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Sunday, 31 October 2010

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.

Thursday, 28 October 2010

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?

Wednesday, 27 October 2010

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.

Sunday, 24 October 2010

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. . .

Saturday, 23 October 2010

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.

Friday, 22 October 2010

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!

Tuesday, 14 September 2010

a barca

14 sept 2010


Meu coração é uma barca
Que não sabe navegar
             Fernando Pessoa

Monday, 13 September 2010

Crazy English

13 sept 2010

If adults commit adultery, do infants commit infantry? If olive oil is made from olives, what do they make baby oil from? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian consume? A writer is someone who writes, and a stinger is something that stings. But fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce, hammers don't ham, humdingers don't humding, ushers don't ush, and haberdashers do not haberdash ...

... If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn't the plural of booth be beeth? One goose, two geese - so one moose, two meese? If people ring a bell today and rang a bell yesterday, why don't we say that they flang a ball? If they wrote a letter, perhaps they also bote their tongue.

Richard Lederer: Crazy English

note: a bit of honesty always helps. i found (or finded?) this nice little reflection on language at hans' blog,  Across Cultures

Sunday, 12 September 2010

the happy boy’s prayer

12 sept 2010

My Lord Jesus, please keep this happy boy hopping around, playing around, laughing and enjoying life to its maximum. Sometimes he is the Iron Man. He can also be in the mood for Spider Man. At times Ben Ten has his turn in Leo’s imagination. No matter the disguise, Lord, for they all come and suit the same joyful and sweet and wise boy. Please keep this child with his vivid imagination and a carefree heart, and do not forget his name is Leonardo.


Amem!

Friday, 10 September 2010

femea

10 sept 2010
jana, beatriz e felipe
Jana, que foto linda. gostei tanto do vestido com formas, cores, e vida. gostei de sua expressao de femea prenha e os peitoes estao grandes!!! muito lindo a beatriz dando um beijo abracado em voce e no felipe.

desejo que voce viva esse momento com todas as glorias que ele proporciona, ate mesmo com as provaveis noites dificeis de dormir por conta do peso e de nao sei o que mais, mas o momento eh fertil e especial. e unico. viva isso, jana!!! sinta a vida vibrante a seu redor e faca disso sua oracao de vida, de alegria, de promessa de paz, de calor e de caminho com cheirinho de gente miuda e feliz por perto. muuuita paz pra voces.

beijo, Kalina

Tuesday, 7 September 2010

por causa de uma abobrinha

7 sept 2010

From: Lima K.S.D.

Sent: Tue 07/09/2010 15:15
To: Vinha M.H.G.
Subject: RE: Reclamacao formal

Prezada Requerente Senhora Hilra Vinha

Eu, Kalina Lima, brasileira, coracao esperancoso de um amor tranquilo, portadora de cedula de identidade daqui e de la, quica dacola, titulo de eleitor sem tanto valor uma vez que nao ha mais esperanca na politica da boa pratica e tendo em vista que nao poderei fazer-me presente ao pleito eleitoral vindouro, venho acatar em sua integra a queixa aqui apresentada; a respeito do que passo a tratar:

- quando de vossa primeira denuncia da ameaca do virus 'abobrinhas' foi tomada atitude na forma de correspondencia enviada aa dona do blog em questao, senhora Thais. a mesma ate a presente data nao se manifestou;

- naquele momento e tambem neste, agora mesmo, sendo precisa, tentei eu mesma, nos limites da minha sabedoria cibernetica deletar o referido blog da minha lista de espaco de passeio, sem sucesso. nem mesmo sei se tenho vergonha do meu insucesso, mas verdade eh que nao localizei em pagina alguma possibilidade de parar de seguir o danado;

- aproveito o ensejo pra informar-lhe que infelizmente nao tenho escrito ultimamente tanto quanto tenho pensado em faze-lo em funcao de sentir que de alguma forma o blog ta precisando mudar pelo menos de template pra acompanhar os ventos, a chuva, os sentidos, o ritmo. . . da vida. . .

sem mais delongas solicito que vossa senhoria de uma tregua e ponha em segundo plano a possibilidade de processo pelas vias judiciais, considerando a boa vontade da minha alma. outrossim, aceito instrucoes sobre como eliminar de vez por todas a presenca de aboboras virais no espaco do dileto soton times para voltar a contar com a visita ansiada e estimada de leitora tao especial. saliento ainda que ofereco uma rodada de paz em forma de pizza e um bom vinho.

abracos calorosos,
Kalina Morena

________________________________________

From: Vinha M.H.G.
Sent: 07 September 2010 13:27
To: Lima K.S.D.
Subject: Reclamacao formal

Prezada senhora Kalina Lima,

Eu, maria nao sei das quantas, brasileira, casada, descasada, re-casada, descasada, e no momento tico-tico no fuba; portadora da cedula de identidade brasileira que nao serve para nada nessas terras, e do titulo de eleitor tambem inutilizado, residente no endereco mais que conhecido, venho informar-lhe que tendo em vista o nao atendimento de solicitacao feita por esta cidada em data nao remota, mas esquecida, sou forcada a iniciar um processo de reclamao formal perante as autoridades de direito, para tratar do caso. Como ja foi anteriormente mencionado em carta anterior datada de deus-sabe-quando, esta cidada, que vem a ser uma pessoa ocupadissima e nao tem tempo para balelas, encontra-se impossibilitada de acessar informacao extremamente necessaria a seu equilibrio mental, emocional e porque nao dizer corporal, afinal mens sana corpore sano.

Desde a data supra-omitida por esquecimento, encontro-me impedida de abrir o informativo diario online The Soton Times, pelo qual a senhora e a responsavel direta e imediata, alem de autora, administradora e unica funcionaria conhecida. Portanto, todas as imputacoes cabiveis e incabiveis sobrecaem sobre vossa pessoa. Estou lhe escrevendo apenas por gentileza, para informa-la que estou constituindo representante legal, o qual em breve devera entrar em contato com vossa senhoria para inicio do processo. No entanto, poderei abdicar do meu direito de consumidora fiel e participativa do dito informativo de entrar com o citado processo caso vossa senhoria faca a gentileza de tirar aquele bendito link pra o site das abobrinhas na cozinha, para que minha pessoa possa voltar a ter acesso ao referido blog da vossa pessoa.

Sem mais para o momento e contando com sua boa vontade no que tange a este assunto, aguardo providencias no prazo aberto de alguns dias, ao fim dos quais serei obrigada a entrar com o processo na justica blogaria internacioanl, nacional e municipal.

Atenciosamente,
eu mesma

Hilra Vinha
MPhil/PhD Student
School of Education
University of Southampton
Highfield
SO17 1BJ

Thursday, 2 September 2010

good morning, gorgeous september sun

2 sept 2010

just came back from an invigorating walk at the common. the sun is shinning outside and it is not cold (13 degrees just now). i walked for 70 minutes. i don't always go fast, i speed up and slow down many times. i see people come and go. i have been descovering new avenues, sometimes literally 'avenues' at the common from my walks, sometimes metaphors for 'avenues' other than the concrete ones but not less important to me.

i walk, i breath, i feel awake, i listen to the birds, i think, i smile, i feel i am having the beginning of a good digestive process because of the moves, and it feels good. today i found a new path. i try to vary the paths i follow but essentially my walks start with no fixed plans, and i like it. sometimes i walk for a while in one direction to then realize i haven't walked for a long time. in this case i go towards other directions, but i don't care really where and for how long, i just understand that sometimes when i 'apparently' feel tired is the moment i am getting mostly warmed up for the activity, and this has kept me going. i love it. i feel very happy.

i will now get ready to go to uni and sort some things out. later on have lunch with my dearly friend Diana, who arrived yesterday from Romania. yey!!!

update at 2.47pm: got back from lunch with Diana at the crown inn at about 2pm. once again, great chat. i am glad my friend is back, but not for long. she's going to new york this coming tuesday and will not be back until the 24th. it is going to be a field work trip for her research. i think she'll also attend a conference.

Wednesday, 1 September 2010

cheers to life

1 sept 2010
hilra & kalina at the highfield campus. photographer: Clarissa
I met with hilra and her troupe this afternoon on the highfield campus. What a great surprise to see the little ones all with lovely cards written to me saying they love me and missed me. I hugged them as we met. It is always a funny moment because they know I want a big cuddle. Hilra had bought the cards to give away to friends and they asked to write one for me, nominating me the first chosen one. I got two lovely cards and a cute book marker with nice words from hilra, leonard and clarissa and also a prayer. So so so sweet and heart warming!!!

It was fantastic to spend this time together. Because we were at first at the workstation at Hartley library we all had to whisper our words not to bother people. The kids behaved nicely. I think that when they saw me using a computer at the workstation they thought I had something there that was my own. Clarissa asked: ‘have you got a house?’ sooo cute. she knows I do, she’s been here to my place a number of times. I told her I do and that that place was where I went to study.

I had put the cards in my backpack to read them later on because I wanted to keep our presence there as quiet as possible. but Leo whispered determined: ‘when are you going to open the card?’ I whispered back ‘now’ and opened them to read. It was so much fun, Leo crouched down the chair to hide his shy face. He knew I was going to grab him for a big hug and a thank you kiss. We all laughed, I mean, quietly laughed. Then I got Clarissa’s card to read and she did the same crouching down the chair. One thing that was lovely was that the students around didn’t make any unhappy face with the presence of the kids in the room. They’re good fellas!!!

Hilra was finished with the printing thing and we were headed to enjoy the beautiful day at the gorgeous park we have at uni, where we stayed until nearly 5pm. Oh my was it good! The kids were joyfully running around and making friends with a girl their age. Oh and mr spider man paid a visit. Hilra and I talked non-stop – what a surprise! – and yes, it was refreshing and a perfect break even from big stressful deadlines I had for the day. We always simply talk, I feel so safe and tranquil to think hilra is around. It really gives me a sense of security. Amem!

After the great time at the park they left and I went back to Hartley library where I stayed until it was about to close, which is 9pm during the summer. at the library i did some more of my work which was due today. i am pleased i at least managed to complete a task and send it on the deadline, although i think i messed the application process. i am now also left with an important reflection about my slow and threating last minute approach to things that seems to want to become a pattern in my life. oh no!!! On my way to the bus stop I passed by Ros, who was I think walking home from avenue campus. ‘Hello kalina’ ‘hello ros’ and I rushed to the U1C bus that was coming. I ran not to miss it and when I got into it asked the driver if he had seen me run and if he would leave me there waiting for the next – 20 minutes later – bus. He said he did and that he would not leave me behind. I gave him a thankful smile and the trip home was safe and pleasant. from the middle of the bus i thanked nice bus driver before leaving bus. He responded back ‘cheers’.

Wednesday, 25 August 2010

film: the secret in their eyes

25 aug 2010

o filme e a chuva
Hoje fomos pro cinema e cheguei em casa agora, quase meia-noite. Tava chovendo, uma chuva fina e insistente, mas eu nao ligo. Aqui eles reclamam muito do tempo, que pra mim eh as vezes muito bom. La pisamos em pocas de agua andando no estacionamento a caminho e de volta do cinema, mas foi divertido. Um povo vindo atras da gente fez o mesmo na pocinha de agua. Foi legal, mas eles acham que o dia eh horrivel. Horrivel pra mim tem que impossibilitar o transito ou outras coisas, o que nao vi acontecer aqui ainda. Era uma chuva fina, gostosa.

Assistimos o filme do diretor argentino Juan José Campanella 'el secreto de sus ojos' - 'the secret in their eyes', um suspense policial muito bom, que ganhou oscar de melhor filme em lingua estrangeira. A sessao comecou 9.20 da noite. Eh a historia de um funcionario da justica aposentado que resolve escrever um livro contando uns fatos, incluindo um pouco da vida dele e da investigacao de um crime. os aspectos tragicos de um assassinato nao desvendado e a propria vida de Benjamin Esposito se misturam muito bem no filme. Humor cinico e um final surpreendente. Adorei o filme.

No filme passou meia hora de comerciais e de trailers de outros filmes. Teve um comercial de um crème pra espinha de rosto de uma moca. Ele riu e eu perguntei se ele acredita naquilo. Ele disse que nao. Em seguida uma propaganda de cerveja, perguntei de novo se ele acredita naquilo, sim! Hehe

Ah, encontrei um povo conhecido no cinema. No banheiro encontrei a Jenna, que eh inglesa, so conhecida, nao amiga, apesar de ja ter ate ido a um pub com ela. Falamos oi e tal. Ai vi a Agota (hungara), que andava com a Jenna e mais um povo. Falei ligeiramente e subi pra ver o filme. Na saida vi uma professora daqui, acho que ela eh italiana. Com chuva, 9.20 da noite, e varias pessoas no cinema. Gostei tanto disso. Caminhando pro cinema, do estacionamento, eu cantarolei 'rain, I wonder why, today that such a different sky. . . Are you sad because you know my heart no longer sings. . .' trechinho que a sarah vaughan canta de versao de uma musica brasileira.

eu gosto tanto da minha vida aqui, e isso me da tanto medo aas vezes. Gosto dos amigos, alguns tao intimos e preciosos, com quem tenho conversas profundas e interessantes, sobre nossas vidas. Eh um povo proximo da minha sintonia. Gosto dos lugares, da cultura, dos ares, e da chuva. O frio eh triste, mas nao se pode ter tudo. Ah o medo nao eh so aas vezes, acho que preciso pensar um pouco mais sobre isso pra nao atuar e nao me deixar viver, o que ja fiz demais e causei danos aos meus sonhos nessa vida.

Tuesday, 24 August 2010

you are not happy!

24 aug 2010
at the U1C unilink bus

i went to city centre today with viktoria to get my tickets for our trip to brighton this coming saturday. we had to stop by asda to get the passport photos for my 'young person' railcard, which will give me some discount when i buy train tickets. well, the photos are taken from a photo booth there is at asda. we get in the booth, insert the money, which is £5 for four photos, and follow the instructions until we get our photos. the machine gives precise information about how to take the proper passport photos, give step by step that i should show the face, not wear glasses, one person per photo, and other instructions. i had problems getting to a lower position to fit the screen for the photo because the seat was too high. viktoria was waiting outside (we have to close the curtain) but listening to all instructions. the camera capture the image of me and showed it asking if i was happy with it. then it said that if i were not happy i should press a certain button to try a new shot, which i did. when i did it the machine repeat the process for a new photo and viktoria realised that. she said 'you are not happy!' referring to the words from the machine. they way she intervened from outside the booth was SOOOOO funny i wanted to burst into a big laughter but shouldn't because i had to have the photo done.

photos in hand we were headed to the train station for both my railcard and tickets to brighton. after being in the queue for a while the man said i still need the uni stamp in my photos!!! i was surprised, but he showed the information in the form for the card. i had a document stamped by the office from uni and found it should be enough, but i was wrong. trip nearly totally wasted, i bought my tickets paying full price.

Friday, 20 August 2010

the gentle rain

20 aug 2010

sent out this sms this morning when i was back:

morning
just had a nice walk
on the common
with drops of light rain
on my face and arms.
it felt great.
have a safe journey.

Thursday, 19 August 2010

doce lirismo

19 aug 2010

Erro de português
Quando o português chegou
Debaixo de uma bruta chuva
Vestiu o índio
Que pena!
Fosse uma manhã de sol
O índio tinha despido
O português.
        (Oswald de Andrade)

os ventos da paz

19 aug 2010

sorting out life at the unilink bus
my very dear maroquilda,

this is just a note to say many thank yous to you for bringing me the winds of peace, discipline, and a proper management of the situations that pose challenging in my life.
it was magic to once again hear your voice on the phone asking and saying things like: 'por que, fia?', 'pense assim, nao, kalina', 'olha, nao eh assim nao'. all these words, in your smooth voice in the right moment, so truly and softly put me back in the right track, you know that, right? i love you, nene. i've already said it once, but here it goes again: your voice and words bring me the sounds of my heart.

yours,
maroca