Destination Anywhere

5770, there I go!

2009-09-19T09:04:00.003-03:00

An "auspicious" evening yesterday combining both Rosh Hashanah and Shabbat! ;-) There I am sharing my traditions once again. Since am positive you'll find or already have read the magnificence of these traditions previously at my blog, I take this time to say:

(1) Happy New Year! SHANA TOVA!

(2) From today onwards we experience 10 days of self-reflection to think of what we did wrong in the past year and take those learnings forward to the year ahead. And it's time to be the good side of things, to be good and share good practices in our daily lives with those around us!

(3) Do eat apple with honey: it'll bring you sweet (honey) things in this new cycle (apple)!

(4) Do eat chopped carrots (tzimmes - honey baked carrots - if you're sharing the full tradition!) since they represent golden coins for a prosperous year!

(5) Do eat pomegranate seeds to excel our human qualities to practice always the good in the year to come!

(6) Do eat head of fish. It symbolizes the head of the New Year. The head also symbolizes our hope that the Jewish people will lead other nations through their righteous acts. :-) By the end for us to be the head of thing, ahead of everything! ;-)

(7) Do eat rice for abundance and spinach for a green year plenty of produce!

(8) If you find a round challah, do have it! The round shape symbolizes a perfect year to come. And the challah itself is our holy bread!

May your year be sweet!
SHANA TOVA UMEKUTAH!

Coming back...

2009-08-21T09:29:00.002-03:00

Life is a cycle. Multi-cycle. I haven't been here for almost a year and now I can see why... I was just too busy with other things that I have somehow forgotten to share. Aren't you the one who feels that sharing is caring? Certainly I'm this person, but I forgot. Now I feel coming back from a long journey and I should take time to express myself openly. Will do so. There's never too much to do. It's all about mindset and will. I'm back.

Shana Tova Umekutah!

2008-09-28T11:11:00.002-03:00

(May Your New Year Be Sweet!)

Tommorow's sunset will announce the "head of the year": Rosh Hashanah, which alongside with Yom Kippur are the jewish high holidays.

Rosh Hashanah is the day on which G-d created Man, Adam, G-d’s final and most precious creation. Each Rosh Hashanah, the birthday of Mankind, we proclaim G-d as our one and true King. We then reaffirm our desire to serve him every moment of our lives. At this same time, G-d reviews the status of his creation and determines if he or she merits another year in this world. On Rosh Hashanah, everyone is judged by G-d based on his or her actions during the previous year. The resulting judgment is inscribed by G-d and a person’s future is determined for the following year. Though that judgment is inscribed, it is not yet sealed and can still be changed at least for another ten days (till Yom Kippur). G-d waits until Yom Kippur to seal the book for the year.

How can a person change their judgment for the better? "Repentance, Prayer, and Charity can remove the bad decree." G-d looks especially at three areas during the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Ten Days of Repentance. By doing teshuvah with true regret for the past and commitment for the future, a person can erase his misdeeds and hence improve his judgment before it is sealed on Yom Kippur. Similarly, by praying with greater concentration before G-d, and by giving charity with the proper spirit, one can also upgrade one's status.

L’shanah tovah tikateivu vetehateimu!
(May you be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life!)

L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevu
Literal Hebrew to English Translation: May you be inscribed (in the Book of Life) for a good year
Meaning: This Rosh Hashanah greeting wishes others a good year and a good judgment by God.
Note: This greeting is often shortened to Shanah Tovah (Good Year).
Gemar Chatimah Tovah
Literal Hebrew to English Translation: May your final sealing (in the Book of Life) be good.
Meaning: This greeting wishes others well in the new year.
Use: This greeting is used between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Yom Tov
Literal Hebrew to English Translation: Good Day
Meaning: Holiday
Use: On holidays, Jews often greet each other with "Gut Yuntiff", which is Yiddish for “Good Yom Tov” or “Good holiday."

There you have my share of Tradition and my full 10-day introspective period.
Lele.

Bela Noite Para Voar -- Movie Teaser

2008-09-02T08:11:00.003-03:00

Hey guys, as you may know, for some time already, I've been working on our first movie production. Movie is out in the end of this year in Brazil and I share with you 1-min-promotional teaser. Feel free to share with whoever you feel like. :-)

Cheers and have a nice day, Lele.

The Power of Music

2008-08-30T18:31:00.002-03:00

Music has the power to cause emotions to well up within us. These feelings are gripping - often irresistible - and seem to emerge from nowhere. My share of music goes to you 'cause sometimes we can't make it on our own. My share of passion for U2 goes to U2.
Love, Lele.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf0I5c1gmO4
(Not able to upload it here. Sorry you all.)

Shabbat

2008-08-22T18:30:00.002-03:00

As the sky becomes darker, our hearts become lighter.
The anxieties from the past week melt away, and we enter the peace and joy of Shabbat.

The Shabbat table should be set with at least two candles (representing the dual commandments to remember and observe the sabbath), a glass of wine, and at least two loaves of challah (representing the dual portion of manna that God provided for the Israelites in preparation for Shabbat in the desert). The challah loaves should be whole, and should be covered with a bread cover, towel or napkin.

The candles should br lit by the woman of the household - that's what I do as loving this job much more than my mom does. After lighting, she waves her hands over the candles, welcoming in the Shabbat. Then she covers her eyes, so as not to see the candles before reciting the blessing, and recites the blessing right below. The hands are then removed from the eyes, and she looks at the candles, completing the mitzvah of lighting the candles (!).

Blessing over Candles

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu
Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us

l'had'lik neir shel Shabbat. (Amein)
to light the lights of Shabbat. (Amen)

There are still evening services (Kiddush), a special blessing to washing hands and the Ha-Motzi for the meal itself...

Wishing you all a resting day full of enlightment.

Lele.

One World, One Dream

2008-08-11T17:53:00.002-03:00

A strong statement for Beijing 2008's. A strong will. A challenge.
Indeed, "one world, one dream" is something I've been dreaming of and perhaps striving for, by doing whatever I may find possible to be made.

Indeed the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony was designed to touch everybody's heart. It did. Believe me or not I was sure both pollution and the heat would remain as main concerns for these games after that epic global party. I was astonished and sure about how big the "Olympic spirit" would be to embrace everyone's race, creed, sexual orientation, freedom to choose... even if it was only for more than 15 days, I would experience 15 days of true happiness, of true global peace.

The Olympics is a unique chance given every four years to extraordinary talented people to simply meet each other as humans, to experience beauty, joy, braveness... as well as simple feelings such as taking care of one another, stretching our limits for the good, loving each other, celebrating our cultures and countries in harmony ...
This 10,000 global community do certainly stimulate our reflections upon how powerful we all are and each of us can be.. They're the true winners. They do not need to exterminate religions, geographic boundaries, cultures, fight over resources to succeed. They're smart, not ignorant.

I remember reading the news on government fears that its regime's critics at home and abroad would mar the games with protests. Chinese authorities were also worried about potential terrorist attacks. Inside my head I was challenging them all to open up their hearts. A better world is possible; if we all start doing our share.

I started looking at my neighbor as brother. I feel inspired by those athletes who find themselves in China now. I started to appreciate how rich chinese culture is. If I was in China, I'd feel privileged and not politicize this unique moment. I'm trying to be human.

One World, One Dream.

2008-08-05T10:25:00.002-03:00

Dear all, it's been a while, but am back to sharing.
Today is a big day: our theatre play release! If you're in Sao Paulo, we'll be more than happy to see you in August.
There you have our "flyer".

Love to you all, Lele.

A call for Humanity

2008-06-15T22:13:00.003-03:00

"...It is not the concern of any one race. The victims of the violence are black and white, rich and poor, young and old, famous and unknown. They are, most important of all, human beings whom other human beings loved and needed. No one - no matter where he lives or what he does - can be certain who will suffer from some senseless act of bloodshed. And yet it goes on and on and on in this country of ours..."

"...Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Of course we cannot vanquish it with a program, nor with a resolution.

But we can perhaps remember, if only for a time, that those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek, as do we, nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and in happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.

Surely, this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely, we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow men, and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our own hearts brothers and countrymen once again."

Check this inspiring speeach at http://www.rfkmemorial.org/lifevision/onthemindlessmenaceofviolence/
A recommedation: do see "Bobby" (the movie). I'm positive it'll be a good reflection exercise for this ´"presidential elections period."
I want to cast my vote since we'll be electing the next President of the World. I have this right. We all do.

My strenghts

2008-06-08T19:43:00.002-03:00

I've just taken VIA test. Interesting.
What do you think?

My scores:

Your Top Strength
Kindness and generosity:
You are kind and generous to others, and you are never too busy to do a favor. You enjoy doing good deeds for others, even if you do not know them well.

Your Second Strength
Gratitude:
You are aware of the good things that happen to you, and you never take them for granted. Your friends and family members know that you are a grateful person because you always take the time to express your thanks.

Your Third Strength
Perspective (wisdom):
Although you may not think of yourself as wise, your friends hold this view of you. They value your perspective on matters and turn to you for advice. You have a way of looking at the world that makes sense to others and to yourself.

Your Fourth Strength
Appreciation of beauty and excellence:
You notice and appreciate beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.

Your Fifth Strength
Citizenship, teamwork, and loyalty:
You excel as a member of a group. You are a loyal and dedicated teammate, you always do your share, and you work hard for the success of your group.

How long does it take to become an AIESECer?

2008-06-08T15:30:00.002-03:00

45 minutes: a plane trip to São Paulo.

- The indicators:

Thursday:

a) Had beer with Andre, Pablo, Carol and Henrique (all alumni);

Friday:

b) Had bakery type of breakfast with Pablo in the morning after;

c) Moved to AIESEC in Brazil house on friday morning and could only get out two days later (a facilitation of a transition session on "Global Direction Evolution" was even part of the whole package);

d) Te kept asking me for how long I'd stay in the house as she was probably tired of seeing me there or wondering if that would be feasible to host anyone else there (both MC and CC are living and working in the house!);

e) Had "Espetinho da Aclimação" (a wonderful food only known by those who tried it already) with Blattes while a random girl was hiting on him and I almost simulated a "jealous crisis" just for the sake of everybody's entreitainment (I still believe I could have done it... damn!);

Saturday:

f) The housekeeper was Michele, the most experienced member in MC transitions as she's been working with us since 2003 (my MC term!!);

g) Another bakery breakfast with Lilian and Tulio;

h) I trusted the process. I swear to God I did. Ruth (xoxo to you) invited us for a barbecue. I still remember her sayings. "Lele, he's offering us a churrasco. He's an artist who will be supporting IC and he wants to meet us." I thought "why not" and even requested Arnold, Mari and Lilian (who ended up not coming as a proof that God is blessing her) to join us. When we reached Barra Funda station, I realized we were waiting for Laura (the most popular lithuanian girl in Brazil. She's a true celebrity!).
This more than important information was hidden by Ruth. Thanks.
To reinforce Laura's self-awareness pointing out later on "Guys, everytime you decide to follow me, you're under risk", two hours and a half later we got there (a mix of rave party, barbecue and democratic sexual orientation). Good. Now, you guess...

i) I met Ima at Barra Funda train platform. She's kenyan and happens to come from the same LC and be a good friend of Migz, a kenyan friend of mine who used to live and work with me in the Netherlands. She's trainee in São Paulo. The small AIESEC world. (ah, Rajiv and Femi, she even know you two from AfroExpro). :-)

j) Had "Cervejinha do Flat" (it's not a regular beer, it's a very special one that cannot be translated) with Super, Cintia, Marcelinho and Blattes as a warm-up to São Paulo night life;

Last but not least:

My bed was Babi's bed for two days (while she was in Curitiba) since we understand we share everything anyway. Thank you, Babi;

When I decided to head back to Rio I even had Marcelinho walking by my side to the metro station;

I didn't remember having more than three hours alone...

Sunday:

45 minutes after taking off, I was in Rio. I pulled out cash to take a cab and arrive home for a delicious sunday lunch with mom and brother. Right after, I went for a nap in my own room, with my own things, with my own washroom and I didn't even share with my dog.

My treasure

2008-06-06T08:10:00.004-03:00

Purpose and friends.

I'm here for a good purpose. Give me reason and I'm in. I've met Crisantempo (theatre house) yesterday to decide upon hosting our theatre play there for 1-2 months starting in August. I look forward to share good news very soon.

I'm here for a good purpose. Give me reason and I'm in. Why not meeting some of my very nice friends for a beer (even if I was dying of headache I'd do it)? Bar Municipal at Vila Madalena (SP) was our destination; not anywhere but there I was sharing my evening with Pablito, Carol, Henrique and Andre. My treasure.

A team lover

2008-06-02T22:11:00.003-03:00

Thanks to Perla and Rodrigo, today we had a wonderful team meeting. It took 1 hour (very effective meeting as you may observe) for us to be clear on our weekly priorities and what we're heading in the coming month.
Naná is sick so she was absent. Really looking forward to seeing you in the office again. Get well soon!

Why am I so passionate about teams?

Drive
Purpose
Love
Gratitude
Effort
Learning
Shared vision
Results orientation
Celebration
Fun

I aim my organization to be a place where WE continually expand OUR capacity to create the results WE truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where WE are continually learning to see the whole together. (Peter Senge has been inspiring me a lot - a confession...)

Last but not least, a share of what has been inspiring me for 5 years already... "Given the right circumstances, from no more than dreams, determination and the liberty to try, quite ordinary people consistently do extraordinary things." Dee Hock

"There's no such a place as far away" (by Richard Bach)

2008-05-30T08:05:00.001-03:00

"Can miles truly separate you from friends....If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?"

Vote for Pita by May 31st (2 more days so rush up!)

2008-05-29T22:53:00.002-03:00

Top three is an online voting at http://www.leaderquest2008.com/pt/lideres.asp

Let's support Pita get in the top three young leaders in Portugal by voting for him in the list.
He appears as:
Pedro Manuel Santos
Regional Program Manager,
DHL Asia Pacific
30 anos
One key point: You need to vote for three people for your vote to count!
There is another AIESEC Alumnus in the list, so you can vote for him as well...
Hugo Araújo Coordenador - Nucleo Estrategia e Analise de Negocios, SIBS
28 anos
You can choose the second and third vote at your discretion!
This is just a suggestion...
Let's get Pita there...
(copied from Dey's Blog)

I'm campaigning for Pita

2008-05-26T09:08:00.002-03:00

I know everyone talks about Hillary, Obama and John Macain...
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/

However, my vote belongs to Pita.

Pita, my dear friend Pedro Santos, was President of AIESEC International 2003-04. I was pleased to not only vote for him at IPM (International Presidents' Meeting) Estonia (in the middle of SARS crisis - do you remember that?) but also share a year of Steering Team Meetings, Global Legislation and AIESEC International Transition meetings. Last but not least, we share fabulous times while cheering for Portugal in every single Euro Cup football match at that portuguese restaurant we used to go in Rotterdam). :-)

This weekend surfing around people's blogs I realize Pita has been nominated as one of the top young leaders in Portugal! Well, go there and see for yourself and I'd love to count on your vote since I'm campaigning for Pita! :-)
Check it out:
http://allingreen.blogspot.com

How does eternal life express itself?

2008-05-25T16:40:00.003-03:00

Have you ever guessed why and how I became a big fan of brazilian popular music?

Neither do I.

I remember switching from Guns n' Roses, Faith no More, Jesus Priest to Toquinho, Baden Powel, Carlos Lyra and Tom Jobim just as fast as a glass of water turns into an ice rock. It's been almost fifteen years since then.

My "home sweet home" has been on reformation for almost two months now. My mom, the best housekeeper ever, has been trying really hard (I should confess) to keep everything clean and new fashion. In between one of her attempts to cleaning up everything, we got stucked by finding a LP (long play - that thing we used to use for listening to music much before a CD turned into a "must have" or an iPod has been discovered). It was a Baden Powel's LP from 1964 recorded while he was exiled in France which was dedicated to my grandmom and daddy. :-) Just as beautiful as it used to be back in the 60s.

In five minutes our lovely sunday turned into a more than lovely sunday, listening to true wonderful music and deeply remembering my daddy (it's been more than four years since he passed away and it still hurts.. I wonder if one day this pain will pass away.. maybe not... we just learn in each day by living with it but understanding takes longer, I guess...)

Life is eternal in itself.

P.S.1. By the way, Baden's picture in that LP was taken by my daddy who used to be a photographer at that given point.

P.S.2 Baden Powell was considered one of the world's best contemporary acoustic guitar players and one of the most expressive composers of 20th century Brazilian popular music. In 1960, during a performance by Tom Jobim at Arpège, a nightclub in Copacabana, Baden met Vinícius de Moraes, who would become his most frequent collaborator and who was responsible for Baden's integration into the bossa-nova movement.

Making the Grade: The Economist

2008-05-24T23:13:00.000-03:00

One of my habits cultivated in the Netherlands: the reading of "The Economist" weekly. Even though my brother reinforces everyday that I'm not a big fan of newspapers (which is true), "The Economist" is something I enjoy reading... a lot.

You may guess there was celebration everywhere around here when Brazil was "awarded" by economic improvement with investment-grade status.

To be honest I'm still not convinced it's something to be celebrated. I think we should rather watch out carefully. Will be able to send across my thoughts within the next days...

From the Economist:

Investment-grade status, which was awarded to Brazil’s foreign-currency-denominated debt on April 30th by Standard & Poor’s, one of the main US credit rating agencies, is an acknowledgment of the important progress achieved in macroeconomic management and of a substantial improvement in external solvency ratios. Indeed, with reserves close to US$200bn, Brazil has become a net external creditor. Nevertheless, weaknesses persist, as the government has confirmed its intention to keep increasing public spending as part of its state-led development policies.
The quest for investment grade was so long and fraught with difficulties that financial markets were taken somewhat by surprise when Standard & Poor’s (S&P) raised Brazil’s long-term foreign-currency credit rating from BB+ to BBB- on the eve of the May 1st Labour Day holiday. Even though some investors thought the upgrade had been long overdue, few expected it to materialise before the end of the year due to current global uncertainty. The Latin American giant is now on par with India, according to S&P’s ratings, but still two notches below the ratings given to Russia and Mexico, and far below that of China.

The Economist Intelligence Unit, for its part, has held its BB rating for Brazil under its country risk model. This remains just short of investment grade, and reflects a weakening current account and risks to key macroeconomic indicators, given the impact of a US recession. However, steady GDP growth and a falling debt interest burden will still underpin a score at the strong end of the BB band, and an upgrade to EIU’s sovereign rating is quite possible in the medium term.
Fitch Ratings, another credit rating agency (which upgraded Peru to investment grade in March), has said Brazil’s sovereign rating was under “active review”, while Moody’s has pointed out that Brazil’s indicators are not yet as good as other investment grade countries.
Vote of confidence
The Standard & Poor’s upgrade is a strong vote of confidence and a milestone in Brazil’s economic history, after years of mistrust following the 1987 debt default. The macroeconomic management of the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been widely praised, although improvements have been partially a consequence of the extremely positive external environment until last year. The US subprime crisis and the accompanying global financial turbulence have put the resilience of Brazil’s economy to the test. Even though it may eventually suffer some fallout should global conditions worsen, S&P says that Brazil has already passed such a test.
There is ample evidence that Brazil’s external vulnerability has been significantly reduced. Instead of slashing interest rates aggressively during years of financial bonanza and low inflation, the Central Bank maintained a cautious and gradual monetary policy and piled up large amounts of foreign reserves. In February, the announcement that Brazil had become a net international creditor was a further sign of improvement in its solvency ratios.
In addition, the amount of public debt declined to 41.2% of GDP as of March. While the overall stock of debt is still relatively high, S&P has praised “a fairly predictable track record of pragmatic fiscal and debt management policies”. One of the most positive impacts of the upgrade itself may be to reduce the cost associated with financing the sovereign debt and to improve its profile.
Responsible Central Bank
Brazil’s economic activity is currently sustained by vigorous domestic demand, which helped boost GDP growth to 5.4% last year from 3.7% in 2006. Record levels of tax collection have helped the government to easily meet its primary budget targets (even though public spending is still high). During the first quarter of 2008, Brazil even registered a nominal budget surplus.
On the inflation front, the Central Bank faces challenges as supply-side factors and excess demand exert inflationary pressures. The benchmark IPCA index posted a 4.7% increase over the 12-month period leading to the end of March, which is slightly above the central inflation target (4.5%, although there is a two-point tolerance margin). Apart from food price inflation, there will be additional pressures as oil refinery prices increase by 10% on May 2nd (some of the impact will be offset by a cut in a fuel tax, known as Cide).
Nevertheless, in spite of well-known divergences between the government and the Central Bank over monetary policy, the Central Bank has displayed repeated evidence of its operational autonomy, tightening monetary policy in April by 50 basis points for the first time in almost three years. This pre-emptive tightening—in what appears to be the start of a mini-tightening cycle—was in itself an important indicator of its institutional strength. Although there are policy rifts and power struggles within the Lula administration, and the policy framework is by no means perfect, it is pragmatic and predictable.
Meanwhile, the positive impact on investment flows will certainly lead to a further appreciation of the Real on the foreign-exchange markets. This may help keep inflation down, although the current-account deficit (which already amounted to 0.7% in March over 12 months) is expected to widen. Nevertheless, the Central Bank expects even stronger flows of foreign direct investment, which will help cover this deficit.
Investors cheer
The investment grade rating by S&P, which will probably be matched by upgrades from Moody’s and Fitch in due course, will lower the cost of capital in Brazil and thereby boost the country’s growth prospects. The stock market has already reflected the new wave of optimism. Even though the upgrade was made public less than two hours before local markets closed, the Bovespa rallied on April 30th (it was closed on May 1st), converting the Bovespa’s 2008 loss into a gain of 6.2%—and making it the best performer among the 20 world’s largest bourses this year.
In addition to the sovereign move, S&P also upgraded the ratings of the electricity holding Eletrobras and eight Brazil-based banks. Itaú and Bradesco were already investment grade and gained one notch, while the others obtained investment grade. These were state-owned Banco do Brasil, Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento e Social (BNDES), Banco do Nordeste do Brasil (BNB), as well as Unibanco and the local subsidiaries of Banco Santander (Spain) and HSBC (UK).

Brazil X Portugal

2008-05-24T21:50:00.000-03:00

1808-2008: not sure if you all know but it's kind of "a year of celebration" for us in Brazil...
200 years back the Portuguese's Royal Family arrived here, in Rio de Janeiro.

You may ask why the heck do we celebrate that...

Let me tell you the story...

Summing up Rio de Janeiro replaced Lisbon as the capital of Portuguese Empire. The position of colony and metropolis were inverted, Portuguese Absolutism was bolstered by British Liberalism and a market-economy arose alongside the expansion of slavery. Believe me or not Rio de Janeiro felt all these changes: the physical boundaries of the city rapidly expanded, its economy diversified and the cultural life was re-shaped.

Beautiful story, right? Those are the urban changes Rio de Janeiro felt.
From Portuguese side, another face of the coin. In reality, from Royal Family's perspective having the Portuguese Empire based in Brazil would protect portuguese's favority colony against nations such as England, Netherlands, France which were interested in its colony wealth. Portugal was demonstrating its power once again and protecting its wealth against possible "invaders". Simple as that.

Yesterday I got an email from Rajiv. Yeap!
It's something to be also celebrated 'cause it's way easier to get an email from the Pope or even Portuguese Royal Family nowadays than from Rajiv... He gave me a cool demonstration of Britain keeping an eye on what's being done in Portugal with regards to Brazil , for more than 200 years now. Watching out your comments, Lele.
Check it out:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7405985.stm

I blog therefore I am!

2008-05-24T20:34:00.000-03:00

Why to not have a blog?

1. I don't have enough time to commit myself to keep updating it in regular basis and I doubt if I have enough stories to even share;

2. I am not that thoughtful person who will always crack a joke (and to be honest I even stopped trying for some time already 'cause everytime I tried nobody laughs) or will find an interesting article to comment on (this business I leave up to Brodie, Arthur and Albert 'cause they're the skilled ones for sure);

3. I am not a traveler anymore. Believe me or not I've been in Brazil for almost three years now;

Enough reasons (or excuses) to not become a blogger. Alright.

A couple of days back I was introduced to one of the coolest blogs I've ever seen: blogdoflat.blogspot.com - it's a blog mantained by three friends of mine who share a cosy and green-everywhere type of "flat" in São Paulo. Thanks to Mauricio, Conrado and Blattes I realized that the simpliest things in life can be really funny if we take time to share them or if they're not funny enough we simply make fun of them and we share them anyway. It's all about life style and sharing.

It took me sometime to understand you guys Liv, Pixi, Arthur, Veds and Oriana, my favorite bloggers, or the "travelpod" Amit. I wasn't a big fan of blogs back in the Netherlands. Apart from the fact that I simply wasn't able to find the time to blog properly (not even on AI blog) I've always been astonished by the fact of you all first finding the time to blog and then having so much to share... Jesus Christ! Our day was pretty much the same everyday: wake up by 7ish, have breakfast, walk or bike to AI office, check emails, respond countries inquiries, have a taskforce meeting, make 2-3 phone calls, upload a resource (when AIESEC.net wasn't down), give feedback to someone who required and then head back home. Why the heck you had so much to say, man?
I recall myself thinking while you were all blogging: "I'd rather live than write. All I want is to get out of internet after this tiring day... Oh Gosh. Once I get home, I'm pretty sure I get you blog update live anyway..."

By other hand, not as inspiring as the dudes I mentioned right above, Kshama used to refer back to me times to times on blogs and stuff. "Lele, if one day you happen to have a blog and if I happen to send you an email asking how do you do, please don't reply me requesting me to check it out on your blog, otherwise I don't know what might happen to you". A different thought on my relation to blogs would come from Monika. More than once, Moko has pointed out: "Lele, you're one of such people who could have a blog. I believe you'd have so much to share". I still don't know what type of sharing Moko was expecting from me... at least here I am trying out.

So why not joining the crew?

The coolest thing about blog fanatism is to stay connected. I'm a blog reader and it's become a big part of my spare time since we've been away from eachother. I searched for you, for your thoughts and experiences many times over the internet and do trust me that every single moment I'm able to read you, I thank you all for having taken the time to write on your blogs. That's been "my way" of having you around and stay connected.

I blog therefore I am!

Lele.