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

...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?

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 :)

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...

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?

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...

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. :)