Are you drinking too much?

We live in a society where alcohol use is acceptable and even encouraged in college years, but the question remains: are we drinking too much?

Many students might be consuming much more than their body can handle by pure peer pressure. It's college, your friends are inviting you to go to the club, the weather is pretty outside, you just turned 21 and all your friends are going.

Will you let that one go? I don't think so, but if you do, understand that alcohol works differently to individuals.

Alcohol has shown to work differently according to gender, age, weight and height, food consumed before drinking, carbonation, tolerance, mood and even physical condition.

Don't think you will get the same effects as your buddy, if you guys consumed the same amount. Body fat varies from one to another, and the more fat a person has, the less alcohol is absorbed by the body tissue.

It gets dangerous as binge drinking happens mostly with students of 18-25 years of age, leading students to jeopardize their career, or even get involved with alcohol-related convictions, vandalism and assaults.

Students can harm their future without even knowing it. Alcohol related problems can put your life at risk, and also the life of your loved ones.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), low-risk drinking means no more than four drinks on one day for men, and no more than three drinks per day for women. Alcohol consumed over this limit is already considered at-risk drinking.

Drinking rates at colleges are extremely high, and based on school research almost 83 percent of college students are consuming alcoholic beverages.

Although students might not be aware of the consequences of drinking, the College Alcohol Survey stated that one in four students will state to do poorly in class, fail exams, earn failing grades and even turn in mediocre work because of a late night out drinking.

College should be taken seriously, and your future too. Don't waste your wonderful college years with awful hangovers.

You don't deserve to go to a morning quiz while your head is about to explode due to the heavy drinking you did the night before. School comes first.

Be smart about your drinking, and enjoy college while you can.

A version of this was published at The Vista

I'm not what the media dictates I am

Society, you are wrong and we are through. We do not want to accept the negative misconceptions about who we are, or who we should be.

Since a young age, we are used to being judged by society and it's not easy.

You were judged by a new game you played on your Game Boy. You were judged by your cool purple shoes with glitter that your grandmother just got you. You are judged by your old backpack that is almost falling into pieces.

You are judged by all you do, and also by what you don't do.

We are often judged by our looks, ethnicity, race, financial status and even our capability of completing a task. It's sad, but true.

The main problem with these misconceptions, is that we embrace the mass of people as an unit and not immediately look at them as individuals.

Not all Asians are bad at speaking English, good at math, look identical or are small in stature.

Not all black men are irresponsible, hyper sexual, good at sports or lazy.

Not all Muslims are terrorists, smelly, extremely wealthy or hateful towards others' beliefs.

Not all women are weak, bossy, emotional or slutty.

Not at Latinos are illegal immigrants, maintenance workers, bilingual or abusive.

Not all gay men have aids, have  a good sense of fashion or are flaming drag queens.

Not all disabled people are helpless, useless, different or sick.

Not all Native Americans are mascots, animals, diseased or alcoholics.

Can we just live the life we want without worrying about others so much? No worrying about how others, the media and society perceives us.

Body Image and Unrealistic Goals

It's easy to get frustrated with unrealistic goals about our body, because every day we see hundreds of images and messages about how we should look. These unrealistic goals can lead to dissatisfaction towards your body and your looks.

Women in particular are targeted to look "delicate, soft and pretty." Even though women nowadays have a bigger role in society, their primary goal is still to look pretty.

I still remember when my friend told m, "If  she is pretty she doesn't have to study. She is pretty, that's her job."

I'm sorry, but this is the world we live in, where our image matters more than our capability. It's sad, but true.

Most teenage girls dream of having a super thin, fashion-model body, but little do they know, only 98 percent of the population in America has that body weight. This unattainable goal, drives women to engage in unhealthy eating habits in order to lose weight.

Many girls try to obtain that perfect thin body, engaging in some unhealthy activity involving calorie restriction and purging. They will go days eating less than the minimum required to survive, lacking many nutrients and vitamins.

Others will eat lots of food in one sitting, and then fast for a very long time. They might also use laxatives or excessive work outs in order to burn all the calories consumed.

Eating disorders are not fun, in fact, they are very dangerous. Health effects of a unbalanced diet include: loss of calcium, lack of menstruation or amenorrhea in women, low blood pressure, low energy, depressed mood, increased risk of infection, abdominal pain, irregular heart rhythms, sore throat and many more.

Some people may engage in activity disorder, where they train for longer periods of time, and feel they are controlling their body, when in fact, they are hurting themselves.

Reports also show that race and ethnicity take a big role in these case.  America for example has a huge impact in body image and looking pretty is a must. In other countries the ideal body image might be more attainable, or people might not put much effort in looking like a magazine ad.

Black women have shown to have a higher body satisfaction and higher self-esteem than white women in America.

It's also important to understand that this images we see everyday have been amended. Lighting, editing, crops and many other effects has been added to the picture to make it look ideal. Is it ideal to have an ad that only covers 2 percent of our nation?

I don't think so.

I believe these unrealistic goals further these diseases, leading more people to be self-conscious about their body. You can choose to ignore them and focus on your health instead.

Accept yourself and embrace your flaws.

It's time for a change! #ForaPT

Brazilians all over the globe are concerned about their home country. I don't blame them... Brazil suffered many accusations this year, and it has not been stable since then.

Many people involved in the government was caught stealing money out of our taxes. Billions of money where taken away from our pockets, and not used in our favor.

Today is the day where Brazilians make history! Millions of people are marching and protesting against the current President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, and asking for IMPEACHMENT. 

Impeachment is given when an authority has abused its power, and committed crimes against the citizens. The person in power will lose all rights and authorities depending on how many people are seeking impeachment.

Brazilians want a change, and they want the President out of their way!

Protests are happening in almost all city capitals, involving children, families, and grandparents to take action against the corrupted system.

Streets closed down in order to allow pedestrians to protest against corruption, lies, and broken promises.

Brazilians are tired of the way the government works, and they are truly waiting for a big change. #FORAPT

There are 1.938.072 signatures or petitions to take away the authorities from the current President. If you want to sign a petition, visit:
https://secure.avaaz.org/po/petition/Impeachment_da_Presidente_Dilma_1/?pv=3428. 

938.069x

Finding yourself traveling

We grow up in our beautiful homes, and believe it or not, we became similar to the ones that live around us. We start copying our mothers or brothers from a very young age, and without even noticing, we become alike.

That's all normal, but there will be a time when you start thinking for yourself and start gaining your own freedom.

The journey starts as soon as we leave our parents' home. College can be a very good reason for people to become independent and find their true self.

Everything that we were taught will become just a memory, and everything seems new to you-- just like a baby understanding colors at first sight.

The world becomes amusing, and even a single leaf that falls can bring you an expectation. You will meet people from different backgrounds, religions, points of view, likes or dislikes and so on.

Hold on, in your discovery you won't lose yourself, rather simplify who you really are.

I still remember when my Saudi friend grabbed a piece of chicken from my place with his little fingers. I don't like sharing food or people eating my food without my permission, but touching my food with your own hand? Come on, it's terrifying.

It's easy to think that our manners and beliefs are normal or common, because we all lived in a neighborhood that encounters the same lifestyle, but really, who is normal after all? Is it normal to eat from someone else's plate?

Is there a right and wrong?

After meeting people from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Africa, China, Japan, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela and more, I understood that our perceptions change when we try to see ourselves as small beings living in a huge world.

Why are we the ones that live in a normal lifestyle, if there are billions of people living a completely different life?

I believe traveling can be the best remedy for the soul because It opens your mind, and gives you wings to places you never thought you could go.

You won't need a lot of money for it, like most people would assume. A few dollars will get you far, believe me or not.

I've met many happy people living off a couple of dollars per day. In America that might not sound realistic, but trust me, we do not need money to be happy.

The rich are not the ones that have more money, but rather the ones that need it less. Fill your mind, not your pocket.

Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Disney World, Florida.

 

Catalina Island, CA. 

Carpinteria, CA.

Santa Barbara, CA.

Chicago, Illinois. 

New York, NY.

Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 

The N-word

The chaos is nonstop!

The video of students from the University of Oklahoma went viral in a couple hours, offending a huge community with their nonsense racist jokes.

The video was posted on YouTube this last Saturday by a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and soon dropped everybody's jaws.

The students were in a bus shouting that no black person will be in the fraternity, chanting and protesting against Blacks, and of course, they used the N-word.

 "We apologize for the unacceptable and racist behavior of the individuals in the video, and we are disgusted that any member would act in such a way. Furthermore, we are embarrassed by this video and offer our empathy not only to anyone outside the organization who is offended but also to our brothers who come from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures and ethnicity, said the University of Oklahoma."

 Hundreds of students are protesting against racism, and the University of Oklahoma said they won't accept any "jokes" made in the video.

The students involved in the video were expelled and had their membership privileges revoked permanently. (Sorry not sorry!)
 
Apparently, they looked very happy to say that no Black is welcomed to the fraternity. (Great for them, because this fraternity sucks anyway!)

Unfortunately, I understand that racism still exists, not only in America, but in  other countries as well.

My home country, Brazil, had the most slaves in the world! Can you believe that? It's true.

People in Brazil has all the reasons to be mad at whites, but instead, they blend in together. We don't hold racism like in most countries. At least, we avoid as much as we can! I can't wait for America to do the same.

Here's the video: 

Why you should stay single in your 20's?

Most single people I know complain about not having a partner, but we all know that being single isn’t the end of the world. Being single is a moment where we can truly find ourselves and understand who we are, so don’t complain so much if you don’t have a partner.

You can find your purpose in life: 

It doesn’t matter what religion you grew up practicing, at some moment in your life you will want to do some discoveries by yourself. This is the time to get over our insecurities and validate your worth.

Nobody can do that for you. Self-discovering is a vital part of growing up and as soon as you can focus on it, you will understand life better.

You won’t need to be compromised: 

When you are in a relationship everything you do matters, and everything you don’t do also effects your significant other. Enjoy your time alone, do whatever you want; go to the places you have never been.

Eat foods you never did and enjoy the ride without looking back. Being single means you won’t have pressure.

If you don’t want to shave your legs today, don’t. Be free to do whatever you desire.

You will meet new people whatever you go: 

I met the best friends in my life when I was single. When you are single, you won’t be focusing on your partner, but rather on your friends.

You will spend most of your free time with friends and interesting people. Your friends will be there for you whenever you need them.

You can exchange your number with a stranger and not feel bad about it. Afterwards, he or she can become only a friend.

You will have time to follow your passion:

Relationships take a lot of work and time too. Single students can focus more on their goals, like their career.

They will have more time to be dedicated to their classes, assignments and homework. They won’t feel bad for spending a long time studying, or for writing the perfect resume.

This is the time you can focus on your major.

Being single is not the end of the world, in fact, is a really fun stage to be in. Enjoy every single moment of it, and make life a fun experience.

You won’t regret it.

A version of this was posted at The Vista

Are you putting your life at risk?

It’s sad that most Americans have sedentary habits and are not well-motivated to be physically active. It’s alarming that a developed country would have problems with eating right and exercising correctly.

College students are in the spot light for not exercising enough: 55 percent are not getting the recommended amount of cardio in.

According to Healthy Life Skills, almost 40 percent of American adults are not physically active, and only 30 percent get the recommended amount of physical activity.

The benefits of being physically active are endless– from a general feeling of well being to decreased depression and anxiety. Exercising can improve sleep and also increase oxygen and nutrients in the brain.

So I ask myself, if physical activity brings us so many benefits, why are we not exercising enough?

I have to blame the marketplace for two reasons. First, I blame it for not showing us that exercise is extremely important and for not motivating us enough.

It’s unbelievable that we have numerous commercials of diet pills, but we do not have enough advertisements for being active outside with your friends, or enjoying a hike with beautiful scenery.

Second, I blame the marketplace for focusing on the biggest budget, and caring less about our health and nutrition patterns. Who cares if you will get diabetes in a couple decades if the food industry is getting richer, right?

Food companies are changing their packages to look more appealing to kids, knowing the kids will go for the most colorful box. They are negligent about their products and the health issues that can happen in a couple years.

The burden is on us– the consumers.

It’s funny that we can sit down for five minutes, watch TV and be wowed by how many yummy meals we can delight ourselves in. In a couple minutes we are thinking about food and nothing else.

The cheese is melting, the steak is frying or the mash potatoes are extraordinary, so why not leave exercise for later if we can have a bite now? I would too.

By not exercising well, or eating right for that matter, Americans are putting their health at risk.

You can simply take the stairs instead of riding in the elevator. You can choose an apple instead of a bag of chips.

You can park far so you can have a little walk. You can split a meal with a friend or get a to-go box.

You can simply walk outside with your dog for a couple minutes.

There are so many small decisions we can make to have a better lifestyle. Don’t wait until you have health problems to decide to take care of your body.

Care about your health and nutrition, because the world won’t do it for you. Be active.

A version of this was published at The Vista

American dollar is getting more expensive

It's very unfortunate for all Brazilians, but due to the inflation in Brazil, now is much harder for us to convert our Brazilian dollars into American dollars. Meaning, our own money is Brazil has been devalued, a lot!

People in Brazil are still getting paid the same, however, they are not able to travel abroad because their money is worth less in other countries.

The typical Brazilian tourist that wants to visit Florida, will now wait for the dollar to go down, and who knows how long that will take. Years, maybe?

Most Brazilians blame the President Dilma, and also the government with its corruptions. I blame the whole system, and how poorly government works.

We live in a beautiful, amazing country, and I'm sure we could have better lives if only the government worked properly. By that I mean, NO CORRUPTION!

It's unfair how the money is distributed. Where the rich always get richer and the poor, unfortunately, gets even poorer. The differences are shocking and alarming!

2015 should be a difficult a year for Brazil, with less economic growth, tax increases, inflation, unemployment, and raise in gas, water and electricity.

How will Brazilians manage to survive another year?

I don't know. I'm in shock to know that the dollar is reaching 2,98 today! Dollar experts suggested the dollar reaching 2,90 by the end of 2015, and here we are, reaching almost 3 before April.

The international commerce has gone down severely because nobody can afford foreign goods.

However, with the inflation at its rise in Brazil, consumers are not willing to buy domestics products either.

We can only hope that this chaos will end.

(The WORST of all is that the President Dilma was re-elected last year, so we still need to wait 4 years to see a great change. Thanks for all that voted for her. YES, I'm being sarcastic!)

You know you're Brazilian when....

You spell it Brasil and not Brazil.
You can meet somebody and in the same day become their best friend.
You take 2 or 3 showers per day (yes, we are actually clean).
You cannot anywhere without putting some deodorant and perfume on.
You think rice, beans, beef, and french fries is the best combination EVER. And it is!
You love watching Novelas (you could watch every day if you could).
You don't relate to the American coffee with lots of sugar and added stuff. You still desire that strong sip of coffee.
You call your friend's mom and dad as aunt or uncle (tia or tio).
You are always late for your appointments, but really, who cares about the time that much?
You give two or three kisses on the cheek when you first meet somebody, or when you are saying goodbye.
You brag about how Brazil is amazing and how we are great in soccer.
You are beautiful. We all are! (inside and out).
You have a big booty ( it's fact, most Brazilians - I mean 90% percent- have a big booty).
You go to the gym at least a couple times per week, and not going drives you crazy.
You love strangers, and get along with people very easy. 
You do not judge people by their ethnicity, age, gender, etc. We are all equal.
You love Carnival and the World Cup! 
You love PASSION FRUIT and everything made with it (cake, pie, juice etc).
You can wear your flip flops everywhere (and have a million pairs at home).
You cannot accept any other kind of steaks, besides Brazilian steaks.
You are happy with life, and try to take it easy, because after all, you are BRAZILIAN!

What NOT to include in your resume

Building your resume will take time, and believe me, it won’t be that easy. While most people battle with the things they should put on their resume, I will focus on the things you shouldn’t.

Please, do not include your photo in your resume, unless you are seeking a career in the film industry. Nobody will really pay attention how you look, unless you are trying to be the next Victoria’s Secret model.

Don’t be too confident about your skills and experience– be honest. Keep the adjectives to yourself, and don’t over estimate your abilities.

Irrelevant jobs should be kept away from your resume. If you were the mascot at your school last summer, you shouldn’t put that in your resume under jobs– maybe in activities or accomplishments. Stay away from things that don’t matter.

Physical characteristics should not be in your resume. I repeat– stay away from physical characteristics. Having a six pack won’t make you a better worker than the over weight person sitting in the corner.

Do not write your personal ideas in regards to religion, sexual orientation, marriage status, political influence, etc. If they are not important to the job you are looking for, please stay away from it and be simple.

Strange habits should be kept in secret. Your boss won’t admire you more because you can eat 30 hot dogs in one hour. This hobbies are fun, but not appropriate for a job resume.

Don’t sound unprofessional in your resume by misspelling words or using bad language. We all know writing matters, so keep it clean and double-check what you write.

Also, avoid cliches and repetition– it may throw your soon-to-be boss off.

I know it might seem like a lot of information to process before you write your resume, but believe me, it will be worth it. The job you are looking for will be ready for you, if you are ready for it; be prepared, and good luck.

A version of this was published at The Vista

The Brazilian Way (Jeitinho Brasileiro)

I think you have heard a lot about the "Brazilian Way" of doings things. And yes, it means you will break the rules, but don't assumed it's a terrible thing. It isn't. Tell me explain why:

Jeitinho Brasileiro is finding a way to accomplish something by circumventing rules or social conventions.  It's a Brazilian way where they use their emotions, family ties, promises, rewards, etc, to obtain favors or to get an advantage.

Jeitinho Brasileiro is roughly translated to "find a way."

Brazilians by nature are street-smart, and and are naturally called savvy, cunning, or sly for choosing to use common sense prior to knowledge.

I will give you an example, and the Brazilian way to deal with the issue:

Let's say you go to a store in Brazil, but as soon as you get there, you realize they are closing the doors.

With the Brazilian way, you can tell the employee that you are late because the bus broke down on the way there. 

You can say that you really need to go to the store now, because you live far and have no money to take another trip to the store. 

You can say that you need that gift for today, because you have a birthday party in less than one hour!

You can promised that you will buy more than one piece, and that you will reward the cashier.

You can brag how much you love the store, and want to promote the store's products.

You can tell the cashier that you will take five minutes to get all the products you need. 

 There are many more ways to use your Jeitinho Brasileiro... Just keep in mind that you should be honest, and not take advantage of people's kindness.

I've realized that most countries do not take in count our emotions like Brazil does. And believe me, I think it's a beautiful thing!

In Brazil people care more about your emotions, than rules. Brazilians feel for each other, and will do anything to help a brother/sister.

MALANDRAGEM!

Lady Gaga gets scary!

Not only did Lady Gaga sang beautifully at the Oscars, but she also stepped it up by getting her feet in the acting world. And, we are proud of her.

The talented actress performed at the Oscar on Sunday for her first time with a special tribute for the 50th anniversary of "The Sound of Music." She left the giant red gloves at home, and brought her amazing voice to the stage, singing "The Hills are Alive," "My Favorite Things," and "Climb Every Mountain." The crowd was wowed by such magnificent presentation.

When we think we have seen all about Gaga, she surprises her fans by posting on twitter, and revealing that she will be one of the stars in American Horror Story. The fifth season of the FX anthology series is title American Horror Story: Hotel. 

Are you scared of Gaga? Maybe you should be. Gaga is the first member of the cast to be hired for the season! We know that she is not only a great singer, but that she can explore her other talents as well. Way to go Gaga!

To top a great year for Gaga, she just got engaged to actor Taylor Kinney this month, revealing her huge heart-shape diamond ring. Congrats!

The pop star has some acting credits, including: A Dame to Kill for, Machete Kills, The Simpsons, and before she was Lady Gaga, The Sopranos.

Even thought there is no date for the premiere, it has been revealed that it will take place in October. Details of Gag's performance have been kept, but scary hotel? Oh no. That sounds scary already!

Believe it or not, most Brazilians are white!

It always intrigued me that in America if you have a darker pigment in your skin, people already assume you are "African American," or "Black" when you are just tan, light brown or even dark brown. Some of them are mixed, having a white mother and a black father, but people already assumed they are 100% "Black."

In Brazil when we talk about people's ethnicity we make sure we use it correctly. If somebody is light brown, they are probably mixed. They don't fall in the category "Black" so to speak.

For the people that think Brazilians are all dark, I have some news for you: only 8% of the country is constituted by Blacks. The rest of the population is distributed among whites and different shades of brown.

Whites in Brazil take place for 47,51 % of the population, and Multiracial (browns, mixed, etc) take up to 43, 42%. Leaving Blacks with less than 10%! So if you meet a Brazilian, don't assume they live on the jangle, they are all black, and they have no food to eat. That's not exactly how it works.

We have different people from different places, with different religious background. But, more importantly, we get along with everyone. We are a very mixed country and we don't want to put people in categories they don't belong.

We also have a mix between Italians, Spanish, Germans, Indians, Africans and Arabs.  We are very proud to have a country where everybody is welcomed, no matter what race, ethnicity, or religion they belong to.

It's Brazil after all! The country with the most friendly people I ever met! (I'm a Brazilian so it is hard for you to believe me, but I've met people from over 20 different countries, and I can say Brazilians were always the most friendly!)

Does Slavery Still Exits?

Slavery existed before written history, and since then it suffered many alterations. Nowadays some people might argue that slavery still exists to some extent, but some might say that slavery is completely over.

I believe it still exists, just in a different way.

Slavery is the legal or economic system where people are treated as property. People can be forced to work or they can be owned by an employer that usually abuses them mentally or physically.

It can also be dehumanization, where slaves lose their identity and become mere property. Slaves are restricted from all kinds of freedom of movement.

Does slavery still exist today? What is it called?

Modern slavery, or contemporary slavery, is harder to be spotted due to its more discreet nature.

Children that have been in arranged marriage at a very young age are included in the category of modern slavery. There are many countries where marrying at a young age is a traditional way of living, except they don't think if it as slavery

"Marriage involving children under 18 years old remains a widely culturally accepted practice in many corners of the globe. Estimates suggest that 11 percent of women worldwide were married before reaching the age of 15 (UNICEF 2012). Although boys can be affected by the practice, a great majority who suffer slavery as a consequence of child marriage are girls," stated an Anti-Slavery U.K. website.

Human trafficking is also included in the modern slavery category; human trafficking is where men, women and children are brought to a situation by the use of violence, and are usually forced to work against their will.

Sexual exploitation is the most usual form of human trafficking, even though there are many other forms. Unfortunately, many people fall into human trafficking as a way of escaping poverty and discrimination-- they're just trying to find a better life.

"Because many trafficked persons are never identified, it is difficult to get accurate statistics on the numbers affected, but the International Labour Organization estimates that worldwide, at any one time there, are some 2.5 million people who have been trafficked and are being subjected to sexual or labour exploitation," proclaimed the Anti-Slavery website.

Even though some people may deny it, it has been proven that children are being pushed to work in factories, mines, bars, restaurants and even other environments. Most of them are forced to work long hours with no permission for breaks.

According to the International Labour Organization, there are 215 million child laborers aged between five and 17 years old. Worldwide, nearly 10 million children are in slavery, debt, bondage, trafficking, pornography and other illicit activities.

What do you think about modern slavery? Do you think slavery still exists? Write us back and share your opinion.