open for business

Item # 48 on my list is to start my own business. The idea was to do something else aside from my day job that would spark the crafty/photography side of me. 

For the last few months, I've been spending most of my afternoons surrounded by linen cloths, threads, ink pens, photographs... trying to discover and explore what I most enjoy doing and find myself enjoying different things. At first, I thought I should sort everything out and choose what I most enjoy: I ended up not being able to cut off anything. This was right around the time I learned the meaning of the awful word procrastination...  

But since I now consider this month of March, the month of CHANGE.... I'm going to cut the crap of being shy and insecure and start sharing with the world, cause difficult times call for resourceful and creative ideas: I'm going to open an online SHOP!! Hurray!!

Coming soon... March 23!!

change

Everyday I walk the same path to work, the same streets and views. I used to say "good morning" to the traffic police officer that kindly would stop the cars so I could cross the street. He doesn't work there anymore. I now say hello to a very kind indian shop owner that is hanging out his shop items at the same time I start descending the Rua do Monte Olivete. 

When I get to Praça das Flores, first, I always look up (nice trees that let in the bright sun) and then I look around... usually at the same people... that, for some particular reason, are already sitting around doing whatever it is they do. 

I repeat the whole thing in the afternoon, on my way back home. It felt good for a while, but now I'm a bit tried of it. 

welcome march

March started messy, chaotic and with a lot of change: new bedroom and new flat-mates/friends, which means more forks and knives!! Welcome!!

Change always feels good. (and there is more change on the way....)

Final note: 

Hi Joana, hope you are having a great time at your new place!

beijinhos!

to stay or not to stay, that is the question

buy or don't buy a one way ticket out of here??

# 2 carnival in lazarim

This year we escaped the imported Portuguese carnival parades and spent Shrove Tuesday (or Mardi Gras) in Lazarim, a small village near Lamego, where Entrudo is still celebrated in an authentic and traditional way. Men and women disguise themselves by putting on locally hand carved wooden masks and parading through the village after which follows the reading of a will in the village's main square. The will is written in  rimming verses that publicly scorn and curse the young boys and girls of Lazarim. Here are some acceptable verses from this year's readings:

...

Andas sempre a pregar que das raparigas não tens medo,

piroca tu não tens, nem sabes dar uso ao dedo
...
Os 23mm não te saiem do pensamento,
por isso, se eu fosse burro deixava-te o meu instrumento
...
Vamos deixar esta menina que nos deixou à toua,
vamos agora tirar as peneiras à Ana Rita de Lisboa. 


Benvinda Ana Rita ao nosso testamento, 
Queres alguma da terra, ou é o nosso presentimento?


E a ti menina Ana Rita o que te havemos de deixar?
Deixamos-te o rabo do burro para o teu poderes descansar. 

The whole ritual ends with a delicious feast of bean stew and cornflour soup made by the women and served to everyone who participated and came to visit. 

PS: this was on my list!!

# 84 make a snowman

My childhood in a country with plenty of snow in the winter made me an expert on snowball throwing and snowman making. I hadn't made a snowman since I was about 12 years old. Last weekend, with Pedro's help, I checked off yet another item off my list. 

Covão d'Ametade

When arrived at Covão d'Ametade at around midnight and it was snowing... very nice. Now, to answer your question: YES, we camped in the snow. It felt great spending the weekend in the outdoors, hiking, sleeping with six layers of clothes, not bathing and drinking hot instant soup. 

Covão d'Ametade

Almost one year later and we are returning to Covão for yet another (hopefully) great weekend in the snow... camping of course.

to be haunted...

... is to return to the chair on which I sat for weeks and weeks writing my thesis and reread the whole thing, AGAIN. But, this time round, it doesn't feel as hard. Though I am proud to say that soon I will be checking another item off my list: # 18 publish an essay. To be honest, I didn't think I was ever going to accomplish this one. 

PS: If the chair had been this one in the photo, I would have never finished those 138 pages of museum delicatenesses... 

Spent the weekend with the whole family. 

Helena came back to civilization for 2 weeks and will return to nowhere land next Friday.

Luisa settled down in Coimbra where we will be dinning next Monday.

As for me, I'm trying to rearrange all our stuff in one big room... never has change been so unpleasant!