“Time is a flat circle. Everything we have done or will do we will do over and over and over again—forever.”
Friedrich Nietzsche.
That’s right, folks. March 18th marked a full year since the first lockdown here in Portugal, and it shows. But — as you’ve likely recently reminisced with friends and loved ones who didn’t manage to flee the country since then — all in all, the year wasn’t that bad, event-wise. In fact (and in retrospect), last summer was actually pretty bumping for Lisbon, all things considered… That’s why it’s important to remember that things can always get worse. For instance, fake cocaine may soon actually be the only option left as the massive hoards of tourists looking to let loose are set to land any day now. Or, say, the latest vaccine may not be all it had been cracked up to be, while offing oneself (or a loved one) legally in Portugal also might not be as easy as it seemed, say, two months ago… Anyhoo, at least the weather is getting better!
Just remember that time being a flat circle is not really bad news in and of itself. Because, as Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra once said some five centuries ago, “until death, it’s all life.” So, while you hope for the best and prepare for the worst, continue to stay safe, sane, and alive. And here’s some stuff that’s maybe happening in the coming days to help you do that (not all of which is online now, by the way!).
ONLINE NUTRITIONAL SEMINAR:
French lawyer Anthelme Brillat-Savarin once wrote: “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.” How flies get fat: from genes to neurons is an online seminar that aims to explore the connections between energy balance and the nutritional content of diet. Yep, this one’s for the geeks, and It’s happening Friday, Mar. 19 at 14h, free and online.
ONLINE SEMINAR:
Soviet ex-pat poet Konstantin Kuzminsky once said: “I try the word with my teeth— Alas! I’m hungry and naked underneath.” Konstantin is one of the subjects of The Late-Soviet Underground: (Re-)Collecting the Past, a talk by U.S. professor Ainsley Morse about “collecting variously ephemeral ‘things’ (words, poems, books, writers, traditions, ways of life), but also ‘collecting’ as a mode of writing — as both a pathology and a creative mode typical of unofficial literature and art of the late Soviet period.” It’s being broadcast live from the U.S. of A. on Monday, Mar. 22, at 16h (Lisbon time), for free.
FILM CONTEST:
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said “the whole world is one neighborhood.” My Neighborhood is Lisbon invites aspiring film-makers, professional and other, to make a short film about their neighborhood here in Lisbon. The work of 10 lucky winners will be presented to the public in July (in theory). If Lisbon is your neighborhood and you want to make a movie about it, you can register until Apr. 5.
ONLINE CONCERTS:
Local jazz musicians The André Rosinha Trio presented their first album, Tree, live at the CCB last summer. This Saturday, Mar.20, the CCB offers an online video version of that concert for five bucks, available all day.
The Throne Room of the National Palace of Queluz in Sintra presents the online concert Cosmopolitismo do Baroque Português. It focuses on the 18th century, “a period of great musical vitality in Portugal,” they said, and it’s happening on Sunday, Mar.21, at 20h, free of charge.
ONLINE AND REAL LIFE CONCERTS:
Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov once said, “music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.” In theory, The Gulbenkian Orchestra finally reopens its doors on Apr. 19 with some Chopin and Rachmaninov (with tickets available Apr. 6). For now, they’ve got a bunch of concerts happening online too.
REAL LIFE WALKING TOUR:
Finally, every Saturday morning until Apr. 24, the Bordalo Pinheiro Museum invites you to walk around Bordalo’s Lisbon. Wander the streets with purpose for a change, viewing them through the eyes of the Portuguese legend. They once said: “On this visit, the sidewalk is painted with the unique mood with which Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro looked at Lisbon and its experiences.”
And continue to browse our full calendar of events for even more stuff to do — once, twice, or over and over and over again…
