Ccaps Blog

Sorry, but this post is not available in English.
Click here if you would like to read it in Portuguese.

Despite the fact that this post is about measuring, it will be a short one. Worldwide, measurement is represented by various differing types of units and scales.

The most popular measurement system is the Metric System (liters, grams, etc.) yet most English speaking countries use the Imperial System (feet, inches, pounds, etc.), due to British colonization.

The various types of units used for measuring are:

• Length
• Weight
• Area
• Volume
• Temperature
• Paper Size
• Notation of angles, etc.

Once again, as most of the applications that we use on a daily basis are developed in the US, if certain care is not taken during Internationalization, you could have problems to express measurements correctly.

Although this one was rather short, things will start getting pretty technical in the next post. Be prepared…

The New Year is approaching quickly. Though 2010 was a great year, I am looking forward to starting a new year. It is as if we begin everything fresh again. We erase everything from the chalkboard and start over. In Western Cultures, it is a time to make new resolutions and goals, yet it is interesting how New Year traditions vary from region to region.

In the United States, we usually gather as families or at a party and when the clock strikes midnight, we love to make a lot of noise, set off fireworks, throw streamers and of course that ever so steamy New Year’s kiss. I remember as a kid, we used to love the opportunity to bang pots and pans together and being as obnoxious as we wanted when the clock struck midnight. Our generation is also very familiar with the ball dropping at Times Square that seems to be on the television of households around the nation as we countdown the seconds to the New Year. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Whoo-hooo!

Times Square – New Year’s Eve

In Brazil, some traditions are the same as in the US. At midnight, there is a lot of noise, kissing and fireworks. However, Brazilians have a tradition of wearing colors to represent what they want for the New Year. While most people wear white as a symbol of wanting peace in the New Year, some wear yellow for money or maybe pink for love. Just be safe, I wear all white with yellow and pink undies to ensure that all my bases are covered… wink, wink!

In coastal areas, most everyone goes to the beach and celebrates the arrival of the New Year in the sand. Considering that it falls in the middle of the summer, it is clearly not a bad place to be. At midnight, many people jump in the ocean and still many more throw flowers in the water as a gift to Yemanja, the goddess of the water, in hopes that she will bring the wishes of the incoming year.

Copacabana Beach – New Years Eve

Every country and even every household seems to have their own unique New Year’s traditions. Did you know that in Cuba they throw water through the windows at the struck of midnight? So, what are the traditions in your country? We would love to hear about them.

This year we wanted to give you a very special gift—something more important than holiday cards and keepsakes.

Meet Andressa:

This caring, smart, and sweet child lives with her parents and sister in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. She loves the arts and wants to be a teacher when she grows up. Andressa lives in a shed with brick walls, a tiled roof, and a cement floor. Her father works as a general services assistant, but his earnings are insufficient to cover the basic needs of the family.

We chose Andressa among the several children supported by the Fundo Cristão para Crianças, a Brazilian charity affiliated with the Child Fund International, to foster Andressa’s development and to make a difference in her life.

Why Andressa? Could you resist that smile? =)

In 2011, we will be making monthly donations to Andressa and her family with the money we would have otherwise spent on cards and postage. Would you like to join us in letting Andressa know that the world cares for its children? Write her a letter and send it to andressa@ccaps.net. We will translate it for you and email you back her answer.

With thanks and best wishes to you this holiday season,

Andressa and the Ccaps Team

It’s that time of year… The holiday season is among us once again. A time for celebration, joy, togetherness, charity, oneness and LOVE. A time for brisk winter walks and frozen noses if you are in the Northern Hemisphere, contrasted by warm, sunny beach outings in the Southern Hemisphere.

Though it is easy to get caught up in hustle and bustle of shopping, stress of travels, and organization of family gatherings, it is important to remember that the holidays, regardless of your religion or lack thereof, can be a time to express and feel gratitude, love, connectedness and HAPPINESS.

So this year, I do not wish that you receive all the presents that you asked for, nor does it matter if you stuff yourself with turkey and cherries, rabanada, or latkes and sufganiyot. What I wish for you is a newfound sense of unconditional HAPPINESS and GRATITUDE. I wish that you carry this sensation into all of 2011. I wish that you share this sensation with everyone that you encounter in the next year.

So to all of you, in the world over:

Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo!

Felices Fiestas y Feliz Año Nuevo!

Vesele praznike in sre?no novo leto!

Frohe Feiertage und ein glückliches Neues Jahr!

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!