
Posted at 03:07 PM in Food and Drink, My Reviews, Rio Restaurant Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Still on the road here...
I will be posting detailed travel reviews of our trip and all of our many destinations when I get back, but in the meantime can I just say how much I love Tripadvisor, and the New York Times' travel section of its site and Globorati?
We ended up booking our trip fairly quickly and used just these sites for information, and every recommendation has been awesome. Restaurants, hotels, you name it. I will definitely be paying it forward by writing detailed reviews on Tripadvisor to benefit other travelers.
Tripadvisor is not always very complete/accurate for travel within Brazil as the number of posts are limited especially for not as well known destinations, so be sure to post about your favorites and not so favorites! For other destinations in South America it seems to be used a lot more, and is therefore much more useful.
Posted at 12:54 AM in My Reviews, Tools You'll Use, Travel, Travel: Tips, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
A few random thoughts after about half of my 24 day trip in Southwestern South America:
Posted at 06:40 AM in Beauty in Brazil, Better in Brazil, My Reviews, Travel | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
I'd heard a lot of mixed reviews about Giusseppe, which is why it took us so long to get there. Maybe it was that the mixed reviews lowered my expectations, but I thought it was fantastic! I recommend going with a large group, as like places like Esplanada, you order your main but then choose sides to share family style with the table. More people = sharing more variety of sidedishes, which to me is what it is all about. A bigger group also raises your potential of having some creative types to entertain you with the little pig fork holders once the meal is done, as was the case for us...
Blame it on the wine?
Posted at 09:20 PM in Food and Drink, My Reviews, Rio Restaurant Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
... 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...
Posted at 06:19 PM in Back Home: The Ties that Bind, Better in Brazil, Food and Drink, My Reviews, Only in Brazil... | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
One of the toughest parts of moving to Rio for me was becoming accustomed to seeing impoverished people on a daily basis. Growing up in Canada I certainly was not exposed to this, and I find it heartbreaking.
So, given the number of people legitimately in need in Rio, I am always flabbergasted to find University students parading up and down Ipanema beach on a regular basis, bodies and faces painted, asking for handouts. I have seen them looking for donations to finance trips, or simply as a rite of passage/initiation as they are freshmen.
Here are some examples:
So, let me get this straight... these people, who are supposedly educated, Brazil's future, you know, the whole bit... decide to paint themselves to beg for handouts on the beach instead of maybe, I don't know, having a bake sale as a fundraiser? I would be more inclined to help them out if they were picking up garbage or organizing something useful. Painting their bodies and walking up and down the street? When there are little kids legitimately on the streets a block away? Um, no.
Last time I encountered a large group of these individuals, I started chanting "Car WASH! Car WASH!" as I passed by.... I got the usual "check out the gringa" comments back... hilarious. But seriously people, ever heard of a carwash? Can someone explain this phenomenon to me?
Posted at 03:17 AM in My Reviews, Only in Brazil..., Understanding Brazilians | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)
Flying through Houston on a regular basis, I have come up with a few recommendations to pass on:
1) The Hotel Granduca - located close to the Galleria Shopping Centre and is just generally a beautiful property. We stayed there in February, here are some photos of our room.
2) In the Houston airport there is this place called the Real Food Company - great stuff, wireless internet - loved it. Hard to find decent airport food usually....
Posted at 07:55 PM in Food and Drink, Getting Here, My Reviews, Travel: Tips | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
- they bring you delicious salad as a couvert
- everything grilled is fantastic
- the creamed spinach is delish
- your napkin will be dressed right up (see below)
Ipanema - Barao da Torre 600
Posted at 04:37 PM in Food and Drink, My Reviews, Rio Restaurant Reviews | Permalink | Comments (21) | TrackBack (0)
About a month ago I wrote about doing the 30 Day Shred video by Jillian Michaels.
My postpartum weight loss is going a bit more slowly than I would have anticipated but I definitely recommend this video. I've lost a few inches on my waist and feel a lot stronger/tighter everywhere, and it is rewarding to do the video and see the increase in endurance. I have lost over 5 lbs, and feel my muscle tone has increased quite a bit. More of my pre-pregnancy clothing fits every week. Most importantly in my books was getting back into my Rock & Republic jeans, which I managed to do this week. I did a victory dance that scared the crap out of Canadoca when I got those babies zipped up (apparently she hadn't before seen me so crazy-excited). I realize that after a baby some of the weight loss is just hormone related as well, and that if I keep working hard and give it some time, it will eventually come off!
I did not do the shred every day (though in the beginning I did it for about 15 days straight) then every few days after that as I did other activities. I find that the repetitive lunges and squats with the SHRED were a bit hard on my hip, which is a bit of an old problem area for me. So I rested it a bit and am now modifying a few of the exercises and adding more stretches.
A favorite website of mine for tracking weight loss, calories consumed (along with other dietary details), etc. is SPARKPEOPLE. Check it out!
Posted at 11:28 AM in Exercise, Having A Baby in Brazil, My Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
While our guests were here I had to take them on my "famous" tour of centro that I take my guests on.
As a sidenote: Canadoca stayed with her dad at the office while we did the tour. At which time it was determined that she prefers the lifestyle of "expat princess" to "corporate hotshot". She didn't like it at the office....
Generally I take the guests to the Escadaria Selaron, go to Mr.DRL's office, take them into the markets on Rua Buenos Aires, stop in at some havaiana shops and churches and random stores, go to the Portuguese Reading Room, go to Colombo for a snack or pastry, go to the bonde station, ride the bonde to Santa Teresa, go to Aprizavel or someplace for lunch and maybe a few shops. Other deviations include going to the cathedral, etc.
Here are some shots my most recent guests took on their tour:
Some Rio Graffiti
Cathedral view from Lapa
The markets
The tour is never complete without a stop at Colombo for either a dessert or salgado...
Posted at 05:12 AM in My Reviews, Only in Brazil..., Rio Neighbourhoods, Rio Tourists | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 04:36 PM in Better in Brazil, Food and Drink, My Reviews, Rio Restaurant Reviews, Rio Tourists, Travel: Tips | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I try to avoid shopping for anything here that I could get at home (especially things that are much cheaper there, and let's face it, most things that are available both places are cheaper at home). So as a general but occasionally broken rule, I don't really go to Zara here. But sometimes one needs a couple of wardrobe staples, and Zara is great for that. They also have a maternity section for all of you gestantes...
Posted at 07:35 AM in Having A Baby in Brazil, My Reviews, Shopping & Fashion | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
So... Canadoca is now more than 10 weeks old, and officially weighs more pounds than I've lost since her birth. Although I realize that there is "no rush" and "it took 9 months to put on" and "it might take a year" and "breastfeeding makes you hang on to some fat" .......I'm just not a very patient girl.
So what's a new mom to do?
Well I walk a lot. Go to the gym occasionally, and Mr. DRL and I sort of swap off taking care of Canadoca. I haven't returned to my ashtanga practice yet as our schedule is just not regulated enough yet.
11 days ago I started the "30 Day Shred" - an intense workout video that takes just 30 minutes per day. A highschool friend recently had a baby and used it to get back in shape - she was back in her pre-pregnancy clothing within 14 days of starting the shred, and only did level 1 (there are 3 levels). I've managed to do it every day for 11 days and notice a huge difference in my endurance and how my clothes are fitting (I am fitting into my size 8 pants now. Which is great except that most of my stuff is more like size 6 but hey this is progress!!!)
The video is tough but as the trainer Jillian Michaels says, if you are only going to work out for 30 minutes, you have to make every minute count. I will do a weigh in/measurement update after day 15...
Posted at 06:47 PM in Exercise, Having A Baby in Brazil, My Reviews, Television | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
My page on restaurants in Rio has gotten a bit outdated... here are my current top 10, in no particular order.
Posted at 04:18 PM in Food and Drink, My Reviews, Rio Restaurant Reviews | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
When our visitors were here I thought that the words they managed to master in Portuguese to be very revealing about the type of people they were... (be it a vinho tinto/com licenca/desculpe/quantos reals...)
The ONE phrase my mom retained from being here the first time to the second?
"A conta, por favor."
Posted at 08:23 AM in Learning Brazilian Portuguese, My Guestbook/Visitor Reviews, My Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
As Luiz of "Eating Out in Rio" has pointed out in the past, there are many opportunities to consume "high end pizza" in Rio. Our favorite is Braz, which he recently reviewed. Despite eating a cookie there which contained peanuts and going into anaphylactic shock and being rushed to hospital my first time there, I still wanted to go back! (NOT that it was their fault, it was mine entirely! But bad memories aside, I wanted to return.) But the back patio is a MUST at Braz, the dining room is a bit bright for my liking.
Last weekend, Mr. DRL, Canadoca and I checked out a newer high-end pizza place in Ipanema around the corner from the lake, Stravaganze. I must first say that although the food is good, the ambiance and decor are what I'd return for. The shrimp salad and antipasto platter were VERY good.
Canadoca LOVES light fixtures and so this place was paradise for her...
Rua Maria Quiteria, 132 Ipanema
2523-2391
http://www.stravaganze.com.br/
Posted at 04:35 AM in Food and Drink, My Reviews | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
In the spirit of continuing to celebrate holidays on the wrong day (see my "dia dos namorados" post) we had a very nice Father's Day yesterday! (It was Father's Day back home). In case you are wondering, Father's Day is in August in Brazil. But Mother's Day is the same in Brazil & North America.
Canadoca spoiled her daddy with lunch at Fasano, some new clothes from Armani Exchange (ordered from back home for a fraction of what you'd pay here...) and a framed photo set for his office. We also enjoyed dinner at our place with a couple of friends who are Dads whose families are back in the US for the summer.
On Fasano - we had a beautiful lunch! We attempted to go for breakfast but it ended up being more like lunch time, which was great as we thoroughly enjoyed some amazing fish dishes. We'll be back soon...
Hope all the dad's out there had as great of a day as Mr. DRL! We'll do it all again in August...
Posted at 05:57 PM in My Reviews, Rio Restaurant Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
My husband's best friend and his wife are coming to visit us for most of the month of July. We can't wait. We miss them a lot...
They are regular blog readers so here is a preview to make them excited to get here (besides of course the Canadoca photos they see regularly). We have a little dinner party tradition that we do with them called "Pass the Dessert". One of us picks up four decadent single serving desserts, and we put them each on a plate, and move them clockwise around the table when dessert time comes. Best paired with ice wine, coffee & liqueurs and good conversation. The above selections are from Garcia & Rodriguez and should make them excited for their trip (the chocolate mousse cake was my favorite from the selection above). With so many fantastic dessert spots in Rio, Pass the Dessert is sure to be a lot of fun while they are here. Looking forward to it!!! I will post photos for the rest of you...
Posted at 06:10 AM in Food and Drink, My Reviews | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
It sure is nice to have a new baby here - in a culture where people really put energy and effort into putting the little ones first. An example from today that I'm pretty sure would NEVER happen back home...
So I went to the Ipanema 444 mall (the one with all the great kids' stores) to make a quick exchange (sidenote: this was also NO PROBLEM at all despite no receipt, etc.) when Canadoca had a bit of a meltdown. See, she has entered the stage of not liking having a dirty diaper at ALL. Quite the progress considering two weeks ago she couldn't stand having it changed, my how we've evolved! Okay back to the story!
So there I was with my screaming child in the mall, frantically looking for a bathroom/place to change her. Couldn't find one. Decided to put some protection down on my stroller and bite the bullet and change her in there. Just then, a woman poked her head out of one of the stores (I wish I knew the name of it, it is the one that only has boy things in it!) and invited me to come into the store to change the diaper. On the display case. Yes, we put things down, but still! Can't imagine that happening back home! She also entertained Canadoca and helped me calm her down. So awesome. I will definitey return and buy something for my nephew there soon.
Second - if you are in the neighbourhood and looking for a place to quickly nurse your baby without having to go into a restaurant or something, there is a lounge in the back of the main floor of Shopping Rio Design. Comfy leathery chairs. A bit of privacy, not much. I will soon cover the baby station in Shopping Leblon which is quite fantastic...
Posted at 08:21 PM in Better in Brazil, Having A Baby in Brazil, My Reviews, The Life of the Expat Wife | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
I picked up some sandwiches here last Monday, and was not disappointed! I recommend the smoked salmon, and the roast beef with mustard was great too! Appropriate name as the focaccia bread is definitely the highlight...
While I waited, they gave me a little toasted bread treat - very nice.
On Autalfa de Paiva in Leblon.
Posted at 06:10 PM in Food and Drink, My Reviews, Rio Restaurant Reviews | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
It has become apparent to me on several occasions that Brazilians do not typically "stock up" on household items the way North Americans do. Deep Freezers are less common, kitchens are tiny, and storage space is at a premium.
Living in rural communities growing up, we were stocker-uppers. When we'd visit the city, we'd hit Costco and other big box stores, and get not just the essentials, but items which were difficult to source living in a small centre. It was also a good way to justify all those trips out of town.
So, I realize I'm a bit of a packrat, and the Brazilians don't let me forget it either. Two examples just this week:
1) At Mundo Verde, I spot roasted pumpkin seeds. Since these are a great nut-like treat for yours-truly-with-a-fatal-nut-allergy, I buy two containers. They are not a snack I see everywhere here. The cashier ensures I realize I am buying two of the EXACT same item... by asking if I'm sure I want two things that are the same, no less than four or five times.
2) The other night I stepped out to buy DIAPERS. Going through a few of those these days... (diapers-in-Brazil review coming soon, folks). After being unable to find size P diapers for Canadoca in the brand I've decided I like at a few drugstores (good thing there are about 4 drugstores per block around here!), I finally spot a few packages at the Pacheco down the street. There are 10 in each package (about a day's supply), so I buy 4 packages. The cashier looks at me, looks at the diapers, narrows her eyes looking puzzled, and asks me if they are all the same...
So my question is this: do people go and buy diapers every day here? Or what?
Posted at 06:42 AM in My Reviews, The Life of the Expat Wife, Understanding Brazilians | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 08:12 PM in Better in Brazil, Food and Drink, My Reviews, Rio Neighbourhoods, Rio Restaurant Reviews, Travel: Tips | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I had promised to write up my stay in Florianopolis/Santa Caterina awhile back, finally I am getting to it!
First of all, I would just like to say that if you have a week to do a sidetrip from Rio, I highly recommend this Buenos Aires/Florianopolis combo that we did. We felt as though we'd "travelled" ie) explored a new city, and "vacationed" - relaxing in Floripa, all in one week. A full week of doing either would be "too much" in my opinion, so this was fantastic.
I was a bit confused when we started booking our trip - were we going to Florianopolis, Santa Caterina, or Floripa? All three... SC is the state, Florianopolis is the main city on the island, Floripa is the nickname. I had at some point made notes to visit all three - recommended by different people - so it was nice to kill three birds with one stone ;)
We flew into Florianopolis at night, and really did not experience any of the city as we immediately headed out to our Pousada. It was about a R$100 cab ride from the airport. In hindsight, renting a car from the airport would have been a better option for us, but I will get to that later...
We stayed at the Pousada da Vigia on the north end of the island. We were absolutely THRILLED with the service we received there, and with our accomodations. They were sooo great. Even let me order off the kids menu :)
We enjoyed our resort SO MUCH. It was small, just 10 rooms, a governor's mansion converted into a hotel. Below is the view from our room.
The restaurant was overlooking the ocean and we enjoyed all of our
dinners there listening to chill music (a lot of Sade) and the crash of
the waves. How could you help but relax?
We spent many afternoons on this patio (above) listening to the waves, reading, playing scrabble, enjoying lunch...
The water was so peaceful, clear and calm - great for floating.
Each day at 12:30, the peace and tranquility of Lagoinha beach, where we were staying, was temporarily disrupted by "the pirate boat" - which we figured was either inhabited by
a) the severely, permanently intoxicated or
b) actual pirates threatening passengers to "walk the plank" if they didn't keep up with their dance moves, or
c) a hypnotist show.
On Saturday we decided to venture out and do a scuba/snorkel tour of Arvoredo Island,
a nature reserve located off the north coast of the island of Santa
Caterina. Obviously Mr. DRL did the diving, I stuck to snorkeling. I
was a bit nervous about him diving as it had been 2 years since his
last dive but was very relieved when one of the dive masters spoke
perfect English. All he really needed was a 5 minute refresher
but as we often say, there are certain things where you can't afford to
have misunderstandings with language barriers! It was muito tranquilo.
After the scuba trip we spent some time "in town" at Canasvieiras beach, but quickly realized we were not missing much back at our isolated little spot... but enjoyed lunch there nevertheless.
It seemed we parked right in front of the beach's "geriatric" ward... looked around for the senior's center but couldn't see it: A storm seemed to be rolling in but it blew over quickly. Made for some great shots though!
After lunch, we embarked on another adventure that is deserving of another separate blog post. I am not yet sure how that story ends though as I am still dealing with some of the repurcussions today, so I will save it (nothing too bad just a company we were dealing with, etc.). I don't want to ruin the tranquility of this post so I will keep it separate.
We enjoyed every moment in Florianopolis, we realize we did not see much of what the island is all about, being up in our little isolated corner, but for our purposes we didn't mind. We read, spent time together, named our baby, walked the beach, swam, ate, and soaked up every moment. It was the most relaxing few days we'd had in quite a while!
Posted at 02:32 PM in Better in Brazil, My Reviews, Rio Tourists, The Life of the Expat Wife, Tools You'll Use, Travel, Travel: Tips, Trips within Brazil | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Besides baby books of course...
Me:
Loved this one - it was a gift from a friend back home. I had to really hide out when on vacation reading the last couple of chapters (crying)... good book.
I was quite excited to learn that Wally Lamb had a new book out when I was back home. I put off reading it for awhile as in the past I have become so consumed by his books that I could not put them down and ended up finishing them in a day or two - this one took me a bit longer, but I really enjoyed it.
I love Elizabeth Gilbert's writing so I bought all of her books after reading Eat, Pray, Love. The Last American Man was my favorite of the three additional books I read. It's about a man who lives at one with nature - very interesting.
Another Elizabeth Gilbert book - I liked it okay but mostly because of the way she writes, rather than the story itself.
This is a collection of Elizabeth Gilbert's short stories. Some were great, some I couldn't get through. Hit and miss in my books.
Mr. DRL:
Has been really into this book and laughs out loud frequently when reading... must be good! He wants me to read it when he finishes.
Posted at 07:31 AM in Books, My Reviews | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Although you can't see it nearly clearly enough in this photo, this fellow is sporting quite the combo of looks. Runners, a sunga, and a FANNY PACK. I wish you could see the fanny pack more clearly, really I do. But it felt awkward enough to be pretending to "check a text message" on my phone with it faced in his direction at this distance...
Posted at 01:45 PM in Better in Brazil, My Reviews, Shoes Shoes Shoes, Shopping & Fashion | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Rio has been a wonderful place to be pregnant. Plenty of places to walk and swim, and I've been over the legal benefits and general bow-down attitude towards the "gestantes"... it's been great.
It's also been a optimum place to have a healthy pregnancy - here are a few Rio treats that have contributed to my well-being, if you are prego, pay attention.
1) ACAI. Of course. Nutrient-dense, refreshing, high in antioxidants, fiber and protein. Also, did you know that eating acai helps your body absorb omega fatty acids?
2) COCONUT WATER. Refreshing when you are dehydrated, comforting when nauseous... and incredibly beneficial if you suffer from swelling.
3) PICANHA. Let's face it, many pregnant women suffer from low iron. Eat red meat with something rich in Vitamin C to absorb more iron.
4) YOGGI. Frozen yogurt was definitely a favorite treat...
5) FRUIT JUICES. When you can't drink anything more "fun" it sure is nice to be drinking the best juice ever (and watching it be made right in front of your eyes) - available in more flavours than you will find time to try.
Closer to the end of pregnancy I heard about the benefits of the following items:
6) PINEAPPLE and EGGPLANT. Both plentiful and delicious here, in fact I have never eaten so much eggplant as I have since living here in Rio - it is often featured as appetizers/couverts in restaurants. According to a number of sources on the internet, eating these two items can help bring on labour...
7) WATERMELON. Seems to be amazing year-round. I read recently that Halle Berry swore by eating it after she gave birth, as it helped her shed excess water retained. I mean, she was Halle Berry to start with, but I figure this is worth a shot.
Posted at 05:40 AM in Food and Drink, Having A Baby in Brazil, My Reviews, The Life of the Expat Wife, Tools You'll Use | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
This post could also be called why you don't need to buy many maternity clothes or making the most of your maternity wardrobe. I found most actual maternity clothes to be quite frumpy and matronly. Luckily, I realized I didn't need to wear too many of them... so before you go blow a bunch of money on maternity wear, consider what you may already have in your closet or what you can buy that you could wear afterwards. It's such a short period of your life that you will be wearing these clothes, it seems silly to spend much. Besides, I think it will be much more fun shopping for "reward clothes" afterwards than it could ever be shopping for maternity clothes...
As a sidenote - I do not work and therefore I did not need as many things as someone who has to go to work dressed a specific way every day. I lucked out with the timing of my expat-ness.
Below are examples of clothes I wore throughout my pregnancy that are NOT maternity clothes, rather REGULAR clothes (with the exception of a couple of bottoms, which I have noted).
Tops
It was pretty easy to not buy maternity tops - there were already so many appropriate things in my closet and in regular stores that worked from the beginning of pregnancy right to the end...
This top was purchased at My Place, which is in Shopping Rio Sul.
The pirate top is just a regular tube top from Dex Brothers, bought back home.
Although these are my white maternity shorts, this top from MNG was wearable right to the end.
This top has been one of my favorites. The wrap will also be good after the pregnancy (for nursing etc - it has a built-in cover up!). These bottoms are borrowed and maternity.
Another great top from MNG and non-maternity bottoms from lululemon. I also have this one in yellow. As you can see, it lasted right until the end...
Dresses
This very-wrinkled-by-the-end-of-the-night red silk Zara dress fit until I was well into my 6th month.
The two dresses pictured above were both purchased at one of my favorite spots in Rio - Checklist.
Another item borrowed from a friend - also - leggings were a lifesaver! I just bought low-rise styles.
This knit dress got a lot of wear as well...
This blue maxi-dress is from a store called My Place in Rio Sul.
Another non-maternity favorite.
Maxi dress above was purchased from Eclectic, which is also where I bought the "skirt" below, which I wore through my pregnancy as a dress. Being that it's my non-pregnant size, I can wear it afterwards as a skirt. (I thought it was a dress when I first tried it on but then realized it was a skirt, and thought this could work well...)
As you can see, living in Rio where it is hot hot hot, dresses were my main staple of my wardrobe. I think this may be why I got away with avoiding maternity wear so easily.
Other items
Although I mostly wore bikinis throughout my pregnancy, I did enjoy
this swim suit quite a bit around the 4-6 month mark, where I had a
"paunch" but not a discernable "belly" yet, as it sort of distracted from that area.
Above- beach cover-ups made great tops! This one is from J.Crew (a couple of years back, now), and the skirt is from Drops here in Rio.
Finally- the can't live without it when you are pregnant item:
Lululemon bottoms. Thanks to the amazing lack of actual waistband (see how wide it is? Especially the brown ones) in
the bottoms, I was able to wear these ones pictured througout my entire
pregnancy. I also have a few other items not pictured that I wore
through most of it. As for the tops, I purchased a few one size bigger
than my usual, in longer styles, and they worked for the entire
duration as well. Great activewear (definitely needed them for my yoga
classes) and also for walking, lounging, etc... and in this climate,
the wicking can't be beat.
So anyway! That concludes my 2-parter on the old maternity wardrobe! If nothing else, now you know a few places I like to shop in Rio...
Posted at 04:36 AM in Having A Baby in Brazil, My Reviews, Rio Tourists, Shopping & Fashion | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
I made it through my pregnancy buying VERY few maternity clothes. Mostly thanks to the current styles, and great friends who loaned me their maternity wardrobes. Also by being a bit innovative, and as always I hope that perhaps some of my ideas can help others, so I am sharing.
What I did buy and borrow (and recommend!)
Be Bella Bands in white and black - this is the more "lightweight" version of the bella band, which was great in a hot climate. I wore mine with regular non-maternity clothes (you just wear your regular bottoms undone, and use the band to expand/cover the opening, big money saver!), with maternity clothes that I had trouble keeping on - just stuff that kept falling down. I also even wore it as a tube bra a few times. Friends have said they also wear them post-partum. Cheap. Great. Versatile. Click here for info on where to buy.
Maternity/Nursing Bras
I bought mine very early in the pregnancy (and may need to buy more, in different sizes, for that reason) as I have not had luck buying regular bras in Brazil. I really like the Elle McPherson maternity collection, which is available on Freshpair.com. I also received some from a friend, among which my favorite is the original basic Bravado style.
Basic Black Dress
This item is borrowed from a friend - a basic black maternity dress (I believe this one is from the Gap).
Cute dresses
I bought this one from Target for US$15.
This maternity dress was borrowed from a friend:
Tops
I didn't purchase any maternity tops as I could easily just wear/buy flowy, long tops in bigger sizes. This one was borrowed from a friend:
Bottoms
A few pairs of maternity shorts were essential. As I borrowed three pairs from friends, all I bought was one pair of white shorts. (I wore non-maternity skirts just fine).
Fun Stuff
My sister-in-law sent these shirts (I'm wearing mine as I write this, just took the photo a minute ago) from Old Navy down to us:
Posted at 03:16 PM in Having A Baby in Brazil, My Reviews, Shopping & Fashion | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
This billboard for "Bob's Burger's" caught my attention the other day.
The curtain opens and closes... pretty classy advertising for a fast-food burger joint...
I haven't personally eaten at Bob's Burgers, although it is not for lack of trying. It has almost become a joke for Mr. DRL and I - we will be on our way home from somewhere and the "what to have for dinner" question comes up and we say Bob's! Every time - we end up not passing a Bob's.
The new, revamped Bob's in Ipanema looks pretty nice though, for a fast food joint.
Although I have yet to try Bob's out, pregnant and all, I DID however have a fantastic burger in Brazil the other day though... at Outback Steakhouse. Outback is pretty popular here in Brazil. People get dressed up and everything! It cracks me up, however, to find out that many Brazilians refer to it as "Australian food" and will tell you that they like "Australian food"... (based on their love for Outback - which is very much a steak and burgers joint). I am soooo bringing these people some vegemite, and we'll see how their "passion for international cuisine" continues.
Anyway - if you want a really good burger, with a proper pickle and all... Outback. Yeah, I might just be back there again soon. Especially if this baby keeps sticking around! (Today is my ACTUAL due date).
Posted at 06:19 PM in Borrowed Content, Food and Drink, My Reviews | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
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... ?
Posted at 08:41 AM in Back Home: The Ties that Bind, My Reviews, The Life of the Expat Wife | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
HELP Discoteca is a famous "landmark" on Copacabana beach. Here is the web site. I've often heard it referred to as the biggest brothel in South America.
It's right along Avenida Atlantica in Copacabana, across from where the outdoor market sets up nightly. Most of the female "clientele" consists of prostitutes and transvestite prostitutes. The male clientele consists of 1) men looking for this type of thing and 2) men who are gullible. I did a quick internet search while looking for the web site, and came across some hilarious travel reviews from men who didn't clue in to the club's actual setup 'the chicks were all over me!' haha... yeah you the man.
Anyway, word on the street is that Help Discoteca is closing its doors, and that the building will become a music museum.
Obviously there are positives to a place referred to as the biggest brothel in South America being shut down. However, there are also negatives.
Such as... displaced sex trade workers. Where will they go? Where will the work? On the streets? This does not seem like a positive thing to me.
Posted at 11:12 PM in Current Affairs, My Reviews, Only in Brazil..., Rio Tourists, Travel: Tips | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Today while at the gym, my husband made a comment to me that I was "turning Brazilian" as I'd failed to catch the sarcasm in the comment he'd made a minute earlier. As much as I think I'm far from "turning Brazilian" I do think that my sense of humour is changing.
For example, the film "Pineapple Express" was a box office hit last summer and still continues to be one of the top rentals on iTunes every time I'm on there. I don't get it. I couldn't sit through it, in fact. Am I getting old? Am I missing something? Am I so disconnected from North American culture? Does anyone really think that it is funny?
Come to think of it, it's been a while since I watched anything I found hilariously funny. Which saddens me - I love to laugh. Anyone have a good recommendation?
Has your sense of humour changed since becoming an expat?
Posted at 05:25 PM in Deep Thoughts, Film, My Reviews, The Life of the Expat Wife | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
One of our favorite spots is suddenly gone. We had a lot of good times at Salitre, which WAS located on General San Martin in Leblon. I loved going there for an afternoon drink, or dinner above the street on the veranda by candlelight, or breakfast on the weekends. They had a great wine list and even a wine store on the main level. We took many of our guests there. And now it's gone, leveled to the ground! We'll miss it.
I'd written about Salitre several times, including here, and here, in my top Rio Restaurants section. I guess I will finally have to get on updating that...
Posted at 07:00 PM in Food and Drink, My Reviews, Rio Restaurant Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I swear you could wander Ipanema every day for a year and still find little hidden gems you hadn't noticed before. There are endless Galleria's which are basically malls, and sidestreets of stores.
Last week, after some lunch with friends, we went to Luiz Salvador (R. Redentor & Maria Quitera in Ipanema). I'd heard of the factory near Petropolis, but did not know there was a location in the city.
Being that I did not "send a shipment" down to Brazil like most expats, it honestly made me homesick! I got married just 6 months before moving to Brazil, and didn't even get much of a chance to use all my pretty plates and stuff (I love to cook and entertain so the idea of using it all does make me excited).
I took a ton of photos of the store... and could have taken more. I highly recommend stopping in if you are in RIo!
Above: the garden area out back.
I loved these little crab plate/containers.
They also had beautiful Easter displays.
There is so much beautiful stuff to choose from... I will definitely have to take a few pieces home to add to my collection!
Posted at 08:58 PM in Finding a Home in Rio, My Reviews, Shopping & Fashion, Travel: Tips | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
The Recoleta Cemetery is the final resting place of many of Argentina's elite (presidents, writers, scientists, the wealthy, etc.)
As I mentioned, I recommend going on a Sunday as there are many vendors set up outside.
Inside the cemetary there are a wide variety of mausoleums - mostly granite and marble, some more elaborate than others, some better maintained than others...
Here is one of the most famous graves in the cemetery: that of Eva (Evita) Peron. It is said to be extremely secure - after her body was famously hidden by the military who took over, and she was moved to be buried in Europe for several years. She is reportedly buried in the under chamber of the mausoleum under three plates of steel.
After all these years many people still honor her with flowers.
Creepy personal aside/fact: On August 31, 1997 I was over at my dad and stepmom's house for dinner and we watched a movie afterwards - Evita. I had previously watched it at the theatre and loved it so much I bought the soundtrack so I was thoroughly irritating everyone with my singing along. When we watched the funeral scene, I said: "I bet this is what it would be like if Princess Diana died."
A couple hours later after I returned home, my dad called me and told me to turn on the news...
Eek!
Posted at 06:07 PM in My Reviews, Travel, Travel: Tips | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
After our night out at the tango show, we got up the next day (Sunday morning) and headed over to Recoleta, to tour the famous cemetery and check out the vendors set up nearby. We enjoyed breakfast at La Biela, great spot.
After breakfast we headed into the vendor area where many treasures were to be found, such as:
And toys for the boys... well my boy anyway! There was a woman selling handmade incredible marionette's there and Mr. DRL had to have one. I couldn't really blame him though! It is quite incredible.
After finishing our shopping we ran into a CANADIAN fellow who came up to us to ask for help with the bank machine... pretty funny. There are an unbelievable amount of tourists in Buenos Aires, it seemed as though we heard more English than Spanish! After chatting with him for a few minutes, we headed into the church beside Recoleta Cemetary.
Just gorgeous
and some of it, more than a little creepy!
I'll do a separate post on the cemetary soon.
Posted at 06:22 PM in My Reviews, Travel, Travel: Tips | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Back to the Babymoon/vacation!
For the first half of our trip, we had 4 fantastic nights in Buenos Aires.
I'll share our adventures with you over the next few days.
As a sidenote, Argentina has always been VERY high on my list of places to visit. I visited Iguacu in September but I've been itching to get to Buenos Aires for a long time. We were advised by many to do so before the baby comes as then we'd have the opportunity to experience some TANGO. Which we did, on our first night (see below).
We stayed at the Torrecillas Soho in Soho Palermo. It's a very small little boutique hotel. The service was fantastic, there is a front desk clerk named Serjio (who goes by "Chucky") there who provided us with a wealth of information and help, he is truly a gem! The place was not fancy but it is very new, modern and had great ammenities (little kitchenettes, etc.). Soho Palermo is a good place to stay because cabs are cheap in BA so you can get around to the attractions easily during the day, and then come back to a quiet neighbourhood at night that is full of restaurants and nightlife, within walking distance.
As I mentioned, on our first night we headed to Madero Tango (located at the end of the Porto Madero). Includes dinner and a bottle of wine per couple, with different seating options which each come with their own price. It was fantastic, the singing, the dancing, the costumes... nothing disappointed. I highly recommend it.
For a few minutes before the show started however, there was a bit of an emergency - an old man sitting right behind us collapsed, and his family started screaming, before we knew it there was a group of who seemed to be military paramedics rushing in. It was intense. He made it, thank goodness but the entire place just came to a halt for a little while. Scary! Also good to know how fast help is available.
I wrote down my first impressions of Buenos Aires upon arriving... I'll share some of my scattered thoughts with you...
Posted at 10:43 AM in My Reviews, Travel, Travel: Tips | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)
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...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:Posted at 09:32 AM in Back Home: The Ties that Bind, Current Affairs, My Reviews | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Some articles and pages:
From Expat Women - Some of the VERY basics On Having A Baby Far From Home.
Expat Moms Chronicling Raising Kids Abroad - features many of the benefits of living abroad with your kids.
The What to Expect and BabyCenter web sites are fantastic - you can connect with other moms, find out information about your baby's "evolution" as they call it here in Brazil, find names and more. They'll also send you weekly or daily updates on a variety of topics related to your pregnancy.
Podcasts - I've been listening to the Pea in the PodCast and the PregTastic podcast - both via iTunes. They feature a variety of topics that may be applicable to what you are curious about. PregTastic is a bit long and dragged out sometimes, as some of the women go into great detail about specific details of their pregnancies, which is helpful if you have similar issues or concerns and a bit boring at times if you don't. The Pea in the Podcast is a bit more newsy and succinct, also features a weekly podcast with information on your specific point in the pregnancy.
If you are like us, a couple living abroad in a country where the native language is not your own, the idea of taking a birthing class in another language is more than a little intimidating. I am willing to try to do pretty much anything else in Portuguese, but I believe that when it comes to health, it is best to have as few opportunities for misunderstanding as possible. Where am I going with this? We opted not to take a birthing class in Portuguese. Yes, we considered hiring a translator but thought it would make for some very long sessions that way, and let's face it, my husband's work schedule hasn't been super-accomodating. You're wondering what my big solution is, right? I started looking for a DVD of a birthing class but found something even better and more instantaneous - a webcast! From a company called The Best Birth, on demand webcast. When you purchase the webcast, you can immediately watch it, an unlimited number times for 90 days, from anywhere you have an internet connection. Sure, it would be nice to be able to take a class with other couples, but we saw this as the best subsititution for a birthing class while living abroad.
For a humorous take on a number of issues affecting moms - tune into the MomVersation - I first heard about it reading the Mighty Girl blog, which I love. It's pretty entertaining and these moms don't hold back! Click here for the Momversation web site.
Posted at 04:16 AM in Children and Brazil, Having A Baby in Brazil, My Reviews, The Life of the Expat Wife | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Just some stuff I've come across lately... you know, while I'm NOT partaking in one of my er... hobbies...
I do miss a good glass of wine.
Step one of course is picking the wine. Since moving here we have really taken to Luigi Bosca which is an Argentenian wine. We especially like the pinot noir. Here in Brazil it is R$70 or so per bottle. We brought a case home with us from Argentina, where it sells for approximately US$10 per bottle (or about $R20) - which makes us wonder if there is some sort of extreme tax on Argentenian wine here? Anyone know?
Anyway I highly recommend bringing wine back from Argentina!
Step two is marking your territory... meaning your glass. Back home, we came across these cute little ceramic wine charms with names such as "desperate housewife" and "big cheese" painted across them, and became kind of known for them! We decided to incorporate them into our wedding, and personalized one for each guest, as a favour/placecard.
So, you know, this can be fun if you really want to impress your guests or just make some fun generic ones that can be used over and over again like "lightweight" etc....
While perusing one of my favorite blogs, The Moment, I came across another great, personalize-able idea... using a china marker to mark (write on) your wine glass. Buy them here, see the idea from the moment here .
Step 3 - Indulge the "lightweights" I referred to above. Go easy on them (water that wine down) with sangria... here's my recipe:
2 bottles of the cheapest red wine you can find (in Brazil I've found good sangria wine for as little as $R4...)
1 can of peaches in juice, blended
1 pineapple (or can of pineapple), blended
1 cup of cointreau or triple sec
Adorn with thin slices of citrus fruit, and top with sparkling water if they are REAL lightweights (or if it is before 2 pm). Serve on ice.
Step 4 - is particularly useful if you can't partake at all (much like yours truly) - wear or smell perfume that features hints of wine flavour - haha - or if you are like me just borrow your husband's glass of wine and sniff at it while out for dinner. Only about 20 or 30 people will look at you funny.
Posted at 04:19 AM in Borrowed Content, Food and Drink, My Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
These books were a Christmas gift from some good friends and they have sure come in handy!
The first is a guide to restaurants in Rio. Danusia Barbara Guia 2009 - can be purchased at Livraria da Travessa or Senac, among other places.
The second is a guide to Hotels & Restaurants throughout Brasil. Circuito Elegante - comes in very handy for Baby Moon Planning (haha much better than a travel agent - see post from yesterday!)
Posted at 07:16 AM in Books, Food and Drink, My Reviews, Rio Restaurant Reviews, Rio Tourists, Tools You'll Use, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
So my husband and I would like to take a quick trip before the baby is born. You know, a babymoon! We have two destinations in mind, so it's a multidestination flight, which I had a bit of trouble booking online as the airline I'd like to use does not make this easy. No problem, I'll ask for help.
I enlisted the help of a travel agent, gave him our proposed dates and destinations, even a few flight numbers I'd found. Specifics on hotels we liked, and which areas we'd like to stay at each destination.
He sent me back an email that stated that he had found cheaper flights than I had (but did not include pricing), reversed the order in which we'd visit each destination (when the order we'd asked for was quite deliberate - it is a more tour-y destination followed by a RELAX destination) and proceeded to tell me that a hotel for the first leg of the trip - which by the way does not quite fit the spec's I'd sent him - would cost us over US$4,000 (for 4 nights). This seemed EXTREMELY high for the place we are going, so I did a quick online search, found the hotel's website, and checked the rates & availability for those dates. My price was a little different: under US$800 (for 4 nights). Even in the hotel's most executive suite, we would only be paying US$1,500 for those nights. Ummmmm... what???
Then, for the other destination, where we provided a long list of potential hotels and pousadas, all very intimate and private, some with just 4 rooms, spa-like, he provides us with one price quote (again, very high) for a gigantic resort that was not on the list. The resort has absolutely nothing in common with any of the places we'd chosen.... again - what???
Something is very fishy...
Posted at 06:20 PM in My Reviews, Rio Tourists, Travel, Travel: Tips | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
We had pretty much the perfect day yesterday - went sailing to Itaipu (sp?) with friends.... just loved it. I mentioned recently that we'd found a service for those wanting to go sailing in Rio de Janeiro - I highly highly recommend seeing Rio by boat if you are coming down, it gives you a different perspective, money very well spent - we were out for almost 7 hours!
We stopped in Itaipu to have lunch and swim - the cool, clean, calm water felt incredibly good....
Fort outside of Niteroi
Looking back towards Rio from Itaipu
Love it.
Our neighbourhood & one of the brothers & Pedra de Gavea from the water.
A bit of a different vista of the Cristo on Corcovado mountain.
Posted at 05:50 PM in Beauty in Brazil, My Reviews, Rio Tourists, Travel: Tips | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
So in our neighbourhood we now have 3 little "fast food" places in a row - Koni, Keb & Yoggi. I've written about Koni & Yoggi before (Koni is little sushi cones available with a ton of different fillings/toppings. Yoggi is a frozen yogurt place. Also a bit of a favorite for me right now...)
I love that there are some healthier fast food options around - something we could learn from back home.
Fast forward to KEB - I was hoping it would be like falafel places back home, but unfortunately it's not, really. Lacks that spice/kick... we weren't super impressed with the food... Mr. DRL's comments are funny - he says that he feels there is too much emphasis on the gimicks and not on the food. See the little plate/scooper foldable thing below. We were all quite puzzled with it and spent several minutes figuring it out.
Posted at 06:56 PM in Food and Drink, Health in Brazil, My Reviews, Rio Restaurant Reviews | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)
On Thursday night, Mr. DRL and I and a few friends headed out to an event hosted by the American Consulate, a young-professionals happy hour. It was a fantastic event and we met many Cariocas as well as people from all around the world, including a few Canadians (!) - lots of fun.
The event was held at the Hotel Santa Teresa, what a GORGEOUS venue. Loves it. I'll be back there soon for a meal for sure.
Posted at 07:15 AM in Food and Drink, My Reviews, The Life of the Expat Wife | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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...
Posted at 12:16 PM in Back Home: The Ties that Bind, Deep Thoughts, My Reviews, Travel | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Sooooo... last night my friend & I were leaving the Elton John concert when my night took a turn for the worse. Our husbands were hanging out back in Leblon and offered to drive down to come and pick us up but we turned them down, mostly because we didn't know the area, therefore finding a meeting place would likely be disasterous. We were FINALLY to where the cabs were, and were sweaty, exhausted, (hello swollen ankles when you are 6 months pregnant and have been standing in sandals for about 5 hours in the heat), hungry, both couldn't wait to eat and shower.
We were steps, about 10 steps in fact, away from getting into a nice air conditioned cab, and cut under an underpass to make the walk a bit quicker. Enter the pipe. I didn't see it coming. Judging by the INDENTS which will surely be awful bruises that are still indented on my shins this morning, I tripped on it at about lower to mid calf height, then proceeded to go down, landing on mostly my left knee. It was a bit of a blur and although I did not immediately feel any pain, I knew something was up with that knee. When I rolled up my pantleg, I saw the gash and what looked like my kneecap. Yep it was that deep. Yikes.
A policeman approached us and asked if I was okay but I quickly said I was fine and my friend asked him to help us get a cab, he pointed to them 10 feet away and said they're over there... ok thanks. I really realized how afraid I am of the police here last night as with both of my two encounters with them I just got the heck out as fast as possible!
We got into a cab and headed for the Sao Vicente hospital in Gavea. After many "detours" (I don't think the cabbie quite knew where he was going) we arrived, met Mr. DRL and I was immediately helped out.
Here's where it gets a bit comical...
After looking at the gash, the ER doctor said she'd have to call in a surgeon to stitch me up and it would be about 20 minutes. We all wondered why they would not have someone ready for surgery in the ER, I mean it is a hospital, right? Turns out there's no PLASTIC SURGEON on duty, just on call. That's right, I have officially had "work done" in Brazil. He had to do a little bit of reconstructive stitching on the inside of my knee (muscles) and I am also confident my scar will not be too bad considering, well, he's a plastic surgeon! And a very nice, English speaking one, I might add. Yes, he offers "other services" - if you want his info, let me know...
I asked if he could throw in extra services for some sort of package deal... no go last night.
So now I need painkillers, antibiotics, no yoga or exercise or beach or pool... sucks. I guess I will finally get caught up on some of that blogging now!
There are so many ways in which this could have been worse, I'm really grateful that:
I would like to comment that it must seem that my husband and I are incredibly incident and accident prone - this is our 3rd ER visit since moving to Rio, and in fact it's our 3rd since September. Back home going to hospitals just wasn't something that we ever did, but as I often say, in Rio there is seldom a dull moment...
Posted at 12:40 PM in Having A Baby in Brazil, Health in Brazil, My Reviews | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
One of my girlfriends & I had been talking about going to Elton John but hadn't quite gotten our act together in terms of getting tickets. Yesterday we decided we still wanted to go and would head down and see what the scalpers could offer us. This was a great way to see the show - we ended up with tix that were worth R$550 for R$250. We were on the floor and had an awesome view of both Elton and James Blunt, who opened for him.
On the way in several people warned us about getting robbed so I was a bit nervous....getting scalped tix was a bit sketchy as this cop came up to us as we were walking with one scalper and asked us if we had tickets and if we were buying them from the guy, I said we didn't have tickets but that the guy hadn't offered us tickets (which he had but I didn't want to make any trouble... not sure what the laws are on reselling tix here...) we ended up buying them from someone else. Oh and the washrooms in the Sambódromo are nothing short of terrifying... but other than that it was a great venue.
I enjoyed James Blunt a LOT, much more than I expected to. I will have to buy some of the songs I heard last night from iTunes later.
Elton was fantastic as always, funniest thing was I think he was wearing the same outfit he wore when I saw him in Calgary last year and may have even done the same set. My viewpoint was much better from where we were here, and it's always magical to watch a concert from under the stars. It even rained very briefly (which was a bit of a relief from the heat!) I just felt really lucky to be there.
Elton John played for over two hours. He is such an amazing entertainer and I really enjoy the members of his band as well, especially the drummer who is an original member of the band and the blond guitar player who is probably pushing 70 but is still just too cool for words and even almost hot.
Here is the list of what Elton sang last night:
"Funeral for a friend / Love lies
bleeding"
"The bitch is back"
"Madman across the water"
"Tiny
dancer"
"Levon"
"Believe"
"Take me to the
pilot"
"Goodbye yellow brick road"
"Daniel"
"Rocket
man"
"Honky cat"
"Sacrifice"
"Dont let the sun go
down on me"
"I guess that’s why they
call it the blues"
"Sorry seems to be
the hardest word"
"Candle in the
wind"
"Bennie and the jets"
"Sad songs (say so much)"
"Philadelphia freedom"
"I’m still
standing"
"Crocodile rock"
"Saturday night is alright for fighting"
After the curtain call:
"Skyline pigeon"
"Your song"
I hadn't heard "Skyline pigeon" before but the Brazilians sure had.
Yay!
After the concert my night took a bit of a turn for the worse but I'll put that in a separate post...
Posted at 09:33 AM in Celebrities in Brazil, Music, My Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
We had been meaning to go to the "Little Yellow House that is a Restaurant on the Lagoa" for quite some time, and finally made it there while my mom & sister were here. It was fantastic! We will definitely be back. It is actually called Pomodorino. The service was incredible, the food and ambiance fantastic and it is VERY REASONABLE! (With today's exchange rate especially). I recommend it!
Location/contact info:
Avenida
Epitácio Pessoa, 1104 - Lagoa
(entre
as Ruas Garcia D´ávila e Maria Quitéria)
Tel.: 3813-2622
Posted at 05:34 AM in Food and Drink, My Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
**Warning - this is a baby related post but I really hope some people find this helpful!**
It was recommended to me to check out the Galleria in Ipanema "444 Visconde de Piraja" - for baby stuff, etc. and it is well worth it, there are some great finds to be had! Wonderful baby clothes, cute onesies with little expressions (both Portuguese & English), costumes, shoes, the whole nine yards... great place to buy baby stuff in Rio!
Highlights:
Pe de Dragao, a very cute shoe store for kids...
Donna Chita, a store for the fashionable tot...
Bb moderno & cia
I'm Not A Baby - my favorite of all...
I tried to restrain myself but in the end picked up a onesie - red - that looks like a present and says "best gift ever" - so cute. Thank goodness I don't know if it's a girl or boy otherwise the shopping would probably get out of control.
Thanks to two of my girlfriends who had babies this summer and have loaned me their maternity wardrobes, clothes for me are not much of an issue right now, in fact it's almost like I have a whole new wardrobe without even having to shop...
However if one were so inclined, there are a couple of maternity shops that I can recommend that are 1) NOT hideous!
2) Not too overpriced
(*Note - with today's current exchange rate there is not much that IS overpriced in Rio... but who knows how long this will last...*)
Mom's Gestantes - which is in Shopping Leblon, as well as Barra Shopping, Barra Gardens, Shopping Rio Sul & Niteroi (Shopping Cine Center). I bought a pair of cute white maternity shorts there a couple of weeks ago.
Fernanda Chies - which is just off V. de Piraja in Ipanema, on Rua Maria Quiteria - carries the Zazou line of maternity wear, lots of cute options. My mom wanted to check out this store when she was here and low and behold there was a maternity section!
Posted at 07:58 PM in Children and Brazil, Having A Baby in Brazil, My Reviews | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

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