• Architect needed for a work of passion

I need an architect. For develop along with me a new project which is a work of passion. Someone to whom I can pass the very same passion I have about this idea of mine. To make this idea his own, even. Because he/she will have to work on that for free. To fill a little more his/her architecture portfolio. Perhaps with the work of his lifetime.

The idea I’m talking about is this one, that is roughly described in a previous post on this blog and can be read in english clicking here.

For starters, the core of what could turn out to be his whole new concept, a “gastronomic spa” - its most exclusive area, where people would relax during a whole day, taking massages from time to time, enjoying a beautiful sunshine day by a pool side or inside it, tasting delicacies such as the finest beverages and gourmet food - should be somehow like this example, in the photo below.

Alea jacta est. The challenge is launched. 

And now, also and specifically for my fellow countrymen who could be interested on such a work of passion…

Eu preciso de um arquiteto. Para desenvolver junto comigo um novo projeto que é um trabalho de paixão. Alguém a quem eu possa passar a mesma paixão que tenho sobre esta minha ideia. Para tornar esta ideia como sua, mesmo a sério. Porque ele/a terá que trabalhar sobre isso a título gratuito. Para preencher um pouco mais o seu portfolio de arquitectura. Talvez com a obra da sua vida inteira. 

A idéia de que eu falo é esta, que é sumariamente descrita num post anterior neste blog e que pode ser lido em português clicando aqui.

Para começar, o núcleo do que poderia vir a ser todo este novo conceito de um “spa gastronómico” - concretamente a sua zona mais exclusiva, onde as pessoas relaxariam ao longo de um dia inteiro, tomando massagens de vez em quando, apreciando um bonito dia solarengo ao lado duma piscina ou no seu interior, degustando iguarias como as melhores bebidas e comida gourmet - deverá ser de alguma forma como neste exemplo, na foto acima.

Alea jacta est. O desafio está lançado.

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Nota: Entre o conjunto dos arquitectos de nacionalidade portuguesa, gostaria especialmente de contar com o concurso de Dina Maria Néné Rosa, membro n.º 9472 da Ordem dos Arquitectos; bem como o de João Carlos Rito de Oliveira Afonso, membro n.º 2269 da mesma Ordem, que são dois bons amigos que fiz no meu passado.

• SportAnima (international release)

SportAnima. This is the name I have chosen for a business idea in the field of tourism activities, aimed particularly to the practice of some sports that I feel should be considered more often.

This idea came to me because of the combination of several factors, opinions and experiences.

The experience part is related to something on which I was involved until the end of last year’s tourist high season. I’ve been a typical tourist entertainer in the most attractive touristic region in Portugal, the Algarve. And I want to continue being one. Anywhere in this whole world. But not in a way that favors traditional activities, very much in vogue for what can be called as the touristic globalized offer for the masses. I’m taking about group activities such as water gymnastics, afro-latin dance classes and others. People generally believe that particularly those tourists that exhausts low-cost hotel units capacities want this. I do not. I think one should offer them something better.

There is so much to still do in innovative ways in sporting activities for tourists. Some new activities should be offered to be found out how enjoyable they can be. Other traditional activities have this margin for progression towards perfection so huge, still.

Also, the kind of sporting activities that I will talk about don’t have to stick only as an available service in hotel units. No. It should also be a service to be provided to schools and to the public, in general. In order to allow, to whom have never done these, the experience of practice and/or immersion in a given sport. Awakening vocations. Encouraging the continuation of its practice.

This entertainment service that I imagine is also ideal to be available in sporting goods large distribution sale areas. As major examples in my country market, Decathlon, SportZone and Sports Direct.

In these large stores, like supermarkets of sporting goods, the mere sight of articles exposed in some lesser known sports areas in itself encourages clients to try them. But one can enhance sales of these items if we do not passively confine to expose them. If we take people to try them, right there in the store. Guided by what can be called as "customers-actors".

Decathlon stores are most appropriate to have this entertainment service. Both indoors, in specific areas such as golf and table tennis; and outdoors, with areas to practice sports such as mountain biking, skating, soccer, basketball, etc.. It would be interesting, in addition to these, also archery (of course, implemented with strict safety rules), fencing (not only the olympic sport but also something on which one handles a sabre, kendo, the japanese martial art), tennis, badminton, etc..

About Kendo, it was once regarded in last century final decades as one of the sports of the future. One that would have the number of its practitioners growing fast, worldwide. As it was suggested in a famous science fiction tv series. Just to try wearing once all this kendo outfits is a great experience in itself*. One puts himself in the skin of a samurai warrior for a while.

Racquet sports are also very dear to me. Badminton and specially table tennis are among those sports who more develop fast thinking and reflexes and, therefore, our brain. Not considering the world of strategy games like chess, of course. Studies reveal that fencing and kendo also have this effect. All these sports are moreover adequately scenic to captivate practitioners or photography enthusiasts to follow them while in store, thus attracting even more people to enhance sales.

Archery** and tennis are other activities that cause me great enthusiasm. On archery, I have an idea to create targets with a support structure for an all-terrain use. As for tennis, I think we must innovate with a larger use of ball machines in intensive training in tennis academies. One of the gains that SportAnima aims to bring the panorama of sporting activities is to provide the experience of using these ball machines, much since the beginner or casual player levels. To let people experience a bit of the way pro tennis players have in their daily lives.

Also for table tennis, I have an idea to create tables with an innovative design, again using a very popular item sold in Decathlon stores, the Rollnet. Specially designed to use all the potential of this fine item, including the aesthetic. Being this field, aesthetics, something very neglected, in my view, in the full item range of supply of Decathlon and this market, in general.

These tables - as well as the archery target support structures mentioned above - have also to be suitable to be transported in a van, because SportAnima will be a traveling entertainment service.

As said before, In addition to sporting goods stores, SportAnima services can be taken to schools, public institutions and hotel units. Promoting its various sports activities already mentioned and still others like athletics. To give a new life and greater use to so many sports complexes in all countries, especially those outside large urban centers. With the natural benefits that these centers can gain. Shaking the local serenity of a given place in a positive way. And potentially lucrative for tourism in the region.

There are nowadays many track and field athletic complexes that I presume with little use, all over the world. This is a main opportunity for SportAnima.

In athletics we must get people, whether school children or tourists who visit us, to experience, for example, put on those very expensive shoes for speed events, 100 to 400 meters. With hurdles or not. And jumps, either in length or in height. Or just about anything you can finally do in an athletics track, like javelin, discus or hammer throw. With an entire surrounding ambiance that allows us to feel like being olympic athletes for a few moments. 

How many of us would neglect to have this experience, just to put on some shoes like those of Usain Bolt for a moment and see if they can fly with wings on his feet as he does? We see these shoes on store shelves but we believe that will not be worth the investment in its purchase, just for a use to give them so elusive. Here again our partnership with a sporting goods store like Decathlon would bring good dividends for both companies.

The enthusiasm that SportAnima’s sports entertainment services can wake up in so many of us should be our best guarantee of sustainability and viability. 

What's more, there are nowadays some hotel units that are run all year round open doors for niche markets, such as national teams training periods for élite athletes. This is the case in my country, Portugal, of Herdade da Cortesia in Aviz, Alto Alentejo, for rowing athletes. Several others exist to supply the demand of sportsmen winter season training periods. For those sportsmen living in less mild climates than those of southern Europe.

So, in sum, what can SportAnima be?

1. A tourist entertainment service, particularly aimed to offer sports activities on exclusive or top class hotel units.
2. A in-store entertainment service, aimed to promote sports activities, with the goal of attracting more customers and enhance sporting goods sales.
3. A supplier of experiences in new sports, other than the most popular ones like team sports, for school children, teenagers willing to find their best sport skills and public in general, of all ages.
4. An entertainment service for élite sportsmen recreation times during pre-season, pre-competition or pre-match special training periods, allowing athletes to learn about and enjoy different sports from the ones they are professionally engaged.
5. A think-tank and counseling service for the better and most enjoyable practice of sports on already existing or to be built sports facilities.
6. A promoter of a larger use of sports facilities in small communities, enhancing these to a better tourist offer.

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Note: This very same post has been already written in portuguese, my mother language, but now I felt like sharing this SportAnima’s concept to a wider audience.

* And the same goes to all other sports that are mentioned in this SportAnima’s concept presentation. For instance, one might find a bit funny some golf outfits, but nevertheless one would like to try to wear them at least once in one’s life, don’t we all?

** Archery is in some of the finest places around this world to have great relaxing vacations a major activity, in the overall tourist offer of some of the most exclusive hotels units. Like in the Banyan Tree Al Wadi hotel and resort, in the United Arab Emirates. Where one is invited to step into the shoes of an arabian archer.

• E vão nove!…

E a “minha” nona telenovela é uma que ainda nem estreou. Que muito provavelmente se vai intitular “Santa Bárbara”.

As cenas em que eu participei em filmagens foram realizadas num local da minha Ulisseia que eu desconhecia completamente. No Museu Geológico, na Rua da Academia das Ciências, ao Príncipe Real, em Lisboa.

Julguei a princípio que esta rua era um outro nome que se daria à Rua da Escola Politécnica e que todas as filmagens seriam feitas no Museu da Faculdade de Ciências ou no Jardim Botânico contíguo. Mas não. Há sempre um Portugal desconhecido que espera por nós, como rezava um antigo slogan do Turismo lusitano.

A coisa ficava afinal ainda uma beka longe do Largo do Príncipe Real. Pegado ao antigo Liceu Passos Manuel e cercano da Rua de São Bento e da Assembleia da República. Um recanto de Lisboa que achei, afinal, até bem tranquilo e convidativo para se viver lá.

As cenas que ali registámos eram como que de uma cerimónia oficial de apresentação dum investimento turístico importante para esta localidade de Santa Bárbara, uma fictícia cidadezinha do interior que vive um período fausto com a reabertura da exploração das suas antigas minas de ouro, que datam da ocupação romana.

O cenário, um magnífico salão nobre no edifício do museu, a dar ares da grande Biblioteca da Universidade de Coimbra. Algo inusitado de descobrir dentro daquelas velhas paredes. Este ofício tem as suas vantagens. Entramos bastas vezes dentro de portas que nos estariam fechadas enquanto público. 

O meu papel foi, como o de muitos outros a meu lado, o de ser um elemento da chamada “turma do croquete”, aquela gentinha que se pela por aparecer em eventos sociais elitistas e por tirar a barriga de misérias em beberetes oferecidos à nata da sociedade local, a que supostamente nós pertencíamos.

Isto é tudo uma grande ironia da vida! Eu, que na realidade não passo dum teso, dum pelintra, dum desempregado a maior parte do tempo, dum gajo que não tem onde cair morto... E vai-se a ver, na ficção são-me dados personagens da alta. Tanto assim foi aqui na “Santa Bárbara” como o é em “A Única Mulher”, onde sou raccord dum membro dum conselho de administração duma grande empresa de construção civil.

Nos “Jardins Proibidos” lá tenho feito diversos personagens, também sempre a descobrir lugares onde ainda não tinha posto os pés. Um funeral no Cemitério dos Prazeres, um casamento numa pequena capela em Vialonga, uma tarde a frequentar o Pestana Palace Hotel da Lapa e um jantarzinho no Cantinho da Ju, sendo este último um restaurante de luxo fictício nos estúdios da Plural em Bucelas.

Tudo somado, este ano ainda só vou em catorze dias em frente às câmeras, oito para a Plural e seis para a Valente. Alguns dessas jornadas com mais de doze horas consecutivas.

Queria e deveria ter muito mais. E com papéis mais desafiantes. Como aquele que no ano passado tive de recusar por força do meu animatógrafo retiro algarvio. O papel de um neurocirurgião numa sala de operações. Que talvez me causasse uma revolta nas tripas e uns chamamentos de Gregórios em plena actuação… Mas enfim, era um desafio do caraças!…

Voltando á vaca fria, segundo a TVI, na sua apresentação oficial, “Santa Bárbara” é uma adaptação de um original argentino, “La Patrona”. A julgar pelo cartaz ao lado, os castings na América latina devem permitir, regra geral, escolher protagonistas femininos bem mais vistosos do que entre nós, pobres tuguinhas… Um belo pedaço de mulher, esta matriarca com capacete de mineiro, do austral país das pampas!...

Vamos ver no que vai dar esta nova telenovela. Parece tudo ainda muito em cima do joelho!… Não há por esta altura ainda um logotipo oficial. O que está acima é um screenshot do protótipo do genérico, que pode ser visto clicando aqui. Estas produções locais já deviam estar mais avançadas na sua promoção, digo eu…