Saudade

Last night received news that my former Brasilian collaborator Thaysi is leaving for Rome. Her transfer comes as a big surprise not only for me but for her as well as she had only 48 hour notice to pack and move.  Apparently there's an emergency in Rome and she needs to fill a vacancy. Thaysi is a very good friend and a very dedicated journalist. She does her job without any fuss and flows with the unpredictable exigencies of this sometimes crazy country. And she's a very pretty blond ... never fails to turn heads when she does a standup report on site. Anyway once she got the news, she called me even though I'm not her boss anymore for the past 5 months. And I'm grateful for that. That's dedication and loyalty. I'll surely miss her. Saudade!!!!

We had a Christmas gathering at school this morning. The usual carols, panettone and exchange of Christmas greetings. Also alot of goodbyes as most will return home for the holidays and return only after the New Year. I caught a cold so I stayed only for a couple of minutes then returned back to continue my research. I'm exhausted with this research but I must trudge on as others have overtaken me.

In the afternoon I went to say goodbye to the Italian film crew - Elisabetta, Matteo (co-director), Sig. Nocita, Matteo (photographer) and Nicola. They were a great team and we'll keep in contact until the film is launched. So many goodbyes today. Feeling a bit depressed.

Today's O antiphon is "O Adonai" (taken from Wikipedia)

Latin:

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel,

qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,

et ei in Sina legem dedisti:

veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

English:

O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel,

who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush

and gave him the law on Sinai:

Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

Isaiah had prophesied:

• "[...] but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins." Isaiah 11:4-5
• "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our ruler, the Lord is our king; he will save us." Isaiah 33:22

Also compare Exodus 3:2 and Exodus 24:12