Old Friends

Last Sunday I had the unexpected visit of an old friend.
It's one of those special different people who sees the world in a slight different perspective. As it is a person which I don't talk with that often has always a different opinion for me.
It was very good talk to her again. Made me think of everything from a different point again as usual.
It feels very good talking with someone with a different perspective sometimes...
Well... maybe not!!!

Murphy's Law: can't say NO!!!

One of the first symptoms that you are a true and involved scout is forgetting how to say NO!!! Well this is not exactly applied only to scouts. I believe it happens when you are truly committed to a project, organization or event.
You become sort of masochist. You know you'll have a lot of work, you know it will need a lot of dedication, take a lot of your time, have to put up with a lot of problems, manage project teams of similar people in which deadlines are always flexible and never accomplished and you always have to work extra hours on top of the deadline. In the end most of people are happy, something didn't go as you expected, you keep saying that this is the last time and no one will get you again on one of these. You know exactly that things will go like this (sometimes this is an optimist picture), and even if your schedule is over booked you still can't say NO!!!
And if by any chance you have the smallest hesitation in accepting someone always shows up that always manage to convince you to do it.
This is a Murphy's Law: you can't say No even if you should...
Well... maybe not!!!

Free writing

Do you know those days when you don't have the smallest will of doing a single thing?
Well I'm on one of those. I'm at work but I don't want to do anything. I am the feeling similar to a Portuguese song saying I'm only well were I'm not and all I want to go is where to I'm not going.
I started writing whatever crosses my mind.
These are going to be some awkward days. I'm going to stay around in Lisbon for a month. In the meanwhile I'm going to participate in the Biochemical Portuguese Society in Algarve.
I have so much to do and no will of doing nothing.
I fell strangely sad and lonely although I have enough motives to be happy. 2 great friends have visited me last week, and had a wonderful time.
A very special friend is also coming to visit me soon. I'll be some time have fun while working in that meeting and will be able to meet some friends again. And x-mas is almost coming!!! So no major reasons for not being with a good mood.
Maybe its coming back to the routine feeling.
Tomorrow is a new day
Well... maybe not!!!

Bad tendencies?

Why do most of human beings have that bad tendency of starting to spoil wonderful things?
Why can't I just let things ago and be uncertain, doubtful?
Why do I have to complicate things?
Things can so simple if I want to but...
Maybe its what father says about me: I like to fight for what I want. Never appreciated easy. Maybe its my tendency for challenges...
I hope I don't ruin wonderful things that have been happening to me just because of my uncertainness for challenges.
Well... maybe not!!!

Finally

Do you those things you've been waiting for so long that you don't know how to react when they finally happen?
Yesterday 2 of my MOOT great friends finally arrived here. They promised to come and visit me and here they are. I've been expecting this for so long that I don't know exactly how to react or what to do. I've been planning some things and there are a few places I'd like to show them. Its funny, 2 months have gone and it looks like time has moreless stopped. Its really good meeting your friends...
I'm very lucky. In less than a month I'm meeting again almost all of my MOOT friends: last weekend Portuguese contingent meeting, this week Judith and Carola, beginning of December its time for Hannelore to also come here. "Heaven, I'm in Heaven...."
Hope I start getting paid soon and be able to go there and visit them myself..
Well... maybe not!!!

Busy weekend

This was one of those "I mum! Bye mum!" weekend
As usual I waited for my brother, for going to Leiria. As usual he got home late to we only managed to be back to our parents at 1:30am.
Even though it was very good to be back home again.
Saturday morning we left early for Portuguese Contingent for the World Scout Moot evaluation camp.
It about 100 kms north and we left early to make the journey without rushing. Even though we got there early so we spent some time in Mealhada. That was the major town nearby the place we stayed. It was funny to see the traditional fair there and ended up buying bread for everybody. But not just any bread: a 5,5Kg bread for all.
An hour later we joined everybody and it was time to regain the weight lost in the Moot and to swap pictures stories and so on. It was very good to meet most people again. The MOOT spirit still is in our veins and we want it back.
After a very good day and night of evaluation, eating, drinking and picture sharing it was time to say goodbye and so we were back to Leiria again. This time only for 2 hours because we had had some tickets for a concert in Lisbon and there was no time to loose. Eventually we got there just in time and is was just starting.
The concert was from a group called STOMP. For those who haven't heard of it lets us say that their musicians play brooms, lighters, pipes, trash cans, wood rods, match boxes and several other object. It very very good and I really recommend it.
I'm a little sad because I couldn't spend much time with my family, but since and a while we get used to this busy weekends.
Can't wait for Friday: 2 of my best MOOT friends finally are arriving to visit me for 10 days. Finally some time to relax...

As usual here are some pictures...

5.5Kg bread


Nuno meets Tiago's t-shirt


Watch out! Orange crazy people back...


What are they thinking about?....
Well... maybe not!!!

Third World Country Elections

I didn't know if you heard it but European expert from OCDE organization had to go to a country called USA to check if the presidential elections there were clean and fair.
In spite, or being considered the most powerful job in the world, European expert have to go there and see no fraud is committed like it happens in the third world...
It makes you wonder
Well... maybe not!!!

Nuns :-)

There were two nuns...
One of them was known as Sister Mathematical (SM), and the other one was known as Sister Logical (SL). It is getting dark and they are still far away from the convent.

SM: Have you noticed that a man has been following us for the past thirty-eight and a half minutes? I wonder what he wants.

SL: It's logical. He wants to rape us.

SM: Oh, no! At this rate he will reach us in 15 minutes at the most? What can we do?

SL: The only logical thing to do of course is to walk faster.

SM: It's not working.

SL: Of course it's not working. The man did the only logical thing. He started to walk faster, too.

SM: So, what shall we do? At this rate he will reach us in one minute.

SL: The only logical thing we can do is split. You go that way and I'll go this way. He cannot follow us both.

So the man decided to follow Sister Logical.
Sister Mathematical arrives at the convent and is worried about what has happened to Sister Logical.
Then Sister Logical arrives.

SM: Sister Logical! Thank God you are here! Tell me what happened!

SL: The only logical thing happened. The man couldn't follow us both, so he followed me

SM: Yes, yes! But what happened then?

SL: The only logical thing happened. I started to run as fast as I could and he started to run as fast as he could.

SM: And?

SL: The only logical thing happened. He reached me.

SM: Oh, dear! What did you do?

SL: The only logical thing to do. I lifted my dress up.

SM: Oh, Sister! What did the man do?

SL: The only logical thing to do. He pulled down his pants.

SM: Oh, no! What happened then?

SL: Isn't it logical, Sister? A nun with her dress up can run faster than man with his pants down.

And for those of you who thought it would be dirty, say two Hail Mary’s!
Well... maybe not!!!