possible) solutions that just return without having been ´listened to´. One throws an idea expecting to have a return but the other just acts like a mute wall.

After some time throwing words-balls that return as they were sent the game is over, either because the ´thrower´ gets tired and gives or because the ´thrower´ gets tired and gives up. It is useless to keep trying and help those who behave like walls that don´t absorb any ideas. This is not only tiring but very frustrating. C´mon, there are better ways to talk.

Go for it.

go to top

Pinky Island (To anybody who likes to be happy)

You don't have to be stupid to ignore violence. Neither rapes, neither killing in any of its versions, serial, individual or genocide-type.

As soon as you're born, you're surrounded by violence and bad people. Nothing new, they'd say. El mundo es así...

But everyone looks at the world through the eyes of his/her eyes... and that's my sentence, one of the many that come from my heart. When I meet someone who does not trust, then I get worried about that person: why have distrust as a mother-tongue?

Let's try some objectivity: alienation is one thing, self-protection is another. In both cases it means you build a cocoon around you, make it pretty and cozy, and try to live as peacefully and healthily as possible, not forgetting that you need windows and doors and to go outside to see what is happening out there... Yes, this is what traveling is about.

You would have to be very sad to prefer to lock yourself inside a cocoon and not enjoy the lovely opportunities to go around and experience other places and meet other people. You really need to be absurd to refuse doing so.

On the other hand, your little flowers need to be safe from destruction. You have a garden of love, secrets, words and images, gestures and movements that you treasure, that are your crystal and you don't want to see your delicate works of art broken by hard sounds and terrible acts. And maybe that means you will stay where you are... Maybe.

Ok, ok. So are the people. El mundo es así. And I live the real life.

I live the real life, I say. I know. I've read, seen, suffered and cried enough to come to this point now.

Now I want my Pinky Island. You may call it impossible, you can say I am not normal, you can think I like kitch, you might accuse me of being insensible to whatever calamity so many people are facing at the very moment when you're reading this non-sense from me.

Well. So be it. I am absurd and non-sense. I never tried to pretend otherwise. I've never made any sense at all... why should I start now?

No, folks. No. After stepping on so many hard grounds, now I walk softly around this nest of love.

Don't try to tell me why people are not decent. That I know already...for a long time now I've come to know this.

Just gimme a break.

Now I want my Pinky Island.

And strawberries with chantilly for desert, please!

go to top

Les touristes

Ladies and Gentlemen!!!

We offer you the best way to get easy and quick money: just buy TOURISTS and all your financial problems are over!!!

Our product is easy to use and transport and extremely handy!!! A brief description will certainly convince you that TOURISTS guarantee a relaxed future for you, your family and friends. We have worked really hard and for a long time to design the best possible version to meet your demands.

TOURISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE LAST WORD FOR SAVINGS!!!

1. VERY PRACTICAL: you can chose between “moving” or “stuck” versions. Although the “moving” model seems to be of more interest to the public around the world, the “stuck” version brings you more money and does not require transportation. The “stuck” TOURISTS stay wherever they are but still remain vulnerable to all types of temptation.


2. VERY ATTRACTIVE: you can find TOURISTS in various sizes and colors and they are offered in different modelitos but basically come in simple fashioned packings allowing you to make good profit by decorating them.


3. VERY MUSICAL: TOURISTS are produced in many languages and provide new and exotic sounds. Try one! You might be amazed to hear “how much is it?” in so many ways!


4. VERY FUNNY: our TOURISTS also bring some mimic devices which – along with the sound effects – give you wonderful moments of sheer enjoyment and fun! They can be funnier than any media!!!


5. VERY PEACEFUL: although some of our models may cause a little too much amusement (consider the soundtrack and the special figurines) this is a product that is safe. Think about guns?… TOURISTS pass through hard anti-guns quality control.


6. VERY ECOLOGICAL: Our product is manufactured both with “honesty” and “cleaning” devices. Most of the models are nature preservers. If you show TOURISTS around it is most likely that there will be NO trash left behind. Most of our models are supplied with their own plastic bags and are programmed to put the waste in there.


7. VERY ORIGINAL: as we produce TOURISTS in various countries you can choose special complements at no extra charge. “Hand-in-Hand” and “Kissing-Everywhere” are amongst our best sellers and they behave in such an emotional and spontaneous way that you can have your children to see them giving you a good break on the electricity bill. Electronic devices won´t be needed and the kids will have lots of fun!


8. VERY USEFUL: TOURISTS are very independent and can help you make free marketing for you as they go everywhere and do not charge for “passing the good word around”.

Don´t waste any more time!!!

GET YOUR TOURISTS

and

GET RICH

NOW!!!!!!

Let's repeat together?

YANKEES!!!         D O N ’ T GO HOME!!!

go to top

Ghosting

Ghosts usually are an important part of the entertainment business and some become really famous and appreciated by different audiences. Those who have an exquisite taste and value creative and unique theater spectacles would certainly mention ´The Phantom of the Opera´ as one of the most unforgettable musicals ever produced in the world. Based on the book by Gaston Leroux it opened in London´s West End in 1986 and on Broadway in New York in 1988 where it celebrated its 10,000th performance on 11 February 2012 as the longest running show in Broadway history. So far, no ghost has received so many awards as the one who lived in a secret lair reachable through a subterranean lake and who had extraordinary powers. The Phantom seduces Christine, a chorus girl who became soprano prima donna in the opera where they live a relationship of intense emotions, where mystery and magic are strong elements in the composition of the ambiance for the musical.

Well, not all well-known ghosts are so sophisticated...

More recently, the Brazilian enterprise Globo Filmes produced ´Pluft´ in 2022, a film destined to children which was very successful in Brazil both as film and as TV mini-series. It was based on a well-known Brazilian children´s play ´Pluft, o Fantasminha´, by Maria Clara Machado, performed for the first time in 1955 in the ´Teatro O Tablado´, in Rio de Janeiro. The story has many elements of fantasy but also depicts situations easily recognizable as years passed. A kid-ghost who has a calm life on a remote island where he is protected from all evil from the outside world until the moment when he comes in contact with a little girl who has been kidnapped by a terrible pirate...

These examples are mere illustrations of how ghosts can fill in roles that otherwise would not be well represented as to express an entity not really definable. Basically the idea of a ghost is linked to characters that do-not-exist-but-yet-do. But around the mid-2010´s a new term began appearing in various online forums, social media and dating sites, with a very different meaning. ´Ghosting´ refers not to somebody or something that is no longer physically present but in many ways ´remains´ in someone´s life but exactly the opposite! Originated in the context of dating and social relationships ghosting refers to the sudden and one-sided termination of all communication by one party without any explanation to the other, or a previous argument between them.

This being said, ours is a very insecure world. We can not feel safe in our loving contacts anymore, whether they are romantic or friendly. Just out of the blue the great talk we had or used to have with somebody turns out to have been the definitive adieu and you had no clue about it! Understandably it makes you not only feel unprotected but dumb. How come I did not see it coming? you may ask.

Don´t blame yourself, you simply could not have. And why not? Because the world is full of ghosts and sometimes they disguise themselves and seem to be a real friend or something of the sort.

Relax. Everybody is ghostable...

go to top