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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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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The One and Thruly Great Country of This World

De Independencia falsa e forjada, e nem assim conseguiram destruir nosso país.  Enquanto vivemos, esperamos que essa grandeza seja alcancada na sua plenitude.

 

Ninguém chega aos pés do meu Brasil Amado!

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Out of Order

I should have returned a long time ago to continue the first post about expat life. Well, that will have to wait a little longer as at the moment I've been having to deal with some side effects from surgery medication. Sometimes I just hate doctors!

Things to Ponder Before Becoming an Expat

(If you like this post, this is just the first on a series about my experience as an expat. More to come later. Watch this space!)

Sometimes being an expatriate is part of your professional path. Sometimes it is a money oriented exile. Some other times, you find a new love in a country that is not yours. Or maybe you become an expat because you have dreamt about moving abroad all your life. And that was exactly what happened to me. Since I was 9 years old (yes, I was a child) I dreamt about going to live in London, and prepared all my life for when that would happen.

When the time came for me, moving abroad wasn’t an easy option. I was already “old”, I had my career, a comfortable life in Brazil, my loving parents and the best friends in the world. Nothing matched the "ideal checklist for running away". Yet, there was still something missing. I wanted to experience living abroad, alone, in a different culture, and speaking a different language. It was a burning desire (I know, very cheesy! But true.) to pursue a challenge, and for years I thought it would stay only in my dreams. Secretly I was envious of anybody who did their share of backpacking, as it was in my mind, the ultimate experience. I had to go too. It was a call inside me.



There is something very important to know that nobody ever told me: becoming an expat is a one way journey. It doesn't matter where you go, it doesn't matter how long you stay away from your home country, if you will ever return or not - you will never be the same again, and you will never see your home place with the same eyes. It doesn’t matter if your experience was good or bad, it will never leave you. Your life is what you experience, not your thoughts. Bear in mind that never, never any place will ever be “complete” or “perfect”. And the more you move, the more you will miss different pieces from your previous places. From then on the world will be your home. Even your attitudes and your experiences as a tourist change drastically.

There are not many advices that could be given to a wannabe expat. Each one has its own reasons. You can read everything about it, you can talk to as many people as possible, but unless you live this experience, you will never know what it really is. If it is good, bad, valid, traumatic, blissful, it varies from person to person, it is all down to how you perceive it.

Some people are more apt to deal with differences than others. My experience shows me that depending on the reasons for immigration, people will also react in various ways to differences. So never assume a fellow expat will be sympathetic to you. That is not always the case. Some can't understand differences and are always labelling others as wrong. Naturally someone who decides to leave their country to live abroad, in a different language and different culture, will be more willing to be kind with differences. However, don’t expect the same attitude from one who never left its place and now has to deal with an "alien". Be prepared! Even those who you knew all your life, but stayed at home and have never been anywhere, give you a hard time when you are back. They can’t understand differences either. And very few people will tell you that in advance. You will learn by experience. Always.

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I can say I had a terrific time in London - 9 years with all ups and downs imaginable - and I tried to have as much information as possible about the Brits. Imagine, stereotypes made me believe they never laugh or smile... Had I read this book beforehand - Watching the English, by Kate Fox - my life would have been much easier. By the time I moved to London, it hadn't even been written yet. It is brilliant, it should be handed out at arrivals in Heathrow.

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How much I miss my cats

I'm crying while watching this. I miss my cats so much. My mum is doing a much better job keeping them for me, but I miss them as if I were missing a person.

Lora, mamae te ama e morre de saudades de voce!!!

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Still at home

I wanted to say something. But I think I am loosing my voice, or maybe, I just can't communicate anymore.

My grandma is 103, my cat is 15 and my mum is 73. I am very scared that I can be saying goodbye to them. After loosing my father I don't know how I will cope with another loss, I don't think I am strong enough.

Home? Where?

I'm in Rio since ... well, few days ago. Everything is strange without my father around, everything reminds me of him, I cry all the time. I miss living here now, a bit tired of being a foreigner. But I also miss my husband, I miss my own home. Everything will be diferent from now on. Not easy, very challenging, softened by The Hands of God. God brought us together, I have no doubts about that. All the humiliation I suffered living abroad, specially in Italy, will be diferent now. If not upfront and agressive, at least disguised and mellow as now I am married and have my hubby to protect me. And I miss him a lot! No matter what people say, married people are always treated with more respect, as if being single were a sign of any disease. I will be a foreigner for the rest of my life, but with my own family, together in faith.

May God bless us always and the Holy Family bring the real Christmas spirit to all homes and families.

Honey, I can't wait for New Year's day to bring us together again.

I love you!

Brazilian Anthem - Hino Nacional Brasileiro

Today is Independence Day. On the 7 of September 1822 we became independent from Portugal. Our first Emperor was the son of the King of Portugal. In my opinion, real independence only on the day we became a Republic.

Brasil, I am far now but I love you with all my heart and I am very proud of being Brazilian.

I Wish You Were Here

I love music and this is something I can't live without. Many things I've learned with my parents, many others with my brother.

My brother is 9 years older than me, and instead of being bored for having such younger sister, he was always very protective and for many years, my best friend. It took a long time though until he allowed me to touch his records collection.

One day he arrived home with a copy of "The Dark Side of the Moon" and called me: "You have to listen to this." I was maybe 7, he was 16.

We stayed both lying on the carpet, in the dark, eyes shut, listening to that incredible Pink Floyd. I couldn't understand a word but that was the least important, my brother showed me how to feel the music inside me. I've learned that. And I also learned that impressions from our childhood will stay with us forever.

That is why when I miss my brother I close my eyes and remember him protecting me and holding my hands while he was teaching me to listen with my heart.

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If I were you, I would vote Brazilian

I mean, Brazilian flag. Isn't it the cutest thing? And do you know its significance?

Green - our forests

Yellow - our gold and precious metals

Blue - our sky

And 27 stars meaning each one of our states and our capital, Brasilia.

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L'Etranger

Life abroad is not easy. Once you leave your motherland you will never belong anywhere else again, will be a foreigner even in the very town where you were born. Your life change, your outlook in life change. Sometimes reality seems a big blur, you feel like floating above life.

One need to be strong to be a foreigner. Anything "normal" requires strength and patience as a foreigner is not allowed to be normal. We are required to prove ourselves over and over, only being three times better than a local is that will make those locals find you reasonable, or even mediocre. Having any accent many times is synonym to be stupid and incapable. Never mind you speak your own language and THEIR language, that rarely counts as a sign of dedication and willingness to overcome barriers.

Being bitter is normal. Many times we are stripped of our smiles and our faith in justice or good in other human beings. I know those are moments and not life itself. But sometimes it hurts, and at least for me, I can only dream of those times when I was quietly happy at home, having diner with my parents.

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