A Government of the Middle, by the Middle and for the Middle

Um Governo do Meio, pelo Meio e para o Meio
Só as grandes expectativas conduzem a grandes desilusões. Como em Março passado nos foi dada uma pista do que seria o novo Governo da RAEM, tenho de admitir que as minhas expectativas eram, desta feita, bastante baixas – mas o factor surpresa poderia ter sido induzido, para melhor (o inesperado) e para pior (bater no fundo!).
http://pontofinalmacau.wordpress.com/editoriais-e-opiniao/
A Government of the Middle, by the Middle and for the Middle
(Published in Portuguese in Ponto Final, Macao, November 19th 2010)
By Eric Sautede

Only high expectations are conducive to great disappointments, and as we had already had a hint at what was to come from the new Macao SAR government last March, I must admit that my expectations were rather low this time around—surprises could thus be enticed, for better (the unexpected) and for worse (a race to the bottom)! Let’s be clear right from the start: the policy address delivered by Fernando Chui Sai-on on November 16th is just uninspiring as well as short-sighted, and seems to denote a misunderstanding (at best!) of the role the political leader of a community has to play, and ultimately confirms a propaganda-like logorrhea twist that is rather worrying for the “high-degree of autonomy” that the SAR is supposed to enjoy until 2049.

The Paths To Greendom

Os caminhos para a cidade verde
Sempre gostei de andar de bicicleta: sobretudo por ser divertido, porque resulta de uma combinação entre design simples e alta tecnologia, apelando ao meu sentido de estética, e ainda porque tem muito que ver com a liberdade – liberdade de me fazer à estrada com a promessa de aventura. Com a idade chegou a percepção de outras vantagens relacionadas com novas preocupações: andar de bicicleta é uma boa forma de me manter saudável, bom tanto para o coração como para a forma física, sem ter de gastar parte significativa do meu salário em mensalidades de um healthclub (sendo certo que correr é ainda mais barato…), permite-me deslocar-me com bastante rapidez, e não faz barulho nem emite CO2.
http://pontofinalmacau.wordpress.com/editoriais-e-opiniao/

The Paths To Greendom
(Published in Portuguese in Ponto Final, Macao, October 8th 2010)
By Eric Sautede

I have always enjoyed riding a bicycle: mainly because it is fun, because a bike is a mix of simple design and high-tech gears and thus appeals to my sense of aesthetic, and also because it has a lot to do with freedom—freedom to hit the road with a promise of adventure. With age came other perceived advantages addressing new concerns: riding is a good way to keep healthy, on both heart and fat sides, without having to shelve a significant part of my salary in health-club subs (I agree, running is even cheaper…), and it allows me to commute pretty fast and yet it is quiet and does not produce CO2 emissions.

Freedom of speech has little to do with the tyranny of the numbers

Liberdade de expressão e tirania dos números
No passado dia 8 de Junho, o Gabinete de Informação do Conselho de Estado divulgou o seu primeiro livro branco sobre a Internet na China: a meu ver, com um grande atraso, uma vez que o país tem o maior número de cibernautas do planeta – mais de 420 milhões, a confiar nas estatísticas oficiais anunciadas em Julho.
http://pontofinalmacau.wordpress.com/editoriais-e-opiniao/

Freedom of speech has little to do with the tyranny of the numbers
(Published in Portuguese in Ponto Final, Macao, September 2nd 2010)
By Eric Sautede

On June 8th, China’s State Council Information Office released its first ever white paper on the Internet in China: to me, a long overdue one, as China is home to the greatest number of Internet users on the planet—more than 420 millions if official statistics released in July are to be trusted.

Heritage, Macao style

Why is it that real estate always get in the way of heritage? Why is it that whenever Macao is mentioned in the South China Morning Post — leaving aside Casinos' amazing growth figures — amateurs always rhyme with liars and we happen to look like fools?

Demolition near Ruins of St Paul's questioned
Fox Yi Hu, Mar 13, 2010 in SCMP
A demolition project near the Ruins of St Paul's may lead to archaeological finds relating to Macau's most famous landmark, once the base for Catholic missionary work in Asia. But some critics see the project as a veiled redevelopment plan that may spoil the surroundings of the UN-recognised world heritage site.
The Macau government has marked the location of four residential buildings to the northeast of the remaining facade of the 17th century church as an archaeological site.
Experts of world heritage protection advised the government to carry out more comprehensive archaeological work when possible to understand the original structure of the College of St Paul's, the government said.