Last post of 2004

Well...
This has been quite a tough year.. I dont remember facing so many challenges in such a period of time.

However, I feel like smiling.. for all that I have, for all that I lost and for all I am still to find (cheesy!!! I would say at some other point of life).

I am a lucky person and my life floats around me in a way that sometimes I just dont understand.. But hey, in an overall perspective I have never been able to understand me, so why worry about understanding life?

I am truly blessed with moments... and I am thankful for all of them.

After leaving the officetoday around lunch time I drove home:
Passing through Vasco da Gama Bridge
185 kms/hour
Window half open
Wind on my face
Pearl jam on the radio
Singing like crazy
And dancing a little bit too
Cute flamingos on the left
Sunny and Tagus River all over the sides

I am always hoping something more from life, and rarely feel like things are 100% right.
But with moments like these, who wants anything else?

CARPE DIEM!!
And Have a wonderful 2005!

Travelling

Being the only one working in the office right now, doesnt seem very exciting. Especially since today is the last day of 2004 and everyone is already getting ready for NYE.

Well, the fact is that I am cool with that! Had some stuff to finish.. flying to Madrid early in the morning on Monday, so better come to a sunny office that staying at home and feeling trapped.

Tonight I will be at some friends house in Cartaxo with some friends... Well, not sure exactly if friends or if with acquaintances but I guess that is what life has to offer me nowadays. Deep inside I hope I can call some of them friends.

Anyway, in the middle of a SWOT analysis I just started thinking about the countries I have already visited and decided to count them. Yes, I know.. I am random.

Well, It sorted out that they are exactly 15.
Which is some how under what I have expected:

Spain; Scotland; Finland; Slovakia; Cuba; Netherlands; UAE; Sri Lanka; Italy; Belgium; Tunisia; Brasil;Canada; Estonia; England.

Anyway, the point is that just decided upon my first New Year's Resolution:
1. Visit at least 3 countries per year.

For 2005, India is already in the list so I need to add 2 more. :)

I officialy HATE YOU!!

I can't believe that there can be people so selfish that can only think about themselves...
Unfortunatelly I was friend of one of these for too long.
It is funny how we dont talk that much anymore but still she continues to keep influencing my life in a negative way!
I never hated someone in my life! But now I do! I know it is a stupid feeling but I just cant help it!

Some thoughts about Nature and its strenght

I wanted to post something about my Christmas Eve.. about the way I celebrate it with my family and our peculiar "familiar traditions"... So that I can later recall it when I am abroad.

Unfortunatelly nothing else seems to be in my mind besides the victims in Asia..
The victims number is increasing at a growth rate I cannot even think about and this without even counting the victims and the disease epidemies that I believe will spread in the following days as the lack of water and the number of rotten bodies increases.

Sometimes we forget how blessed we are... We loose so much time thinking about power and ruling the world through wars and corruption, trying to be No1 that we just forget that Nature will always be the Unbeatable no1.
Showing no mercy and no regrets.

Earthquake in S. Asia

I just heard the news and I am now speechless..

An earthquake has affected Southeast Asia, followed by massive tsunamis... I am now at shock. I have many friends in Sri Lanka, Indonesia.. Many of my friends are now travelling in India for their Christmas holidays and Sahil's wedding.
I feel helpless. Portuguese TV Channels keep talking about "what if there are portuguese there?" instead of actually reporting what had happened and the current situation of the countries affected. I wonder if "as long as the portuguese there are ok, the rest doesn't really matter???"
My heart and thoughts are now with all the affected.. Also with all the AIESECers who are out there... I hope Nature has been merciful with you...

Don't you just love social events?

Last week events:

- Diogo is leaving for Singapore for his INSEAD Masters so we gathered at his huge place to say goodbye! Really cool familiar night! It is funny how you change throughout the years.. First you love discos and bars and then you just start loving meeting with friends at somebody's house, grabbing some drinks and making some food to bring... Really enjoyed it. I guess I will also miss Diogo's but hey, now I have another extra reason to visit Singapore in the near future!!

- AIESEC Portugal 45th Birthday Dinner: Really nice and cozy event! Not as "grand" as I predicted but it was definitely nice to meet all those alumni's back from the 60's, 70's, etc! Best of all was to meet "my girls" once again ;)

- Friends Christmas Dinner: Definitely perfect!!! Amazing! No words to describe it! I just loved it! And I just love that, at some point of my life, I managed to gather both my AIESEC Católica friends and my University friends into one big group! We are an amazing and very particular group and I am sure they will be one of the things I will miss the most when working abroad. Funny as it might seem I found myself arriving home at 7 am without even feeling sleepy! :) (those who know me better know that normally, around 2 pm I am already complaining and willing to go home to sleep) Anyway, I guess the "sangria" I drank helped too! :)

Personality Tests

It looks like personality tests are becoming more and more common in weblog contents...
I also wanted to have something like that in my weblog but the results kept coming out with awful things about my personality... But everything changed now!! Aafter weeks of practice I managed to have "nice results":

I am now OFICIALLY someone whose vibe is Burgundy Chic!!!

"Ana, your vibe is Burgundy Chic.
You're one class act — the perfect balance of a cool, casual attitude and an elegant, polished style. There's a certain grace in almost everything you do. It's true, you make things look easy — even when they're not.And while there's nothing flashy about how you present yourself, you never fail to dazzle most people you meet. You tend to take life as it comes — and it's not easy to throw you off course. A strong sense of self and a hearty dose of confidence help you handle whatever comes your way. And usually, look good doing it. "

I am really happy about it! :) Although I still have to check in the dictionary what does Burgundy means..

Blablabla.. Blablabla.. Blablabla..

Sometimes you can't write eventhough you have so many things to say..
Sometimes you feel like crying but only manage to make this stupid cynical smile
Sometimes you feel like laughing but a drop tear falls from your eyes
Sometimes you feel lost eventhough you have just found yourself the day before
Sometimes you want to say "me too" and all you do is remain in silence
Sometimes you feel like going home but you dont because you know that you dont want to.
Sometimes all your thoughts are completely screwed up
Sometimes you smile because you realize there are other crazy people like yourself out there
Sometimes you wish you had more hair
Sometimes you just go down to the cafeteria and have a cigarrette eventhough you dont smoke.

Sometimes you write rambling thoughts and you dont care about it.

Differences: Part I

Portugal and Spain are neighbour countries, part of the EU, Mediterranean culture, blablabla, so there aren't that many big differences... However, I have already noticed some:

1. You only speak fluent "Spanish" when you say "vale" every 2 minutes (sometimes less).

2. Your regular meal will always have 2 main dishes... For instance, today at the restaurant I could have chosen as 1st dish (not sure if this is the right english word): lasagna and for 2nd dish(or whatever): steak and chips. Fortunatelly, they also had vegetables soap as 1st dish, so no need for me to get even chubbier! :P

Una Chica in Madrid!

I always assumed that my first work abroad assignment would be through AIESEC.. So for years I imagine those crazy AIESEC'ers waiting for me at the airport as I arrived to a new country in order to start my traineeship.

But life has funny ways to deal with your dreams.. so here I am at Madrid, after not having anyone waiting for me at the airport (well, I could have called my AIESEC friends here in Madrid, but I would feel it as a "fake" reception) and coming to the office by metro instead of taking a cab paid by the company (I know, I am still not used to this bourgoise way of corporate living... I still dont like "wasting" money just because someone else is paying..)

Anyway, I consider this new assignement as my "trial period" for the "real thing". I will only stay here 3 days a week and will spend the other 2 days of the week back in Lisbon. I will stay in this really cool hotel and have all my expenses paid, including my new mobile! So I am pretty sure that this is a different perspective of "working abroad".

An earthquake happened just now in Lisbon!!

An earthquake just happened here in Lisbon. It was a small one without negative impact, but it was an awful experience for me.
I felt the entire building where our office is shaking..
It is the first time I feel such a strong earthquake and I am still not over it...

My Decision Ball!

I now own a Decision Ball!!

And as the guy from BBC's "Changing Rooms" says.. "This was my best buy.. only 4£ and it is wonderful!"

I have to admit I am becoming addicted! I have never heard about it before (although it seems something really common, at least in the USA) but it is such a cool funny thing!:)

Me and my friends spent lots of time playing with it.. "shall we go to a club tonight?" Decision ball: Absolutely yes. "Is it going to rain?" Decision Ball: My sources tell me no. "is the blonde guy we met at the patisserie the guy of my dreams? Decision Ball:"it is still early to say".

It is funny as it always gave us right answers! eheh..
We have all bought decision balls (ok, except Hugo, who actually is really irritated about the sudden relevance the decision ball had in our girl's life but that is life..) but we decided to keep it as a secret.. Most people in Portugal haven't heard about it and we dont want anyone else to know the key of our successful decisions from now on.

I am back!!

Finally..

I am back! Back to blogging and back to Lisbon!
Last days in London were just amazing.. havent had such a good time for ages! So many things happened that I will have to do big big postings soon!

The weather was perfect (no raining), the shopping was great and the entire holidays mood was even greater! I cant wait to upload all my pics!