He made a promise

And he kept it! Welcome Mark!

a few words to begin...

C'est un trou de verdure où chante une rivière
Accrochant follement aux herbes des haillons
D'argent ; où le soleil, de la montagne fière,
Luit : c'est un petit val qui mousse de rayons.

Un soldat jeune, bouche ouverte, tête nue,
Et la nuque baignant dans le frais cresson bleu,
Dort ; il est étendu dans l'herbe sous la nue,
Pâle dans son lit vert où la lumière pleut.

Les pieds dans les glaïeuls, il dort. Souriant comme
Sourirait un enfant malade, il fait un somme :
Nature, berce-le chaudement : il a froid.

Les parfums ne font pas frissonner sa narine ;
Il dort dans le soleil, la main sur sa poitrine,
Tranquille. Il a deux trous rouges au côté droit.

A.R.


more to follow...now i'm finally here...

Salzburg

Now that my luggage has arrived, that I went to the supermarket and the “The Departed” DVD that I bought in Baku decided to stop running in the middle of the movie, I can seat and tell you about the days I spent in Salzburg. I was there for the first Bureau meeting of this year and I had a good time with my old and new colleagues. The atmosphere was great and allowed for us to get to know each others better, build a common ground and start delivering results. On the top of everything, we had fun! We stayed in the mountain, which was covered in snow and offered amazing views over the Salzburg basin. With no access to internet and bad mobile-phone coverage, we were led to appreciate the morning walks on the snow, the evenings in the living-room, the chocolates and all kinds of sweets and, above all, the company of each others. Yesterday, after almost everyone had left, I, Pedro and Mark had the opportunity to explore the city. We walked around the baroque old town, visited the Cathedral and the fortress, the castle of Mirabell and the residence of Mozart. We enjoyed the funicular, made jokes about “The Sound of Music”, stared at the Salzach and the surrounding mountains and came back home with a positive feeling about the city and the work ahead of us. Way to go!

Back with bad habits

I just returned home from Salzburg, but my luggage stayed in Vienna... It's becoming a very bad habit!

Speak out!

The gunfire around us makes it hard to hear. But the human voice is different from other sounds. It can be heard over noises that bury everything else. Even when it's not shouting. Even when it's just a whisper. Even the lowest whisper can be heard over armies... when it's telling the truth.

Maria Full of Grace

Great acting, great script, beautiful music, simple cinematography. And a Catalina Sandino Moreno full of grace! To see that it actually ends is a very harrowing experience...

The World of Tomorrow

I have been witness to a world consumed by hatred and bent on self-destruction, watched as we have taken what was to be a paradise and failed in our responsibilites as its steward. I know now that the course of human race has set for itself must be changed. There is still a chance for this planet. Now, love this place or die!

To set the record straight

I already won the fight against the dirt and am now enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon!

Rundudundu

"Rundudundu is an expression that is not commonly used even in Lithuania where I come from. It is like a child invented word, which means nothing. For me RUNDU - stands for Rundis, this is how my friends tend to call me and DUNDU stands for loud and clear... So enjoy my thoughts loud and clear..."

One week as a blogger and already a star! Welcome Rundu!

About Schmidt

Since I moved to Brussels I started doing something I didn’t use to do before: to buy movies in DVD format and watch them at home. Before, I hardly did it. I guess that it is because now I spend much more time alone and I tend to stay at home more often. I always enjoyed watching movies though and doing it at home is much more comfortable than going to a theatre under the Brussels’ rain. And much cheaper! Well, anyway, I’ve been buying many movies and watching them every time I can. Yesterday I’ve watched “Monster’s Ball”, and last week, “Along Came a Spider” and “Gattaca”. All nice movies… but tonight I’ve watched “About Schmidt”. I have to confess that I was dubious when I picked this DVD up from the shelf. I sat down tonight, and the first thing that hit me was the way that the film was shot. It is shot using rather blue and green hues, so the film is rather subdued. Secondly, the music stands out. Instead of using a typical 'boohoo' orchestra, the film uses beautiful wandering piano and marimba sounds. The characters, could easily relate to people we all know: Helen, the wife who is excited about getting to spend a new chapter of her life with her husband; Warren, the husband who obeys his wife but secretly resents it. And, then, a sudden change which causes a rethink in everything he has done up until that point. At first, this appeared to be a comedy, but it was soon revealed to be a beautifully poignant film. Throughout, it questions mortality, what you can achieve in life, and how to cope with loss, or change. This film must be watched very carefully though. If you're not paying enough attention to it, you would miss it. It's in the frames, the atmosphere, the tiny details, the situations, the acting, everything. But it's not that obvious, unless you enter that world. Simple story? Sure. Life is simple. So is great art! All in all, "About Schmidt" is a really great film. Bitter humour, all-pervading lie, the infinite sadness of loneliness and failure, sincere egoism, everyday dullness, desperate and quiet hope - this is life, and in a non-blatant, nor melodramatic manner. But you're going to weep (and smile) at the ending (I did!). I would thoroughly recommend anybody to watch this film. It will stay with you for a long time. At least, it will stay with me. Now, did anyone else notice the symbolism with the cows? First, at the retirement dinner, with his picture up next to two prize cows; then, the cattle truck being washed off near his wife's funeral; then as he's driving down the highway in a big truck just like they are; and finally at the wedding reception as the beef is being sliced while he's in obvious pain about how things have gone. I can’t get these cows off my mind and yet I can’t understand their meaning… Can someone help me?

Baku

I arrived this morning from Baku, the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan. I went there for work, and it is never too much to say how much these trips contribute to the fact that I love my job. I was there for three days and apart from the professional meetings, I had the chance to visit the city and learn a small bit about the history and the culture of this far-east European country. The name of Baku is believed to be derived from the ancient Persian name of the city, Badu-kube, meaning “city where the wind blows”. Being there, it isn’t difficult to understand the reason for this name! The history of Baku dates back to 1st millennium BC, but the city only became important in the 12th century, when ruling Shirvanshah Ahsitan I made it the new capital after an earthquake destroyed Shemakha. At this time the city was enclosed with the lines of strong walls, what is now known as the Old Town and includes two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower. This part of the city is picturesque, with its maze of narrow alleys and ancient buildings; wander the cobbled streets past the Palace, two caravanserais (ancient inns where I had a wonderful meal while listening to live traditional music!), the Maiden Tower, the baths and the Djuma Mosque. In 1723, after a lasting siege and firing from the cannons, Baku surrendered to the Russian soldiers of Peter the Great. For almost one hundred years it often changed hands between the tsarist Russia and Persia, until a treaty was signed in 1813, providing for the cession of Baku and most of the Caucasus from Iran and its annexation by Russia. Since 1873, an oil belt of Baku began to be formed, giving birth to a second part of the town, known as Black City or boomtown. Within a short period of time, departments and representations of European and American firms were established in Baku, among them the firms of the Nobel and Rothschild families. By the beginning of the 20th century, almost half of the oil reserves in the world had been extracted in Baku. This oil boom led to the construction of interesting beaux-arts mansions, which now house fine arts, history and literature museums, South of the Old City. In 1918, after bloody disputes between the Azerbaijani faction of the “Transcaucasian Sejm” and the Dashnak-Armenian forces, an Azeri-Ottoman army entered the capital, causing British rulers and much of the Armenian population to flee and since that time Baku was the capital of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which existed for two years only, though. On April 28, 1920 the Red Army invaded Baku and occupied the city. The National Government had to flee to Europe and many Azeri personalities in Baku were killed by the Soviet troops. The new rulers were at the origin of the third part of the city, the Soviet-built town, which is, without any doubts, the least interesting. Modern, oil-rich Baku has a population of around 2 millions, spread of a rectangular lay-out rising up hills that rim the Bay of Baku, in the Caspian Sea. The basis of Baku’s economy is petroleum; but the city is proud of many of its famous sons, who include chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, Physics Nobel Prize Lev Davidovich Landau, cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and Kerim Kerimov, head of Soviet space program for 25 years. Unforgettable experiences from Baku also include the crazy drivers and the warmth of Azeri hospitality.

Countries I have visited - first 2007 update

Passangers in transit

The past is like the sea: it never calms down. Houses shrink, like old people, while trees never stop growing. When we go back, after many years, to our childhood places, we find giant trees overshadowing miniature houses that once were ours. We hardly recognise the doll-bed in which we slept when we were children, or the yard, that we always found immense, and which has, after all, only two palms of length.
My father used to tell me:
- Life is a race, my son. The ones who look backwards while running, risk stumbling.
I don’t look backwards. Sometimes I walk with my eyes closed and I stumble, like everyone else, and eventually I fall; but I never look backwards. I don’t celebrate the past: I don’t collect pictures and never kept dry petals between the pages of old books. I always move forward. When someone asks me where I am going, I shrug the shoulders and laugh:
- Ahead.

Warning

Calories are small animals that live in the closets and during the night shrink people's clothes. After I got back to Brussels, I realised that many of these animals live at my parents' closets, in Guimarães. Three weeks there were enough to make my clothes shrink for about 3.5 kilograms!

Unforgettable Places to See before You Die

Angkor Wat (Cambodia), Havana (Cuba), Grand Canyon (Arizona), Taj Mahal (Agra, India), Eilean Donan Castle (Scotland), Aitutaki (Cook Islands), Dead Vlei (Namibia), Iguassu Falls (Brazil and Argentina), Petra (Jordan), College Fjord (Alaska), Karnak Temple (Luxor, Egypt), Taman Negara Rainforest (Malaysia), Jaisalmer Fort (India), Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Lake Titicaca (Bolivia and Peru), Monet's Garden (Giverny, France), Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania), Santorini (Greece), Drakensberg (South Africa), Zanzibar (Tanzania), Makalu (Himalayas, Nepal), Lalibela (Ethiopia), Machu Picchu (Peru), Uluru (Australia), The Ghats (Varanasi, India), Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Lhasa (Tibet), Yangshuo (Guilin, China), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Ephesus (Turkey), The Bund (Shanghai, China), Samarkand (Uzbekistan) and Killary Harbour (Ireland). These are the 33 unforgettable places left to see before I die. I have already visited the other seven, but there's still a long way to go. If I manage to visit an average of one per year, I should be done by 65. Which is OK. Then, I can chose the place in which I want to spend my pension or visit another 40 places. For now, I need to figure out how to deal with these 33. And I accept suggestions, ideas, invitations, challenges and tips from others who share my objective or have already visited these places. See you there!

Who Wants to be a Billionaire?

My holidays in Portugal are coming to an end and I must start planning the trip back to Brussels. One of the problems which are worrying me the most is the fact that I have a lot more things to carry back than the ones I brought in, and I assume it will happen the same to Pedro… Moreover, in the way back we will be three, as my elder brother will join us until Brussels, from where he will continue his journey until Cluj, in Romania. One of the main reasons for this increase of the luggage is Christmas and the enormous amount of presents exchanged… Even though I hate this consumption fair that Christmas has become, I have to confess that I love to receive presents and even like to give some back. I also enjoy knowing what others got, especially if I can benefit from their presents too.

This is the story about two books: one that was offered to me and another one which was offered to my dad. The first one is a novel by Vikas Swarup, called “Q and A”. Set in India, it is the story of Ram Mohammad Thomas, one 18-years-old waiter who lives in a Mumbai slum. His troubles start when he wins the biggest prize in history on the television programme “Who Will Win a Billion?” and the producers suspect his ability and send him to jail on accusations that he cheated. The novel unfolds as Ram tells his life story to Smita Shah, his lawyer. Reviewing the show, Ram drives us through an amazing trip, from the day in which he was found in a trash-can, to his encounter with an Australian colonel obsessed by security and the period in which he worked as a guide in the Taj Mahal. Using what the streets teached him, Ram finds the correct answers, not only for the quiz-show, but also for life. In young Ram’s story, it is possible to find the mirror of all the comedy, tragedy, joy and bitterness of modern’s India. Lovely!

The other book is called “Unforgettable Places to See before You Die”. It introduces some of the most exciting destinations in the world. Some, like the already mentioned Taj Mahal or Machu Picchu, are relatively well-known, but many others, like the incredible temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the amazing sand dunes of Dead Vlei in the Namib desert, are very much off-the-beaten-track. Some, like Venice, involve comfortable journeys, and others, like trekking at high altitudes to see the stunning Himalayan scenery around Mount Makalu in Nepal, present a real challenge. International travel writer and photographer Steve Davey has drawn on his years of experience to select these 40 unforgettable places. Filled with tips for both the experienced and novice traveller, the book reveals a host of spectacular sites that can be visited in two weeks or less. Beautifully illustrated, the book inspires to travel beyond our own backyard and visit some of the world’s truly unforgettable places.

I’m not very keen on New Year’s resolutions, but reading these two books made me take one decision. Or, actually, two: the first one is to travel more for pleasure only; the second one is to visit India. As soon as possible!

New Year's Day Wishes

The “old” year finished in a sad way, with Saddam Hussein being executed by the new authorities of the country where thousands of people have been dying supposedly to bring democracy and rule of law there… A lot closer, ETA broke the cease fire and a new bomb went off in a parking lot at the new terminal of the Madrid airport… For me, the New Year started with fireworks and the smile of my son staring at them, and toasts with old and long-time friends that I don’t see very often. And messages exchanged with others, whom I see more often but weren’t with me at that time. The celebrations closed quite early, due to the responsible exercise of paternity, but I know that the first day of the year often finds people with a serious lack of sleep. Today, one person I care a lot about also found a “lucky small scratch” on her car… But, as it is also often the case on the 1st of January, she took it in a quite positive way. It’s funny how all the hopes are allowed when a year comes to an end and a new one starts. Everyone makes best wishes and many people tend to trust that they will all come true. We know that they won’t, at least not all of them; but it is nice to see that we all allow ourselves and the others this exceptionally pure trust and belief that things can actually get better. I wish they will!

2007

Happy New Year!!!
May it be better than the last one!