On friendship (again!) and this hot weather!

So, my dearest friends, according to many e-mails in my inbox, today is your today! I have no idea when this "date" was created, but it's the Friend's International Day! :-) I am preparing a nice chicken breast fillet to celebrate! You know, I don't cook, so when I cook there's something special happening.

I was reading the news and guess what? 13 people dead because of the heat in Europe. Nopes, not me, I'm still alive! I have to confess one thing: although the temperatures here didn't go to 40°C and anything above 38°C is "a new record", I feel that this city is hotter than Rio. Maybe because every store or office you go in Rio have air conditioning, almost all buses, the tube (line 1 at least), my house, your house. At least a very good fan. Where I live (used to) is quite fresh, despite of the heat. And also we have the beach, so we can refresh with a nice swim. Here? Pffff, some places have fans, one fan per room. Maybe in offices you have air con, those ones with 10 computers per room. And poor river Thames, makes no difference at all. Hmmm, in fact, I think it's a bit fresher near the river.

But please, I AM NOT COMPLAINING!!!!! I hate to sweat, I hate the smell in buses, I hate the stove that the tube is transformed into, but I definetly prefer having three cold baths per day than having my skin cracking, my nose bleeding, my legs and feet purple, because of that damn cold and wind. I just wish Bournemouth was closer. Beach is always good.

By the way, I read somewhere that the authorities are very concerned that this summer will be as hot as in 2003, where 15,000 people died in Europe. 15,000 people????? W-O-W. Let's give water to the elderly!

On alcohol, TPM (sic), friendship, hapiness and others

July 18th - today is Lorena's and Cris' birthdays. They are two good friends, the former from São Paulo, the latter from Rio. I know Lorena since beginning of 98, when she used to spend her school holidays in Rio; she was only 12 years old. I met Cris in 2000, we used to work together and since then she became one of my best friends. Despite the difference of age (8 years), Lorena and I used to go out a lot. She is very intelligent and talent and now her band is even one of the semi-finalists of Lollapalooza Festival. You can help them by voting at: http://www.freshtracksmusic.com/lolla2006/showartist.aspx?aid=50757&sgn=Indie%20Rock. Anyway, today I'm drinking (Bacardi Breezer, orange, so good) on their honor! And I am already drunk.

I just had a big big Barcardi Breezer bottle, but it was so hot and I drank so fast (ok, ok, didn't have lunch today) that... look at me... txk.

I am in my TPM (sic). How would it be in English...? PMT? Whatever. I don't feel like being on TPM, but I am. I mean, it's not because I want the world to explode that I am on my TPM. It helps, but I am also very tired and so unpatient and I was before getting to this period. Just to let it registered, in case I shout bad words at you.

I have spent the last hours searching for travel destinations. I'm planning to travel around (Around where? Europe maybe?) in September, for a month. I've found the inter-rail - train pass - which seems very interesting. Just need to be a little more corageous to get my backpack and travel alone! Such a shame that I cannot travel at niht with that pass and save on hostels! :-D

Oh, the mobile arrived. Me back to the world!

After the storm...

Phew! It's over! After a month (maybe more) of hard work, we had a very nice show. The opening was great, some interesting people around, I could speak Portuguese (hurray) and ended the night having a nice dinner at the Indian place across the street. Even the moments with no guests at all were fun, we talked, joked, played. We had a nice time after all, but we are also glad it's over. Now it's time to move on. My next step is to improve the jukebox, fix some details I'm not happy with, make different versions of the patch.

It is also time to start thinking about the dissertation. Two more months and the game is over. Time flies. It's been almost a year. It doesn't look so bad in summer.

I still have no mobile. Tsc, never thought I would be so dependant of one. Anyway, this week this will be sorted out.

Not so many news on my side. I have an interview on Thursday (no celebration, please), I’m going to a show called Fuerzabruta in Camden next Saturday, I’m flying to Greece on the 28th. And July is gone!

Be my guest

The Interactive Media students of Goldsmiths College are proud to present:

FEEL! *

Impossible to read, huh? Ok, here you go:

private view (but open to you, my guest) - 13 July, 6 - 8 pm
The show: 14-15 July - 10 am to 5 pm and 16 July: 12 am - 4 pm.
Where: Goldsmiths College, Main Building, Room 300 (upstairs), New Cross, SE14 6NW

For more information: www.feelshow.co.uk

HOW TO GET THERE

* no intentional erotic conotation

Who to blame

Brazil has this funny characteristic of refer to statistics and miths to justify its actions, especially the bad ones. It can also be used to justify future failures and this was so obvious on the news. For example, I read that Brazil never (hardly every) wins World Cups in Europe. Brazil never beat France in World Cups. Ronaldo Chubby never scored on quarter-finals. And the list keep going. I have my own theories to justify the poor game today; here is my Top 10 so far:

1) The French bad smell. Everybody knows that French perfumes are the best in the world because the French people are the stinkiest! I'm sure that the players and audience didn't use any perfume at all, so the Brazilian team would feel dizzy and nauseous. This also justifies that weird convultion Ronaldo had before 98's game. It was in France, summer and the country was all smelly.

2) Pelé. I bet this damn witch gambled against Brazil and did some black magic for the team. Ok, you can believe that Brazil won't win France, but you shouldn't say this to the papers, especially if you are a Brazilian. Faith above all, that's our fuel!

By the way, did you know that black magic was born in France?

3) Felipão. You greedy, you already won in 2002! Leave us alone!

4) Ali. He is what we call "cold feet" - no idea if this works in English. He supported Iran, Argentina, Brazil... I bet England and Australia too. Can you please support France now?

5) Lili. She wouldn't be able to watch the final properly, so it was better to end up everything now, huh?

6) Cipri. The first game he didn't watch in England. Besides, he wasn't wearing his Brazilian t-sirt, as he was on a wedding (not his own, that God).

7) Marco. Tsc tsc tsc. Bought a yellow multi-task t-shirt, so he could support Jamaica, Australia, Brazil, Ghana, Ukraine, Sweden, Ecuardor and all yellowish teams.

By the way, yellow is definetly not a good color. In Brazil, if you don't do something because you are afraid, it is said that you "yellowed". Ok, it's weird in English.

8) "Pra Frente Brasil". Mauricio said it was a weird version. I admit, it was. I took it from an Angra's lyrics website. Angra is one of the worse metal bands ever and only the Japanese like them. Shit, my fault!

9) Me again (yeah, the world turns around my belly button). I turned off the TV in the middle of the 2nd half. I should have supported my team until the end (but it was so obvious that we were going to lose, wasn't it? i felt humiliated with that game).

10) My mom. She is always against Brazil when it comes to football.

I will come up with other theories and other football posts, as I am so so so angry. If I was face-to-face with Parreira I think I would fix that horrible nose of his. Hunf!

If Brazil was Colombia...

Sorry for the stupid question, but what the fuck was that game?!?!?!?!?

I'm not ashamed of being Brazilian, not at all, but those guys should be. I think that there should be a punishment for those who make a fool of the Nation, like donate a year of salary for charity. Second thought. Knowing how things work in Brazil, this money would be stolen.

It was a shame that a good team like Argentina left the Cup prematurely, but it was well done for Brazil. This team shouldn't even be there to embarrass the whole country.

And now who would be Champion? I'm voting for either Portugal or Germany.

* Yawn *

I woke up early today. I have work to do. Brazil plays today, and like every game, I am stressed already. Germany sent Argentina home, I hope we do the same with France. Good luck for us!

So far so good! Part 2 of many

January 2006 was cold, rainy, dark, I had two essays to hand in, classes to attend, but it was also the period of meeting up again, with friends and love. I even manage to see Laine for one day! I went to Cirque du Soleil, which I enjoyed quite a lot.

February 2006 was the month we became members of UGC cinemas, paying a monthly fee and going whenever we want to the cinema. First month: 20 films! I’m not going to mention that the weather was still crap. Oh, this month Lilian also left us and went back to Brazil. We went together to The Darkness, at the Alexandra Palace, a very nice place.


Cipri’s birthday was in March 2006, same month that I did MAX/MSP course (Saturdays, from 10 to 18h). I was still very cold in London. No more classes for me.

April 2006 I had a two weeks break and I went to a nice and sunny place, where I could swim and get sun burned, eat good food, and relax, and again be away from Cipri, which brought Mick Jagger back to my head. I had two essays to hand in, Adriana was in town and I went to the theatre for the third time in London; this time was the musical The Producers. Very funny!

The weather pretended to get better in May 2006. It was still annoyingly cold, but we could feel nature’s effort to make London warmer. I had to present my minor project (a kind of practical essay). And this is all I can remember about May!

June 2006. World Cup, projects, show, getting fatter and fatter, getting old, the weather is nice. Some days in the park, some in pubs watching games, some at friend’s place, some eating, some sleeping, most of them at the lab. Cake, candles, chocolate, sadness, anxiety. So far, so good.

For the future: July/August 2006, Greece. August 2006, Pearl Jam at Reading Festival. September 2006, dissertation hand in and I’m free. October 2006, one year together. Either working or traveling around Europe, whichever comes first.

The huge post is because I might be away (no news, good news) for awhile, working on my project and our show/exhibition. For those who are in London or plan to come: from July 13th to 16th I will exhibit my project (a jukebox). Feel free to come. It’s free!

P.S.: I might edit this post later one (include more facts and photos).

So far so good! 1 of many

I'm still lying on my warm bed (best thing about laptops). No strength to move, because the weekend was very busy and my poor legs are in pain. My travelcard expired and I don't want to renew it until tomorrow or Wednesdays, which means going to College walking. On my defense, I have to say that I woke up at 9h30, I’m doing the laundry and I’ve cleaned the kitchen, besides working a bit on my project.

I was looking for a photo to update my fotolog, but I couldn’t find any good one to put there. On the other hand, I started thinking about my period in London, and all the things I couldn’t do, and all the things I did, and all the things that I will do soon. I can to this city for a master. That’s was the focus, that’s what I’m doing, but in the meanwhile I also manage to do some other nice things that wasn’t part of the ‘master plan’. Here is a little chronology of my short life in London.

I went to Porto in September, 2005. I had a one way ticket only. No place to stay, no date to come back. But I did come back, 3 days later. This month was also to sort my life here; I moved from my temporary house to my actual one, I bought a mobile and got partially connected to the world, and I was getting familiarized with London and the tube map. I went to my first (Shakespeare’s) pay in London, which I can’t remember the name now. I don’t like theatre that much, I confess that I didn’t understand half of the play, but in the end it was good to visit The Globe.

I started my relationship during a weekend trip to Barcelona in October, 2005. I also got totally connected to world when my laptop arrived. It was when my classes started and I was getting adapted to the academic life again.



I went to Granada in November, 2005, in a very personal weekend trip. The winter started in London and it was the first time I was under 0°C. My body was trying to adapt to the food, water, weather, colors, etc., and it was a painful experience. We went to the Blue Man Group and Stomp, both very nice, especially the latter. I’m not sure about the dates, but I’m pretty sure both were by the ends of October, and/or November.



I went to Brazil in December, 2005. I got some tan, ate good food, saw my friends and was apart for Cipri for over a month. I heard Mick Jagger singing in my head “No, you can’t always get what you want”. It was Mariana’s birthday in the beginning of the month, we went to Guanabara, where I drank caipirinha, ate bolinho de bacalhau and danced funk (“vai poposuda”).

Dreamer, nothing but a dreamer

The traveling insect bit me again this morning, while I was checking Mariana's blog (see link on the left), where you can find a colorful map of the Great Britain (hmmm, England, Scotland and Whales?).

The problem with this huge island is the wind, which is really annoying when the temperature is not over 25°C. Another problem is that the summer lasts 3 months MAXIMUM. So, in theory, you have 3 months to explore the coast. But, remember, the prices here are in pounds (R$ 4.00), the weather changes all the time and some places are not that close to London. Plus, it is very tempting to go abroad, with so many nice places surrounding us and the option of flying with budget airlines.

This year was quite unfair, as there is also the World Cup, decreasing the summer and increasing the prices everywhere for a month. Not to mention that my final project presentation is due to July 13th, right after the Cup, and it's consuming loads for neurons.

I tried to calculate how many years I will have to live in London, how much I need to earn and how many weekends I have to travel in order to visit the whole UK, but as I am not good at all with math and I don’t want to get depressed, I’ve stopped when I realized that it would take me more than 10 years.