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| Mutuca, butuca, moscardo...it has many names. |
Wish me luck...
Monday, November 7, 2011
Mutuca Month
It's November 7th and for the last 7 days, all I heard about is this mysterious insect... Mutuca. Everyone keeps saying... oh, you live at the beach? Watch out for the mutuca. They infest the areas near beaches, rivers, lakes, etc in the month of November. From what I've heard, they look like flies, but bigger, and they bite! Not like a mosquito bite though... a bite that bleeds and hurts! So for the last 7 days, anything with wings or that somewhat resembles a fly has scared me half to death! They only come around in the month of November and then they go away. I debated closing up the house and staying inside for a month ...but it's hot and I like the beach! Anyways, I encountered my first mutuca today. It was big and very scary looking and it definitely wanted to bite me. Too bad for him, he met my little friend chinelo (flip-flop). Upon closer examination, it looked a lot like a fly disguised as a bee, or vice versa. I decided to google it. How could I not have guessed!? You probably already have! This mutuca insect is none other than what we Americans call the horsefly! This really does not ease my fears though. Although my contact with the horsefly has been limited, I remember being bit as a child and it bled and hurt a lot! I also think the Brazilian version of the horsefly is somewhat different. See here:
I'm already hoping the month of November goes by fast and without any mutuca bites!!!!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Foreign Language FAILS!
If you've ever tried to learn a new language, you know it's no easy task. It takes a lot of time studying, reading, writing, listening and practicing in order to really get a hold of it. The hardest part for most people is speaking. It may sound silly, but it can be embarrassing to open your mouth and speak a foreign language when you're not 100% sure of whatever it is that you're trying to say! Especially when you're not in the classroom speaking with other struggling classmates... instead, you're out there talking to native speakers! It can be very intimidating. You never know if :
A. They'll be able to understand you.
B. You'll make some embarrassing mistake.
C. They'll laugh at you/be rude.
I'll tell you from LOTS of experience that you will probably experience all 3 at some point in the process of learning a new language. Hopefully C doesn't happen to you...I think it's really only happened to me once or twice, but you just have to think to yourself... "I'M the one trying to speak your language. If you're so smart, why don't you speak to me in MY language?"
There are people who don't have the patience it takes to make the extra effort to try to understand what it is you, as the foreigner, are trying to say. They also don't have the patience to help you understand what it is they are saying to you in response.
However, there are also MANY people who are very understanding in these situations. From my experiences in Brazil, Spain, Italy, Morocco, Puerto Rico, Portugal, and Paraguay, most people are more than willing to have extra patience with us extrangeiros. Sometimes, they are even curious as to where you're from and how you ended up on their side of the world!
But back to what I originally meant for this post: B. You'll make some embarrassing mistake.
It happens to the best of us. Some of you readers (ahem, Allie and Sarah) may remember a certain time in Spain after a night out at a discoteca that I inadvertently ordered a "shawarma de polla" instead of "shawarma de pollo". For those of you who don't know, a shawarma is a middle eastern pita-style wrap of shaved lamb, chicken, turkey, or beef with various vegetable toppings and sauces.
I was trying to order the chicken shawarma but accidentally ordered a shawarma of male parts. Just like that, changing the "o" on the end of pollo to an "a", and had I ordered the most vulgar shawarma the shawarma guy had ever heard of. After everyone dried their tears of laughter and my face faded back to white from beet red, I got the CHICKEN shawarma I ordered with no harm done. This definitely falls into the B category, wouldn't you say?
Here's another good one... While teaching Spanish to High School kids back in the states, I heard this from a male student:
"Estoy tan embarazado!"
What he was trying to say: I'm so embarrassed!
What he really said: I'm so pregnant!
See how languages are confusing?!
FALSE COGNATES, people.
And now for my inspiration for this post:
Tiago would kill me if he knew I was writing this. We were on the ferry boat headed to Guaratuba the other day (see post here), and it was pretty windy/chilly on the ride over. Tiago turned to me and said in English, "Hot me!"
I died. I knew what he was trying to say. Poor guy. It makes sense, doesn't it?
What did he mean, you ask? "Warm me up!"
This falls into categories B and C. I couldn't help but laugh!
One last foreign language fail:
A loooong time ago, Tiago and I were talking to my mom on Skype. Tiago was trying the best he could to speak some English and he was doing a pretty good job! That is until he said, "I love your son very much."
We laughed as he instantly realized his mistake and she said "That's sweet of you, but he has a girlfriend!"
Do YOU have any embarrassing foreign language fail stories to share?
A. They'll be able to understand you.
B. You'll make some embarrassing mistake.
C. They'll laugh at you/be rude.
I'll tell you from LOTS of experience that you will probably experience all 3 at some point in the process of learning a new language. Hopefully C doesn't happen to you...I think it's really only happened to me once or twice, but you just have to think to yourself... "I'M the one trying to speak your language. If you're so smart, why don't you speak to me in MY language?"
There are people who don't have the patience it takes to make the extra effort to try to understand what it is you, as the foreigner, are trying to say. They also don't have the patience to help you understand what it is they are saying to you in response.
However, there are also MANY people who are very understanding in these situations. From my experiences in Brazil, Spain, Italy, Morocco, Puerto Rico, Portugal, and Paraguay, most people are more than willing to have extra patience with us extrangeiros. Sometimes, they are even curious as to where you're from and how you ended up on their side of the world!
But back to what I originally meant for this post: B. You'll make some embarrassing mistake.
It happens to the best of us. Some of you readers (ahem, Allie and Sarah) may remember a certain time in Spain after a night out at a discoteca that I inadvertently ordered a "shawarma de polla" instead of "shawarma de pollo". For those of you who don't know, a shawarma is a middle eastern pita-style wrap of shaved lamb, chicken, turkey, or beef with various vegetable toppings and sauces.
I was trying to order the chicken shawarma but accidentally ordered a shawarma of male parts. Just like that, changing the "o" on the end of pollo to an "a", and had I ordered the most vulgar shawarma the shawarma guy had ever heard of. After everyone dried their tears of laughter and my face faded back to white from beet red, I got the CHICKEN shawarma I ordered with no harm done. This definitely falls into the B category, wouldn't you say?
Here's another good one... While teaching Spanish to High School kids back in the states, I heard this from a male student:
"Estoy tan embarazado!"
What he was trying to say: I'm so embarrassed!
What he really said: I'm so pregnant!
See how languages are confusing?!
FALSE COGNATES, people.
And now for my inspiration for this post:
Tiago would kill me if he knew I was writing this. We were on the ferry boat headed to Guaratuba the other day (see post here), and it was pretty windy/chilly on the ride over. Tiago turned to me and said in English, "Hot me!"
I died. I knew what he was trying to say. Poor guy. It makes sense, doesn't it?
What did he mean, you ask? "Warm me up!"
This falls into categories B and C. I couldn't help but laugh!
One last foreign language fail:
A loooong time ago, Tiago and I were talking to my mom on Skype. Tiago was trying the best he could to speak some English and he was doing a pretty good job! That is until he said, "I love your son very much."
We laughed as he instantly realized his mistake and she said "That's sweet of you, but he has a girlfriend!"
Do YOU have any embarrassing foreign language fail stories to share?
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Bieber Fever in Brazil
Bieber fever is alive and well here. He's the token teenage heart throb and he happens to have had a few concerts in Brazil awhile ago.
I know this because there were thousands of tweens sobbing with joy all over the news for days! They even had a Justin Bieber special and aired his concerts live! Although J-Beebs is famous internationally, he does have some competition here in Brazil, and his name is Luan Santana.
His hair-do didn't make headlines like Justin's, but he seems to have a signature style of his own goin on.
A lot of people love to hate on Luan Santana, but just like Justin Bieber, his songs are all over the place and without fail, get stuck in your head. I wouldn't say he's a musical genius, but his songs are catchy and I have to admit, I don't mind listening.
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| J.B. sporting Brazil's flag. |
I know this because there were thousands of tweens sobbing with joy all over the news for days! They even had a Justin Bieber special and aired his concerts live! Although J-Beebs is famous internationally, he does have some competition here in Brazil, and his name is Luan Santana.
His hair-do didn't make headlines like Justin's, but he seems to have a signature style of his own goin on.
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| Luan Santana on the cover of some teen magazine. |
See for yourself!
Amar Não é Pecado
If you liked that, you'll LOVE this video of my adorable niece singing Amar Não é Pecado:
Isn't she cute?!?
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
All Soul's Day
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Nana and I - Puerto Rico 2006 |
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| On the ferry boat! (Car parked on lower deck) |
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| Enjoying the view of Guaratuba. |
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| It's no Cristo Redentor... but it's a Jesus statue and I like it. |
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| Tiago and I |
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| Almost hot enough to jump in! |
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| We met up with friends at the beach! Tiago and Neneco. |
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| Elis and I. |
What did YOU do today?
Likes and Dislikes
After being here for 289 days (or 9 months, 16 days), I feel like I can give you a fair list of my likes and dislikes of Brazil.
LIKES:
*Amazing scenery everywhere!
*Learning Portuguese.
*Churrasco - Brazil's version of a BBQ...see my explanation here (towards the end of the post).
*The beach!
*Summer 8-9 months out of the year.
*Learning to cook new things! Sometimes Brazilian, sometimes not!
*Sunday. It really is the day of rest here...EVERYTHING is closed. Perfect time for get-togethers with family and friends.
*Feriados- (holidays) I swear there's some random holiday at least once every 2 weeks and everyone gets the day off.
*Futebol- No not the American kind (although I'm still a fan, don't worry dad!)... I'm talking about soccer. I really do enjoy watching the games. AND hearing the fireworks shot off in the neighborhood for every goal scored. AND seeing the reactions of the die-hard fans over their team's win/loss.
*Learning to live simply and be happy with what little you do have...learning from the Brazilians :)
*Arroz e Feijão - rice and bean deliciousness.
DISLIKES:
*Potholes - They're everywhere and they are huge.
*Stray cats and dogs all over the place. - Many of them are injured or have infections/open wounds. It makes me really sad and also concerned for the diseases they could be spreading.... Where's Bob Barker when you need him?? "Have your pets spayed or neutered!"
*Cockroaches - It doesn't matter how clean you keep your house... there's always one hiding somewhere and they're HUGE.
*Novelas - I just can't seem to get into these Brazilian soap operas that take up 95% of the airtime. They are way too dramatic for me. That, and the story lines are just plain ridiculous sometimes! Just take Morde e Assopra for example: Man's wife dies or goes missing (I can't remember). Man happens to be a brilliant scientist. Man creates a robotic replica of said wife. Wife wasn't dead in the first place, returns home and discovers robo-wife. There was also something about dinosaurs thrown in there, but I never watched it enough to figure out what was going on... Okay, so American soap operas aren't much better. I think I remember aliens at some point on Days of Our Lives, but at least soap operas at home only air while everyone's at school/work.
*Lack of security - Don't worry mom! I'm totally fine. Just in comparison to home, there's definitely not that same feeling of security. Everybody has to live behind high walls and barred windows with a pitbull or german shepard out front.
*Corruption - Brazilians pay ridiculously high taxes on EVERYTHING but unfortunately don't receive much in return from their government due to all the money embezzled by corrupt officials.
*High standards for appearance 24/7 - We Americans certainly do deserve the label "lazy" we have been given by the rest of the world. But hey! I can't help it if I like to go to the grocery store in sweatpants and a sweatshirt on Saturday mornings when it's really cold and I have nothing important to do that day. That type of apparel is only acceptable inside your own home, here in Brazil. Once you step outside the door, be expected to have perfectly flat-ironed hair, manicured nails, flawless makeup, and a well thought out outfit with a nice pair of heels! Even if it is just to go to the bakery on the corner...
That is just too much for me! Don't get me started on gym apparel... since when is it okay to exercise in a hooker-looking, leopard print, spandex suit !?!
All in all, there are more "likes" than "dislikes" (I counted!) so it seems the positives are outweighing the negatives. Adjusting to life in another country is never easy, but is always very rewarding! I find it really interesting to see how other people live their lives and to see all of the cultural differences. Sometimes it is overwhelming, and can even be frustrating trying to adapt, but little by little it gets easier and the craving for American culture/way of life subsides.
LIKES:
*Amazing scenery everywhere!
*Learning Portuguese.
*Churrasco - Brazil's version of a BBQ...see my explanation here (towards the end of the post).
*The beach!
*Summer 8-9 months out of the year.
*Learning to cook new things! Sometimes Brazilian, sometimes not!
*Sunday. It really is the day of rest here...EVERYTHING is closed. Perfect time for get-togethers with family and friends.
*Feriados- (holidays) I swear there's some random holiday at least once every 2 weeks and everyone gets the day off.
*Futebol- No not the American kind (although I'm still a fan, don't worry dad!)... I'm talking about soccer. I really do enjoy watching the games. AND hearing the fireworks shot off in the neighborhood for every goal scored. AND seeing the reactions of the die-hard fans over their team's win/loss.
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*Arroz e Feijão - rice and bean deliciousness.
DISLIKES:
*Potholes - They're everywhere and they are huge.
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| Sometimes this really does seem to be the only solution! |
*Cockroaches - It doesn't matter how clean you keep your house... there's always one hiding somewhere and they're HUGE.
*Novelas - I just can't seem to get into these Brazilian soap operas that take up 95% of the airtime. They are way too dramatic for me. That, and the story lines are just plain ridiculous sometimes! Just take Morde e Assopra for example: Man's wife dies or goes missing (I can't remember). Man happens to be a brilliant scientist. Man creates a robotic replica of said wife. Wife wasn't dead in the first place, returns home and discovers robo-wife. There was also something about dinosaurs thrown in there, but I never watched it enough to figure out what was going on... Okay, so American soap operas aren't much better. I think I remember aliens at some point on Days of Our Lives, but at least soap operas at home only air while everyone's at school/work.
*Lack of security - Don't worry mom! I'm totally fine. Just in comparison to home, there's definitely not that same feeling of security. Everybody has to live behind high walls and barred windows with a pitbull or german shepard out front.
*Corruption - Brazilians pay ridiculously high taxes on EVERYTHING but unfortunately don't receive much in return from their government due to all the money embezzled by corrupt officials.
*High standards for appearance 24/7 - We Americans certainly do deserve the label "lazy" we have been given by the rest of the world. But hey! I can't help it if I like to go to the grocery store in sweatpants and a sweatshirt on Saturday mornings when it's really cold and I have nothing important to do that day. That type of apparel is only acceptable inside your own home, here in Brazil. Once you step outside the door, be expected to have perfectly flat-ironed hair, manicured nails, flawless makeup, and a well thought out outfit with a nice pair of heels! Even if it is just to go to the bakery on the corner...
That is just too much for me! Don't get me started on gym apparel... since when is it okay to exercise in a hooker-looking, leopard print, spandex suit !?!
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| This is for real! These ladies are on their way to/from the gym. How do you exercise in THAT without exposing yourself?! |
Friday, October 28, 2011
A day at the beach!
Summer is finally kicking in and we are loving every minute of it! The temperature is perfect. In the 80's, not too hot, but hot enough to hit the beach. Pretty soon we'll be back to puddles of sweat and the 3 showers a day minimum.
Tiago and I were lucky enough to have a little visitor today....Duda! Tiago picked her up after work and brought her back to the beach. She arrived kicking her little legs, and squealing with excitement to see me...okay, well maybe it was because she loves being at the beach! But either way, she was all smiles!
I turned around and before I knew it, there she was, naked in the middle of the living room, struggling to pull her swimsuit up above her knees. With a little help and a bit of sunscreen later, we were out the door.
They barely made it through Alvin and the Chipmunks.... Happy Friday!
Tiago and I were lucky enough to have a little visitor today....Duda! Tiago picked her up after work and brought her back to the beach. She arrived kicking her little legs, and squealing with excitement to see me...okay, well maybe it was because she loves being at the beach! But either way, she was all smiles!
I turned around and before I knew it, there she was, naked in the middle of the living room, struggling to pull her swimsuit up above her knees. With a little help and a bit of sunscreen later, we were out the door.
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| Sandy trail to the beach, na canguta do tio! |
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| It was sunny... |
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| We found a Duda-sized palm tree! |
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| Photo shoot! |
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| Sleep over! All tuckered out. |
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Back to the blog!
Hey everyone! Sorry I've been MIA for so long! Tiago and I have been living at his grandparents' beach house for the last few months with no internet connection! We have finally returned to modern times and found a way to install internet! So... we have a lot of catching up to do! Let me fill you in on the last few months with a few pictures/captions.
MARCH/ MARÇO:
MARCH/ MARÇO:
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| Carnaval in Paranaguá! |
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| Espetinho! Paranaguá's slightly smaller parade of samba schools. :) |
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| Duda, ready to celebrate carnaval at school! |
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| Tiago: Proud new owner of a '96 Fiat Elba. |
APRIL/ABRIL:
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| April 14th, 2011: Tiago and I signed "the papers" making us Mr. and Mrs. !!! We want to save the excitement (and $$) for our actual wedding (tbd) so we didn't make a big deal of the day. Just a quick, 10 minute, sign-the-papers ceremony. Afterwards, we had a few friends and family members over to the house to have cake and champagne. ALSO, I have yet to track down the pictures from that day...so I will leave you with our engagement announcement clipped from the local newspaper in Paranaguá! MAY/MAIO:  Sometime in May, Tiago and I moved into his grandparent's beach house! It is conveniently located 2 blocks from the beach... :) We love when Duda comes to stay with us for the weekend. -Duda (sporting her very fashionable, hot pink, Barbie sunglasses! Thanks Tia Barbie!) and Tiago near our house, walking to the praia.  Flying a kite on the beach with Tio Tiago.  Making mini-pizzas with Tia Kelli!  Duda and Gabi hanging out in the hammock at the beach house. JUNE/JUNHO:  June 12th, 2011- Dia dos Namorados/Valentine's Day! No...I didn't get the date wrong. Brazilians celebrate V-day on June 12th! This day also happens to be the birthday of our friend Fabio's lovely mother, Marcia. To commemorate this extra special day, we had lunch in Antonina. (a beautiful, small town near Paranaguá, pictured above.)  Sometime around June, I received my Carteira de Trabalho. It looks like a passport, but it is essentially a work permit. Just like a passport, you get stamps, but instead of countries visited, the stamps are for the jobs you have had. Mine is green because I'm an estrangeira. For Brazilians, they are blue.  My mug shot and finger print! They wouldn't let me smile- so not me! (ps. check out my name!) Now I just need a job... JULY/JULHO: In July we had to make a trip to the American Consulate in São Paulo to get a document I needed for my "Legal Resident" process. Seeing as our friend Fabio's girlfriend lives in SP, we made a mini-vacation out of it!     Juliana and Fabio - Mercado Municipal. The camera only came out of my purse once the entire weekend, if you hadn't noticed. AUGUST/AGOSTO: August was an uneventful month for us... so here's the cutest picture I could find:  Maria Eduarda painting with the paints Tia Barbie sent her!  Painting in her undies! SEPTEMBER/SEPTEMBRO:  September 2nd, 2011- Our 3 year anniversary! We celebrated with churrasco and a little red wine! September 7th is Brazil's Independence day. Not nearly as much celebration as our 4th of July and also no fireworks....hence no pictures! In September, I finally turned in all my paperwork to finalize my "legal resident" process.  This little stamp in my passport serves as proof of my legal resident status until I get my ID in the mail (sometime in the next 90 days).  September 18th, 2011- Maria Eduarda's 3rd Birthday! Above: Me, Grandma, Amanda (Duda's aunt), Gabi (Duda's mom), Leide (Duda's Grandma) singing Parabéns!  Blowing out the candles at her bday party at school. Hello Kitty themed! OCTOBER/OUTUBRO: There are still a few days left of October...so I will be updating you soon! Now that I have you all caught up, I plan on giving you updates on a more regular basis! What kinds of things would you like me to post on this blog? Any questions or curiosities about Brazil? That's all for now. Beijos! Tchau! |
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