Wide Wild West: Zion, Grand Canyon, and Colorado River

Moments of inspiration

I saw Slumdog Millionaire tonight. Wow! Beautiful story, very inspirational, indeed! Besides, the main actress, Freida Pinto, is probably descendent of Portuguese, as you can easily deduct from such beauty, right? ;-) 
All that know me are aware that I am a big fan of Obama. That was before he had the extremely good taste of selecting "Bo", a Portuguese water dog, to be the Presidential puppy. Obama, now I really LOVE YOU!!!! :-)))

I don't know, Freida Pinto, Bo, Portuguese descents, all in the same week... I may start liking this. I mean, what is going on??! :-)))

Facebooking Generation

These days, social networks are a must do. Hi5, Facebook, and Twitter have millions of users that may not have seen their "friends" ever or for years but that for some brief moment do get comforted knowing that "Joe is having a beer". It's fun, addictive, futile at times, dangerous for many young teens, but "everybody does it". If you want to be "cool", you do it (lame excuse). Today, the New York Times had this very interesting article about Facebooking, a 21st century verb just added to the anglo-saxonic dictionary. :-)

Mariza

Tonight I went to GMU to see Mariza singing. Fado. I cried from the moment I started hearing the guitars to the very end. Very few things bring in me the full intensity of the meaning of "Saudade", the full flavor of my portuguese soul, my sense of identity, the essence of who I am. Mariza does it to perfection and it invariably brings me to tears. Good tears. Here's my favorite fado. Listen. Lyrics are here.

"O' gente da minha terra"

O' gente da minha terra
Agora e' que eu percebi
Esta tristeza que trago
Foi de vo's que recebi

E' meu e vosso este fado
Destino que nos amarra
Por mais que seja negado
A's cordas de uma guitarra

Sempre que se ouve um gemido
Duma guitarra a cantar
Fica-se logo perdido
Com vontade de chorar

E pareceria ternura
Se eu me deixasse embalar
Era maior a amargura
Menos triste o meu cantar

'Slumdog Millionaire' kid stars face uphill battle

Check out this story. It is so sad. It is mainly sad because it is a very good example of the twists and turns of what seems to be an authentic attempt to help children.

Chasing Pavements

Last night, Adele won the Grammy for Best New Artist. Listen. Chasing Pavements. :-)

YES WE WERE THERE!!

Jan 18th 2009. 3pm. The Metro was empty. We soon got to the Smithsonian exit. All over I looked all I could see were people smiling. A man is trying to sell me the Post of Nov 5th. We exchange some words in a jokey tone. A stranger gives his pitch. We laugh and continue walking towards the Lincoln Memorial. We can't pass the Washington Monument. 500 000 people in the crowd listening to Mary J Blige, then U2, Biden talks. Obama takes the crowd to a uplifting moment that I have never experienced before. Wow, the American spirit has returned to Life! What a beautiful thing, I thought to myself. :-)

Jan 20th 2009. 9am. 13F. Multiple layers of clothing, Buffalo winter-proof boots. The worse hot chocolate I have ever had. Thousands of people surrounding our very own United Nation's representation. Smiley faces, white, black, Asian, American, foreign, very young, elder, walking and on walkers and wheel chairs. Sardine-packed in a uniquely tolerant, kindred spirited crowd. Strangers playing African-type drums. The crowd balances to the rhythm. 

11:30 am. Silence. I hear the swearing-in ceremony through an old battery radio that someone's arm kept elevated so we could all share the moment. Across the street (10th), on the 1st floor of the Hard Rock Cafe, one can spot the ceremony on TV. Eyes on the left, ears on the right. There's a delay between vision and sound.

I look around. Thousands of people packed, in silence, bearing a calm and tolerant smile, a unique complicity between strangers of all races and from all over the planet. A sarcastic goodbye to the presidential helicopter. 

4:30 pm. We finally got through security. Six and half hours in line. The sun went down. It became bitter cold. Five minutes. Five exciting minutes and there they were, walking towards us. Michelle and Barack Obama on Pensylvania Ave. The crowd went ecstatic. Tears on many faces. Screams of joy, laughter of excitement. Wow, I am really here and this is really happening. I got a shot. Not a good one but it didn't matter! I was there and those moments will be in my memory forever. I would do it all over again. Priceless!

Thank you Di, Vishi, Jenny, Iakovos, Rose, and Andreu, for being a part of this experience with me. YES WE DID IT!!!!! :-)

Thank you Barack Obama for being who you are!

Thank you Life for allowing me to be a part of this. I am a very lucky girl at times, hum? :-)