The Tompkins in Brazil

New Blog

2009-10-19T01:46:00.002-02:00

Here is the link to our new blog! We'd love for you to keep following, but have decided to make our family blog private. If you'd like to keep reading, visit the link and request to be added to our reader list. OR email Allison and she'll add you to the reader list. Thanks for following!

http://ihearttompkins.blogspot.com/

The End

2009-10-19T01:16:00.002-02:00

This, barring any posts from Clay, should be the last entry in the Brazil Blog. For a quick update, Clay has gone back to Rio to finish out this project and I am staying back in Houston. He should be home late November to Early December, but we really don't have an exact date and probably won't until we get closer to the end. I will be staying in Houston and looking for a J-O-B!

I really have enjoyed blogging and will probably start a new one that is purely for family and friends to be able to keep up with our lives. I'll post the new Blog link once I've started it here and also on Facebook. See everyone on the new Blog soon and thanks for reading! We had a great time sharing our travels with you!

Flying Home Today

2009-09-17T08:25:00.002-03:00

That's right! We're coming home to Texas for a visit and flying home tonight. As of 5:15 am, Clay and I will be back home and are so excited! I hope we get a chance to see everyone while we're there. Please keep us in your prayers as we fly over the Amazon :)

Flamengo Game Video

2009-09-15T17:00:00.003-03:00

We took some video at the Flamengo game. You would not believe the energy!! There are drum players and a chant leader that keep playing the ENTIRE game! It's amazing and so much fun! The fans also have fireworks they set off at the beginning of each half that are probably a huge fire hazard, but who cares right? Haha. I definitely recommend going to a game if you visit Rio. VAI FLAMENGO!

Photos from the Boy's Visit

2009-09-15T15:44:00.006-03:00

As I said in the last post, Clay and I had some visitors this last week. Here are some photos from their trip.

Beach Days

Brazilian Ankur

Corcovado was cloudy, but it made for some cool pictures.

Flamengo Game!!

We won! VAI FLAMENGO!!

The Boy's Hostel (it was VERY shady)

We made a friend on the beach. He had the BEST pineapple I've ever eaten!

Piggin Out at Porcao

Sugar Loaf

Thanks for coming guys, it was so much fun!

Visitors! Part Deux

2009-09-04T17:46:00.003-03:00

Tomorrow Clay and I have two friends coming to visit and we are so excited! We can't wait to spend time with Zach and Ankur and to show them Rio. More prayers for a safe arrival and visit please!

Random Update

2009-09-03T12:21:00.005-03:00

Sorry for the long delay in posting. Nothing too out of the ordinary has been going on lately. Clay's project has reached about the half way point and is way behind schedule--we could be here until December now. Our tentative plans for me to come back with Clay have become definite b/c I no longer have a job to come home to. I guess that's the big news. Other than that, we've just been enjoying the beach, food, music, culture, and being with each other. We're beginning to get homesick for certain things, the (short) list being:

Family

Friends

Duchess (our dog)

Mexican food

Milk that isn't meant to last through a nuclear war

BBQ

Real Weekends for Clay

We can't wait to get our fill of this list when we're home for Lyndi and Brad's wedding! Get excited guys! It's almost here and we can't wait to see everyone!

Sundays on the Beach

2009-08-24T15:24:00.004-03:00

Sunday's in Rio are Beach days. The main road on the beach is closed and EVERYONE comes out to worship the sun, buy, sell, eat, play and see. You never really know what or who you will see on the beach. A few interesting sightings this week included:

- A very large woman wearing a big chain and padlock around her neck.

- A troupe of people from a local acting school wearing clown clothes and with painted faces who were begging for money by showing their talents and thoroughly annoying people.

- Dogs in clothes, complete with bandanas, shirts, dresses and BOOTIES.

- And the most fun, a drum circle! I got pictures and video of this last one. Enjoy!

Centro Pics

2009-08-20T14:24:00.004-03:00

Some pictures I took of our tour around centro, I'll post more pictures from my families visit when they send them to me.

Cathedral Metropolitana:

Confeiteria Columbo:

Sao Bento Monastery:

Family Visit

2009-08-20T12:04:00.005-03:00

After a full and fun visit last week, my family left last night to return to Houston. Clay and I had such a good time seeing them, taking them around Rio and eating with them every night. It was nice to be able to show them where we're living and have them experience Rio instead of just telling them. I'm sure there will be tons of pictures posted to Facebook pages, and as soon as they send me the copies, I'll post them here.

Wednesday:

My family arrived early Wednesday morning, checked into their hotel and then I came to pick them up. We went on the "Bank scavenger hunt" (you never know which Brazilian bank will accept witch American ATM card) and found one on the third try, got them some money and went walking down Ipanema beach to eat at the famous Garota de Ipanema restaurant (the place where the song of the same name was written). After a traditional Picahnna lunch, we walked back down a main shopping road and did a little more sight seeing of the neighborhood we live in. That night, after Clay got home, we went to dinner at a place called Conversa Fiada. It's just a little pub-type place that is open air and has pretty good food. We all had Caiparinha's (except for mom who decided she preferred the Caipi Vodkas) and ordered a starter of EXCELLENT shrimp empadas. They tasted like little shrimp pot pies!

Thursday:

This was our first tour day and after breakfast we took a taxi to the Christo Redentor train station. This cog train takes you through a forest to the top of the Corcovado mountain to the huge statue of Christ the Redeemer. After saying 'hello' to Jesus, we went to the suco (juice)/snack area and got juices (mango for me, banana for dad, and strawberry for Elizabeth) and coffee for mom. While we were there we were introduced to a little raccoon like animal called a Coati (pronounced: Kwa-chee). They have become so used to tourists feeding them that they have no problem coming right up to you and sniffing your hands for food; scary if you don't know they are pretty tame! After having a drink with Jesus (as Ibs liked to call it), we had a whole afternoon of shopping. We started in Leblon (and had lunch at Lebronx - a sandwich place that was just okay) and walked in and out of shops, all the way down to Arporador. That night, dinner was at our favorite corner place, Sindicato. Clay and I eat there at least once or twice a week so we were excited to go there with my family. The food is always good and you can't beat the prices.

Friday:

After all the walking the first two days, Friday was a beach day! We put on our suits, slathered on the sunscreen and headed to Aprorador beach. This is the part of Ipanema beach that I like to be on for a couple reasons: 1. it's generally less crowded and I'm not a big fan of crowds, I get very claustrophobic. and 2. Clay and my friend, Maria, has a tent set up in it this section (baixihna for those in Rio) and b/c she knows us, we get the start treatment when using her tent. Chairs and umbrellas are always available, and she runs up and down the beach asking us if we want water, sodas, beers, etc. So we met Maria, got our chairs and settled onto a spot of sand. We got queijo, globo cookies, kangas and mom got a cover up from the passing vendors and actually ended up leaving the beach, sans sunburns! Then we did a little more window shopping in the surfing mall in Arporador and got Acai smoothies and pao de queijo to snack on. That night we had a great dinner at a fondue place. It is set up outside in a park every night. Clay and I hadn't been there yet and were glad it was so good. We had probably the best caiparihnas of the trip, bread with cheese fondue, chicken and beef fondu with 6 different sauces, and to finish we had fresh fruit (strawberry, grapes and bananas) with both white and dark chocolate. It was wonderful!

Saturday:

Weekends in Rio mean a lunch of feijoada! It is a meal of meat (sausage, carne seca, oxtail, ribs, etc.) cooked in a bean stew. You top rice with the beans and meat, and add farofa, kale, hot sauce, yucca, etc. to your taste. Casa de Feijoada is a restaurant in Ipanema known for its feijoada. They actually cook it here every day and not just on weekends. I could eat this every day! After lunch, we did some more shopping and then decided to do dinner separately since Clay was hungry after work and we were still full from feijoada. Afterwards we met at Devassa, a pub and brewery. We had a few drinks together and then called it a night.

Sunday:

Unfortunately, Clay had to work this Sunday and could come to the beach with us. We really missed him, but it was a very busy day and the beach was not as pleasant as Friday so he didn't miss much. Every Sunday in Ipanema, there is a hippie fair, where locals come with their crafts, clothes, art, etc. I think this was one of Elizabeth's favorite parts of the trip. That night we went to a great churrascaria called Porcao. Clay and I have been there before and loved it, so we knew my family would like it too. We ate so much food I thought we were going to pop!

Monday:

Monday, we toured Centro (the downtown area of Rio). We took a taxi down to the Cathedral Metropolitana, which is very modern looking, but also very pretty. Afterwards we walked down to see the Theatre, but it was under construction and we could only see the outside. It looked like a very beautiful building though. Then for lunch we ate at the Confeiteria Columbo which is in "Old Rio". The streets in this area are all cobble stone and narrow and there are shops all around. The confeiteria is a beautiful old building with ornate mirrors and a stained glass ceiling. You can have tea here, order traditional Brazilian snacks, or have a full lunch, and dessert at the end. Mom had the tea (which was actually a little disappointing) and Ibs, dad and I had the snacks (small quiches, empadas, puff pastries, etc) that were very good. Afterwards we walked to the Sao Bento Monastery that was truly a sight to see. Its sanctuary is completely covered in gold. Everything was only being lit by sunlight so the interior was a little dark, but you could still get a good idea of what it would look like if all the lights were on and the gold was glittering. That night we went to a pizza place, Eclipse, for dinner. Brazilian pizza is different in that they don't use tomato sauce, but it's still very good.

Tuesday:

Tuesday we went to see the H. Stern workshop. H. Stern is one of the famous jewelers in Rio and seeing the jewelry being made was actually very interesting. Brazil is also responsible for about 80% of the gem stone production of the world. They are the only producers of Imperial Topaz (a gem stone that varies in color from yellow-gold to pink). The mine in Brazil is the only one in the world, making the stone very valuable. When it runs out these stones will become priceless. It was very fun to learn about and even more fun to try the jewelry on! That night we went with our friend here, Marlon, and my family to a Thai, Japanese and Indian fusion restaurant called Opium. The food was excellent and the conversation was even better. I love Opium for the food that is a break from the traditional Brazilian steak, steak and more steak. it was a great last dinner!

Wednesday:

On the last day of their trip, we had breakfast together at the hotel and then got them packed up and checked out of the hotel. Then we walked down Copacabana to the Forte de Copacabana and took a tour. It was pretty impressive to walk through the fortress and see all the guns and uniforms and artillery rooms. We ate in the cafe on site and then went to a mall across the street. We looked at some more jewelry, but didn't buy any and then walked to the Zona Sul so my dad could get some sausage to bring home. They have a little different sausage here than home and it's vacuum sealed so my dad decided to bring some home for his cooking buddies to try. Then we came back to my apartment to check the flight status and my family got to meet our cleaning lady Monique, who I've told them a lot about. Then it was time to head to the airport!

All in all it was a wonderful trip and I'm so glad we got to share this time with them!

Visitors!

2009-08-11T22:47:00.002-03:00

My family is officially on their way to Rio and will be here at 9am tomorrow morning!! Please pray for a safe and uneventful flight! We can't wait to see them!

Lapa

2009-08-10T16:51:00.004-03:00

There is a neighborhood in Rio that Clay and I have been told about many times, and until this past weekend, we hadn't been. The neighborhood is called Lapa. We weren't told much about this part of town other than, we "had to go", "it's a street party and there are also lots of discos", and "Clay needs to be prepared for you to be hit on all night by Brazilian men". Needless to say, we were a little wary of this place and didn't really want to go without some Brazilian guides.

So this weekend Pedro, one of Clay's coworkers and actual Carioca, took us with his girlfriend Taissa to Lapa. Well, first we went to dinner (at 10pm mind you...we were being true Cariocas this night) at a Thai place, Nam Thai. The food was very good, and we'll probably go back when we crave spicy food.

NOW on to Lapa! Pedro warned us that we would see all types and also that Lapa could bring out all types of your personality. Clay and I were still feeling a little apprehensive at this point. What did Pedro mean? Were we going to all of a sudden have these crazy people pop out of us?! And what kinds of people will we actually see? Am I going to be hit on by the same guys that sell shrimp on the beach? Ick! Well, we did see all type, from hippie youth to Funk party goers, from children selling beer with their parents to grandparents dancing the night away. It was an interesting mix of people to say the least.

I have to admit, my initial reaction was, "oh my, we're in 6th street on crack", but as we explored and eventually chose a live concert to attend over the discos Lapa became more and more a place that didn't seem so crazy after all. The show we went to was in a little complex with a bar and dance floor inside with a DJ playing samba and popular Brazilian artists, and patio with stage outside. We danced inside until the DJ told us that the band, Songoro Cosongo was starting and we all filed outside. The band consisted of a few singers, guitars, bass, and brass and a huge drumline in front of the stage right in the midst of the crowd. You can get an idea of the type of music here. The music was AMAZING and we danced all night (and by all night, I mean until 3am).

Clay and my thoughts about Lapa are very different after this night! While I'm sure you can go and drink all night at some of the discos or outside with the vendors, it's also a place where you can just go and dance and have fun. I think we had one beer the whole time we were at the concert and that was just fine! I think this is what Pedro meant, by you'll see all types and all personalities are welcome. I can't wait to take Elizabeth, I think she's going to have so much fun seeing all the people, listening to Samba and dancing!

and by the way...no, I wasn't hit on all night by shrimp salesmen. :)

Anniversary Weekend

2009-08-03T12:22:00.003-03:00

Clay and I had a wonderful anniversary weekend! We can't believe it's already been a year, and that we had such an easy first year. So many friends said the first year would be there hardest, but we have enjoyed every minute of married life!

Saturday, our housekeeper Monique cooked us a traditional Brazilian soup (and showed me how to do it so I can bring it back to Texas) so we had a wonderful home cooked dinner complete with Puddim (or as we know it, pudding) for dessert. Then we met up with some friends at our favorite corner place for a drink and then went out to a place that was a well needed prescription for the little bit of homesickness we've been feeling, Shennanigans. It is an American-style Irish pub that has bands playing American rock 'n' roll and serving American food. We even got tacos that tasted like TACOS!!! Finding anything with spice here is hard to do! Then at midnight we celebrated with a kiss!

Saude and Happy Anniversary!

The next day, on our actual anniversary (I don't know how we got so lucky that the day fell on Clay's only day off), we were even more lucky and had SUN! The first three Sunday's we've had overcast days and not been able to go to the beach together. But we had sun this Sunday and woke up excited! I had been searching all week for the ingredients to make homemade pancakes, no Bisquik here folks, and surprised Clay with a breakfast he'd been missing. Then we got in our bathing suits, got two chairs and relaxed on the beach the whole afternoon. When we started feeling a little snacky, we got a grilled cheese on the beach. It's probably not what you're thinking. They put some white cheese on a stick and grill it on a make shift grill, so yummy! Then later had corn on the cob and watched the sun go down.

Crowded Ipanema Beach.

Yummy Grilled Cheese

For dinner we went to a fancy italian place we've walked by a few times called Mio. It's a glassed in restaurant with what we found to be great food and excellent wine. When we first got there they brought us a wine list and with our wine came about 5 or 6 little plates of anti pasta. There was a salami and cheese plate; a pate, jelly and butter plate; an olive plate; a bruschetta dish; a marinated veggie plate with mushroom, potato, onion and green bell pepper; and our favorite, a stewed eggplant and tomato dish; and of course all the different types of bread you could ask for. Then for a main course, Clay had a steak with mustard sauce and linguine and I had a linguine pasta dish with lamb, eggplant and tomato. Both were very good! The best thing about this place what the excellent service. The wait staff was neither hovering or inattentive and also were very kind. All in all, a wonderful dinner with great food, wine, service and conversation. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the first year of our life together. Here's to the next year, and many more to come!

Some Good Meals

2009-07-29T17:14:00.006-03:00

Despite my being sick, Clay and I still tried to get out a bit. On his day off this past Sunday, we walked down to a new (to us) Churrascoria, Porcao. We had heard it was one of the better in town and we really had a great time! We got there around 2pm and put our name on the list, then went to the bar to wait. The bar is a little more than a bar though. It's a separate room with tables and it's own wait staff to bring drinks, empadas and clear dishes. There was also a anti-pasta bar with cheeses, breads, mini sausages, chicken hearts (blech!), hard boiled quail eggs and black bean soup. We could have filled up before even going into the main dining room, but thank goodness we didn't!

Churrascorias are, if you haven't been to one, a kind of Brazilian barbecue restaurant on steroids. There is every kind of meat you can think of, brought to your table on large skewers by servers who cut slices for you. You each have a card on your table, one side is red - meaning no thanks, and the other is green - meaning bring me the meat!!! (Exactly like Fogo de Chao in Houston if you've been). There is also the biggest and best salad bar you have EVER seen.

We ate sooo much food. The salad bar had, wonderful sushi, fresh fruit and veggies, various personal salads (caprese, ceasar, corn, etc), and some wonderful warm seafood (paella, shrimp, crab cakes in sea shells). YUM. The meat selections were roasted hen, barbecue pork ribs, lamb, various sausages, and more cuts of beef than I think I could list. I think I had: brisket, flank steak, top round, filet mignon, and I'm sure there was more.

I also went on Saturday with a friend to have traditional Feijoada at a new (again, new to me) place that does it every day! (Normally Feijoada is strictly a weekend meal. But with the name Casa de Feijoada, you have to bet that's all they do and they do it well!) It's a popular place because after we showed up at about 12:45 a long line formed outside. Feijoada is a bean stew with all kinds of meat that has been slow stewed together. You also get rice, beans, farofa, kale, yucca, orange slices and hot pepper sauce along with the stew pot. It's kind of a make it the way you like it meal so you can take as much or as little of all the sides as you want. This will be a definite stop when my family comes to town in two weeks! I can't wait!

The Sweeeeeeen Gripe

2009-07-29T16:59:00.003-03:00

Sorry for the lapse in blogging all, but I have been under the weather for about two weeks! I am finally beginning to feel like myself again this week and have been getting out and about again (finally! I thought I was going to go stir crazy!). I'm not exactly sure what it was, my vote is that I had a bacterial something after eating some bad food, and mom's vote is Swine Flu which is currently running rampant in South America. Here it is referred to as the Swine (pronounced sweeeeeen) gripe, hence the title.

I did try out many different Brazilian medications, which was interesting. All the medication here is about 3-4 times as potent as what we have back home. For example, one dose of Tylenol back home would include two 200mg pills. Here, one dose is one 750mg pill! It is also interesting here that you don't really need a prescription for anything here. I was given the name for an antibiotic used by one of Clay's coworkers who was given the name by another coworker, both of which needed it. And needless to say, all I'd have to do is walk up to the counter with the name of what I wanted and I'd get it. I'm curious how many people take advantage here...

Thanks to everyone for all the prayers and thoughtful emails, chats, etc. I'm doing much better!

Some Random Pics

2009-07-20T16:07:00.006-03:00

Here are some random Brazil pictures I've had in my camera for a week or so:Still trying to get a good picture at our favorite place, Sindicato. Maybe there's a ghost...

Our Picannha dinner. You cook the meat on the skillet and then add the carb-trio and beans.

Ipanema Beach.

Clay and his coworker.

The drink of Brazil, Caiparinha.

The Cinema Experience

2009-07-20T15:18:00.004-03:00

Yesterday, Clay and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie in Copacabana. This was an interesting adventure for a few reasons. The first being that there is not, that I've been able to find, a website for the movie theater we wanted to go to! I knew HP was one of the movies showing from walking past the theater, but had no idea what times or if it would even be in English!

Finally I found movie times via Google's Showtimes feature. (I can't believe it took so long!) And it also let me know whether the film would be Dublado or Lengendado (Dubbed or in English with Portuguese subtitles). So now we know there's a movie that we are able to understand at 4PM! The next step is actually conveying which movie and what time and then figuring out the theater.

Luckily, Clay and I have been practicing our Portuguese. We walked down to the Roxy and got in line for tickets. (Tip: it's always a good idea to have enough cash b/c you never know who will or will not have credit card machines or have them in working order). Good thing we brought enough cash, b/c their machines were broken that day. We asked for two tickets and were surprised to be asked which seats we wanted! The attendant pulled up a computer screen showing us a layout of the theater with seats that were already taken and those that were left. It looked like we got there just in time to get some of the last seats together! Now we know people get there early to choose their seats!

We got our tickets, our popcorn and soda (which was very much like back home) then headed to the theater...wait...there are three theaters and none of them are marked. It didn't say on our tickets which one we were in...so we just followed some people into theater 2 and hoped it was the right one. Then we found our seats, C6 and C7, only a little boy was in one of our seats. When we showed him our tickets he agreed with us that our tickets said 6 and 7 and agreed that my seat and his seat were numbers 6 and 7, but didn't seem to understand that he needed to move! He just sat there, agreed, and then looked away. This would have been fine had there not been another man who needed seat 5 that Clay was in. We tried, in very bad Portuguese, to explain and found out (THANK GOODNESS) that he spoke English! We said we were sorry, we couldn't explain to the kid that he needed to move and could he help us? He did and the kid moved. I don't understand why showing him our tickets wasn't enough to prompt him moving, but it all worked out!

The movie was wonderful and Brazilians seem to be very concerned about keeping quiet and not bothering others. We noticed this when a baby started getting fussy, the crowd wasted no time shushing the baby and mother, and when that didn't work, telling her to take the baby out! Haha, it was pretty funny, especially considering they're reading the subtitles and not listening. (That's a blanket statement; I'm sure some people in the theater knew English and were listening.)

It was a fun afternoon out!

Exploring Leblon

2009-07-13T12:52:00.003-03:00

Clay had his day off yesterday and we had planned on having a Copacabana day, sitting on the beach, eating in the area and just sort of exploring the area. Well, luck would have it that we woke up Sunday morning to a drizzly, windy and COLD day. It was probably the coldest day we've spent in Rio and the wind made it feel colder! We were walking down the beach and it was so windy that sand had blown into dunes on the street! We had to go into the city to get away from what reminded us of Texas dust storms!

So, needless to say, we had to change our plans. We walked to one of the main roads in our neighborhood and started walking towards Leblon (the neighborhood just to the east of us). Neither of us has really seen that area before and we really liked it. The sidewalks are bigger so you don't feel like you're going to run into people all the time and it looked altogether a little more upscale.

We ate at this great place near Lagoa called Via Sete for lunch. We shared their chilled tomato soup, that came out in cute little shot glasses with a mini sausage and celery and mushroom pate. Then we each got one of their combos. You pick a meat, a side, a salad and a sauce. I had the chicken (when I ordered they asked me if I wanted my chicken cooked "Medium" which is really strange, I just told them to cook it through, but I still got a chicken breast that looked like a steak in the center. Still very good, just an interesting difference here) with a caprese salad, grilled veggies and a creamy mushroom sauce. Clay had their picannha steak with brazilian sauce, a ceasar salad and fries. The best part were the fun cocktails they had. I didn't believe my eyes at first, but there it was, Margarita was on the list! I couldn't help myself and got one. A Brazilian margarita is VERY different from what we have in Texas though...it was more like a tequila martini with a salt rim. Tasty, but strong!

Then we walked down into Leblon and found a mall. We walked through it to see what a Rio mall is like. It was very nice and seemed to have some pretty high-end shops. They even had a Mac store! We also found a movie theater that has movies in english that are just subtitled in Portuguese. I think I'll be going back there some afternoon. Around 4 a futebol match between our new favorite team, Flamengo, and Sao Paulo was on so we ducked into a restaurant/bar to watch. The teams tied, but it was a fun game!

That evening we tried a new place for dinner that is on our street. It's a chain they have all over the city called Koni. It's basically a restaurant for sushi hand rolls. We each had two, I had a salmon and mushroom and a Philadelphia style hand roll. Clay had a tuna and "hot steele" slamon. He couldn't pass up the name! It was gooooooood. And in keeping with the cone theme, they have desserts in waffle cones. I had a chocolate mousse and Clay had sweet coconut and nutella. YUM!

Well, that was a long post, but we have to cram a lot in to the ONE day a week we have together! I'm off to the beach for the afternoon!

Clay's Project

2009-07-11T11:39:00.003-03:00

has officially begun! As of today the rig is in the shipyard and we begin the 113 day countdown until project end (that is, assuming nothing goes over schedule). Clay should be done October 10th and be able to come back home.

That also means that this is the first Saturday I'm spending without Clay. It's only Sunday's off from here on out! :( But It should go quickly, I've got things to do around the apartment to make it a little more like home, some graphic design work for the Church, and of course there's always shopping and the beach!

Clay sent me some pictures of the rig coming into the shipyard for everyone to see. It's definitly in need of repair!

Best dinner in Rio so far!

2009-07-10T12:04:00.003-03:00

We had the best dinner the other night at a new place in Ipanema. It was nothing fancy, but it was different than what we've had in Rio so far. We had shrimp empanadas for an appetizer and they were soooo good! Then we had this dish called file mignon apertivo, which was little bits of file mignon, pearl onions, gorgonzola cheese in a gravy and topped with potato chips! It tasted just like french onion soup. I wish I'd brought my camera to take pictures. i need to get better about bringing it with me! I think we'll be eating there again!

The Rio ER Experience

2009-07-10T11:19:00.003-03:00

Now before I worry anyone, we're okay, Clay has had a pretty bad cold all week and needed to be seen by a doctor. His secretary set up an appointment for us to be picked up and driven to the hospital. When we got there, the receptionist told us that the appointment was for the emergency room. So we walked down the hall to the ER reception and outside the door was a box of masks with a note about wearing one if you have flu symptoms (Swine flu has just gotten to South America and they're in full freak out mode). That didn't worry me too much until we go in the reception area and there are people coughing all over the place and only some are wearing masks...no flu symptoms here yet though (knock on wood).

After about a 30 minute wait we get called back. The ER looked pretty much like the ones in the US, but maybe a little older looking. The doctor spoke enough English to be able to understand Clay's symptoms and give us some medicine. Turns out we didn't have to pay anything, but left with a list of medications. One was Tylenol, which is pretty normal except for the fact that one pill here is 750 mgs where one at home is about 200 mgs. The other is like a cough drop with a numbing agent in it and we're not quite sure what the third is for because we can't read any of the information.

Clay seems to be getting better every day though so whatever the medicine is, it must be working! At least now we know where to go if either of us get sick.

First week back and 4th of July

2009-07-05T15:39:00.006-03:00

Happy 4th of July (a day late)! Yesterday Clay and I spent the day looking for all the ingredients for the traditional 4th of July hamburgers and hotdogs and apple pie! We found everything but the cinnamon, but the pie was still great! We invited 6 of Clay's coworkers over to eat with us and celebrate the day. It was fun to have them all there, but I'll tell you, it was quite a feat to make so much food in that tiny kitchen! I almost ran out of room!! I didn't think to get any pictures, but the whole dinner tasted almost American! Haha.

Now that I'm recovering, it seems I've passed on my illness to Clay whose not been feeling to well today, but seems to be perking up this afternoon.

We took some pictures of our favorite restaurant at our corner (Sindicato) but unfortunately our horrible camera corrupted all the files. I'll post what I can and from now on we'll use a different camera. Enjoy!

Clay and Marlon

Clay and I (again sorry for the files) The guy in the white shirt behind us is our waiter/friend Elemar.The food, Frango a Passarinho and batatas fritas.Us again.

Rio Marathon

2009-06-10T13:31:00.007-03:00

I'll be in Rio for a little less than a week, when the Rio Marathon will be run, right through our front yard! June 28th there will be a mob of runners going from Macumba, down through Ipanema, right down our road, down Copacabana and finishing in Botafogo! How exciting! Here's a map so you can get a better idea of where we live and where the Marathon will take place:

And we're back!

2009-06-10T13:24:00.005-03:00

It's been a few months, but it's time to start the Brazil Blog again! Clay is back in Rio and glad to be there. I think all the stress about the project faded the minute he was back and saw the beach! Yesterday he told me he spent the day getting settled in our apartment (the same one we were in last time), walking around the city, grocery shopping, and he even made some American Expat friends at dinner. Didn't take him long to get back in the swing of things!

I plan to be going back the 22nd of this month and will spend three months there with Clay. Then we will both fly back for Lyndi's wedding and depending on how much longer Clay has on the project, we'll go back together, or I'll stay here.

It sounds like this time around, we're going to have quite a few visitors from home and I can't wait to show them around Rio! Hope you enjoy reading about our time in Rio, part deux!

Update

2009-03-31T14:44:00.010-03:00

Wow, this week has flown by! We didn't get to do much exploring in Macae after all. Which is probably okay because I heard that there is a much smaller expat community there, making us more targeted. We didn't experience anything like that though. We did go eat at a place by the beach the second night there and had picannha with (what else) rice, farofa and french fries! Then the next day we were back in Rio for the most sunny day we've seen here! Clay and I were able to spend some time at the beach together which was very nice.

The weekend ended up being mostly cloudy again so we decided to go to Corcovado this coming weekend and just pray for nice weather. We did do some souvenir shopping at the hippie fair again and I found the cutest homemade, simple cotton dress. I've been wearing it nonstop I love it so much. Next trip, when we have visitors (I'm telling you people, I'll need visitors and you will kick yourself if you miss out on having someone to visit in South America, it's awesome here) I want to take all the girls there to get a dress like this. I'll have to have Clay take a picture of me later.

I have a few more pictures to show you all. Two more from Macae and a few we took on a walk down Ipanema beach to Leblon (about a 3 mile walk, it was so nice):

That's right, you're looking at a horse drawn carriage on a highway! Macae is an interesting place.

From our walk:

The two brothers behind me.

This is the sidewalk pattern for Ipanema, I'll take Copacabanna's to show you next time I'm there.

Very little Corcovado in the distance.

And my favorite: one of the kiosks on the side of the beach where you can purchase water, sodas, coconuts, beer, and food...but I can't imagine wanting to eat at one named after a washroom...

Macae

2009-03-25T17:22:00.006-03:00

Surprise! We're in Macae for a few days! (Pronounced Ma-Kai-A) We drove in early this morning (and by drove I mean, a crazy Scottish man drove us and I thought I was going to vomit I was so car sick!). We're staying at a hotel so of course, I have internet and can still work and blog!

We haven't been able to do much yet since we've both been working today, but I'll try to have more to write about after we go out exploring tonight. For now, here are some pictures of our view:

And of course, if your towels are clean, please remember to rang them!

Two Brothers

2009-03-25T17:15:00.005-03:00

Per my dad's request, some better pictures of the Two Brothers we see from our balcony in Rio.

You know you're a gringo in Rio if...

2009-03-23T17:34:00.006-03:00

you hear the beach vendors walking up and down the beach selling, "cerveja, agua, coca, agua de coco!" and when they get close to you change their selling pitch to, "beer, water, coca-cola, coconut milk!"

you attract each and every beach vendor that has stocked up on hats and sunscreen.

when you walk into a store and there is an english speaking worker, the other workers immediately go get them and point them to you.

There will be more to come I'm sure...

First Week in Rio

2009-03-23T16:24:00.010-03:00

Well the first week is down and it couldn't have been better. Clay's work has been going well and he has friends at the office and I'm feeling more safe when I'm alone and we both have had fun exploring. Some highlights from this week were:

Thursday: Going to the beach (a praia) by myself and not having any vendors hassle me (I have to imagine this had more to do with the fact that I had no purse or man to carry money than my hopes that they didn't notice my pale pale pale skin). Whatever the reason, it was a beautiful early morning and a great way to relax before work.

Friday: Our first Portuguese lesson from Clay's coworker Claudio. We all went out to dinner on Copacabana beach and had the Brazilian version of chicken wings, or frango a passarinho, which is basically baby chicken, chopped up and fried with salty seasonings and of course the regular sides of batata frita e arroz (french fries and rice, they come with EVERYTHING). We learned how to order these things, but we also learned the very important para viaje so I can have my doggie bag! He also had us doing math once the bill came. A very educating evening!

Saturday: Even though the sun didn't come out once all weekend and there was a slow drizzle for most of it, Clay and I (and all the Cariocas) spent the weekend on the beach. Saturday morning we went to Copacabana where we were immediately aware of our whiteness, but bought a kanga anyway and found a place on the beach. Even with the clouds, it was a pretty day with big waves and a great view of Sugarloaf.

After a praia, we walked down to the main street in our neighborhood to do some shopping. We did some window shopping and went into a pharmacia for some makeup I needed. Then we were feeling brave and both got Rio de Janeiro-esq bathing suits! We also were trying to find a bank that had ATMs that worked with US debit cards (THAT was a feat). We probably went to 8 banks before going back to the apartment to google banks in Rio and finding one pretty close to our house.

After the day of shopping and bank hunting, we went out for dinner and drinks with some of Clay's coworkers. First we had more frango a passarinho (I had a salad...I'm getting a little tired of meat, meat, meat all the time), then we went down the street to a place called Devassa which is a lot like Two Rows back home. They brew their own beers and have some pub food (we didn't try any). They also allow you to purchase full bottles of liquor, which they put a sticker on down the side that measures how much you have drank. Then you only pay for the amount you drank that night. They have you write your name on the label and hold the bottle for you until the next time you come. Pretty convenient if it is a place you frequent.

Sunday: Sunday was another rainy day so we made ourselves some breakfast and went down to our local suco e cafe shop (I think they're starting to recognize us). After we went to check out a peixeria (fish store) on our Copacabana corner, but it was too late and closing up (we'll have to try that out next week). Then we made our way down to a park that has a hippie fair every Sunday. They were selling everything from paintings to homemade jewelry to beatles paraphernalia. After we had a late lunch of picanha at a local place on the way home. It was a weekend full of walking, but also full of fun!

The Supermarcado Experience

2009-03-20T12:21:00.003-03:00

Shopping for groceries is an experience in and of itself here in Rio. I've been to the store (Zona Sul) once a day for the three days we've been here and still don't have much to show for it. You have to do some smart and organized shopping here. Mostly because I don't have a car so I have to carry everything I buy home in plastic bags and can't carry too much for any distance. Luckily for me, there's a Zona Sul just around the corner and down the street from us (maybe a half mile walk). I also need to be organized before I go in because most everything is different and in Portuguese and I get distracted trying to figure out what things are. That being said, I did pick up some American staples: Diet Coke, Uncle Ben's Rice, Helmans Mayo, Pringles, and Activia.

So what do these grocery stores look like? I don't have pictures for you b/c I'm too scared to take even a purse out with me, much less my camera. So, I'll just have to describe it. It's an open air market with no AC so as you can imagine, unless you get the produce the day or maybe one day after it's delivered, it starts looking pretty brown and buggy. They have the same sections we have, dairy, produce, canned goods, freezer section, cleaners, etc. but there are some differences. They are small (like everything else here except the beach) so you feel a bit claustrophobic trying to get up and down the rows with 4 other people trying to get their groceries and get by. There are refrigeration issues, the eggs and milk (I've learned are ovos e leite) are not refrigerated! Kinda gross, but I got them anyway. There's obviously less of a selection than we have, but there's still a few choices with most items. Checking out is pretty quiet after I let the checker know I "nao falo Portuguese", but they are still very nice and helpful.

Hello From Brazil!

2009-03-18T15:07:00.010-03:00

We made it! We're settled into our tiny apartment. It's pretty cute and really close to the beach. It's only about a minute or two away. Here are some pictures of our apartment:

This is our kitchen, it's only as wide from the fridge you see on the left to the door you see on the right.

This is our living room/dining room. The doorjam you see on the left is the entrance to our kitchen.

Down a little hall is our bathroom.

A little father down is our bedroom.

Outside our bedroom we have a cute little balcony.

And this is the view from the balcony!

On Our Way

2009-03-10T16:20:00.007-03:00

After nine months of back and forth, Clay and I are finally leaving for Brazil next week! I know so many of you have been wanting to know all the details, but we haven't been able to answer you until now. Here are some of the FAQ's we're been getting:

When will you be in Brazil?
The first trip, I will be there from March 16th to April 5th and Clay from March 15th to April 15th.

When will you go back for the second trip?
We don't know. There is a window from May 27th to August 20th for us to return, so your guess is as good as ours!

Where will you be?
Clay and I will be in an apartment in Rio de Janeiro. The area is Ipanema/Leblon. You can see it on this map. Clay will share a car into work every day which will leave me to explore the city by foot.

How can I get hold of you?
If you would like to contact us, we will be able to Skype, email, and you can leave comments on this blog.

What will Allison do while you're there?
I have some work to keep me busy during the day and also some graphic design projects of my own. Clay's work schedule will be much more relaxed this trip and we will have evenings and weekends together so we plan to go to the beach and see Rio! We've already gotten a few tips about museums and site seeing.

Are you quitting your job?!
No way! My company has been amazingly flexible with me and I am so lucky to be working with such a wonderful group of people. Everyone has been so supportive of this adventure and I will be able to work or go on leave if necessary. I couldn't have asked for a better turnout.

That's what we know. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask! Stay tuned for blog posts from Brazil next week!