Nice of you to have dropped by! This is where the formalities are put aside and I can talk about what other things I do besides staring at a computer screen for hours a day :) I'm into quite a lot of stuff actually, although recently I haven't had the tim e to do any of those...they call this the "Ph.D. phenomenon"
I you are into any of the subjects listed below, please, feel free to send me an e-mail so we can discuss more about these topics! So let's see, I'm really into...
I hold a purple belt in karate, an ikkyu (first kyu) degree in Kendo (japanese sword-fighting) and I am reasonably competent at Capoeira, the brazilian art of dance-fighting. For two and a half years (until my coming to Atlanta) I practiced Kendo at th e Museikan Dojo, in Campinas, Brazil, under the tutelage of sensei Sandro Santos (4th dan)
Trust me, there is nothing more therapeutical than to go into the woods and walk for a few miles. Especially if the vegetation is really dense and it rained the night before, if you get my point :).
I'm a PADI advanced open water diver and I am deeply embarassed to say that it's been over 5 years since I last did it. I look forward to start doing it again...somewhere, somehow...
I am an avid reader of historical novels, science fiction and fantasy. I was deeply inspired by the work of J.R.R Tolkien. More recently, I've also started reading some portuguese and brazilian poetry
This is a big obsession. I just can't get enough of going through piles of old documents, talking to relatives, going through family history books, etc. Recently I've also discovered the fascinating world of genetic genealogy and I am learning surprising things about my roots...
Learning languages really helps to broaden your horizons and take your mind away from the everyday research (if you're a grad student like me). Beside my native portuguese, I've studied english, spanish and until a few months ago I was on my third year of french. J'espère continuer mes éstudes de français à Atlanta. And maybe, if by some miracle if can find some free time, start learning italian (my second nationality).
Trance, Psytrance, Techno and House. If you know some good places in Atlanta to listen to this kind of music, * PLEASE, E-MAIL ME *!