education in boards

Short walking around in the Valley La Joux, still in Switzerland!
It is a nice one in the middle of the Jura. Kilometers of ski de fond areas and some small but cozy alpine ski courts, and probably not so expensive like the big ones.

On the way to the lake there was the base of the Piguet Swiss watches. So nicely organized.

The little duck fishing in the only region of the lake that is not frozen. You can actually ice skate there when weather allows.

MAybe as humans are very unexpected, even Swisses are, they distributed interesting boards at the shore of the L'Abbey city.
This one:

...is quite funny because it looks like the little person is walking over the water. What does it mean? It is not allowed to walk over the water.

This is also funny. Poor little horses...they were ruled out.

Funnier than these one were placed in Tokyo, as I heard sometimes in the metro or train station you see a board of a man picking up his hat in the train tracks and of course this pic is inside the red circle. Thanks God!

Who doesn't like music??!!??

Today I post in favor of a Hungarian super friend of mine who is defending his PhD right now.
I am sure he loves this music as he's also a good musician.

Congrats Balazszinho!



As a cheesy moment, the lyrics are also here:
Well you done done me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks
Now I'm trying to get back
Before the cool done run out
I'll be giving it my bestest
And nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some

I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love love
Listen to the music of the moment babay sing with me
I love peace for melody
And It's our God-forsaken right to be loved love loved love loved

So I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours

Scooch on over closer dear
And i will nibble your ear

I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and laughed
I guess what I'm be saying is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons
It's what we aim to do
Our name is our virtue

But I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm sure

Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours
Please don't, please don't, please don't
There's no need to complicate
Cause our time is short
This oh this this is out fate, I'm yours!

Carnaval!

Well, this is one of the most awaited moments for millions of Brazilians. Some of them even say that the year just really starts after Carnival.

It takes place everywhere in the world, but I believe Brazil's is the most famous. And mostly Rio de Janeiro is visited by foreigners.

But what is this 'party' all about?

Believe it or not Carnival began in Europe long ago as a kind of religious party, to celebrate the beginning of the Lent (the forty days of fasting before Easter, something like a Catholic version of Ramadan). So, it was a last chance to party! The thing started growing in some places and losing any religious meaning, but it is still always 40 days before Easter, anywhere in the World: London, Cologne, New Orleans, Brazil or Caribbean. It happens from Friday to Ash Wednesday.

Probably you already saw maaaaany pictures or videos about Carnaval, lots of confetti (the small colorful round paper used in it) but you are not sure...
Not only Rio de Janeiro but in small scale other cities have the so-called Samba schools that every year come with a different topic and accompanying it comes new music (samba de enredo), decorations and, of course, the famous clothes (or the lack of them). For an entire year they plan this 40 min parade in the Sapucai avenue that closes for the parade and its dancers. WHich type of music? Samba of course, a strong and long one, for the dancers to shake (I mean dance) the entire night! It is for sure sg that's worth a while to see at least once in the life.

This girl is the called the 'Flag keeper' and her clothes are generally very rich in details and beautiful. Here they present themselves and the school to the juries.

THis is the baiana (from Bahia part of the school), they are generally composed of old ladies who can be already old, but as we say in Brazil, they have samba in their feet!

In the first photo is one o the Samba schools called Beija-Flor, which honored my city (Brasilia) this year. Under it, a photo of the venue: in the back we can see one of the Arch, symbol of Sapucai. On the left side, we can see the place where we can pass the night dancing, depending on the price of your ticket of course.



The other carnivals, which started in northeast Brazil (I guess in Salvador in Bahia state), is the Trio elétrico carnival, when a giant sound car with a famous good singer sings for some hours meanwhile the sound car moves in a predefined trajectory. THe music played is generally Axé music, a different type of music you ever heard. THis one's also worth to see once, it is so strong you have the impression that your heart is pounding with the music. Ah, this one is for free unless you want to stay very close to the car, like this you have to buy the T-shirt of the 'group' and jump inside (I mean around) the human rope that moves with the car wherever it goes.

Can you see how big is the car (the trio elétrico)? And the amount of people around? Wearing green is the 'human rope' separating the payers from the non-payers.


There are other types of Carnival that never loose their style with frevo dancing in Olinda (PE), old music (marchinhas) in Ouro Preto (MG).
The Frevo dance. A very difficult one, no wonder it is taught in gyms. It is danced with the little umbrella and it is very nice to see.

I myself am not a big fan of the Rio de Janeiro style or any of the others...as a rock fan I used to go to rock campings or to the beach for the weekend and just come back on the Wed of Ashes, when the home sweet home is awaiting for you and the year is just starting...



Sources: uol, moma, http://www.rio-carnival.net/

Again ski??

Hi guys!
Again we went to ski on the weekend. This time it was a bit better for me though sometimes I couldn't understand how the hell I didn't fall in the way down the very slight inclination. Maybe not only one, but several miracles occurred!
Well, that is it. Here is a video we (mostly Krisz) made in one of his trajectories.

Don't laugh!





THat's all...simple, but dangerous...

ski!

So, Switzerland is not only about Chocolate or Swiss Army knife...or the CERN as we might have seen in one of the best series ever: the Big Bang Theory.

THis country is also about skiing! People around here have a large variety of ski courts and prices. So they really utilize it!

As it is closer to us, we tried the French Mont Jura Ski resort! My advanced friends said it is for beginners so we gave it a try and it was amazing!

The day starts early, even on Sunday, what is a miracle because Krisz hates to get up early. We arrive there and at 9h the parking lot is already full! We run to rent the pack for me. I didn't think ski laces would be so heavy, it is bad to carry up an down, who said you will never sweat in minus 5.

So I try my first steps with the boots which are not very easy because it hurts the feet if not well attached. And then after the laces are on, it is so cool...we all beginners look like a worm with long legs trying to move without success! It is ridiculous and even more after we find a not very inclined area. And down we go, it is a very good sensation, even if a 6 year-old boy just passed by you at 60km/h.

And so you go with your first movements, trying to slide, to climb, not to fall...
After all, this is a good fun that requires a good muscle practice because now the used muscles are all complaining!

See you around the court!

Siren test day..wtf?

Sometimes it is such a fun to live in Switzerland!

I don't know if this happened in the other cantons too, but in Geneva every first Wednesday of February there is the so-called 'siren test day'.

I was walking home from the neighbor village at around 13:30 when I started to listen to weird noises until I recognized where it comes from: the sirens we see at the top of some big buildings. It is not a common noise so you don't have how not to realize it. Plus it is super loud and it terrifies you when you don't know what it is about. Of course there was nobody around me and since I didn't see people leaving their houses and running to the next atomic shelter and also after have looked up and didn't see any missile or airplane with an attacking face so..I didn't worry much, though the siren noise was really bizarre and looked like the alien communication in the "War of the Worlds"...

So, one new thing about life here...Maybe there is also a 'shelter check up' day...oh that I want to see...

La Chandeleur or Feb 2nd

Today is Feb 2nd, and?

Here in the countries that have French tradition, I don't really know if this exists in the German or Italian area, is the la Chandeleur day, like the day of the candles.

It is a day when people make crêpes (a type of pancake or palacsinta) and you have to be able to make it as you throw it from the pan to turn the side on a way that the crêpe has to fall in a good position, not so easy, holding the pan with the right hand. Meanwhile you have to be holding a coin with the left hand, which you cannot use to helping the turn. If you succeed it means that you will have a prosperous year to come! Funny tradition no? Ah, then you have to put this same crêpe on the top of a wardrobe and leave it there, once it will never rotten. Even funnier! I just don't believe it won't, yes I am a woman with a few faith!



Of course there are other explanations for this date (Feb 2nd to 15th) which are the purification of Virgin Mary and it is also about the wolf (loup) of bear (ours). The last one one of the most watched. Why? On the end, all these celebrations come from the Middle Age and mean that this is the end of winter, or they want it to be. It means that when the bear lives its cave form his hibernation period it is because soon winter will be over. Poor us, because if he goes back, it means that the winter will be even more rigorous until its end!!

How awful, isn't it? I hope the bears will go out and don't find his way back (I am sorry) because winter is really starting to get on my nerves...maybe for all of us, no? adn what crepe has to do with end of the winter? Well, some say it has the same round shape than the sun...go get it...

So, have a nice crêpe section with nutella and pieces of walnuts (or other nuts) and a ball of ice cream with some licquor on the top of it (in the best Brazilian crêpe way)!

How is it?

Tell me...I know that Italians call Berlusconi as 'Bastardo'. Why? What does it mean? Well, it is more like a son without a mother, or not form the real mother... I think it means they don't really appreciate him (this in a better way).

But this is curious. How is it that he wants to attach Israel as a member of the European Union? Or that the past is not erased very easily....I am curious what Netanyahu will say...or the people...