i love japan

17 mar 2011

Mariko came to the office today with this money box to collect help for Japan. it was a pity only Hee, (you can see her by her desk in the upper level) and I were at the office. this meant collection was not very significant, but we did our share to help the enormous crisis her country is experiencing these days.

it was actually a nice surprise to see the polite and (apparently) shy Mariko collect donations. way to go, girl! it is amazing how events may lead people to do unpredicted / unplanned things. it can be crucial to be able to negotiate and adjust, especially during difficult times.

le plat du jour: pasta with pesto sauce

16 mar 2011

this dish of pasta with pesto sauce was very very good. this time i used fusili and penne, left overs of each that i still had in my cupboard. added some seastick and some basil to it. simple, quick, and delicious.

my optician's appointment

16 mar 2011

mike: so did you go to your optician's appointment this morning?
kalina: oh yes i did.
mike: how was it?
kalina: i got there a little before 9 and was seen straight away. excellent service. yes the woman was very nice and i am pleased i went cause i'll have now the spare glasses in case the lens falls off again.
mike: how did you go? did you get the bus?
kalina: nope. i walked there. it is nice to walk to city here. guess what.
mike: you asked the woman to take your photo.
kalina: yes.
(both have big time laugh)
kalina: mike, how can people (some guys) be out on the streets wearing a t-shirt and not a single warmer jumper? it was seven degrees this morning.
mike: the hard guys.

note: the photo from the post i took myself. the lady took one, but i insisted and took another one, and decided to publish mine. yes, i am insatiable with photos.
here is how much i paid this morning at specsavers for my reading glasses: £ 151:

-  £ 22 for eye test there included test for glaucoma and diabetes. the optician said my sight is great and my laser surgery was a success. thus i have nothing to worry about. she said my sight is so fine she did not think appropriate to make the prescription stronger. phew!
- £ 99 for two pairs of glasses. i got the frames slightly different.
- £ 30 for anti reflective lenses in one of the pair glasses.

so far so good and i am really pleased with both the service and the final price. i'll come round there this next monday to collect the glasses.

nature

15 mar 2011


me - viktoria - mariko in oxford, uk. summer 2010

From: Kitazawa M.
Sent: 15 March 2011 14:33
To: Lima K.S.D.
Subject: RE: the news

Thanks a lot, Kalina. It's not a silly comment at all - I like your Brazilian female politician's comment! And I love your big, fluffy, and tropical hug.

Sorry that I was upset in the office. I've been unstable now. I'm fine most of the time but sometimes I just can't control my emotion...

Thanks again and talk to you soon.
Mariko

-----Original Message-----
From: Lima K.S.D.
Sent: 15 March 2011 12:30
To: Kitazawa M.
Subject: the news

My dear friend Mariko,

It's been a few days I've wanted to contact you but don't know exactly what to say about the terrible last events in your dear country. Mariko, I am truly profoundly sorry about everything and do hope your government, together with whatever aid that will come to them be able to recover from it.

And we ask ourselves 'why?'. In my ignorance I have no idea and only learned the word 'tsunami' a few years ago; I believe like you did. Well, this Brazilian female politician from the amazon forest says nature is like a woman: it can't protect itself, but it revenges. Sorry about the silly comment. Please ignore it if you want. I just wanted to put some silly thinking into it :-)

Accept my big, fluffy, and tropical hug. We are together in this difficult moment. And I promise i won't beep beep beep on your ears when you're around in the office.

Yours
Kalina

le plat du jour: salmon with bread

14 mar 2011

le plat du jour today was this scrumptious salmon with flute bread, from waitrose. i love both dearly. the salmon is so practical. we buy them in baking bags (envelopes) that are sealed at the supermarket, we just place them in the hot oven for 20 minutes and voila! it is beautifully done. ideally the salmon could be eaten with roast potatoes or nice, but i neither have time for complicated and time consuming cooking nor did i feel like cooking more than the salmon requires. it was a fantastic meal. had tea on the side and no dessert. uhlala!

film: wasteland

13 mar 2011

it is a pity this documentary about brazil will have on run only, this coming tuesday at harbour lights. wish i could come to see it.

tea for two

12 mar 2011

i met with diana at trago lounge this afternoon for some coffee and chatting. as usual, we talked very long about both academic and personal life. . . then we went shopping in portswood road. diana is a great company for shopping and a friend i like very much. these days she almost never shows up at the office as she prefers to work from home. i think if you manage to be productive from home it is always a better option.

le plat du jour: pasta with pesto sauce

10 mar 2010

today i prepared this delicious pasta with pesto sauce. very simple, basic, and quick. added some seastick and stirred fried prawns to it. it was really good. had it with green, and a nectarine for dessert.

new source of energy

10 mar 2011

following a friend's suggestion i decided to try dates as a new source of energy and aid for my frequent spells of binge eating. i've always liked dates but hadn't seen them as a helper concerning my 'problem' of craving sweets and many times not resisting temptations. the dates are very nice and energizing. this box is nearly finished now and has indeed helped me some.

diverting at the cowherds

9 mar 2011

i do love pubs and going to them with friends and chatting and eating and having a great time. yes, i do. always. however, although karla and i had a super great time at the cowherds today i am aware i should have gone somewhere else, to a place which could maybe keep me away from too much or unnecessary eating. typical example of what i do when i should be doing something else.

well well, regretting does not help. the chat with karlota was great and it was a decision we made together after the talk at uni. we deserve to treat ourselves good from time to time, right? for some food is tempting, for some a bore. for me it is most of the time irresistible.

six plus one

3 mar 2011

. . . and listening to folk - country -  blues - cajun music they celebrated seven (six plus one) months together at the platform pub . . .

as amarras e o movimento

1 mar 2011

encontrei essa preciosidade no blog sindrome de estocolmo e acho que ela eh bem verdadeira.

le plat du jour: noodle soup

23 feb 2011

i finally decided to cook myself something fresh tonight. after spending the whole day at home and having had ready made food for lunch i felt i could try out fresh food. for this chinese noodle soup i stirred fried shallots and garlic in basil infused olive oil. added vine tomatoes, a pinch of chilly, mustard, a veggetable cube and hot water. then i added the chinese noodle to the pan. when it was nearly ready i broke two egges into the soup. it tasted nice and i think i truly deserved the treat. for dessert i had two clementines and also drank a cup of tea.

i am still ill, with this allergy that is lingering on and on. i felt very very tired all day and once again i slept many hours during the day. hope to feel better soon.

le plat du jour: sweet and sour

22 feb 2011

i had a busy day at uni today. lots to do and not enough time or good food to eat. i had something for lunch about 12.30 and then did not eat again until i had (highly salty) crisps right before i started teaching. got back home wondering about what to eat and hoping some magic solution awaited me home. these days i simply do not feel in the mood for cooking. i do not wish to cook anything. i have bought again some ready made food of which i am getting sick. well, because it was already getting late, past 10pm, i decided to have these clementines and kiwis. very healthy, huh! but these fruits taste so sour. i was not lucky this time at all in my choice with the fruits. i had to add up some honey to be able to eat them. it was fine in the end. i have been struggling with food and what to eat and what not to eat. tough days.

windows 7

22 feb 2011

my reflection number one about my decision to go abroad for post graduate studies concerns the sad fact that i did not update myself with technology skills. oh my! have i been through tough times here!!! what for some is more toys and fun and resources for me is a new challenging programme. i keep looking for where to click to number pages, . . . . well well. . .
during these days of updating technology we have been getting emails about when and what they were going to do, including support to help us manage novelties. well, not quite. the scheduled training sessions were basically devoted to those having some specific difficulties, not for the ones with a (long) list of difficulties like myself.

le plat du jour: indian food

18 feb 2011



foto 1: Mike, Maudie, JC's head, Murielle. foto 2: Mike's food. foto 3: the cuties.

  today we had a busy night:
1. the platform pub for some drinks, from 8.30 to 9.15. the pub was so full. not certain it was because it was a friday night, but it was completely full. some of its walls are the original city walls. so cool!! i liked the atmosphere in the pub. there was also live music. well, everybody got there, we had to stand and drink as there were really no tables available for us to have a seat. by the way, i am not certain we would be allowed to sit. in many pubs you can only have a table if you order food. otherwise you have to stand, which many people do, or find some small table, i think. food there looked good, but we had other plans and were headed to
2. Coriander restaurant on high street, an indian restaurant. we walked about five minutes throught the gelid night. i was feeling dead cold. table reservation was for 9.15pm. we had to wait a little for our table as again the place was quite busy. i had mushroom rice and an indian chicken which i expected to be chilly free. nope! if you ever plan to eat at an indian restaurant be prepared for some fire even when they say there will be none. Mike had this variety of meats with rice and a delicious naan bread. i really loved his bread. we had baileys as digestive at the coriander and after dinner i believe it is a tradition amongst the Britons that they wrap up the night in another pub. yey! there we went to
3. the standing order, which is a pub just accros the road from the restaurant. there we stayed long and i wanted to go home. i was feeling tired and very cold because of this allergy that has been around and shown no plans to leave. Maudie was the first one to leave. that night i met two new friends of Mike's: Martin and the French chemist Murielle. we were a total of 10 people, with carefully planned table for 10: martin, murielle, mike, me, jc, marie, maudie, stephen, johnny, and warren. it was high time past midnight when we left the pub and went home. all the others still stayed there, but i believe pubs here close no later than 1am.

good morning, chilly february day

17 feb 2011

yes, it is getting even colder despite my desire to say good bye to winter. i go through winter only hoping and because i know it will not last forever. some days it does feel like winter lasts forever. oh, no!

the uni lifesavers

14 feb 2011

Thank you so very much, Paul.

You ARE such a life saver.
All the best to you,
Kalina

-----Original Message-----

From: ServiceLine [mailto: xxxxxx@soton.ac.uk]
Sent: 14 February 2011 10:01
To: Lima K.S.D.
Subject: RE: SERVICEXXXXXX: Resolved

[14/02/11] - Hello,

I have restored the "Articles for lit review" folder to a folder called 'restored' on your desktop.
Thank you
Paul

Details :
Ticket ID: SERVICEXXXXXX

Summary: BXX/ Post grad study room X UOS-XXXXX - Folder Deleted
Description:

Heeeelp!
Please can anyone help me out here.
I think in a click I deleted a folder from my desktop.
UOS XXXXXX is my computer. It is a folder with the articles for my PhD. Please.

Thanks
Kalina

silvana's chocolate cream

13 feb 2011

thank you so much so minha prima linda, for the chocolate cream recipe. i prepares it for last night's ice cream and it went great. now i have the recipe as i want it. the creamy top is like la cerise sur le gateau. prima, i was really pleased to be able to make it and with the final result. yes, it gets rich and thick, but i used extra thick cream. sooo good!!! am glad you remembered to teach me that one when we spoke on the phone. thanks again. love you to bits.

feliz dia dos namorados

about yesterday, 12 june 2011

l'artiste et sa muse

yesterday was valentine's day in Brazil justly celebrated here too. how?

- getting a sweet surprise in the form of a valentine's day card written in portuguese 'feliz dia dos namorados' early in the morning;

- enjoying a rainy and windy day;

- eating pear, garlic & mushroom cheese with stone baked bread for lunch;

- going to the city art gallery to appreciate andy warhol's exhibition, which is also at the hansard gallery at the uni of southampton. the set of pieces at the city gallery is worth a visit. we were not impressed by the one at the hansard gallery;

- watching the american film 'brother, where art thou?' in the cosy & rainy afternoon;

- having a special dinner eating winter in summer chicken with new potatoes and listening to brazilian music.
- . . .

film: brighton rock

10 feb 2011

Brighton Rock

Production year: 2010
Country: UK
Cert (UK): 15
Runtime: 111 mins
Directors: Rowan Joffe
Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Andy Serkis, Dame Helen Mirren, Helen Mirren, John Hurt, Phil Davis, Sam Riley

we saw 'Brighton rock' at harbour lights. the film has a fantastic photography and some remarkable interpretations, like Helen Mirren's. my ignorance on the plot has made me choose to watch it, i must say. i thought at first it was a film based on a true story / crime that happened in Brighton in the 60s and the subsequent investigation about it. it is actually about the violent battles between Mods and Rockers. i was pleased to watch it anyway. again, the excellent photography, the wardrobe and the collors, oh and the music were all worth the while, really. also, it felt nice to see the places i have been to in the big screen: the brighton pier, the pavilion, and all the others sets from the movie. not a must see, though.

as hot as it gets

30 jan 2011

this is what january is like: wintery, cold during the day; and colder at night. sometimes i surprisingly manage well the chill, most of the times i feel like staying indoors. i can't wait for the spring. please don't get me wrong, this is not a complaint. this thougher days are gone already and we started having daylight until sometime around 5pm, which is really nice. this change towards longer, brighter days signal the change of the seasons. to me it anticipates spring, with its renewal of life atmostphere.

on the road: Christchurch

30 jan 2011

the sun came early to say good morning and made the day bright and inviting for an outdoor activity. we decided go take the road and visit somewhere nice. the pick of the day was Christchurch, this small and beautiful city, with the river Avon, the many boats, the numerous people enjoying the sunny hours in this long winter, the nice and clean streets and the various streams which make up for charming walks around town.

the church, built in the 11th century, is amazing. i love to visit old places and buildings and churches. it feels like they are so impregnated with life and history to me. yes, of course they are. i really love to visit historic cities. see that around the church there is a cemetery. i find it impressive to think that people at that time located the cemeteries around the place where they prayed. why was that? was it because it would be difficult to move a heavy coffin elsewhere? was there a strong religious belief the dead would be better looked after (really, after) if buried in the church surroundings? i would like to know more about it. also, there lots of homages inside the churches, i have seen the same thing in other churches as well, to people who died; amazingly, in most cases town people who died at an early age. it gets me wondering if sneezing could be fatal.

le plat du jour: mix of protein and carbo

29 jan 2011

it is, as it has been lately, very cold today; and i felt like staying in all day because of that. since this morning this light from the poste in our building car park is switched on. the photo is of how i see it from my bedroom window. it may mean the day is so dark it automatically requires extra light. and in i stayed all day. to eat i sliced this fresh and delicious white bread from Waitrose, fried an egg, fried sausages, and added green stuffed olives and wild rocket to them in a plate. ah, passed butter and cream cheese on the bread. scrumptiously delicious. i don't know why i have craved for eggs so much so often. it was comfort food to me and tasted fantastic, like a brand new recipe.

le plat du jour: thai food

28 jan 2011

dinner last night was at Mango, this Thai restaurant on Portswood road. we left home and met midway to the restaurant on Lodge road, walking through the cold night to meet up with the significant other. it was so cool and romantic. booking a table in advance did not help and we had to wait for a while as the restaurante was quite busy. i was surprised to see it full on a thursday night. food was good, but my dish, which i did not expect to be spicy was spicy. mike's was very very spicy, right the way he appreciates (Thai) food. i had the delicious chicken panang once more, with coconut milk and sticky rice. after dinner we walked to mike's in the freezing cold night. although food was very good at Mango, i still prefer Sara's restaurant, this other Thai restaurant, also on Porstwood road. something thing i notice especially in Asian restaurants is that they don't play their original (Thai in this case) music. oh yes, they do a little at Sara's, and i dearly enjoy it. last night they played just normal western music, including Ray Charles, who i love, but i'd rather immerse in the same cultural experience altogether, i.e. food, environment (decoration) and music all from Thailand.

sharing solitude

26 jan 2011

thanks, Denise.

on the road: portsmouth

23 jan 2011

today we went to Portsmouth. nice trip, beautiful city. we visit the old part of the city and then walk around going to the gun wharf. impressive view of the ferries the botas the shops the sea. despite the cold temperature of 7degrees Mike and I had ice cream because i was craving it. lots of offers in the shops. i bought myself a jumper. Porsmouth is a very charming place.

after much walking around and doing some shopping we sat at the 'waterfront cafe' to appreciate the view of the boats at sea from inside the cafe while treating ourselves to something nice. Mike had cappuccino and coffee cake and I had latte and teacake. it was a very nice and relaxing programme. on our way back we passed by Southsea. I liked the sea front. it must be very nice there in the summer.


Portsmouth 23 jan 2011



le plat du jour: leaves

17 jan 2011

le plat du jour today was this super fresh veggie salad of crisply leaves, wild rocket, ham, boiled egg, tomato, celery, with parmesan cheese and olive oil. very very good!!!

on the road: lyndhurst

16 jan 2011

we took a great trip today to Lyndhurst, this small and very beautiful city closeby, in the New Forest. it was very cold and i didn't want to walk at the common because i think i am getting a cold. we decided then to go visit Lyndhurst for cream tea. we visited the museum, walked around the main road, found a tea room called 'good food' and there we had tea with scones and coffee cake. a special and delicious treat for the end of a chilly sunday.

cafe feliz M&S

12 jan 2011

i got back here in the UK from Brazil last night to find an invite from hilra to have our luxurious breakfast today at Marks & Spencer. yes, of course. all in all we met sometime before 10am and said bye bye around 3pm. we had the always good food, chatted there sitting and ignoring that maybe other customers needed the sofas to sit and have their breakfast, browsed around the shop, bought food, and walked to the bus stop. the content of the conversation is highly confidential and protected information. i doubt wikileaks will ever have access to it.

ah, am very happy to be back in the UK and to what life holds for me here.

the chill & the heat

14 dec 2010

am about to leave to Heathrow to get my TAM flight to Brazil. will be back to UK on Jan the 10th. it is cold here, it is hot there. it is hot here. it is cold there. wherever i go there is the heat and the chill. . .  love it!
i might then be away -  0h my! - from the blog during this time although planning to post post brazilian news.
wishing everyone an awesome Christmas & a very happy New Year. tropical hugs. . .

pub & music & pub = busy night

12 nov 2010

1. the crown inn: today at 6pm diana, susana, mariko, alma and I walked to the crown inn to meet up with other uni folks to celebrate susana's submission of her PhD thesis. the crown inn is always, i mean always, so busy that if you don't make a reservation for a table either you wait long or if you are a large group you'll just have to leave. we were lucky the manager let us sit at this table which was reverved from 8pm only. at the pub we met other people: stephen, adam, ian and his girlfriend, and esteban. we were all very happy for susana. this was actually a celebration for alma's application for her post doc as well. she is hoping to have it here at our uni (now i have a uni).

tonight i had the opportunity to chat with mariko about lots of things, ranging from mundane daily stuff to big time life and professional decisions and choices. we also chatted a great deal about some bizarre events that have been happening around. mariko is a nice person, always quiet and polite, but very much willing to engage in open and funny chats and in having a pint, and in going places. i like it about her because it is almost as if you didn't expect this from mariko. her boyfriend is back home in japan, awaiting her to get married. however, we talked a lot about mixed feelings concerning going straight back home after a degree here or staying a little longer. after spending some years in a new country the changes we observe in ourselves are sometimes out of control and do unexpected things to us.

2. turner sims concert hall: at 7.30 mariko, diana and I left the guys at the crown inn and were headed to the turner sims, just a five-minute walk away from the pub to attend a jazz concert. tonight it was Robert Glasper trio. the concert was fantastic. the first piece lasted 45 minutes. they are very talented musicians and i am very happy to be able to attend such art events paying so low. i bought this arts pass which turns the price as down as £5 per event. there we met up with karla and her friend who is now living in brazil and came to visit. i think her name is also called carla.

3. the stag's head: once the jazz concert was finished we five walked to the stag's head, this on campus pub, two minutes from the concert hall. more cider for me and more chat and laugh and fun. the stag's head is mostly frequented by the uni young students whereas the crown inn seems to be a meeting point for uni staff / teachers and mature / post grad students and alike. well, it was a great night with friends, filled with inspiring and inspired conversations and jazz, the music i love.

it was 11.15 when i realized i had to rush to catch my bus home. off we all went. diana walked home but the four rest of us needed a bus ride home. am i tired? a bit, but happy. today i also had a supervision session with Ros. my research is something i have to devote most of my time to from now on. i have so much to do. the thing now is that i have a better picture of what i should do. way to go, woman! cheers to life!

foge daqui, fica ali, volta pra ca

12 nov 2010

que texto lindo, simples, direto, claro e fluente. muito bom de ler, mesmo.
mas deve ter uma coisa que eu acho que fazer a vida inteira: arrumar outro servico pra fugir das obrigacoes principais e urgentes. eh assim: quando eu estava no mestrado nos estados unidos, muuuitas vezes eu senti um magnetismo incontrolavel pelos filmes na tv, especialmente nas semanas com prazos serios, parecia que era o filme mais importante do mundo, que aquela seria a unica oportunidade de ve-lo, e que se nao o fizesse jamais poderia faze-lo no futuro. (hehehe meu portugues ta de lascar hein) um exemplo desse fato eh o filme 'spartacus' com o irresistivel - alguem discorda? - Russel Crowe.

presentemente, nesse prezado instante e momento, precisamente 11.32hr do dia 12 de novembro de 2010, ca estou eu visitando esse blog Kafka na Praia, porque eh interessante mesmo o danado, ao inves de finalizar meus preparativos para uma reuniao de supervisao com minha orientadora, que sera aas 2 da tarde.

e assim sigo eu, lenta e enrolada, mas seguindo.

woody allen diz: "80% of success is showing up" e nessa fe eu sigo ass vezes, pela metade, mas com cara de quase tudo e insistindo na fe.
abraco grande Karen e como esse comentario ta parecendo um relatorio, vou transforma-lo em post no meu blog.

notas: 1. esse post nasceu de um comentario que fiz no blog da Karen, Kafka na Praia.
                2. esse post foi escrito acompanhado de um cafe delicia na caneca charmosa que meu amigo querido Noom (Wisut) me deixou de heranca. ele terminou o PhD e foi embora de vez pra Tailandia semana passada (assunto em outro post).

film: another year

11 nov 2010

Director: Mike Leigh

Writer: Mike Leigh
Stars: Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen and Lesley Manville
Jim Broadbent ... Tom

Lesley Manville ... Mary
Ruth Sheen ... Gerri
Oliver Maltman ... Joe
Peter Wight ... Ken
David Bradley ... Ronnie
Imelda Staunton ... Janet
Release Date: 5 November 2010 (UK)
for more check out imdb website

today we saw this film at harbour lights written and directed by Mike Leigh, released just six days ago. at first i told Mike i loved the film and am quite impressed with the actress Lesley Manville for her excellent interpretation of Mary, this all screwed up woman. but now i think back and have to admit Mike Liegh exaggerated in the blissful life of the forever happy couple Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) (unlike the animation characters). the film portrays this couple's house as a magnet for friends and family for both good and bad times. throughout the four seasons of the year they are there for everyone.

part of Leigh's style is that much of the film dialogues are improvised. he is talented and makes ordinary people with ordinary life living ordinary events look remarkable. moreover, i do love the photography and the pace of the film, which is really worth watching. i like it, but i question the forever blissful happiness of the aged couple. 

however, i am also - have to confess - disappointed to see how miserable he portrays Janet, the woman at the beginning of the film, who is so lost she can't even remember a happy moment in her life. Mary herself is so lost. she buys a car, which instead of leading her to new places brings her lots of problems and makes her get stuck and have get tickets and all sort of troublesome stuff possible. a bit too much? anyway, Manville's interpretation of Mary is outstanding. Ronnie (David Bradley), Tom's brother who becomes a widower comes into the picture towards the last part (last season) of the film. i like him very much. Ronnie does not pronounce many words, he only displays Bradley's talent to say much with his presence and pass along all the feelings of the character. 'Another year' was filmed in Derbyshire,UK.

le plat du jour: chinese dumplings

8 nov 2010

le plat du jour was this scrumptuous batch of chinese pork and chives dumplings. tong, my chinese flatmate gave them to me as a present. they are kept in the freezer. i steamed them in my brazilian steamer (a cuscuzeira) and ate them with balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. i also added some sweet and chilly sauce, which was also a present from another chinese flatmate, to the dish. sooooo good!

autumn & the lovers' walk

5 nov 2010

this is what the lovers' walk path looks like in these chilly but beautiful autumn days. this passage is on my way to the avenue campus. nature is so inspiring. the whole common has been so beautiful there is no photo to make it justice. our eyes see, our heart feels it, but the camera cannot register the real and breathtaking beauty.

le plat du jour: light :-)

2 nov 2010

le plat today was this politically correct light sandwich with white bread, crispy lettuce, wild rocket, tomato, a slice of ham, and pineapple cottage cheese. it was followed by a nice bowl of cereal and a warm cup of tea. cheers!

autumn at the avenue

2 nov 2010

this is what the avenue looks like this morning in these gorgeous autumn days. i walked to the city centre and of could not resist and took some photos on my way to up town. the colors are unbelievably beautiful. they trees remain full of colourful leaves until the wind and the autumn rain come and make them all fall over the ground. later on the city council men come to collect them. and the trees will spend the rest of the autumn and the whole winter naked and unprotected to face the chilly days and the incessant rain.

St Edmund's Church is on the avenue. i found the image of the church behind the leaves very beautiful.

my daily fiber

1 nov 2010

at least monday through friday i have this as my breakfast: cereal plus oats plus some fruit plus yoghurt plus milk plus 3 or 4 drops of sweetener. i buy different types of ceral, but more or less around the ones i already know and consider to be digestive and tasteful to me, which are basically the bran and the swiss alpen ones, but i also like the cereals with red fruits like strawberry for a change sometimes. after the cereal i have a nice, warm and fresh cuppa tea. it is the perfect start for my days. then, i walk to uni or to wherever. this start makes my whole body function satisfactiorily. 

at weekends i sometimes vary my breakfast. i then take the time to make coffee and toast with butter, sometimes even a scrambled egg is added to my meal. very good indeed. i like to enjoo my meals, to respect food, and to give each the right amount of time to both prepare and eat it.

indulgence

31 oct 2010

trust me, this ice cream was really good. now i wonder if i did need it. went to tesco yesterday for some groceries and decided to give myself a treat. does it have to be an ice cream? i started eating it yesterday and finished today. bit by bit, in sin, giving in.

it is never easy to pick something in a supermarket that would be nice and sweet but not too sweet. i have the hardest time spotting the cool and 'safe' stuff on the shelves. this time i went for this haagen dazs ice cream. i usually buy lots of fruits and weight watchers ginger & lemon biscuits, but couldn't find the biscuits at tesco and maybe - maybe - decided to go wild this once.

i go wild at uni quite often too when i buy candies. this is not supposed to be funny or make anyone interested in trying the ice cream or doing the same silly things i do sometimes. it is but my reflection on my weaknesses.

le plat du jour: green salad

31 oct 2010

le plat du jour today was this fresh and delicious green salad: crispy sweet lettuce, rocket, tomato, ham, a pinch of salt, some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. love it!!! i could eat it every day, but i also need something very warm in my meals.

passionate

28 oct 2010

what are you? what is it like to be passionate? what is it like to be professional?

how much passionate should one be about professional life? and love life? and personal life?
what is good about being a passionate person?
what is bad about it?

how much professional / practical should one be about professional life? and love life? and personal life?

what is good about being a professional / practical person?
what is bad about it?
 
do you think gender plays a role in that matter?

at the gym: one two three . . .

27 oct 2010

i started today going to the uni gym at the jubilee sports centre, in highfield. i did 4km in 50.36min on the treadmill and am now dead tired. i walk quite often at the common and i do walk to and from uni everyday, but being on the treadmill is a completely different challenge. i guess i burned a bit less than 300 calories, but it really doesn't matter much now. what matters to me today is that i did go to the gym and made a move towards a start.

last year i paid the membership for the whole year but went one day, looked around, felt absolutely lost, did not really know where to put a finger, where to look for help although there was a person at the counter, did not know where to leave my belongings, well, did not know. . . so i left as i entered the room, with my backpack on my back and nothing done.

this time i booked an induction to the facilities and i was the only one out of eight who had also booked to show up to it. the guy, an Iranian man called Ali, showed me the equipments around, showing me how to use them all. it was a basic, not full of mindblowing surprises to me, but still quite relevant instructions. we had a chat about speed limits, heart beating, calories, and all that came up to my mind at the time of the induction. he showed me the lockers where i can leave my things while exercising and how to use them. he also promised to design a programme for me. Ali gave a good view of the many, really, many, possibilities one can have in just a gym room. it was not a good idea that i came last year at rush hour, alone, and lost. maybe i did it to screw up the plan.

i saw Ali on my way out. i'll try and come when he is in next time. he said he'll design a suitable programme for me to follow. he was pleased to find out i am from Brazil. here is a tropical heart hoping for stronger beating. the exercise today has left me drained. wish i could sleep for an hour now. i think i'll go home :-) but i already did my share at the treadmill. rule number one: exercise. rule number two: rest. this is the precious lesson i learned from my personal trainer in Brazil.

oxford street & . . .

23 & 24 oct 2010

yesterday, 23 oct 2010, they met at the junction of the avenue and london road and walked hand to hand to oxford street. once there they had dinner - calzone - at 'scoozi' restaurant. good food, good drink, great night, street packed with good looking people. later on, after some walk around street and an attempt at 'grapes' they decide to have a drink at 'the white star'. good music, good atmosphere, great warm up for the night. . .

giving in not to give up

23 oct 2010



i just had this fair bowl of fruits with greek yoghurt. to made the 'meal' a banquete i added up a candy bar, all giving in not to give up. i know it is not very clear, but it is not any clear to me either. anyway, this was my means to manage the 'moment'. more, much more to come in life. hoping for the best.

autumn at the common

23 oct 2010

once again the common is getting more colourful and amasingly beautiful with the arrival of autumn. this morning i went for a great walk and was lucky to get some rain. oh My do i love it. breathtaking! this is such a privilege to have this opportunity to live so close to this park, which is my heart with its singing birds. love it. i can't tell how many photos i have of the park. this is one of the many i took this morning.

there is hope

22 oct 2010

when the person takes the time to go by the gym, pays for the membership, and books a fit induction it means there is hope. now serious: i really hope this time is a serious one. i could have booked all sorts of lessons - truth be said paying extra for them, from dancing zumba, salsa, or whatever to doing yoga, tai chi, pilates, among other possibilities of extra fit or fun classes. instead, i think it is more sensible that i start off at least going a few times per week and do some workout. there are also the aerobic classes, which i can naturally join, for free. help me, God. amem!