FIFDH 2015 Geneva

le grand mort

After the success and longevity of the already mythic "La Quête de l'oiseau du temps", Loisel continues exploring the realm of fantasy comics in the series "Le Grand Mort". Although not having the same epic stature of its previous work, "Le Grand Mort" is both engaging and intriguing. The scenario is carefully thought with a credible set of characters that are slowly introduced to the reader through the first books.
The only thing I would point out to anyone starting this series is that the plot  takes its time to unveil and this lenteur can be a bit unnerving. A deliberate strategy from the authors to allow more time for the reader to get involved and for the plot to thicken. So as long as you're ok with that, this is a series that can help mitigate that "l'oiseau du temps" nostalgia...

dia de chuva

tempo de sobra entre as palavras
para engolir espinhos, rosas, caules,
uma expressão gutural
que me caiu no rosto
muito antes da chuva
e estilhaços de céu
a bater nas vidraças

O Coxo

Antigel

First day Antigel festival of the Antigel festival in Geneva.

black movie festival Geneva

The Black Movie festival is on. From 16 to 25 January 2015, Geneva.

Un voyage en Inde

"En calcule statistique rapide,
la moitié des guerres a son origine dans l'invasion concrète d'un
compartiment meublé d'un pays
tandis que l'autre moitié est due à l'invasion de l'ennui.
Voilà pourquoi la paix est plutôt dans le monde un état obsolète.
Les arbres, par exemple, tolèrent bien l'ennui:
il ne se passe pratiquement rien dans le royaume végétale d'une forêt,
et ce n'est pas pour autant que les exaltations guerrières
se multiplient. L'homme
devrait apprendre à imiter la douce impétuosité des arbres"

in "Uma viagem à India", Gonçalo Tavares, traduit librement par O Coxo

mad as the mist and snow

Just saw my second The Waterboys' concert, yesterday at Paradiso, Amsterdam. Mike Scott, Steve Wickham and Ralph Salmins were on stage with the other musicians who make the new "modern blues" line up. The venue was fantastic and The Waterboys played a mix of songs from the new album and old hits, with the same energy that has kept them going unstopped since the 80's. Great stuff.
As for the beautiful city of Amsterdam, it is one of those places difficult to label, and although I was tempted to cite Jacques Brel's "Amsterdam", I will refrain, and rather go for Herberto Helder's words: 
"A Holanda agora é isto: vacas, e - no centro - o inferno".
Back to The Waterboys, here is the acoustic version of the song "Mad as the Myst and Snow" adapted from a poem by William Yeats. Lyrics below.

Bolt and bar the Shutter for the foul winds blow
Our minds are at their best this night and I seem to know
That everything outside us is mad as the mist and snow
That everything outside us is mad as the mist and snow.

Horace there by Homer stands, Plato stands below
And here is Tully's open page, how many years ago
Were you and I, lads, mad as the mist and snow ?
Were you and I, lads, mad as the mist and snow ?

You ask what makes me sigh, what makes me shudder so
I shudder and I sigh to think that even Cicero
And many minded Homer were mad as the mist and snow
That Cicero and Homer were mad as the mist and snow
That Cicero and Homer were mad as the mist and snow

Goecha La Trek - Kangchenjunga park

The mighty Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world standing at 8,586m above sea level. The Goecha La trek puts you at the foot of this sacred mountain, at an altitude of about 4940m.

On the first day of the 7 day trek we walked for 6h hours in the dense Sikkim forest. We set our tents in Thuka, 3000m. The morning of the second day brought us the first glimpse of the Kangchenjunga range.

On the third day, after 5h walking under a cloudy sky, sometimes descending upon us in the form of a cold, thick fog, we arrived to our camping, at 4000m. A freezing night would ensue. The reward came with the morning sun. Spirits were high. We played football and posed for a silly walk photo.

On the fourth day, camp at Thanzing, in the glacial valley leading to Goecha La. Temperatures reached -10ºC during the night, -6ºC inside our tents.

The ascent to Goecha La from Lamune (4200m) takes about 6h return. We were lucky to wake up to a starry sky. As we walked up the valley, sunrise came to gave the cold some respite. The sun stayed with us until noon, later giving place to a thick, sticky fog. Another freezing night followed.

On the return to Thoka, rhododendron and pines made most of the landscape. Fog again. More cold. We would only feel warm again at the lower grounds around Yuksom.

fête du théâtre de Genève

duas leis

É evidente que a maldade gosta de cortar aos bocados e comer. Evidente ainda que certo mau humor, vindo da parte de trás do céu, está na base da imundície de certos homens. Nenhum mamífero seria tão cruel se não tivesse apoios obscuros e altos. Uma paisagem que esteja acima do nível do mar (e da tua cabeça) poderá cair ou voar. Se voar será bela,  se cair sobre ti: parte-te o pescoço. São duas leis.

in "Uma Viagem à India", Gonçalo Tavares

Indus, Shyok and Nubra

On the way from Manali to Leh

Manali - Leh highway

By the Indus valley - Likkir

  

Nubra Valley

  
Nubra Valley

  Overlooking Turtuk  and the Shyok river, 

flowing to Pakistan, Only a few km away

  Beautiful Turtuk

Pangong Tso

Dilbert's dilema