Me, myself and I...

Hello readers,

I'm back after another long absence. What can I say, not much.. I would love to write more often, but I learnt from me that I'll only write when all of me wants it, can't be only a part.

I've changed my blog layout because I pretend to write more and different subjects. Lets see if this time I'll be able to at least have a post per month about any subject.

I'm still in New Jersey-USA working for Alcatel-Lucent in 4G LTE. I can't complain about the life here and the work environment, they both great and very pleasant. But I do miss my old life, not so old if I take in account that I'm leaving here since 2010. But I miss my travels around the world, meeting new people, new countries, new cultures, the crazy parties I use to have in everywhere I go with my friends. 

I really miss the time in Malaysia, there I really had quality of life, in all aspects. Ok not all of them, because the work wasn't that great, but all the rest was simply amazing and awesome. Those times was definitely the best 6 months in my life.

In here what is missing? I think is missing more social life. What defines how good and happy is the place you are is the social life. And here my social is close to none, I only deal with my housemates and my family once a month when I go to Boston. You guys should be thinking why is that if you live close to the best city in the world, New York,

Here where I live Summit, NJ my house is located in a residential and family area, super quite and nice to rest. But not so good to socialize and make new friends. At work the average age of the company should be around 45 years, I've started hanging out with some soccer friends from work.

The nightlife in NYC is kind of awkward, because is so nice and glamorous but at the same time annoying. Annoying because to get in in the best clubs or you go with several girls or you have to spend at least 300$ in bottle  and once you got in is kind of hard to socialize with other groups. At least in my case is hard as hell, because I'm very shy. But definitely I will have to do something about it, most probably next year I'll still be around here.

Being here I've gain the love for fitness and working out my body, but that I'll talk more in another post.

Somebody has told me that: Never forget the lonely never win.

I couldn't agree more, we were made to be somebody other half.

I had so much already in my few years of life that I learnt from my own histories. A lot of good friends says that I'm afraid of living a new love, and because of that I've became a colder person because of all my not happy endings.

I prefer to think the other way around. In my opinion the way I see life is the way most of the people should see it. Is true that we would see less romantic histories but is also true we would see less people getting hurt. The way I see it is in the realistic way, live today because we don't know if will have tomorrow.

Live one day after the other.

I know is wrong thinking that I can manage to fall in love or not, think I can control my feelings. But right now that's the way my brain and heart are plugged to work. For me fall in love is more than the act of just being lead for the feelings, lead by the love and the theory of having love all the rest will come after.

Will love come when you don't have a strong friend relationship with your loved one? Will love be enough when you start having argues day after day and not having the capacity of seat and talking? Will love be enough to hold a beginning distance relationship? Will love be enough when you start being suspicious about you loved one? Will love be enough to feed all the house expenses? Will love be enough to surpass the absence?

With all this questions I don't want you to think that I'm against love, not at all. But for me to fall in love these days won't be so simple as it use to be. And trust me I'm a lover. I do love to love and love to be loved.

Live now life is short time is luck...

I've just came last week from 10 days vacations in Portugal. Once again as always I've had a great time with my family and friends, I'd rest a lot and recharge batteries till the end of the year.

But when I was there a feeling came around again, a feeling that for long time I did not feel. I felt shifted.

I pass so much time out that when I'm around is normal for my friends they don't notice I'm around. For a couple of days I've stayed at night by myself at my house, just me myself and I. I really don't blame them who chose this life was me, and they just keep on living theirs.

There were some days I wanted to do something or go somewhere I've could call to one of my good friends I do have a couple, but thinking they would be doing something on their own routine I kept quite on my place.

Those days even knowing that I have a lot of friends who would do anything for me I've felt lonely and wanting to come back to Jersey. I know you will want to kill me, but you guys know I don't work very well. :)

Counting down for my 5 days vacations in Negril, Jamaica can't wait. Once I get back I'll let you guys know how was it.

And for now is all folks, see you guys soon...

Flight

Another outstanding performance from Denzel Washington in a Robert Zemeckis movie directing.
This movie will grab you since the first sequence until the end of it.

The best way I can describe this masterpiece is short telling the story itself.
What to do to a person who saves 95 lives out of 101, from a plane crashing, but that person was under prohibited substances as cocaine and alcohol.
It should be considered as a hero for saving 95 life's, or he should be punished for being drugged in service?

The maneuver he did to save all those peoples was outstanding and very crazy. Being under such kind of substances our brain is uninhibited, we think we are capable of doing anything.
Ten other pilots tried to land the plane in a simulator and all of them crashed the plane. What suggest that if he was completely sober he could not have been able to land the plane.
So, being under drugs helped him saving all those people. My questions is: Should he still be punished for being drugged in service?

Bellow I let you some sentences from some critics about the movie, Denzel performance and Zemeckis.

“A gripping, deeply engaging and emotionally powerful drama that features Denzel Washington at the top of his game.”
Scott Mantz - ACCESS HOLLYWOOD

“Mr. Zemeckis, directing his best movie since ‘Cast Away’”
“Mr. Washington’s ferocious performance”
Manohla Dargis - THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Washington hits you in the gut with every beat, making ‘Flight’ near-transcendent.”
Kurt Osenlund - SLANT MAGAZINE

“Denzel Washington is beyond superb! It’s an Oscar worthy performance that's masterfully and skillfully delivered with ferocity and feeling. It’s the best of his career, which is saying an awful lot. And certainly one of the all-time best performances ever by an actor. He is way on top of his game in ‘Flight.’”
Shawn Edwards - FOX-TV

“Nothing short of a masterpiece.”
Jake Hamilton - KRIV-TV (FOX)

“John Goodman turns out another superb supporting performance.”
Billy Donnelly - AINT IT COOL NEWS

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.