From México to México (Part 4) - It's missing just one :D

So, when I started to write the series of these posts, I was clear that I would like to be as positive as possible with all the aspects. Definitely I was mainly talking about the period between the interviews and the next announcements. I really have many opinions, that I had the chance to share with some of my friends there in IPM – especially with other candidates and my GNB Family. Those thoughts would be around: the AI selection process, the process that we passed through, some questions around some of the people selected... but I really don’t want to talk about everything. In the end, what really matter is that: I wasn’t selected.

I guess everything in our lives somehow contributes for us to learn better how to lose. When you win, you get to know people that lost and that makes you think about how it would be to be in their places; all the situations that you pass in your life that takes you up and down and how you learn with them; the attempts that you did for something much bigger that you were already expecting to do not be elected; many other things. I was thinking about these situations, in my case.

I came from a rich family that suddenly started to have a lot of financial problems. I honestly think that, despite of all the pain that we had in our lives due to this big change, it was the best thing that could ever happened to me. I needed to pass from the situation of living in the best places in my city to some ones that were almost inhospitable. For a short while I was sharing a room with my father that almost couldn’t fit a bed and a closet. The whole house was small and very hot. That was a hard moment for me. After we came back for a better life condition – but then my brother had a hard accident.

Due to these facts, I needed to move from my city to another 4 times in a period of 2 years. After 2 more years, I changed again. I knew that I needed to study and then I came back to be one of the best students of my class. In the meanwhile I lived for 5 months in a room of 1.5 meters by 2. I knew that because my bed was beating both walls and if I put my feet on the wall in one side, my head and shoulders would come out of the door. Since I am 1.83, I imagine those were the dimensions.

After, I went to the Management School. There I was elected president of the junior enterprise in odd conditions. After I got into AIESEC and it started my journey of losing elections. I applied for President of AIESEC in Brazil. I didn’t get it. I tried again, I didn’t get it. I applied for AIESEC International, I didn’t get it and I applied for Regional External Relations Manager when I was finally chosen.

Those processes were very hard to me. Somehow, all of them were. I learned a lot about it and I grew a lot which makes me completely not regret about participating on them. But after all getting to this selection process of AI I got to the conclusion that: you cannot learn how to lose. It is really hard to handle that. Actually, what happened during all of those experiences that I had is that you learn how to deal better with the sensation of losing, but not how to deal with all of it.

In the first day I was really frustrated because I couldn’t understand some things that happened in the selection process. In the second I got to know much more information and instead of frustrated I became just sad with the results. It was a tough time. And one of the things that I thought during this period was “would did I lose and what did I win not being elected?”. So here comes the list:

Things that I’ve lost:

To be part of AIESEC International was a dream of mine since I went to my first national conference in AIESEC. It’s hard to see that you must give up on your dreams.

I knew that I could contribute a lot for AIESEC International, AIESEC Globally and for any region that I could be elected. I feel sad that I cannot show this contribution.

I was really aiming to live in Europe and in Rotterdam. I know that the city is kind of boring but I was really looking after it for different reasons.

I feel like I waste a lot of time in the application process, without much reason. I really worked like hell, many weekends to ensure that I could have a good application and get prepared to the process. Somehow I feel like I’ve lost my time in this sense.

It may sound stupid but whenever you are travelling and getting to know more people you get connected to them. The fact that I was being able to somehow inspire these people really attracted me. And it would be also reflected to this blog – that by the way I write in English because somehow I feel like many people can get connected to my way of life and to my ideas. It really gives meaning to this experience in AIESEC.

The things that I won:

I am tired. I am really tired. I feel that it is physically and work related. For sure there were people with much more time in AIESEC applying and they were probably not as tired as I was. I tried to find an explanation for that and my conclusion is that, I had some hardcore experience. Working in ER in the year of IC in Brazil and my experience in the IGN really drained my energy somehow. I am happy I am coming back home then, for main reasons: rest, to do not damage my performance as director, to finally finish my university, to meet my friends and family again. In the end, I am happy about it. :)

I don’t feel connected to the way that AIESEC is currently doing many things and with some of the people from the elected AI team. It’s better for me to do not be elected because I feel that I could be bringing conflict about many points of AIESEC International. It maybe wouldn’t be nor useful for me neither for the organization.

I am getting reconnected to my professional future and I must be happy for that. I never cared much about money, but to have some is also very good. I am very tired of living under the conditions that I am living currently and I am sure that I can finally find my independency in the short term.

I want to be able to show that I can be again a great professional in a company. I’ve done it before and now I have the chance again.

I am coming back to Brazil: food, family, friends, home. Not much more to say.

Coming back to IPM, I ran for AIESEC International for the 3rd time in my life: VPOS. Despite of everything that I said above, this time I was ready to lose. :) I didn’t get any surprised for not being selected. Indeed, I was much less surprised than I was for not having 3 VPs elected. And then, I spent the rest of IPM more hanging around than doing anything. Thinking, reflecting, having fun with my friends...

After IPM I had another great moment which was the trip through Italy. I finally had the chance to go around Rome and also to go to Naples (Nápole, Nápoles). I loved all of it. To see Vesuvius with my eyes, to see the Vatican, the Fontana di Trevi, to drink the hot chocolate of Naples, to taste the Marguerita Pizza from the place that it was created... all priceless. I was there in Naples with a trainee from my city (Enzo Busiello) that was a great friend that I had in Brazil. We had a lot of fun together – in Brazil and in Italy. I am still frustrated that I didn’t see the Sistine Chapter. But that’s a great reason for me to come back to Italy. :)

In three days was heading back to México for 2 days before going to Guatemala for another conference...I am heading for the last chapter of this large story. I truly hope that you’re enjoying.

To be written the last part...

Ps.: you can see the pictures of my trip here:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/mtkaiesec/RomePlaces

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/mtkaiesec/RomePeople

Ps2.: Seeing now the pictures I reminded me about something fun. During the global village Driss made me eat something very spicy from Tunisia. I kept a black spot on my teeth. Nobody ever told me and I took all the pictures with this mtf black spot. People after was asking me: "But nobody told you?" The fact was that... I was taking the pictures, so nobody could see. One more time, kehding :D

From México to México (Part 2)

I left my flight and I had some difficulties to find the places where my luggage supposed to be. After going around for a while I finally found it out. After I found it, I had troubles trying to find something else: my luggage. It was lost. When I went to the place to claim my luggage, everything went fine... except for the fact that I forgot the address of my hostel there with the guy that was attending me – for them to know where they should send the luggage.

So I left the place and tried to withdraw money with my 2 credit cards. Obviously, none of my cards worked out. Without having many more options, I went to change the dollars that I had. The 100 dollars that I had became 61 euro. I am telling the details because they’re going to be important in the story, believe me. So I got the train that people told me to get. I either got the wrong one, or the indications that they gave me were wrong. Any of the two options would screw me up. And I actually got screwed.

Besides that, after I got into the train I discovered that I haven’t authenticated my ticket – which also means that, it wasn’t valid then. If any guard stops me at this time, I would have to pay a huge fine. One important part is that my ticket cost 11 euro – which means that I had exactly 50 euro left.

Finally, I’ve got to the wrong station in the metro. At this point I was lucky: no guard checked my ticket in my trip. :) From the wrong station where I’ve arrived I could either to get a metro or a bus. With my non-existent Italian, I couldn’t ask for information. When I finally could, I asked for a guy from the information centre and he told me to get the bus 910 and then the 218. When I tried to buy the ticket it cost 1 euro. I had just a bill of 50, so I needed to change the money. I went to a place with sandwiches inside the station again and there I changed my money. Went back, bought the ticket and get into the bus. After I got there, I’ve got the news from the driver that it was the wrong bus. I supposed to get a metro (do you remember that I’ve lost the address of the hostel, right?) to somewhere.

So I went to the metro station. With the stamp of tourist in my forehead I started to check the map of the metro to see where I should go. The place was the emptiest metro station that I’ve ever been in my life. After some seconds that I was checking there the map a guy came to ask me for money. Considering that he was all the time looking behind his shoulders and came to me and asked for 5 euro to do something (speaking in English) – for me it’s was a robbery attempt.

I got to 2 conclusions:

- Shit!! That’s a robbery! With 5 Euros I can spend almost 2 whole days in Mexico with all my meals!

- Man!! Thieves in Italy are so smart that they speak English!! He was speaking English better than the information guy... and thinking by this perspective, he could be providing information instead of stealing people...

So I went back to the information centre for metro station. The guy that spoke a little bit of English could teach me which metro station I should go. When I asked about the bus that I should take there to go to the hostel he said: “here is metro information! We don’t give information about buses.” I was holding myself to do not laugh reminding the public services in Brazil. :)

I followed the information, got the metro and arrived to the station. When I left the metro I didn’t know where to go... into a very deep cold weather... I walked for something like 2 blocks, got some new information and came back to get the right bus. I followed the instructions that asked the guy to stop close to the hostel. He did it, but when I left I had no clue where should I go again. I saw a street going down for a group of houses and I thought that could be there.

That was one of the most exciting parts of my trip. Since the weather was really cold there was nothing on the street. I really felt like I was any version of “Resident Evil”. I was just waiting for the first zombie to come to me and start to try to bite me and get my blood. Fortunately it didn’t happen. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the place. I checked for some place to ask for information and there was a bar around but my fear of having some zombies taking drinks on that place was so big that I decided just to come back. It was almost midnight.

In my way back I found a person parking its car. I tried to speak with it in some languages and he finally explained me how to get to the hostel. It was around 2 blocks from where I was. I thanked him and finally arrived in the place. By the way, the money that I had left was exactly enough to pay for one night for me. I just bought a very expensive internet card to tell my family this history and that I was fine. Few minutes after I started Mali arrived. She and Mo couldn’t get why I was so white and without reaction. I guess after reading this post they would understand better. :)

Until that moment my conclusions about Italia were:

• People are incredibly beautiful. And they do use the weird fashion things that we see on the television. And it works out.


• Everything was really expensive. For me, it was almost like Paris.


• I didn’t like the Coffee machine of the hotel. It swallowed 1 euro from me.


• The water to take shower was hot, but the restroom was a small fridge. I am serious about the possibility of storing some ham above the beds there.

To be continued...

The power of the simple things...

My grandmother once told me about a philosopher that had a theory that the world is just the things that you can see in front of you. It means that immediately after you start staring at something else all things behind you, for example, doesn’t exist anymore. It can be viewed as a very selfish theory, but I tried to get the best of it to understand that our world is really small.

In my life I always believed on the power of the simple things – the things that you can do in your world. It has a lot to deal with many things that happened in my life and the experiences that I had. Some of the most interesting, I can also invite you to enjoy. Those happened when I was seeing some true stories in movies.
The ones that carved me a stamp were: “Patch Adams”, “Music Within”, “Civil Action” and the last one and that inspired me to write this post “Freedom Writers”. And not being a real story, the classic “Pay It Forward”. Well, if I keep saying names of movies, as a completely addicted person... I could use more than one blog.

What does people did was basically stare at their world and do not accept the reality that they had in front of them. And for that, they didn’t use of a very wide and complex set of things, but simple and impactful things: intelligence, creativity, persistence, great will...

When I was running for the national directory of AIESEC in Brazil I wanted to tell this for the people. “Dudes! We don’t have to come up with complex things... let’s make it simple and ensure results.” To do not look like it was a too crazy theory, I looked forward some “endorsement”. And I found it. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci – the most brilliant person that that ever passed through Earth for me... and “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” Albert Einstein the person that the rest of the Earth recognized as the most brilliant one... :D

Those things always inspired me. In all of my actions I have in mind to always achieve the biggest impact with the simplest actions. And I really don’t like some people’s behaviour that doesn’t believe in this power. When it is for the negative perspective, it is easier for people to see how simple things can be impactful: shooting another person. With one bullet, one weapon and one will many people in this world ruined their lives and the ones of so many other people.

So, we come back to one of the principle that I also always take with... the Spider-Man principle :D “Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.” And it makes the whole sense because the power of doing simple things can be extremely powerful.

And how the hell does it impacts my life? All the times when I get to know these stories – through movies, books, conversations, whatever... I get so anxious about my future. Will I be able to do the great things that I want to do for the world? Which are going to be the simple things that I will be able to do to impact positively the others life? How big will be my range? Will I give up of all in a short while?

Those questions makes me reflect a lot about my future. But also and more importantly they make me reflect about the present. It’s like a checklist of my duties regarding the simple and powerful things. Am I smiling enough? Am I getting to know the people’s name? How many chocolates did I gave for people with no specific reason this month? How many emails did I sent for old friends just to tell how I am doing and how them how is it going? How many smiles am I being able to put in the others’ face? How many times did I offer some people to cook for them this month? How often am I using the words: "thank you" and "please"?

How would you be your checklist? By the certainness that it wouldn’t be composed by: “How many advanced math solutions did I developed in my life?” “The cure for how many diseases did I find this year?” “How many life changing movies did I produced in this month?”

I hope people are going to be kept doing great things. Like Einstein did with the E = MC2 or Leonardo da Vinci did when he created the first drafts of the helicopter, the hot air balloon, Mona Lisa... all around 500 years ago. But as much as I want people to keep doing this, I want them to keep smiling, giving free chocolates, hugging each other... saying: “I love you”.

Well, I feel happy after all to have those feeling to start 2009. I hope with my simple actions I will keep people cheered up for the long road :D

As well, I hope this post is making it somehow.

Trailer of the movie: "The freedom writers"

About dreaming...

How far could you go chase dream? For me to answer this question, I would ask myself what is a dream... I guess these 2 questions are taking my sleep away these days. Because, in my definition a dream is nothing more than something that you really want to have or to make it happen.

This is a time of my life that my dreams appears to be heading to the same path. All of them. But at the same time it seems to be a great opportunity but also a big risk. I can get everything... or lose everything. For sure, if I had to choose, I wouldn’t play a game like this. I don’t mind about putting myself under risk, but definitely don’t feel attracted about a binary solution. I am not a PC.

Thinking about that I am taken to reflect about which should be my attitude regarding this huge opportunity. And then, my dreams are split again.

When it is about my professional life I know better how to handle. I collected the tips and I memorized the most important ones and I experienced tons of things and the most important thing: no fear. I remember my selection process for AI. Everything in English, the PAI, 2 VPERs and one director with me. A call at 6 am. No fear. I wasn’t selected but I remember clearly in my head my satisfaction to know that I did my best. If I wasn’t selected it was because the other person was the right to be there.

In the professional life I have tons of cases like that... and I am proud of them. Changing for my personal life... I cannot say the same.

I guess I even know the theories... I know how I should do the things and the most important thing... the things I shouldn’t do. And even though I keep doing the same mistakes over and over again...

I don’t like to play games... I am smart sometimes, I know how to play, but... in the end, what really matters is that, it’s just not me. I like people to know how I feel about them, I like to be together and close to the people... and one thing that is really important is the fact that I don’t know how to handle relationships where I don’t feel connected with the people. I barely know how to talk with them.

It generates me tons of problems... for sure. But there are two key points that comes from that: I keep people that I really love by my side and, I got screwed when the topic is love. It used to be a bigger problem when I was in Brazil in consequence of all the stereotypes that we have. But it wasn’t ever a big deal for me. I definitely never been a typical Brazilian anyway... but the feeling that I am getting screwed again makes me concern anyway.

Why am I talking about it right now in my blog? It has to deal with many of the things that I said about: people that are with me because they really care about me, no games, love and specially... dream.

One of my best friends (like my older brother) took me to reflect and consequently write this post. He was one of the people that better understood me and helped me in my whole life. Many times, just being there for me. And this guy showed me on the daily basis how and the importance about chasing your dreams. He always dreamt to be a musician and now that’s what he is doing. Since his songs are also about love, I am back to my reflections about myself and many other things.

And since I learned something with him, I won’t give up on my dreams. If it should happen or not... it’s not on my hands to decided. But something that my mom told me once and that I always took with, is what makes me like I said: with no fear.



“Everything is going to be fine in the end. If it’s not fine now, it’s just not the end.”

My dear friend Salomão and my favourite song of him...

December, 16th

I am an unlucky person. I know that when I say that I generally shock people. But it’s something that I got to know during my whole life. Indeed, I have some weird stories to share with you: the day that the window of my car broke because the air inside heated and expanded breaking the glass in the front; the day that I wasn’t accepted to run for the best internship of my city because the manager couldn’t open my CV (it was in PDF); the day that I served a plate in a restaurant that wasn’t receiving cards that day, I try to withdraw money and it blocks my card when I cancel my last trial – my old card just got expired in the week before (and I noticed with my plate done); the day that I was chosen (in first place and 2 more times) to solve an exercise in the white board in a class of statistics (my professor was using the function RANDOM in excel to make the selection); the laptop that I’ve bought from US is stolen in the luggage of my friend while coming; the presentation that I did for around 30 externals of our official handover event just doesn’t work (3 technical staff tried to resurrect it, but it just worked in the next day). So, you got the point, right?

Actually in my group of friends of my city (Turma do Mantega – Mantega’s Brotherhood) I became even an expression. When something is very unlucky for them in that day they say: “Today I’m Kehding (Kehdiando em portugues)” – because of my surname.

But there are days that I am particularly unlucky. December 16th seems to be one constant of these days. They say that “God Writes Straight With Crooked Lines” (“Deus escreve certo por linhas tortas”) Last year at December 16th I felt that He went out of the paper.

It was the elections for president of AIESEC in Brazil and I was ready to have one of the worst days of my life. I definitely don’t want to talk about it... not because I am not over it, but talking with a very special person, I realized that this episode is exactly where it should be: in the past.

Yesterday I had another of these really bad days. After tons of time of it happening, I created a theory that – when you start a bad day, you should just give up. Worse things are probably going to happen. And this day started extremely soon.

I took till 3 am to sleep because my arm was hurting a lot... (for the ones that may not know, I am with the right arm immobilized – I would like to say that it was because of a bullet in a robbery, or because I was hit by a wild car... but the truth is that, I fell from my roller blades... :( )After I had a meeting that made me wake up at 6:30 am. My contribution for this meeting was basically to eat the breakfast. I came back home to change and Juan kept my backpack. I supposed to use his, but it is a big deal to try to adjust a backpack with one only hand. Besides that, my hand was still hurting a lot. I went to the office and arrived around 11:30 there. I spent almost all the time unable to do something truly productive. The only impactful thing that I did was to tell something extremely stupid to someone that I really like and care.

At something around 6 pm (all this time waiting for that) I finally went to be checked by a doctor that sent me to the hospital to change my cast. After around 1,5h in the traffic jam we got to the Red Cross. There, I needed to wait until 12:00 to get ready – alone. I had time enough to think about my life, the stupid thing that I did in the afternoon, and many other things. At this time, I was losing the dinner that the people that I live with were having and exchanging gifts. That was a bad day...

But, as I suspect you don’t come to my blog to read me complaining about everything, right?

So, with time I realized that I am paying bills. I really can’t realize when I started to make the debt (and why is it so big), but after sometime I could see that I am in a karma express mode. From the last worst day of my life I was taken here. And I had soooo many happy things with that. Left my country for the first time, got to know AIESEC International, first International Congress... but the most important thing: people. My life mission. You’re the reason for me to be writing in English here.

And don’t worry... I don’t mind about being unlucky. It never affects the people around me (which is extremely important) and as soon as I still keep having soooo many good things with my unluckiness, I am quite fine. :)

To my future wife...

My dear,

If someday in our lives, for any circumstances the destiny decides to separate us, I want to remind myself of some things that were really important from the time that we started our relationship on...

I want to remember that the reason for us to get married was the fact that this relationship was completely meaningful for both of us. And also that most of the things that we did together gave us much more great and happy moments than bad or fighting moments.

I want to remember how simple things that you did or simply the way that you were could make me so happy. The smiles that took my breath away or almost took me to the floor. The surprises that I would never forget. How our body together even by the touch of our hands deserved to be together because together they found their own reason to exist.

I want to remember that above all the bad things that might happen that you will be always the one that gave me the most important thing of my life: our children. And they are just as perfect as they are because there is a part of you on them. And I am sure, the best part of you.

I want to remember that, above everything in my life I wanted you to be happy, just because for me that’s how it should be. And to be separate must mean that you will be happier alone or with someone else and that it means that, despite of all the hurt that I may feel for losing you or for what made us break up, I want to remember that many days you made me the happiest man I could be and I wanted you to be always able to feel the same.

I want to remember that I married you and not anyone else from your family. If for some reason they get evolved in our situation I must respect them because for them – without understanding the meaning of all that is going on – they are just aiming to protect you and probably I would do the same in their places.

I want to remember that despite of any of the materials things that now legally belongs to us, I don’t want to hurt any of my children with stupid and meaningless argues. If I would need to start from the zero to keep them away from our problems, I will do it.

And finally I want to remember the bright in our eyes. Not only in mine but also in yours that make us take the decision of spending our lives together. I am sure that the reason for us to do not stay together must be strong. But I also know the one that connected us was also really strong. I hope in the end we could finish with the same good way that we started. And somehow I hope that both of us could be happy again... as it supposed to be from the first beginning.

My Theory

When I was working in the National Board of AIESEC in Brazil we had a session during the transition time that was my favourite. It was called “My theory”. The reasons for liking it so much are many. The first, is the fact that I have so many theories. I can always laugh by myself about my own conspiracy, funny, silly theories. Also because during that time it gave us the chance to think about great things that could be implemented and really change how things were working in AIESEC there.

Well I don’t believe all the theories can change the world. At least, you can laugh about mine :D

Something like 2 days ago I was going to brush my teeth. I am here in Mexico and here is very common to see the “economic” version of the products – which means that they are really big. I was thinking how much time I would take alone to finish with my toothpaste (I just discovered how to write this word. The funny thing is that it is the same in Portuguese: pasta de dente).

And then, since I don’t have a very strong control of my brain, I started to think about a person living completely alone, working in a small and boring company and receiving a medium salary. If I was this guy... how sad would be to stare at the toothpaste and realize that I would took ages to finish it...

Besides thinking about the consequences for this person (or even for me here right now) having the desire to change the type of toothpaste that he uses, I was thinking about the fact of finding someone else to share your toothpaste. Now the toothpaste becomes a good example because it’s something more private to share than... food, i.e. but also not that much as... underwear.

So I was thinking: if this guy, working in a boring company, in the middle of nowhere, receiving a medium salary, that by the way never found the love of his life, never got completely in love with someone, or even worse, got in love sometimes and even tough never had the chance to be “happy forever” with these people that passed through his life – suddenly finds someone else.

This someone else is not the love of his life, or at least, it’s not easy to perceive it like that. But they could spend their lives together. Sharing the toothpaste, the bed, a muffin in a breakfast, a book, a dream... things that, you can do with someone that could like you and that you also could like them.

Is it bad?

I was really thinking about it. I feel like, I could be this guy one day. And... after that I was thinking that, it shouldn’t be bad. Probably these people could have a stronger and more stable relationship that most of these “happy forever” couples, breaking up in the next month because they just realized that, they are not perfect enough to share the same bed.

Yes, I am young and I still have the same dreams of the small kid in love with the beautiful teacher (actually, this example specifically, is not applicable – never got in love with a teacher, but you got the point right?). I still have the bright in my eyes and the true and deep desire to marry with the “woman of my life”. But I just don’t feel like, using one big tube toothpaste alone. Too sad to think about it. So... Am I the wrong guy about thinking that... accidently the plan B could be even better than the plan A?

I honestly don’t know... it’s just something that passed through my mind when I was brushing my teeth.

1 month out of my home

It’s not too much. I know. Actually, I not only know but I also feel it. I am proud of myself here. There are things that I always thought about myself and now I am having the chance to prove and fortunately it’s being proved that I was right.

For example, I always thought that things that happened in my life would make of me a very adaptable person. I can feel it here. Different people, different environment, culture, food, office... well, everything kind of different. And I really feel like I am home.

Yes, I cannot say that I am not lucky. The people here is amazing, the office is very nice (and the people that works that makes my days always happier), my house, my room and my roommate are really nice. I have space, the country is cheap, I am close to stores, supermarkets, restaurants, bars, and everything else. Well... so, I supposed to feel like I am feeling now? Right? Yes... I just want to give me some credits because all of it is a matter of perception and consequently something individual, and here I am, seeing everything with these eyes. :D

Let’s set a list then, of the things that I am proud about:

- Adaptation. I really feel that I am very good here. I don’t miss many things from Brazil and I can live perfectly here. Everything is fine and smooth.

- Time: I am managing to use better my time, having some time to stay at home and talk to people, cook and this kind of things. Fortunately it’s mainly because our office closes everyday at 8.

- Language: AEEE!! I am already having meetings with people, talking to company representatives and even writing proposals in Spanish. C’mon! I am so happy, if we take off the week that I was in Guatemala (that was amazing but in terms of learning Spanish, a lost week) it’s a little more than 3 weeks. I think it’s better than even me was expecting.

Now the list of the things that really I like in Mexico:

- People: they are nice, they hug each other, the girls kisses the guys on the cheeks (like in Brazil), they are fun, laughing and making jokes all the time... very very nice people!

- Prices: everything here is at most, same expensive as Brazil (São Paulo). But tons of things are cheaper. A coke could cost half of the price of São Paulo. The mobile that I bought cost me less than 50 dollars and I will receive half of it in credits (and it has MP3 player and everything I need). The metro here costs 15% of the price of the metro in São Paulo. Taxis... I don’t wanna talk about it.

- Patriotism: All the time that I have the chance to get in touch with the other cultures, I get to know that in Brazil we are a shame when the topic is patriotism. Here in Mexico is much easier to see Mexican flags, everybody knows and celebrates the important dates and things like that.

- My life here... as I told, everything is close and easy to access. And I have the chance to live and work with wonderful people.

The things that I don’t like about Mexico:

-Traffic Jam: Even after living in São Paulo, I think here things are much worse. In fact, it took a while but I could find a definition of the traffic here: “Devil’s playground”. I bet the devil itself has a car and waste a lot of time here in the traffic using his horn alllll the time! Non-stop! AAAA really bad the traffic here.

- Sales People: I am also used with sales people from São Paulo. But here is much worse. If you look at something, sound like you have the infinity desire to buy the thing, so it’s better for you to get prepared. People are going to jump in front of you and everything because you just looked at their products. When we were at the pyramids, we saw a scene very interesting. Sales people representing restaurants closer, acting like insects surrounding us (and any other potential costumer). It always reminds me the Brazilian stand-up comedian that said in one of his shows that his desire is to answer the question: “How can I help you?” with the answer: “Dying or disappearing... you can chose!”. I know that I make part of this wonderful class of people – sales people. But, I still can hate my competitors... hehe

-Jalapeños y chile: It’s not because I don’t like spices. It’s because of that, but also because of the fact that they put spices in everything and even in places that you don’t suspect. That’s what makes me suffer more. Once I bought a croissant made of ham and cheese and it was fuuuuuuullll of chiles. Aaaa I suffered only with the things left by them... after I took all off.

So here I am. Enjoying my life, having fun, working in a proper environment... feeling really well. I don’t miss that much Brazil. At some points yes... but at this moment I am probably still in my honeymoon period... so it’s better to enjoy it!

About my friends...

Do you have good friends?? I bet you do. But I was thinking when coming back to my city and then leaving for my international trip, that I just can’t believe about the friends that I have. I can spend a lot of time here just telling you about them. But my life – especially in the professional one – I discovered that cases can prove a point much better than the theory.

I had so many experiences that I simply couldn’t believe that they even existed. I remember that once I was in a night club, something around 10 p.m. already having fun and one of them called me, because he needed a ride. He was in a city 30 km from my own and I needed to go there pick him up and come back for our city. Well, I just did it. I never had a single doubt that he would do the same for me. Actually, he did more. He travelled 260 km just to come to my city to hug me and support me on the day that my grandfather died.

I remember that one of them was going abroad. He was just about to live 1 year away from us in our high school that means a time that we used to spend every single day together. I quite on my spot on the car, because it would be too dangerous for a girl (another friend) to go. I woke up earlier then everyone else. I’ve got 3 buses to get to the airport. For one of the first times in the history, the flight left earlier. When I arrived he already left. I cried like a kid. This same guy, helped me in so many ways in my life in São Paulo that I could never be so grateful. Just taking me to the airport, it was more than 5 times.

They also did many great things by themselves. One of them got in love with an American girl. He dated with her for 6 months, waited more like 6 months to see her again. Got married with her in Brazil to get a visa for her here and then went with her to live in USA. Got married again. And I was thinking, how many people could just have judged him and said that he was crazy, that was the wrong thing to do... Etc. Etc. Etc. But he just did it. Another, spend some years studying to get in a medicine school. Didn’t give up and got it. Another is handling one very important brand of champagne worldwide. He is one year older than me. Another is finishing the master... (and I didn’t finish my university... L). Another helped to found AIESEC in their city. Finally, one is finalizing the specialization in some of the weird animals of this world! :D

After a while I got to understand from where came my altruist way of life. Some people still got surprised with some things that I do for them. I don’t know. I just feel like my friends teach me how to be like that. And I learnt very well. Thank you.

About the nature

Sorry, this post will be in english.

Did you ever stop to analyze the nature? Really? Sometimes I make the weirdest analogies with the nature and our lives. For example, when you're seeing a movie about the war. I always ask myself: can you imagine that all these people that dies in the movies... all of them has their own histories, they have their families, waiting for them to come back, they have their dreams and their fears. Everything is going to end, very fast with something in the middle of the war.

Not changing the subject but bringing for the nature perspective, have you ever tought about your small act of accidentally stepping in a house of ants. Yes... if they were human beings, in a very stupid (and avoidable) act, you just drestoyed tons of them. Maybe their moms were there praying for them to come back. And also, in war, generally (at least is a generalization) most of the people that dies are adult men. You could be stepping on small and very young nice ants, with a brilliant future in their lives. hehe... I know that it is a strange analogy, but at least makes me more aware about the environment.

I always remember one of my professors telling me that, as many other things that the human beings uses, the principle of the paviment is the same that is used by the slugs to move themselves. I really doubt about my professor. Can you imagine someone looking at a slug moving and leaving that gosme behind it and screaming: "Eureka!" hehe... I doubt a lot.

But also, sometimes, somethings that happens in our lifes is exactly like being in the nature. It's like, being in love. Isn't it exactly like being in a spider web? I was thinking about it these days. You're there and you simply don't know what is going to happen. Is it better to be completely on your own? no moves?? or would make more sense to try to debate and try to get off of there?

Could you survive or would you simply call the attention for your final and sad destiny?
Something that I always notice about movies with catastrophies: when everyone is in danger, everything that was done by the society is gone. We're back to the nature. People running from a hurricane, trying to save yourselves from the fire, something like that... it doesn't matter if you are a lawyer, if you are a doctor, if you are a homeless. Everybody is going to try to save their own lives - and also their children (like in nature, right?). And I think that's how our strong feelings - sadness, love, passion, rage, etc - makes with us. We're back to the nature. We don't know how to act. We're there, by our own, trying to avoid to do the things that our impulses is telling us to do. Trying to make the best decision, trying to tranform a hurricane in a chess game. And the result of all of it is as simple as it is predictable: probably, you will fail. I am not saying that you should stop trying to be rational and think about your acts. It will help you less.

But it's just for us to put ourselves in our places and face it: doesn't matter if you're a brillant person, a great professional, even an awesome person for the people around you. You're in the nature. At some point, you will be just following the gosme that someone else left for you, you will be creating or falling in a spider web, running from a hurricane, simply being stepped by a inattentive person. And sometimes, when everything supposed to be peacefully, your home, your life, your job, your dreams... you're just... again back to the nature.