May

May has been more generous to us than wrote the poet Wendy Cope in "English Weather". Today is the 2nd of May and we have already had two days of sunshine:

January's grey and slushy,
February's chill and drear,
March is wild and wet and windy,
April seldom brings much cheer.
In May, a day or two of sunshine,
Three or four in June, perhaps.
July is usually filthy,
August skies are open taps.
In September things start dying,
Then comes cold October mist.
November we make plans to spend
The best part of December pissed.

Conversation

'Well', said Lydia. 'I became very tired of the view from my window. Every day, summer and winter, I looked out at the school yard and the high fence and the apartment block beyond, and I began to imagine I would die seeing these things, and I didn´t want this. I expect you understand what I mean?'

(Lydia to Lev, explaining why she left her teaching job in Eastern Europe, on a coach to London. "The Road Home", by Rose Treman, Vintage, 2008)

Em Luanda

Finalmente, depois de anos de espera, cheguei a Angola. Solo abençoado, este africano. Bem hajas!

Assim começa mais uma história em África...

"O avô Bento, em noites de cacimbo à volta da fogueira, nos contou, fumando o seu cachimbo que ele próprio esculpiu em pau especial. Dizia a estória se passou aqui mesmo, nas serras ao lado, mas pode ser que fosse trazida de qualquer parte da África. Até mesmo do Oriente, onde dizem também há água lilás.
Se virmos bem, em muitos lados pode ter uma montanha semelhante. Eu só escrevi aquilo que o avô nos contou, não inventei nada."

Pepetela, em "A Montanha da Água Lilas"

London Today

"... da janela lateral, do quarto de dormir..."

Snow and China in London

A rare thing to see: it snows in London. The weather forecast was predicting icy blasts to hit the UK on the weekend. I look back at the window. The snow has stopped. Indeed, a rare moment in Westminster. But unlike last Sunday, the sky is bright, calm and inviting for a stroll. Today is the highlight of the celebrations of the Chinese New Year in London, with street performances, fireworks, cultural and food stalls. I am heading to Chinatown and Trafalgar Square. Happy New Year of the Ox!

Pensata

"Considero Londres o melhor ponto de observação do mundo" (Henry James, 1843-1916)