Getting used to be appart

2 months and 10 days without seeing each other.

The first month was tuff and painful. The second showed we can get calmer, almost getting used to be appart.

Days get gray and mind goes far.

I miss you.

Going to Peru on friday.

História em quadrinhos

our first prezi.

http://prezi.com/wtcjrab3bhgv/pree-vic/

Flight tickets Brasil - Peru

Vic & Pree's plans of going and coming.

We still have no glue of how to do this plans go right. No plane tickets bought, no money left, anything. But we will work on this.

Hearbeats

When I first met Pree, while we were in her car going from the airport to her house, she allowed me to plug my ipod on her car stereo.

Some songs later, she discovered I had some José Gonzáles albuns on my ipod, and we listened to them.

I considered that a happy coincidence, cause at that time I had no memories of knowing someone who liked his songs. I thought with myself: "what a nice and interesting girl this is!".

Days later, that song became kinda our Long distance Relationship Theme, but in a nice way, of course (the lyric can break hearts). Cycling Trivialities was another song that we loved to listen together.

Nowadays im still amazed with all that Pree shares with me: music, art, movies, websites,
pictures, etc. If you read until here, please, go to youtube and see one of these things she shared with me a long time ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g40KpZa4hSI

Thanx Pree!
PD: try to upload hearbeats, i tried but couldnt.

LDR site

I found a nice article about long distance relationships, babe.
See!

The day he asked me to date him

"Do you wanna be my brasilian girlfriend?"
I asked myself:
"Course! How about the limean or carioca one?"

"Hoy quiero un poco de libertad. Unos momentos entre la montaña y el lago, los árboles y el viento"!

Back to the "films we have seen together" session

Super 8

Vic 2/5: The 2 different story lines just differ too much one from another in the way they develop. The relationship between the kids and how they see the world its greatly depicted. But the whole sci-fi story line was completely lame, over-exposed and too "explained". I think Abrams can do better than this.

Pree 3/5: I really liked the kids, that's why I give them a good pontuation. All the rest was very expected and cheesy. "E.T wants home!" The worst is that me and Victor had had a fight just before watching to that and I was so ANGRY at that time! But, course, i pretendend i was not. ;) Not well, though. >:(

Back to the "films we have seen together" session

Paranormal Activity 2

Vic 3.5/5: It`s rare to watch a good movie sequel these days, but PA2 does a very decent work in here. They go a bit further in explaining what happend on the first one, so its kind of complementary more than a continuation. Very nice to see it with Pree, otherwise she would have freak out!

Pree 4/5: We got scared again! Fuck. But Vic protected me, gently.

together in august

eu estou do lado dele.
yo estoy al lado de ella.

The mess we are in - Part II - By Pree

Well, continuing our LDR story.
This is the second act.

Victor landed in Brasilia's aiport on 11th August of 2010. I was late, but I got to get there and we kind of recognized each other. I would never say he was already 30 though. As I always do when I receive people from other countries or cities, I gave him a big hug. As he was not tired, I toke him to see the center of Brasilia instead of taking him home.

I remember I felt strangely good around that stranger on that morning, he was very shy but also fun, genuine, kind and very easy to deal with. I did not feel it was my obligation to be there, showing him around as a good hoster would do. I was really enjoying that morning, it was genuine.

After seeing some modern architecture, I took him to lunch in a place they serve food from the northeast of Brazil, and I remember observing him more and more after he ordered a Guarará Antártica. I realized he was actually a very interesting guy, and I knew it had to do with his shy personality.

By night on that same day, after work, I toke him to the Spicy Bar, where we met some of my friends from work. I kept observing the way he was talking with them, still shy but very gentle, as someone who takes people and their culture seriously, and then I realized how charming he was and... oops. I realized I was feeling attracted to him.

And it needs to be clear that I can be a bit slow with these boys and girls moves or signals, even when it comes from myself. It is not easy for me to feel attracted to someone so fast. Even more difficult for me is to be in love with someone. It takes me some time to trust someone or admire someone. Plus I was in a more introspective time, feeling that men were a bit silly and women were a bit needing - so the lesbianism would not be an option too. ;) I was counting already 2 years own my own, with no much feelings inside.

I was seeing a guy right before meeting Victor, actually. He was a very old friend from school who had came back from Rio de Janeiro, and although I was enjoying seeing him, I could not get more serious to that, I was not feeling paxion at all, I was not in love, so I stopped seeing him two nights before I met Victor.

After I realized I was feeling attracted to Victor, I instantly tried to cut that feeling out. I was receiving him because of the Couch Surfing project, and we have some tacit rules on there, where you can not use the project as a dating agency, so I avoid the thoughts, I wanted to keep being a "professional" hoster. A-han.

The next morning I was wearing the more ridiculous and big sleeping clothes someone could get and went to use the computer, in the livingrom, where he was already awake. I've shown him some of my worst pictures and videos, like someone would do in a situation they are not trying to flirt or conquire anyone. I had put in my mind I should not go on with those thoughts, and the next morning I was feeling quite ok about that.

Before going to work I told him I was going to a new pub by night and, if he wanted, he could join me. "It would be a lesbian party though" - I said. "My friend is playing on there tonight". He laughed and accepted the invitation anyway.

By night, there were us, Leonel and "Kytomoto", on the 80's club in Aguas Claras dstrict. We drank some caipiroskas (me) and beers (him), we danced (he was so bad at that that i found that cute) he toke some pictures of the band, we met some crazy beautiful girls and that was this. For that moment.

One of these beautiful girls got to him, and he thought she was flirting with him, but I felt he got disappointed when he realized she was actually flirting with me, not the opposite. I was already a bit drunk, speaking with the walls if I could, and I said him something like: "don't worry, we will find a nice girl for you. someone who speaks english or spanish at least!". I laughed. He laughed. And, for my surprise, using a very low tom of voice, he said: "you speak english". I got frozen and thought with myself. "He may be just joking, let's forget it".

I tried to forget that joke, but I guess I did not. And, somehow, in the middle of a very crazy night, we kissed. Happens that the shy guy was taking to long to kiss me, so I got tired to wait, toke his hands and made him approach to me. I kissed him. He was so shy that he did not know how to get to kiss me again after I went for a drink. And I was not used to be the one who take initiatives (I liked the feeling, actually - you go, girls!), but that was not my area yet, so I kind of did not feel confortable about aproaching to him again. "Maybe he is just too shy for me, or maybe he does not want and I misunderstood him" - I thought. A strange silence toke place between us while the music was still going on, and I said I wanted to go home.

But once we got to my car, things changed. I was merry enough to pretend nothing had happened and started singing with the song. Surprising for me, he started singing too. All the way home. That was very nice, actually. I felt we were creating a friendship bond at that moment, so I felt ok with what had just happened.

We got home, I went to my room, he did the same, the night was over.

I was very tired and, still wearing the party dress, I threw myself on the bed. I don't know what happened with the shy Vic, but he got strenght somewhere. Maybe he thought he would get lay, or something cheesy like that, haha, so he knocked my door - which was already completly open. And that was that. He approached, we kissed and that was how we ended that night: kissing each other till sleep (no, he did not score at that night).

The next morning I woke up by his side and I felt such a moral hangover. Again, I was never good at waking up by the side of someone I barely know, maybe because I can still be old-fashioned sometimes. Would I wake him up or not? Would we be the same, we should be, like: couch surfers buddies? Would we feel confortable again next to each other?

Happens that he opened his eyes and gave me a tender smile. He did not move his face, he did not want to leave, he just looked at me with his king eyes, like if he wanted someone to take care of him and like if he was feeling that was his place, in a very genuine way. We looked at each other and we started talking and talking and talking and hours of talking. We did not leave the bed, we just wanted to be there, talking. Deep conversations happened too, and I remember we cried together. After that moment, that was that: I was getting in love with him.

He was supposed to leave Brasilia at that day, but he stayed and we spend all weekend together. Time enough for him to get in love with my family (i toke him to a dinner) and with my cat Chico - which helped a lot. ;)

When he left Brasilia (towards to Rio de Janeiro), I felt strangely empty - and silly for being in love with someone who did not even live in my own country...! But then I read the note he has left in my desk: LOVE IS FREAKING MISTERY, it says (in a reference of "All is love" song, by Karen O. That made me hope for the best.

He decided to come back to Brasilia six days latter, before flying to Peru. I picked him up at the couch station in a sunny afternoon of august, and he was so charming whith his long hairs... We did not want to stop touching each other.

While I was working I received an email from him (who were now waiting for me in my house), telling me he was in love with me. Well, I was very in love too. The next day we decided we wanted to be together it did not matter how. We wanted to have a serious relationship and we promised to each other we would work hard to make that happens.

He was leaving Brasil and it was time to make our first plans though. They are the responsibles to keep a LDR alive. And that was the beginning of the first months without each other. More in the next chap.

Reflections of a skyline

To watch together:

Hair cut

Vic always had a big and beautiful hair. One day, he decided he wanted to cut that out a bit!

When I've got to 28

I always loved my friends. And some years ago I would call all of them to celebrate my birthday with me. I used to write a very original and funny invitation, and I would see them all in there, having some drinks with me and pleasing me with books - as they knew i loved them.

But it happens this is the first year I feel a bit more introspective. Yesterday I was glueless of how I would celebrate it the next day. But late at night I decided I'd invite some friends to eat something together the next night. Some few friends only, the best ones.

I wrote a simple facebook invitation and that's it: Today it is my birthday and I will celebrate it in 18 hours with some pastels and them - but not Vic. However, I won't be sad, I will celebrate one of my best ages by his side.

He just called with his Kitamoto's voice, at 00h29. Sissy I am, of course I cried. Actually I'm so sensitive today that I think i'm really getting my period.

So, well, let's celebrate life and 168 blood periods! Yey!
Good luck, Vic, with the next ones! I love you!

Don't ever change now baby

This music reminds me our first months together. Lots of intense feelings in a very interisting phase, with lot of emailing and willing to discover each other every day more. It was a fucking mess, actually, cause we wanted so much to be together faster... and we could not. But we got over this phase. Now I ignore him on the gtalk while I have a snack and he watches to all kind of football games on TV instead of seeing me on. ;)

El verídico amor a la mexicana

Pos órale cuate!

Alive!

(Continuing with the "movies we have seen together" session).

Vic: 3/5:> This story is simply one of the best survivals stories I have ever seen. The movie its well done, the crash accident, the wounds, the acting... but its hard to believe they have omitted Sergio Catalán's character and story! He was the horseman, so elemental for the dramatic turn on of the film, and that's one reason why I got dissapointed at the end.

Pree: 2.5/5: That is with no doubt one of the best survivel stories I've ever heard. I remember a lot of this film, since i had watched it for the first time, many years ago. But now that I've read a lot about the real story, the film seems cheesy, with so many lacks of important facts. It does not get deep to many important stories and it lies sometimes.

When I'm 31

It's 10h30pm. Im in the Av. Aviación chifa, having a meal with 2 friends. Suddenly I receive a phone call. On the other side of the line, my Pree, greeting me for my 31st Bday! I feel great inmediatly, hearing my speacial candanguita's voice is always so great, like a dosis of dopamine that gets you happy instantly.

While Pree, from Brazil, is talking with the 31years-old-Victor, in here im still 30-years-youngster Vic. And it doesnt make any much difference, actually. I still love what I used to love while I was a kid: being around people I like and receiving the care of the beloved ones. This is how I like to spend my life. There's no time to do anything else than finding happiness in the little things.

So lets blow those candles (cover your face first), and continue the celebration of being alive!

Letters

The mess we are in I - by Vic

In a windy saturday afternoon of the beggining of 2010 I read an article in a magazine about the Couch Surfing project. And at the same time I remembered that a friend of mine, Percy, had told me about this site before. That was a very exciting article, mostly because of the cultural interchange you can get without even leaving your house.

I signed in and that was it. Just 3 or 4 days later i received a CS request. A couple of greek girls wanted to spare some days in Lima and then travel around Peru. I accepted. They came, they shared their greek music and even taught me a bit of the greek language - which I, of course, already forgot. After that we became good friends and nowadays we still keep in touch.

That was the first act. Here comes the second: It was June, I was walking by the streets, and I saw this huge advertisement on the wall offering two way tickets from Lima to Brasilia, for only 200 bucks. I tried to persue some friends to go, but they could not to so I was about to quit. Then, just like in the movies, I heard the sound of this music in my ears: "Brazil, la la la la la laaaa..." and that was the ending theme of Terry Gilliam´s Brazil, one of my favorites's. And i also remembered that I dreamt about Brazil when i saw this movie in the first years of college. So I bought the tickets.

Tickets in hands, I started looking for places to stay, just for a couple of nights (I said to myself) and then I found Pree Leonel's profile. She, at first glance, seemed a very nice person, but I really chosed her because she also liked photography and video making, things that i love to, since i work on that... and that was it, i sent her a request.

Sooner than later she answered me, accepting the request. I liked that. After that I stopped looking for other places to stay. Days later Pree sent me another mail, telling me that she was a bit concerned on receiving me, since I had no CS references.

She was fearing I could actually be a murder or something like that. I confessed her that I was precisely planning that for my trip, a murdering, and that my greek guests where actually somewhere dead in the Amazon river. We laughed, shared facebook profiles.

One day before taking the plane, she sent me a huge mail (something that became very usual in later times) saying me what to take to Brazilia and many other tips and indications. I liked the fact that she cared.

Days before I had bought a nice Retablo ayacuchano as a present to her, cause I thought she would might like something like that (and she did).

It was already 9am at Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek Airport, in Brasilia. I arrived like an hour earlier, and Pree wasn't there. So i got a bit confused. I did have her mobile number so I walked towards the money interchange offices to have money to call, but suddendly I decided to turn my head and then I saw a girl walking very quickly, like if she was late. I realized she was Pree. I followed her and when I reached her, I asked if she was the same Pree Leonel I was talking to all those past weeks through internet. She said yes and we huged. The hug lasted more than we are used in Lima and Peru in general, and that was one of the many little cultural differences I noticed.

She took me to her place. I left my stuff on there. She showed me some of her travel videos. Then we hanged around on the city. She showed me many places I used to look only by pics. We went to eat at Xique-Xique (or something like this), and that was my 1st brasilian food ever.

That same night we went to Spicy Bar where I met Lotti, Alex, Jacque, Sergio, Phill and Daphne, all good friends of Pree. I still see most of them nowadays, and they`re just spectacular folks I like to hang around with. "Os caras brasileros". I am "o cara peruano" for them. I just remember the bliss that day. Knowing other culture from its core is something hard to achieve, so I was inmensily grateful because of Pree.

The third act was given the next night, but that may be another post. For now I just can say that selling my car to go to Brasil (yeah, I did not mention this) was the best bussiness I had ever done. And Pree is a witness: driving in Lima can make you mad, so nowadays im a happy and healthy pedestrian.

---
Photo by Victor Kitamoto, 11-08-10.

The beginning: how we got to the mess we are in

While I was living in London I met a friend from Brazil who were traveling around Europe. She introduced me to the Couch Surfing project site. The idea of the project is to connect people who like traveling and are looking for a new, better and economic way to do that.

Being a member means you are open to receive people from other places or being received by them (or both). The ideia is mainly cultural, but people also like the project because it allows them to save some money by not staying in a hostel. But, again: the main idea is the sharing thing, and I found that intriguing.

You create a profile, and that’s it. You wait for your first experience, and, after having it done, you exchange references. The more references you have, more trustful you seem to the other members.

Dates and second intentions were not included in the pack, I should say, since it was supposed to be a serious project. And it is, although, you know, life happens.

I was about to backpack around Europe so I toke the chance, created my profile and traveled as a member. After few experiences in Europe, I became a fan of the project and I decided to receive people from other countries when I got back to Brazil.

Vic requested me to stay for 2 nights, in august 2010. I was tired, but I analyzed his profile and I thought with myself that it would be interesting, since I had never received anyone from Latin America. I said ok. But days later I thought seriously about saying sorry and declining Vic’s request.

At that time I was hosting Nicolas Zago, a French guy who is now a good friend from France. He came to Brasilia once, as a couch surfer, and after a while he decided to come back again – as my guest this time. A bit before a north American guy had also requested me to stay over for a few days. I asked a friend to host the guy (who is also a good and memorable friend nowadays) but I helped her to show him around.

That means I was receiving people all the time and receiving people is a bit tiring sometimes, mostly when you want them to have fun, feel comfortable and assisted when you also have to study and work and do all the things you have to do in your life.
So I wrote to the poor peruvian guy telling him I would have to decline his request. It helped that he had no references at all to show me (he was a new member on Couch Surfing), so I used that excuse too, in a funny way. But the problem was that he answered me. And he did it nicely, joking with the fact he had no references and I found that really spontaneous.

I thought with myself: ok, it is only two nights. Hop on!

After that, it was all about waiting. He landed in here on 11 august 2010. I got late and he was about to call me from the airport when he saw me for the first time. He was waiting for an hour. I saw him, he saw me, and, well. Things happened the next night. And after that night it was easy to get into this LDR (Long distance relationship).

We still keep all the Couch Surfing messages. Maybe one day we will post them here. For now, we will keep telling you how things were with us. That means we have a lot to tell.

---------
P.S: Babe, the gmail is having some problems, so I guess we won't speak tonight. I hope you have a good night.

---------
Listening to: The mess we are in, by PJ Harvey and Tom York

Reading

Wow. I’ve been in this long distance relationship for like 10 months and I never expected lot of people were already helping each other by the internet. Just saved some links on the right side of the blog with some. One day I will read them properly.

How to make it works

Movies session

The "criticisms we made about the movies we remember having seen together" session is done for now.

Were the wild things are

Vic: 5/5: Great, I cried in the end. It portraits childhood imagination very well and the art direction is just pefect.

Pree:4/5: Vic cried, so I had to cry too. You know, to give him a hand. No? Ok. I cried too and there is a Karen O song (hideaway) in the end of the film that breakes my heart till today...

Limitless

Vic: 3/5: Another movie that departs from a good idea but ends with a terrible resolution. Good post though.

Pree: 3/5: I found that very interesting. Bradley Cooper is great on there, he fits well with this crazily smart character. But the end does not explain too much, you won't be able to know if anything went right or even wrong. In a not very good way.

Hereafter

Vic: 5/5: Once again Eastwood proves that he´s one of the finest directors of our era. 3 great developed stories, 3 great character, not a so good ending.

Pree: 5/5: Three fantastic stories. The french woman, the american visionary guy, and the two londoners kids. Eastwood shows to be a very sensitive director. He gave it a very clichè ending, but it worths and it can also open some skeptical minds about what may happen after death.

Persépolis

Vic: 5/5: This animation movie is one of the Best non-anime movies I’ve ever seen. Great characters, deep story and excellent portrayal of an historical era.

Pree:5/5: book and film fantastics. Would not change anything.

Blue Valentine

Vic: 4/5: Tragic and it has that strange feeling of “incommunication” that goes great within all the movie. Maybe a bit long.

Pree: 5/5: That really touched me. Very crude emotions that pops up from us. And that was the director’s intention i guess.

The invention of lying

Vic: 3/5: Begins with a great original idea, and it goes good until the pace and ideas begin to go repetitive. Also there is a lack of good resolutions for the 3rd act.

Pree:4/5: I Just loved the hole spirit of the thing, but it feels a bit tiring and slow sometimes. Anyway, it worths a lot and I really enjoyed that. It was the first time I imagined a world without lies - and that was not so good as it should have been.

Taking Woodstock

Vic: 5/5: You just got the feeling of being there helping organizing the festival. simple, great characters and unpredictable plots.

Pree:5/5: Idem. Smoke some and feel even better. No? Ok.

The Adjusment Bureau

Vic: 3/5: Although its a Philip K. Dick short story, and although it have a great actor as Matt Damon and a princess beauty like Emily Blunt, the film topples over and lose its original idea in a poorly worked resolution ending.

Pree: 2.7/5: Not as bad as I thought it would be when I saw the trailer. It s not that I judge movies because of its covers (well, sometimes I do), it is just that I thought it would not be my type of movie. It is still not my thing, but it was way better than I imagined. Nothing special though - except that I like Damon even more, and I fucking don't know why.

Devil

Vic: 2/5: We are so good to others that the devil, in punishment, has made us to watch to this full- of- cliché and predictable movie.

Pree:1/5: Cheeeeesy.

The boy in the striped pajamas

Vic: 3/5: Good movie and very moving, but its difficult to go over lots of great movies of the 2nd WW.

Pree:4/5: I found that really moving.

Going the distance

Vic: 2/5: Although fun and light to see, becomes very fast in a cheesy and unoriginal story

Pree:2.5/5: A cheesy romantic comedy that talks about a situation i live, so i kind of liked that in the end. But... yeah, not fantastic.

Black Swan

Vic: 3.5/5: Good atmosphere and performances, but a lame ending and some script problems in some parts.

Pree:5/5: oh, come on! I may be naive or not a movie expert, but I felt like If i had used something. A director who knows how to cause this impression on you and make your hert beats faster may be a genious.

Eat, pray and Love

Vic: 3/5: althought a chick flick, I liked the sensation transmitted of every country shown.

Pree:4/5: Something is missing. But inside I got the feeling and, someway, I indentified with the story and places.

Exit through the gift shop

Vic: 4/5: Great to know the real story of a man who has made he’s dreams come true, without even willing it.

Pree: 5/5: A great documentary. Very new subject to see on the screems. The way Baksy is not the center of the hole thing is also nice (although i really like him too). Very cool although that french is totally crazy – In a great way.

Vinyan

Vic: 1/5: Must be Beart’s worst movie. Not scary, boring and a very lame screenplay.

Pree: 0/5: I slept.

Rio

Vic: 4/5: Great to depic Rio city, many things as i remember. Great animation but not so good plot.

Pree: 4/5: Greeeat brazilian animation, i’m very proud of. The screenplay is cute, but also a bit wishy-washy... Victor don’t say so, but he cried like a girl when the girl lost her bird.

72 hours

Vic: 3/5: Nice to kill some spare time. 4 days later you wont remember too much of it.

Pree:2/5: I agree.

The riding red hood

Vic: 2/5: Bad actors, bad story and a classic bed-story totally raped.

Pree:1/5: Oh, come on, that was awesome! Now I really know how to answer the “what is the worst movie ever” question. I mean, they had all the tools to make a cool and contemporaneous stuff, but they have failed. A full of crap movie.

Paranormal Activity

Vic: 4/5: One of the scariest movies ever seen. Finding fear in small things and it uses greatly the cam-in-hand language.

Pree: 4/5: Scaring. Vic did not help.

Vídeos

Vic made that for our 10 months's birthday.




Vic made that after our 6 months's birthday. <3

Play it

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

I was intending to create a playlist with our songs, but the MixPod site did not allow that. We only can use their musics. Hopefully I found some Jose Gonsalez songs on there. And we really like that. Try to use the play botton. If it does not work, it is because Mixpod sucks nowadays.