Friends, Party & Triplex

Once again I couldn't keep up with my wishes of posting more often than before. But what I've figured it out is that I can't say I will post every week or even every month, because I have to feel like it, otherwise I won't be writing from deep inside and just because it as to be.

One of the bad things of not posting so often is that so many things I went through, thoughts that I've had, things that happened in the meanwhile, lots of them I don't recall it. But I'll try to resume what I've been doing since my last post regarding my adventures.

Since I returned to New Jersey in January I've posted a couple of posts ( not that much as I wanted), but in none of them I've talked about my vacations in December, and after those I've went to Portugal another 2 times. So I have 3 vacations to talk about, I will resume in just one.

Why resume in only one when they were 3, and so different times: December (Christmas time - New Years Eve); March (my birthday); June?!?! I can resume them as simple as: Friends, Party & Triplex...
In all of them I could spend loads of times with my old friends, somehow I can say regain the time lost. Even knowing they were always there for me no matter what, I know I let them down being so absent. So I knew I had to reward them with my presence as much as I can and annoying them as I use to do. I think I was succeed at least I've seen most of my old and good friends and spent some good quality time with them. Here are a couple names of the persons I was talking about, don't be upset if I didn't say your name ( Still love you): Silvia, Ira, Mada, Edina, Eloisa, Jorge, Lourenço, Pedro, Rodirlei, Joana, Iolanda and so many others.
And in addition of old friends I made a couple of new friends, new crazy people came in to my life. They really have to be crazy to come in to my life, and let me stay on their lives. All of them so different but so genuine and so friendly. João Paredes, Carlos Paz, Daniela Djaló, Sonia Rodrigues and Vera Riddel. Thanks to all of you for making part of my life.

Party, oh my god. We had party so hard you guys can't even imagine how hard it was. I can try to describe but won't be even closer to what it really was. I've got introduced to Bairro Alto, I use to know that place but I never wanted to go there, because I use to think there is no point of going there and would be a waste of time, I was so deadly wrong. With a good crew of friends, all nights were a blast, with most of the friends I've mentioned above I had such crazy nights. And of course I don't have to mention the alcohol.
Triplex one of the most dangerous SHOT's in the Duplex Bar, is just a mix of 3 kinds of Absinthe. Imagine a flame ball going down on your throat, burning all the way down to your stomach. Like 1 wasn't enough normally we use to took 3 to 6. And of course we got ourselves completely wasted. What a nights I had we my fellas these last 3 trips back home, was simply the best. Besides the several nights I had in Bairro Alto, or better saying memorable nights, I had some others like: W disco, with my love Silvia, what a blast of night we had, she had to put up with me singing all night and doing so many stupid figures (some of them I didn't recall she helped me remember them hahahah); Art Club, with Ira, Madalena, Carlos, Joao, Andreia the club was pretty much empty but we did our party was so damn crazy and fun; Docks Club thanks God it doesn't talks, otherwise it would tell so many stories (LMAO); great night with my brothers back in my home disco Ondeando, great nights we had remembering those days back in the time. And so many others...

I want to say a big thanks to all that went to my birthday dinner and made it so special and so good. Long time since I had my birthday party back home in Portugal, since 2009 was out. In 2009 was in Dominican Republic, 2010 USA and 2011 again in USA. Was really good to celebrate with all of you near me.

As you remember I got a place that I can call home now, and more than never that place it really feels like home, my place, my pier, my fortress. It has gained shape, color, life, is really ready to have me in most of the time when I'm in Portugal. The worst part of moving from my mom's place was seeing her crying and saying: " is not easy, was 27 years, but one my dreams realize". I've got really emotion when she said those words. I love that woman so much, there are not enough words to describe how much I love her, I much she means to me, how much she did and still does for me. Everything that I am and I have is thanks to one person, my mother MARIA MANUELA SILVA MORENO, my everything, my sun. Thanks God for giving me the best mother.

And for today it's all folks, hope you enjoyed the ride, see you guys soon (just don't know how soon, lol)...

Friends...

F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

What would be life without this word, or better saying what would a human being without them?!

We were born to create new friendships, meet new people, create new connections with all kind of people all over the world. I'm a blessed person because I can truly say I've the best friends in the world all over the world.

Although I'm not always nearby or even close, but a friendship is not only about how close we are but if we can be near through any means when a friend needs us. Thanks to one of the best mankind invention we can always be close even being far away: INTERNET. 

Friends will always be there when the entire world turns their back to you.

Friends will be there when you need a shoulder to cry.

Friends will make us laugh when we only want to cry.

Friends will hurt us with the truth because they want our best.

Friends will be there for you just to listen you without saying a word, because sometimes we don't need to listen a thing, just to vent.

Friends will always tell us the truth no matter what,

Friends will forgive us even when move away from them for silly reasons.

Grabbing on this last sentence, I want to apologize to all my friends that I move away from. Even though they know why and they did forgive me. I will never do that again, I will never put nothing in front of friendship.

Everything comes and goes for some reason, but a real friendship is forever no matter what.

I'm so thankful for all the friends I have and even being thousands of kilometers away they make sure I still make part of their lives, even when somehow I feel out it. 

Thank you all of you that somehow make smile every day. 

Love you all.

Like Crazy

My blog won't be only about my stories and adventures, that I'll have during my journey around the world. I want more than that, I want to use my capacity and boldness to criticize. What I want to criticize?! I want to talk about movies that I've seen, sports (all kind not only soccer lol), present, world and whatever I want.

My first movie is Like Crazy:

The movie is about a British college student falls for an American student, being separate due to visa issue, she's banned from USA for overstaying her visa.

"Beautifully illustrates how your first real love is a thrilling and blissful as it is fragile. Crazy inventive & totally irresistible." By: Peter Travers, Rolling Stone (Magazine).

The simplicity and the naivety of this movie talks by itself and do all the work.

As a traveler and a person who his last romance was lived a long distance relationship, this movie touched me deeply.

When two persons want all is possible and impossible is nothing, on the other hand when is not meant to be is not, no matter what you both do.

I want you

I need you

I love you

I miss you

Like Crazy

A very good drama and romance in my scale I'll rate it with 7.8.

See you guys soon in my next post.

Back On Track Once Again..

This time I've been far for longer time than before.

My last post was in 10th of December of 2010, yes definitely too much time. More than a year and since than so many happened.

How the things can change so badly in one year, I guess that's the way life is: Keep On changing Every Single Moment.

The time passed by but there are some things it kept on the same: I'm still far away from home.

I'm still on my journey through the world, and not seeing it ending soon (I explain later what I mean).

Since I started my blog I didn't have to many followers, but how they use to say few but good, and for those I'll do a briefly of what happen in so long time. And for the new followers some adventures and places I've been in 2011.

As some of you remember I found love, yes I did find it, but how they say too: Everything as a beginning and an end. The end can be for so many reasons, but the end of everything is for sure no matter what.

After finding love I found out that love is just a piece as any the others I'd already stated when I think about love. And only love as much as we want is not enough to a relationship succeed. There are so much more things to make it work.

Mine came to an end because I failed in so many things. One thing that I learn in so many others, you can't and shouldn't change someone or change who you are.

When you start interesting for someone you get involved for who that person is and nor for who you wanted to be. So why change after when you are with that person?! If you change you won't be you, if the person changes won't be the person that you fall in love with. Stay true to yourself and let the other person stay true to itself. Saying this, in my point of view I think we should adapt to the other, adapt is different of change. Two individual should sum who they are, qualities, defects, positive things, negatives and so on. And not subtracting till we get what we would like to have. We are humans, and being human means make mistakes and live a live perfectly imperfect. But like everything here as well there is a catch, should we forget our principles, directives, objectives, wishes, etc just because two persons are different?! Of course not, if you after trying, after living you see there is no sense in continue, why continue?! You should see what YOU want, you should look to YOU, you should be selfish and put You in first place and after all of that You will only make the other person happy if You are happy.

Life goes on: Live now life is luck and time is short!

Where I've been in 2011??!!

Still in New Jersey working for Alcatel-Lucent in 4G LTE. I and my colleagues we already are part of history, we were the 1st in the world in so many things regarding the VoLTE - Voice over LTE. We were the 1st placing a VoIP call between two smart-phones, placing video calls and so many other things. Sometimes the job is so damn interesting like making part of the history of LTE but in other hand is so damn boring an annoying sometimes, but I think all the jobs are like this. All have their high moments and low ones. But in general I can say I'm satisfied with what I've been doing and what I've learned so far.

If I miss my 1st year of working on Alcatel-Lucent hell yeahhhh, why? Because my 1st year I was travelling all over the world and changing projects.

But around here I'm still travelling not as much as I wanted too but I'm still doing my travelling thing :P

Last year I went to Miami, FL. I was so damn amazed. The best way to describe Miami is saying: what you see on tv is what you get once you're there.

Amazing views, awesome cars, nice beaches, party all night long and loads of fun. And going to Miami somehow you have to be extravagant, my extravagance and my partner in crime Ravic Costa was renting a Ford Mustang GT cabriolet, what an animal. The most powerful car I've ever drove. We did a 8 hour driving to the most south point in USA continent, Key West. Till we get there we crossed through amazing sights, I can't describe what my eyes saw, just amazing. But when we get to Key West was very disappointing, we were with our expectations so high after such amazing sights. All the beaches there were artificial and dirty, the best thing was the center of the city, was like a village or with a touch of New Orleans.

During this travel something funny happen to me, I got sunburn LMAO. What a f**** I'm black and I'm not suppose to get sunburn, my skin should protect me. hahahahhahah This was the second time, the 1st was in Dominican Republic, and yes in both of them my skin fell off.

I definitely recommend Miami if you have the chance to go there. Miami is a mix of Vegas and NYC. The nightlife there is just awesome: Ocean Drive rocksssssssss. Can't wait till I go there again.

My thanksgiving this year was very different than my last one in 2010, this year I went to The Bahamas. I was really needing it, was very good to relax, rest and get drunk. We stayed in a 5 star hotel with all inclusive service, yes all inclusive. All inclusive means you can eat whatever you want whenever you want, and the best part drink whatever you want whenever you want. When we got to our room we saw 4 bottles of alcohol: Rum, Whiskey, Vodka and a Licoeur. And every day they refill the empty bottles.

The food was really good too they use to have every night in the buffet room different kinds of food. We had food in other two different restaurants in the hotel: Japanese and a Gourmet. Both were really good.

I did sailing and snorkeling for the 1st time, I've did before diving, and since than I thought snorkeling wouldn't be fun, I was so damn wrong, I've loved it. Swimming with the fishes in a clear water with a great weather, amazing :)

My new house....

I always had an objective of having my own spot, a place I could say my house. I can say that now, my objective came true. I got my own crib, end of 2011 I've signed the papers.

After browsing a lot on the web searching and searching, I found my babe. And that house was the only one I've visited physical. I made the reservation through the internet, my friend Ravic when he went to Portugal he gave to the constructor a sign to safe the house till I see it. When I saw I just said: Yes I found it. I love my crib :), and the best of all is mine :)

And for today that's all folks.

I won't promise I will write every day, but I'll try to write about something in the meantime. Better than promises are actions, so I want to act instead of promising.

See you guys soon my friends.

Driver's License

Today I'm going to write about how to do a driver's license in USA.

Certain day after I got home from work, two colleagues (females) of mine took the car to go get the cloths at the cleaner. I stayed at home with another colleague (male) doing the dinner, the time was passing and the girls didn't show up, and the cleaner is 5 minutes away from where I was staying. Suddenly one of them appears at home with a breathless air, saying "Do you have an extra car keys, because the cars key are inside of the car, and we can't open the doors because the car locked the doors". I went with her to go check the car, on the way I was thinking how that was possible, in 2 months with the car it never locked by itself, always I had to lock manually. When I arrived there I saw the car keys over the seat and the door locked. What to do? Call the cops to open the door. The cop arrived and asked for documents driver's license, I gave my Portuguese license. Quickly the cop said "where is the international driver's license?" I said I didn't had it, then he told you can't drive in USA without it.

International driver's license is just a "stupid" book similar to a ballot, you have to go to ACP with your driver's license a photo and 25€, and they do the "stupid" small book with your photo, some pages in English and others in Chinese and that's it. And it has an expiring date of 1 year. Mine expired that's why I didn't have it no more with me.

Because of what happen above I decided to take the USA driver's license. As I have the green card (US permanent resident card) and I always heard it's very simple and easy and cheap, not like in mother country Portugal.

My residency in the green card is from Massachusetts state, so I had to go Brockton-Boston where my father lives to do it. One of the weekends I went to Boston and stayed there till Monday to take the learner's permit (called theoretical exam).

Monday I woke up very earlier and went to the RMV- Register Motor Vehicle to do the test, I didn't study almost anything just read some stuffs nothing more. When I arrived there they asked me a proof of my address and I just took a letter from the migration as proof, the who attended me told that wasn't enough. I needed some letter from the bank or phone company so I went to the phone company balcony and got the proof of address. Went back to RMV another lady attended me and didn't accept the proof I got from the phone company because it wasn't a letter sent to home, I showed her the letter from the migration and she said that was OK. I was ready to perform the exam, 25 questions and I could fail 7. Took the exam in Portuguese and did it and pass it easily. For that exam I paid 20$ (yes that expensive similar to Portugal right?)

First part successfully accomplished, now I just had to the road test exam. In my head that would be the easiest part, I drive since I was 18 when I did my driver's license in Portugal. I just had to schedule a day to take the road test exam the next time I come to Boston to do it.

Thanksgiving vacations I went to Boston and I decided to schedule the exam on that time. Here to perform the exam we need to have a sponsor: the person which will go with you; and a legal car. But the legal car must have an emergency hand brake, I learned it in the worst way. Day of the road test I went there with my brother on his car. When was time to perform the test the examiner was examining the car to see if it was in conditions. He starts complaining about the car sticker was putted on the wrong side and then the front plate wasn't there. But those small things he would let it go, than he looked to the emergency hand brake and wasn't there. Quickly he said "you can't perform the test with this car". I start begin him I would go to Portugal soon, and I have a driver's license from Portugal for 7 years, he kept saying no with this car I can't let you perform the exam. Nothing more to do, I was completely pissed, schedule another date.

Went back to New Jersey, 4 hours distance to or from Brockton. Searched on the net the nearest date and booked the exam again.

Tuesday, 7 of December 2010 I woke up dropped my friend at work and went to Boston to do the exam, 4 hours driving. I arrived there around 1 pm, the exam would be at 3 pm, just waited for the exam and for my brother's friend who would land me his car to perform the exam.

3 pm the exam started, the examiner this time would be a old woman. She started asking me the hand signs, left, right and brake. The last one I made the sign correctly but I couldn't remember the name of it, she quickly told me you only have 3 attempts. I thought for me what the hell, and then I said correctly. I drove 20 minutes, U turns, parallel park, parallel back all the bullshits supposedly you have to do when you do the road exam and you don't know how to drive. I drive more time here than when I did my road exam 7 years ago in Portugal. End of the exam I really thought I did everything right and would pass easily. She asked my name and said "you must come back again, you failed the exam". I couldn't believe in what I was hearing. She start enumerating what I did wrong:

1. Backing 50ft : Look over right shoulder;
2. Hill operation: avoids rolling, properly position wheels, didn't put on park;
3. Turning: properly yields;
4. Lane change: checks blind spots.

What I did during the exam:

1. When I was backing I was looking to the mirrors - She said I can't;
2. I putted the gear on reverse and turn off the car - She said had to turn the wheels and put the car on park;
3. I learned on the yield sign if there are cars coming I should let them pass till there are no cars, so I let the cars pass - You let too many cars pass, you didn't enter that's why they didn't stopped to let go in;
4. I did a lane change after I looked to the mirror and I saw only one car coming, I let that car pass and I merge to the left - You didn't look to your shoulder to check your blind spot.

After all the bullshits she gave what could I do, just said OK thank you.

I'm not saying she was wrong, somethings yes, but in the overall I proof her I knew how to drive and I knew the rules. But I guess that was my mistake showed her I knew how to drive.

Get in the car I drove to Boston and went back to Jersey again, another 4 hours driving. Completely pissed and knowing I don't know how to drive.

Next day on the job was talking with my colleagues about what happened and one them told "you should had talked with, I would told you every stupid things you should have done".

In resume he said the trick is pretend you don't know how to drive, be very silly and dumb.

Guess I learn what not to do next time.

What is love?

So many times we hear: I'm in love, I love you, I adore you....

But did you ever stopped and asked yourself this simple question: What is love?

Before I leave this question and wait for some answers I'll answer myself what is love for me.

Love for me is much more than like someone because is pretty, is beautiful, is hot, has money, has a nice job and others nonsenses.

Love wasn't made to be painful, to make us cry most of the time, to make us argue all the time, to be distrust. Wasn't made to have just a few hours during the day because we already have other plans and we can't cancel them. Wasn't made to be lived only from one side and the other just stays because is good to have someone who loves us. Love is much more than just give, is about give and receive back; of course one side will always love more than the other, even our body is not completely symmetrical, how could be two persons completely different love in the same amount?

Love for me is starting liking the defects of each other, we must respect the other person the way it is, or otherwise we would never fell in love for that person. Is easy to love the qualities but is really hard to love the defects. Why should we wanna change someone to our image and require the other person to lose its essence, the same essence mixed with the qualities and defects make us fell in love for?

Love is wanting to be with someone, not spending only some hours in a week, sometimes is hard to find that time but when we really want, we can try to figure it out. When that time is really short and we can't do much more about it, should we spend that time arguing, fighting, saying nonsenses or should we enjoy every single millisecond we do have? If that time is short we really should enjoy it, but if the is long "what should we do?" The same thing we did when we had short time, enjoy as much as possible every single millisecond as well.

Like I use to say:"live now, life is luck and the time is short".

It seem likes I do live in a wonderful and beauty word and where everything is perfect, I don't and I know even in most perfect couples living the real love there will be misunderstandings, dislikes, fights and others stuffs. What should we do in those situations? I think the the answer is very easy, we have a great gift, the gift of talk and understanding. Yes, you read well, is just about talk, left one side express itself and the other does the same. I'm not saying we should accept everything the other wants, but we should always respect each other thoughts and opinion and try to find what will be reasonable for both. Is not about who will win or who loses, we have to know not only to be stubborn but to know when to retreat. (I really know what I'm talking about, I'm stubborn as hell)

A lot of people says a girlfriend and a boyfriend can't be really friends. I completely disagree with that, in my point of view they should try to be the best friends, not forgetting the best friend each other already has. How can someone say a relationship can't be built in friendship? Do you wanna have someone for the rest of your life which you can't talk all the time, make you laugh all the time, be able to just listen you, to tell a secret and so many others things. Thats what a friend does right? So wouldn't you like to have someone by your side which you could do all those things with?

Respect simple word, but so many times doesn't make part of our vocabulary. Can we really hope to have a long relationship without respect for each other? What is respect? Is not only respect each other when is in font of us, is respect each as well on the back. Respect is know the boundaries of each other, know the limits of those boundaries and respect the space of each other.

Trust, small word with only5 letters, but when is applied I bet with you so many relationships would be saved and so many problems would be avoided. Is not easy to have it, we should every single day try to earn a bit more of trust in a relationship. I'm not saying we should blind trust, thats why I said should be earn. Both in a relationship should do that hard work, but I can bet again with you in the end both will be winners.

In a few words thats what is love for me.

What is love for you?

If you read this please let me know what is love for you, you don't need to reply in English if you don't want to.

Thanks in advance.

Thanksgiving

Today I passed my first Thanksgiving.

I used to watch this celebration on american movies, but this year I celebrate it, I ate the turkey. Is the favorite american celebration, why? Because on this date they only eat, watch TV and Friday they have "Black Friday". On Black Friday lots of stores will be open at 5 am and close at 9 am. Yes you read well 5h in the morning. Is very common to find queues from 23h and 00h untill the doors open, people waiting for crazy prices in all kind of stores: books, clothes, electronics etc.

Some of you don't know why they celebrate the Thanksgiving, I didn't as well. I just learn this last days.

Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, has been an annual tradition in the United States since 1863, when during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincolnproclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26.

The event that Americans commonly call the "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated to give thanks to God for helping the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony survive their first brutal winter in New England. The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three days, providing enough food for 53 pilgrims and 90 Native Americans. The feast consisted of fish (cod, eels, and bass) and shellfish (clams, lobster, and mussels), wild fowl(ducks, geese, swans, and turkey), venison, berries and fruit, vegetables (peas, pumpkin, beetroot and possibly, wild or cultivated onion), harvest grains (barley and wheat), and the Three Sisters: beans, dried Indian maize or corn, and squash. The New England colonists were accustomed to regularly celebrating "Thanksgivings"—days of prayer thanking God for blessings such as military victory or the end of a drought.