the prodigy experience

Back in Portugal for the 8th time and 2nd time only this year, just 5 months after the last gig here, The Prodigy were received last night in Lisbon for an electrifying concert!

This english band formed in 1990 known for mixing up genres - electronic, punk, techno, dance and breakbeat - turning their music into a fusion of styles, presented the fans with a powerful show that turned the place into a giant rave.

With the tour setlist almost equally divided between old hits and new songs from the latest album Invaders Must Die, a combination of familiar singles like "Voodoo People" (1994, Music for the Jilted Generation) and "Smack My Bitch Up" (1997, The Fat of the Land), were played, putting everyone on the crowd jumping and screaming. But the chaotic and delirious energy and the frenetic dances continued while more recent themes like "Omen" and "Warrior's Dance", released in 2009, echoed across the whole room. The dynamic and strong beats turned the place into an intoxicating dance party, where you could feel the ecstasy and trance all around while people bounce, shout and dance.

As for the very expected return to stage, after a very noisy request, the band amused the public with four more songs, two of them being the very charged and disturbed "Take Me to the Hospital" (2009, Invaders Must Die) and the much recognized old smash "No Good (Start the Dance)" (1994).

The concert had an effective setlist, but i think there was still time and room for the missing "Spitfire" and "Hot Ride", both from the 2004 album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned.
I never had seen this band perform live before, so i can't compare to other shows... but in my opinion this was an awesome concert and in the end: i wanted more!

setlist
World's On Fire
Breathe
Omen
Poison
Warrior's Dance
Firestarter
Run With the Wolves
Voodoo People
Invaders Must Die
Diesel Power
Smack My Bitch Up
Encore:
Take Me to the Hospital
Out of Space
No Good (Start the Dance)
Their Law

band
Keith Flint - vocals and dancing
Maxim Reality - vocals and beatbox
Liam Howlett - keyboards and programming
Leo Crabtree – drums and percussion (live support on tour)
Rob Holliday – guitar (live support on tour)
Alex Roberts – guitar (live support on tour)

more information @ http://www.theprodigy.com/

stuck in my head

In these past few days i got 3 musics stuck in my head! all day long they play in my head in repeat mode: when i wake up, when i'm at the bus stop, when i lose concentration at classes, even when i'm going to bed... i've been addicted to them and i can't stop listening whenever i can.

(by the way i'm listening to them while i'm writing this post!)

these are the musics:

Watcha Say by Jason Derulo feat. Imogen Heap
@ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBI3lc18k8Q&feature=fvst

I Remember by Deadmau5 feat. Kaskade
@ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGbRpdCRwt0

I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas
@ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_2rrxONlLo
and also check out 1 of the funniest spoof videos for this music:

I Gotta Feeling Parody by CollegeHumor

listen, enjoy and i hope they get stuck in your head too!

december 1st

World AIDS Day

in 1981 (December 1st) the AIDS virus was officialy recognized.

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and is a disease of the human immune system caused by the HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus).

Prevent!

http://www.worldaidsday.org/

Restoration of Independence

in Portugal today is a national holiday that celebrates the end of the Iberian Union (1580-1640) and the restoration of Portugal's independence.

The portuguese restoration war, between Portugal and Spain, begun with a revolution on December 1st of 1640, when John IV was declared king of Portugal, and ended with the portuguese victory, affirmed by the Treaty of Lisbon in 1668 (February 13th).

Portugal independence from Spain was finally established.

artistic world agenda #1

Go! Do! and See!

Visual Street Performance
Promoting the work of urban artists, this is a street art event with special guests and several activities: painting and graffiti sessions, music, film screenings and lectures.
VSP '09 26November - 13December
more info @ http://www.visualstreetperformance.com/#/home

Pedro Leal fotologue

online photo gallery

@ http://fotologue.jp/PedroLeal/#/2127310/10903101

Color in Motion

an interactive website about color communication and symbolism by Claudia Cortes, a multimedia developer and graphic designer.

the experience @ http://www.mariaclaudiacortes.com/

PES films

Adam Pesapane is an awarded director and animator, of numerous short films and commercials, that works with stop-motion animation.
see his work @ http://www.eatpes.com/

short-film Oktapodi

a 2007 french computer animated short-film, that won several awards at animation festivals.

website @ http://www.oktapodi.com/index.html

Tarantino's Mind

a 2006 brazilian short film directed by 300ml, with Selton Mello and Seu Jorge.

watch it @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op4byt-DtsI

food & senses

Two nights ago while searching for a place to dinner i found a very good restaurant. It was cold and raining outside, and the place seemed decent and warm, so the thought was: why not give it a try and experiment something new?

The restaurant and art gallery Império dos Sentidos (Empire of the Senses) located on the famous bohemian Bairro Alto, in Lisbon, presents to the costumers, usuals or curious that enjoy tasting new flavors, a relaxed and cosy ambience.

A combination of attentive service and delicious food, where the minimalistic decoration and the soft lighting are complemented with the art exhibit on the white walls. The smooth musical choice on the background - that goes from jazz, to bossa nova, or ambient-lounge and chill-out - makes this restaurant the perfect place for a pleasing dinner for two or more.
The menu offer is diverse and the choice very difficult... you can find portuguese, vegetarian and international cuisine, including italian food. Every dish looks great and the doses are of decent size - the price for a regular meal (appetizer + main course + drink + dessert) is around 20€/25€ per person.

address: Rua da Atalaia nº35, Bairro Alto, Lisboa
open from 19:30h to 02:00h - closed on mondays

more informations @ http://www.imperiodossentidos.com.pt/

bedtime reading

I can honestly say that it had been a long time since i went early to bed, so i could dedicate some time to read.

So that was what i decided to do last night... I crawl up to bed sooner than usual and in my warm and comfy bed i lost myself in the novel that i started to discover.

I pick and choose a book that i had for quite a while (the lack of time blocked my reading habits!), "The Lucky One/Um Homem com Sorte" written by the american author Nicholas Sparks. For me, it's always a pleasure to read his novels, i always fall in love with the stories, the characters and the sites that are so wonderfully described.

«The story revolves around a U.S. Marine named Logan Thibault who finds a photograph of a young woman half-buried in the sands of Iraq during the war. Soon the photo becomes a lucky charm for this soldier, who escapes and survives to several dangerous situations. When he returns home, to Colorado, he sets out on a journey across the country to find the woman in the photo, believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny. An unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love.»

Quickly i lost myself in the story and also lost track of time... and the result was that i was reading for almoust five hours, but i didn't want to stop - i wanted to know how it would end! Of course that at some point i had to give up... it was 4 in the morning when i closed the book, turned off my bedside lamp and went to sleep.
I'll finish the book tonight, satisfying my curiosity that is not far from reaching the limit! XD

Books by Nicholas Sparks:
The Notebook (1996)
Message in a Bottle (1998)
A Walk to Remember (1999)
The Rescue (2000)
A Bend in the Road (2001)
Nights in Rodanthe (2002)
The Wedding (2003)
The Guardian (2003)
Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)
True Believer (2005)
At First Sight (2006)
The Choice (2007)
Dear John (2007)
The Lucky One (2008)
The Last Song (2009)

Movies based on Novels by Nicholas Sparks:
Message in a Bottle (1999)
A Walk to Remember (2002)
The Notebook (2004)
Nights in Rodanthe (2008)
Dear John (2010)
The Last Song (2010)
The Lucky One (2011)

more informations @ http://www.nicholassparks.com/

depeche mode in lisbon

After a cancelled concert in July, Depeche Mode were back in Portugal, with Tour of the Universe, for an amazing 2 hour concert!

@ Lisbon, November 14th, 2009

It was saturday night and more than 15.000 people, including me and some friends, went to Pavilhão Atlântico, in Lisbon, to welcome the english band and enjoy a memorable show.

The band nearly 30 year career in the synth pop music presented to the fans many remarkable hits, that were recalled last night on a sold-out house.

From the new and recent album, Sounds of the Universe, only 4 themes were played - "In Chains" as the opening song, followed by "Wrong" and "Hole to Feed", leaving "Miles Away/The Truth Is" to intrude in the middle of old hits.
The excitement could be felt as soon as the band took the stage, and as the night went on you could feel the energy all around. People from young age to the generation that saw the beginning, in 1980, of this legendary band could be seen singing, dancing, waving, screaming, jumping and clapping, as the return to the past begun. Songs like "Never Let Me Down Again" (1987, from the album Music for the Masses), "Enjoy the Silence" (1990, from the album Violator), and "Walking In My Shoes" (1993, from the album Songs of Faith and Devotion) marked some of the highlights of the night.

The moments of ecstasy, where the lighting effects and addictive rhythms helped to turn the space into a giant disco, were complemented by a more intimate and emotional moment when the singer Dave Gahan left the stage, so that the band guitarist and songwriter Martin L. Gore took the lead. Accompanied only by piano, Martin sung "Sister of Night" and "Home", both songs from the 1997 album Ultra and written by him. For me this was a special moment, that give me the chills while listening to this two beautiful songs exposed in a minimal version.

For the encore, the band came back with “Stripped” (1986, from the album Black Celebration) and “Behind The Wheel” (1987), ending the night with “Personal Jesus” (1989).

This was an unforgettable concert with a setlist almoust perfect, where was only missing the songs "Shake the Disease" (1985), "People are People" (1984) and "Just Can't Get Enough" (1981). Who knows, maybe the next time...

the set list
In Chains
Wrong
Hole To Feed
Walking In My Shoes
A Question Of Time
Precious
World In My Eyes
Fly On The Windscreen
Sister Of Night (sung by Martin L. Gore)
Home (sung by Martin L. Gore)
Miles Away / The Truth Is
Policy Of Truth
It's No Good
In Your Room
I Feel You
Enjoy The Silence
Never Let Me Down Again
Encore #1
One Caress (sung by Martin L. Gore)
Stripped
Behind The Wheel
Personal Jesus

band
David Gahan - lead vocalsMartin L. Gore - guitar, bass, keyboards, lead and backing vocals

Andrew Fletcher - keyboards
Peter Gordeno - keyboards (live support on tour)

Christian Eigner - drums (live support on tour)

more information @ http://www.depechemode.com/

colourful sensations

I'm here to present a friend's blog...
"Sensações coloridas / Colourful sensations"

There you can find original and unique creations.

Handmade pieces that can be amazing gifts and sweet souvenirs, in different colours, shapes and sizes... like small boxes, christmas decorations, book markers, mobiles, etc...

Visit the blog and check up the news @ http://sensacoescoloridas.blogspot.com/

You can place your order by email, and just send it to sensacoescoloridas@gmail.com

st. martin's day

"It is St. Martin's Day,
we'll eat chestnuts, we'll taste the wine."
(a portuguese typical saying)

the portuguese tradition...

Associated with a period of good weather, that welcomes sunny and warm days in the middle of autumn, St. Martin's Day is also frequently related with the celebration of the final stage of maturation of the year's wine.

All over the country parties are thrown, specially in small towns where the traditions are still very alive. Here, in Portugal, we celebrate St. Martin's Day eating roasted chestnuts, dry figs and walnuts, and drinking the typical alcoholic beverages "jeropiga" and "água-pé", althought this last one was officially banned for sale in Portugal, we can still find it in small local shops from domestic production.

In the end, this was a sunny but cold day! And the roasted chestnuts were not forgotten... they tasted delicious and helped warm the day!

up & coming news

Is extraordinary how easily we are confronted with new information, every day we absorb lots of fresh facts and materials that interest us.

Here is a compilation of some interesting news i recently collected - exhibitions, videos, a play and a newsletter.

Enjoy!

MUDE_ Museum of Design and Mode

«É proibido proibir! / It is forbidden to forbid!»

temporary exhibition, 29October - 31January
information @ http://www.mude.pt/

trans-contemporary art exhibition «1.000.000€ Girl»
by Ricardo Quaresma Vieira, 15October - 30November
information @ http://www.galeria.abraco.pt/

play and photography exhibition
«História de quem perde a sombra / Story of who loses the shadow», 22October - 13December
information @ http://www.chapito.org/

le cool magazine

is a free weekly cultural agenda and alternative city guide

cities: Lisbon, Barcelona, Madrid, Amsterdam, London, Dublin, Moscow, Budapest and Istanbul

subscribe to the newsletter @ http://lecool.com/

the Fun theory

a Volkswagen initiative aimed to change, for the better, the behaviour of our society through something as simple as fun. Several videos - "Bottle bank arcade", "Piano stairs", "The world's deepest bin" - were created to show the ideas and people's reaction to them.

videos and information @ http://www.thefuntheory.com/

Tropfest
the world's largest short film festival
information @ http://www.tropfest.com/
«Mankind is no Island.» Tropfest NY 2008 winner, by Jason van Genderen
see the film @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrDxe9gK8Gk

this was halloween

Halloween has past...
This weekend was the 31st of October, and as usual i got together with friends to celebrate this special and scary night. Here in Portugal halloween is not a famous holiday like in the EUA, but gradually more people embrace the spirit of this tradition.

This year we went to the countryside, to be almost alone in the middle of nowhere! We had our costumes to wear, music and games to entertain, and a delicious pumpkin pie to enjoy. During the night we took a walk in the surroundings, but we didn't even need flashlights because the moon was so bright.

The next day, the 1st of November, was the all saints' day and it was marked by the heavy mist and the rain, that provided this weekend the perfect ending.

a day in nazaré

Yesterday was a different day! I leaved Lisbon in the morning, and after a car journey driving north and hour and fourty-five minutes later i arrived to a beautiful place, that i always like to visit... a place called Nazaré.

Enjoying for a whole day this pretty coast village, surrounded at west by the Atlantic Ocean, without forgetting to taste the local gastronomy - the diversity of fish dishes, was a great relaxing activity for the weekend.

This picturesque seaside village, very popular in the summer, has an history behind: the town used to be known by the traditional clothing worn by the fishermen, while their wives worn the traditional headscarf and embroidered aprons over seven flannel skirts in different colours, and also the rowing boats and the fishing nets were associated with the natives practical craft.

I leave you here a lovely music video filmed at Nazaré, by an artist that i enjoy listening, that expose very well the day-to-day routine of the traditional nazarene families - their lives and costumes. It also show us the essential about Nazaré: the fishermen, the sea and it's hard way of life.

"Fisherman" directed by Cristiana Miranda, and soundtracked by the song "The day before the day" by Dido.

You can see the video:

@ www.didomusic.com/xx/films/fisherman/high/

or

@ www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJcrFfE5QMI

autumn is back

The first real signs of autumn are here!
Almost reaching the month of November... and, finally, we are presented with those rainy days and cold nights characteristic of this time of the year.
This means winter is closer, the end of the year is nearer and that on the next few days we will be starting to see the children running and playing with mud on their rubber boots. With help of the wind the leaves will start to fall from the trees, the days will become shorter, the sun will refuse to shine most of the days, we will welcome the mornings as lazy moments, and at the first glance of raindrops the traffic will turn chaotic.

But the best of all are the fragrances in the air, like the smell of wet leaves on the ground and the scent of hot chestnuts being selled on the streets, that are mixed in the chilly atmosphere.

And of course we can't forget the beautiful autumn colours that surround us.

a busy friday night

Friday night is, for most people, the end of a work week and the perfect moment to begun to relax, starting the weekend with a long and fun night surrounded by friends.
Last friday, from 20:30h to 04:30h, i travelled through four distinct universes in the city of Lisbon, along with some close friends. This was my itinerary...

The first stop was for dinner at Assuka, a japanese restaurant.

This is an excelent restaurant, that presents a simple decoration and a pleasant ambient, where is served japanese cuisine with the best quality/price relation. The menu is diverse, displaying, to the many costumers, unique and peculiar flavors. If you sit down by the balcony, you can enjoy the view to the kitchen, observing the chef and staff cooking and working under a very strict methodology, while your eating. The food is to be eaten with the traditional chopsticks! thing that i can't do yet, so my option is to allways request silverware...

location: Rua São Sebastião, 150, 1050-209 Lisboa
information @ http://www.assuka.com/

After leaving the restaurant and after a little walk, approximately of 3km, crossing the city, we arrived to the next stop of the night - Caxin Bar.
This is a moroccan bar, a perfect place to travel into the north african traditions, surrounded by an oriental atmosphere with smoke, essences and tradicional music from Morocco. The small space is caracterized by the decoration that refers to an intense culture, where you can explore and experiment. While talking to friends, you can drink traditional teas, with exotic spices, that can be relaxing, stimulanting or aphrodisiac, and you can also smoke water or whisky pipes with bittersweet flavors.

location: Costa do Castelo, 22, 1100-179 Lisboa

Leaving the quiet and peaceful surroundings and adventuring in the middle of an old part of town, where we can find a concetration of bars and people, drinks and noise all mixed in confusion, we can also find Maria Caxuxa bar.
Located in Bairro Alto, this bar was a long time ago a cake factory. The decoration that is based in old second hand furniture with very different styles is complemented with a variety of sounds, since lounge music, jazz fusion, or even electronic dance music. The atmosphere is cozy and lively, sometimes a little bit too noisy to have a calm conversation with friends, but excellent to enjoy the live dj's that frequently are presented to the audience.

location: Rua da Barroca, 6-12, 1200-050 Lisboa

The last location of the night was the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara.
Situated nearby one of the many entrances for the Bairro Alto, this beautiful garden, from the 19th century, present us with a panoramic view over the old part of the city. A calm place during the day, at night this place becomes a meeting point for young people that is looking for fun. It's an amazing place to end a pleasant night, sitting in one of the many wood benches, enjoying one of the best sights you will ever seen.

After that... a comfortable bed at home!

reduce. reuse. recycle

Are you worried about the future of our planet?

The amount of waste we produce, and that is constantly increasing, as a huge impact on the natural environment. To prevent the aggravation of this situation, we should have in mind three important things that will help save the Earth.

reduce

Save electric energy.
Don't waste water.

Buy only what you need.

Reduce paper waste by cancelling unwanted mail.

Buy non-toxic products whenever possible.

Find safer alternatives to hazardous household products.

reuse

Buy products that can be reused.

Sell or give away unwanted items.

Instead of throwing items away, reused them for other purposes:

• any kind of paper can be used as scrap paper for making notes,
• cardboard, newspapers and bubble wrap can be used as packing materials,
• jars and pots can be used as small containers to store items,
• plastic and paper bags can be reused in stores or be used as bin bags,
• used wood can be used in woodcrafts or as firewood.

recycle
Buy products with little packaging.

Learn how to recycle different materials such as metal, electrical equipment, paper, plastic, glass, batteries, wood and printer cartridges.

Taking this 'green actions' we are helping the world we live in. It's essencial to reduce the pollution, to prevent deforestation, habitat destruction and global warming, and to preserve natural resources for future generations.

afraid of the future

As i now face the beginning of a new challenge, i am also reaching a point in my life that i have to make choices and take decisions related to my future... what to do with it? what to do after college? take a master's degree? start searching for a job? jump to the commitments and responsabilities of an independent life? am i taking the right decisions? what if this isn't what i really want?

This apprehension that i am facing now, i have already experienced before and i'll be dealing with it later again, as many other people do. We all end up confronting our dilemmas several times at very different stages of our lives.

The doubts and insecurities that we face through those bad days, when we can't take those questions out of our heads, can ruin our present life, as it robs us energy and motivation for dealing with today.

It's important to have friends and people who you can count on, those who are there everytime you need them, that help us, listen and support our decisions. We have to realise that is fundamental to be there for them, as they were there for you once or will be when you need them in the future.

We also have persons around us that, at some point, pressure us to make a choice, telling us that is our obligation to make the 'right thing'. They don't do it with bad intentions, but that quick response that they demand from us, only disturb us even more...

But what we should think is that life hasn't even begun... we are only at the beginning!

So take your time, make your choices carefully and don't forget you always have more time and chances to try something else and face new opportunities.

today i'll be your guide

In these months that follow the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, my city is being, as usual to this time of year, swallowed by a wave of design and film festivals. As part interested, being cinema a pleasured hobby and design a field of study, i try to be on alert to know when and where these or other events occur.

In the end of the last month toke place, in one of the oldest movie theaters of the city (cinema s.jorge inaugurated in 1950), the Queer Lisboa 13 - Lisbon Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (informations @ http://www.queerlisboa.pt/index.html). I went to the day before the last, and watched a special screening of the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. This display of Victor Fleming's motion picture was significant beacause it was showed in a 35mm technicolor version. It was an amazing exhibition on a emblematic location that helped to a pleasant and unforgettable evening...

I leave you a list of events that are going to take place, and if you come to Lisbon in these following months don't forget to check them out!

doclisboa 2009

VII Internacional film festival, 15October - 25October

«doclisboa has established itself as one of the world’s leading documentary film festivals»

http://www.doclisboa.org/

EXD'09/Lisboa

experimentaDesign Lisboa, 9September - 8November

«new. now. yes.» «it's about time.»

http://www.experimentadesign.pt/2009/pt/index.html

10ª French Cinema Party

7October - 10November

http://www.festadocinemafrances.com/

presenting myself

Some of you might see me as a stranger, others as just another girl who likes to waste time writing a blog and that enjoys talking about stuff that don't matter to anyone... i can't deny that maybe i'm all that, but i hope that for at least a few i'm someone who you share common thoughts and similar ideas.

I'm not here to please anyone or to provoque anybody, that for some reason don't agreed with me, but to express my concerns and desires, thoughts that came flowing from my imagination, and even feelings that i experience as a reaction to the day-by-day events.

And now that i clearly explain what is my purpose here, i would like to introduce myself to my future blog readers and followers... nice to meet you all!

I'm a dreamer... just another dreamer in this world! one in billions.

My head is full of dreams! (who's head isn't?) a normal girl living her life, trying to find out who she is, hoping to be free, and beliving that she will be able to fly... following her destiny and accomplish her dreams...