September

It seems that just yesterday September was starting and now October is right around the corner...
I've been extremely busy with college, had some presentations on the first week, to show us newcomers how the school works and this past week I had Praxis every day, from 8 till 18 hours. It was exhausting but at the same time so much fun!

Since I was a kid I heard people talking about the University and the Praxis, I don't know if that tradition happens outside my country but here many people talk badly about it, in the past there were news about teenagers that died or went to the hospital during Praxis and that always made me think "I will never participate on that stupid thing!"

It is supposed to be a week where people that already are from the college (and participated on Praxis on their first year) to welcome the freshmen, but at the same time making them see that they need to respect them and that there is an hierarchy and if it was just this everything would be great. But it isn't, on some colleges people just use the Praxis week to humiliate, demean and even abuse the freshmen. Fortunatly on my college there is no such thing, I went the first day to see how it all worked, after all I can't talk about things that I never experienced, and I ended up loving it. We started all the same as freshmen, everyone with white and loose t-shirts, a plastic potty on our heads and a mind filled with anxiety since we were new to the school and didn't met anyone. That day we sang,shouted, were painted by the veterans with acrylics, glitters, varnish, we were thaugth to do granades, the afflicted turtle, the fish out of water,and some more things. I never felt humiliated, I actually laughed a lot and since everyone was equal the conversations with strangers were just like if everyone was already friends!
My college sure changed the idea I had of Praxis and even though I earned a LOT of bruises from throwing myself to the floor I was sad when the week ended since we only live it once in our life (unless of course you change college and want to do it again)

So, tomorrow the classes will start for real and I'm excited :D but anxious as hell too.

New stage

So in about 10 hours I'll be starting my college life, It's been a long time since I've been this nervous and anxious :x luckily it's only presentations and stuff like that to know the school,I'll only start the classes next monday I think. Still nervous as hell, new people, new subjects to study, new places, new rythms....and one full hour of bus ride every morning!:D at least I'm lucky enough to have the morning schedule, so I won't have nightly bus rides and I will arrive home pretty soon :)
Well,wish me luck!***

P.S: oh and in case you were wondering about my diet, I already lost 6kg ;)

Small conquests

I haven't had much time to write lately, enjoying the rest of my summer vacations while I can (: and doing something good instead of spending the day in front of the computer!

Regarding my "diet", I'm really happy with it! I'm half way through my goal,I've already lost 5kg ^^ even eating my ice creams (I love them and eat them even in winter,so I can't say no on summer,can I? ^^;). I'm really motivated to keep it up :)

I also have another thing that is making me tremendously happy, my german shepherd has a phobia since a baby - the swiming pool.
When he had just a few months he fell a couple of times on the pool (He tried to drink the water from it) and at the time we panicked and removed him without even teaching him how to get out. Since then the pool has been a huge enemy to him, he's afraid of it and he gets into panic mode everytime someone get's in, and if children get into the pool it's ten times worse!He acts like he's afraid they'll drown, running arround the pool and crying,trying to pull them out.

So this year I decided to help him face his fears, and boy am I glad I did.
I've watched some episodes of Cesar Millan's "The dog whisperer" and saw him help a lot of dog's with phobias, I learned a lot with him, being calm and assertive was something that really helped me, and because of him I never gave up. He had some hard cases to work on but he never gave up on them, patiente really is a virtue and I've learned that the hard way.
The first couple of days I started to train him I ended up giving up because my mother and sister where always saying things like "oh poor thing, don't force him"; "He's scared,there is no use in pushing him", this made me feel guilty and I just gave up. So after that I decided to do it when nobody was arround, nobody to help but nobody to make me feel guilty, after all I was helping him conquer a fear and there is nothing to feel guilty about that!
That day I was able to make him get into the pool stairs, it took about 1 hour and he didn't enter the pool normaly, I had to "drag" his back feet into the pool,let him calm down and them pull the rest of his body. He was scared,shaking and dying to get out.

The next couple of days it took less time to get him inside the pool but he got in the same way, back feet first, but he was able to swim just a little.

I wasn't satisfied.

On the 4th or 5th day I was able to get him into the pool without a leash, and he swam to the end of the pool a lot of times! I was thrilled! but something was missing, the entry.
So yesterday I decided - Today he will get into the pool with his front paws! He needs to deal with his fears face to face! - It took a while and some help but he did! He was a little clumsy but he did it, and he went to swim after his toy ball. I was so proud of him. Then he did something that amazed me, we came back to the stairs but instead of rushing out like he always had done he stayed there and sat down looking at me with a - Can you throw the ball again?- expression on his face, I was overjoyed! I gave him his little treat to reward him and then spend a while throwing his ball for him to fetch.  He looked nothing like he did on the first day, he was calm, happy and playful, no more shaking, panting  or anxious cries to get out.
I had a huge smile on my face, my little boy had done it! Of course I still have a lot of work to do, he still needs company and help to get in, but that's nothing compared to his drama from before.

I'm proud of him just like a mom is proud when her children succeed in life.
And this has been filling my days, my four legged children.

College is just around the corner and my nerves are rising, new experiences, new people - a whole freshman year to get me busy!

I already miss my summer vacations eheh :)

First two weeks!

So as I said on the previous post,I started a healthy diet to lose a little weight, and went to the nutricionist this week for a check-up appointment to see the progress.
I went nervous as hell because I hadn't followed the recomendations 100%, the hot weather of the past two weeks made me lose my appetite most of the days so it was hard to keep up. I was sure to had gain some weight or not changing my weight at all.
When I went up the scale I was really suprised to see that I had lost 1,2kg, 3 cm on my waist line and hip!
In two weeks that was a real victory to me and a huge motivation to keep up until I reach my goal!

I hope I can stay on my diet these next few weeks,I'm going away on vacations and I won't be able to control the meals but I'll do my best!(:

Life

 

Life has a funny way to make me fall, but it also has a great way to lift me up. Lately things are improving little by little, and I've had a couple of surprises on the way.
It's currently summer vacations here,but I'm still waiting to know the exams results to know if I'll have to repeat any of them, and after that university to my photography degree!:)

I've also started on a healty diet,I've started to change some eating habits a couple of months ago but nothing crazy, but this past week I went to a nutritionist appointment and learned a few things so I'm thrilled about it, not because I'm fat and unhappy with my body, I'm the typical pear shaped girl with curvy hips that is loved just the way she is.
But I want to change my habits for my healt at all levels,it will help me to feel even better about myself both on the inside and out.

Another thing I'm hyped about is my new aquisition of photography material. I will make a post about that later though ;)

So I leave you with this work,a peacock from Jardim Público de Évora - I took this photo while on easter vacations with my boyfriend and his parents :) I love these birds, so majestic and elegant, with lovely colors and patterns!

Have a great week!

*See more works on my facebook

Still alive

I haven't publish anything here for quite a while, I haven't had time to do anything lately >.<
Today I decided to give the blog a little update just to say I'm still alive and super excited!:D I'm planing some portrait photos (and selfportraits too if I'm able to) because they are one of the big flaws on my portfolio!
I've studied the basics of portrait photography but I know I'm a little limited due to my equipment,still I'll try my best!:) I'll also have a huge help from my boyfriend, he has been my haven and support theses past months,he gives me so much support and strength to follow my dreams it almost makes me doubt him xD
So here stays a photo that I haven't published here yet, a female snowy owl!:)

235mm f/7.1 @Jardim Zoológico de Lisboa

You can see more works on my Facebook Page! :)

New project

So as a 2013 resolution I've decided to really work on writing articles about photography, that way I can share my knowledge, to do that I've created a new blog just dedicated to photography,why?
Because this one was too personal for me. Many times I wanted to write about techniques here and wasn't able because it didn't seem apropriate. But not this time!:)
Here is the new blog -> Ana Teresa Photography Blog I named it after my facebook fan page to avoid confusion to those familiar to the FB page.

I will talk about the basics at first, things like the DSLR modes, Shutter speed, Aperture, ISO, RAW, etc,.
It won't be professional articles but I will write them as I learn too so I can share information :)

I will keep this blog active from now and then, to show some photos and personal stuff, just not the technical part ;)