Busy Busy Bee

Hello folks,

Let’s see what has caught my attention this week… I have to admit that one of the most shocking things has been something happened in Italy on Thursday. A man has killed his three young children and his wife and shot himself for no apparent reason. Wealthy family, no sign of depression or crisis. Just like that, something must have clicked. But what shocks more is the fact that according to some statistics, since 2006 7 murders out of 10 have happened between the “home sweet home” walls, meaning that there are more people killed by relatives than by the Mafia! It’s a bit like a couple of years ago there were all those news about Naples murders. Every single day someone was killed by the Camorra. At the end of the year it came out that there were more murders in Milan than in Naples and if we excluded the Camorra’s crimes Naples was far behind this sad rank…

What to say? Let’s abolish the families! Or, perhaps, let’s abolish the weapons detention at home. What’s wrong with the blooming Italians? What’s wrong in this society? Is it possible that the family is too much of a burden to bear for many? I don’t know but my opinion about the Italian families being a castrating element of that society, the most castrating one, stopping people from growing seems to find further confirmation looking at those terrible and chilling numbers. God, if exists one, bless those poor little kids souls…

On the same topic, Brazil has been declared the most violent country in the world when it comes to deaths provoked by fellow humans… Murders… 5% of the deaths are murders. The comparison has been done between 11 countries only so, I am sure that the numbers are not as accurate as one would expect but, nevertheless, it is worrisome to think that between 2002 and 2003 4.7% of the deaths have been provoked by other fellow humans. Just to give an idea of the drama of this number, think that second comes South Africa, with 2.8% and Germany, the safest one shows a 0.1%.

The study has been done by Brazil authorities so, no political issues and so on.

Can crisis kill? Of course but here in Sao Paulo it has killed on the trading floor. Paulo Sergio Silva shot himself for unknown reasons.

Any good news? Jeez! I cannot believe that this week I have been reading only unhappy stuff… including earthquakes, recessions, weather issues and so on. The best financial news was the one saying that this slowdown could last up to 4 years while the worst claims a 20 years slow down…

Look guys, let me tell you something about my week over here.

I will start shocking you telling you that I had my birthday celebrations this weekend. My friends and colleagues over here arranged some special parties for my 41st birthday. It was really cool, Legal, as they say over here. The more I know these people and the more I like them but, sorry guys, still no love story with the city… Safety doesn’t come with the smiles and the kindness of the Paulistanos, unfortunately, they seem to be the front and the verso of the same medal. Where is the shock? I managed to reach 41 guys!!!

Food wise I have discovered, thanks to friends and colleagues, some more decent places and with a few extra Reais it is possible to eat properly. A bit on the pricey side but quality is tip top!

This week has marked a major change in my life over here: my two fellow gringos have left Brazil and gone back to the UK and they will be back here in January. I am still not sure I will be here as I had an interview and I might go back to Europe, Eastern Europe, if I do not reach a sort of agreement by the end of next week. It is not an easy agreement to reach because many parties seem to be involved and this can make things go awry any time.

China… Still out of the picture, those who were offering me positions have disappeared and all those jobs available seem not to be good enough for me so, for the time being I have cut out the possibility of moving over there until the end of this or the other contract which should be towards the end of 2009 or beginning of 2010.

I am still in touch with a few people in Beijing but those who were my solid certainties have become “Solidni Neijstota”, solid uncertainties, as they would say in Czech. Those people who seemed to be closer to me have completely disappeared and those I would not have bet a pence on are keeping in touch, regularly, and keep me informed about everything going on in the Northern Capital.

This 2008 is an incredible year for me. So many changes and so many events. It really feels like I have lived 10 years in one. Even Brazil seems like a place I have always known. It feels very strange to love the people so much and not being able to relate them to the place. I was telling my wife a couple of days ago. If I should tell anyone about Sao Paulo I would certainly describe a place where night life is like nowhere else in the world, food, if you got money to spend, is excellent, bars are great and vary, disco and bars cater for all tastes and there is no difference between Mondays and Fridays, people are top quality, even the strange weather can be acceptable if one cannot stand excessive heat or cold and like the tropical afternoon evening storms… on the other hand, all these positive things are offset by the impossibility of living a normal life, because of the crime rate. And the more you live life the more you risk to end up in trouble.

I am still trying to plan a weekend to Argentina, before I leave in December but seems like I might spend it somewhere here in Brazil instead as I have looked at the map and there are so many nice places worth visiting. From Santa Catarina to Bahia to Amazonia, I see so many gullible places. I might postpone the Argentina trip to next year, in autumn, if still here.

Back to Italy... my country is one of the oddest in the world and this is not only because of the Prime Minister and the pope ruling but also because it's one of the few countries considering themselves liberal and democratic where the Parliament, via a special Commission composed by a majority of government supporters, controls the State television. In a normal country it would be the TV to control the Government actions but, we are fucking Italians and this makes us different.

It has been long time since this special commission didn't have a President elected. The name that was proposed by the opposition, which normally takes the presidency to balance the majority of pro-government people was Mr Leoluca Orlando, an MP for the di Pietro's Italia dei Valori. No bloody way that this former mayor of Palermo would have ever been voted by the majority of the MP's, included those of the opposition that, in words, were supporting him.

The Majority voted, by surprise, for a little man called Villari. this guy was asked to resign as himself a senator for the opposition party, PD, was not even a candidate. However in a blitz, this guy was elected as president and, after an initial declaration that he would have stepped down once he had helped the commission to find a name that would be appreciated by both majority and opposition members, he decided to stay in charge and refuse to resign. Effectively the man has been elected and despite the name of a joint candidate has been found, this guy is now, officially, the President of the control body that has to oversee RAI...

What a country folks! the majority voting for an opposition member that should resign because he was not meant to be the opposition favourite candidate and this chap decides to stay in charge showing the middle finger to all politicians.

I think he has done bloody well not to resign even if I dislike the chap that, in the meantime, has been expelled by the PD (Democratic Party).

A sad news was published on the Italian papers. Sandro Curzi, a famous communist journalist and member of the board of RAI died. When a journalist is honest, no matter where his political location is, it's always a big loss for a country. Good bye Sandro!

This coming week will mark the busiest week since I have been here. If we start backwords I had my B'day party on Friday night, Saturday b'day lunch, I managed to skip dinner. Sunday b'day dinner with some colleagues, Monday dinner with my sister and her husband coming over to Sao Paulo, Tuesday cinema premiere for an Italian movie, Wednesday Xmas party, my clients' party, and either Saturday or Friday next, I cannot recall, there will be Bob Sinclar playing at a local place and we are all going to listen to him. and I am sure there will be some partying in the meantime... What can I say? I want to go hooooooooooooooomeeeeeeeeeee!

Ciao guys, catch you later!