segunda-feira, 30 de julho de 2012

Project: 365-day Vacation


     Our vacation is coming to an end... and I do hope you have had a great time. If your "great time" was really so "great", maybe the thought on the left is exactly for you! After being in a let's-to-do-all-in-three-day trip in Brasília, after working in the winter festival in Campos do Jordão and after being in a one-week congress in São Luís, in Maranhão...I think this thought could be perfectly mine! I do need a vacation from my vacation! But as this option is totally off the table, I'll try to do the better I can to recover myself. A good night of sleeping, a massage and some time with my family will do the trick!
But there is something that will really make a difference this year. I got a very nice tip and I'll pass it on to you. Would you like to be on a 365-day vacation? I know this sounds good, although you could get a little bit bored, but...
So, if you think it's a good idea, you could do it! And please, again, don't get me wrong...I'm not telling you to be absent from school...not at all. It just means that during the period that you are not on vacation, you could do something you would do if you were on vacation, even if you do it for just some minutes. You could walk barefoot, drink some typical beverage, listen to some local music from where you have been (on vacation), eat special food (try to cook something), dance a different rhythm (even if you do it alone...in fact I think that's better) or do some activity that brings you joy. Doing it, no matter that it will be for just some minutes, it will be the "vacation" from your day. You will have a feeling that the vacation period may have come to an end, but it will be with you every day...just waiting to be all day again!

Post Question: What did you really enjoy doing this vacation? Do you think you could do it again, even not being on vacation anymore? Could you adapt it to be done again while you are studying at school? What do you think you could do during your day to feel that vacation is still around here?

Tip: Talk to your friends or family about it. You will be surprised with some curious and creative suggestions they will give you!


quinta-feira, 26 de julho de 2012

64ª SBPC - a ciência como ferramenta contra a pobreza


      "Teve início na noite deste domingo (22), em São Luiz do Maranhão, a 64ª Reunião Anual da Sociedade Brasileira para o Progresso da Ciência (SBPC). No momento em que o Brasil celebra a última década com 28 milhões de pessoas fora da margem da miséria, o mais importante encontro científico da América Latina tem como proposta para o debate, a ciência como ferramenta contra pobreza que, no país, ainda acomete 16 milhões de habitantes". (Por Daiane Souza).
      Com esse tema, não é à toa que o estado escolhido foi o Maranhão. O Nordeste brasileiro tem a maior concentração de pobreza extrema, sendo que o estado com o maior índice de pobreza é Alagoas, seguido de perto pelo Maranhão. Os dois se alternam na primeira posição. Mais da metade dos habitantes de ambos os estados sobrevivem com menos de 12,5% do salário mínimo por mês. Levando-se em consideração que nesse país, "tudo o que se planta dá", trabalho e comida deveriam ser fatores mais que presente diariamente na vida do povo brasileiro. E é claro, tudo isso acompanhado de uma boa educação, para conduzir a população a um crescimento contínuo e duradouro. Quem sabe um dia... Por isso a importância desse encontro e tantos outros que já foram realizados e que ainda realizar-se-ão. Esperamos que as ideias possam sair do papel e das apresentações e beneficiar de fato quem tanto precisa delas.
     Mas nem só de discussão sobre ciência, tecnologia e combate a pobreza será feita a SBPC de São Luís. O conhecimento cultural também está em pauta! Visita a lugares históricos, música regional, dança e teatro fazem parte de muitas das atrações que serão apresentadas no UFMA.
       Entre uma palestra e outra, uma mesa redonda e outra, nós conseguimos um tempinho para visitar o centro histórico da cidade mais francesa do Brasil e conhecer suas famosas casas com as fachadas feitas de azulejos portugueses. De fato é muito interessante porque não estamos acostumados a ver azulejos em fachadas e sim nos banheiros das casas. Diferente, porém bonito e harmonioso. Graças a sua história, importância e beleza, em 1997, São Luís foi tombada pela Organização das Nações Unidas para a Educação, a Ciência e a Cultura como Patrimônio cultural da Humanidade. 
Porém não é só o lugar que se torna um patrimônio, as pessoas que compõe o lugar exercem uma grande influência também! São elas que determinam as cores, os cheiros e os sabores do lugar, dando vida à cidade e chamando nossa atenção para detalhes que se tornam relevantes em nossa memória. Aqui experimentamos o "abricó" (o nome me lembrou de damasco em inglês - apricot) mas definitivamente não era damasco. Acredito que ambas as frutas sejam da mesma família. O sabor é gostoso e nem foi preciso insistir muito. Foi só provar e eu já comprei algumas para levar. O sabor doce da fruta se misturava com o amargo causado por perceber um certo descaso do poder público para com uma cidade tão importante. No caminho de volta pra casa, fica a esperança de que de fato a ciência e a tecnologia possam colaborar para trazer o cuidado e a atenção que São Luís merece!





terça-feira, 10 de julho de 2012

Computer X Vacation

     Do you shut down your computer when you go on vacation or you are the ones who believe that computers don't go on vacation?
      Some people go to travel and they can freak out if there isn't a Wi-Fi available at the hotel or if the service is available but it doesn't work very well. 
      In fact, it is one of the decisive factors to choose a hotel for them. Going on vacation without your cell phone is absolutely unthinkable! (how could people go on vacation later...it is a mystery!)  And I know your mother maybe is keep saying to you to turn down your computer and go out to have some sun. And don't get me wrong...I totally agree to her. But just for a while, read this excerpt of the article that was published in The New York Times in 1982 (yes, in 1982...this topic is as old as computer invention).

"WHAT did you do on your summer vacation? It's the sort of question most of us still ask each other despite its banality in the hope that we will receive an interesting reply. It rarely happens.
On the other hand, there are summers like that of David Bolocan and Raymond King, both 18 years old. They were graduated from high school in June - Mr. King from the Bronx High School of Science, Mr. Bolocan from Hunter College High School - and it would not have been amiss (inappropriate) for them to swim, loaf, take trips and prepare lazily for college, Mr. Bolocan for Harvard and Mr. King for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
What they did instead was create, promote and operate computer training courses, earning $6,000 in about six weeks. As for the money, Mr. Bolocan said, ''Some of it we'll use for school, but the rest we'll put back into the business.''
Their summer plans developed in late May and early June, according to Mr. King. ''We began thinking about what we wanted to do when we left school,'' he said. ''We had taken computer courses, and we knew enough about them to know that we could develop something.'' Both young men had Apple II computers, a total of four between them, in their homes."

So, you can read the complete article here and tell the story to your mother...perhaps it will not convince her, but it's a starting point, isn't it?

Post Question: What have you done so far in your vacation? Could you be able of spending your vacation without being connected to your computer or internet? How would you feel if you have travelled to a place where there wasn't a remote possibility to access internet?

Tip: Remember to take all the necessary components to keep your computer working. The battery can not last for all your vacation... if you will take it on vacation too!!!

segunda-feira, 2 de julho de 2012

VACATION TIME!

      Finally our vacation period is just starting... 30 days to rest, enjoy, do nothing (or everything), spend some great and quality time with family and friends and keep mind in all the subjects that are very interesting to us! Beach or countryside? Reading or going out? Spending money or saving for later? Studying or forgetting? Whatever you have decided, keep in mind that planning your vacation will help you to get the most of this period so awaited. Some people are going to travel; others are going to be around here, going to the cinema or visiting some exposition. No matter what you are going to do, since you have a lot of fun in doing it. Vacation is a period for having good moments which will become very good memories. And to be sure you are going to remember the details, all forms of registering it is indicated. Take many photos, write a special vacation diary (there are some useful notebooks which were made especially for you write down about your trip. They even bring some good tips for your traveling plan), write a blog about it or start a postcard collection. Again, whatever you do, remember:
- don't forget to register it;
- it will help you (especially some time later), to remember your nice experience.  
        Some teachers (Armando and Patrícia) and I will attend the 64th SBPC in São Luís do Maranhão. I'll write more about it later. And, if by any chance, you decide to study a little bit and some doubts come up, don't worry! You can contact me by e-mail or a message in the blog. So, have fun and see you on August!

Post Question: What's your favorite vacation activity? What do you intend to do during this month?

Tip: Visit Campos do Jordão and attend one of the most important, famous and elegant  winter festival we have in Brazil.