Less than a couple of months after I got certified as a Project Manager, I decided to invest in an area that I was not fully confident that I know the stuff: defining cloud architecture. I started to create, develop and manage cloud systems in just the past 5 years or so, and it evolved super rapidly.

So, applying for a such certification would require extra study on my part. There were areas that I definitively do not grasp, such as networking and many Kubernetes corners. I decided to go with my beloved Coursera. I did a couple of free and paid courses there and I love it. Also, it which was the official training platform for Google products and services. Google itself design the courses and its employees that teach them. So there is some comfort.

The course is very practical. They provide a demo but real user to allow students to act in a Google Cloud environment for real. So one interacts, creates, updates, and deletes real things. It’s a major factor. Hands-on baby!

I went to the examination and was much more relaxed. They were as much as professional as the PMI guys but more relaxed and humane. I passed.

I learned a lot for sure. It will help me in future and current projects. Even being Google Cloud-focused, it addressed many of the issues of a generic cloud architect in any provider.

I can assure you I can handle the job. From computing, serverless, storage, and, yes, networking, I’m pretty confident I can design a better pretty cost-efficient solution than before. In the evolving cloud business, as long I keep updated, it’s a new passion that I am so excited about.

After months of studying, I could finally accomplish an old dream: be a certified project manager. I work with projects since the dawn of time. I create personal and professional projects often. Big and small. For myself, with teams, and for the company.

Despite liking dealing with processes, my goal was never to be in a process-driven career. Personally, the part I like the most about processes is their implementation or optimization projects!

And I genuinely try to enhance my abilities, by studying, researching, and training. I’m an agile advocate at my job long before it was a thing. Now they are all project-flying and agile-ing all major parts of the business processes.

But one thing is to know you are good at something. Another thing completely different is to convince someone about it. Here comes the certification program. PMI is the de-facto institution regarding project management. I read their main material many, many years ago and followed their general guidelines ever since. But the certification itself, nope.

Better later than never. I decided to finally apply for the certification exam. Here’s a motivational tip: first apply for an exam then start to study for it. It’s much more effective, psychologically speaking, to have a fixed deadline to be engaged and motivated. Studying for a “to be defined” date is prone to procrastination.

I bought an online course. The instructor was very clear: each exam has its quirks and style. He will exploit PMI’s style to deliver a laser-focused course with the only goal being to facilitate passing the exam. No philosophical discussions. No discussions at all. Just the pure content. Delivered with the precise method.

It was both effective and efficient. It took me just a week of classes and an extra one to review and consolidate the knowledge. PMI requires that one should have not only a previous experience in the field but also a minimum amount of formal education, so the classes could not be shorter even if possible.

I did the online exam. Man, it was equally scary. Some dude had to check our computer screen, I had to turn on the camera all time. And any movement or sound, I was called upon.

The questions were super generic. It’s the downside of being a generic Project Management certification. It was not about construction or software development. So the online course was right. After a couple of hours, exhausted (I had to do it after the business hour, so I was extra tired), I finished.

Days after, the good news: I did it! One old dream checked! And it’s on my Linkedin, of course!

I love dogs. Since kid, I always wanted to have dogs around. I’ve had two when I was a kid. The two died in a bit tragic situation, but I kept loving them.

This year I decided to give it another try. This time, I would be alone. No mother or brothers to help me out feeding, nursing and taking out for a walk. This time, it would be like I’m a single dad.

I had my preferences of breed, of course. I live in an apartment, so it would be advisable to get a smaller specimen. In Rio, a furry one would suffer without mercy. A smart, training-lover that would get beer at the fridge would also be a great plus.

But I did not want to buy. I would rather adopt one. But to find one that fills all the checkboxes is hard. But I waited. Eventually, a friend of mine told me such story:

She already had a dog, called Lancelot, but she felt that the dog was too alone. Without a friend, Lance was developing a non-social behavior. She decided to adopt one. She got a small 1.5 month-old cub and named her Guinevere. Lancelot and Guinevere were supposed to live happily ever after.

But Lance got annoyed. All that grumpiness from an adult dog was not getting along with the chaotic way of life of a cub. Lance was spending most of the day up in the bed, a place he could jump over, but the poor Guinevere could not reach. From there, Lancelot kept his god deserved peace.

My friend told them she was planning to give Guinevere back. I immediately seized the opportunity to ask the little lady for myself. It was my chance right there. She agreed.

I was going to pass by her place a couple of days later to get the new daughter. I was super anxious. I could not wait for it. Eventually, I went there to meet for the first time my little Guiné. Guiné is a reference to the African country, Guinea. It is a perfect match. Guinevere was super-duper black. Despite a single pawn and her belly, Guiné is pitch black.

I loved her. Her super energetic behavior. Her looks. Her tongue, that did not stop to lick me for a moment. Since then, I am a dad. I try to give it her deserved love without over do it. She is a dog.

Great trip to Brazilian Amazon. Manaus, Alter de Chão, Belém, Ilha de Marajó, São Luis and Lençóis Maranhenses. So many friends.

Ora poix! Ora poix! As fotos que tirei da terrinha, alteradas automaticamente pelo Google. Não é que gostei dos resultados! #tbt