It's now 3am and everything is incredibly still save for the murmurings of the neighbouring birds. My habit of taking triple strong coffee has finally caught up with me and sleep is the last thing on my mind. These summer holidays have been spent rather unproductively and so, I haven't ventured onto this site for a long time. I'll close with a few quotes:

'The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heav'n of hell, a hell of heav'n.'-John Milton

'The difference between sinners and saints is that saints have a past while sinners have a future.'-Oscar Wilde

Happy Holidays to those celebrating them :) Today, the day after xmas, my dad took my brother, his girlfriend and I on a long drive outside the city. We found ourselves in Sterkfontein and decided to go explore the caves (with the help of a trusty tour guide, a camera and flashlights of course!). Inside was absolutely amazing and we saw the site where they were still escavating the oldest and most complete skeleton ever found. Even older than Lucy by .5 million years. So there it was, the cradle of humanity- a breath taking, deceptive work of nature which will one day claim us back into the very blood of the earth.

Exams are finished and my research has been carrying on in terms of what to do with my life. The bad part about having many passions is that you must eventually face them and learn to prioritize. Because of exams I've been very out of touch with world events, politics and my music lol so here's a goal for the month of December: pull my life back together and make something out of it that I'll want to see. In the meanwhile, here's a poem that I wrote. It was inspired from some of Oscar Wilde's poetry after having had read it.


The Passing

A willow soft lady passed today
With a heart that would melt the snow;
She whispered beauties of the May
And lifted me to where I couldn't go.

A rose pretty greatness came to me,
With a love beyond the oceans;
She pressed worked fingers of three
To every yearning head of the young ones.

To where she transcended is a mystery
For all those she left behind;
She remains here, though, quietly
Unseen to those though she is kind.

Lady of August wipes away tears of blood
And comforts wandering lost souls;
She whispers to me ideas in the bud
And works with a touch of gold.

A willow soft lady passed yesterday,
but is no longer here,
Save for the souls still to make their way
Through the fires where she's been.

Mother, a rose gold lady, passed today
With her loving touch unseen.
Eternal through her own grace
Where only a mothers love could show
In the footsteps where angels roam.

Um... I generally don't like to reveal too much about myself, but I decided to put this on so that you all can know me a bit better... hope you don't mind the length...

1. Name: Catarina
> >2. Were you named after anyone: my great grandmother
> >3. Middle name: got lots of them...Brasil Costa Laranjeira de
> >4. Last name: Abreu
> >5. Nicknames: Kitty, KitKat, meow, whiskas
> >6. Birthday: 13 March 1985
> >
> >7. Gender : Female
> >8. Age: 17
> >9. Grade: Grade 11 Standard 9
> >10. GPA: we don't have that in South Africa... come back later
> >11. Height: 1.72m
> >
> >12. Shoe size: 7 (UK)
> >13. Hair color: brown
> >14. Eye color: brown
> >15. Siblings: Younger brother David
> >16. Last CD you bought: daaamn, now that I think about it it was long time ago. I think it was matchbox 20 'Mad Season'
> >17. Last movie you saw in theater: Bend it Like Beckham
> >19. Favorite school subject: photography (when you don't have to work
>that
> >is)
> >20. Least favorite school subject: they're all just as bad as one another
> >so i can't really say
> >21. Do you actually like math? go out partying when you can stay home and
> >do trig instead?! *gasp*
> >22. Who's your BEST friend(s)?: have many around the world but you know who u are and you know i love ya!
> >23. Do you have a crush?: yeah
> >24. What's his/her name: put your face close to the computer screen and
>if
> >you can hear me whispering, then i'll tell you the answer ^_^
> >25. Favorite actress: Cate Blanchett just because she played such an
> >awesome Galadriel in Lord of the Rings
> >26. Favorite actor: Orlando Bloom for being absolutely sexy and his part
>as
> >Legolas in Lord of the Rings
> >27. Favorite movie: Mulan, the Last Supper
> >28. Favorite TV show: Will and Grace
> >29. Favorite song: of all time is 'Killing me Softly' by the Fugees and 'No Woman No Cry' by Bob Marley
> >30. Favorite singer/band: Lauryn Hill
> >31. Favorite book: i read many books and like all of them but my
>favourite
> >one has to be the 6th book from the Last Vampire series
> >32. Favorite store: Exclusive books and the House of Isis
> >34. What do you look for in a boyfriend/girlfriend?: warm personality,
>nice
> >smile and he has to be able to hold a conversation with me
> >35. Have you ever smoked?: i tried cherry tobacco (the same stuff you use
> >for hubbly) at camp but it didn't really do anything for me
> >36. Have you ever done drugs?: hell no i aint stupid
> >37. How many people are on your buddy list?: AOL:20, MSN:15, Yahoo:3
> >38. Who's your favorite relative?: i love all my relatives equally but
>the
> >one i most admire is my grandmother... she's a true lady and also one of
> >the funnest people i know
> >39. What's your favorite sport?: kuchido, kayaking and pool
> >40. Are you on any sports teams?: nope
> >41. How long are you in the shower?: half an hour
> >42. What's your favorite place to vacation?: home
> >
> >43. Favorite ice cream flavor: it's definitely gotta be Mocca (coffee and
> >chocolate... best of both worlds!)
> >44. What makeup do you wear every day?: i only wear make up when i go
>out.
> >normally i'll just put on some lip ice and sun block
> >45. Guys with or without hats?: it depends on the guy i mean some of them
> >look really cute in those beanie hats...
> >
> >46. Favorite Food: anything that's mexican, italian (especially the guys)
> >or japanese (especially sushi)
> >47. Worst Fear: not being able to achieve my goals because i'm held back
> >from my own fears
> >48. Favorite color: blue
> >49. Best feeling in the world?: laughing with your friends until youre
>eyes
> >begin to water
> >50. Worst feeling in the world?: when you're about to puke
> > >> >What do you think of...:
> >
> >
> >51. Bill Clinton: under-the-table affair
> >52. Love at First Sight: I prefer to call it animal attraction
> >53. Abortion: should be illegal
> >54. Teenage smoking: it's your choice if you want to ruin your lungs for
> >the rest of your life.
> >55. Eating disorders: it's terrible
> >56. Rap: used to like it, but not anymore because of the lyrics. it's too
> >pro vioelence and anti-women
> >59. Boy bands: Grown men marketing themselves to 13 year old girls... is
>it
> >me or is there something kinda sick about that?
> >60. Spice Girls: big shoes
> >61. Premarital sex: depends on the person and who they're
>with..everybodys
> >different
> >62. Titanic: this is going to sound really mean, but I laughed when
> >Leonardo DiCaprio died...blue isn't his colour
> >63. Jerry Springer: honey, i've got something to tell you... before i met
> >you, i used to be a man
> >65. Suicide: tragedy
> >67. South Park: cartman!!!
> >68. dreams: the one thing that motivates us to achieve our goals
> >69. Drinking: Cape Velvet, Shnapps, Smirnoff Ice... need i say more?
> >
> >70. God: always there to guide us and so eternal that we cant even begin
>to
> >understand the true power of Him/Her
> >
> >
> > >> >When You Hear This Name, Who/What Do You Think Of...
> >71. Ryan: hockey
> >73. Katie: my stepmom
> >74. Tim: a christmas carol
> >75. Sarah: tims girlfriend
> >77. Stephanie: hey steph! When r you coming to visit me? I miss ya girl
> >78. Brian: skater dude
> >79. Jenna: this one girl in my science class
> >81. Matt: Maddy! How can I ever forget you? You kick ass!
> >82. Heather: my one friend
> >83. Devin: make me think of denim jeans
> >84. Jason: drugs
> >85. Joshua: thugs (long story how i came up with THAT one)
> >86. Angela: angelic being
> >87. Kelly: that one song Kelly does with Nelly
> >88. What CD is in your CD/Tape player right now?: Wyclef Jean 'Gone till November'
> >90. Do you have a job?: i do volunteer work at www.teenhelp.org. it's
> >really cool and one of the best things that could've happened to me
> >91.what college do you go to or want to go to?: NYU, Boston College or
>Wits
> >92. What does your school look like?: Like a building
> >93. Have you ever been out of the country?: yup ^_^
> >94. Where?: Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, America, Portugal,
>Puerto
> >Rico, Virgin Islands, Mozambique
> >95. What is your religion?: I believe in God and Jesus Christ, but I
>don't
> >know how far i'm willing to accept man-made religion
> >
> >96. Do you believe in heaven?: definitely
> >97. Do you believe in Angels?: infact i believe in guardian angels and i
> >hope to see mine one day
> >98. Do you believe in aliens?: nothing is ever impossible
> >99. Do you believe in yourself?: i like to think i do but i tend to doubt
> >myself too much
> >100. Do you want to get married?: yup, just not sometime soon
> >101. What's something you do that pisses off your friends?: being
> >indecisive
> >102. Do you have any stuffed animals?: one or two
> >103. Do you have any bad habits?: procrastination... i should be studying
> >for exams but im doing this instead lol ;)
> >104. What's your favorite restaurant?: SUSHI TAKARA
> >105. Where is your favorite hangout?: Two places: music department at our
> >school and my bedroom
> >106. Pepsi or Coke: don't drink soda so i wouldn't know lol
> >107. David Letterman or Jay Leno: Jay Leno!!! That big chin is so
>adorable!
> >108. Matt Damon or Ben Affleck: Affleck (*drool*)
> >109. Beverly Hills 90210 or Dawson's Creek: neither
> >110. Party of Five or ER: neither
> >111. Diet Pepsi or Pepsi One: and the difference is?...
> >112. Apples or oranges: apples...but only if they're green
> >113. flowers or chocolate: CHOCOLATE
> >114. Vanilla or chocolate: is this a trick question?
> >115. Black or white: chocolate? in that case it better be white
> >116. Silver or gold: silver
> >117. Where do you wish you could be right now?: at Leonard's house
> >118. What are you thinking about at this very moment?: the physics i
>should
> >be studying for
> >119. What do you think of the song "Pretty Fly 4 A white
> >guy"?: *grin* definitely one of the best songs from offspring
> >120. you a vegetarian?: nope. i like to eat raw meat everynight
> >121. Favorite kind of clothes?: anything that's not pink
> >122. Whats the last phone number you called?: Rhoda's number
> >123. The last TV show you watched?: Don't really watch TV but the last
>one
> >i watched was Willand Grace last night
> >
> > >Have you ever:
> >132: Been on a plane: yep
> >124. Went swimming in the ocean: yep
> >
> >125. Been to Europe: I’m FROM europe!
> >127. Been to Canada: im going to move there in two months so i'll see it
> >pretty soon
> >128. Been to Australia: nope...too many sheep
> >129. Been in a school play: yup
> >130. Cried in public: yup
> >132. Fell asleep while eating: once on an airplain ride... i think the
>food
> >must've been more toxic than usual
> >133. Gone to Church: Yes
> >134. Read the Bible: no
> >135. Climbed a tree: yes, but it was the scariest experience!!!
> >136. Watched Dawson's Creek: once (hence I've never watched it since)
> >137. Gone snowboarding: something id def like to do in the next year
> >138. Been on a motorcycle or motorbike: yeah...it was really cool
> >139. Fell asleep during a scary movie: I've laughed during scary movies,
> >but sleep? nah...
> >140. Never slept during a night: once or twice
> >141. Went to camp: i just came back from school camp last week! lol
> >142. Played field hockey: nope
> >143. Played soccer: yep
> >144. Been to a Major League Baseball game: i'd rather go watch a scary
> >movie
> >145. Saw a pro basketball game: nope
> >146. Seen the Harlem Globetrotters: last month on TV... they're
>definitely
> >one of the coolest basketball teams i've seen
> >147. Kissed a girl: only on the cheek to say hello
> >148. Sat in a restaurant w/o ordering anything?: no... even when i don't
> >get something from the menu i'll still get tap water with lemon slices
> >149. Eaten sushi: i eat it nearly every week
> >
> >150. Eaten fish: *drool* yes!
> >151. Eaten caviar: ewwwwwwwww
> >152. Seen someone die: fortunately, no
> >154. Met a celebrity: yup
> >155. Met the president: as a portuguese terrorist and future dictator of
> >this world, i should hope for their sake i don't meet them lol ;)
> >156. Driven a car: twice. once was at a beach and the other time was in a
> >deserted parking lot but we had to leave because it was in front of a
> >convent and the nuns were starting to get suspicious
> >157. Didn't wash your hair for a week: this one time when i was really
>sick
> >for over a week
> >158. Broken something valuable: do it everyday!
> >159: Skipped school: once
> >160. Ice Skated: nope
> >161. Roller Bladded: *grin* definitely
> >162. Bought ice cream from an ice cream truck: yup
> >163. Used your parents credit card (with permission): nope
> >164. Been scared to get a shot: i get scared everytime i go for a shot
> >165. Gotten a cavity: nope
> >166. Been given stitches: yup
> >167. Shopped at Abercrombie and Fitch: huh?
> >168. Shopped at Old Navy: nope
> >169. Thought you were in love: yes
> >170. Had an online relationship?: don't believe in online relationships
> >171. Watched MTV at 4 in the morning: if im up at 4 in the morning its
> >either with friends doing something or it's because im reading
> >172. Made prank phone calls: yep
> >173. Gone out with a guy/girl you knew for 3 days?: lol it nearly
>happened
> >earlier this year
> >174. Gone skinny dipping: nope
> >175. Snuck out of your house: ain't dumb enough to even try
> >176. Said I love you and meant it(not to your family): yup
> >177. Been hurt by a guy/girl you loved: yup
> >178. Stayed up all night on the phone with a friend?: last year when i
>was
> >in florida. my cousin and i stayed up talking till like 2 in the morning
> >179. Any Favorite sayings or quotes?: 'Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world'-Albert Einstein

'God made us sisters, prozac made us friends'

A great idea for a program... when I was living in Portugal, we had this program where the older kids in the senior school (equivalent to middle school and high school combined) would take some time out every week for a couple of hours and, armed with nothing but our knowledge and patience, we proceeded to the primary school. There we ran this program where we would read to the kids and teach them to read. Something so simple can be so effective. Not only do the kids enjoy themselves but it motivates them so much to read and enjoy reading! Such a program would be fantastic if we extended it beyond our own schools and reached out to other underpriveledged schools where there's normally a lack of motivation, teachers, and time. Such a thing would open many windows, but the question is how does one get started on beginning such a program? Ne ideas?