Clicquot

Strange and familiar, the way brain processes and crosses references. I wish I could once understand this multi-referential process (maybe understanding it undermines the charm and fascinating essence) tying up emotions, facts and sights.

Clicquot & Cliquot

In my brain they were one and the same. Yet they are different.

The fact is that Clicquot stands for a prestigous champagne brand. The producer is located in Reims, France. I had the chance to taste it once, and though luxury normally comes with a high price, that time everything was smooth and easy. Maybe because I wasn't paying for the bill.

Estive lá uma e duas vezes. Onde a força telúrica dos vales da Marne enracoça e encorpa as uvas. E tudo é vinha em redor, a perder de vista. E tudo é, em potência máxima e absoluta, convertido e vertido em cálices de um bublly nectar.

Cliquot, well... Cliquot is this fabulous song. I wish I was Beirut's neighbor. Really, I wish.

Oh love, and the cold, the oncoming cold

Let the seasons begin

I am no longer afraid of life. So I became bohemian in a certain sense.
I let myself be driven by the many forms, facets and geometries of enjoyment.
I enjoy bits and bits of this and that day, and my life becomes the happy sum of those bits.
Let the seasons begin, I say confidently. Let the elements shake me and the unexpected thrill me.
And it all has the the rhythm and melody of a loud triumphant trumpet. It is not flamboyance. It is the trumpet of serene contentment.

(it's been some time since the discovery of a new song was able to inspire such personnal disclosure. But to me, this was the "Beirut" effect).



Beirut, "Elephant Gun"; 2007

Decent work for a decent life

The ILO held its international forum in Lisbon under the topic "Decent Work for a Fair Globalization".



I had the priviledge to take part in what was intended to be a broad social platform for discussing the forging of a new movement for promoting decent work.

The Forum gathered 300 representatives of the ILO tripartite social partners – governments, workers and employers – as well as representatives of parliaments, civil society and government and opinion leaders to discuss the current economic situation.

It all makes a lot of sense, when the world is about to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Just as Ms. Mary Robinson pointed out in her brilliant speech, this is the time for nations to renew their committments to the advancement of fundamental rights. Decent work is amognst those and it is perhaps the most powerful guarantee of economic development and social cohesion on a global scale.

Putin's Russia in Lisbon

These days have been crazy and wild in Lisbon. Politicians, the media and civil society new actors are in absolute frenzy, trying to make the most of this unique moment - the six month presidency of the Council of Europe Portugal holds until December.

I must say I am an admirer of the Portuguese massive diplomatic efforts and the brilliantism and professionalism transparent in every act, political gesture or attemp to design new policies or strategies for Europe.

Lisbon paved the way for the new Treaty, put Brazil in the European agenda as a priviledged partner and is attempting to focus Europe's attention to Africa, where China is so much ahead of us now.

All this to say that also Russia was in Lisbon very recently. President Putin came to Lisbon for the EU-Russia Summit and his arrival provoked a triple effect earthquake.

He literally made the city stop. Something I had never experienced before, not even when I lived in Brussels and when the streets around the Berlaymont are shut down. Lisbon was paralyzed, frozen as if waiting for some sort of revelation. I happened to be stuck for minutes in the traffic and eventually did the route on foot. I then saw something hard to put in words. The city was suspended from its natural existence. No cars, very few people, echoing painful silence only to be interrupted by loud police military-style cars, Mr. Putin's limosine with the Russian flag and his entourage following him in minibuses.

First, President Putin has compared US plans for a missile shield in Europe to the Cuban missile crisis of the 1960s. WOW
To soon after say that there would be no repeat because Russia and the US were "not enemies anymore... we are partners" and President Bush was a "personal friend". Ambiguous speech, where one can obviously read the revival of Russia's will for frontline leadership.

Second, President Putin brought part of the Hermitage with him! Lisbon now temporarily holds an important selection of works of arts from the Hermitage. Something I will not absolutely miss again.

Third, and this came as totally unexpected to me, President Putin proposed the founding of a joint agency to look at human rights issues of mutual interest. Such an agency could bring together politicians, businessmen and members of civil society to discuss rights issues, and could be partly-funded by Russia. Ok, this one I am still processing...



Catarina II, Fyodor Stepanovich Rokotov, 1780 © Hermitage Nacional, São Petersburgo