An especial guest

A green scarab came to visit me!

This month I'm reading a lot about Akhenaton, the great pharaoh of Egypt. Since I was a child I got fascinated by Egypt, Sahara, the Nile and Akhenaton's son Tutankhamen and his wife Nefertiti.

I remember clearly how fascinated I was with those subjects in an early age of 6 years old. When I was 7, in 2nd grade, I was blessed enough to have a teacher who was a historian. She started telling us about the sacred Nile and I remember listening to her as she was telling us my own history. I got completely in trance and I didn't miss one single word. How I loved the melody of her voice talking about Akhenaton. Her eyes sparkled because she was really in love with the Egypt history as well.

Akhenaton was brave enough to introduce the monotheist worship of a God without face, which was symbolized by the sun, Aton. He used the sun to try to explain to the Egypt population that God does care about every single one, just like the sun warms every single person or place without distinction of color, race. But the Egyptian wasn't prepared for such an illuminist and Akhenaton was assassinated as well his wife Nefertiti and his 5 daughters and later also the young pharaoh Tutankhamen and his wife/sister also was assassinated to try to erase definitely the thoughts of this great man, Akhenaton.

I really love everything about him and his wonderful ideas. He was the pharaoh of Egypt 3000 years before Christ and he was a man ahead of his time. All his actions were to promote peace among the men and countries. He freed the slaves but the slaves were not prepared to be free and they got mad on this fantastic man.

By the way in Portuguese, Nile is Nilo the name of my father.

One afternoon my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Berenice asked us what was the name of the river that crossed Egypt and one little girl said "It's the name of Leandra's father!". Everybody laughed good and I got very proud. I love to remember that!

Well, one of the symbols of Egypt was the scarab, also known by the name Kheper. Today I was going to change the flowers and I saw a green scarab on a lily. I got completely shivered. I live in the 12th floor and I a scarab decided to visit me in the same day I was finishing a book about Akhenaton.

I love those little surprises and I hope one day Egypt will understand the amazed man Akhenaton was , the greatest pharaoh of all times!

Akhenaton and his family praying to Aton!

The great pharaoh Akhenaton

Cultural Shock in the Gym

Photo by Spencer Tunick!
18,000 people, Zocalo square, Mexico City

I just felt as I were in the middle of those 18.000 people today.

I'll explain:
Last month I got a huge urge to join a gym and start some fitness program again. I used to do it, and I was missing it a lot.
So, I found a very good one near my home. Just like less than 10 minutes driving it the transit were cooperative. Yes driving! Even thought Taiwan is a tiny country nobody uses to walk here because it's almost impossible to cross a street if not in normal walking areas. And this gym is at Taimall, a huge mall in Nankan.

Nankan is another citied just glued on the one I'm living now, Taoyuan. So walk to there is really impossible because there is a road separating the two cities.

Anyway...I got my gym bag and I happily drove to Extreme Fitness Center, hoping to get a relaxing sauna after the sweating session!

Well, before I got into the above picture, I must remember you that I'm from Brasil. That almost all year long sunshine days, with beautiful beaches and very tiny bikinis.

What it has to do with the gym and the pics?

As soon as I got at the gym, I went to change and as soon as I open the door of the female changing/restroom I got into a huge cultural shock. Every single woman over there were naked, completely naked. They were even blowing their hairs naked. Talking friendly to each other naked. Some of them were stretching just like in the picture above, naked.

Oh God, I really really got scared. I never saw such a scene in my life. If would be better if you don't try to imagine it, trust me!

Yes, I'm from Brasil and over there we use a very tiny bikini. That's true and I must admit I just buy really tiny bikinis even for Brazilian standards.
However I never went to a sauna in Brasil where 100% of the women were naked, talking as they were in a cafe. I never went to a changing room and see towels on the floor and women talking naked as they were in their living room. I never in my life saw so many women naked. It was around 50. I'm not kidding!

I guess I never changed my clothes so fast. I tried to find a corner where I could find an empty locker to put my bag and my clothes in and as soon I found it, it started getting crowed of naked women. Oh gosh, it was really embarrassing to me and I know for sure it would be embarrassing to every single Brazilian woman I know.

I sat on a bench to unzippering my boot and when I lifted my face it almost reached a naked ass. Firstly one woman bent over to put a shoes on! Then many follow her. It was also the first time I saw someone starting dressing from bottom to top, from shoes to T-shirt!. It isn't funny, I swear to God.

You may wondering how a Brazilian woman who walks on the beach wearing a tiny bikini can be shocked with such a scene! Well, it is simple. We do have a small bikini but we do wear one, and our bikinis are tiny but they cover what must/should be covered. And when we, Brazilian women, are in public changing room we do wrap ourselves with a towel.

Brasil is a catholic country and catholics usually think that naked body is offensive, or immoral, or even indecorous! We learn from early age that we can't be naked in front of people, especially those who are not close family!

And then on the other side of the world, I go to an innocent gym and a whole new world is out there, literally out there. I may sound prudish, but I am not, really!

Well, what I know is that I will from now on leave home wearing my gym clothes. I really didn't feel comfortable around so many naked asses!

Feeding America

Today an order from amazon.com arrived, yeah more books, and for the first time I got some flyers adverting philanthropic organizations.

Usually those flyers are about new books or discount coupons but this time it was about hunger in the USA.

What called my attention on this one I posted below, was not that 1 in 8 United State people doesn't have what to eat, but how it increased in 6 years.

When I was living in Blacksburg, VA, I used to listen to public radio and I remember how surprise I got when I heard for the first time that people were suffering for not having what to eat in the USA. It was a real shock for me, because I never thought that this society problem was present also in rich-organized "1st countries". I really thought it was a topic from developing countries only!

So, back there the statistic showed that 1 in 4 people were struggling with hunger and now it is 1 in 8 as the non-governamental organization Feeding America shows and I'm not surprise at all, unfortunatelly.

Thank God things are changing and I do hope that those unfortunate people can get not "just" a full plate of food but a job, education and their dignity back!

The USA became a 3rd country

"America should be a place
where you can make it if you try."

Michelle Obama

Here you can find Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic convention. I have just one thing to say... the USA became a 3rd country as it likes to call the countries in development, with one little difference: the knowledge of the subject, the knowledge of the problems!

We 3rd countries, we are addressing, fighting and trying hard or not but trying to fixing issues such as health care, education system, jobs, social matters and social security, habitation for years and the USA just realized they are in huge need to take those issues seriously right now.

The USA always ignored their problems, pointed out other nations's but now a close look to their own belly button is more than necessary or they will lose control of this terrible economical and social situation the country is facing ultimately.

Michelle's and Obama speech looked like any campaign's speech for the so called 3rd country! I'm glad that finally someone is really brave to uncover the illusion of a "dream country" and talking about the USA on its political platform and not about other countries issues as before.

Who one day could believe in such turn over.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela
is out of the terrorist list of the
United States of America!

Nelson Mandela, a terrorist!

Once again thank you Mr Bush,
for being such a great guy!

Fidel Castro

El comandante Fidel Castro Resigns!

"The unique alive myth of humanity" according to the Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and I agree completely!
I'm sure nothing will change! Fidel with his presence and charisma will continue to be the greatest leader of Latin America!

Smoke or non-smoke?

French people are going nuts...
Tomorrow starts the non-smoke law to cafes, restaurants and so on! Personally I love it, because I'm not a smoker, active nor passive. I really don't like the smoke that comes from people's cigarettes! It goes directly to my nose letting my clothes and hair smelly!!
I really don't like it!

But there is something I don't understand...In Brasil, since the 80`s is forbidden by law to smoke in closed places! So, as in the USA we have smoke and non-smoke and it's great! As soon as you arrive in a cafe and/or restaurants and so on you are asked: "fumante ou nao fumante?", smoke or non-smoke!
Now that we have this law for so long, many places have just non-smoke rooms and the smokers go out if they want to light it up!

What I don't get it's why France doesn't implant it gradually having both ambients!?
The time I lived in Europe I never understood the behavior of non-smoke people, I mean they really don't get bother with the smoke on them, they really don't care! In Brasil we complaint a lot if someone is smoking near us!
This both ambient was a great solution!!

Anyhow...personally I'm very happy with such measure.
Now I'll be able to enjoy the French cafes for hours and hours...
Voilà!!

The Evil Has Landed

AT THE EVIL'S HOME!