Rio de Janeiro - The World's Happiest City!!

Oh Rio how I love you!!!!!!

Rio de Janeiro has officially been voted the happiest City in the world by Forbes magazine... Top of the list... and you can read the report on the official site here

I've lived here for over ten years now and can say with my hand on my heart that Rio really does deserve this fantastic award, nowhere have I ever experienced the absolutely positive joy of life and joy of living and loving that Brazilians have, and for these reasons and so much more I would never want to live anywhere else in the world! All this without speaking about the natural beauty that exists within the city! A city surrounded by beautiful mountains and deep blue sea, a city where you can leave your work, go to the beach and be watched over by the wonderful spiritual Christ statue (Cristo Redentor) standing up there high in the crimson blue Carioca sky as you soak the stress of the day away.

Yes Rio has it's problems, mainly the most publicised ones of violence and poverty, but it's got better over the years (there are a lot of over-hyped stories)
Rio has always been a city with all types of social levels living together; lower, middle and upper classes all walking along the same beaches, soaking up the same Carioca sun, drinking fruit juice or beers in the same bars, buying the same food in the supermarkets, sharing the same pure air - everyone living together and getting along, smiling every day no matter what.

For me Rio de Janeiro is absolutely unique, I've travelled to many cities in the world but have never fell in love instantly with a place like I did with Rio the very first day that I got off of the airplane and touched the red hot tarmac.
The city has a magic about it, you feel it in the air... I felt it that very first day that I arrived here, it encapsulates you, charms you, takes your breath away and makes you fall in love... just like the Cariocas (the name given to people who are from Rio de Janeiro) themselves.

And the Cariocas?! Here the people are incomparable!! I have no words to explain the wonderful energy and spirit of living that everyone has! You could be sitting at a kiosk or bar alone and within ten minutes you would have four or five new friends.
There is a famous expression here in Brazil which is: "Sou Brasileiro e desiste nunca" (I'm Brazilian and I never give up) which is so true... Brazilians have this wonderful way about them that no matter how bad the situation in life they never give up, never allow themselves to be beaten and never stop smiling in the face of adversity.
I am also like this now, I have become Carioca, or maybe I always was... because the very first day I set foot in this wonderful, beautiful, fantastic city I felt like I had come home, I really did, for the first time in my life I felt like I belonged somewhere.

Going to the beach here is an experience in itself, you make your way to the sand and the energy is all around you... a huge community of people, beautiful strangers all joined together, soaking up the energy of Rio's sun, sand and sea, people talking, laughing, sunbathing, dating. A day at the beach is like a huge social outing, especially the weekends when most of the city heads for the sand.

Those of you that have never been to Rio de Janeiro and personally experienced all this wonderful energy and beauty should get a flight here as soon as you can!!
And I can speak from my own personal experience that there is no place in the world like Rio de Janeiro to fall in love! especially when the love of your life turns out to be Brazilian!

Million Dollar Bill

This is the new highly-anticipated comeback single from Whitney Houston called "Million Dollar Bill"
It's written by Alicia Keys and has a great positive vibe about the joys of love - a real anthem with it's roots set firmly in the 80s and 90's! This new single is from her new CD called "I Look To You" a must-buy for Whitney Houston fans.
It's great to see Whitney back on top after many years of problems not unlike Amy Winehouse!!

Now everyone all together: "Say ooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!"

Enjoy the single and lyrics!:

http://

Oh oh oh yeah
Ooh oh ooh oh oh
Came in the door
Checked in my coat
And who I'm looking for is Staring in my face oh oh oh
They played our song
We hit the floor
He held me strong
And we danced the night away
I can see the way that he is making feel
This way about his love
I’ve been looking for something like this
I’m saying ooh oh oh oh ooh oh oh!

If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill
Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh!
If you go left right up down
Make you spinning round and round
Say ooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!

It’s been a long long time
Since I fell, fell
Love has found my way oh oh oh
I’ve been looking (looking)
I’ve been searching (searching)
For the man to touch this place, oh ooh oh yeah
Can’t deny the way that he is making feel
This way about his love
I’ve been searching for something like this
I’m saying oooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!

If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill
Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh!
Makes you go left right up down
Makes you spinning round and round
Say oooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!
If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill
Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh!
Makes you go left right up down
Makes you spinning round and round
Say oooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!

If you feel good
If you’re feeling good
Put one hand in the air, say yeah
If you feel good
If you’re feeling good
It’s cause love is in the air
Love is in the air

If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill
Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh!
Makes you go left right up down
Makes you spinning round and round
Say ooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!
If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill
Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh!
Makes you go left right up down
Makes you spinning round and round
Say ooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!

Love Is A Brazilian Bossa Nova...

I haven't posted anything here for a while, apart from a couple of poems, and I'd like to say sorry to everyone for not being around so often...

I don't have much to say that I haven't already said, except that I am ecstatically happy, over-flowing with love and joy and am spending every moment that I can with My Love... this wonderful, amazing, fantastic, loving man who has been sent to me like a Brazilian Bossa Nova song from the skies, like a gift from God, and who has filled my life with colour... my life that was once so black and white.

For Claudinho:
I never thought I'd ever feel this way... All I can think about is you, all I can dream about is you, all I can look at is you... I can't concentrate on anything else at all.
I look at you, think of you, dream of you, touch you, hear your voice, feel your touch and see your beauty and I am smiling 24 hours a day, my heart is beating 50 times faster and the reason for all of this is you, Meu Amor - Eu Te Amo.

Thank you God for sending me My Love, Meu Amor! And thank you Claudinho for teaching me how to love again, for giving me the courage to fall head over heels for you (which wasn't difficult), for showing me that so much love and affection exists in your arms, and for showing me that life is full of such wonderful, fantastic, perfect surprises!

Yes I am ecstatically happy! :)

"I've Loved And Learned"- Original Poetry By Me

I've had my years of sadness,
And I've had my years of joy,
I've ran along the road of life,
Just like a little boy.

Been in the hands of a monster,
And he almost took my life,
I escaped but I just don't know how,
Maybe because he dropped the knife...

Then I thought that I'd found happy,
Spent years within that dream,
Sometimes you wake up suddenly,
Things are just not what they seem...

Lost my best friend David at 24,
That shook me right down to my soul,
I'll never forget the secret kiss you gave,
Going home from our clubland troll.

But Mum oh how I miss you!
You're my greatest loss of all,
Still think of you and my tears just stream,
Still wanting your daily phone call.

Now my life has changed again,
And I hope it's full of light,
I'm singing in the moonlight glow,
And dancing through the night.

Regrets I've only had a few,
Even though I have been burned,
My life was for a reason,
And at least I've loved and learned...

© 07/2009

"Prime" - A Romantic Gem!

This film is fast becoming one of my favourites: "Prime" starring Meryl Streep, Uma Thurman and Bryan Greenberg.
No it's not a summer blockbuster, it's not a special-effects laden film, and it wasn't a huge success at the cinema either - in my opinion it was hugely overlooked amongst all the big blockbusters at the time...
but if you have the time and want to settle down and watch a wonderful funny, sad and romantic little film about the human heart and the love that surrounds us, regardless of age or religion then rent this little gem on Dvd! In fact it's a perfect film to watch at home on Dvd.

Uma Thurman is "Rafi" a 30 something career woman who has recently divorced her husband and is regularly seeing her therapist "Lisa" played by an extremely funny Meryl Streep.
Soon Rafi begins a relationship with 23 year old "David" and finds true happiness for the first time in years. However she confides in her therapist and tells her everything about the affair and how she (or rather everyone else) is concerned about the age difference and also the fact that being as he is Jewish and she is not that there are also conflicts within his family for him to only have relationships within his own faith.

Needless to say they fall in love, unexpected things happen at the therapist's office, unexpected secrets are revealed and the fun and games begin with Meryl Streep stuck in the middle!

It's not the usual sappy romantic comedy with all the expected things happening (as much as I love those films too!) and it's nothing like those films where you already know the ending before the film has begun, it's totally unexpected and full of wonderful little surprises.

In my opinion it's one of Uma Thurman's best roles... she gives a subtle but strong performance that is full of heart and emotion and as always Meryl Streep shines! Every role I have seen her in just seems like it was made for her; but then that is the power of a true actress! And newcomer Bryan Greenberg holds his own against these two strong women and he is proving to be an up and coming talent.

See it soon with someone you love, or watch it alone, either way you will be left with a warm fuzzy feeling all over and the need to kiss the nearest person to you as the end credits roll!!

I loved it!!! But then, as you all know, I'm a romantic fool!!!!!

The Meaning Of Love To Me...

At this wonderful, joyous time in my life, a new beginning where I feel happier than I have ever felt in many, many years, which isn't really true as I can't remember ever being this happy before... I often find myself stopping and looking at my life from the outside and see a person overjoyed with love, adoration and happiness and all of this is thanks to Claudinho, who has reminded me that wonderful, fantastic, loving, caring, beautiful, honest, faithful and genuine people DO exist in this world.
He has made me see that love is greater than anything else in the world and I can't think about anybody or anything else.... nobody and nothing else seems to matter now and I find myself smiling every minute of the day and night, I even wake up from dreams with a feeling of overflowing love and happiness.

The feeling I now feel is as if I have just woken up from many years spent in a coma and my life is only just now beginning, and the reason is you Meu Amor. You are the greatest gift that I have been given.

So what is love? Some scientific people say that it is just a chemical that the human body and brain creates to help reproduction, but I'm not a scientist and I dont have a scientific brain, my brain and heart are those of a pure romantic and I don't believe any of that scientific stuff.
I'm a romantic soul and for me love is something that magically appears when two people are so wonderful for one another, when the chemistry and physical attraction overflow with excitement and passion and the hearts and bodies of two people join together to become one and in return results in the sharing of everything together, a new life is created.

No chemical can create what I am feeling now, it's not chemical; it's all natural. The pure love and happiness that I feel when we are together, the longing that I desperately feel when we are apart and all the times in between when I only have you on my mind, your name on my lips, your touch on my skin, your voice in my ears, your beauty in my heart, your smell on my body and all your love washing over me like a river of endless passionate kisses.

Yes I'm truly blessed and I know it! Blessed to have found you, blessed to feel all your love and kisses, and blessed to know and understand the true meaning of love... the meaning of love to me... and it's all because of you!

Te Amo Muito Meu Amor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :P