Moikka! Minun nimi on Matheus ja olen kotoisin Brasiliasta, mutta nyt minä asun Suomessa, koska olen vaihto-opiskelija Tampereen Yliopistossa. Minä rakastan kieliä ja minä opiskelen suomen kieli myös, mutta minun suomi on tosi huono. Opiskelen Suomi Yksi kurssi yliopistossa maanantaina ja keskivikkona aamulla, mutta tänään oli viimeinen päivä. Maaliskuulla ja huhtikuulla minä opiskelen Suomi Kaksi (I mean "I will take/study Finnish 2").

Is "live from the heart" a comprehensible sentence? A friend of mine asked me what were my thoughts on this sentence as she plans on getting it tattooed. I said it didn't seem incorrect to me. However, I wasn't sure if it sounded natural. She told me the purpose is to say something such as "live accordingly to whom you truly are". In this case, is "live from the heart" a good and correct way to put it? Thank you in advance.

I enjoy reading a wide range of books. In fact, I like that going through different genres or thematics allows us to broaden our perspectives and knowledge by pushing us out of our bubbles. However, everyone has a preferred type of book, and I don't differ from that. I really enjoy classic books, or books that are in the canon of world literature. The reason is that they are usually on the basis of so many other studies and thoughts that evolved later, and it makes us better comprehend our world and realities: Faust, by Göethe, for instance, is studied on philosophy or even psychoanalysis. I also enjoy books on adventure, especially the ones based on real stories, such as travelers' diaries, memories and descriptions of the 18th and 19th centuries. Apart from romances, I also enjoy reading books on history, religion and biographies.

I am planning on renting a car with my coworker and driving all the way down from São Paulo to Florianópolis. That would be around 700 km or a half-day-drive. Florianópolis is the capital of Santa Catarina, a state in the South that has beautiful beaches and lots of pleasing landscapes. To reach it, we have to drive all the way through Paraná, a state that divides the South from the Southeast, which is where São Paulo is. Instead of just driving downwards porposelessly, our plans are to make it a 10-day adventure, staying in at least two other cities in between: Curitiba and Balneário Camboriú. Even though we are thinking of driving all the way to Florianópolis by the coast as much as possible, therefore seeing so many beaches, August is a month of winter, so it is unlikely we are going to enjoy the water - but that still sounds like a plunge into fun times.

I love reading. As a future librarian, I am fond of books and enjoy being surrounded by stories and knowledge. I specially like to read books bought on second-hand bookstores because they carry twice as much meaning: not only the narrative of the book itself, but also the story that is not written yet can still be seen for example on the marks left by the former owner or sometimes even objects left between the pages, such as bookmarks or receipts. Many people may not value those things, but I think they are of so much meaning, and it proves that every book is unique in their way and that each one has a story... or many!

Childness is a phase of one's life in which there is the development of cognitive, emotional and social skills. Children are, therefore, much susceptible to what they are exposed. Researches say children nowadays spend more time in front of screens and surfing the internet than the acceptable amount according to professionals. Hence, the risk of coming across innapropriate content, such as violence, indecorous vocabulary or unrespectful attitudes, may grow significantly. Online gaming, for instance, usually explore the use of fireguns, physical violence and robbery, and not rarely parents are oblivious to what their enfants are getting in touch with online.

The picture I am describing today is from the NYT series 'What's Going On in This Picture'. The image shows a metropolis. The urban landscape is filled with buildings of different sizes, heights and shapes. In the center of the picture, it is possible to observe a stadium of significant proportions, and the circular format of the stadium breaks the squarish monotonous view. The sun sets and the city is turning its lights on: street lamps, vehicles' headlights and the lights of the edifices slowly seem to come into life. On top of the picture, human figures are seen, like the ones of Plato's cave. It gives the impression their shadows are reflecting on the orange sky. A glimpse might even make us think it has been edited. However, I reckon it is a matter of visual play that the photographer intended to make. Probably the people at the summit of a skyscraper were delighting themselves with the view of the sunset over the city. The protection glass wall reflected their image and the photographer then took the snap of the landscape through the glass. The darker side of the picture, that is the city, was conserved, while the lighter part, which is the sky, reflected the people behind the photographer on the glass wall, mixing the colorful dusk sky with their shadows, giving therefore the impression that giant human forms were hovering over the city.

The picture I chose to talk about was found on the New York Times website. They post curious images weekly in order for students to discuss them. This week's image shows two men in an environment of sand dunes, much like a desert. The dunes look beautiful and smoothly shaped by the wind. In the background, rocky mountains loom on the horizon. The men are near the observer. One of them wears black shirt and pants. As for the feet, he's got black shoes on. He looks thin and tall, and the shot seems to have been taken while he was walking towards the other man as his right leg is slightly suspense on the air. The other man seems to be older. He wears long-sleeves, shorts, and boots. Also, he is holding what appears to be a metal stake with a round object at its end, like a furry microphone. It looks even more like a special microphone for capturing underground sounds because he has got headphones on as well. They are looking down at the sand, which gives the impression that they found something of importance. I believe they are researchers.

On the breakfast table of a Brazilian family it is expectable that one beverage and one food will not be missing: bread and coffee. There are many types of breads, some are sweet, others are savoury, but one specific is called the "French bread" - albeit the recipe is not originally from France. Along the country, many names are found to describe the well-known "French bread", which is usually eaten with butter, scrambled eggs or cream cheese. Having a cup of coffee and milk is as well common. Some even like to dip a slice of their bread into the coffee. I particularly enjoy having sweet food in the morning, like a cake or crackers with marmalade. I also enjoy couscous, which is important to mention as it is a major food in most parts of Brazil - our couscous is different from others found abroad because it is made of corn flour. Couscous can be eaten solely or accompanied by meat, eggs, sausages and the like.