Tuesday, February 06, 2007

A Poem For My Blog Mates!

I Believe

I believe-
That we don't have to change
friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe-
That no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a
while and, you must forgive them for that.

I believe-
That true friendship continues
to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I believe-
That you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.

I believe-
That it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.

I believe-
That you should always leave loved ones with
loving words. It may be the last time you see them

I believe-
That you can keep going long after you can't.

I believe-
That we are responsible for
what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe-
That either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I believe-
That regardless of how hot and steamy a
relationship is at first, the passion fades and there
had better be something else to take its place.

I believe-
That heroes are the people who do what
has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.

I believe-
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe-
That my best friend and I can do anything
or nothing and have the best time!

I believe-
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when
you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up

I believe-
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to
be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe-
That just because someone doesn't love you the way you want
them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I believe-
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences
you've had and what you've learned from them and less to
do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe-
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe-
That no matter how bad your heart is
broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe-
That our background and circumstances may have influenced
who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe-
That just because two people argue, it
doesn't mean they don't love each other, And just
because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe-
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I believe-
That two people can look at the exact
same thing and see something totally different.

I believe-
That your life can be changed in a matter
of hours by people who don't even know you.

I believe-
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a
friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I believe-
That credentials on the wall do not make
you a decent human being.

I believe-
That the people you care about most in
life are taken from you too soon.

I believe-
That you should send this to
all of the people that you believe in.

I believe-

I just did.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Blog feedback

Some creative work here, particularly photo imagery and creative writing.
Aim to work closer as a group (I know you do in the flesh, as it were, but more evident in the blogway).

Very successful interviews. When you add film clips, say a bit more about them so people know what they are about to tune in to.

All the best with building on this next semester.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

My Life

I was born in Angola, exactly in the same house as my mum. I find that particularly interesting, because my mum had left Angola at the age of 5. After 25 years she goes back married and a mother of 3 children, get’s pregnant and ends up having her 4th child at the same house she was born! Like my mum I left Angola with my parents and my brothers at the age of 5!
As a family we started life in Portugal, but when I was 19 years old, I went to England. I think I needed a new challenge in my life, just like now, enrolling in University at 37, full time job and 2 children!
In England I worked mainly in restaurants, starting just by cleaning cutlery to management jobs. During this time I did enjoy some of the best years at my life, I travelled a bit, got married and had my daughter Sophia and my son Tiago. When my children start to grow up without any family around and away from their roots, I and Paulo decided to return home for good. We now feel that our children are happier than ever before and that shows us we have made the right decision.
I now work as a secretary and enjoying life in its full, because not only I love my job but I also have the opportunity to do lots of things I wished all my life and never had the courage or support to accomplish them.
My favourite sentence is:
“This is the 1st day of the rest of my life.” and I really try to live upon this idea of regardless of anything else we just have to do what our heart tells us!

Tea with the Birds

You never find out what the loners of this world do at home, here you’ll get a better idea!

A story with very sharp observations of life!


The story tells us about a foreigner woman who lives by herself in a bedsit of a crowded neighbourhood, but she feels as lonely as anyone can ever feel.
She lives in her solitarily world until a newcomer rents a next door bedsit. Mr. Tamaoki, a clean and neat Japanese man. They lived the encounters of estrange neighbouring life and due to his silent living style she wonders what would that man would do for his living? She’ll find out the day Mr. Tamaoki invites her for tea at his home!

A short, wonderfully observed and skilfully written story that will have you glued to it until its last word!

I as a foreigner and having lived in England for a few years can very much relate with the woman in this story. I’ve felt the odd one out for months, because unlike her I was the only foreigner living in the street, so most of my neighbours had, not just curiosity about my life, but a story about it too! I just started fitting in that community from the moment I requested driving lessons from one of my neighbours. This driving instructor was the link between the English community and me. After a couple of years they actually confessed that despite of al things, I wasn’t much different of them!

I really enjoyed “Tea with the Birds”, as you probably already realise.
Reviewed by Ana Luisa Xavier