Roller Coaster Ride

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

some fun...

How many chances do I have to exercise in the mornings looking at this?

Well, from now on, 2 classes a week in the morning and one class in the evening!

Yes, I feel lucky and know what a privilege I have for right now.

So my abdominals and legs are feeling the burn while my eyes take in the beauty of the beach....

Monday, March 30, 2009

hello, hello? are you there??

Yes, I am here! Where have I been?

Well this past weekend, my son was involved in a great creative event that takes place around this time every year called Destination Imagination.

At the beginning of the year, the children form groups of either similar ages or grades and start to work on their Central Challenges. This is a big event in the US, where they go to State finals and then Global finals. We participate only in the one event for our country and then, if they win, they have a chance to go to Global finals.

My son's group was not that cohesive this year. They chose one of the hardest of 5 central challenges that is the back bone of the DI program. Every year, there are 5 central challenges. The groups get to decide which challenge they choose and then work on it until the event. I was hoping that they would have worked together more, but there are a few very strong willed children in his group. Sometimes a hard head isn't what you need. Another point of DI is to work together. That is where hard heads run into a wall...(excuse the pun :)

Anyways, my son did his best, I think :) I ran the store this year. So, that is where I have been...and today, I am running around the city with some unexpected visitors we had come over the weekend.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

the islands

As you sail away from Paraty you discover a magical group of islands...

mostly private, some rented where it seems like you could live unnoticed, no one bothering to check on you...complete solitude.

There are islands where there seems to only be one house, and then others, that seem to have a few houses.

There was one that had a restaurant practically built into the rocks.

The food was a yummy grill of seafood and fish, delicious potatoes, rice and beans (a staple here)

and of course the sweet ciapiroskas. This is a version of the drink that is called a caipirinha, only instead of the local liquor called cachaca it is made with vodka. I prefer to have mine with strawberries but other versions include lime (the original), kiwi, pineapple and passion fruit.

The vegetation is amazing in Brasil in general. You have lush forests and mountains covered in green ALL the way to where they meet the sea.

It is certainly a beautiful country and I feel quite lucky to have the chance to live in it!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Weekend away

You know how sometimes you just need a little break from the day to day grind? A place that is not too far away but just enough out of the city to feel like you are getting away from it all?

Well, that was what we did this past weekend. We packed up the car and headed to Paraty.

This is a beautiful little town that has been well preserved. It was once an important port when there was gold being found in the State of Minas Gerais.

They have kept the old part of town in it's traditional style...with cobblestone streets, charming pousadas and such a colorful marina.

Our pousada was not right in the center of it all, but we enjoyed it's quietness and it's simplistic beauty.

The rooms were tastefully decorated and from talking with the owners in the big eat-in kitchen, it sounds like they put a lot of effort into refurbishing this place.

I felt like I was part of someone's house, instead of just a room number and "guest".

The artwork was tasteful, the pool refreshing and the plants so green and alive!

The first night we were so excited to go to what is supposed to be on of the best Thai restaurants in Brasil. My daughter is not a huge fan of Thai, so we were going to get her pizza first. Well, the pizza place was so cute that we decided to save Thai for Saturday night and enjoy the stone oven-baked pizza. It was yummy!

They had some fun pieces around the place, too! Check out this old sign and this bicycle...I just wanted to scoop it up and decorate it for a backyard...(even though I do not have one of those right now :)