A PhD on the Road (The Thesis)

This post is fully dedicated to my friend Mendes da Silva, who left us today. So long, my friend, i will miss you.

I left Coimbra to start a life on my own, after some lasting days filled with alcohol and tears, with my soul full of emotion and a lot of music. Iwas ready to start a new life believing pretty much in living by dreams. I had conquered a good "data base", but with no practice at all, with a lot of dreams to really achieve something useful for the geotechnical society.

I begun this life in Porto, the city where i was born 28 years before, with a new tool in hands (the DMT) trying to apply it to the residual soil characterization, starting from ground zero with a lifetime companion that still walk with me nowadays. António Viana da Fonseca (my supervisor in this thesis). And so, i started walking with some goals in mind, but soon realizing that it is a minor thought. In fact, it is much better to look into the distant horizon, leaving and tasting one day at a time and defining the path in each step. Wise decision, i should say with modesty, because it was that thought that brought me to where i am today, and that will guide my footsteps to an unknown destination towards the end of my days.

Following that old Confucius saying:

What i hear, i forget

What i see, i remember

What i do, i learn

i built a experimental data base to study and apply DMT to these non text-book materials (residual soils) that compose Porto Geological enviroment, walking along with Jazz in my soul, bringing intuiton and harmony to this task. And so, the movie of this post mean to show the scenary of old Porto (hoping to cativate your soul to come to Thesis presentation and for the big party that will be following), with Kate Souza and the fantastic James Brown (from soundtrack of the inspiring Blues Brothers). Sorry, the english of today (which is not so good) but i am in some (stomach) pain, and the brain doesn´t concentrate as usual.

Kisses and hugs

The Thesis - The Residual Ground (Part B) from nunocruz on Vimeo.

O post de hoje é inteiramente dedicado ao meu amigo Mendes da Silva, que hoje nos deixou. Até sempre amigo.

Saí de Coimbra rumo à vida, após uns dias finais muito regados tanto pelo alcool como pela lágrima, com a alma cheia de uma vida intensa de emoções e muita música. Estava preparado para começar nova vida acreditando muito na capacidade de viver de sonhos. Tinha uma base séria de conhecimentos (a que depois acrescentei um mestrado feito na mesma universidade), zero de pratica e muito sonho de evoluir e fazer alguma coisa de verdadeiramente útil. Caí no Porto, a minha cidade natal, com um equipamento novo nas mãos (o DMT) e ataquei com denodo a sua aplicação aos solos residuais, começando do zero com um parceiro de caminhada que ainda hoje dura. O António Viana da Fonseca (meu orientador na presente tese). Fixei o horizonte longinquo e iniciei a caminhada, primeiro estabelecendo algumas metas, mas depressa percebendo que por mais que as atingisse havia sempre um horizonte lá ao fundo. Aprendi assim que a meta imediata é muito redutora e que é muito mais saboroso encarar o horizonte longinquo, vivendo e saboreando um dia de cada vez e decidindo o caminho a cada passo. Sábia decisão, diria eu com modestia, porque foi ela que me trouxe até aqui, e que até ao fim dos meus dias me levará não sei aonde.

Seguindo o velho dito Confuciano:

O que ouço, eu esqueço

O que vejo, eu lembro

O que eu faço, eu aprendo

construi uma base experimental para estudar e aplicar o DMT a estes solos (residuais) tão particulares. Habituado que vinha de Coimbra a juntar a música há vida, fiz tudo isto a um ritmo de Jazz, pela semelhança de processos: Intuitivo e com harmonia.

Marco por isso, a Parte B da minha tese dedicada a esta caminhada tão saborosa com uma volta pelo Porto ao ritmo da Kate Souza e do James Brown (da banda sonora desse fantástico filme dos Blues Brothers), esperando cativar-vos a todos para virem à defesa da tese e sobretudo à imensa festa que se seguirá.

Beijos e abraços

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