A PhD on the Road (The Thesis)

The thesis i´ve just delivered is divided in 4 parts (A, B, C, D), respectively designated by: Background, The Residual Ground, The Experiment and the Model. This and the following 3 posts will tell that story.

Part A - Background (A perspective of soil and rock mechanical evolution throughout weathering and the basics of In-situ testing) can be described by the wise words of our Alvaro de Campos (Fernando Pessoa heteronimous)

Only what we dream means what we really are

Since everything we achieve

belongs to the world and to everybody

I left home with 18 years old, going down south to Coimbra to study in the University. I had the mind full of contradictions with the education given by my parents, and the naif ideas i had gave birth. It was the perfect time and the perfect town to go in that stage of my life. Start living on my own, with some difficulties but, at the same time, with a lot of creativity and convictions that i wanted to put in practice. 6 fabulastic years, full of emotions, love, ideals, played along with the music of Estudantina Universitária de Coimbra, a student music group i had the chance to belong (playing the portuguese guitar that was offered me by my father and using the old student clothing offered me by my grand father) from its early beginning until the edition of its first CD with originals. That was the time when i learnt that it was possible to live upon our dreams, being this the true background that fed this PhD work.

The movie down below tells that story with our (student) words in two originals of Estudantina revealing how difficult it is to study in a town so full of life (Afonso) and the "Saudade" that always take place when that time reaches the end (Nostalgia). Consider this as a Serenade to all of you, exactly as those we played so many times for beautiful girls under the moon light. Hope you like it.

Kisses and Hugs

The Thesis - Background (Part A) from nunocruz on Vimeo.

A tese que acabei de entregar está dividida em 4 partes (A, B, C, D), respectivamente entituladas : Background, The Residual Ground, The Experiment and the Model. Este e os próximos 3 posts ilustram esse trabalho.

Part A - Background (Uma perspectiva da evolução do comportamento mecânico de solos e rochas com o grau de alteração dos maciços e as bases para empreender uma caracterização in-situ eficaz), pode contar-se partindo das sábias palavras de Alvaro de Campos

Só aquilo que sonhamos é aquilo que realmente somos

Já aquilo que fizemos pertence ao mundo e a toda a gente.

Sai de casa com 18 anos, a caminho de Coimbra para fazer o meu percurso universitário, com a cabeça cheia de contradições entre as coisas herdadas pela educação que os meus pais me deram e aquilo em que começava a acreditar. Foi um tempo e uma cidade perfeitos para pôr a minha vida a correr. (Quase) 6 anos fantásticos carregados de emoções, amores, ideais acompanhados pela musica encantadora e romantica da Estudantina Universitária de Coimbra, uma tuna académica a que me orgulho de ter pertencido praticamente desde o seu inicio até à gravação do primeiro disco de originais (altura em que parti de Coimbra para arrancar para outra vida). Assim vivi 3-4 anos tocando a guitarra que o meu pai me tinha oferecido e vestindo o traje do meu avô (que por lá tinha igualmente passado) oferecido num acto de amor da minha avô Guida.

Acima de tudo, esse foi o tempo onde aprendi a sonhar e a saber que é possível viver de sonhos, com sucesso. É assim que vivo a minha vida desde então, e foi assim que fiz este doutoramento. Sonhando.

O filme que apresento abaixo conta a perigosa e fantastica aventura do estudante em Coimbra (Afonso) e a saudade que nos inunda quando tudo chega ao fim (Nostalgia), através das palavras e musica (originais) da Estudantina. Considerem esta uma Serenata dedicada a todos vocês, igual a tantas outras que fizemos a belas mulheres sob a luz do luar. Espero que gostem.

Beijos e Abraços

A PhD on the Road (Aknowledgments)

Granja

UUUUUUUUUFFFFFFF. What a relief. Finally i finished the document and this trip moves towards the end. I just gave birth last wednesday, leaving it in the university for their judgment, naturally hoping to have success. In this kind of work the glory stays for the man who speaks, but behind him, a lot of people gave their best for the hard work that had to be performed. Those are the workers of the success that always remains in the shadow. I really don´t want that to happen this time. I do believe that is much better for your heart and for your mind, to share in brotherhood with all those that walked along with you.

So this is a tribute to all of you with the words (pay attention to the them) anf the fantastic music of

Muse (Uprising)

UUUUUUUUUFFFFFFF. Que aliiiiiviiio. Finalmente "fechei" o PhD empurrando esta história em direcção ao seu final. Acabei de deixar a tese (na quarta feira passada) na FEUP para sua Douta avaliação, esperando natutralmente ter sucesso nesta empreitada. Neste tipo de trabalho habitualmente o sucesso fica com a pessoa que o anuncia (apresenta). Mas atrás desse existe todo um conjunto de pessoas que penou para levar a bom porto o trabalho, sempre na sombra do sucesso. Eu cá acredito que sabe muito melhor poder partilhar com toda a gente que de algum modo participou nesta caminhada, dando o seu melhor. Espero mesmo é não os desiludir.

Aqui vai, por isso um tributo meu para eles todos usando as palavras (prestem atenção à letra) e a fantástica musica dos Muse (Uprising)

A PhD on the Road - Delivering the Manuscript from nunocruz on Vimeo.

Aknowledging

(as in the original document)

This work became possible only because there was always someone ready to walk along with me, to point out horizons to look into, to fill my soul with hope and joy and to always make me smile with my “stumbles and falls”.

A big smile, a big kiss& big hug to the team mates that directl and greatly contribute to this work.

This work is the work we were able to do together. OUR work.

By order of appearance: José Manuel Carvalho, Fernando Gomes, Antonio Viana da Fonseca, Sonia Figueiredo, Eduardo Neves, Jorge Saraiva Cruz, Jorge Ribeiro, Cárin Mateus, Ricardo Rocha, João Branco, Patrícia Vieira, Mike Lopes, David Felizardo, my Bro. Manuel Cruz, Carlos Rodrigues, Manuel Gairrão, Fernando Almeida and the “rookies” Luis Machado and Sofia Vaz.

Also, i would like to express my deepest thanks …

…to Silvia, Migo, Kika e Licas, for letting me be as i am and for the amazing family that we are. You’ll never walk alone. I hope you can feel proud of me

to my father, who put Tibet and freedom in my soul, a long time ago, my mother for teaching me the word “Love”, my brothers for the brotherhood and the incredible and immense Bravos family to whom i´m proud to belong

to my uncle Duarte for the ideals and the balance i have learnt from him.

to my supervisors…

António Viana da Fonseca, a long cruise partner in Science & Travelling, since the first hour, for the fantastic adventures we have lived together,

Fernando Rocha, for his belief in all this,

and Carlos Rodrigues with whom i have learnt so many things, so impossible to describe, the huge friendship this work has offered me. A miracle, to have you and Manuel on the same side of the road. I´d love to climb another Volcano with you, my friend.

To Silvano Marchetti, who invented a fantastic tool

to my “Guru” Almeida e Sousa and to Manuel Alves Ribeiro for teaching me how to think like an engineer and for the kick-off of this Dream

to my “twin” Jorge Cruz that always made possible the dream to go on, bearing the same bearing I had to bear, and even making my mistakes useful. Great partnership, my friend, let´s make it last

to my sweet and courageous Cárin, that stood up for me and covered my weaknesses and also to the smiley Patrícia by the light she brought in

To my bright geophysical partner, Fernando Almeida

to my dearest “Cluster” by their love, permanent support and a lot of things more that cannot be expressed by words. You bring balance to my life: Cristina, João, Claudia e Vitor (Cunhas Gomes), Silvio Marroquin, Vitor Az, Vitor Drejo, Angel Oramas, Raquel Pina.

to João Bustorff, for feeding my dreams to “Giros” and “Costas”, for a life time friendship

to Silvano and Diego Marchetti and the precious Paola Monaco, to my Brazilian brothers Fernando Schnaid, Roberto Coutinho, Eduardo Marques to the Gang of 4, John Powell, Marcelo Devincenzi, Tom Lunne, to the Geomusicians Paul Mayne, Martin Fahey, John Mitchell with whom i had the pleasure of mixing Science & Art,to Roger Failzmeger and Mike Long, to all the “Knights of the Blade”, for your friendship and confidence in my skills. I sincerely hope i haven’t disappointed

to Fernando Gonçalves, for believing in my engineering efficiency since the early beginning, to Vieira Simões by opening a decisive door in a dead end, and to Pedro Januario by the friendship and respect offered me in the dark.

To my mates from Aveiro, Coimbra and Porto Universities, where i have learnt teaching and taught learning: Fernando Rocha, Fernando Almeida, Jorge Medina, Eduardo Silva, Luis Lemos, Paulo Pinto, Jorge Almeida e Sousa, Sara Rios, António Topa Gomes, Cristiana Ferreira,

To Sandra Andrade, Maria José, Miguel Meireles, Francisco Silva, Fernando Paiva, Denise Silva, Leonel Conde, Maria do Carmo Pinto, Luís Póvoas and the whole drilling team, for their permanent and indestructible support in CICCOPN and in MOTA-ENGIL.

To all those that walked with me in”A PhD on the Road”, transforming a huge task in a fantastic adventure

And finally to all those i forgot in these lines that shouldn´t be forgotten (it always happens).

Tibetan say…

There is no way to happiness, Happiness is the way

YOU all have made happy my way

Thanks so much.

A PhD on the Road - Delivering the Manuscript from nunocruz on Vimeo.

When i´m desperate, i go talk to my granites

Alvarenga

I´m desperate. Really desperate. It doesn´t matter why, because life is to smile.

And when i´m desperate, i just go and listen to my granites. ' You think is impossible? It is not. It is a matter of paying attention. Listen to the conversation we had together narrated by the oldies Creedence Clearwater Revival (Have you ever seen the rain... coming down on sunny days) and the young ColdPlay (Fix you and Swallowed in the sea)

Kisses and hugs

A Place to Think Anything Over from nunocruz on Vimeo.

Estou no desespero mais profundo. Não interessa falar no porquê, porque a vida dá-se ao sorriso.

E quando estou desesperado vou falar com os meus granitos. Pensam que sou tolo?. Sou não. É uma questão de atenção. Escutem a conversa que tive com eles narrada pelos velhinhos Creedence Clearwater Revival (Have you ever seen the rain... coming down on sunny days) e pelos "novinhos" ColdPlay (Fix you e Swallowed in the sea)

Beijos e abraços a todos

A PhD on the Road - Missing you

Granja

The best thing that you take after travelling is not in the monuments you have seen, the museums you've been or the landscapes you have fitted in. These just create the background. Really, the best thing you take in your heart & soul is the people you crossed with that make your world wonderful.

I love the tangible purety and sense of balance of the tibeteans and sinhalese and buddists in general

I love the wisdom of chinese or the sense of nature of the indians

I love the africans for the their music from the soul and for ignoring time

and the Brazilian and Cubans for their permanent joy

and Americans for their courage

and europeans for my birthplace.

I love all those friends that i made in every place i stayed.

I miss you all very much.

(The PhD? on the hands of supervisors to really close the thing. I need your hands for this last walk. Too much anxiety and too less capacity)

Kisses and hugs with the voices of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and Eva Cassidy & Katie Melua together with the fantastic Louis Armstrong & his wonderful world

A PhD on the Road - What a wonderful world (www) from nunocruz on Vimeo.

A melhor coisa que podemos trazer de uma viagem não são os monumentos que vimos, os museus que percorremos ou as magnificas paisagens que "bebemos". Isso apenas contribui para o cenário, porque o melhor de tudo, o que trazemos no coração e na alma, são as pessoas com que cruzamos e que fazem maravilhoso o nosso mundo.

Adoro os tibetanos, os singaleses, os budistas em geral, pela sua pureza e sentido de equilibrio tão tangiveis e tão reconfortantes

Adoro os indios pelo seu sentido da natureza

e os chineses pela sua infinita sabedoria

e os africanos pela musica que tem dentro de si e pela capacidade de ignorarem o tempo

e os brasileiros e os cubanos pela sua permanente alegria

e os americanos pela sua coragem

e os europeus pelo berço onde nasci

e todos os amigos que fiz em cada sitio que parei

Adoro-vos a todos. Tenho montes de saudades vossas.

(O doutoramento? Nas mãos dos orientadores para fechar de vez o trabalho. Confortem-me, apoiem-me, que a ansiedade é muita e a capacidade já muito pouca)

Beijos e abraços com as vozes de Israel Kamakawiwo'ole e Eva Cassidy & Katie Melua em conjunto com o fabuloso Louis Armstrong e o seu wonderful world.