Just a thought....
Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

Saturday, 04 September 2010

Dusty Saturday - Drizzly Sunday


Our long (for São Paulo) drought has been broken. Fine rain is penetrating anything that can be penetrated today. The air is crisp and I can actually see the edges of buildings. This photo is what our sky looked like at 5pm. A powerful sun, still fairly high in the sky, reduced by pollution and dust. We'll breathe better now. The week was one of coughs and sore throats with the dust and pollution. Somewhere in all that, I got myself a cold. Blegh. I'm not sure if it was from the girlie who was liberally sneezing her germs onto every surface of the bus or from the guy in the one-square-meter lift who felt the need to call his maid on the lift's phone to tell her what to make for him for lunch, so that he could shake the flu he had. I mean, it was so much effort to pop back into his apartment to tell her in person. It's way more fun to distribute your germs on a phone that other residents use too.

This was in the building where I met my new student. She's a paediatrician - oh the stories she can tell! - and really sweet. She wants to improve her English, as she's studying  Kabbalah (made famous by Madonna) and their meetings are in English. Her eyes lit up and she excitedly pointed out my bookmark I have clipped to my folder: "You can if you Believe you can". "That's exactly what we believe!" It seems that my lessons with her will be very interesting.

My cell phone died on Thursday. It literally got crushed. The LCD screen had excessive pressure applied to it. Jurgis eventually opened it up. He wanted to know where I might have done that. I suggested he takes a bus with me one morning. Now I have a bit of a problem. My students seem to have no idea how to connect to a land-line. They either call or text me on my cell. The cell is also important for random things like calling to find out if I must get bread on the way home or calling the student to tell them I'm on the wrong side of a flooded marginal (highway) and may be somewhat late. Buying a new cell phone was one expense that I definitely do not need right now, but it's funny how one starts justifying a new purchase. I spent some time surfing through cell phone models online. Two things happened. One - I realised how out of date my little cell phone now is and two - I realised how many super-cool features the new ones have at less than what I paid for my old one. So I bit the bullet... I'll be paying for it for the next millennium, but in two weeks, I'll have my new cell phone, a fairly basic model, but some folk will be glad to know it comes with a teeny weeny little camera ; ) Sneak pics, folks!

Our national lottery was won last night - R$92 million. I got one number right. I think it's trying to tell me something.

Our neighbours were having a shindig that lasted most of the night. Jurgis said he was tempted to get up onto their roof and pelt them with eggs. Last week, they seemed so nice. They keep this up, war may just break out. Of course, they're sleeping the day away now.

I think the only way I can catch up here is by going to my contacts one by one and seeing what they've been up to. I must still prepare lessons for the week. On the bright side, kinda, Tuesday is a public holiday, so I only have the teens once this week *does the Snoopy dance*

22 comments:

  1. *Snoopy Dance* :D
    Enjoy your new phone and the better weather and the new student! :) I only ever get one number too!!
    Hope you have a good week and that you get to do something special on Tuesday. :)

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  2. Tuesday will be spent preparing for Wednesday on because I'm being lazy today =D

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  3. I know the feeling! I came to school to work on the school blog but I really cannot be bothered now. I'm going home to sulk and relax.

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  4. I can't relax... Tat is eating PS bars and Top Decks : ( And I want a trade-in on my nose.

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  5. That is essentially the cornerstone of the Unitarian Universtalist philosophy also :-)

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  6. And the cornerstone of my philosophy - I just need daily reminding ; ) I'm going to look that philosophy up. It'll be good conversation fodder with her. Thanks Marty.

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  7. Maybe the big-ass party was a welcome fall blowout and helped bring the rain? LOL
    I am curious exactly what kind of excessive pressure happened that kileld it? Did you sit on it? LOL Because that phone was mighty weak if that was all it took! I mean, I am a big woman and I couldn't kill mine that way unless maybe I was jumping on it! Now maybe Jurgis was doing some exercizes on it? There is a story I suspect!

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  8. The pressure is 5 people getting onto a bus behind me when the only space left is half the bottom step and the door needs to be forced closed. When I get the new phone, I have every intention of taking a photo to show you. *That* is pressure. I get on and tilt my chin up to be able to breathe or I'd suffocate. I'm usually mashed onto the second step (there are three at the door) and at... uh... lower body height to the people in front of me.

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  9. Keeping in mind that my bag is full of books and such... which add to the hardness that contributes to the squash pressure.

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  10. I am trying to picture that! It must be dreadful to kill thge phone! No way to insure against THAT!

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  11. Nope... no way to insure that and the phone was getting on in years too.

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  12. lol maybe that you can't count on becoming rich by lottery?

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  13. If I were counting on it, I wouldn't be going out to work every day, Amalie : ) but it is a nice dream

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  14. Hope there aren't too many shindigs to keep you awake! A nap sounds good today, nice breeze coming through the window on this cooler Autumn feeling day. I should get outside again on such a day..but I feel lazy after lunch. Maybe later.

    Have a good day and keep dancing *smile*

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  15. That photo is gorgeous, Tint, and WAHOO!!! A new phone with a camera?? Wow. That's going to be awesome!! I can hardly wait. :) Yay for only one dose of teens this week. And y'know, I could send you some great music to play for the neighbors earlier in the morning. ;)

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  16. Looking forward to even more insight into what daily life in Sao Paulo is like. Since buying the new phone was unavoidable, enjoy it!

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  17. you might consider buying some hard case for your new cell phone, something like the ones for glasses, just in case. though that would add up to difficulties answering the phone when it rings

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  18. You are SO going to appreciate living somewhere else, no doubt!
    I get a little irate when folks aren't careful with their germs, why they can't stay home when they are obviously sick.

    Yay for the new student who's eager to learn :)

    Boo for the broken cell phone but yippee on the new features. I wish those things could be made more indestructible. And wouldn't be obsolete by new technology so quickly.

    Back when we lived in the city, our neighbors threw a party across the street and two houses down. You could hear it still going at 3am. I left a not-so-happy note on their windshield in the morning.

    Today (Monday) is our public holiday. Have fun on your day off!

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  19. Cheryl, the neighbours were sleeping off their excesses today. Seems it's a Saturday night regular. I can cope with that... one night where ear plugs are recommended for sleep. I love autumn! You have earned your 'lazy'. Hope you enjoyed it.

    Kippy, I figured the camera part would appeal to you haha! Erm... music... neighbours... bleeding ears... ; ) Actually, Jurgis wanted to fire up his router.

    Ien, I'm looking forward to being able to show life in São Paulo again. I miss carrying my little camera.

    Asta, one of the things I like about this phone is that it has a stainless steel case, which would provide better protection and yes, I'm changing the way I carry the phone. I'll put it in an inner pocket in my bag.

    Faye, that is the understatement of the year : ) I'm definitely going to appreciate living elsewhere. As it is, I'm feeling tons better today, but still coughing and sneezing and debating with myself whether or not to go to work. I need the income, but passing on the germs goes against the grain. I'd leave a note for these neighbours, but I doubt it would have any effect.

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  20. It's nice to see you being happy today, Tint. Yesterday was our public holiday. I had 5 days off with pay. I'm still speechless over it. I simply cannot wait to see your pictures from your cell phone...please don't have too much fun with the teens. :)

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Tint~