It’s already 2:00 am of the second day of 2010, but I can’t still get over the celebration for the end of the decade. For the first time in my life, I truly felt like a gringa in my own city. After spending three years in Canada, I think that my Brazilian soul is not as patriotic as it is supposed to be. However, the new year’s party showed me that things change when you see yourself surrounded by two million of your best friends!

2009/2010 celebration was my second time at Copacabana beach and I’ve noticed that Rio is doing its homework to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Summer Games. Copacabana was one of the seven attractions that the city of Rio de Janeiro prepared to celebrate the end of the 2000’s. Even though the final numbers show that over 2 million people watched this year’s fireworks spectacle from Copacabana beach, everything went smoothly, Mr. Ames and I even had a chance to jump in the water.

Public transportation was the best way to get to Copacabana. Taxis, if you were able to find one, were charging R$ 60.00 (around 43 Canadian dollars) to go to that neighborhood. It took approximately 45 minutes each way for the 572 to bring us from Jardim Botânico to Copacabana and back, with the return trip happening at around 5:30 in the morning (I know… we Brazilians really know how to party!).

Here is taste of what I saw…

Happy 2010!

It has been three years since I flew all way from Brazil to Canada. It has been almost two years since I became a permanent resident and settled in Vancouver, BC. What first started as an quick mission to Canada to improve my English became a life changing decision and with time, I had to learn to call a transitional city home and grow my roots far from where I came from. Usually, when people ask me when was the last time that I went home, my answer always comes out with a self-conscious speech. I believe that my home is where my shoes are, but also I feel that I belong to two different countries – Canada and Brazil.

Mr. Ames has never been to my home country. However, after 21 months in our culturally intense relationship, he has become an expert on Brazilian-related issues, even being able to identify some of Brazil’s regional accents. But now that we are going a long way down home, I am concerned thinking that I oversold my country to my gringo husband!

Since I arrived in Canada, I made a commitment to myself to never say bad things about Brazil to anyone who wasn’t Brazilian. I acknowledge the fact that my home country fosters some significant social and political issues, but it also has a strong economy and incredibly talented people. I know people who visit Brazil several times and have only great things to say about my culture. The journalist who is still living inside me thinks that everybody needs a chance to decide what is bad and good, they don’t need my biased opinion!

But it a looooong flight I have lots of things to think about. I know that after being away for so long, life in Rio won’t be the same for me. Some friends got married, other had kids, my eldest goddaughter is turning 18 in May, and my youngest goddaughter is a 15-month-old beautiful toddler. I guess my life will be forever divided between two nationalities, especially now that my eyes fill up with tears when I watch YVR getting smaller through the window…

This is the first post of a series of bilingual lists. Every month, I will share a list of blogs or posts that somehow or for some reason changed the way that I see the world, made me fall in love for a cause or simply inspired me! Comments and suggestions are more than welcome. Enjoy!

Este é o primeiro post de uma série de posts escritos em português e em inglês. Todo mês, quero registrar num post especial a lista dos blogs que entraram para o meu blogroll porque de alguma forma mudaram a minha forma de ver o mundo ou me inspiraram. Comentários e sugestões são sempre bem-vindos. Aproveite!

O Caderno de Saramago (in Portuguese/em português)

The nobel-prize winner Jose Saramago, a true believer of Karl Marx’s philosophy, has one of the best blogs written in Portuguese that you can currently find online. Unfortunately, well-written Portuguse usually doesn’t translate to outstanding English after a Babelfish query. However, the blog is worth the click if you find someone willing to translate Saramago transcripts to English or if you want to practice some Portuguese.

Numa das minhas muitas idas à livraria próxima ao meu hotel em Lisboa, descobri que o convicto marxista José Saramago tem um blog. Um blog maravilhoso que já até virou livro!

Oferecendo o melhor que uma obra literária em construção pode proporcionar ao leitor, O Caderno de Saramago é um deleite para qualquer fã de O Diário da Cegueira. Eu ainda estou revendo todos os posts. O blog já virou um vício diário!

Hummingbird604.com: Speed vs accuracy – What should be the journalistic norm? (in English/em inglês)

Raul Pacheco (aka Hummingbird604) is one of my favourite bloggers in Vancouver. This month, I was happy to read his opinion about Mathew Ingram’s Citizen journalism: I’ll take it, flaws and all post, especially because his reaction is extremely aligned with Annabel McGoldrick’s study about the psychological effects of peace journalim and war journalism. Raul’s reaction to Mathew’s statement is exactly how audiences usually feel when confronted with scenes of horror that are disconnected from a cultural, political or situational background which journalists are expected to offer to their audiences. Congrats for your post, Raul!

Raul Pacheco é um dos meus bloggers favoritos em Vancouver e este mês ele “matou a pau” com o post Speed vs accuracy – What should be the journalistic norm?. No texto, Raul questina o uso das redes sociais na narrativa jornalística. A ênfase é na velocidade do meio e o comprometimento da apuração dos fatos. Os pontos levantados por Raul, lembraram-me de um artigo de Annabel McGoldrick sobre os efeitos psicológicos do jornalismo de paz de de guerra. Eu concordo tanto com o post do Raul quanto o estudo de Annabel, e acredito que meus coleguinhas de profissão deveriam sempre mostrar os dois lados envolvidos ao invés de optar pela obordagem sensacionalista.

7 Ways to Get More Out of Linkedin (in Enlgish/em inglês)

Everybody knows that Mashable is the best social media guide that can be found online, but I am not sure if all the job hunters are aware of this Sharlyn Lauby’s ultimate Linkedin post.

Mashable é o meu guia de redes sociais na internet. Se o site ainda não faz parte dos seus favoritos, faça o favor de adicioná-lo! O post 7 Ways to Get More Out of Linkedin é o guia perfeito pra quem está usando a ferramenta para procurar emprego na America do Norte.

Starving College Girl: Kirk LaPointe at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (in English/em inglês)

Lesley Chang’s Starving College Girl blog is a great inspiration to current journalism and public realations students. I hope that Lesley keeps this idea rolling even after she graduates from college. In this post, she shares her findings from Kirk LaPointe’s talk at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. It’s interesting to see that a communications veteran is shortening the life time of young journalists and recognazing the impact that social media will have in the profession.

O blog de Lesley Chang é um ótimo relato para jornalistas internacionais que sonham com uma carreira no exterior. No post desta lista, Lesley relata a apresentação de Kirk Lapointe, diretor do Vancouver Sun, na Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Por aqui, a vida útil do jornalista está sendo reduzida e as redes sociais de comunicação estão ganhando o respeito dos vetereanos.

Wordpress.org: Codex

Yes… I completely changed Madame Heringer’s Lil’ World’s layout in November. It was painful and I put a lot of work into it! However, I couldn’t have done it without Wordpress’ support and its tutorials. I am planning to write a long post about buying a domain and choosing a host service processes, but if you are desperate trying to make your theme or website work, Codex is the solution that you are looking for!

No último mês, eu mexi completamente na interface do site. Foram-se muitas horas lendo tutoriais e muitas noites mal dormidas para chegar ao layout que você vê no Madame Heringer’s Lil’ World. Fiz tudo sozinha, mas nunca teria conseguido comprar o meu domínio e configurar o meu serviço de hospedagem sem a ajuda dos tutoriais do Codex!

And you? What are the blogs or posts that blew your mind in November? Please, share!

E você? Quais foram os blogs ou textos que mudaram a sua vida em novembro? Deixe a sua sugestão nos comentários!

Claudia Costa by Joe Lederer

When we first met, Claudia Costa was the project manager of the 2^nd Brazilian Film Festival of Vancouver. Since then, our paths have crossed in various initiatives related to the Latin American community.

Costa is both an enthusiast of Brazilian culture and an admirable cinematographer who is making room for her talent in Hollywood. Recently, she worked as an Assistant Director in both Diablo Cody’s Juno, and the blockbuster 2012. Last week, we chatted about her work in this latest Roland Emmerick’s production and her career path in the film industry.

Veronica: When we first met, I remember asking you where you were from in Brazil and you said that you feel that you belong to at least three different cities. Can you tell me how you found your way to Canada? How did you land your first job in Vancouver?

Claudia: My hometown is Curitiba. Luckily, my work allows me to live wherever I want and I surely take advantage of this. In Brazil, I lived in both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo and that’s the reason for my funky Brazilian accent!

I first came to Vancouver to study English for 4 months. However, since I am a workaholic and my Brazilian soul enjoys exploring the world I couldn’t spend my time only studying while I was here. And when I first saw all the production trucks parked on the streets, I decided that I wanted to be part of the film industry and work here!

In Brazil, I worked for many years as an assistant director for TV commercials. This professional experience was crucial to get my first job in the same role in Canada. However, I wanted to follow my dream and work in the film industry. So, I decided to send letters to producers and directors who were shooting feature films in Vancouver asking for an opportunity.

After 2 weeks of complete silence, I received a call from a producer who gave me my first opportunity here. Since then, I’ve been working in what I am passionate about and I am very thankful for all the people that I have been able to work with. I made lots of new friends and had great mentors throughout my jobs.

V: How hard is it to work with Roland Emmerich?

CC: Working with Roland was an awesome experience. Roland is both a visionary director and a great person to work for. It is always exciting when you have the opportunity to learn from the masters and in Roland’s case; I had the opportunity to learn from the master of disaster.

V: What is special about 2012? Why should people pay to watch another Emmerich’s apocalyptic movie?

CC: 2012 will blow your mind! The visual effects are incredibly well done. It’s the biggest catastrophe that you’ll ever watch!

Another added value of 2012 is the great performances of John Cusack, Woddy Harrelson, Oliver Platt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Blu Mankuma, Chin Han, Osric Chau, Beatrice Rose, Zlatko Buric, and the young Liam James.

V: If you were starting your career now, what type of advice you’d like to receive from a fellow professional?

CC: Everyone wants to know how to get their foot in the door, what the secret to start in a project is and how to make a difference in your profession. I must confess that I’m still working on that!

The secret is never quit. It’s a hard industry to get into, but if you are passionate about film making, you will find your way! Work in as many movies as you can; take advantage of the Internet and resources available in the industry; and come up with a good idea! If you don’t give up, you will convince people to hire you!

Also if English is not your first language and you want to work in North America, never quit the English classes!

V: What is your next project?

CC: My next goal is to produce a feature film. My dream is to make a co-production with Brazil. Maybe it could even be the project that I am writing right now… Who knows?

Yesterday, Lili and I had a great time at the Women in Leadership Foundation’s Superwomen Friends Winter Palace Gala. Lili won the tickets through the Miss 604 contest and generously invited me to accompany her.

The Women in Leadership foundation is a registered Vancouver charity dedicated to advancing women in leadership roles. Yesterday’s Gala night celebrated the 2009 WIL Advancing Women Leaders Mentorship program class. Everybody knows how much I respect mentoring initiatives, but WIL’s program now has a special spot in my heart and I can’t wait to apply as a mentee for the 2010 group.

Andrea Holmes on the stage

Andrea Holmes’ speech was the reality check that I needed to advance in my life. Andrea is a four-time Canadian Paralympic Champion and one of the most inspiring women that I’ve met in my life. Her list of achievements makes anyone think of what they’ve achieved  in their lives. Knowing that Andrea has been through more obstacles that I can ever imagine, it has become easier for me to set goals and chase my dreams. Thanks, Andrea, for sharing your story with us! Even though Brazilians are really passionate about their country during the Olympics, I’ll cheer for you in the 2010 Para-Alpine Ski competition!

Veronica Heringer-Ames and Lili Veira de Carvalho

As you can see, we also enjoyed posing on the red carpet!  Lili was a little bit disappointed for not winning the Roc combo in the silent auction while I wish I had money to bring the Big White Ski Package home! Anyway, it was awesome to connect with inspiring women and support the WIL Foundation through twitter and this blog post!

Thanks to Raul Pacheco and Kelly Sheridan, Mr. Ames and I had a great  night on Friday the 13th. The Physicists is an interesting tale about power, science and insanity. Through the eyes of three mentally ill scientists, we learn that our craziness can sometimes be convenient. Well… I don’t what to give the plot away, so go to the  PAL Theatre and get a little bit crazy yourself with Einstein, Newton and an insane follower of King Solomon!

TICKET INFORMATION

The Physicists, a 120 min show with intermission, will be at PAL Theatre until November 21st. Tickets are $18.

Please visit www.brownpapertickets.com. to purchase your tickets today!

PAL Theatre 8th Floor – 581 Cardero St, Vancouver Tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com or www.genustheatre.com

P.S.: The trailler is accurate, there is a lot of smoking involved!

I am learning to understand Canada through photography. My old Pentax K100 has helped me reach some Canadian souls and learn their stories. 2009 was the first year that Mr. Ames and I headed together to the cenotaph at Victory Square to remember those who fought and are fighting in wars for Canada.

We remembered Grandpa Bond and Granddad Ames who were part of the Canadian mission in the Second World War and unfortunately, left us this year.

We Brazilians tend to look to wars as something irrational because wars are always happening between other countries and far away from us. The Brazilian Army is either trying to control internal gang conflicts or on peace keeping missions. The only connection that we have with an international war are the Pracinhas , the Brazilian veterans who fought in Italy and are well-known for their participation during the Battle of Monte Castelo. Unfortunately, the Pracinhas are a dying generation and their memories will soon start to die with them…

I am learning to love Canada’s rituals every year and, through my clicks, it’s becoming natural to connect with the country’s hopes and dreams. The first time that I heard about the Remembrance Day, I mistakenly identified the ceremony as a way to glorify war. Today, I learned that November 11th is about grieving and thanking the men and women who put their lives at risk every day to keep us safe.

WE REMEMBER!

Finally, Telus released the Iphone on its new 3G network. I might confess that I tried to be tough and resist, but unfortunately I was able to hold on to my proud for only24 hours. And it only happened because the system went down on the new network’s first day (just for the records, I had lots of fun following #telus on the 5th on Twitter!).

Anyway, Madame Heringer’s iPhone and I have been dating for over 30 hours now. I am still hoping that I made the right decision leaving my 10 faves, unlimited data and text messaging behind to join the new network with a world phone. However, I have been receiving an outstanding customer service from Telus and even got a symbolic deal to calm down my Brazilian soul.

I am a PC although I am completely in love with the app and iTunes stores. So far, I managed to download all the TED talks and geek podcasts that I could find. I have been using the network not my wi-fi connection, and it seems that Telus’ new infrastructure will not disappoint me.

Joining the iPhone world is also an opportunity to reconnect with some Apple fans. It only took me one tweet to discover that there is an app for everything, even one to help me write and publish this post on wordpress!

It’s taking longer than I expected to re-adapt to my Canadian life. It has been more than 2 weeks since I came back from Portugal and it’s still hard to settle back to my normal life. Lisboa is an amazing city and the warm weather definitely took me to heaven! Portugal still makes me happy when I see flip-flop tan marks on my feet…

As a Brazilian, I’d never thought about visiting the mother-land before and I need to thank my friend Alessia for that! During our 1-week tour throughout Lisbon area, we decided to spend our time between Cascais, Belém, Sintra and Lisboa.

Cascais

Known as the Portuguese Riviera, Cascais is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been in my life. The small town (or vila, as one taxi driver correct me) is the perfect escape for a late honeymoon.It was also the place that my beautiful Italian friend chose to marry the love of her life.

However, affordable is not a word that belongs to the city’s vocabulary. There are few hostels in the city, but it’s worth it to pay around 100.00 euro/night in order to truly enjoy Cascais. We stayed at Villa Bicuda, a nice community resort to the north of Cascais, but the lack of wireless internet and the overpriced services, definitely didn’t make a great impression on us. However, the Villa Bicuda is a great choice if you’re traveling with kids. We stayed at a studio and it could easily accommodate four people.

Cascais also taught me that Portugal has the best food on Earth and, as a Brazilian, it was a great opportunity to remember how good Bacalhau a Bráz and bolinhos/pasteis de baclhau are!

Belém

Belém is so much fun that we had to visit the city twice! The Mosteiro dos Jerônimos is a must go while visiting the city. The beautiful architecture and the unique artwork makes this over 500 years-old building one of the most beautiful Portugueses icons. We also visit the Torre de Belém and ate the unforgettable pastéis de Belém at the best local pastelaria.

Plan to be in Belém any day other than Monday when all the attractions are closed.

Sintra

Belém reminds me of the Brazilian Petropolis. It’s a city of castles and you can breath history everywhere. You can easily get  to Sintra by taking the comboio from Estação do Rossio in Lisboa.

Sintra is also a great workout! All the attractions are located uphill so please, wear comfortable shoes. Anything other flip-flops or sneakers won’t survive the beautiful sidewalks of Portuguese marble stones!

The Palacio Nacional da Penha is the main attraction for those interested in learning more about the Portuguese royalty and their habits. The inside of the palace is full of thematic rooms, an attempt from the explorers to bring to the Portuguese Kings the scenarios of the new world.

Mr. Ames favorite attraction was definitely the Castelo dos Mouros. Builded by the Moors between the 8th and 9th centuries A.D., the castle is an UNESCO world heritage site and was restored by King Fernando II in 1830.

If you’re planning to visit Sintra in one day, you should buy the combined pass for both Palacio Nacional de Sintra and Castelo dos Mouros. We also read great reviews about Palacio de Montserrat and if you have time to visit all three attractions, you should include this palace beforehand in your pass as well.

(to be continued…)

My class at SFU has been the most exciting thing about my life. I am only taking one class, one communication class, and my world has changed a lot in only two weeks. I have a crush on academia! The idea that I can create, feed and motivate my thoughts in different directions just turns me on (and yes… I would write it even if I was writing in Portuguese!). And because I am taking a communication course, my world has turned around!

The class is Communication and Intervention, my professor is a rocket scientist and the theory fluctuates around power struggles and intervention techniques. I am still disagreeing with everything, I am still thinking that people get into situations of conflict because human beings are driven by power. It’s part of our nature! However, what made me happy today was a semantic clarification.

I discovered that I misunderstood the English concept behind the word “accent”. Usually, when we use the equivalent word to accent in Portuguese – sotaque – to define one’s way of speaking the language, we are commonly drawing attention to the lack of familiarity the person has with the language. However, I learned today that “accent” is related to the way that you emphasize your ideas and thoughts, but not to your proficiency in English.

From now on, I’ll assume that my accent makes me unique, a better professional, and it really shows off my personality. With this new concept, I became  proud of my accent. I always loved the French attitude of learning a language, I always thought that by trying to be fluent in Canadian English I would be killing a past that is strongly related to my identity.

(To be continued…)