Sunday, May 22, 2011

Society...

I just watched "Into the Wild" again.

It's such a beautiful, powerful movie for me. And I don't mean in the cheese way that everybody talks about, the open road, let's go traveling, whatever. Sure, there's some beautiful scenery, and it definitely brings home the fact that there are too many beautiful places in the world that deserve to be seen, but I already know that.

I think to me, the most striking part of the movie is the contrast between the beginning, when he's traveling around and spending lots of time alone, and even says to Ron that he's wrong if he thinks that happiness comes from human contact-- to the end of the movie, where possibly his last written words were "happiness only real when shared."

Yes, society might have its problems... and our interactions with the people around us might be complicated and chaotic at times, but we will never be happy without having someone to share it with.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Languages and such...

Just a quick note on the topic of languages... how funny is it that the same word can mean completely different things in different languages?

Check out the following example:

Word: "Hell"
Definition in English: Underworld, place of fire, Satan, etc.
Definition in German: Light, bright, luminous-- as in "I love summer! It's 9pm and still 'light' out.

It gets even funnier when you have the same word in the same language, but different regionalisms change its meaning. For example:

Portuguese Word: "Puto"
Definition in Portugal: little boy
Definition in Brazil: male prostitute

And there are thousands of examples... (let's not even mention the Spanish word "concha") yeah, some funnier than others... :)

It's just one more adventure in the process of learning a new language. I love it!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Rehab...

I'm a junkie. Really. I need to get checked into a Rehab facility as soon as possible.

Don't be too surprised, if you're reading this, chances are you're a junkie too... and no, I'm not doing drugs.

Let me explain: I'm a technology junkie.

Next week I'm going to Thailand. I've been looking forward to this trip for months now, and I can't wait to be out in the sun and sea enjoying the beauty and tranquility of islands and nature.

However, every time I think of the fact that I'm not taking my computer, my heart skips a beat. I'm serious, it's that bad. I feel like a junkie looking for her next fix, even though I still have the computer under my fingertips. Literally. And the more I realize how addicted I am, the more I am certain that I have to leave the computer at home.

I'm actually sure that once I'm there, I won't even think of the computer, I'll be too busy enjoying everything around me to remember that machines, computers, phones, even electricity, exist.

But I'm sad to realize what a sad state of affairs I'm in right now. Seven years ago when I went to Thailand the first time, I didn't even own a laptop. I was in Thailand for 6 weeks and checked my email maybe 5 times. Now the first thing I do when I wake up is turn on the computer, and the last thing I do before I fall asleep is turn it off...

So yes, I'm in need of rehab. And I hope that when I come back, I'll be able to control my urges and give myself more and more "unplugged" time. I need it. Maybe you need it too...

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Pillows and such...


I've been thinking a lot about the whole concept of "home" lately. I've lived in so many places, so many different countries, continents, houses, apartments, and traveled to so many more, that I could honestly not count the amount of beds I've slept on or the number of pillows I've laid my head on at night.

There are people who can't sleep well if they're not in their own bed. That never really happened to me. I'm so used to being homeless, that whenever asked "Where is home?" I usually answer "wherever I lay my head at night..." That's been true for the last 12 years, at least.

It's funny, because when I was a kid, I wanted to live in Brasilia my whole life. I always wanted to travel and see the world, but I had never considered living elsewhere... Brasilia is where I was born, and where I grew up. The weather is wonderful, the scenery is beautiful, there's a lot of natural beauty around and plenty of places to explore outside the city. The city itself is quite small for a capital, and I know it better than the palm of my own hand. I know it so well that you can probably take a random picture of any corner of the city, show it to me, and I can tell you exactly where it is. No joke. For the first half of my life, it was definitely "home".

It lost the title of "home" when I moved away and discovered that there were other places in this world where I felt more at home than there. Places where I "fit" better, although I've started to discover that maybe it's more due to the fact that I'm as adaptable as a chameleon, than to the actual environment around me. But during the last 12 years, I had gone to the other extreme and said that I definitely did NOT want to live there.

However, I don't know if it's because I'm growing old (yes, happens to the best [and the worst] of us), or because I've grown tired of change, or simply because the weather is getting to me and I miss the warmth of the sun on my skin... but lately everytime I think of "home", Brasilia comes to mind. Ironic, isn't it?

Does the prodigal son always come home? Will there be a party if he does?

...Something to think about...