Story from 50-word Saga

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Waiting for My Father, Who Is Never Coming Home Again, Ever

A clock ticks in the kitchen.
A car goes by.
I can hear my own breathing.

"Whatcha doin'?" her mom asked.

"Writing a poem for school."

"Oh, may I see?"

Janie tore off the title.

"Sure. It's called Evening."

My Favorite story from shortshortshort.com

The Dead Boy at Your Window
By Bruce Holland Rogers

In a distant country where the towns had improbable names, a woman looked upon the unmoving form of her newborn baby and refused to see what the midwife saw. This was her son. She had brought him forth in agony, and now he must suck. She pressed his lips to her breast.

“But he is dead!” said the midwife.

“No,” his mother lied. “I felt him suck just now.” Her lie was as milk to the baby, who really was dead but who now opened his dead eyes and began to kick his dead legs. “There, do you see?” And she made the midwife call the father in to know his son.

The dead boy never did suck at his mother's breast. He sipped no water, never took food of any kind, so of course he never grew. But his father, who was handy with all things mechanical, built a rack for stretching him so that, year by year, he could be as tall as the other children.

When he had seen six winters, his parents sent him to school. Though he was as tall as the other students, the dead boy was strange to look upon. His bald head was almost the right size, but the rest of him was thin as a piece of leather and dry as a stick. He tried to make up for his ugliness with diligence, and every night he was up late practicing his letters and numbers.

His voice was like the rasping of dry leaves. Because it was so hard to hear him, the teacher made all the other students hold their breaths when he gave an answer. She called on him often, and he was always right.

Naturally, the other children despised him. The bullies sometimes waited for him after school, but beating him, even with sticks, did him no harm. He wouldn't even cry out.

One windy day, the bullies stole a ball of twine from their teacher's desk, and after school, they held the dead boy on the ground with his arms out so that he took the shape of a cross. They ran a stick in through his left shirt sleeve and out through the right. They stretched his shirt tails down to his ankles, tied everything in place, fastened the ball of twine to a buttonhole, and launched him. To their delight, the dead boy made an excellent kite. It only added to their pleasure to see that owing to the weight of his head, he flew upside down.

When they were bored with watching the dead boy fly, they let go of the string. The dead boy did not drift back to earth, as any ordinary kite would do. He glided. He could steer a little, though he was mostly at the mercy of the winds. And he could not come down. Indeed, the wind blew him higher and higher.

The sun set, and still the dead boy rode the wind. The moon rose and by its glow he saw the fields and forests drifting by. He saw mountain ranges pass beneath him, and oceans and continents. At last the winds gentled, then ceased, and he glided down to the ground in a strange country. The ground was bare. The moon and stars had vanished from the sky. The air seemed gray and shrouded. The dead boy leaned to one side and shook himself until the stick fell from his shirt. He wound up the twine that had trailed behind him and waited for the sun to rise. Hour after long hour, there was only the same grayness. So he began to wander.

He encountered a man who looked much like himself, a bald head atop leathery limbs. “Where am I?” the dead boy asked.

The man looked at the grayness all around. “Where?” the man said. His voice, like the dead boy's, sounded like the whisper of dead leaves stirring.

A woman emerged from the grayness. Her head was bald, too, and her body dried out. “This!” she rasped, touching the dead boy's shirt. “I remember this!” She tugged on the dead boy's sleeve. “I had a thing like this!”

“Clothes?” said the dead boy.

“Clothes!” the woman cried. “That's what it is called!”

More shriveled people came out of the grayness. They crowded close to see the strange dead boy who wore clothes. Now the dead boy knew where he was. “This is the land of the dead.”

“Why do you have clothes?” asked the dead woman. “We came here with nothing! Why do you have clothes?”

“I have always been dead,” said the dead boy, “but I spent six years among the living.”

“Six years!” said one of the dead. “And you have only just now come to us?”

“Did you know my wife?” asked a dead man. “Is she still among the living?”

“Give me news of my son!”

“What about my sister?”

The dead people crowded closer.

The dead boy said, “What is your sister's name?” But the dead could not remember the names of their loved ones. They did not even remember their own names. Likewise, the names of the places where they had lived, the numbers given to their years, the manners or fashions of their times, all of these they had forgotten.

“Well,” said the dead boy, “in the town where I was born, there was a widow. Maybe she was your wife. I knew a boy whose mother had died, and an old woman who might have been your sister.”

“Are you going back?”

“Of course not,” said another dead person. “No one
ever goes back.”

“I think I might,” the dead boy said. He explained about his flying. “When next the wind blows....”

“The wind never blows here,” said a man so newly dead that he remembered wind.

“Then you could run with my string.”

“Would that work?”

“Take a message to my husband!” said a dead woman.

“Tell my wife that I miss her!” said a dead man.

“Let my sister know I haven't forgotten her!”

“Say to my lover that I love him still!”

They gave him their messages, not knowing whether or not their loved ones were themselves long dead. Indeed, dead lovers might well be standing next to one another in the land of the dead, giving messages for each other to the dead boy. Still, he memorized them all. Then the dead put the stick back inside his shirt sleeves, tied everything in place, and unwound his string. Running as fast as their leathery legs could manage, they pulled the dead boy back into the sky, let go of the string, and watched with their dead eyes as he glided away.

He glided a long time over the gray stillness of death until at last a puff of wind blew him higher, until a breath of wind took him higher still, until a gust of wind carried him up above the grayness to where he could see the moon and the stars. Below he saw moonlight reflected in the ocean. In the distance rose mountain peaks. The dead boy came to earth in a little village. He knew no one here, but he went to the first house he came to and rapped on the bedroom shutters. To the woman who answered, he said, “A message from the land of the dead,” and gave her one of the messages. The woman wept, and gave him a message in return.

House by house, he delivered the messages. House by house, he collected messages for the dead. In the morning, he found some boys to fly him, to give him back to the wind's mercy so he could carry these new messages back to the land of the dead.

So it has been ever since. On any night, head full of messages, he may rap upon any window to remind someone -- to remind you, perhaps -- of love that outlives memory, of love that needs no names.

Mara Raquel Domingos Franco nº22953 E


“The Science Museum”


Do you only believe in hard proofed facts? Do you enjoy making experiments? Building things? And you think the scientific documentaries’ channels are the best? Then you might just be a nerd . . . a science nerd, that is, and if that is your case than the Science Museum it’s right up your alley.
Right at the entrance of this museum, we can see an enormous pendulum hanging from the ceiling moved by the Earth’s magnetic field. The Science Museum is divided in several museums like: the Natural History Museum (one dedicated to deers and another solely to dinosaurs); the Physics Museum and the Astronomy museum – my favourite and the one that I went to visit and that also includes a planetarium.
Walking towards the planetarium, we can see a lot of scientific instruments from all sciences and from all times like: the sextant (an old astronomical compass used by sailors); a hand-calculator (one of the early calculators that resembled very much to an old-like cash register); and old telescopes. Going through the hallway we can see pictures of famous astronomers (Ptolemy, Sir William Hershel, Vermeer, Copernicus), of the Milky way, of the Solar System and of the planets in it.
Along we can also find, a computer that narrates the curious case of the galaxy PDFJ011423, a galaxy full of exploding stars that contain enough power to obliterate us, a dark globe that by a press of a button lights up all the constellations on the night sky, and also the several phases of the moon and the pictures of the main eclipses occurred in Portugal.
Then we find the Physics Laboratory, where a lot of instruments are kept and interactive games are set in order for us to experiment and see some interesting uses and tricks of science, before we finally finish in the big, dark dome of the planetarium, where for an hour, an hour and half we can gaze into the stars and infinity of the night sky and the Universe.

Blue Man Group in Lisbon

The Blue Man Group it’s an organization created, in 1988, by Phil Stanton, Chris Wink and Matt Goldman. The show consists in three men dressed in blue with latex suits playing music and during the all show they never speak.
The group plays mostly rock music with innovative instruments such as; a PVC pipe and a fishing rod. They mix all those sounds together with a real band which creates an amazing effect. They also use some light effects synchronized with the music which makes the show much more visual attractive for the audience.
One main feature of the group it’s the interaction with the public, they often get off the stage and mix with the audience making jokes and teaching some moves.
Because they never talk the whole show marks the difference between other shows. They have to show what they feel, or what they want to say with gestures and the help of a main screen.
When I went to the show, the whole show had a theme “How to become a Megastar”.
So they were a band starting from zero, and they had bought a DVD that teaches how to become a Megastar, it was really funny. In the main screen there were some pictures and words describing what they intended to show, and teaching the audience some moves from rock concerts. And the whole show was about that theme, with musical parts and funny parts.
Even though they came out off stage it’s much more fun if you sit on the front, because sometimes they throw paint water etc. So if you are on the front they give you a special vest to protect yourself from the liquids or whatever. And it’s more likely they choose you to go to the stage with them.
One funny thing they did was: in the beginning they tell everybody who was there that when during the show a signal (the signal was a ?) appear on the screen everybody should turn on their cell phones and wave them, that way the people that came after that, didn’t have a clue on what was going on.
It’s a different experience and I think that everybody should see it to relax and have some real fun.
Prepare yourself to become a Megastar.

David Nunes

Quote

I'd rather be an intelligent enemy than a stupid friend.

From the movie Frida

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop motion classic made by Tim Burton. It’s the story of Jack Skellington the king of Halloween who discovers Christmas because he is tired of doing always the same. When he finds Christmas town he will try to copy Christmas helped by all the creatures of Halloween town but… well I’m not going to tell you of course! If you liked the scene that I posted you might want to see the movie, trust me you will like it.
If you want you can buy the special edition (FNAC Worten etc) which brings lots of extras including the making of, and you will see what stop motion its all about.

TNBC

Here’s a scene from my favourite film. The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton hope you enjoy it.



Check it out!

About me

Hello! My name is David I’m 21 years old and I’m from Lisbon. I’m a student of LLC, I’m enjoying it so far! So a little about me… hmm I don’t know, I like playing guitar although I’m still learning so it’s basically just noise. I like music, all kind of music, if it’s good music. My favourite band is Metallica, although I hate load reload and St. Anger albums! Don’t listen those ones. Hmm more things… I like languages, a lot, I really like to be able of expressing myself in various languages and communicate with people around the world.

The curious case of Benjamin Button

As a "Cineholic" I recommend you this movie! Believe me...it is worth the 5€ you pay to see it! I really loved it! After winning no award for the Goldon Globes, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has now 13 nomenations to win an Oscar! It is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's story, with Brad Pitt in the leading role -I think he deserves the Oscar. It's about a man who was born in New Orleans just after World War I and he was already in his eighties but proceeds to live his life aging in reverse and dies has a baby.
That's all I can tell!

AMAZING!!!!

Mother Nature - Breath taking!!!! Just watch it!!!!

Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz was born in Waterbury, Connecticut (October 2, 1949) and she's the third of six children of a Jewish family. Her work started going public when she was hired by Rolling Stone Magazine, being named chief photographer in 1973. she left in 1983. since the, Annie has been working for Vanity Fair Magazines, and her Louis Vuitton photo shoots are always well received by the public.

Annie has written several books about Photography and her work:

.Photographs
.Photographs 1970-1990
.Olympic Portraits
.Women
.American Music
.A Photographer’s Life 1990-2005

.Annie Leibovitz: At Work

Achmed, Ladies and Gentleman!

Achmed is a puppet created by Jeff Dunham, an American Vetriloquist.
Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uwOL4rB-go&feature=related

Addictions: everybody has one...

What’s your favourite thing in the all world? The one you miss the most? The one that is always on your mind? The one you can’t live without? That one thing that you always have with you, that one you can’t start your day without...if your answers to all these questions are the same, than I have to tell what you probably already know (but can’t confess): YOU HAVE AN ADDICTION!!!
An addicted is someone who has something he/she can’t live without; like, for an example, you can be a coffee addicted, you can’t go through one day without drinking like 5 cups of coffee, if you stop doing anything else to drink coffee, if need coffee at every occasions of your day, than, I must say, YOU ARE DEPENDENT ON COFFEE! And who says coffee, can also say chocolate! There are many people out there that claim they can’t live without chocolate!!!
I guess I may be one of them...

Hi everyone!

I’m Bárbara and I’m a Translation student in Lisbon! I’m not actually from this city but I have to live here because of being in university! I came to this course because I like languages (and my favourite one is English!); I love reading, that’s my number one addiction, and my dream career is to became a writer! I’m a big fan of the Fantastic genre in Literature and also in Cinema, which is another big passion of mine! In this subject, I enjoy movies like Twilight, which is based on the book with the same name, by Stephenie Meyer, but I think that the book is much better than the movie...well, I had to say it! I also like movies such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Mission (that has the most AMAZING soundtrack) and Mamma Mia, a great and refreshing comedy!
I love listening to music; I like bands such as Paramore and the great Xutos e Pontapés, the ultimate Portuguese rock band; in their songs, it’s noticeable their love for music and also their social conscience about themes such as poverty, the homeless and the political situation of our country! (here’s a link, CHECK IT OUT!!!: http://www.xutos.pt/abertura.html )
I’m crazy about green (and also sort of mythical) landscapes...forests, rivers...I really enjoy going to Sintra, because of all that sort of magical atmosphere, all those trees and Palácio da Pena on the top of the village, like watching it...my love with the Fantastic, I guess...and that’s a few things about me...any questions, just send me a message!

Are you a mp3 player addict?

Can't leave the house without your mp3 player? do yo get mad or depressed when that happens? have you been warned several times by your teacher to press the off button? is you new 16 gb
i-Pod already filled? In that case, you should consider the chance of being a mp3 player addict.

mp3 addiction has turned out to be a world wide problem. Parents, by offering mp3 players to their kids at an early age, are part of the problem. And kids, always competing to see who has the lates i-pod, or to see who can hear the loudest sound, are also another factor for this problem. the consequences? when listening to too loud music for long periods of time, your hearing can be damaged. Most musicians need to get earplugs, because by being exposed to loud music every single day, can make them go deaf. Another consequence, but at a social level, is the fact that when listening to the mp3 player, a device made for one person only, the individual tends to drift apart from others. The result of this action? The lost of the social skills, and withouth the social factor in their life, people get depressed, paranoic and even get rage-control problems. All of these consequences put people's lives at risk.

How to deal with this condition? easy, just put the i-pod at a lower sound level, and when you're with your friends, just turn it off. If you find it hard, to follow this simple instructions, you should consider the option of consulting a counselor.

Animal Hospital

As I promised, here is a post about...animals!

Actually, it's about a British TV programme, which can still be watched on “Sic Mulher” channel, called “Animal Hospital” (the program has already ended in 2004). When I watch this programme I just become wordless...It’s amazing... I love it!

It is about the daily life at a animal hospital, which in collaboration with an organisation called RSPCA, aims to prevent cruelty and suffering of all kind of animals.

We can see people calling to RSPCA due to abandoned animals and animals that live in very bad conditions and they try to give them a proper care and a proper home.
It is beautiful to see the respect that this crew has for the animal kingdom.

RSPCA is a registered charity that receives no lottery or state aid, and that’s what makes it all so...special!
I really wish that in Portugal and all around the world we can see more organisations like this.

If you want to see more about the programme and about RSPCA go to:

http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=RSPCAHome

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/programmes/tv/a_hospital/

Presentation

Hey everyone! so, my name is Joana, i’m 18 years old and I was born in Lisbon. When I was around 10/11 years old I changed home, to Porto Alto, a little town across river Tagus. It’s a quieter place than the busy life on the city.

I’ve been practicing Taekwondo non-stop since I was 5 years old, and I’m very passionate about it. Other sports I like are volleyball, softball, football, swimming and the list goes on and on.

I love music and cinema. My favourite band is Foo fighters, although lately I’ve been listening to a lot from Paramore and Yiruma, a Korean piano composer and player. My favourite movie is “the Breakfast Club” that was produced by John Hughes. But I’m also a fan of Tim Burton’s crazy productions and Johnny depp and Helena Boham-Carter interpretations.

I like photography. My favourite photographer is Annie Leibovitz, because she has a very unique way to capture people’s essence on her photos. When I’m taking photos I mostly go for landscaping and animals, although I also take some abstract photos every once in a while. I also love taking pictures of historical places.

I’m kind off a “nerd” J. I love books ( Stephen King is my favourite writer, and Twilight became one of my favourite books), and museums and all that can relate us to our past. I’m a big fan of the “old” 50’s dinners, music and style. It was a very exquisite time.

I’ll try to apply to ERASMUS program in my 2^nd year, and apply to the University of Southampton, on the English course. But the applications only start on April, so that will give me some time to think on my presentation letter, required for the applications.

And I think that’s about it… I’ll leave you with some pictures, and the link to my hi5 page, where I have the rest of the photos.

http://joana-tkd.hi5.com

On the telephone

Speke: Are you there? Are you there?
Watt: No, I'm here.
Speke: What's your name?
Watt: Watt.
Speke: What's your name?
Watt: Watt.
Speke: Can't you hear me? What's your name?
Watt: Watt's my name.
Speke: Yes, what's your name?
Matt: My name's Watt.
Speke: I'm asking you.
Watt: I'm called Watt.
Speke: I don't know.
Watt: I am Mr Tom Watt.
Speke: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't understand.
Watt: Who are you?
Speke: Speke.
Watt: I am speaking. What's your name?
Speke: My name's Speke. I want to speak to Day.
Watt: You can speak today. I can hear you.
Speke: I don't want you to hear me. I want to speak to Day.
Watt: At what time?
Speke: Now! I want to speak to Day. To DAY! To DAY!
Watt: It's today now, Speke. Speak, Speke.
Speke: But I want to speak to Mr Henry Day now.
Watt: Oh I'm sorry. You can't speak to Day today. He doesn't want to speak to Speke today. He told me so.

Translator's Lament

(with apologies to sticklers for accurate rhymes and scansion)

To be a translator, believe me, it's sad
To be a translator you have to be mad.
Who else would sit all alone in a room
Encased in loneliness more like a tomb?

Who else would fondle a microphone cable
Or typewriter keyboard when perfectly able
To fondle some better, more pliant device?
(It happens to others, they say it's quite nice.)

Who else would apply so much love, care, devotion
To something that is another man's notion?
Who else would spend hours to seek out one word
Just to ensure he writes nothing absurd?

Who else would read carefully through some epistle
Produced by a half-wit who had better whistle
Than write rotten copy that doesn't mean much
Yet expects a translation in, say, perfect Dutch?

Who else would accept that every job's hot
When he knows jolly well that it's probably not
And flog himself silly to see the work through
Then wait for three months not collecting one sou?

Who else would put up at social occasions
With statements like: "Oh, you do translations- ,
There's not much to that, after all it's your lingo,
So where are the problems, why labour that thing so?"

Who else would be willing each day of the year
To sit an exam where the pass-mark's a mere
one hundred percent or maybe just below?
If you think that's easy, why not have a go?

An yet it's a challenge which on reflection
Provides enormous job satisfaction.
Those who enjoy it will never desert
The odd fascination of the "foreign" word - Wort, oh what the hell...

John H.Hayes

Writing An Article:

Are you a Bookworm?

Do you spend more than 10 hours reading? Do you forget to eat or drink because your in the best part of the book? Do you read several books at the same time? Are you the month reader in your local library? Do the librarians know you by name? Do they have to chase you away after closing hours? Do you spend more money in books that you should? Do you forget arrangements with your friends because your in the best part of the book and you don't to put it down? Were you forced to wear glasses because of your reading habits?Do you get so caught up in the stories that you forget there only fictional? Do you get agitated when you don't read? Are books your best and only friends? Do you usually quote books a lot but you can't remember what other people tell you?

If the answer is yes to any... well there is a strong possibility that you might be a bookworm. A bookworm can be descrived as a person who is obsessed with books and consequently suffers from a compulsion to read and keep reading until he is done with it. These people are usually loners and social ackward, they have few friends because they hide in their own world of fantasy behind books, they tend to suffer from headaches and most of them use glasses due to their intensity of reading. When restrained from reading these people may exibite symptoms like anxiety, irritability and some disconnection to his surrounding environment.

So are you an hopeless case or there's still some light at the end of the tunnel for you? Well when dealing with obsession, any therapist or psychiatrist, will tell you that it is a long proccess and the way to cure it is by baby steps. So first, I recomend you cut a bit on the reading, every week try to take an hour from your reading schedule. Second, you will read better if you sleep at least 8 hours a day and you will have a lot more energy, if you eat. Try to get out more of the house and try to socialize more, find a group of friends of yours who will help you overcome the addiction and will help you keep busy. Finally, remember that the cells in your iris are not reconstructable and that they deteriorate along your age, so always read with plenty of light.

The Birthday Party

It was a sunny autumn afternoon and a light breeze was rustling the remaining leaves in the trees.


With his mom holding a big box-shapped present with a large red bow, Tom banged on the door. Jordan's mom welcomed them and let them know the party was in the backyard and that they could put the present on the gifts table, which was already creaking due to the massive weight.


There were ballons popping, cameras clicking frantically, the sound of the clatter of the horses' hoofs echoed around along with the sounding laughters of children having fun, "It looks exactly like a mini fair"- thought Tom as he eagerly joined the party. He first went to find Jordan so he could wish her an happy birthday, there were a lot of children in the party and to others finding her would be like finding a needle in an hay-stack but, knowing his friend as well as he did, he knew that she liked magicians so looking into the crowd watching the show it was easy spotting her in the first row applauding.


Tom wished her an happy birthday, he watched the show for a while next to Jordan and then went to check everything else. There were sounds of kids' heads plopping in the water as they were diving in to catch the apples on the barrel, of the balls clashing and knocking the tin cans, of the squeeking ballons while the clown was molding them into dogs, elephants and even giraffes and of the tapping and hopping of the ones that were strutting their stuff on the improvised dancefloor. But when Tom saw the cattering table was when he really felt that he had reached the dream land or better yet... candy land, with the main piece being a chocolate volcano that erupted M&Ms, toffes and other various treats.


The party was going great and everyone was having a good time when all of the sudden every noise went to an halt that was only broken by the sound of a door creaking open and Jordan's father coming out off the house with a big cake and led them all in the happy birthday song. Jordan blew her candles and then came the most anticipated moment for her... the opening of the presents. The sound of paper being torned apart, of joy and excitement surrounding this moment was almost deafining, and after the party goods being distribuited amongst the young guests everyone went home.


Jordan said farewell to Tom and told him that they would see each other on his party, Tom said goodbye and on the drive home all he could think was how cool the day had been and that he hoped that his party next month was as awesome as Jordan's.

MYSELF

Hi everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!
What can I tell you about me... Well, my name is Mara, I'm 22 years old and I currently reside in Santarém the historical capital of Gothic Art. Right now, I'm majoring in translation in Lisbon (FCSH), in both English and Spanish.
As far as my tastes go... I'm a very ecclectic when it comes to music so I can listen to almost anything but movies are my real passion (not a big fan of the HORROR genre) so, of course, being in this course I hoped that maybe further down the line I get the chance of working in subititles, because from what I've seen (on previous translations) so far I don't think I can do much worse lol.
What else... I also love animals and I have a dog, a golden retriever named Ubi... yes I know it's a bit odd but don't get me started on that. In between music and films, I like to hang out with my friends and go out partying... like any other NORMAL college student

A liitle bit about...me

Hi everyone!
I'm Cátia and I'm from Lourinhã, a small village in the west coast of Portugal.
Right now I'm in Lourinhã only during the weenkends and vacations. During the week I'm in a rent room in Lisbon because it would be too hard for me to study in Lisbon and live in Lourinhã.
I was taking a degree in Journalism last year, but as many people do, I realize that that wasn't what I wanted to do for living, so this year I'm in Translation in FCSH (English and Spanish).
What more can I say....well, I love animals (I have 8 dogs), going to the cinema...so you probably will see a lot about this "subjects" on this blog :)
Hope you enjoy it!

P.S.: Here is some photos of Lourinhã!