It All Started In Brazil
01 Dec 2008 1 Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: memories of Rio
A couple of weeks ago I met up with a friend that I hadn’t seen in about a year and half. I met her when I went to Rio the first time in the summer of 2007. Amy worked in Rio for about 3 months with the mission teams. She was living in Nashville, but decided to move to Knoxville. So, a few weeks ago, she sent me a message saying she was living here now, and she wanted to get together. We met at Starbucks, (which, any excuse to go to Starbucks is fine with me!), and we enjoyed coffee and conversation for about an hour and a half. It was wonderful to catch up with her, and to actually see her again. And it just reminded me that I have yet another cherished connection that I made once upon a time in a country called Brazil…..
Comida Brasileira
16 Nov 2008 1 Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: food, memories of Rio
I love Brazilian food.
Black beans and rice are staples in most meals. I ate that combination twice a day for pretty much every day I was in Rio. It’s a good thing I like it so much! 
Chicken Stroganoff was my favorite dish that I tried when I went to Brazil the first time, and I liked it so much that I found a recipe for it online, and I make it every now and then. AND, when I went back to Rio this past summer, Leila (my friend Luan’s mom) cooked it for me because I had mentioned how much I liked it. She is one of the ladies from the church that we worked with in 2007 who cooked dinner for us every night….which is when I ate this particular meal the first time. It was absolutely delicious!! Obrigada Leila
André taught me how to make pizza (Brazilian style) this summer. It’s so yummy, and I have made it for my family a few times. In fact, I made it tonight, and it was great. The only thing I do differently, is: I buy Pillsbury pizza dough in a can, rather than making my dough from scratch. André always makes his own, but I didn’t really pay enough attention to that part……
And, I enjoyed my favorite Brazilian drink tonight: Guaraná!!!! I bought a couple of two liters at a store called “Tienda Nony” last week, and I had forgotten that I had them at first. But, while I was cooking the pizza tonight, I remembered. And I was sooooo happy. I really do have a serious addiction to that stuff.
Está Frio!!
18 Oct 2008 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: memories of Rio
It’s getting cold here. I was looking forward to the cooler weather, but now that it’s arriving, I’m not so sure anymore. It’s ok during the day, but at night….wow. It makes me long for the sunny days I spent in Rio. Yeah, many of you heard me complain about the cool weather when I first arrived. But, it did get better, and some of my warmest memories (yes, pun intended) are the days that I sat outside reading and soaking up the Brazilian sunshine; watching the dog look up at me in his cute and playful way, and hearing Luiza say, “Julieeeeee, vamos brincar!!!” Yes, those were definitely good times.
Crianças (Kids)
18 Sep 2008 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: memories of Rio
The past couple of days, I have been thinking about how much I love kids, and how I can’t wait to have my own in the future. Last night I was playing with a little 3-year old girl at church. She is like my “American Luiza”….since she reminds me soooo much of Luiza, Andre’s little 4-year old neice. They are both fun, energetic, loving, and just plain silly at times. I totally love and adore them. And, because I do truly miss being able play with Lulu when I was in Rio, when I’m around the girl from church, it kinda helps kill the saudades a bit.
It also makes me think about the things kids say sometimes. Yes, much of what they say is just funny, but they also often offer up insightful and very truthful thoughts and ideas. My favorite thing that I learned from Luiza….other than how to actually understand 4-year old Portuguese….was this: “Uma mentira é feia.” “A lie is ugly.”
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- menina linda :)
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- Precious….
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- Me and Luiza
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- Luiza practicing ballet
Progress
15 Sep 2008 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: memories of Rio, Portuguese
I have been thinking a lot about my comprehension of the Portuguese language, and how far I’ve come. (Though I still have tons to learn!) This made me go back to when I first arrived in Rio….and the day I left. If you read my post about the day that I got to Rio, you know how difficult it was for me to communicate with Andre’s sister, Alessandra, and their dad when they picked me up at the airport. And the car ride to Andre’s house with them was pretty quiet. But, then I look back to the day that I left. In the car that time, I could actually hold a decent conversation with them. I wasn’t sitting in silence the whole time! haha It’s nice to have those reminders of such noticeable progression as encouragement for the times when you feel like you know nothing about such a complex language!
Memories from the Morning I Woke Up and Realized I Was About to Land in Rio
09 Sep 2008 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: memories of Rio
As the flight from Atlanta to Rio was overnight, I tried to get as much sleep as possible. Of course this is rather difficult on an airplane, but you do what you can. I was due to land in Rio at 7:05 a.m., and I woke up around 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. I looked out the airplane window, and I saw possibly the most beautiful view you can ever wake up to. The sun was coming up….creating a beautiful pink and orange sky. The sun was just slightly visible above the trees of the Amazon at first. I continued watching as it slowly rose higher in the sky, until it became so bright, I could barely look at it anymore. We continued descending, and then….I saw the mountains…the beautiful mountains that are so different from the ones of East Tennessee. And then I saw the water, and when my eyes put the two together, there was a such a feeling of love and excitement that struck deep in my heart. As I sat in that terribly uncomfortable airplane seat, gazing at the beautiful Brazilian scenery, I knew that was just the lovely beginning of an amazing 5 weeks.
