BND!

Guess what guys? Our next meeting will fall exactly on this year's Buy Nothing Day. Do you have any idea of what that is?

It's a day where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. The rules are simple, for 24 hours you will detox from shopping and anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!

Everything we buy has an impact on the environment. Buy Nothing Day highlights the environmental and ethical consequences of shopping. The developed countries - only 20% of the world population are consuming over 80% of the earth's natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage and an unfair distribution of wealth.

As consumers we need to question the products we buy and challenge the companies who produce them. What are the true risks to the environment and developing countries? The argument is infinite - while it continues we should be looking for simple solutions and Buy Nothing Day is a good place to start.

So, are we, meetupspeakers, compulsive buyers or responsible shopers? How about joining BND?

*By the way, that's the reason why we're meeting in a square rather than in a restaurant/snack bar. =D

Why do we act the way we do?

Have you ever thought about why someone is more or less competitive, supportive, and extroverted, has good social skills, etc. than others?

According to Ancient Greek Teachings the human beings behavior is determined by a set of innate characteristics combination that we inherit from our parents; in this sense, these characteristics affect our conduct, vocational aptitudes, sense of humor, motivation and even our feelings. Do you believe that?

In order to explain that, many psychologists work with the Four Temperaments Theory that provides information about how this set of characteristics combination determines our actions. The four temperaments are: melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic and sanguine. All of them have strengths and weaknesses and, although we all have characteristics from each one, there are two predominant.

To sum them up, I would like to share this analogy. Please, read it and tell us who you would be:

Once upon a time four people were walking in the forest when they found a rock in their way. So the MELANCHOLIC, very disappointed, said: “it’s a tragedy, there is a BIG rock in my way! This happens JUST with me! And now what should I do? I’m going to miss my meeting, my life is ruined”. The PHLEGMATIC felt flabbergasted admiring the rock’s beauty; he sat down on it and started dreaming awake. He also thought about some BEAUTIFUL ROCKS that he had seen on his life and it would be wonderful if his girlfriend were there as well. Then, he breathed deeply the plants smell around him and went away. The SANGUINE, who was coming very overjoyed with the forest fresh air and the beautiful plants that he was seeing, jumped over the rock; he tried to make some dance steps and went away delighted. For sure, in two minutes he had forgotten that INSIGNIFICANT STONE. In the CHOLERIC’S case, upon seeing that STUPID rock, he really got cross, cussing at people who could have taken care of the path and could have removed it. Very furious, he kicked it hurting himself; getting angrier for that, he kicked it again and, suddenly, had a great idea of how to remove it from the path.

Of course, the temperament is not the only influence on our conduct, many others daily life aspects exert powerful influences on our actions.

International English Certificates

Hi my friends,

Sorry, I’ve abandoned you … haven't it? :-(
But I have a good reason for that :-), in the last two or three weeks, I was desperate because I would take the International Spanish Certificate (DELE - Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera) last Saturday. Thanks God, now I am free of it :-)! It was difficult! The grammar and vocabulary test was terrible; there were idiomatic expressions that people use just in Spain. It’s really bad, isn’t it? Anyway, I’m very satisfied with my Spanish and I’m sure I’ve done everything that I learnt with my dear “maestra” Marcela Bown (She’s a great Spanish teacher from Yazigi).

By the way, what do you think about the International English Certificates? Which are the most required? TOEFL? Cambridge exams (FCE, CPE)? IELTS? Etc. When should we take one? Are you confident to take one of them?

p.s I wasn’t shocked with a certain teacher wearing a Scottish kilt, he was cute :-)))))

Thanksgiving Day

“Thanksgiving Day is a joyous family festival celebrated with lot of enthusiasm in US, Canada and several other countries. Thanksgiving Day Festival commemorates the feast held by the Pilgrim colonists and members of the Wampanoag people at Plymouth in 1621. It is celebrated with lot of fervor and euphoria on the fourth Thursday in the month of November. For the people in US Thanksgiving is a time for merrymaking, shopping, family reunion, feasts and family dinners. People also take time to thank God for his constant grace and for all the material possessions man enjoys. For many Thanksgiving is also the time to thank near and dear ones and being grateful for their kindness.”

www.thanksgiving-day.org/

“Big Thiago” have chosen me to write this post, but I didn’t have any idea about what to talk about. So I’m here proposing that we talk about family tradition, family food and family meeting. Here in Brazil we don’t have a Thanksgiving Day, but I thought that It’s something like the Christmas for us. Don’t you think so?

But, anyways… I usually am with my family specially on Sunday. We often go to my grandmother’s home and take a lunch prepared by her. And we spend the hole day there, eating, talking, laughing, and having some fun with our cousins. I love family meeting specially because my grandma cooks very well.

ok, that’s it.

Now it’s up to you, speakers. What is you favorite family meeting? Do you like to stay with then?

P.s.: Let’s play “tricks or treat” next meeting again? #)