Someone Lost Out There

Happy 2012!!

2012-01-01T17:14:00.000Z

A new year begins today!!

Wow, they seem to go by faster and faster these days. :)

Well, I did not make any big resolutions, I just hope that I am able to get the most out of all the challenges that are put before me, so that I keep on growing.

During the past year I have been mostly focused on the negative things, on how tired I feel, on how unfair things are and that people do not appreciate my efforts. I really have to put this attitude behind me. It will not take me anywhere. So I think that is one of my resolutions for this year, face things straight on and do not hide behind "others". :)

See you around.

hmm...

2011-12-28T14:45:00.001Z

I just listened to this song and decided to share it, just because...

It reminds me of my childhood, of times gone by. I cannot say that they where happier times, but somehow now (today, at this moment) they seem. I think most people always look at their childhood as an happier time, maybe because when we are kids we are more innocent and able to see joy in the smallest things. It would be good if sometimes we would still be able to time to time see life that way. I know that we have to become not so trusting and naïve to go through life, but... it's still sad that growing up means losing such a wonderful gift.

So, here goes:

Rod Stewart - Have I Told You Lately That I Love You (Unplugged)

Credits to Shamara011061 @ YouTube

Only today I discovered that this song was not written by Rod Stewart, but by Van Morrison. :)

Happy Holidays!!

2011-12-24T18:17:00.003Z

This year I didn't make any postcard... sorry...

But, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

Hope that you are with the ones you love.

:D

A Question:

2011-11-09T23:45:00.003Z

How does it fell like to be in love?!.. It's been too long...

Tina Turner - I Dont Wanna Fight

2011-06-06T00:00:00.001+01:00

This music reminds me of my Mother and I decided to post it.

Jinhus grandes Mamã. :)

Porque sim...

2011-05-30T00:37:00.000+01:00

... porque hoje posso fazer tudo que me der na real gana, até escrever no meu blog em Português em vez de Inglês. :D

(credits to BIGBANG @ Youtube)

E acima de tudo porque não há nada como um homem que saiba dançar... lol

On Posting...

2011-05-15T23:08:00.000+01:00

If you read my previous post you might have noticed that I have kept my mind busy, which could mean that I had a lot to post. So why did I not do it?

Maybe because I am a proud person and I do not like to admit that I feel like I am not doing as good as I think I should be doing. I do not like to doubt myself, and I have done that so often in the past years. (How could we think as teenagers that life was easier as adults?!) So actually writing it down is difficult, despite also being a quite relieving action. When I am troubled I tend to close myself up more than usual, it is a mechanism of defence...

There were times that I thought of things and considered them interesting to post, but eventually I would dismiss them for a number of reasons. Being the most prominent one laziness and the second one to think that it was exposing to much. The funny thing is that this blog was created for me to write about what troubled me, how I felt at the time. It also has had the purpose of sharing experiences and things I like, but it was mostly to put my thoughts out in the world. And the latter has been the least done.

I am my own editor. And what a fearsome editor am I...

So, you can say that one of the main reasons that I have no been posting is that I been to troubled and stressed with life...

A random fact in 15 days I'll be 30... Doesn't wisdom come with age?

Long Time, No See...

2011-05-15T22:08:00.001+01:00

I will not even count the months that I have been without posting, It's too shameful...

There isn't much that I can say about that, life has been hectic and there are actually no excuses. :)

So, today I decided to break my silence to post a song that I discovered sometime ago, but only today I decided to search on YouTube.

Hurt - Wonderful Life

(credits PinkiSun @ YouTube)

The visual part of the video reminds me of the 80s. And the music in itself also kind of reminds me of that decade. Maybe that is the reason I like the music, I do quite enjoy 80s music!

Maybe it is because of the message:

Don't let go

Never give up

It's a wonderful life

I am not thinking of giving up on life, I do not really work that way. But I have been thinking and rethinking if the choice that I made to go for a PhD was the correct one. It's not that I was expecting it to be easy, it's more that it is not giving me the thrill that I expected it to give. I choose as I always do, I went for what was more appealing to me. However, I also made the easiest choice by going for a project that was more or less already drawn by me supervisor. That does not mean that do not have input, actually I think he would like me to give more. It is just that other than my boss there is no one else that really is experienced in our group, so sometimes support (in basic stuff) is lacking. There is also the question of the other lab members, I do not really feel that we are actually a group... I miss my friends from my "previous life". Work-wise things where not that good, but friend-wise... they where great.

I do not usually give up on the choices that I made. And, even though I am not completely happy with everything and from time to time get quiet depressed about things, I do not really see an actual reason to go back on this one. Meaning that I am going to stick to it and give my best as usual. I just wish that I would not make things so hard on myself by over-thinking everything...

Demanding...

2010-11-23T00:37:00.000Z

Among the people that know me I am considered to be quite demanding of myself and other people. I create expectations and get frustrated when the persons that I care about do not meet them.

Do not get scared, getting older and having expectations frustrated time and time again, has thought me to be not to so demanding or at least not to get so frustrated. Even so, there are times that my personality gets the better of me and I create them and get frustrated by them.

Sometimes life is complicated, by us...

On being me...

2010-11-01T00:01:00.000Z

Lol, this title does sound pretensious...

The other day someone I know made a comment on my personality that I had not heard for awhile, but that is not a rare comment:

"You like to isolate yourself. I do not agree with that." (or something close to this).

Basically this person, as (so many) others, disagrees with me doing things by myself. Or putting in another way, with the fact that I only count on me for doing stuff that I want to do. I like going to the cinema, for walks, shopping and other stuff. And if I have no one to do this things with I will go by myself and enjoy myself. Most people find this strange, and they have no problems in telling me this to my face. As if because I do things differently from most people I am the one in the wrong...

I am not saying that this is the correct way of living. It is just my way.

I may not agree, or think is healthy, to completely depend on others to do stuff, but I do not go around criticizing people for this. I may have in occasions told someone that it would be good for them to try and be by themselves for awhile. But I do not tell them that I do not like the way they live their lives.

So, why do these persons think they can tell me these kind of things?! Is there really a single way of living your live?!

I think not!

I agree that I am basically a solitary person, and admit that occasionally I do feel lonely. However, I am comfortable with myself and in the end that is what matters.

Life is solitary journey. We are born and die by ourselves. (I do not mean with no one around us, but that these are things that can only be experienced by oneself.) Each one of us as a very particular way to perceive the world. Some people are better at conveying their thoughts than others. These are the ones that are socially more successful. I am not one of those persons, and I am cool with that. It was not always like this.

P.S. - I do like having friends and I appreciate the ones I have.

Life...

2010-09-13T23:23:00.002+01:00

Sometimes takes us be surprise... That is all I wanted to say, even though it is nothing new...

Time for bed, but not before a brief post... :)

2010-07-05T00:19:00.001+01:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm back to my school days as a kid, when I prepared everything for the following day in advance and had to check in to bed early... When I decided to that this was going to be the next step in my life I already knew there would be hectic times, with little self time or worse with little time for others. However, when these kind of times come it is always tough. I feel like I am falling short of what I am capable of doing... I know I have so much stuff to do, that I feel increasingly frustrated with the fact that the day only has 24h and that I really need to sleep...

And the fun part is that IT ONLY JUST BEGUN...

You know whta the solution is? Vacations... I so need some right now...

The was the rant of the day/night...

Time goes by... :)

2010-06-06T21:09:00.001+01:00

Be warned: This post is going to be a mix of things...

First, I am already 29 y.o. and a week (;p). Wow.

You would not believe if I told you that just this friday a guy tried to pick me up at the metro when I was returning home. This is not the unbeliveable thing, I hope.. But that he asked me my age and told me to my face that he thought that I was 18/19 y.o.... He either was so keen in having some luck that he fooled himself to believe that I was young and naïve or was further pushing is luck by trying to flatter me. Though I think it was the former, he asked me the strangest questions, such as if I was going home, where did I live, if lived with my parents or by myself, if I wanted to friends with him (who I had just met)... As if I was going any of this questions to a stranger... I was both amused and shocked.

Actually, I have been told that I look younger than my age, but I really think its pushing a bit to much to say that I look 10 years younger...

So this was the part dedicated to time concerning my age. I will not address the typical issues. Sometimes I do not even believe that I will be 30 in a year, but I do not really think that I would want to go back to college or even teenagehood.

The second part concerns another measure of time, the one related to relative time. How things that sometimes occurred long ago seem recent or things that are recent appear to be from a somewhat distant past. A few moments back, while I was surfing the internet I decided to go to a certain artist site/blog/whatever. This artist is named Van Ness Wu, that I got to know through a taiwanese drama that I watch a while back. He happens to also be a singer and a heck of a dancer (guys who CAN dance just kill me...). Not so long ago he released a Japanese single, that I got addicted to when I started reading stuff for my thesis project and during February I replayed this song all the time. But I have not listen to it for awhile know, and today I decided to listn to it again. And it seemed that that period of time was so long ago that I was surprised, only 3/4 months have passed...

Having said all this I decided to share is song with you guys.

VanNess Wu - Reason

(credits to 99yuchi @ YouTube)

3rd year of existence and other stuff

2010-05-11T23:38:00.002+01:00

Yesterday marked the third year that this blog has been up and... (more or less) running. Actually, I did not forget this time (I've put a warning on my cellphone, lol), but I did not feel like writing. Also, no cool subject came to mind.

So, why am I writing today? During the day while chatting with my Sis online, she was listening to a Portuguese Radio. It seems that they where in a mood for memory lane and, consequently so was she. As usual she decided to share some of them with me. One of which that I decided to share with you all.

I actually thought that this song was not has old as it is. Its from 1989... uau... But it is a fun song. Enjoy.

D.A.D. - Sleeping My Day Away

(credits to AndreRicardoAlbino @ YouTube)

Long time no see...

2010-05-09T18:35:00.003+01:00

I know... I' ashamed... Almost two months without posting (and the blog police has been mum about this, which surprises me more...).

Life has been hectic these past 2 months, too many hours working. I know that it was my choice, but I still have the right to complain about it. So I am bit on the tired side, and that means either lack of inspiration or lack of wanting to come here and write. Right now I am writing so I can proscratinate a bit more, I have something to do for work... :)

In order to completely succeed in my proscratination, I decided to share some music with you guys. I remembered this music in particular because of a CD that was given to me about 4 year a go by a good friend with whom I have been out of touch (Hope that everything is alright with you?). This CD is a compilation of albuns that he thought I might enjoy, among them there are two of Zero 7. One of my favourite song of them is Destiny, that I decided to share with you:

Zero 7 - Destiny

(credits to ub4k @ YouTube)

Remember Me

2010-03-20T21:37:00.002Z

My "Baby" Sister completed her (1)26th birthday 8 days ago. I know that this is a bit late but still: Happy Birthday, SIS!! :D

Like last year she came Home to celebrate her birthday with her family, and she was with us on the actual day. Thank You. :) Considering that I am working this time around, the two of us did not spend as much time as usual together, but we did manage something. One of which was going to the movies this Thursday, one of our favorite activities. She really wanted to go see Remember Me with Robert Pattinson, that came out on that day. Originally we talked about going to the 9 o'clock session, but the tickets sold out. So we decided to go to the midnight session, which ended at 2 o´clock in the morning. Call me crazy if you want, I called myself that, knowing that I had to be up by 7 o'clock in the morning the next day... Oh well...

Tired as I have been feeling lately I was afraid I would fall a sleep in the theater, but... Actually the movie was pretty good in my opinion. Yes, Robert Pattinson once again portrays a revolted young (in The Twilight Saga is not has young has he looks, but still young) man, which suits him like a glove. The boy really has the ability to express that type of inner turmoil as if he was honestly feeling it. But that is the only "similarity" I could find. It is not a teen movie, it has romance but not of the ~~(obsessive~~) fated-to-love-ever-since-I-set-my-eyes-on-you-until-the-moment-I-die kind. It is of the type where two people share similar traumatic events that allow them to comprehend each other without the need for words. The movie shows us how by finding this person, Robert's character (Tyler) is able to come to peace with his trauma and mend is relationship with is Father. Another important aspect is the beautiful relationship between Tyler and his (much) younger sister, it was one of my favorites. Now, comes the warning: the film is a real tear jerker and the ending is sort of unexpected. You have been warned, now go see it. lol

I just have one thing to mention in a not so good side. There is a scene in which Tyler and his Father (portrayed by Pierce Brosnan) are having an argument and I did not like Pierce Brosnan's performance during it... I was surprised by it, I usually do not have any complaint about Pierce Brosnan's work, but it felt too artificial, too strained and his accent sounded phony (which it was because he is Irish). But that is really the only thing that I have to mention.

A side note: The only time that I really feared to fall a sleep was during the break, specially when the lights went out and the movie took about 15 to 20s to start...

P.S. - The movie as had some really bad critics specially because of the ending, but I really think you should go and see it for yourself and then come to a conclusion.

Back in the Lab

2010-03-03T23:06:00.000Z

After 1 year and almost 1 month, today I was finally back in the lab. wow

And actually... it was kind of boring... lol

Usually, the first few days are always like this. You have to fellow people around to know how things work in the lab, which techniques you are going to use and how they apply them. Basically, you are dependent of others. Things start getting fun when you are independent and organize your own work and time.

So, even though things are kindda slow now and I am trying to learn as much as I can, I am more excited than it may seem from what I have written. I'm happy to back in a lab.

Which me luck! :)

I do not consider myself a feminist, but...

2010-02-26T22:23:00.002Z

... there are things that are beyond my comprehension. And this is one of them (please click on the picture to enlarge and read the text):

(credits to whoever first posted this online)

I know that we are talking about a completely different decade. the World was a completely different place in the 1960s. But still, to me, it is shocking to see something like this written and to actually acknowledge that this was the kind of role that was expected from women at that time: unopiniated, obedient, complaint to your husband's wills (whatever they are) and untitled to even feel pleasure... wow...

And I think that I will leave you with that, because I might start exposing my opinion too fiercely...

I would like to "hear" your thoughts on this.

Canção de Engate - António Variações

2010-02-15T21:53:00.003Z

After yesterday's depressing post, I decided to share with you all a music from my childhood from one of Portugal's most innovative artists from the 1980's. :)

I know it's been almost 30 years, but it is an amazing song.

Actually, my first real recollection of this song is a cover, even though I think I have always known it was not the original. So, I decided to share both versions and the lyrics. Unfortunately I have not found the translation and I lack the confidende to do it myself (I am a Biology major not an English major..., but I might try to persuade my Sister... hihihi).

On with the videos:

Original: António Variações

(credits to MASMP @ YouTube)

To be honest, I do not remember hearing this version, but I liked it.

Cover: Delfins

(credits to nelsoncarmo26 @ Youtube)

Lyrics (credits to LT):

Tu estás livre e eu estou livre
e há uma noite para passar
porque não vamos unidos
porque não vamos ficar
na aventura dos senti - dos

tu estás só e eu mais só estou
que tu tens o meu olhar
tens a minha mão aberta
à espera de se fechar
nessa tua mão deser- ta

vem que o amor
não é o tempo
nem é o tempo
que o faz
vem que o amor
é o momento
eu que eu me dou
em que te dás
tu que buscas companhia
e eu que busco quem quiser
ser o fim desta energia
ser um corpo de prazer
ser o fim de mais um di - a

tu continuas à espera
do melhor que já não vem
e a esperança fio encontrada
antes de ti por alguém
e eu sou melhor que na - da
refrão (3x)

And the usual links:

António Variações - Wiki

Delfins - Myspace

Strange Moods...

2010-02-15T00:38:00.000Z

There are days that you just feel like crap... you might not really know the reason for you to feel like that, but that depressing feeling will accompany you from the time you wake up until you go to bed. You might even still feel the same the next day...

Just a random outburst... Everything will be fine in a few days. Sometimes being a girl is complicated!! lol

Mute Math - You Are Mine

2010-02-10T13:05:00.001Z

Mute Math is a band that I discovered through my Sister (a.k.a., My Personal Music Dealer), who in turn discovered them because of The Twilight Saga Soundtracks.

This is one of my favorite songs by them:

Mute Math - You Are Mine

(Sorry, I was only able to find live videos)

(Credits to thepromisecollision @ YouTube)

Lyrics (credits to mute math web):

Everyone has their obsession
Consuming thoughts, consuming time
They hold high their prized posession
That defines the meaning of their lives

You are mine
You are mine
You are mine, oh mine
You are mine

There are objects of affection
That can mesmerize the soul
There is always one addiction
That just cannot be controlled

You are mine
You are mine
You are mine, oh mine
You are mine

Everyone has their obsession
Consuming thoughts, consuming time
They hold high their prized posession
They hold high their prized posession

And here are the usual links:
Official Site (it has clips from their concerts in Japan, go check it)
Official YouTube
Wikipedia

Back to Life

2010-01-17T13:06:00.002Z

After 3 weeks of vacation that felt shorter than what they were, life resumed itself last week. To be honest it was not easy to return to having to wake up really early and to the lack of time to myself. Besides all that the weather has been really crappy and the hormones were at their best at the beginning of the week... Sometimes I feel sorry for who ever crosses my path during these days, because most of time I am unaware of the state I am in, becoming really really short tempered and needing a LOT of personal space. But well, that has passed now, I am stressed but for other reasons. Hmm, the reasons are the same but just do not seem so disproportioned has they did on Monday (or Tuesday or Wednesday).

I do have another reason to stress though, I seem to have misplaced something very important and do not seem able to remember where I might I have put it... Usually, I am very careful with these kind of things, but it is the second object, in the space of a week, that I do not remember where I might have put it and this one is really important...

On a brighter note, yesterday I bought my ticket to Metallica's concert in May. It had to be for the second day, because I took to long to buy it the first day sold out... Which means that I will probably go by myself again to a concert, since most the people I know bought their tickets for the first day...

And this was just another random post for your entertainment.. :)

2009

2010-01-01T13:02:00.002Z

United States of America

January

de Young Museum

California Academy of Sciences (only the view from outside)

February

California Academy of Sciences (the view from inside)

Japanese Tea Garden

Pacific Ocean Beach

Alcatraz

Portugal

April

My City

July

OPTIMUS Alive Festival - Metallica

Festival Marés Vivas - Lamb

I only have half of the year here, first because I still have a lot of photos in my camera, second, because I took a lot less pictures in the second half of the year. :)

Nonetheless, it still is a good wrap of the year that just ended.

Welcome to 2010!!

2010-01-01T12:24:00.003Z

Happy New Year everyone!! :)

I hope this year, you are all healthy and that it is a year full of good events.

I hope that we can all take a step forward in our lives facing the obstacles put before us straight on (our a least with the best of our abilities, so that we do not regret anything).

And do not forget to have fun and enjoy life!!!

Season Greetings

2009-12-21T10:38:00.000Z

Credits to Me ;)

A Story... lol

2009-12-16T22:26:00.004Z

Imagine that you wake up convinced that you heard your alarm clock and, if you are as I am, you will not even let it ring twice and try to get out of bed as fast as possible. But in the meantime you think:
"Damn! It´s getting harder and harder to get out of bed these days!"

Finally, you get out of bed, go to the bathroom to take care of yourself, brush your teeth, wash your face and take a shower. Then, you get dress, make your bed and all that stuff.

Next is time for breakfast. You get into your kitchen and notice that it still is really dark outside, thinking:

"The days are really getting shorter!"

But you continue doing what your doing. When you are about to sit on the table to eat your toast you think:
"It's really quite. I'm going to turn on the radio."

You go to the living room, and before you turn on your stereo you look at its clock and notice the time: 4.50a.m. You remember that you did not corrected it for winter time (making it actually 3.50 a.m.), but what you think actually is:

"Wow, this clock must be broken."

But, just to make sure, you look at your wristwatch and it actually it is 3.50 a.m.!! Then, you run to your room pick your alarm clock, that in reality is you cellphone, to see what the hell did you do to wake up at that time in the morning. You see that actually the alarm clock did not ring, that you just dreamt it!!

You decide to eat your breakfast and to go back to bed. Pissed off because you just washed your head that morning, so your head is completly wet, and that after all this what you are ready for is to get out of the house and not to go back to bed...

In the end you give yourself an extra 15 minutes because you will not need to shower again in the morning...

P.S. - This happened to me last week... I need a vacation...

First Insomnia in Months...

2009-12-08T03:04:00.001Z

Some wounds run deeper than what you think. Even though on the surface they seem to be more or less healed, some insignificant thing might bring back the hurt...

I really need to sleep!!! Tomorrow is a holiday here, but I have to work and wake up at 7 o'clock in the morning... It is going to be a tough day...

My first music buy in more than 9 months

2009-12-06T23:11:00.002Z

I decided to share today my first music buy in a lot of months (lol).

Last weekend I went to the shop that I consider my ultimate doom. Why? Because I can spend hours there and find at least three things to buy everytime that I go there. Fortunately, I am more or less controlled and do not spend as much as I sometimes feel like.

So, in one of my last ventures there I decided to buy a CD, especially because I felt like I needed new music, and that was 30 Seconds to Mars' (2005) A Beautiful Lie album. Not quite what you consider NEW, but new in my collection and I did not know most of the tracks in it. One of the musics that I discovered was Hunter (one of the hidden tracks), that was written by Björk. And it was a really good buy, both quality and price wise. :)

For you entertainment here it is:

30 Seconds To Mars - Hunter (live at Coliseu de Lisboa, Portugal in 2008)

(credits to ShArK85pt @ YouTube)

30 Seconds to Mars: Official Website, Myspace

P.S. - Just discovered they are about to lunch a new album... (go to their site or myspace page to listen to more of their musics).

After 3 months of absence I came back

2009-11-16T22:52:00.001Z

Uau, until yesterday I had not realized that 3 months have already passed since my last post. I knew that I had not updated in a very long time, but not that long... I am sorry for such a long absence, no good explanation is available. The only things that I can say honestly is that I have been lazy, lacked inspiration and, after September, time.

Like I said a few posts back my new life adventure started in September, since then I moved to a new town and started having a 2h commute every day (the choice was mine, but still it is tiring). I have also started going for swimming classes a few days of the week. Most of times I get to the end of the day and feel like not going, but in the end it feels really good to go and not think about work and work related stuff for 1h30m.

What else? I met a bunch of people and am still in the process of getting to really know them. I just spend to much time with them everyday. It gets really tiresome for someone who is used to be by herself and likes to be by herself. That is also one of the reasons I go swimming, I only see these persons twice a week and they have nothing to do with work. Its refreshing!

As you might have notice the blog has new look (the previous one lasted for more than a year) and I took out the photo section, since it does not make sense anymore.

I want say here that yesterday I read most of my posts from last year and it made me miss San Francisco. It is hard to believe that I have been back for 9 months already (exactly yesterday). That is more than the time that I spent there... In some sense that time seems both longer and shorter. Those were 7 months and half filled with events and memories.

And the award for best concert of the year goes to...

2009-11-15T12:51:00.009Z

DEPECHE MODE @ Pavilhão Atlântico, Lisboa - 14th November 2009

This has been a year full of concerts (well, I only went to 3, but that is much more than usual), namely from Metallica, Lamb and now Depeche Mode. All 3 of them were amazing in their own right, but Depeche was a bit more. Probably, because it was a concert from their tour and not a festival concert. Meaning that every single person that was there went just for them, making the ambience great. Everyone sang, clapped, waved, in all really enthused to see them.

The concert started with songs from their most recent album, some people knew the lyrics some people did not. I knew the songs (thanks to my personal dealer) but not the lyrics, just some of the chorus. Despite the not so complete participation (in terms of singing) everyone clapped and showed their support. However, as soon as they played they first classic (Walking in my Shoes) everyone sang, and it was breathtaking...

It was an awesome experience, and I am really happy that I decided to go despite having gone by myself. To be honest there are only three persons that I really wanted to be there with, and each of them got a phone call (I hope I called at the most fitting songs for you guys).

What else can I say?

I got a really good spot, with the excepcion of the tall and wide guy that got in front of me. I was 10 people from the front row and 3 from the walk through(I do not remember how this is called).
I was naive and did not take my digital camera... And what was prohibited were professional cameras... Well, next time I know better. I took two videos with my cellphone, but I forgot the cables at home so I cannot pass them to the computer...
I hate when people do not respect the rules and the others. It is prohibited to smoke inside the Pavillion, but people kept on doing it, some right next to my nose and some just through their cigarretes without stepping on the and not looking if there was someone behind them.

Highlight for me: It's No Good (live in Lisbon, not mine)(well, the whole concert was amazing, but I remember falling in love with this song when it first came out and I really freaked out when the song started).

Other than that: Home (live in Lisbon, not mine); Enjoy the Silence (live in Lisbon, not mine); Stripped* (live in Lisbon, not mine); Personal Jesus (live in Lisbon, not mine); Walking in My Shoes (live in Lisbon, not mine), Precious (live in Lisbon, not mine) and many others.

Note: David Gahan is one sexy man!!!

* I could not find anything but live videos. And this one looks awesome. :)
PS - It was more difficult than what I was expecting to find the originals...

Alice Nine. - 葬園-名も無き君へ- (Graveyard to the Nameless You)

2009-08-04T16:03:00.003+01:00

This is my Alice Nine. favourite song, so I decided to share it. This music is from their 2005 album ALICE IN WONDEЯLAND.

Here´s the video and the link for the lyrics (romanization and translation).

Alice Nine. - 葬園-名も無き君へ- (Souen -Na mo Muki Kimi e-)

(EmyTsuki @ YouTube)

In case you liked what you heard you can go here for more information:
Official Site
Official Myspace (for their most recent works)
Wikipedia

A random thought (but not mine)

2009-08-03T23:18:00.003+01:00

The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.
Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Metallica - One

2009-07-13T21:12:00.000+01:00

I decided to share one of the not so good videos that I made on the 9th of July at the Metallica concert. It was my first time seeing Metallica playing live and actually being present at the concert, I have seen several of theirs live concerts on TV. I really enjoyed it, and they played most of the songs that I like. One of them is One from the ...And Justice For All album, released in 1988.

Metallica - One

Because of my video's the lack of quality I decided to also share the original video (which I think is awesome) and the lyrics.

Today I was supposed to be here:

2009-07-11T19:21:00.005+01:00

In Porto, for the Depeche Mode concert at the Super Rock Super Bock Festival. Unfortunately, David Gahan hurt himself in his calf muscle and two concerts had to be cancelled, including this one for my misfortune... I'm sad!!! I really wanted to see them live, with my sister... :(

Tomorrow I'll be here:

2009-07-08T23:57:00.004+01:00

To see Metallica LIVE for the first time ever!!! :D

Pray for me!! I am not a big fan of Slipknot and some other bands that are going to play, but I really want to see Metallica. :)

Smile (music by Charlie Chaplin)

2009-07-07T23:58:00.007+01:00

(Credits to ChaplinsViolin @ YouTube)

Smile
Music by Charlie Chaplin
Lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though its breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by
If you smile with your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just
Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just
Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though its breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

that's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

I have to be honest I remembered this song today because of Michael Jackson's memorial. However ,this is definitely a great song, that even though it carries a message of hope it as a very sad feeling to it (at least in my opinion). Please enjoy. :)

This time a year ago: Independence Day @ San Francisco

2009-07-04T23:56:00.006+01:00

It's hard to believe but a year as already passed since I first arrived in San Francisco.

Even though I did not write anything on the 30th of June, the actual day that I left Portugal, I spent most of the week thinking that it's been a year. I remember that at the time I was really happy to be able to be in the US for the 4th of July, because I know that it is an important date for the Americans. Unfortunately, due to heavy fog (what a surprise fog in San Francisco...) at the end of the day we were not able to see the fireworks. However, during the day we went visiting the outskirts of San Francisco and went to Muir Woods National Park to see some Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens).

Here are some of the photos that I took at the time:

Crossing the Golden Gate Birdge for the first time. (You can actually see how heavy the fog was that morning...)

First time stepping on a beach at the Pacific Ocean.

Just something I found curious.

Some of the great views surrounding San Francisco.

A fallen redwood, showing the actual age of the tree, it was born in ~989A.D. and fell in 1930.
Several important dates are marked.

Actually, the July 4th is also a holiday in my hometown. :)

'Gayby boom': Children of gay couples speak out (in CNN.com)

2009-06-29T13:15:00.003+01:00

I just read this article and found it really interesting.

It talks about some preconceptions most people have about children raised by gay/lesbian couples, one of them being the influence on the sexuality of these children. They say that studies that have been carried out showed that the number of children that define themselves as homosexual is roughly the same found for children raised by heterosexual couples, something that I always thought.

Please read and come to your own conclusions:
'Gayby boom': Children of gay couples speak out (in CNN.com)

Side Note: This is the first time in a very long while that I have posted an news article.

Shocked!!

2009-06-26T00:27:00.012+01:00

Today, was a day filled with tragic news from the entertainment world... The one that is the most shocking for me is Michael Jackson's death.

Like most kids from my generation, I grew up listening to Michael Jackson. My first ever live concert was Michael Jackson's Dangerous World Tour in 1992 at the José Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, I was only 11.

I loved dancing to Thriller, Beat it, Bad, Smooth Criminal, Black and White... and the list goes on. Despite all the controversy that surrounded him throughout his career, I still respect him as an artist.

Michael Jackson - Thriller (full length)
I wanted to embed the video, but all the videos said Embedding disabled by request.

R.I.P.

Michael Jackson
(1958 - 2009)

P.S. - I know that this not the most updated image of Michael Jackson (actually it is a 27 year old image), but this is one of my favourite images of him.

Golden Gate Bridge by Night

2009-06-22T16:22:00.004+01:00

Golden Gate Bridge
(08 11 08)

An update on my life...

2009-06-22T15:27:00.003+01:00

I'm alive!!

Wow, I haven't written for two months... that's a really long time. I'm sorry!

My life has been very boring and somewhat uneventful for the past months. Being at home trying to find a job can be really depressing... So, my inspiration to write has been close to none. HOWEVER, last week my luck changed and I will be starting my new big life adventure this September. :)

In the mean time, this blog has celebrated it's 2nd anniversary and I completed 28 years of existence (even though I don't really feel like I am that close to 30...). The proximity of my birthday made think about a lot of things and I spent of May thinking about what as happen in the past 10 years, and got amazed by how much time as passed since I entered university, I graduated, went to Porto and left from Porto. I really cannot say that the last 10 years have been uneventful. Of course there were times when everything seemed to not go my way, but life is like that, and fortunately after sometime you develop a tendency to mostly remember the good times.

Continuing with the topic of my age, this weekend my youngest cousin (he's 13 y.o.) was here and while talking with him, he said that wasn't that old. This made me ask him in what year did he think I was born in (few minutes previously I had, jokingly, said that it was good to be 18...), he thought for awhile and said: You were born in 1990. Then, he stopped to think and said: Hey, you cannot be only 5 years older than me!! So, I asked: So, how old do you think I am? Him: 22? Me: No. I am 28. He: I take back what I said, your getting old... Ouch!!! :)

What is funny in all of this is that when I was his age I thought the same thing, more I thought people almost in their 30s where really adults, much more adults than what I feel. But time has showed me that age is something that is not always what it seems to be.

Since my mood has improved significantly over the past week ,and I think it will continue like this for some time, I hope to make a better job in keeping this blog updated.

One of the most "easy" things to do is...

2009-04-20T01:03:00.003+01:00

... to try and forget about oneself. Until it comes a day when you can no longer do that...

Updating... (something that got lost until June..)

2009-04-02T21:29:00.004+01:00

In the beginning of this week I got a warning from my own personal blog police: "Don't you think it's time to update your blog, ...?"

The fact is that I have had some ideas about what to write but none of them was good enough to last more than a few seconds... So inow I decided to make a review of the month that just come to a close two days ago.

First, and very important, my younger sister completed her 25th birthday. Isn't that awesome?! Who can believe it?! To be honest it was quite a shock for me... I finally started to feel my own age. How could you do that to me?! :P

I'm being honest, even though recentely I have started to become more conscious age-wise, it was when it dawn on me that she was going to be 25 this year that I realized that I am not has young as I feel most of the times... I loved celebrating my 25th birthday, I hope that she also liked it. Specially considering that she came to Portugal just to celebrate it with her family. Well done, Sis!!

A random update :)

2009-03-09T00:50:00.005Z

Yesterday, for the first time I do not know in how many years I went to the Circus.

To be honest I was never a big fan of the Circus, but yesterday I decided to go with my Grandparents, my older sister and my nephew. It wasn't as bad I expected, the animals were well fed and treated, and every one did a very good job.

One of the most interesting things was the soundtrack. And that is the reason for this update, because during one of the presentations the song that was playing was Burn by The Cure, from The Crow soundtrack. I hadn't heard that song for I do not know how many years and I can't seem to stop to want to listen to it (fortunately my younger sister bought the CD a few years ago).

This movie belongs to another life... in another place...
Sometimes it is hard to believe that certain things did happen, that even though you do not notice it we do change a very small bit every day that goes by. That is what I call personal evolution. Is that what mos people call growing old, becoming an adult?!

I decided to share it here:

The Cure - Burn (The Crow Soundtrack, 1994)
(WARNING: The video might be a bit violent because of the nature of the movie.)

(credit to thedeviantTUBE @ YouTube)

Questions...

2009-03-09T00:46:00.002Z

One of the questions that comes to me from time to time is:

When you look at me what do you see?

Shouldn't it be:

When I look at me what do I see?

Why is it that it is so hard to look into oneself?

Just because...

2009-02-25T18:21:00.005Z

Sunset @ San Francisco Pacific Ocean Beach 07 02 09

A random thought or photo... or maybe not so random...

2009-02-24T00:56:00.007Z

After being back for a week, I finally did what I had said I would once I got back home (actually I did it last friday, but I got to lazy to post at the time), I straighten out my hair to see how long it got after almost 9 months without being cut.

And what is the importance of this?, you may ask.
It's not importante at all, I'm just letting my girly instincts surface for a bit. :)

I also said that I would take a picture to show to everyone, hence this post. :)
This picture has another reason, I have never had my hair this long, and I'm going to cut it to a surprising length next friday...

PS - It seems that I may be in a good path to fulfill my new year's resolution of more posts, even if it is about something has uninteresting as my hair.

I'm back home

2009-02-16T18:55:00.003Z

After two flights, one to cross the States and another to cross The Pond (a.k.a. the Atlantic Ocean), I'm back home. I´ve been for few hour already, but I had to keep myself busy so would not fall a sleep before the right time.

Other than tired I'm fine!

The last 24h...

2009-02-14T15:57:00.003Z

Right know it's 7h58 in the morning... So I have 24h and a few minutes remaining in San Francisco. :)

What to do with the remaining time?!
Finish packing, go for brunch, go around town and most of all enjoy the day.

There were few times that I thought that time was not going by, but, like always, in the end it has gone by quite fast.

Well, I do not have much more to write. See you when I'm back home.

Time goes by fast...

2009-02-09T05:19:00.004Z

...which is no news for anyone. :)

At this moment I'm still in San Francisco, but the countdown as turned into less than a week. Exactly one week from know I will be approaching Portugal, flying over the Atlantic Ocean. Uau... It's thrilling and scaring at the same time. It's still too early to make sense of everything that has happen for the past 7 months, I need distance to gain perspective, I need time to look into myself without any bias, to take a deep breath and relax. But I can say right now that it was an awesome adventure, with it's usual ups and downs, however I'm completely sure that the final impression will be positive.

My internship is complete. Friday was my last day, such a strange feeling... the time spent there was pleasurable, the people that I met are great and I loved working with my supervisor (the best one that I had by all means!!).

Right now I'm tired beyond measure, I fall asleep everywhere either in the Muni coming home or at a friend's house after dinner. It's really embarrassing!! I cannot really fight it... aiaiaiai

This week will be dedicated to go around town saying goodbye and enjoying the last days in this city. As for the to do list that I talked a few days back it was finally completed today.

SFMOMA - check
Asian Art Museum - check
de Young Museum (not included in the initial list) - check
California Academy of Sciences - check
Japanese Tea Garden - check
San Francisco Pacific Ocean Beach - check
Glide Memorial Church (also not in the initial list) - check
Alcatraz - check

All these things in 1 month... I had 7 to do all these, but, as the good Portuguese that I am, I left it for the last moment. There where a few times that I thought that was not going to be able to do everything that I wanted... it's seems like I proved myself wrong.

Once I'm back in Portugal and settled, I will post the photos and videos that I made during these visits.

I had so many ideas of what to write in this post, but, as usual, I forgot most of them and got sidetracked...

To my gals...

2009-02-03T04:16:00.002Z

I cannot believe that time as passed so fast... it's been almost 10 years since we met at the Caloirodromo... :P

The other day I heard this music for the first time in awhile and I could not stop from remembering some of the time that we spent together. :)

So just for you girls:

Tribalistas - Velha Infância

(credits to RobinIchirou @ YouTube)

Just to let you know that...

2009-01-15T23:51:00.003Z

... in exactly one month I'll be in the middle of my journey back home.

The real countdown has begun. It's that time when you start feeling that you really have to start making the most of the time that you still have, going back to the places that you like and visiting the ones that you sill have not gone to.

I started visiting these "I really wanna go to" places last week, with a visit to SFMOMA (San Francisco Modern Art Museum). It was a very interesting visit, got to see paints by Dali, Frieda Kahlo, Matisse, Duchamp and others. I have a strange relation with modern art, sometimes I really like others I just do not understand it... but I think that happens most of the times.

There still a few other places that I want to go to: Alcatraz, the Museum of the California Science Academy and the Asian Art Museum. Let's see if I can make them all...

Every now and then we are faced with rude wake-up calls

2009-01-15T18:16:00.005Z

Something happens that puts you in perspective and remembers you that nothing in life can be taken for granted...

But on the other hand, you cannot live your life always in fear that something might happen... We can only do our best.

If you could please help: http://findafonsotiago.blogspot.com/

Thank you!

Even though I'm late:

2009-01-07T06:40:00.003Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! :D

I hope that all you entered in this new year in the best way possible! And that we can all have a eventful year, with plenty of good surprises and challenges. :)

And I, sincerely, hope that I am able to post more often then last year... it seems that did not start that well for this particular resolution...

Do not forget to: HAVE FUN THIS YEAR! :)

A very unusual Holiday Season

2008-12-28T08:12:00.005Z

Through out my twenty something years of life there as been a constant in my Holiday Season: my younger sister... This is the first Christmas that we have not spent together. It's, for a lack of a better word, utterly strange.

In spite of not having spent this holiday season with my family, things were not as bad as I had expected them to be. :) It did not have the feeling of Christmas, but it was not as depressing has it might have been. Maybe because I was able to talk through the day with all my family, and I was even able to see some of them using this fantastic invention called Internet. Since I was able to talk to them things were less difficult. This was really important for me, since I strongly believe that Christmas is the season to be with your family.

Considering the distance to Portugal, we were still able to maintain a few traditions, namely eating a bit of bacalhau (codfish) and some traditional sweets (rabanadas and sonhos de abóbora).

But what was really unusual was the 25th of December... After having eaten some lamb with 3 of my friends, we decided to go ice skating... It was fun!! (I'm still able to feel the aches through out my body from the 1h30 we spent in the ice rink...) Never in my live I would have guessed that I would go ice skating on December 25th...

Macy's store @ Union Square were the Ice Rink is located

Our feet, ready to take the ice ;P

The Christmas Tree at one of the ends of the Ice Rink.

PS - I only fell once and I wasn't skating, I was standing "still" try to do balance my self in one leg (doing aviões)...

Happy Holidays everyone!! :D

2008-12-24T18:30:00.000Z

This time a year a go I was in...

2008-11-22T02:34:00.007Z

...Germany, more specifically in Hannover.

I went there to visit my younger Sister and had a very good time going around town and visiting Hamburg. I also saw what snowing really meant for the first time and bought two j-rock Cd's. :)

It was a visit that was promised for a long time and after finishing and delivering my MSc Thesis the time felt right to go there. It was my first flight in 13 years...

When I returned I said that I would post some photos, which I ended never doing. So after a year I'm finally fulfilling my promise.

The soundtrack and the hobby that helped the time pass during the train ride and flight.

A beautiful garden (I'm sorry but I do not remember the name of most of the sites that I went to).

A lake made by man, ordered by Hitler to give a job to many of the unemployed of that time.

A church that was destroyed during the WWII bombings and that remains in the same state to this day so that people do not forget the consequences of war.

The detail of the entry to a church.

A street in Hannover.

Hamburg.

A channel in Hamburg.
(One of my favorite photos.)

Bismarck.

Another church destroyed during the WWII bombings, this time in Hamburg.

What's really important?

2008-11-14T03:35:00.005Z

I do not have a definitive answer.

For me this answer lies in the same box as what is truth?, it varies from person to person... the way I experience something is different from the way the person that is right beside me experiences it. Likewise, what is really important for oneself depends on who you are, how you were raised and of your own morals and personal values.

Reality can been seen through diferent perspectives.

That is why we should not judge others so easily, because something that is right for us might be wrong for others... what I hold dear might be different from what you hold dear...

I know that sometimes it is not easy to not judge others. Like every other person on this planet I have also committed this act. After all, we are only human...

All this conversation because I have important decisions to make and decided to avoid the subject by posting another random thought (lol)... See you around!!!

The world was watching and so was I :)

2008-11-07T04:12:00.006Z

I now I'm a bit late, but could not let this pass... On Tuesday, November 4Th 2008 the world had their eyes on the USA and so did I. With the difference that my living room is located in San Francisco...

When CNN announced the projection that Senator Obama would be the President Elect, you could hear everyone screaming with joy and even some went out to express their happiness.

Better yet was the great speech that he delivered when accepting the task ahead. I'm sure that somewhere in the future our children will study this speech in school, as I studied I have a dream by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Lets wait and see what becomes of this, and I wish all the luck to the USA and President Elect Barack Obama.

Enjoy:
Obama: Victory Speech in The New Times (I wanna thank my Sis for giving me this link).

I have a question...

2008-10-13T05:31:00.004+01:00

I have been meaning to post this for awhile now... but considering the previous post, and I think I did good to wait (bad excuse for laziness... lol).

And the question is: What stimuli most easily brings back memories to you?

online casino Polls

I'll go first... For me there are two, music (a specific type of sense of hearing) and aromas, fragrances or perfumes (sense of smell). I think the first one is an easy guess for who ever has read as few entries of this blog, this one can lead to complete memories or almost complete memories. The second one, usually, brings back the memories of feelings, how I felt at a certain time (it's difficult to explain)...

I would really like to have some answers please, both in the poll that I posted and in the comment section, with more specific answer and examples if possible. Please, Please, Please... I'm really curious.

Since I ask for example, here's one. This music, reminds me of my sisters and cousins, but especially my older sister. When this album came out, I really hated this type of music. In the meantime I have grown very fond of it and it brings me very nice memories

Metallica - Enter Sandman

(credits to MetallicaVideos @ Youtube)

Yesterday was Remembrance Day for me...

2008-10-13T03:20:00.007+01:00

This weekend we had Sofia from San Diego visiting us, and consequently we (me and Inês) went around San Francisco to show her the town. It seems like she loved it. :)

During whole of yesterday several events brought back a lot of memories or made me think about my family. During the afternoon there was a special presentation of jet planes by the Bay. Every time one of the jets did one specially wicked stunt (being it a loop or a flying upside down or pass by really near us, making you feel as if you where going deaf because of the sound of the engines) I only thought about my father and how much he would love to see that (Acho que ias adorar Papá!!)
(Unfortunately, I forgot my camera at home, so I did not take any photos...)

After that I went to downtown, to Union Square, and ate, once again for me, the fantastic cheesecakes from The Cheesecake Factory, a sin waiting to be eaten. At this moment I thought about my Mom and her companion and also my sisters. They would have love that. It's just too much of a temptation. ;)

For dinner we had sushi, to be more accurate we ate Maki, better known as Sushi Rolls. At this time I could only think that I will miss this so easy access to Japanese Food when (and if) I go back to Portugal. I also thought that my younger sister would have loved this. Even if in the country that she is right now she can get easily eat it.

After dinner I went clubbing for a bit. The club itself is nothing special and yet again I had troubles with my drivers license, since most people don't believe that the person in the picture is really me (at the time I took my drivers license I was 18 y.o., I had really short hair and now it goes all the way to my waist...). So once again, I had to show my passport to prove that I really am over 21. (To be honest I find this a bit hilarious...) At first the music was a bit lame, really nothing special but after a while they started to play a lot of musics that brought back memories of my sisters and cousins from when we where little. From Madonna to Michael Jackson, going through Eurythmics and Depeche Mode.

The Depeche Mode music that they played was Enjoy the Silence (which because of more recent memories makes me think a lot of my younger sister). So, in honor of those times here is the video:

Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence

(credit to MrAerinosigor13 @ YouTube)

In the end it was a very good day. And I have to say that I think that most of my family would love to come here, specially my sisters and my cousins. :)

Juno Reactor @ The Independent, San Francisco - the video

2008-09-26T08:44:00.002+01:00

And finally the video... it's only 3 minutes...

(credits to me @ YouTube)

Juno Reactor @ The Independent, San Francisco (23 09 08)

2008-09-25T07:12:00.011+01:00

Words cannot describe how awesome yesterday's concert was!!! It was above everything that I expected... The band was great, the audience was really into it and the energy levels were off the roof. Pure, raw, positive energy, that lasted for the 2 and half hours of the concert.

The background canvas.

I was mesmerized by the sound, the show, the dancers and singers and definitely by SUGIZO. The man has such a cool and calm aura around him, but when he picks his guitar... I do not even know how to describe it... only seen live, that's how awesome he looked to me (but I might be biased...). For a few minutes we where also able to seem him play his violin, but it was for such a short amount of time and not the kind of music to show his skills. But I'm not complaining, on the contrary, I'm more than happy to have had this opportunity.

SUGIZO

I really lack the words to describe the show in it self and the emotional experience it was to me. There are very few first time concerts that have moved me emotionally, in fact there is only one other. That one was the beginning of my "love affair" with Lamb, but the major difference is that I really didn't know anything about Lamb and this time I already had some background information on Juno Reactor. I got to know Juno Reactor because of SUGIZO, by reading his blogs and by the background information that I found about him. However, yesterday was the first time that I payed attention to their music and I can say that this is one of the cases that live is much better than recorded. Nothing can surpass the energy of a great live concert.

From the leader of the band (Ben Watkins, he was in such a position on stage that he was almost unseen for the entire concert, except for the few occasions that he picked his guitar and came to the center stage), to the British female vocalist, the Jamaican male vocalist, the South African dancers/drummers, the drummer (I'm sorry but he is the only one I have no idea about his nationality) and, of course, the Japanese guitar player, every single one of the was giving their best and just enjoying themselves. They almost looked like a band that played together all time, for how in sync with each other they where.

The male and female vocalists and one of the dancers/drummers (this man dancing, was something beyond words...)

What else to say?! I danced and enjoyed myself for the entire concert, needless to say that today I felt exhausted but also recharged of positive energy. I was really needing something like this. Definitely in my TOP 5 concerts, and I think you can guess the position... :)

What to add... If you have the opportunity, go see them live!! It really is worth it!!

I also recorded some videos but I was to close to the speakers, so the sound is very distorted. The only exception was the first one, in which they were entering the stage (has soon has YouTube allows it I'll upload it and post the link/video here).

The first concert of the month...

2008-09-17T16:53:00.005+01:00

Tricky @ The Independent on September 14th was the first concert of this month.

So how was it?!

It could have been better is my first comment. Supposedly, Tricky had been hospitalized earlier in the day and he had to check himself out of the hospital to go to the concert, since the doctors did not want him to leave. This said it's true that he was using is inhaler, but it's also true the he was smoking pot through out the all concert... I would say that is not a very good combination...

I'm not familiar with his music and it was the first time that I saw him live. He somehow had a more secondary role that what I expected him to have, in some musics he did not even sing. And he the ones that he sung his vocals resembled more backing vocals than main vocals. They played a curious version of The Cure's Love Cats. In the end I have to say that I liked it, but I would like to see him live again when he is supposedly not sick, to see if there is any difference. To see if there is more energy on stage, because the crowd seemed to be really in to it.

There were two good surprises that night, the first was the venue... it's a good venue for more intimate concerts (it takes about 370 persons); and I'm going there next week for another concert with Sugizo, so even if I'm by the bar I'll be close enough to the stage to have a good look at him. The second was the opening act, Sonny... an electronic group with no bass-line (or at least with no live bass player), but with a fantastic drum section and curious vocals. Here's the link for his/their myspace.

I'm sorry to say that I did not take any photos, because I did not know if I was allowed. But I now know that I can take pictures if I do not use any flash. So... I'm planning to take a bunch of photos from the Juno Reactor and Sugizo concert. :)

Miyavi

2008-09-14T19:33:00.004+01:00

Today is Miyavi's birthday.... wow I cannot believe I'm posting about this... lol

But it has a reason... this time last year I was finishing my Master Thesis and applying to the Internship program that I'm currently in. So much has changed... it's unbelievable. Of course a year is a very long time and a lot can happen, but you only notice when you look back and think about it. Somehow, at that time, I really did not believe that things could have taken this turn. I don't why, but that is the truth. Maybe it's my not very optimistic nature.

I remember that one year ago, Miyavi's music was really important for me and the message within it was what I needed at that time. So, in order to celebrate the evolution of life:

雅-miyavi - 陽の光さえ届かないこの場所でｆｅａｔ．ＳＵＧＩＺＯ (Hi No Hikari Sae Todokanai Kono Basho De feat. SUGIZO)

(credits to AKC925 @ YouTube)

Link to the lyrics and translation all credits go to baka_neko @ Jrock Revolution Forums

For your amusement:

2008-08-20T07:58:00.002+01:00

American "Bigfoot" is monkey suit @ BBC news.

I cracked myself laughing...

Note concerning the photo albuns

2008-08-20T07:41:00.003+01:00

I have changed the order of the photo albuns, the most recent ones are now on top.

Also, I added two new photo albuns: Stefan's last night and Going around San Francisco - Financial District and Chinatown. :)

Time for the long overdue post...

2008-08-20T04:36:00.006+01:00

I've been wanting to write ever since the 3rd of August... But for various reasons, must of them related to laziness (*cough*) we arrived to the 19th of August without a single update.

So why did I want to write since that particular date?!

Because, on the 3rd of August we went to Stern Grove Festival, a free entrance festival with a lot of good performances. On this day the performances held were the responsibility of SI*SÉ (myspace) and Bajofondo (myspace). The two concerts were amazing, but Bajofondo completely stole the afternoon...

If you follow the myspace links you'll get a taste of the vibe of each of these bands. Both are from the electronica field, but while SI*SÉ is in the trip-hop area, Bajofondo is electronic tango, so in the end the vibes are completely different and the last one is more danceable and festive (and I love trip-hop, one of my all time favourite bands is Lamb). Which was in complete accordance with the vibe of the festival (yes, I've notice the over-use of the word vibe, lol).

The venue (if we can call that a venue, the concerts were held at Stern Grove Park) was completely full, there were no places to sit. By the end of Bajofondo's concert almost everyone us jumping up and down and dancing to the sound of the fabulous music that could be heard. In the last music everyone (not everyone, but a lot of people) jumped on the stage and started dancing with the band. I have a small video showing this (yes, it's mine).

Bajofondo @ Stern Grove Festival 03 08 08:

To hear the complete music please follow this link -> Bajofondo - Los Tangueros (credits to romeropablo @ YouTube).

All this to say that: Bajofondo rocked!! And that in San Francisco you can go to fantastic concerts without having to pay anything!! :D

After this fantastic concert, almost everyone went to our place to eat a so so (fantastic, :P) feijoada, also known as bean-oada, cooked by Marcos.

Other than that, we have been blessed with a few sunny days that have felt as heaven. On these days, which happen to have occurred mostly on Saturdays, we went around the city. Namely, we went to the Financial District, Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf (on this last day, that was this weekend the weather was terrible, cold and misty..).

On Fisherman's Wharf we were able to eat fish (which is a rarity here) and see seals. I have photos of the seals (as soon as facebook stops his tantrum I'll post the link for them in the usual place).

I also returned to the Japan Center and bought a gift for myself, Sugizo's (myspace) last release: Cosmoscape, that is a collection of the 10 years of Sugizo's solo work. It was worth every cent that I payed for it. :D

This is a very short summary of what has happen this month, but sincerely I'm not that inspired to write... sorry...

More to come in the future, whenever I'll get the mood to write. (Sorry, but it really depends on the days...)

For my Family :)

2008-08-01T22:37:00.004+01:00

Tom Jobim and Elis Regina - Águas de Março

(credits to streetjustice90 @ Youtube)

Sometimes I really don't know what to think...

2008-08-01T18:12:00.004+01:00

Plan calls pill, IUDs abortion in cnn.com

What to think?!

The link is for a video, I hope you can see it.

EDIT: Here are some articles, since it seems the video is no longer working:

Bush proposal to change abortion definition in ABCnews.

It's been a month...

2008-07-31T23:13:00.005+01:00

Who would say that a month could go past so quickly?!... Everyone!! lol

When you are doing something new and exciting time just flies by. And that was what happen in this first month in the States. To think of it, I almost didn't have time to think of what was going on, of where I was. So many thing happened at the same time: searching for a place to stay, moving in, in the mean time facing jet-lag (so bad that on my first night here I fell a sleep on the restaurant..), going out, meeting new people, starting work, welcoming the ones that arrived after us and saying goodbye to the ones that welcomed us.

At this moment the balance is positive, even though most of the city is still to explore and tons of things are still to be done. :)

A month has passed, 6 and half to go (the countdown has begun).

Booka Shade was...

2008-07-28T08:55:00.005+01:00

...simply phenomenal!!!

Tomorrow I'll edit with a video, if I find one.

EDIT: Instead of one you get two videos!! Enjoy!! :)

Booka Shade - Body Language (live)

(credits to physicalfilms @ Youtube)

Booka Shade - Charlotte

(credits to physicalfilms @ Youtube)

Last Week

2008-07-27T23:03:00.005+01:00

I feel like writing but I don't know what... isn't that strange...

Things here in San Francisco have been going great. Lots of parties, not that much of sightseeing and lots of new acquaintances that have a great potential to become good friends (I'm sorry!! But I'm not one to call a person a friend so easily. However some have already a special place in my heart and others are getting there.)

This past week has been quite hectic. Starting on last Sunday our "welcoming party" (C11 interns) commenced their return to Portugal which ended yesterday, hence the parties and dinners. From what I saw I know that you guys really enjoyed your stay here and made a big effort to pass us that message. Thank you for your warm welcome and even though the time we passed together was short it was full of good memories. I hope to someday see you all again, but must of all I hope that this 8 months full of experiences will become a good foundation for your personal evolution.

The only sightseeing of the week was a short trip to Haight Street (Sis I think that you would like this street). The once heart of the Flower Power and Love Revolution. It really ended up being a short trip and I wanna go back to see more of it and maybe take some photos, because even though I took my camera I didn't took one photo to show for it... It's an interesting neighbourhood full of Zen shops but it also has some more commercial ones. We entered a second hand clothing shop, that had from 50's swimming suits to 80's evening gowns and everything in between. Very interesting. :)

Ohh, and yesterday the weather was great, the best that it has ever been since we came. I was able to wear sandals!! Yuppiii!! But today its cold again and grey...

What more to say?! I think that will be all for now. Don't forget to go see the photos, the links are on the right side bar and please say something.

More photos...

2008-07-26T04:36:00.003+01:00

I just uploaded a new photo album and more will come this weekend...

So, if you're interested, go take a look. :)

Be careful...

2008-07-24T19:13:00.005+01:00

Net firms in music pirates deal in BBC news.

Even though this concerns the UK law everyone should start to be careful with file-sharing, things aren't has simple as they were...

On a side note: this is my 105th post... and it's my first news post in a long time...

Pleasant surprises...

2008-07-24T00:24:00.004+01:00

Sometimes a simple pleasant experience can come from the most unexpected and innocent act.

The most simple gesture can lead you exactly to the right thing for you at that moment. And you can even be unaware of how much you were needing it... You might have a slight idea, but not the full grasp of it. In the end, it might have been your subconscious giving you a heads up when you decided to do that simple gesture or ask that simple question.

The problem is that you might feel the need to repeat it, but you know that either it was a one time thing or due to circumstances that are out of your reach your time is very short.

But at least you experienced it and it will remain a good memory. :)

And sometimes things have the meaning that they have because they are random events.

P.S. - Just another random thought.

P.S. 2 - I want to write much more but I really don't know how to express the thoughts and feelings that are running around my head.

Photo Albuns

2008-07-17T04:17:00.002+01:00

Links to my photo albuns will be given on the sidebar (->), please go take a look... tell me if it works and if you liked them.

More to come...

See you!! :)

Japan Center

2008-07-14T19:31:00.007+01:00

On Saturday I went to one of the places that I really wanted to go ever since I knew that I was coming to San Francisco... The Japan Center... Can you guess why?! :P

Ohh god!!! I got completely lost there!!! I was able to taste Japanese food, that wasn't Sushi, even though I love sushi I'm very curious about the other plates. The food was great and at a very accessible price.

But the biggest treat was the store that I found that sells from magazines to cds passing through dvds of Visual Kei. All my favorite bands were there... with more than one cd. Ohh, the effort that I had to do to not buy anything... The prices were a bit high and this is not the month for that kind of expenses, but next month... who knows... :) I really looked like a little kid in a candy store!!

I also found some Japanese textbooks that may come in handy, if I decide to still try to teach myself Japanese. :)

To summarize: I was in Heaven for about 2h this weekend. :P

The Lost Boys... Memory Lane... :)

2008-07-12T17:43:00.005+01:00

Let's make a break from posts concerning San Francisco and Inov Contacto, not that I have written many of them...

Yesterday, my young sister send me a file called Surprise, on that file are two musics from the 1987 movie The Lost Boys. I only opened the file now and it was a drive down memory lane. This was one of the films we saw bunch of times with my older sister and our cousins when we where younger.

The movie's soundtrack is awesome, from the musics that where written especially for it to the musics that where "borrowed", for instance the movie opens with People are Strange from The Doors. At that time my older sister was in a The Doors phase, among other things.

Besides that, the movie is completely 1980s from the visual aspect to the music, going through the story line. However, I think that it's good 1980s movie, well it's a Joel Schumacher movie and it stars Kieffer Sutherland (trailer)... :)

Here is one of the great songs from the movie: Gerard McMann - Cry Little Sister (credit to StylishSurfer @ YouTube)

San Francisco - first impressions...

2008-07-09T06:56:00.003+01:00

Cold... very cold...

Coming to San Francisco, in the state of California, one would expect a very comfortable temperature... well I'm sorry to say that the weather in San Francisco, most of the times, is equivalent to the beginning of Spring in Portugal. That is to say, it's to f*****g cold for this time of the year. And to think that I considered bringing my Winter jacket and decided to leave it at home... I only have summer jackets...

Another characteristic of San Francisco is the fog, rare is the day that is free of fog... and it's an heavy fog. It usually starts to settle at the end of the afternoon beginning of the night, it's quite spectacular to see it coming from the hills into the bay. But you know that you are going to be cold when you are out in the street that night.

Ohh, and the hills... they are pretty but a pain in the a** to climb... here is a photo from when we went looking for a house and ended up going almost to the top of one of this hills:
(The image won't upload, I'll try again later... FINALLY IT WORKED!!)

But I have to confess that I'm liking my stay here, even if until now I haven't had that much time for myself. Maybe now that I already have a house I can start to relax and get into my own special rhythm.

And another thing, the cars are huge... really huge, even the small ones are big when compared to Europe. Of course from time to time you see a Toyota Yaris or a Mini, but that is rare.

More to come when I have the time and the right feeling to write. :)

The arrival (finally...)

2008-07-04T16:00:00.005+01:00

(The only picture I took during the flights: Ilha do Pico, Açores)

The journey to San Francisco was long, tiring, fun, stressed, calm and something I had never done.

Let's start from the very beginning...

I woke up at 5h30 in the morning so I could have the necessary time for my morning routine and leave the house to the airport with all the calm in the world. I didn't want to start my almost 24h journey day stressed. Everything was good in the journey from Porto to Lisboa, with the small exception that there were a bunch of kids in the same plane as us that had never flown. Meaning that all small things were an excuse to scream and laugh, they counted about 4 times from 5 to 1 in hope that the plane would take off when they reached 1... :)

When we arrived to Lisboa it was already time to start boarding to the flight to New York, so no time to go to the free tax area. In here, our remaining 3 journey companions joined us. The flight was completely booked and we ended up getting separated, when we had pre-booked our seats so we could be near one another... This was a good flight, even if long, 8h long... And then we arrived in Newark. We didn't get to see the Statue of Liberty, only some of us our lucky enough to see Manhattan, because we were on the right side of the plane (which would be the left one). And here started the big adventure... the first time you arrive in the USA you have to go through the Immigration Services.So, we got “held” in the Immigration Services for about 2h, and why?! Because even though we were legal, the time frame that our visas allowed us to stay in the USA was not long enough to complete our internship. So, due to that four of the six of us lost their connecting plane to San Francisco. Since I was the first one to get my extended visa I was still able to catch my plane, but I really had to run. There was this very nice sir that resolved that since I was in such a hurry I should volunteer to do a more through check-up, that is aside from having to take off my shoes and put them in the x-ray machine with my bag and computer, I was searched by a police (security)-woman and my bag, computer and shoes were screened for any trace of prohibited substances...

There were some “interesting” stories in the time in got held in the immigration services, for instance a guy was led there with his hands handcuffed, a Portuguese man was there because is name was similar with that of a guy that was having troubles with the police and there was this couple that the guy had to be deported, because if he entered the US he would be arrested... this one was a bit sad, the girl was completely torn and the boy didn't know what to do. They were still young, early 20s. But it really was the best for him to go back to Portugal, than to be arrested for 5 years...

And back to our journey, my flight to San Francisco was horrible because I didn't know what happen to the rest of the guys and was completely stressed. After 6h10m of stress, I arrived at San Francisco International Airport. The plane still was at the gate and I already had my phone on and tried phoning them... and my calls wouldn't go through. So I decided to get my bags as fast as possible (if they had made it to the plane) and go to the arrival terminal for the plane of the one that would fly separately from the rest of us. I got there and waited for about 5 minutes for her plane to land. But then I couldn't see her... I start thinking that every one was stuck in Newark, and that I couldn't reach anyone... but then we spotted each other. We decided to wait and see if the others came in the next plane, if not we would go to the hostel by ourselves. Luckily, after about an hour they arrived (their plane was late... they weren't very lucky).

Then, off to the hostel where we arrived around 2h in the morning.

I was exhausted, but I almost didn't sleep, and suffered severely from jet-lag until Wednesday, today was bit better, but I still feel tired easily...

And this is the report for the journey to San Francisco. Others will come for the remaining days. :P

The last post in Portuguese soil?! Maybe...

2008-06-27T21:35:00.004+01:00

After two "quick" passages through American soil without having to board a plane I obtained my visa to the States.

On the same day that I went to pick my passport, with the before mentioned visa, my flight (or should I say flights) to San Francisco was confirmed. And what I didn't want to happen is going to happen, that is we are not going to have a direct flight from Europe to San Francisco. Nope, we are going to do a small (3h25m) pit stop in Newark Liberty International (Newark). Which is going to be better for us if we consider the amount of time that a direct flight would take (around 14h). The way things are planned now we are going to do two smaller flights of 8h10m (from Lisbon to Newark) and 6h20m (from Newark to San Francisco). God, I'm going to end this journey so dead...

I'm leaving from Porto airport at 9h30 and will arrive at San Francisco at 21h40 (local time), which corresponds to 4h in the morning in Portugal. I'm curious about how will I be at the end of the day (yeah, I know I'm a bit of a sadistic... because, of course, I will be as fresh as in the morning :P).

So tomorrow and the day after tomorrow I'll be busy packing and trying not to forget anything important.

But I'm feeling so calm about everything... I'm really surprised with myself... Probably won't sleep from Sunday to Monday. Ohh yeah, I stil haven't told when I'me leaving... hihi... Ok, so that should be Monday, June 30th 2008 from Porto to (Lisbon -> Newark ->) San Francisco.

Bye... I probably will not post again before I get there.

So..

2008-06-22T18:43:00.001+01:00

.. tomorrow for the first time I'll set a foot in American soil and I don't even have to take a plane. ;P

hihihihi

Something funny :)

2008-06-21T00:59:00.004+01:00

Sometimes I come to my own blog and expect to see something new!!

Isn't it funny?! Since I am the one who is responsible to update the blog...

I think it has something to do with the fact that I'm curious about what people think of what I write... or even if they read the blog.

And that's the random thought of the day. :)

Today was...

2008-06-18T17:39:00.005+01:00

..bank day!!! Yuppiii!!

I had several things to do that required me to go to 3 different bank agencies. Fortunately there was almost no one there, in neither if the three of them. Meaning that I was able to take care of everything quite fast. :)

Unfortunately, I choose the wrong pair of shoes... No, they weren't high heels, they were flats, but they hurt my pretty "little" feet... Poor feet...

lol, I'm in a completely random mood...

Well, because I wanted to take care of everything has quickly has possible I decided to wake up early (which means alarm clock). Since I didn't get any sleep last night, and only took a nap in the middle of the afternoon (slept around 4hrs), it took me almost 30 minutes to get out of bed.

As you can see this is really just a random post. I just felt like writing something, anything...

The hard thing about not being able to live without music...

2008-06-17T07:17:00.010+01:00

...is that if you are going to travel and have a new computer you have to transfer the whole of your music library... which, depending of the time, may vary between 9GB and 15Gb...

It's a very boring and labourous work... lol... but I'll be able to take my music with me. :D

P.S. - Maybe I'll try to take a little nap before going to perform my tasks for the day...

P.S. 2 - This what I decided to do to take advantage of my insomnia. :P

EDIT: I decided that this would a very fitting song for tonight. :)

Faithless - Insomnia (live in Glatonsbury 2002)

(credits to mikeyb37@YouTube)

I've never seen them live, but it should be a awesome show. :)

Hello There...

2008-06-17T07:01:00.003+01:00

So why am I posting at 7 in the morning... well, let's see... insomnia... again... Why?!

Because when I was almost falling a sleep I remembered that in about 2 weeks I should be in San Francisco... which is good, but I still have a few things to take care of and, to be honest, I still haven't fully digest that bit of information...lol

Sometimes it's just better if things happen swiftly, if you don't have time to think. I had to much time to think, letting my mind get somewhat confortable with the ideia that it's nothing but a dream... I'm really ridiculous. :)

Ohh, and I had decided to take some photographs today... Needless to say that that particular project has been cancelled... maybe the day after tomorrow...

On a side note...

Today, well yesterday I went to see the latest Indiana Jones... :) I liked it!! I really love the dry humour. I think I'm going to see the previous 3 sometime this week.

And the awesome news was...

2008-06-09T20:48:00.009+01:00

... that I was accepted in a International Trainee Program, and above all that I will be going to do my internship in SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA!!!! To tell you the truth at the time I wrote that post I still didn't know where I was going to go, we were only told at the 23rd of May. Yes, I know that today is the 9th of June... but I really took my time to digest the news. And I think I have still to fully digest them...

I really had no expections when it came to the place I was going to be send to when I arrived for my week of formation in Lisbon. However, during the week I would sometimes harbour the thought it would be cool to go to San Francisco. And guess what?! That was where I ended up. And I'm going to be there for 9 months... :)

The only thing that I'm sorry about now is that Miyavi has already gone there for his world tour... bad bad timing... :)

So, in about a month the posts are going to start to coming to you directly from the USA. I'll try to be little more consistent, to give you guys a feeling of how the things are going on across the pond and a continent. ;)

(credit to www.iicsanfrancisco.esteri.it/)

A year of JRock...

2008-05-29T00:29:00.011+01:00

So, around this time last year, I first heard of Japanese Rock music... And a very interesting relationship began. I haven't felt so thrilled by music for a long time, and not only the music but the people that make the music.

I got to known Miyavi, Gackt, the Gazette, Alice Nine, Kagrra,, Sugizo (and, consequently, Luna Sea) and Yoshiki (which of course also includes X Japan) and a few others. These artists are not only appealing because of their music but also because of their visual style. For instance, I cannot imagine Miyavi without his tattoos, piercings, crazy hats and clothes. The remaining artists also have a very strong and charactheristic visual image. However, in the end their music is what remains.

Give them a chance, don't get shocked for their visuals or their stage antics (some people might feel ofended, but its fanservice; it exists because the fans want to see that kind of stuff). Go to YouTube and search them. I'll leave here some links for each of them.

Miyavi (oficial homepage; wiki)
Selfish Love
(the music/video that made me fall in love with Miyavi)
Hi No Hikari sae todokanai kono basho (ft. Sugizo)
(the latest single; link for the lyrics translation - credits to baka_neko - just in case your curious)
Ashita, Genki ni Naare

Gackt (oficial homepage; wiki)
Lust for Blood
(also the music/video that made me fall in love with Gackt)
Misty
(instrumental, have a bit of patience and wait until the music starts its worth it)
Returner -Yami no Shuuen
(the latest single)

the Gazette (oficial homepage; wiki)
Chizuru
Filth in the Beauty

Alice nine (oficial homepage; wiki)
Souen Namonaki Kimi e
(definitely my favorite from these guys :))
Q.

Kagrra, (oficial homepage; wiki)
Utakata
(the link for the lyrics translation is some posts back)
Sakebi
Satsuki

Sugizo (oficial homepage; wiki)
Synchronicity by Soundtrack
Lucifer
Kind of Blue

Luna Sea (oficial homepage; wiki)
(i don't know Luna Sea that well... this is just a glimpse; to tell you the truth I still have a lot to learn about all these artists, so search for them if what you see and hear is somewhat enjoyable for you)
Storm
I for You
Rosier

Yoshiki (oficial homepage; wiki)
Symphonic Concert Trailer
(Yoshiki is, among other things, a composer, a piano player and a drummer)
Drum solo
Unnamed Song

X Japan (oficial homepage; wiki)
I.V.
(from Saw IV soundtrack)
Art of Life
(only an excerpt, since the original is ~30 minutes long; to hear the remaining of the song follow the links that are in the description box)
X (version 1, 2)
Rusty Nail

As a bonus a music from a band composed of Yoshiki, Gackt, Sugizo and Miyavi:
S.K.I.N. - Killing you Softly
(unfortunatly something official has yet to be released)

There is a ton of other JRock and/or Visual Kei bands that I don't know. This is nothing but a small sample.

PS - It took me more than a hour to write this post. And I was stupid and lost the last few that I had written, because I logged off... So I had to re-write everything and go after the last links again...

PS2 - I had two addtional PS's but I don't remember what I wrote...

PS3 - I remembered one: It seems like I don't feel lazy to write about Japanese Rock music in English. To tell the truth it feels completely natural...

Happy Birthday DAD!!!

2008-05-28T22:56:00.002+01:00

Uns minutos atrasado... mas pronto o que conta é a intenção...

Boa sorte na nova etapa da tua vida que estas quase a iniciar. :)

Aqui fica uma música da minha infância que me lembra o meu Pai sempre que a oiço. :) (Apesar de ser um pouco deprimente.)

10cc - I'm not in love

(credits to alaf22 @ YouTube)

PS - Não ando com grande vontade de escrever em inglês. :)

I just got the most awesome news.... :D

2008-05-14T23:56:00.003+01:00

Eu não acredito!!! Não estava nada a contar, pensei que já se tinham esquecido de mim!!! Estou completamente histérica!!! LOL

Não há nada como a nossa Língua Mãe para expressar os nossos sentimentos!!!

deus...

Mas é sempre a mesma coisa, ainda esta semana tomei uma decisão na direcção completamente oposta. Mas, por outro lado não posso desperdiçar esta oportunidade!!! Estou completamente tola!!! :D

No entanto, não é nada de definitivo. Só ao fim da primeira semana é que vou ter a certeza, portanto só daqui a mais ou menos semana e meia é que vou dizer mesmo o que se passa...

Para ficar completamente feliz, só preciso de uma coisa...

A step forward...maybe...

2008-05-12T22:13:00.005+01:00

Today I made a decision, well sort of, that may lead to the next step in my life. To tell you the truth I was super excited this afternoon, but in the mean time I was able to calm myself and put some sense in may own head. lol Sometimes I think I'm to much of a rationalist... :)

So it seems I may be picking on the next stream to follow. Let's see...

On the other hand...

...I knew there was a reason why I had stopped following the news...

There's so much pain in the world that sometimes it seems that you can almost touch it.

So today's topics were the aftershock of Burma's cyclone, the earthquake in China (a 7.8 in Richter scale) and situation in Lebanon. We cannot do anything against Mother Nature, except try to ease the consequences (it looks like the Chinese where quick to respond, which was good). But the wars... I do not understand them...

(I will try to post a bit more often, even if I don't have nothing special to say.)

Because I love this music...

2008-05-11T23:15:00.004+01:00

Pearl Jam - Oceans (Ten)

Hold on to the thread
The currents will shift
Glide me towards...
You know something's left
And we're all allowed
To dream of the next
Oh, ohh the next, time we touch...

Oooh... (4x)

You don't have to stray
Tho oceans away
Waves roll in my thoughts
Hold tight the ring...
The sea will rise...
Please stand by the shore...
Oh, oh, oh, I will be...
I will be there once more...

Oooh... (4x)
Uh huh, oh yeah... (2x)

(lyrics @ tripod)

This music reminds me of my teenage years, the house I used to live and my sisters. However, nowadays it goes beyond that, because it makes sense in my present has well.

Life goes by so fast, not that I feel old, on the contrary I feel younger than what I really am. :)

Up for a full year!!

2008-05-11T22:40:00.004+01:00

So yesterday was the one year anniversary of this blog....

I was convinced that it was around the 16th or the 17th of May... that's why I didn't post yesterday...

I've been planing this post for a while...

So in order to celebrate the one year of this blog here is a video from the one and only 雅-miyavi, from is last concert has a indie artist. :)

雅-miyavi - Shiawase nara te ot Tatakou (if your happy and you know it clap your hands, lol)

(Credits to Oresan382 @ Youtube for posting it)

Drifting

2008-04-18T13:13:00.004+01:00

Is drifting being lost?!

Most of my life I have drifted, meaning, I never thought far ahead or made many plans. I was never the type of person who would say "When I grow up I want to be ___ (insert any given profession)!!!". Of course I had my own childhood dreams, to be a Ballerina, but, at the age of 10, school became more important. After that I decided to be a Mathematician, however, when I reached the 10th grade I felt like I was not suited to be one. So I decided to study Biology (seeing that I was so good at that). And I did, I am now a Biologist. I even have a Master's degree in Plant Biology. But, once again, I find myself at a crossroad, in which what I did until now does not give me the pleasure it used to give and the sense of fulfilment. To tell you the truth I did not feel accomplished when I finally defended my Master's Thesis; I felt relieved for closing that door.

But now what?!
What is the next step?!

No one can tell me because that is something that only I ca decide. And, above all, I do not wish to be given the answer. (Well, when I feel desperate I do, but only in those moments!!!)

I feel like the stream that has brought me here has somewhat stagnated. SO, am I lost or without a stream to drive me?!

Is drifting being lost or being a little careless?!
I don't see myself as careless, because, once I engage in something, I will give my all to accomplish it.

Oh well, I think it is now time to find myself a new stream and see where it will lead me.

Does it sound like I believe in fate?!
One thing is certain, I don't believe in coincidences, but I do believe in freewill...

As a final note I have to say that I admire the people who, from a young age, know what they want to be and really do work hard to accomplish their dreams (no matter what comes in their way). They have my full respect.

I'm FREEEEEE!!!! YUPPIII!!!

2008-03-30T22:12:00.003+01:00

Finally!! This Friday I defended my Thesis!!! It was the last time that I had to meet my ex-boss as my supervisor, I'm finally done with the lab. :) And I'm happy!!

I had a good grade, so... all is good. :)

This chapter of my life is closed, a new one is starting... let's see what is to come. :)

At the request of several families (my Sister)...

2008-03-25T14:30:00.004Z

... and because I was a bad sister and didn't do a Happy Birthday post for my Younger Sister:

Here is an update!!! :)

Almost at the end of another month (I have to become more assiduous in this blog).
Well the big news is that I am going to defend my Thesis this Friday, meaning that all be finally done with that particular period in my life (and about time). Other than that every thing is more or less the same.

And has belated Birthday post here is something from my and my sister's childhood. ;)

Madonna - Like a Virgin (ohhh so many memories :D, isn't it sis?!)

Credits to ars291 for posting it on YouTube

February - the short month

2008-02-27T20:20:00.003Z

God!! How can it be that the second month of the year is already coming to an end?!

Some events have occurred in the past month but nothing extraordinary, at least until the of March... What will happen then?! When the time comes I'll make sure to announce it.

Other than that my life hasn't changed much... which isn't very comforting...

How can it be that the end of the month is already here?... grrrrrr

So, to make this post a bit more interesting I decided to post a music video by a band named WOLFSHEIM. This isn't the music video that I wanted to share, but I couldn't find that one. What can I say about this group? For a change they were introduced to me by my Little Sister (who I call my music dealer, :P), they are German (ohh, this is something almost new here, a non-Japanese band), they have been around since 1987 and for more information go here and here.

On to the music video: Wolfsheim - Once in a Lifetime (credit to Ultraviolator for posting it on Veoh.com)

Online Videos by Veoh.com

A Loss...

2008-01-23T12:37:00.000Z

Yesterday my sister send me a link for the news that Australian actor Heath Ledger was found dead... I was and am completely chocked... His just 2 years my senior and I really liked the work that I saw from him...

Wishing him a save passage.

For more details you can go to this BBCnews article.

The strange effects of being alone...

2008-01-13T00:15:00.001Z

Sometimes being alone for a very long time has strange results... or putting it better, it may cause the appearance of strange thoughts... it might make you start to consider things that you normally would never think... *bitter smile*

Because you know that if you acted in accordance with them you would be fooling yourself and most importantly you would be putting yourself in a situation that you already know how it will end...

But in the end what counts is if you act accordingly with this thoughts or if you decide to take your time and let you rationality make her work...