Three years

Yesterday I received word about my PhD. My grant is going to last only for 3 years, which is a considerably short time for a PhD... but, considering that this work is going to be a continuation of work I've done in my masters, it gets a little easier to make it happen in that time.

It's going to be tight, though. That means less time for fooling around and overall procrastination. Also, it is quite possible that a lot of things I wanted to explore will be left out, perhaps to be addressed later on.

That's alright, though. Besides, there's always the possibility for an extension (though I would feel much better if I didn't need one), and my stipend will be quite comfortable, so I can save up a good money for the hard times. 

That said, I will do as Obama told America: get up, dust myself off, and get back to work. And start to wonder where the hell I'm going to be three years from now.

Read More

Até março

Depois de pastar por bastante tempo, tendo que ficar pedindo abrigo pros outros pra poder ficar por São Paulo e conseguir fazer alguma coisa produtiva (muito embora o WoW tenha atrapalhado bastante...) acabei me enchendo dessa vida.

Depois da última decepção com algumas pessoas que falam uma coisa querendo dizer outra e fazem questão de abusar da má-vontade e da falta de bolas no meio das pernas pra falar as coisas ao vivo e se esconder atrás de SMS resolvi não passar nem mais um dia nessa ciranda. Hoje mesmo estou procurando por uma pensão pra ficar por São Paulo até março, quando sai a segunda chamada para o CRUSP, na qual tenho boas chances de conseguir uma vaga. 

Enquanto isso não acontece, foi bom ter uma graninha reservada para eventualidades. Muito embora meu cartão de crédito acabe sofrendo um pouco com isso, infelizmente não há outro remédio, e prefiro fazer isso logo de uma vez antes de me desgastar ainda mais com o esforço necessário pra encontrar um lugar pra dormir. Não quero nem vou ficar engolindo sapo além do estritamente necessário. Já passei por apuros demais nos últimos doze meses pra ficar agüentando babaquice dos outros.

Isso tudo me deixa muito triste, na verdade. É muito ruim perceber que certas coisas não são o que parecem, e que certas pessoas simplesmente não valem a pena.

Short version for the english speakers: I'm looking for a place to crash until I can get to the student apartments. In the meantime, once again it has been shown to me that certain people are just not worth the trouble.

Read More

Finally some good news

At last something good - really good - happened.

My project was granted! Now I do have something official about my PhD - it's an absolute certainty now. 

Ever since I defended my masters last september everything on my life was on hold, waiting for an answer that came not too early. Sure, a lot of things - new things - came up in the last four months. However, even the new things happening were only transient. Since my future was so uncertain I couldn't afford making and following any plans, no matter how many of them I came up with.

Everything is different as of today. Now I can really make up my mind as to what I intend to do with my life for the next four years and stick to it. I can really make plans. But, most importantly, I was given a new opportunity to keep building my professional life, and in an career option as the one I have made, that is very important. I can't say where I'm going to be four years from now. All I can do is my best, and stay alert, on the look out for opportunities. 

They are out there, all I have to do is find them.

Read More

A moment of reflection

Your priorities define the kind of person you are.

Your methods define if you are good enough for them.

Read More

Já vai tarde.

Very good things happened in 2008.

But I'm not gonna miss that year. Not anytime soon.

Anyway, Happy New Year.

Read More