11/10. Domingo. Apples.

Marcela, amiga da faculdade, veio visitar.

Dia divertido, repleto de atividades.

Sab. Amritsar. 10/10.

Amritsar, fronteira da Índia com o Paquistão. Um dos últimos passeios pela terrinha de lá. Eis o vídeo.

09/10. Nobel. Friday.

"I agree that the timing of the prize is a double-edged sword. If the prize is annual (or biennial), no doubt that if he had been nominated in the next event, the criticism would have been different (which is not to say that I agree with the theory that Obama has done nothing up until now: he has done a lot, but obviously only sees the ones who want to see it).

In his nomination, there is a very subtle political / economic interest in stabilizing or not a nation’s policy. A reward like this is not given to someone just because they are nice. There are lots of strategies and interests behind it.

Everything that the Americans and other people think about it has already been thought by the representatives in Oslo. And maybe this feeling is what they were aiming for.

We must agree that this award is "strangely" precipitated. First, because it brings with it a sense of regret and dismantling of the previous policy adopted by Bush and his followers, it is an “anti-award” for them. And second because it inflates even more the egos of the ones who support Obama. The dust is still up in the air and suddenly comes a whirlwind like that. In this current scenario, anything can happen. There are many particles flying around and only time will tell where they land.

The best sentence so far, is Aristotle’s: “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. In this particular case, there is no doubt about it.

On the other hand, it is easy and boring when it is obvious. And the obvious does not guarantee media. There is lot to be thought of when making this decision. Think of the stock market, fox example. If it is downright bullish, hardly any news will reverse its behavior and mood - in real, it gives no importance to news in general. Now when it hits a resistance or a support, any major event will bring changes to it - and it is much more exciting and more impactful in the media. And "Obama's Market" has not yet gotten rid of its resistances or supports. So the time is right (speaking in terms of media)".

Por Walter Tabax, tio da Kika.

8/10. Amigos. Quinta.

Adoro brasileiros.

E amo ser brasileira.

E gosto de amigos dos brasileiros.

Mais ainda dos brasileiros amigos dos brasileiros.

E me divirto com as coincidências, idas e vindas, tropeções e trapalhadas.

André, primo da Beer, amiga da turma da ADESG, é residente da Medicina e jogou pólo com o marido da irmã do Dunia, casal que agora mora em Boston, onde Dunia faz sua pós graduação e lembra com carinho dos anos de colégio ao lado do Pimenta, do Marcelão, do Cocô, do Tomate e do Marcão, estes últimos que moraram com a Kika na época da República da Unicamp e foram amigos do Dunia nos anos de Poli.

E no rodar dos dias, o mundo fica mais próximo, e os graus de separação passam a ser escritos com casas decimais, porque já deixaram de ser 6 anos e anos atrás.

Quarta. 07 de outro. Oto Blog.

A Fletcher School tem um blog chamado Fletcher Reflections.

É lá onde os alunos deixam suas opiniões sobre notícias, eventos internacionais e o dia-a-dia da vida acadêmica. É lá onde eu escrevo duas vezes por semana e recebo $15 por post. Por enquanto, o único emprego que arrumei. Até babysitting tá complicado.

http://news.fletcher.tufts.edu/reflections/

Ter. 6/10. Eu.

Beijo para voces!

5/10. Mo. IPO

As the largest initial public offering on a U.S. exchange in 18 months, the share sale of Banco Santander (Brazil) will likely attract plenty of demand even as some investors balk at the price of the stock.

* Santander’s Brazilian unit is expected to launch a $8.78 billion IPO, the largest U.S.-listed offering in 18 months.
* Pepsi Bottling Group, the largest bottler of PepsiCo drinks, will report third-quarter earnings. Investors will no doubt be looking for details regarding the upcoming acquisition of the bottler by PepsiCo.
* Analysts expect Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC parent Yum Brands to report weak third-quarter same-store sales in the United States and China, its largest markets.
* At the Reuters Global Wealth Management Summit expect interviews with JP Morgan Chase U.S. Private Bank CEO Catherine Keating, SG Private Banking Asia CEO for Singapore and South Asia Pierre Baer and HSBC Managing Director and Head of Personal Financial Services Godfrey Swain.

Reuters.

4/10. Dom. Bye.

Com ovos e bacon se faz um brunch.

Com tijolo vermelho, construiu-se Harvard.

De barcos à vela se faz um dia de sol em Boston.

De sol e céu zul pinta-se o retrato de uma família feliz conversando no parque.

De gargalhadas enche-se uma tarde à tôa.

De olhos vermelhos deixam-se os seres amados.

De overbooking, ganha-se jantar com vista para o rio.

De boas lembranças enchem-se as páginas da vida.

E de despedidas faz-se um blog.

Sáb. 3 de out. Papai.

Dia de visita. Pap's, Mutti e Walter vieram passar o sábado chuvoso na pacata Boston.

Dia de passeio de trolley, almoço, café em casa, descanso, voltinha pela faculdade.

Noite de lua cheia, de festival asiático.

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Noite de repartir a lua com quem você ama, mesmo que do outro lado do continente.

O Festival da Lua acontece no 15o dia do 8o mês lunar do calendário chinês (normalmente em meados de setembro no calendário gregoriano), que coincide com o eqüinocio de outono do calendário solar. Esse é o momento ideal, quando a lua está cheia e em seu maior esplendor, para comemorar a colheita do verão.

Friday. 02/out. Middlesex.

Eu sei, eu sei... Não resisti e já escrevi das Olímpiadas lá atrás... Que notícia gostosa!

A comemoração foi assim.

Com gostinho de Brasil.

1 de out. Quinta. Outono.

Outono chegou há alguns dias. No trajeto até a escola, árvores coloridas se impõem frente ao céu cinza, anunciando a chuva que se aproxima. Verde, amarelo, laranja, vermelho, vazio. Em alguns poucos dias o vermelho das flores deixará de fazer inveja às frutas e irá brincar com o vento até achar um cantinho aconchegante com os gravetos no chão. E assim a natureza segue seu ciclo.

Enquanto escrevo, decido que cor de esmalte passar. A cada manhã uma nova árvore muda seu visual. Em poucas semanas a paisagem alegre observada com um sorriso da janela de casa será outra.

A brevidade dos fatos e o caráter transitório das sensações.

Lição número 1 do campo de meditação.

E assim a vida segue seu ciclo.

Wed. 30/09. Rio.

Tue. 29/09/09. Patriota.

Brazil: Host of the 2016 Olympics. Home to a Professional Diplomatic Corps.

Ambassador of Brazil to the United States Antonio de Aguiar Patriota addressed Brazilian grand strategy and foreign policy developments at the latest Charles Francis Adams Lecture, "Brazil - USA: Bilateral, Regional And Global Dimensions,” on September 30, 2009 at the Fletcher School. The main takeaway was the newly independent character of Brazilian foreign policy, a country which, as Dean Bosworth put it, is proud to have “one of the best foreign services in the world”. He pointed to the fact that Brazil has opened dozens of new embassies, and all of its Ambassadors are professionals, not political appointees.

In comparison to other BRIC countries (Russia, India and China), Brazil is the only one that is self-sufficient in food, water, and energy, just as the U.S. was 150 years ago. It is also the only BRIC in which inequality has decreased. In the social and cultural arena, IBSA (India, Brazil, and South Africa), three large multicultural democracies, have signed a treaty that will increase these countries’ soft power in the upcoming years, as already demonstrated by Brazil’s increasing presence in summits and conferences around the world.

Ambassador Patriota expressed a positive view of the Obama administration’s openness to negotiations with countries with which it has not had a dialogue in the past, such as Trinidad and Tobago. He defined new milestones to explain the U.S.’s wisdom and dominance, which rose with the fall of the Berlin Wall and has faded since the Wall Street collapse. In view of the discussions at the recent G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, he believes that the G-8 is becoming obsolete. It is neither dead nor being replaced by the G-20, but it is on the way to becoming a club for Europe and the U.S. to discuss specific issues. He pointed out that Brazil is a top contributor in the new G-20 group.

Brazil is a vital regional player, maintaining productive relationships with its ten neighbors. Stability, democracy, and economic and social progress are the goals of the triangular diplomacy conducted by Brazil and the US with Latin American and Caribbean countries in order to develop capabilities such as biofuels production.

In response to a question about the proposed U.S. military presence in Colombia, the Ambassador recognized the U.S.’s right to conduct its own military relations with other countries, but stressed that Brazil and others in the region are requesting assurance that U.S. military operations will be restricted to within Colombia’s borders. Colin Canham III, a first-year MIB student, was disappointed by Ambassador Patriota’s response to this question, which failed to address the enormous diplomatic elephant in the room, Venezuela. Nonetheless, Canham was impressed by the fact that Brazil seems poised to take the lead on a new progressive global movement in light of its success in reducing poverty, repaying its debts, and continuing to strengthen trade/finance integration and anti-corruption. Brazil is now “almost” a creditor, has a stable currency, and was largely unaffected by the current financial crisis due to its low degree of dependence on foreign trade.

As Brazilians look forward to hosting the 2016 Olympic Games, they can take pride in a diplomatic corps that is dedicating so much effort to carrying out Brazil’s foreign policy.

Mon. 28/set. FPRC

The Center for Emerging Market Enterprises and the Fletcher Political Risk Forum, in partnership with ExxonMobil, are pleased to announce the conference “Managing Political Risk: A Cross-Sector Conference on Political Risk Management and Mitigation,” which will be held at The Fletcher School, Tufts University on Friday, October 23, 2009.

About the Conference

Political risk mitigation techniques have become strategic components to enterprise risk management as uncertainty surrounding government regulation, expropriation, currency inconvertibility, and political violence becomes more common in today’s volatile economic environment. This conference will create a platform to host industry leaders to discuss the most salient political risks to investments in the emerging markets. An interdisciplinary approach resonates with The Fletcher School’s strength in bridging academic and professional expertise in business, law, finance, conflict resolution and natural resource policy.

The Center for Emerging Market Enterprises and the Fletcher Political Risk Forum at The Fletcher School, Tufts University will provide a forum for the dissemination of ideas and best practices on political risk mitigation for business professionals and graduate students in business and international affairs from the Boston area and beyond. The conference aims to foster a cross-sector discussion on political risk measurement and mitigation trends and techniques and address timely political risks facing international investors and businesses. A comprehensive conversation on political risk mitigation will feature moderated panels on energy and resource nationalism, political risk and business intelligence, investment and trade finance in conflict affected countries, and political risk insurance.

Attendees will include corporate risk managers, investment managers, financial and country analysts, underwriters, and academics, amongst others.

How to Attend

Those who plan to attend the conference MUST register at the conference website. CEME and FPRF welcome Fletcher community attendance. Student space is limited, and we will request business dress and require confirmation of attendance in advance of the conference date. Professional interest in political risk is preferred. Please forward to your colleagues to spread the word beyond Fletcher as well.

For More Information

Please visit the Managing Political Risk Conference Website and Blog, or contact CEME.

Sunday. 27/09. Família.

Hoje recebi um email que me deixou feliz.

Veio carregado de amor e carinho e trouxe umas fotos que retratam uma época um tanto quanto distinta do dia-a-dia atual.

Deixo as fotos.

26/09/09. Sáb. Library.

Seguindo a noite de caipirinhas na sala, tequila no balcão do Zuzu e omelete na cozinha, honramos a academia com nossa ilustre presença.

Em seguida, deixamos a biblioteca alegre por horas e horas até o entardecer.

Ao final da tarde, saboreamos um delicioso macarrão, uma pizza crocante e umas taças do vinho do Matteo.

Após assistir 2 filmes péssimos, demos risada com um bom jogo de baralho regado à chá para encerrar o dia.

Friday! 25/set. Cachaça!

And this is half the reason why it is called the HoT House!

...the other half is even hotter...

24/ de set. Quinta. NYSE.

Manias, Panics, and Crashes: How Today's Global Financial Crisis Happened, and What to Do About It.

Marshall N. Carter is Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange Group and Deputy Chairman of the parent company NYSE Euronext. He was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the predecessor, New York Stock Exchange for two years prior to the merger. Mr. Carter served as a director of the NYSE since November 2003. Mr. Carter 69, most recently was a lecturer in leadership and management at the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Prior to the Exchange, Mr. Carter served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the State Street Bank and Trust Company, Boston, and of its holding company, State Street Corporation. He joined State Street in July 1991 as President and Chief Operating Officer, became CEO in 1992 and Chairman in 1993. During his nine years as CEO, the company grew more than six fold. State Street is a leading servicer and manager of financial, pension and mutual fund assets worldwide. Prior to joining State Street, Mr. Carter was with the Chase Manhattan Bank for 15 years, in positions related to finance, operations and global securities businesses.

Matteo. 23/09. Wednesday.

Matteo. Rommate #5.
1/2 italiano, 1/2 americano.
Usa o mesmo sapato há mais de 10 anos.
Sapato que é obrigado a comprar online (tamanho 49).
Com exceção de um funcionário da Fletcher, único ser da região apreciador do bom e velho punk rock.
Coleciona caixas de macarrão e molho de tomate.
Partilha uma garrafa de um bom vinho every now and then.
É assim mesmo, como está na foto.

22 de set. Terça. Vali Nasr.

Proud students of the Fletcher School gathered in front of TVs as the night got colder in Boston, to praise and honor the Daily Show’s guest on September 22. Born in Iran, Vali Nasr accumulates the titles of professor at Fletcher, adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, senior fellow of The Dubai Initiative at Harvard University’s JFK and advisor to Richard Holbrooke, a key US diplomat.

Author of “Forces of Fortune”, Prof. Nasr believes that a prosperous Muslim middle class will bring stability and democracy to the Middle East, mirroring the transformations that took place in the modern West. Worried about future terrorist attacks, this leading thinker about the Middle East and the Islamic world brings into the main state a religious, but capitalist middleclass-based force. According to him, the rise of capitalism and trade were responsible for the success of modernity and democracy and market-based economies in the West. He believes that these same forces will also transform the Muslim world.

Vali Nasr cites the example of Turkey, where a religious businessman is directly doing trades with European manufactures and knows that jihad might have negative effects on his business. The market and self economic interest exert important pressures into this powerful emerging class. However, in order for them to obtain reasonable tariffs and be able to negotiate internationally, the American Congress must cooperate. It is necessary to sacrifice things and provide open markets for goods that would encourage economic growth in the Muslim region.

The modern Iranian businessman, be it a religious person or not, is willing to play by the rules of the market. In past generations, the West was a synonym of morals and values, and this thinking has given way to a more money centered ideology. The decision to modernize now is completely business and economic oriented. Being westernized does not mean that secularism is good or bad, or that the Western is cool. It is simply the way by which they can have a more active presence in the economic field. Important to remember that they are not necessarily our friends, but they are willing participants in the economic global order.

Prof. Nasr has contributed to The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Time and he has appeared on Anderson Cooper 360, The Situation Room, Fareed Zakaria GPS, The Today Show, and Charlie Rose. Also written by him, “The Shia Revival” was a New York Times bestseller.

Mon. 09/21. U2 in Boston

20 de set. Domingo. Visita.

Aproveitei a visita do primo André e fui conhecer a cidade de Boston. It was about time. Almoçamos no charmoso bairro Little Italy e fizemos um passeio de ônibus que se transforma em barco e navega no rio. Um tanto quanto patético. Porém, divertido. Fiquei feliz em vê-lo e conversr um pouquinho sobre os amigos em comum. Boa viagem de volta e muita sorte e força durante os próximos meses.

Sábado. 19/set. Típico.

Típico sábado brasileiro: acordar tarde, feijoada, churrasco, sorvete e filme.

Pedro Fiuza é amigo querido de SP, 2nd year do MIT. Organizou uma deliciosa feijoada no terraço de seu prédio, habitado por outros 5 ou mais casais de brasileiros. Gente bonita, papo interessante, Ivete bombando, couve e laranja. Parabéns Pedrinho e que esta data se repita por muitos e muitos anos!

Fim do dia, tarde de preguiça em casa. Os meninos organizaram um churrasco, fizeram Bloody Mary, a Caroline comprou sorvete e nos aconchegamos na sala para assistir Clerks.

I love this house!

18 de setembro. Sexta. Varanda.

A varanda. Ponto de encontro dos moradores do primeiro andar. Recinto onde ficam jaquetas e sapatos sem dono. Local de se tomar uma cerveja e fumar um cigarro ao cair do dia, onde se joga conversa fora e se debatem importantes teorias. Onde se fala de política, de religião, de viagens. Onde se reclama do tempo, dos professores, das aulas. Onde se debate o sistema de saúde americano, o ano novo judaico, a cidade de Boston. Onde se fala de sonhos e decepções. Onde se criam esperanças e se analisa o passado.

Qui. 17/09. July.

Que felicidade em receber um telefonema da minha baixinha querida.

Que gostoso rir e gargalhar até doer a barriga.

Que alegria em ouvir as estórias dos amigos.

Que saudade imensa dos abraços e beijos.

Que bom saber que estão todos bem.

Que aperto no coração ao desligar o telefone.

Que vontade de pegar o próximo avião rumo a SP.

Que falta fazem.

Political Risk. Wed. 16/09.

Como se não bastassem as aulas e tudo o que as acompanham: leituras, cases, trabalhos em grupo, apresentações, projetos, memorandos, op-eds, resumos, problemas and so on... A vida acadêmica é repleta de eventos e eventos e eventos.

Um deles, recém-saído do forno, uma conferência sobre risco político que estamos organizando. Quem estiver por perto, fica o convite.

Managing Political Risk: A Cross-Sector Conference on Political Risk Measurement and Mitigation

Conference Theme

Engendering cross-sector discussion on political risk mitigation techniques through moderated panels on corporate strategy, business intelligence, and timely political risks that face international investors, such as resource nationalism. A comprehensive conversation on political risk mitigation will also feature panels on investment and trade services that require political risk analysis, such as investment and trade finance, investment guarantees, and political risk insurance.

Summary

Political risk mitigation techniques have become strategic components to enterprise risk management as uncertainty surrounding government regulation, expropriation, currency inconvertibility, and political violence becomes more common in today’s volatile economic environment. This conference will create a platform to host industry leaders to discuss the most salient political risks to investments in the emerging markets. An interdisciplinary approach resonates with The Fletcher School’s strength in bridging academic and professional expertise in business, law, finance, conflict resolution and natural resource policy.

The Center for Emerging Market Enterprises and the Fletcher Political Risk Forum at The Fletcher School, Tufts University will provide a forum for the dissemination of ideas and best practices on political risk mitigation for business professionals and graduate students in business and international affairs from the Boston area. Attendees will include corporate risk managers, investment managers, financial and country analysts, underwriters, and academics, amongst others.

http://fletcher.tufts.edu/PoliticalRisk09

15 de set. Terça. Muuuuuuu.

Saudade das vaquinhas...

14 de set. Monday. 1 semana.

David. Roommate #4. Por enquanto, meu favorito. Fala besteira, brinca com todos, ri de mim, reclama de tudo, me pentelha o dia inteiro, dá conselhos sobre as aulas, conversa sobre tudo, adora Gossip Girl e não confia nas máquinas de lavar roupa americanass. Dou risada com ele o dia todo. Importado da Bélgica, sem dúvida, essencial para minha felicidade durante esta primeira semana em terras novas. Alegra meu dia. Principalmente quando reclama tanto da calça antiga que está larga, é curta, feia, sem graça. Calma, calma, David, pode usar uma minha emprestada. E não é que ficou bem melhor? Feliz da vida, sinal de que está uns quilos mais leve, foi tomar cerveja e fumar seu cigarrinho.

13/09. Dom. Blakeley BBQ.

Blakeley é o dormitório dos alunos da Fletcher, onde fiquei hospedada no primeiro semestre. No meio do prédio, tem um delicioso jardim, palco de conversas e aventuras. Foi lá que Ivan nos brindou com um delicioso churrasco. Ops, com um delicioso churrasco americano. Agora sim. Pão, tomate, queijo e um mega hamburguer. Catchup e batata frita para acompanhar. Calma, calma, tinha uma super salada de folhas verdes, azeitona e tomate. Tarde agradável. Na frente do prédio tem uma quadra de baseball, onde bixos e veteranos arriscaram uma partida de futebol.

Partay!! Sab. 12/09/09.

Alunos orgulhosos e receptivos que somos, transformamos o porão em pista de dança e abrimos as portas da casa para nossos calouros! Jordan (roommate #1) comandou o Mac, ligou as caixinhas de som e fez os futuros diplomatas se requebrarem! Recém-chegado à HoT, aquisição celebrada pelos antigos moradores, que agora têm um carinho especial pelos tão difamados MIBs (Master of International Business). Nicholas (roommate #2), um dos únicos que eu conhecia antes de ser selecionada para habitar a HoT. Foi essencial na minha escolha para ocupar o quarto vazio do primeiro andar. Morou no Japão, mas tem as raízes na bela cidade de San Francisco, do outro lado do continente. Aparentava ser um pouco mais reservada, Caroline (roommate #3) foi uma das primeiras pessoas com quem eu conversei logo que cheguei em Medford no semestre passado. A pista de dança ficou pequena! E HoT house even hotter!