Moving on Past Laziness

Sometimes it is just boring to write a post in English.  People don't get jokes, have no sense of humour, don't accept different views or are just plain politically correct bores.

Eventually I'll be back to write something.  Right now, to write in Portuguese is a lot more rewarding.

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Last Night I had a Dream

I was wearing the most beautiful dress.  How can a dress look so much like me?

Afff...  Vitória! Go back to sleep. Keep dreaming, keep dreaming...  You are in NM, not London...

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If You Like Coffee, You Must Read This

I'm Brazilian, I have drank coffee since I was born, I love coffee.  Brazilian style, filtered and strong. I dont like bitter or weak coffee. In Brazil it is easy to find it the way I like, of course, but this is not down to how it is made, it is mainly the quality of the beans used.

Living abroad I had a hard time to find coffee the way I like, but in Italy I found a dream, Illy coffee.  It is always a great taste, it doesn't matter how it is prepared.  In Europe it was very easy to find Illy anywhere, but now in the US I needed to acquire new habits as I could not find my preferences on market shelves. Well, I've searched the internet to try to order my fave things online and I've found my favourite coffee being sold as if it were made of gold, an extorsive price.  Coffee is not like a spice jar that takes a lifetime to finish, I need a lot of coffee powder everyday to make my favourite beverage the way I like. 

Espresso is not my thing, and it sounds very silly to me that I need to be attached to a certain shape of pod for a machine, when it is sure that the maker will be always altering the shape of it, making your current $500 espresso maker obsolete in 2 years just because a "new shape of pod" were developed to "extract more flavour and aroma from the beans", bla bla bla and then the pod for your machine sudenly disapears from the market.  This is marketing pitch, not "technology development" or good quality coffee.  I don't want to compete with anyone's coffeemaker, I want a good drink in my cup, period.  A good coffee will taste good whatever your prefered brewing method.

Then I received an offer for a subscription of Gevalia Coffee and a free coffeemaker as a gift for trying it.  I thought there was some catch in there afterall, I've never heard of Gervalia Coffee before. Well, they were offering me a money back guarantee if I didn't like their beans.  Usually I don't take up this kind of offer, but I was searching for a new coffeemaker anyway and if it were for me to receive one for free plus a suply of coffee, why not?  I decided to try.  (This is all sounding like a bad infomercial, I know, but it is true).  I'm so pleased I did it. The coffeemaker is perfect, the coffee is divine, even the first one, when I used more water than I should have, Gervalia Coffee tasted fantastic.  I can drink an entire carrafe by myself, it is so good .  And their subscription programe is fantastic, I can set it up for anytime I want, instead of receiving more than I can drink and having to find where to store it, or giving it away so it doesn't become old in my cupboard.

My hubby doesn't drink anything with cafeine.  I don't even know if he ever tried a cup of coffee.  Well, he doesn't know what he is missing.  I've even found some lists of food that boost brain functions and coffee is always there...  Coffee is good for your health and I don't even need a doctor to tell me that.  The person that invented that coffee is bad for your health, and started with that decaf bla bla bla certainly was a great business man, launching a substandard product twice more expensive than the real thing, trying to make you replace your daily beverage and driving all baristas nuts around the world .  If decaf anything were "healthy", nature would produce it, but if it is obtained only from chemical processes in a factory, I'm suspicious.  I want my coffee BLACK, FULL and REAL!

If you want to try for yourself, just click on the link bellow and you won't regret.  Why not coming over again and tell me what you think?

Join us for our special Friends of Gevalia offer and enjoy a premium coffee kit including a stainless steel coffeemaker, scoop and a pound of Gevalia coffee-Just $12.95 (a $100 value!) Gevalia’s guarantee-you’ll love your coffee or it’s free!

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There is Nowhere like Home

One year and three countries later, we are now finally at HOME.  There is nothing like our own place.  It is ok that I come from a big city, then I lived in an even bigger city for almost 10 years and now I find myself stranded in the middle of the desert.  Now I will have to learn how to drive, something that I never needed to do in my life.  Food is a problem easily solved with a good supermarket (thanks, Trader Joe's!), internet buys and lots of cooking websites from all over the world - now I have my own kitchen again!!!

My Desperate Housewives Gloveables Gloves

Everything is rated according to the point of view of the viewer.  In Brazil, even on a big city, I was used to big spaces, big houses, lots of storage for things you will never touch again (i.e. clutter).  In London, the biggest place was a joke compared to what I was used to back home.  So I went on to live in very small cramped spaces, learned to throw away all that was not necessary anymore, lived on the bare minimum.  It is true that I first arrived there with a backpack, and for my last move I had 15 boxes packed to be shipped to "the new world", but this is another story.  Our house in Albuquerque, NM, used to be hubby's bachelor pad and it was rented out while we were in London, UK.  He always complained that it is too small.  Well, now I kind of have Londoner's standards, it is a palace compared to many places where I had to live during those expat years.  It is not small, it is cozy :)  I couldn't love it more.

 

My cute little helpers (and highly effective)

It has been a great pleasure to find the right places for each of our belongings, to clean every spot in the house with all love, imagining where we will fit our furniture.  We are fortunate to be able to move little by little, as everything is stored in the in-laws basement.  And that is how we decided to do things, one load at a time. Everything gets cleaned and organized, then another load, etc.  We haven't brought any furniture yet, only cleaning stuff, some kitchen and bathroom basics and little food.  Yet, I don't even feel like I'm camping anymore, I couldn't care less about sleeping on the floor, it feels so much better than the most luxurious hotel in the world.

Best bed in the world!!!!

Now I can't wait to use my crockpot, my coffee maker, my oven, bake an orange cake, prepare my kibes and coxinhas, eat rice everyday, have lots of garlic and onions on my food, buy real bread at the French Bakery, yumy!!!

THANK YOU, GOD!

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Driving in the Virtual World

Do you know what it takes to be a good driver?  And a bad driver?  Well, think again.  I reviewed all my concepts at New Mexico State Fair.



And if, in the future, you see me on the streets driving my Honda, be afraid, very afraid...

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The Bag

A bag can be used for many things, by every type of person. Sometimes its function is just to contain things inside and be thrown from here to there.  Some people use their bags with care.  Some people don't care.  Specially at the airport, your bag can be a Louis Vuiton or come from Argos, once it is checked-in, it all rolls without care, they will be all kicked and all will be made to danify them to the max.  It doesn't matter what is inside or who owns it.  If it is not yours, it is more likely that it will be treated as a bag of shit.

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Life is upside down right now

And I am complaining, yes! I'm hungry! I want my kitchen back!!! Never thought I would miss washing my dishes.

God migh know what He does to us, my life is so surreal sometimes that I ought to think I'm living in some limbo - as I've been told sometimes already.

All You Can See Super Size

Everything is gigantic in the US. I think it's because there is too much land and things tend to expand to occupy all available spaces. It goes for houses, streets, shops, people, restaurant meals...

Every time Gerald was taking me to some fast-food place they were serving the smallest fizzy drink at a size I wouldn't be able to drink in less than 24hs. I would always ask for the small cup, to what Gerald would "upgrade" to a size medium that was usually double than the petite one. My goodness! And I don't even like fizzy drinks.

While milk in the UK is sold by the pint - what for me is a problem as since I was a child I always drank more milk in a day than all my family together - , milk in the US is sold by the gallon! I have no idea how much is that in litres, but it is big, it is huge, and miraculously it lasts for a week!!!!

In a restaurant the first time I saw my order it was scary: more food than I could eat in 3 days. And we ordered not only the main meal (why on Earth do they call it "Entrée"? Can someone teach those Yankees some French, please? "Entrée" means Starter!!!!!) but we asked for some appetisers too. I was in panic, what would I do with all that food? A little bit I could leave on my plate but, a full meal? No way! To what Gerald explained me that no one is expected to finish their meal, but to take half of it home and the restaurants are all prepared and have boxes available for that purpose!!! This is a whole new world for me, that is for sure. I think the problem starts when some people don't know that this is done in purpose and try to stuff themselves with everything on the table. That sight is very scary indeed!

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I'm shocked

Well, I've certainly heard about static electricity before, but I was born in Rio de Janeiro, very humid, and that was like snow: something I would only read about and never really experienced, sounding like another "foreign myth".

Until I came to NM... In April it happened a few times, combing my hair and it going up, trying to reach the roof. It was funny then. But now, there is nothing funnier.

We were walking around Walmart, I hold hubby's arms, and there is a shock. I laughed. Then at home, another one. And there was the neighbour's cat which I tried to hold and several shocks came through. And those things start to become more and more frequent, until the time I tried to kiss my hubby and his lips gave me a shock! I know there is some buzz and electricity in love but this is ridiculous!!!

I keep asking Gerald what I can do to stop it and he only laughs... "You will need to get used to this, hun". Are you serious that I will have to go through it all my life from now on???? Help! Any alternatives, please?

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Weather

What do you mean "don't panic"? I was panic-ing. I had to pack my bags to come to NM in November, didn't know what to put in my backpack. My body is certainly "heat proof" - while everybody is sweating profusely during summer in Rio, I am just fine - but it will never be "cold proof". You can see that in the old post about my first trip to Sandia Peak when I had layers on and Gerald was happily wearing only a shirt and jeans.

Well, Gerald had been telling me not to worry because the weather during autumn is quite warm. Err, ok, but what is warm for him is not exactly warm for me. So I've packed all cashmere I have and planned to buy heavier stuff while in here. Even when the online thermometer I usually check was telling me that ABQ was warmer than Niteroi!

We've gone to Taos last week, and what happened? 4 seasons in a day, and total panic with the amount of snow in the Ski Village as I've never seen any more than a few minutes of snow in London. So the pictures can show: few layers on, all layers out, all layers and heavier coat, gloves, hat, boots on!!!! In a matter of few hours!! I am now wondering how is that winter in the desert. Lord, what is that down the road for me???

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Global warming

It was April. And when I say I feel cold people can't understand what I mean. So I will be VERY graphic.

On the picture bellow you can see me wearing:

• A thermal shirt


• a cashmere roll neck jumper


• a cashmere cardigan


• that gorgeous red ski coat. I don't know the material but, it is warm


• cashmere scarf


• cashmere tights


• black jeans


• Knee length boots


• and woolly gloves

And I was feeling COLD! Seriously cold! Gerald had to hug me to make me feel a little better.

In contrast, you can see WHAT he is wearing, and he WASN'T feeling cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you!!!!!

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How could I forget?

Happy 4th of July!

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At the Big Sister House

Well, she is not the eldest but the eldest of the girls, let's have it very clear.

It happened on the day I went there to meet the family for the first time. We were all chatting in the kitchen and the friend very loudly said to me: - Let me see THAT ring!

Ok, it is a nice big bold black resin ring. Period. But the big sis eyes nearly drop on the floor and quick she made way to see what was that about. What a relief! I swear I didn't see that happening, it was my love who told me, laughing.

No worries there, it is still too early...

English faux pas

It was the first time I met my boyfriend's brother, his best friend and a funny cousin - all at the same time - for a Sunday lunch at the family's restaurant. The "incident" happened due to total lack of attention (yes, I am trying to excuse myself).

Anthony, the cousin, was telling us a story about a pub in England called "Dirty Dick" and he asked me if I ever heard of that before. To what I unfortunately replied: "Oh, it is full of Dirty Dick's in England... " Needless to say that I couldn't even finish my sentence.

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