Abraços

We're heading into the final weekend of trying to figure out what to pack in the suitcases and boxes that will go with us on the plane versus what will go in the sea container. We're moving to Michigan - back to the snow (at least at this time of year)! The packers will start on Monday, and it's about to get crazy around here, so I guess it's time to write a goodbye note.

This was a relatively short stay (18 months), but I feel like we experienced so much while we've been here. Of course there are many things that we still haven't done; places still yet to visit. We still haven't made it to Rio, for Pete's sake!  But I think we've made the most of our time here, and these are good reasons to come back and visit.

Playing futebol on the beach.

I'm thrilled that Andy and Sam and Otto have gained a great knowledge of the Portuguese language. And while I have a pretty thick accent and am constantly using incorrect verb conjugations, I am very happy and proud of my own new language skills. (We plan to keep the Portuguese up as much as we can. I've bought some workbooks to take with us, and hope to find a teacher there, at least for the kids. We're told that there are several Brazilian families that live in our new community, so we hope to make friends with them!)

I will miss the people. Many in particular, but as an entire population as well. I'm excited about our move, but sad at the same time. When I walked past the boys' school the other day (all their classmates started the new school year this week), I teared up. The teachers and staff were so sweet and supportive to us.  It's hard to say goodbye, but I'm so happy that we came.  I'm so happy and honored to have met you, Brasil.... You are forever in our hearts and will always be a part of us, and we'll keep in touch! 

Beijos,
Jessica

Dancing windows

If you look outside on the right kind of day you can see something unusual from our kitchen.  I like to call them dancing windows, and I've only seen them a handful of times. The first time I saw them on the side of the building across the street, and it took me a while to figure out what it was.  

The sun has to be in the perfect position to reflect the light onto the neighboring building, and the wind has to be blowing strong enough to move the windows, sustain the movement, then die down for a bit so the window will close again, AND the wind has to be blowing from the right direction.

I just caught a bit of footage on this day.  There have been days when it's been much breezier and the reflections from the windows are going all over the place. I love those days.

The Book's on the Table

Our favorite commercials nowadays are for an online English course.  The premise is that one of the fellows is doing very well with the course, and his sidekick buddy is eternally trying to convince him that he's learning English just fine without the online course.

This was the first one we saw that made us giggle.


This one had us singing "The Book's on the Table" for weeks! The song was produced several years ago (tongue-in-cheek, I think) because this is one of the first phases learned by Brazilians learning English. 




Here's the latest one that's been on.

 

As I was looking these up I saw there is a series playing in Argentina with two other fellas, speaking Spanish of course.  I'm rather fond of our goofy Brazilian guy; it's what you're used to, I suppose.  :o)

My Boys of Summer

Today we went on a walk.

It was a pretty day. Sunny. Hot, in fact!

Why don't you put your suits on?
Why?
Because you might want to get wet!

So along the way Andy and Sam decided they should stop at every rinse off spot along the beach. (We usually avoid the sea water because, unfortunately, the salty water stings Andy's dry skin.)

The water was cold, but refreshing!

You don't realize just how many rinse off spots there are until your children make it a goal to stop at ALL of them.  They started calling them checkpoints. 

"Time to stop at another checkpoint!"

This past year they've been renovating the kiosks along the beach at each canal.  They've turned out very nice!

  

The landscaping along the beach is so pretty.  I love these red plants in the background.

One of the main tasks was to visit our friend Valda who makes pasteis.  She and her husband have two carts.  One is closer to our apartment, and then they have this one on the beach. 

Yummy.

Container ship coming in.

Valda and her helper hard at work.

She was telling us that she had a group of gringos come by a couple weeks ago that didn't speak any Portuguese, and they had a hard time communicating and figuring out what they wanted to order.  So she said they are going to have signs made up with English translations.  We volunteered to do the translating for her! So I took some pictures of the menu so we can write it up.  :o)

On our walk back, we visited the lion statue...

and ended our outing with the swings.

Santos Majestic

Here's a very well-done time lapse video of Santos. Enjoy!

The Bathroom

I made a comment on Facebook last year about this crazy bathroom that I encountered.  It's the women's bathroom at the restaurant Van Gogh here in Santos, and I've never seen a bathroom like it before, nor do I anticipate seeing one like it ever again.

It's our favorite place to eat pizza, and their other food is good, too.  But it's worth the trip just to see the bathroom.  (Women's only. Otto, Andy, and Sam tell me the men's room isn't the same.)   When we were there last, I remembered to take my camera so you could see it, too.

This is outside of the stall where the sinks are.

This is INSIDE the stall. Never will you experience so many angles of yourself, ahem, "using the facilities".  Oh, and no smoking, by the way.

And apparently because people have had problems finding the door to get out, they've installed these helpful arrows on the floor pointing the way to the exit.

It's really something to behold.  The pictures don't do it justice!

Straight No Chaser

This 12 Days of Christmas performance is from 1998 so it's a bit dated, but still great.... 

All in a day's excitement...

While talking to my friend Nicole on the phone today from the States (New Orleans, specifically) on the internet phone line, my Brasilian home line rang, so Nicole got to hear my Portuguese in action for a brief conversation.  After I hung up, she commented that I had a GREAT accent!!  I must say I was proud to show off some of my new language skills to a friend from home.  But the more I thought about our conversation this evening, the more I laughed.  Here's what transpired, loosly translated, as I'm still not sure what exact phrases were used:

Me: (Alo?) Hello?
Lady: Good Afternoon (Boa Tarde). This is the dry cleaners (lavandaria). We're having a promotion   and we want to send you an email (OR we want to add you to our email list. Something like that.)
Me:  I left my pants (calças) there? So I have pants there still?  (I think my mind immediately jumped to pants because all I ever take over there are Otto's work pants.)

[Interjection: I'm laughing so hard as I write this that tears are falling.  Sam, my 8 year- old walks in and asks why I'm laughing so hard.  I explain to him the conversations, and he busts a gut laughing at the comment "You have a GREAT accent!" He is ALWAYS correcting my pronunciation, phrasing, verb conjugation, you name it. Laughing hysterically only at this. Thank you, Son.  Go brush your teeth - it's bedtime!!]

Lady: (Silence) Ummm...
Me: No, I don't have any pants there! (Thinking to myself, I've picked all of them up!)
Lady: No. We're having a promotion and wanted to have your email.
Me: Yes, you're having a promotion, and... OH!  You want my email?!
Lady: Yes!! Your email!
Me: Oh, it's OJ.... (then I blank out on how to say the letter J (!), and really want to end the conversation at this point so I can get back to Nicole.)  Can I just come to the store and write it down for you?
Lady: Sure, no problem!
Me: Great! (Ótimo!) (Tchau!) Bye!
Lady: Tchau!


Okay, so it was a little messy.  This isn't unlike most of my phone calls. There are occasional calls where I know exactly what's going on and respond appropriately.

But at least I know I can impress my friends. :o)

Sidewalks

One of the things I love here in Santos are the sidewalks.  This pattern is the most common, and I think it's called Rio, because they have this design all over Rio de Janeiro as well.

Here's another design in front of the nearby tennis club.   

Here's the wave "Rio" pattern again, but made with pre-fabricated tiles.

Here's an all-white stone look, which looks kinda plain...

until you put it in front of an all-white modern-looking house!  Que chique, né?

Another pattern made with tiles.

Here's our next-door neighbor's which I've always though was bem legal!  And there are many others around; these were just taken when I was out running an errand. 

You'll find plain 'ole concrete sidewalks around, too, but these stone and tile sidewalks are just as common.  So pretty.

Mostra Cultural 2012

Andy and Sam had their Mostra Cultural at school today.  A day of presentations, plays, demonstrations, and artwork displays. 

This year the 3rd grade classes put on a play based on a book they read after winter break. 

 

Sam played the King of the Vitamins!

 

 

 

Just over a year ago my kids knew no Portuguese!

Andy's class had a presentation based on alternative methods of alternative health therapies, such as massage, color/chromo therapy, and tai chi. 

Andy talked about positive and negative energy and the effects they can have on your well-being, health, attitude, etc.... And later in the presentation he and a few classmates gave hand massages to some lucky parent volunteers in the audience. They also brought in a gentlemen who gave everyone a live Tai Chi demonstration. (This wasn't his spiel in its entirety, but all that Blogger would let me upload.)

All the kids did a really great job.  Especially MINE!  ;o)

Buenos Aires

Finally getting up the rest of the pictures from our July trip!

After we checked into our hotel in Buenos Aires, we went for a walk. These big gates led to a courtyard area that included a restaurant and some type of Polish society, among other things.

 

The next day we explored some more and happened upon this museum that was underneath La Casa Rosada (their White House, but it's pink). Much of the museum had the walls from the older city in tact. 

This was a guard in the traditional Argentinian uniform.  I think he was there for photo ops, but also to keep an eye on the stuff.

This was a painting of Juan and Eva Peron hanging on the wall, with the dress she was wearing in the painting displayed close by. Pretty dress; pretty lady!

 

After touring the museum we exited the building and walked around to see the front of La Casa Rosada.  

Here were a few building on the other side of the square. I really liked the architecture around the city.

On another day our walking passed these REALLY BIG DOORS!  I think it was the armory.

This was taken on a day that we visited the Recoleta neighborhood.  Very nice above ground cemeteries. This shot was taken from the second floor of the very nice mall.

And this was the park nearby the cemetery, church, children's museum, another shopping area, lots of restaurants, and many other things.

A professional dog-walker?  We had never seen so many dogs being walked at once!

And, of course while we were there we took in tango show!  I don't remember if I forgot to take pictures, didn't feel like it, or wasn't allowed.  But I did get a shot of the outside!  It was a great show, but I would like to see one of the other shows (there are several) if we ever make it back!

A swim on our last evening there. The hotel pool was outside on the roof and heated, thankfully, because it was cold outside.

This was me in my winter coat, in the reflection of the gym that was adjacent to the pool, but inside.  Super-zoom lens activated!

The sunset was beautiful from the roof.

Thanks, Buenos Aires!  Hope to see you again some day.