...playing with my new Alfred Hitchcock suitcase in front of the webcam

Guess who would lecture that at an ESL vocabulary class?

My All Time Favorite Flick (...so far)

Tropa de Elite

Talking too much and partying too little

I've been kinda upset lately because I hate when I have the clear sensation of not doin' the right thing towards certain students. I am really outgoing and like those who are the same way. I can't stand shiness. If a student behaves this way, there is nothing in this world which will make me get my ideas across. How can I teach a kid how to speak in English if the person barely talks in Portuguese? How? Really, how? Sometimes I think I intimidate people who can't think or react quickly. Or maybe I intimidate people who don't seem to react at all. Sometimes I think that there are many parents who clearly don't keep communicatin' with each other about the things their own kids do at school, as either the mother or the father wants to protect their children by hiding from one another their kids' absences, or detentions, and sorts. I deal with students and parents who are not totally honest in that matter. And when I say too much, I listen to things that I don't deserve to. Something like: "you are not a good teacher because you are supposed to tell the students what they've got to do and how they've got to behave, and not the parents." Then, when I go through that, I feel that I am many times talking too much and hurting them for some reason or another. End of depressive times. Now, on the other hand, I am sorta excited. My school Halloween party is coming up and the arrangements have blown my mind in a nice way. This time, our party will be at a club, near the swimming pools, in a place built in the woods. Man, how neat! I love everything that evolves Halloween celebration: the decoration, costumes, treats, happy and scared kids, laughs, and goosebumps. I am so looking forward to seeing all my students and friends at this great event.

Conclusion...
Reader: Are you upset or excited, Laila?
Blogger: Who knows?
Reader: Is there anything else you would like to add on this post?
Blogger: There sure is. Happy birthday to you on Monday, the 15th!

My EMO toy

goosebumps

FLORK

I've been kinda depressed because I hate when I have the clear sensation of not doin' the right thing towards certain students. I am really outgoing and like those who are the same way. I can't stand shiness. If a student behaves this way, there is nothing in this world which will make me get my ideas across. How can I teach a kid how to speak in English if the person barely talks in Portuguese. Sometimes I think I intimidate people who can't think or react quickly. Or maybe I intimidate people who don't seem to react at all. Sometimes I think that there are many parents who clearly don't keep up with good communication skills. I deal with students and parents who are not totally honest with one another. Then, when I talk to them, I feel that I am many times talking too much and hurting them for some reason or another.

I am sad to know that your cat has got mono. Did you actually mean that part:~ He is now sleeping forever ~... that was scary, I guess. I hope he's fine.

Have a blast in Saint Petersburg.
While you are there, do me a favor, would you? I used to work in a Japanese restaurant on Isla Del Sol, which is an islet in Saint Pete (on the way to Saint Pete Beach) and I have no idea if that restaurant still exists, if it does, I don't know if the owners are still the same. The restaurant was located on Sunset Boulevard, at a shopping center. It is quite easy to get there. You drive south on I-275 and get exit 4. You'll continue straight ahead down on that exit, go past  Eckerd College, drive through a toll, a bridge, then you'll see the a shopping center parking lot on the right. if you can, do this huge favor to me. I'll deeply appreciate it.

Eat the worm burgers and have lotsa beer in Laila's tribute.

I have eaten a lot lately too, but not much fried stuff. I am a big eater and can't control that in me.

Keep reading my blog.
You take care and have a safe trip to Florida.

week

This week has been the one. It was the one, better saying. It is exactly 4:42pm on a Saturday (Sept 29th) so, to me, the past week is officially over. It is weekend call!

The last fifteen days have been crazy busy: I've lectured, thrown three birthday parties, read comps, researched on wackos from Scientology church, fought with my Mom over the phone, cooked, MTVed,YouTubed, dreamed crazy stuff, logged on the web and found this out.

It is an article which says about an old lady filing a lawsuit against McDonald's restaurants because she found live worms in her burger which made her sick and spend over 36,000 in medical bills. The victim is called M**** G***** (not a good idea to leave out her real name here), 70, and has in her records a very blemished past. That nasty bitch was my host mom in the USA -- charges of shoplifting and forgeries in the 60's and 70's? Oh Gee! --. By living with her for 9 months (1998) in Florida, I could tell that she was not an average individual. There were evidences to me that she made her living out of weird tricks. Through internet, I've also got to find out that she died in April this year.

I worked my ass off during the last two weeks (no news). I watched tons of movies with my students for educational purposes (no news again). There were piles of tests and booklets to correct as well. I over-slept. I over-ate. I over-drank. I did not exercise though. Some sort of pain has showed up in my ankles and knees for no apparent reason - would that be from the boxing workout? - Just know that I had to take a break from boxing this week.

I did attend my Chinese course regularly (sorta). My teacher, who was pregnant and all, had to go through a last-minute C-section. Both the baby and the mom are doing well and recoverying from this hectic delivery procedure. That explains why I haven't had the PERFECT ATTENDENCE for the last weeks. But I sure was in my last Friday lecture. BTW, the baby is a sweet healthy girl named Emily.

Three days ago, I dreamed of Siamese cats invading my house and on the day after, there were literally Siamese cats in our yard. I felt like a scientologist because of that very nutty dream of mine. Yeah! Scientologists can achieve supernatural powers when they reach certain levels... That is what they say. I lived miles away from their Clearwater headquarters and had I known more about these freaks back there, I would've definitely dropped by that church and seen for myself how they brainwash people. Speaking of this scary religion, Julliette Lewis has been performing in Brazil. I started reading a lot about her and that is why Scientology came to light. I have known Ms Lewis since Cape Fear came out and never would I imagine her a scientologist.

Only a couple of weeks ago, I got to know her interest in Scientology and that she was raised in that religion. I had already heard of this so-called religion but, last Sunday, I spent the whole day reading more and learning a whole lot about it. All that crap caught my attention a great deal coz I can't get enough of weirdos. I even downloaded that South Park episode about the Church which made me crack so bad.

I don't like the humanity but the strangest folks deserve my time spent on them. I keep saying that I DON'T APPRECIATE AVERAGE PEOPLE. EVERYONE HAS GOT TO BE A LITTLE WEIRD TO BE WORTH THE EXISTENCE ON EARTH. Let's take Chris Crocker at account here, for instance. He hasn't been that famous in Brazil yet, but soon he will. I am so sure about it.

Hey, man!!! That guys is overrating Britney Spears. I don't actually know whether he rocks or totally sucks... I just know that YouTube has brought more joy to my sad and lonely life because of that scary homo. Poor me. I'm so lonely that I needed a youtuber gay freak to cheer me up for the last three weeks. Or maybe he has got something which is worth watching... I really don't know what to say about that. I can only leave here my deepest remarks on Chris's videos related to my personal lifestyle:

1. A HAIR FLIP is not gonna do me any good. And shaking my body like gelatine is gonna help crack my bones and not defeat my depression.

2. I totally agree with this video. Kids DO have to be taught how to cuss not only in their own language but in many other foreign languages so that they would choose the most suitable way to offend people around without hurting their feelings. This way, the person who needed to be offended wouldn't understand the language that would be used.

3. This clip calls much more my attention than Britney's performance on VMA.

4. I also like health food but I wouldn't be that mad because there are only hot daaaawgs to eat at home.

5. What about this clip - A lot of people don't like me either. I keep repeating what my grandpa used to say: "DON'T BELIEVE IN THOSE WHO ARE ONLY LOVED"! A real person cannot be only loved.

It's now past midnight. It's officially Sunday and I assure you all that I didn't spend my whole Saturday off in front of a computer. I did go to the mall, grab a bite to eat, and I also saw a terrible movie at the theater. I ended up going grocery shopping at a fine supermarket as well... And now, here I am back to the computer, sipping some wine, finishing up this post, and later on I will attack a B.M.T Subway which is sitting on the sink of my kitchen.

Is my life that sad just because I care for sickos on the web? Am I the only one interested in watching or reading about Chris Crocker, Scientologists, and "Rate my Poop"? Oh-oh!

the best piano recital during English class

Poetry Friday

The Calling
by Robert S. Henderson


I have been called
by that which has always known me better
than I have known myself
if I do not respond to the call
most likely
I will end up somewhere I am not at home
I will be a stranger to my own skin
I will feel I know more than I do
I will not know how wounded I am
I will not know the unseen presence
that has always supported me

but if I do respond to the call
I will need to surrender to my life's meaning

I will find that
enemies are often friends in disguise
bringing out what is inside me will save me from that which can destroy me
the night dreams are connections to what I need to know
the places of hurt are also places of blessing
the right people appear in my life at the right time
the money I have is all the money I need now
in darkness there is a candle
my body is an expression of who I am
asking for help is a sign of strength not weakness
in silence I will find a friend who has always known me
my faith will often be found after I decide to take the first step
my courage will come like the early morning's dawn

My calling will bring me
to a place where God has always been
to an urgency where never again will I delay to live
to music that will take me to my soul
to poetry that will become daily food
to risks that will take me to my heart

To follow my call
I will need to know how to go apart from the crowd
and follow a path others may never understand
I will need to commit myself to my life
settling only when I find it's meaning and purpose
saying yes to my passion
bearing the aloneness of my own authority
and in time finding others who are walking in the same direction.

End of a morning class...

It's all about me...

I want thoughtful words.
I want a both simple and outrageous post to publish here.
I want cold beer sliding down my throat since higher temperatures have showed up.
I want my voice back since air conditioners have damaged it.
I want stronger arms and thinner legs too.
I want vacation soon to fill up my Flickr with nice pictures.
I want to rest since my life has been based on non-stop work.
I want the smell of cinnamon, vanilla and a touch of cloves.
I want to buy tickets to Jamaica since Ryan Adams DVD has convinced me to.
I want to talk to strangers and complain about the weather there.
I want exotic food and hot kinds of pepper burning on my tongue and stomach.
I want the taste of bitter, sour, and salt in me.
I want buttermilk pancakes for breakfast Wendy's style.
I want greasy ribs too.
I want a parade, launch countdowns, and inner body explosions.
I want the best psychothriller end since Number 23 turned me off.
I want fireworks for no reasons.
I want empty trash cans.
I want long lasting light bulbs too.
I want perfect-fit socks, gourmet jelly beans, and pit free olives.
I want hairless legs, good hair days, and cavity free teeth.
I want the right answers, the right directions, and the right choices.
I want the truth as long as it doesn't hurt me.
I want good mood, good books, and good wine.
I want fine language and in-tune singing.
I want ever growing intelligence.
I want butter pecan ice cream and a chili dog with melted cheese on top.
I want a medieval sword hanging on my wall.
I want the most amazing stories since literature is the only cure for stupidities.
I want the colors of Miró as well since his art work definitely moves me forward.
I want a tougher soul and softer laughters too.
I want easy access in all surroundings.
I want hands, fingers, and mixed salivas.
I want to simmer and I want to boil.
I want to hug the milky way.
I want to sleep tight.
I want to float in my awareness.
I want to never fight.
And in case I have to...
I want enemies who can never beat me.
I want nothing more than a life.

Laila and Vitória...

Whenever you see these two weirdos (down below) passing by: they are Vitoria and Laila. Vitoria and Laila are teacher and student, not respectively. Here, they are at a dinner party having their own private get-together with the dig camera. The student then reports: "This teacher seems like Sponge Bob square pants for her non-stopping laughters." In the end, Vitória should've realized the greatest love towards these students that comes from Laila , and, this love makes her smile, laugh, and even puke. And the student thinks Laila is gonna burst with love. She worries about Laila. In fact, they worry about each other because, a few minutes later, Vitória notices that she loves her teacher as well... At this very dinner event, an annonymous student who is sitting with the girls declares: "We have got to be beyond glad for the fact that she is this way. Laila is one of a kind and for that we are complete."

Scared?

Laila's crapping her pants now... It was too much love and barbecued chicken.

my favorite "hobbit" is...

Student of Economic, my favorite hobbit is computing, reading books, doing sport...speak some foreing languages like Frenche and English,
And i'm opened for any discussion. PS: don't you just love digital inclusion?

Staff Parking talk

Staff Parking: i am so happy you think jim carrey is a total ass munch too. He wasn't even really funny to start with why does he think he can be taken seriously now? because we feel sorry for his suck?

Ms Burden: I am so sorry for you now... because I don't actually think he sucks. I just thought his last movie was a total waste of money and time... that's all. I enjoyed him so much in that movie "Man on the Mon" and "Truman Show". I hated that "The Spotless Sunshine of A STUPID mind" blargh. I love Mr Carrey and especially all of his funny characters. He rulezzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

A movie review:

Twenty-three things to look for while watching The Number 23
By Josh Bell

1. Jim Carrey straining to be dark and brooding as Walter Sparrow, an animal control agent who finds a mysterious novel called The Number 23 and becomes obsessed with it, believing it to be about his life.

2. Carrey straining even harder to be menacing as Fingerling, the hard-boiled detective hero of the novel, who shows up in dramatizations of its prose.

3. Virginia Madsen as Walter's wife, Agatha, staring at Carrey in every one of their scenes like she has no idea what he's trying to do.

4. Danny Huston's 23rd performance as Smarmy Bureaucratic Guy.

5. All of the background dates, times, license plate numbers and addresses that add up to 23. Doing arithmetic helps distract you from how stupid the plot is.

6. The washed-out visuals and urban grime that, combined with the pseudo-industrial score, make the movie seem like it wants to be a Nine Inch Nails video. Jim Carrey does not belong in a Nine Inch Nails video.

7. The cameo from Bob Zmuda, longtime friend and collaborator of Andy Kaufman, whom Carrey played in the 1999 biopic Man on the Moon, as "Desk Clerk."

8. The droopy, hangdog mutt that's meant somehow to be Walter's nemesis and a harbinger of doom. His name is Ned, and he is adorable.

9. Carrey's Serious Hair, as Walter, competing with his Badass Hair, as Fingerling.

10. Madsen's horribly unconvincing jet-black wig as Fabrizia, Fingerling's femme fatale.

11. The affected, almost lispy way that Carrey delivers the narration in the noir segments, which makes it sound like he's mocking the material.

12. Every 23rd frame contains a hidden message. No, really. We swear.

13. The way that supreme hack Joel Schumacher clearly thinks he's got some serious insight into the nature of obsession, just like he did in his last incredibly silly thriller about a guy consumed by an urban legend, 8MM.

14. Carrey trying desperately to reduce his natural charm, which he's successfully brought to serious roles in films such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Truman Show, and succeeding in being completely charmless.

15. A few early glimpses of Carrey's goofy ad-libs, demonstrating the very talent he's suppressing by appearing in this film.

16. The sexy and alluring Rhona Mitra, wasted in a handful of flashback sequences as a helpless victim.

17. The convoluted "twist" at the end, which takes practically 23 minutes of mind-numbing exposition to explain, and is still completely illogical.

18. The laughter from your fellow moviegoers as another "shocking" coincidence about the impact of the number 23 on history and human existence is revealed.

19. Really scary puns: The book's author is "Topsy Kretts," and a mysterious psychiatrist is named "Dr. Sirius Leary."

20. The 23rd minute. It comes right after the 22nd, and before the 24th.

21. The color red. It's on the walls, the cover of the book and a light bulb in an ominous room near the end. Perhaps it symbolizes some sort of danger.

22. Walter's son, who just goes along with his dad's insanity, thinking all this 23 business is pretty cool.

23. The end credits, so you know you can finally leave the theater.

PS: I should have read this review before renting this fucked up flick. :o(

Photos from last drive-away-to-lunch Sunday

Ginsen tea is good for the brains... I want to EAT it.

I don't post as often as I would like because I haven't had time for that. And this really pisses me off. It was a disaster having hired another teacher to help me out here at the school. It didn't work out. Just like that. My former students reported to the principal that the new teacher hadn't been lecturing well and the consequence was: they're not my former students anymore. Good grief... so now I've been working more than ever. Even though my work load has doubled, I keep on boxing and taking Chinese. These two activities are my way-out from stress. I am glad I can manage doing all these things.

On top of that, I am looking for a good book to read. These are some titles from my list: A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson, Marketable Depression, by Lauren White, or Guerras do Bastardos, by Ana Paula Maia. Or I should re-read The Metamorphosis. "Dunno." I ended up going to a bookstore this Sunday to buy Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, and Dolores Clairbone, by Stephen King.

I just know that my girls' night plan didn't happen last week. It got cold, damp, crazy humid with the lowest temperatures. This winter has been way chilly. The funny thing is that it hadn't been the weather which blew up our plans. By 'our' I mean: my and my students' plans. Our ride was going to be Taísa, and, she had lost her grandfather in the previous week. Her boss got fired too. Yay! So many good reasons to celebrate, actually. But she didn't think so. Of course that I didn't say that to her. Although I wanted, I could not.

Well. Life can't be that hard in a general sense. I do crack myself up with little weird things I see people going through. I easily laugh... I laugh when I go shopping and forget the shopping list at home. I laugh when I mispronounce or switch students' names. I laugh at this... so... I "cry" when I remember this story. What I mean is that I make tea on Saturday mornings for those kids who study on that odd day. Since I started taking Chinese, I've been trying to improve in that cultural matter. And last Saturday, I made them a special mixture with APPLE, LEMON, VANILLA, CINNAMON, and CLOVES... Crazy? Not really. I thought those ingredients really matched. Everybody made fun of me because I fixed a TEA SALAD...

Later, I realized that I had forgotten to add GINSEN. The students got crazy with that comment: "What?! Were you going to add more flavor to that?". Yeah. I was. Man, you should have been in that class last week. It was way hilarious!!! At least, to me... Then, nobody knew no beans about ginsen. I explained all I knew about the thing, and, I even went to the school kitchen to grab some and show the roots to them.

While showing the GINSEN roots to my students, one of the girls, who is from Bolivia, recognized what GINSEN was and she said: "Wow... You've got that? Where did you buy it? This root tea is quite good for the brains..." Then, another student, who happens to be cucko said: "Oh I really need to EAT this tea!" No one could hold it. Everybody else in the classroom started laughing their asses off... LOL. Eating GINSEN tea? Yeah, riiiiight. She's got to do something for her brains. And today, Louis - one of my best students - asked me if I had made GINSEN tea this morning. But I hadn't. I had made CIDREIRA with VANILLA, which was very good, but with no ginsen!

"Everyone is pretty normal after meetin' you, Laila!" This is what I am reading right now on my message board at my Orkut page. This person has got concrete reasons to have written that. I am going out to dinner at a very fancy place tonight, and for that, I bought a new pair of All Stars yesterday. I did. I showed them to my students this morning. They are white, leather made and... oh well, I've looked up a photo on the web to post in this blogspot. That's the one right above. I literally got those sneakers to go to this sophisticated dinner - it is a business anniversary dinner and all -. She said that people are expected to show up wearing something more formal than ALL STARS sneakers. And I was asked if I had been going nuts. And again: "Dunno."

I'll leave my own questions to this very person: "WHO'S PAYING FOR THIS DINNER? WHO PAID FOR MY NEW ALL STARS? WHY SHOULD I CARE?"

Where's my ginsen tea?

Rome wasn't built in a day

the last two times, in my life, I went out with friends to have some fun...

Jana, Me, and Fernando`s ex-girlfriend, in Londrina, Brazil, October 2002

Dunja (Bosnia), Me, and Nadia (Morocco), in Tampa - FL, USA, Aug. 2002
These both pictures are awesome. On the first one, I am so having fun in Brazil with my Brazilian friends. And, on the second snap, in Florida, I was having a good time at a really cool disco but it was sorta hard to show appreciation since there were plenty of oldies everywhere we would go. I have got nothing against older folks, however male elderly may sometimes get kinda weird as seeing younger kids having fun. Yew. Despite those limitations, Florida will forever be in my heart. I grew and learned how to be a better person there. I got in touch with so many cultures and that makes it the nicest place to be, for sure. I miss the diversity of the USA so bad. Most of all, differences are the secret of putting diverged people together at a peaceful state. I must be really proud of myself since I got a photo taken of a Jewish girl and an Islamic one standing on my sides. This is really like LAILA's STYLE = all religions are important and they all play an important role in everyone's lives. I miss all the good friends I made in the USA. I miss them all.

And getting back to our latest days, I must get focus on happiness. Next Saturday, I will finally go out with FRIENDS, on a girls night only... I can`t wait... There will be pix, for sure!!!

I got this from Sarah

What American accent do you have? (Best version so far) Neutral You're not Northern, Southern, or Western, you're just plain -American-. Your national identity is more important than your local identity, because you don't really have a local identity. You might be from the region in that map, which is defined by this kind of accent, but you could easily not be. Or maybe you just moved around a lot growing up.

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

This test wasn't really accurate because it didn't have the Brazilia/American accent options which it would more likely for me to choose from. Well, it was still fun anyway.