NaNoWriMo

For some inexplicable reason I’ve decided to go for the NaNoWriMo again this year. What is this thing, you might ask yourself? It’s the National Novel Writing Month, a movement of writers and aspiring authors trying to write a novel or about 50 thousand words in one month, november to be precisely.

Good thing or bad thing? Just a thing, I’d say. And the desire to challenge myself to something different than keep trying to find a course I should follow just to keep my brain working.

So writing it’s going to be. I’m quite curious about what is going to turn out…

To London and back

As the title says, we’ve been to London. For a couple of days, mind you, but it was wonderful. It was a sort of compensation for our unlucky summer vacation last August in France.

Coram's Fields - October 2009

We visited The London Eye at last! (absurdly expensive, by the way) Jasmijn was having a ball and I just couldn’t come close to the windows. Who’d say that.

View from above

And we’ve also been to Coram’s Fields and a nice park in Kensington, the one they’ve built in memory of Princess Dy and that has a Peter Pan theme to it. Nice! We’ve spent a couple of hours there, just allowing Jasmijn to climb and run around as much as she wanted.

And last but not least we’ve been to the Natural History Museum, where we’ve met some very interesting animatronics. The one of the young T-Rex is really impressive! It’s really worth a visit!

Jasmijn pequenina em comparação...

O outono chegou / The autumn has arrived

O outono realmente chegou a esta terra. O céu está cinzento, o frio está começando a bater… e ainda estamos no início de outubro! As árvores ainda mantêm suas folhas verdes e as ruas ainda permancem nuas. Mal posso esperar para vê-las cobertas de folhas laranjas e vermelhas. É uma das visões mais lindas que já tive!

The autumn has really arrived here. The sky is grey, there’s coldness in the air… and we’re still in the beginning of October! The trees are keeping their leaves green and the streets are still naked. I can’t wait to see thm covered in orange and red leaves. It’s one of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen in my life!

To Brazil and back

I’ve been to Brazil for a couple of days and everytime I go there, I come back with this feeling of strangement. Rio is not my city anymore. I recognize most of the places, a lot of the faces, but the city is becoming more and more distant from me. Maybe it’s because I’ve changed, maybe it’s because the city itself changed as well. The point is I don’t like it any more than I liked it before.

So why do I go there? Well, there’s my father, my second mother (stepmother is such a horrible word, isn’t it?), my brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, and friends. And the warmth I get from them I’ll never get from anyone else, anywhere else. The differences in culture are then very clear to be seen.

And there’s one other very weird thing: I’ll never get used to people talking Portuguese all over me again. I can cope with meetings and parties, but on the streets? Weird stuff…

The Nose Job

So most of you already know about “the nose job”. What you don’t know yet is that I’ve managed to have it done well, to have all good… until today. I went to the doctor today and she mentioned the septum is gliding back to its position. It’s just a little bit yet, and we will only know more details about it within 3 weeks, when I go back there for a follow up, but it’s definetely a bummer. So it’s not as successful as expected. Now it’s hope that when I’m back she discovers the damage has been minimal and that’s that.

On a “heavier” note: I really need to loose weight. Because if not… I’ll keep making weird breathing noises at night. Not a good prospect for a married woman with a caring and light-sleeper of a hubby. He’s under a lot of stress due to lack of sleep lately. So… it’s up to the salads and light food and down to all the chocolate I’d like to eat. Double bummer!

But that’s life. It happens when we are making plans.

Patrick Swayze

Just heard about his passing. Had to check some info.
I’m actually sad. He was one of the idols of my youth…

Acabei de ler sobre a morte dele. Verifiquei algumas informações.
Estou até triste. Ele foi um dos ídolos da minha juventude…

The Commonly Confused Words Test

Saw this one at our Ucranian friend Nadia’s weblog and couldn’t let it rest until I’ve tried it too. (sorry, folks, her blog is in Ucranian. But there are some patches of English here and there… )

Your result for The Commonly Confused Words Test…

English Genius

You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 93% Advanced, and 80% Expert!

You did so extremely well, even I can’t find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don’t. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you’re not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!

Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it!

For the complete Answer Key, visit my blog: http://shortredhead78.blogspot.com/.

Take The Commonly Confused Words Test at HelloQuizzy

The Test

My Results

Novas fotos / New photos

Matrix e eu / Matrix and me

Barraca e carro / Tent and car

Carro e barraca / Car and tent

Seguindo a aula / Following the class

Filha perto da professora / Daughter and the teacher

Um mar cor de rosa / A sea of pink

Balé

Jasmijn + Yasmine

Fazendo pose / Cute as usual

Spider: just for fun

New quiz: what decade fits your personality best?

1930’s

You are strong and determined and have what it takes to get through life’s storms. You are very helpful to those around you– be it your friends, your family, or even a neighbor in need. You are a great leader and strong-willed person, and take challenges as a way to better yourself…But you also have a deep sense of warmth and nurturing for those you care about. You are well-rounded and tough because you have to be. You aren’t a “diva” but rather a humble person with admirable character. With more hard-working, quality like you, this world would be a much better place. By being able to turn a little into a lot, you know how to make life enjoyable even if it’s just through the little things.

So, mine is in the 1930’s. Funny how surprising those quizzes can be.