So, it is Christmas and what have we done?

Deciding what to do at Christmas time when you are a foreign student, living miles and miles away from home is difficult.

I am homesick!

Ah! How it hurts! Christmas is one of my favourite seasons of the year. It’s such a great time to spend with family.  Brazil...I really miss you …

..hold on a second…am I out of my mind?? Wow … I LOVE IRELAND!

I love Ireland, I-DO-REALLY-LOVE-IT-HERE! I have to admit that I love Christmas time more than any other season. (especially the day after when everything is on sale). In my opinion, family is having everyone you love around you, home is the place you reside, alas…thank you Ireland for believing in me and making my dreams come true!

Alright, I can not change the subject so let´s “talk” about Christmas time in Ireland. 

Jervis Shopping Centre - Henry Street - Dublin

It's a time when good things happen.

I feel like I am living in a fairy tale, all the streets wrapped up in an eclectic mix of colours and lights, shining everywhere.  I love to see people smiling, greeting unknown faces and wishing you a Merry Christmas.

Grafton Street - Dublin

Oki doki…it is time to go shopping. There is the Christmas market at St. Stephen’s Green, the shops in town are all decorated and the staff wearing seasonal costumes. How beautiful it is to see people wearing Christmas jumpers....it is a kind of tradition and you have to have one to not feel left out...in all places and events, it is important that everyone knows it’s  already  Christmas.

Grafton Street - Dublin

Christmas Market, St Stephen´s Green - Dublin

Christmas Market, St Stephen´s Green - Dublin

The city has a magical atmosphere, effusing a real sense of hope. Almost all Christmas trees are real, and the smell lingers in the air.

There are so many gifts distributed in the streets, food stalls selling typical Irish food, "children" who live far away are coming back home to surprise their oft times elderly parents. 

The city is crowded and sometimes it is difficult to walk along the streets, as they narrow with so many people passing through.

This is Christmas in Dublin, frozen and windy, rainy and dark, but at the same time, so bright and effervescent, lots of happy faces, plenty of hot drinks and that burning sense that snow awaits you in the not so distant future!

Ilac Shopping - Dublin

Nothing compares to a "thanks love" by a lovely lady working the market stalls, or "I beg your pardon" when someone needs to pass you...or the kind way to ask you to repeat something "pardon me?" …actually, this for me sums Ireland up nicely. Christmas time makes this simple action more intense.

So, it is Christmas, and what have you done? The year is finishing and a new one is about to begin. With it comes a chance to make it better than what passed before...

Let´s make things happen,

Let´s be proud of ourselves in everything we do

Let´s love more,

Let´s have no war

Let´s live life

Let´s go somewhere…  maybe Ireland ;-)

Let it snow, Let it snow …

Wicklow Mountains - Ireland

Greece, a piece of heaven in earth!

I always wanted to visit Greece. I already had planned more than twice a trip to go there, but for some reason I could not go. Only in June this year, I finally boarded bound for the land of the greek gods, strong and unbeatable warriors, land of myths and minotaurs. But would the place correspond to my expectations?

Even I was a bit apprehensive the arrival was very exciting, from the top I could see that incredibly blue sea, and a few islands with a stunning landscape. It was a dream come true. I arrived in Athens, the capital, and went looking for a place to eat before going to the hotel, I tried a local food called gyrus (lots of meat with pita bread) and found it delicious. The hotel was located a bit far from the center, but easy access to the subway and buses. I was a little worried because i couldn´t speak the Greek language, but most traffic signs were also in English.

The Greek people are very excited and very receptive. I visited various places, but what impressed me most were the archaeological sites. In some places it was possible to relive history, imagine what it was all about and be in touch with such ancient architecture and stunning in its ruins.
After three days in Athens, I decided to go to my final destination:  Santorini, one of the most beautiful islands in the world, and in my personal opinion, a bit of heaven here on earth. I have stayed in a hotel in Oia, where I could watch the sunset (one of the most beautiful and famous worldwide) Every evening, all the guests went up to the terrace, and together we enjoyed that spectacle of nature.

Santorini was one of the best moments I lived in Greece ... and I enjoyed every moment for sure. I visited some small local islands, amazing beaches, did a boat trip which took me to a dormant volcano, and some other small islands. Santorini is a beautiful place, the houses are so tiny and all in white, some with blue roofs and stairs everywhere . If you don´t have strong legs, please don´t go there because you can get stuck somewhere.

The sea was beautiful, the view of some points was impressive. I found out that Santorini is one of the most sought places for conducting weddings. Every single day I had a such bless to see a wedding being held in a church nearby the hotel I was hosted.

On my last day trip, I decided to go out to for shopping and brought some local products like bags, sandals, dresses, and of course, a marble sculpture of the Greek god, Zeus. When my friends ask me if I found some "Greek god" there, my answer is "yes, and I brought he with me".

It was an unforgettable trip and if I have the opportunity, I will do all again and again!

Thit´s what life is about

Thit´s what life is about

Legend says that "life is so tough" but I dare to disagree. In my personal opinion...life is all about experience; life is about choice you make, and those choices are going to bring consequences for the rest of your life...be they good or bad...in all of them, you will always learn something new, and it’s up to you to decide what to do with the lessons learnt.

My life experience and future aspiration is simplified in a few words.

The moment I decided to leave Brazil, to study a new language in a totally unknown country, to face a new culture and customs, I really did not realize how it would affect my life in such an intense way. Faced good and bad times ... hard times, despite everything, that never ever made me think about quitting. Every challenge I faced and conquered, it was like one of the thousands of projects assigned to me, which was finally filed in the drawer of successfully completed. Today, three years after my first step done, I am a successful person and a pack of untold knowledge. I found out that money does not buy happiness, but true friendship does ... I found out that to be unfair will not take you to high places,  but honesty will...I learned that making mistakes is part of life and learn from mistakes makes you stronger...I found out that love is not only a feeling, but an attitude, one decision that makes you much, so much better.

The experience of face such a large barrier, such as to learn a new language in a country of strangers, getting into college and being part of the group of winners is more than an experience, it was a right choice that would like to share with everyone. Anything is possible, even those things that seem more strange can succeed…Everything depends on you...

I am still on my halfway walked...but very excited about what is coming next and looking forward to put into practise what I am learning in college and experience with colleagues from such a different nationality, eventhough, with so many different cultures and languages, we share the same goal: conquering the sucess! I want give back to Ireland, all the good things I´ve got from it. I want apply for a good job and practice all knowledge acquired in here...that´s my future plan.

Thank you everyone that are making part of this moment in my life...and I don´t intend to stop now...hope you don´t also! And do never forget ...anything is possible if you believe.

May God be with all of you!