Carnival Opening Night in Rio, Brasil

On Friday it was the official opening night of Carnival celebration in Rio de Janeiro. Even though unofficially people are celebrating for 2 weeks in Rio, officially the carnival is only 4 days with non stop festivities.

I’ll write more about Carnival tradition and celebration later, right now we are very busy celebrating.
Yesterday after the beach we were dancing samba on the streets with thousands of people, then we went to downtown Rio to a local club where they only played Samba music. The live band that played was great. I have danced like never before till about 5am, then I grabbed something to eat, waited for my friends to get back from another club and went to bed around 9am.

I wanted to experienced real local samba and party so I went with one friend of mine to downtown Rio instead of the mainstream club. We were dancing on the streets with thousands of people, which was crazy. And one lady tried to take money from my pocket, but I was very careful so nothing happened. Anyway, we got up at 1pm, after only 3 hours of sleep and went straight to the beach, which by the way was crazy packed. We couldn’t find a spot for us so we had to stand and tan.

Then around 6pm we joined the samba carnival on the streets, danced a lot with hundred of thousands of people and I had an amazing time. We were still in our swim wear, and in Brasil everyone is so that’s totally fine. We got back to the apartment at midnight, after eating excellent Brazilian food, showered, changed and went of to a very big club in downtown Rio. This particular party goes till noon tomorrow, so we’ll see how long we will stay. I do know we are going to a beach party at 2pm tomorrow, so we should be home before then to change. Anyway, I have to go now, my friends are waiting on me. Carnival celebration in Rio continues.

A wonderful day in beautiful Rio

Very clear sky, very sunny and 99 degrees (37 C) today in Rio de Janeiro.
First we bought some of the tickets for this carnival week. There are lots of big parties happening this week so we wanted to make sure to get our tickets in advance. The price for tickets for different parties has already doubled. We got VIP tickets for Saturday and Sunday. For Sambadrome I still have to get my ticket. The cheapest ticket is about US$300 just for one night party. Oh well, you only live once.

Today we spent the entire day at the beautiful, World’s number one and sexiest beach, Ipanema. Even though the beach is very wide and pretty long (a few miles) it was still packed. It was so packed that you can’t stretch your legs. If you want to get some sun tan then you need to stand up and tan. Seriously, it is so busy and packed.

Since I wasn’t at the beach since November 2009 I had to take it very slow and easy today so I don’t burn. For the most part I was sitting in a chair under the umbrella and observing people.

The water was also very nice, clear and warm but yet refreshing. I was in the ocean as much as I could. I love being on the beach especially when there is so many people and you never know what can happen next. People are having fun, playing valley boll, drinking, tanning, talking, there are people selling different kinds of things on the beach from food and drinks to hats and souvenirs. There were also people walking around on the beach and playing live Brazilian music, which was great.

On the Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro there is so much going on that one is never bored. There is always something interesting happening. Also, it is very relaxing and I did rest today.

After the beach we went to a restaurant to eat real natural Brazilian food, which is so delicious. Then we went home to rest, change and get ready for tonight. There are some parties tonight in Ipanema and Copacabana, and there are also some samba parties in downtown Rio so we still don’t know where we are going but I am looking forward and I am sure it will be great no matter where we go. Last night we went to a club in Ipanema and it was great. They had a live samba show as well and everyone danced on the dance floor. I love Brasil.

Business Class to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Boarding started on time around 9pm and both my friend and I got upgraded to business class. They changed the aircraft in Chicago to a bigger one, Boeing 777 because the plane from Washington DC was cancelled due to bad weather so this aircraft needs to pick up additional passengers on its way back.

Luckily we chose to connect in Chicago. Usually we always connect in Washington DC but this time we wanted to experience the new bigger and improved business class on Boeing 767, which didn’t happen but at least we are going to Rio.

Weather in Chicago was getting worse and we thought our flight would be cancelled too, which luckily did not. Although the flight was delayed by 3 hours due to minor mechanical problem that was corrected we finally took off and the destination is hot and sunny 100 degrees beautiful Rio de Janeiro.

Actually we were so lucky because this was the last flight out of Chicago, DC or New York until Friday. All flights are cancelled due to the snow storm. Wow, I am so happy we made it. Also, we just heard that there was an earthquake in Chicago too this morning just after we left.

The flight took about 10 hours. Just before we boarded the aircraft we saw a guy who we met in Rio last time we went there in November. It was so funny to see him. In November when we met him for the first time he and his friend were sitting just next to us in business class. And now this time he was sitting next to us as well in business. The World is very small. He gave us all the scoops about the carnival and how to get good tickets for Sambadrome and other carnival parties. It was very helpful and luckily we met him to give us some carnival tips and hints. Rio here we come.

Traveling to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Our flight to Rio de Janeiro is still scheduled to be on time at 930pm tonight from Chicago. There is a storm coming and apparently will hit Chicago at around 11pm and then later it will hit New York area. I am hoping that we depart on time.

Due to the storm and lots of snow in many parts of the United States, United Airlines were forced to cancel about 800 flights only today. The weather in New York is very good and sunny. It is about 45 degrees. I haven’t seen any snow yet, but to be on the save side my friend and I took an earlier flight to Chicago since we saw that lots of afternoon flights to Chicago are getting cancelled.
The flight was full and on time. We arrived at 530pm in Chicago, about 4 hours before our connecting flight to warm and sunny 90 degrees Rio. In Chicago there is lots of snow at the moment and it is still snowing, but not that bad, so hopefully we can get out of here on time tonight.

Right now we are in United’s Red Carpet club relaxing, having a drink and reading a paper.

Last Day at My Current Project

Today is officially my last day at my current project. I am rolling-off of this amazing and unforgettable project after 4½ years being committed to the client and starting at a new project upon return from my adventurous vacation in amazing city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I am going to Rio for carnival and will be staying there for 10 days.

I have really and truly enjoyed my tenure at my current project and I appreciate having had the opportunity to work with all of the people. I am so thankful for the support, guidance, and encouragement the people have provided me during my time at the project. Even though I will miss all of my colleagues, I am looking forward to this new challenge and to starting a new phase of my career. Life is unpredictable and I am pretty sure our paths will cross again.

I am thankful for everything and grateful so much that people have made my time at the project truly enjoyable one. Professionally, I have gained a lot of knowledge and I shall always cherish this as one of the most satisfying phases in my career. Personally too I have shared a special bonding with all of the people and I shall take away with me cherished memories of our times together. It felt like we were family – one day screaming and yelling at each other and the next day laughing and smiling and just enjoying each other’s company.

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. Well, until we meet again, which I really hope we will.

Every single person said that they would miss me, especially the client. They all said how a stellar job I have done for the project. They said they would miss me not being around. Aside from my always excellent work they said they would miss my laughter and positive energy and making their days at the project much better. They said that happiness is contagious and that I certainly made them laugh, smile, entertain and just feel better. That was very nice and I was truly touched.

Opportunities and New Assignment

Life is full of surprises and great opportunities and it is up to us to take the advantage of it or just let it go. But once an opportunity knocks on our door we should definitely answer and evaluate if it is a really a good opportunity or not. And if there are more advantages than disadvantages we should just go for it, simple, right? Well, it is not always that simple, although life should be relatively simple but unfortunately we make it complicated and complex.

According to the definition an opportunity is “a good chance for advanced or progress”. In every situation we need to look for opportunities, for a chance to advance. Sometimes they are obvious and sometimes they are not. This is all logical and common sense. In any case, what I am facing right now is a choice between multiple great opportunities, which is excellent. It is much better to have choices than not. So the question is “which one should I chose”. These are all work related opportunities, and I am very grateful that I have choices in today’s bad economy and bad job situation.

My real concern is to choose something that will last long and be good for advancement of my career and at the same time to be challenging, interesting and exciting. Unfortunately we don’t know until we try so we need to take chances and risks. Someone once said that the best way of living is not knowing how the day would end, and I like that saying and I am trying to live that philosophy.

In any case, I will certainly do everything what’s in my power to make it work and whatever I chose, I will make it to be the best fit for me. Positive thinking Life is full of choices after all.

Also, the best compliment I have ever got so far was from my current client project manager who said “The best always come back, and you’ll be back”. That was very nice from her. I felt special. Well, my new assignment – here I come.

A Lucky Day

Wow, today was a really lucky day for my friend and I, and we celebrated by going out for a nice dinner and bowling with some friends. Our friend Sanne from Holland is visiting for a few days and she had escargots for appetizers, which apparently were delicious. I didn’t dare to try them. After couple of cocktails, we went to Lucky’s bowling alley, which unfortunately was booked for a private party, so we went to Chelsea pear 300 bowling alley instead.

My dear friend Shawn joined us for bowling, who thought that he would win when playing against me. Well, he had a wild dream that did not come true. The first game he lost of course. I didn’t expect anything else except me to win of course. Then the rest of the evening we didn’t count who won or lost, it wasn’t that important. We just enjoyed the great company of each other and delicious champagne. After 3 bottles of champagne I got little tipsy.

Tonight was a great and unforgettable night celebrated with my dear friends. An excellent night actually with lots of fun, laughter and just great time.

Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family, New York, January 27th, 2010

Mr. Perry – THANK YOU. Thank you very much for bringing Madea to me, and thank you so much for making me laugh, cry of laughter, feel great, learn and just have two hours of excellent and unforgettable time.

Tonight I was privileged and one of the lucky ones to see Madea live on the stage. My friend and I had front row seats in center orchestra at WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York. Oh, I fought on the phone for those seats. Even though I immediately went online to purchase tickets when presale started, I could not get anything in the center orchestra. Then the day after, first thing when all tickets went on sale for public I went online and called Ticketmaster and still I could not get first 5 rows in center orchestra. While I was talking for an hour with the sales agent I also went to other sites and I saw that they do have great center orchestra seats but for double or triple price. So, after I was not accepting no for an answer the sales person asked me if I had American Express credit card, which luckily I had. So I got my front row seats for original price. Unbelievable. All those seats are reserved for American Express card holders, which is wrong in my opinion. Luckily I have one so I could get the 1st row seat, but it is not fair towards all other people who don’t have American Express card. Anyway. Now back to Mr. Perry, who is brilliant by the way and was worth fighting for the tickets.

Both my friend and I are big Tyler Perry and Madea fans. I have every single play and every single movie on DVD that I am watching a couple of times a week. Madea is hilarious and very funny. And she is so real and honest. I just love her.

Tyler Perry, who is a creator of Madea, is finally on the road again after 5 years, and I am very grateful for that. Although Mr. Perry, at the end of the show, said that he is thankful for us being there for him, I must say that I am very thankful for him being there for us and doing Madea ones again live on the stage just for us. It is so much better and much more fun watching Madea live on the stage than on TV. The show was really great. It was a very nice and touching story and only Madea could deliver it in the most fun, intelligent and hilarious way.

“Madea’s Big Happy Family” is about a lady who is terminally ill and wants to gather all her family together to give them the news and at the same time she hopes that it draws them closer to each other and to God. Unfortunately her family is like everyone else’s family all over the place and everyone is just focusing on their own business, so it is up to Madea, the Matriarch General in charge, to put everyone in check and to solve all the family problems.

Tyler Perry, who is playing Madea, has done an excellent job by having Madea put the family life in perspective with a hilarious twist on many family issues like financial difficulties, drugs, and most importantly the family secrets. Of course, all of these things and lessens that Madea is trying to teach us, are all common sense and logical, but we as human beings must repeat these things until they get stuck and become like a root in our head. As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once long time ago said “All intelligent thoughts have already been thought; what is necessary is only to try to think them again.”

Thank you once again, Tyler Perry, for a masterpiece and bringing Madea back.

“Michelle’s 26th Birthday” Movie is Finally Out

Some of you might already have seen the preview of Michelle’s 26th Birthday Celebration movie while back and some of you have shared that amazing night on August 13th, 2009 together with the lead star Michelle. In any case, the link for preview is below in case you have missed it or would like to see it again. It is only a minute long.

The long waited movie of that amazing and extraordinary karaoke night is finally out. It is about 17 minutes long and full of great scenes including some outtakes and bloopers at the end. We all gathered together, friends and colleagues, on August 13th, 2009 to celebrate together with our dear friend Michelle (Nicole) her 26th Birthday. It is a joy to watch all of us together laughing, dancing, singing and having a great time. Especially now that we all are probably going our separate ways and who knows when we will see each other again, this movie can be an excellent thing to watch years from now to remember the time we have had together on the project and to remember how much fun we had.

I hope you will like and enjoy the movie. So far it has received excellent reviews, and there is no surprise that director and producer Thomas has decided to make a sequel.
Since on youtube.com 10 minutes is max length of a video, I had to break this one into 2 parts.

Part 1 of 2 – Michelle’s 26th Birthday

Part 2 of 2 – Michelle’s 26th Birthday

Charlotte’s 4th Birthday

Our little princess Charlotte is turning 4 today and I created a little video for her 4th birthday. It is just a few minutes long video with some cute pictures and videos of Charlotte and her family. Also, today we had a birthday party to celebrate her 4th birthday and we all had lots of great fun. I really hope she enjoyed her day – it seems like she has. She got lots of cool and great presents and she was so cute and adorable. We all danced and eat a birthday cake. I will be posting some pictures later on of this wonderful birthday celebration.