One little glitch with our housing is that the TV that we thought was here as per the website we rented the house from (there was even a picture of it) is not here. We thought no problem, just watch shows on TV. Litle problem, Brazil has not agreed to the U.S.'s copyright laws, so nothing on US TV can be downloaded to an Brazilian IP address. Bummer.
As I am know to say, there is always more than one way to skin a cat. We have learned that most American movies are shown here with Brazilian sub titles. Over my trips to school and back, I had seen people selling copies of movies on the street. We decided to go in search of movies. The colorful round about in Itapau was full of activity. The center of the round about is filled with vendors selling food under beach unbrellas. Each vendor has their own set of colorful plactic chairs that match their umbrella, very festive. We found a spot to park and paid the man to "watch our car." Then we started walking around. The movie men are very creative. They are wearing what looks like a sandwhich board made of pig wire. The plasctic cases of the movies are clipped to the wire with clothes pins. On the first man we found Real Steele. Gareth was elated. On the next man we found 6 other movies including Tin Tin and the last Eclipse movie. Enough to keep us happy for a couple weeks. The movies are $2 a piece.
With that accomplished, we decided to find food. We chose a vendor that was making these folded things that looked like chalupas sort of. She started with dry tapioca flour that she scooped into a metal ring on a griddle. Then she put fresh mozzeralla on top of it. The grease from the melting cheese bound the flour together. She then covered this with all sorts of things. We got a chicken one, a ham one, and a proscutto one to share. The proscutto one was really nice.
We walked to the beach wall to eat of food. We found a 15 foot section of the wall to spread out. As long as we ignored the smell of sewage entering the ocean right there, the smell of dead fish from the vedors cleaning their fish, and the man who chose to pee on the wall 8 feet below us behind the rock next to the wall, the area was great. We figured out quickly why no locals were sitting there. Thank goodness the breeze was mostly blowing the smells out to sea.
Once we finished our dinner we went back to the vendor for dessert, the real treat. She used the same base of flour and fresh mozzeralla which is more like cream cheese. Then added thin sliced bananas. Once this was hot she slathered on cameralized condensed milk and dusted heavily with powder sugar. This sicky gooey treat was wonderful.
As we were riding home, we all talked about our adventure. To John and I it was a fun day in the sun soaking up the local culture. We have been in sooo many similar places in our married life that is old hat on how to act and enjoy. To Gareth it was little uncomfortable. I forgot he was too little to remember the street markets in Singapore or Cancun or Belize. I guess we had over prepared him for the opportunity for trouble. He said he had fun but he couldn't relax. He also said he wanted to go back again, a good sign.
My goal for him is that he will be able to travel the world and enjoy all that is available to experience. As a parent I need to teach him to be smart in his actions, but not be afraid to experience all that this wide world has to offer. This Sunday trip to get movies was the beginning. I can't wait to see where we got next in our learning and experiencing.
FYI on a side note, if you read my earlier post about our fun the bird, we have now had 6 birds fly through the house in 4 days. One even stayed on the light fixture while Gareth watched the end of Toy Story 3. Oh well, part of the advenure.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Our Almost house pet
This afternoon Gareth had an encounter with the wild life that reminded me that we have only ourselves to help us in a bind. Since we do not have air conditioning in the main parts of the house, we leave windows open everywhere. In the kitchen we have a huge glass window that does not open with a large slim vertical window right next to it that does open. It seems we have a smart bird that has been flying in the window and eating on the bananas in the fruit bowl on the table. (I had been thinking Gareth was eating a piece out of the side of the bananas and putting them back in the fruit bowl.)
Gareth scared the bird during a trip into our kitchen. Instead of flying back out the open window, the bird started beating himself against the large glass window. I started thinking of who I could call for help, no one. Therefore I had to do something. I went around to the maid entrance to the kitchen sand tried to shoo the bird into the living room that has large glass doors that open onto the balcony. No such luck. Then I tried grabbing him with a towel. The bird acted like he was going to bite me, and I freaked, did a jumping dance and screamed. I just kept thinking either go ahead and kill yourself or get smart and fly out the correct window. I knew I was going to end up with a maimed bird and a child who was watching. I guess my scream bothered the bird because he sort flapped over to the pantry shelf. He was standing kinda crucked and was holding his mouth open. I got Gareth to join me between the bird and the glass window. We stood there flapped kitchen towels looking like idiots , so the bird would not try to window again. I guess the bird got undazed enough and flew out the balcony doors. As I looked out the window he was kinda hobbling on the edge of the balcony. I just knew he was broken. After a while he flew off. I immediately went on the balcony and closed the window. I would rather sweat to death in the kitchen than go though that again.
Gareth scared the bird during a trip into our kitchen. Instead of flying back out the open window, the bird started beating himself against the large glass window. I started thinking of who I could call for help, no one. Therefore I had to do something. I went around to the maid entrance to the kitchen sand tried to shoo the bird into the living room that has large glass doors that open onto the balcony. No such luck. Then I tried grabbing him with a towel. The bird acted like he was going to bite me, and I freaked, did a jumping dance and screamed. I just kept thinking either go ahead and kill yourself or get smart and fly out the correct window. I knew I was going to end up with a maimed bird and a child who was watching. I guess my scream bothered the bird because he sort flapped over to the pantry shelf. He was standing kinda crucked and was holding his mouth open. I got Gareth to join me between the bird and the glass window. We stood there flapped kitchen towels looking like idiots , so the bird would not try to window again. I guess the bird got undazed enough and flew out the balcony doors. As I looked out the window he was kinda hobbling on the edge of the balcony. I just knew he was broken. After a while he flew off. I immediately went on the balcony and closed the window. I would rather sweat to death in the kitchen than go though that again.
Our First Day in Brazil
We stepped off the plane at 8:05 Salvador time, 4:05 am Tulsa time. Gareth was a real trooper about it. He made the best of sleeping on the plane, and now he was helping us get through the process.
When I picked up John at the airport in December, he mentioned he had a little trouble when he left Brazil. He just said the immigration person had filled in a date wrong on his paper work, and he would have to pay some money to enter back into country. No big deal. Well the 3 of us get the up to the big big immigarion desk and hand over our passports. She scans mine and Gareth's and stamps it. She scans John's, Gets a weird look on her face. Scans it again. Makes a sounds. Scans in again. Then calls over and official member of the Federale Policia. They speak very quickly. Then he scans John's passport twice. He looks at John and says,"You no enter Brazil." I thougt well crap, now what. G and I are already OK to go. A driver was waiting for us. An apartment was ready for us. Do we go into Brazil and go back to the US with John. I was trying to decide which would be easier. John asked for someone who spoke English. He explained the problem and that he was told he neededto pay some Reals for a fine. No big deal. They agreed and said he had to pay it a the Banco de Brazil and get a receipt to enter the country. The bank is located on the other side of immigration. How could he pay it if they would not let him in the the country? And it had to be paid in Reals not dollars as he was told when he left. So we saw one of American Airlines employees and begged him to go change money in the airport to Reals then pay the fine. He did all of this. After sitting in a row of metal chiars outside immigrations for over an hour they let us in.
On to the apartment. We made it just fine since the driver knew where to go. Andrea the owner met us. He is a very nice German man who has been here 9 years. We were all very hot in our US clothes of jeans and long sleeves. The apartment is very nice, but only air condition in the bedrroms. After hauling all 6 70 poun d suitcase up the stairs to our apartment, John looked like he had stepped in a shower in clothes. I started unzipping bags and searching for cooler clothes as quickly as possible. The whole time as sweat was dripping in my eyes I kept listening to the waves roll on the beach, and I knew all would be OK.
When I picked up John at the airport in December, he mentioned he had a little trouble when he left Brazil. He just said the immigration person had filled in a date wrong on his paper work, and he would have to pay some money to enter back into country. No big deal. Well the 3 of us get the up to the big big immigarion desk and hand over our passports. She scans mine and Gareth's and stamps it. She scans John's, Gets a weird look on her face. Scans it again. Makes a sounds. Scans in again. Then calls over and official member of the Federale Policia. They speak very quickly. Then he scans John's passport twice. He looks at John and says,"You no enter Brazil." I thougt well crap, now what. G and I are already OK to go. A driver was waiting for us. An apartment was ready for us. Do we go into Brazil and go back to the US with John. I was trying to decide which would be easier. John asked for someone who spoke English. He explained the problem and that he was told he neededto pay some Reals for a fine. No big deal. They agreed and said he had to pay it a the Banco de Brazil and get a receipt to enter the country. The bank is located on the other side of immigration. How could he pay it if they would not let him in the the country? And it had to be paid in Reals not dollars as he was told when he left. So we saw one of American Airlines employees and begged him to go change money in the airport to Reals then pay the fine. He did all of this. After sitting in a row of metal chiars outside immigrations for over an hour they let us in.
On to the apartment. We made it just fine since the driver knew where to go. Andrea the owner met us. He is a very nice German man who has been here 9 years. We were all very hot in our US clothes of jeans and long sleeves. The apartment is very nice, but only air condition in the bedrroms. After hauling all 6 70 poun d suitcase up the stairs to our apartment, John looked like he had stepped in a shower in clothes. I started unzipping bags and searching for cooler clothes as quickly as possible. The whole time as sweat was dripping in my eyes I kept listening to the waves roll on the beach, and I knew all would be OK.
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