Do not get the idea from this short article, that I have no sympathy for those that have caught the latest flu virus or those that have died from it, I do notice the lack of direct comparisons to other virus's and how many people die annually from the commun flu virus. I for one have suffered the similar symptoms that occur when you contract Dengue, it is not comfortable and for some ( far more than the swine virus) it is fatal. In the UK it is always thought to be prudent to cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing, not something that is common world wide, and certainly not common in Brazil. I do not know any Brazilians who carry a handkerchief or try to acquire a paper napkin to use when about to sneeze or cough, yet they are prepared to now demand a surgical mask.
The cases of Dengue sufferers as actually increased with the advent of more public propaganda to help deminish the annual out breaks, it does seem as though the more information you give the less respect it receives, or the more the world seems to want to give up on personal responsibility for their deeds.
Graca has twice mentioned a friend of hers in relation to the idea of perpetual existence, life without eating food or drink, for me an impossible conception and defies the reality of how we are constructed by evolution, and evolutions dependence on our need to eat and drink. There are those that relate stories of people living without taking any food or water, or those that do not eat but also drink almost no liquid. In much the same vain is the idea that you can lose the forests and still allow the Earth to continue to sustain human life.
Perhaps the idea that the Brazilian government have, for not taking far more seriously the threat that is being continued in the forests of Brazil, by not intervening in a way that would clearly end any intrusive and threatening deforrestation, is that if you allow natural selection you will get equilibrium, or they may feel that the rich are immune to swine virus and climate change, who knows what moves people to take up politics and then decide to concentrate on how much you can increase your annual earnings rather than resolve the deforestation of the rain forest.
Here is a snippet from the BBC site, and although I have difficulty in believing the facts that are given here, it is worth realising how important the forrests are to the world health, and how easily a flu virus can attract attention whilst this more serious threat is always given scepticism.
"The fact that tropical forests continue to go up in flames, contributing seven billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually
(more than all the world's cars, ships and planes), suggests that my Amazonian "Z" may not exist". The Z in question refers to "the El Dorado that (I) and many others have been searching for: an economic argument to convince governments that the standing rainforest could be worth more alive than dead".
I have been lost in this rural idyll, St Puy, I cannot even start to retell how a small village in France can have captured so much of past with every sign of still moving with a modern world. I am staying with Nadine, a stylish Parisian who as decided to make an almost new start in the Gers. Her dream is to make her house into a bed and breakfast, with the granery being a small restuarant and craft shop. With jhave been having slightly heated discussions about the change of use and the change in life style, all in an atmosphere of rural antiquarian, french life seems to have no changes yet the rural village is different. Here in St Puy there is a large community of British, all getting away from what they think others have done to their country, yet putting some chnge on the french life style that has so attracted them here in the first place. Even a caring French lady, having lived in Paris and bought her rural retreat, cannot help but affect the balance of such a small place, it is thrown into the internet world by its incomers, the mayor now as put in an internet cafe, without the cafe, so that the village has its own cyber link, although I am not sure that it is necessary for this, Iam quite certain that all the inhabitants have their own link to the internet.
Since arriving I have been to so many events, whether it was horse riding or traditional Gascoyne dancing, that i am left wandering why Brazil is meant to have some much in the way of feastivals, here there are as many if not more, I beleive there is to be a large feastival for the harvest before Bastile day, and that does not account for all the local fairs and music events, all seem to be free, just need to pay for wine and food. Hopefully I can get to speak some better French before I leave at the end of August, I am struggling with the language at the moment, it reminds me of my first few years in Brazil, trying to learn a language when you need to know technical terms first, is not easy, but still iteresting and well worth the effort.I have now got my workshop almost kitted out and am still trying to organise some electricity for the machines so i can get started on this newly revamped career as furniture maker and restorer. it seems promissing, i have had already, several work offers and have found openings for contacts, very easy, all are eager to pass on your card and build a rapid client base. The snag is that in truth I live in Brazil, and although I am now starting this new venture, i am having to consider how to create the best of both worlds, not as easy as it might seem,if i give up on Brazil I may never return there and that would be a great loss, but the opportunities for a fresh start to restoration and furniture making, are so much better here in France, how I am going to get a balance I do not know. Still here is a new chapter and i will keep it as a feature of this blog.
