Daily Life in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Day in Barra part 6

The quicker picker upper...

spot the girl with the mop, on rollerblades. At Barra Shopping.

Random Ramblings

Just some of what rolls around in my brain...

1) Spotted along Viero Souto on Saturday: something that I doubt you'd often see in Canada - two guys in hardhats, on a construction site, hugging. Heartwarming stuff. And it had to be about 33 degrees too, nothing was stopping these guys.

2) WTF (but "who" instead of "what") are these freaks? Did you hear about the spider stealer they caught trying to smuggle 1,000 spiders out of Brazil over the weekend? EEEk. I am not really a scared-of-bugs kind of girl but this wigs me out a bit. Wasn't there a movie about snakes on a plane a few years back...?

3) If you want to send Christmas cards from Brazil, you have to be DEDICATED... I just spent over an hour and a half affixing postage to my Christmas cards. Those suckers had better not get lost in the mail. Note that I also spent about 40 minutes in the post office obtaining said stamps. But the stamps oh they are soooo cool.  I LOVE the stamps here!

Day in Barra part 4

This one's just funny to me. In the Via Parque shopping centre, a chapel.

Forgive me, Father, for I have spent.

 

Explains the fear of Halloween?

This article is crazy. Maybe this explains why Halloween is so disliked here - the dead walk in Brazil on a normal day, why would we need a special day for it. Click the link but the gist of the story is that there was a man falsely identified by family members as being killed in a car wreck. He later showed up at his own funeral.

The key question that comes to mind: I wonder how much "paperwork" will be required to clean this mess up?

Day in Barra part 2

I found these two a bit frightening.

In Via Parque Shopping Centre:

These dolls beg the question - How long exactly have they been in this display case? They resemble senior citizens more than they do babies...

 

But, to be fair, not as scary as these ones with their shaved heads:

Day in Barra part 1

Last week a few friends and Canadoca and I ventured to Barra to go to Burger King run a few errands. I brought my camera. I'm glad I did. This will be the first of about a four part series on funny things I saw in Barra that day...

FIrst up: the tooth store in Via Parque.

I don't think I could drink out of this mug with a straight face. Nor can I imagine burning essential oils in the tooth shaped burner...

Another Spinoff Blog?

Thank goodness there are limits to my free time. Because the spinoffs could be endless. Like "Where We've Seen People Pee in Rio" - a friend posed a seemingly innocent question as her facebook status last week, and got some interesting replies.

The question/status:

(My friend)

wants to know the strangest place you've seen someone pee in public in Rio? Saw a must have been 12 year old (with his parents) peeing in the middle of the sidewalk on Garcia D'avila . . . nice . . .

The responses to the query:

• Besides the pool showers at Caicaras? Come to Farma de Amoedo during Carnival!
• My driver stopped on Visconde to let me buy a gift for a birthday party. I got out and told the kids to wait in the car. 2 minutes later the boys were at my side in the store. I asked why they weren't in the car and they said that they had to potty. I started to ask about a bathroom at the store when my son said "The driver let us water the tree out front!"
• The outdoor pool showers at my gym. The little kids just pull their bathing suits to the side and let 'er, well... not rip, but...run?
• Walking to Zona Sul in Barra and saw the bus driver stop his bus, walk to the front of the bus and instead of opening his hood he opened his zipper and let it out right in front of his bus on Erico Verissimo which is a busy street.
• A boy peeing @ Nossa Senhora da Paz park right @ the bottom of the slide(you know where the kids land) in the sand. Very very nice indeed!
• During the half marathon I saw many men stopping at any corner, tree, post to do their needs...

Skiing in Rio

I think I might start a new blog called "walking the beach in Leblon and Ipanema" and just post the random stuff I see there on a daily basis. You know, like kids in snowsuits, wrapped in tarps when it's 23 degrees, people in ear muffs in similar weather, gorgeous bods both male and female, dramatic rescues, guys in speedos and fannypacks, tightrope walkers, and people peeing or clipping their toenails. I will pretend to text message while secretly taking photos on my blackberry (which is what I do now).

All joking aside, one of the many out of the ordinary things I saw the other day was a photo shoot being done on the beach - with snowskis and snowboards.

Skiing in Rio? Impossivel, I thought. Nope. Never assume anything when it comes to Rio. Click here to read about it.

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...

New Pet PEEVE

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?

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!

The Magic Mountain Man

One of my friends lives in Lagoa, sort of across from Ipanema, in a building that backs onto a mountain. From her apartment, the views are spectacular, a view of Christo from nearly every room, the beautiful lake, the ocean off in the distance, and Dois Irmaos. She hosted my baby shower when Canadoca was born and my mom and sister still  mention the views on a regular basis.

However, as I've mentioned once or twice before, one never knows quite what to expect in Rio. The views she has the opportunity to take in are not limited to these panoramic scenes.

One day, she was looking out the window towards the mountain and she saw a man. Er, maybe I should mention that he was NAKED. At the time, she thought he may have hung himself in fact, but it turned out he was just doing some sort of yoga pose or exercise.

Knowing that it would be difficult for people to picture this naked mountain man, she decided to document the experience.

I thought about blurrinng these photos in select places but then decided that it would be best to show the mountain man in his true form. You know, maintain some sort of "journalistic integrity". Consider this your warning that there is FULL FRONTAL male nudity below.

 

It wouldn't be the last time she saw the mountain man. He reappears every once in a while, showing off his moves (he exercises in the nude on the mountain). My friend who sees the mountain man speculates that he does have to pick and choose which times of year to appear, as he wouldn't want to get a, well, sunburn...

So after hearing about this mountain man for over a year we were all quite tickled to see that he'd made the paper:

 

The article calls him the hermit of the lake, claims he lives alone in a cave, climbs trees to pick fruit, and is disconnected when spoken to (talks about God and the Devil).

My Centro Tour

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...

It's not a baby

When I first spotted this woman walking along the canal, I thought she was pushing a baby in the carriage. I was wrong. It's a dog...

On TV Lately

Three things...

1) China in Box ads still crack me up every time. CHINNNNNA IN BOX! 

2) I am probably one of the last Bloggers about Brazil to mention this but there is a movement here to xixi no banho... meaning, pee in the shower, people! Save a flush. I am sorry to have yet another post about urine, perhaps I should add it as a category...

Please, please, please click on the link above (xixi no banho) as the ad is QUITE hilarious and worth watching...

Some people are really worked up about this and disgusted. I figure if it can keep even one person from peeing outside in the street, it gets a big thumb's up.  ;) Because you all know how I feel about THAT.

Some still images from the commercial (click above....)

 

3) What I find much more disturbing than the above propaganda are the commercials for made-by-Becel probiotic drinks. I see them and think: icky!  I picture  hydrogenated oil in a drink and want to puke. It may not contain this but the becel name just reminds me of margarine.... eek!  Can you tell I'm a butter or olive oil or virgin coconut oil kind of gal?

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.

Things you see on Ipanema Beach

A guy tightrope walking between two trees. Random! Love it.

 

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...

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.

Ela não esta com frio

I think I am going to make a flag that says this little slogan. Since Canadoca can't yet speak for herself and since apparently at least 5 people insist on harping on me that she is cold every time I leave the house. Yesterday it was 25 degrees and she was in the baby bjorn with me in a long sleeved shirt and pants with her feet in little booties. THREE PEOPLE stopped me in as many steps at the grocery store to tell me she was cold. One scolded me for having her near the refrigerated section in the store because it is apparently too cold for her. I'm talking full finger shaking scolding here.  If I thought that their criticisms had even the slightest amount of legitimacy I don't think I would be annoyed but it is truly ridiculous. She isn't cold. The third lady in as many steps got a very dirty look and sour response from me.

Some days I think it is definitely a good thing that I did not ever learn to properly tell people off in Portuguese.

Can you tell that it's been a year since I have been home?

Where are Canadoca's passports...

My Guestbook - Part 11 - The Finale - Recommendations for Other Visitors

The final question of the survey: Any recommendations or words of wisdom for future guests?

My Bridesmaid & her Boyfriend: Oh this is simple.....GO TO RIO!

My Mother-in-law: Perhaps to learn a few extra Portuguese words to help with their travels.Thank you so very much, Mr. DRL, DRL, and our grandbaby, for a wonderful holiday!

Engaged Couple Friends: Try to avoid the Citibank bank machines - we paid a fortune there - they convert your withdrawal into USD first and then into Canadian. We did better at HSBC and even at a bank machine we had never heard of before in Buzios. And, buy stronger sunscreen then you would normally use. I don't know if its the closeness to the equator, but we burned way more than we do somewhere like Mexico, on a comparably hot day.

My Dad: Take some time to review the language, simple words/sentences.  Bring along a dictionary and sunscreen.  Make sure you do your share and more as the parents to be will need the extra sleep.  Can you believe how much company they are having????  Crazyyyyyyyyyyy!!

My Guestbook - Part 5 - The FOOD!

Part 5 of a series of how my many visitors answered questions to a little "survey" I gave them after their trips to Brazil.

Question 5:

Did you enjoy the food in Brazil?

My Mom: The food was amazing, heavier, and more rich, great desserts.

My Bridesmaid & Her Boyfriend: Um YES.  We absolutely loved it.  Porcao was sooo good and both Thai restaurants were awesome.  Fresh fruit smoothies were to be found on every corner too...so tasty.  We also really liked the place in Leblon or Ipanema that DRL took us to for lunch on our second day (when we went shopping - DRL's note: Via Sete). And Koni (a place that just sells sushi cones... so good)!

My Mother-in-law: What's not to enjoy.  Even the buffets at the hotel in Argentina were good.

Engaged Couple Friends: Yes!!!! The fresh fruit was such a treat, and there was tons of seafood and fish. The Brazilian BBQ was very good and really fun. And, I would kill for an agua de coco in Calgary!!

My Dad: Enjoyed the beef, seafood and sushi.  Believe it or not had a great feed of spaghetti, too, but don't tell my Italian wife.

My Guestbook - Part 3 - Let's Talk Safety

Part III of a series on how my guests responded to a little survey I gave them after their time in Brazil...

The third question in the survey:

Did you feel nervous or afraid for your safety at all? If so, in what situations?

My Mom: I was probably the most nervous and hot:) when we were walking in Lapa and trying to find the steps.

[DRL's note: I try to make my tours of Centro & area "authentic"... meaning that I take different routes every time and without fail I lose my way for a short period of time each time.  You know, as though my guests were wandering it on their own! This time, it was really hot and we walked from the cathedral to the steps in Lapa, after a taxi driver told us it was too close to drive us... I don't think we took the most "express' route and it took about 40 minutes in scorching heat. My mom has since told me that she does NOT want her grandchild going there (we passed some sketchiness on the way!)].

My Bridesmaid & her Boyfriend: For the most part we felt pretty safe.  We just kept our wits about us and if something didn't feel right, we just went the other way.  There were only a couple of times that I felt a little threatened.  One being on the last day...it was an overcast day so hardly anybody was at the beach and 2 very young girls started following us.  I saw them and turned around to face them and pointed right through them saying "look at the waves" and they hesitated and then took off.

My Mother-in-law: Not so much, certainly due to the forewarning (didn't wear jewellry) and organization of DRL on our expeditions.  Without the Portuguese expertise of Mr. DRL and DRL, I think we may have felt more nervous.

Engaged Couple Friends: No, we didn't (except for that one crazy cab driver who pulled out to the oncoming lane to pass some cars!). Our tour guides definitely steered us straight!We were certainly aware of the danger though, and very thankful that we weren't staying in hotels in Rio or relying on public transportation and maps to figure out our own way. Thanks guys! You made this trip so much easier! We have been spoiled for our next trip.

My Dad:  A bit uncomfortable in Buzios in the wee hours when walking back to our accommodation.   Encountered a group of 10 guys walking towards us and made a quick 180 and ran like hell once we were around the corner. Would not have been out like that in Rio.  Also both of us had our credit cards compromised which was surprising since mine had the new microchip technology.   My brother and I stuck out like a sore thumb....whitest guys in town and definitely looked like tourists...

Picnic

It's amazing how in Rio, a person can see so much just going to the lagoa for 45 minutes for a picnic. I doubt highly that there is a better place to people-watch than Rio de Janeiro.

The highlights:

A cute little CHUBBY boy rubbing his stomach, looking at the ice cream cart saying "Que delicio!" I wish I had it on video... so cute.

Brazilians playing baseball. There is no way to accurately describe it, you must see it for yourself.

A wide variety of smells. Sometimes they would change as often as every three steps ago.

Vehicles on the bike path - ranging from everything from roller blades to bikes to bikes for two to bikes for four to skateboards to skateboards with super-big wheels to every variety and brand of stroller on the market to wagons and mini-cars for kids to foot.

A parrot!

Emergency Vehicles

Something I don't think I've commented on but ALL of my visitors have commented on while here - the lack of regard on the roads for emergency vehicles. No one pulls over for ambulances, police, fire trucks. It certainly takes some getting used to!

My Guestbook - Part 2 - The Differences Between Canada & Brazil

The perceptions of my guests...

Which differences between Canada & Brazil surprised you the most?

My Mom: The difference I found surprising was the restaurants and kiosks, everywhere, food, food, food, and the beauty of the city of Rio is number 1.

My Bridesmaid & Her Boyfriend: Shopping is sooo difficult there!  Nothing has prices on it already, so you have to constantly ask 'how much' on every single item.  Then when you go to ring it in, it takes like 20 minutes and you have no idea why!  I commend DRL for all the furniture shopping and appliances she bought because apparently it take 6 hours to ring in a refrigerator!

My Mother-in-law: We had researched before coming down, so had been prepared for the favelas and sheer size of Rio.  The difference in the store types really does show how difficult it was for Mr. DRL & DRL to set up in a new country.  They have done an amazing job and we are really impressed with their Portuguese!  A little surprised perhaps that there wasn't more English on the streets...

Engaged Couple Friends: We loved the tropical vegetation and beautiful country side (not that Canada's not beautiful - just different). The flowers everywhere were amazing. It was also strange to see the number of people employed in the restaurants and shops - there were always twice or three times as many people as there would be at home. Big population, low labour costs.

My Dad: Drivers are crazy here, "muito louco".

Where to go for HELP?

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.

Brazil Bull

In Ipanema...

Canadians pick up Goldman story

Click here to watch Canada AM featuring David Goldman.

The Neverending Repairs

As I may have mentioned before, while we were away we had some repairs done on our place (repairing the walls around the a/c units which were having some mold issues). The guy did a seemingly great job, everything was perfect, cleaned up, it was so nice to come home to this.

A week later, we return from a nice weekend in Buzios and settle into the living room with the A/C on for a little game of scrabble (haha a first for us, and judging by the final score, not sure Mr. DRL will partake ever again. He's more of a "numbers guy").  We start to smell smoke.  We start to see smoke. We see sparking coming from the outlet the A/C is plugged into.  This is not good! See what's left of the outlet below:

Mr. DRL unplugged the unit. Turns out when the wall was repaired/reconstructed it seems as though the water dispenser leaks back into the outlet... nice.

Thank goodness we were there in the room playing scrabble! There are many times I run the A/C's while not in the room  -  I hate to think of what could have happened!

This little incident caused a short circuit/surge through our apartment and fried the outlets our kitchen appliances are plugged into. As a safety precaution until the electician comes, my power is now shut off in my kitchen, and my refrigererator is plugged into my bathroom via an extension cord.

Cooking now consists of assembling smoothies in the kitchen during daylight hours then taking the magic bullet into the bathroom for blending. Ah, it's too hot too cook anyway! And they say nutrients are absorbed more easily when you ingest them in liquid form so hey maybe it's better this way...
Just looking at the positive :)

So now we wait to see if the electrician shows up tomorrow, I sincerely hope he does because if he does not, we are probably SOL until after Carnaval. Again the bright side, we can still grill :) At least the fridge works!

Skating in Barra?

Although we'd shopped at Barra Gardens before, and heard of this legendary ice rink in Rio de Janeiro, we hadn't yet seen it for ourselves.  Two weekends ago, we headed to Barra to do some errands and made a quick pit-stop, as we wanted to see ice skating in Rio for ourselves!

We immediately felt right at home when we saw the Vancouver Canucks jersey in some advertising on the wall...
Mr. DRL had been excited about the prospect of perhaps picking up a game or two of pickup beer-league hockey here in Rio.  However, when we saw the PILLARS in the middle of the rink, we were both less enthused about this concept...
  I mean, look what happened to poor Frosty's face...

There were a number of Brazilian adults & children out there having the time of their lives on that half-melted ice in their plastic skates, many wearing outfits I'd not ever seen in an ice arena, such as dresses and tank tops! What a great way to cool off on a hot day. But now we know... yes, there is skating in Rio.  There is an arena.  Just in case anyone else was wondering...

Batteries Required

Yesterday, our hot water did not seem to be working properly. Yes, we still have guests, but no one seemed to mind much, likely because it is about 36 degrees outside these days...  (last time we had this problem, it was about 18 degrees every day and we'd just moved into our new place.... not fun!)

However, the situation did need to be rectified.
My husband went to take a look at things with our gas powered water heater this morning, and came back into our room victorious, announcing he'd fixed the problem. Shocked, I asked how...
All it took, apparently were a couple of D batteries.

See, the "sparker" (don't mind my lingo...) was dead on the heater, which runs on batteries what was I thinking? GAS. It runs on GAS. Sorry...   By the way, we don't have an actual hot water tank, rather a heater, and it can be finicky.

Only in Brazil...

There is one shower in our house that still would have had hot water without the extra batteries, though... in the maid's quarters, the water is heated in the shower head, by electrical wires... nice.

Green Bows & Painted Toes...

I frequently comment on the "extremes" of Brazil; how everything seems to be black & white, no shades of grey.  Here is an example, except it's er... green.

It seems that more and more I see dogs around that fit in one of two categories:  poor little scrawny street dogs, or over-indulged princess pups.

Sidenotes:
I have not ever seen even one street dog in my neighbourhood.  Which makes me wonder how that is being enforced...

Also: don''t get me wrong - I see many responsible well adjusted pet owners in my community who clean up after their dogs, run them, and spend time outdoors.  You know, take care of them without overindulging them or making them look ridiculous!

Which is a challenge, as at times it seems unavoidable to over-indulge dogs here; most people live in apartments, and then without a lot of effort on the owner's part (or dog-walker's) receive minimal exercise, and then there are the appointments at the doggie-spa, where they are pampered.  In some cases I am not sure which is worse, the overindulged or the overindulged... my case below...

A friend recently sent her dog to the doggie spa to find she'd been returned wearing these: Those little green things are bows which were GLUED onto the dog's ears. 

No one asked her if she wanted her dog to be... er... decorated.  And I certainly don't imagine anyone asked the dog, either. 

I realize it looks pretty funny but when you consider that these were GLUED onto her little ears it seems a bit cruel for the benefit of what? Entertaining a few people? My friend was not very impressed when it came time to remove the bows. (Nor was the poor dog!)

However, these are not as bad as the fake doggie eyelashes I've seen a few little dogs wearing...

Novela News

So... I still haven't gotten into a novela here in Brazil, despite the fact that I think I'd like to to help with the Portuguese. But from what I'm reading, now might not be the time...

Apparently novelas are "losing their sizzle" - viewership is lagging, and some think that the genre is losing its position.

According to the article, the viewership of TV Globo's 10:00 slot, "A Favorita," which is Brazil's most-watched TV program, is down 9% from 2006.

Why the decline? New options available such as "pay TV" or cable, plus the internet - which is quickly becoming one of the best ways to watch tv in this household, that's for sure. Yaaaaayyy iTunes!  According to TV Globo, audiences just fluctuate sharply from year to year...

This could be true - another point made by the article... with the economic downturn, the stats could easily change! 

Any recommendations on a new novela starting soon or to start catching?

Thanks, Pfizer!

I find a many interesting articles on the Made In Brazil blog - and a lot of info on events around the city, and of course all things Madonna. Oh and if you are ever looking for photos of hot guys in Speedo's, it should also be your first stop. Since, let's face it, most people in North America have really never seen this before, they have only seen Grampa's and six year olds wearing speedos.

Speaking of Grampa's... today on Made in Brazil is a post about a new health initiative in Brazil - sex education for the elderly. Ok, maybe I am using the term elderly too loosely... for the 50+ crowd. Apparently in Brazil the rate for this age group contracting AIDS has doubled over the past ten years.

Click here for the Made in Brazil blog post and to view the commercial.

Who should be paying for this issue (in my opinion)... Pfizer! The maker of Viagra... oh where would we all be without it...

Christmas at the Post Office

I realize that for the Post Office, Christmas is the best time of year, volume wise. It's busy.  So I suppose it's no wonder that given that it takes give or take a half hour of standing in line to mail three postcards on a regular day (let alone Christmas season), the workers will not find much spare time around the Christmas season to decorate the post offices.

So it's already done.

We could not help but wonder how incredibly ratty these little decorations would be looking come December 25...

Cicada/Cigarra

Today we experienced our first encounter with a "Cigarra" or Cicada in English, on our veranda. Not that we knew immediately what the heck it was (thank god for google)!

Our guest was sitting out on our veranda at dusk, minding his own business, reading his book, when all of a sudden a large bug flew onto the veranda and started to "buzz" but quickly escalated into a car alarm-like sound that was deafeningly loud.

We then proceeded to hear similar sounds coming from various areas of the neighbourhood.  Upon googling loud bug brazil we found out it was most likely a cigarra/cicada, a bug which emits a noise up to 120 decibals!  Much like all of our other experiences in Brazil we are hardly the first to encounter this bug (and certainly not the first to blog about it) - Eyes on Brazil has a post about this lovely bug already - check it out!

Our guest was not in any particular hurry to return to the veranda after his encounter with said bug.... but we don't blame him! I think I am now deaf in one ear.

This reminded me of a story my Dad & Uncle told after returning from their trip to Buzios - they said that a local told them about a bug which made a loud humming sound when the weather was about to change and then eventually explodes.  Upon investigation on google we found that there are many urban legends about cigarra's exploding, but they don't, actually.  The buzzing is supposedly a mating call.

I would also like to say that as always, while in Brazil, be careful what you wish for! Our guest & I had a big conversation about bugs and things I'd seen since moving here and he said he'd like to see some of these bugs... and he didn't have to wait long!

Why is the Corcovado Pink?

At first I thought it was red, but it is pink! For Breast Cancer awareness.  Just in case you were wondering.

I got some great shots when I took my dad & uncle to SugarLoaf tonight, will post some tomorrow.

Misuse of Resources, Much?

One of the most interesting/frustrating/funny (cause it has to be or else you go insane) things about living in Brazil is what is in my opinion a misuse of resources. Especially government resources.  Which, admittedly, happens everywhere but in this case there's an extreme...

I'll give you an example.  We have some friends who have shipped a container of household goods including a few food items to Brazil, for personal consumption.  One of these people happens to be employed by a company which is affiliated with the food and beverage industry.  Somehow the name of the company was put on the shipping label with the names of our friends.  Now, because of the "food contents" (which is apparently like 2 jars of peanut butter), the shipment has been held up in customs for months, because customs figures that the company our friend works for is trying to get into the peanut butter import business.  Which they are not.  (2 jars? Come on).

Meanwhile, the illegal arms and drug trafficking trade is booming here in Brazil. Kids in favelas have access to AK-47's and grenade launchers, none of which are apparently manufactured here in Brazil. According to many sources it is easier for a child in Rio de Janeiro to get their hands on a gun than a meal. Scary.  And yet a couple cans of peanut butter are tying up precious resources in customs for months on end...

If you read my recent entry about my allergic reaction, you'd know that a couple cans of peanut butter are for me just as deadly as an AK-47, however, it's my understanding that for the majority of the population, this is not the case.

When the peanut butter is the priority, and customs officials are more concerned about a couple cans of skippy than drugs & guns, it really makes you wonder.

Christmas is coming...

To a mall near me, apparently! Over the past week I have noticed Christmas displays in windows and a few seasonal-type specialty Christmas stores opening up in the malls... feels odd when it's 30 degrees, I must say.

The Goose Chase

If there's anything that gets me tired and irritable, it's a goose chase. I am currently looking to get a customized article of clothing as a gift. Ideally a sunga, but a t-shirt or hat will do.  Nowhere could I find a place to do this at Shopping Leblon, but I was told to go buy something and take it to this little shop right by the bank machines at the entrance and they could take care of it for me.  Half true - they do have lettering and materials to do stitching with but they do not actually do it for you on site.  They do have iron-on glittery sort of letters which I was even willing to go with even though this gift is for a MALE, (what was your first clue, the sunga part?) but alas the letters I needed were nowhere in sight.

I then went to Sao Conrado to the Fashion Mall as they call it (my first time and I will certainly be back - wicked mall!) to go to Rosa Cha, which was written up in the NYT and referenced on this blog a few months back because of their ability to do custom sungas.  The girl I spoke with had no idea as to how much it would cost, how long it would take.... grrrrr!  I asked if she could somehow dig this information up while I waited... apparently not.

I then attempted other places and have been redirected to either go to Barra Shopping or Rio Sul where there are apparently stores which will customize shirts/items.  Can anyone vouch for this?  This is getting... tiring... !

Which was scarier?

The jury's still out... I took a late morning stroll on Leblon beach today, taking advantage of the good weather and my solitude (I am about to be bombarded with company for the next 6 weeks - which I am totally excited about - but this is one of my last days alone!), and had the fright of my life... twice!

First I saw this rat looking thing near the Marina hotel, which appeared to have washed up on shore, and was more like the size of a cat than a rat.  EEEEEEK! I ran away quickly, and figure people must have been sitting there just watching everyone's reactions. I can handle bugs but rats and mice freak me out in an excessive way...

On my way back, I saw an old man in a speedo who appeared to have one of his balls hanging out of his bathing suit by a STRING.  The second horrified quick glance revealed it was a growth or something hanging from his leg but still... poor guy but maybe speedo's are not really his best look.

Speaking of seeing more of old men than one would typically want to, friends of mine were walking on Rua Dias Ferreiras the other day and were flashed by an old man outside of Zona Sul.  Another friend saw a rat run out of the same store yesterday... so the theme of rats & old men seems to be quite a strong one in Rio these days...  yikes.

Now that I have probably sicked you out completely, I will sign off.

What time is it?

So... what time is it in RIo anyways?

According to all of the computers in the house (which, admittedly, are our main source of this information we call "time" - yeah we don't even have a clock in our bedroom, just 2 blackberries...) it is 9:47.  But really, it's not.  It's 8:47.  But none of the computers seem to know this (I am not the only one with this problem!).... why is this? Anyone know? Did the date of Daylight Savings change in Brazil or something?

According to Mr. DRL this is what is in store for us in terms of time changes...

• Rio daylight savings time starts Sunday, Oct 19th (clocks roll forward 1 hour) so the difference to PST will be 4 hours.
• On Sunday November 2nd, PST daylight savings rolls back one hour, so the difference to PST will be 5 hours.
• This will continue until February 15th when Brazil rolls back, so difference is 4 hours.
• On March 8th, PST rolls forward and the difference will be back to 3 hours.

STOP Payment

We received an interesting call from our landlord about a week ago, requesting we put a stop payment on our rent cheque? Por que? Why? We asked...

Turns out the Brinks truck or equivalent which was transporting the cheques/deposits was stolen.  Being that whenever I see these trucks around in the neighbourhood I always cross the street, as there are at least three guys standing there with their hands literally on the trigger, I'm thinking there must have been some bloodshed in order for this to even happen. 

Stop payment it is! Only in Brazil...

Is it just me...

Or are there a lot more bugs around right now? Is it the time of year?  RioGringa had a particularly blood curdling story about a cockroach on her blog the other day, and I would like to assure her that she is not alone! I had a crazy gigantic flying cockroach thingy fly in the window into my shower the other night, while I was in it... the screams could be heard in Copacabana, I'm sure.  I'm not generally the freaks-out-about-bugs type but where I am from there is no such bug that big!

Then today on the beach I saw this thing that looked like a giant moth but its wingspan would be comparable to my two hands put together simulating a moth...and the ants! Yes, I have many devices in my house to help with them but still they are around... and little.  Is it the weather?  Or will there be more....?

Driving in Brazil

Just returned home from a bit of a "journey"... Mr. DRL drove a vehicle here from Salvador, Bahia, I flew to Vitoria, Espirito de Santo, to meet him on Friday for the last leg of the trip.  It was an adventure to say the least, more so for him. I think that one must be at least a little bit crazy/a daredevil to tackle those roads and I was grateful I did not take the whole trek with him.... will post more soon on the whole adventure (mostly his) which included political demonstrations, driving by fatalities where the victims are still, well, there for all to see, and burning sugar cane fields...

It's Almost Time To VOTE

The election happens this week and in my mind it can't come soon enough! It's campaigning madness here, particularly on the weekends. Our visitors got quite a kick out of the propaganda, though.  I am not sure how the following tactics really drum up all that many votes...  but here they are, nevertheless:

• Aligning oneself with Daffy Duck in a campaign poster.
• Aligning oneself with a futebol team in a campaign poster by wearing a jersey (this will garner as many vetoes as it will votes in this city, so not quite sure where the logic is there..)
• Having irritating songs with the candidates voting number being blasted on repeat throughout the neighbourhood.
• Having trucks drive through the streets plastered with stickers and posters, honking at full tilt.
• Guys hired to hold signs who represent their employer by smoking pot on the side of the road.
• Candidate driving through the city on the back of a convertible, parading as though he just won the election... which has yet to take place. See photo/guy in red below.

• My favorite: the bobble head of the candidate "raising the roof" surrounded by people waving flags and looking as though they were recently hypnotized - see below. I have video of the walking bobble head raising the roof but am having trouble getting it to work... will keep trying!

• Changing one's name...a previous post I made on the election talks about how candidates are allowed to run under any name they choose (thus why there are 6 Barack Obama's running in Brazil now) - which unfortunately for this guy now makes me wonder about people whose last names are things like "Guarana"... the beloved Brazilian soft drink.

• 

Choppers

On any given day in Rio you can catch a real eyeful of activity in the sky - birds, planes with trailing messages, helicopters galore.  When I lived in Ipanema facing Leblon, on Sunday nights the heli traffic was near constant, with people returning home after I weekend away, or so I assumed. 

This week on the beach was no exception, including what we think was some sort of rescue mission near the Sheraton on Wednesday.  I snapped a couple of photos with my bb cam (don't mind the quaity!).  Never a shortage of excitement in Rio.

I had to email this photo to my dad from the beach - just to let him know what he is in for when he visits next month.  He is fascinated by all things that fly, that guy...

Speaking of things that fly, we also did a helitour with our guests on Sunday before they left, will post photos later today.  I would highly recommend that anyone who visits Rio sees it by air as it was incredibly impressive.

Biscoito Globo

Have I mentioned Mr. DRL's paranoia theory about the Globo Biscoitos? FYI - Little air puffed Brazilian biscuit things in the shape of donuts, available in sweet or salty, salty is the green one, it would seem that carioca's love to eat them on the beach and in their cars... Apparently pretty tasteless but a crunchy snack nonetheless.

Anyway, back to the paranoia, it all started on Easter weekend when we were in Angra and it took us 6 hours to drive back into the city... for no apparent reason.  Mr. DRL came to the conclusion that the traffic problems were caused by the dozens upon dozens of vendors who emerged from the hills with bags of Globo Biscoitos.  So he forbade me from eating them... ever. Haha!  He still likes to joke that the biscoitos are at the root of all traffic problems in Rio... which I just roll my eyes at but figure that if I spent as much time stuck in traffic as he did every day, well I would probably have to tell myself that as well just to keep sane.