Crazy New England

So on last week's Saturday I wore shorts for the first time.

Then in a matter of 5 days we went from early spring to dead of summer, because on Thursday it was past 80 F. How crazy is that?

However, on Friday we went bike riding in the neighborhood and it was freezing!!!!

On Saturday we went bike riding in the bike path. I took my spring jacket just for safety and I didn't even have to put it on. I was hot.

Welcome to New England, everyone!

Shy warm weather

Yesterday I wore shorts for the first time this year.
It felt good. What didn't feel good was that , that same evening, ever I came back home from my walk to staples to get my free paper (with a rebate coupon) I realized the receipt was gone! Gone, disappeared into fine air.
I have tried everything, looking for it about 10 times, calling the store, chatting online, going to sthe store to get a copy of the receipt, nothing worked so far.

On a happier note, I stretched my shrunk sweater today, after it spent a couple of days in the water with softener. The recipe only calls for 20 minutes soaking, but with my life, do you really think I can go back to anything after 20 minutes?

dangerous people

If swords were illegal, anyone with a sword would be considered a dangerous person.

If knives were illegal, any one with a knife would be considered a dangerous person.

If bow and arrows were illegal, anyone with a bow/arrow would be considered a dangerous person.

If pressure cookers were illegal, anyone with a pressure cooker would be considered a dangerous person.

Owning guns is considered a right in this country.

I've learned that the reason for that was to keep the government in check. But also there is the right that one person has to defend himself. There is the right I have not to be defenseless before evil people. the right to protect myself and my dear ones.

Why do you make this right and turn it into something illegal? Why do you make it so that bad people can be more heavily armed than I am, because I will choose to follow the law?

checks and toys

Our new bank checks arrived yesterday. Not the ones I spent hours on Monday shopping for. The free ones from the bank. The bank sent us free checks? Yes, it's our new bank. Part of the new account deal is 50 new checks.

But the fact that the new ones I shopped for on Monday night have not arrived yet, didn't stop me from hurrying to the bedroom and getting the old bank checks left over.

317 checks that we were left from the 480 checks we purchased from checks unlimited when we opened our bank of america account.

We hardly use checks, so it makes sense that in 5 years we only used about 163 checks.

I opened the two brand new boxes filled with checks and felt like a little girl playing house. I wanted to write scribbles in all of them. Just like I used to do when I couldn't read or write and I just got paper and pen and pretended to be writing the news.

While I describe my play, you are probably sitting there wondering why we purchased so many checks. Well, because that many checks was still cheaper than 120 checks from our old bank.

Same goes for our new bank. they sent us 50 free checks, but if we want more, it's around $37 for each box of 120 checks. Well, we paid $19 for 600 with vistaprint.

I'm looking forward to receiving those. Too bad I won't be able to play with them.
And these old ones we burn. Sniff, sniff.

Freedom of speech ... well, wait

It's a little known fact, but the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution, that which protects freedom of speech, does not cover people who disagree with homosexuality.
Actually, it covers no one who disagree from majority opinion or politically correct.
I will make no excuses here. People a shut off for saying or writing things that others don't consider cool, or don't consider ok for their kids to listen to.
Come on, people, let's reason. The first amendment covers everyone to express their opinion, whether you like it or not.
Do you not like my opinion? Then don't! You have the right to your own, and that opinion my differ from mine. You don't have to discuss it with me. You can, but you don't have to. You can try to learn why I think the way I think, and we can talk. You can try to change my mind, then we can talk.
However, don't try to coerce me into changing my mind by boycotting my business or my ability to get a job. Unless my business is blatantly pushing my opinion down people's throats, don't hurt an American business man or worker who simply made use of the right given to every citizen in the first amendment!
Let's show our fellow citizens we believe they too have that right! We support their right!

Do you think your kids should not listen to the things I say, or write, or show on TV? Don't let your kids listen to it or watch it. But don't hinder me from doing it! Because when the tides turn, and you're the one speaking, writing or broadcasting, and I am the one with public power to shut you down, you won't like that a bit. It's unconstitutional!

The first amendment isn't there to protect me from what you say that I don't like, it is there to protect each one of us, you and me from being shut off by those who don't like what we say.

Brazil, a country with similar laws and similar constitutional rights, is also all flustered up with the homosexual marriage question. And anyone who dares disagree that this is something beautiful and it should be legal in the country is a FILTHY HOMOPHOBE!

I am not talking theoretical or general ideas here. There is a representative in the Brazilian congress that dared voice his opinion that he disagrees with homosexual marriage. He was immediately socially crucified.

Wait, what? I don't have the right to disagree from public opinion? I don't have the right to my opinion based on a religion that has been around for thousands of years and to which millions around the world subscribe? I don't have the right to say, "I don't think this should be a right"?

No, I don't. No one does. No one who disagrees with the public opinion ever has a right to his own opinion without being public execrated.

I

gone shootin'

Yesterday we went to practice shooting.
I was really scared because of all the talk people do about the recoil (I think that is what it is called. It's that kick back that the gun does when you shoot it and it pushes your hand back.
I was a bit excited, but really afraid of that thing.

It was fun. I got to try several different types of guns and practice loading and loading them safely. It was also good spending that time with my husband. It was neat seeing the little shells on the floor. I had seen them before, on the playground of a friend's house when I was in 7th grade. But that was a bad thing. Bullet shells should not be at a big city condo playground. This was a much safer environment to look at bullet shells.

It turned out that I learned two things:
1-that pushing back thing is not really the monster I thought it was, at least not with the 22 caliber I shot. I tried a 38 too, and that one had a much stronger kick. About as strong as what I thought that shooting the 22 would be.
2-I stink at this shooting business. They make it look so easy in the cop TV shows. They aim they shoot, and they shoot a million times and they get it right everything single time. Well, I got none right!!!! Can't believe all you see on TV.

I need to go back soon for more practice. I want to get good at it.

On the other hand, I still am not allowed to carry a gun to work, so good aim or bad aim, I am still, at God's mercy, hoping no one evil will break into my school. Come on, Mr. Governor! It's about the children!

Homosexuality and marriage

On March 27th I switched my Facebook profile picture, inspired my by husband, and as a response to all the red equal signs
 people were posting.\










This was my picture:

A friend of mine posted that he admired my courage, and I replied to him what I thought to be admitting I was not being courageous, I was just stating my religious beliefs while trying to make sense of it all. This was my reply:

"I am just stating my faith. That says nothing about where I stand politically, because to be quite honest, I have no idea where I stand politically. I think there is a lot more to think about than most people seem to believe, and I'd rather not to share an opinion. Morally 

however, I stand my ground. And I am sorry if people will be offended. It disgusts me to hear all the hate speech against those who 

simply state their support for traditional marriage based on the most important thing in a person's life - his/her religious beliefs. It's a 

simple matter of civility to admit that, a Christian has the right to believe the Bible in a country founded on principles of freedom of 

religion - principles protected by the constitution. .... wow ... sorry, I was not planning on writing a sermon ..."

I have been trying to make sense of this whole homosexual marriage thing. As a Christian, can I ignore a pressing issue in my society? I should not. I should approach it with a pious mind and try to understand it and position myself as much as Jesus would have as I can possibly do it.

Is it morally right? According to the God I follow, according to his morals found in his Bible, no. But we do not live in a religious state, do we?

Our state dictates that everyone is free to follow a religion, or no religion at all. So, before the civil laws of our lay country, is homosexual marriage a right that should be granted to every citizen?

When we are talking about the laws of a country, not the laws of a church or religious body, is it right to deny two people of the same sex the right to be bond together in marriage?

A lot goes on my mind on this subject. I don't want to deprive citizens of their rights as citizens. So I must think before I make my religious statements a point of defense in civil law of a lay country.

One point that to me is a major thing to consider is -is there an ill-intentioned agenda here by one group or another? As a person who subscribes to a religion I can't help but thinking back to my experience as I talk to people who do not subscribe to my values. I look back in history and I see that secular society in general finds marriage an outdated religious institution, something people should absolutely skip over, just go live together. What's a piece of paper anyway? Who needs that? It's all about love. But this same society seems to think marriage is a sacred right to every homosexual. If they love each other then they must be allowed the right to marry. What? But I thought it was all about love! What's a piece of paper anyway? Who needs that?

So it seems to me that there is an agenda. Is is the homosexuals? Is it the liberals? Is it secular society in general? I don't know, but it seems to me that some group has an agenda. It seems that this agenda is to make a mockery out of this outdated religious institution. How? By forcing it to grant homosexuals (whose practice of homosexuality is condemned by most major religions in the world) the right to enter this outdated religious institution. Doesn't it seem that way?

How come, I ask, society didn't think marriage had any meaning anymore until homosexuals wanted it? And now it becomes a major  MAJOR step in life.

My other point however goes back to "our country's law are not dictated by religion, since our citizens have the right not to have one." If this is the case, it doesn't matter who has an agenda. Should the civil law of the country grant this right to citizens who happen to be homosexuals?

Here's what I came up with: We must answer the question "Is marriage a religious institution or a civil institution?"

If it is a religious institution, then it is up to each religion to decide whether or not their members are allowed to engage in homosexual practices and whether these practices will be legitimized by the sacred institution of marriage. In this case, the state has no business ruling over it. All the state has the right to do is recognize as valid an act that was validated by someone's religion/church, as it has done so many times before.

If on the other hand, marriage is a civil institution, then it is ruled by the state. The church's job is simply to bless it ... IF that union is according to that church's morals - after all the church is free from the state's rule as well.
If marriage is a civil institution, and it is ruled by the state, it is because it serves a purpose to the society. Which means that the next question is "What is the purpose of marriage to society? How does it serve society?"
Well, if it is about how it serves society, then it has never been about love! Unions in society have never been about love. They have been about continuation of society, usually through procreation, but also throgh the sharing sharing of property, signing of peace treaties, etc. If this is the case, I don't think there is a point to homosexual marriage. I think homosexual marriage has a stronger case if they come from the religious point of view and find enough churches who subscribe to homosexuality as something morally acceptable.


This is as far as I have come so far. Again, I am trying to be fair.
I am trying to understand that my religion doesn't dictate the rules in a state that allows people to follow or not follow a religion and its moral code.

P.S.
I understand that many people don't believe I have the right to disagree. I have to say to those people, they need to try to be as fair as I am and remember that the state we live in allows people to not follow my religion, but it allows me to follow it. I have the same right to disagree from homosexuality as anyone has a right to agree with it.
It is a discriminatory practice to diss me simply because I chose to exercise my right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion....

License to carry

March 24, 2013
It was sometime last week that I got my license to carry. I arrived home and there it was, on my kitchen counter top.
I was excited and disappointed at the same time.
Excited because, as a citizen, I am now able to exercise my right to keep and bear arms.
It was a long way to get here.
First my husband had to convince me that this whole weapons thing is an ok thing. Where I was raised only cops and bandits have guns. Normal people don't. So, since I am not a cop, owning a gun made me a bad person ... It took my husband some work to convince me it was actually not a bad thing.
Then there was the shooting at Sandy Hook. Being a first grade teacher, that really freaked me out. Those teachers and children had nothing to protect themselves with. Evil people with guns will not be stopped by the sight of children crying and teachers trying to keep them safe.
That did it to me. I was scared for my life. Everytime there is a code red in my school, my heart almost stops.
So in the last Sunday of January, with an awful fever and sore throat, I attended the training. During February break, I went to the police to apply for my license. And a little bit over a month later, it arrived in the mail.

Why am I disappointed? Because I know that this license means nothing in the place where I fear the most for my life - my work place. Schools in MA are gun free zones. I know in some states, governors have allowed teachers to carry their guns while in school. I really wish I could do that here, but our governor won't do it anytime soon.

I know that my life is in God's hands. I know that no one dies a day before (except for the Thanksgiving turkey).  I don't feel helpless, because I know my God has every thing under his control. But God's control doesn't exclude my responsibility to take care of myself. As a matter of fact, that is one way I believe God shows his care, is by enabling me to take care of myself.

I pray that God will allow MA laws to allow teachers the right to defend themselves from ill-intentioned, gun-bearing criminals.

Seasonal drinks

How to make iced tea:
1-in the winter time, leave for work late, with a travel mug of hot tea.
2-forget the mug in the car as you park at your job's parking lot and hurry into work.
3-come back to your car at the end of the work day.
4-enjoy your iced tea as you drive home.

P.S. to make hot tea, start the same process but use iced tea, and in the summer time. That's what I call seasonal drinks.

My crazy mind

There's a weird place my mind goes to when I'm sitting through a presentation of any sort.
It's called half-awake. It goes there at that precise moment when my eyes are almost shut and my mind can't figure out the difference between what I'm listening for real and the people and ideas from dream land. They mix together and I will spend the next five minutes trying to make sense of it.

Freebies

Finally the end of February came. I am glad. Why? Because the coupons for a free can of friskies expired.
Well I love freebies, don't take me wrong. But I had no idea to face to put on anymore, going there everyday with a coupon and walking out with a free can of food - shamelessly saving 66 pennies.

On the other hand, the count down for April vacation has already started. what? I know I just came out of February vacation. And I miss it already. I spent it all planning our summer vacation, and had no time to do anything else.
Planning my vacation to me is my second favorite thing to do, after going on vacation. So I can say that I travelled to the UK this week.
I also started learning Russian!

Now it's been a whole week since my vacation ended. It is now two Mondays after it, and I am sitting here, getting a ton of work done and wondering where did my weekend go. I spent some of it editing my new book, and some of it going for a ride with my husband.

I was a slacker and didn't do any housework. Can't keep doing that. Right now, I am six weeks away from April break - when I plan to learn how to sew and spend some more time doing Russian - and 5 days away from Friday. I'll count down to Friday.

Snow and walking dead

The snow day didn't just come, it brought all the snow in the world with it at once. Thursday afternoon schools were canceling Friday classes. Over two feet of snow and gusting winds were promised. And so the snow started. it snowed from 9 am till the next morning.

I love just watching the snow.

Snow to me tastes like hot cocoa. So on Thrusday I made sure I told my husband to stop at the grocery store and grab a few grocery items that we were out of PLUS some chocolate bars for hot cocoa.

Big mistake. Remember, NEVER walk into a grocery store right before an apocalyptical storm. The whole world is there, the shelves are empty and people are eating each other's brains. Oh, wait, no. this in The Walking Dead.

On my way home, I figured I'd stop at a gas station and top if off, since I was already 1/4 down. But ALREADY turned into ONLY when I saw the lines.

Later that evening, we went out for sushi. Dean suggested that we stopped for gas on the way home just in case we needed to go anywhere during the storm. Guess what- there wasn't any gas left anywhere!

Welcome to TEOTWAWKI.

But, hey, even if we wanted to have gone anywhere in that crazy storm, we would not be able to - because the governor of our state decided to put anyone who dared venture out of of the house in jail for a year.

Jail? A year? Yes. Again, welcome to TEOTWAWKI. Empty shelves, no gas to found, and dictatorship... And that's just with one blizzard.

So Friday came. The snow came. I melted some chocolate bars and drank away... enjoying my day off from work.

Then Saturday came. the roofs of the houses were not really covered in snow. but the ground was. And - omg - talk about a few feet of snow.

Powdery snow, but about 2'4" of it. Higher in some places because of the drifting.

At around 10am my husband and his brother decided it was time to shovel.

I had suggested that they waited till the afternoon, when ( I had read) the wind would subdue. But hey, when was the last time you heard of husbands actually listening to wives good sense?

They were out there, fighting the wind, for about 3.5hours! Good for them! If their intelligence wasn't that of cat, they would have learned it and next time they'd hear me. But I'm beginning to think men come with cat brains. Which means learning is impossible.

We went for a walk that afternoon. I wanted to take pictures. Bad idea. It was bitter cold and every time the wind blew, the powder flew into my eyes. Besides, the sidewalks were not clean all the way. In some spots we walked on the snowy roads. In other spots we just crossed the snow on the sidewalks with snow to my waist.

By the time Walking Dead was on my TV set on Sunday, I already knew that there would be no school again on Monday.

Why? Because the snow wasn't completely cleared off most side roads and most sidewalks!

Meanwhile I did what I like to do - planned my trip and revised my book. Drank hot cocoa and played with my new Walking Dead app in which I can zombify myself.

February 14 would come on that same week and I would learn to never go shopping the night before Valentine's day either! Live and Learn!

Santa Maria - reflections

Remember when you used to come home at 3 am and find your mom sitting down on the living room couch waiting - worried sick about you? Remember how ridiculous you thought she was - bc you were just out partying with some friends? She doesn't seem so ridiculous today, does she? Now fall on your knees and thank God for having spared your mom the same pain so many moms are going through right now. Maybe they were sitting on a couch - worried sick about their babies - who will never come home again.

 
Mothers (parents and tb) are a special type of humans.

Moreover, after the bad happens we want to point fingers. And the bouncers who barred people from leaving are now crucified - people with no heart. But the work of the bouncer was not letting out deadbeats who wanted to leave without paying. Had they known there was a fire, would they have barred people? When they saw the smoke, didn't their attitude change - they opened the doors! Does that look like heartless people to you? First of, they themselves didn't want to die!

But we turn tragedies turned into witch hunts.

The governor of Rio Grande do Sul and President Dilma (as much as I have my problems with her) has my admiration. Limited themselves to providing solidarity, and not to turning a tragedy into another step to their political agenda. Unlike my dear president, self-titled african american (actually mixed), who took advantage of the tragedy of Sandy Hook to start a witch hunt - or rather a hunt after the citizen's right to bear arms, guaranteed by the Second Amendment the constitution.

What about this Alexandre Garcia's suggestion to the claims that we need more laws and regulations to avoid tragedies: "Single Article - It's mandatory to obey the law in Brazil. And the authorities are mandated to see that the people obey the law." Revolutionary!

My heart is crying today

My heart is crying today. I don't know what to say. I have no words. As I watched the news - the parents who lost their children, the husbands who lost their wives, the children left orphan, best friends lost forever - all I could do was cry with and for those who were all a little like me.

Death is never so evil when it comes as a tragedy - harvesting so many in so little time. 

I found this poem on facebook. I wanted to share here. Here are the words I couldn't find:

THE GREATEST TRAGEDY OF OUR LIVES

Fabricio Carpinejar

I died in Santa Maria today. Who didn't? I died at 1925 dos Andradas Street. In a choppy slope of smoke.

The smoke was never so black in Rio Grande do Sul. Never a cloud was so ominous.

Not even the most morbid and electrical storms desire your company. You you follow alone, spare, like a page torn from a map.

The smoke blotched the sky forever. Blue turned gray, night came on January 27, 2013.

The flames calmed down at 5:30 am, but death will never be controlled.

I died because I have a teenage daughter who comes home late.

I died because I went into a nightclub thinking I could leave in case of fire.

I died because I prefer to be near the stage to hear the band better.

I died because I've already confused a bathroom door with an emergency exit.

I died because the fire never apologizes when passing.

I died because I was somehow those who died.

I died suffocated by excessive death. How can I wake up again?

The building had not landed in the morning, like a plane on the runway runaway.

There was only one exit and fear came on all sides.

Teenagers will not sleep in till lunchtime. They will not remember anything. Or understand how suddenly they've distanced themselves from the future.

More than two hundred and forty youngsters without the final kiss of mother, father, siblings.

The phones still ring in the chest of the victims in the Municipal Gymnasium.

Families still looking for their children. Kids in college are eternally silent.

Nobody has the courage to meet and tell what happened.

The words have lost their meaning.

Dreaming of Paul ...

My first book - I wrote to 14 years in Portuguese - is to be released very soon here in the U.S. - in English. The book in Portuguese is called Thank you, girl - a Beatles song. In English is The Little Girl From Yesterday (Yesteray being another Beatles song) This book is a product of my Beatlemania. At that time I was crazy mad in love with Paul McCartney ... well, still am. But Paul is nothing more than 38 years older than me. So I wrote a story in which the main character takes a time machine and goes to 1964 ... okay that was still a good age difference - 13 to 21 .... but who said Vicka would wait until age 21 to go meet her beloved Beatles?

I stand here remembering all the times I dreamed of Paul McCartney. I still dream. Sometimes more often than others, but almost every week ... I'll never forget a dream I had in eighth grade. I do not remember how, but I met Paul, I asked him to give me his phone number, bc then we could stay in touch ... I remember he had written it on a piece of paper - a little crumpled, torn and folded over... just like those pieces of paper that we used to send phone numbers or test answers in the classroom.
I remember seeing the numbers and getting all happy. Then I woke up. I was so frustrated and so angry because it was just a dream, but I thought if I could only see the number ... if I could only remember the number, I'd call. After all once dreamed of Cassiano Gabus Mendes (an actor) and I did not even know his name and called him by his name. ... And I was not even a fan of Cassiano, I was just watching a soap opera with him. So those dreams had to have some kind of special energy - the kind that takes information from every corner of the world and brings to your subconscious ... I dunno.
But unfortunately I never got to see the number that piece of paper. Oh, sadness!

You don't floss enough

So Every time I go to the dentist, I am assigned a butcher who will spend a few minutes drilling blood out of my gums with those metal sticks (sorry, in my layman ignorance, I don't know what they are called), then proceed to bury a floss line in between my teeth as if she was flossing her mother-in-law's *** (my apologies to the nice mother-in-laws out there, including my own - I am just perpetuating the age-old idea that m-i-ls are evil entities per se).
Anyway, after bleeding me to the point in which I might have to go for a blood transfusion, the butcher announces from the height of her hygienist  degree that the reason why I bled so much is that I didn't floss enough.
And I obviously felt guilt and shame, because I knew better than not to floss.
Six months ago though, I had it with the butchering of my gums. I decided I would floss every single day and, I would like to see the hygienist tell me again that I bleed bc I don't floss, even though she was the one poking me with an iron toothpick and and strangulating me with a white line.
That's what I did. I might have skipped 5 out of 180 days. Those 5 days were due to arriving home at 2 am after a New Years party, or spending the night in an airplane/airport/shuttle mess - in other words, situations in which the whole regular body hygiene gets overlooked by obvious reasons of complete exhaustion.
So I get to the dentist after flossing religiously every single day (with the exceptions above mentioned), and she decides it's time to do the poking thing - that in which they poke you and then call out numbers at random for another person to write. I had a couple of 4's and 5's, which she said very categorically were due to lack of flossing.
Then I charged with the line I had been waiting six months to use: "But I floss every day."
Quick silence.
"Well, those where in the back teeth, it's normal that it happens in the back teeth."
Then she proceeded to to do that which they call cleaning - and which I call "bleeding me into oblivion with an iron toothpick"
I bled like there was no tomorrow. She then buried that floss inside my gums - nothing out of the ordinary. And I left the dentist feeling pretty banged up, wondering whether I had been hit my a Mack truck or by a 747.
My conclusion - I could have spent those 6 months without flossing and I would have heard the same crap and suffered the same amount of pain - just that I would not have gone through the daily suffering and the of flossing.

Mommy by Agnaldo Timoteo

She is the owner of everything,
she is the queen of the home
She's worth more to me
Than the sky, the land and the sea

She is the most beautiful word that one day the poet wrote
She is the treasure that the poor received from the hands of The Lord

Mommy, Mommy, Mommy
You're the reason of my days
You are made of love and hope

Ai, ai, ai Mommy
I grew up, I lost my way
I Get back to you and feel like a child

Mommy, Mommy, Mommy
I remember the slipper in hand
The apron all dirty with eggs
If I could I would, one more time, Mommy,
Start it all all over again

I wish, I wish with all my heart

... That I could hibernate from November to May.

It's cold out there. It is really cold. The thermometer reads 26 F. In my brain, that sounds kind of like this:
26 F! That's below zero in normal degrees!

By normal degrees I mean Celcius, the scale in which my mind was taught to think. In the scale my mind was taught to think anything below 25 (80F)  is too cold. In the scale my mind was taught to think, zero (32F) means the armagedon. Now 26 F? That's below zero! What comes after armagedon? the Mayan apocalypse? The end of the world? Fire and brimstone? .... no... no, fire and brimstone actually sounds better that what is outside right now.

That's when I think of bears. Bears are so smart! They don't have to deal with this whole mess! They go into their little lair and hibernate. I wish I could hibernate like they do.

Why? Because the simple thought of leaving my house is so terrifying that start to cry. No, I am not using figure of speech, I actually cry every time I have to leave the house this time of year.

As if the idea that I can't just put on a spagetthi strapped shirt and a pair of shorts and slip into flip-flops whenever I want to leave the house wasn't terrifying enough, there's the fact that, no matter what I put on, I will be too cold!

If I could leave the house in my cozy jammies, wrapped in my sleeping bag, which would be stuffed with cozy blankets, and I could keep my head buried in it at all times, maybe I would be fine. But I actually have to get dressed. And guess what! Every single piece of clothes I put on seems to have been pulled out of a freezer! Not to mention the fact that anywhere other than under my bed covers is way - way - way colder than the cut-off temperature at which I would even be allowed to play outside when I was a kid. So basically going outside at such horrific temperatures is going against everything I was taught to be the right thing to do.

Now put your brain inside my brain and tell me - would you not cry like a baby as well?

From a Proud Brazilian to Americans

I don't understand today's America. I'm originally from Brazil. My home country has been a mess for as long as I can remember. But it was ok to be proud of being Brazilian. The one thing we had to be proud of was soccer. We were proud of it. I'm still proud of being a Brazilian. I always will be. Just bc that is the place that made me who I am. The place where I'm from. The place where I've learned to be a person. It might not be the best place in the world, it might not be perfect. But I'm proud of it. We don't accept people coming to our country and saying our flag and our traditions offend them. So why is it not cool for Americans to be proud of their country? Americans, silly Americans, who said you're supposed to be ashamed of who you are? Who said your country isn't worth it. This is a great country. People from all over the world want to be here. To make it here. Be proud of being American. It's ok to be proud of your country. It's ok to love your country above all else. Even if you weren't that great. But you are. Look how much your countrymen have done through the years. Look how much they've brought to the world. It's ok to be proud of that. I'm am American today, but I know I will never have as much love for this country as those of you who were born and raised here. This place taught you to be who you are. So be proud. Be obnoxiously proud. It's your country.

what if you only had a day left?

I often hear people say, "live each day as if it were your last". With the whole end of the world hype that we had last week, a lot of people gave that thought a lot of consideration.
I did too. And I came to the conclusion that, if I were to live each day as if it were my last I'd be fat and unemployed. I mean, why would I hold back on chocolate and other yummy things if tomorrow i'd be gone from this body?And why would I wake up early and go to work and put up with everything one must put up with at work in order to keep being allowed to come back the next day? Someone answer me, please? Why?
"Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die." That would be my philosophy.
Why should I live a life of responsibilities? Responsibility is all about the future. I will do A, B and C because if I don't I won't have a roof over my head, I won't have teeth, I won't have health, I won't have clothes, and I will need all of those things if I want to keep on living a few more years.
A care free life is not a life of happiness. Quite simply put, a care free life is an irresponsible life. Living for today ignoring the existence of a tomorrow is the stupidest thing anyone can do. Just about as stupid as a life that ignores that very real possibility of death.
I know I might die tomorrow. There is a very good chance that happens. But I also know there is a very good chance I might live a long life, and I don't want to live each day of a long life putting up with the consequences of living each day s if it were my last.
If I knew the world was going to end on 12-21-12, I would have quite my job. I would max out my credit card buying anything I wanted to buy, I would eat all the treats I typically control. Because I would know for a fact that there would be no pink slip, no bills, no extra pounds - none of that at the end of the month.
If you are a Christian, you know we'd be in heaven. If you're not a believer of any sort, that means we would all just be dead. So it doesn't even matter what you believe it would happen, one way or the other the consequences of all those wild actions would not be there.
Part of the reason why we lead responsible lives is that we know the consequences of an irresponsible, self-gratifying life.
Please, if you want to live a long life without getting yourself into all sorts of trouble, don't live each day as if it was your last. That's just stupid. Just live each day knowing there's a 50/50 chance you might live another 100 years, as well as you might be gone tomorrow. Prepare for both.

Scary dream

So, going to bed late isn't enough, I have to wake up half way through my close-to-nothing hours of sleep with a scary dream.
It was a confusing dream to start with. It was all one building - the school, my house, the mall, a dining lounge of a hotel with a swimming pool downstairs... And it seemed like the place was haunted. It had an aura like the one of that Tower of Terror ride from Disney Holywood Studios. First I was scolding some students for getting themselves in trouble. Next I was in this dinding lounge. For a minute there it seamed like I was in a train's dining lounge. Well, since it was haunted, there were monsters and ghosts around. By the end of the day, I was at home with my husband in the computer. Then we heard steps coming into the computer room. It felt normal. When it's night time, people are supposed to be arriving in the house. And, in our house, when someone arrives they walk into the room where there are other people. What didn't occurr to my dreaming mind was that , the only person that should be arriving in my house and walking into my computer room should be my husband. My husband, however, was sitting right at the computer with me. So we heard the steps and waited for a familiar face to show up at the door as if it were the most common thing in the world that someone else arrived at our house. Dad walked in and looked at us. No, the fact that dad passed away last year did not freak me out. It is common for children to be home and dad to arrive from work at night. That was all I had in my mind.
But here's when I freaked out:
"hi, dad," I smiled.
No answer. Just a blank stare. That was when it occurred to me, maybe dad was a zombie. He just stared.
"dad, for real, you're freaking me out. It seems like you're a zombie. ... Dad, just say something. .... ... D-Dad, quit the blank stare and say something. You're really scaring me. ... Dad? ... Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" That's when I realized he was some sort of zombie and that we had no place to run, considering we were on the second floor and the only thing dad wasn't blocking was a window. That's when I heard Dean's voice, "Sweetie,wake up! You're having a scary dream."
I had woken him up with my heavy breathing, and it was still a while before I was able to calm down.
And then he wonders why I freak out when he does zombie sounds!

Don't politicize this

From the beginning I and several others have been asking people to avoid politicizing this tragedy and make it about gun control. Many people strongly believe one way or the other. I do too. And I have been trying hard to avoid making political statements. I have even deleted a repost after thinking it might be too political. Is it the time for that kind of discussion? Lives were lost and families are mourning. Should we use their pain to serve our agenda, instead of simply joining them on their mourning? They are not statistics. They are not a parable. They are real people in real unthinkable pain. They need comfort and sympathy. Something any of us would want at a time like this.
Unfortunately the president of this country has already set the bad example with his speech yesterday. I wish for once, he could give a speech of comfort and didn't try to push an agenda. When you are elected by a divided nation, you should try to bring people together, not put them up in arms (forgive the unfortunate figure of speech) against each other. I'm very disappointed at how that which started a beautiful speech ended as a political statement. He missed a good chance to bring his nation together. Instead, he used others' pain to introduce his plan. How unworthy. Never let a good crisis go to waste, eh, Mr. President.
But I still hope other people will allow families to mourn before they start with the we should/not have guns discussion.

Cruelty

Cruelty is always an evil thing - against property, against plants, against animals, against people... But cruelty against children is about the worst thing I can think of. Why do people do that?
Shooting a kindergarten class? I know humans are fallen sinners but I keep finding myself amazed as to how low we can fall.
Most of us have children, or younger siblings, or some of us are teachers (according to what I was taught - moms from school). I'm sure we are all crushed by such a horrendous event.

I'm look back at the awful event in Brazil, when carjackers dragged a little 6 year old boy for about 3 miles just bc he had gotten stuck by the seat belting the car they were trying to take. How low can we fall?

How low can a race of sinners fall? The amazing thing though shouldn't be that we can fall that low, but that most of us actually don't. God's mercy still keeps in humans the ability to care for each other.

In this fallen world nothing should surprise us. But it still hurts. Nothing but the assurance that God is greater than all evil and that he is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalms 46:1 KJV) will keep us from despairing at times like these.

Gems from school

Sometimes we hear funny things from little people. Here's a few select ones from school:

---

Student: This is torture! (after hearing several compliments about her hair)
Me: do you know what that means?
Student: no. It's from I Carly.
Me: it's something bad that someone does to you over and over and over again.
Student: oh, like what Sam does to Freddie?
Me: well, more like when you guys talk non-stop all the time that the teacher is trying to teach. THAT is torture!
Student: oh.

---
I say I don't think it's appropriate to say I love you I a student. I love my family, my friends. I care about my students. Love? No, love is something else. But every now and then words come out without thinking. Introducing Awkward School Moments:
Students running after me after being dropped off in homeroom
Me: What are you doing? Go back to your classroom?
Student: but I love you!
Me: ok, I love you too. Now go back to the classroom.
Student: ok.

---

Student: Mis, witches are real, did you know that?
Me (sarcastic laugh): sweetie, I don't believe in witches.
Student makes crying face: no?
Me: no. But I'm pretty sure they are real.
Student (confused): what?
Other student: She always says that!
Darn! Students are beginning to catch up on my weirdness.

-----

Student(pointing to classmate): Mis, tell him something!
Me: Something!

-----

Student (walks up almost to my face): I have strep throat.
Me (backing up slowly making sure no part of me touches anything that might be touching the student): honey, you're not supposed to be in school. Go to the office and let them know that. .

Trade your dog for a homeless child

I watched a video about PETA's wacky demands yesterday. The video mentioned that they were upset because during the aftermath of the storm, people were being saved in detriment of animals! Are you for real?
I always thought of PETA as a good, reasonable animal protection society. However, of this video is true, I guess I was wrong. I had no idea they did wacky things like that.
Now I'm here wondering what PETA would say about this famous Brazilian rock song sang by Eduardo Dusek that goes "trade your dog for a homeless child".
"With people things are different," goes another song. Face the truth, people are more important than animals.
How come fertilized animal eggs are protected as if they were sacred material? Are they more important than fertilized human eggs who can be destroyed in the name of choice?

I love animals too, and I don't think they should be treated with cruelty. But, yes, a homeless child should have precedence over a pet.

I don't think that the rocker guy was saying that we should all just dump our pets. But why spend millions on our dear animals while letting children go hungry in the streets?

Whose side are we on when we care more for the well being of another species than that of our own? Does the word self-preservation mean anything to the human race?

"With people things are different"

Accident in Japan

9 people died in their cars in Japan. How? The roof of a tunnel fell in. They were just driving, on their way to work, to a friend's house, to a vacation, to a special dinner, who knows!
The roof fell in, three cars were smashed and caught on fire. What an awful way to die. And, just like that, nine lives were taken... How many families are crying now?
This just goes to show how fragile our lives are. One minute we are here. The next minute we are gone. How many times a day do we dodge death by a few seconds?
And yet, we live as if our lives are so certain. We are so foolish! Why are we not on our knees everyday, thanking God for another day he spared us? And why don't we live each day as if it were our last? I mean, the best way possible, as if in a second we would have to give an account of our actions to a higher authority, aka God?

Me? A mom? Yeah, right.

So, after four years of marriage I still say,"children? I'm too young for that. We'll think about it in 5 years."
Some days though I wake up thinking, "man, I think I'm ready to raise a kiddo." then the next moment reason hits me,"what are you saying, crazy girl?"
The thing is I'm slowing coming to grips with the idea.
The idea of childbirth is not what scares me the most. Neither the fear that I will screw up on the whole child-raising thing ... badly. No, no, no.
I'm mostly scared of no longer being the center of attention. Once you have kids you become Mom and Dad. Yup, that's your new names. Even your friends will call you that. I'm not ready for that. I like being Vika. Cute Vika. The only daughter and granddaughter Vika. Everyone's little girl Vika.
Once babies come, Vika is just going to be the mom of the new cute stuff in the fam.
I'm not making that up. I was told. I was told, "enjoy your privileges now, bc when our grandchild comes, everything that used to go to you will go to the baby".
That means the attention, the gifts, the special treatment, the spotlight. Where did it go? Baby took it!
I'm not ready for that.

Most critical election?

I laugh at the power the people give the elections and, by the same token, the president. I think that it is important to be mindful when you vote. I do believe the person in charge makes a difference. But hey, has anyone ever heard the saying "each people gets the government they deserve"? The president will not change the course of history. The people will. It is the mindset of the people that elects the president. So the person elected to be in power will reflect the thinking of the constituents. The president will not change America. America will choose the president that is more like the majority of the voting Americans. Nuff said.

Trade your dog for a homeless child

I watched a video about PETA's wacky demands yesterday. I always thought of PETA as a good, reasonable animal protection society. I guess I was wrong. I had no idea they did so many wacky things.
Now I'm here wondering what PETA would say about this famous Brazilian rock song sang by Eduardo Dusek that goes "trade your dog for a homeless child".
"People are different," goes another song. Face the truth, people are more important than animals.
How come fertilized animal eggs are protected as if they were sacred material? Are they more important than fertilized human eggs who can be destroyed in the name of choice?

I love animals too, and I don't think they should be treated with cruelty. But, yes, a homeless child should have precedence over a pet.

I don't think that the rocker guy was saying that we should all just dump our pets. But why spend millions on our dear animals while letting children go hungry in the streets?

Whose side are we on when we care more for the well being of another species than that of our own? Does the word self-preservation mean anything to the human race?

"People are different"

Ayrton Senna from Brazil!

To end the children's month with a golden key, another one of my childhood. I'm here watching a documentary about Ayrton Senna and crying my eyes out... Nostalgia ... I miss that wonderful jingle along with Galvão Bueno's scream, "Ayrton Senna from Brazil!" Any Brazilian who lived in the 80's or 90's remembers this famous line.

Senna was our hero. He started as a nobody.  Upper-middle class boy, it is true, but a nobody from a third world country in the world of Formula 1. He stood out in karting, then came to Formula 1 in 84 and soon showed everyone he had come to stay. He surprised everyone with his geniality. In wet circuits, he was king. He won three world championships and more pole positions than any racing driver in history. Ayrton became the great phenomenon of Formula 1. He was a fighter who came, saw and conquered. But he never forgot Brazil, this suffering and injusticed country. Our flag was something he always carried with pride. The rich boy didn't even forget the poor of his country. In secret, he donated fortunes to our poor children, and when he was still alive, created what would be called the Instituto Ayrton Senna.

Can I imagine my childhood without seeing Senna racing - and winning? I can not. Sunday was the day to go to church and watch Ayrton win. Win and carry, with pride, our flag with him. At a time when we had so little to be proud of in this country, every victory of his was a victory of the Brazilian people.

And those of us who lived through the 90s will never forget the words of Roberto Cabrini, "Ayrton Senna da Silva is dead. News we never wanted to give. Ayrton Senna da Silva is dead." A black day in the history of Brazil. A black day in my history.

He was gone so early, but he left his mark on every Brazilian - the message that we who are born on this Tupiniquim land can be somebody.

Senna was and always will be the great hero of my childhood.

Elections here and there

Elections for mayor in Salvador were held yesterday. The winner was ACM III, the grandson of a man who used to be called the boss of Bahia. People voted for him because he "robbed, but he got the job done". Considering that elections for president in America are coming up, I figured I'd write here a little bit of what I thought about what happened there:

The jingle of the ACM Senior went like this, - "Do you remember me? I've never seen you so lonely. Cuddle of mine, darling of mine, my Bahia!"

From what I saw yesterday on facebook, ACM III could have sung the same jingle in these elections. Everyone was so desperate with the deteriorating condition of this beautiful caiptal of Bahia, that ACM III was celebrated as a hero simply for being elected.

I have not been following the politics of Bahia. But I have been hearing about the abuses of the dirty politics game that has been played there.
I never liked that old story from ACM's time : he robs, but he gets the job done. Admitting that you're a thief is little better than gross jerkiness.

But I know that in the real world nobody is 100% good. In fact, according to the word of God, no one is good, no one does good. So I believe that instead of saying "he robs, but he gets the job done", let's say "the lesser of two evils". Hopefully this elected mayor is a politician who fights for the interests of the city and do what is best for the citizens of Salvador.

But by the same philosophy that no one is 100% good, let's not forget that politics is no hero, no politician brings salvation of the fatherland. I do not care who you voted for - your candidate is not a hero. Is not and never will be. Let's not admit it is ok to rob! He gets the job done? Ok, so let's get him in power and keep an eye on him so that he will not rob ... much.

You citizen, you who went and voted and celebrated your victory at the polls, and even you who, I-don't-know-why-on-earth, have voted for the other guy, you still have a job to do, your civic duty is not over yet.

Watch, demand, criticize what deserves criticism and praise what deserves praise. Do not swallow their pills, do not sit back and hope, do not wait for the next four years. Know your councilors, write to them expressing your opinion, be informed and make your voice heard. And if your voice is not heard during the rule of these men, leave a message at the polls in the next election. But do not wait until then to act again.

Politics is part of life for a community. Citizens who are politicized is the essential part of a democracy. Only politicized citizens will not let politics turn into a dirty game. Only with politicized citizens will the men placed in power not do what they want to us. Only with politicized citizens will we build a democracy that's evolved and honored.

Seeing the American and Brazilian politics through history, I realize that when citizens are not apathetic to public life, men placed in power understand that they have to answer to a higher power- their constituents.

I end this post with a great truth which I've heard all my life:
The fate of those who are not interested in politics is to be controlled by those who are interested. Do you want to be controlled by others whose moral and good manners you doubt? Or would be interested and keep them under control?

Beatles copying Justin Bieber?

this was reposted by a friend of mine on facebook:

And this was the answer some dude gave on a comment:

Your full question was:

Are the Beatles copying Justin bieber?

I was thinking, the beatles have copied justins haircut, musical style and numerous other things. Isn't this illegal?

Let's break it down, shall we?

Q: Are the Beatles copying Justin bieber?

A: No.

Q: I was thinking,

A: No, you were NOT thinking.

Q: the beatles have copied justins haircut, musical style and numerous other things.

A: The Beatles had the haircut which I assume you mean circa 1963 to 1966. Justin Bieber was not yet born in 1967.

Q: Isn't this illegal?

A: Assuming the style had actually been copied, NO, it would NOT be illegal. Twisted Sister wore makeup. KISS wore makeup before THAT. Alice Cooper, T Rex et. al. wore makeup even earlier. Musical style was copied from The Beatles? Hardly. The Beatles rock, Justin Bieber sucks. Enough said about the musical "style" of Justin Bieber.

Little 12 year old girls love Justin Bieber's "music". Granted, many 12 year old girls loved (and love) The Beatles' music. However...if a 17 year old guy were to say then (or now) that he thought The Beatles were great, many would express agreement. Should a 17 year old guy say Justin Bieber were great he would (after being laughed at, ostracised, et cetera) have his sexuality called into question. Comparing Justin Bieber to The Beatles is like comparing apples to something that is NOTHING like an apple. Claiming that The Beatles "copied" Justin Bieber is like claiming that Ludwig von Beethoven "copied" Reginald Dwight (Elton John). Should that analogy have gone over your head, please note that Ludwig von Beethoven lived in the late 18th century to the early 19th century, whereas Elton John began in the late 20th century and continues into the early 21st century. However, that analogy lacks something. Mainly the fact that for it to be a really APT analogy, one would ALSO have to assume that Elton John is an untalented hack. In conclusion, it hardly seems likely that The Beatles somehow managed to travel through time, see Justin Bieber, and basically say, "This bloke's 'music' is horrible!!! But, little 12 year old girls seem to like him. Here's a thought! Let's go back to our own time and emulate him so we can be popular." Assuming that this DID in fact happen, The Beatles mucked up. They actually got people with musical taste to like their music, rather than simply tone deaf 12 year old girls with no musical taste. Brian Epstein (The Beatles' manager), while trying to get The Beatles a recording contract, would tell the prospective agent that "The Beatles willl be bigger than Elvis" (Presley). Many managers in the 1960's would say that about artists whom they were trying to get contracts. Brian Epstein was the only manager to make the statement about his artist and be proven right. The Beatles copied Justin Bieber? Hardly.

Camp is good and bad

Today the weather reminded me of mornings at camp.
I like and I don't like thinking about camp.
It's good because it brings back such wonderful memories.
It's bad because I know I will never have them back.
There's nothing about my childhood and teenage years that I miss more than camp.

Brazilians and the temperatures

Transcription from you tube.

85 º F or moreBaianos (people from Bahia) go to the beach, dance, sing and eat acarajé.Cariocas (people from Rio de Janeiro) go to the beach and play soccer.Mineiros (people from Minas Gerais) eat cheese in the shade.All the Paulistas (people from São Paulo) are in Santos, facing 2-hour queues in bakeries and supermarkets in the region.Gauchos (people from Rio Grande do Sul) deplete the stocks of sunscreen.

75 º FBaianos do not let the kids outside after 5 PM because of the cold wind.Cariocas go to the beach, but do not enter the water, because it is too cold.Mineiros eat cowboy's beans.Paulistas have barbecues in their coastal homes in Santos, but no longer go in the water.Gauchos complain about the heat and make no effort due to physical exhaustion.

70 º FBaianos change the showers to position 'Winter' (hot water in an electric shower)!Cariocas wear a sweatshirt.Mineiros begin drinking rum by the wood stove.Paulistas decide to come home from Santos, and traffic turns into that well-known hell.Gauchos go sunbathing in the Redenção park.

60 º FBaianos tremble uncontrollably from the cold.Cariocas gather to eat fondue.Mineiros continue drinking rum by the wood stove.Paulistas are still stuck in traffic jams on the way back from Santos.Gauchos begin to drive with the windows down, because there's a fresh air outside.

50 º FBahia declares state of emergency.Cariocas use full-length coats, wool under-pants, gloves and wool hats.Mineiros continue drinking rum and put more wood in the stove.Paulistas have already arrived from Santos and go all to the same pizza place in the same mall causing traffic jam in the city.Gauchos consider the possibility of putting on long sleeve shirts.

40 º FBahia enters Armageddon.Mayor César Maia launches Rio's bid for the Winter Olympics.Mineiros continue drinking their rum and add some mulled wine, still by the wood stove.Paulistas crowd hospitals and clinics due to diseases caused by temperature inversions.Gauchos shut the windows of the house.

32 ° FLife in Bahia or the entire Northeast is now extinct.In Rio, Cesar Maia wears 7 coats and launches 'Snowboarding in Rio'.Mineiros enter alcoholic coma by the wood stove.Paulistas do not leave home and give high levels of audience to Luciana Gimenes TV shows.Gauchos get ready to barbecue in the courtyard, before it gets cold.Source: http://bobagento.com/brasileiros-em-varias-temperaturas/

Peter Pan and the Nutty Boy

October 12 is Children's Day in Brazil. Just another excuse for candies and toys ... until Mom and Dad decide you're too old to be a child. Then October 12 is just like any other day.

I think most of us who grew up in the twentieth century know the story of Peter Pan, the boy who did not grow up. He lived in a place called Neverland. He could fly between our world and his. He could fight against the evil Captain Hook. The only thing he could not do was grow up.

When I was six years old I discovered poem of the ultra-romantic author Casimiro de Abreu "My Eight Years Old." "Oh how I miss the dawn of my life, my sweet childhood, that years bring back no more" ... Casimiro died at age 21, he had barely begun adulthood, and already he was missing his childhood ....

What was it that Casimiro knew? That Peter Pan knew? And I? What was it that I knew? I was only six years old and already knew that would be forever my favorite poem. ... I never wanted to grow up. Oh, yes I knew that I had a very special thing, and that it would not last forever. It did not last. Time came and took it away from me.

The first time I realized this was happening was on that day at the amusement park, when they barred me from entering the jumping house. Too big, they said. Too big? But last year I went in! How am I too big? It was the time playing its tricks on me. Years later, senior in high school, the teacher gave us all, pre-college students, lollipops on Children's Day ... And we mentioned to each other that in college no one would give us lollipops on children's day. Next year nobody would look at us and see a child ... It was time doing it to us again. The merciless time that not even Ziraldo's Nutty Boy could handle. Time came and made us all grow up.

So many kids out there wanting to grow up fast, wanting to be grownups. Ah, I never understood why. Why would you want to leave the simpler part of your life? The more careless part? That part where everything is possible, and where dreams and reality are almost one and the same? So many kids out there having to grow up too soon - for lack of choice that life gives them. Having to be grownups, to take care of themselves and take care of others sometimes. So many kids around having to bear responsibilities that life has brought upon them too soon. And you want to let go of your sweet childhood out of your own free will? Why?

Growing is fun sometimes, it's true. To grow is to live. Life is full of experiences. One after another. And with every new experience, a little bit of the child goes away. A little more of the adult arrives.

Growing up takes away so much ... so many things that we can never get back. The naivety of childhood will never return. The lack of care ... well, we can even have that back, but ... it will give you so much trouble ... better not. Growing up is learning to be responsible for ourselves and for others. It is learning that the only sensible choice is to be responsible.

Growing up, said one of  Marco Nanini's character, is slowly moving away from your feet. Actually, after that belly decides to sit there in the middle, those feet that once came all the way to your mouth, will never get as close and as easily. So it's true. Growing up is inevitable. How sad this fate of ours - Those of us who are classified as living beings in science class, in third grade - they are born, grow up, reproduce, grow old and die. Yeah there you have it - it is written in our homework, in our exam, in our textbook. Just as growing old and dying, growing up  is inevitable. ...

Stop! Stop everything! Says who? Growing up in the outside, yes. Stop being a child inside? Ah, that is optional, brother. Being a child is knowing to dream, to play, to run and to jump, to marvel at the little things of life like they were big things. You sing aloud, dance and act goofy and are oblivious to who's looking or who quit looking.

One day, said Ziraldo, the Nutty Boy grew up. He grew into a nice guy. But a real nice guy. He turned into the nicest guy in the world. And it was then, that everyone found out he had not been a Nutty Boy. He had been a happy boy.

I think the Nutty Boy never stopped being a child inside

Girl

Girl! The day I met you, you were just a child
Now you come to me, out of the blue,
Beautiful, turned into a woman

Girl! How could I love you now ...
I held you in my arms, little girl
I sang for you to sleep ...
I sang for you to sleep ...

Remember an ugly girl
So shy, bare feet on the ground
Today so malicious
She keeps secrets in her heart
Secrets in her heart! ...

Girl! So many times I've made her cry
Finding amusing whenever she said:
"When I grow up I will
Marry you "
Girl!
How could I love you now ...

I've carried you in my arms, girl
I sang for you to sleep ...

I sang for you to sleep ...
I sang for you to sleep ...
I sang for you to sleep ...

minimum payment

My credit card's jut sent me this month's bill. Nothing beyond the ordinary. There it was my expenses, my reimbursements (for a purchase done and returned to the store 10 minutes later - because I found cheaper stuff at the store nearby), payment date and minimum payment. Yes, of course, the famous minimum payment! That more palatable amount you can pay each month without affecting your credit history.
It was this minimum payment that caught my attention.
The minimum payment, mind you, is $ 2.52
...
$ 2.52 ....
Shoot!! Can you imagine that? Paying $ 2.52 per month for a credit card bill? I guess this is meant to be funny.

Say I never use that card again. Also say that no interest incurs on my outstanding balance each month. Wanna guess when - just a wild guess, no need  to count ... just guess how long it would take me to finish paying my bill if, every month, I made that minimum payment!

Boy, I could not resist. I sat down and added the blessed numbers. Wanna know it? Dying to know? Well then prepare your funeral. Here's the answer:

64 years!! Yes, my friend, this bill gave the Paul McCartney song "When I'm 64" a whole and enlightening new meaning ...

that smell coming from the kitchen

There's a sweet, sweet smell coming from the kitchen, and it is making me sad. It is a wonderful smell. It's not my cooking, but it is wonderful nonetheless.
It makes me sad because it brings back the memories of a time that's all gone.
My husband just bought this liquid potpourri that smells like apple cinnamon. The thing mixes with the smell of fresh bananas and bring me back the memories of boiled plantains.
Boiled plantains means breakfast at grandma. And breakfast at grandma's means my life in Brazil.
Days like today, when I have to stand outside at 7 am in a bitter cold of 41 degrees, make wonder why did I trade my always warm hometown for this ever cold place. What was I thinking? Days like today make me wonder if I am ever going to be warm again.
"Oh, how I miss the dawn of my life, my treasured childhood, that years bring back no more."

Seven years as a Shepherd

Seven years as a Shepherd
Sonnet by Luis de Camoes (free translation by Vika Winters)

Seven years as shepherd Jacob served
Laban, father of Rachel, beautiful mountain girl;
but he did not served the father, he served her
and she was the only pay he desired

The days, in the hope of one day,
he passed, contenting himself with only seeing her;
But the father, using stealth,
instead of Rachel, gave him Leah.

Seeing the sad shepherd, that, by deceit,
he had been denied his shepherd girl,
as if he had not deserved her,

promptly serving another seven years,
said: I'd serve even more, if it weren't
for such great love, so short a life.

don't look American

We went to the Big E for an un-stressing session, much needed after this long, complicated week. We arrived in the middle of a parade and some people were walking around giving out American flags. They offered Dean one. OK... and me?
No, of course they did not offer me an American flag! I don't look American, do I?
Well, obviously not. Since the flag guy walked right by me, without even wondering whether or not I might want a flag.
No one thinks I am American.
But no one ever even suspects I am Brazilian.
Should I mention the amount of people that come to me speaking Spanish as if it was the most natural thing in the world to assume I can reply?
At the subway station, at the Mexican restaurant, at the train station, at Walmart, at the airport ... you name it. Some Spanish-speaker is bound to come to me and try striking a conversation as if it were an obvious, unquestionable fact that I am one of them.
Everyone looks at me and immediately thinks, "Mexican!" "Puerto Rican!" "Hispanic of some sort!"and opens his Spanish dam on me.
Why does it not occur to anyone that I might be from Brazil?
You know, Brazil! That ridiculously huge spot that takes over the majority of the South American map. Right! It's not just a black hole! It's an actual country. I could be from there. Does it not occur to anyone? Oh, of course not. After all, we are only the 5th largest country in the world.
Why does it not occur to anyone that I might be Brazilian and actually speak Portuguese?
Don't take me wrong. I am proud of my language skills. And I love to show off and let people know that I can speak 4 languages.
But I do have a problem with the assumption. Don't assume I can speak your language. That's when I'll try my best ignorant Brazilian accent and go like "No hablo español!"

The humming bird

A long time ago, there was a fire in the forest. All the animals in the forest started running away. In the middle of all this mess, while lions, leopards, monkeys, birds, giraffes, elephants, bears and armadillos ran for their lives, a little humming bird traveled back and forth.

The little humming bird would fly all the way to a brook, get a drop of water in his beak, then fly all the way back to the fire and drop the water on it. He did that again and again.

One of the animals, noticing the attitude of the humming bird, laughed at him, and asked, “What are you doing, humming bird? Don't you see you'll never put out this fire all by yourself?”

The humming bird replied, “I am doing my part.”