The waiting is not quite over...

Not So Patient Lady in Waiting- June 30, 2009 (updated July 14th)

We are currently waiting for:

UAB: the unaccompanied baggage that we packed with the idea of getting it (via planes when there is room) faster than the things that come via ship 3-6 months after your arrival. (delivered July 3rd)

Car: we bought one last week but wiring $ from a US Credit Union has been a 4 day process since.  After money arrives, 5 more days until we can pick up the car… yea!  (Not in our possession yet!)

My work visa: that’ll just happen when they get around to it (3 1/2 weeks in the works)

A house: going to have to see what the Housing Board decides and then wait for approval from DC, maybe move at the end of July/early August, maybe not. (Got word of DC approval yesterday!!!  Unsure what that means as far as a move in date though surely 2 weeks-minimum.) 

Our household effects (HHE) will arrive in Rio next week and then need to clear customs.  We expect them- as well as the vehicle we shipped- by the end of August. 

 

Caterpillar, lounging, talented internet man

Taking the Caterpillar Home

We have taken to picking up flowers that fall to the ground during our outings in the neighborhood.  When Fiona found an entire branch of beautiful purple flowers on the ground she insisted that it should come home with us.  The blossoms looked so pretty in the middle of the dining room table, where we eat dinner each night.  It is a very large table for 4 people, so centerpieces add some warmth.  We found an ant crawling along the branch that was different from the tiny ants that often visit the table if we leave any trace of a meal.  This wasn’t a leaf cutter ant either, it was black and boxy and FAST.  WE tried to catch it in Fioan’s Bug Watch (a watch that has a screened-in bulb instead of a watch face) but it got away.  Then Fiona saw a caterpillar on a leaf and we made it a home in the bulb with leaves and a flower from the centerpiece.  For three days “we” replaced leaves with fresher ones of the centerpiece and added drops of water.  One morning, it was clear that the tiny little caterpillar had dried out.  Fiona was convinced that it was making its chrysalis and it was fine.  That night, I found another caterpillar climbing on a water bottle in the kitchen- it was the same kind!  I picked it up with a leaf from the branch that I supposed was once its home and put it in the bug watch.  Fiona was not phased by the suddenly healthy caterpillar that she found when she checked the next morning.  I was feeling like a nature imposter knowing the probable fate that awaited the next victim.  I tried to be extra vigilant about water and new leaves, though the found blossoms were drying out too.  The next morning I broke the ‘right thing to do news’ to Fiona.  She was very upset about the idea of not being able to find out what kind of butterfly it would turn into but when given the choice between a dead caterpillar and a free one she concurred.  Afternoons aren’t easy times around here, people are tired and the kids can’t stand having their TV time limited to an hour a day.  It was probably not the best time to return the caterpillar to the flowering bush, but I didn’t want to risk another day.  After a good cry on the couch we headed out toward the bush, Fiona wearing her bug watch.  I knew that she knew she was doing the right thing when she gave me a thumbs up on our way to the bush.   Teague was psyched that he could climb the bush so he declared himself monkey and climbed while Fiona found the right spot for the caterpillar.  All was well for a bit, but after we said goodbye, Fiona broke down claiming that Daddy didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye.  She sobbed all the way back to the playground that we frequent but managed to pull it together just in time to play.  The flowering bush is on the way to a grocery store and some other playgrounds, so we’ll check in and see if we can find any lil’ friends or chrysalises.     

What a wonderful day… 16 June 2009

We had some hand me down patio furniture delivered today, combine that with creating an art room out of a spare room and it has been quite an exciting start to our day!  Just 5 more hours and Daddy will be home.  We were enjoying lunch out on the balcony and as he was munching on his sandwich Teague leaned back on one arm of the chair and lounged his feet over the other arm and declared, “what a wonderful day”.  He couldn’t have been more right.  Oh yes, I can’t leave out this part of your vision of him- he was wearing underwear on his head.

17 June 2009

The internet man is HERE right now!  Yea!  He is very focused on running all over the house and running wires through here there and everywhere.  His company gave us a window of 10:00-1:00 and we had just come in from the playground 2 minutes before he arrived AT 10:00. Double yea!  The most amusing part of the morning happened just after he came back up with his wires and tool box after assessing things. The doorman from our apartment complex appeared at our door asking for him.  I thought he was just making sure that he had come back up but then he mentioned something about the elevator and the internet man answered, saying “I’m right here, I’m coming.” Before I knew it, he was out in the elevator, standing on top of the part we had just ridden in 5 minutes before.  He made a couple trips back in here for tools and a bit of wire.  After about 3 minutes, the doorman thanked him and he came back in here to get to work.   To me that moment was so resourceful, so 'thinking outside of the box', so Brazilian (South American!?!).

 

Pipoca and Pinwheels

15 June 2009 (First zoo visit 13 June 2009)

Red dirt doesn’t seem as dirty but I think because it seems a little more pretty.  Regardless, it is everywhere.  I should mention that it is the dry season here, which means it rarely rains, and that by August the humidity will get down to 15% (think Sahara) and it gets dusty.  That fine, rust colored dirt follows you and sticks to you- especially on feet and in ears!  So when we found the zoo today- because that seems to be something we do no matter where we go- we had our first experience with the ‘everywhere dirt’.  The camels and llamas were rust colored and the elephants were dusting themselves rust as we watched.  At a playground, there was a hard mound of dirt that stood about a foot high.  There were holes throughout it, maybe for snakes or ants or something else good at tunneling.  Teague squatted down and held the mound with both hands and spoke into one of the holes: “hello down there!” He came up with a red ring around his mouth and feeling something there he took his (now rust colored) hands and wiped his whole face ‘clean’.  It was too much, certainly a camera moment (that of course, we didn’t have)!  For now the image is securely saved in my mental hard drive!  He remained with rusty face while we visited a few more animals and walked back to the car.  He fell asleep in his car seat with his dusty face.  Oh- and how was the zoo?  Other than my aversion to caged birds (by the dozens!!) and in addition to the creatures mentioned above there were chimpanzees, hippos, jaguars, tigers (sleeping in hammocks) lions, giraffes and monkeys.  Oh yes, Fiona’s flowery dress guaranteed that there was always a honeybee within 3 feet of her during the whole visit.   On the way out of the zoo there were (wild) monkeys hanging from the trees too!  We didn’t see the entire zoo, one could spend the whole day there.  

Being in the dry season also means that weather is a non-issue here.  No concern of wearing/packing layers, just sunhats.  NO umbrellas, raincoats needed.  Each morning I go for a walk in a t-shirt and workout pants- wore a sweatshirt once and sweated the whole time!  That sweatshirt morning I passed a young girl walking to school with her father and she was wearing a hat and scarf- I think it was 60 degrees out.  brrrrrrr.  (July 7th Update: I used the word chilly in all seriousness last night! Chris called me on it and we both laughed.)

Pinwheels and Pipoca- June 19th

How did I leave out the fact that the two things sold at the Zoo are popcorn and pinwheels!?!  It is so random and so organic that it can’t be left untold.  After our second trip to the Zoo with friends, I’d realized that I’d left out that interesting fact about our new zoo.  Their son calls the bunches of pinwheels butterfly gardens. 

Parabens!

Parabéns-10 de June

 

We went to our first Brazilian birthday party for our new friend’s 2 year old.  The invitation read 3-6 pm so I was feeling quite guilty when we were waking Fiona from an unusual nap at 2:55 and I didn’t get into the shower until 3-oops.  The party was at a clubhouse room in an area we had never been to, so we were sure we would get lost once or twice during the drive there.  We arrived around 3:45, more than a bit tardy I was sure…but we Americans are so obsessed with time that our arrival time was more appropriate than any earlier time would have been.  (*sorry I am very tired and the words aren’t coming very easily tonight).  Around 4:30 a huge rush of guests showed up, mostly extended family.  There were probably 75 people there for the party.  The family had hired a company- as is very common for upper middle class folks to do- to decorate, cater, serve (finger food and drinks) and offer face painting and balloon animals for the kids.  There was ballon art (arches, flower bouquets etc all over the room and a Strawberry Shortcake (SS) shrine complete with almost life-sized characters all over a nice decorated table and SS backdrop behind that.  It was something!   Oh yes there was also a photographer snapping away for hours and hours.

We spent a lot  of the party outside on a near-by playground with most of the other young guests.  Fiona has given up speaking to potential playmates, but smiles, helps and follows along in a universal language that seems to work.  One little girl pointed to Teague and asked me, “Does he really only speak English?  He is so little how did he learn to speak English so well?” Honestly, I wasn’t sure if she was questioning his lack of Portuguese know-how or commenting on his verbal brilliance, but non-the-less I reassured her that he grew up in a country where English is spoken and that he’ll learn Portuguese the little by little.  She continued to stare at him in awe- Chris and I do that too but for other reasons. J  (While we’re on the subject of our son, he is called Chee-gee here.  T’s are usually the CH sound and E’s at the end of words are almost always pronounced… so Chee-gee it is.  We love the Celtic name Teague (little poet) and hope that its original pronunciation wins out in the long run.)  I guess it evens out a bit because as far as he’s concerned the name of the language is porkageez (pork-ah-geez).

The party was fun and relaxed and a few of Chris’ co-workers were there with their families so we were able to meet them and get to know them a bit better.  As with a party anywhere when you have 2 kids, mostly we spent time taking turns watching them and interacting with others as was allowed.  At a little after 6pm we sang Happy Birthday to the birthday girl (dressed up as SS at this point).  It happened to be her mother’s birthday too so we sang again to her and then it was also an Aunt’s b-day on the first of June and Teague’s had been on the 7^th so we joined the birthday display behind the SS figurines and the guests sang to Aunt and Teague too!  It was very nice.    Fiona’s pre-school teacher in Rockville was Brazilian and so every time the celebrated a birthday (17 times!), they sang in Portuguese and English so Fiona is always thrilled to sing Parabéns.  Brazilians clap as they sing it and usually sing it twice, the second time through really picks up in tempo.  It ends with the birthday honoree’s name being chanted.  Fun right?  I’ll teach you sometime if Fiona doesn’t beat me to it!

Our New City

The City Park- Saturday, 30 May 2009

We spent a wonderful day at the Parque da Cidade with new Brazilian friends from USAID.  It is a park at least 5 miles long with a lake, bridges, carnival rides, a kid’s size palace and playgrounds galore.  We bought popcorn (pipoca) to feed the ducks and played with the kids for most of the morning.  We will certainly frequent that place often, as there is a paved path through the park with a bike lane.  Many people were there working out and enjoying another sunny day!  We had agua de coco that you sip right out of green coconuts and then went to a restaurant for some local fare- fresh juice, meat, beans, rice, mandioca!  YUM.  We are getting to know the city little by little but new friends here have been so gracious about coming to our apartment to escort us places.  There are many loops and curves to the roads here and traffic moves at a well measured pace.  I will certainly need to become a more aggressive driver to keep up with the flow.  Though we don’t expect our car here for at least another month or 2, so I’ve plenty of time to get mentally prepared for that!  Today was a day when I wished many times that I had packed our camera with us.  We are in a nice place with great people.  Lucky us. 

Quiet Moments- 5 June 2009

I was watching the kids play today and they were oddly quiet considering that they were on a playground.  It is common for them to talk to each other, or sing randomly, it is not common for them to explore a playground in silence.  Seeing this side of them and realizing that they are picking up on my outdoor behavior of talking less and more quietly cast a light on the guilt I feel for the challenges they have ahead of them.  Talk about being on someone else’s ride (I’ve described the past year that way more than once)!  They are going to have a language challenge that most kids (even here) don’t.  We have chosen a school that has a majority of Brazilian students and therefore the playground language will be Portuguese.   A few months into everything, they’ll be just fine right?  Today was just one of those days when I realized again that this is all a big deal, that we are far from what we know and the many, many people that we love.  Oddly enough, it still feels like we’re where we ought to be.

 

Our New Home

NOT a Hard Knock Life here.  At the airport we were greeted by our social sponsor.   She immediately handed Chris his cell phone- saying that he’d be getting a Blackberry within a couple of days- and also keys to a car that we could borrow (and pay mileage on) for the entire long weekend.  There was an Embassy driver and van to bring us all to our apartment.  After all 16 bags were brought in, we explored the roomy apartment, complete with beautiful hardwood floors, a nice big kitchen and living room and 2 full baths and 2 half baths.  We are quickly making up for the 1 bathroom house we lived in for 7 years (I know, I know cry me a river).  The kids were excited to have a bunk bed waiting for them.  We all slept well that first night!  (Above they are pictured above on a balcony with Dad.)

On the fifth floor we have a nice breeze with neat views from our balconies.  These balconies have recently been child-proofed so they are enjoyed frequently.  Outdoor living is so nice!  Brasilia is a very organized, completely planned city and we live in the area that is full of apartment buildings.  They are well kept and guarded and really quite nice looking buildings.  There are only 2 apts/ floor with a nice little elevator bringing us right to our door.  We have small playgrounds on either side of the building and have bread shops and 2 great grocery stores anywhere from 1-4 blocks from us. 

Our first weekend in Brasilia was full of outings to a great local park, our sponsor’s house for dinner (their son is almost 3 too) and a big BBQ gathering at an Embassy worker’s house complete with tons of food, a big trampoline, a bouncy house and face painting.  Kids are very much in mind when neighborhoods, parks and parties are planned here.  Gotta love that!  On Memorial Day we visited 3 schools, all offering great options for Kindergarten and maybe Teague too.  We did not visit the American School and know that that is another excellent choice.  My favorite of the 3 is a bilingual school with a Baha’i philosophy.  Most of the student there are Brazilian and therefore our kids would be motivated to learn quickly.  Fiona’s favorite school is also bilingual with a music focus throughout the day including violin and or piano lessons for kids 4 and older.   She really liked the playground.  

We make daily visits to playgrounds in this area- here is a video taken (June '09) of them playing on the swings.

Journey South

After a very emotional day in Rockville, we left for Dulles Airport at 6pm for our 10pm flight. We were in lines forever and arrived at our gate only about 15 minutes before boarding.  There were moments in our journey- moments you think you’ll never get over, when things seem so intense and then two days later, the perspective on that memory is unbelievably faded.  Maybe they just get fogged over by all of the new memories.  I had moments of intense fear like never before during our flight.  Over the Bahamas we were wobbling back and forth to the point that I was convinced that the plane was going to break in half.  Yikes.  The pilot- who just a few hours earlier spoke softly and calmly about the altitude and weather in Brasil- came on three different times over the course of this turbulent hour and a half to command, “seat belts on” or “sit down and fasten seatbelts now.”  Double yikes.  I am so thankful that my favorite three were all fast asleep. If I had gotten eye contact from Chris I would have lost it and certainly would have been heart broken if the kids had woken up terrified.  My complete exhaustion did nothing to help that bumpy part of the journey.

The kids slept during most of the flight- Teague on me for at least ½ of the time and Fiona with her head leaning on Chris’ leg.  They were excited to have individual screens and didn’t really care about seeing more than the map of the flight course.  The ear buds were a thrill too and then changing the music they heard through them was such fun!  When we started down the runway Teague was groovin’ and when he realized we were moving (while he was surfing through music channels!!) he announced, “I made it move.  Made it move again” He meant the entire plane.  He was asleep within 30 minutes of his safe takeoff and remained so until 7 am.  Yea!

As we landed in Sao Paulo he wasn’t awake more than 3 minutes before singing one of his favorite songs, “King Bidgood’s in the bathtub and he won’t get out…” Fiona joined in.  We had a long layover in Sao Paulo and getting lost on the way to customs only took care of an hour of the 6 ½ we were going to have there.  We looked like a circus parade moving through the airport with 2 full airport carts and a pile of stuff on the back of the stroller.  Luckily our kids earned us a free pass to the front of each line we were to endure.  Families and senor citizens are whisked to the front of any luggage check-in or security line.  It was so helpful and really lovely.  At one point a staff member of the airport escorted us for a 15 minutes walk- first helping us through customs (after we passed about 30 people) and continuing until we found our gate for the domestic flight.  It was a very kind gesture, especially because it involved leaving his coworker to fend for himself at the United baggage claim.  About 15 minutes after thanking (and tipping) him, his coworker approached us with a bag of baby supplies.  It had been left on the plane and he assumed it was ours so he searched the airport for us.  Wow.  We thanked him but told him that it wasn’t ours, that it most likely belonged to a family that was headed to Fortaleza… I have no doubt that he went off in pursuit of them too.  So, for many reasons our first impression of Brasil as a family was great- even the flight attendants on the flight were refreshingly friendly and helpful.

 

After checking our 8 heavy bags onto our domestic flight to Brasilia, we found a place where we could rent a room for a few hours.  It was such a small space that we could barely close the door with all of our carry on bags (8!) on the floor.  It felt so good to stretch out, even if it was on a skinny top bunk.  The kids watched George of the Jungle in Portuguese as well as a bit of Sponge Bob (very tame when you can’t understand it) while I dozed and Chris showered.  Later Fiona and I took a lovely shower- one of the best ever!  I was still a little achy in the arms from the 3 shots I had gotten just 3 days before.  (By the way, DON’T recommend travelling 2 days after having shots- especially typhoid,tetanus, and yellow fever.)  

 

About an hour and a half before our flight to Brasilia, after a quick lunch, we made our way to the domestic gates entrance only to be told to turn back for the proper stickers for our carry on luggage (still 8!).  Back at check in we were told that we had way too much weight to carry on so we checked another 4 bags (for free!) and headed back to Gate 7, the gate # we had been told at both visits to the baggage check in.  We made it to lucky 7 an hour before our flight, told that we would board around 2:15 for the 3:00 flight.  At around 2:45 Chris noticed the plane at Gate 7 pulling away and ran to the flight monitors to find that our flight had been moved to Gate 3.  We ran there to find the flight boarding, the plane already half full.  Phew.  The wait had been long enough, I can’t imagine missing that plane!  Close call, but surely jolted us awake for the last of the trip.  The flight to Brasilia seemed short in comparison, maybe because I landed the lone seat across the aisle from the family.  I read a dear ‘airplane letter’ from a special friend AND started a new book…aaaaaaaah.  I think the 5 minute visit to the bathroom with both kids (yep all 3 of us fit in) almost balanced out Chris’ hour of entertaining them. During the landing the kids were singing “It’s a Hard Knock Life” together, I suppose they could feel the collective sigh aboard and were celebrating in their own way. As we were taxiing to the gate Fiona shouted, “Look, the Brazilian flag!”  Although we had seen many, many in the Sao Paolo airport, this was the first she had seen flying in Brasil.  J  Since the time we took off at Dulles until we landed in Brasilia 19 hours had passed.