Washington and Chicago

wash monuments 1
Originally uploaded by pmdcsb.

Landing in Washington, we fly really close to a big square-like building, which... wait a minute. It's the pentagon! right below me! Heavens, it looks like it's as easy to crash there as not. Afterwards, from the boarding gate, you see the Congress, the Lincoln memorial and the obelisc. No need to leave the airport to see Washington. And I didn't.

Later, speeding towards Chicago with a somalian driver. He loves portugal (for the football) and thinks we are from india. Not really white, he says. I admit we did go to India, and he goes aha! I knew it! So easy to make people happy, they are all ready for it, you just need to say the word.

Chicago's gorgeous in the sun, and for once I could get out and about. Suddenly became conscious that the people are from all over. There is no longer a typical american. The world is here. How long till this is the case in europe? when will I see an asian woman and think of her as portuguese?

Ze Graduation

Ze Graduation
Originally uploaded by pmdcsb.

Last week was graduation week -- in Harvard, but all of Boston stops. Flags go up all over, public buildings put signs up, restaurants make special menus. They all say: Congrats to Harvard graduates! Congrats, to all my friends there. They do look lovely in the caps.

As a postdoc, I'm too late for graduations, so I went to a friend's instead. The big day starts with an early breakfast. Then there are speeches, some even say there were cannons, and all the thousands of graduates cheer in the rain. More speeches and then lunch. That's when I got out of bed. I went to the business school, which feels like a luxurious golf club. Harvard square is covered with people in gowns, and their families.

Now the families are by far the happiest people around. They gleam and glow in their white, yellow, black or red faces. Photo time everywhere. It feels like Christmas. And it's only once a year.

A notebook in the park

The past two weeks were full of travel and good things (and not so good too), and I totally forgot the blog. Is it that blogging is only for the bored and the lonely? It definitely becomes a habit, and it's good to break it to make it better. More random. More surreal. Even personal.

So I went to NY without my camera. Instead, I wrote stuff on a notebook, lying on a park, or sitting in a café, or listening to a concert. Hey, it almost looks like Europe. Great feijoada watching a game. Writing longer streches, longer than in a blog, I think it is a discovery. When I start, I really don't know where it is going. It is like a really good conversation. No?

Montmartre? Notting Hill? No, Beacon Hill!

Another artsy Hill!

Montmartre? Notting Hill? No, Beacon Hill!
Originally uploaded by pmdcsb.

On a rainy sunday here, portes ouvertes des artistes. Except that they don't actually live or work here (lest they have fun*, snobby sogs that we are!) , but the private gardens open for them are beautiful.

* joke for those acquainted with the Beacon Hill Times and the suffolk students. Perhaps 3 people in the whole world. Hey, that's the local blog flavour.

The biggest toy in town

The biggest toy in town
Originally uploaded by pmdcsb.

When I grow up I wanna drive a big truck like this. Whheeeeoooeeeooooo!

Sem papas na língua - no papes in the tongue

Our Crusoe tent in Manchester by the sea
Originally uploaded by pmdcsb.

Our neighbour Gabrieli, the gubernatorial candidate, speaks clearly: "Yes, I support same-sex marriage. And no, I strongly oppose the proposed constitutional amendment. Same-sex couples deserve all of the rights and responsibilities of marriage as heterosexual couples, and I will strongly oppose any proposals that seek to limit this right." Even in MA this is strong speak, and makes our other neighbour, John Kerry, look even lamer. Poor guy, he is actually very nice! a better man than the campaigner.

Across the ocean, Ségolène Royal takes on the male ENA-dominated unchangeing barons of the french politics: "L'audace de Mme Royal est réelle. Elle se moque des tabous, parle sans langue de bois et avance des propositions de nature à hérisser une partie de ses amis politiques. Elle a esquissé une doctrine de fermeté qui bouscule les conceptions habituelles de la gauche. Elle a engagé le combat avec le chef de file de la droite, Nicolas Sarkozy, sur le terrain favori de ce dernier : la sécurité et l'autorité." Et en plus elle est mignonne.

Here's hoping politics will rise to the challenges.

1 year

It is 1 year, exactly 525600 minutes ago, that I arrived in this wretched land. Half a million minutes, doesn't sound like that long. Today Harvard Yard was dressed with all the schools' flags for graduation next week, just like a year ago. It seemed it was all a big joke, time did not go by, nothing had changed. But everything did.

It is also my 100th post in this blog, where I didn't always appreciate Boston. Time to collect a few great things about the place:

1 - the tugas, top quality (not really from boston, but hey!)
2 - in the summer, the beaches nearby
3 - in the fall, the forests nearby
4 - Louisburg sq., and the people there
5 - small enough we can meet wherever, whenever
6 - live music, jazz, rock and latin
7 - chinatown bus to New York
8 - lots of good japanese food and ice creams and smoothies
9 - lots of good libraries and bookshops
10 - very safe (can walk anywhere, anytime, leave things behind, no problem!)
11 - the systems biology department

Coming back from hahvahd yahd, I thought to myself: Esta merda ate' tem piada.
Happy second year.