Swimming & Learning

Dear the Lighthouse Readers,

I hope everyone is well; this week, on the 13th Episode, there is a mix of good & bad news that are circulating around the world, namely the Hamas attack on Israel on Saturday 7 October 2023, the retaliation of Israel against West Bank & Gaza, and all the countless people who are now displaced and staying in schools that have become shelters for them. Read on the help of the United Nations Relief and Works agency for Palestinian refugees in the near east – situation report #1

The latest press release from WFP calls for the opening of a humanitarian corridor, able to facilitate dispatch of food and provide assistance to 800,000 people in Gaza and the West Bank who are facing dire circumstances, lacking access to food, water, electricity and essential supplies.

On the good side of the news, I will do some traveling next week, namely Portugal for the UN Inter-Agency Games 2023

My inner side tells me to look at the positive and bright side of Life, in order to be happy, cheerful and make a positive contribution in society, thanks to my smile & vibrant energy.

Bem-vindo a Portugal – Welcome to Portugal

Photos of the week!

WFP Supply Chain Retreat 8 October 2023 Djibouti

A bunch of other Good News coming along

Harvard Business Professor Claudia Goldin was awarded Nobel Peace Prize for Economics for her trailblazing research on Women in the Workforce, women & economics, and on her constant research to narrow the gender pay gap – in terms of wages explaining for example on how events, institutions and technological innovations – like the birth control pill – influence women’s economic power.

Claudia Goldin How work and life are intertwined: This woman’s work on Harvard Gazette

Why Goldin’s Nobel matters, on the Conversation

Yes, you can radically change your organization in one week, powered by Harvard Business School Working Knowledge

The Caine Prize for African writing, awarded to Senegalese married couple Mame Bougouma Diene and Woppa Diallo for the short story A Soul of Small Places

Musical Playlist

Never can say goodbye – Gloria Gaynor

3 words – Cheryl Cole ft. will.i.am

Ocean – John Butler

1, 2 step – Ciara

Worship – Jon Batiste

If you had my love– Jennifer Lopez

Ciao and have a joyful week ahead!

Hugs,

Gaia

Reading – Swimming – Traveling 📘🏊🏽‍♀️🗺️

Dear The Lighthouse Readers,

I am relaxing & working from Italy, where the parents are. I am taking the time to read, reflect & further shape my personality ( in constant change & evolution, embracing it).

I learned that care & attention stand at the pillars of dedication towards people/human beings, that love for oneself is the basis for mutual love, that expectations for the prince charming are of no value, that no one is perfect; I learned that patience is key, going with the flow & letting things go are the keys to long-term satisfaction.

Read, Enjoy, Share!!

Big Hugs,

Your Gaia – from the Lighthouse

Gaia swinging in the city of Monopoli, August 2023 Italy

On the Spotlight

caught in action!

Clockwise : with my best friend from high school, with my parents, with my mother’s cousin, and with the uncle & aunt of my sister in law 🌷

Com uma amiga querida, viajadora do mundo, do Brasil 🇧🇷

On my mind

The expansion of BRICS & the eye-opening book on Development Diplomacy

UN Secretary-General remarks at the BRICS summit

BRICS declaration

On my weekend reading list:

Uses of the Erotic: Audre Lore on the relationship between Eros, Creativity and Power – the Marginalian

Follow the Leader: How a CEO’s Personality is reflected in their company’s culture – by Stanford, Graduate School of Business

Top 8 songs – one for weekly each day + 1

Freedom – Jon Batiste

Feels like summer– Childish Gambino

San Francisco – Max Le Forestier

Summer – Calvin Harris

I Love to love – Tina Charles

I was made for loving you – Kiss

Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys

Love will keep us alive – Eagles

Look forward to…. (you also think about what you look forward too….. 😊)

UN inter-agency Games – the Diversity of the United Nations

Bem-vindo a Portugal – Welcome to Portugal

Ciao from Italy! 🇮🇹🌊

💃 🏊‍♀️ a mix of Dance & Swim on !

Dear The Lighthouse Readers,

for this week, and until the beginning of July, this will be our fourth encounter. I hope you will miss reading me, and I promise I will come back with cool & fresh news for you, for sharing, thinking & acting, in Togetherness!

keep swimming, keep learning, keep growing!

Big Hugs,

Your Gaia – from the Lighthouse

On my mind

World Refugee Day, 20 June 2023, this day is very dear to my heart, as I worked with refugees in Bangladesh, women entrepreneurs n Burkina Faso and Djibouti, and I hope I will have the energy in my simple life to continue advocating for better representation of women in society, more decision-making power and more space for women on all domains of society, from sports to media, from business and to politics.

Women in sports: Sport is about conviviality, teamwork, unity. Sport allows to lead healthy and active lifestyles. It teaches all human beings to get to know their bodies, learn resilience, confidence and self-reliance. Sport has the power to change lives. Sport has no gender, and in all corners of the world, everyone can play, have fun and equally participate, in inclusion and if good sports infrastructures are in place. Learn more about Women in Sports and inspirational role models that can bring about transformative change & new images of women athletes in the world! #GenderEquality & #WomenInSports

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/women-and-sport

for your enjoyment, no reading list, an energetic liberating playlist:

Soul Music – all the Freedom that you need

a dolly shot of visual photos, in my two favorite settings, working in communications with creative & united people, and splashing in the water, with smiley girlfriends!

Encouraging women in sports activities to lead an active & healthy lifestyle, on the SES Facebook page, the Djiboutian secretary in charge of sports, by clicking on this link

Top 5 songs – one for each working day

1. Sunday Dream on – Aerosmith
2. Monday, Bootylicious – Destiny’s Child
3. Tuesday: I wanna dance with somebody – Whitney Houston – she is my top singer of all times, when I was a child I could sing all her songs, and she was the aspiration I wanted to be, very much recommended her movie, named after the same song Movie Trailer
4. Wednesday: Riviera – Max Gazze’ Frenetik & Orange
5. Thursday: You get what you give – New Radicals

My world is……WATER!!

Finally, this is a special post by UN Women, on equal pay, more visibility, recognition for talent & safe playing field, bringing in Women in Sports, deserving the same treatment & respect that all male athletes!

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/un-women_womeninsport-activity-7075985588918603776-7CyL?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

Ciao!

Preparing for 2023 – the #BringForward 2023 Visual

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

Songs :

Todas Formas de Amor – Lulu Santos

País Tropical – Jorge Ben Jor

Aonde anda você – Toquinho & Vinicius de Moraes

Be here now – Gustavo Bertoni

Malandragem – Cássia Elleri

I love every little thing about you – Syreeta

What is your #BringForward visual for 2023?

Around the world

Listening to Nytimes The Morning Summer 2022 Playlist music & reading my favorite Italian women’s magazine, while having a good coffee & papaya in Burkina Faso on a Sunday morning, my soul talks to my millions of interior voices & it says OK. You do not have to be perfect, you do not have to study all the time, you do not have to be too fast. Go slowly & enjoy your thoughts.

When I saw this poster on Instagram, I jumped of excitement! I have always followed, watched the many versions of Peter Pan, ranging from the first Disney cartoon of 1953, to the modern versions (Hook 1991, Peter Pan 2003)

Sir Duke, Stevie Wonder

I am doing a good planning-coordination-crisis/strategic communications job (loong wording!) in Ouagadougou, I am learning, seeing many new things, meeting new nice people, empathizing once again with people who have so little, and still, make it through the day & dream of a brighter future without complaining too much, and always with a smile to offer you, for free.

Close to my home, there is the National Commission for UNESCO, providing a space for young people to read, to gather and to exchange ideas, study & learn together.. Apparently there is also a coffee club 🙂

While walking around, talking & smiling a lot, I am preparing to be the wedding witness of my brother next week in Italy, flying there!! It is going to be at the seaside, with many many friends, and I am excited for this emotional whirlwind of fun & commitment.

An awareness message to protect young people ‘s sexual health in Burkina Faso, and to encourage them to use condoms to perform safe & healthy sex – in front of the Ministry of Sports

South City Midnight Lady – The Dobbie Brothers

I believe in signs, in “some sort of” destiny, in traveling & discovering, and in gut feelings. I am more instinctive than anything, this is probably the reason I move a lot around planet Earth.

I see many of these trees these days, I love the color of the flowers… Yellow!!

The Yeah Yeah Yeah song – the Flaming lips

I love reading & swimming, and currently reading a Elif Shafak’s book (she is one of my favorite authors, I have read about Istanbul, fig trees, and now, about the balance of being a writer and a potential creator of other human beings)

One of my closest favorite human beings recently had a baby. We closely worked together, shared many moments of joy & sadness, courage & strength. We were working in photography & writing. I am reading this book & thinking of her, how she is feeling now & what went through and is going through her body, emotions and feelings. I love her deeply.

If I had an advise to spare with the online & international community would be: take it easy on yourself/lves, have a laugh & never cease to be mesmerized by people & the planet around you.. Full of fun & surprises!

Splish splash – Bobby Darin

#Smile #Laugh #Read #Sports

Photo credit cover page : Instagram/Self care express

Swing Dancing

While dancing and swimming, improving techniques and discovering new ways of doing the regular ordinary life things, I am appreciating the beauty of every moment, spent with family ( above all going to the grocery store with my dad) and doing the house chores ( day by day convincing myself that a good logistics- organization in the house, with tasks assigned to each member of the family, is the key to success in life).

Cumbia Colombiana

Listening to swing, waltz, tango waltz and cumbia ( listen to the sound of a Colombian cumbia) I am learning that the latter was a form of courtship dance practiced among the African population on the Caribbean coasts of Colombia and Panama. It later mixed with Amerindian and European instruments, steps and musical characteristics and spread through Latin America and abroad.

 

I am also learning about Charleston (here how you would dance to it), popular dance in 1920ies and became mainstream in the United States by a 1923 tune called “The Charleston” by composter/pianist James P. Johnson, which originated in the Broadway show Running World.

Charleston

 

I completely fell in love with Swing, whose songs and moves you can find here. Swing dance is a group of dances that developed with the swing style and jazz music in the 1920’s and 1940’s. During the “swing era” there were hundreds of styles of swing dancing, but those that have survived beyond that era include: Lindy Hop, Balboa, Collegiate Shag and Lindy Charleston.

Lindy Hop, Swing family

 

Lindy Hop especially in an American dance that evolved in Harlem, New York, in the 1920’s and 1930’s and originally evolved with the jazz music of that time. Among the swing era dances, Lindy Hop is the one that we most know nowadays ( you can listen to some of it while reading, here) Lindy Hop was a fusion of many dances that preceded it or were popular during its development but it is manly  based on jazz, tap, breakaway, and Charleston. It is frequently described as jazz dance and is a member of the swing dance family.

 

Practically now, I am experimenting some foxtrot, a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movement across the dance floor. It is danced to big band music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a 4-4 time signature, instead of 3-4. The foxtrot reached its height of popularity in the 1930’s, and remains practiced today ( see how professional dancers dance foxtrot, here).

So some must-know Swing songs, starting from Sing Sing Sing, by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra,  and In the Mood by Glenn Miller ( I think everyone of us hears/listened to them once – or more- in our lifetime, they are absolutely WONDROUS!). After Sing, Sing, Sing, here a list of all time Greatest Swing songs.

Then, some more popular songs I am listening to these days:

Double Shape of You & Castle on the Hill, Ed Sheran

Blow your mind– Dua Lipa

Hey Baby– Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike vs Diplo ( great music video, with super hero comics)

On Hold– The XX

Love on the weekend– John Mayer

Strong enough– Cher

Shed a light– Robin Schulz, David Guetta, Cheat Codes

Don’t you know– Kungs

I got you– Bebe Rexha

Libertango– Astor Piazzolla

 

Foxtrot, Ballroom dance family