Goodbye Lenin!

My group and I planned film sessions all along the year, with the respective debates. The first film session didn't work out quite well, but we haven't tried our best, so my promise (yes, one more) is that the other will be EXCELLENT!

The first film we presented was "Goodbye Lenin" and was related to the theme "Democracy". It enphasise the changes which occored after the fall of the Berlin Wall, specially on the east side (where was the GDR - German Democratic Republic). The first pictures are about the space discovery, focusing a particular east german cosmonaut (not astronaut, like the west side commonly said) and the quest of a socialist regime to make everyone think that they were the greattest. While this happens, on the Earth a family splits when the father decides to live on the west side instead continue with his wife, son and daughter on the GDR. The narrator of the story is the son, Alexander (Daniel Brühl) who sees the father's "escape" as the Regime fault, so he starts question it.

The present year is 1989, a year of changes. Alexander decides to join to a manifestation against GDR, a decision which his mother Christiane (Katrin Sass) is not aware because she become an idealist and supporter of the Socialist Party. When she sees him at the demonstration, she has a heart attack and falls into coma; Alex is put out of jail (yes, jail, he has been arrested) because of his mother health state.

She stays in coma in about 8 months, the worst 8 months to be asleep (or in coma); on the November 9th of that year (1989) the Berlin Wall falls, dued to youngest rebellion insatisfied with the country's separation and the repressive east regime. The best was it to come: along side with the fall, the Socialist regim ended and the consumism entered on the east side, on the contrary many people of ex-GDR moved to West Berlin. Alex loses his job (as a tv repairar(?)) finding another one as a satellite installer and his sister, Ariane (Maria Simon) leaves school to work on a Burger-King drive-thru; Alex fells in love with his mother nurse and they start they're relationship discovering the exciting world of the oter side of the fallen wall.

When Chritiane finally awakes her doctor advises Alex to keep her mother in the hospital because of her debilitate health (she couldn't have high emotions like knowing the desntegration of the Socialist Party). Alex decides not listen what the doctor says and takes his mother home, before he puts back all the farniture his mother possessed after she had the heart atack.

The rest of the movie shows Alexander trying to make his mother's way of living the best possible and according with the regime which she lived and believed.

Without Alexander ever knows about, his girlfriend tell Christiane the truth about those 8 months when she was in coma.

At the end she dies after accomplish her major wish: to see his ex-husband one last time.

I think that besides showing the love and effort that Alexander had during his mother's life after being in coma to make her feel good, demonstrates as well that the fall of the wall haven't brought only the bright side and modern things as the major part of the german (and world) population thought, but brought the unwilling capitalism system, and consequently the lost of old people's and many others job and the death of some beliefs which had all to function in the new Reunited Germany; this is followed with Alexander's idealistic view of what he thought it could be the real Socialist Party and regime - a regime where everyone would be accepted and could make the difference in order to make German and the people proud.

To finalise, our questions for the debate were more than the 3 we presented to the class, and that were:

1. How was it possible for people from East Germany to adapt to a new mentality - capitalism?
   
2. Democracy is the most common political system in the wester world. Is it well accepted at a global/international level?
   
3. Freedom of speech is one of the most preserved values in a Democratic system; how does the film address this issue?
   
4. How do people from societies of different political systems interact? What do they think about -education, -health, -social care ? Is it very different?
   
5. Was it possible from people of East Germany to travel freely? Why/why not? Does that apply to the principles of Democracy?
   
6. Is there any political system worth it?
   
7. If not capitalism or socialism, than what?
   
8. Is the world better after the fall of the Berlin Wall?
   
9. Did GDR deserved the end it got?
   
10. What's the differences between the after and the before of the Berlin Wall fall?

December 2nd and 4th

Letter to the President of the Assembleia da República

Dear Mr. President,

I'm writing this letter hopping you understand my point about your Assembly and the deputees.

On the November 25th I went to the Parliament in order to watch a regular day in the political life of it. While my class and I were waiting to enter the room, guards advised us to not talk laudly, or to make unhadequate demonstrations, like clapping or laughing. When we entered the room I thought that the debate haven't started iet, but I was wrong; I afirme this because I saw a major part of the deputees standing and talking to each other and on the phone or laughing about something which wasn't (of course) related to de debate in cause. All this happened while another deputee was making a speech, thinking maybe the others were mindful.

Mr. President, I must also say that some of the others who weren't talking were by the computer surfing the net, specially on Facebook or even chatting.

I don't know for sure, but perhaps if everyone would be really listening to what the other's opinions or suggestions to make this country a BETTER place to live, the problems could be solved for good.

My last idea to make your Parliament work is to prohibite the computer, even the laptops which many of the deputees took.

Best wishes and please, make the taxpayers proud to give their tax money to the the people they've chose to represent themselves in the country's political life

Joana Duarte

I Recommend

On the November 28th I presented to the class my movies, exhibitions, second handed stores, a play and an enviromentalist website recommendations. So, without further observations (just want to ask if is our class still going to "Korda" exhibition, otherwise I'll go by myself...) I post my sheet and the respective films or images.

I RECOMMEND…
• Second hand clothes

- Visit the blog www.a-verde-esperanca-blogspot.com if you’re interested to buy or sell clothes or to embrace the cause;

- Go to some shops:

1. “Troca Moda” - Avenida Luís Bivar, nº 5 cv, Saldanha, 1050-141 Lisboa

Phone number: 21 353 1406 http://www.trocamoda.com.pt/

2. “Tangente” - R. Almeida Sousa, 27 – A, 1350 Lisboa Monday to Friday 10h00 – 19h00 Saturday 10h00 – 13h00
Phone number: 21 60 87 62

3. “A outra face da Lua” - Rua da Assunção, 22 – Baixa, 1100-044 Lisboa Phone number: 21 886 34 30 http://www.aoutrafacedalua.com/index.html

• CULTURAL POSTER

“The adventure of the Earth” exhibition – November 20 to December 31 National Museum of Natural History - http://www.mnhn.ul.pt/
Alameda da Universidade Cidade Universitária, 1649 - 004 Lisboa Tuesday to Friday 10h00 - 17h00 Saturday and Sunday 11h00 - 18h00



“The year of a magical thought” theatre – November 12 to December 20 Teatro Nacional D. Maria II - http://www.teatro-dmaria.pt/
Praça D. Pedro IV, 1100-201 Lisboa
Wednesday to Saturday 21h30 Sunday 16h00






“Korda” photographic exhibition – December 02 to January 31 (FREE!) Cordoaria Nacional – Galeria Torreão Nascente Av. da Índia, Rua da Junqueira, Trav. das Galeotas e Rua Mécia Mouzinho de Albuquerque Phone number: 213637635
http://videos.publico.pt/Default.aspx?Id=0d6f2741-8725-4348-a0d5-74fe25ece46e



“Capitalism: a love story” film – November 26 (Thursday)

By Michael Moore, another satirical movie, this time about America's proudest "thing": capitalism $$$
It tries to figure out what's the causes for the american crises; Main question: "Does the so called AMERICAN DREAM still leaves on?"

• A 1995 movie

It tells the story of a man who is sent to Alcatraz prison (because, at the age of 17, he robbed 5$ to feed himself and his sister) and his trial for murder in first degree and his demand to leave Alcatraz. With Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon and Gary Oldman.

Fish-eaters and the Cristal Coffin (?)

A new work is presented to me; it's about Oligarchy, defending it. The author was a very famous Greek historian (b.C.) called Herodutus. It was a little bit painful to read the text because it mainly defends that only the supposedly great men can rule their certain nation, which I thought outrage in my point of view. Clearly is the government of the few, for the few! To me it seems kind of selfish to keep the culture, the politics and the economy of the country to some men who think they are THE BEST.
So I made clear some counter-arguments to this thesis:
1. It's impossible to rule a country without people's support;
2. It isn't right to suppose that only a certain number of "the best men" aren't from the people and that they're the best to manage a country and it's PEOPLE;
3. Politicians should consider the minorities instead of benefiting the wealthy.

I could write some more counter-arguments, but I think that the ones I wrote are the most interesting to debate and the most important to make everyone's understand that Oligarchy is not a state of freedom or equality.
Sorry (once again) I missed the class of the debate.

November 6th

Social skills in our culture.

As I was reading the site www.self-confidence.co.uk/social_skill.html I thought to myself that I've commited many social mistakes in my entire life. Besides eye contacting, there's more 5 rules you need to aprehend:
1. To remain relaxed - this can be very difficult specially when the person who you're talking to appears to be powerful, arrogant, important or whatever.
2. Listening skill - very often I get distracted when someone's talking to me, so in some point I don't agree with the "make some sounds in order to demonstrate to the speaker that you are paying attention" part, because I may be not listening to what he/she's saying but instinctively I "say Yes" with my head.
3. Interest in others situation - well I think that this comes with empathy to others, so I don't agree that this is a social skills; maybe "pretend" to be interested is a social skill... don't know.
4. Ability to build rapport - the same situation as the other, but in this case the people in case have something in common.
5. Knowing when and how much to talk about yourself - yes, it's kind of annoying when someone keeps nagging about their dramas and doesn't gives you any opportunitie to talk about YOU.

Summing up, it's essential to "practice" some social skills and prove that we're respectful and that we respect others in order to make important connections or trades, aplying for job and to make/keep friendships; people who miss some social skills are sometimes misunderstood.

Strangers have come

Comes the morning when I can understand why I love my hometown: Nagasaki. I left many years ago to go to war, but now that has ended, I can finally sense the odor of warm tea, feel the leaves cracking while I smash them, be blown away by the sunset... the small big things in nature that make me happy.
The present year is 1598, the year of a new excitement for Japanese, specially for the governors and the Emperor. The weather today invites everyone to go out the streets for welcoming some distant travelers from Europe; they're so called Portuguese or as we say here, Namban.
It seems that I've missed a lot these years, so I'm trying to keep up with the other "watchers". Portuguese have disembarked now, and they've brought a lot of... things. As I come closer I sense strange spirits. Men full of facial hair, stinking and talking loudly are carrying closed trunks. The people are reluctant, they can't take that serious face out and, in fact, I understand them because this is a never seen experience.
Suddenly, I hear some Japanese governor saying that "they've been in Macau, they just want to know us better and make exchanges" to the man who was beside him.
They left the place a mess, a living hell, really! I don't think these people understand what "manners" mean. Besides this unusual day, it's good living in Nagasaky, and it's starting to rain. How wonderful...

The art of failure

I've listened to one of Harry Potter's books translator talking about the importance of "failure" in life at the Translating Awards Ceremony which took place at Universidade Católica. Making her words mine, I have to say that I totally agree that failure is a way to success. To fail is to try, to try is to make an effort, and if you make an effort it means that you care. Well, but if some people understands that failure is a part of their accomplishments, some people quit right away; even if pratice will lead you to success, there's people who don't give a shot trying. How do you know if you're failing? Sometimes we have a person who "takes care" of that, as example a coach who you may think that "demoralizes" you, but he/she is doing the opposite, really, because he/she just wants to improve your skills. By contrary, people who tend to have lack of confidence question those who praises them, so they start to doubt about the commentaries truthfulness. Yes, failling is frustrating at some point, but is also a process to achieve our goals. I finish this post encouraging everyone to try, and try, and try again endlessly if you believe, deeply, that you really CAN.

Cat Stevens - If You Want to Sing out, Sing out.mp3 -

"Sorry" doesn't seem to be the hardest word

As always I haven't tried my best to make a serious blog, for example to write the posts at the right time... but as my nice mother says "Is better late than never!". Well, I'm preparing for this moment, just to say these simple yet powerfull words: I'M SORRY. This day forward I will update my blog more often. Thank you for you patience, dearest one follower.

Why Joana, why?!

Some person (my teacher) asked me about the meaning of my blog's image... well, there's no secret that hitchhiking is hard, but it's harder when you have an axe in your hand, so the truth is that I found it funny. The title stands for that situation, but it makes a conection with my work and the achievement for better text entries as the time goes by.

Oh, and I like to be lost when I travel so I get to know new places besides the common ones (this explains the title of my blog... I hope so).

National Museum of Ancient Art

On the September 19th my new English class and I went out the school to see the exhibition "Encompassing the Globe", which was in National Museum of Anchient Art (Lisbon).
I thought the exhibition was going to be about some other travelers than Portuguese sailors, but I was wrong because that was the aim, actually. It showed us where Portuguese have been when Discovery time began and as well the perspectives of the nations that contacted with them, such as Brasilian, African, Indian, Macanese, Chinese, Japanese and Sri Lankan (ex-Ceilan island) people.
For me the highlights were in Portugal and Brazil parts, which I found out to be more interesting because of some objects story, that were made in such detailed way. By the way, the guide helped us by responding to every question made and she turned the tour less boring than the usual guides by telling us some curiosities.
Some pieces like "Painéis de São Vicente" (thanks for the correction) and the chair made of elephant Salomon bones impressed me, and the last one I could recall because of Saramago's new book, "The Elephant's Journey", which narrates the journey from Portugal to Austria by that same creature.
Besides the "material" parts, of course that the different perspectives were important and made a conection with the relations between different cultures of the World nowadays, I mean, Globalization for instance. If it wasn't the will of some brave Portuguese probably the Globalisation wouldn't exist or it would be delayed, we'll never know.

Congratulations

Yes, I know that is October, but...
I congratullate every single student who passed year and, for those who haven't, just keep trying, it's not the end of the world, and see it on the bright side - you're one year ahead of your new classmates!

So enjoy yourself. It's 2009, make it good.