Wherever you go… there you are...

 I have tons to say but all of my new thoughts are going to take hours to put on paper and tonight I want to listen to American Politics.  So, I will just tell you what a typical day is like for me here in Brasil?  

Monday through Friday….

I wake up at 5:30, it takes me about 20 minutes to get dressed as I take a shower the night before.  I then go down stairs and make my coffee and sit by the computer for 30 minutes… I prepare my day, goof around on the internet, listen to politics, or create my conversation classes.  Sometimes I think this is the best part of my day.   

I then set off for class at 6:20… When I get to the school, I am greeted by Adilson.  He is a car watcher who has had a really hard life.  I don’t give him money all of the time, because I park there 2 times during the day.  He has slurred speech as I am thinking that he also has a disease like Muscular Sclerosis and a probable alcoholic.   He tries to talk in English though I can’t really make out what he is saying.   Sometimes I get frustrated with him following me around, but I have issues with beggars I guess.  I'm American...I like to give money away but I do not like being asked for it everyday… makes sense right? 

Sometimes he parks people really close to me so that he will have to help me move my car and so that I will give him some change.  I have been thinking lately that driving the extra ¾ circle might be the best option for me to avoid dealing with him every morning.  Many times when I arrive he opens my back door because it has a seal that is broken and looks ajar.  He also always taps on my glass as I am driving off too as he tries to help me out of a space that is completely free of cars at either end.   I know he wants to provide a service to me, but I just dont see the value in the service that he is offering thats all.

Ok, then I tech my 2 classes usually and then head home to find Gabi waiting for me.  Sometimes she will slide open the front window and yell outside or I will see her riding her tricycle towards the gates.   Today she was riding holding a bag in her hand full of random things and her babies.  She is so funny. 

Then I go inside and have my breakfast.  This time I make coffee with milk and sugar along with that I eat a piece of bread with a cheese spread and sit to check my email.  Soon, I am up washing and hanging clothes to dry and cleaning the dishes.  I will take a shower and get Gabi ready to walk to pick up Ben from school at 11:15 am. 

When we get to Ben, we are usually late because Gabi walks very SL O W.  Ben runs out and then he runs to the Tree beside the school to climb for a minute or two.  When I can convince the kids to carry on we head for home.  Usually I give them each 5 centavos so that they can choose a piece a gum from the corner market when we get home.  When we are home, Ben plays a game on the Computer and Gabi…well usually creates a mess.  She likes to wash her bike, to get into anything dangerous, put her hands in the grill, wash the refrigerator, ride her bike through water, and her favorite washing the dishes while I start to make lunch.  Sometimes I just put her in the shower downstairs so that she can mess around while I make dinner.  I give her a sponge and soap and let her go at it.   

We then have a huge lunch and take a nap.  Brazilian lunch is the biggest meal of the day.  We may go to the park when we wake up if there is time.  Then the kids go to the babysitter and Rodrigo and I go to work till about 8:30, dinner and then kids sleep. 

So, then I do my blog usually and listen to American Politics.  You see there is plenty of time to focus on the things that I love from here.  It sounds like a dream living in a Tropical country but wherever you go… there you are.  Don’t get me wrong, everything is so so different but life is the same and so is the life in a foreign country, I just have different conversations.  The hardest thing for me to comprehend was that was I am not on Vacation in a foreign country… I live here.   So, that is that and now I wait for the wonderful summer and frequent trips to the ocean.  This is when it gets tropical again for my family. 

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.   - Mother Teresa

What would a perfect world look like?

It would be... 4 hours to myself in the middle of the day, just for me. 

Time for the kids to get to school!

Jill In Brazil: Brazilian Favorites!!!

Jill In Brazil: Brazilian Favorites!!!: " This is a Caipirinha. The word refers to someone from the countryside, being an almost exact equivalent of the American English hillbil..."

Brazilian Favorites!!!

  This is a Caipirinha.

The word refers to someone from the countryside,

being an almost exact equivalent of the American English hillbilly. It is made from distilled sugarcane juice, whole limes and of course....Sugar! (Brazilians Favorite)

Here are a couple more versions of the Caipirinha.

Maracuja & Mint/Pepper

Ohhh, now this is my favorite snack before 3pm. These are everywhere and about the equivalent to our American Fast Food because they are quick, easy, and fattening. The Coxinha is made from shredded chicken and spices (occasionally including Catupiry-style cheese), enclosed in wheat flour—and deep fried. It is shaped to roughly resemble a chicken drumstick. It is doughy & scrumptious.

You see snacking in Brasil is much more difficult to do than snacking in America.  In America, food is quick, cheap everywhere and ready to go. In Brasil when you look into your fridge or pantry, you will see items that need to be cooked, including the popcorn. This is the first time in my adult life that we use everything in the fridge and the only waste is an occasional piece of fruit...but this we feed to the turtles. Motzart & Shocker.

Watch out my friends, you will never experience a BBQ at my house the same way again! The Brazilian Churrasco is the best way to spend your time in Brazil hanging with your friends. Churrasco's last all day... the meat, the conversation and beer are non-stop and sitting down with a plate of food is at your will and only when you are ready.  The side dishes are rice, farofa and a variety of salads, other than that we just snack on pieces of meat as they are pulled & cut from the grill. 

This is the typical Brazilian churrasco. From left to right and down, fraldinha, picanha, chicken heart, sausages, bread with garlic sauce, sliced picanhas with garlic and chicken legs. We use rock salt as the only spice which leaves just a natural salty meat flavor on our steak, remember the cows are grass fed here and free range all year round. The flavor of the beef is unbelievable. The sausage only comes in links; by the way you will never find ground sausage or breakfast sausage... which I miss like crazy.  I miss Lucile's Creole Cafe & Cracker Barrell for breakfast, if I were to get off the plane today; I would head for breakfast food first, then Mexican food for lunch and for dinner...I think I would show off my new Brazilian skills.

This is Farofa... Yucca Flour, Bacon, Sausage, Onion, Spices, Olives, Raisins... add whatever you want!  Now this is my Favorite.

This is Brigadeiro a national truffle of Brazil. It is made of sweetened Condensed milk and cocoa.

I am not a huge fan because I am not crazy for sweets; however they are very popular here in Brasil.  You will find them at every restaurant and every party.