Carnaval: A big brazilian party

In February we have Carnaval, a big brazilian party with samba and fun. We have 4 days off just for fun! People from around the world arrive in Rio, Salvador, Florianopolis, Recife and other cities to enjoy samba, axe music and drinking a lot.
I spent my Carnaval in São Paulo, where I live. I thought that the city would be more calm and empty !
On Friday night I went to a birthday party on Rua August. To my surprise I faced a “trio elétrico”, that it is a truck with people on top dancing and music going on. There were people dancing on the street too! When I finally arrived at the party, it was great! I had a great time over there.
For Saturday I had planned a lot of things to do: medical exams, go to the hairdresser, go get a manicure and pedicure, have lunch with my mother, leave some shoes to fix and I accomplished everything!
On Sunday I spent my free time at home. I went to a park to run and tried to go to the cinema, but it was crowded. Can you believe that? But it is true! São Paulo had a lot of people, in a way that I have never seen before at Carnaval time.
On Monday I went to the beach, in Guarujá. It was awesome! I went with my neighbors and we stayed there together with a friend of mine. We spent time in the sun, drinking, swimming and having a lot of fun.
On Tuesday I woke up late and called my friends to have lunch together. We went to a mineiro’s restaurant and ate a lot. At night we went to the cinema and afterward we went dancing.
In the end, I have nothing to complain about my Carnaval! It was amazing!

A Place called Melrose Place

Melrose Place was a series from 90’s, and it was about neighbors, who have a great riendship. They have lived in a condominium with a swimming pool and every day was sunny. In this scenario many thing happened like romance, fights and funny things .
The place where I live is very close to that.There is a swimming pool, great neighbors, romance, some fights, gossips and a lot of fun.
This building is located besides Frei Caneca Mall and it is populated with young people, around 30, single and very cool people. There are architects, actors, psychologists, veterinarians, administrators, lawyers, secretaries, public employees, etc.
We are very similar to the series: we live in a community, and we help each other with everything. For example: I already went to a pharmacy to buy medication for a neighbor who was sick. Another guy has made dinner for other neighbors, including me. I’ve asked a neighbor from 8th floor to receive a guest for sleeping, because I didn’t have enough space to do it.
We already had a wedding! And some romances…
The most interesting season is the summer, because everything happens! Frequently we arrange barbecues and stay in the swimming pool, drinking, eating, dancing, talking, and meeting new neighbors.
This kind of friendship is hard to find here in São Paulo, because everyone is focused on themselves. It is very good to know that I have people around me that take care of me, and I take care of them.
I say thanks to the universe every day because I have neighbors who I consider part of my family.

Movie: August Rush

Last week I saw a wonderful movie called August Rush. It’s a kind of romantic drama, because it’s a story about of love in just one night with musicians.
The girl was a classic musician and the guy was a rock star, they met each other in New York after their concert at a party.
They stayed together just that night and the girl became pregnant. She lived in Chicago and he in San Francisco, and they never talked again after that night.
After a discussion with her father, the girl left the restaurant, where they were having dinner, and she suffered a car accident. She was taken to the hospital, she had complications during surgery and when she woke up her father told her that the baby has died. But it was a lie. He gave the baby for adoption!
Eleven years after, the baby grown into a young boy and he was living in a home for boys and the girl’s finally told her the truth, because he was dying and he felt guilty. This is the reason he told her the truth.
Immediately, she started to look for her son. She went to New York but her son leave the home for boys, because he believes that his parents are alive and to be found he needs to make music. So, he starts to play music on the streets.
On the streets he met a guy who was an uncruspulous character who “represents” a lot of children who make music on the streets. This guy gives a new name to the boy: August Rush.
But this guy wasn’t good. He took all money that August earned on streets. So, August ran away and while he was looking for a safe place to sleep, he heard a song coming from a church. It was a choral and the song that they were singing was beautiful and was about son without a family.
He slept there and the priest recognize his music talent and took him to Julliard School of Music. There he learned more and more about music and he was an exceptional musician.
He compose a classic piece for his parent, because he believes that the song will help him, because his parents will hear the song. The teacher heard this song and invited to conduct it at a concert in Central Park.
Meanwhile, his mother was invited to perform at this concert and his father will be in the same city in a rock concert.
As the boy was performing, his mother was leaving the park, but she heard the song and she moved toward the stage.
At the same time, the father finished his concert and on the way to the airport, he saw a flyer about the concert of his love.
He immediately leaves the car and runs to Central Park to meet her. There he finds an enormous crowd of people, but he moved toward the stage.
In this part of the movie the music was so beautiful and involving that I started crying with emotion, because the boy felt the parents in the audience and when the father looked to his right he saw the woman that he was looking for for eleven years.
He stood beside her, touched her hand, she looked at him with tears in her eyes and looked again to the stage.
When the music was finished the boy turned around and saw his parents in front and gave a beautiful and emotional smile.
It took me nearly 10 minutes to stop crying.

2008: It was MY year!

Every end of the year, people usually make a reflection about did or didn’t happen during the year. I usually do this! In my case, I have no reason to complain about!

I remembered that at beginnig of this year I made a list of desires for the new year.
One of these desires was: “Make my first international trip!”

At that time I was already planning my trip to America for August. I was saving money for it! It was the big dream of my life!

The interesting thing about this story is that in January at my company, like in every year, we had a strategic plan meeting for the year.

Especially this year we did an activity to choose one goal for 2008, 2009 and 2010. The most interesting thing is that my goal for 2009 was to take an international business trip.

To my great surprisein May 2008 I received an invite to do a 2-day job in Buenos Aires, Argentina! And I went!

So, in the end I made 2 international trips: one for business in Argentina and another for fun and studies in the USA.

For me this is a big deal! Because it shows how wecan accomplish our goals if we really want them and work very hard for them!

Additionally, I have had more success in my work, assumed more responsibilities and I’ve received great feedbacks.

In my personal life, I still haven’t found the love that I’m looking for!

I’m having fun and I’m feeling good, despite my “singleness”.

For 2009 I have great plans! First of all, I want to take another international trip, this time to Europe.

I met a couple from Portugal who invited me to stay in their home. That’s a great beginning and good sign!

So, I have everything to start the New Year on the right foot and I will!

Crisis: Time to rise up and face the challenge

At this moment especially after September 2008, the word is suffering a global financial crisis. This crisis started in the USA due to Banks, like Lenheman and Brothers going bankrupt.

The environment is panic! That’s sad, because this year in Brazil we are living in a time of growth, the economy has been great, the sale of cars, item for house like: TVs, DVDs, refrigerators, etc, have been very high. In fact, record high!

Everybody has been buying a lot, travelling around the world, as the was down. While the EUA was already in crisis, gas was U$ 4,84 in August when I was there, people were losing their houses, the consumer spending was decreasing.

Result: the crisis exploded around the world, the G9 became G20, now including countries in development like BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and others. These leaders are now together to discuss how to defeat the crisi. Therefore, it is a new economic chart that is forming.

In my opinion, in the crisis we have the opportunity to succed ourselves. There is a popular phrase that says: “While someone is crying, others sell wipes to dry the tears.”

In my office we are experiencing a crisis, everybody is scared, consultant are paralised and that is bad, because we, the consultants, earn money according to our production, in others words, if we don’t generate business the company we don’t get paid.

At this point there are people who are crying and others are “selling wipes”. In others words, they are visiting clients, having business lunches, increasing their networking and selling new projects.

What I mean is: even in a crisis we can succeed and stretch our limits. In my case I see this period as an opportunity to be visible in my company.

I’m working so hard and I’m sharing some ideas to improve the business, to get more clients, organize some presentations for clients, doing “cold calls” in pharmaceutical companies, agroculture business and Brazilian banks.

I’ve passed through many crisis, different kind of crisis. So, for me it is just one more crisis. I’m confident I will succeed with honor and I will be strongest in the end.

My trip to United States of America

My trip in the USA was great! I stayed for 20 days in Long Island, New York, in a place called Northport Village. The house was beautiful and comfortable, and I hav my own bedroom!
The house was like 5 minutes from the beach! The beach was quite different compare to Brazil, and there were a lot of little rocks and jellyfish. The water was very cold, even on hot days.
During those 20 days in America, I went to Manhantan in New York City for 2 days to attend a training course in Leadership.
My friend who is named Tabata, has a boyfriend. He drove me to Hamptons, Mountak, Fire Island and some beaches in Long Island.
He invinted his neighbor; a lovely lady named Carol to join us, including his three children named Mary Grace, 16 years-old; Lucas, 11 years-old and Josie, 10 years-old. Theses children are from Tabata’s boyfriend. She didn’t have kids yet.

I did a lot of shopping in outlets, spent a lot of time in the sun and went dancing in clubs and parties.
One thing that I don’t understand about the United States of America: Why aren’t people interested to know about other things outside their country? Why is the journalism on TV only about USA?
When I returned to my house in Brazil there was a magazine on the table. It was the first thing that I saw, and this magazine was called Exame.
There was a Indian woman on the cover and the headline said something like: “We have a lot to learn from this Indian executive”.
At that moment I thought: “If I were in the USA, would this cover be possible? A cover with an Indian woman and Americans asking themselves what they have to learn from her?” I have my doubts!
Despite this, I definitely had a great time there! I miss it very much, especially my friend and the things that we did together, like jogging, bike riding, boat rides, etc.