quarta-feira, 30 de novembro de 2011

Christmas is just around the corner!

Just getting ready to celebrate Christmas! Browsing some pictures on internet, I choose this one as my wallpaper! I loved it because it's so traditional!
 I'd like to prepare my Xmas list based in the author Oren Arnold's quote:
“Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.”

Besides all the gifts (books, a special dinner, cupcakes, a pic nic basket, etc), I think that Arnold's list is not a so easy job, I know...but I'll try hard to follow it. It will help me to remind the truly Christmas spirit!
And what about you, what else would you add to the list?


quinta-feira, 24 de novembro de 2011

What are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving Day!


How cool it is to have the opportunity of celebrating it! Today, Thanksgiving Day, my students (1st year of High School) will be doing their final English test. I included a small text in the test about the celebration, just to take them to a little reflexion (at least that's the idea, what a hope!).
But of course, I couldn't ask them to do it if I didn't do it by myself! So, when I start thinking of what I'm thankful for...lots of things come to my mind:
- being working
- a new job challenge to 2012 (fruit from the work done in 2011)
- my first trip to California
- finally being a student at USP (Saõ Paulo University)
And the list could keep going on and on! But when I think about what I am really thankful for...I can't help thinking of my family (my husband and my dog). I've been in many difficult situations during this year and all the time that it happened, a simple phone call to my husband (a much calmer person than me) was enough to make me see things clearly, what was essential to guide and help me to do the best I could. Luck? Destiny? Whatever it is, it doesn't matter..all that counts is the fact that I'm completely thankful for having them in my life because Douglas and Kika make it simpler and happier. What about you, what are you thankful for?

sexta-feira, 18 de novembro de 2011

"Should I Stay or Shoud I Go?


"Should I Stay or Should I Go" is a song by the English punk rock band called The Clash from their album Combat Rock and it was written in 1981.
Although the sign is neither about the band  nor about the song at all, I couldn't help it! As soon as I saw it I remembered the song! If it is the only entrance (according to it), how am I not supposed to enter? I really didn't understand it, but as it isn't the first thing that I don't understand and probably it won't be the last one, I guess the better I can do is keeping going ahead... a little bit hard but let's try!
By the way, isn't the song perfect to this situation?
" Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An' if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know 
This indecision's bugging me"
It's funny how some moments in our day can make us remember things that even we didn't know we were still able to remember them! Love that moments! 
Anyway - if I should stay or if I should go - I would say BOTH! ...just depends on the moment (and maybe, the sign!).

quarta-feira, 2 de novembro de 2011

Como devemos lidar com a morte?

Luto, como lidar com isso?
Falar sobre a morte ou o luto pode não ser um tarefa muito simples, mas confesso que talvez possa ser mais simples do que esperamos. O assunto é complexo e querer abordá-lo em 50 minutos é no mínimo ousado! Mas foi isso o que aconteceu. No último "Halloween", nós (eu e os alunos do 3ºEM), tivemos uma aula sobre o tema "morte e como lidar com ela". Fiquei feliz com o resultado (obtive a devolutiva de alguns alunos) e embora a aula tenha sido especialmente cansativa e tensa para mim que estava conduzindo, foi também muito gratificante! Como diria Richard Bach - “Nós ensinamos melhor aquilo que mais precisamos aprender” – e não creio que tenha sido diferente.
Porém acredito que independente da crença de cada um, o importante foi a discussão gerada em torno da imagem, do estereótipo criado para a morte e como podemos modificar essa visão. Também discutimos sobre os ritos de passagem e o suporte que recebemos nas diferentes fases de nossa vida. Acredito ter sido relevante destacar que não estamos sozinhos e por isso mesmo, se lidar com o tema como a morte e o luto for algo difícil ou complicado em algum momento de nossas vidas, pedir ajuda pode ser de grande valia.
A profª Maria Helena Pereira Franco (veja vídeo abaixo) nos apresenta informações sobre a clínica da PUC que presta serviços a comunidade no atendimento a pessoas enlutadas. Finalizando, gostaria de citar o autor Allá Bozarth-Campbell: "A dor é suportável quando conseguimos acreditar que ela terá um fim e não quando fingimos que ela não existe." E como para tudo na vida há um começo e um fim, com certeza a dor também terá!