Daily Life in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Tonight, On Oprah...

If you are here in Rio, try and catch The Oprah Winfrey Show on GNT at 8 pm. It will feature a segment on Rio de Janeiro. As Oprah runs about 2 weeks behind here in Brazil, I've already heard different things about this episode from a number of people back home, and therefore have had to try not to form too many opinions about what was featured until I see it for myself...  it is an episode about women around the world, and apparently a woman from Ipanema and her maid were interviewed for the Rio portion. To view some "after the show" questions asked, click here.

Also on Oprah's site about Rio - a guide to traveling here (there is one for each of the Olympic 2016 Candidate cities) 

I'm hoping some of you come back and let me know what you thought of the episode and how Rio and its women were portrayed. Can't wait to watch!

Mama's night out

Ever feel like things are just meant to be?

I went out on Halloween night, and left Canadoca at home with Mr. DRL (he hates Halloween, remember?) - the night was great, to the point that I really feel I was destined to go out that night. Why?

1. At 3 pm I had no costume, and was not convinced to go. By 4 pm my fairy godmother had outfitted me completely as a devil complete with red fishnets.
2. Canadoca isn't really known for her bottle taking skills. She was really good at it at first when we left her with my mom and sister a few times when she was a few weeks old, but simply has not had a lot of practice lately and therefore is not too interested when it is offered to her, we've been working on it so that I can have a break occasionally. But Halloween was her big night - Mr. DRL texted me a photo of her feeding herself a bottle! Sweet!
3. It was an almost-full-moon-spooky night out there, kids...
4. Finally, the real reason it felt like I was supposed to be there - there is another 20-something Canadian girl living here in Rio with whom I have several mutual friends. I knew she was going to be there, and one of my friends had previously said, "Oh you never know, you might know some of the same people back home." I thought mayyyyyybe... and thought of that old beer commercial, "Do you know Glen from Canada?" But it is a SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL, even in a city of many million people. This Canadian girl had guests in town, one of whom is a girl who I figure skated as a child, with in our little home town of 2,000 people. I was also in a play years ago with her older brother, and was in her cousin's class every year in Elementary school.... craziness. 
5. The Canuck coincidences didn't end there. I met another Canadian woman,who knows of my aunt and uncle and cousins who live in the same area of the lower mainland.

So... the coincidences were so great that I figured I should maybe buy a lottery ticket or something, but rather I think I was just supposed to go out!

A Less Painful Airport Experience

When Canadoca and I left Canada, we flew out of Vancouver. Wow, that airport tax sure is paying off, the place looks like a museum - beautiful display cases everywhere. It's all brand new, shiny, nice, you almost want your flight to be delayed. I must wonder how good old GIG will look by the time 2016 rolls around (although hardcore reno's are already underway).

Anyway the Vanouver airport has a spa in the area I was in, which I think is a fantastic idea. People with money and time on their hands, typically wanting to arrive at their destination looking good. It's a great time to get nails done, assuming you have enough time for nails to dry before handling luggage of course. Didn't have time for a wax before your trip? No problem. A massage on a layover would be nice. Another service offered - SLEEP SUITE! So smart...

Now if only more airports would offer this concept, plus healthy fresh food options, traveling would be less painful.

Recent Inquiries & Responses: 3

This is part of a new series in which I am posting excerpts from reader emails and my responses in hopes of helping more people who may have the same questions or concerns.

I received an email from a Brazilian living in Canada recently:

Question:

I will be on my way to Rio, to visit family, next month. I'm going with my spouse ... and I am kind of freaking out. I have been here for so long, I am terrified of all the violence, and high rate of car accidents and things like that. It's all just so different here! I actually don't think twice about going out with my digital camera, iPod and cell phone... whereas I wouldn't dream of doing it in Brazil (granted I haven't been there in nearly 3 years... but still).

Now I am sure I am amping it all up... I did live there for 20 years and was never even mugged... but still! Heh. I was just wondering if you had any thoughts on that, as a foreigner in Rio. I can't talk to my relatives or friends about that as they just wouldn't understand why I'm so scared. So yeah...

My Response:

I just flew back to Rio from Canada myself. I understand how you feel, and had a lot of the same feelings myself coming back this time, especially with having a daughter now, but I think when you arrive you will feel okay. I understand not wanting to talk to your relatives/family about it as they could take it the wrong way.  Just be sure to take precautions - and walk around like you own the place - I think body language is a huge thing! Also remember that much of the violence is segregated into the favelas, which is not the case withgang violence in other cities! You have to remember that things can happen no matter where you are in the world, so we always need to be careful but to try to live without too much fear.  I hope this helps?

Eating out with Children

... is totally different in Canada vs. Brazil. Actually, eating out in general is a totally different experience. Back home, the service SUCKS!

Here in Rio, Mr. DRL and I think nothing of bringing Canadoca along to nice restaurants. She has been to Sushi Leblon, Guiseppe, Aprizavel, The Copacabana Palace, the dining room at the Sofitel, Quadrucci, Zuka, Gero, Sawasdee, Esplanada, Fasano (where they brought me a pillow to make breastfeeding more comfortable, and when I went to change Canadoca in the washroom was offered access to a hotel room in order to change her more comfortably...) you name it. Never once have we been treated as though bringing her was inconveniencing anyone, in fact often the waiters make a fuss over her and even rock her stroller (see below, at La Cigale recently.... by the way I LOVE that place!)

So I knew the royal treatment was something special to South America, but I wasn't quite prepared for it when I was home.  Servers back home irritated me from the get-go ("I will be right with you, I was just sat three times..." I need that information why, exactly? "It's not that we don't allow children or don't like them, but we just have a policy where we do not allow strollers in the dining room" So what do you do when a baby comes in? This was the case at MULTIPLE places).

I also missed the cushy mom's rooms at the mall, and liberal (yet at times too-friendly, like when my nursing cover is lifted by someone curious to see the baby) attitude towards breastfeeding.  

Back home, I also saw a number of kids losing it in restaurants. Not going to lie - it scared me!!!! Though I frequently see kids in nice restaurants here, I don't often see them pitching a fit. Perhaps it's because here, they are comfortable in that environment because they know they are welcome...

Back in Rio

I'm currently re-acclimatizing to the "Daily Rio Life"... back in Rio after a great trip home. Canadoca met a number of our friends, three of her four sets of grandparents, one set of great-grandparents and numerous members of the extended family as well. She did a bit of a tour of Western Canada, starting in Calgary then heading into the interior of BC, Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

Traveling alone with a 4 month old was easier than one might think. She was a trooper no matter where I took her or how many new people mauled her in one day (I think the record was 45).  This kid wants to see the world.

In case you are curious, I traveled with her on a Canadian passport only, since we still do not have a Brazilian one. Initially when we started all these processes the Canadian consulate here in Rio said that we must have both passports in order to travel. However, something recently changed, and now the Brazilian officials are allowing Brazilian born children of foreign descent to travel on the passports of the parents' home country. (Confusing much!?) The airline officials raised an eyebrow but when they consulted the federal police, they said it was a-okay. I did have to have her Brazilian birth certificate along with a letter from Mr. DRL (actually, truth be told it was a court order) saying that I was allowed to leave the country with her.  Whatever works!

So now we are back, safe and sound, and ready for the next adventures... which include Uruguay, Chile, Argentina & Peru! 

Regular posts will follow... and responses to comments and emails, too. Just as soon as I get started on my laundry pile...

It's good to be back.

It's my birthday!

And I am spending it on Vancouver Island in one of my favorite hotels with some of my favorite people :D

Meant to be...

Canadoca and I are having a great time in Canada. We are currently in the beautiful Canadian rockies, visiting family.

Although this trip was a long time coming, I had less than a week's notice when it came down to the travel day. Miraculously, almost everything has perfectly fallen into place, I think I should try and travel on short notice more often. The stars aligned for us, as I got to see both of my dad's siblings and parents as they happened to be in Calgary while I was there, and a number of friends and family happen to be in the right place at the right time allowing us to get together. Of course there are people we also unfortunately missed, but that always happens.  

Though being home does make me realize the things (okay, mostly people) I miss about being here, there still were a few "signs" to make me think we really do belong in Brazil at this point. The other day I was in a "Family Room" (note: NOT NEARLY AS NICE AS THE FRALDARIO's in RIo!) at a shopping centre, small, one stall, and a Brazilian woman rolls in with her four children. We had a long chat in Portuguese and went along our way. On my next shopping trip, the clerk at the department store was from Sao Paulo. There is also a Brazilian-made turbine being installed at one of the dams here in British Columbia...

FOOTball in Rio (no, not futebol)

Want to watch some "American Football" in Rio? You can!

On Sunday, August 30th, The Torneio Touchdown will see the first American Football game played in Rio, on grass, with fully equipped teams. The game will be at 2 pm at the Estádio Figueira de Melo (São Cristovão). The RJ Imperadores will receive the São Paulo Storm, and they request a donation of 1 kilo of non-perishable foodstuff as an entry. No reservations necessary. Parking available. Canteen open to purchase snacks.

http://www.touchdown.net for more info

Stamps

No, apparently there are not any stamps with a denomination of more than R$1.

I sent out a bunch of photos and thank you cards to friends & family who have sent gifts down for the Canadoca. If they didn't have a stamp collection before they'll be off to a good start now!

Putting the the "Canad" in the Canadoca

Mr. DRL's aunt sent Canadoca a very cute little bit of Canadiana couture. I think it may have brought us luck!

If all went well, the Canadoca are currently somewhere over Brazil, flying back to Canada. And yes, she's probably about to actually be COLD for the first time in her life.

How did this turn of events come about?

No, we still do not have a Brazilian passport for her. However, there has been some sort of policy change with the Federal Police and a birth certificate and Canadian passport will suffice. Typing this is a bit tough being that my fingers are crossed that this works...

In order to see as many of the VIPs in our life, Canadoca and I are spending time in Calgary, the interior of BC, Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

I am obviously THRILLED to be going home but there are a million emotions running through my system about this trip, for many reasons.

• Firstly, it is my first time flying since the Air France crash. Losing two friends in this crash changed my outlook on flying, and really, life in general. I am also a bit nervous about flying over potential bad weather systems, given the recent incident Continental has. 
• It's Canadoca's first time on a plane and I will be alone with her! Mr. DRL is not joining us. Which means he will also not be there when his family sees Canadoca for the first time, which saddens me. I am also anticipating that almost 3 weeks without his baby girl is going to be very hard on Mr. DRL....
• I am sure that having her meet our friends and family will be soooo incredible but part of it is so sad for me too because I know how difficult the goodbyes are going to be. So I am trying to just focus on the hello's. :)
• Frustration is also an emotion I am feeling, as I am being pulled in a million different directions to satisfy everyone's need to have time with her. I hate feeling like I am hurting people, and am a pleaser, trying to accomodate people and make them happy. The way I see it, basically every moment I spend with everyone is a moment someone else does not get with her. I understand where everyone is coming from and want to give them the time they want, but some people are making this easier/more difficult on me than others. I have a lot of "expat guilt" about depriving people back home of time with my daughter since we live so far away.

Upon returning (assuming I got to leave), Mr. DRL and Canadoca and I are heading to Peru and Chile for our first family holiday. In the meantime, enjoy some regularly scheduled posts that I have been frantically pulling together while Canadoca "naps"...  and I'll be checking in from time to time to moderate comments. 

Update

So the Canadoca and I are still here in Brazil as she still does not have a Brazilian passport.

The latest?

After SIX weeks had gone by since the Federal Police launched the investigation into her birth, Mr. DRL demanded some answers as something had obviously gone wrong along the way. By the way, the hospital responded promptly and apparently satisfied the federal police's requirements. The second part of the process was for the Cartorio/Notary to provide her birth certificate. Which, apparently, they LOST.

It's okay, as we have several copies. However, if someone had simply NOTIFIED us of this when it was realized rather than waiting for us to inquire, we could have provided another copy of it weeks ago. And potentially gone home for the wedding, etc. 

Anyway. As soon as I get a passport, I'm going to Canada. Shouldn't be long now. Until then... I'm here!

Of course this is soooo frustrating at times, but it could be worse. 

I am not the only person who is having trouble getting kids out of Brazil - one of my American friends was briefly detained with her children as she tried to go home this summer (since her kids have RNE's, the officials were asking for their Brazilian passports. Which makes no sense - of course they don't have them, because they are not Brazilian.) Another acquaintance was also stopped when trying to leave with her child as she was travelling without her husband because she only had a notorized letter specifying that he was aware that she was doing this, rather than a court order....

And yet despite the many hoops we all have to jump through, the worst part is we all hear the horror stories in the news about cases such as David Goldman's, or worse this shocking case, a fellow in Austria whose child is now dead. Because apparently once a child is in Brazil, it's pretty hard to get them out, whether they belong here or not.

Store Windows Series - Cantao

Current window at Cantao...

Ok so I saw a photo of Gwen Stefani wearing pants similar to these hangy-crotch pants that have been a hit here in Brazil since I arrived here like a year and a half ago. Every so often I ask my friends back home if the pants have hit North America yet and the answer is always a resounding "NO! And please don't start the trend!"

But if Gwen is wearing them...

Current Cravings

I think I'm getting fairy accustomed to the expat life. If I seem particularly weary lately, keep in mind that I have not been home in a year, (going home for 4 days for a funeral does not count, in my books. I didn't even get to see my parents!) and have a new baby I want to share with my friends and family. Most expats I know here go home MUCH more frequently (4-5 times a year in many cases, often spending 2-3 months of the year back home).

Having many visitors has helped with the homesickness. As it is the people we miss, not the things. Well, mostly.  There are a few exceptions, namely (this list can also be known as the "what DRL will be hitting up upon landing back home):

• Chinese food
• Good Salads. Mostly from places like The Cactus Club and Joey Tomato's.
• Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (and I am not even a white wine drinker... but I want some)
• Silver Sage Raspberry Merlot, or any dessert wine from here. Seriously, if you are ever in the Okanagan, you MUST MUST MUST visit this winery it is incredible!
• Sephora (every time we ever go home on the next Visa statement Mr. DRL asks "What is this Sephora again? And why did you go eight times?")
• Blueberry Pancakes from Nellies in Calgary (I think we went every morning when we were in Calgary in Feb...)
• Magazines
• Bras that fit
• Power Bars sans nuts (I'm allergic). This ORSKI one is one of my faves.
• Cereal... mmmm Kashi GoLean. I admit I brought a costco box back with me last time.
• Finally, COSTCO. Going to Costco will just seem like such a treat...

Really, the list is not any longer.... that I can think of now, anyway... my, how I've evolved...

Flying to Brazil these days....

doesn't seem so fun. Maybe it is not such a bad thing that Canadoca and I are stuck here!

This week alone there have been three disconcerning incidents:

1) A 15 year old girl died in-flight from the US to Brazil, supposedly of gripe suine (swine flu).

2) A Delta flight from Rio to Atlanta encountered issues and turned back to Rio late last week.

3) Sunday night's Continental flight from Rio to Houston made an emergency landing in Miami after encountering severe turbulence (to the point where there were several injuries and people were taken to hospital).

No passport

So the wedding is tomorrow but we are still in Rio as we do not have Canadoca's Brazilian passport... it ended up being the cartorio that delayed the process so much.

Pera, anyone?

Pera = pear in Portuguese.

But this post is not about fruit, rather about body types and body image.

You have to hand it to the Brazilians - to generalize, they are incredibly laid back and accepting people. Internationally, the women have the reputation of being the most beautiful in the world and TALL (??) In reality there are as many beautiful people here as there are elsewhere, and literally every one of our visitors is surprised to find that your average Brazilian woman is quite short, and pear shaped. Or should I say - Pear shaped & Proud of it!

Back home, being pear shaped is not something one strives for. (Most prefer an hourglass). It's not seen as being a desirable body type. Here, there are special exercises at the gym that women do to beef up their bums and thighs. Back home, a pear shaped woman would be encouraged to wear a-line skirts. Here they wear a little belt to accent their waist and upper body, and the most skin tight bottoms they can to make their bundas look even bigger. After over a year, I am still not quite used to it.

That said, I think the more accepting Brazilian attitude towards body image is refreshing and much healthier. If I could pass just one "Brazilian" lesson on to my little Brasileira (Canadoca), I hope that's it!

Therapy for Frustrating, Homesick Days

It's sad that people get spoiled. I'm one of them. You know it's bad when you realize what a great place you live in when you look at your guest's vacation photos from when they came to visit:

 

 

Walking to Arpoador is good for the soul.

Canadoca's Brazilian Passport

She has her dress picked out:

but will she get to wear it? (Dress is from Fabula - a children's boutique here in Rio).

Canadoca's aunt is getting married two weeks from today somewhere in Canada. Will we and the Canadoca be there to show off her mad air guitar skills (aided by mom)? Not sure. Why? No Brazilian passport yet.

To be fair, this should have been a fairly easy process. IF we had already received our Residency Cards, which we applied for over a year ago.

I was told by other gringoes to make an appointment at Shopping Leblon at the passport office and that from there on it would be quite simple and we'd have the passport within days. Our appointment was in mid-June.

We arrived at the appointment accompanied by an agent from the company my husband's firm employs to take care of passport and visa issues. When our name was called, we were told that since we didn't have our Residence Cards yet, we could not be issued a passport at that office and rather we would have to go to the Federal Police at the International Airport. This was frustrating for two reasons: 1) Mr. DRL took the day off work for this appointment, but more importantly, 2) Our agent should have realized that this was the case since they were involved in applying for our residency cards.

The next day, we headed to the international airport. A different agent met us there and asked us what we were there for (!! I am not even going to go there.... I am just not...) and basically stood around. Mr. DRL dealt directly with the officials, who told us that our presence wasn't really required, we could have motoboyed in some forms, and that they would need to launch an investigation into our daughter's birth since we don't have our residence cards yet. We were told that this would take about 30 days. Around this time the agency also admits that there was some sort of error or mix-up on their part with our application for residency cards. Strike three.

We are now applying for permanent citizenship based on the fact that we have a Brazilian child. Which will apparently take about another year, but allows us to work here, for any company, rather than being tied to the company because it holds our visa. Nice to have flexibility for sure.

However, currently we are waiting to hear if the signatures from FOUR doctors present in the delivery room are enough to prove that Canadoca is ours. I have heard horror stories of people having to undergo DNA testing in this scenario so we are hopeful that their word will suffice (I guess I should have opted for the birth video at the hospital!). 

Clearly our agency dropped the ball. I just hope that it can be retrieved in time, so that we can attend Mr. DRL's sister's wedding, and so that he can be there when his family first sees Canadoca. (I'm going home once the passport is issued, regardless, but he is only going to go if he can attend the wedding).

Lessons learned:
1) If you are a foreigner having a child in Brazil, make EVERY effort to ensure you receive your residence card before the child is born. It will save you a lot of hassle.
2) Carefully check the reputation of any agency you entrust with these matters. This particular agency deals with many companies here and seems to do a great job with the actual workers' visas/passports, etc. but drops the ball when it comes to the dependants/families. I know another woman whose husband works for another company who was stuck in the US for WEEKS earlier this year because the same agency made mistakes with their family's visas.

My Guestbook - Part 9 - What Did You Learn?

Part 9 of a series I am doing based on a survey I asked my guests to respond to after visiting Brazil.

Question 9: What, if anything, did you learn from your trip?

My Mom: Too many things to mention!

My Mother-in-law: Always an appreciation for Canada after seeing the poverty in other countries.

Engaged Couple Friends: We learned about another culture and way of life, both for the rich and poor. And, we learned about the struggles of being a foreigner trying to make a life in a new country and learn a new language. It certainly gives you a new respect and understanding for anyone who has moved to a new country, including Canada. Mr. DRL and DRL are doing a great job and have accomplished an amazing amount in a short time.

My Dad: How great we have it in Canada, although Brazil is a beautiful country.  Be careful while in Brazil.  Safety in numbers and don't drink too much if you're out as you may need your wit's in event of trouble. Have a game plan as it's too late if you get into a situation and haven't. "Muito policias" lots of police  around, but not sure if they do anything and didn't want to find out given the rumors of corruption....................

My Guestbook - Part 8 - What has changed about Mr. DRL & I since Moving to Brazil

Part 8 of a series of questions I asked my guests after their Brazilian vacations.

Question 8: What, if anything, has changed the most about Mr. DRL & DRL since leaving Canada?

My Mom: They are more relaxed, even though I am sure Mr. DRL's work can be quite a challenge, they are enjoying the experience and will never be the same again!!! Also, a bit of a change with preparing for baby's arrival.

My Bridesmaid & Her Boyfriend: Um, well aside from them both speaking another language and learning how to live in a completely opposite society they are still the same people we all know and love!

My Mother-in-law: We love the self-confidence they have attained by having to deal with Latin energy and language issues.  Such an interesting life they lead, when a breakfast meeting with a politician is just another day at the office.  Again, DRL's Portuguese is amazing.

Engaged Couple Friends: About 3 kilos!   :-) We were so excited to hear the news!  (DRL Note: at the point of their visit, 3 kilos was the extent of the baby weight gain!)

My Dad: Hard to see in two weeks but hopefully they've realized how fortunate they are to be from a country like Canada.

I, Robot

My mom and sister just returned home to Canada after just over 2 weeks or so of Canadoca - hogging and cuddling. It was incredibly difficult to say goodbye, but a couple of things lightened the mood. Such as Canadoca making a rather large diaper deposit that was a total near-miss for my mom and sister (as their luggage was being loaded in our vehicle) seriously very near a wardrobe malfunction...

But the real load lightener was the creation of the ROBOT. My mom and sis each bought a couple of great paintings while here, and they decided to make a large crate box to take them home in on the airplane. It took on a life of its own and soon resembled a life size robot...

This puppy stood WELL over 5 feet tall. A couple of interesting facts about the ROBOT:

1) United Airlines did not charge them an oversize luggage fee
2) Although the rest of their luggage did get lost (they had a 4-flight trip home), ROBOT was waiting for them when they finally arrived at their final destination
3) It looks pretty funny when two women go through security after a 2.5 week vacation with nothing but a box
4) Even if the rest of your luggage gets lost, you still need a van to get the robot home from the airport...

I think I need to start listening to more Diana Krall

For many reasons.
Like me, she originates from Vancouver Island - she even wrote a song about the Malahat highway. Now, she's singing about Brazil.  (Quiet Nights is her new album, it came out in March, and it's Brazilian-inspired, even featuring a version of "The Boy from Ipanema").  She loves the Bossa Nova genre and so here is her interpretation.

Messages on the Vonage Phone

Mr. DRL set up a vonage phone for himself and the business, back home in Canada. His messages this morning were quite hilarious - someone has been fake-numbering, methinks... by the name of "MANGLE" and "FLAVIA".  Anyway we are enjoying the messages not meant for us, but meant for these special individuals. What would be even better is if someone fake-numbered this guy with the vonage #...

I am also excited for the day we get a call from a charitable organization claiming that they will have "a truck in our area" to pick up donated goods. I will be like: "Is that so? Fantastic!" haha...

Are you watching Jill tonight???

The Bachelorette starts up again on ABC tonight with none other than my friend JILL in the hot seat this season, calling the shots. Can't wait to watch :) Jill and I used to work together.

Unfortunately I don't get to watch when everyone does back home, I have to wait an extra day for it to be posted on iTunes. But that's okay  - I'll be ready!

Where to Move... Where to Move...

When our time in Brazil is done (in about a year, maybe more) we are not sure what our next move will be. Mr. DRL will not be going back to the position he had before (which was known to us when we took this opportunity). Before we moved here, we lived in Calgary, AB, which is where Mr. DRL and his family are from. I am originally from Vancouver Island in Canada, and am still a westcoast girl at heart. Most of my family is in BC as well. Although I tolerated living in Calgary for a few years much better than I expected, enjoyed it in fact, and have amazing friends there who I miss constantly, I don't particularly want to move back there. I cannot imagine living there for the rest of my life, never could. Especially because I know we'll always spend time there, being that the family is there. Where would I like to move instead?

1) Vancouver
2) San Francisco
3) Seattle
3) Portland
4) Somewhere in Europe

Mr. DRL is getting more on the Vancouver bandwagon by the day. He is even considering cheering for the Canucks in the Stanley Cup Playoffs now that the Flames are out. This fits perfectly into my plans (yes, you caught me, I am doing "Mr. Burns" from the Simpsons hands between typing on this particular point).

However, I realize that in the end, making this change will not be easy. (Yes, even after moving to Rio...) So I have started a "reasons not to move to Calgary after Brazil" file. This is what I've come up with just today alone! Imagine how thick the file could be after a year!

1) This year, the last week of April, it was forecast to SNOW every night. EVERY NIGHT.
2) Apparently many people living there feel that breastfeeding in public is akin to pedofilia. Click here for more details.
3) Alberta seems to be dealing with some sort of identity crisis. $25 million was just spent on a new ad campaign that at one point features footage of children running on a beach in England.  A tad misleading, methinks. (If you are looking for beach, do not go to Alberta. You will be sooooo disappointed).
4) When we were in Calgary in August last year, it snowed. Okay, maybe it was September 1st. Seriously! SNOW!
5) It's cold. It's dry.
6) See point #3. How am I supposed to adjust to this after living in RIO?
7) My personal feeling on Calgary is that too many people who live there are there solely for the $. Which is kind of drying up these days... Hm...
8) Did you happen to catch the Flames' performance in the playoffs this year?

Maybe I just think the grass is greener elsewhere... ?

If you happen to be in...

...Calgary on SATURDAY and are in the mood for some delectable Easter goodies, swing by Heninger Toyota for some homemade treats being sold by good friends of mine - one of whom is a papered chef. The other two are pampered chefs ;)

Why the Easter Bake Sale? They are participating in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer as Team GeneSkirt, and this is one of their fundraisers.  Here is a link to their blog. About the event - it's a two-day, 60 km walk in support of cancer research and treatment.

So indulge guilt-free, as it's for a good cause!

Now, more about the baking. I would have ordered some if I thought it would make it here...

Options include:

Assorted Spring Cupcakes (Large $2.50 each/ $14 half Dozen/ $25 Dozen)
(Mini $1.50 each/ $8 half Dozen/ $15 Dozen)
Decadent Chocolate Cake with Signature Cream Cheese Icing
Luscious Vanilla Cake with Luscious Pink Butter Cream

Easter Blossom & Bunny Cookies ($10 dozen or $1 each)
Flower-shaped sugar cookies with pastel tinted glaze
Bunny shortbread dipped with Callebaut Chocolate

Homemade Marshmallow Bunnies ($7 dozen)
Hopped full of sweetness and chewy goodness (Pink and Purple)

Dark Chocolate Bark ($10 per package)
Perfectly prepared with the finest white & dark chocolate and topped with plumped dried berries and roasted hazelnuts.

The bake sale will take place at Heninger Toyota on 3640 MacLeod Trail South. It will start at 10am sharp until all the goodies are GONE!!!

Things that We DON'T have to worry about while living in Rio...

Lately I've been hearing little stories from friends and family back home of day to day events happening in their lives. Interestingly enough, three of these tales basically ended with "but I guess you don't have to worry about that in Rio..."

Although there are many day to day issues and concerns that one could stress about, living in Rio, these following tales are not among them.

Story 1 -

A friend of ours in Calgary who recently upgraded from a condo to a house. After a long night out, he was woken up very early by his doorbell.  Standing at the door was someone wanting to shovel his walk.  A nice offer for sure but a bit early for our friend. HIs comment - things you don't have to deal with in a condo (or Brazil... or especially a condo in Brazil).

So true. There sure has been a lot of winter happening this year back home!

Story 2 -

A friend of ours' two little kids got into a wrestling match which ended in a close encounter with a piece of furniture and a two year old with a very banged up face and bleeding nose that they couldn't get under control.  They headed to the ER and waited for four hours to be seen by a doctor.  Once the four hours had lapsed they decided to give up and go home.  This would not happen here...  And yes this point was mostly made for my American readers who think Canada has a great example of "Universal Healthcare"...

Story 3 -

My mother is apparently on a mission to become the bionic woman. On Saturday she both cross-country and downhill skiied.  On Sunday she opted for just the x-country skiing.  She was unusually alone, and while enjoying the peace and tranquility on the trail, encountered a gigantic moose.  She tried to scare it away by clanking her poles together, and it turned and kept heading up the trail.  A few moments later it realized she was heading in the same direction after it, and reacted by turning around and running towards her.  So basically at this point she was being charged by a moose whose legs alone she describes as being 5 to 6 feet tall.  As an aside, my mom is probably the least combative person I've ever met and so therefore basically totally useless in this type of situation despite the fact that she is in great shape.  She noticed a large stump nearby and tried to manoever herself behind it, falling down in the process. At this point the moose must have deemed her no longer much of a threat and turned and left... thank god!   I find this story quite hilarious, though entirely because it has a good ending. You do not want to mess with a moose!

Yet another thing we don't have to worry about in Rio - being charged by a moose!

Story 4 -

Same friend as the bleeding nose and hospital story, + my sister in law. The two are friends (yes, I introduced them, and never hesitate to take credit for it, as it was a successful "set up" - they've become quite close).  My friend was over at my SIL's for a playdate with the kids and as she was about to leave and return home, her car became stuck in the snowbank outside the house.  They tried to push it out, with no luck, and decided that there was only one way to handle this situation: go inside, set the kids up in front of the Wii, then pour themselves a drink.  By all accounts it was a fun afternoon.  Love it! Definitely another thing we don't have to worry about in Rio, although this one does not sound so bad...

Conversations with my Nephew

My nephew is hilarious. I tell everyone. He has a full fanclub of people who want to meet him (friends of mine), quite the special kid. 

He would like a baby BOY cousin, he's told us.  Fair enough, since he has a new sister. Time for another boy in the family. I told him no promises but we'd do our best.

Recently I have been receiving a lot of skype calls from him. I am not sure if it's my sister in law's way of trying to distract him from playing Wii and add some variety to his day or if he legitimately wants to talk to me a lot.  I'll take it either way. Sometimes he scans a picture he's drawn for me and sends it, other times our conversations revolve around his "tips" for me from his Wii games.  But the other day, he definitely had something on his mind.

"Auntie, you don't send me MAIL anymore.  I have not received any mail from you since I turned four!"

"Yes, I know...  I have not been very good at sending mail.  I'm sorry. I had no idea that you appreciated the mail I was sending so much!"

"I sent you something in the mail because I don't get mail from you anymore," he says.

"Well that was a smart thing to do! If you want someone to send you mail, you should send them something in hopes they will respond," I told him.

I then told him I'd sent him something a week or so ago, in a green envelope, which got him so excited that he wanted to drag his mom out (in the snow) right that minute to go check.  I convinced him that it takes a long time for mail to arrive from Brazil and that it probably would not even be there tomorrow.  (As a sidenote, we have been finding mail takes a LONG TIME.)

Then I got to thinking about the last piece of mail he received from me... which was two Wii games for his fourth birthday.  I wonder if he now associates "new wii games" with mail.  I figured I'd better step it up from the stickers and magnets I send him on a regular basis. I once found a little Brazilian maze book fom a corner store here which was a big hit.

I found a web site called Print Activities which has printable puzzles and activities for kids. I figure if I send a maze or something as well as the stickers I can get off of the s&*t list pretty quickly... as long as the Brazilian mail system cooperates!

I also found this coloring page from this homeschooling page which has a picture of the statue of Christ for kids to color.   Funny sidenote - Cafeina has coloring similar pages for kids to do here and when our friends were visiting and we asked the two year old who she'd colored, she said: "Daddy!" As you can imagine he loved that one...

More Ways to Get Here!

Options are a good thing, methinks...

US Airways is poised to start service between Philadephia and Rio de Janeiro this fall.

Continental has tentative approval to resume its direct service between Rio and Houston, this time it would be daily and year-round. Link here. Potentially starting this summer.

Just One More Reason You Should Not Get Your "NEWS" from FOX!

Bloggers are constantly getting a bad rap because we can basically post whatever we want and no one is "checking our facts" (except of course our readers, I know mine certainly keep me in line when I make an error, and I appreciate it, and when this happens and I have put misinformation on my site I do what I can to correct the situation).  I realize not all bloggers do this, and also realize that there is a lot of BS out there on blogs.  But bloggers should not be the only ones under fire when the professional media apparently does not have standards that are any higher! Take this example, which is currently creating a bit of friction between Canada and the United States.

See "How to Lose Friends and Alienate Countries" on YouTube.

Although the Canadian military seems to have taken the stance that FOX's moronic comments don't deserve more attention and should be ignored, I would like to address it.

The gist of it - a late night (I believe it airs at 3 am in some time zones) American political satire show made some rather inappropriate comments about Canada's military's plan to take a 1 year break from field operations after its tour in Afghanistan ends in 2011.  From what I understand, Canada at that point will have been there for about 10 years and has taken on much of the most dangerous territory.

So people have an opinion about it, that is understandable.  However, this is where it gets ridiculous:

"Isn't this the perfect time to invade this ridiculous country? They have no army!"

– Greg Gutfeld on Fox News's Red Eye, March 17

Later, the apology: "I realize that my words may have been misunderstood. It was not my intent to disrespect the brave men, women and families of the Canadian military, and for that I apologize."
– Gutfeld's official apology (which understandably has failed to satisfy most...)

Ummmmm no I think "isn't this the perfect time to invade this ridiculous country" is pretty clear. I don't think anyone misunderstood that one...

The show did not stop there and began poking fun at Canadian "culture" and police. As the daughter of a retired RCMP officer I do feel the need to clarify a few things for those who may not know.  One of Gutfeld's sidekicks made these genius comments in a very mocking tone (see video):

"Does this surprise any of us?... We have police officers and they have Mounties. Our cops ride heavily armoured cars, they ride horses. We have bullet proof vests, they have wonderful little red jackets that can be seen a mile away.  This is not a smart culture, Greg!"

Just to clarify...

• the RCMP generally do not dress in what we call "Red Serge" unless it is a special occasion.  They do not typically fight crime dressed in red.
  
• I'm not sure that my father has ridden a horse since he finished his training, about 30 years ago. I would suspect that this would be the same for most "mounties" unless of course they are part of the "musical ride"
• RCMP officers do wear bullet proof vests.

I am not claiming to be some sort of advocate of the RCMP nor am I suggesting it's perfect, I am just trying to provide some clarity and truth here.

The last part of the quote: This is not what we would call a smart culture.  I am not even going to touch that one!

Another panelist, a comedian, commented that he did not even know that Canada HAD troops in Afghanistan (so in that case, why are these people so upset that they are leaving in 2 years, if they didn't even know they were there in the first place?).  I read this morning in the Canadian media that said comedian was scheduled to perform in Edmonton next month was forced by the venue to cancel.  Probably a good idea.

As always, I love what Rick Mercer has to say on the issue... "If you're going to do satire, three of the most important rules are you have to tell the truth, you can't be a bully and don't be an asshole," he said, adding: "Being a bully is not satire." He added that the fact that Red Eye airs in the middle of the night is a sign that it isn't experiencing "the pinnacle of success."

My point:
I am not attempting to make some sort of big US vs Canada deal out of this, because a few ill-informed talking heads do not a country represent, and apparently a lot of Americans are very upset about this situation.  Rather, my priority is to point out how important it is that we consider our sources when consuming any media.  Credibility should be everything. Personally I do think some heads should roll, but not because of the "insults" to Canada or its military or RCMP, but because of the lack of truth and fact-checking. I realize it is a satirical take on the news and not the news itself but it is a FOX News program and so more care should be taken. How is it that these people have these jobs?

Canada Complaints

I came across an article for expats moving to Canada the other day and it inspired me to do a bit of research about what frustrates expats about living in Canada, to put myself in their shoes.   Which in this case means switching from Havaiana's to Sorels...

 

This is the time of year when everyone in Canada seems to be complaining, because they are ready for winter to be over! (It's one facebook status whining about the weather after another).

I wanted to see if I would get as defensive about Canada's shortfalls as some Brazilians have about frustrations or just experiences that I have commented on. I started reading the blog So, Are You New Here, which is about an American girl living in Calgary. I like her observations and certainly can't say I've been offended.

It's true that I have not finished my research - I still need to read my Will Ferguson books that I brought back this summer to get the full picture...

I also purchased his hits How to Be a Canadian and Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw ...

But the real dirt was found on the boards...  On the British Expat Boards under the topic "What's Wrong With Canada?": (My comments are italicized in brackets).

1. They wear their trousers too short. (LMAO & Hadn't noticed this myself!)
2. Public bathrooms have big open spaces between the wall panels. (Hadn't noticed this myself, but find it funny because everyone finds Canadians to be such prudes!)
3. People will not tell you what they really think of you - they are way too polite.
4. Too many immigrants. (This on a board for potential expats!)
5. Its got a right wing Prime Minister who has George W Bush as his political hero. (sic)
6. Fast food servers who couldn't get your order right if their life depended on it. (Totally agree)
7. Horrendous cell / mobile phone costs. I mean come on, who pays to receive a call. (Multiple mentions of this and all are justified, totally true).
8. Too much deadly fast food. (True, but also a choice to eat it...)
9. Cinnamon with everything. (Really? I am HOPING this is true, maybe then I can find that cinnamon ice cream that I love so much here in Rio!)
10. If I may state the obvious, it's ****ing cold here. (True! But a person hopefully would know this before moving there!)
11. They don't have proper bacon here. Just the streaky stuff. (There were a NUMBER of mentions of this - now I want to know what UK Bacon is like!)
12. Orange cheese....Whats that all about?
13. The radio. I now live in a place where they play Heart and other eighties soft rock on the radio. And not on golden oldie shows - as a normal part of the playlist. (Uh oh I am totally that demographic they are serving... I love Heart!)
14. All pizza features meat in some form. (Ok I am pretty sure this is just simply not true. All pizza joints I've ever been to have had a vegetarian or just plain cheese option).
15. There's still snow on the ground in April. (True story! But again... see #10.)
    
16. Tim Hortons coffee is pretty bad. (Agreed! Ok, not that I drink coffee, but everything there is awful besides a bagel.  I am Canadian and do not understand the Tim Horton's thing. The person who wrote #6 must have been talking about Timmy's...)
17. The standard of driving is dreadful, canadians may be polite to your face, but become rude arrogant &%#%# when in a car! (Agreed! Holy road rage. Don't even get me started on the tailgating truckers on mountain roads).
    
18. Poutine is truly gross. (I have actually never had poutine).
19. Inappropriate use of the "awesome" (Haha I believe it.)
20. Shops that dont open til noon on sundays.
21. eh! (No comment... )
22. The incessant droning of community helpers, unions, quangos, not-for-profit NGOs and special interest groups trying to get you to do something a particular way. (I've said many times that in my opinion, Canada is too socialist...)
23. Phone charges, homeless people, bank charges, crap driving, gangland violence, everywhere shutting early, interventionist government, institutional racism, jobsworth attitude, RCMP corruption, more homeless people.
24. Maple syrup in baked beans (I have not experienced this myself, but I am not big on the baked bean thing).
25. The KFC isn't as good.  (Ok I believe you.)
26. Cream cheese icing on cinnamon buns. (Now that you mention it, I miss this. Love cream cheese icing, but like cheesecake, not to mention baked beans and poutine, it's not for everyone.)
27. There's humour but it's different. Corner Gas, Little Mosque on the Prairie, etc. (Personally I don't watch these shows so can't comment).
28. Banks are the biggest rip of merchants out, all 5 big CDN banks I beleive are in the top 7 most profitable in the world. (True story!)
29. As much as it says you must be fluent in English or French to get in here its amazing how many people can get a job in the GTA with a complete crap grasp of the English language to the point you cant understand them, if your going to move to a country learn the lingo! (So true!)
30. I wish Canadians were more supportive of their own culture. (Another legitimate point!)
31. Canadians are obsessed with community events, helping their neighbours, and going overseas to contribute to/help less-fortunate people.

Interesting, for sure.

From the very tongue-in-cheek blog "Stuff White People Like" - #75 Threatening to Move to Canada

So, what was the verdict? Well honestly the complaints were pretty boring, except for the short pants one.  The rest of them - things I complained about myself when I lived there!

Consolidating Telephones... every expat's dream.

A number of American friends use Vonage to talk to people back home. It allows them to have a US number, so that friends and family can dial a local number and get them here in RIo.  Great concept!

Skype has a similar service where you can pay an annual rate to have a phone number based in one of 20 countries (Skype currently offers this system in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, Romania, UK, Brazil, Dominican Republic, France, Hungary, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, the US, Chile, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Korea, Poland and Switzerland). Unfortunately for us, as you may have noticed, Canada is not on the list. Click here for more details.

Despite the fact that we don't have a "skype number" - we still use skype a lot to talk to people back home. I must say it's great to see the faces of our loved ones, though we do experience a high number of dropped calls with Skype. We also have a landline here. And now, three cell phones between the two of us. Neither of us has bothered to learn to setup our voicemail box on our cells since we've been here. We also still have a phone line in our house in Canada, granted my sister uses it. Since it's still somewhat connected to us, I do have an email alert set up for the voicemail box, I receive an MP3 of each one. Come on, really, how many does one person need?

Enter Google Voice, which was unveiled last week.

What does Google Voice do?

• unifies your phone numbers (you can have just one number for the rest of your life!)
• transcribes voice mail messages
• blocks telemarketers
• eliminates need to check multiple answering machines (home, cell, office, etc.)
• allows you to organize text messages like emails
• Saves you money:
  
  • cheap international calls
  • free conference calling

No word on when it will be available to the masses but I am willing to bet that the expats will be early adopters of this new technology!

DIY Travel and Brazilian sales tactics...

As I mentioned in a recent post, I was quite irritated by the "service" I received from a local travel agent. I was trying to book a multi-destination trip (babymoon) for us, and enlisted his help, which ended up being a fairly pointless endeavor. Why?

In the end, he quoted me US $6,266 for a trip that is sub-par to what I just booked myself for US $2,490.  Ummmm yeah that is a US $3,776 difference, not to mention the waste of time in even dealing with him!

Let it also be known that my booking includes very nice hotels in prime areas. His didn't. Unbelievable.

As an aside - I got a smoking good deal on our multidestination flight with TAM, even better than what was quoted to me on Kayak.com. All I did was phone TAM and book it that way. Just FYI.

It sometimes seems to me as though "sales people" be it travel agents, real estate agents, retail shop girls, etc. take a very different approach to their job than what I am used to back home. Sales tactics back home: listen to the customer and find out their needs, then recommend products.  Here I don't see much regard for what I as a customer want.  If I don't know what I want, that's one thing.   But here are some examples of such situations I have found irritating over the past year:

• The travel agent mentioned above - instead of looking into any of the 10 or so small, private, spa-like boutique hotels we requested and had already researched and provide us with rates, took it upon himself to only give us one rate - and choose a huge chain hotel for us. In other words, the exact opposite of what we were looking for. When I asked why, he said because it was not as far from the airport as the hotels we'd chosen.  We were well aware of this fact when we requested the hotels - rather than simply asking us, he simply assumed.  And paid no attention whatsoever to the type and calibre of hotels we had originally requested.
• While looking for an apartment, the real estate agent takes us to apartment after apartment with neither outside space/veranda nor view (we specifically requested that we wanted at least one or the other).  When after several places like this I finally commented on this to him, he looked at me incredulously and said "but this place is great, it has 4 parking spaces."  I informed him that we did not have a car.
• While shopping for appliances there was an attempt to talk me into buying a refrigerator I did not want, with features I found useless...
• Anytime I go into a clothing store, hideous clothing items are offered to me that are completely opposite of what I am looking at/wearing.  Like I am talking lime green sports bras, and oh my favorite! Crop tops.  I am in my third trimester, folks...

I don't find that a lot of sales people take the time to read the customer, do the homework, or anticipate needs. It honestly feels like they are just trying to get rid of whatever inventory is getting old, whichever hotel rooms offer the highest commission for them, etc... but maybe I am wrong!

Can anyone comment on how sales people are trained here in Brazil?  What are some of the fundamentals?  How do they differ from North America?  Are there some philosophies?

Our one year ANNIVERSARY

Today marks one year since our arrival in Brazil.

Mr. DRL and I chatted briefly about this before he left for work this morning - and how quickly a year has gone. 

Things that surprised us in our first year:
- How long it takes to get settled! At first when we decided to come, we thought it would be for one year. Then it became two. I am starting to think the ultimate ex-pat assignment is three years as it really takes a full year to get adjusted/settled/comfortable, then if you move home after a total of two years, much of year 2 is spent preparing for the move back home.  The three year plan allows for a bit of breathing room and fun in between.
- How fast it went!
- How homesick we weren't. Seriously with all of our visitors not to mention an extra trip home, I have felt homesick about once.  And I am pretty sure it was pregnancy hormones.
- How few Brazilian friends we have made.  Although - we are seeing a bit of progress with this - I think having a baby helps...  This is actually a big deal as we have not much mixed with the locals and honestly have found that to be very tough!
- How much Rio really feels like home.
- How little we have gone to the beach.  We're working on that though, too.
- How amazing my headstand has gotten. Yes, even at this stage of pregnancy!
- How fast we adapted to the beachwear.
- How addicted we've become to acai... okay was not a surprise.
- How little trouble we've found ourselves in - one whole year in Rio without much of a safety incident and with all those visitors.  Yay! (A cautious yay).
- How many of our friends and family back home have come to see us!
- How difficult it is to get things done/secure vendors/make repairs... and how frequently everything breaks down.
- How NOT fluent our Portuguese is.  Yes, we certainly get by, but we both have a lot to improve on.
- How few pairs of shoes I've purchased! Seriously I have probably only purchased about 5 pairs of actual SHOES since I have been here (okay and a dozen or so pair of havaiana's) which is shocking considering that I bought 13 on my visit to Brazil.
- A surprise pregnancy! WoW... probably the biggest surprise of all...

Canadians pick up Goldman story

Click here to watch Canada AM featuring David Goldman.

Expired Passport but Valid Visa - What's A Canadian to Do?

My mom is returning this spring to see our new addition, booked her flight already in fact... and she has a fairly new visitor visa to Brazil, but a passport that's expiring soon... so we figured she'd probably need to go through the whole visa process again once she was issue a new passport - but we were wrong!  According to the Canadian consultate, her visa in her old passport will still be valid, she will just have to bring her old passport with her. 

So there - if you're in that situation, I just saved you a hundred bucks ;)

Passports and Babies...

At the event we attended on Thursday night, we spoke at length with a woman from the Canadian Consulate. It turns out she will be the one we need to speak with once our baby is born, about getting our baby its Canadian citizenship and passport.

We had been planning to take the little one on a vacation to Canada once it turned 3 months old (the most widely-recommended youngest-safe-to-fly-a-newborn-14-hours age I can seem to find) to meet our families. 

We assumed (why oh why would we? I know, I know) that we could initially just get our baby a Brazilian passport and a visa to enter Canada. We were wrong. We will need for the baby to already at that point carry both Brazilian and Canadian passports.  Apparently Brazil will not let the baby out without a Brazilian, and Canada will not let the baby in without a Canadian. I specifically asked about the "visa" to visit Canada with option on a Brazilian passport but was assured we'd be denied.

Once the time comes I will of course keep you all posted on how long this in fact will actually take. I am keeping my fingers crossed that our child gets to meet its family before its first birthday ;)

Feedback: I am very interested in any of your comments as always, but specifically would find comments on experiences with first long-haul travel with babies helpful, as well as any experiences anyone might have with how long this passport issue has taken in the past if you've had to do it.

Enroute

So we're on our way home (see previous post).
A few random thoughts from the lounge in IAH...

1) The new Continental flight that runs directly from Rio to Houston is great. I really hope they extend the service (I think it's currently just a trial thing until March).  That difference of a couple extra hours, it really makes a huge difference.

2) Continental has been fantastic to us so far this trip (yes it's still early, but faith is ever present, and fingers and toes crossed).  My husband has even stopped calling it "Crapinental" - this is a big deal.  To be fair, he has had horrible circumstances his last few flights, some outside of the airline's control, but all not handled well by them.  So far this trip they are redeeming themselves :) Traveling when you are this pregnant - you get a lot more help and consideration, that's for sure.

3) As my husband frantically types on his blackberry or computer or calculator, I have come to a very silly realization. Despite the fact that we are traveling for over 40 hours round trip to make it to the funeral, I am pretty sure of his whole family he will be taking the least amount of "time off" for this event.  As in, not even one day. He has meetings scheduled in the US & Canada next week and is currently working today, when he can. Obviously not a full day, but still.  So far, total days off = 0, and being that he has a full day of meetings on Monday, none in sight.

4) We were actually pretty glad to get out of Rio this week. On Thursday morning, at 11:30 am there was a shooting on the corner of Maria Quitera & V. de Piraja.  It was a hit, and no innocents were killed, but still... I mean, we walk there all the time! There was also some sort of incident in the north with a bus burning but I didn't feel like inquiring further on that one...

5) Although the circumstances for our trip home are very sad, there are some positive points for us. We get to see our families.  I can't wait to see my niece and nephew, I can't believe I was to go an entire year without seeing them, it would have been quite unbearable, I think. It's also a chance to stock up a few more baby items... and, who am I kidding? Items for me as well...

Those dreaded calls...

Bad news is never fun to get, but I think it's even harder to get when you're far away. It's true I might be biased.  Especially because Mr. DRL is quite broken hearted these days, as am I.

My husband's grandfather passed away on Tuesday. 

Grampa was 92, would have turned 93 shortly, and still living on his own.  He outlived his beloved wife by nearly 5 years. He was the definition of a pillar of his community, and will be missed by many. 

Last time we spoke with him it was over the phone and we shared the news that we are expecting. He was very excited, letting out a gruff, warm:  "Good for you!" to my husband.  Another recent anecdote... recently my nephew was asking him, his great-grampa, why he was called Great-Grampa.  I think his exact words were: "What makes you great?" Without skipping a beat, he replied, "Well, you do." Which pretty much sums him up.

When I first started dating my husband, I was shocked at how "with it" his grandparents were as they were so tiny and frail but seemingly up on pretty much every topic and joke going.  I remember many occasions where there would be a bit of razzing or joking going on at the "young" end of the table, only to be acknowledged/put in place/one-upped by a quick witty comment coming from one of his grandparents, just letting you know that not only were they able to hear what was going on at the polar opposite end of the table but they were listening intently and part of the action. It was always entertaining and somehow unexpected, no matter how many times it happened.

We're heading home to attend his funeral services over the weekend so posts will likely be sparse but you never know when I might find time and inspiration in an airport wi-fi zone...

Surefire Ways to Irritate A Canadian Living Abroad

• Consistently ask us if we are "Americano?" Never once ask in over a year if we are Canadian.  (I've been here nearly a year and not one person has guessed "Canadian"... I also get a lot of "French? Italian?" but mostly "Americano?") Not that it would be BAD to be any of these other nationalities but we exist, people!
• In the Houston airport, when we are in the line for "All Other Countries" vs. the line with the sign that says "American Citizens Only" come up to us right before we are about to finally go to the kiosk, and say "Ya'll is from Canada? Y'all belongs over here!" and point to the "American Citizes Only" area.
• Claim that you've visited all the sights and wonders of Canada, then later reveal that you've not traveled in Canada west of Montreal. Ok, maybe this one only irritates us Western Canadians, but I hear a lot from people that they only visit Quebec and Ontario, in the winter, then complain about how cold Canada is (the west is much more forgiving, folks, and that's not the only reason to visit....) Or here's another - go anywhere in Canada in December, January or February and claim that Canada is always cold. Be completely oblivious to the fact that in the summer it is often +30 degrees or even the fact that even Canada has summer, which brings me to my next point...
• Ask about igloos, lack of locks on the doors, our "fantastic" medical system (oh Michael Moore, Canadians are forever owe you for those last two), year-round winter (?), poutine (I've never had it, personally!), or Celine Dion.
• Refer to Canada as an additional state of the US.
• State that every time you hear the word "hockey" you picture Sarah Palin.  Our friend said this last night and we didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  It was pretty funny.
  

Things I've Learned...

By actually reading my google alerts.
See, I've got a bit of time on my hand right now and am catching up on reading my google alerts, and even a few blogs. Warning: this is about as random as it gets, but most of it is either informative or amusing, so here we go...

• Looking to get a new car next year? Starting in August, the Brazilian gov't plans to equip new cars with anti-theft & tracking devices. Apparently a car is stolen every 12 minutes here in Rio and every 3 minutes in Sao Paulo. Here in Rio most of them wind up in the Zona Norte... click here to read more.
• Great article from the telegraph about how amazing a city Rio is to visit. 
• Canada is changing its immigration rules on babies born and adopted abroad - which at first glance scared the you know what out of me but on further review of the article I don't think that we will be negatively affected... article in the National Post.
• Further validation - taking on an international assignment - Canada's Financial Post reports that Canada's CEOs need more international experience. To quote the article: "With globalization of markets and supply chains, the job description of Canadian CEOs has altered dramatically. Today, they must fend off international competitors, tend to international customers and manage international suppliers of labour, materials, information and capital. All this while navigating regulations, business and social customs, public expectations and political environments in each country involved. Canadian companies are clearly finding themselves on a larger and more complicated playing field. Moreover, the pace of globalization is widely expected to accelerate, especially with new competitors in Brazil, China, India and Russia pressing forward."   It continues to say: "All this suggests that Canadian companies (wherever they conduct business) would do well to make sure their leadership teams have global experience. In fact, international work experience has surfaced as a key indicator of the global orientation that many boards seek in senior leadership teams."     This is a good one to send to those working abroad when they have had a rough day...
• Does Canada suffer from Narcissistic Personality Disorder? Hehe
• Gotta love when the country you live in comes up as one of the first ones mentioned in an article about business traveller safety and where to exercise caution... 
• Interesting article on the police occupation of the Dona Marta favela, which I believe is near Botafogo...
• As it has been mentioned by a commenter on my blog, Brazil granted political asylum to an Italian man, ex-Communist militant Cesare Battisti, enraging many.
• Mr. DRL & I were considering taking a short cruise from Rio at some point before the baby comes, but after reading this article about 340 people getting violently ill on board a cruise ship off the coast of Brazil, I think we'll do something else instead.
• Ok now I will switch to the positive and talk about what is "Better in Brazil" - there have been several articles published lately naming Brazil as the "winner" of the downturn, meaning who capitalized on the boom time the most, however this one in the Globe & Mail went that extra step further and talks about what that means on a grassroots level: 
• • Paid off debts to International Monetory Fund & operated finances on a constant-surplus basis, accumulating reserves to help weather the storm now - social spending will not need to be cut and deep debt will not be required either.
  • Achieved an investment-grade bond rating.
  • Infant mortality cut in half
  • Created the developing world's first universal social program which gives financial assistance to poor families, which resulted in cutting the infant mortality rate in half since 10 years ago, and had a significant impact on malnutrition rates in children.

Blogs...

• Pretty funny post by Tiago in Colombia about his hatred for tourists. Entertaining. It's further inspiration for me towards a post that's been floating around my head for awhile about living in another country vs. visiting it. Because there is a BIG DIFFERENCE and those who are "well traveled" seem to get defensive about this point but I stand by it.  Anyhooo..
• A reminder that yeah, I've got it good - "ExpatWifeStyle" - a blog which needs no further introduction than: Expat Wifestyle is a state of mind. You don't have to be married to be one, you just have to have the right attitude, spirit, and, and sense of adventure. Living overseas affords you the opportunity to lunch, spa, and mani/pedi everyday of the week. You can travel at a moments notice and being bored just isn't possible. Every year, thousands of women make the transition from teachers, editors, students, etc to living an Expat Wifestyle. C'mon...try it out and see how much fun we have!
• Funniest thing I read all day was definitely on Expat Experience, where the author of the blog had just finished watching a documentary on the Irish famine, "Fleeing the Famine" and commented that they could have perhaps delivered this key line a bit differently - the Irish famine victims had to make "an impossible choice: Death or Canada." bahahaha. I am making people read this post when they try to convince me that I MUST move back to Canada. No, I don't think that the famine is funny, rather than people would rather CONSIDER death vs. moving to Canada. It's not really that bad, guys. But yeah, it's cold. In fact, according to HSBC's latest data on expats and expat destinations, Canada is the most welcoming country in the world.
• I used to work with a few biotech companies, doing investor relations, and I can be a bit of a nerd about these things so I was excited to see that Brazil has a few interesting biotech companies, check out the Little Devices that Could blog...
• Found this blog because it had a posting about the best hotels in Leblon but it claims to be a complete listing of hotels and restaurants in Brazil. I will check out some places I've stayed and been and see if I agree. Here is the posting about the best hotels in Leblon.

A Very Zona Sul Christmas

One of my favorite memories with my nephew was about two years ago when he was two years old. He had slept over at our house just after Christmas (and Auntie gave him one too many mint flavored chocolates and he "gurfed" on the floor - his word, not mine... "Auntie I gurfed"... minty gurf... ok not the favorite memory I was talking about but I am getting there... ) and that year my father in law had given us this beautiful Father Christmas which stood just a bit taller than our nephew at the time.  He thought it was the greatest thing ever.

Fast forward to May, which happened to be the next time that a get-together happened at our house.  He walked in the door and exclaimed: "Where's SANTA?" He thought Santa lived at our house? Now it was my turn to think that it was the greatest thing ever.  Needless to say I didn't have the heart to tell him that Santa was in a box in the basement, rather just said he'd be back at Christmas time.

Kids HERE, in Rio, must think that Santa resides at our neighbourhood supermarket, Zona Sul... here are some photos of how far the Christmas decorating has gone. I'm particularly a fan of the little carts with reindeer on them...

Santa sure rolls a little differently in Rio!

Hit the Road, Tia!

This is a real life actual transcript of a conversation that happened with me and my four year old sobrinho (nephew) on his birthday on Tuesday.

TDRL: Tia DRL
CSE:    Cutest Sobrinho Ever

TDRL: Happy Birthday!
CSE: Thank You!
TDRL: How was your birthday party?
CSE: It was good. We had a pinata, it was really hard to break it open. And cake with flags of Brazil!
TDRL: Sounds like fun! Flags of Brazil, really?

Enter CSE's mom with his birthday present from Tio DRL & I for him to open while on Skype with me... which by the way arrived just in time. She also arrived just in time to clarify that the flags were in fact from Mexico, for the Mexican themed party he had specifically requested.

CSE: Ooh it's a movie. No it's a game! For my Wii! With Diego. Oh! There's another one with animals. (stares at the games for a long time....)
CSE's Mom: Do you know who those are from?
CSE: From Auntie & Uncle! Thank You! Mom, can we go play them now?
CSE's mom: In a few minutes, we just have to finish our call here. Oooooh (looks on the package) one of these is a ONE player game...(looks at me) NICE!!!
TDRL: You're welcome... both of you.
CSE: I play two player tennis for Wii by myself, you know. (CSE then demonstrates his skills which basically involve a lot of flailing of both arms almost simultaneously which looks even more hilarious with the slight delay of Skype).
TDRL: That is impressive! You know, CSE, I really love living in Brazil but I sure don't love missing your birthday...
CSE: It's okay.  I like it that you live in Brazil.
TDRL: ... Really? Why is that?
CSE: Because now I get SO much mail!
TDRL: Bahahahaha
CSE: Mom, can we go play wii now?

And there you have it.... the way to a four year old's heart... wii games, diego, tickelopes and mazes in the mail...

Ouch... recession hits Canada

Earlier this month we thought it was bad that there were 10,000 jobs lost in October in Sao Paulo.  Then we found out that there were 70,000 jobs lost in the month of November in Canada. When you consider that there are 41 million people in Sao Paulo state and just 33 million in Canada, well....

Canada is now officially in a recession. The Bank of Canada cut interest rates by three quarters of a percentage point which was more than what was expected. The article also credited the political upheaval in Canada last week with dragging investor sentiments.

Recent depressing headlines:

• 850 jobs lost at Magna
• Chrysler Canada's Windsor mini-van plant to shut down for 6 weeks over Christmas
• 700 workers at an Oshawa based GM plant face temporary layoffs
• Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. cuts production by 20% and will it eliminate 550 white-collar jobs, 430 blue-collar employees have been given temporary layoff notices in the current quarter, after already laying off 370 blue-collar workers last quarter.

Before I Change The Subject...

Just a couple more things then I will move on.  Back to, you know, Brazil, where I currently am (and am oh so happy to be!!!) But first, a few things to clarify:

1) I am not some sort of Stephen Harper Lover or closed minded conservative.  There are many aspects of his policy that I can't stand (such as his views on gay marriage!), can't say I really feel all that great about any politician in Canada (I used to live in Rob Anders' riding when I lived in Calgary...yikes. I moved!) but in this instance I really don't think my political stance based on which party happens to be ruling affects my feelings on what is happening right now.  If Stephane Dion had won the election (you know, the one that was about 2 months ago? I know, it's so hard to keep track... ) and the other parties were pulling this stunt, I really don't feel I would be any more pleased about it. I think the timing is terrible and it makes Canada look awful from an international standpoint (which is the point of this blog - all things international!).  And no, I don't think throwing buckets of money at the problem (or the auto industry) is going to help. And no, I am not excited about the prospect of having the liberals in power again - it was not so long ago they were, and how it all ended up was far from pretty.

2) I must apologize and retract my statement about Stephane Dion having publicly stated he would step down. I am sorry, and have misinformed you.  Apparently he has not been talking about it, just everyone else has. Gleefully, I might add. Oh and apparently his French skills are better than I thought... wow I sure have lost a lot of French in learning Portuguese...

3) Here are some more entertaining facebook "stati" on the topic so that I can prove I am not the only one, well, excited about this:

• S is almost certain that 3 wrongs don't make a right, no matter what the situation is.
• K thinks a good old fashioned game of quarters will help solve all this coalition confusion.Time to find out who really knows how to throw it down.
• G asks the question: If Harper, Dion, Layton and Duceppe had a knife fight to the death, who would win? We all would.
• S is wondering why I bothered voting...
• T is happy there is a little controversy in Canadian politics. We need to get a little excited. It's good for us.
• L: Canadian political crisis along with the global economic crisis, clinched it. So long remaining hair. I need comfort food.
• S is absolutely amazed at how easy it is to overthrow the Canadian Prime Minister and take over the Government.
• P is thinking, at a time like this, how can the GG's options include perogies?

GRRRRRRRR!

Today I am not so proud to be Canadian... good thing this baby is going to be Brazilian! haha...

In times of global economic uncertainty, what does Canada do? Have an unnecessary election (in October) costing taxpayers god knows how much money, then this month have the losers band together in a coalition to try and overthrow the government (which they can do when the government is not a majority, which it never seems to be). 

The waste of money never ends - the new cabinet was appointed just after the election, and they have spent the past months spending spending spending so that they could brush up on their new posts (remember, Stockwell Day was just here?) which they possibly may not have in the very near future.

Wow, how can we possibly make Canada look less credible and stable from a global perspective? Let's all sit and ponder this one for awhile. 'Cause I'm not sure we could possibly do more at this point... For once I am really glad no one outside of Canada really pays attention! haha. Except investors... it's no coincidence that yesterday the TSX, Canada's stock exchange, suffered its biggest one day drop.

But what about Canada's citizens, those who are being laid off, losing their retirement savings, how is the government providing them reassurance? They aren't. Rather, more turmoil to keep people up at night. Wonderful.

I am also concerned about the fact that it is Canada's socialist parties banding together to take power... oh good, let's spend even more money in these horrible, uncertain economic times... arghhhh! Before you say but what about the people who were laid off you just referred to a paragraph ago, I doubt that any of the millions these guys would spend would actually end up in those people's pockets...

While we're at it, let's put someone in power who can barely string a sentence together in English or French!  Makes George Bush look eloquent in comparison (no joke, dead serious).  I'm super confused - weren't the liberals supposedly going to get a new leader?  (Stephane Dion has publicly been talking about stepping down as the leader of the liberal party, making this move especially underhanded - even some hard core liberals are not excited about the prospect of having him as prime minister at this point...)

Some recent facebook statuses on the topic that I read this morning (which sadly were what alerted me to the issue in the first place, haha!):

"V is wondering if we live in a democracy? Why vote if someone can overthrow the government!?"

"W wonders how one unelectable regional representative + another unelectable representative that represents NO regions can represent a democratic country?"

"X is wondering wtF is going on with the government in Canada."

"Y: coup d'etat..... Embarassed 2 b Canadien..."

"Z is reading up on Constitutional Law for Dummies. The sad thing? It's above me."

Well to look at the bright side, it should make for an interesting episode of the Rick Mercer Report tonight... glad I have my season's pass via iTunes!!

Lar Dog Lar

We have a special "Lar Dog" in our lives so we found this vet/pet cleaning service to be especially amusing... (Between Angra & Paraty)

Stockwell Day visits Brazil

Stockwell Day, one of Canada's most colorful politicians - and Canada's new International trade minister - visited Brazil this week (Sao Paulo & Rio).  Day is best known for antics such as arriving at a press conference via jetski (see photo, right) and his hard core Christian beliefs and support for the war in Iraq, among other things.

 The Canadian media has reported on Brazil & Canada's distant relationship, but the Government of Canada's official news release regarding the trip hinted that there would be an announcement to bolster this relationship...  so  what's the big announcement?

A signed framework agreement for cooperation on science, technology, and Innovation between the two countries.  Anagreement to increase bilateral research and development in the areas of (among others):

• nanotechnology
• biotechnology
• pharmaceuticals
• information and communications technology.

Full Moon?

Is there a full moon tonight? Or this week?
It just seems to me that no matter where in the world, here, there, many people in my life seem to be having a tough time right now.  Whether it's job related stress - or stress about whether or not one has a job - which is a popular one.... family related, relationship related, health related... the s*%t seems to be hitting the fan. Lots of disgruntled, frustrated folks.

Is there a mass wake-up call going on in the world right now? Or is it just me? Is stress getting to everyone?

Personally my only complaint of the day is a raging case of sciatica.  And hopefully it stays that way (the one complaint part, dear god no, not the sciatica).