Self-Portrait
08/20/2004
I am from Rio Grande so I’m fearless. I love Rio de Janeiro. I have a problem saying no. Narrow-minded people snub me. I have a bad memory for names. I barely like music. I’ve been wearing the same pair of black trousers for three years. I cook very well but I’m lazy. I hate pumpkin. I love Elizabeth Taylor. I have never had any collections. I love helping my friends if there is something I can do. I am slow to retaliate. I love colors. I can’t stand work associates to set low standards for themselves. I am punctual. I stop at red lights. I spend small fortunes on art books. I hate people with no sense of humor. Sometimes I give alms. I love Miles Davis. I complain a lot. I know how to say ‘I’m sorry’. I buy records for their covers. I don’t hold grudges. I love animals. I don’t care for money. I live in Jardim Botânico, in a small apartment painted yellow. I listen to all the tapes people send me. I love dancing. I love Balanchine. I can’t stand the retro syndrome. I hate knickknacks. I love Mondrian. I like washing dishes. I sometimes need to be alone. I like Botafogo. I support Grêmio. I don’t know how to play cards. I would love to do a cinema soundtrack. I would like to play golf. I love Tàpies. I drink too much coffee. I don’t like air conditioning. My mother says I change a lot. I’m gluttonous. I hate baby blue. I love João Cabral. I really don’t know how to play the guitar. I play the guitar beautifully. I have lovely arms. Iberê Camargo painted my portrait. I know and recognize people by their hands. I can’t stand wastefulness. I hate courant d’air. I love Lina Bo Bardi. I don’t like good taste. I hate pills. I am very hairy. I love the Queen of England. I love Brie. Tacky people snub me. I have never known what to do with my hands in the presence of celebrities. My friends say I change a lot. I have always been happy in Love. I love Marlon Brando. I love Gáveas Guimas. I can’t live without champagne. I have a Lygia Clark “animal”. I sleep less than I would like to. I hate mystifyng people. I love driving. I don’t like trivial mysteries. I despise phony people. I love reds and pinks. I give shelter to trespassers and outcasts. I’ve stopped smoking. I have no superstition. I love John Cage. I have never wanted to have children. The first word I read was "Mexico". I don’t like to perform on TV. I love my hands. I love laughing at myself. I have a soft spot for mad people. I love Issey Myake. I hate old rubbish. Journalists say I change a lot. I despise people who take themselves too seriously. I love aristocrats. I can’t live without fruits. I am very disciplined. I truly want to visit Egypt. I envy elephants. I love Augusto de Campos. I love Mediterranean colors. I love the food of the Provence. I can’t stand Free Shops and all that junk. I hate people fascinated exclusively by fame. I love Merce Cunningham. I want to compose very simple songs. I want to know what’s songs are for. I love Andy Warhol. I am slightly cross-eyed. I postpone very important decisions. My shoe size is 38. I have a “climber” by Lygia Clark. I love wine. I don’t know how to give interviews. I love Mangueira. I want the Dois Irmãos Mountain lighted. I love diving in Angra. I love Mário Peixoto. Uncultured people snub me. I love different shades of blue. I love Klein. I love Klee. I love Matisse. I always say yes. I love playing concerts. I love singing in Rio. I sleep on planes. I am much too generous. I love Gertrude Stein. I’m mad for orchids. I’ve been head over heels in love for seven years. I love Hélio Oiticica. I love Joaquim Pedro de Andrade. I hate aestheticization. I hate undue appraisal of folklore. I don’t like watching myself on video. I love Oswald de Andrade. I have a lithography by Miró. In winter, I never have breakfast without strawberries. In summer I never have breakfast without watermelon. One day I shall have a Calder mobile. I do barbaric things for a Swatch. People say I change a lot.Published in ‘Jornal do Brasil’ / Caderno Mulher / on September 9, 1996
By Adriana Calcanhotto
CURIOSITY FACT:The links on this text were on me!!!
Laila... con todo el ezfuerzo que da leer ingles he logrado leerte en tu blog..., me pregunto porque en ingles si hablas desde la niñez un idioma tan bello como el portugues...
ReplyDeleteBueno cada cual con su historia..., mira, soy un navegante de blogs, y tengo el mio, y cada tanto encuentro alguno que me interesa, como el tuyo, porque hablan de cosas y gente bellas (como la hermosa Adriana Calcanhoto)y las cosas que dices las dices de forma bella tambien...
Me alegro de encontar blogs comoel tuyo... te invito si quisieras visitar el mio...
Te felicito por tublog ( a pesar del ingles ;))
Hi Africanoaf... if you took the time to read and comment on my blog it is because you are able to understand the language and its contents. But if you think it is not quite okay to write in English because you know English is not my first tongue, how come you left me a comment in Spanish???
ReplyDeleteI do appreciate whatever life brings to the beauty realm. However, beauty can lie in many things. I see beauty in toothless smiles. I see beauty in a psyco-thriller movies soaked in fake blood. I see beauty in wrinkled hands and hoarse voice. I twist, squeeze, and extract the beauty of all languages, of all cultures.
English is the international tool to be heard beyond the horzions of my poor and sad bounderies. Once I heard this saying: "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." Let us not diminish our own capacity to reach out far and ahead.
Be back more times!!!
It is possible that if, that it understands the language in that you write and if also is possible that ingles becomes uniersal language, but I believe that for example the Portuguese is a beautiful language, to read Portuguese it is an incredible pleasure (also they are personal things) memory at this moment to Clarice Lispector, been born of English speech and Portuguese speech by adoption, does not bother to me, but but well, it intrigued the fact to me that you write in ingles... I wait for has not bothered you my commentary (although of certain way I see that you do not like too much;))of language that you choose as own for your blog... single is surprised. I continue remembering and memory Pessoa..., and memory writers, poets, music, film directors, of all the languages that never i'know and of which if..., and I thank for this Babel that makes us make an effort in understanding first as it says it and second that means... kisses to us, is happy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting back Africanoaf...
ReplyDeleteJust some highlights:
Clarice Lispector was born in Ucrania and moved to Brazil when she was just one year old. She loved languages however she developed her artwork in Portuguese mainly... Her anthology has been translated into several other languages due to her talent and ability to writing.
Fernando Pessoa spent most of his lifetime in England and maybe that is the reason why he wrote in English under the pseudo FERNANDO PESSOA HIMSELF.
Samuel Beckett was another remarkable author who wrote in different languages: English and French.
PS- I didn't get mad or anything. I'm very attracted by these sort of discussions.
Like sides by the speed of the answer, to my also I like this type of "discussions" of equal way not it llamria thus. My point is basico..., of course that there is many writers that has done his work in language that was not its native language, and of course that has made things wonderful, that not is my point in individual with respect to this "discussion" I think, and is single thought that, as much people, the English language say this cattle land by on the other languages, and then if you do not know or you do not understand the English you lose yourself of many things, until in your own country that are not spoken that language... is something basico, I have worked long time in tourism, things that no longer I do, and certainly it bothered to me that the English people of speech did not have much disposition to learn although but is not the basico of the language of the country in which they were for being able to make what they wanted. By exactly the fact that English this becoming an indispensable language little by little..., as for me I see as much that that goes in deterioration of other beautiful languages, or but that the English, or the Portuguese, the French, the Spanish or any other. It would not say by anything the world that the English is a language but or less ugly than another one, but the saturation kills to me, I in vain prefer to be I the one that I choose the language to study, and by an imposed necessity... also as I say my problem to you it is not with the language, it is but the pleasure that it gives to be able to read Poe in ingles is incredible, of the same form that it gives me to please to read Pessoa or Sa-Carneiro in Portuguese and sometimes I hope to be able to read thus Duras in French... To my also I like this "Discucion"
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I understood you well, but as far as I know, no language is able to put an end on another. The natual cultural changes promotes that such as Internet advent. I don't agree that English is overused or such. English is simply the universal language on this media and for international trades, but it has no official status, and it will never have. The reasons for this major position of English are the imperialism and economical and political importance of English-speaking countries. Besides, its grammar structures are way simpler than those in Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese. So, it is the common web language these days and you ought to accept it. And for being not that difficult to master it, I'd highly recommend you some ESL courses that you can take at EF, CES, ELS, or at any college or university in the US, England, Canada, or even travel all the way to Australia...
ReplyDeletePS- I write in English because not only this is my second language, but also I was brought up bilingual. Maybe I should've said that before.
Your blog is looking good! I like it a lot!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gabe!!!
ReplyDeleteYour blog always looks great! It has character. I sooo need to learn another language.
ReplyDeleteMe too. I want to learn Spanish. I have no one to speak French with, not that I'm fluent. but I could at least say Bonjour, ca va?
ReplyDeleteYou are so intelligent Laila. I loved reading your correspondance above. also loved this post with all it's links.
Heavy discussions taking place in this here blog space.
ReplyDeleteI wish that I had taken the time to learn as many different languages as my mind could hold. Darn it. I feel inferrior for only knowing English. I do know a smidgeon of German, and even less Spanish, much to my dismay.
My son works with a lot of spanish speaking people and he has picked it up easily. Of course he is young, 24, and intellectually brilliant.
I beleive that knowing different languages enhances life and shows that you value other poeple and cultures.
I wish I lived close to you so that I could take your classes and expand my world and my mind.
xxx, Lori