JCPL New Website

Our library recently, as in today, updated our website and yours truely was involved. In fact I took 3 of the 4 photos that are on the home page.

Cuidado Lambado

For all those computer travelers here are some of the big differences between Brazil and home:

Lombado: Speed bumps are bigger and more common in Sao Paulo. They are also common on the highways out of town because they are cheaper to install and maintain than a traffic light. Sometimes they are well marked but sometimes the paint has worn off. Just before you hit a hidden speed bump the driver usually yells "cuidado lambado!" which means "Careful of the speed bump!" This phrase is the one that I used the most and heard the most... Lombados are not to be confused with the potholes that are also very common in Brazil.

Toilet paper: Brazilians are convinced that their sewer pipes cannot handle toilet paper without clogging. This means that in all public restrooms they have the thinnest ply paper and a huge garbage can next to the throne for you to throw away your used toilet paper. Gross!

Fruit: They have the best fruit in Brazil. My favorite was the Cawki (spelling made up by me). It looks like a tomato, has the texture of an apple and tastes kind of like a nectarine. Fabulous! Not to mention all the limes, pineapples, starfruit and passion fruit.

Parking: When ever you enter a parking lot, there is a guard waiting to give you a token. Hang on to the token! Without it you can't prove that it is your car, and that you haven't just snuck onto the lot to steal it.

Pizza: It is always eaten with a fork and knife. And don't even think about snagging a second piece for yourself. The waiter will serve you the second piece just like he served the first.

Wild Animals

On our last day, Katie and I, spent the day with the family at the Sao Paulo Zoo. Perhaps some of the scariest animals were not in cages, but just hanging out in the trees.
Or at the cafe.

We had fun making faces back at the poor animals.

I'm going to be practicing this face in the mirror, before I add it to my regular repertoire.

Favorite picture: This is the new turtle hat, all the coolest alligators have them. We watched this brave (or foolish) turtle crawl right up the alligator's head. And then crawl back up again when the alligator brushed him off after more than 5 minutes.

It was when I was screaming back at the parrots and toucans that we had a couple come up to us and ask if we spoke English. Turns out that they're from Utah. I spent the entire conversation pretending it was perfectly normal to egg zoo animals on to screaming matches.

This is one of the many reasons why I love my sisters!

Parent Free Weekend

Mom and Dad flew home to support Richard at his graduation. Congrats Richard! Those left behind had a peaceful weekend, where we all sat around and held hands singing...Wait! You didn't see that picture! I promise that everyone is fine.
Andrea stole the show in her role as maid in the school play of Blythe Spirit.
Between Katie, Christa and I we attended every performance to let her know that she is loved. Even if her parents left the country.
McDonald's in Brazil is a different experience. This was the first time that I've ever been to one with a guard in a business suit protecting the parking lot. Notice how excited Matthew was to have his picture taken.
Not to mention one that had artwork on the walls.
McColoso is one of the kids favorite treats. The chocolate sauce is better here and Mom's theory is the lack of corn syrup.
Playing in the freezing pool. It's autumn here and the temperatures are dropping... well as much as they do in Sao Paulo.

Juquehy Beach

The jungle went right up to the edge of the beach. So beautiful!
I loved wave racing on the bogey boards. There was a couple of waves that we rode all the way, landing like beached whales. So fun!
My favorite kind of day at the beach, cloudy and warm. You laugh but when you burn as easily as I do it's not that fun to spend a day in the sun.
Wish you were here!

City of Extremes

Tall: 22 stories up is just child's play. It's the average height of all the other surrounding buildings. Of course the hills that the city is built on make some of them appear lots taller.
Colorful: Every apartment building and even every apartment is a bold bright color.
European: Walking down the street in the Centro district is a lot like walking down the street in Europe... I'm sure there's a reason for that. Mom and Katie in front of the National Theater.
Crowded: Ten lanes of traffic, that can easily be at a stand-still during rush hour.
Dangerous: Mom or Dad has to pick up the kids from school everyday because it is unwise for them to walk the half-block home alone. The dots on the sidewalk are Dad, Christa & Matthew. Trust me.
Peaceful: Inside. Outside the parrots were imitating monkey calls at the top of their lungs. Parrots are louder than you think.

Tropical: The city park is so dense with plants, that you don't hear the busy street.