Like the lives of the cats, we are on our 7th Episode and hopeful everybody had a joyful July (it went so fast!). Highlights of my July was working on the United Nations Food Systems Transformation conference in Roma – Italy, pitching Djibouti’s food security and nutrition status & working tirelessly with the World Food Programme team to make sure needs of the populations are addressed & sustainable solutions in agriculture are found.
Previously, on 21 July, Tony Bennett, a genius of the American songbook, died at 96. The New York Times defined his as a “Jazzy Crooner, whose career spanned across years, and he remained amiable, unswerving and steadfast in longevity and consistency”.
Finally, on NPR, an interesting podcast on climate migration in Honduras, due to floods, rains, droughts, landslides, hurricanes, and extreme weather events, affecting agriculture and farming.
Episode 6 is on this week, which starts on 19 July, the New Islamic Year, 1445! Happy Muharram, the first day of the first month of the Lunar calendar of the Muslim year. In 622 anno domini , the Prophet Muhammad and his followers migrated to the town of Medina, where the people there accepted Islam. This marks the “Hijrah” or “emigration” and the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
On the spotlight
The much awaited Movie of the Year, Barbie, will be globally released on 21 July (thrilled about it too) – already some geographical maps stirring tensions among countries, read more on the Guardian
an Australian man found at sea with his dog after three months, surviving with tuna and rainwater, hopeful about life, read more (both are alive and well!)
Photo album of the week (Dream catchers, rooftops & Smiles!)
Life shall be easy, simple, beautiful, caring and feeling it in your heart.
extract: as long as partners communicate about their wants & needs, then, it shall work. On sexual chemistry, it is very real, but it can change depending on the context. And…when it comes to keeping spontaneity, desire & sensuality alive, they need to be cultivated, meaning that sometime one shall pay more attention to his/her own needs. This also means taking a little bit of extra time to figure out what your partner is wanting or needing. “Relationships, whether they’re sexual or not sexual, need to be cared for and renewed regularly. They are not automatically self-sustaining. You have to actually pause, pay attention, and care for them“
extract: from gluten-free coconut to wasabi, concerts are constellated by mindful and healthy conscious eating, to perform better, be active , boost morale & smile! Great musicians, from Beyonce’ to Madonna, from Tori Amos to Lizzo are taking on board sophisticated chefs to take care of the physical and mental wellness of crew, dancers and musicians, so that shows run smoothly, and less impacting the environment .
Inspiration Quote of the week
Listen to your heart beats, they know what you truly want
In our usual “Prep” for 2023, there are our New Year’s Resolutions, those magical & mystical Wishes that we want to bring forward in our lives.
In my head these days, beginning of December, there is always Unconditional & Deeper Love & Understanding, Peace of mind, Health and… A passionate job that keeps me enthusiastic & meaningful during this existence.
In 2023 I would like to bring forward with me : my smile, a healthy mind & body, respectful and fun people that I have encountered until now, my 2 besties-Italian girls in Italy, my mum-dad-brother & my sister-in-law, and then the desire of learning, traveling, and doing good to others.
In the list of #BringingForward in 2023, I would like to add then: people I love & I care about, my passion for reading, writing & discovering music, swimming, traveling the world, family reunions & new places and people to meet!!
In images, my bag of #BringingForward2023
My #BringForward visual bag of 2023
Andiamo Avanti insieme, let us #BringForward in 2023 what we cherish the most!s
“Calmness is the virtue of strong people ” my father used to tell me when I was a young irreverent & reckless in motion girl.
I am slowly understanding that Patience, Discipline, Tolerance, Strength & Perseverance make a difference in my little world & in the world of other people.
In a Sunday piece I read from The Marginalian, David Bowie, the creator of many memorable songs, said that when we are on our own, we discover who we truly are, what we truly want, constantly learning and re-learning about creation. “This is an artist” he delivered in a TV interview when he turned 50 years old.
“Go always a little further from what you know, and when you do not touch the water beneath you, this is exactly when the work gets exciting and you start creating” I believe in it. It definitely takes Courage, but it is worth living & feeling the Life that has been given to us.
Go into the depth of yourself & of your soul, do not dwell in a comfort place, challenge yourself, and, in the process, smile & stay calm
Creation starts when we are at Peace with whom we are, smile at every step of the creative growth, deliver what we are capable of doing, sing out loud, be graceful, gentle & kind.
27 November 2022 Burkina Faso
I still dream of singing for a big crowd, pray for all people to have food, water, a little song & smile from a friend, and a supportive family. I hope this little dream of mine is still valid & always a “work in process” like myself.
“Somewhere else, there was a magical world of fantasy, where everyone could create their own fictional characters and stories.
A person with patience, love, determination, brains, a good karma and a nice smile could discover extravagant & mesmerizing things “.
These are the paraphrase of the words of University of Pennsylvania and first ever woman translator of the Odyssey, Emily Wilson, in his extract of essay on Paris Review.
Birthday Kids in Burkina Faso, karaoke & smiles
This morning, while sipping Café au lait, simultaneously responding to a voice message to one my favorite ladies in the world living in Italy & committed to Soroptimist, no to violence against children & yes to financial education for vulnerable women & mothers with drug addiction, but willing to stand up again, look for a job and learn how to save money & offer future opportunities for their children, and preparing to go to work after a country military coup, I dwelt on my geographical location & my inner dreams.
My window, planting the seeds of tomorrow, and open to the world magic
Loving the New York city life, and being in Burkina Faso, supporting and serving with my fast and detailed planning crisis communications skills the office here, I realized that it is not perhaps the place you are in, but it is about what youdo, in the place you are in.
Togetherness, karaoke competition, the important is to participate & to have fun, l’amusement in French
While reading Emily, she asks the question: “how can strangers become friends, or the other way around? What is cultural difference, does it matter?” while pondering about Odysseus’ travels & homes.
“I still want to be Athena – competent, powerful & with the capacity of self-transformation” she continues in her essay.
Family & Friends
I still like myself, this ability of being the spontaneous, genuine, authentic & “pleinede joie”- full of joy, as my friends like to call me. I still like my Italian pizza, while being able to connect with many different people, in different languages and still, instill joie de vivre & Happiness. I love my culture, food, music, but i also still love being able to craft my identity, tell different stories, write about different life situations, connect with new people in other languages, and still preserve the good essence, the nut of myself, and the values of empathy, respect, honesty I was raised with.
9 October, world post day!
Maybe this life will teach me to be calm, to be happy, to love people, and to find connections among what happens to me.We are what we do, and we shape the image of ourselves by how we behave and how we interact with others. This is called our personality and it is important to reflect on it, as, it should, be the (almost) exact reflection of what we look at in the mirror at night (doing some karaoke with the hair comb as microphone)!!
I always incline towards the hard-working & discipline, work culture & ethics, fun & bubbly personalities of Japan & Japanese people (trust me, in each country I go, it repeats itself!)
With much of self-reflection & introspection, voilà a couple of songs for you:
For the People who know me, I am that girl walking on the streets/by the seashore with the headphones on. I like discovering music, and imagining the scenes of my life, what happens as experiences, and associate them with a song.
on the seashore of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
Music triggers so many feelings and emotions, and lyrics can help untangle and explain the complexities of life, with a nice melody on the background. In this free space, your mind, your biggest fan and your best friend, is able to fly to other dimensions & planets, feel happy inside and, as a result, convey serenity to the outside world.
In the last weeks, I enjoyed the 94th Academy Awards (also called, the Oscars) night on 28 March, followed by the 64th Recording Academy awards (also called the Grammy’s) night, on 4 April 2022. I listened with joy and preparation the Discipline, Practice, the Plan, Hitting and First Set, all part of King Richard‘s movie Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, that you can find here. The movie recounts the story of the tennis success of Venus and Serena Williams, through the eyes of their father. Will Smith, a legendary actor, was awarded as Best Actor in a Leading Role for this movie. You can watch the official trailer, here.
The Highlight song from the Oscars was Beyonce’s performance of Alive, one of King Richard’s Soundtrack songs:
Speaking on Alive, my eyes, ears and mindlistened and linked the same theme, with Grammy Best Dance/Electronic Recording award for the single ‘Alive‘, by Rüfüs du Sol.
The musical video is worth-watching as well, as it transports the viewer into new dimensions and marvelous places, flying from above, aweing at the wonders of Nature. The lyrics simply describe and translate inner feelings into enjoyable electronic sounds, which anybody can relate to. Music, most of the times on Earth and among human beings, can better explain how we feel inside ( Example: There is a pain in my chest that I can’t describe, it takes me down and leaves me there…at least I am alive, Believe me, I am coming back again, I want to make it right…)
On being alive, a sense of Inner Joy is brought about by the people who surround us and who show us unconditional love, despite difficulties and uncertainties. The key is to keep praying for the Good Deeds to happen, and keep dancing and listening to music!
Some musical tips that can accompany you in this Spring/Ramadan/April/Easter 2022 Renaissance times!
With much positive energy and smiles, for you, some of the my most favorite Grammy pickings:
Experiencing the culture of Maldives, through the eyes of my father, mesmerized by women dressed in black burqas, long-haired men in motorcycles, and the sweet flavor of cardamon tea, I lived a moment in time with him, and got to explore cultural new perspectives and richness in diversity.
Muslim country, national language Dhivehi and local currency Maldivian rufiyaa, my dad Eduardo and I got around the capital of Maldives, Male’, looking at the marvelous blue and gold mosques, as well as families strolling around the beaches and surfers catching ultra high waves by the city.
Boats everywhere, we spent time together walking and speaking in English, as locals could understand us – I wish I could speak all the languages in the world! –
Astounded by the similarities with India and Bangladesh – where I am currently living – I found flags of India and Maldives, and dwelt in nice Gender Equality celebrations on the occasion of International Women’s Day, on 8 March, themed: Break the gender stereotype bias and ensure a sustainable equality, starting from today, and for the generations of tomorrow.
As new personal experiences, we meandered around downtown, marveled at the Presidential palace, visited the UN offices, found the Public Broadcasting service – a young woman passionate about Journalism cannot miss the public service media of the country! – and swam for the first time in my life with clothes on!!
As Italians, we savored the delicious local gelato (approved!), found a bookstore ( my passion) and observed young promising talented girls going to school and building their future, through education, social justice and human rights!
As musical people & singers, we had the chance to create our own Maldivian playlist, that I am happy to share with my friends and readers, below.
My dad adores watching the sea, and the waves, and the surfers. He is the Sea. My Sea. He instilled in me the desire to keep exploring and traveling the world. Discovering Places and People.
During this holiday I prayed the Virgin Mary a lot, hoping she can listen to my dreams. I fully believe that we are created to do something powerful in this world, with our words, our kind actions, our smiles and our incommensurable wish to serve others and spread happiness!
I believe in Dreams and in the beauty of our Actions.
I love nature, plants, crystal clear sea and beehives, as women industriously and meticulously work for a higher cause.
I feel grateful because I am healthy, my dad loves me, and together we can continue Loving the world and its beauty in mystery.
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, American songwriter, musician and film maker from Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly Love, presents a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. During the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park).
Dazzling performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and more.
The documentary “shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present” The Museum of the city of New York writes.
Moreover, the New Yorker – Louder musical section – recommends the American alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, with its jazz album ” the 7th Hand” , an extract here below, absolutely sublime for the soul. The title “7th Hand” is derived from a question steeped in Biblical symbolism: If the number six represents the extent of human possibility, Wilkins wondered how it would sound to invoke divine intervention and allow that seventh element to possess his quartet“Blue Note Records recounts.
“It’s the idea of being a conduit for the music as a higher power that actually influences what we’re playing,” he says.
wishing you a joyful Black History month, where we understand, each day more, that equality, social justice and peace are all that we need to live in a richness in diversity world, where everyone can freely express themselves and fruitfully contributing to the wellness, care and improvement of the communities and the societies we live in.
cover image: by Immanuel Wilkins, Photo credit @BlueNote Records – album cover
The Music Industry stays alive because it makes us dream, dedicate songs and sing along. Going on a tour would be fabulous, catching weekend’s emotions through smiles & sports.
Some new songs for the latest week of January 2022
Aoife O’Donovan – “Phoenix” [Official Music Video]
NOVA – Desafinado (Antônio Carlos Jobim & N. Mendonça)
Being in a leadership position now, I sometimes feel I am plunging into a new world of adventures & experiences. Balancing enthusiasm& creativity with calm & patience , setting timelines, actions and deliverables, being able to let things go, and always ready to know when to motivate others and move the ship forward together, use the power to delegate, assign and unleash talents and opportunities, I feel we are a rock band, so each and everyone has a special role to play for the success of the band.
I fully believe in work life balance, understanding the needs of the organization, setting up priorities and cherishing each moment, listening to team needs and individuals emotions and motivation.
What drives me is the desire to be happy and to make people happy. My highest happiness comes when I sing and I dance, but I cannot do this all the time! Therefore I channel my energy into writing, communicating with people in different languages and smiling (on the mirror and to other people). These are powerful sources of happiness & energy!
I think I was brought up with my ears listening to my own set of music, arguing with my brother about TV cartoons to watch, and watching MTV Italy together. I developed a sense of audio that is in tune with my heart.
On 24 June 2021 – our stellar Communications Team presented a 3 hours online Communications training on branding, social media, use of sharing photos ( on Google & how to do it), importance of logos, photography and videography! More than 100 participants (112) joined, and asked many questions in English and Bangla…imagine, we were so proud at the end! each session was divided into topic, learning & sharing, discussion, breaks with music and games/quizzes!
Happy Teams love the work & are inspired to move forward together!
Apart from music, a social cause close to my heart is women empowerment through journalism. Since I was literally brought up in front of a TV (something so fascinating for my little self – my parents used to drop my brother and I at my grand mother’s place at 7 in the morning before going to work, so I would start watching cartoons early, my grandma taking care of the house, my grandpa (nonno) going to the supermarket, I grew up watching many images in movement. I learned with TV, because I used to memorize lines of movies, of cartoons, learning by heart complete TV commercials…
My focus was always on sounds, talking and scenes of people interacting. Because the audience has always been me, I wanted to be on the other side of the screen, being the TV host and anchor of news, choosing what to air and presenting great, entertaining and interesting pieces of news.
caught my eyes
The combination of portrayal of women on TV (how viewers see & understand women, their roles in society) and women being the journalists and content producers themselves, being able to write and change narrative about gender and social norms is very empowering. They make editorial choices and they can educate us (viewers) about the changing and evolving of societies, cultures and customs, so that we can be better equipped and able to navigate the big world we are living in.
….and the reach is awesome! everybody watches TV, or listens to the radio, or even has a Netflix account. We are visual (& social) animals, therefore we are easily and powerfully influenced by images. Therefore, we should choose and use images in a respectful, positive and empowering way, so people are included, safe, protected, and can explore the great variety of life!!
The Lighthouse 