Final exams!

Finally!!! We are ALMOST done! Guys, don't worry too much. It's nice to study to be prepared, but I think we already did everything we could, pretty much... now, is just try to relax and do the best we can and wait for the result. As Scott told us, nobody is going to fail. That's a good sign, which means that we are all working hard and doing what we can do! Doing the writing exam is not hell! For those who need to do, you just have to think that's another essay you have to do, but the difference now is that you already know how to do it! Structure, thesis statement, conjuctions, academic format... probably, we all getting sick of it!!! hahahahahahaahah do not be mad, Scott, I mean it in a good way :) It's adequate to say that we are getting tired of doing it, we need a brake! Ok, now it's better... About EAP, it is really impresive how I improved my writing skills since the beggining of the course. If someone read my first and my last essay, they might think that 2 different people wrote those. That's pretty amazing!!! I'm sure it happened to many of us... Anyway, digressing a LITTLE BIT now, I'd like to use this space to invite all for a little celebration downtown. I don't know how many of you are going to read this... bu I'll try! HEY GUYS, LET'S ALL GO TO A SHISHA BAR AFTER THE FINALS ON TUESDAY????? Scott, you are also invited!!! Come on!!! So, good luck all now and then!

Plans for the future!!!

The year is almost gone... this three months have just flown by. Sometimes I have a strange feeling that I arrived just a month ago! Differently from last spring, this time I want to go back to Brazil! I miss my family, my friends, some silly things like watching a soccer game or driving my car, that I hope it is still waiting for me. hahahahahah I'm sure it is still there! In spite of that, I feel content because I know I did the best I could and also learned a lot from all that. I'm writing better, speaking fluently and also more mature. I've already made some plans for the future that, for now, is still in Brazil. Maybe within 7 years I can come back here or even go to Europe or another country. The only bad thing about leaving Canada is that I can end up forgetting the English. Anticipating it, I bought some interesting books to keep in touch with the language. Another plan is to apply for conversation classes in order to keep using it and do not forget it. So, I think that nowadays I'm much more prepared than many people in Brazil when looking for a job because of the English and other things. Talking about my plans, for sure, I have many and if I am able to acomplish them I'll be happy and satisfied. I have 2 more years of college until I finish it and as a International Relations student I intend to know at least 3 languages besides my native language, Portuguese. Thus, I can become a diplomat. I'm aware that the English is the most important one due to many reasons we studied along the course. I intend to learn Spanish because it's close to Portuguese and can be used in the entire South America, but Brazil. My goal is to go to Buenos Aires and take a summer course there. I also want to learn French because it is a classic language and also can be used in Canada. I expect to find a good inturn job to make some money and get work experience, hopefully, doing something related to my area. Another plan is to get some piano classes. I already play keyboard that there are similarities to piano; however, they are not the same thing. Another activity I intend to keep doing is working out. Particulary, I don't like it, but the girls do. So, let's do it for them... hahahahahahhahaha. That's all for today. Ahhh, another goal is to have 12 blogs by friday. See you!

Why am I like that?

Today I'm going to write about one of my bad qualities... I am a really forgetful person!!! If I am like that nowadays, what might happen when I am old??? It's better not to think about that right now, at least, I still have time to fix it... I hope. If I stop to think about all the things I've lost until today, it is pretty intriguing. For sure, I can say that I lost more than 200 dollars. I think I'm not a materialistic person but to keep losing things is not good at all. Friday, at lunch time, I went to MacEwan Hall with Inna. I decided to eat at Baker cheaf. However, when I opened my wallet to get my credit card, I just realized it was not there anymore. It was pretty shocking!!! What a hell did I do with it? Have I lost it? Yeah, as usual... The problem is, someone could have found it and used it. I called my mom and told her what have happened so that she could cancel it and avoid that something worse happen. I was still hopeful about finding so I decided to check at Chapters, the last pace I used it. Fortunately I found it but usually I lose things and I don't recover them, afterwards. Probably it happens because I'm almost never focused on what I am performing. Consequently, I drop things or put them in a different place without realizing it. I'm also really, really clumsy! Here in Canada, I've already lost many things: shorts, two pairs of gloves and a sweter. I really want to change it but i don't know how... How can I stop being like that???

New York!!!

Today I'm going write about the most incredible city I have ever been, New York. As I told you before, I lived in US for 5 months. The 4 four first months working and the 5th month(grace period) "I could do whatever I wanted" but work. In US I made some great friens. The curious fact was that I got along much better with Argentineans than with the Brazilians there. It's generally thought that Brazilians and Argentinians don't like each other. Actually, we are just rivals when it comes to soccer, we just don't admit to lose for them... ops, I'm digressing, the post is about NY. I think I just got carried away!!! Anyway, Lisandro(my Argentinian friend) and I decided to go to New York. Lisandro would go back to Argentina before my grace period starts. At first, the plan was to go with other friends but they couldn't come. Anyway, the idea was to spend less money as possible and enjoy as much as we could. To make it possible we would go to NY by bus, stay in a hostel, eat fast food... to do whatever was possible to have a great time and not to spend much money. We made online reservations to the hostel and packed our stuff, we only took a backpack with us. We stayed there only for two days. What an incredible city!!! Skyscrapers, large roads, lights everywhere... In a two-days trip we were running out of time, there are too many amazing places to visit but not enough time for it. We visited the Statue of Liberty, Madison Square Garden, Central Park, the Empire State Building among other places. The downside of the trip was the night we spent there. The hostel (30$/night) was such a lousy place... I was expecting something bad but that was way too much. 12 beds in a room, 1 bathroom for all, crazy people shouting during the night... awful!!! In spite of that, we spent a great time there. I strongly recomend a visit to New York, you won't regret for that!!!

The awful saturday.

On the other hand, my saturday was not good at all. There are some days we win, some days we lose!!! As a optimistic person that I am, it doesn't bother me too much when things don't work out the way I want to. Saturday was a day that nothing worked well. At first, I went to a mall near here but future shop was already closed and I couldn't find the things I was looking for. Besides that it was a freaking windy night and I forgot to take a heavy coat with me. Then, at home, I tried to call my mom in Brazil but I couldn't get ahold of her. It was only possible after one hour trying. After that I called a brazilian friend to plan what we would do later on. At first, he was not really in the mood for going out but I convinced him. I promissed to call him later just to confirm everything but I ended up losing the paper with his phone. After I hung up, I went to my room and tried to sleep a little bit to not be tired afterwards but I couldn't. I took a shower and decided just show up because I couldn't call my friend. Anyway, when I got there I had to call him using the intercom but I just realize I didn't know which one was his apartment. I've been there once with him so I didn't pay attention to the number. I tried 218 but nobody answered me. What a frustating situation!!! I thought ok going back home... but I should not come back after all that. At that moment I was really pissed off with myself rssssss. I had an idea... to try to shout out his name from the outside. All in vain!!! Nobody answered. Atually, his apartment was the 217, not 218. Whatever, at least I found him. We went to cayotes but when we were on our way the train stopped for about 30 minutes. As a result we were able to arrive there about midnight. The place was extremely crowded, it sucked!!! We stayed there for only an hour and a half but there still time to a drunk girl kiss me and bite me. Such a freak!!! To finish the day we spent 15 dollars each to get home. Yeah... it was definetely a day to forget. I just learned that what starts in a wrong has great changes of ending in the same way!

The perfect friday!!!

Let's go!!! One more post... Time goes by really fast!!! In a while I'll be back so it's better to start doing the things I have to. Anyway, yesterday a day to start doing these things; it was awesome!!! First of all I had to finish my annotated bibliography in the morning, this time I chose such a difficult article, interesting though... but I had a hard time to completely understand the text and then do it. Fortunately I made it!!! After classes I went to blockbuster to purchase some good movies. I bought Saw, Hostel an 300(Thre hundred). All great movies!!! Then I went to Chapters to buy books... I got Da Vinci Code, The secret and The Pelican Brief. Once I'm leaving in December, I believe that reading and watching movies are ways of keeping in touch with the language. Later on, my friend and I went to Tantra nightclub in downtown. It was a great chance of having fun and also spend more time with my buddy. He is such a great guy, really faithful and always takes care of me when we go out and vice versa. We arrived in Tantra but the place was totally different compared to last time we went there. There were tables in all over the place, there was no more dance floor anymore. Then, we just realize there was a contest going on, girls in bikini... that was pretty interesting!!! After the contest the tables were removed and finally Tantra became a nightclub again... we danced all night and had lots of fun!!! Definetely, one of the best times we had. That's was all for the day, I expect to have more exciting days like last Friday!!!

Halloween!!!

Hi everybody, how are you doing? Today I just realized that I needed to blog, there is a long time that I don't do it. As I need 12 blogs until the end of the program, it is better to start doing it right now... Well, today I am going to write about halloween. As everybody knows, last wednesday was Halloween. Sandy prepared a little celebration in which everybody needed to prepare something... Maja brought a pumpkin pie, Elisabeth brought treats for everybody, others told us some horror histories!!! So, It was pretty cool, much more fun than I expected!!! Sandy brought us some wigs and another things to use as disguises. It lasted about an hour and everyody got safisfied. Halloween is definitely not a Universal holiday, it is a part of north american culture. In Brazil, we have Halloween, but nobody "cares" about it because we are not really into it. Usually only english schools celebrate it there. I've never been to one, but I heard that Halloween parties in Brazil are pretty cool. On the other hand, we have other holidays that can be somehow compared to Halloween. For example, in Carnival people wear costumes to party and it is such a profitable like Halloween. I read somewhere that Halloween is the most profitable holiday in US. Another holiday that can be compared to Halloween is the Dead's day. Usually in this day people go to cemiteries to visit dead friends or relatives. Unfortunalely we had classes on Halloween while in Brazil hollidays mean no classes, no work, no nothing!!! Ok, I've gotta do... I still have an essay to finish, you don't imagine the hard time I'm having trying to do it, but that I'll you in another ocasion!!! See you!!!

Mid-Terms! :(

The Mid-terms are still not over, but it's about to an end. As any other exams, students get nervous about it, it's pretty understandable...Particulary, I was worried about the writing midterm, 2 hours and a half for an essay it's too little, I usually take more than five hours to do the essays. I need to research about it, organize my ideas and then I start writing it. I usually do the "whole process" in two or three days, I think I can do better doing this. In the mid-term my plan was to do an outline, write everything and then do the final draft. Bad plan... I changed my mind when I was already writing it because I just realize I wouldn'd have enough time. Anyway, I made it!!! I did the best I could taking in consideration the time we had!!! Now, I can just wait... nothing can be changed anymore! At least, now, everybody is relieved... happy!hahhaahahha. Tomorrow we have the listening part... I don't like listenings, they are really boring to me. Then we have to focus on midterms presentations and the next book report. Ohhh, this post is not interesting at all, it looks like I'm describing EAP schedule... but, actually, to tell about anything related to EAP is pretty much to describe its activities. I'd like to show a little bit about myself and my life but I'd rather not to do it every single post or I'll run out of ideas soon. That's it for today!!! Good luck all!!! I hope you all succeed!!! See you.

Matheusinho!!!

Hi everybody, how are you doing? I have been thinking about my blog and I just realized my posts are way too profound... if I keep doing this, when I finish ESL, ops, I mean LEAP program, I will be ready to publish my autobiography. The fact is, to write about my own life makes more sense than to write about silly and ordinary facts about everyday life. I am only 20 years old but I am sure I experienced some great moments. So, today I am going to write about my little brother, Joao Vitor. My brother is 11 years old, we live together with my parents. When he was still learning some words I had to pay much more attention about the I used to say. A few times I said bad words near him, he had never listened those words and did not know the meaning as well, but he started to repeat it. I used to tell him "don't say that", it would just make things even worse!!! My brother imitates everything I do, For example: he likes the same songs I do, the same soccer team, he dislikes the same food, speaks the way I do, same expressions, jokes... EVERYTHING. I wouldn't exagerate if I called him Matheusinho(inho in portuguese mean diminutive, like "little Matheus") he is myself 9 years and a half younger. When I wanna tease I call him "my fan", sometimes he gets angry when I do that, sometimes he uses it to get something from me. For example "Matheeeeeus, come here and play video game with your fan!!!" hahahahaahhahaha, sometimes it is hard to say no. I really miss my brother, I miss him bothering me all the time among other things, I miss him more than my friends or my parents. I had the idea of tattoing his face on my right shoulder. For now, it is just an idea, but maybe in a near future I'll be able do it, what means, to have the money and courage. Anyway, this is another part of my life, It is certainly an important chapter. See you.

My Life in U.S.

I always wanted to go to United States, It was like a dream to me. I tried a couple times but it didn't work out, finally in December of last year the dream was about to come true. I applied for a work program, a foreign exchange in which I would spend 4 months working, the 5th month to travel and enjoy the country could do whatever I wanted but work. I thought I could easily live without my family... we traveled to Miami together, they were going to Orlando, Florida while I was going to Williamsburg, Virginia. After my mom got into the plane I just realized that I had to do everything by myself, that was frightening situation. Anyway, I've gotta move on, to be sad and miss them wouldn't change the moment. When I arrived in Williamsburg, in spite of the lack of things to do, I was really enjoying it. It was winter and I had never faced such a low temperature. One of the first things I did when I get there, was to take a walk and know the neighbourhood. There was a outled near the hotel, which, by the way, was such a lousy establishment. I think the Outled was the most well attended place in Williamsburg by the brazilians, there more than 30 of us in the same hotel. In the day after my arrival I went to my "boss" office to figure out about my job, etc. He first asked me if I knew how to cook, but the thing is, that was not what I sign for!!!! In my contract said I was supposed to work as a recepcionist!!! He told I would work as a buser, and also told me it was a great job... he just convinced me. OK, no problem at all. The first 2 weeks I was still learning how to do it. So, I was not supposed to earn tips, but they gave me anyway. It was a great job, it consisted in helping the waiters; to serve water, bread, butter, to help the customers i they needed help, set up the table(before the meals and after the costumers leave), fold napkins, etc. I started to work in december and the hotel was really, really crowded. There was no time to rest, everybody was always in a hurry. Sometimes the waiters got stressed out, but it was perfect understandable. One of my goals when I decided to go to US was to have a great time. I got really disappointed with that. Williamsburg is a historical city, that was the place that one of battles for independence took place. Williamsburg was also known as a place that people go to retire. Anyway, there was absolutely nothing to do(I had the idea of calling it NOTHINGSBURG), we had only the movies and 2 pubs in the entire city besides of some private parties inside the rooms. After some time working, aproximately a month, some brazilians started to look for a second job. They just thought "In this city is hard to have a great time, so let's at least make some money!!!". That was not a bad idea at all!!! I decided to do the same. With a friend's help, I got another job, but there were some complications in it. 1) I couldn't drop the another one if I wanted, it was tied to my VISA; 2) I needed something with a flexible schedule; 3) The job was far from where we lived. In spite of all these difficulties I made it work. I'm going to describe my life, briefly, when I working in 2 places. I used to wake up 6 days a week 8 o'clock and go to my first work in the hotel riding my bike(yeah, I bought a bike there). At 4:30 when I was done, I had to ride my bike to go to the bakery(I worked as a salad guy), it used to take around 30 minutes to get there. After my shift was over at 11:30 or midnight, depending on the day, I had to get my bike again and go for another 30-minutes ride to get home. I lived doing this freaking crazy routine for over 2 months. I don't regret, to get a second job was the best thing I did in Williamsburg. I improved my English, I met some American guys, dated a girl(Kristen) and made good money. Ohhhh, I have much more to say, but I'd better stop right now. In conclusion, I definetely had a great experience, and got much more mature.

"Mi viejita"

Girls, always girls, the best thing God created!!!hummmm, I thought that loud... It would be better not to write it, they don't deserve much attention, anyway, they can become conceited, hhahahahahahahaha. This post is about girls, but to write about girls in general would be pointless, to treat them like trofeys wouldn't be a gentleman thing. I decided not to write about girls, but a girl in special, a special girl, Natalie. As I wrote in the first post, I took ESL program last spring here in UofC. Being really sinceer, when I decided to come to Calgary I had many goals; to get nice girls was among of them(of course I didn't tell that to my parents). On my first day, as any other normal guy, I started to look for interesting girls, everything done in a unconsciously way. Acting like that was something I couldn't help it, it was stronger than me!!!
hahahahahha Unfortunately I didn't find any interesting girls in my class. Later that week, a Colombian friend(Ricardo) introduced me some girls. One of them was Natalie, a beautiful, charming, Venezuelan girl, she was defintelly interesting to me!!! There are some really cute girls that are very boring or have nothing else to offer besides their beauty, but definetely not Natalie. In spite of her shyness, she was friendly and sensible. We used to spend our lunchtime together, the four of us(Elizabeth, Natalie, Ricardo and I) it was fun... I was always making fun of her, especially about her age(she is 26 years old) and telling stories, anyway, I was just being myself. Doing it I could break the ice. As soon as the time went by, we started to get closer and my interest for her only got bigger and bigger. I just realized that Naty was a girl I had to know better before making a move, she had to trust me, that was what I did. She played the tough girl for a while, but then everything worked fine and we started to date. The time we spent together was awesome, we had a lot of fun, I learned many things being with her and also learned much more about myself. Unfortunately she is leaving today, other girls will come but I'll always remember Naty as someone especial, as a friend for the whole life!

"Se que no soy muy expresiva, pero de todo corazon te digo que eres una persona super especial y lindo, disfrute muchos momentos compartiendo contigo, te ruego me disculpes lo malo y sepas que tienes una amiga venezolanita que te tiene mucho carino y cuentas conmigo. Me encanto haberte conocido, te agradesco toda la ayuda que me prestaste, todo tu apoyo, tu amistad, tu tiempo, tu carino, tu compresion, tu siempre buen humor, tu optimismo que me encanta,
positivismo,..... en fin eres unico, super especial y excelente persona..... gracias, mil gracias por todo brasileiro, teteu, muchisisisimas grascias, tienes un lindo lugar en mi corazon y mi amistad incondicional.

Por favor, escribeme para saber de ti.....

cuidate mucho, y no te olvides de mi, por favor

un abrazote caluroso

Naty"

Starting LEAP program!

Here we go... Calgary is a freaking city!!!! hahahaha. I love it!!! Fortunately I'm back, problems with my Visa almost made me stay in Brazil, but the "Brazilian way" brought me back to Calgary! Can't you understand??? Ohhh, so forget about it... I invite you all to visit me and maybe I can show you some day, all I can say it is quite intriguing and amazing!!! I'm sure say I spent the best time of my life in this city last Spring, when I was here taking ESL. Actually I didn't worked my ass off but had lots of fun. Anyway, I'm back... I just realized that LEAP is not ESL, that's good! I need a course that force me to study, otherwise it won't happen. Until now I'm really enjoying LEAP, I also feel that I can improve my writing skills with Scott. I've got a little bit desapointed with how much I got in the first essay, but at the same time I agree about the points I've gotta improve. My intention after LEAP is not to go to college here, I'm already studying in Brazil, International Relations. I'm getting LEAP to improve my english, it is not so bad, but is always necessary to improve it. In addition to that, ops, I don't need to write like that, hahahahahhahhaha, I think I'm freaking out, I just can't write in a non-formal way anymore!!! Anyway, in the future I intend to come back and take another course related to International Relations, I thinking about International Law or something related to environment, I haven't decided yet. Anyway, that's all for now, I promisse to write about something less boring next time! See you