User:Webruci/Silvia Weber

Biography

Sylvia Weber was born in the twentieth of June 1968, in a small town in the heart of Portugal. Until 1973, she grew up in a farm, in the shores of the river Tejo, in an environment in which the traditions, and the respect for Nature exerted a very strong influence in what concerns the development of personality. At the age of five, she moved to Abrantes, where she received the first multicultural perceptions from her neighbours, emigrants from Angola. In 1979, her parents left to Lisbon, after the bankruptcy of Metalúrgica Duarte Ferreira, but Sylvia stayed in Abrantes, living at Lady Annatia's home and learning all the secrets of growing the most extraordinary roses. At the age of eleven, she was studying at a Christian nuns' college, where she had her first steps on Christianity, but also lived side by side with legends, the same legends present in her stories.

In 1980, at the age of twelve, she moved with her parents to Lisbon, in the suburban Amadora, yet the second largest city of Portugal. The cultural confrontation with the cosmopolitan life was very deep, and it was definitively what made a writer out of Sylvia. The age of adolescence was a time of growing ideals and of commitment in the construction of a fairer society and of a better world. In the teenage years, Sylvia discovered the pleasure and the freedom of writing and she spent her every moment writing. At this time, her ideal was Leonardo da Vinci, and Sylvia wanted to learn everything about everything. So, she studied all the subjects she could get her hands to and all those allowed by the Portuguese legislation, within the areas of Literature and Science. In 1987, she was admitted in the course of Modern Languages and Literature of the Universidade Nova of Lisbon, specializing, after five years, both in Education and Investigation. Thanks to her outstanding results in Linguistics, she was invited to participate in the elaboration of an International Dictionary, at the National Institute of Scientific Investigation. At the time, it was heavy to the choice the fact that Sylvia was already feeling in her blood the need to know the world. . Possibly, having immediately accepted such an offer would have taken her to a life of success and opportunities, which she hasn't had in other way. Meanwhile, the National Institute of Scientific Investigation was closed for lack of funds.

Sylvia started, in 1992, an extraordinary teaching career, marked by the creativity and innovation which the pupils like so much. This career lasted sixteen years and provided wonderful and unforgettable moments. Even today, she keeps a friendly and supportive relationship with pupils of every year, which is significant of the trust and cordiality raised in her classes. During her career, Sylvia met many people from different nationalities and learnt how precious the difference is. She worked with Mozambican artists and accompanied the East-Timorese community in Portugal, in the very moment when they achieved Independence. She also studied with people from Angola, Mozambique, East-Timor, Cape-Verde, São Tomé e Príncipe Islands, Guinea and Italy, which was one of the most interesting experiences in her life.

Then, she tried to work at the Camões Institute, but she was refused. She didn't see the use of a fancy car with a driver, a house with a swimming pool and air conditioned, working in countries where people starve to death. She would go there for the pleasure of teaching children who are eager to learn and to help communities to grow. A Mozambican poet used to say: "We don't want you to give us the bread, but instead to teach us how to seed." As a teacher, her most remarkable and unforgettable project was the Day of Peace, among many others.

In 1993, she married for the first time, but this relationship was marked by violence and suffering, having ended in a tragic way. But as in every storm there is always a ray of sunshine, Sylvia had in 1994 a wonderful son. Sylvia never lost the interest and the enthusiasm for her intellectual development and she went on studying and creating, year after year. Thanks to her work she gathered a remarkable collection of certificates and diplomas.

In 2002, she lived her first happy love story and she married the artist Robert Weber. In 2004, she had two little twin girls.

In 2006, she moved from Cascais to her home town, looking for the paradise of her childhood, but as times and mentalities change, this world was already lost. What she found was a world of preconceptions, and this was the stone in the water to her decision of leaving to England.

A whole series of tragic happenings, which started with her father's death, due to a dilatory and inefficient Justice, and proceeded with the fact of being refused to her husband the possibility of applying for Nationality, without any reason, made her decide to look for new horizons. The choice was pending, then, among USA, Canada, Ireland and UK. At the time, the UK was the most receptive, due to the fact that the GTCE approved her application for QTS in the seventh of May, and the work proposals were raining.

In September of 2007, she left to England with her husband, taking only a van loaded with essential goods (music, photos, books and clothing), a handbag of documents and a heart full of hope. The start wasn't easy: without work or references, renting a house was a true drama. After having travelled up to Scotland with her husband and having slept several nights on the road, Sylvia returned to Essex, where she finally could find a generous heart who opened the doors to her.

The first job she had in UK was in a prestigious Care Home, but the procedures and the absence of Love she found around her made her give up after two months, even though she had a very affective relationship with the elderly people she cared for. Then, she started teaching, but the agent who used to find the placements for her left the company and there was no more work.

Between January and February of 2008, Sylvia translated her first book, The Wolves' Keeper Legend, from Portuguese to English. For the first time, she had the idea of publishing it in England. Thanks to her husband's persistant work, publisher hunting, in May the dream came true. The book would be published by a traditional publisher, one that puts a special accent in only publishing quality work - Pegasus Elliot MacKenzie Publishers Ltd.

In February of 2008, she found a job in a supermarket chain, doing the night shift. After eight months of very successful work at night, she was given a day shift, at her own request. She was deceived with promises of a brilliant future, "Sky is the limit", and suddenly Sylvia realised that she had no perspectives. Then, having acquired a deeper and deeper knowledge of the business world, she decided to study Management Accounting, an interesting course which represents an adequate challenge to her intellectual ability.