You know when you plan things one way, but then nothing goes according to plan? This picture is part of that. A beautiful night in Rio, too bad it doesn't show how fantastic the scenery actually was.
Over 90 thousand people in one place, representing more than 35 million fans in Brazil and supporters in all 6 continents. All for 1 passion expressed in 2 colours, with a 114 year-old tradition. 17 years of expectation to be defined in 90 minutes. Being number 1 was the goal, for the 6th time. 6 was also the date of the 12th month in 2009. Only 3 points away, maybe just 1 goal...
Numbers really can't say it all...
Congrats to all Flamengo fans all over the world. I was one of the lucky 90 thousand.
My team may not be the best in the world on the pitch all time. But there's no other team in the world with supporters like ours. We lost a match that we should have won on Wednesday. But we got 80000 people helping them yesterday. The video tells it better than I can. But still, you'll only understand once you go and see us at our home, the Maracanã stadium.
I can't talk about my experience in Oslo without having a quick post about the brother who I met here.
We arrived on the same day. One coming from Brazil, the other from Costa Rica. We didn't know what expected us in this crazy adventure. After 13 months in Norway, we had over 100 Facebook friends in common, we saw the Northern Lights in Iceland, went swimming in really cold lakes, went to a U2 Concert in Berlin, went sledding, ice-skating and snowball fighting, got Lance Armstrong's autograph in Oslo, went to Preikestolen, to AIESEC conferences, har lært liten Norsk, shared a flat for a few months, went to a couplea few a bunch of parties together, even our own parties, while we brought the Latin flavour to give a bit more life to Oslo.
And after a year in Oslo, we even picked up some habits from one another.
I don't think it will be a surprise that I'm writing a text about my thoughts... Seems to be quite a topic here in the blog. This time it's not only about thoughts but actions. The question is:
What are YOU doing to reduce problems with Climate Change?
When I was back in Rio, I must be honest that I don't feel I did much, in some cases because the solution doesn't work as well, and in other because maybe I couldn't be bothered. But here I've noticed that a lot of these actions are actually related to the Norwegian culture too. After all, Norwegians are very proud and love contact with nature. "Gå på tur!"
Here is my to do list, which I'll include things I haven't been doing very well, but I'm trying to get better. Based on the classic 3Rs:
- Reduce
Take backpacks or other bags to the supermarket. I always try to do that, not only because they charge for the supermarket bags here, ok?
Have a mug and a glass at the office, then you don't use as many paper and plastic cups. Just started with that recently.
Bike and walk if you can, if not, use public transportation. Much more efficient to the world. Works for me better in Oslo than Rio for several reasons.. But I did take the bus a lot back home.
Try to find out how to reduce your junk mail. I still have to find out where I get the "Ingen uadressert reklamen takk" sticker for my mailbox...
- Reuse
Make the most out of the bags you actually need. When I do get a supermarket, duty-free or whatever bag, in the worst case scenario I'll use them again as trash bags. In the best, I'll use them of everything else before that.
Be creative. Find new uses to "old things" At my house, I like using coke and wine bottles for flowers, every so often. (Tip that I got from Maren)
Flea markets, book sharing, etc. Those are very good examples on how to reuse something that you don't want any more. "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Btw, that's how I got a lot of things for my house...
- Recycle
Find out how the recycling system works where you live. I have to learn about some things like plastic for example...
If you don't have a system where you live, start one! I'm sure there is some way of doing things in your city.
Don't be lazy. Separate things and throw them out accordingly. It's easier than you think...
Let's try to make things better, I don't wanna keep wondering where I should visit next hoping it's still going be there, before we get our world, and our future (or current) kids worst than we have so far.
Don't forget to make your contribution to the Blog Action Day too.
This is not about Rio, not about Oslo, but it is about Rio and about Oslo, and everywhere else in the world. I'm taking part of the Blog Action Day tomorrow. Interested? You should join. Let's help get more people thinking about things and hopefully acting too. A simple gesture can go a long way.
Wanna join? Wanna know more? Check the link below.
So here I am again. Did anyone miss me? I've had really busy times recently, so haven't been able to post as much as I'd like to, but still here I am again.
Since the last proper full text post, a lot has happened. I've had quite a few visitors such as my parents, my sister, some friends. It was really great. I might have said that before, but it really feels good to me to share my current life with these people I love. One thing is to show them the direction your life is taking through e-mails, skype or something like that. Another thing is having the opportunity to bring them in to your so called “new life”. And that is why I love having these friends visit me.
On the other side of things, I also love going to visit them. The most recent of these trips around Europe was truly amazing. It was the end of a cycle, or very close to that. As you (at least those I know personally) know, back in 2005 I spent six months living in the US. I spent the autumn semester in San Diego as an exchange student, then went to Chicago for an internship. Six incredible months, meeting terrific people and opening my eyes to the world more than ever.
In those six months, I made some friends who I can't describe. But after that, I had to go back to Rio, while they were almost all either in the US or in Europe, and I did not know where or when I would see them again. Almost four year later, at the moment I knew I was coming to Norway, my first obsession was to see them. I had been lucky enough already to have a visit still in Rio, but that had been way too long ago too. So these visit were my priority.
And they paid off beautifully. I've seen different cities while doing so, but most importantly, I've seen them happy and that made me even happier. To see them with people they love, to meet the people who make them happy, to see them pushing forward with their lives and even starting a new life gave me so much joy, so much happiness that I felt more complete. And I guess that's why it was the end of a cycle. They had all passed through a checkpoint in our lives with “flying colours” and made me real proud to be their friend.
I'm still missing meeting an extremely important person who, as the others, makes me smile (and cry) when I think of her. But I guess I'll have to wait a bit more to meet her again, but with no doubt, it will be with the same feelings.
I still miss you, my dear VA chicas!!!! :')
PS: Don't you dare to forget about our deal! Next year!!!
Porque a vida, às vezes, se assemelha demais a um espetáculo. E, sendo assim, eu não quero ser a platéia, mas a atriz principal. O diretor, obviamente, está lá em cima.
O Arquibar FC foi criado para fazer o impossível - explicar o inexplicável. Mostrar porque uma conversa entre um vascaíno, um flamenguista, um tricolor e um botafoguense nunca tem conclusão.
After 4 years of AIESEC... after travelling in Mexico, Brazil and some of the European countries... after severals national and international AIESEC conferences... after hundreds of people from different nationalities that I have met... I finally dec
Over 90 thousand people in one place,
GRATULERER MED DAGEN! PURA VIDA ALLTID!!! 
The most recent of these trips around Europe was truly amazing. It was the end of a cycle, or very close to that. As you (at least those I know personally) know, back in 2005 I spent six months living in the US. I spent the autumn semester in San Diego as an exchange student, then went to Chicago for an internship. Six incredible months, meeting terrific people and opening my eyes to the world more than ever.
WIDGETIZE