O LiMpA ViAs

MAC show!

2010-10-09T12:55:00.001+01:00

Hip Hop straight from the south side! Tonight!

"Law and Economics" - by Trenton Kashima

2010-10-06T20:09:00.005+01:00

I once told my friend that I would guest write one article for his blog, this is my attempt to honor that promise. I quickly read over Prof. Christensen’s article, “How Will You Measure Your Life?” between my studies. The lessons of this article cannot be understated for professionals. Much of my law school orientation dealt with how your legal career will intersect with your personal life and your ethics and values.

As I start dividing my time between my various academic commitments, I find myself asking some basic economic questions (although I didn’t recognize they were economic in nature at the time), "what are the opportunity costs of the time I spend in moot court or class or studying?" Generally the answer to these questions is simple, the opportunity costs are the things that make up the life I live. But we go without for the promises that the future may be brighter.
This is a recipe for isolation and discontent, but is it not worth it temporarily for greater professional gains in the future? This question is simple but surprising deceptive, it presumes that these losses will be temporary; they only are but investments for future gains. Often, however, they are not. The externalities of these decisions are ever present, and impossible for which to account.

Nothing illuminates these existential problems more than the ability to step away from one's life for an extended period of time. This is something that is incidental to studying abroad. It removes you from your life. You are thrown into a different culture with different people in a different place. And generally the less extensive academic and personal demands allows you to take stock of your life back home.
This is one of Maastricht's, and in part Portugal's, (with all the people I met along the way) meanings for me. It was an opportunity to take stock and re-orientate my priorities. On the other hand it was bittersweet. It also highlighted the areas of my life which I have negligence greatly, and continue to negligence. It takes great power of will to overcome the inertia for your past habits. Yet this is life, it is our regrets and follies that make us human and interesting.

So my advice to anyone mirrors those expressed in this article, be sure to allocation your energies with your personal priorities and values in mind, not just your professional goals. Don’t fall into the trap. However remember, you need not be completely successful at this task, even attempts and failures will guarantee you will become a better person.

Trent Kashima

"How will you measure your life?"

2010-10-06T17:04:00.003+01:00

Yesterday, while I was reading the Harvard Business Review magazine I came across one of the most inspiring articles I’ve read lately. Clayton M. Christensen, one of the most celebrated Harvard Business School professors, wrote a very powerful essay – “How Will You Measure Your Life?” – that quickly became one of the most resonant works Harvard Business Review has ever published. The article is based on Christensen deep knowledge and experience, and makes the call for having a strategy and a purpose in your life. Christensen was diagnosed with cancer almost one year ago and he is now in a rehabilitation phase after an intense period of medical treatment. His inspiring words are clearly from someone who has set his priorities right and values life over any other professional achievement.

The article was made available online for free by the Harvard Business Review until the end of October. Take my word, it’s worth reading, even more if your academic background is related with business.

You can read the article HERE.

C.C.M.

2010-09-11T13:53:00.003+01:00

Tribute to one of the oldest bands that is still around!! I'm looking forward for a night of classics!

The Expendables

2010-09-07T15:53:00.003+01:00

I think I never went to the movies with such low expectations as I did for The Expendables. I was expecting something bad, but just for the fun of it I still decided to watch in the big screen. It’s bad. It’s really bad actually… Endless clichés, explicit and exaggerated violence in the action scenes and a super basic storyline. Back when I was 10 years old, I would go crazy if somebody told me that I could see Stallone, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger starring in the same scene, even if only for a couple of minutes. Well, it was not the case at all. The cast sure has some classic names of action movies, but this movie is far far away from being a classic.

Stallone, my friend, you had your time as an actor, so do everybody a favor and stop this director/actor non-sense. If you were never a top actor, believe me, you won’t make it as a director.

DESTRUCTION PARTYYY!

2010-09-02T14:49:00.007+01:00

You know what to expect when Mr. Miyagi is on stage! Beer in the air and skates rollin' over your heads!

DESTRUCTION PARTYYY!!!!

Kick Ass

2010-08-24T22:55:00.005+01:00

Based on a Mark Millar’s comic book, Kick Ass is an interesting super heroes’ movie. A super hero without super powers, that’s what this movie is all about. A geeky teenager that sets himself to be a super hero just by using a crazy outfit and wandering in New York’s streets hoping to find situations in which he can be the hero of the day. But be careful now, if you’re expecting just some idiotic comedy mixed with meaningless action scenes, this is not it! There’s more into this movie than actually meets the eye. Both the pseudo super heroes interpreted by Aaron Johnson and Nicolas Cage are the expression of two unlikely but possible personas in today’s society – a teenager consumed by comic books and a strong will to make a mark in the society, and a retired cop willing to do anything to take a drug lord out of the business and avenge his wife’s death. By the way, it was good to see Nicolas Cage back to a more decent role in a movie. I don’t remember the last time I was satisfied with one of his performances.

Some may say the movie is too violent, others may say that the contents are sometimes way too explicit for the kind of movie this one pertains to be. Well, I say this is a very entertaining movie that kind of surprised me. I’m just sorry I couldn’t get my hands on a copy of the comic book before watching it.

One week out!

2010-08-15T15:52:00.001+01:00

See you all next week! It's time to chill with the boys!!

"Fado - História de um Povo"

2010-08-14T14:00:00.002+01:00

“Fado – História de um Povo” is a musical by Filipe La Feria now playing in the “Casino do Estoril”. The play tells us the story of Fado from its very beginning in the 19th century until its biggest modern symbol in Portugal – Amalia Rodrigues. The musical is organized in a way that allows you to understand the several influences that Fado had until it became what it is today. Throughout the show several tributes to Fado singers are made but unfortunately many of them I couldn’t recognize. Still, there were also several names that I knew – Maria Severa, Alfredo Marceneiro, Ary dos Santos, Carlos do Carmo and of course Amália Rodrigues.
The cast is superb and the dynamic of the show is simply amazing. There’s always so much going on in the show with the artists on stage, people coming from below the stage, or even dancers descending from the ceiling right on top of our heads. The scenarios, costumes and all the accessories used are also brilliantly created.

I would recommend this musical to every Fado lover, and for those who are not big fans of the genre, it’s a very good way to get some knowledge on the music that represents the roots of the Portuguese people.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

2010-08-13T17:45:00.006+01:00

It’s just amazing the way they turned the most famous single-player platform game into a clever, fun and addictive multi-player game. Yes it’s true, the multi-player here is only an option, and you don’t have to play it if you don’t want to, but believe me, the fun is multiplied by 1 million if you play this game with your friends. Expect the traditional 2D Mario gameplay that made this character the most famous plumber in the world, lots of power ups, hidden secrets and the usual boss fights at the end of each world. Even though we can make use of the “continues” when you get a game over, don’t think this is an easy game to beat, actually it kind of requires a good amount of skill for you to beat all the levels! The graphics are the way they should be, with nicely polished and animated scenarios, and the sound effects are just brilliantly adapted to every situation in the game.

It’s the old school Super Mario at its best level!

Neon Genesis Evangelion - The End of Evangelion

2010-08-13T12:36:00.000+01:00

Ok, now we’re talking!! This is what I call an ending! If you didn’t watch the episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion, forget about this anime movie. If you watched them, and you liked the last 2 episodes, think before watching this movie as it will change the way you look at Evangelion’s ending. If you watched the episodes and you felt disappointed with the ending just like I did, than this movie is just what you’re looking for!

The movie takes off after the 24th episode, and it takes you 1 minute to realize that everything is different now. I’m not going to make the spoiler alert as I’m not going to focus on the story here. I’ll just say that instead of a bunch of recycled scenes, in this ending we get back to the action, and you’re finally able to understand some of the missing pieces that put the whole story together. The animation is of very high quality with clear improvements when compared with the TV episodes. The main character – Shinji – is still the biggest wooss ever created for an anime, but to compensate for this wimp, I finally got to understand all the fuss around Asuka – one of the other main characters. Asuka stars in one of the best action scenes I’ve ever watched in the anime world!

I’m sure that if Anno Hideaki had created this ending for the original series, he would have avoided the tons of criticism he received. Violent, psychologically intense, disturbing, and highly emotional… That’s Neon Genesis Evangelion alright!

Neon Genesis Evangelion

2010-08-13T12:34:00.002+01:00

All together, these 26 episodes had everything to be epic, but unfortunately, in my opinion, they end up failing to do so. Some talk about budget cuts during the series, others say the director, Anno Hideaki, didn’t have the ability to perfectly channel his ideas to the screen. Well, I go with a bit of both. If at the 18th or 19th episode I was completely amazed, towards the end I started to fill a bit disappointed. Still, in 1995/96 Neon Genesis Evangelion redefined the idea of Anime and came to influence many others that were released in the following years.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a futuristic mecha-based Anime, which instead of focusing in the fantastic battles or in the aesthetics of the whole thing, tries to shift the attention to a deeper level. A great deal of importance is given to the development of the characters and how these mature and interrelate with each other during the plot. Central to the whole story is the analysis of the human psyche and subconscious, with Freudian theories of Ego and Super Ego playing a major role here. There is also a big religious connotation throughout the series, but I would say that most of the times these lack objectivity and are rather more superficial.

As I mentioned before, the characters are extraordinarily well constructed with lots of depth into every each of them, and the way they develop during the series is just amazing. The whole story is also very interesting. In the 21st century Earth is being threatened by these alien creatures - the “Angels” – which can only be stopped by an organization known as NERV. This organization created these giant robots known as Evas, which can only be piloted by few chosen children. The plot than evolves into discovering some secret, mind-twisted and greedy projects of NERV that attempt to defy God’s power by creating an ultimate form human android, capable of thinking and acting by itself – the previously mentioned Evas. So far, so good. The first half of the series let us know a bit of the daily life of the chosen children and let us meet all the different characters of the series and know all about their personal dilemmas. Meanwhile, we get to watch some cool and intense action scenes between the Evas and the “Angels”.

The second half of the series starts off well. You start getting more involved with the characters and their emotions, and you finally start asking questions to solve the big puzzle that is being presented to you. This is where Anno Hideaki gets too ambitious, and I would say, a bit pretentious. This was also the time when the budget for Evangelion was cut. It is said that because episode 19 was way too graphic and brutal, even for the Japanese TV, the sponsor decided to bail out. The original ending just leaves a lot of stuff unanswered as if we were missing some pieces of a puzzle, being controversial enough for Hideaki to create an alternative one released afterwards in DVD. Anyways, towards the end you get the feeling that you’re going repeatedly and excessively deep into the same old characters problems. The central characters are broken into pieces in a huge sequence of introspective recycled scenes that are just too much to arrive at the ending climax.

All in all, this is definitely a must-see anime, which unfortunately gets stained by a sequence of final episodes that leave you with the feeling that the director was promising you too much.

Toy Story 3

2010-08-07T13:54:00.003+01:00

Yesterday, I decided to go on a date with a babe! Naaah, just kidding!! Yesterday was a movies night yes, but with my little sister! I guess it was the first time we went only the two of us to the movies, and I think we couldn’t have picked a better movie! Toy Story 3 together with the final chapter of Shrek is the best family movie I’ve watched so far this year.

Andy is not a little kid anymore. He just got in the university, and the characters – Woody, Buzz and all the other friends – are nothing more than old toys in the trunk. Before leaving his place Andy’s mom makes him do the big cleaning in his room, and by mistake all the old toys that Andy used to treasure are thrown away instead of being put in the attic. Disappointed, but unaware that it was a mistake, Andy’s toys manage to escape the garbage men, and so they end up being sent to a nursery school for other kids to play with them. The adventure then evolves with the toys trying to escape the nursery to go back home. Let me just give a big plus for the addition of new toys to the cast that are in charge of some of the most hilarious moments of the movie.

Toy Story 3 is the proof that Pixar has mastered the computer-generated animation. Everything runs smooth and looks awesome on the screen. Again, the 3D experience was disappointing. It’s a clever, touching and very funny movie that can, and should be watched by the entire family.

Pineapple Express

2010-08-07T13:49:00.001+01:00

Dudeeee, this gotta be one of the funniest stoner comedies I’ve ever watched. And please read carefully what I just wrote - STONER comedy – so don’t expect anything other than that. Light up a jay, watch this movie and you’ll see yourself in the middle of the craziest plot ever. The funniest thing is that no matter how stupid the decisions of the characters in the movie are, if you’re high when you’re watching this, I guess you’ll agree with every single one!
Brings me back good memories of The Netherlands and all the nights spent with my roommate laughing as if there was no tomorrow.

Inception

2010-07-28T01:55:00.003+01:00

It's Christopher Nolan on acids, and a lot more. You gotta love when you have one or two different interpretations for the ending. In my opinion the hype is kinda exaggerated, but still, it's one of the best movies that came out this year. Worth watching in the big screen!

Summer's Main Event - TODAY!!!!

2010-07-24T11:41:00.005+01:00

Friends, beach, party and good shows! You can't miss this one!

Growing up in the 90's

2010-07-24T04:03:00.004+01:00

You know a cartoon had an impact on you, when you’re 23, you sit at the table having dinner with some friends, and you start discussing the stupidity and how funny the things you used to watch were.

Either because of their stupidity, or because of how disgusting they could be, by the time I was a kid there was this set of cartoon series by Nickelodeon that were different from everything else. Ren & Stimpy, The Rugrats, Rocko’s Modern Life, Two Stupid Dogs, CatDog, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, all these, some more than others, made use of a controversial and sometimes disgusting humor, and as it seems, they were all able to occupy a space in the memories of those who grew up in the 90’s. Let’s also not forget about Doug, the first cartoon developed by Nickelodeon, which was also pretty cool but different from all the others.

I don’t know what the kids are watching these days, but now that I think about it, I don’t think I would switch my childhood cartoons with them ahahah!

Taxi Driver

2010-07-17T14:22:00.003+01:00

A masterpiece... Watched it again yesterday at night, and I still can't decide about my interpretation of the ending. There's just too much into it! I say Scorsese presents both the real life ending and the perfect emotional ending. Did he die in the end? I think so...
Without a doubt, one of the best movies I've ever watched.

Suits, shirts and ties...

2010-07-15T13:22:00.002+01:00

It’s finally time to turn the page, enough of the good student life. Yesterday I accepted my first professional contract. After 3 interviews and one final meeting I decided myself for Ernst & Young. Taking into account that I was in the recruitment process of other consulting companies, this wasn’t an easy decision to make. Anyways, the choice is done and I can hardly imagine a better start than in one of the “Big 4” worldwide!
From the 1st of September onwards I’ll be in my Advisory position as a Consultant. From now on, it’s suits, shirts and ties… (Scary)!

New blood on the scene!

2010-07-13T21:15:00.006+01:00

The first band – Cold Blooded – 4 friends that got together to bring something really fresh to the scene. They kind of have some different influences from what we’re used to hear in Portuguese bands, and for me that’s definitely a plus! Don’t miss out their first demo!

MYSPACE

The second band – Shape – was brought to life in 2009 but only now they’re putting out their first demo. From what I got to hear in their myspace it sounds pretty good. I’m really looking forward to see their energy live. My friends from Black Rain are going to release their tape in the next days! Another one that you shouldn’t miss!

MYSPACE

Finally, if you want to see both bands live, here’s your chance! This Saturday they’ll be playing in Cacilhas along with 3 other terrific bands! Once again, feeling pumped!!

New kid on the block!

2010-07-13T19:59:00.010+01:00

It's not really a new kid on the block, but finally my friend Gonçalo decided to create a blog just for himself! Took me some time to convince him, but it looks like he finally decided to move forward with it! If you’re not aware of his writings, he’s the guy that usually publishes the insanely good reviews at the Neckache.

Stay tuned because I’m sure he has plenty of interesting stuff to say!

You can check it HERE!

Shrek - The Final Chapter 3D

2010-07-11T13:02:00.003+01:00

After the third movie of the Shrek franchise I wasn’t expecting much from this final chapter. The first two movies were pretty good but the third, even though it still had some amusing parts, it wasn’t at the level fans were expecting. Bearing this in mind, yesterday I decided to join my mom and both my sisters to go to the movies and have my first 3D experience.

What a nice surprise I had! If the 3D experience was a bit of a letdown, the movie in itself surpassed my best expectations. You get to watch all the characters that you’re used to in Shrek movies but this time in a kind of parallel universe. What does this all mean? Well, basically after realizing how boring routine is, and how being a husband and a father has made him gone soft, Shrek decides to sign a contract with a villain which promises him one day as the old scary ogre he used to be. What Shrek didn’t know was that in this parallel universe none of his friends or family would recognize him. The story then evolves with Shrek having only one day to win Fiona’s heart again and make friendships with the old characters, which are now slightly different from what we were used to (the cat and the donkey are simply hilarious). Enough said about the story.

If you liked the previous movies, then I can almost assure you that you’re going to love this one! Oh and please, do watch the movie in the original version. Eddie Murphy’s and Banderas’ voices are just too good to be left out in this movie!

John Dyer Baizley

2010-07-09T18:00:00.010+01:00

Its guys like these that remind that I have a blog to post some stuff that I find interesting. This time it was the lead singer from Baroness that really got my attention with his artworks. I knew some of his illustrations from Kylesa and Baroness, which by the way were pretty awesome, but I had no idea of how good this guy was. I dug some information on him, and I was amazed at the number of projects with which he has already been involved. Besides the already mentioned Kylesa and Baroness, Baizley has already contributed with some sick artwork for bands like Pig Destroyer, Darkest Hour, Kvelertak or Vitamin X.
I’ll leave you with some examples of his artwork but don’t hesitate to look the internet for some more. It’s really worth it.

Museums Fest - Cologne

2010-05-17T21:05:00.010+01:00

Even though the International Museum Day is usually celebrated on the 18th of May, in Cologne they do it on the 16th. The Museums Fest, as they call it, means that you don’t have to pay to see their collections and you can even take part in several events such as conferences, workshops, etc. Taking this into account I had no excuse not to get my ass to Cologne and visit the Ludwig Museum. I was amazed by the diversity of styles and the amount of well known artists in their collection. From Expressionism to Surrealism or even Pop Art, there was always something from one world class artist. Picasso, Kirchner, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol… You name it! I’ll leave you with some works that I got to see over there. Museum highly recommended.

Juicy Records

2010-05-05T11:47:00.002+01:00

"Juicy Records begins to leave its mark in 2010. Not to reinvent, nor to divide in worthless categories of genres and aesthetics, but to serve as a platform for projects that transport contents through music. Music with content is music that transmits something. Values, messages, emotions, stories…all of these have been brought to us over many years by music, and now it’s time to gather some friends and give something back."

"Some people have asked me why am I doing this, why drag my money, my time and my energies on something that can be a total failure just by looking at the state of things nowadays…my answer: I’m just doing me, I’m just following an old dream and creating something to share with everyone. All my life I have been inspired by music. Not only by the bands playing on stage, their words, but also by the people standing on the backstages, working hard to make things happen. I have been on both sides, but most of the time I am just a kid in front of a stage waiting for that burst of sound that makes me feel alive…to all those kids, I bring JUICY RECORDS to life. It’s kinda my way to say thank-you to hardcore and music in general. It was all a dream…but maybe it is finally coming true."

A great DIY initiative by my friend Ema (Walkthewalk). I truly admire people like him, that are not afraid of taking the risk and throw themselves to a project that fulfils their dreams. Go check the website and support the most you can!

Juicy Records Website

Mother's Day

2010-05-02T14:21:00.004+01:00

I have absolutely no problem in saying this. My mom is my true role model... She's the person I've always looked up to, and she's the one who always gave me the extra push and convinced me that I can make a difference in this world! For you, I have nothing less than unconditional love. Really looking forward to have you here with me for a weekend! Undoubtedly, the most important woman in my life!

Nike Air Max 1

2010-04-28T15:19:00.003+01:00

Dear Santa, so far I've been a good boy this year. If you're out there somewhere could you please send me these in advance? I would very much appreciate that...

Thank you Santa!

He Got Game

2010-04-27T11:21:00.006+01:00

I love Denzel Washington, I love Basketball, and I sure love Ray Allen, but this gotta be one of the worst movies I've ever watched.
A convicted murderer (Denzel) is released for one week in order to convince his son (Ray Allen) to play for a basketball team that the Mayor likes (what the fuck!?!?!?!).
As positive points we have some nice close-up shots of some cool Air Jordan shoes and some nice footage of street basketball games. Worth mentioning is also the soundtrack, in which Public Enemy came up with some nice songs. As for the negative points... hummmm let me see... the entire movie?
And what's with all the explicit sex scenes throughout the entire movie? I was assuming that the target audience for this movie were all the young kids that love basketball.

Damn you Ray Allen, even Michael Jordan did a better job on Space Jam than you did on this one!

Capitalism at the Crossroads

2010-04-23T12:13:00.003+01:00

This is quite an interesting book to read, particularly if you have it as course book. It’s very light-reading and most of the times it resembles more a novel book than an academic one. The book is very well written and it gives us an insightful opinion on how and why business should be at the vanguard of social, environmental, and economic development. The idea is that business profitability doesn’t have to come at the expense of nature’s sustainability.
Even though the book sometimes lacks a bit of objectivity, the arguments presented make sense and are very well structured. It sure opens up some space in your mind to think more seriously about doing business in a sustainable way.

NBA Playoffs

2010-04-17T16:08:00.003+01:00

Starts tonight!!

9pm - Chicago VS Cleveland

2am - Miami VS Boston

New stuff that is worth checking!

2010-04-13T12:47:00.009+01:00

I wasn't aware of American VI until I read a small review here. It's always worth listening music coming from Johnny Cash, but the most amazing thing is that the album came out in February 2010 and Cash died almost 7 years ago.

Well, it's not really the most innovative thing from Mindset, but still this "Time & Pressure" has the straight edge feeling that I like. You can expect fast songs always with a message behind the lyrics.

New York legends are back! Quite a surprise this one. "Death to Tyrants" wasn't really my thing, but this new album sure surpasses its predecessor. I'll probably write a small review on the album for my other blog.

We know that when the Wu-Tang boys get together to put something out usually the result is good. "Wu-Massacre" isn't genious but it sure offers around 30 minutes of entertaining and solid Wu-Tang rap!

Regarding this one, it's probably the best album I've heard so far this year. Unfortunately, they lost a bit of the Motorhead touch, but still they pulled out an amazing set of 10 songs. My friend Gonçalo will probably write a review on this album pretty soon.

The Beauty of Contrasts

2010-04-10T15:01:00.005+01:00

The Princess and the Frog

2010-04-07T01:12:00.004+01:00

The recipe for this movie is quite simple. Mix a bit of Peter Pan, a bit of Cinderella, a few moments from Lion King and Hercules, add the magic of the forests in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and take some other random characters from old school Disney movies. That’s how “The Princess and the Frog” was born. The objective was to go back to the Disney classics, and I think that it was quite achieved. Sometimes the movie lacks some originality, but all in all, it’s a very entertaining and funny movie to watch with your little sister. Made me remember of those endless afternoons watching VHS’s from Disney with one of my sisters (god she's already 19!!). Times are changing…

The Blind Side

2010-04-07T00:47:00.002+01:00

Yes, it’s an inspiring story. Yes, it’s an entertaining movie to watch with your family on a Saturday night. And yes, Sandra Bullock has had a good career throughout the years. But no, she didn’t deserve an Oscar for this one. She does a good job playing a caring and altruist mother that adopts a homeless kid and turns him into a big champion, but that by itself shouldn’t award her an Oscar. It was not that much of a complex role to play, and I’ve seen many actresses being nominated and losing with a lot better performances.
I must add that I’m not aware of the other actresses that were nominated along with Sandra Bullock, so it is possible that I’m being a bit unfair here. For me it was the way that the Academy found to acknowledge Bullock as one of the big ladies in Hollywood (a statement that may generate some discussion among the critics).

Superbad & Old School

2010-04-03T13:42:00.003+01:00

If you want to have some fun and laugh for a while without any mental effort implied, I truly recommend these two movies. Both retarded, and both fucking hilarious!

Persepolis

2010-03-31T01:27:00.007+01:00

“Persepolis” is an animated movie based on Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel which tells her story from the time she was a child until her early adulthood. A small animated black and white masterpiece, that in my opinion deserved the Oscar for the best animated feature film of the year in 2008.
The movie starts off in 1979 in Tehran when Marjane was only a 9 year old kid. Coming from a Marxist family, Marjane watches the fall of the Shah, a historic moment that is heavily celebrated among Satrapi’s household. The fall of the Shah represented a new hope for a bright and modern future in the country. However, things don’t really work that way, and instead of a modern and free country, religious fundamentalists take over, the veil becomes mandatory and social freedoms quickly start to disappear. Too rebellious to live in a society like this, Marjane soon starts to develop her curiosity over the western world. Getting Michael Jackon’s tapes in the black market, or using the veil while wearing a jacket with “Punk’s not Dead” scrawled in the back, are just some of the examples that demonstrate this kid’s unconformity towards the society she lives in.

Things get a lot worse when Iran goes to war with Iraq, and so, in order to preserve the safety of the child, Marjane’s parents send her to a French school in Austria. A new journey begins. While she struggles to fit in the western society, Marjane meets a group of anarchist and nihilist friends. She starts going to punk rock concerts and loses herself for a while in some alternative cultures. It doesn’t take long until Marjane starts realizing that the nihilist culture that she just met isn’t exactly what fills her heart. Two options arise. Either Marjane’s gives up her family and home, or she can lose her individuality and freedom and go back to Iran.
Marjane chooses to go back to Iran and start a new life. She gets married but after a while she gets tired of her new meaningless life in a society that doesn’t accept her curiosity and modern ideals. Tehran was not the place for Marjane. As expected, she leaves her husband and decides to go back to Europe.

Well, if after reading this you’re expecting a melodramatic movie you have the wrong picture here! “Persepolis” is full of hilarious moments, with lots of satire and funny inteligent moments. We do have some political moments but always presented in a very smooth and smart way. The character of Marjane’s grandmother as progressive feminist old lady is superbly done. Some of the best moments will evolve around the relationship between Marjane and her grandmother, which as I said is probably one of the best characters in the movie. Also, the movie is in French, but even if I could, I wouldn’t change it into English. It sounds perfect the way it is!

“Persepolis” is really unique, and in an age where computer-driven animation seemed to have taken over, this movie feels refreshing and makes us remember the beauty of the old school animated movies. I would say a 9 out of 10, within its genre.

Happy B-Day

2010-03-18T10:58:00.003Z

As far as I remember, this dog is probably my oldest friend! When I mean friend, I mean the real ones, and believe me, there are not that many! Sorry I won't be there for the traditional dinner and booze, but I wish you the best birthday ever! Soon enough we'll be having some beers and tearing down some walls ahahah! All the best for you my brother!

Cologne, March 2010

2010-03-09T16:21:00.012Z

This week I'll be too busy taking care of a presentation for my course, so next weekend I'll post a review of this night of concerts. Seriously, it surpassed all my expectations. Respect to the German crowd that was there last night! Way way better than the Dutch! Completely insane...

I didn't get that much sleep at the hostel though. The couch awaits me!

Good News!!!

2010-03-03T13:57:00.002Z

Close to my place, and only for 12.50€ ? Cool!

I would probably prefer to see H2O along with my friends in Portugal, but this one will have to do it!

Amsterdam - February 2010

2010-03-02T17:16:00.003Z

No matter where I go, these ones will always be there. Crazy days in Amsterdam...

Things happen that way

2010-03-01T17:50:00.002Z

Well you ask me if I'll forget my baby.
I guess I will, someday.
I don't like it but I guess things happen that way.
You ask me if I'll get along.
I guess I will, someway.
I don't like it but I guess things happen that way.

God gave me that girl to lean on,
then he put me on my own.
Heaven help me be a man
and have the strength to stand alone.
I don't like it but I guess things happen that way.

You ask me if I'll miss her kisses.
I guess I will, everyday.
I don't like it but I guess things happen that way.
You ask me if I'll find another.
I don't know. I can't say.
I don't like it but I guess things happen that way.

God gave me that girl to lean on,
then he put me on my own.
Heaven help me be a man
and have the strength to stand alone.
I don't like it but I guess things happen that way.

Johnny Cash - Guess things happen that way

Just the proof...

2010-02-28T02:44:00.003Z

...that I didn't do the same mistake again! My ticket is here (not a fancy one for my collection though).

Something interesting I found about the receipt they sent me was the message on its bottom right corner. Unfortunately, I'm getting so used to see radical right-wing people in Hardcore shows around here, that it's good for change to see that there are still people that fight against ideals that do not belong to the Hardcore scene. "Keep your country tidy!"

Miles Davis

2010-02-27T15:32:00.004Z

Afternoon working on my thesis while listening to Miles Davis.
Mellow mood. So damn good...

Rurouni Kenshin OVA: Trust & Betrayal

2010-02-24T19:39:00.006Z

I’ve watched this DVD for the first time some years ago, but now that my roommate decided to give it a try, I took the opportunity to re-watch it (again! Oh yeah, I’m a nerd when it comes to Animes, Mangas and other Doujins.). If you are familiar with the TV show “Samurai X” that was aired in Portugal by the end of the 90’s, then you probably will recognize this name right away. Rurouni Kenshin, or Samurai X, as the Americans and Europeans like to call it, was one of the most popular Mangas in Japan in the mid 90’s. Later, an Anime version was produced, which made Kenshin Himura one of the most famous characters ever in Japanese animation.

The “Trust and Betrayal” OVA (Original Video Animation) was released after the TV series were over in Japan, and it tells the story of Kenshin during the Meiji Revolution, back when he was still a manslayer. In other words, this OVA is a prequel that answers many of the unanswered questions left by the TV series. Consisting of 4 episodes, this OVA takes the world of Rurouni Kenshin to a whole different level. Forget about all the comical moments that we were used to watch on TV. Here we have some serious animation, with very deep and well developed characters. Japanese culture at the time is portrayed in a superb way, with several details that give the story a complete different depth.

However, if you’re just expecting to see brutal and violent scenes, which this OVA also has, than you will be disappointed. The main focus of “Trust and Betrayal” is not the bloodbaths brought by the Battousai. Instead, these 4 episodes evolve around a beautiful and tragic romance in an epoch of blood and chaos.
The art and animation are way better than those of the TV series, sometimes with even excessive detail in the brutality of the fighting scenes. You can also expect a high quality soundtrack, which taken together with the animation, offers an amazing cinematographic experience.

If you were a fan of the Samurai X TV series, or if you are into Japanese animation, than I can guarantee that you will love this. In my opinion, it still is one of the best OVAs out there.

I should have known better...

2010-02-22T22:18:00.003Z

This is what you get when you don’t know how things work in a different country. Remember the nice Madball and friends show at Rotterdam? I’m not going. I tried to buy my ticket one week in advance, and the response I got was “I’m so sorry the show sold out 2 weeks ago”. I never saw a Hardcore show running out of tickets in Portugal, but oh well, this ain’t the land of Fado is it? As my Portuguese friends must be thinking now – ESTUDASSES!

It isn’t the end of the world though. The party was delayed only for few days. Instead of partying with the Dutch, I will have to do it with the Germans. I think Cologne is even closer to Maastricht than Rotterdam.

8th of March - Cologne, Germany

The ticket is on it's way!!!