Kyaaa! My new phone finally arrived!! (^^D)

A couple of days ago my new Nokia 6288 arrived. (^^D)

I’ve already watched Trigun, Trinity Blood and some Final Fantasy VII FMVs on it heheh! [I also do calls with it... xD] It’s great, though I’m not putting my old Motorola V980 in the drawer, the keys are better for games (and in some other aspects actually) and as I have an extra SIM card it’s useful to keep it. :p

2nd Semester has started.

Last February the 14th I visited my great grandmother’s grave for the first time since her funeral and it went well. I’ve been postponing the visit ever since because I didn’t know how I’d feel, but when I got there it wasn’t strange or anything. Actually I feel better now that I went there. February 14th was her birthday.

Cloud meets Kadaj and Reno (^^,)

Though this is a busy time, yesterday I couldn’t resist taking a quick detour to the comic-book store (Mundo Fantasma), where I haven’t been for many weeks, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a few things that I coveted for a looong time but wasn’t able to find, unless online: there were several - and I mean several - Final Fantasy official collectibles, either from FFVII , FFX and even FFVIII!

I brought Kadaj and Reno (FF: Advent Children) but there was also a beautiful model of Shera (Cid’s latest airship) that I didn’t even know Square Enix had released, which I now regret leaving behind, but it really was a bit too much for one day *sighs* and as I’m still waiting for a few other things to arrive…

Next week my sister will get Sephiroth (we’ll “make a run” for it because they usually vanish in a blink) and Vincent Valentine. I can’t wait, they will look so great near the other “preciousesssss” in the three new - and much needed - bookshelves… the house was just too cluttered with books and we prefer to find them quickly (especially during exams).

To complete this particular collection only Tifa and Yuffie will be left. I really like Tifa so we’ll probably get her but I’m not that partial to Yuffie, so our collection will probably be complete without her. [I can't believe she slapped Shelke in DoC (><,), she wasn't even in control of her mind/emotions, but I guess Yuffie's heart really is bigger than her brain]… I’m a fan of Shelke. (^^,)

I keep searching for an old model of the PS2, as the “slim” model unfortunately doesn’t support HDD and for that matter won’t run Final Fantasy XI among other games!! *sighs* Shame on you, Sony! X) It’s been really difficult to find one…

Last Saturday my sister and I had lunch with our grandmother in her new apartment for the first time. It’s so nice, it really was a great choice. It feels warmer than the previous one, for example the far end wall of the dining room opens onto a wide balcony, so the sunlight just pours in, it’s great, all wooden and bright. Though the old one had its charms, there was something gloomier about it, maybe because it was bigger, higher and colder.

Well, I’d better hurry to bed because I have loads to study tomorrow!! x)

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Drawings, quick rough sketches and graphic silliness made during classes. (^^p)

Here are some drawings, quick rough sketches and even graphic silliness made during classes…

Enjoy my humble, amateur attempts at art: (^^p)

a

b c d

e f g

h i j

k l m

n o p

Well, there’s more scattered around… if I find them I’ll publish them. I might take to drawing again soon, when I feel inspired. I’m currently learning my way around manga, but portraits and drawing on sight are what I do best, so I’ll brush up the technique as well as soon as I have the time.

a - The Sphinx (rough sketch) - This Sphinx Stinx” xD was the title of this drawing - lol because it is very rough and detail-lacking. I was drawing this from a picture but I was a bit bored and overlooked details. But it’s still recognizable.

b - Doby, Malfoy’s former house elf from Harry Potter - I really like the way this came out, his mischievous smile =)

c - Saruman - A 2 minute sketch of Saruman the White. I sometimes do these quick cartoonish sketches for fun. It really looks like him =) that grumpy evil aura.

d - Gandalf The White - Really nice one, but I had to darken it a bit to bring out the lines, that in time blurred and faded somewhat.

e - Quick sketch of Théoden, son of Thengel - former King of Rohan - Another quick sketch, but I think it turned out accurate even if it is just a cartoon. Theoden’s really beautiful and majestic ^_^

f - Himura Kenshin from Samurai X, Rurouni Kenshin in his Hitokiri Battousai “look” - Made during class heh =)

g - Gandalf the White in battle - Another drawing of Gandalf the White, but this one’s unfinished: as you can see I didn’t draw the sword…and now I don’t really have the patience to finish it…but picture the sword in his hands and it’ll all fall into place =)

h - Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood - Legolas is not exactly one of my favorite characters, but he has a peculiar face that makes him fun to draw (even if difficult too).

i - Yuki and Kyo - Yaoi drawing (^^p) - This was my first ever yaoi attempt as well as my first drawing in manga style. It’s not excellent, I usually do portraits and there’s a knack to manga I have yet to grasp. still, I think it’s a cute pic ^_^ They are Kyo and Yuki from Furuba (a.k.a. Fruits Basket).

j - Pippin the Took - One of my early drawings.

k - Merry the Brandybuck - Another early drawing, not that accurate, but still I’m fond of it (^^,)

l - Muraki Kazutaka from Yami no Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) - Another early attempt at manga. The quality isn’t very good, it was made during class too and the paper is so thin there’s stuff visible from the other side of the page heheh (><,)

m - Saruman the White (or of many colours ;p ) - Another of my early drawings. In this one I experimented drawing with soft coal, but it’s difficult because it is almost impossible to erase guidelines, which are essential to a rookie like me heheh…

n - Quick sketch of a toy tank in inkpen - This tank is a toy I keep on my desk at my old room at my parent’s. I used an ink pen, so the guide lines are completely visible and there’s loads of disproportionate mistakes. It’s just a hasty sketch anyway.

o - Rough Sherman and Zero - This was made in a History of Political Ideas class. You can guess the subject - World War II. It’s a roughly drawn Sherman and a Zero (I wasn’t looking at none, just drawing from memory). (Not that they operated in the same war fronts necessarily, although contemporary, but they popped into my mind at the time, these lovely machines ^_^) By the way, they by no means in scale hehe…

p - Rough DUKW - An american amphibious car used in WWII. Drawn in class too heheh…

That’s all folks! [For now...] (^^D)

Porto: beautiful and ancient

Porto is one of the oldest cities in Europe and the most beautiful city in the world - in my opinion! (^^D)

I was sent a presentation with some breathtaking photographs of my beloved city. I’ve edited it a little, mainly to adjust the backgrounds and to remove the audiofile to make it smaller, but I provide links to both that one and the original file (’porto_sentido.pps’), which features the amazing song “Porto Sentido” by Rui Veloso, written about this very city. Gaia, on the opposite side of the Douro river, may also be seen in these shots.

Here are a few of my favourite photos. Most were taken at night, dusk or sunset. Enjoy!

Yuki is in Ham Ham Heaven o(^^,)o

Two days ago my russian hamster Yuki died…! (>”</) Just as it’s been 3 years since I got him. I think he died in his sleep at least… My previous hamsters lived much longer, over 4 years… Poor Yuki, I guess the good really do die young…!

Yuki eating sugarfree cornflakes (^^,)

Yuki fooling around =)

My grandmother Júlia has moved the day before yesterday, and her new apartment is really nice (even if smaller than the other one - but she lives alone so it was too big for her). It’s right in the centre of the city in a great area.

There are lots of curious little shops around with unusual stuff. My sister and I found one with detailed animal collectibles and we bought… tadaaa! a Mammoth! What else? I wanted a T-Rex as well but there were none. Now it’s in display in our bedroom, keeping company to the king cobra and the giant spider, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, Cloud and Fenrir, LOTR collectibles and sword replicas, boxing gloves, a Yoda vs. Darth Sidious water-globe and many other such “treasures” heheh - I should make a photoblog just for those that would be fun!

We also found a clothing shop that I swear stopped in time around the 80’s! (Or maybe it’s the entry to the Portuguese Ministry of Magic… wouldn’t that be something?!) Really crazy, original stuff.

My sister and I took some pictures and recorded a few videos in the old apartment just so we remember it. Maybe I’ll post some of the silliness here - Yes… I believe it’s quite safe, as next to none see this anyway heh! (^^D)’

My grandmother’s old apartment! I’m going to miss going there. Left tower, 8th floor:

Day of the Kings

A little bird told me this will be a good year, so I figured it would be a good idea to write a journal from scratch. Even the smallest things!

I’m not sure whether I should write in English or Portuguese… My mother tongue sometimes gets rusty because of all the reading/writing in English so I had in mind to blog in Portuguese for the first time, but English is (more) universal so… I probably won’t. (~~,)u

As traditional Epiphany has it, the 6th of January is the Day of the Kings. On this day in Portugal, one must eat 6 pomegranate arils for an auspicious year. My parents mistook the 12 raisins custom (taken place at precisely midnight of 31st December to farewell the Old Year) and had 12 each *sighs* I hope it’s double the joy… (~~,)u

So, with the 12th day of Christmas it was time to take down the tree, which was so beautiful, and all house season decorations. I always wish I could “rewind” the days, feeling as though I didn’t enjoy Christmas, my absolute favourite time of the year, to the fullest.

Today the city centre will also be bereft of the beautiful Christmas tree that stood 75m high, with 2.4 million multicoloured microlamps, the highest in Europe. I also learned that Porto earned an entry in the Guinness Book for the 14.100 Santa Claus march - I didn’t see it. My mother should have joined heheh…! (She dressed up as Santa Claus for Christmas some 4 years ago or so, which was cool because nobody was expecting).

Porto, Christmas 2007