My fortune in a cup

http://www.turkishculture.org/lifestyles/lifestyle/coffee-fortune-telling-205.htm?type=1

1st step - Prepare coffee: one heaped tea spoon, to every coffee cup measure of water

2nd step-Stir in a wish, then boil twice!

3th step- Scoop froth into cup, then pour coffee

4th step- Sip at leasure

5th step- Cover cup with saucer, thumb on top, shake then flip over

6th step- Leave to drain on saucer

7th step- Drain excess over tissue paper, before you start scrying

8th step- Write down impressions you receive, starting from cup handle scrying clockwise

9th step- Scry clockwise, until you finish back at cup handle

10th step- In some traditions, coffee residue in saucer is drained& read

11th step- Seal with a thumbprint wish at bottom of cup

Last week me, Malina and Emilia visited Merve. She promised us at Turkish Delight, an event organised by ISCAP that she will read our future in a coffe cup. She told us that she is not an expert but she will try.

It was the first time that someone read my fortune in a coffe cup. I was eager to know my future although I had doubts that the prediction will be truth.

Merve prepared the coffe. She had coffe from Turky. She tod us to drink a glass of water before we drink the coffe. It is important that when you drink the coffe you enjoy it.

I was very attentive to all the steps of this ancient process. I learned a lot about furtune reading in coffe but personally i could not do it. Merve loked on a turkish  site to interpret some simbols.

The bottom of the cup represents your hearth and the walls your mind. My heart is not complicated, but my mind is. I have a lot of things on my mind and i have to relak, to enjoy each moment.

She told me a lot of things that were truth. Most of them werer general.
At the end I made a wish amd this wish will come truth in 40 days.

I will return at Merve to find out more about my future.

Under is the interpretation of some simbols found in the  turkish coffe cup reading:

Apple: Fertility and creativity.
Arch: Money in business matters.
Bread: Nurture your desires, hopes and dreams.
Bridge: A major decision needs to be made - which way should you go?
Camera: Someone is attracted to you.
Coins: Money is on the way.
Diamonds: A marriage proposal is expected? If the person is married, this may be a symbol of money and material wealth.
Flowers: Flowers indicate happiness.
Genie Lamp: Your wish will be granted.
Harp: Traditional romance.
Heart: A love affair, if the heart is broken or misshapen then the person is broken-hearted.
Knots: Concern over something, take care that it does not negatively affect your health.
Road: Creative opportunities are bringing you to another level.
Ship: A business opportunity is presenting itself.

Hope i made you curious to know more about this art.

"If you want to improve your understanding, drink coffee." Sydney Smith

Emilia`s Birthday

Today, the 2nd of November was Emilia`s Birthday. She invited us to celebrate it with her on the beach. The weather was nice and we enjoyed the landscape, the cake and the party.

When she cut the cake we all started to sing Happy Birthday in our languages. Also some Portuguese came and singed her feliz aniversario. 

Hope she liked our presents.

Lisboa - Portugal Capital

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisbon

As on the 1st of November was holiday I took advantage of this opportunity and i visited Lisbon.
The trip was organized by ESN Porto.  I spent 3 days in the city. I would like to return there and visit more because the city is very big and i only visited some touristic objectives.

      Me and Malina, Eliza, Larisa and 2 girls from Lithuania shared room 23 from Yes Hostel. 
     As i mentioned this was an organized trip and we had a program.

Saturday,   30th October
 
We visited  the marvelous Belem’s Gardens, the Jeronimos Monastery and Belem’s Tower.
At night  we had dinner with students from ESN Valencia and ESN Lisbon.After we  all went to Loft Club

Sunday, 31th October
We visited  the magnificent medieval castle: The S. Jorge Castle. As it was Halloween we celebrated it in  Bairro Alto, the Lisbon’s Bar district.

Monday, 1 st November

We visited the huge aquarium called Oceanário of Lisbon and i had a  ride  with the teleferic. After we left towards Porto.

It was a great trip in which i made new friends and i discovered new beautiful places.

Guimarães

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guimar%C3%A3es

 Guimarães is a medieval city in the North of Portugal. The city is an important touristic attraction.

On 23 Octomber me and Malina  planed to go with other colleagues in Braga, but because we were late we missed the train.  We chose  to go to Guimarães and leave the trip for Braga on another day because we had to wait a lot for the next train, there was no chance to meet with our friends in Braga and we read about the   the city in a Portugal Travel Guide.

 I liked the medieval style of the city which combines modern buildings with monuments from the 10th century.

The castles were impressive. We also visited some churches.
 


Guimarães Castle

http://www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com/guimaraes-castle.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guimar%C3%A3es_Castle

The Palace of the Dukes of Braganza (Paço dos Duques de Bragança)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_the_Dukes_of_Braganza

  The Curch of St Gualter

http://www.aportugalattraction.com/portugal-attractions/so-gualter-church.htm

We left the city with the wish to come back and visit other places.

Trip to Viana do Castelo - SANTOINHO Festival

On 16th October, Saturday i got up early to go in Reitoria to take the bus for Viana do Castelo. It was a trip organized by ESN. We left Porto at 10 o`clock. 

After we arrived in Viana do Castelo we visited Santa Luiza Templo. 

http://vianatrilhos.com/documentacao/viana_do_castelo/viana_do_castelo-templo_santa_luzia.html 

After that we visited the city center.  
I had launch at restaurant with some colleagues from ISCAP.  
I found the Clothes Museum very interesting . 

At 8 pm we met in front of the mall to leave for  The Santoinho Festival. 

At the festival we ate traditional Portuguese food.
I also listened to  traditional music and  danced.

We left after midnight.




 

ESN Events that I Had Attended

ESN-Porto (Erasmus Student Network - Porto) is a group of volunteer students created to help Erasmus students integrate and adapt to Porto.

With the support of the International Relations Office of the Universidade do Porto, they organize several activities so that you get to know Portugal and its culture.

http://www.esnporto.org 

I made an ESN card after i found out about this organization from Elly.  I went with some  friends to register and to subscribe to different events.

I went to: Welcome Dinner, Welcome Party, 1st CinESN, Trip to Viana do Castelo and i also registerd for the Trip to Lisbon.

I think that on this events you have the opportunity to meet a lot of Erasmus students from other Universities.

The 5th of october in Coimbra

           

 Proclamation Day in Portugal

October 5

Portugal Celebrates Proclamation of Republic as a public holiday.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_October_1910_revolution

100 Years

Republic 1910-2010

Celebrate Centennial Celebrations!

        On October 5,1910 a revolution ended 771 years of monarchy in Portugal when King Manuel II was deposed and the First Republic was established.
           
  

  This year,  the public holiday has a special signification

  I decided to visit Coimbra, a famous city near Porto on this beautiful day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coimbra 

Me and Malina, Emilia, Ruth, Sarah, Karolina and Francesca left Porto in the morning. We wanted to visit the The University of Coimbra, one of the most known pace in this city and of course other monuments near.

The University was very beautiful. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Coimbra 

I visited the six museums but The Joanina Library was the most impressing from my point of view.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblioteca_Joanina

After  we visited the University we  went to see the city center.

There were a lot of people who were celebrating the day. A theater play already started when i arrived there. I bought a bowl with rise and milk from a seller.

After we left the city center we went to see the bridges. 

After that we went to the train station. It was late and we wanted to catch the 8 `o clock train.

I enjoyed the trip. Hope to return and visit other paces in this city.