Patagonia - Day 2 (Puerto Tomba)

Today was totally amazing!!!! I'll write more later, but this is a Magellan Penguin colony I visited today in the Patagonia region of Argentina. This region is actually very dry and only receive 10 inches of rain per year. The penguins migrate south from Brazil, breed, have their babies and then return to the water. There were thousands of penguins! My guide, Sebastian, was totally awesome!

Back to Argentina

There are many things in life that I love to do. One of my passions is to TRAVEL! When I got my passport at 21 years of age, it was like I found a secret key that opened a door to many rich, new and life changing experiences. Travel is addictive and I cannot get enough of it!

So, here I am again traveling back for the second time in Argentina. I went in November 2009 with my wonderful friends J&D to Bariloche and Buenos Aires and we had a blast! I decided to come further south into Patagonia before I went home to San Diego for Christmas. I love Brazil, but a close second is Argentina. The food is AMAZING, the wine divine and the Dulce de Leche is to die for.

Here I am on my first day in a city called Puerto Madryn. It is approximately 1,400 kilometers (869 miles) from Buenos Aires on the Atlantic Ocean. It looks like parts of Nevada or Arizona and they only get 10 inches of rain per year. There is a lot of sea lions, birds and nature in this region. I arrived today and had a small tour of the city. It has about 80,000 people living here and is growing. The region was originally founded by the Welsh and there is a strong European influence here.

Here are some pictures of the first day - sea lions and birds! Stay tuned for Day #2!

Cartas do Papai Noel/Letters to Santa

Recently through a colleague at work, I learned about the local Rotaract organization. I was once part of the group when I lived in the Quad Cities & was quite excited to know there was a local club in Horizontina. Dartanian (colleague) told me about their Christmas project where they take letters written to Santa Claus by some local kids and fulfill their wishes. They are kids who are from poorer families in the community and are at high risk. Which means, they are at risk of not getting a good education and exiting the cycle of poverty.

I told Dartanian about my participation several years ago and how I would like to get involved again in the group. He brought me one of the cartas (letters) and it was my job to buy the child what was on the list. I had no idea what to expect, but was fearful there would be some pretty high demands like a bicycle, iPod, Play Station 3 or some other extravagant gift which would be 5 times more expensive in Brazil than the US. When I opened the letter, I was shocked and saddened. The letter read (translated from Portuguese to English):

Dear Santa Claus:

My wish is to receive school supplies 

with an image of a character (Editor's Note: Like Disney, Hello Kitty, etc.). 

I am 7 years old and am in the first year B (Editor's Note: I guess like second grade). 

My name is Raissa. 

The best way to describe how I felt was sad, then angry, then embarrassed. I was sad that this little girl's wish was something which seemed so basic in my life when I was 7 years old - just school supplies. I was angry that her parents couldn't provide this for her themselves. Then I was embarrassed that I took for granted such a basic educational necessity and assumed the parents were "bad" people because their child didn't have school supplies. 

Then I realized that on a salary of a maximum of R$1,000 per month( $586 USD ), the family was forced to make difficult decisions between food, housing and education. After providing a meal to the family and a roof over their heads, there was probably nothing left each month for education. Let me correct that statement - There IS NOTHING left each month for education. Zero. Is it really true that families here have to choose between eating and education?? Yes, that IS the reality of life here. 

Poverty is a serious, real and pervasive problem in Brazil. It has improved over the past 5 to 10 years with many government programs and support. However, I am reminded again that I live in a third world country still that is in the process of industrializing and growing. There is widespread economic disparity still that impacts the most helpless and needy people - children...the future of this great country which I have come to love, cherish and be proud of, as if it were my own child. 

Last Saturday, I went to the local "Office Depot" type store and loaded up on every possible type of pencil, colored pencil, pen, notepad, 3 ring binder and planner with Hello Kitty on the cover. I spent approximately R$60 ($35 USD) on these supplies. As I was shopping, I remembered how much fun I had as a child during the months of July and August as the local stores started to send school supply advertisements out. I would sit for hours planning would I would buy for the upcoming school year. I would compare all the ads and determine the one or two stores I would BEG my mom to take me to after I was convinced I could get us the best deal. I remember the excitement I felt when my mom finally said, "Let's go get you some school supplies" and we were off on a warm, summer day in San Diego to shop! Always our shopping trips ended with an ice cream cone for $.45 from Thrifty's or a frozen yogurt from I Love Yogurt. It was a special moment also with my mom - time with her and a commitment to my education. 

Today, I delivered the gift from Papai Noel to Raissa. It wasn't a warm, summer day, in fact a rainy one. It didn't end with a frozen yogurt, but there was warmth and love shared, a special moment between an estrangeiro (foreigner) and this sweet child, and a commitment to Raissa's education and the hope that her life will be touched during this Christmas season by Papai Noel. 

Um abraco,

Mollie (aka- Papai Noel)

Entomology & Havaianas (Entemologia e Havaianas)

Good evening friends on this really beautiful and warm December night! Yes, it's that time of year again when I break out my shorts, Havaianas, tank tops and other necessary supplies for the summer season! Along with these fun summer supplies, comes the other non-fun nuisances of summer in the tropics, aka Southern Brazil. They are: ants, bugs, lizards, spiders, mosquitos, biting mosquitos (they bite harder than a regular mosquitos), and my all time favorite - Mr. Barata, commonly known in the non-scientific world as the Cockroach. Ew. Ew. Eeeewwwww!!

I can handle the spiders, ants, other weird bugs, lizards (yes, I know a lizard is not an insect, but it's a summer time reptile that freaks me out a bit), even the mosquitos. I seem to have adapted well to the mosquitos and by years 2 and 3, my body doesn't swell up like an overstuffed cream puff like it did my first year. But, the cockroaches, Mr. Barata...we just cannot coexist peacefully. No, I tried. I tried to ignore you, kill you with very illegal pesticides, even drown you in the toilet. But, you just keep coming back. And, you are not welcome here!

Let me explain:  My first summer here I really freaked out when I found cockroaches in the house. I mean, unless you in Florida, roaches are only found in houses which are dirty and unkept. I can assure you that my house is cleaned 3 times per week by my wonderful housekeeper, Teresinha, and is a far cry from unkept or dirty. So, I couldn't understand why I had roaches in my house! It was pretty bad in the beginning. I couldn't sleep at night because I would fear them landing on my head, crawling into bed with me and using their antennas to find their way into my ears or nostrils. I remember many nights where I couldn't sleep because I found one in my room or bathroom.

With time, I learned how to deal with them and this being my third summer in Brazil, I have learned how to be a cacadora (hunter) and take down their little army of roaches. I have now on my side a very strong conviction that there is no " circle of life"  reason for them on this earth and the power of the Havaiana/chinelo close at hand at all times. It is perfect for those moments when walking down the hall I catch out of the corner of my eye a small, dark object on the floor. What is that?! Flip on the light and BAM! Mr. Barata is running around blinded by the light and then swiftly meets the bottom of my chinelo.

No pesticides, no harmful chemical Raid sprays, no rubber gloves needed here! Just a good, ol' fashioned WOMPING on Mr. Barata by my flip-flop. Sometimes, Mr. Barata you try to avoid me and are faster than me since I am just coming out of flip-flop bashing hibernation. But, so far, I believe the score is Mollie - 10; Barata - 2.

I believe in the power of metrics to measure where you are and this folks show that I need to improve my skills a bit. Lucky for me, there are plenty more "opportunities"  to encounter Mr. Barata here in Casa de Mollie.

One of the lessons of this story today is 1) Know your enemy; 2) Believe in yourself that you can overcome the oddst; 3) Always keep a chinelo close at hand (or on your feet).

Abraco,
Mollie

Perspectives on Food

Today at my factory, we had an important announcement. Our factory manager announced to the whole work force about a major conquista (conquest) that we had recently in our factory. I was a part of the group working in the project & it was a big accomplishment for our factory. To recognize all the work of the 2,000+ employees, there was going to be a special lunch today.

"Wow," I thought. "That is going to have to be good!!"

When I went to the cafeteria and saw the "special lunch", I had to chuckle to myself. The pieces of meat were a little bigger and the real special part was every employee could also have a can of Coke or other soft drink. Normally, employees have two options - Watered down mystery juice or just water. Today, they got a can of refridgerante (soda). I really had to chuckle to myself about it.


In the US, we would give people at the factories " free pop and coffee"  for special recognition, as in - unlimited, get-high-off-all-the-FREE-caffeine special! Here, they just gave people a can of Coke. Let me tell you, I sure saw some pretty happy employees leaving the cafeteria. Maybe it was because they also got a free chocolate bar (Brazil version of Snickers, Nestle Crunch, or Mounds bar) as they left the cafeteria as well.

Maybe our two cultures aren't that different after all....Free soda is free soda globally and so is free chocolate.

New Things - Part 2 of the Series - Amateur Sports

Continuing with the New Things Series, I've got much more to share with you! I'll get straight to the point. This weekend, I am competing in the Jogos de Sesi, or Sesi games. It's basically a Brazilian version of corporate games where PowerPoint loving business people put on a pair of Nikes and compete for the glory and title of "gold medalist" in tennis, football, beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, swimming and even ping pong and chess. Yes, even chess! The winner of the Regionals goes to the State finals with the potential of being crowned the King of Brazil and even a World Games match.

A colleague of mine had seen me swim at the outdoor pool (only opened for 4 months per year) a few times and also knew I was taking tennis lessons. He invited me to compete in the natacao, or swim competition as well as tennis singles. I reluctantly agreed with a knot in my stomach that I: a) never competed in a swim match in a pool; b) never did the breaststroke for more than 1/2 a lap; and c) had been playing tennis for 10 months and only recently was able serve the ball over the net.

However, what really attracted me to sign myself up for corporate humiliation in a foreign country and foreign language (I mean people laughing at you in Portuguese isn't so bad right???), was the chance to meet new "athletas" from my company and a chance to proudly wear and represent my company colors as an athlete! Come to find out, my company was paying for the transportation to the event, lodging, entrance fees, some meals and even provided a uniform and a nice set of warm-ups (although I paid R$40 to offset the cost). Wow!

With even more pride now, I cleaned the mold off my swim goggles and stepped up my once weekly tennis lessons. What did I have to lose?

Embarrassment? Check, but after 2 1/2 years speaking Portuguese, I already passed through a multitude of embarrassing situations where the hotness in my cheeks was so "quente" I could have provided heat to a small country. What was the risk of one more?

I've been training now for this event for about 2 months. This has included more frequent tennis lessons as well as numerous searches on You Tube for "how to serve", "how to keep score" and "how to put those tennis balls in your shorts". As for the swimming, the nearest indoor swimming pool (remember it's winter here) is 60 miles away, or a 1 hour and 15 min drive in a city called Ijui.  I have gone to swim a few times with some colleagues from my company. Come to find out, I have to DIVE into the water. This required many MORE searches on You Tube for "how to dive into the water", "how to keep your goggles on when you dive" and "how to do the breaststroke". Guess what? I also had to learn the words for "On your mark, get set, GO!" in Portuguese!! Never thought of that ahead of time.

So, today, I embark on another new experience here in Brazil as an Amateur Athlete. I don't really have too many details of this event, other than we take a bus for 4 hours at 3 pm today, swim/tennis tomorrow, lunch, then return at around 11 pm Sunday evening. Other than that, not quite sure what to expect, other than lots of laughing at myself, a chance to make new friends, and a chance to proudly represent my company!

Wish me luck....Look for Part 3 - Results of Amateur Sports & maybe a few pictures!

Um abraco,
Mollie

New Things - Part 1 - Conquering Portuguese

Welcome to Part 1 of my "New Things" blog series! I'm on the tail end of my assignment here in Brazil and found that there are still many experiences and things I can do to really involve myself in the culture. Even after an intense 2 years, 4 months and 1 day to be exact, I believe it's possible for me to still absorb and grow in my experience here.


I've decided to really challenge myself the next several months to do things I've only thought of, only talked about doing, or never did because I was afraid to do!


The first "New Thing" will be to conquer the Portuguese language! I don't just mean continue to take Portuguese lessons. I mean really applying all of the grammar, conversation, and "girias" or slang to find out if I really have good Portuguese or not. What's the best way to find out? Take a test!


One of my American friends here is an English teacher for Brazilians. Her teaching method draws on some of the material from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam. I started thinking several months ago as my Portuguese lessons were becoming too routine that I need to challenge myself more with the language or quit wasting time and money in lessons. I got the idea from her that maybe there is a Portuguese equivalent to the TOEFL. Maybe I can take an exam and become "certified"  in Portuguese. Maybe I could use that to teach others about the language and help share this beautiful language with others when I return to the US. Maybe I could continue to set the bar high for myself and prove to myself that I have really CONQUERED this language while here in Brazil.


Come to find out, yes, there is an exam called "Celpe-Bras" which evaluates the ability of foreigners to read, write and speak in Portuguese. It stands for "Certificado de Proficiência em Língua Portuguesa para Estrangeiros". I'm not sure why they have the "Bras" at the end. At first I read it and thought it was the word "bra", then realized it stands for Brazil, but it threw me off for a second and I thought I was reading about something else. 



The test is offered two times per year, April and October. Recently, they published the abstract for the October exam and it seems like a good sign that I should sign up and take it. So, that is what I am going to do!! It will be my most recent "New Thing".  The exam date is October 27 and I will have to travel 90 minutes to another town, but I'm going to go ahead and give it a try! I don't have much to lose and I want to see if I can CONQUER the Portuguese language! Wish me luck!!!



Um abraco,
Mollie


For more information about the exam, go here:  
http://www.inep.gov.br/celpebras/

New Things...Coisas Novas

My next series of blogs is going to be about trying new things here in Brazil. After almost 2 1/2 years of countless new experiences, foods, people and everything in between, I still find many new experiences almost every day. Some are simple things I want to try, like mailing a letter. Others are a little more daring and hence exist the possibility of severe embarrassment and humiliation. But, I've learned that embarrassment or " vergonha" (in Portuguese) are part of being a foreigner and it helps me not to take myself so seriously, something I've learned while here!

I'll continue with some funny stories and observations for your reading enjoyment. Also, there will be some reader participation in some upcoming blogs!

Stay tuned to more and feel free to send me your comments or questions about ex-pat life or life in a small, rural town in Brazil.

Um abraco (that means hugs!),
Mollie

You want one more? (Quer mais um?)

My last post was about how I really didn't mind riding the bus. I, in fact, like it. It's a chance to sleep, rest, listen to my iPod and just chill out. When I wake up, I'm in another city ready for another adventure. 


I took the bus Friday night to Porto Alegre at 10 pm. It's an overnight bus for 7 or 7 1/2 hours. No big deal. I got all my usual travel tools ready:


Earplugs - Check
iPod - Check
Eye Mask - Check
Snacks - Check
Dramamine - Check
Lotion (don't want to have dry hands!) - Check
Magic Pillow - Check
Travel blanket - Check




Those are kind of my standard travel tools I need. If I have those, I can pretty much go anywhere in the world. They have served me well. 


I got a taxi ride from my friend, Marcio Bender Taxi, to the bus station. Hoped on the bus in seat number 15 and sat next to a girl about my age. No problem, I thought. The bus driver shut the door and off we went into the night. 


I shut my eyes and let the sleep come! Somewhere between Horizontina and who knows where, the bus stopped. More people got on, including a really large, loud, and obnoxious Brazilian man. Now, I mean "large" not in the overweight sense, but he was just tall and a big man that took up a lot of mass. Of course, he was seated behind me. He kept talking and talking (LOUDLY) as we drove off into the night, one kilometer closer to the final destination. I nicknamed him The Hulk because reminded me of the green guy. 

I tried to go back to sleep. Then I kept hearing some little kid screaming and moaning. Oh man, I thought....Now, I have friends with kids. I like kids. Maybe even some day I'll have my own little ones running around and I can empathize with parents. But, that day isn't now and for now, I really like my single, kid free life. I like being the cool " aunt Mollie"  who can hang out with the kids then scurry on back to my quiet, carefree, and kid free lifestyle.  So, please next time you take your kid on an overnight bus, just give him a little kid Nyquil or something to help them be quiet so I can sleep. I am the one who works like 50+ hours a week!


Finally, we stopped. The bus stopped. Yes, I thought. We arrived in Porto Alegre. Wow, that went by fast. But, no.....Nope, just our standard half-way stop at a place called Italian's. It's basically a roadside stop with a bunch of bathrooms and a snack bar to get greasy, artery clogging food. The only redeeming quality about it is that I have learned you can order a misto quente with integral bread and no butter. They look at you weird, but at least I can avoid the heart attack. 


At this point, it was 3:00 am. I hadn't slept very well due to The Hulk and screaming kid. I got off the bus to stretch my legs and use the banheiro. Now, this place, Italian's is where we always stop whether we use the company van or the public bus. I know it like the back of my hand. In fact, earlier in the week I stopped there twice because I had to go to/from Porto Alegre for work to a farm show. 


I go into the banheiro and there is a bathroom attendant  (lets call her the TP brigada) giving out small amounts of toilet paper. There is no TP in the bathroom stalls. Normally, there is not an attendant because during the day there isn't as much foot traffic. There are small piles of pre-counted TP sitting on a counter - free for the taking!  Well, I needed a little extra TP on this stop because I had a runny nose. The TP brigada gave me one thing of TP. I asked for another. At this point, she looked at me and said " Quer mais um?"  Which means, you want one more. Or, to translate her non-verbal meaning " I just gave you some TP. You want more TP than I already gave you? What are you going to do with all that TP?" 


I was shocked! I have spent plenty of my hard earned reais there and darn it, I deserved the occasional extra set of TP without the evil eye of the TP brigada. I didn't deserve the TP walk of shame! I'm a good customer at the greasy pit! I was so shocked, that all I could mutter was a "sim"  and nod my head. Not to mention, I was half asleep. 


Well, the rest of the bus ride was thankfully uneventful. The Hulk seemed to quiet down as well as Screaming Kid. Due to the rain and fog, the normally 7 hour bus ride was 8 hours and I didn't get my usual great sleep that I so proclaimed in my last blog. 


It was actually one of the worst bus rides I've had, not to mention the hit to my ego for the extra toilet paper. I guess the moral of the story is you get what you pay for...or don't pay for!


Um abraco,
Mollie

Travel from Horizontina (Viagems de Horizontina)

I am getting ready to board the 10 pm overnight bus to Porto Alegre. It's about a 7 to 7 1/2 hour bus ride. Let me explain....

I am a really good traveler. I know that sounds conceited to say, but if I had to give myself a Performance Management rating for my travel competency, I'd give myself an "Outstanding Performance". I'll have to ask my boss if he can include that in my year end this year...I digress. 

I travel a fair amount for work and a lot more for personal. Living in Horizontina, which is 3 hours away from a small airport (Passo Fundo) and 7 hours away from the main airport (Porto Alegre), I have to find creative ways to get to the airport. Depending on the day of the week, you have certain options:

1) Any day of the week - 6 am bus ride for 7 1/2 hours to Porto Alegre (main airport) - R$100

2) Any day of the week - 10 pm over night bus ride for 7 1/2 hours to Porto Alegre - R$100

3) Company van - Mondays and Fridays @ 2:30 pm to Porto Alegre for 7 hours - Free (well, my company pays)

4) Carpool with someone to Porto Alegre - crapshoot depending on the day - 6 hours - R$60

5) Van ride to Passo Fundo (3 hours), but only Sunday to Fridays & only 1 flight per day - R$400

6) There is a flight from a SMALL airport 45 min or 90 min away, but that flight holds 12 people, you can only take 10kg of luggage and gets cancelled a lot. The only flight crew  are the 2 pilots. - R$300.

I rarely do option 5 because the flights get cancelled and they don't have convenient flight times, not to mention the luggage restriction and the high fare in case I want to do a weekend trip. My default options are usually 2, 3 or 4.

I am sure you are imagining a bus ride of 7 1/2 hours with chickens or something out of a Chevy Chase film, but I assure you the bus is really nice, very comfortable and very inexpensive. It's nicer than an airplane and if you get the "Leito"  bus, you can have a solo seat and don't have to sit next to anyone. I can usually sleep most of the bus ride and get a decent night's rest on the overnight bus.

For those of you who have been to Horizontina, you know it's not easy to get to/from the city. It is in fact much closer to Argentina than the rest of Brazil. But, when faced with lemons, you have to make lemonade. So, I make the best of what I've got and am happy that I have a way to get in/out of Horizontina. When you think about it, there are actually a lot of options for travel to Horizontina! None are easy, but then what fun would there be in easy???

Um abraco!
Mollie

Laughing at Myself

Sometimes I have to really just laugh at myself when it comes to speaking in Portuguese. I really give it my all--I mean 110% of my best effort to speak Portuguese. Not just speak Portuguese, but really speak grammatically correctly, with a non-American accent and putting the right emphasis on the vowels and consonants.  After nearly 2 1/2 years, I still find some situations where I don't know the words so I have to try to explain using other words I do know and it really comes out sounding quite silly to the person listening. I have learned how to just laugh at myself and I sincerely have so much more sympathy, empathy and patience for people learning English!

Let's use an example:

Me calling the gas company (basically like SDG&E in California or Mid-American in the Quad Cities) because there is a problem with the energy line in front of my house. It's spewing sparks!:


START OF CALL: 
Brazilian Customer Service Rep:  Good evening, how may I help you? 
Me: Hello. I have a problem with the energy in my house .
Brazilian Customer Service Rep: Ok, can you please give me your name? 
Me:  It's Patricia (because that is the name on the gas bill - the old owners)
Brazilian Customer Service Rep: Ok, Ms. Patricia, what is the problem? 
Me:  In front of my house, there is that light on the street. Above the light is the, uh, I don't know the word, but it's like a cable and there are some little lights leaving the cable and making a noise.
Brazilian Customer Service Rep:  I'm sorry, Ms. Patricia. I don't understand what you are saying. Do you have an account with us? It's that number in the upper left side of the page of your bill. (At this point she must assume I'm some wacko who is retarded because I speak Portuguese but have a weird accent)
Me: Yes, I do.  It's xxxxxxx.
Brazilian Customer Service Rep: Ok, what name is on the account?
Me: Patricia xxxxx. (At this point, I start to lose all confidence in my Portuguese and sweat profusely.)
Brazilian Customer Service Rep: Ok, Patricia. Can you please tell me again the problem? There is a line inside your house and you don't have power. Or a line fell on top of your house?
Me: Um, no. There isn't anything coming into my house. My house is fine. Sorry, I don't know how to explain the problem in Portuguese. I'm not Brazilian. Well, the problem is that the light on the street, you know the light that is on the column (lamp post) and there are lines (I used the word for lines on a piece of paper) with the energy. Well, one of them is making little lights and making a noise like "shshshshshshsh". Sorry, I don't know the right words.
Brazilian Customer Service Rep: Hmm, um, there is energy on your porch?
Me:   No, there isn't anything on my porch or my house, just the street. 
Brazilian Customer Service Rep: Oh, ok. Well, this sounds like an emergency (me: you think???). I will have a technician come out right away to check that. Is there a landmark by your house, like a school or a church?
Me: (None of our streets here actually have street signs). Um, I live near a country club. (I really don't expect them to send someone out. Things work a little differently here in Brazil.)
Brazilian Customer Service Rep: Ok, I'll have someone come right out. 
Me: Oh, thank you so much.
Brazilian Customer Service Rep: Anything else Ms. Patricia?
Me: Oh, no. Thank you so much and thanks for your patience.  (I quickly hang up the phone.)
END OF CALL


At this point, I started to laugh out loud and really a good, deep belly laugh because of how silly my end of the conversation probably sounded to her. I gave it my all though - 110% and tried my best to find words to describe "spewing"  and "sparks". Not to mention I don't remember the word for energy lines and lamp post. Those aren't in my daily vocabulary when talking about casting, wiring harnesses, screws, bolts, o-rings, and all other sorts of totally useless words outside of my company.

One thing I've learned after 2 1/2  years is that laughing at yourself is the best way to deal with not being a native speaker. I guess I still have more to learn, like "lamp post" and "sparks".

Um abraco!

A Few of my Favorite Things (Algumas coisas favoritas minhas!)

Pre-race photo of me & Sandi
(All photos taken by Schrags)

Continuing the theme of "new things" I have done in Brazil, I have another to share. Those of you that know me consider me to be a little over-dedicated at times to running, biking and swimming. Over dedicated, competitive, hard core, or even crazy would be some words I know my friends have used to describe me. I just like to think of myself as "sporty" and "active". Anyway, one thing I wanted to do in Brazil is run a race. Now, that in itself is not a "new thing" as I have done so many races in the US, I forgot  my PR in the 5k, 10k and half marathon distances. Thank goodness for those websites which store your last bazillion races, some of which I forgot on purpose. Anyway, my fellow ex-pat'er and good friend, Sandi, convinced me to run a 10k with her in Porto Alegre, the capital city of my state and only 300 miles away. She ran a 5k and had a lot of fun. It didn't take that much to convince me and I put together our training plan.

We trained pretty hard for about 3 1/2 months and then did the 6 1/2 hour car ride to Porto Alegre for the race. We got a really nice race packet with a small backpack, t-shirt and a towel at the local Adidas store in Porto Alegre. I also got a SURPRISE when I saw the prices of some of the merchandise. The prices are at least 30% higher in Brazil for the same stuff you can buy at an uber-discount at the outlet store in Aurora. OUCH!  The race probably had about 3,000 to 5,000 runners doing either a 5k or 10k distance. For those of you who don't do kilometers, that is 3.1 miles and 10.2 miles, respectively.

As we started running the race, I realized there was a fork in the road and you had to go left with the 10k runners or to the right with the 5k runners! I realized that I didn't know if we should go right or left. Then I remembered that my bib numbers were green and the green numbers meant 10k. The greenies were going LEFT! As I told Sandi this and had a minor freak-out moment, her husband snapped some photos of us! It was really funny because we were confused, but a nice, Brazilian runner confirmed for us going left was right (heh heh).

I ran a good race. I ran hard and really gave it all I had. In the end, I thought I had a PR, but after doing a google search for myself, I realized I ran 45 seconds faster a few years ago over the same distance. I was slightly bummed, but now I have a good reason to make this "first" a "second".

It was a really special experience to run a race, something that felt like home and be able to do it with Sandi. She has become a very close friend to me, running buddy, counselor, thought partner, road trip buddy and just an all around SUPER woman! Thank you Sandi for sharing one of my favorite things with me and also making it one of my "firsts"!!!! Um abraco grande!

Starting line of the race. Organized by expected finishing time. 

When we realized the race split off the 5k & 10k runners. Notice the confused looks on our faces. 

Feeling good! Odd statue in background.

Post Race Bliss! Happy we are done & we finished! Even got a finishing medal!

A Vida Simples...The Simple Life

View from Cristiane's Dairy Farm, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
All pictures taken by Sandra Schrag

Hello Friends!

Excuse my long hiatus from my blog. I have fallen into the routiness of life here in Brazil where somethings don't seem as new or funny to me as they did in the beginning. Plus, I am not sure who is reading this and it's hard to gauge what is funny or interesting to you.

In any case, here is one interesting & new thing I did in the past few months. I'll post more in the next few days!

I learned how to milk a cow. Yes, folks...me, the girl from San Diego, who knows better how to boogie board, build sandcastles, handle spicy Mexican food, and never saw a cow, pig, farm, combine, tractor (or anything else farm related) until she was 22, has MILKED A COW. My friend, neighbor and manicurist, Cristiane, grew up on a dairy farm. Her family still operates it and she invited me and some other ex-pats to visit the farm. It was really amazing to visit! They have a pretty sophisticated milking operation and it's tightly controlled. I got to taste some of the milk from their cows. Her mom makes everything from scratch and is a real working woman! Cris is a wonderful, sweet, patient and kind friend and it was wonderful to have a day at the farm. Here are some pictures! Um abraco!

Me, going in for the squeeze. I was kind of scared actually! 

My new friend. After the big " squeeze". 

Another farm experience. Putting your finger into the mouth of a young calf. Note the facial expression. It was really weird!!

Happy 2 Year Anniversary! Feliz Aniversario - 2 Anos

This week marked 2 years living in Brazil. Actually, living/working in Horizontina, Brazil.

The past two years have been the most tumultuous, challenging, rewarding, happy, fun, weird, breathtaking, silly, frustrating, fulfilling, lonely, peaceful, soul-searching and a time to really know myself. I have had tremendous personal and professional growth and look back with such pride and gratefulness on this experience.  The friends, relationships, strangers, ex-pats, and family here in Brazil and in the USA all have been my support system in many ways. I am truly and sincerely blessed for all the people that have passed through or into my life.

This experience has taught me many things (will be another blog!). Most of all, it's taught me that I do NOT need to be super-human.

I can be human - make mistakes, laugh at myself and accept openly and without embarrassment the love and support from other people.

In portuguese - Posso ser humana - faco falhas, me sorrio, e aceito aberta e sem vergonha o amor e apoio as outras pessoas.


Here are some photos of my last 2 years. Obrigada amigos brasileiros...obrigada ex-pats...obrigada minha familia....obrigada meus amigos americanos....obrigada as pessoas quem me ajudaram so uma vez no momento critico...obrigada meus colegas na minha empresa....e obrigada minha mae e meu pai por que voce sempre vejam em mim o melhor e me torcer para alcancar.