Category Archives: Weekend

Happy Thoughts

Posted on
28

Goal of the Week: Register car.  Sound easy?  It’s not.  The husband’s company refuses to help us (it’s not in our contract!)  HR casually provided us two locations, both of which were WRONG.  Fail.

  • Transportation taken: bus, train, train, train, bus, train, train, bus
  • Stopped at two incorrect locations before finally locating DETRAN
  • Caught in rainy season downpour with no umbrella
  • Became nauseous and felt the need to destroy something
  • Was given this to do list (of which I understood four words):

  • Printed payment ticket from machine, turned away at Banco do Brasil, 15 minute walk to Santander Bank in the rain, paid taxes upon returning to Banco do Brasil
  • Second floor… did not have proper documents… car STILL NOT registered
  • Defeated, suppressed tears, walk of shame to the train
  • Threw up on metro.*  During rush hour.  Not. Kidding. 
  • Developed hate of all things new and difficult
  • Arrived home.  Rested.  Large car fire in garage. 
  • Fled building in pajamas.  Met numerous neighbors while sick and half naked. 
  • Acquired headache from burning rubber and gasoline smoke

*Getting sick on the metro is not funny yet.  Unless you are my unsympathetic husband who proceeded to laugh as I laid in bed after THE WORST DAY EVER.

SO… as I prepare to return to DETRAN this afternoon, I am choosing to focus on pleasant memories from our previous weekend at the beach. 

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Our good friend Suzanna already did a lovely post on our weekend jaunt to Praia de Camburi so you can just read hers.  I figure I earned a lazy post after vomiting on strangers while enclosed in a contained space yesterday.  Photo tour, commence.

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Jeff, the husband & Alex enjoying lunch on the beach.

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Our adopted dog for the weekend, Tuku.

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A little mother-daughter beach bum for your Friday.

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Myself, Suzanna, Jana & Tara in our conservative swimsuits.

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Paddle boarding.  Apparently, quite hard if you are tall.  Or hail from Minnesota.

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Husband, left.  Jeff Jones, right.

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Our charming pousada was located two blocks from the beach on this dirt road.

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Pray for me as I partake on round two of registration today.

Happy thoughts. Puppies. Coconut juice. Rainbows. Hugs. Books. Picnics. High fives.

A Healthy Dose of Vitamin D

Posted on
8

We are spending our Monday recovering from the most lovely weekend at the beach.

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We arrived Friday night just in time for a walk at sunset and dinner on Praia Camburi.

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The rest of our weekend was spent enjoying incredible food with great friends and consuming an abundance of coconut water.

It finally dawned on me… THIS is why we live in Brazil. I can safely predict there will be many more road trips in the near future. Who wants in?

Embu das Artes

Posted on
12

My husband secretly cooked me meatloaf on Monday.  (It is feasible that it was less covert and more my avoidance of the kitchen.)  The dish was stuffed with sun dried tomatoes, had melted mozzarella on top, and was delish.  So here I am, two days later, eating a cold meatloaf sandwich (of which I have gone without for a minimum of seven months). 

Eating food that can justifiably be smothered in ketchup is distracting me from the fact that my husband has been in Rio for three weeks straight.

Smart move, husband.  Well played.

Meanwhile, he has also left me with a list of priorities:
1. Puzzle
2. Anything else

Apparently, someone wants his table back and three pieces a day is not considered sufficient progress.  I have been given a deadline of ten days to complete the hardest puzzle ever.  (Thanks for that Lisa.)

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A few weeks back we took a day trip to Embu das Artes to celebrate some birthdays.  Technically, it was only Suzanna’s birthday… but she kindly shared the day with me (since mine was on hold until we could make friends to celebrate with.)

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Embu is located 40 minutes outside of São Paulo. The town was founded by Jesuit priests in the 17th century and still maintains buildings from the colonial period.

It is a charming city with cobblestone streets, handicraft shops, and plenty of spots to drink the day away.  We opted for German fare which represented inhabitants that settled in the area generations ago.

On weekends and holidays, there is a handicraft fair which has been occurring for more than 70 years and attracts people from all over the country.

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AND there were puppies… which makes this my new favorite weekend jaunt.

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I have a new found love for all things guinea fowl.

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Taste testing artisanal cachaças.

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The floating head might be advertising hair braids.  I’m not sold.

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My husband ‘humoring me’ after I asked him to muddle for the picture.  There’s a first for everything. 

Also, I have officially become my mother with the use of that phrase.

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Have you met… THE CUTEST PUPPY EVER?!?

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Sampling toasted nuts and candied coconut. 

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Sampa is what the locals affectionately call São Paulo.

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As with any good celebration, we rounded it out with Farkle and an exorbitant number of shots.  I won the contest for most farkles.

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Here’s to thirty good years, and seventy more to come.  Happy birthday Suzanna!

Neighborhood Sushi

Posted on
10

Forgive me, for I have been buried in piles.  Also, I have actually been busy.  Shocking, right?  More to come…

Good news, everything we received from our shipment was delivered unharmed.  It is quite wonderful to be sleeping in our own bed and making coffee in our pajamas (after the four-month hiatus).

Unfortunate news, we are missing a few boxes.  More importantly, we are without the box of pictures and frames I packed.  WHY?!  Only heaven knows.  Thank goodness for FB, or I would have likely forgotten what everyone looks like.

In other news, we visited a new sushi joint around the corner from us.  It was beyond delicious.  Let’s see if I can do this experience justice.

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Sao Paulo is home to the largest Japanese community outside of Japan.  This is well represented by the number of Asian restaurants scattered across the city.

We ordered the rodizio at Zendo, an all-you-can-eat experience in which you are provided an array of specialties.  The bar we sat at has a built-in serving plate (granite counter top) where the chef artfully displayed our meal.

Consumed: surplus of fresh tuna, salmon, and menu items we were unable to translate.  (Yes, I know what you are thinking.  No, it’s probably better to not know.)

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The haro was new to us, hot shimeji mushrooms wrapped inside crunchy spring roll batter.  The patanal – salmon uramaki topped with deep fried kale – was a creative twist.  The husband’s favorite was a roll with citrus sauce, served in an orange peel.

We completed our meal with an unnecessary dessert of fried banana glazed in chocolate sauce and sprinkles.

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In short, I ate myself into a food coma. We made the quick walk to the corner bar, where I was unable to hold a conversation due to the sumo-sized proportions I had consumed. Thank goodness for live music and a patient spouse.

(Please note:  The successfully ordered limes.  Small beer glasses.  Beer cozies for the oversized bottles of beer.)

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These two guys spend their weekend nights meandering through Perdizes, serenading restaurant goers on open patios… Tom Dylan* style.  Good stuff.  Successful Friday.

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*Update: By Tom Dylan, I obviously meant Bob Dylan.  (Although, for the record, there is a man named Tom who sings Bob Dylan songs.)

Thanks Aunt Betsy for bringing this to my attention.  And everyone, please don’t tell my husband I made this mistake.  He would (understandably) be thoroughly embarrassed by my inability to correctly name a famous musician (and Minnesotan at that).

The Truth

Posted on
4

I came across a video, that I believe, accurately represents our day-to-day life.  Enjoy.

Okay, so that’s not entirely true.  Although, we have seen our share of miniature swimming suit bottoms and adult braces here in Brazil.

This video is from a beach called Jurerê Internacional located in the island of Florianópolis.  Summer is quickly approaching in the Southern hemisphere, and we can already spend the nights walking around sweater-free (which as a Minnesotan in late October I adore).

In truth, our weekend looks more like this:

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Yup… our shipment finally arrived!  Over three months in transit and we are finally unpacking.  There is something about this that is mildly terrifying to me.  I think it means we are actually going to stay.

The husband didn’t arrive home from Fortaleza until 9pm last night.  His only request was that “everything be cleaned and put away” by the time he walked in the door.

In protest to his absurd demands, I took an extended break in the afternoon and scoured the internet for bizarre finds.

CAN’T. STOP. READING.  So funny.

It’s totally fine if you don’t share my sense of humor.  My husband was also not impressed when I made him look at a website that personifies animals in a comical manner during the world series game.

Words of wisdom from my father to the husband, “If this marriage fails, I get it.  I couldn’t handle her either.”

In my defense, this was said when I left my keys in the ignition and locked the doors.  After forcing my husband to go to yoga & breakfast with me.  In the pouring rain.  Making him very late to work.

I think he was kidding.

Sunny Fortaleza, Part 1

Posted on
5

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It is said that it rains only three days out of the year in Fortaleza.  Of course, it poured on my first day here.  Why is this not surprising?

Since then, it’s been golden.  Picture proof included.

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Praia do Futuro is one of the most frequented beaches in the city.  It is surprisingly undeveloped.  (See above donkey photo.)   We hung with this guy for most of Saturday.

For many years developers were unable to find materials that would withstand the high winds and salty water.  To this day, simple barracas fill the beach front.

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We wore 50 SPF and spent the majority of our day in the shade, outside of a quick dip in the Atlantic Ocean.  The breeze coming off the water didn’t distract us from how insanely powerful the sun’s rays are at this longitude. 

We Minnesotans are smarter than the sun.

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The husband had a difficult time finding an available hotel during our week stay, and we were almost booted from our room on two different occasions (AND there were no events being hosted this week). 

Because it is the fifth largest city in Brazil, it has been chosen as one of the host cities for the 2014 World Cup.  Where they intend to put those tourists is beyond me.

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Ten to fifteen years ago, Fortaleza was considered a top notch city. The speedy development of corporations here, along with an influx of people led to improperly designed infrastructure… the city was unable to handle it’s own population.  Pavement conditions are poor in most areas, and traffic is always terrible. 

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The constant wind and average yearly temperature of 81 degrees make it a perfect location for surfing and kite flying.  Activities such as driving dune buggies & snorkeling are also quite popular.

Fortaleza is know for: European owned resorts, nightlife (especially Mondays), sex tourism, sunsets, spotting dolphins, diverse culture, warm waters, jangadas (small fishing rafts), and its off-season carnival ‘Fortal’

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Colher de Pau was voted best regional food in the city.  We ordered a traditional Northeastern dish: carne do sol (sun dried meat), rice with dried meat, and fried banana.

Baião-de-dois (risotto form rice, beans & cheese) and tapioca are other common foods.

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The best pizza vote went to Vignoli where the pizzas are thin, tasty, and eaten with plastic gloves.  The picture quality is terrible here due to lighting, but you get the point. 

Husband:  “I’m nervous to eat with gloves. {long silence} I think if I try it… I’ll really like it.   Then I’ll be that crazy guy who carries latex gloves in his pockets for meals.”

We originally put them on each hand, but then discovered it was customary to only use one glove.  And just when we thought we were getting the hang of things… we are knocked off our horse again.  We are such amateurs. 

Midnight Conversation

Posted on
1

Upon arriving home after a few late night beverages, I made the mistake of revealing my secret hiding spot for the Doritos.

(husband)  You liar… You hid those on purpose!

(me)  No.  You have been working out of town this week.  I haven’t had the opportunity to introduce you to the new manner of kitchen organization.

(husband)  … {silence. angry face.}

(me)  You see this?  I eat a few, then put them away.

(husband)  Give me one more chip.

(me)  No.  You have ramen.

(husband)  I do have ramen.

(me)  And I have willpower.

(husband)  You have the grace of God and good metabolism.  I am going to wake up someday and you are going to be the blueberry from that movie.

Oh, sweet love.

Tall Guy & Blond Lady

Posted on
Reply

Our friend Alex stopped by last night.  On his way in, he became best friends with our doorman… because that’s the type of person he is.  He’s awesome like that.

He jokingly said he was here to visit “the Americans… the tall guy and the blond”.  Of course, our doorman knew exactly who he was talking about.  His translated response:  “Ahhh yes!  The girl from King Kong!!”

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Sadly, I have a feeling I know which version of ‘King Kong lady’ he is referring to.  I’m leaning towards ‘look of death’ & ‘walking aimlessly in pajamas’.

Avenida Paulista

Posted on
5

We recently spent a Sunday afternoon on Avenida Paulista.  Vendors gather along the street, selling everything from handcrafted leather wallets to vintage pottery.

Artisan booths on the South side next to Parque Tenente Siqueira Campos.

Yup.  This picture is smaller.  No.  You don’t need an oversized picture of me with fried food.  Hello potato chips on a stick. This is about as close as I got to the Mn State Fairthis year (oh, how I missed you unhealthy food & people watching).  How have we not thought of this Minnesota?

An outdoor art exhibit on the North side of Paulista.

Flea market under the MASP (Museu de Arte de São Paulo)

A dog.  Wearing a coat.  In São Paulo.  Because it was only 68 degrees. 

Such kind people, plus some fabulous art for great prices.

Have you ever met someone so friendly that you absolutely NEEDED to buy something from them?  No?  This happens to me ALL the time.  My husband is not appreciative of this character trait.

Yay for RINO MANIA!  Honestly, why is my husband not more excited about these?  For you Minnesotans, it’s reminiscent of the Peanut’s sculptures scattered throughout St. Paul.  These days, I’ll take anything that reminds me of home!

FNO

Posted on
1

Friday Night Out was a church group that I attended in middle school.  Our youth group leader would take us on adventures to drive bumper cars, watch Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds in the church basement (still horrified btw), and eat reckless amounts of late-night pizza.

I’m sure these activities were only deemed acceptable by our parents because of their affiliation with the Catholic church.  It doesn’t exist anymore, but now I can say it has been replaced by nights like these.  Oh, how the times have changed…

Purchasing beer from the back of a car.  Classy.

Dinner in the winter outdoors and discovering a tasty new wheat beer.  Love this.

Discovering how our names must sound in Portuguese: Cabril & Giago.  It’s time to create an alias.  Ideas welcome.

Rino Mania in the rain.  A tad random.  (Lastly, what happens when you ask your husband to pose for one too many pictures.)

Being inappropriate with an endangered species.  {sigh}