Did you ever?

It's happened again. I'm behind in keeping up with my blog. Here is a quick update so I can get up-to-date...so I can write about my really exciting week in Honduras! But, that is for another time...First...

As those of you who are faithful readers to this blog know, Arturo loves to make tacos (and they are very delicious).

He has made them for me, for his brother and family, and now...for his friends.

A group of eight of us got together and enjoyed Arturo's tacos, complete with freshly made guacamole and refriend beans with cheese.


The group all agreed: they were delicious.











The only other 'exciting' thing that happened is my school's Kermesse. What's a Kermesse? Well, I knew it was an outdoor fair, but thanks to my grandmother's crossworld knowledge, I can now say that it is a word derived from the Dutch word kermis meaning and outdoor fair or carnival.


However, to use the word 'fair' or 'carnival' just isn't grand enough of a word. I've gone to school carnivals before; they are not like this one. In fact, it's difficult to express into words the size and scope of this fair. The rides, the booths, the vendors...it was over the top.

First there were prizes. A brand new car (0 km!) was given away, along with a cruise and various other major prizes. There was also something called tombola (sp?) in which you paid 5 soles (less than $2) and won 'something.' You got a number which corresponded to a prize. There was bingo for which Playstations and other prizes were given away (the oddest prize was a purebreed dog -- we were all shocked that they gave away a life animal!).


I've included some photos to try and show you how big of an event this was...and how 'sponsored' it was. The huge coca-cola bottle is just the tip of the iceberg. Major brands and stores were throughout the event, including Telefonica (phone company), Papa John's, Bembo's, China Wok, Burger King, Llama Gas, and all of the major banks including BCP (my bank), Interbank (where Arturo works and who put cash machines inside the fair), and Scotia Bank (where Arturo's brother works and who sold all of the tickets).

There were real carival/fair rides, including the swings, ship which swings upside down, paddle boats in the lake and more.


It was officially for the Prom XXII...prom as in Promotion as in the graduating class...but the PTA (more P than T and more Moms than parents) organized the entire event, including posters and radio advertisements.


It's an annual even that, I have been told, seems to get bigger and bigger each year. I can't imagine it getting bigger than this one!

Sampa: me encanta

My new favorite city is Sampa (or Sao Paolo to those of you who aren't local like me!). We had a wonderful time discovering this great city which made me feel like I was back home in NYC. Obviously, it's Brazil and there are some differences (Portuguese is a big one), but the city is great.

First, there is a METRO. My how I miss the subway now that I'm living in Lima, the city of cars and mas or menos no public transportation. The subway system is wonderful...clean, efficient and cheap (although, I have to say that the bus system is pretty darn good, too). But, hands down my favorite thing is that they have book vending machines on the platform where you wait for the subway! What a great idea!

Of course, there's much more than just a good public transportation system. It's a huge city, full of very tall buildings, and 11,105,249 residents (and the most populous city in the southern hemisphere according to Wikipedia). To see these tall buildings we went to the 41st floor of the Italian Building where there is a very expensive restaurant with a beautiful view...and a lookout point that they let tourists visit for free! Then, there was the beautiful municipal theater (to the right) and the Bovespa (the largest stock market in Latin America), the mercado municipal and some nice park along the way.


There were just so many little things that were fun and interesting. We went to one of the biggest bookstores in Sao Paolo and I managed to spend half an hour (or was it an hour) perusing the small English section.

Telefonica, one of the biggest phone and cable companies in Peru, was all over Sao Paolo (Arturo informed me that it's like that throughout most of Latin America, but I don't care; it felt like a little piece of home to me).



Another little piece of home was Arturo. He was proudly sporting his "PERU" shirt...which for some reason I just found adorable. Here he is, just quietly saying "Peru is here in Brazil."



Another piece of 'home' was that Vila Magdalena, the area we stayed in, was just like Park Slope, Brooklyn! Don't ask me how, but it was. The cafes, restaurants, shops, moms with strollers...all of it! And I have to say, it was nice. We enjoyed some delicious meals and snacks there, of course, soaking up the relaxed atmosphere.

Then there is the Impostometro. This is an ongoing count of how much the people of Sao Paolo have paid to the government in taxes. Many citizens complained that the government wasn't using their tax money in the best ways possible...and now the government is publicizing how much is actually being paid in taxes. This way there is more inter-communication between the government and its citizens. Nice, uh?

One of my other favorites (yes, I have many) was the art museum. It was incredibly well organized with an extensive list of very famous artists, include some of my 'old favorites' Monet, Manet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Renoir and more.

Surprsingly, across the street, on the famous Avenida Paulista was a beautiful park. When I think back, this shouldn't have been a surprise. Sao Paolo is full of parks and green spaces. It's one of the things we both immediately commented on and just one of the things we loved about the city.


Along the way, we also realized how friendly Brazilians are. People would see us with a map and ask if we needed help. On our second day, a nice woman helped us find the metro station near our hostel. We had a nice time chatting with her and, in the end, she gave us her phone number and told us to call. Did she really mean this? We weren't sure, but we gave it a chance. We called and on Saturday night we met up with Carla and her brother and his German wife in the area for drinks. Then, they invited back to their apartment for some food and drinks with the family. Unbelievable! It was a great 'local' night.

One of the things I wanted to do in Brazil was eat sushi (I read they had amazing sushi) and eat at a churrasqueria. We did both. And both were delicious. Although we only have pictures of the churrasqueria, the sushi was delicious. The salmon melted in my mouth...yum...but the churrasqueria was more of an event. The restaurant picked us up in a van, fed us a lot of food, and then drove us home. The van was no extra charge. Great service, right? Plus, eating at the churrasqueria was fun because of the red light-green light system. We had a small standing, revolving "Yes, more" green colored and "No more" red colored circle. It was great to see Arturo stress out because the food kept coming. "Switch it to red!" was repeated over and over.

But, still more impressed us. While there were lots of green areas and parks throughout the city, there was also a "central park" to use NYC's expression because it was called Parque Ibirapuera. This was enormous and filled with people walking, rollerblading, jogging and just sitting on benches or the grass people watching. Oh, and there's also a big lake in the middle. It was lovely.

Immediately outside our hostel, on Saturdays, was a street market. This was market sold a bit of everything, but more fresh fruits and vegetables than anything. And oh how lovely they looked! They were all so neatly and beautifully displayed it was just great to see.

And last, but not least, is futbol or football or soccer depending on where you're from. The Brazilians are indeed obsessed with the sport. So much so, that in one restaurant there was actually a goal in the toilet. Arturo did his best to relieve himself and score!

An update at long last...

Yikes! It has been a loooong time. I just never seem to have time to write an update lately. But, I am determined. So, here is a brief summary of the past month...maybe two...

FUN STUFF

Our friends Anna and Rick got engaged! Yeah! After almost two months of travelling, in the glorious scenery and the wineries of Mendoza, it became official. The bad news is that they are waiting to get married until they go back to Australia...and that is one long (and expensive) flights. But, until then, Anna and I can continue to talk about wedding stuff - in addition to just about everything else - during our long taxi rides to and from school each day.

Arturo went to Graceland. No...not the Graceland in Memphis, but the week-long, very, very (did I say very) intense initiation to Interbank, where he's now working. It began on a Friday night and went for an entire week. The best part which sort of did make up for the week he was essentially away? He had to act in a play that he and the other 30-some-odd group members created. This was a take off on the recent film "Bedtime Stories." I was able to see Arturo as a rich business owner, a Roman King, and a futuristic king of aliens. Oh, and since it was also a musical, I was able to see him sing and dance...oh the fun of it all!

We also managed to go rock climbing...with a twist! Arturo brought the rack from a barbecue and lo and behold (despite my lack of faith that it would happen before dark), we had a lovely little bbq while rockclimbing. Good fun, good fun!

Finally, after months and months of waiting, Arturo's parents house (that they sold about a year ago) was destroyed by the land developer that bought it...and their new apartment was finall ready! It's a beautiful, sunny new place...with a small balcony, so many windows I am jealous everytime I am there, and a fancy elevator that opens right into the apartment.

We also finally went to our first peña. A sort of dance party with traditional folk music and dancing from various parts of Peru. It was beautiful!! Plus, it was a great group: Anna and Rick from Australia, Javier and Tamara from Peru and Argentina, respectively, and Bivi, my Spanish teacher who is not only an amazing teacher, but also a great person. I´ll let the pictures speak for themselves.