My secret nightmares...

      Hello “gossipers”!! I'm here to do my last post until my graduation. Have u already missed me? And u, dear teacher? Well...I don't know what I'm talking about anymore, but..in the middle of such rambling, I will certainly say something useful...let's begin with a type of subject that I've been thinking for a while...

      I always thought my childhood would never end..but the truth is that I'm here, in the 12th grade, and I'm about to go to the university and get a job! Seriously?! All my life my parents tried to give me a proper childwood, tried to give me what I wanted, specially my mom, who lets me do WHATEVER I ask her to do and supports me in all the things (even if the smallest ones) that I need...she has supported all my “whims” and in the end, I can admit that I'm really dependent of my momy cookings and support.

     

 Now, I'm about to become alone, physically and pshicologically alone, because it's almost certain that I'm going to another city, to a residential, leaving my mother's lap, leaving my friends, leaving my room, my private space, some of my material goods....I'm going to the unfamiliar, to the unknown.

       Despite the fact that I want to ignore that I'm about to lose some of the people I consider my friends, that is the harsh truth... and it's now time for me to recognise this nightmare and believe that almost all the things in life are finite, and now I have to porsuit what I think that is my future and believe that I will find new friends, some even better, and that I will find the hapiness that I want for the rest of my life. But, although I'm only 17, I can say that there's no time like our childwood, when u don't have any problems, when u are spontaneous and don't give a sh*t for what people think about u.

       So, and to finish in a good way, I have to say that the ones who are feeling like me should express their feelings, not just by leaving a comment on this post, but also by talking about this kind of stuff, about your feelings, openly. I will certainly adjust to that kind of “uncertain future” and one day u will ear about me, hopefully on your television...when I conquer my goals!

       Thank you for reading this and I hope that u all achieve happiness, doing what u REALLY want do do. Good holidays, and I hope u miss me (u too, dear teacher) .

XOXO, Oh My Gossip,

Sara  

Here´s to the girls!

       Hey hey! I'm sorry if you're a boy, but this text (I guess my last one, btw...), is dedicated to all the girls in the world who have a low self esteem, or maybe are just feeling depressed 'cause of some dumbass who made her feel alone and unwanted.
       I'm here to give you, beautiful girls, some tips that will boost your confidence! Ready?

       1 - WALK FASTER

Did you know that the way you walk tells much about the way you feel about yourself? People who walk quickly are said to be more confident! Just add a little bit more speed to your walk and you'll look more important but...most of all, YOU'll feel more important, prettier and able to interact easily with others.

       2 - MIX AROUND POSITIVE PEOPLE

I can tell you from personal experience, that the trick is to never be alone. You can be your worst enemy, 'cause you know all your flaws and most of the time focus on them, instead of seeing what's good about you. So, even if the last thing you want is to go out and be surrounded by people, you should force yourself to do it - you will probably ear things that they appreciate in you that you don't even notice...and btw, it has been proven that if you isolate yourself, your brain changes and it gets more difficult to socialize again!

       3 - MAKE FUN OF  YOURSELF

Being able to laugh at your own disgrace is one of the best indicators of self confidence...if you don't seem afraid of making mistakes, people will see you as a positive, confident person, and will want to be around you, 'cause they won't be afraid of you judging them...after all, nobody's perfect!

       And here's my upshot: p
ay attention to every line I've written , 'cause it all comes to this - you gotta love yourself to be able to love others and no one's also going to love you if you don't love yourself! So...here's to the girls (with a big big smile on their faces and a big big smiling spirit)!

XOXO, Oh My Gossip

Filipa

Spray...

Hello...again! My english teacher has been really really active about making us work like dogs (JK!)...So, this week she asked us to make an analysis of a pop art painting, and here it is:

This is “Spray”, a piece of work created in 1962 by Rob Lichtenstein, an American pop artist born in 1923.

In this image we see things in a very literal way, meaning that it is shown a red spray can, held by a white woman, with the nails painted in red. The colours of painting are basically red, white and yellow, all vivid colours that represent the radicalism and modernism of the 60s. Even the name of the painting it's exactly what we see, a spray (can).

One of the characteristics of pop art is the representation of everyday objects, like soup cans, bottles, drinks...so we can conclude that this characteristics fits perfectly this image – a spray can is another example of an everyday object, associated to women.

Sexy and glamorous are two other particulars of pop art portrayed in this painting: the red nails of the woman fill this masterpiece of glamour, seduction, beauty, appeal and charm.

Finally, this type of art is said to be “for everybody, not just for the elite”, as it was before (Abstract Expressionism). The painting of a spray can clearly illustrates this topic endorsing its trustworthiness – a spray can could be used by any citizen independently of its status or social position.

Bye Bye dear readers!!

                                                                                          XOXO, Oh My Gossip,

                                                                                          Sara

3 coke bottles...

Hi there sweet readers! I've been thinking all week about the way I should start writting about pop art...yes, 'cause that's this week's theme! (you're right, our teacher has no mercy for us...). Well, after thinking that much, I've decided not to be very original and talk about a painting of Andy Warhol. Hope you like it…

            “3 coke bottles” is the name of this painting of 1962, created by Andy Warhol (like I said before), a leading figure and artist of pop art, an art movement thet emerged in the 50s.

            In this piece of art we see some characteristics of that movement. The colors used are red, black, white and green, some vivid colors representative of the young and rebel character of this type of art.

            The tittle of the painting reflects the direct, objective and literal character of pop art - we observe exactly "3 coke bottles" in the image.

            "Repetition" is also a particular of this art movement and, in this specific work, it is pretty clear - we do not see one, but three bottles of coca-cola. This is also a painting that makes publicity to a well-known international brand (coca-cola), showing pop art's purpose concerning publicity.

            To conclude, we may check that this movement points out a low-cost type of art, that is now "for everybody", by representing a bottle of some drink that everyone could have access to, contrasting with the previous art movement, Abstract Expressionism, that was only for the elites.

            Well, it is now time to say goodbye and leave you with a big...

XOXO, Oh My Gossip

Filipa

Jim's new ending...

       Sweet readers, after all this time without hearing news from me, I hope this text I'm about to share with you compensates my default and also the fact that you've missed me so much (or not, eheh).

Well, this week our english teacher has ordered us (in a super-demanding-way...JK! :p ) to recreate the ending of the movie "Rebel without a cause" (calm down girls, the HOT HOT HOT James Dean is now dead. Sorry 'bout that...)..so, here it goes:

       "Plato, Jim's bestfriend, asks him his gun back, but Jim knew he had one last bullet in it, but no one else did. Plato insists but Jim seems very nervous and reticent. His friend asks him what's going on but Jim doesn't answer. His look gets more and more psychotic and Plato is about to take the gun  out of Jim's hands when he shoots himself. Plato's bestfriend was dead and he saw himself alone, in a cruel world, in a cruel society.

       After months of depression, Plato decides that his bestfriend couldn't be forgotten, so he had to do something. Judy, Jim's girlfriend, decides to help Plato in his mission and they both start overspreading pictures of Jim with different messages for all the teenagers that were tired and didn't fit the society they lived in, just like him. "Be brave!", "Be yourself!, "Fllow your own rules! and even "Don't be a chicken!" were some of the messages portrayed in Jim's pictures. Due to this (successfull) mission, Jim, even dead, became a legend and inspired many teens in the 50s!"

       Well, hope U liked this alternative ending of the  movie and...se U next week with an "artistic" text! :D

XOXO, Oh My Gossip,

Filipa

Judy's new ending...

           Hello hello! We haven't spoken in a while! I hope you've missed my texts (at least, I hope you, dear teacher, have missed my texts...).

           

            We have no time to waste...I have a question for you: have you ever seen the (awsome) movie “Rebel without a cause”? Yes, the one in which our beloved James Dean plays Jim, a guy tired of his society, tired of his father who is submissive to his mother, tired of the world he's living in, as many other teenagers in the 50s.

           

            Well, we were asked by our english teacher to create a new ending for the movie and that's exactly what I'm about to do...let's start!

            Jim and Plato were in the planetary of the university and Jim had his friend's gun. When they were leaving that place, Plato asked him to give it back to him. When Jim gives Plato his gun back, Judy appears and Plato, thinking he had no bullets in the gun, starts playing with it, and accidentally shoots Jim's girlfriend. She is immediatly taken to the hospital, and after a few days in a coma, she dies.

           

            Plato can't stand the fact that he was the one responsible for her death, even because he saw her as the mother he never had. The remorse he felt for that sad moment led him to made a proposal to Jim : he wanted  to write a book about Judy, about her wonderful characteristics, that made her sooo special ( uhuh, I wanted to be like Judy )!

           

            So, they wrote a book, that, even in that specific time, made a huge success, and the beautiful girl that was characterized remained forever in their minds.

             During the rest of his life, Jim takes care of Plato, and plays the role of the father  he never had.

            I hope you liked this great story ( a little bit sad... ), but stories can never end wonderfully well!!

                                                                      XoXo, Oh My Gossip,

                                                                                                                                                                                                               Sara Costa

           

Slogan

"Loyalty is like whisky, with the years it becomes beastly"

XOXO, Oh My Gossip!

Sara

Slogan

"He will knock you up with words!"

XOXO, Oh  My Gossip!

Filipa

The Color of Life!

     Hello Gorgeous!! Have you missed me? I hope so!

So, this time, and as my final work this term...my SIMPATHIC teacher (yess, I like to grease!) let us do a free theme! Yeiii! Soo, I've chosen to talk about colors.

Lets begin....

     I think that colours express our feelings. They are a part of us. Through them, we can see the most powerful and overwhelming and ravishing passion, as much as the most profound sadness.

     They are capable of characterize one person, seeing if everything is “okay”, if they are happy, if they are energized...but also when we are having bad days, when we are sad or even when it seems that our world will collapse above us! ( Has this ever happened to you?? With me, almost every month! Okayy, I have to admit that I'm a dramatic person...).

     We have as an example, when a woman or a man dress in the morning...if they are boring or sad they will, certainly, choose dark colors, the heavier colors. On the contrary, if they were happy, they will choose the vivid, lightest colors.

     Colors also reflect the places we attend. If a person goes to a funeral, he or she won't be wearing some yellow or navy blue shirt. Obviously, they will dress up with deep colours, like dark blue or black.

     Even in the seasons of the year, colors play a role! In the summer, we are invaded by the most wonderful blue of sea and a gorgeous yellow of the most magnificient setting of the sun; in the winter, we see the terrible gary clouds; in the spring, we see a little bit of everything: yellow, orange, green (a loot of green) ; and, in the outomn, we observe the brown of the leaves falling and, eventually, to prepare for rebirth.

     We can conclude that colors reflect our moods, characterizing us, shaping us. They are a part of our culture, they are even a part of the seasons of the years, like I've already said!

Color is life. And it is a part of us.

Oh, and btw...after this awesome text, I'll leave you by saying: Good Easter!!

XoXo, Oh My Gossip,

Sara Costa

Gossiping about guys...

        Free post, babies! Don't you just love when our beloved teacher allows us to write about w-h-a-t-e-v-e-r we want? don't you just adore it? When we chose about what to write, it sure interests you the best, am I wrong? (Sorry, teacher...I guess that's the tough, harsh truth).

        In this free post I've decided to gossip about the world's most interesting matter for true girly gossipers...and that's (obviously) GUYS! “oh I don't understand him”, “oh, why doesn't he love me?” and all those “oh's” are about to be explained and, hopefully, erased of our minds! I'll try to explain some differences between us, girls, and them and some of the things they do that we just don't get! (and they say we are complicated...)
        Yesterday, when I was looking for precious information to give you, I found an article, written by some guy, made me yell “OMG” as many times as my throat allowed. He was triyng to explain some guys' habits and some of them were quite absurd for me:

• “we like games such as poker 'cause we can be around men and talk about whatever we want, including women, and not being judged for it”. Well, and what's the point? We only protest when you, our boyfriend(s), choose to “be around men and talk about whatever you want, including women, and not being judged for it” e-v-e-r-y-s-i-n-g-l-e-d-a-y! Why don't you think a bit, guys? Would you like if we spent our days shopping with our girlfriends? (if your answer is yes, I guess you should reconsider your relationship, btw...)

• “we don't say 'I love you' so often, when we're dating a girl for a long time, because we don't need to reafirm it, since the feeling hasn't changed since the last time we've said it”. WOW! This is probably one of the facts that shocked me the most! Guys, say what???!!! you don't “need to reafirm it”? Well, then we don't need to cook to you as often as we did in the beggining, since our cook skills haven't changed since then, we don't need to kiss you that often 'cause our kisses haven't changed as well...hum, this point could begin a long discussion, but I have to leave it for another time...

• “even if we don't answer your texts sometimes, we love to receive texts such as 'i want you so bad' from you”. OH BOY, you gotta be kidding! Some girls cry and climb walls when you don't answer some text from her and then you'd like to receive one super sweet message from us? The girl who does that must be silly and desperate. We must care about us more than anybody else! And run after you, guys, like some animal is THE saddest thing on earth!

• “your diet interests us like french movies, jewerly or flowers do”. OK, you don't care about our diet? Well, you sure have no idea of how football or those games from point 1, such as poker, mean to us...they're soooo damn interesting! 

 I leave you, dear readers, by saying the obvious: after this post, much more has to be said and understood about THEM!


XOXO, Oh My Gossip!


Filipa

Disadvantages of Globalization

        Beloved readers, this week I'll present you, as an awsome (submissive, even!) student, a text on globalization. My english teacher has asked the whole class to do a text on that theme and me and Sara just though: “OMG what an amazing opportunity to gossip about some global news!”.

  Here's the result: she just wrote a text on some advantages of globalization and I'll present you another one, on its disadvantages, with my funny (or not)/ peculiar/ odd/ ironic and, most of all, personal opinion in which one of them!
 Here we go again (as our lovely Demi Lovato would say!)...3 disadvantages of globalization:

1. Economic Problems

 With globalization, the comparison of the world with a global village may have its negative side...If all nations depend on each other, some issue that affects one of them will obviously affect the other, especially when the matter is commerce and, therefore, money! This phenomenon is called the “domino-effect”!
 One famous “domino' piece” is belike Portugal's president of the republic, Cavaco Silva, who has said that, when retired from his functions, his retirement pension will not be enough to pay his bills!    Poor man...

  2. Increase in the consumption of junk food

 McDonalds and KFC are two examples of fast food chains that are spreading way too fast! The publicity campaigns and all the flavour boosters in this kind of food, as well as the relatively accessible prices, make it easy for people to “stoke” it, which has several negative impacts on their health.
 As a true follower of Hollywood celebrities' life, I may say, now that the media have commented enough and my comment will not sound that bad, that Christina Aguilera must have eaten so many veggies during her life that now she dies for McDonalds hamburgers with fries...or at least, is what recent photos of her make us think...

3. Unemployment

 Due to outsourcing, globalization is promoting unemployment, contradicting what most think, that this movement promotes employment...this happens especially in developed countries – many successful companies from the USA outsourced jobs to developing nations in Asia, for example.
 This is possibly the only explanaition for what happened with Winona Ryder. Hollywood must have been outsourcing  talents, when the very famous (and so, very rich!) actress was caught stealing over 6 thousand dollars in items from a luxury store in Beverly Hills!!

 It's now time to say goodbye, dear readers (correction: dear reader, Helena Rodeiro). Hope you liked and learned from my supposedly catchy text!


XOXO, Oh My Gossip!

Filipa

Advantages of Globalization

        Fantastic readers, this time our english teacher has asked us a fabulastic text on Globalization...it's not the most amazing theme to talk about, as you must think, but BELIEVE me, it's way much better than searching and writting about Aung San Suu Kyi (one of my closest friends, no doubt!), as I had to do last week.

 After my loooong discussion with my blogmate (about what, a minute?!), we've decided that I would focus my text on the advantages of globalization. Let's start?


Now, I'll present you 3 of those advantages:

1. Global Connectivity

    This means that globalization has allowed international connectivity, mainly with the use of the internet, which made our world a “smaller” place. This phenomenon permited an enormous exchange of thoughts and ideas, making people around the world think, each day more, in a similar way – standardization (big word, han? What a quality blog, ours! Eheh).
    That's maybe why this days I see soo many “little lambs”...I mean, people are being more what others want them to be, and not what they really are (oh, and you can't imagine how often do I see this phenomenon...). One day, maybe we'll be all twins!
   

2. Reduction of trade barriers (Free Trade)

        Free Trade is a situation when the trade between nations is free, with no restrictions such as taxes or quotas on the importation or exportation of goods and services. This policy makes it easier for the consumers to aqcuire procucts with a lower cost.


    Oh, how I wish this system made the prices so low that I was able to buy a Channel' black handbag, without having to base my feeding on lettuces in the following year, for lack of economic resources!



3. Peaceful Relations

       Globalization has raised peace and security worldwide. Many countries, especially for economic reasons, establish peaceful contracts in order to boost their capital and finantial resources. Instead of seeing war as a way of solving their issues, most of the countries in the world choose to make alliances with each other.


    Hum...globalization implies peaceful relations, right? Well, I guess King Juan Carlos isn't much of a globalized man, or maybe he just lived in some less globalized world when, in 2007, he peacefully  asked Hugo Chavéz to shut up, with the famous quote that made history “Porque no te callas?”...




 These are only three of the inumerous advantages of globalization, which I hope you've retained in your little awsome brains! Btw, now that you are a bit more intelligent, after reading my text, I hope you will search for more advantages and tell me next week, with a personal comment on each one of them, just like I did, ok? 

XOXO, Oh My Gossip!

Sara

Benazir Bhutto

I'm back! Are you excited about my return after all this time (like what, a month? OMG that's major!)? I bet you have been crying all that time...(or not!)

As I know you probably haven't missed me at all, I'll surprise you with a theme which I assumed you would love...I will continue in the same matter as my dear mate, Sara: Human Rights! Yey, haven't you loved the idea?!

Well, I will introduce you to Benazir Bhutto, born in 1953 and assassinated in December 2007, when she was running-up to the January 2008 parliamentary elections.

Benazir Bhutto was twice elected Pakistan's Prime Minister - from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996. During her political career, she was a proeminent figure in terms of the defense of the Human Rights and women's empowerment in Pakistan. She was also named amog the 7 winners of UN Human Rights prize.
This awsome figure, and great woman, made several speeches, proclaiming her ideals, mainly in terms of democratisation having as example this quote, from one of her speeches: The suppression of democracy in my homeland has had profound institutional consequences.
Each of Pakistan’s four military dictatorships has assaulted the major infrastructural building blocks of democracy -- by attempting to marginalize political parties, dismantling NGO’s and undermining civil society, by constraining labor and student unions, and allowing the intelligence agencies and government members to physically assault and intimidate the free press. (...)Dictatorships, by dismantling the infrastructure of democracy, allow the mosques to become the only outlet of political expression in Pakistan.

She is also known for one speech , litte time before she died, in April 2007, in Islam, where she referred: Islam is not only committed to tolerance and equality, but it is committed to the principles of democracy (…) Islam is not only committed to tolerance and equality, but it is committed to theprinciples of democracy.

Her battle for democracy was not easy. She felt that, as a woman, she had to protect and fight for women's rights. She once affirmed that her political struggle became a treatise of Islam and the rights of women.

Bhutto spoke against abortion, and was an active and founding member of The Council of Women World Leaders. She is known as “The Iron Lady” (OMG, iron, really?! Ok she might be though, but gold is also resistant and it would suit her better...) and has been honored in many ways: The Islamabad National Airport was renamed to Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Muree Road of Rawalpindi to Benazir Bhutto Road and Rawalpindi General Hospital to Benazir Bhutto Hospital. Nawabshah, in Sindh, was renamed Benazirabad, a university in NWFP was founded in her name and Benazir Income Support Program, a program which provides benefits to the poorest Pakistanis, is named after Bhutto.

Isn't all this incredibly awsome? I also want cities with my name...I guess I may dream about it, right?

XOXO, Oh My Gossip,

Filipa

Aung San Suu Kyi

Hello, Hello! Have you missed me? How were your christmas hollidays? I hope that you had so much fun like I did!

So, to start this new year amazingly, my teacher had one “fabulous” idea...

She told us to write about Human Rights. Isn't that great?!? I thought so!
I've chosen to present you Aung San Suu Kyi ( what a beautifuul name!), chairperson and General Secretary of the National League for Democracy in Burma (Myanmar) bordered by China, Thailand, India, Laos and Bangladesh.

She begun a career in politics, influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence, but mainly by Buddhist concepts, to fight for democratisation. During this process, she helped in the foundation of the National League for Democracy, of which she is now General Secretary.


Suu Kyi beliefs are based in the creed that we should learn from the most various places in the world and «from everybody who has achieved a transition to democracy», not just Asian countries like Mongolia and Indonesia, but also South Africa, Latin American and Eastern European countries.
She is famous for her speech, Freedom From Fear in 1990, where Suu Kyi refered diverse themes from freedom to politics. In this speech she proclaimed her beliefs and also referes to Ghandi and motivates her people: Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of imprisonment, fear of torture, fear of death, fear of losing friends, family, property or means of livelihood, fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure. A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man's self-respect and inherent human dignity. (...) Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilized man.

One year after this speech, Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize and Francis Sejersted, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Commitee made a speech in her honour, finishing with this statement: We will never be able to lower our standards. On the contrary, a better world demands even greater vigilance of us, still greater fearlessness, and the ability to develop in ourselves the "profound simplicity" of which this year's Laureate has spoken. This applies to all of us as individuals, but must apply especially to those in positions of power and authority. Show humility and show fearlessness - like Aung San Suu Kyi. The result may be a better world to live in.

She was recently released, on 13 November 2010, from her house arrest, where she remained for 21 years, for having assumed the leadership of many movements in favour of democracy in Myanmar. During all this years, she read biographies, philosoohy, politics and playing the piano (How could someone live without going to a mall for sooo long?!).

Well, I guess I'll leave you with that HUGE question...

XOXO, Oh My Gossip!

Sara