O problema com os processos é que a gente só tem clareza do que está fazendo quando já fez, e só entende como deveria ter começado quando terminou, e não dá mais tempo...

London - I've survived!

In the latest episode I was approached by a policeman in front of my house who wanted to know where I lived. Since I was supposed to register in the police and had not done yet, I got really scared. But at the end, he was looking for a guy who lived next door. However since I've just moved in I did not know anyone. I was still shaken when I got home and I said to my Italian friend who do not speak Portuguese: "A polícia está ai fora". He obviously did not understand me and I kept on saying the same thing, wondering why he could not understand me. After the third time I realised I was speaking in Portuguese... After that he told me that they were looking for a Polish guy who used to live next door because the neighbours told the police there was a woman screaming there. The Polish guy had moved, but the police was still after him...

I've spent two weeks touristing in London. Those two weeks were wonderful, but I'm going to write about them later. 

Nowadays I'm already working very hard in the lab. But I have time during the bus ride to think a bit, to write a bit... The bus trips are the same everyday, very quiet, no one talks to you... At least I'm always blessed with the River Thames view on the second floor of the bus, twice a day :). 

London already feels like home to me. I've met some people and have made few friends. Already know my way around.. at least in the central London. I've visited a couple of pubs, been in several museums and churches, waked along the River Thames. Apart from my supervisor, I don't have any close English friend, so I can't talk about English people yet.

Today I went to a swing dance class and its funny how it seems so dull compared to the forró dance. I think I am too "latin" for that kind of dance... but anyway, I'm going keep on going there to get at least a grasp of the English culture.

Forró seems more attractive to me than ever, now that I'm living in London... I enjoy so much dancing it and it feels like home to me... It helps with the homesickness...

Particular, bossy and nosy... I've already been collecting adjectives from my supervisor... He is something else! We've been just 3 weeks together but it seems I know him my whole life! He is married to a Brazilian woman and have been in Brazil for 6 times. He makes me feel so comfortable that I feel I can talk to him about anything...

London - the arrival

Dear friends, I'm going to be writing my adventures in English, so I can practice a little bit, once I will have to write a lot for the PhD. If you read something wrong and you wish to help me, you can let me know!!! :)

The trip to London was an adventure itself. First of all, my cousin got lost in the way to the airport, and I got there 30 minutes after I was supposed to... But then it was fine, I did not have problem because of that delay. I hung out with my family at the airport until 22h30, which was the recommended time for me to go through the security gates. The flight was at 23h30. But, how surprised I was when I saw a 1 km queue. During the next hour in the queue the only thought was that I had lost my flight (one of the airport employees told me I could loose the flight, even though it was not my fault). At the end, the airplane did not departure without me nor any of the passengers who were in the queue. During the flight I kept on thinking in everything else but my family and friends I was leaving Brazil to start a "new three years life" on the other side of the Atlantic... The few moments I thought about it, I couldn't hold my tears... But right away I turned on the TV and tried to watch some City Com.Two girls sat next to me, and by the way they talked to each other I realised they were very good friends. It made my trip even worse, because I remembered my own friends who I would not see for a long time. What a privilege is to be near the people you love... it is the biggest treasure of all... That was what I was leaving behind. But it seemed that it was my destiny and I have never really had a choice... I know it may seem strange, but it was like I felt during all this process. After I got off the airplane, It was time to go to my new home. Thankfully a friend was waiting for me at airport and he helped me with the suitcases. Actually he did all the hard work...

My first impression of London was: this place is so dark! It was only 4pm and the sky was clear, however it was so dark, as if the sky was covered all over by clouds. Welcome to London! That's right! However it did not diminish the beauty of the city. I've never seen so much history in just one place! Historic buildings and the River Thames were the two things that stuck to my mind. Ah, the River Thames... so poetic... 

Two days after my arrival, I was getting home when suddenly I saw a Police man going out of my house. Then I remembered the immigration employee in the airport had recommended me to go and register in the Police. But at that time I didn't remember if it was: register in the police right away or after the university enrolment. Then, as I approached the house, I thought: I should have registered in the police... the police man is here because of that, he is going to send me back to Brazil... I tried to get in the house without catching the police man's attention, but it did not work. He was already in the car but he saw me and called me. I was so frightened that I had to ask him to repeat three times what he was saying. He was asking me: "What flat do you live in?" and I thought he was asking me: "How long do you live here?". After my reply he asked me if I knew the Flat 2 residents, and I replied: "No I've JUST arrived", so he could have no doubts that I was within the deadline for the police registration.

To be continued....