#6 get a tattoo

I have finally checked off another item on my list of 101 things to do before 30: get a tattoo! I'm actually glad I didn't get it done earlier because I had no idea what I wanted tattooed in my body at the time and only now I am comfortable with my decision. "Oh the places you'll go" seems perfect at this time in my life: it's about change and commitment, about ups and downs, about disquietude and life!
Thank you Grace for the design.

blog to book

a student documentary on the future of print

I'm been spending my evenings editing this blog's content onto Blurb so I can have a printed version of my blog. I'm doing this mostly because my blog is a diary and I don't believe in the eternity of the electronic format. And because it's was on my list... 

Electronics are ephemeral, invisible and disposable. You don't feel it. And if you can't touch it, it does not exist. I need to "touch" this blog, only then I'll believe it really exists and I can store it on a physical and real shelf. Knowing that it's there and that I can pick it up at anytime. If you love books, you can relate. It's human nature. 

This however, is a hard process. Not because of all the copy/paste labor, but it makes me look back at my life in Portugal and it makes me cry with saudade. It's a process. 

welcome back (part three)

To know what we (Sandra, Helena and I) did in Toronto and what Helena did to her hair, you can read all about it here, here, here and here. I don't care what anyone else thinks, her hair looks awesome!

The best part of revisiting Toronto was seeing friends from elementary school again. Though I didn't get the chance to see everyone I initially wanted to see... for which I'm sorry and promise the next time we'll all get together! It was nice remembering the dumb stuff from when we were kids and catching up on life since then.  It turns out that I have a terrible memory and they remembered so much more. 

Loved it! 

Thank you so much for making this a "welcome home" journey! 

PS: I did forget to mention one thing: I crossed off 2 more items on my list, # 16 and #55. I'll be making a new list soon...

101 things to do before 30

I love this list! It was great trying to keep up with it and having fun checking them off.

The stuff I did:
56/101, not bad.

101. dye textiles (11 Mar. 2011 first experience with lichens) here
99. buy a twin lense reflex (5 Jan. 2011 amazing Christmas present!) here
98. give only handmade christmas gifts (Christmas 2011, half were handmade wrist warmers)
97. embroid something (Oct. 2010: embroidery hoops)
95. roadtrip with pete (13-15 Ago. 2011 Ribeira Sacra here)
94. bake an apple pie (made 2 pies but not from scratch; official apple pie: 23 Nov. 2011) here
93. visit historical villages (belmonte, castelo novo, aigra nova, aigra velha, piodão, aldeia da pena, monsanto)
91. take photobooth pictures (3 Jun. 2012)
90. thansgiving dinner (23 Nov. 2011) here
88. origami (7 Dec. 2010 christmas tree ornaments)
87. donate blood (25 May 2011) here
86. cover pete in kisses (i must have covered him in kisses tons of times!)
84. make a snowman (6 Mar. 2011) here
83. frame photo (work in progress: 4)
82. treat myself to a spa (massage 6 Jun. 2012)
81. rafting (15 Jan. 2012 here)
79. have a massive birthday party (huge, massive and amazing! 6 Jun. 2012 here)
77. chew gorila bubble gum (2 Jun. 2010)
76. donate to charity (Associação Slice of Heaven and Kiva)
75. creat the perfect playlist (it's not that perfect, but it's good)
72. take a nap in a hammock (1 Ago. 2011)
71. creat a stencil (3 Set. 2010)
70. wait for it. it will come (17 May. 2010)
67. buy a dr. seuss book (17 Jul. 2010) here
62. nudism (23-26 Jun. 2011 naturist beaches in the Atlantic, sorry no pics)
61. make a stop motion film here
53. paint a canvas (Started!)
52. curate an exhibition (2011: Camera Escura - Museu d'Arte)
51. volunteer (Banco Alimentar)
49. participate in a flash mob (10 Jan. 2010) here
48. start my own business (23 Mar. 2011) here (I could call this a "business")
42. make a pinhata (6 Jun. 2012 didn't make it, but smashed it!)
38. make cornbread in my grandpa's stone oven (AMAZING! 18 Ago. 2011 here)
37. make videos of my grandparents (6 videos)
36. buy a bicycle (7 Jun. 2012)
35. buy the perfect black dress
34. get a decent hair cut (6 Jan. 2011) (26 Jul. 2011)
32. creative photoshoot (26 Mar. 2012 here)
31. start a piggy bank (4 Jan. 2010: 192€ in coins)
29. finish my masters (30 Set. 2010 HURRAY) here
28. sleep under the stars (25 Jul. 2010) here
27. write a poem (6 Jun. 2012 for a special friend)
26. send my parents on a honeymoon (22-24 Oct. 2010 Porto: romantic weekend for two)
25. keep all tickets
24. do something nice for strangers here
23. geocache (27 Feb. 2010) here
20. keep a written diary for a few months (does a blog count?)
19. fly my kite (24 Jan. 2010) here
18. publish an essay (3 Mar. 2011) here
14. plant an oak tree (18 Apr. 2010)
12. ride a rollercoaster (5 Sept. 2011)
10. smoke a joint with sandy (22 May 2010)
7. make love in paris (7 Sept. 2011)
5. jump from a high place (6 Jun. 2012 it wasn't that high, but it was fun)
2. carnaval in lazarim (8 Mar. 2011) here
1. roadtrip with my sisters (23 May 2010) here


Things I didn't do and I WILL NOT DO: 
13/101 


66. color my hair (no way)
63. walk the trails of santiago (mabey one day...)
56. see northern lights (won't happen)
50. parachute (I don't think I have the courage to jump)
45. run a half marathon (it's too much)
44. attend photoespaña (not going to happen)
43. find the owner of the photo album (too hard)
41. ride a vespa in southern italy (I wish, mabey for my 40th birthday)
40. visit fundão during cherry season (missed it)
33. learn french (only if I move to France)
30. edit ventura terra's wiki page (I don't feel like it)
21. backpack around spain (too late)
9. prank my roommates (I can't believe I didn't do this!)
4. swim naked in the mediterranean (I almost did this one...)


Though the list isn't completed, it is my list and since I am 30 and have a new sense of authority, I can now do whatever I please.
So I now sentence the rest of the list to an official extension of the following items:
32/101


100. weave (Institute of Craft, Atlanta)
96. learn to swim underwater (we got a pool and I'm praticing)
92. print blog after 30 (work in progress)
89. collect sixs (find them at yard sales and second hand shops)
85. photo album of my life (this one is going into my next list)
80. organize a huge family reunion (next year, for our second wedding)
78. finish my quilt (I WILL do this)
74. leave a stranger a book with a note (too easy not to be done)
73. go to the opera (next sunday!)
69. attend a jewish religious service
68. host a murder mystery party (officially it wasn't done)
65. learn choreography for thriller
64. buy a camera obscura
60. fill a notebook with illustrations (work in progress)
59. make a chandelier out of junk
58. climb a 6a (in the indoor climbing gyms)
57. work abroad (hopefully I'll get a Job here in Atlanta)
55. visit sandra (Hurray, next week)
54. 100 pinholes (15/100)
53. paint a canvas (Started!)
47. see a fortune teller
46. sell stuff at a flea market
39. play baseball (Atlanta, home of the Braves!)
22. do a street performance
17. winter photo tree trip
16. visit canada in the fall (does visiting in the spring count?)
15. host a tea party
13. print albumen photos
11. be a voyeur
8. learn to tango
6. get a tatoo (i'm getting ths done!)
3. go fishing

Gosh, it's still alot!
Getting started on the next list...

becoming 30

Officially I am 30 years old.
I had the perfect day! Even though I am away from family and friends, everyone was so wonderful, sending sweet messages and videos.Thank you for making this day so especial.

My very own Betty Crocker chocolate cake!

Pedro gave the best birthday gift I could ever receive: working from home and being with me. 

And also making sure I completed some of the items on my list, so I had a really busy day:

#53 we bought a canvas, and I started painting it.

#76 donated to Kiva.

#27 wrote a poem.

#36 bought a bike.
#24 made strangers happy.
#82 got a massage.

By the end of the day I thought that was it. WRONG.
Pedro made me to go the supermarket to buy a cake and candles. By the time I got home... SURPRISE! He had decorated the house and invited our 2 friends and neighbors for my "massive" birthday party (#79) / murder mistery (#68) / tea party (#15), with Halef dressed as a fortune teller (# 47) and a pinhata hanging from the wall (#42)! How wonderful is that! The day finished off with us jumping into the pool at 11:30pm (#5) and me covering Pete with kisses (#86)!

my face as I opened the door!

Halef helping out with the decor. 

my pirate pinhata!

spreading happiness

Trying desperately to finish my list before 30, tomorrow I'm not only going to treat myself nice but also spread a little bit of happiness to random atlantan strangers!

Therefore, numbers 6, 11, 24, 27, 30, 36, 53, 74, 76, 79, 82 and 86 will be crossed off the list by the end of tomorrow. Wish me luck and a happy birthday!

a slice of heaven

Slice of Heaven is an association that Pedro and I are members of.

It's current project is to help out Insurupe, a small village in Mozambique. They focus on ways to help the village become self sufficient through sustainable actions. So the first thing they are doing is digging a well so that villagers won't have to walk miles for fresh drinking water. 

More than half the money needed has already been raised but we need your help for the other half. By buying a t-shirt, like the one Pedro is wearing in this promotional stop-motion. Each t-shirt cost 10€ and they come in different colors.
Please spread the word and email me if your interested in helping.

PS: #61 - make a stop-motion: check!

thanksgiving dinner and apple pie

# 94 - apple pie from scratch: from this smitten kitchen recipe (even though I didn't follow it strictly)

# 90: what better way to get into the soon-to-be american way of life than by hosting a thanksgiving dinner a day before! We had friends over and ate turkey (not a whole one cause that wouldn't fit in the oven!) with spicy lentils with feta cheese, baked sweet potatoes and pumpkin, peas and carrots, cranberry wannabe sauce, rice, corn bread, cheese, wine, tuna dip, ice-cream and my beautiful apple pie. 

corn bread

corn bread made in Lisbon. 

tomorrow i'm checking off # 90 and # 94 from my list!

boulangerie á la ancienne

Most people go to Paris to say hello to Mona Lisa and stare at certain metal tower. I went to Paris to check off number 12 and number 7 ;) But on my list of things to do in Paris was also a visit to a special bakery: La Boulangerie par Véronique Mauclerc near the Buttes-Chaumont park. One of Paris's finest bakers... and she's a woman... which makes me feel very inspired!

This is probably the only bakery in Paris that uses a starter, all natural ingredients and bakes the bread in a wood-fire oven from the early 20th century (one of two that still exist in Paris). The whole bakery dates back to that time and still preserves it's original aspect. 

Unfortunately, Veronique wasn't in when we arrived so I wasn't able to ask about her baking process nor have a closer look at the oven. I guess I'll have to go back to Paris someday to have a talk with her, but next time, I'll make sure she's in. (I wonder if she needs an assistant....)

The bread on display is carefully labeled with the flours used. We did buy different types of bread to taste. The weird thing is that you expect the flavors to be out-of-this-world, but in fact they are so simple and natural! Eating industrial bread for so many years has taken away the real flavors of bread and everyone forgot what bread really tastes like. 

# 38 make cornbread in my grandpa's stone oven

Broa (cornbread) has always been part of my childhood memories: I remember my grandfather making it, just for us, when we came on holidays to Portugal, as a special treat. Broa hadn't been made on a weekly basis since over 30 years ago, when industrial bakeries took over the bread making tradition. The firewood oven became a deposit for junk and all the wooden utensils were put away.

Being in Viana for the month of August, I was determind to bake broa once again despite everyone opposing me with all sorts of arguments: you can't find cornflour; the oven it's working properly; it takes too long to heat; you don't know how to make it, etc.; etc.

I asked around for cornflour, tested the oven, cleaned out the utensils and convinced my aunt to help me out. The last time she baked broa was in fact over 30 years ago before she moved to Canada and had to make an effort to remember how it was made. 

At local mill I bought cornflour (not the best quality) and the yeast came from a local bakery (the next time I'll use my homemade starter). We couldn't use the maceira, because it wasn't in very good conditions, so instead  we mixed the dough in a large clay bowl used to season chouriços. 

The oven heated very quickly and acelerated the bulk rise process.

Before baking broa, our grandfather would always bake bolinhas: small sized cornbread where he would mark small holes according to our age. So my aunt and I did the same!

These bolinhas are baked before the broa, when the oven is extremely hot and it doesn't require a closed oven door. They bake in about 10 minutes are are best eaten straight out of the oven.   

My aunt shaped the broa herself and tossed each loaf very carefully into the oven which was then sealed with clay to in-hold the heat during the baking.

The loaves were removed from the oven only 1h30 later, distributed between my family that was so thankful for my persistence and, of course, my aunt and I were proud of our delicious accomplishment!

august in Viana

Que Deus acrescente este pão para toda a gente. 
#38 on my list - DONE

august in Viana

The hammock. 

I'm going to check off item # 72 on my list!

# 34 get a decent haircut

For the past 29 years it has been either my mom, my sisters or myself who's cut my hair (yes, I have cut my own hair on many occasions!). I have gone to hairdressers a few times and even done very weird things with my hair specially when I was a teenager. But, in the recent years, it's just been me and a pair of scissors. Until last January when I got my first decent haircut (sorry, no pics). Last Tuesday I got my absolutely favorite haircut in 29 years thanks to the wonderful hands of Jaya. I highly recommend her, she's a talented freelance hairstylist with tons of creativity to go around. 

work in progress

With less than a year to go until the deadline of my list, I look back on it and realise if I had written it today, it would most likely be very much the same, with just a few differences. I've checked off about 34 items (accomplished and still in progress) which is about 1/3 of the list.

The next couple of months I'm going to:
3. go fishing
6. get a tatoo (which will look something like this)
11. voyeur
32. creative photoshoot (with Carla)
38. make cornbread in my grandpa's stone oven (with the help of my grandma and aunt)

Cross processed Lazarim

Cross processed slide film from Lomography. It's always a surprise when I go pick up the prints!! 

Carnival in Lazarim