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On the road in Portugal, currently tending to the family business – this is me in the car talking about whats going on in Portugal and Europe’s role in Iraq. All Portuguese-language music as well.
Musica:
Fernando Lameirinhas – Lusitano
Os Humanos – (Track 1 I cant remember)
Vinicius Cantuaria – Re-Entry
The public internet spot I’m sitting in claims to have wi-fi. What I’ve discovered is that it is one big tease…. 10 minutes of wi-fi and then it drops you… repeat over and over… madness. My podcast will have to be posted from the McDonalds parking lot.. strangely enough the only wi-fi hot spot in this city for the last 3 years. – This is truely old europe, the computers in this place are gigantic.
Here’s a photo.
Now go read the Beatroot, over in Poland.
Greetings and good evening from Lisbon, Portugal. Capital of this funny little country my family hails from. People park on the sidewalk, dogs poop everywhere, random construction projects are everywhere; this is Lisbon as I know and love it. Cept that cars on the sidewalk, thats just annoying. Oh wait.. lots of things are charming to some while annoying to others, nevermind.
what I wanted to tell you on this my first of five days in Portugal is about my friend Elsa and the pub she works at – the pumphouse. Anyone who’s ever come to visit me in Lisbon has certainly been to the pumphouse. It is THE bar for me in Lisbon. It is where Mr. Anteater.org.uk and I used to play chess on our days away from teaching the good people English. And it is ALWAYS my first stop when I get into town, just like today – I go there directly from the airport.
But I never go at night. This because I don’t go to the pumphouse just cause I like their ice tea and Liverpool loving owner. Não. I go to see someone who is basically one of my oldest “family” members in this city. I’ve been coming here for years, since I was 17, each summer I’d stay right here in this apartment and take classes at university. And every single one of those summers you could find me, a few times per week, sitting in the pumphouse talking to Elsa. I always walk in and give her kisses and sit next to her and ask about her son, and then we talk about Amsterdam, and then she talks of travelling and projects that she hasn’t got off the ground yet. She’s a beautiful woman, so usually I fade into the background as the usual guys walk in and start talking up a storm with her. I give her kisses and head up here to my nest… thats the tradition.
I was thinking about how its been 4 years since I lived and worked right here. And then I started thinking its been double that long that I’ve known Elsa. On my way out of the pub this afternoon, as we said goodbye, I paused and said to her “it’s always good to see you, you’ll my family in this city, you know that?” Busy with costumers and probably more important things on her mind, she smiled and said “I know.”
Oh and I think I saw George H Bush today being led away from the presidential innaugeration by motorcade. You just can’t slow down those ex-presidents, they’re everywhere!
Tick toc, tick toc, clocks are my enemy and in a matter of hours – poof, I’m off to Lisbon to see my people, my grandparents, my motherland. It’s always an exciting feeling to step out of that airport, as you stare out past the taxi stand, you can see down to the former site of Expo ’98, and more importantly – the great Tagus river. Oh the flashbacks to my old life in Lisbon are starting as always! Internet access will be inconsistant, but I know all the wi-fi nooks and tricks, so I will find you dear readers. And there will, of course be podcasting.
Before I get back to packing things I won’t use, I want to refer to some important things:
1 – Yesterday was International Women’s Day. I spoke briefly with Steph in Sweden about it. I don’t really like the idea to be honest. Why the hell isn’t every day women’s day? Myself, I honor and cherish my ladies at work, home, and in my social life. International Women’s Day? Is that the best you’ve got? L A M E.Following the interview a few weeks ago with GI Jane, GI Joan contacted me to express how she saw things as a national guard soldier who joined prior to Sept. 11th. In this interview we talk about her view of the military, the invasion of Iraq, the government, her experience helping with hurricane recovery, and the power (or lack there of) that civilians have in the grand scheme of things.
Additional Links:
ANSWER coalition Demonstrations Worldwide March 18-20
Lisbon area listeners can meet me for a drink on Sunday night March 12th, 21h, at O’Guillen’s Pub in Cais do Sodré. (assuming its still opened on Sunday night, I forget.. best to just email me.)
Music:
Joan Baez – One Tin Soldier
Bjork – Army of Me
Bonus Audio After I say Goodbye – Proof of Negligence
I realize that many internauts still haven’t gotten into videoblogs. Some believe they take up to much time and too much of one’s attention. (both audio and visual) Others believe they don’t cover anything of interest. Still, I believe it just takes time for the critics to realize the value and the wealth of entertainment, knowledge, and creativity that can be found through the magic of vlogs.
Of course, just like with blogs and podcasts, you have an abundance, nee, an over-abundance of tech related or generall fluff video blogs, like the most popular Rocketboom. Now I watch RB and I give them lots of respect for what they do, but my number one criticism is that they don’t really challenge the audience or address social issues. Once in a blue moon you’ve a report from “africa”, in between all the funny websites and gadgets that apparently the audience goes nuts for.
As a result of this desire to watch vlogs that report about the world and what’s happening to different populations of the world, I recently went on a quest to find vlogs that concern themselves with social justice, poverty, and well – real life problems. Interestingly the two best ones that I have found and am now subscribed to (in my fireant, the best program for watching vlogs) are: Sierra Club TV – Their latest special about Cordova, Alaska and what has happenned to the Prince William Sound since the Exxon spill is nothing less than gripping… frustrating.. something that every high school student should have to watch.
My other recommendation, though not as good, is UNICEF TV, videos from different parts of the world where UNICEF is working to help children in need.
And since Im recommending stuff, let me just highly recommend that you NOT just click on those sites and look, but you actually subscribe to those video feeds using itunes or fireant or whatever program of choice… it’s a much better way to stay informed and better use of your time.
AudioCommunique #111 (mp3)