So cosmopolitan of me

A cosmopolitan cheerio!

2007-03-06T19:48:00.000Z

I guess this blog is temporarily closed.
For now the game is over.
Maybe some day I'll continue from the last saved point and choose "continue".
If there is a reason for it or more world travelling.
Because for now I lost all the reasons to write here.
Or reason lost me...
It makes me sad... but life is a bitch... so... grow up Rui!
And learn...

Thank you for reading me... and the blog.
Feel free to contact me anytime.

Cheerio!

2007 x 9.999

2007-01-04T18:58:00.000Z

I wish a great 2007 to the 10.000 readers of this blog.
Oh wait... 9.999! Sadam is dead...

Cheers!

Santa's dildo

2006-12-27T17:10:00.000Z

Santa doesn't exist???

Damn... I guess that means I won't received that amazing dildo this year.

It's christmas... with Rufus Wainwright, French and Saunders

2006-12-14T15:38:00.000Z

Tip: jonsi

Exercise 1: US symbols

2006-12-12T16:02:00.000Z

How many US symbols do you see in this picture?

So cosmopolitan of me in... Pocatello

2006-12-12T15:53:00.000Z

The beauty of a city lies in (some of) the people who live in it...

30 Ricks in the house... say yeah! YEAH!

2006-12-07T17:17:00.000Z

More than 30 moments of happiness, in more than 30 days, with more than 30 dinners, 30 lunches, 30 people, 30 places.
More than 30 songs, 30 albuns, 30 comic books and 30 more shared interests.
More than 30 smiles in my face, more than 30 good thoughts in my head.
My "other me" is 30 years old today and for that, deserves 30 smooches, 30 hugs and 30 thank you.

Give me more 30's Mr. Rick!

Happy birthday!

So cosmopolitan of me... in Madrid (night)

2006-12-04T19:11:00.000Z

So cosmopolitan of me... in Madrid (day)

2006-12-04T18:56:00.000Z

AIDS

2006-11-30T23:29:00.000Z

As posted by Rick:

You click on the flash-based candle. They donate $1 to AIDS research.

https://www.lighttounite.org/

World AIDS Day is this Friday. See if your area has any events going on.

MAD Madrid and the cars

2006-11-27T19:41:00.000Z

If you happen to go to Madrid and try to cross the street, just runaway as fast as you can when the pedestrians green ligth starts to flash.
If it goes red, the cars start moving even if you are in the middle of the avenue!!!

A perception exercise... The new James Bond in Madrid

2006-11-27T19:27:00.000Z

I go to Madrid and on the day I arrive, just while I was walking through the "Gran Via", I see all these people waiting near a movie theatre with pics of James Bond everywhere and the movie theme song playing.

It didn't took me much to realize that it was the premiere of the new movie and Daniel Craig was going to walk the red carpet.

I waited more than 1h but eventually and after douzens of famous spanish models, musicians, etc (not to me thought)... he finally showed up.
Wow! I am lucky bastard indeed.

Instead of fainting, I took some pics with my shitty mobile. He is in one but don't bother too much... it is hard to recognize.

At least I saw him live in my first night in MAD MADRID!

Lost thoughts

2006-11-17T16:32:00.000Z

Why is that everytime I travel by plane nowadays, I always remember LOST...?

I wonder if I would see any "white bears" if I crashed on an island...

So cosmopolitan of me... and the delicacies in Park City

2006-11-15T13:19:00.000Z

Back to the US, back to the delicacies.

Pumpkin Beer. Only during halloween!

Chocolate poop... I mean... Chocolate cake from the chocolate factory!

Apple candy, covered in chocolate, caramel and pecans!

So cosmopolitan of me... on the Day of the Dead

2006-11-06T22:13:00.000Z

The "dia de los muertos" is something that is cellebrated in Mexico on November the 1st (all saints day) and 2nd (all souls day), to remember loved ones that passed away.
Since it is a celebration, people give food, tequilla, music to the dead and eat/drink/dance themselves, either at their homes or cemeteries.
The food and drink (and even cigars...) are placed on an altar, which also includes the traditional "pan de muerto" or "dead man's bread".

This day can be seen as a mix between the catholic tradition (all saints day) with the indigenous people's tradition in a way that instead of making it a day of pain and suffering, it turns out to be a celebration of life.

We celebrated it by drinking mexican beer and eating pan de muerto.
I nice day indeed!

More information can be found here.

Source: 1 & 2

Halloween's chickens

2006-11-01T02:47:00.000Z

If I hear one more child knocking on the door and saying "queremos dulces para Halloween" ("we want sweets for Halloween"), I will turn into a monster and eat them alive.

Ok... I don't mean that of course.
They taste like chicken... and I am vegetarian!
I'll eat the sweets instead.

Bwaaaaaah ah ah!

So cosmopolitan of me in... Hermosillo, Mexico

2006-10-31T17:02:00.000Z

Oh si! Me gusta!

Here I am in Mexico again. Filling my tummy with quesadillas, sincronizadas, carne machaca, pescado and much more.
And there is another thing... while in many parts of the world it is celebrated Halloween tonight, tomorrow in Mexico is celebrated the "dia de los muertos" or day of the dead.
I will tell you all about it after tomorrow.

Stay tuned for more news about dead people and mexican food... and how the two can be related. ;)

I love travelling

2006-10-20T23:52:00.000+01:00

I am back to the US!
And what a pain in the ass it was to get here (and not the good kind of pain...).

1) The plane left late in Lisbon.
2) It took ages to pass through the emigration services in Newark.
3) I had to get my luggage because although I was transfering from one flight to another, they don't do that for you now. You have to take your luggage, get past through security again and run to the gate.
4) I got an A on the list of the products I was bringing with me. But that is not a good mark. That means that I had to go the the agriculture services, since I was bringing sun dried fruit... a weapon of mass destruction nowadays.
5) After all this, although the company with wich I was travelling next was informed that I was in transit, they just left without me...
6) I was offered a stay in a Hotel near the airport with dinner and breakfast included. These seems nice? Not quite. It seemed more like a Motel than a Hotel.
7) I got the flight at 7.30 am...
8) I am with a huge jet lag after sleeping in Newark (with 5h difference from Lisbon), waking up at 5am and getting to SLC with a 7h difference from Lisbon.

I love travelling...

Jesus give me some of those Twinkies

2006-10-17T01:49:00.000+01:00

After watching John Stewart's Daily Show in which he interviewed the paquistani president Pervez Musharaff and offered him some "twinkies" advertising them as one of the top 5 traditional US products... I finally believe it!

While I was there I never understood why they were so important. But now I understand. They are part of the North American culture and history!

The majority of North Americans don't know the names of all the 50 states... but they do know TWINKIES!!!

I can see the ads already: "Twinkies. More famous than Jesus!"
Ok.. I am going to hell for that! I only hope they have twinkies there.

Travelling

2006-10-17T01:00:00.000+01:00

Travelling often to another country for a long time has some bad consequences.

You keep saying goodbye to your friends.
You hope you don't cry when you say goodbye.
You keep trying to save friendships.
You try to convince yourself that life can be the same as before.
But everything changes...

Go to one place and be with the person you love. Go to another place and be with your old friends.
Damn it! Can't I have both???

Sorry... I just had to let it out!

:o)

2006-10-10T16:14:00.000+01:00

1 city
1 night
1 drink
1 smile
1 hug
1 kiss

1 year.
Thank you!

If I was a superhero...

2006-10-08T23:11:00.000+01:00

If I was a superhero... I would be stressfull guy!

Stephen Lynch - If I was a superhero

Good heart

2006-10-02T23:42:00.000+01:00

According to my last blood test, I have problems with my liver, cholesterol, uric acid... but at least I am a person with a good heart. The ECG says it!

The gates of heaven will open for me!

Hmmm... actually... maybe not. ;)

Random thoughts

2006-09-23T15:30:00.001+01:00

I don't have a myspace account, therefore I don't exist.

2 hours of goodbye, kisses and bla bla bla!

2006-09-20T01:56:00.000+01:00

One thing that portuguese people (and many latin countries) have and north americans, english, german, etc don't have:
We take ages to hang up the phone... 2 hours of goodbye, kisses and bla bla bla!

Yes I do that!
I just did with the call that finished 1min ago.
^_^

New face: part II

2006-09-16T16:53:00.000+01:00

Ok... it didn't take me much to find a problem with beta blogger...
Now I can't log in with my username on other people's blogs, that have the old version of blogger.
Thank you blogger. You gave me a few improvements and traded them for a big pain in the ass!

New face

2006-09-13T17:40:00.000+01:00

In Lisbon again and a new face for the blog with beta blogger.
At least I didn't have the problems some people had with it.
Let's wait and see... not many big changes but there are some nice ones!

By the way... I totally agree with this post about September 11. See it here:

9/11 Anniversary: 5 Years of Insanity by Blandella.

Starbucks is coming!!!

2006-09-08T14:47:00.000+01:00

Starbucks is coming to Portugal. Finally!
Everytime I go to another country it is always the closest I get to the great coffee we have in Portugal. Every other coffee place it is just shit... like Café Nero, Costa and similar things.
Although I will keep drinking the traditional coffee in other places, it will be good to drink the frapucinos, almond mochas or eat cookies sometimes. ;)

And I know someone that will be very happy with this news... isn't that right Mr. Rick? ;)

The news article (in portuguese) can be seen here.

A trip to wal-mart

2006-09-06T15:39:00.000+01:00

How to describe it?...
A super store with groceries, clothes, CDs and DVDs, home and gardening stuff, etc.
Childrens crying everywhere.
The "creme de la creme" of the white trash people everywhere.
People killing each others for a 1.50 dollar discount.
Shitty CDs and religious DVDs.
Mixed smells. Mixed people. Mixed psychos.
Is it another dimension? A trip to another universe? Hell yeah!

The art of tipping

2006-09-05T09:31:00.000+01:00

I am getting tired of tiping everyone everywhere in restaurants and similar places, either they do a good job or not.
The idea is they don't received much money because the bosses expect the costumers to give them tips.
Thus, the employers are always supposed to receive a tip, with a scale something like:

2 dollars - you suck bitch. I shouldn't give you the money but I am supposed to.
3 dollars - you were a bit annoying but you seem to have kids to take care so... I will be mercifull.
4 dollars - you did your job. Please smile less next time.
5 dollars - I almost believed that you were nice. Here is some money for the course in the acting school.
6 dollars - ok. you were nice enough to take a photo from us.
7 dollars - I AM A STUDENT AND POOR. MY SCALE STOPS HERE.
(Actually it might have stopped before but I don't want to seem a cheap ass...)

At least in Portugal we don't tip as much and get an extra-spit on our desert as a response to that.

And what's with the "bringing of the check" after I had two bites of the food??! Can't they wait for me to finish? Damn!

And just in case you were not enlightened by my words, you can find more information about tipping on this site: http://www.tipping.org/tips/TipsPageTipsUS.html

So cosmopolitan of me... geysers and the Old Faithfull

2006-09-03T05:26:00.000+01:00

Bear country

2006-08-31T01:20:00.000+01:00

I see bears everywhere...
"Don't feed the bears". "You are in bear country". "Bears are wild animals". "Don't aproach the bears". "Don't leave food outside". "Don't support George Bush"...

I am surrounded by one of the most beautifull nature sceneries in the whole world and the only thing I can think about is... BEARS!
I camp in a spectacular place with excelent company, we have fun, cook on the fireplace, laugh... but the only thing on my mind is... BEARS!
I go for a walk or to pee and I only see... BEARS.
I look at the open ceiling of the tent, amazed with the brightness of the stars in the sky and there is only one thing I expected to appear above me... BEARS.
I spend the whole time afraid of... BEARS!

I leave Yellowstone and the only wildlife I didn't see were... BEARS!!!!!!!!!

So cosmopolitan of me in... Yellowstone National Park

2006-08-31T01:02:00.000+01:00

Photos by Rick & gaZpar

Fairness on wheels

2006-08-28T20:38:00.000+01:00

Ok. To be fair there are some good things about the USA.
My favorite is that they actually allow the pedestrians to cross the road and they are really kind in that situation.
I almost feel that I own the street and not that the cars own the street...

This I never felt in England...

England visit tip:
Look at both sides when you cross the road. Don´t expect anyone to stop. Even an old lady!
Run as fast as you can to the other side. Thank the gods for being alive.

Image taken from here.

There goes 4

2006-08-24T22:03:00.000+01:00

4 states in 3 days... I think it is a good average: Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming.
Places visited: Salt Lake City, Park City, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole, Pocatello ...
;)

On being too nice... when you are ice!

2006-08-21T20:58:00.000+01:00

Hey. How are you?
Good. How about you?
I am good.

I see happy people everywhere...

Hi. What have you guys been up to?

Nothing special. We just ate some children for breakfast.

Hello. How are you today?

I was feeling ok until you asked me...

How is the food? Is everything ok? Do you need anything?

Yes... I need you to stick a fork in my ass and twist it twice. Thank you.
And... do you really care about how is my food? Or you just want the tip?

IF SOMEONE ASKS ME ONE OF THESE THINGS EVER AGAIN, I WILL PUNCH THAT PERSON IN THE FACE!

After hearing this everywhere I go at least 10 times per day (specially in shopping malls... a trip to hell!) , I am starting to be a bit pissed.
Too much "niceness" makes me want to puke.

To write or not to write

2006-08-16T19:14:00.000+01:00

I've been wondering if I should end this blog or not...
I started it to describe my period in the UK, the cultural experiences, some photos, etc
I am not there anymore and all my travelling periods won't be as long as 1 year.
Even my co-writer stopped blogging here.
I have a portuguese blog in which I invest most of my creativity and time and I feel that this one is just getting boring...
The only thing that prevents me from doing it are my english speaking friends that don't read portuguese...

I don't know... any suggestions?

Simple maths

2006-08-14T21:15:00.000+01:00

(big guys)

+

(big cars)

=

(USA)

Isn't that simple???
At least from what I've seen so far...

I am a portuguese man in I-da-ho

2006-08-09T19:09:00.000+01:00

They took my photo, finger prints, searched the luggage and even took a X-ray of my sneakers.
From now on I exist to them. I am here, not somewhere out there.
I have landed.
I am an alien. I am an legal alien.
I am a portuguese man in I-da-ho.

Rufus Wainwright - Across the universe

Bowling for America

2006-08-03T16:19:00.000+01:00

Maybe I shouldn't have seen the documentary Bowling for Columbine before I go to the US...

I see guns everywhere... ooooooohhh!

For more information please refer to:

Depeche Mode - Barrel of a gun

Our own private Idaho

2006-08-02T17:29:00.000+01:00

Idaho is near! 2 more looooooooong days!

Condoleezisms

2006-07-27T20:51:00.000+01:00

I wonder if Miss Rice would be good for Sushi?!... It might be the only use that we can give to her since that in the Middle East she is useless!
Unless she is planning to open a sushi franchise there. That would explain the bombings...
For more information: http://sparklepony.blogspot.com/

Of course you're not gay sweetie...

2006-07-25T16:35:00.000+01:00

What the hell...?!

2006-07-20T01:15:00.000+01:00

Loch Ness & Stirling - Scotland, May & June 2006

A brave new world expects us

2006-07-16T22:28:00.000+01:00

After Plymouth... a brave new world is ahead.
Let's see where it takes us!

From the fridge to the microwave

2006-07-14T14:35:00.000+01:00

This is how I feel... like I jumped from the fridge to the microwave.
I am melting... help!

Reverse cultural shock stages

2006-07-08T19:24:00.000+01:00

You move to a new country and you have a cultural shock.
You return to your own country after that and you have a reverse cultural shock:

1- Your transport to the airport is late. You have problems at the airport with excess luggage and that makes you late to catch the plain.
2- You arrive tired but happy to see that there is a blue sky after all...
3- Your family and friends get mad because you don't seem to be happy to return (being stressed and tired doesn't seem to be an excuse).
4- You realize that the shop you used to go closed and was replaced by some stupid franchise.
5- Again, your friends get mad when you refuse to go out because you are tired.
6- When you want to go out your friends refuse to go because they are tired.
7- You find it difficult to adapt even though you wished to be back since you left.
8- People get mad because you didn't said your arrival date... inspite the emails you sent about that!
9- People get mad because you didn't called when you arrived... not understanding that calling 100 people in one day would be a bit difficult.
10- People find you strange. You find people strange.
11- Your friends are different, you're different. Shit is still the same shit as always.
12- Your start missing the people you met in the other country, you miss the emotions, the fun, the simple things, the Fredo frogs, the organic food, the Canadian Muffin Company and having free Amazon delivery in the UK...
13- You miss the love nest, the trip to Scotland and that cute smile.
14- You miss it a lot.
15- You think: adapt or die!
16- You adapt... and life goes on.

Back

2006-07-02T18:19:00.000+01:00

I am back to Portugal.
I'll try to post about the reverse cultural shock too. ;)

cheers!

Welcome Back - Idaho

2006-06-28T17:10:00.000+01:00

By Rick - This is one of the first posts from the new Post-UK cultural experience experiments.

It's been weird being back in the US. I thought that when I came back, certain things would be even better than they'd been before I left. For instance, take Taco Bell. I craved it like crazy in the UK, but once I got back, I realized that it's over-processed and actually kind of gross. It's only one of a number of things that have been that way.

Reverse culture shock has been worse than the initial culture shock of the UK was. I'm going through almost all of the same emotions (anger, frustration, fear, confusion, rejection, etc.) but it's worse because this should just feel like home. I should have slipped back into life here like a foot does into a long-lost favorite shoe.

I miss weird things about the UK too. I miss smelling like cigarette smoke all the time. It's not that I enjoyed smelling like smoke, but I got used to it, and it didn't have the deep stigma associated with it there that it does here in the US. I miss decent food at the grocery store. Everything here is processed bleached carbs or full of high-fructose corn syrup... or both.

Most of all, I miss the little protective bubble I'd found in the UK. Good friends that became family, and looked out for each other. We were like our own little mock UN, except that we got along and didn't fight about money. Everyone here has to be an individual, so there's no community. I miss the safety and freedom that the UK offered too. I really can't explain it now, so I won't even try, but rest assured it was important. I've got a lot of freedoms here, but they all feel false for some reason, because everything is so contrained and directed by popular opinion.

I realize this isn't my most uplifting blog entry, but I don't feel uplifted right now. Trying to figure out where I fit in the grand scheme of things again is really tiring. I need an emotional nap.

Tubisms

2006-06-27T00:26:00.000+01:00

London + Weekend + 7 tube lines stopped for engineering work = disaster!

Ok... couldn't they have stopped less lines on the last two days? 7 lines at the same time???

And warning on the same day doesn't help...

Spider casualties

2006-06-17T01:11:00.000+01:00

The first casualty of the Civil War.
And nothing will be the same again...

Long live the king Straczinsky!

Image borrowed from daily clark

Two more weeks

2006-06-15T13:25:00.000+01:00

Two more weeks and I will away from Plymouth.
But it seems like 2 more years...

TWO MORE YEARS (Bloc Party)

I love the football world cup

2006-06-13T18:21:00.000+01:00

The world cup is something good!

Takes people out of the streets and puts them away for a few weeks, replacing them with flags on the windows...

When the clock stops ticking

2006-06-13T02:09:00.000+01:00

Seconds measured in thorns.
Minutes measured in needles.
Hours measured in daggers.
Days measured in knives.
Weeks measured in swords.
Months measured in spears.
The clock, my body.
The time, scatters my mind.
I will heal, when the clock stops ticking.

What time is it?

LCD Soundsystem - Loosing my edge

Magic pills

2006-06-09T11:40:00.000+01:00

Dear diary.
Where can I find a magic pill that allows me to go to sleep and wake up in 2 months?
Or maybe a pill that allows me to travel long distances in seconds?

I've been taking happiness pills but those don't seem to be enough.

Oh well...

So scotish of us

2006-05-21T23:39:00.000+01:00

Scotland...
One region, two brave explorers, one aim... to get the hell out of Plymouth for two weeks!

The truth is drunk

2006-05-21T23:31:00.000+01:00

Warning!
The post bellow was written under the influence of alchool but should still be taken seriously since it portrays the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth... and god shave the queen!

Grrrrrls

2006-05-21T02:16:00.000+01:00

Rick - Apparently there are two different main types of girls that reside in Plymouth. The first is the good looking, yet poorly dressed and slutty one. The second is the fat homely one, that in most other countries would have a great personality, but here in England... just seems to be even more bitchy than the rest. Someone please pass the Quaaludes to the women here.

Tonight, we hit up two bars. First was the Weatherspoons in the barbican area. In this bar, it was more of the good looking women that tend to think that they weight about 10 kilos less than they do. It's not that they're overweight, they just tend to think they're a size 8 when they're really at 12. Like Rui stated tonight, "if you can't walk becuase your clothes are too tight... you can't wear them anymore." Amen.

The second bar we hit up was Zeros. It seemed to be invaded by a plethora of ginormous girls with even more ginormous attitudes. We got trapped for a while downstairs, and watching all the fat girls stream down the stairs was like watching one of the cattle drive scenes from "City Slickers." I don't want to sound mean, but if they weren't such nasty pieces of work, I wouldn't even give them a second thought. It's the fact that they've got 8 tons of Bitch with a capital B-isnatch, that really gets my goat.

The best part of looking at the women here tonight was that this will be my last weekend here in Plymouth. No longer will I have to see their short mini-skirts paired with the fugly Uggs boots (complete with tree-trunk legs) or lack of an ass in their low cut jeans.

Like Kylie sang, "I should be so lucky, lucky, lucky lucky...."

Sorry, Didn't Mean to Glance

2006-05-17T00:35:00.000+01:00

Rick - As I was walking home from the City Centre the other day, which I fondly refer to as the Shitty Centre, I happened to walk by the spot where local crazies seem to congregate. If you missed my previous post about the psychos of Plymouth, you can read it here.

As I wandered in front of Hein Gericke Power Ranger Costume ...er... Motorcycle Clothing shop, I saw a guy that appeared to be speaking on his mobile phone. I thought perhaps he had a cool Blue Tooth headset, so I glanced at his ears to see it. Only problem was... no headset.

I hurriedly looked away, but was too slow. He'd spotted me looking at him. He glared at me, and as we walked closer to each other, he says loudly, "don't look at us!" Us?!? Was I missing someone? A cursory glance tells me no. Now normally, this kind of weirdness is reserved for special characters in films like Gollum/Smeagol, but not here in Plymouth. It's given out freely to the masses. It's like they sit down and eat a big bowl of Barking Mad Porridge in the morning or something.

I hate this crazy-ass town.

How to put the system Six Feet Under us

2006-05-17T00:15:00.000+01:00

1. Go to a Virgin store somewhere in the end of the world (i.e. Plymouth)
2. Start looking around for some DVDs.
3. Eventually luck strikes and you find one DVD of the first season of Six Feet Under for 19.99.
4. You realize it is the only one for that price, since the other DVDs of the same season cost 34.99.
5. You take 2 seconds to realize that they made a mistake in the sticker.
6. Using all the goodness within you, you do the right thing and you don't tell anyone.
7. You grab the DVD and take it to the counter.
8. You remember that you have your "Virgin addict" card complete, which entitles you to a 10 pound discount.
9. You reach the counter, the employer starts registring and realizes something is wrong with the price.
10. You stay quiet.
11. They realize that it was their mistake and allow the payment.
12. Total= 19.99-10= 9.99
13. Since you used the Virgin card and spent 10 pounds on the purchase you just did (which gives you one stamp on the card), you ask for a new card.
13. You start making a devious plan on what cheap DVD to buy next time.

And this is how you get a DVD costing 34.99 pounds and a new discount card for 9.99 pounds!!!

Ps - The US price is 99.98 dollars... check it on the HBO site.

Cultural experience gone awry...

2006-05-14T23:09:00.000+01:00

Dear diary.
When you move into a new country and the experience turns you into a worse person, is it your fault or the country's fault?
I wonder...

Photo by Rick

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - part 2

2006-05-08T22:28:00.000+01:00

Dear diary.
Today I called someone a snatchy bitch for the first time.
Does that mean I am transforming into an American?
I wonder...

I want to be a super-freak!

2006-05-06T01:38:00.000+01:00

Amsterdam & Brussels, March 2006

Whose side are you on?

2006-05-03T18:52:00.000+01:00

Marvel Civil War

Better than tarot!

2006-04-30T16:33:00.000+01:00

Folowing this post and its rules, I decided to try it.
There's a set of questions, magically answered by the shuffle setting on winamp (some did it on iTunes)...
I inserted a few albums (no playlist), radomized the list a few times and this is what I got. It wasn't made up!

1. How does the world see you?
Une année sans lumiere – The Arcade Fire
Apparently the world sees darkness in me (“one year withou light”). Anyone ofr a exorcism?

2.Will I have a happy life?
Everyone is totally insane – The Dandy Warhols
Good answer. That’s why I always say: When I’ll grow up I want to be MAD!

3. What do my friends really think of me?
Cetacea – Bjork
My friends think I am a whale?! I knew I should go on a diet!

4. Do people secretly lust after me?
Jacksonville – Sufjan Stevens
Apparently somewhere in the USA a whole town does that. Either that or the Jackson family, which is worse.

5. How can I make myself happy?
Hey Satan – Sigur Rós
Wow. That’s a good one. I’ll sacrifice a chicken tonight and call Satan!

6. What should I do with my life?
Shot Down – Nine Black Alps
Ok… there is no need to be extreme.

7. Will I ever have children?
Dream Daddy – World Leader Pretend
Apparently not… Why? Why?! Damn you… you!

8. What is some good advice for me?
Picture of you – My Morning Jacket
I would get a better advice from the chicken I am going to sacrifice…

9. How will I be remembered?
Feelin’ Good – Nina Simone
Ok… that’s actually a song I would hope to be chosen. That’s the way baby!

10. What is my signature dancing song?
The sweets – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Somehow I think it is connected to the whale…

11. What do I think my current theme song is?
Smash – Calexico
Yeah! Smash all the retardeds around here, teachers included.

12. What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
On the bus mall – The Decemberists
Yeah. Out of here!

13. What song will play at my funeral?
My doorbell – The White Stripes
That’s weird… if my doorbell rings at my funeral, it might be an illusion and I might not be dead. Therefore… I am immortal.

14. What type of lover do I like?
Everything is everything – Phoenix
Wow… apparently I have low standards… Or no standards! Or I can’t decide. Or… I don’t know what I want. Naaa… I am pretty sure of what I want. ;)

15. What is my day going to be like?
On a plain – Nirvana
I wish…

Party at my hell tonight?

2006-04-29T23:28:00.000+01:00

I am sarcastic, sadistic, develistic!
Party at my hell tonight?

There is always an option for the other hell: Silent Hill.
I already loved playing the game and now the movie... awsome!

If none of these hells seduces you... just go to hell!

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

2006-04-27T16:05:00.000+01:00

Dear diary.
I have been having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches quite often lately.
Should I be afraid of transforming into an American?
I wonder...

So normal of them!

2006-04-24T23:41:00.000+01:00

1) When a guy enters a SUBWAY store bleeding from his eye and looking for something (I presume napkins or water to clean himself...),
2) A person asks "are you ok?"
3) He replies "yes" and leaves the place like if it was the most normal thing in the world
4) while people in the store acted in the same way... (me included)

That's when you start having proofs that there is something wrong with the culture!

So normal of them!

More on the psycho pseudo-portuguese freak

2006-04-16T20:34:00.000+01:00

If you want to get rid of psycho english girls that follow you for 10min just because you are portuguese just say:
"Ok... I am not portuguese. I am spanish!" And start talking in spanish!
She will go away in 2 seconds!

Apparently I should say that I am spanish more often around here!!!

2 Drunks + 3 Freaks = Fun Times!

2006-04-16T19:25:00.000+01:00

We went to dinner at one of the Spanish restaurants last Monday night. It's odd, because the Spanish place is more Mexican, and the Mexican place is more like food from my toilet. Yes, that's digested food.

A bottle of cheap red wine later, we half stumbled out the door to go home. On our way, we met a very jolly English lass. She was mystified by Rui's latin looks. I was mystified by her hellishly mistreated hair. Doesn't Amnesty International care that she's torturing her hair like that? Is there a sudden lack of conditioner I should be warned about? Then again, the fact that her hair looked like burnt egg noodles was less of a worry than the fact that she was certifiably PSYCHO!! She wouldn't leave us alone, even to the point of running out in the road in front of a taxi to get to us. Trust me, you don't mess with taxi drivers here. Vehicular manslaughter is a badge of courage in these parts. After finding out Rui was Portuguese, she told us all about how her father was from Portugal. Maybe her mom slept with a glass of Port wine, and this poor girl got all confused. Who knows. The Iraq war makes more sense than this girl ever will. We only got rid of her, after she followed us like a lost puppy, by Rui pretending to be Spanish. Apparently, girlfriend has major issues with the Spanish. Hmmm... maybe she really is Portuguese after all. All I know is that she was about 30 seconds from getting a one-way trip on the Fist Express to Lisbon.

About five minutes later, we walk by a guy in front of the Heine Gerick motorcycle shop. I'm not sure what he was tripping on, but all you could see of this guy was pupils, and his upper jaw about to gnaw off the lower one. Imagine for a second that Gollum was the prettiest one in the family, and his fugly cousin came to visit, after doing some crack cocaine that he smoked out of a dead hooker's skull. But first, he has to stop in front of the Heine Gerick store to scare drunks. Obviously, this guy won't be winning any beauty contests any time soon.

Phew! We're almost home now. Surely we're safe. But no! Here comes a younger guy talking loudly into his mobile phone, except for the important part of not having a mobile phone!! Oh yeah, and he's not actually talking to another person, but he's sure as hell having a full conversation with himself. Yeah, that conversation was not being charged by Orange, nor would he get 2 for 1 tickets at the cinema on Wednesday, unless it was at an insane asylum.

The scariest part of this whole walk home was the fact that we were drunk, but we seemed to be the only normal people about. You've got to love Plymouth.

So cosmopolitan of WE

2006-04-11T23:44:00.000+01:00

The dark side of cultural experiences is upon us.
Two brave warriors are now fighting the dark forces all over the world.
One day more warriors will join them.
For now... there is only 2: gaZpar & Rick.
A new beginning is here!

Ps- Although I am not sure yet who is Miss Piggy!?... Hmmmmm....
:)

So cosmopolitan of me... in Kinderdjik

2006-04-11T13:13:00.000+01:00

So cosmopolitan of me... in Utrecht

2006-04-02T17:37:00.000+01:00

So cosmopolitan of me... in Amsterdam

2006-03-30T00:29:00.000+01:00

Stoned mirror

2006-03-26T19:40:00.000+01:00

I look at the mirror and this is what I see.
I wonder if being in Amsterdam had any weird effect on me...

And it even rhymes!

Happy fat stoned bloke

2006-03-16T00:35:00.000Z

Amesterdam's space cakes, German beer and Belgium chocolate... here I go!

I just hope not to return a fat stoned bloke...
Well at least I would be a HAPPY fat stoned bloke!

;)

My name is Sick and I went on a shopping trip

2006-03-11T17:06:00.000Z

Today I realised that I have another personality.
That personality is called Ryndie or Sick, or something like that.
I think is Sick!
This new personality gained a life of itself and wrote a post on this blog.
It is funny, because this personality as a better English than mine and sounds like an American.
"Oh myyyy goood! That is totally fabulastic! Awesome!" it is what you can hear from Sick.
Sick is a sick guyirl...
And for some reason this personality loves potatoes and sees imaginary lines, but that's a story for another day.

I wonder who is the next personality that will write on MY blog?!

Shopping Trip

2006-03-11T16:16:00.000Z

I went shopping for groceries and stuff this afternoon.

Started by buying a new comic. No, I'm not a nerd. I'm cool. You losers just don't understand, even though you should realize it more than anyone. You'll never be accepted, just like the heros in the comics.... although they're heroes, while you're losers. Oh yeah, you're fat and ugly too, so no one wants to see you in super hero spandex. Wankers.

Then, I totally went over to Sainsburys for groceries. They've redesigned the store. I'd give it a 6 out of 10. Practicality rules the day, while aesthetics is still sorely lacking. Couldn't Todd Oldham start designing grocery store interiors? Anyway, I squeeled like a little girl because they increased their amounts of organic food ten fold. Seriously, my nipples got all hard and were chafing on my shirt because I was so overjoyed. You'd never know what this feels like, because you've never been touched by another human being, and even the baboons at the zoo with the blue noses and hemerhoids oozing out of their asses wouldn't touch you with a rotten banana.

While I was shopping, I saw this ginormous fat lady buying more chocolate digestives. I told her, "Jesus, lady. Don't you think you need to lay off the carbs? Shouldn't you just strain brine shrimp through your teeth like the other fat wales do? And how did you evolve enough to walk upright on land? Survival of the fittest, my ass! That Darwin was full of crap." She cried. What a cry baby. Maybe her salty tears reminded her of the Atlantic Ocean where she originally came from.

Okay, I'm off to read my comic and work on a pedicure. Toodles. I'm totes (that's short for "totally," isn't that hot?) gonna be nerdy cute while doing both. Cuter than your ugly faces every will be... bitches!!

And the Oscar to the clumsy bastard goes to...

2006-03-09T18:02:00.000Z

I like England. They reward clumsy people!
Here is the story:
A few months ago I bought speakers for my computer in a nearby shop.
Since I am a clumsy bastard, after throwing the speaker to the floor a few times by accident, they eventually stopped working...
Today I went to the store and said: "I bought the speakers here a few months ago. They stopped working and I am not sure why. I don't know what i did..." (yeah... right! Bullshit!)
I was expecting something like: "What happened? What did you do? Oh... they felt... I see. Well, you have to pay for it, since it was your fault...".
Surprise, surprise!
"Do you have your receipt? Thank you. Here you go!"
????? "Sorry? Are you giving me new speakers?"
"Yes."
He didn't even checked the one's I returned. It could be stones in a box!!!

Apparently my clumsiness was rewarded with a new set of speakers.
I am already planning a whole new set of "accidental acts" to receive a new computer, TV, wirelless equipment, lamps, fridge, etc etc...

I wonder where I can find a flat TV screen box to fill with stones and take it there?! Hmmmm....

Self-writing blog

2006-03-08T01:39:00.000Z

I've been waiting for the blog to write by itself but apparently they don't have artificial intelligence for that...
Damn!

Ok... that means that I should write something.

SOMETHING

ps- If it's to write stupid jokes like this, maybe I shouldn't write at all! Duh...

Decepticon or transformer?

2006-02-27T01:44:00.000Z

When you start thinking you know yourself... guess what?
You realize you don't.
Sometimes the others have to open your eyes.
And what you discover isn't always nice...

I wish I was a transformer, but sometimes I seem more like a decepticon.

Ps- don't try to understand. It is just me talking to myself...

Let it snow... in Plymouth II

2006-02-23T16:20:00.000Z

Hooray. It is snowing again.
Well... it is not much, I know... and it melts when hits the ground.
Actually, it is shitty snow.
It shouldn't even be called snow!

Well... I will eventually get bored with snow one day.
But until then, let me enjoy it every time it snows. Ok???

:P

Arrest that dog!

2006-02-15T15:42:00.000Z

No comments...

Love?

2006-02-13T17:47:00.000Z

Love?
An example:

(...) when I think about her, those are the things I think about most.
Little idiosyncrasies that only I knew about. Those made her my wife.
And she had the goods on me too. Little things I do out of habit.
People call these things imperfections Will.
It's just who we are.
And we get to choose who we're going to let into out weird little worlds.

An extract from the movie Good Will Hunting, directed by Gus Van Sant.

Tales of a neurotic woman

2006-02-06T16:40:00.000Z

My flat mate is neurotic.
There! I said it!

She told a story in which she felt in our house in the Christmas break and was in the hospital in a coma for one month... No wait... she saw me after christmas, so after all it was 2 days... no one week. no...
And then she went to Switzerland to ski (or was it France? she said different things to different persons...), although she had a head injury and no doctor would allow that to someone that was in a coma a few days before...
And then she talked with the landlady and said that she couldn't pay the rent because she was in hospital for one month (tears appear in my eyes at this moment).
Landlady: "Oh really? I though you were skying in Switzerland?!".
Of course her cheque bounced for the third time...

Wait...I know what happened... She was skying in the hospital and then she felt and went to switzerland for a coma, got back and went to france to write cheques...

God... She is too craizy for me!

I am a desperate "househusband".

Please arrest this man

2006-02-04T13:08:00.000Z

Dear diary.
Today I woke up late like I usually do and had some coffee.
Then I went to the university to photocopy some articles in the library.
After I finished, I went to a computer room in one of the university buildings.
I opened a door that was supposed to be closed and a really noisy alarm was activated.
I got out of the building like nothing had happened, just to find that an even louder alarm was "screaming" outside the building.
A security gard was probably running in my direction at this moment...
What do you do in this situation?
Get back to the library, find a computer and write on the blog.

A perfectly normal day in the life of a student!

Ps- If I stop writing in the blog it's because I was caught when I was leaving the library...

For more information, please see:
The Postal Service - Life in a prison
Album: Give Up

A photographic exhibition on vegetarian and vegan lifestyle

2006-02-02T11:43:00.000Z

A photographic exhibition on vegetarian and vegan lifestyle.
By Progetto Vivere Vegan

See it here.

Always look at the bright side of life

2006-01-28T00:35:00.000Z

This is how death should be celebrated!
By Monty Phyton.

Thanks to jonsi.

yellow sky

2006-01-24T13:02:00.000Z

One day I will wake up in England, look outside the window and the sky won't be gray...

Have fun in Plymouth... or not

2006-01-13T18:34:00.000Z

I need to relax. Take some time off.
And what better place for that than Plymouth?
I can crawl a building.

I can go skating.

I can go fishing.

Relax in the grass (although I prefer with the grass... ;))

Play with small boats.

Naaaa... fuck it. I will just jump to the sea and go back for some days to my beautifull Lisbon. ;) Bye!!!

Babybush toys

2006-01-12T13:01:00.000Z

It all started with a book...

Now there is a whole range of products inspired in him:
Babybush toys - Simple products for simple minds!

Start ordering for the next christmas!
I want the "twisty thing, that is red".
Pweaaaaaaaase! Buaaaaaaaaahhh!

I wish a new brain...

2006-01-08T00:39:00.000Z

I hope next year Santa brings me a new brain because by the end of 2006 the one I have will be fried... with all the work...
Oh... Wait! Santa doesn't exist! Damn...

Well... happy new year anyway!

Retired nurses?

2006-01-02T11:22:00.000Z

If I didn't knew it is a game in England, I would say that a bunche of retired nurses went craizy and started throwing black balls to each others in a garden...

Thinkaloud

2005-12-22T18:23:00.000Z

There are many good ideas in the world.
Let them out.
Just... think-aloud!

So terrorist of me

2005-12-17T20:10:00.000Z

Mental note:
Having latin looks and working in a laptop hearing music with hear plugs at 3 am, without any sleep and after a 5h30min trip by train (with obvious consequences on your looks) in Gatwick Airport, can cause you to be confounded with a terrorist!

Armed agents will pass near you and look with suspicion at least 3 times!

More terrorism in:
Manic Street Preachers - Generation Terrorists

What the hell is that??? Its Pizazz!!!

2005-12-16T17:59:00.000Z

Take a look at the video created by pizazz. A number of reactions will follow. Trust me!
See the video here.

1st time you see it: What the hell is that???
2nd: Oh my god!!! Are they serious???
3rd: Hmmmm....
4th: Ok. This is funny!
5th: Play it again, play it again!
6th: This is fucking great!
7th to ...: In the class, in the shower, in the streets, with friends, ... Pizazz pizazz pizazz! Gonna Give It To Ya! Pizazz pizazz pizazz! Yeaaaaaaah!

Thanks to blandella and refrains from unnecessary talk...

The birds got the flu and the world is about to end

2005-12-13T16:51:00.000Z

The birds got the flu and the world is about to end...
Does that mean that being vegetarian wasn't worth it?
Shit!

Push my button

2005-12-10T23:48:00.000Z

My world wasn't my world anymore.
They took it from me.
I alucinated their dreams.
I danced their words, sounds and colours.
They?... they don't know me.
I?... I am awake again.
Want to dance with me?
Push my button!

The Chemical Brothers
07/12/2005, Plymouth Pavillions

GALVANIZE!!!

Life IS simple

2005-12-08T02:55:00.000Z

Stressed, happy, stressed, happy, stressed, stressed, stressed, happy, stressed, happy, happy, stressed, happy, happy, happy, happy, stressed, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, stressed, happy, happy, happy, happy, stressed, stressed, happy, stressed, happy.

After all life IS simple.

Image by Blandella

INTIMACY... in the UK

2005-11-29T10:45:00.000Z

'INTIMACY ( h u m a n p e o p l e )' is a Completely Naked project questioning the meaning of being a photographer today and how our visions of intimacy have changed.

Perhaps nowhere so obviously as in the visual depiction of intimacy have the boundaries between art and entertainment have eroded. The question is: what defines intimacy in the 21st century.Today everybody has a camera and access to the internet; images of highly personal, intimate moments have become part of our everyday.

With Completely Naked latest project, 'INTIMACY (human people)', the boundaries between photographer and performer/model and reality/ fiction becomes completely blurred. So begins our exploration of the moment 'between the impulse and the action'

For the last year, Completely Naked has been inviting selected photographers around the world to submit images in the online galleries that, according to them, portray intimacy. All these photographers have in common a new approach to photography and how they look around themselves and at their intimacy, becoming somehow part of an un-scripted movement.

What started as a research became a huge online success and the galleries haven't stopped growing; so far more than 100 photographers have submitted nearly 500 images!

We thought that it will be very interesting to materialize these virtual galleries in an on-site exhibition breaking the so convenient but so fastidious unreality of the net. Becoming a physical object, both the meaning of photography and intimacy takes a very different reality.

The exhibition will be from the 10th to the 30th November 2005 at Campbell Works, London

See:
The galleries and The project