Mother Earth Day (Ana Simões, 22/04/2018)

Góis, Coimbra, schist rock formation. Photo taken by yours truly

A walk through the forest

Or a stroll by the sea,

Small things that can do wonders

For both you and me.

It’s not just the exercise, you see?

And it’s not just the sun, or just the fresh air.

It is all of that, and it is so much more.

It’s us, and the sun, and it’s nature everywhere.

Because with the fast paced lives we’ve been leading,

Along with the “ruler of the world” mindset,

We forgot that we’re also a part of nature.

We’re destroying our Mother – the Earth,

Destroying our Brothers – the Animals,

Destroying our Sisters – the Plants and the Trees.

We forgot what it feels like to be one with the Earth,

We forgot what it’s like to walk in nature

Without killing an animal, without littering the world.

While power and money blind us, rule us and corrupt us,

We poison our waters, we’re killing us all.

On this Mother Earth Day

Go back to what we always were.

Take a walk through the forest

Or a stroll by the sea.

Sit down, take a deep breath,

Really feel the world around you.

And always, always remember:

Mother Earth is filled with life and magic,

Just like you and me.

São Pedro do Estoril, Cascais, São Pedro beach. Photo taken by yours truly

Book review: The General's Daughter, by Nelson DeMille

The General's Daughter - the movie

I had already seen the movie. It was not a light movie, nor an easy one to see.

Still, I loved it, to the point I still remember several scenes. So I knew I had to read the book.

And I am delighted that I did it. I finished the book last night.
I read it every chance I got. It's annoying when the day job gets in the way of reading, specially when you find a book it is hard to put down and all you feel like doing is reading until its very last page.

The characters feel like real people, the story is brilliant and I can actually see something like that happening, in the past or in the present.

This is a book on murder, rape, and corruption.

This is an up-to-date book the relationships between men and women, and what a patriarchal-built society expects from both genders (not counting with other gender options, that it).
And, from a feminist point of view, I did feel like punching some throats throughout the book. All in all, a great book.

And, if you're into police/army/criminal investigation thrillers, this is definitely the book (and movie) for you.
Just know that some details were changed for the movie (including some of the characters' names), and the story had to be adapted to fit the length of the movie.

The General's Daughter - the book