Black Eyed Peas

very quick ...very fast...
I know they are going to Brazil...so those who have a chance ...BUY the tickets NOOOOOOWWWW... the show is amazing and Fergie of course rocks!

so here goes some pics of me and my friends at the show here in Winnipeg!!!
see you students

Teacher Daniel Ferraz

living within tensions

I m living within the tension of Sataying here in Canada and going back to my country... well just when I thought I would be counting down the days and would be really really glad to be back to Brazil, I just have this feeling I am going to miss a lot CAnada... eveything here ideed, the experience, friends, study, readings, trips, etc etc etc
well I guess life is like this isn t it? living on the tensions of leaving x staying, laughing and crying, dreaming x doing, having fun x concentrating on work, staying with friends x staying alone, watching a movie x listening to a song, the list is endless...

how do we choose? do we have to choose? ...
I do think the answer is contextual meaning that every single day and every single moment, every single breathing ... we make the best possible choice!!!

so what are the tensions of your life? have you given a thought on that?

have anice week
Daniel

children...

Children

so I was having breakfast with my elderly friend Mary ( 70...something years old) and out of the blue she starts this story about her niece who adopted two baby girls from China...so the story was long and beautiful...in the end she said : " well daniel this changed my niece s life!" I just looked around and there were two children in the room...having breakfast with their very patient daddy... the elders around them were fascinated by the two little cute children...

the reflection today is " how I miss my Goddaughters!"

many of my friends will say that children are little devils ( and they sometimes are!!!) and we can t stay with them for more than 5 minutes...well I would say I can play with my granddaughters and any other child for hours!!!

Children are those blessed little creatures who are here among us - serious, hardworking and respectable adults! - to remind us that we are all humann beings in the end...

so I leave with 3 meditations about children and 3 pictures of my cute little ones:


medatiaion 1: "Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them" Antoine de Saint-exupery

2: Parents are most effective when they don't assume the role of parent but that of a trusted, caring friend, like an older brother or sister

3: Out of the mouths of children, wisdom is natural because all they know is the truth as they see it. When a child speaks, REALLY LISTEN.

and the 3 ones:

have a great week, adults! remember the epifanic moment a child's smile can be!!!

Daniel

MaE - la petite Maria Eduarda



Taty, not a child anymore...but still a cute girl



Luisa, my little ballerina

and after a month... August 8th, 2010

Hi students and friends

Toronto students...are you all back to Sao Paulo...safe and sound? hope so...and thanks for the bunches of "thanks" emails...that was fulfilling...

so here I am back to Winnipeg...and just when I thought I would get a terrible depression after 16 days with my dear students and freinds...guess what? it was a relief to be back to my little bridcage! and I am quite happy over here...not even sure if I will return to Sao Paulo he he he...

the reflection today is: it is impossible to be an academic and a blogger!!! I don t even have time to watch the news !!! no time to blog at all ...I am soooo sorry...have to give up this blogging career ha ha ha...and I thought well..nobody is reading anyways right? yeah Sandra elias? or Irene? or Pat Tsuchyia? yeah I know that the blogspot.com's are all blocked for comments and this is sooo bad cause i have no idea who s reading this or not...anyways... THANKS my ( stalker heheheh) friend Armando whom I had the pleasure of being my reader (and who taught me how to make Ceviche humm yummy!!!)...here I am blogging again...soooo many things happened during this month that i ll summarize it in some sentences that have driven my life this month;

1. live happily, each moment. My theater teacher at Celia Helena used to say in class that WE ACTUALLY CHANGE WITH EVERY BREATHING... this was powerful. I know it sound so cliche, but this is such an important cliche...
2. when you are alone, take this time for a self-reflction...and if you have difficulty to be with yourself...buy any "ordinary self-help" book like GRACE NOTES (by Alexandra Stoddard)...and follow it through the year...read it every morning...that will help you deal with with your most inner complex issues
3. make friends! (this does not need explanation right?)
4. read a good book ( well if you have been my student for a long time you probably know I Rread five books at the same time)...anyways pick a good literature book and read thoroughly ...this might change your approach to life!
5. talk to your family! always
6. plan your day, plan your week and your month!!! plan plan plan...organize HOWEVER, leave space for the little or big surprises LIFE brings you! out of the blue, a bad hair day may turn into an UNFORGETTABLE DAY!
7. if you dream, remember to play your favorite songs along...dream a little dream of me with Nora Jones is nice suggestion

well that is it!
many kisses and hugs
Daniel

MAGICAL TORONTO!!!

So here we are in Toronto... me, Grace teacher Gi and AAALLLLLL the students from Parque da Juventude THN SCHOOL and Camargo Aranha

TORONTO IS such a fantastic city, it s been so hot we say over here we are in BAhia or Ceara!!!

students are sooooooo happy YOU CANT IMAGINE...they are all studying, exploring the city
trying to communicate in ENglish...going to places, taking pics, having fun, making friends, studying English alooooot every day, going out together, going out to dance, drinking, having wine, drinking beer, having picnics, traveling by boat, going to shows and concerts, ufaaaaaaaaaa so mANY things...

they ARE REALLY ENJOYNG THE SCHOOL AND THEIR TEACHERS

this is soooooo good news isnt it?

I guess today I ll start relaxing he eh e eheh

see you guys
HAVE A LOOK AT THE PICS AND ENJOY!!!

after a month....

Well first of all ...sorry for the terrible blogger I have been...
for so many reasons I couldn t write to my few followers...Sandra Elias, Thais, and Pat Tsu.. and some other dear friends...

summary of the month:
-lots, lots, lots of study! I ve really studied almost 1o to 12 hours every single day!!! ( and I haven't finished my thesis )
- i ve also written some articles for publication
- we ve had wonderful discussion in our post grad classes
-welll PhD that ss all

now a little bit of me this month
- quite quite in my "cantinho" in Winnipeg
- Also, Roseanne s family Julie, Bia, Regis and Rose arrived from Maceio...fantastic lovely family!, we ve to places, watched the Brazilian games, went golfing, etc etc
- lots of training over here... swimming every day, I just wish not to get back to Brazil thaaaaaaat skinny ...i kind of lost 3 kilos over here...
- and from time to time I ve made some short trips ... this month I went to the Winnipeg lake with friends ...it s north of Winnipeg ...a huuuuuuuuuge and beastiful lake to the north...we had a sing-along party fantastic!!
- I also went one more time to Montreal to spend a week with my friend Adolpho...it was really cool there...Montreal was again a welcoming and lovely city...also stayed with Clarice my dear new friend


...and here I am in Toronto...yesterday all the students arrived and of course teacher Daniel Ferraz ...almost had the group craazy...they arrived in Toronto 5 o clock in the morning and I WASN T THERE...i had the time of 10 o clock in my mind ( I dont know why!!!!) then I woke up early studied made coffee ...and the students there waiting for me...oh I felt soooooooooo bad... but today I m better and praying and hoping they have all forgiven me...
they are all well... Wanda, Helena, Mary Moraes and Mary Leite, Juliano, Danilo and Danilo Vacari, Giuliana, Marianne, Monica, Claudia T and Claudia , Arthur, teachers Giselle and Grace, Valmir, Lilica ( Eliana ) TE TE, Tereza, Mario Flores, Marcinha Lara, Berilia, Fernanda HAVE ALL ARRIVED AND ARE REALLY WELL AND HAPPY

WELCOME MY STUDENTS!!! I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL TRIP!!!

well that s it guys!
let me go back to my studies and my reading hehehehe
Daniel

refletion of the week...CAGED ANIMALS

Look at the pictures above and answer me: Are they happy animals? well, I went to WINNIPEG zoo last Sunday and I really don't know why, but I was struck by the caged animals... It had been a long time since I visited o zoo ( 15 years ago???)...I actually got very sad for them. Looking at the leopard, the bears, lions and some many other animals caged in a place like a "box" of 20 meters square was quite depressing!!! Then I remember Bill saying to me in the car; " I really don't know why they keep this horrible places...nobody keeps zoos anymore!!!"
but then I visualized the zoo with so many kids and their families strolling around and having fun...I myself had the company of the TAVARES family and their two girls Juliana and Bia WERE EXTREMELY HAPPY ...their eyes were shining at every animal they saw!!!
So then I thought ...well, it is a horrible and depressing place FOR SOME PEOPLE at the same time it is a magical and beautiful place FOR OTHER PEOPLE...

And this reflection led me to think about us HUMAN BEINGS as caged animals...I know it sounds a cliche, but I was thinking about the metaphor of the human beings as caged animals and societies as zoos! and THEN I obviously thought of myself as a caged animal living in my very small studio apartment here in Winnipeg (well, sometimes spend 10 hours here reading and studying)...and guess what? I felt relieved I was not a "wild animal" strolling on the steets of Montreal ( my thesis wouldn't be written there!)

So the big is: is it better to live like a CONSCIOUS caged animal or an UNCOUNCIOUS wild animal living with no purpose?
And the big answer is: there is no BETTER or BEST...there is just living your choices!

well, GUYS HAVE A NICE WORLD CUP!! and remember that if you go into the streets...be careful with the wild animals / if you watch the matches at home: be careful with the caged ones!!!



AND ...TAVERES FAMILY...WELCOME TO WINNIPEG!!!


Daniel Ferraz

Pedido!!!

Hello everyone!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY !!!

I ve been studying a loooor ( really) yesterday I studied from 8 am to 8 pm almost non-stop... I m getting crazy!!! This is why I haven't posted ok?

Bem um pedido importante. na verdade preciso saber quantas pessoas estao acompanhando o blog de vez em quando. CAN YOU GUYS SEND ME AN EMAIL? Voces podem me mandar um email dizendo eu entro no blog? thanks a million!!! email: danielferraz77@gmail.comah of course YOU CAN SEND ME NEWS ABOUT BRAZIL AND ABOUT THE WORLD CUP ...PLEEEEEEEASE...over here nobody cares about soccer!!!

kisses and thanks
Daniel

mais um pouquinho de Montreal !!!
ah THERE IS A VIDEO ABOUT A BRAZILIAN SAMBA PARTY WE WENT!!!


My friend marcela and I trying to dance sammba ha ha ha


hi dear all...back to Winnipeg and to real life...
at the BIODOME...a huge place with animals and plants...




downtown...


my friends Jose from Mexico and Marcela from RJ


Mont Royal Park...beautiful...

xoxoxox
daniel

More Montreal

hi there people

I m not writing much today...just let you appreciate the beautiful pictures of Montreal and of my friends...






more of WONDERFUL city of Montreal...

La ville de Montreal!!!

Salut toout le monde!! Bienvenue a Montreal!!! oui oui fon fon ha ha ha...Je suis a Montreal et ici tour le monde parle francais...Yeah it's true everybody speaks French around here...

So here I am in Montreal, this LOVELY AND PASSIONATE city ...it s the second largest city in Canada...and I have to tell you a secret: I'm love with the city...it's a huge city of almost 4 million inhabitants, but a fluid, organized and beautiful city. he secret is: I AM NOT GOING BACK to Brazil, I will live in Montreal for a while he he he of course I am joking... but anyways it s a lovely city!!!

here goes some pics..

I ll try to post more during the week, but life has been so busy and full of adventures he he he

please I know you are having problems to post comments and answers..so PLEASE send you comments to my email..thank you! danielferraz77@gmail.com

downtown area - dancing waters

this is La Rue de Saitn Catherine in the summer parts of the street are closed for vehicles and people can stroll around, eat, see the shows, date, etc


these are the typical building in Montreal , you see them all over the city...so here you see many apartments in one building...I m here in one of them . Im staying at my Brazilian friend s house Adolpho...


more houses


and of course THE MAPLE LEAF, the symbol of Canada!

So of course I also came here to participate in a Congress. It's one of the biggest congresses of Human Sciences and Humanities. Very interesting, lots of excellent presentations!!! in English, French, Portuguese, and other languages!!!

and of course, here we speak English and then out of the blue we switch to French...it s so funny!!!
I finally went dancing, drank a little bit he he he, had LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTS of fun he he he!!!

many hugs and kisses

daniel

Celebrating!

that's me celebrating 1 month of Winnipeg!!!
dancing in the apartment ( I guess I'm a little crazy kkkkkk)

1 month of Canada!

1 month of Winnipeg !!!
sooo fast!!

just to let you know that now I think time is FLYING!!! I am great, happy, making friends, cooking, washing up, cleaning up, working out, swimming ( 2,500 kilometers a day!!!), studying a lot, etc, etc

...but I miss you all, not THAAAAT much ( ha ha ha) but I miss my family, my DEAREST students and friends!!!

no funny stories this week...just that classes have started and some interesting aspects, from MY PERSPECTIVE of course: Canadians are serious when they study...and if it's a graduate course ( post -graduation for us) they are EVEN MORE serious...there is this very friendly Mexican girl in my group and she is always trying to be friendly in class ...hummmm NO NO NO not a good idea, they are serious, they read the texts, they debate the texts etc etc... cultural shocks, interesting to learn...I started to think how WE LATIN Americans shock them with our way of being... WE KISS, WE HUG, THEY DON T, they arrive and sit down and start studying and when time is over, they stand up and GO!!! not EVEN BYE BYE!!! well, I study interpretation and different perspectives so it s very interesting to see both sides ( when I am a student in Brazil and a student here). Is there a BETTER way? Of course NOT !!! this is the magic of OPENING YOUR MIND in order to understand/respect the other


and to finish, some HINTS on MOVIES:

1. Cooking with Stella ( it s an independent Canadian production, you can try a download at mininova.org)

2. Dancer in the dark (dancando no escuro) a VERY different movie, alternative, cult, from the director Lars Von Trier...try to watch until the end, great picture!


and for my students, to practice listening:

www.ted.com ( very very interesting) you choose a TOPIC of interest, a video and ther you go!!!

many many hugs and kisses

Daniel