Goodbye Mimosa

Portugal has a tradition of a "cafe society".

There are coffee shops all over the place; some are quite famous. Years ago before television and internet overtook our lives, after dinner people would meet at a coffee shop to discuss the news of the day.  Although this custom has faded away, coffee shops are still hold quite an important place in the community.

The coffee shop in my neighborhood was called "Mimosa".  While there are other coffee shops nearby, Mimosa was THE coffee shop.  It opened at 7:30 am and closed at 8pm (what a shame).  It sold wonderful little cakes and  pastries that were made on the premises.  They also served lunches.  It was great.  It was always full.  I loved Mimosa. I looked forward to starting each day with breakfast at Mimosa.  Then suddenly in late June, from one day to the next it was closed.   Rumours began to fly as to the reason that they closed.  No one knows definitively but it seems that they were locked out for not paying their rent.  Apparently, the owner of the café was funnelling profits from this successful business into one of his less successful endeavours.  But who knows for sure.

Anyway, after 3 weeks this sign appeared giving hope to all who frequented Mimosa.  One more week and the coffee shop did open on the 26th but under new management. The name of the coffee shop has changed. While some of the wait staff are from the Mimosa, most aren't. They changed the color scheme to a green/brown that doesn't quite work.   The quality of the pastries isn't what it used to be.  Still, let's give them a couple of weeks to get themselves up and running before we rate them as so-so. . .

casting

On July 11 I saw an interesting post on my school's facebook page.  OIS posted a letter from a local producer who was announcing an open casting for an upcoming film which will be directed by Edgar Pêra, a Portuguese director.

I responded to the advertisement. I didn't really know what to expect but I guess I thought it would be more like an audition for a play. I envisioned a stage with the director sitting in the 6th or 7th row in the audience.  Sort of like what we see in the movies.

It wasn't like that.  The auditions were held in a studio on July 21 from 3 to 6 pm on a street that was almost impossible to find. It took us over an hour. After checking in with a receptionist and signing a release form and then a brief wait, I was ushered into the studio for a screen test.  There I found  a green screen, hi tech camera, and sound guy.  There was a teleprompter with my script.  I was asked to introduce myself, tell them a little about me, include my acting experience and then run my lines. They taped my audition.  Everyone was way nice and this photo above is proof that I did indeed attend. hahahaha

Screen test - it was sooooo cool.  Something I've always wanted to do. Another thing crossed off my list. . .

Age-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder

So funny.  There's been a lot of this going around lately.

Medieval Nights

Medieval Nights - make slideshow

When I was a 3rd year student at Miami University a couple of classmates and I began to scramble for a minor. We really hadn't considered it before, but suddenly it became important. I had enough classes for a minor in psychology but my school didn't offer a minor in psychology.  I didn't want to double major; I wanted a minor.  Don't ask me why.

Since I was a history major, pursuing a minor in Medieval Studies sounded logical.  Although I knew squat about anything medieval, I forged ahead.  I'm glad that I did.  I joined a small group of 4th year students who were all interested in European Medieval History. For a well-rounded view of that period we took an array of classes. In history we focused on the 12th Century (actually the period from 1050 to about 1250 or even 1300).  I also took a class in medieval art and was able to slot in a Chaucer class.  We had to do an independent study and I focused on medieval women.

So you can imagine my delight that here, each year, there is a  Medieval Fair in my favorite walled medieval Portuguese town of Óbidos. It is sooooo much fun.  I only wish that I could share this experience with my former classmates . . .

Summer Holidays

http://duckside.mandarinaduck.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/summer_holidays_small.jpg

It's official.  I've started my summer holidays.

First stop clean the apartment - lol.

Hope your downtime is well-spent.

I quit smoking 10 years ago

Issued in public interest by Adidas

I quit smoking 10 years ago this week.  I thought it was impossible.  It wasn't BUT it was the hardest thing I have ever done.  After that everything else is easy.  Watch out world!

Smoking cessation timeline – the health benefits over time

In 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse rate decrease, and the body temperature of your hands and feet increase.Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.

At 8 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood decreases to normal. With the decrease in carbon monoxide, your blood oxygen level increases to normal.

At 24 hours, your risk of having a heart attack decreases.

At 48 hours, nerve endings start to regrow and the ability to smell and taste is enhanced.

Between 2 weeks and 3 months, your circulation improves, walking becomes easier and you don’t cough or wheeze as often. Phlegm production decreases. Within several months, you have significant improvement in lung function.

In 1 to 9 months, coughs, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease as you continue to see significant improvement in lung function. Cilia, tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs, regain normal function.

In 1 year, risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack is reduced to half that of a smoker.

Between 5 and 15 years after quitting, your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.

In 10 years, your risk of lung cancer drops. Additionally, your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decrease. Even after a decade of not smoking however, your risk of lung cancer remains higher than in people who have never smoked. Your risk of ulcer also decreases.

In 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack in similar to that of people who have never smoked. The risk of death returns to nearly the level of a non-smoker.

http://www.highlighthealth.com/cancer/smoking-cessation-timeline-what-happens-when-you-quit/

You don't bring me flowers . . .