Jardim Botânico - Botanical garden - Part one

Last weekend our apartment was being fumigated for some little bug feasting on our furniture, and we needed to leave the apartment closed for four hours. Camillo had a list of errands and I decided to walk to Jardim Botânico. I have been to the botanical garden in almost every city were I have live and visited. By far, Rio's is the best I've seen. This isn't a Carioca speaking but an Houstonian, and I think the gardens are the best of what Rio has to offer. I have been to the park 4 times now, and have only explored the left hand side. The front, along the Rua Jardim Botânico, is lined with Imperial Palms, very tall, very straight and very elegant. From the main entrance the park is bisected by a path also lined in the imperials, no matter the season this sight is very impressive. There are examples of many trees from Brasil and a few from other countries. This is were I have seen my only Southern US Cypress. Within the left-hand side of the park there is a bookstore, an Orchid greenhouse (mostly the most common orchids), a Bromeliad (Bromeliaceae) house (Fantastic), a small greenhouse with carnivorous plants (truly interesting), the toilets (very important to know) and many, many park

benches along the trails to encourage sitting peacefully, romantically or meditatively under a tree.

move Part lll

This is an addendum to Riorose's move story. I feel good that she appreciated my 3 plus hours of help but I should have done more. She is a crazy person - It didn't even occur to her to change the dates of her flights to the US in order to get her move done with a bit more ease. She worked like a pack mule to get the move done before leaving for the airport. I thought everyone would like to see what all the effort was about.

the first two photos are the before apartment and the second two the new one.

It will be a real improvement in quality of life for the two of them AND all their progeny looking for a vacation in Rio de Janeiro. The view is spectacular and the pool and Churrasceira will make for a great New Years Eve Party. I will help her then too - you can bet on it!

Not Exactly Jetlag

But not exactly normal either. I worked for 11 hours straight before my flight. Then the normal 13 hours of travel time has left me a bit punchy and sore.

After managing to retrieve the new apartment keys at only 7 pm the night before, I started our move 5 stories up the building at 7 am on Thursday.  I was determined to get most of the move completed before I left for the US at 11pm. Mission accomplished. By the time plopped my tired bones into the taxi, at least 80% of the move had been completed.  Luzia, our housekeeper, was great.  She knew where everything went and was able to retrieve items when I asked for them later.

In true American fashion, Ginger came to help for a few hours. She scrubbed out closets and cupboards and arranged the new linen closet.  She took photos to show our bloggy friends where I will be blogging from in October when I return. Abel said he loves the way Americans help each other. I think it is one of those things that we take for granted only until we move to another country. Without family around we become sisters and brothers.

Part 2: Moving day, Maybe

The lights at the Jockey club have just come on. That means it is 5 in the morning. If this were the weekend most Brazilians would just be going to bed. ON this Tuesday morning, I have been awake since 2:45.

We spent all of yesterday waiting for a final document to be emailed. It arrived in great detail and with only 2 unclear issues. The Comandante then took the document to Barra to be signed by the fiador and then back to Ipanema to be notarized. The glitch was that they would not notarize our fiador's signature and he must return there today. Result: Still no key. Still no move!

You might ask WHY in the land that invented "manaña" (manha for all you portuguese speakers) I'm so anxious. Resposta: Wednesday I am headed to the US for a month. I am just a glutton for punishment.

Moving Day, Maybe.

About a month ago our neighbors informed us they were moving from their apartment and asked us if we would like to take over their lease. It took me about 5 seconds to answer affirmatively. The rent is less than our current apartment and the value is about 10 times more. It is the trilevel penthouse with a view of Corcovado, all of Leblon and Ipanema, the white sand of Ipanema beach and the stunning granite monolith of Dois Irmãos. A rooftop pool and jacuzzi, sauna etc. You get the picture. The third level is the barbeque area.

So far so good. Of course there is a catch. This is Brazil you know. Fiador, check! Documents, signed and notarized, check! One walkthrough done, check! Where is the key??

Well there is one more document that needs completion and notarizing. We have been sitting here all day waiting for the typist to return from coffee then from lunch. The Comandante then needs to review it, hopefully there are no errors, drive it all the way to Barra, then back to Ipanema to be notarized then down to the realtors to pick up the keys before 5pm. It is now 2:15. I have checked my mail so many times it is about to blow and so am I.

The Comandante decided to take all of this in true Brazilian style. He is lying on the bed reading his novel.

Don Camillo and Mr President

Ginger has introduced you to Don Camillo, our local Brazilian-Italian humorist. I have introduced you to the twins. The twins are the progeny of Mr President, our Swiss-Italian humorist friend. We think it is the Italian part of the hyphenated descriptions that produces the chemistry between them.

We will never know exactly because those of us who sit and observe their antics cannot follow their private language. It appears to be a blend of Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese and English.

It goes something like this: Don Camillo says 3 words in brazo-italiano then Mr President says 3 words in brazo-italiano about the name of Chou Kou Chinese Restaurant. They break into laughter. Not the normal type of laughter but the tears on your cheeks - choke on your food - wet your pants - type of laughter. Then they throw out a few useless anglo - germanic - brazo laughter choked syllables in an attempt to help the rest of us out and again nearly laugh themselves to death.

Don't worry about the wives of those 2 or the Comandante, we simply enjoy the company of 2 people taking so much pleasure from life and from each other.

Part 1: An American Farm Girl in Rio de Janeiro

People who know me well know that I was raised in a suburban town in California. For a few years our housing tract was surrounded by orchards but by the time I could walk around the block and make it make home safely, the prune, pear and apricot trees had been converted to firewood and new schools and homes stood in their places. So no one could ever call me a farm girl except my brazilian husband.

He knows me as a woman who bakes bread, tries to grow trelliced tomatoes on varandas, sews clothing, paints anything to extend its usefullness, brews soap and yogurts, and makes furniture or upholsters things to serve as furniture.

Six o'clock this morning was no exception. He woke up to the sound of my electric drill screeching into the pieces of plywood stretched out on the kitchen table. I was making upholstered headboard frames to cover with a gorgeous fabric I bought in San Franciso last year. I suddenly discovered that the lumber shop nearby had sold me a warped piece of wood which will distort the shape a bit. Then I discovered that the foam pieces were cut wrong. One piece was cut 2 centimeters too long and one two centimenters too short.

Now anyone who has lived in Brazil knows there is no such thing as returning an item to a store in Brazil and there is no such thing as an employee who mismeasures. The customer is always wrong!!

The truth is they sold me exactly the quantity of foam that I asked for and the exact length of wood I needed, so what is my problem anyway . . . . Everyday life in Brazil lesson #54,789, I will measure it myself before they package it and complain before I write the check.