Winter

Winter is almost over. Winter ends here on September the 22ND. It has been warm still ...only cool on occasion. Saturday was Gay pride again in Mesquita so Toni wanted to go. We took a taxi there with the dogs on Saturday. A taxi ride there costs 50 reais. We went to Marcelo and Marcos house. There friend Janene was singing in the Plaza in the afternoon. She was at Marcelos house practising with her band which was a girl on keyboards and a guy doing drums. We had Churrasco and drank beers. Later in the night Toni made Caiparinhas. Somehow after the band stopped practising the speaker and microphone were there so the night turned into Karaoke.

The next day we got up, hungover, with more friends in the house. We all showered and had breakfast...and then an hour later started drinking again. We went to the town plaza and listened to a band and drank beer. In the late afternoon there was a parade and then a show that was only a block away from Marcelos' house. At 9pm the taxi came and got us and we all ( us and the dogs ) went back to Rio.

The next day Toni and Marcelo worked in the house. Afterwords we went into Copacabana to visit Helena who is really sick. They have stopped chemotherapy and her health has not improved. Her birthday is this week and the doctors think it will be her last. Afterwords we walked along the beach and then had dinner at a new restaurant along Lagoa that serve food from the northeast of Brasil.

Wednesday I had my second class with a professor in Copacabana. I also have my third class tomorrow. They seem to be pretty good. I had to translate a two page history article that was a challenge. I am glad I am making some progress towards speaking Portuguese and one day finding a job.

time goes by...

The search for Portuguese are still continuing. I was thinking about going to Puc ( which is a famous Catholic university here ) but it is really expensive. It is $800 to enroll and then 4 payments of $600. That is just for one term of classes. We then were thinking of wizard language school which is cheaper but we found out that you only meet with a teacher for 15 minutes and the rest of the class is listening to tapes. Toni is talking to a lady who says she will teach me for $45 an hour...but she will discount it if we take 30 hours worth of classes. Until then I purchase a workbook and have been doing exercises at home.

Monday we went to centro. We walked around and I took Toni to Catadral Moderno...which has never been in. We took the ferry to Niteroi and went shopping. Niteroi is across the bay and is famous for its Museum of Modern Art. Tuesday we woke up late and went to the supermarket. Toni argued for about 3 hours on the phone with our cable company NET because the bill was wrong again. The last time he argued with them we got HBO and Cinemax for free. This time I don't think we will get anything. In the evening we studied.

Today it is hot. Toni has had two clients in the apartment and tonight is going to Copacabana to do Jinatas hair. We were looking at apartments to move to a different neighborhood but Copacabana and Ipanema are at least double then what we are paying now. It looks like we are here for awhile.

Winter in Brasil.

Winter in brasil has been pretty warm. It has been in the 80s most of the time. Once in awhile it is in the high 70s and people go crazy. My husband is wearing the leather jackets and scarves like the north pole. I miss the beach though. The beach does bring me a certain amount of peace. I have gone a couple times to walk on Atlantica avenue...but I haven't been in the water since my friend Den was here. I thought there might be some rain here...but the rain is actually more in the summer.

It has been pretty slow here. Toni worked during the week and I spent two days playing Bioshock on Playstation 3. I am becoming a little addicted which probably is not a good thing. I went through the game infamous in a week and a half...but in my defense they are both great games. Today we went to Copacabana. Toni worked with his client Apracida. I walked around for an hour. Afterwords we paid bills and went shopping.We just got new sheets and a blanket for our bed. we also went to visit a new language school which I probably will go to. Before I said I wanted a tutor. But in normal Brazilian fashion that was not happening how I had imagined. Toni knew of some teacher he had worked with a few years ago. He did not have a number for this guy so we went to his corner and asked the guy that works at the newspaper Kiosk where he lives. We found his building and went up to talk to him. He seemed nice but a little dubious. His house was a little studio cluttered with things. He had some strange American lying on his couch. He was old, bald and fat. He was in shorts and a tank. I quickly got my mental image of a sophisticated professor blown apart. I could see Toni not wanting me to study with a hot brazilian stud...but how about a nice educated woman? I think a school with books and computers will be better for me. That and the school is only one block from the beach so it will not ruin my beach time ( if it does come again next summer ). The classes start in August and will last for 18 months if I do the whole program. Everything ( books included would cost 5000 reais ( That is only if I do the whole Program ). I definitely need to get started learning.

Rainy saturday....

It has been raining all day today. It seems like the rainy season has come at last. Toni worked in Barra de Tijuca all day. His sister-in -law cleaned that house and left this morning. I spent the day bonding with the dogs and playing Playstation 3....I am obsessed with Infamous....it is a great game. We called a teacher for me and he is suppose to call us back soon. We are going to a party tonight in Lapa. As I write this me and Toni are drinking our first whiskey and Red bull.

another week....

This week has kind of been slow. Since the paperwork in the visa is done, I don't have that to worry about. This week I wanted to find a language teacher. Toni is suppose to call an old teacher of his that teaches Portuguese as well as English. Toni has worked the past two days in the favellas. He doesn't like to..because he is terrified of favellas...but i guess work is work. For those who don't know the favellas are the slums. In Rio they are usually on the mountain side but he is going to one by the airport today. I went to the grocery store and then made lasagna for tonight. It has been cool today and lightly raining. We are maybe going to the beach tomorrow but it depends on the weather.

I have been playing a lot of video games. I finished the game SAW and am now playing Infamous. Both games have been a lot of fun. Toni's sister in law has been coming on Saturdays to clean our house for us ( for a charge of course ). She sometimes brings her son Peo and spends the night. Toni is happy that the house is clean but it usually only last a few days with our two dogs. I would rather we didn't because we aren't exactly rich right now. I can't complain though since I am such a bad house keeper myself.

The other night we saw Eclipse at the theater. I liked it but it isn't for everyone. It is more of a teen romance...so if you go into thinking it is a horror or action film you will be disappointed. I read all four books in Spanish when I was studing that language. I think we are going to Knight and day...the new Tom Cruise and Cameron Diez film....here it is called Encontro Explosivo ( explosive date ). It is weird to find out what movies and shows are named here...Tru Blood is called Gosto por Sangue ( Taste for blood ).

I talked to Toni today and I think we might go to Sao Paulo soon. That should be a fun trip.

Into the groove

Den visited this week. Den is a friend from New York. We worked together in the late 90's at Emporio Armani. I have seen him on and off at the bars and clubs in New York ( Splash and the Roxy ). He called me and said he was staying in an apartment in Ipanema. I took a bus the next day and went to the gay beach. He wasn't there so I walked to the apartment. I told the door guy my name but the owner of the apartment did not accept me. I started walking back down the side walk and Den came out yelling my name. He hadn't recognized my name through the doorman's accent. He went back up and got some of this things and we went to the beach. Toni was working but came to meet us afterwords. The sun was out. Winter in Rio has not been very cold or rainy so far. We then all went to lunch at our favorite Ipanema restaurant.



Monday night me and Toni met Samuel and went to a party that was held in a hotel on Copacabana beach. We stayed until four in the morning. It was funny because at the end of the night they served a breakfast upstairs so everybody just left the dance floor, went upstairs and ate and then left. They had tea, coffee and Juice. Portuguese bread with cheese and ham. And bowls of fruits, apples, pairs and bananas.



Toni worked a few times during the week. I went shopping and got us a new Coffee maker, frying pan and soap dish. Toni finally starting going to English class again and I helped him study the one night. Next week the big mission will be to find me a language teacher.

Red tape....finished.

Today me and Toni went to the airport to finish with our paper work. We went early so we thought we would get in quickly. Instead we waited 4 hours. But they gave out 46 number and we got number 42 so the people that came in the afternoon could't get an appointment. We went to the same agent that we saw that last times. He is very nice and helpfull. We showed him all our documents. Everthing was good. He finaly gave us a slip of paper with my picture. It is basicaly my temporary visa. It is good until my Permanant visa comes in 2 years. I also have to get a stamp every 180 days. The good news Is that I can do everything I need to do until then. I can get a job, bank account and drive in Rio. I did have to apply at the Department of work but they said I would get a card and be able to work in 30 days. I guess It is time to look for a Language school now.

We went and got groceries afterwords. Toni made steak and pasta for dinner. Toni is of course very excited that I don't have to leave tomorrow. SO the adventure continues...