ELI the Eliphant

CARNIVAL 2008

As promised...here we are, the BECA m&m's! ;D

And Putchi m&m as well, of course! ;p

Let's go back in time... ;p

Carnival is arriving...let's have a look at how it was some years ago...

This was in 2004, it was a kind of a 2 in 1, because Carnival was on the same day as Zé's 30th birthday...so...we had a big party :)

One year later, 2005, aaaaaaaaarg...get out of our way...the vamps are coming!

2006 was a kind of a "back" to the future...lol...that's how we will look like in 70 years...;p

And last year, 2007, we decided to go to the army...

Even Putchi had his special suit...hihi

Well...this year we have something nice in mind...so...keep looking up our blog...there will be news soon :D

Just because it's beautiful

"No one deserves your tears, and those who do would never make you cry!"

In: hi5 Tiago Moura
Author not known

To Read and THINK about it...

There was a blind girl, who hated herself for being blind! She also hated everything and everyone around her, except her boyfriend! One day she said that if she could see the world, she would marry her boyfriend.

Then, her lucky day came, someone donated her a pair of eyes, which were successfully implanted.

My dear, will you marry me now?

The girl got shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind!

She just said;
“I’m really sorry, but I can’t marry you since you are blind!”

Her boyfriend went away in tears and said:
“Please, take good care of my eyes!”

Happy 2008

Dalai Lama was asked…

„What surprises you most about Human Kind?”

And he answered:

“Mankind...Because they lose their health to get money, then, they lose their money to get their health back.

And because they keep thinking so anxiously about the future, they forget the present in such a way that they end up not living the present neither the future.

And they live as they would never die... and die, as if they had never lived."

Think about it and make it different in this new year! Live every day as if it were the last one! Enjoy your life every day, take care of your health, love and make yourself loved, and above all,

BE HAPPY!!!!

Big Kiss&Hug

BECA

Dear Friends,

I'm sending this message just to show you some pictures from Switzerland:

Putchi playing in the snow

Well... I couldn't resist... ;)

I will send some more pictures soon...

Big Hug...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Christmas is a time in which our heart is supposed to be filled with joy! That's what we wish you, much joy and happiness. We wish you love and health and a very good time with those you love! Be sure we are one of those who love you. Even though some of you are far away, you are close in our hearts!

Merry Christmas and a very very good 2008!!

Your friends

Betinha and Zé

Nicolinas

Nicolinas Celebrations have its origins on the religious devotion to Saint Nicolas, who might have lived around III and IV century. It's a common belief, that he might have been a Bishop from Turkey.

Pilgrims from different parts of the country and from abroad, who came to the city (Guimarães) to worship Our Lady of Guimarães (Patron Saint of Portugal until XVII century), or who were passing through the city going to or coming from Santiago de Compostela, may have brought this cult to Guimarães, due to their worship of St. Nicolas.

St. Nicolas is the Patron Saint of the students. The legend says that 3 children where tore up by an innkeeper and as St. Nicolas approached them he brought them back to life. May be that’s why we see representations of St. Nicolas together with 3 children at his feet.
Initially the celebration to honour St. Nicolas in Guimarães were exclusively of a religious nature. However, as time passed profane expressions began to be included in the celebrations, such as: songs, dancing, etc, since they represented a way of breaking up with the hardness of daily life.
This cult, developed amongst the people, was later taken over by the students, who set up a chapel to honour St. Nicolas (between 1661 and 1663) in the Church of Our Lady of Oliveira. That’s were they settled their association.
At first the celebrations took place on St. Nicolas day only, that is, on the 6th December. On that day in the morning, the students would take part in a service and in the afternoon the celebrations would change to a more profane nature with traditional games. However, after some time, they would realize that one day was not enough for the celebrations any more and the 5th December began to be included in the celebrations. Later on, the festivities would be extended and would last 8 days, starting on the 29th November and ending on the 7th December. Nowadays that’s the period in which the celebrations take place. During these days the students have several “activities” that are part of the celebration’s structure.
Nicolinas Celebrations are considered to be the oldest celebrations of Guimarães and represent an unattainable statement of Guimarães’ cultural heritage.

We have been to one of the activities (as usual), the best known, called “Pinheiro”, that means pine, and which takes place on the 29th November.
This activity consists on a procession, where a pine is taken to the square where the celebrations take place. The procession starts at midnight, with a parade of thousands of people playing their drum, either alone or as a group. Together, playing the drum all the time, people take the pine to its destination. The pine is pushed by bulls.
Prior to the parade there are the “Ceias Nicolinas”, that is, Nicolinas Dinners. They have been being created as a get-together dinner by groups of former students, who see each other only once a year, on this day, with the purpose of marching together through the streets of the city remembering past days.

I don't know really how it was possible, but, we managed it to forghet our camera :(
So, unfortunately, there are no pictures about it this year. However, since we have youtube, all our problems are solved :)

This is, shortly, how it looks like on the 29th November in Guimarães...every year ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME62BjTSvCg


This one is from this year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul-wN0GakNw

tara tara pum, tara tara pum
tara tarataratarataratara pum

tarataratara pum, tara pum, tara pum
tarataratara pum, tara pumpumpum

All night long, yeah ;)

Me and my Dog on the Mountain

Dear Friends,

One week ago, Me and my Dog went for a 20 Km walk on Gerês mountain (Portuguese National park).

Below you can find some pictures.

Unfortunately we were not allowed to reach the top of the mountain. After walking 7 Km two nature guards forced us to go back again because we were entering on a protected area... :(




During the walk we found a snake... was quite difficult to take a picture of the snake with Putchi in my hands... he was very impatient to know a new friend... ;)


I hope you enjoy these pictures,

Zé and Putchi