We like to do things differently

Saturday morning.... laundry's in the machine, Jurgis is outside working on some mysterious project, the vibrating hum of the orbital sander providing a background to my day, both the dog and cat are out there somewhere sunning their bellies. It's a lovely day. I really need to sweep/vacuum/make the bed, but yeah... :) That can wait till this blog is finished. I also want to visit everyone's blogs to catch up on the week. What a week it's been!

When you think of a pantry, what comes to mind? For me, it's a small room that has no window and is cool and lined with shelves, storing groceries and all kinds of yummy things. Here in Brazil, it is very, very rare for a house to come with any form of cupboard, never mind a pantry. Cupboards, for us, have had to be rather, let's just say, inventive. The first thing we do when moving to a place is to put up shelves and pray they stay up. Grocery storage was a major challenge, especially considering that this is a land of bugs and damp and mildew.

When we arrived here, we spent a few years without a fridge of any sort. Groceries were bought daily and what needed to be kept cold was stored in the cooler box. We managed. Eventually, a friend at the consulate said that, with staff rotation, they had a storage facility with loads of furniture, each dip. wanting their own brand new furniture and would we like a fridge. Dumb question. We said yes. We got a huge double-door fridge that was half-working - we have since come to the conclusion that diplomats abuse their furniture badly. It worked for a little while, then died. Instead of throwing it away, Jurgis removed the gas and the grids and we got ourselves a pantry cupboard.



In short, it's perfect. It seals completely. It's temperature controlled. It has plenty little sections for various items. And it's a solution to filling up a garbage dump with an old 'useless' fridge.



On the front of the 'pantry', I have two photos of a place with special memories for us, a copy of a poem I wrote a long time ago, a magnet with the number of our gas company and a magnet with the number for the place we order our pet food. Hanging in front there are my agate chimes. They're more pretty than sounding good. I wish they were in front of the window where the crystal would reflect light, but we can't have it all : )

Some time back, I promised to post a photo of my fridge (the real fridge) with its magnets...


The funky green looking one is art by Tatiana, aged 9. It was meant to be a Picasso reproduction. The one next to it is self-explanatory. Below that, left to right is: a wood magnet from Campos de Jordão, a picture of some landmark in Vilnius - Lithuania, a magnet from the UAE sent by a friend who was working there at the time and my "I'm not plump, I'm fluffy" magnet that goes back to 1985 or possibly even earlier. Below the camel is my Paraty magnet showing their typical boats.

To the right of that is the old South African flag, bought for me by Tat at the Voortrekker monument in SA, currently the only place you can legally buy the flag. Below that, left to right is: "My home is clean enough to be healthy and messy enough to be happy", a magnet from the South African consulate showing their sight which is badly out of date, and the polar bear magnet saying "I'm not a morning person" that Anne thought suited me perfectly. Just to the bottom right of that magnet is another Lithuanian magnet, this time depicting the Lithuanian coat of arms.

Left to right below that is: a wooden Campos de Jordão magnet with copper 'pots' hanging off it, a bulldog clip with a note from Tat :), and my "The opinions of the husband in this household are not necessarily those of the management" magnet.

The last two are my toucan, which comes from Iguaçu falls, brought to me by Anne and a Celestial Seasonings tea, which says, "Wonder is the seed of knowledge by Francis Bach."

“You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.” ~Buddha ~ an honest look at anger: http://tinybuddha.com/blog/punished-by-anger/

In Brooklyn Store, Everything’s Always 100% Off - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/nyregion/16free.htm?_r=1
Wouldn't it be wonderful if very city had a store or three like this and people contributed?

Accidental flying

I take three buses to my first student. Every now and again, the bus drivers run an intensive testing period to see if the passengers are awake.

In short... I hurt... all over.

I was tucked into the window seat just in front of the conductor. The driver had filled up with kangaroo juice and was testing his brakes and steering system to the limit. In peak hour traffic, that takes some doing.

I reached into my bag to get my bus card out just as the driver grew wings to take the last S-bend before my stop.

Now I'm not gravity-challenged and I'm definitely no feather-weight. It takes a lot to part me with gravity. When I sit, I'm firmly planted. Not this time. As he took the corner, I sailed across, out of my seat, across the neighbouring seat, and into the aisle, landing in a heap on the opposite side of the the bus against the other seats. Gravity remembered me... with a vengeance! As I said, I hurt *hobbles off into the sunset... make that 'sunrise'*


This picture makes me very, very grateful that I wear pants to work!

Great way to start the day!

I tend to stop and talk to the animals along my way and passing dog walkers are easy game. One dog came up to sniff and I patted him and chatted to him. His owner launched into an account of how she's going to complain about the bank she was just at because they wouldn't let her dog (slightly bigger than a fox terrier) in even though he's her 'bengala'. Now 'bengala' is a walking stick. How on earth can a dog on a soft leather leash be a walking stick for someone, who, incidentally, was walking just fine. I suggested, hesitantly, that perhaps if she carried a document saying he is exempt from the usual rules banning animals in banks, she may avoid problems in future. Apparently she has a document and they refused to acknowledge it. Now I'm an ardent defender of the sick, the lame and the helpless, but I couldn't help thinking this time that I wasn't very surprised that they raised an eyebrow at her claim.

Eh.... what a week it's been. I'm glad tomorrow is Friday. I'll go in, teach, then pay the rent and get my butt home to unwind.

Little things

It seems that when life is at its darkest, we appreciate the little things that can change a day for the better. When stressing over covering the bills becomes an all-day thought that overrides good sense, even a small deposit gives relief... huge relief. In short, I'm relieved and so very grateful. Immediate bills will be covered and there's enough to get Jurgis a steak for his birthday. I read about this magic way of ensuring the perfect steak. We'll see if it works. Life's looking up.

*sigh* The old ducky next to me just had a fairly long conversation with me, but I didn't get a single word of it. Mumbling in one's own language is bad enough, but in another? I nod. I smile. I agree. Everyone likes to have someone agree with them, right?

So... I'm once again facing decisions. My day currently involves being out from 6am to 6 or 7pm, depending on traffic and transport. During this time, I will do an actual 3 or 4 hours teaching. I get home, spend a couple of hours preparing the next day's lessons, eat and go to bed. If all my students actually had all their classes, this wouldn't be a bad life, but reality is very different. We're past the first half of the month and my one student has had only one of her classes. Others have cancelled at least twice each. The days I don't teach, I simply don't get paid... regardless of the reason for the missed class. What was meant to be a really good month (it's long in business days, so more classes are scheduled) has turned into an economically 'stretched' month.

My decision now is whether to go back to advertising for students (in the hope of getting some decent 'regular' students), though in my area that only brings really basic students who end up needing a lot of Portuguese. On the other hand, there's the schools. I know I said I wouldn't teach at the schools again, but... never say 'never' and all that. Trouble is, pay isn't that good, though it comes with benefits and I can, if I work with a nearby school, cut out or at least cut down on my currently high transport costs. The schools also mean that I have less cancellations, though with the student body being as fickle as it is, that never quite gets ruled out.

Ah.... what to do?

But... today it's easy to be grateful. I'll just ignore the niggly prods of doubt that rear their vile little heads. I have options. That's a plus. I can cover the bills and stock the pantry. I should blog that 'pantry' sometime. The student I am currently waiting for seems to be a no-show, so I get to journal in the meantime. This job has it's advantages to be sure : ) I'm off to bed now. See you all on the flipside.

Following the herd

** High heels, barefoot, boots, ballet slippers or sneakers?  Winter: boots or tekkies; Summer: sandals

** What time did you get up this morning? 8:30 am

** Diamonds or pearls?  Neither, but would take both if forced to : )

** What was the last film you saw at the cinema?  Erm... Avatar... not the airbender one.

** What is your favorite TV show?  NCIS!!

** What do you usually have for breakfast? Coffee and two slices of toast

** Do you smoke? Absolutely not

** What food do you dislike?  Stale coxinhas, cold buffet food and the thought of pigs' snouts in feijoada

** What is your favorite CD at the moment?  A random mix of my own downloads

** What characteristic do you despise ? Egotism and lack of consideration. Ok, that's two

** Favorite Clothing? My black stretch jeans

** Anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?  Katey's ship ; )

** Are you an organized person? Sometimes

** Where would you retire to?  Some place quiet with a little house and trees and grass and a garden

** What was your most memorable birthday? Um... the one at the Outback with Tat and Jurgis when Tat and I tried that awesome cocktail thing or was it the time when Tat and Jurgis teamed up to cook supper for me. Ooh... I should post the photo... this was the 2005 one.


** What are you going to do when you finish this? Probably shower and get to bed, so I can worry about the lessons in the morning and panic and do them at the last minute.

** Furthest place you are sending this? Daft question

** Person you expect to post it first? Another daft question. I'm usually one of the last to do these.

** When is your birthday? March

** Are you a morning person or a night person?  Definitely night, though life is conspiring to make me a mornings person

** What is your shoe size?  Which country? 7 in South Africa

** Do you own any animals?   Nope... they own me.

** Any news you'd like to share?  Hm... no news really. I'm dreading the week.

** What did you want to be when you were little? A singer, then an air hostess

** What is your favorite flower?  The humble pansy

** Do you wish upon stars? Yes!

** Do you second guess your actions afterward?  Too often for my own good

** If you were a crayon, what color would you be?  It changes. Right now? Orange

** How is the weather right now? Bloomin' cold - for Brazil this is cold. My toes are aching

** Last person you spoke to on the phone? Some fool at a call centre.

** Favorite food? Too much choice! Potato... you can do so much with it! And it's probably my favourite because it's so hard to find decent potato here.

** Favorite Restaurant?  In Brazil? I'd say Outback, but it's been years since we went there.

** Hair color? Mud brown liberally streaked with platinum

** What was your favorite toy as a child? Fifi, my doll

** Summer or Winter?  Autumn

** Chocolate, strawberry or vanilla? Neopolitan ; )

** Coffee or tea:  Coffee

** What do you see.. when you look up from the computer screen?  A messy desk

** When was the last time you cried?  Thursday

** What's under your bed?  A rug - it's flat on the floor

** What did you do last night?  I'll be darned if I can remember

** What are you afraid (no, terrified) of? Ending up staying here

** Salty or sweet?  Both... depends on mood. Usually sweet

** Favorite month? April, I think

** Ice Cream, Pie or Cake? All of the aforementioned

** If you could change one thing in your life... what would it be?  To be somewhere else far from here... closer to Tat

** What amusement park.. would you like to visit?  I'm curious about the new HP park, but I'm also not a huge crowd/amusement park fan

** Would you live on Mars if it was colonized?  I'd visit, but no, I rather like our planet

** Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends?  It's interesting

** What are you reading right now?  The Anansi boys by Neil Gaiman

** What was the last gift you gave.. and to whom? A tiny silver box with trees : )

** What was the last gift you received?  From whom?  Two books and teeny tiny iPod

** Do you allow your loved one to take YOUR picture?? And, if no.. WHY??? I do, on condition it's given to me for editing ; )

Sunday chuckles

First, I have to share this here. This, to me, is tear-streaming-laugh-out-loud FUNNY:



Then Jurgis sent this to me. I think at least a couple of my contacts here will appreciate it ; )

This morning I went to sign my four dogs up for welfare.

At first the lady said, "Dogs are not eligible to draw welfare".

So I explained to her that my dogs are mixed in color, unemployed, lazy, can't speak English and have no clue who their daddies are.

They expect me to feed them, provide them with housing and medical care, and feel guilty because they are dogs.

So she looked in her policy book to see what it takes to qualify.

My dogs get their first checks Friday.

Disclaimer: (why do I feel I need one anyway?) The joke above is not aimed at anyone on welfare. I have seen first-hand both ends of the welfare spectrum... the deserving and the most-definitely-not deserving. I thought it was funny. So there!

Besides, I needed the humour. I've been stressing and fussing all day about lesson plans for a very, very, very unpleasant class : (   This is one soul-destroying class. One of us has to give... and I suspect it will be me.

I'm off to do Katey and Riete's quiz and find more funny videos to watch... or perhaps I should give some attention to those lessons.

Procrastination won out!

The only thing that shatters dreams is compromise ~ Richard Bach

Photos in my mind

*A note to those who're new to my blog...
My blogs are written on paper while I'm out teaching,
in the 'dead' time between students or on the bus...
just in case you find it doesn't make much sense*

Oh look! Today's Friday the 13th! So far, it's promising to be peachy in spite of my horrorscope promising doom 'n gloom. I think I'll actually take a lottery ticket today. In fairness, the lottery place should be empty barring a few other souls as odd as me.

It's Friday! : )

An old black man got on the bus - his most notable features were his work-worn hands. I looked up at his creased brown skin and my thoughts went back to old Joe. Joe was part of the landscape of my childhood, a short man, his face a map of ebony wrinkles. I'm not sure what his actual job was, but I remember him mostly on his knees alongside my gran as they lovingly tended pansies, dahlias and roses.

He was a quiet man. The only time I remember him actually saying something was when, during some controversial political upheaval in the country ~ "Ek's 'n kaffir. Ek sal altyd 'n kaffir wees." (Translates to "I'm a kaffir and will always be a kaffir") He wasn't being humble or downtrodden when he said that. He said it with an odd pride. I actually think that he had found the equality everyone else was crying for kneeling in the dirt next to a white woman, tending the flower beds they both loved. I was taught to respect him and who could do otherwise? I think he was old before time began.

Another short man from my past comes to mind, Oom de Vos. I can picture him clearly. Actually, I can smell him clearly too. He carried a musty old-man smell about him that made me imagine him carrying mothballs in the pockets of his equally old black suit that he probably dug out especially for these visits. I wish I knew more about him though. He'd known my gran for many, many years. Apparently, he had been a manager on the family farm. He always spoke to my gran with warm deference. I suspect that he could have filled in a lot of the gaps I have in the family history. I'd look his family up, but, sadly, De Vos is a fairly common name in South Africa and I know absolutely nothing else about him. For the lack of photos, I wish I were an artist. I'd paint a picture. The memories are crystal clear.

A young girl, a student, got onto the bus and stood next to my seat. I offered to hold her bags, but she put them on the floor at her feet. She did, however, allow me to hold her book, a thick tome on Clinical Anatomy. Have you ever held a book and wished you could just absorb all the information in it through the covers... osmosis-style? I did. I wonder if she'd have thought me odd or presumptuous if I'd started flipping through the book.

Raw umber

Not my photo - photographer unknown


One of my most treasured childhood possessions was my box of Crayola crayons. As I sit here, I can feel the textured paper clinging to the silky-smooth wax. My box of crayons was always perfectly arranged in colour order. I loved the colours, but, I think, more than the colours, I loved their names. Aquamarine, Indian Red, Prussian Blue, Forest Green, Raw Sienna, Brick Red... names that fire the imagination. So many of my colour references today are from Crayola. Raw umber and burnt orange were my favourites. I loved the way the names rolled off my tongue.

Now I'm no shopaholic. In fact, I don't like shopping, especially when it's for myself. Where I'm sitting, though, is a shop boasting a cardigan in a perfectly exquisite burnt orange. Good thing that it's about four sizes too small for me.

I finally managed to finish my Worcestershire sauce book today. That is, after the smell dissipated enough for me to be able to carry it with me onto public buses and into classes.

If you could have one super power, what would you want? I would love the ability to heal or comfort with just a touch - where words are superfluous and reasoning an unnecessary extra. On the other hand... the ability to teleport would have been very useful today *sigh*

Grandma-ster! 77-Year-Old Ena Mallett Earns Black Belt in Jujitsu

http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/grandma-ster-77-year-old-ena-mallett-earns-black-belt-in-jujitsu/19562044
Go Grandma! And this is for all of you who think you're past it ; )

Sunshine

Heart smiles...

A note from someone close....

" I hope you have a sunny day today! : ) "

And a picture attached...

Photo from the Lithuanian online newspaper, Irytas.lt

I pass the wish on...

Ok, our skies look much like this right now (with added pollution) and it's about to rain, but I can dream...

"A ship in harbour is safe - but that is not what ships are for." ~John A. Shedd

I believe

Art by Sara Broski. I loved her work! Very whimsical.
Do click on the image to see more.

Reincarnation is a belief that seems to fly in the face of creation, but then, according to many, so does the whole evolution and dinosaurs belief. There are so many varying beliefs founded on man's desire to know why, when and how. Does it really matter? This blog isn't on religious belief, though it is a topic I enjoy discussing on occasion. Note that I said 'discussing', not ranting, postulating, temper-tantruming or throwing rotten eggs over. What my beliefs are, are not the point here, though I'm inclined to say, "Who really knows?" In short, I believe it is all possible. Yes, every single last bit of it and I think that the sooner people look at each other with a desire to understand the beliefs of others, we'll find that to be true.

But... this is about reincarnation and possibly a little evolution, possibly a dinosaur or two... and yes, creation. I'm not sure why I chose these words beyond that they seem to be appropriate to my thoughts.

As I see it, we've all been reincarnated in one form or another. We're all evolving, ever-changing, growing. We came into this life as a lump of (rather cute) clay, each one of us with unique moulding properties, ready to be formed or moulded. Those who've worked with clay will know there are some clays which mould far easier than others, some which are prone to cracking and others which hold up rather well under adverse conditions.

As we go through life, we all encounter change. Usually, it's an evolution or growth period. Circumstances force us to adapt and adapt we do. The human spirit is remarkably strong, usually far stronger than we think it is while going through those rough times.

Ah... then there are times when life simply whips the carpet out of under our feet and we crash. A phoenix-like rebirth is the only option open. We scrape together the ashes and pieces of our soul and drag ourselves up again - some times better than others.

There are also times we choose to reincarnate ourselves. This is what I was thinking about today. For myself, I'm at a point where I'm once again evaluating where I am and what I can do to better myself. There are so many things I want to change that it's more of a reincarnation, rather than an evolution. I like the fact that a reincarnation seems quicker than an evolution too.

So... reincarnate, I will, assuming I can persuade the dinosaurs of my old belief systems, experiences and perceptions not to stomp all over my attempts.

"The grass is not, in fact, always greener on the other side of the fence. Fences have nothing to do with it. The grass is greenest where it is watered. When crossing over fences, carry water with you and tend the grass wherever you may be." Robert Fulghum

A sense of style

Have you ever left home in your slippers? Or at least dreamt that you have? Or worn sandals when going out into the snow? ; )

My dress for teaching leans towards the casual with just enough 'smart' to be presentable for corporate students. Yesterday, for example, I had the balls-in-the-bathtub student and a mess of teens. Dress: jeans, t-shirt, hiking boots. As day-to-day comfort wear goes, that is 'it'. Around lunch time, I stepped in at the shopping centre in the area - in the heart of the Jewish quarter. I spent my time there wondering, as I often do, if money makes one lose all sense of style - as though I have so much style myself =Þ Naturally, there were bunches of well-dressed dames, but some real oddballs too.

This morning, I decided to 'glamorise'. I hauled out my red throw, did the full 'war paint' routine and even dug through my jewellery box! Yes! Full red-carpet glamour. Ok, not quite, but, for me, it's a total departure from what has become my norm.

I left home feeling all dressed up... until I got to the bus stop and chanced to look down. Yep. Rough 'n tough hiking boots! I packed up laughing. My bus stop companion gave me a kind of quizzical grin, not knowing what could possibly be so amusing during a dark, early morning wait for the bus. Every now and again, throughout the day, my thoughts would go to my feet - which, in fairness, are far more comfortable than they have any right to be when 'dressed up' - and the mirth bubbles up again.

The photo, by the way, is of Tat's old boots. Mine aren't nearly as worn, so I could get away with it under my pants.

Looking at the news this morning and reading about how the fire brigade somewhere in northern USA is offering to hose down the cattle in the extreme heat, it's weird to see the thick blanket of snow not to far south of us here in Brazil. My world today is peppered with huddled Brazilian popsicles.

From one of our local news sites

Adventure in transit

What will I do for blog fodder the day I become 'normal' and get a car?

I was surprised and "Omg! How exciting!" pleased when I scored a seat on the bus this morning - right alongside the driver. It's reserved-for-old-fogies seating, but at 6am, they're not in transit anywhere. Turns out, that's where all the action is. There I was, minding my own business, watching street and car lights going by (I couldn't read, as the driver had the lights off) to the tune of some mellow Enya.

I got myself free entertainment. The bus had stopped. A lanky youth ran up and looked inside. It seemed that he decided it was the wrong bus. He walked along the curb and banged on the bus where the bus conductor sat. I figured it was just a 'greeting'. They often do that if they know the driver or conductor and it's usually followed by animated chatting and laughing. But... In a split second, the conductor and driver were both out of their seats and pounding down the road after the guy, brandishing 2 foot long, thick sticks. This was a true blue, "What the heck?!" moment. The chase carried itself across 6 lanes and ended as the guy rounded a corner.

The driver and conductor swaggered back to the bus with a "we got him good" attitude. Back on the bus, they talked and laughed between themselves after stowing their sticks. Unfortunately, they spoke in the incomprehensible North Eastern accent, so I remained clueless. One thing was sure, they were prepared. This was no random event.

I then switched over to the metro, which went calmer, though not without its own interest. We'd gone a couple of stops when everyone was ordered off the metro. I had my earphones in, so I missed the announcement. It seems to be my day for being clueless. We all crowded sheeplike into the next metro and went on our merry way.

I met my student who flapped a little at the 'dangers of public transport', only to be caught up by his own words when sirens bore down on us. There was a convoy of police cars and a van transporting criminals. The 'brownies' (that's what the traffic guys are called here due to their brown uniforms) shooed us out of the way. What on earth possessed them to think that transporting criminals through São Paulo's peak hour traffic was a good idea?? Apparently they 'avoid' traffic jams because of the risk of being blocked off deliberately (pre-organised), thus allowing the prisoners to escape.

   ~ ~ ~

Does anyone else also find their heart stopping when an ambulance passes by? I find myself hurting for the drama those people are facing.

What makes a pubescent kid go a few metres out of his way to kick a pigeon? Does it give him an otherwise missing sense of power?

I'm now off to bed. It was an exhausting day. Tomorrow will be even longer. I leave home at 6am and return at 6pm. In that time, I will take 7 buses in total and a metro. What adventures await, I wonder? My afternoon will end with 3 teen boys whom I've been warned will try to take advantage. Great. What an exciting prospect!

Crossword Fun - alphaDictionary

http://www.alphadictionary.com/fun/puzzles.html
Go on... have some fun! Click on the block and start typing. Clicking twice on a block gives you the 'down' word. Clues are on the left.

Pouring in

I just loved this and, I'm not sure why, Kippy came to mind ; )

Dreams

I woke up on the tail end of a fascinating dream. As some of you may know, I've been very interested in alternative healing for many, many years now. My interest started with herbs, then moved on to reflexology. Reflexology is the stimulating of points in the hands or feet, which correspond to areas in the body. The body is broken up in to energy meridians, so the energy runs from a point in the body to the organ you are treating.

I believe that our bodies are remarkable machines, where everything is tied in, all running like smooth cogs, interlinked. I believe in the healing therapies I've studied because I started out as the ultimate sceptic. Everything I use is what I've tried on myself and found it to work.

I have studied reflexology and herbalism over the years. As you know, I don't go to the doctor unless the situation is dire. My latest visit to the doctor let me to blood tests that showed that I was normal in every way and the couple that were 'out of synch' were so logical and something I can work on on my own. In fact, something I need to work on (you only need to see a photo of me to know what that is).

Since I started on this 'journey', I have studied EFT, TAT, acupressure and hypnotherapy. Studying, for me, has involved reading everything I can on the subject, doing research and taking every course I have access to. Last week, I did the exam to certify as a hypnotherapist. I passed and got my bit of paper. Thing is, like all the other qualifications I have, this one is a low level qualification, but it did give me knowledge and I can use that with myself and anyone else who trusts me enough. It sounds pat, but the more I learn, the more I find out I don't know and want to learn more.

                       ~ ~ ~

Back to my dream. I don't remember the lead up, other than that it involved a mess of transport typical of my working life, but I ended up in a hospital clinic setup. The place was very old. The furnishings were solid, very thick wood, painted in yellowing enamel paint that had obviously taken years of abuse, but was clean. With every aspect of the dream, the word 'ancient' comes to mind. There was a mess with documents I needed, again, typical of my life here. I never seem to have the right papers. Jurgis eventually arrived with the final paper I needed after a frantic call.

I was shown through to the doctor. He stood behind an old desk, in the style of the front desks. Behind him was a circular area with floor-to-ceiling shelves, every inch of which contained little brown bottles. I looked at the bottles and could visualise their contents. The contained liquids with samples in them. I was intrigued and, to me, it was strangely beautiful. I stood looking at them and wanted to write a poem about those bottles.

The doctor eventually sent me through for the actual blood test. As I walked into the next area, another doctor or technician was standing there holding a chart and pointing to where he was going to take the sample. He was a good few feet away, but I could clearly see the chart. It was a meridian chart with the liver meridian highlighted in a bright orange-red. This is strange because, with all my studying, I have a vague sense of the acupressure/acupuncture meridians, but struggled to memorize them, but in my dream, I knew that meridian very well and recognised it immediately.

I woke up at the point where I was standing rooted to the ground realising that the doctor was planning to stick a needle into my liver at the point under the ribs in the image here. I think anyone would wake up at that thought ; )

                       ~ ~ ~

Back to reality.

Last week, I was doing a lot of EFT and hypnosis on the subject of my health and my work, aka financial situation. One of the EFT masters suggested focussing on a point that needs working on (EFT uses acupressure points). I kept thinking that I don't know which point needs more work and how am I supposed to know anyway? I have my answers. Research into the liver meridian was the penny drop I needed. I had a few 'wow' moments this morning. So that's what it was?!

My morning didn't end there. I got two emails where the one agent I get work from had asked my old students (one who'd cancelled) if they want to return to class. The responses were that they loved the classes with me, but couldn't right now and would in the near future. Hey... a compliment! I'll take that!

More was to come though. The same agent, who's an English teacher himself with excellent English, has asked me to teach his three kids, each kid in his/her own class. Wow. I was dumbstruck. This teacher is a good teacher in his own right. He used to run a school. His old students rave about his classes and he wants ME to teach his kids?! A compliment indeed. I'll take that too! : )

All in all, the week is starting well with fascinating things to think about, follow up on and filled with hope. I like that.

ABC's in another language

Classic case of severe side-track. I started out with Katey's ABC blog, then hunted for a pic to go with it, then found the alphabet shown here, which reminded me of someone, which reminded me of a time long ago.

On Friday, I had a somewhat strange day, but in that day, I found myself on Facebook. Facebook recommended I add someone who had someone else on their list who had... you know how it goes. In all that, I found someone surprising. Not sure why it surprised me, but it did. I found my old SADSL (South African Deaf Sign Language) teacher.

We lived near Fulton School for the deaf and it wasn't a huge stretch to end up with a friend who had a deaf child. It was a struggle for this friend, as she was a very pro-active mom. There weren't many resources for deaf kids and sign language wasn't fashionable then. Few people used sign language. The trend at the deaf schools back then was for kids to learn to 'speak' English and sign language wasn't recognised as a language in its own right. A few of us got together to learn. The idea was to enable the little girl to have a life outside of school. We learned through books at first, doing signed English, literally signing every word, prepositions included. Then we 'progressed' to ASL (American sign language). Some time later, we enrolled to study South African sign language. It was finally recognised and encouraged. It wasn't an easy course, but we had a lot of fun. It helps to do it with friends.

I qualified in the end... to make conversation and to interpret at Level 1, which was for conventions and such. I couldn't interpret at schools or for legal matters, but I was fine with that and totally not up for another couple of years of study.

This photo was taken after our graduation.


This one is a photo montage my friend did of our group signing at a convention in Durban. I'm the one in yellow and red.

"The average person goes to their grave with their music still in them." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes ~ Find your music and play it

Random thoughts

I think I'm going to start a Random thought blog, a little bit like Kippy's Whim blogs, except that mine will probably make less sense. But then again, my mind's been so random, by the time I open the blog page, it will have moved onto something else. C'est la vie... at least, my 'vie'.

Found via Google (click image to go to the blog page):

Matt: "at the top of the tribune tower yelling down at people"
Kara: "on top of the world, looking down"
Matt: "because we live on a globe, wherever you are, you are on top of the world."

I like that!

Yes, I have been missing. Life has been a little... challenging. No wait. The activities in my head have been a little challenging.

I love the new Google image search! Well, it's new for me. Apparently Tat doesn't have it.

I really badly want to sew... and do something crafty. Sewing takes time (and space) and I have little of either, so crafty is next. I tried 'simple' a knotting 'project' and got lost on step 2 *sigh* I hauled out the crochet hook and thread... got two rows in and got equally lost.

I feel like a Jill of all trades. I just completed another course. I do courses in all manner of things that, though I use them for myself, do little to further my life plans. I'm one of those 'knowledgeable in many things, but properly qualified in none' with scads of grim life experience, but no papers to prove it (or very few anyway). But then... if learning makes me a better person, all is good : )

I have a long list of goals. Some easier to get to than others. Funny how the more challenging ones end up at the top of the list.

I discovered why I wasn't sleeping well, aside from the cat making me move around her all night. The bed needs a miracle makeover or a dump. I vote 'dump'. Maybe one day.

In a world of amazing possibilities, it becomes hard, sometimes, to decide which possibilities to go for first.

It's August. The year is almost over. Omg!

I love kids. Honestly, I do! I may want to commit hari-kari on the brats two houses down. They scream all day long... I mean... really  scream. I would love to give the parents a reality check. My fear is that one day they'll be screaming for real (as opposed to really screaming) and everyone will ignore it because it's 'normal'. Aside from that, it's just plumb annoying.

We have a big black cat that has taken to visiting and... much to my disgust... spraying. I'll add him to the list of 5000 other cats that have taken to hanging around and have formed the Tujupi Cat Choral. The black cat (aside from his obvious misdemeanour) is beautiful though. He's a pitch black version of Maluco. The same calm "I'm top cat around here" attitude. Now if he didn't spray =/

Some days, just waking up is enough


Random comments welcome...

Ice cream goes to the dogs

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38341496/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/
My jaw dropped... awesome! Just look at that photo!

Heellllllp!

Whataweek!

Ok, my week started very badly. I mean... very badly. Not worth going into that now. Let's just say my confidence was at an all-time low after the weekend's high. Yep... it's been like that.

Yesterday morning, on my way to work, I gave myself a talking to. It helped a lot! Weepiness abated and I was able to think clearly.

Thing is, I gave myself until September to get out of Brazil. I want to be settled in Lithuania or England by Christmas : ) 



Back to yesterday. I was listening to my Lithuanian course and feeling so grateful for this couple who are offering the course for free, when I got the idea that I'd like to do something (actually, that idea has been in my head for a while now, but I didn't know how to go about it). I watched someone getting their free Metro News newspaper and it occurred to me. I planned to offer to write a column teaching English. It wouldn't take too much of my time and it would be good for my CV and for possible new students. I just have to figure out how to get in touch with them and how to present the suggestion. I'll work on that this weekend.

Then this morning, I got an email from a head-hunter. Would I be interested in teaching at Berlitz? Berlitz is international. Last year, when I did the test with them, they offered to pay while I was being trained, not a large amount... not enough to keep the wolves from the door, but enough to make it almost worthwhile. If I get trained for Berlitz here, it will make getting a job in England or Lithuania that much easier. BUT they demand exclusivity. They won't appreciate me keeping my current students who do, in fact, keep the wolves from the door. I can claim my students as my second job, fibbing by telling them it's my photography/photo restoration business and do private in the morning and Berlitz in the afternoons and evenings, but Jurgis is worried I'll burn out. I'm worried that my scanty social life will grind to a total halt.

My horoscope today said:

Wednesday, Jul 21st, 2010 -- You may be dazzled by so many possibilities in your life that you don't know which way to turn today. You could be distracted by the lure of love which further confuses your current decision-making process. Thankfully, magic is working in your favor now; when you finally stop your expert analysis and simply begin to move, you will be heading in exactly the right direction.

Ok, the lure of love was weird, but the rest... I live in hope and yes, I don't know which way to turn. I'm fidgety and jumpy and my mind was gone into overdrive. I need to find myself a mountaintop seer.... "Oh wise one, tell me the future" or something to that effect.

Any of you seers?

On an aside... the new Google Images search is sooooo nice!

"Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you are not willing to move your feet." A thought provoking quote that doesn't just apply to asking 'the Lord'.

A little imagination required...

... but not too much, please!

I have a new student, a pleasant enough fellow. It was a murky, rainy sort of day when I went to meet him. The bus broke down and I had to walk the last distance to his apartment. The gatekeeper was a little clueless. Ok, more than a little clueless. I suspect I disturbed his nap or something. I walked the wide, curved drive to an impressive entrance, then found my way to the appropriate lifts. At this point, I could see the building was old. It's in an older, highly respected part of town, the Jewish sector (different nationalities tend to cluster together in communities here, which is why we're in the Lithuanian community).

I arrived at his floor. The doorbell was funky. I rang, but heard nothing. Rang again and risked knocking. Don't you just hate that? I didn't want to knock if the bell was working, but didn't want to risk it not being functional.

Anyway, he opened the door and, looking straight ahead, I saw leather-couched bachelor comfort and someone who travels a lot. You know the type. He indicated to the right to the glass-topped table. As I turned, I looked down.

There... in front of the door, between me and the lounge area was a ball and claw bathtub....



filled with balls! You know the balls you get in one of those ball pools for kids?



On top of the balls was an 'arm' cushion.... a blue one like this one...

Now tell me... what would you think? I had to DRAG my eyes away from the bathtub! At the end of the meeting, I asked him gingerly if he had kids or particularly liked them. No, he's a bachelor with no kids and he doesn't mind them, but has little contact with them. So what's with the bathtub?? In the lounge??

Anyhow, adding him to my Tuesday and Thursday morning routine is going to mean that before noon, I get to take 6 buses and a metro. That makes for a lot of quality on-the-road time, but I'm happy. I've been wanting a mid-morning student to fill in the gaps. He travels overseas a few times a year, wants to know how to chat up Swedish blondes in nightclubs without sounding Brazilian and only starts work at around 11am every day. What a life!

But MOM! I don' wanna go in there!

Adorable! Mom otter teaches her baby to swim : )

If she can do it, anyone can do it!

: )

Wet World

I'm early. The world around me is wrapped in scarves and jackets, except for the guy in the denim shorts, no shirt, flip flops and a cap walking down below.

It's raining. As I'm early, I chose to stay on the undercover Metro bridge, watching the raindrops run along the concrete beam and eventually peel themselves off. The flickering fluorescent light turns the world around me into a kind of unearthly early-morning disco.

Somehow, the glistening wet of the side-walk makes the litter stand out starkly. Litter blocks the drains, so the water dams up in the road, turning the paving into a bug-sized, filthy surf.

Pigeons are amazing things. Where do they come from? One lone white pigeon bobs around, finds a soggy crumb and in a split second, twenty others arrive to help decimate the 'feast'.

My hands are cold, but then, my hands are pretty much always cold. They're saying that, a little way south of us, the sentient temperature this morning is -22ºC. I find that hard to believe. Not complaining here though. At least we're finally having a smattering of winter.

Augh. Poor guy. This old man is always there on the curb-side. His lopsided stool stands abandoned off to one side, as he hops around, trying to keep warm. He has a blue shopping trolley holding a polystyrene cooler of orange junk-juice and bottled water. I doubt he'll make too many sales today, if any. Even the coffee-and-cake guy is lacking his usual cluster of clients in the cold and rain.

Ah... time's up. I need to go down and wait for the bright yellow VW.

 

Technorati Tags: rain,people,cold,thoughts,carandiru,metro

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity | Video on TED.com

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
If you're an educator of any sort, or a mom, or someone who's simply interested, this is an engaging talk where Ken Robinson makes a very important point.

Wet world

I'm early. The world around me is wrapped in scarves and jackets, except for the guy in the denim shorts, no shirt, flip flops and a cap walking down below.

It's raining. As I'm early, I chose to stay on the undercover Metro bridge, watching the raindrops run along the concrete beam and eventually peel themselves off. The flickering fluorescent light turns the world around me into a kind of unearthly early-morning disco.

Somehow, the glistening wet of the side-walk makes the litter stand out starkly. Litter blocks the drains, so the water dams up in the road, turning the paving into a bug-sized, filthy surf.

Pigeons are amazing things. Where do they come from? One lone white pigeon bobs around, finds a soggy crumb and in a split second, twenty others arrive to help decimate the 'feast'.

My hands are cold, but then, my hands are pretty much always cold. They're saying that, a little way south of us, the sentient temperature this morning is -22ºC. I find that hard to believe. Not complaining here though. At least we're finally having a smattering of winter.

Augh. Poor guy. This old man is always there on the curb-side. His lopsided stool stands abandoned off to one side, as he hops around, trying to keep warm. He has a blue shopping trolley holding a polystyrene cooler of orange junk-juice and bottled water. I doubt he'll make too many sales today, if any. Even the coffee-and-cake guy is lacking his usual cluster of clients in the cold and rain.

Ah... time's up. I need to go down and wait for the bright yellow VW.

“The only disability in life is a bad attitude” ~Scott Hamilton

Maleducada

Yes, the image does say 'Maleducado' and my title has an 'a' on the end. That isn't a spelling error. This title refers to a girl on the bus (the 'a' denotes feminine).

This weekend, I read a blog where someone was describing eating habits in Brazil. One of the things she mentioned was that it's considered rude to eat on the go (they obviously didn't walk the streets of São Paulo or take public transport here). Ok, it's not often you see someone walking and eating. Kudos to them. They have some odd 'rules' for manners here, but then, they probably think the same about some of our manners. That's beside the point.

What gets me here is the use of the word 'maleducado'. It means 'badly educated'. 'Mal' is 'bad' and 'educado' is fairly obvious. Is it really just a matter of education? Really? They honestly believe it is and will argue the toss till they're blue in the face.

On the bus today, there was a girl sitting in the area on the bus reserved for the elderly, infirm, pregnant and those with children too young to stand on their own. At her feet, sitting on the corner of the footrest, looking very uncomfortable, was an elderly woman. Standing alongside was another. I looked down. The woman's feet were swollen and red. The girl sat. I tapped her on the shoulder and, giving her the benefit of the doubt, pointed at the two elderly women who had a right to a seat there. The girl heaved a huge, very visible sigh and started 'packing up'. By 'packing up', I mean she started arranging her earphones and fiddling with her iPod and shuffling her bag around on her lap. I glared at her. She sighed again. 3 Stops later, she was still 'getting her stuff together'. I had to get off. She watched me get off and settled back into her seat. I was aghast and totally disgusted. I'm sorry. That is Not a question of education. I've seen animals care more. Trouble is, I see this all the time. The kicker is that this same girl will look askance at someone who eats their pão de queijo without first wrapping it in a napkin.

Is it really lack of education (they're talking here about the 'education' into manners you get at your mother's knee) to dump huge mountains of rubble and refuse around the only three trees the neighbourhood has? Is it really lack of education to park the whole pavement full, so pedestrians have to walk in the streets? Or lying across two seats on the bus because they know that not a soul will ask them to move. People would rather stand around uncomfortably than ask to pass someone or use a seat. And what about not booking a table at the mall, which stands empty while they decide what to eat, as others are wandering around with a tray of rapidly-cooling food.

I don't think it is lack of education. Not even in the slightest. It's lack of caring or respect for our fellow beings. Sure, education can improve that, but it shouldn't be necessary and heck, so many times I see the so-called educated acting like uncultured buffoons.

It irks me no end that this word almost gives them cause to feel sympathy for the offender. You can hear it in the tone they use when excusing it. "Oh, it's not her fault. She's just not educated." Gah!

Technorati Tags: maleducado,rude,manners

Hubby humour

Jurgis thought he'd brighten up my day, so I got this in a text file...


Spike Milligan's cheeky look here
reminded me so much of my grandfather!

A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree.
Spike Milligan

All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Spike Milligan
Ooh! I love this one!

And God said, 'Let there be light' and there was light, but the Electricity Board said He would have to wait until Thursday to be connected.
Spike Milligan
That must be Britain... it'd be way longer here.

I have the body of an eighteen year old. I keep it in the fridge.
Spike Milligan

I spent many years laughing at Harry Secombe's singing until somebody told me that it wasn't a joke.
Spike Milligan
I could apply this to a few singers. Don't know who the singer is.

I thought I'd begin by reading a poem by Shakespeare, but then I thought, why should I? He never reads any of mine.
Spike Milligan

I'm a hero with coward's legs.
Spike Milligan

I'm not afraid of dying I just don't want to be there when it happens.
Spike Milligan

Is there anything worn under the kilt? No, it's all in perfect working order.
Spike Milligan

It's all in the mind, you know.
Spike Milligan

Money can't buy you happiness but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
Spike Milligan

Money couldn't buy friends, but you got a better class of enemy.
Spike Milligan

My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic.
Spike Milligan

 

Technorati Tags: quotes,funny

Fast Lane - The Slide

Oh I could so use one of these!!! Go VW!!

Thanks to McNair of Tea with McNair fame:
http://teawithmcnair.typepad.com/tea_with_mcnair/

Hubby humour

Jurgis thought he'd brighten up my day, so I got this in a text file...


Spike Milligan's cheeky look here
reminded me so much of my grandfather!

A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree.
Spike Milligan

All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Spike Milligan
Ooh! I love this one!

And God said, 'Let there be light' and there was light, but the Electricity Board said He would have to wait until Thursday to be connected.
Spike Milligan
That must be Britain... it'd be way longer here.

I have the body of an eighteen year old. I keep it in the fridge.
Spike Milligan

I spent many years laughing at Harry Secombe's singing until somebody told me that it wasn't a joke.
Spike Milligan
I could apply this to a few singers. Don't know who the singer is.

I thought I'd begin by reading a poem by Shakespeare, but then I thought, why should I? He never reads any of mine.
Spike Milligan

I'm a hero with coward's legs.
Spike Milligan

I'm not afraid of dying I just don't want to be there when it happens.
Spike Milligan

Is there anything worn under the kilt? No, it's all in perfect working order.
Spike Milligan

It's all in the mind, you know.
Spike Milligan

Money can't buy you happiness but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
Spike Milligan

Money couldn't buy friends, but you got a better class of enemy.
Spike Milligan

My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic.
Spike Milligan

Maleducada

Yes, the image does say 'Maleducado' and my title has an 'a' on the end. That isn't a spelling error. This title refers to a girl on the bus (the 'a' denotes feminine).

This weekend, I read a blog where someone was describing eating habits in Brazil. One of the things she mentioned was that it's considered rude to eat on the go (they obviously didn't walk the streets of São Paulo or take public transport here). Ok, it's not often you see someone walking and eating. Kudos to them. They have some odd 'rules' for manners here, but then, they probably think the same about some of our manners. That's beside the point.

What gets me here is the use of the word 'maleducado'. It means 'badly educated'. 'Mal' is 'bad' and 'educado' is fairly obvious. Is it really just a matter of education? Really? They honestly believe it is and will argue the toss till they're blue in the face.

On the bus today, there was a girl sitting in the area on the bus reserved for the elderly, infirm, pregnant and those with children too young to stand on their own. At her feet, sitting on the corner of the footrest, looking very uncomfortable, was an elderly woman. Standing alongside was another. I looked down. The woman's feet were swollen and red. The girl sat. I tapped her on the shoulder and, giving her the benefit of the doubt, pointed at the two elderly women who had a right to a seat there. The girl heaved a huge, very visible sigh and started 'packing up'. By 'packing up', I mean she started arranging her earphones and fiddling with her iPod and shuffling her bag around on her lap. I glared at her. She sighed again. 3 Stops later, she was still 'getting her stuff together'. I had to get off. She watched me get off and settled back into her seat. I was aghast and totally disgusted. I'm sorry. That is Not a question of education. I've seen animals care more. Trouble is, I see this all the time. The kicker is that this same girl will look askance at someone who eats their pão de queijo without first wrapping it in a napkin.

Is it really lack of education (they're talking here about the 'education' into manners you get at your mother's knee) to dump huge mountains of rubble and refuse around the only three trees the neighbourhood has? Is it really lack of education to park the whole pavement full, so pedestrians have to walk in the streets? Or lying across two seats on the bus because they know that not a soul will ask them to move. People would rather stand around uncomfortably than ask to pass someone or use a seat. And what about not booking a table at the mall, which stands empty while they decide what to eat, as others are wandering around with a tray of rapidly-cooling food.

I don't think it is lack of education. Not even in the slightest. It's lack of caring or respect for our fellow beings. Sure, education can improve that, but it shouldn't be necessary and heck, so many times I see the so-called educated acting like uncultured buffoons.

It irks me no end that this word almost gives them cause to feel sympathy for the offender. You can hear it in the tone they use when excusing it. "Oh, it's not her fault. She's just not educated." Gah!

Music and Life - Alan Watts

Sweet, simple, inspirational... a very "... I knew that, but... " video.

Sing, dance!

Music & Life: An Alan Watts Animation

brought to you by the publisher behind:
http://alanwatts.com/

"If you get up one more time than you fall, you will make it through." ~Chinese Proverb

Early morning coffee

After two near-accidents with the bus - what possesses people to try to cut across two lanes in front of a bus at an intersection when the bus is going straight and they want to turn?? - I'm early for this morning's class.

I stop off at the friendly corner cafe for a cuppa. (The photo here is of a similar cafe and taken long ago, not the one I was at.) It's clean, in a very white-tile-plastic-and-formica way. Coffee here is drunk out of a glass, ready sweetened.... and, boy, is it sweetened?! I've found a way to get mind in a cup and chuckle over the Zero-Cal™ sweetener I use there. The back has an unusual warning, "Zero-cal™, 'marcade fantasia, contem calorias." You don't need Portuguese proficiency to get the gist of that. Talk about misleading labelling!

All eyes are on the TV screen at the one end of the cafe, right above the kitchen hutch. They're interviewing a Brazilian in SA who's trying to sell his tickets to the upcoming matches, so he can go home. I hope the Brazilians still there are at least taking the opportunity to explore the country.

Time to go. As I scratch for coinage for the coffee, I see a woman putting her breakfast on her card. The standard breakfast being coffee and pão na chapa. I don't put small amounts on my card because of the charges to the shop owner, but a cash-free society suddenly seems very appealing. Do I mind that much that my ever move will be traceable?


On a side note, does anyone here know anything about a Schengen visa?

 

Technorati Tags: schengen,cafe,money

Early morning coffee

After two near-accidents with the bus - what possesses people to try to cut across two lanes in front of a bus at an intersection when the bus is going straight and they want to turn?? - I'm early for this morning's class.

I stop off at the friendly corner cafe for a cuppa. (The photo here is of a similar cafe and taken long ago, not the one I was at.) It's clean, in a very white-tile-plastic-and-formica way. Coffee here is drunk out of a glass, ready sweetened.... and, boy, is it sweetened?! I've found a way to get mine in a cup and chuckle over the Zero-Cal™ sweetener I use there. The back has an unusual warning, "Zero-cal™, 'marcade fantasia, contem calorias." You don't need Portuguese proficiency to get the gist of that. Talk about misleading labelling!

All eyes are on the TV screen at the one end of the cafe, right above the kitchen hutch. They're interviewing a Brazilian in SA who's trying to sell his tickets to the upcoming matches, so he can go home. I hope the Brazilians still there are at least taking the opportunity to explore the country.

Time to go. As I scratch for coinage for the coffee, I see a woman putting her breakfast on her card. The standard breakfast being coffee and pão na chapa. I don't put small amounts on my card because of the charges to the shop owner, but a cash-free society suddenly seems very appealing. Do I mind that much that my every move will be traceable?


On a side note, does anyone here know anything about a Schengen visa?

A sequence of events

Photo taken by Jurgis. The butterfly landed on the soap bubbles as he was doing the dishes. He fished her out and she hung around a while. He then took photos before releasing her into the great outdoors.
I woke up completely and quickly. That, in itself, was unusual. I'm notoriously slow to surface. My first thought was... surely it's 4:30 already? I checked my cell phone, which doubles as an alarm clock - 4:37! I hadn't set the alarm! Strike one. Without an alarm, I'm usually incapable of surfacing on time.

I put the kettle on and turned on the pc. Ack! My internet wouldn't connect. An overwhelmingly sickly smell drew me to the kitchen. The gas had run out (the gas stinks just as the bin empties for some reason) - coffee would be delayed. I shook Jurgis awake. Luckily, he'd asked me to wake him early. He tackled the gas (we keep a spare bin) and internet while I got ready. With coffee and toast going down well, the morning was saved.

The first bus that came along was an inter-municipal (the elusive Santana bus, Tat! *poke*) The smiling lady sharing my stop got on, so I asked the driver if it went my way. Yep, it did. What a ride! Everyone was smiling!  I wish I could take this bus every day. It takes a grand tour of the city. The route was different and thus interesting. I wished I had a camera with me.

Because I took a bus instead of the usual metro, I ended up on the other end of Parque do Juventude, a large, concrete and wannabe-grass walking area. It has some funky buildings. I walked past the building and wadya know.... a library! An honest-to-goodness fancy-schmancy library here in São Paulo!! Sadly, it was only opening later, so I couldn't go in. Not sure when I'll get the chance to see it, as it's far from home and my hours are a little crazy.

I walked over to where my student usually meets me. I had nearly reached my spot when a scruffy man walked past. I think he was homeless, but who knows. What was special about him? The big red nose he was sporting! When he caught someone staring, he'd grin. He was  having a ball. He left many laughs and smiles in his wake.

I spent the rest of my time there being entertained by an impish (he looked like a little imp) hopelessly drunk man who was dancing and clowning around with a huge grin on his face. He was having a ball!

What was that they say about "Smile and the world smiles with you"? Today, the world seemed to be smiling. It was good : )  I felt as though a load had been taken off my shoulders.

And back to the ordinary world...

Romany was caught grinning in his sleep.


The flash woke him up. He stuck his tongue out.... kinda mid-lick, but too lazy to pull it off properly.


The sun was obviously too good and he dozed right off again.

A sequence of events

Photo taken by Jurgis. The butterfly landed on the soap bubbles as he was doing the dishes. He fished her out and she hung around a while. He then took photos before releasing her into the great outdoors.
I woke up completely and quickly. That, in itself, was unusual. I'm notoriously slow to surface. My first thought was... surely it's 4:30 already? I checked my cell phone, which doubles as an alarm clock - 4:37! I hadn't set the alarm! Strike one. Without an alarm, I'm usually incapable of surfacing on time.

I put the kettle on and turned on the pc. Ack! My internet wouldn't connect. An overwhelmingly sickly smell drew me to the kitchen. The gas had run out (the gas stinks just as the bin empties for some reason) - coffee would be delayed. I shook Jurgis awake. Luckily, he'd asked me to wake him early. He tackled the gas (we keep a spare bin) and internet while I got ready. With coffee and toast going down well, the morning was saved.

The first bus that came along was an inter-municipal (the elusive Santana bus, Tat! *poke*) The smiling lady sharing my stop got on, so I asked the driver if it went my way. Yep, it did. What a ride! Everyone was smiling!  I wish I could take this bus every day. It takes a grand tour of the city. The route was different and thus interesting. I wished I had a camera with me.

Because I took a bus instead of the usual metro, I ended up on the other end of Parque do Juventude, a large, concrete and wannabe-grass walking area. It has some funky buildings. I walked past the building and wadya know.... a library! An honest-to-goodness fancy-schmancy library here in São Paulo!! Sadly, it was only opening later, so I couldn't go in. Not sure when I'll get the chance to see it, as it's far from home and my ours are a little crazy.

I walked over to where my student usually meets me. I had nearly reached my spot when a scruffy man walked past. I think he was homeless, but who knows. What was special about him? The big red nose he was sporting! When he caught someone staring, he'd grin. He was  having a ball. He left many laughs and smiles in his wake.

I spent the rest of my time there being entertained by an impish (he looked like a little imp) hopelessly drunk man who was dancing and clowning around with a huge grin on his face. He was having a ball!

What was that they say about "Smile and the world smiles with you"? Today, the world seemed to be smiling. It was good : )  I felt as though a load had been taken off my shoulders.

And back to the ordinary world...

Romany was caught grinning in his sleep.


The flash woke him up. He stuck his tongue out.... kinda mid-lick, but too lazy to pull it off properly.


The sun was obviously too good and he dozed right off again.

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Starting over

I found this article recently and it got me thinking. Actually, it doesn't do much to get me thinking of our dream. A while back, Kippy and Jaime wanted me to talk about my perfect home. Then just recently, someone mentioned being envious of a life of ease. I often say "I'm jealous" and you'll usually find it's relating to a certain way of life... a life we'd love to live again, a truly simple life.



Second Act

"We embark on a career path or a job before we really know ourselves at a very early age, but I think we're still a work in progress and over the course of your life you can stitch together a quilt of what you want to be and who you want to be." Lisa Schwartz

Now, if I were envious of a lifestyle, it's the one this lady has built for herself. That is a dream!

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A couple more videos of people starting over and fulfilling a dream... truly inspirational! I've linked to the videos, so I don't overload this page for those with slow connections:

http://vitality.yahoo.com/video-second-act-mandy-aftel-20592908
http://vitality.yahoo.com/video-second-act-donald-arthur-20045514


Gypsy (back), Vilkas (left) and Noble (front right), our 3 Muskateers. Gypsy was the older, sensible one, who kept the brats in check. To the left was the raspberry patch - wild and thorny, but a thrill to harvest. Through the gateway behind them was the stand of mulberry trees, kids' paradise, and beyond that, the stream. The dogs were lying under the pretty, but infernal Tibouchina tree - the leaves, when dry, make excellent dye *sigh* It never comes out!

For those new to my list or those who missed the original post, this blog speaks about the life we came from, which is poles apart from the life we're in now. We'll have that again : )

http://tintalasia.multiply.com/journal/item/282/I_remember_Whensday

Last night, Tat and I were chatting. A possible hermitage came up, but she's not the hermit type, being gregarious and all that. We settled on farming with goats, who are pretty cool critters, with Jurgis taken along as slave labour, something he seems to thrive on. Ah... now there's a life, hm?