In Transit

Here is Miss Becky at Ceasar's Palace in Vegas having a little nosh. My mother and sister are in route here to Brazil. They arrive tomorrow, Monday, December 22nd! Sabia and I are picking them up at 7:30 tomorrow morning. So far everything is in place and ready for arrival.

I am going out to get some fresh mangos for Mom as per her request. The rental cars are being delivered to the house at 10am tomorrow and we are off to the beach house! There is tons to do to get us all there, but I am trying to live by the motto of this city -- "No Stress Bahia!"

We have grocery shopping and a few other minor things that need to happen to get the house up and running. Miragem and baby Salvador arrive right after Christmas. So I am sure sooner then I update the blog the party will have started!

Tonight is the first night of Channukah...I brough my Menorah and plan on sharing the JEwish culture with everyone. I am sure they won't know what to make of it...but either way it will be fun! I think I'm going to make sweet potatoe latkes!

Lua Bella & Kyla Rose

Kyla and Lua paid a visit to my mom yesterday before her departure to Brazil to drop off a package for her family here. I have to post this photo because its too cute and well I have to pay tribute to my Ky and baby Lua! They usually are here with me whenever I'm in Brazil. I am making due without them, but of course miss them dearly. Here is Lua with her Hannukah knit cap I sent her.

A Mid Summers Night Dream: Sonho de uma Noite de Verao

Sabia and I had the pleasure to check out a local ballet performance by the "Advanced Ballet" school which is one of the first and oldest ballet schools here in Bahia, founded by Carlos Moraes. Our friend Raphael (Fogo) and his girlfriend Camila (both from Dance Brazil) work at the school teaching ballet class to the youth. They completed their years work with an adaptation of William Shakespeare's A Mid Summers Night Dream.

The show was really sweet. It showcased all of their dancers from 3 years to 18 years old. It was short and to the point and very entertaining. Here are some photos. I am tryin to upload video with no luck here....

MOre Familia

In order:

1. Sabia's mother, Dona Sheila and his older brother Eduardo

2. Sabia on the ranch playing around with a machete...kinda stoopid!

3. Uncle Sabia and his nephews - Philipe & Bruno

4. Bruno ready for a birthday party

5. Chuvisco, Sarah, Sabia & Vagalume riding in car to see beach house.

Ensayo de Dance Brazil: Dance Brazil Rehearsal

As most of you know Sabia's Uncle/Mestre Jelon Veira is the founder of Dance Brazil. A superb dance company that mixes modern dance and traditional Brazilian cultural dances such as capoeira and Afroxe'.

Here you can see some of the photos from rehearsal yesterday. I went to the capoeira class from 8am to 10am and then watched 45 minutes of rehearsal. For those that live in NYC they will be at the Joyce Theatre starting Feb 12th~lets all go together. The show is really different from last year. Very technical and beautiful.

O Jogo de Baralho - Bridge Games

The card game here is called Baralho, I think it may be bridge. Although my grandpa Erwin played brigde longer then I've been alive, I'm not sure how to play. Therefore, I cannot confirm what this game is exactly. All I can tell you is that they play here for HOURS on end....

The top photo os my cute husband, just a little tanned by the warmth of the BRazilian sun.

More Guarajuba

Here you see Senhor Domingo and his beachside baraca (shack) along side of the house we are renting in Guarajuba. He is a super nice man and makes a mean moqueca de peixe (fish stew). We bought a freshly caught red snapper of 12 pounds - he made the stew on the spot - it cost us 60 reis -- it fed 5 of us....so a little less then 30 dollars. The Skol beer was 1.20 reis....yeah 60 cents for 20 ounce! Do I really need to come home?

Guarajuba: Beach House Pixs

Need I say more....

One of them is the beach view from the house. Awesome.....

On the Ranch...

So as a part of this trip Sabia and I have been organizing things here in Brazil, just in case we want to live here on day. Things like marriage papers, organizing my social security here and my "green card." All that fun paper work and stuff (sike)!

Sabia's cousin Willie decided he was going to show us a ranch that is for sale. The ranch is really big -- amazing if I knew what to do with that land. An awesome house - two stories - needs some work but the foundation - staircase and other things have been done really well. The ranch is some 3000 meters squared -- not sure what that exactly translates too other then way more fruit and land then I know how to maintain. The ranch has mangos, jack fruit (as you can see Sabia climbing above), avocados, bananas, coconuts and a bunch of other tropical fruit I dont know how to translate their names nor have I ever eated them before. BUt they are sweet and super delicious.

We are not as interested in a ranch as you know me, I need pool and beach access. But the ranch was going for 150,000 reis -- the dollar today is at 2.40$ to 1 real so you do the math. Pretty afforable if I was ready for the farm life.

Maybe one day....just not today.

Brazilian News: Storms & Flood Rescue for Santa Catarina

Hundreds people have been killed and some 16,000 left homeless in a fierce storm that has lingered in southern Brazil over the past November, the civil defense department said Sunday.

The storm has affected some 1.5 million people in the southern state of Santa Catarina. It also triggered mudflows and led to the collapse of bridges and dams.

Four cities in Santa Catarina were cut off from surrounding areas due to the storm, which has also downed power and water lines and caused food shortage in many regions.

Santa Catarina authorities have declared a state of emergency in the state and appealed for aid from the federal government as well as nearby state governments.

Santa Catarina has been hit by continuous storms in the last two months.

Guarajuba

Yesterday, I went to check out the beach house that we rented for the holidays and when my mom, sis and friends arrive! I will post the photos later - HOLY COW BATMAN! It is amazing. Right on the mouth of the beach and river. The pool is not too big, not too small - perfect for morning swims and laps. Its 3 floors - with a huge window and hamoc in the living room. Perfect construction for a beach house. OMG~! I can't even write about how flippen cool it is!! Prepare yourself ladies! Its going to be a great new year.....

Family Pinheiro

This is Sabia's grandmother on his father's side. Her name is Noemia, she has 8 children total, one of them Sabia's father. I think she has about 80 some years of age. She suffers from Parkinson's, but is truely in great shape. She loves her chair in he sunshine and does a daily walk with her walker. She is sharp and constantly joking with whomever comes to visit. You can also see Sabia's cousin Teka and another little baby cousin, Beatrice. Everyone is very happy to see Sabia! Its really beautiful his family and community here - even though its a little crazy at the same time family is very powerful force.

For Suzi

Tons of bird here for you Suzi!

Brazilian Sweets

So far the trip has been awesome - capoeira, family, food, beach, mild sun burn and sleep. Yesterday was one of the cousin/nephews birthdays - Ismael - the little guy to the right. So it was a big to-do here at the compoung. You see Juilette and Ismael making awesome Brazilian sweets, called Brigadeiros. Its basically cooked condensed milk with added flavors like chocolate, coco and strawberry. After you cook the milk and add sugar and other sweet stuff you wait for it to cool, dip your hands in some butter to grease them up, roll the balls and then douse them in freshly dried coconut. It is very sweet for my taste, I mean REALLY sweet! But they are delicious...so bad, yet so good!

A Galera (The Crew)

Upon arrival...this was waiting for Sabia and I at the door of his house....

Eduardo Philipe, 10 years

Eduardo Philipe Santos Pereira - 10 year old. This kid is my favorite! Also, Sabia's nephew, but this is his older brothers son. I have been his personal tutor since I arrived. Imagine that, its like working just not at New Design. Here in Brazil they have something called recuperacao (recuperation), every year at the end of the year you have to take exams in all your subject areas. If you fail an area you have an extra week or two of school where you do course review and then you take the recuperation exams. Now, if you fail the exams that is when you can be held over in your grade level. Our dearest Eduardo Philipe, whom likes to be called Philipe, has recuperation exams in geography and in math. So we have been working hard on those two subject areas. I went and spoke to his teacher and he has been struggling with alogrisms and states and capitals. Let me tell you we have been working hard. Flash cards, exams and lots of one -to -one tutoring. He actually knows all the material. Its amazing what a classroom full of students can do to the learning process. He has trouble like most 5th graders of staying focused and not rushing through his exams. So we are also working on test taking strategies to get the most out of his attention span. Since I have been here and tutoring, he took his math exam and passed 9/10. He struggled with a word problem. But that is okay. A 7 is passing, so he passed! Monday is geography and we have been studying all morning.

Time for a break to the beach.

Bruno, 2 years

For those of you that know Bruno - he's a new boy! The older serious tax accountant never smiling baby has left and he is now guess what? A super comical 2 year old is now wrecking havoc here in the Rua do Meio (Middle Street). Bruno is Flavia's son whom is Sabia's sister. Bruno just finished his first year of preschool on Friday and enjoys playing with his cars, trains and airplanes. He also loves to boss people around.

Miami International/Day 1 Bahia.

All I can say is that if you ever come to Salvador, Bahia, Brazil you MUST take the direct flight from Miami! I cannot tell you how easy my life has been since the departure! Amazing. I mean really why would I ever have flown all those times through the maddness that is the Sao Paolo airport! I mean really. It was the best. The plane was fairly empty and from what the airline people told me they make more in cargo so people really don't matter. We landed in Miami about 6pm - boarded at 8:30 and took off at 9pm. Sabia and I had our own row - put on our eye masks and neck pillows (yes, I travel prepared) and knocked out! Waking up to sunshine and 85 degrees in Salvador!

Mestre Jelon picked us up from the airport! Lots of tears and hugs upon arrival. I have spent the day tutoring Phillipe (10 years old) for his final exams tomorrow. Playing with Sabia's nephews and simply relaxing. We had a short rain shower but it was nice, it was pushing 90 degrees and boiling. Really, I am not complaining at all...but the shower was refreshing...of course me and all the kids ran through the house hallway (they live in like a family compound) and played in the rain. Liberating!

I stopped by Bruno's preschool to pick him up and checked out all the kids right before they go to vacation. Its official all kids across the world before vacation are crazy! Even 2 year olds!

The best part of today was the brazilian manicure pedicure that for sure left me 10 pounds lighter! I will update my ill design work at a later date...

Sabia, Piom, Chuvisco and Mestre Jelon are off in a few minutes to play capoeira at Fogo's class. Pretty exciting stuff. I am taking the kids to the beach tomorrow afternoon after everyone's last day at school.

Oh and as a part of the tutoring today I have learned all 26 states and their capitals here is BRazil. And the learning just don't stop.....

The 2007 Brazil Crew

Fresh off the speed boat from Moro de Sao Paolo....I get green thinking about it.

Brasil Memories

December 10-January 10th!
Salvador, Bahia, Brazil