Revolução dos Cravos

Lis Day 31

The Carnation Revolution (Portuguese: Revolução dos Cravos) was an almost bloodless, leftist, military-led coup d'état, started on April 25, 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, that effectively changed the Portuguese regime from an authoritarian dictatorship to a liberal democracy after two years of a transitional period known as PREC (Processo Revolucionário Em Curso), characterized by social turmoil and power dispute between left and right wing political forces. Although government forces killed four people before surrendering, the revolution was unusual in that the revolutionaries did not use direct violence to achieve their goals. The population, holding red carnations (cravos in Portuguese), convinced the regime soldiers not to resist. The soldiers readily swapped their bullets for flowers. It was the end of the Estado Novo, the longest authoritarian regime in Western Europe (but not the last to end; Francisco Franco ruled Spain until his death in 1975). The revolution is often simply referred to, as its celebratory holiday, o vinte e cinco de Abril (the 25th of April).

[taken from here, where you will find the rest of this brief historical outline.]
it's ... not-very-surprising (for lack of a better word) ... that even the revolution here "was almost bloodless"; but does Portugal, 34 years after the event, hold the same free-through-peacefulness attitude? Later on today we'll be checking out the anarchist manifestation 'on the occasion'. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Lis Day 28

Since everyone in the WWW Universe (or at least anyone who seems to matter at the time, e.g. Google, Yahoo or YouTube) turned green for the Earth Day today, it appears that I couldn't let it simply pass by; nevermind the controversy between the UN-established date & that of the American govt. The cool thing about it is that some entities show a certain degree of respect towards planet Earth, be that formal or hypocritical. And so I also get to learn (and share with you) certain novelties, such as a list of so-called Top 15 Green Websites, put together by Times.

What I dislike however, is the beating around the bush (pun unintended) in the shape of festivals, crafting and the likes. In case you're wondering why, I think that the awareness is there, thank you very much, it's time for people to actually start acting upon that rather than continuing the same campaigns from the 70s, when the entire celebration actually started..

And something else that I need to add. Unrelated, still I need to take it off my mind. Here goes: since I got to Lisbon, I accidentally heard Romanian spoken twice, both times in the tube. And they were both strongly disappointing.
Case 1. 2 young ladies chatting about clothes and the likes and referring to the shoes worn by a 3rd party as those of the "cioara". I got shocked. Really.
Case 2. 3 young men waiting at the entrace to the tube; undistinguished mumblings addressed to each other, though I could realise certain words as Romanian. A 4th gentleman passes and enters towards the stop. One of the 3 pushes him forward to pass as well. A small cross-talk occurs, then the entrace is blocked until the 2nd and, respectively, the 3rd had passed.

I felt speechless in both situations. What would you have done, in my place?

too Happy

Year 0: Utrecht
Year 1: me - Cluj ~~ J. - Lagos
Year 2: me - Bucharest ~~ J. - Lisbon
Year 3: me - Amsterdam ~~ J. - Lisbon
Year 4: me - Lisbon ~~ J. - Lisbon

so, here it is!! our 4 years "birthday" [as J. calls it], together! simultaneously realising that my 17th of April's have occured in 5 different cities over the past 5 years: 2 Dutch, 2 Romanian & 1 Portuguese. funny how life goes.

Alex: I'm too outta-this-world for the time being to be able to do little more than thanking for the offer (!) perhaps tomorrow I'll be getting back to my senses & compose a more decent reply.
however: I meant what I wrote yesterday, I am indeed looking forward to seeing all of you here. as an extra-bonus, Kate will be getting here as well. which is good. apparently my presence in Lisbon is far more enticing/opportune to visiting than my former presence in A'dam. funny little detail!

Weee

I am officially excited about this trip. Aside from the much needed vacation and Teo plus Andrei briefly, I know for a fact Lisbon is more fun and definitely more noise-tolerant than Geneva. At least old ladies don't snap at you on the street when your 2 cm heels make enough noise to spoil their little precious dog-walking morning peace. Half-empty, poignant looks pin you down to the point of silent cursing. Note to self: must stick to flats on cobblestone next time. Bitter much.

Teo, let me know of any Swiss wishes, or else I'll bring a ton of chocolate.

sloppy but random

Lis Day 22

gps: Lisbon University's Faculty of Sciences
working on:

• figuring out the 4-years-anniversary present..
• finding a relatively-inexpensive language course;
• furthering certain un-completely-determined career perspective;
• updating my mailboxes..

the last couple of weeks:

• a brief holiday-type of addiction with regard to a couple of series: the British Black Books & the American Dexter;
• getting a new PT SIM card;
• getting J.'s laptop into the repair shop - thus impairing my/our Internet usage;
• tying up the loose end represented by Baudrillard's Consumer Society: Myths and Structures;
• getting 3 new friends & 1 new acquaintance (or so);
• purchasing my first Portuguese English-language guide; and
• the 1st part of the visit to the Gulbenkian Museum.

now: I'm aware that I haven't been much of a keeper-in-touch recently, but there are solid grounds for that... which I won't be disclosing for the time being... but you will believe, ... I hope. In any case, there are only a couple of weeks left till the proximate Romanian gathering in Lisbon, and I can hardly wait! getting going now.

Lisboa :: PT Day 8

couldn´t even imagine how to structure an account of the "how´s" over the last 2,5 weeks; it´s just been a random series of bursts of "to do´s" interrupted by bursts of complete calm.

and then [... after talks, changed tickets, a delayed flight, as well as several other bureaucratic items...] i landed in Lisbon:

... so, here it is! sunny, windy, confusing, happi-fying, yet another Change-of-Address! this time, perhaps the most irrational of them all, which only stands to make it the most challenging at the same time!

Happy April to the world out there! This ride has just begun! :)