Fernanda – Portfolio #3

When I was 10 years old, I used to live with my mother and my grandmother in a good place at Aclimação, our lives worked very well, but we lived in a rent apartment and we had to deliver it. My grandmother had an apartment at the same neighborhood, smaller, but at that moment the apartment was empty, then we decided to move there.
The building was in a beautiful area, very near of Parque da Aclimação and very near of my School, in the building have playground, a big pool, and a lot of children at the same age as I was. As a consequence, when we moved to this apartment I start to live in a different way, the fist change was a possibility for me to walk alone to school, making me feel more independent, the second was that I started to make new friends, and spent all the afternoon, after do my homework, together with them playing at the playground and in the pool, and the third one was passed from the childhood to adolescence realized through physical changes on my body, sentimental changes on my mind. Was also at that moment when I was in love for the first time.
At that time, I was 12 years old and he was 16, and his name is Alexandre. His brother Junior and his sister Lú used to be my best friends and we spent all the time together, but not him, he was very introspective and at times a little unfriendly, but in fact he was very shy, and I think that was what called my attention, because in reality this bad mood was a kind of protection and he was a sweet person.
I used to be a teenager completely in love, doing anything to see him at least a little everyday, thinking about the possibility of kissing him someday. One day it really happens, I remember the day I kissed him for the first time until now. He used to play football in the afternoon, then about 4 pm his mother went pick him up, as usual, his brothers and I stayed at playground waiting for them, he always arrived and went directly to his apartment, but not that afternoon, he stayed with us, we started to talk and unexpectedly he asked me If I would like to dating him, it was everything that I wanted to. We went to stairways of the first floor and the expected kiss happened, I was very happy, excited with the situation, and afraid at the same time, a mix of new sensations for me.
After that we don’t start dating, and until today I really don’t know way, but we become very friends. For a long period, our lives have gone different ways, and 3 years ago he has become my husband.

Paula – Portfolio 3

General Motors and the hope of tax payer’s

The USA and the whole world are facing a big and severe crisis. It had started in the “heart” of the global economy, the United States. Its president, Barack Obama, is doing lots of effort to try to prevent the total loss of credibility and money in the north america economy.

Criticism will always exist, like what happened when the presindent helped General Motors with tax payer’s money. If he hadn’t done this, problems probably would get worst, and maybe the US would be facing a heavier recession than is facing now. In this case the government’s intervention was necessary to avoid the collapse of GM. It could have provoked a new wave of banks shutting down. Also, GM will become more competitive, with new and modern cars.

But these critics that spreaded out has a point that should be analyzed very carefully. If GM restructure succesfully, it’ll benefit the american economy, and the government will make profit, but if the opposite happen the economy can be damaged, and the tax payer’s as well.

The american society will, from now on, look very closely to these process of trying to re-emerge the company, longing for good news.

Débora – Portfolio #2 – That Afternoon

It was winter of 1998, precisely June 3rd. I was in my last year of Law School in my last week of classes before the finals exams. As I used to work as a trainee in a Law Office in Santo Amaro, on that specific week, I wanted to finish my job as quickly as possible and go to the library one hour before the beginning of classes in order to study a little bit and solve all my doubts with the teacher before the finals.

But that day, I don´t know what happened to my inflexible and intolerant boss, who had told me the week before that I would be able to leave the office one hour before the usual time until the end of the semester. Even though there was not much work to do and we were great about deadlines, he didn’t allow me to leave the office earlier that day.

As a consequence, there I was, stuck in the middle of that terrible traffic jam in front of Ibirapuera Park at the time I was suppose to be in class solving all my doubts. Minutes went by, and I couldn’t move my car for even 10 meters. I can’t remember the music playing on my radio, but I remember that, despite my stress, I was singing and dancing — assuming it is possible to do that in a moving vehicle — and then I saw THE guy in a S-10 pick up on my right side, staring at me.

I didn’t know if it was because he thought I was crazy, dancing and singing out loud, or if I was pretty or both. Later on, he told me he was looking at my car, a S-10 extended pick-up, asking himself if he did a good job buying a S-10 regular pick-up instead of the extended one, when he noticed the driver of the pick-up and then looked at me. He smiled at me and got a smile back. Encouraged by the response, he started to mime so as to discover my cellphone number. He was a good looking, charming guy, and owned a nice car I have to admit. He was only asking for my number. As soon as I gave him the number, he called me back at the same time. We started talking, just an innocent flirt.

I ended up missing class, which I didn’t mind at all. What can I say, exactly seven years later, June 3rd, 2005 we got married. In other words, Prince Charming does exist but don´t expect to meet him necessarily in a ball or at a party: he can be anywhere.

Débora – Portfolio #1 – Description

I´m a 32 year old woman with blond, chin-length hair. It´s not as straight as I wish, but it´s fine. I have hazel eyes, turning from blue to green and sometimes to gray depending on my mood.
My pink cheeks always gives away my mood, which is not always so pleasing. Pimples come and go. I wish I could have a full mouth like Angelina Jolie, but I´m happy with my regular lips. I´m not slim neither fat, just call me average. I´m working on it, because nobody deserves a flabby and fat body, right? Like people say, “You weren´t born like this.”

Paula – Portfolio 2

Life after death

People need to believe that there is something after death. For certain persons it’s a need to continue living. The humanity, long ago, and actually nowadays have always strongly believe in Paradise. It’s natural to have faith in existence when the body is gone for good. The soul continues to exist somewhere.

 A common belief between religions throughout the world is that life exists after death. Obviously, it is easier to cope with diseases, and the threat of death if the person believes there is something else. It is mainstream that human mind plays a big role in the heal of an illness, or the opposite, its deterioration, so this belief can be very positive. It has a strong power in the cells and in the metabolism in general.  Psychologists and psychiatries acknowledge that it decreases the fear of people who are passing through distress situations. The power of imagination is really overwhelming.

Groups of people who lives under strict regimen, and with life in danger most of time, like in a refugee field, might believe they’ll be free and safe after death. Sometimes it works as a relief  for them, not to be insane, living in threatening conditions.

So, people should believe there is something after death, for faith reasons and also to increase their well-being, mentally and emotionally.