The Road to Success...

High grades are not enough to get a good job.

There are no guaranteed jobs,but the probabilities to be unemployed can diminish if you choose the right degree.

Social and Human sciences are a problem area these days. The areas linked to he Economy, Management, Marketing and Engeneering ( Electronics, Computing and Telecommunications ) are safe options, because these are areas in need in the market.

More than he final degree grade, that only gives an idea about the candidate's capacity to study hard, companies value the capacity to integrate a team, good relationship, maturity, social intelligence, good looks and self-esteem. In short, they look for a well-balanced person.

To judge these qualities, candidates are usually selected through a series of tests of personality, motivation, interests and many others.

These are very important qualities to be selected, but to have skills in areas such as Computer Science and English are fundamental. Today, another advantage is to be able to speak Spanish properly as well as German and even stranger languages like the Mandarin, then the rest is due to good luck.

Experiences of work and studying abroad are also a bonus for the selected candidates.

So , here you have some tips to be successful at work.

Stars...

They remind me a time, in my youth, when we ( my sisters and I ) would find these " Sea Stars" on the beach. Some were very soft, wet and others already dried from the hot sun.

Sometimes, I wonder if my son will ever experience such simple situations. Men have been destroying habitats when they should be working to preserve all the natural wonders.

I read that the American Indians believed that Earth didn't belong to them, it was a treasure that they had to preserve and care for, because it belonged to the future generations.

I can only say: "how wise!!!"

Books...

This is supposed to be some kind of challenge.

Cátia from Ticho suggested that I should try to make a list of some books I would recommend as good reading. My problem is to give you a small list, so the selection is not easy.

I love reading. Readind has always been part of my life. Whenever I finish reading a book I need to start a new one. I let my imagination flow through the pages and words, I travel in time and space. History, fiction, romance...anything is possible. Books have that capacity.

So here are a few books I would recommend:

I 'll start with my latest acquisition, Ilha das Trevas, by José Rodrigo dos Santos and I haven't started it yet but I've read the others from the same author and I loved them.

At the moment I'm reading Rosa Brava by José Manuel Saraiva. This is an historical romance that tells the story of D. Leonor Teles. So far, I'm loving it.

I do believe that José Saramago is a talented writer. I particularly loved Ensaio Sobre a Cegueira although I liked most of his well known books. The first book I read from this author was O Evangelho Segundo Jesus Cristo. Then I decided to go on discovering his novels.

I must write about Isabel Allende and in this case I recommend all her books. Nevertheless I'll mention a few, Casa dos Espíritos, Paula ( about her daughter that died) , Filha da Fortuna, Retrato a Sépia. I've already written a post about another book Inés de Minha Alma.

Luís Sepúlveda is another Latin Americam writer that tells stories like no other, so please, try to read them all ( they are easy to read, kind of short stories ).

Gabriel Garcia Marquez is also a favourite author. I believe I also have got all his published books. I first read Cem Anos de Solidão a long and difficult book for its complex story and repetition of names. But don't discourage I think you should first read Amor Em Tempo de Cólera. His latest book Memórias das Minhas Putas Tristes is very interesting.

Laura Esquível that is able to write about food , smells, spices and its implications in people's lives. She has some amazing books such as Como Água Para Chocolate.

Ernest Hemingway was a master in writing. Just one because this would never end, The Sun Also Rises ( Fiesta ) that is about bullfighting and it takes place in Spain.

Just two more authors, not contemporary, but very good to read about society in another century.

Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility and Emily Brontë's Jane Eyre.

I must confess that reading is my favourite hobby, when I'm reading I forget everything...

The idea now goes to:

Inácio Lemos ( my husband) from A Rosa;

Armanda Sousa from Escola Revisitada;

Sofia from Sofia's World

Patrícia from More Than Words ( I know you've been invited by Cátia ).

Tiles...

Like a panel of artistic tiles!!!

That's how I see you all. Beautiful, unique and strong.

To 11D...

Because friends are forever...

Through time...

Goodbye...

This is a common word, frequently used in common situations.

Nevertheless, I felt a little sad.

I said goodbye to the girls and boys I tutored at school for two years.

These have been great times. I taught them more than I was supposed to by the syllabus. I taught them a little about life, about relationships and above all about friendship.

Teaching youngsters is more than asking them to memorise verbs and its leading forms, its more than writing vocabulary lists and to try to make them speak in a foreign language. Teaching is also about values and attitudes, its about citizenship as well as ideals.

Many days I got angry and upset. Most days they made me laugh.

Thank you for so many funny-learning moments.

The 10th June...

Day of Portugal, Camões and the Portuguese Communities

"Erros meus, má fortuna, amor ardente

Em minha perdição se conjuraram;

Os erros e a fortuna sobejaram,

Que para mim bastava amor somente.

Tudo passei; mas tenho tão presente

A grande dor das cousas que passaram,

Qua as magoadas iras me ensinaram

A não querer já nunca ser contente.

Errei todo o discurso dos meus anos;

Dei causa a que a fortuna castigasse

As minhas mais fundadas esperanças.

De amor não vi se não breves enganos.

Oh! Quem tanto pudesse, que fartasse

Este meu duro Génio de vinganças!”

in " Os Lusíadas"by Luís Vaz de Camões

Marriage...

Marriage is no longer what it used to be.

According to studies made in the USA and in Europe most women do not see marriage as a priority in their lives.

This is because they get married later, they live together without getting married, they are far more independent .

So, what is going on? A little all over the western world, women earned a place that belonged to men - that of independence. Women have entered the workplace and today most have a job because they want to be successful, not only for the money. And this independence gives them the chance to choose their own fate - if and with whom and when they want to be married.

Today they have a greater capacity to survive economically and emotionally in case they get divorced. After a separation, those who have a higher income and better careers, have less desire to commit into a new marriage. They seek companionship and pleasure not a man to pay the bills.

According to some sociologists, in the past women dependended on men, that dominated and controlled their lives, now we are going into the opposite direction. Women are becoming very powerful, and they don't need men anymore. On the other hand, men are starting to suffer from low self-esteem. Modern society is once again looking for some lost values and in the meantime individualism is a predominance, when we should be looking for common values and living together in spite of the differences.

Maybe marriage could help...

G8-Summit 2007...

The issues for the G8-summit taking place from June 6-8 2007 in the Baltic Sea resort Heiligendamm near Rostock are put.

The Federal Government declared the following topics as main focuses for the Summit

.Investments, innovations and sustainability
.Reduction of global imbalances
.Systemic stability and transparency of finance and capital markets
.Freedom and conditions of investment
.Protection of innovations against product and brand-piracy (intellectual property rights)
.Africa – Good governance, lasting investments, peace and security
.Partnerships on reforms and economic growth
.Promotion of private investments
.Medical schemes and HIV/Aids

G8...

The Group of Eight (G8), formerly G7 until Russia joined, is an international forum for the governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Together, these countries represent about 65% of the world economy. The group's activities include year-round conferences and policy research, culminating with an annual summit meeting attended by the heads of government of the member states. The European Commission is also represented at the meetings.
The presidency for 2007 belongs to Germany, which will host the 33rd G8 summit in Heiligendamm from June 6 to June 8.

The G8 is intended to be an informal forum, and it therefore lacks an administrative structure like those for international organizations, such as the United Nations or the World Bank. The group does not have a permanent secretariat, or offices for its members. The presidency of the group rotates annually among the member countries, with each new term beginning on January of the year. The country holding the presidency is responsible for planning and hosting a series of ministerial-level meetings, leading up to a mid-year summit attended by the heads of government.
The ministerial meetings bring together ministers responsible for various portfolios to discuss issues of mutual or global concern. The range of topics include health, law enforcement, labour, economic and social development, energy, environment, foreign affairs, justice and interior, terrorism and trade.

As the annual summits are extremely high profile, they are subject to extensive lobbying by advocacy groups, street demonstrations by activists and, on rare occasion, terrorist attacks.
The most well-known criticisms centre on the assertion that members of G8 are responsible for global issues such as poverty in Africa and developing countries due to debt crisis and unfair trading policy, global warming due to carbon dioxide emission, the AIDS problem due to strict medicine patent policy and other problems that are related to globalization. G8 leaders are therefore pressured to take responsibility to combat problems they are accused of creating

because today the sun is shining again,

because flowers are like the sun shining in my life,

because I love life,

because I feel alive,

because you're my life,

because I love you !!!