We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Merry Christmas:)

Christmas memories

I like very much Christmas. All the atmosphere of this season it`s a kind of magic.
The Christmas symbols are very beautiful and help to increase the Christmas spirit. The people dream with better days and imagine good things. At Christmas I meet some relatives that I don’t see the rest of the year. I spend Christmas with my parents, uncles, aunts and cousins. I play with my cousins and at midnight we are all very anxious to open the presents. We are very happy because we usually received the presents that we wanted. It’s very emotional, of course, but I don’t believe in Santa. when I was little I used to believe in Santa and awaited anxious his arrival. In Christmas I usually went to the circus. I remember especially a Christmas when I went to my cousins`s house and it was snowing. I played in the snow with my cousins and we made a snowman. It was the most beautiful of the street. At night, after Christmas dinner we waited for our presents and then we screamed of joy and played with all of them. At my childhood I believe in Santa Claus,but only when I was very young, and I was very gratefull to him. At eigth years I suspected that were my parents who brought the presents and after that I was certain.

Christmas

Because Christmas is coming ...

8th Challenge

My creator used to be a teacher in Porto. What's her name?

Christmas memories

I'd love to go back to my childhood. Christmas could be lived differently, we could live its real magic.
I spent all day anxious to open the presents.
I loved having dinner with my cousins, my parents and my uncles and aunts.
I believed in Santa Claus, and every year I wrote a letter with the list of things I wanted to receive, and those presents appeared by magic. I was amazed. And after opening all the presents, I shared them with my cousins, and they shared theirs with me.
Now that I'm older, I no longer believe in Santa Claus, but I believe in the magic of Christmas.

Christmas memories

Despite the crowded shopping centres and all the stress to buy the presents on time, I love Christmas!

I have wonderful memories of past Christmas and I hope you have some too. Tell us one of your best Christmas memories. Here is mine.

I was 8 or 9 and I had decided that Santa Claus wasn't real. My older cousins were always making fun of me because I wanted to keep believing, so I decided "I'm too old to believe in Santa Claus. It will be different this year..." I used to write a letter with a wish, but I didn't do it that year. However, I told my parents I wanted a bike. Unfortunately, they told me they couldn't afford it (a bicycle was something very expensive 20 years ago). On Christmas eve, I arrived home from my aunt's house, where we had dinner, and I looked for a bike all over the house, but there was no bike... The house wasn't very big, it was impossible to hide it... I remember that I was very sad, but only for some seconds, because a shiny white bicycle appeared in my bedroom as if by magic. I had been there a few seconds before and it wasn't there, how was it possible? At that moment I was sure that Santa was real... He made a bike appear in my room! Later I found out that my dad pulled it out from under the bed in just seconds while I was searching the other rooms. I couldn't see it because there were some boxes hiding it. I was very happy: I had my bike and Santa Claus was real, at least for one year more...
I can hardly wait to read about your memories...

Isn't Christmas fun? Watch the video and see how fun it can be...

India

Map of India

Scotland

Edinburgh Castle

England

Map of England

England - London

Houses of Parliament city of London_ England

Australia

Australia is a country in the southern hemisphere and it belongs to the Commonwealth.. The official language is English and the capital is Canberra. Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians.

The koala and the eucaliptus form an iconic Australian pair, but also the kangaroo and the crocodile.

the USA

On the left: The flag of The United States of America.

On the right: New York city - one of the biggest cities in the world.

The USA is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight states and Washington D.C., the capital district, are between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south.

How famous people mistreat the English language

When I drive to school in the morning, I usually listen to a radio programme on Antena 3 called Serginho na Farmville. Some time ago, the subject was how famous Portuguese personalities mistreat the English language: Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sócrates... It's very funny, specially their pronunciation!

Have fun!

http://mp3.rtp.pt/mp3/wavrss/at3/827197_66025-1005131928.mp3

7th Challenge

She lived in 10 Downing Street for 11 years. She was so tough that iron was part of her nickname. Who was she?

Margaret Thatcher served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and her tough-talking rhetoric gained her the nickname the "Iron Lady".

South Africa

- South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with 2,798 miles of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
The climate varies from a small area of Mediterranean climate in the far south, in the Cape region, the desert northwest.

- Flag of south africa

New Zealand

New Zealand map

New Zealand government and the parliament in Wellington

6th Challenge

I was a giant and a dwarf. My life was full of adventures.
My "father's" name was Swift.
Who am I?

Chatroom for students of English

Dear students,
here is the link to one of the many chat rooms where you can communicate with other students of English as a foreign language. Don't forget that you need to have a Java support in your computer to enter the chat. I hope you are more successful than I was... If you manage to speak with someone interesting, tell us all about it.
http://www.englishclub.com/esl-chat/chatroom-2.htm

5th Challenge

What are people celebrating in the United Kingdom this evening?

In 1605, thirteen young men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor. In doing so, they would kill the King, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament who were making life difficult for the Catholics.

To carry out their plan, the conspirators got hold of 36 barrels of gunpowder - and stored them in a cellar, just under the House of Lords.
But as the group worked on the plot, it became clear that innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including some people who even fought for more rights for Catholics. Some of the plotters started having second thoughts. A warning letter reached the King, and the King's forces made plans to stop the conspirators. Guy Fawkes, who was in the cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th, was caught, tortured and executed.

On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, on November 5th, 1605, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the King. Since then, November 5th has become known as Bonfire Night. The event is commemorated every year with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire.
Some of the English wonder, whether they are celebrating Fawkes' execution or honouring his attempt to do away with the government.

Lost in Translation

Dear students,

last lesson we watched some parts of the fabulous film Lost in Translation as it was an interesting film to discuss some ideas related to the topic we have been dealing with. Here you can read about it or watch the trailer. Have fun!

Bob Harris is an American film actor, far past his prime. He visits Tokyo to appear in commercials, and he meets Charlotte, the young wife of a visiting photographer. Bored and weary, Bob and Charlotte make ideal if improbable travelling companions. Charlotte is looking for "her place in life," and Bob is tolerating a mediocre stateside marriage. Both separately and together, they live the experience of the American in Tokyo. Bob and Charlotte suffer both confusion and hilarity due to the cultural and language differences between themselves and the Japanese. As the relationship between Bob and Charlotte deepens, they come to the realization that their visits to Japan, and one another, must soon end.

4th Challenge

This one is easy...

What was the name of the famous band where my wife used to sing?

Good luck and hurry up!

3rd Challenge

As usual, you will be the winner of this challenge if you are the first to comment with the correct answer for the following question:

Who created the famous novel and later film character in the picture?



Will this challenge be more difficult than the previous ones? Let's see how fast you are... Good luck!

1st Test

Topics(reading comprehension + vocabulary+composition):

• A multilingual world;
• English as Lingua Franca;
• formal and informal letters;

Grammar: Parts of speech (an exercise similar to the one we did in the workbook), verb tenses (Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple and Present Perfect), connectors (rephrasing)

Who Am I? - Vanessa

Hi. My name is Vanessa and I live in “Porto”. I was born in June. I’m curious, kind, funny, sweet, friendly, conceited and responsible. I’m a student in “Escola Secundária de Rio Tinto”. I love Maths and I don’t like Physical Education, but I like playing volleyball.

For me, my family and my friends are everything.

In my free time, I like listening to music, dancing, reading and making necklaces and bracelets. I love Hello Kitty and my favourite colours are pink and green. I like going to the shopping centre and to the cinema with my family or friends.

When I dance, I feel like a new girl. I have practised ballet for twelve years.

My favourite singers are Alicia Keys, Enigma, Lady Gaga, Shakira but I also like Portuguese singers, for example Mafalda Veiga.

I adore craftswork, making necklaces and bracelets are one of my favourites because it’s creative, original and I earn some money. I love to travel. Ihave been to “Palma Maiorca”, “Tenerife”, “La Manga”, “Lanzarote”, “Gran Canaria”, “ Madeira”, “Cabo Verde”, “Tunisia”, “Marroco”, “Palermo”, “Sicilia”, “Rome”, “Malta”, “Barcelona”, “Madrid”, “Las Palmas”, “ Fuerteventura” and “Paris”. I want to visit London!

That's all for the moment. See you around!

Who am I - Pedro Domingues

Hello!

My name is Pedro Domingues. I´m 15 years old and I live in Rio Tinto.

In my free time I like listening to music, being with my friends, and playing the guitar. I have a sister, 25 years old, who is cool but annoying.

I have some favourite bands of music like, 30 seconds to Mars, Listen house, Nickelback, Pearl Jam.

My favourite subject is Maths.

One of my dreams is to play in a band.

Well… I don´t have anything else to say, so goodbye.  :D

Who am I? -Mariana

 My name is Mariana and I’m 14 years old. I live in Porto. I have an older brother. In my free time I play basketball, I like listening to music, going out with my friends and reading. My favourite writer is Agatha Christie and my favourite bands are Coldplay, AC DC, Metallica and others. I also like watching TV, my favourite series are Family Guy, the Simpsons, American Dad and others. One day I want go to Edinburgh because of the monuments, the view and the water of Leith. I also want go to New York to see Brooklyn and the Statue of Liberty.

I think its all for now.

Goodbye :)

Who am I? Carina N.

Hello!
My name is Carina N, I'm 15 years old and I was born on the same day as David Beckham, the famous English football player. I live with my grandparents and my cousin because my mom and my dad are divorced and my mother has recently moved to Switzerland. My grandparentss are like parents to me, because it was them who raised me, but I love my mom and my dad of course! When I grow up I would like to be a veterinarian, I love animals, dogs are the ones I love the most.
My hobbies aren't anything special, I like to read, specially the collection of books "Cherub", books from Nicholas Sparks, "Hush Hush" and others, but I would like to read some books from "old" English writers, such as William Shakespeare and Emily Brontë. I like to watch tv, specially sitcoms that make me laugh, like "Friends", "How I met your mom". But other series too, like NCIS, that makes me laugh too. Tony and Ziva are the ones who give me the best laughs. I like to listen to music too, almost every kind of music, my favourite singer is Avril Lavigne, but I like Paramore too. I'm crazy about cinema! If I could, I would go to the cinema every day, although I don't know as much movies as I would like. I like to walk on the beach, but only at night, it's a nice place to think, it brings us peace, and if you're with your best friends or another special person it's even nicer, to share something as beautiful. As you can see my hobbies are the usual things, but this is what I like to do and I wouldn't change anything in my life. One day I would like to visit London, I usually say that it is my "dream-city".
Well, I think it's everything, see you soon!

Who am I? - Luís Torres

Hi! I'm Luís Torres.

I'm 15 years old and I live in the north of Portugal in Rio Tinto with my parents and I have two pets which are two cats whose names are Bianca and Nuria. My favourite subjects are English, Maths and Biology.

In my free time I like playing computer games, watching TV, reading books and I like listening to music, especially the Beatles and also rock music.

I like watching movies and my favourite movie is Lord of the Rings and my favourite series are the Simpsons and Family Guy. I like games like Brothers in Arms and Call of Juarez.

That's all for now. Bye...


See you soon...

Who am I - João

HI! My name is João, I was born in Brazil in 1994 and lived there until 2001. Now I live in Rio Tinto, Portugal.

I have one brother and one sister both younger than me.

My hobbies are playing computer and ps3, listening to music. My favourite kind of music is metal and I also like rock bands like, system of a down, linkin park, and others.

I also like watching TV, specially TV shows like Supernatural, ncis, the mentalist, and movies but I prefer the cinema.

Who am I - Catarina

Hello!

My name is Catarina Ferreira. I'm 15 years old and live in Fanzeres.
In my free time what I like to do most is walking, listening to music, being with my friends, and especially being with family. I have a sister, 29 years old, who  is the best sister of the UNIVERSE to me.
I don't have a favourite kind of music, because I like to listen to them depending on my state of mind.
The subjects that I like are Biology and Portuguese.
One of my dreams is to take the Nursing course and specialize in INEM.
My passion is the fire department and INEM ...
Well...I think that I have no more to say ...
Goodbye :)

Who am I - Sofia*

Hello! my name is Ana Sofia, I'm 15 years old. I have lived in Baguim do Monte since ever, and I love living here! I have a younger sister, who ruins my patience. She's 5 years old, but of course I love my sister. Sometimes we hug a lot but we also fight (but of course I'm always right)! I practised volleyball since I was seven but I've quit recently. I love playing volleyball age 7 to 10 years old practiced in school sports and cultural Gondomar, after up to 15 years old at the club practiced Ala Nun 'Alvares Gondomar!
In my free time, dance and music are always present. I love listening to music. I like Colbie Caillat, Lady Antebellum, Charice, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Ne-yo, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Cascada, and I also like some of the music of Justin Bieber, and many other singers.
I love to walk, learn new things, going to the cinema, and shopping! I would like to go to the Dominican Republic, Brazil and London! The season I like best is the summer, I love the sun, the beach, pool, heat!
I consider myself a nice person, friendly, fun but I'm also jealous, impatient and lazy!

Goodbye ! (:

Who am I - Renata Sofia

Hello!
My name is Renata Sofia, I´m seventeen years old and I live in Rio Tinto, Portugal.
In my spare time, I like going to the cinema, I like watching TV, walking with my friends, listening to music and dancing. I LOVE TO DANCE! I can say that dancing is a part of me. My favourite subject is Physcal Education, I love practising sports.
I love to have fun and I like making people laugh. My favourite singer is Eminem, one my favourite songs is "Beautiful", that's an amazing song. I have two sisters, my older sister is twenty-two years old and my young sister is eleven years old. I live with my uncle and aunt, my sisters and my parents live in Spain. I wanted to stay here because I didn't want to leave everything I have here and start a new life but I really miss them.
My favourite channel is MTV. I like watching Jersey Shore, Sixteen and Pregnant, Disaster Date and Skins. One day I would like to go to New York and Brazil because they are very nice places to visit. I think now you know a little more about me so I say goodbye!

Who am I? - Fabio

Hi! My name is Fabio and I live in a beautiful city. I was born in 1995 and I am a good student.

My hobbies are playing football, being with my friends, swimming, playing cards, listening to some music and watching TV. I do not like reading much. My favourite type of music is the quiet kind.

My true dream is travelling the world and bring a souvenir back from each country so that I can remember those countries.

Who am I? - Elisa

My name is Elisa, I am 15 years old. I live in Porto and I love living here. I love the region where I live, it´s very beautiful. I was born here and I live with my parents and my sister.

My sister is 10 years old, she is 5 years younger than me. Sometimes she is annoying but most of the times she is very cool. We also have our arguments now and then but soon everything goes back to normal.

I have a dog named Snoopy. He is a little old dog, but still full of energy and very sweet. He sometimes destroys some things but it is rare.

I love music! I listen to a little of everything, like Alicia Keys, Michael Jackson, and others.

I love to walk, I enjoy spending time with friends and being on the computer.

My favourite sports are volleyball and basketball, but at the moment I don´t practise any sports.

I love the English language but I have some difficulties.

I wouldn´t like to live out of Potugal but I would like to visit some cities such as London and Paris because they look interesting.

In the future, I would like to become a pediatrician, because it is an area that I like and it is related to babies, something that I love.

I am a simple girl, I love helping the others who need, I love being with friends and my family.

I think that is all.

See ya!

Who am I - Andreia

Hello everybody! (:
I am Andreia and I am 15 years old. I live in the north of Portugal in a town called Rio Tinto, I like living here. I have no brothers or sisters but I would like to have.

Well... I love playing the guitar, listening to music and I love singing even more, but I don't have a good voice. I prefer to sing in English than in Portuguese. I also love animals. One day I would like to be a veterinarian, it has been my dream since I was very young and I'll fight for it.

I don't have a favourite kind of music, but I like listening to "old songs". I like Miley Cyrus. I love her music and I like her as a person, I admire her.
I like English, Geology and Maths.

In sports a like dancing.

One day I would like to live in the USA, it is my favorite country, where everything happens and it is wonderful.

Well... I think that I have no more to say, so goodbye. (:

Who am I ? - Daniel

Hello! My name is Daniel but my friends call me Vodka.

I live in a beautiful country.
I am 15 years old because I born in 1995.
I love my friends and I like to help them in everything they need because I also know I can count on them.
I play a lot of computer games as Counter-Strike, Metin and COD MW2.
I also like music, almost all types of music including English.
I love hanging out with my friends, going to the movies and to parties.

I like playing handball and football with my friends.

I dream one day living in New York.
It's all about me! For more info call me :D

Who am I? - CarinaT

Hi! My name is Carina and I was born five years before the turn of the millennium. I have lived in Rio Tinto for almost six years with my older sister and my parents.

The things I like to do the most are the things that everyone likes. I love listening to music and singing, although I'm not a good singer. I like watching TV, playing computer and reading! I also like travelling and New York is a city that I'd love to visit or, who knows, maybe live there.

One of my favourite series is ''Friends'', because it's a series that makes me laugh.

I don't have a favourite kind of music, but I like listening to Rock and Pop. What I listen depends on my mood.

I love the books by Nicholas Sparks, he is one of my favourite writers, because his books make the reader feel lots of different feelings and sometimes I feel so related to what he writes that it's like as if he were telling my own story.

Concerning sports, volleyball is my favourite. Maths is my favourite subject and the one I don't like that much is Portuguese.

I still don't know what career I want to have, I just know that I want something related to Maths.

Well... I guess it's all I have to say. (:

Who am I? - ré.

Hello, my name is Renata.
I'm 15 years old and I live in Rio Tinto.
I love my friends because they help me when I need.
I have an older brother whom I really like and my parents are the best in the world.
I love music! I'm crazy about pop music and I love singers like Rihanna, Beyonce, Codplay and Lady Gaga.
I have a dream which is visiting New York with my friends.
I love writing, I write a lot of texts about my life.
I play volleyball in my school.

Goodbye (;

Halloween

Dear students,
if you want to learn more about Halloween and get inspired for our ghost story, watch the video and post your comment.

Halloween ghost story

Dear students,
Halloween is next week and we are celebrating it with our own ghost story. I wrote the beginning and you should continue it according to your imagination. You can start posting comments to continue it, but please follow the rules.
1. Each comment mustn’t have more than 150 words.
2. Each student can comment only two times.
3. Try to keep the initial tone and don’t forget to mention the characters who are already part of the story.
4. You may add new characters, human or not, as long as they fit the story. Don’t forget to describe them.
5. If two of you post almost at the same time, the last entry will be deleted or you can edit it according to the previous post.
6. Don’t write your paragraph directly in the comment box – copy it from a word document previously written.
7. Pay attention to the previous details and don't complicate the story too much.

8. Be creative and have fun!
It was foggy and cold on that dark moonless night. One could hear cats disturbingly crying and screaming as if they were being tortured by shadows. The small village was sleeping, but Dr. Farrow was returning home from Jake’s house. “Why can’t I find a reason for those strange scars on Jake’s body? Where did they come from? They keep appearing from nowhere… And all that agony… The man is in so much pain and I can’t help him” – he thought. Suddenly, a dog started barking furiously and Dr. Farrow got startled in a jump, feeling his heart bumping in his chest. He took some minutes to recover and continued his way home. His house was in the woods just outside the village, and there he lived with his wife and daughter. “Strange… the lights are on” – he thought while opening the door. He couldn’t understand the terrible picture he saw next: Marian and Eve, his wife and daughter, were sitting on the sofa and they didn’t look human. Their faces were very pale covered in purple veins, their eyes were all white and they had a frightening smile. “We were waiting for you, Daddy!” – it wasn’t Eve’s voice anymore, it was the voice of a monster.

Who am I - Pedro Gil

Hey! I’m Pedro Gil and I’m a 14-year-old student from Gondomar, Portugal. I can’t say I hate living there but I don't love it either. I would have loved to be born in another country, somewhere around the United Kingdom, America, or maybe even Germany. I love English because it’s a way for me to talk to many people from other countries with different cultures. I also like knowing more than one language because it somehow raises my culture a little bit.

I have an older brother whom I really like. He’s kind of an idol to me but of course I want to be even better than him. I live with my parents and I have a female dog which I love to play with. I taught her many things like sitting down and fetching a ball.

I love music! I like almost a little bit of every kind of music but my favourite style is Rock and Metal. My favourite bands are KoRN and Sevendust.

In my free time I usually talk to people, watch movies, play online games or help at home.

One of my biggest dreams is to be a veterinary when I grow up and be invited by BBC to do a research in an habitat to find new species.

That’s all I have to say at the moment. See you around!

Who am I? - Daniel

Hi! My name is Daniel and I live in a beautiful city. I was born in 1995. I’m a student.

My hobbies are playing computer, being with my friends, listening to music and watching TV. I don’t like reading, but a collection of books motivated me: it is called “CHERUB”, by Robert Muchamore. My favourite kind of music is rap, but sometimes I like listening to “Bloodhound Gang” and “Black Eyed Peas”. My favourite singer is Marshall Bruce Mathers also known as Eminem.

I have a dream, and that dream is visiting Australia and New Zealand. I want to see the animals there and the views. Too bad that Australia is so far from Portugal.

Who am I? - Sara S.

Hello!
My name is Sara S., I live in Baguim do Monte, and I'm 16. I am friendly but very stubborn and persistent. This year, I have changed a lot. I was very quiet and now I will not shup up, I'm always talking. I love my family and my friends are the most important people in my life. They do everything for me. In my free time, I like reading, walking, being with friends, being on the computer. I love writing, I write a lot of texts and one day I would like to write a book. I love the subject Portuguese, and it is very difficult to get me to limit the number of words requested. I used to hate English, but with time I learned to like it, although I have some difficulties in understanding this language. I hated English songs, but now they are the ones I love. I would like to visit Brazil, the Azores, Madeira, London, among many other places.
I want to be a psychologist and I will fight for it.
I know that some things are impossible, but I will always fight for the impossible, to fulfill my dreams sooner than later.
I am a dreamer and I always want to dream.

2nd Challenge

What was the nickname of the oldest daughter of the King of England who had six wives?
Be the first to post the correct answer and you'll be the winner of the second challenge! Hurry up!

Who am I? - Nádia

Hello! Well, first of all, I think I need to tell you my name, so.. my name is Nádia. I'm a 15- year-old girl from Rio Tinto, which is a city in the north of Portugal, and I really like living here. I have two older sisters, and they can be annoying of course, but they are big supports to me, they help me a lot! I live with my mom, because my parents split up. I'm crazy about music, and I like pop a lot, and I love singers like Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson and Charice. I know a lot of people don't like Justin Bieber, but I don't care. In my free time I enjoy spending time with friends and family, I like listening to music too and I love sports, I just haven't found the right one for me yet but I'm thinking about doing sports in school. I love Gymnastics, Handball and Dance. One of my passions is English, I just love the language and I have always loved it since I was a little girl.
I have really good grades at it too and I always get along with teachers, because I think that they like having students that actually like English. I hate French. One day, I would love to live in the United States of America, because they speak English there, and their English is much more familiar to me. I would like to visit London, but it is a pretty cold country and I like to live in countries with a temperature similar to Portugal's. I like to visit international sites because I speak a lot of English there, and I can practise it.
I have a dog named Michael, which gives me hell but he can be very funny and sweet sometimes. He destroys a lot of things, but I forgive him! Well, I think that's the most I can tell, see ya!

1st Challenge

Dear students,

here is your first challenge:

"Can you guess who I am? You will be the winner of this challenge if you are the first to post my real name. Good luck!"

hello everybody (;

Who am I?

Dear students, this is your first assignment: write a short text about your interests, family, friends, school life... I'm looking forward to reading about you. Please, consider the following text about me as a model, but be creative and original as far as possible. You can send me your text through e-mail or show it to me in class to be corrected. You should post your assignment by 30th October.  Have fun!

Hello! My name is JoanaN and I live somewhere near a castle. I was born some months before John Lennon was shot. I've been a teacher for eight years and I love what I do.

In my free time I like going to the seaside for a walk, I play, sing and draw with my son and I read. Reading is one of my favourite hobbies. Last summer I read four books. The best was "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown. I can't think of anything better to do than lying in the sun on the beach with a good book.

Like most of you, I also like music. I listen to almost every kind of music depending on the situation. Diana Krall is one of my favourite singers, but I also like U2, Pearl Jam, Coldplay and there are fabulous new Portuguese bands. As a result of two memorable trips to Brazil, I also like Bossa Nova. I usually say that once you go to Brazil, you’ll never be the same. It’s a wonderful country!

Travelling is one of my passions. Saint Augustine said “the World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page” and I couldn’t agree more. We really grow when we meet new cultures and new people. In the near future I’d like to visit Paris and Greece.