The end is just the beginning!

Hi people!
Let's go again! Today is the last day of our 1st quarter/2011. We've done a lot of activities, tests, exercises, homeworks and we've study hard (at least the great majority :) You've already got your mark and this weekend feels like "I'm free!". Yes, you are free of doing all that, but guess what? For while! On Monday it will start all again - we start our 2nd quarter and we'll have another chance of doing what we did, but even better! And it is exactly because of it (because we always try to improve our work) that I'd like to ask you to send your opinion about all we've done so far: write your opinion about our classes, our tests, exercises, "recuperação contínua", etc. Use this opportunity to write down your complaints and give your suggestions. I'm absolutely sure that together we can all achieve our goals and not only learning what we are suppose to, but also having a lot of fun!If you are going to to study all your life, I really don't know, but one thing I know for sure - as long as you're alive you will be learning something... as Tom Clancy say "Life is about learning; when you stop learning, you die."

Good coffee, good reading!

Hi everybody!
This week, on April 22nd we celebrated the Earth Day! In fact, everyday is the Earth Day, but the good point in having a date to celebrate it is the fact that we can stop a little bit and take some time to think about it, reflect about our actions! One of the good opportunities to do that is taking a very good coffee (or tea). You can get together with your friends and go to Starbucks - where, this week is especially dedicated to our planet and if you take your Starbucks tumbler with you to any stores from April 25th to 29th, you will receive a complimentary coffee of the day. If you don't have a tumbler, don't worry - you can buy one at the store and then get your complimentary coffee. Besides that, don't forget to take with you a child book and donate it up to April 30th at any Starbucks stores. They will send it to ABRINQ Foundation. You can not only have a good coffee but also encourage reading among children! Well done! Let's participate, shall we?

And God save the Queen!

In 1953, a 25-year-old princess stood within the towering walls of London’s Westminster Abbey and pledged her devotion as the “defender of the commonwealth.” Although much younger than her father had been at the time of his coronation, Elizabeth had already proven her dedication to her people through public service during World War II. For more than 50 years, the queen has exhibited the same determination, and demonstrated her loyalty to her subjects. Today, British's Queen Elizabeth II, celebrating her 85th birthday, took part in the traditional Royal Maundy service at Westminster Abbey in London. According to Buckingham Palace, it was the first time the queen's birthday had fallen on Maundy Thursday (the day marking Jesus's Last Super),on which the queen traditionally gives special coins to as many men as many women as the years of her life.(We can see a similar example watching Kevin Costner's Robin Hood). This year, each Maundy money recipient was all retired pensioners invited in recognition of their service to the church and the community.
Happy Birthday to the Queen and Long Live the Queen!

"What's mine is yours" - SERÁ?

Wall-E - um longa metragem produzido pela PIXAR protagonizado por um adorável robô (chamado Wall-E) que, aproximadamente 700 anos atrás, foi deixado no planeta Terra com a tarefa de limpar "a nossa casa". Os habitantes não podiam mais viver no planeta devido ao excesso de poluição causado pelos próprios habitantes. Grande parte dessa poluição é causada pelo consumo desenfreado que se tornou um vício entre as pessoas. O lixo acumulado é tamanho que chega até mesmo a poluir a região espacial em volta do planeta. Consumir é uma característica intrínseca do ser humano. A grande pergunta é: podemos consumir de forma consciente? Segundo a revista TIME, podemos sim! Ela classificou o movimento chamado de consumo colaborativo como uma das 10 ideias que irão mudar o mundo. O movimento consiste em um sistema criado para trocar, compartilhar e doar bens e serviços - tudo em grande escala, funcionando como um antídoto ao vício do hiperconsumismo. Você emprestaria o seu laptop pro seu vizinho? Trocaria sua coleção de mangá por dois ingressos para ir ao teatro? Você poderia doar um tempo livre para ajudar alguém da sua comunidade em alguma tarefa e receber outra em troca? Segundo o livro What's mine is yours - The rise of collaborative consumption (O que é meu é seu - a ascensão do consumo colaborativo), cada vez mais e mais pessoas estão fazendo isso sim! A ideia é abrangente e pode ser algo que de fato se torne pate do nosso dia a dia. Se isso acontecer, não vamos precisar, em um futuro talvez próximo, como no desenho animado, trasladar pelo espaço ou do robozinho Wall-E .

Para saber mais sobre o movimento e/ou o livro, acesse: http://www.collaborativeconsumption.com/the-book/ (em inglês). E você, participaria desse movimento? Gostou ou não da ideia? Trocaria ou doaria suas coisas? O que seria necessário para que essa ideia ganhasse força na nossa comunidade? Se é pelo bem do planeta, vale a pena tentar!

Sorrowful for Realengo - RJ

A gunman entered an elementary school in Realengo (Rio de Janeiro) today (Thursday, April 7th) and opened fire, killing 11 students and wounding 13 others before turning his guns on himself. Unfortunately the gunman was a 23-year-old former student of the school. And this is really intriguing...when I look back and think about the schools where I studied, I feel very proud and so respectful for all that they really meant (and mean) in my life. In my opinion, as "churches" and "cemeteries" are considered sacred places, so should be the schools. Sorrowful...feeling very sorrowful for all that, for him - What did he have in his mind to do it? Did he was a bullying victim? (Of course, even if he was, that's no reason at all to justify what happened. Nothing can justify it). Much more sorrowful for all the families who lose their children. Our prayers will be theirs.
Our president Dilma Rousseff manifested herself about this tragedy. “Today, we lament what happened with the defenseless children in Realengo. This type of crime is not characteristic of our country. All of us here, men and women, are united to repudiate this type of violence.” she said.
She is right, this is not common in our country. The last time we saw it was in 1999 when a former Medicine student entered in a cinema in SP and opened fire, killing 3 people. This is not our characteristic at all because we've been a very warmful and joyful people.
Now, besides mourning and lamenting what happening, we should really work on how we can eliminate violence (physical and psicological) in our schools, making it what it was meant to be, a very useful, delightful and safe place.