Wednesday 20 April 2011

Spring is officially here...

...and is better than shoes!!

At first I was reluctant to believe it... I thought it was just a temporary glitch and we would go back to the cold, wet, dark place we have been for so many months. And this kinda happened a bit... But for a good two weeks now, with the culmination of these past couple of days, it looks like it is official: it's spring time again! Long, sunny days, warmer weather, flowers, people driving around in their convertibles, new green leaves of the tree brunches, yep, it looks like we can now relax and enjoy it!

For years I would not pay attention to the changes of the seasons... I mean, not consciously. I would feel better when the summer would approach but I would not make the connection that what really uplifted my mood was the rebirth of the nature, the awakening after the long, cold winter. But now I do see it and feel it and, no doubt, I long for it! I look forward to the time I have to rearrange my closet and put away the heavy coats, thought it is not really a job I enjoy truth be told, and to take my ballerinas out of their boxes -where they have been asleep for months- and have them ready to slip on in the morning to go to work. Without socks!! I look forward to start walking home from the office, all 6.5Km of it, and enjoy the late afternoon sunshine. I other words, I look forward to what is already here :)

And I feel like a kid who's wishes came true! No question about it, though, it is also the time to check out the spring shoe collections (and perhaps indulge in a new pair...) but the true gift is spring itself! So, go out and enjoy it anyway it tickles your fancy :) As for me, I think I will be having a cold drink outside somewhere after work... who knows, I might I see you there ;)

PS. Happy Easter holidays to all of you!


Monday 18 April 2011

What love is...

...some people say is not easy to define. I disagree. Love is easy. Love is care. Care about the other person, about what they want, how they see things, where they are in their life, what makes them happy, what makes them sad, what do they like to eat and which movies they enjoy, what makes them laugh and what could make them cry. That's it. It took me quite sometime to realise it, but it is that simple. Once you care about someone in the above manner, then, chance are you love them. There is no big drama in it, there are no fireworks, no big signs. Just care...

And, in my view, there should be no conditions... no rules, no pre-set criteria like "I will care about you only if you care about me, if you are tall, handsome, rich, great cook and amazing lover, good in maths and tennis and piano, a socialist, a christian, a fan of my football club..." or whatever! No. I care about you because I care, because obviously you are the kind of person with such qualities that made me care about you and even if I cannot identify those one by one, the fact that I care about you is an absolute truth that you, in my book, deserve my care.

So this is how I care... or love... and I don't have to worry about showing it or proving it because, well, the demonstration and the proof are already within it! When one cares about us we all know, no need for declarations, no need for further proof. And when someone doesn't, we also know. The simplest explanation tends to be the right one, so when someone does not care, don't try to figure out if they love you. They don't. So, don't waste you time, don't push it... just accept it...and move on with your life... surely, there are people in it for whom you care and some you know they care about you... sometimes it even happens to be mutual.... and that is better than shoes! ;)

Wednesday 13 April 2011

An education...

...is better than shoes! And, as I read recently, "education for women equals freedom!"

I could not agree more! Growing up, I questioned and rejected most of the things my parents taught me, as a result of a very healthy (at least in my opinion...) revolution in order to form my own principles and values. However, one of the things I never doubted was my mother's advice to be educated and independent. Though I have many a time questioned my choice of studies, with my 20/20 vision of hindsight, there is not a single doubt that who I am and where I am right now in my life is a direct result of my education! And, without wanting to sound presumptuous, I do feel that I am in a good place!

We live in a very competitive society, the economical climate is... well, how to put it... let's just say "stormy" and the one thing, in my opinion, which can give us better quality of life is education. But when I say education, I do not mean just a degree. I mean it in a far more global sense. Languages, experiences, social education, manners, travels, books, arts, these are the things that should fill up our CVs and these are the things we should try to promote about ourselves. These are the things which are going to make us better than the next candidate. I am fully aware that it is not easy to acquire all these assets... my advice is that there is a time for spending every dime and every second of our life towards our education and then there's time to enjoy the privileges that this education is going to provide for us. And this is my personal story...

Education is what will make the world a better place, I have strongly believed it all my life. Education is the most valuable asset which nobody can take away from us and if combined with a fearless attitude towards life and the will to work hard, try new things and be in new places, well, these can almost guarantee a good life :) And lots and lots of shoes!




Monday 11 April 2011

When dreams come true...

I have written before about my talented brother... and I will do it again and again, with every chance I have, because he is worth every praise! He is a complete band on his own, not only a great guitarist, composer and lyricist! He writes music from his heart and with it he speaks to ours! He has been an inspiration to me, a person following his dreams and working incredibly hard to make them come true, without ever being discouraged by the rocky road he has to walk! Role model? You bet! And the best little brother I could have ever wished for!!

And this past weekend a long held dream of his came true! Having completed his first CD, he presented it to a group of his most devoted fans, friends and family at a party in the beautiful city of Nafplio, in Greece. And I was there!! And it was better than the best pair of shoes you could ever have imagined!! Hell, it was better than Cinderella's crystal pumps and Louboutin's blue python extreme heights, you chose which ones are the most iconic!! The music, his music, filled the already crowded bar and the emotions from his heartfelt words left us with tears in our eyes... Old friends, good friends, all with a smile in our face, all sharing this feeling of completion, accomplishment and joy! Yes, it was a rare and precious moment and I would not have missed it for the world!

Being there for him in that special night was my privilege! Seeing my kid brother receive his standing ovation from the crowd, witnessing how overwhelmed he was by it and how incredibly, genuinely happy, well, it was one of the best moments in my life! I have been as proud as can be for him for so long and I did not think I can be prouder... I was wrong! And I am delighted I was!





Tuesday 5 April 2011

the groove is in the heart...

...no matter how old you get, darling!!

Last Saturday I was in my beloved Porto! Certainly one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been, with its coloured granite houses, the usually grey sky, the deep feeling of "saudades" (so fundamentally Portuguese...) and the river flowing calmly to the sea... The city itself has cast its spell on me since the first time I was there and though we had our disagreements, mainly because of the wet weather, it has earned a place in my heart and, believe it or not, I do miss it when time passes by without visiting :)

So this past weekend I was there. A weekend very short but full of fun, as I had surely expected! Got on a plane on Friday evening, landed late at night and stayed until Sunday. Family, friends, walks in the sun, lunch, dinner, lots of great wine and finally dance 'till the morning hours!! Now, it is known that I am not a fan of very crowded places and I only enjoy being hugged by my loved ones and not strangers in a club... also that I need a bit, not a lot, of space to dance and breath at the same time... and admittedly there was a slight lack of that last Saturday.
But, one the other hand there was a great group of friends, there was amazing music from the 80's (no, not the crappy stuff, no YMCA, the good stuff... and as those of you who remember the 80's will surely testify, there's quite a lot of good stuff in that decade!) and a fantastically good mood that not even the (obviously drunk...) lady who insisted on dancing while leaning on my back (!!!) mattered!

In other words, it was perfect! No, let me rephrase that, it was "legendary" ;) And certainly better than shoes! Shoes which off course had to be flat in order to make it all night... :)


PS. M, next time we have to find a spot which is not next to the door, girl... or start charging for opening it to all those people ;) kisses