tomorrow i am switching families
i dont know how i feeel about this
(and i havent started packing my life into my threee suitcases)
ofcourse there are mixed feeelings
i've beeen with this family for almost 4months, more than half the time i have beeen in brasil. i'm so close with them
but at the same time i am ready to move onn..
i remember people asking me if is weird moving families, is it weird eating alll their foood, is it weird laying around on their couch, is it weird waking up at 11 on a saturday morning with massive bedhead, is it weird calllling them mom and dad, brother and sister? i mean, it's not like they are "your" family. they are almost like strangers, right?
for me
they are my family.
this wasnt the case in the beginning.
it took me atleast 2wks to get settled in.
i remember thinking that my mom is intimadatingly smart; my dad is outtta control; my brother is trying too hard to please me; my sister isnt even in the picture.
and then somehow in betweeen they became my family.
.
i made them thanksgiving, a tradition they swear will be carried on becasue of my pumpkin pie. my mom toook me to her salon almost weekly to get my nails done and i somehow made a smalll family with the ladies there. i went jeeeping with my dad who had a smile on his face the entire time because he was so happy to have me there, just jeeepin'. they toook me to salvador with my sister which i remember laying next to her where the coool breeeze from the hot sea came floating in and she whispered, "what are your best friends names?" my brother sang whitney houston to me, making me promise not to telll anyone at school that he loves the song, "I Look to You." (sorrry ale) Christmas was especially different this year, with the absence of snow and my family and the addition of bikinnis and sips of champagne at midnight. we had a family beach vacation in espirito santos, kayaking with my dad and a hike with my brother. and when i got sick (from a chocoatle chepe mind you?!) my sister sacrificed her warm bed in place of a smelllly hospital bed so i wouldnt be left alone all night. and when i came home from the airport from saying gooodbye to clare, my dad saw my face and knew how i felt; if he could, he would have taken my pain and made it his own. the following day when things still didnt feeel right, my mom made an "attempt" at pancakes, something she knows that i love. i expressed my fear in returning to schoool to my brother and he told me how terrified he was to leave for the city. we went to brasilia, meeting my father's entire family, i learned more about him and his love of family. my mom allowed me to have dance lessons with her; i wish she would have allowed me to steal some of her natural rythem. i've seen my brother cry, he's seen me breakdown, and sometimes we cried together, huggging(we already know we are overly emotional.) i've held my father's hand while walking through the streets and had my other arm loooped through my mother's while laughing with my brother and sister.
if i leave brasil with nothing else, i know that i atelast have people here in the pires family that i can always calll mine.
eu amo vocês
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
difference, cont´
i reread my post about differences the other day and i realized i missed ALOT of differences that need to be addressed:
**their coins frustrate me. they are all different, two different coins for the 10centavos, maybe three different coins for 5centavos. this makes everything much more difficult when trying to look for change fast.
**Bugs. I know I have complained about this before but still. I sleep with my Off Spray. There is a time at night where we have to close the windows and bare the heat because of the mosquitoes. Right now, i just got attacked! by them (have around seven on one leg) but the "good" thing is that they usually last one day, usually.
**There is a brand of bags called Kipling, kinda like our Vera Bradley. Apparently its in the US but i have never seen it. Everyone has it, boys, moms, teachers
**Whenever i say that i am from the US, i always get, "I have a nephew's-neighbor who has a cousin that lives in Boston who just recently moved to Orlando." A lot of Brasilians are in Boston or Orlando. Why there? No clue. Especially Boston casue its realllllly cold there.
**everyone rides motorcycles here. everyoneeeeee. (always with helments too, alwayssssss) they are always in front of the traffic, zigzagging through cars and trucks, driving on the sidewalk, dangerous. but atleast they have helments, right.
**I have met very few people that have visited the Amazon. It is so far away and expensive and i think they would rather be on a beach somewhere then being eaten away by mosquitoes and possibly anacondas
**their milk is different. it's warm. until you open it, you can leave it sitting out, forever. my maid judges me because i dont like having my ceral with warm milk. i try to explain to her but she is just like, "you are crazy." and you never drink it. i miss having an ice cold glass of milk at dinner. they dont have that here. i tried to drink it here and its soooo grosss.
**alot of people here think that the Black Eyed Peas are the best band, ever, in the world. I have been listening to "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling" since i got here.
**There money is reallly coool! they are alll different colors and have animals on the front, because of their love for Amazon. the hundred reais (which i see allllll the time ;D) is a baby blue with a fish; fifty reais is yellow-orange with a jaguar; the twenty reais is yellow with a monkey; the ten reais is red with a parrott; the five reais is purple-blue with a beauitful bird; the two reais is blue with a turtle. (the one real is a coin)
**there are shoes here called Havaianas which are just flip flogs but EVERYONE wears them but you cant wear them out. I wore them to the movies with my brother (they matched my shirt) and my brother yelled at me "Ariana, you just wear those around the house, at the beach, or at school.")
**They are IN LOVE with Brasilian Soap Operas and evyerone watches them and knows what is going on. I know twenty-year old men that watch them RELGIOUSLY. "Passione" and "Ti Ti Ti"
**I have seen lizards in my home that crawl on the walls. And they are welcome guests! Becasue they eat the mosquitoes. They are not welcome within 4meters of me.
**Whenever i say that i am from Pennsylvania (in português, its spelled Pensilvânia ..it sounds much more beauitful) but they ask, "Are you a vampire?" Cause they think of Transylvania! "No, I am not a vampire, you can look at my teeth."
**everyone writes in cursive.
**They use the period and comma in different places than we do. For example, if you have $7.60 ..here you would write it $7,60 causes some confusion especially when we get into higher numbers.
**There are no canned food. None. I never realized this until a few weeks ago. They dont need canned fruits or vegtables becasue everything is so fresh. Imagine having fresh pinapple whenever you want, or juicy mango, or tomates whose skins are so tight. i.love.brasilian.fruit.
**hammocks are everywhere. you dont find a house without a hammock. i have slept on my hammock before (and woke sweating cause i was without air-conditioning)
**much like the US, every state/region has a SPECIFIC accent: the northeast speaks very slowly almost liek singing; the north (amazon) the indians have a different langauge and some dont speak português (its considered a different world up there); the south speaks more português of portugal, more formal; Português of Rio de Janerio is SOO ugly, its a lot of "shhh" sounds, i find it soo ugly; my state of Minas Gerais gets made fun of a lot because we say "uai" (in english its pronounced exactly as "why") it has NO definiton, dont look this up in your dictionary (ive already tried) you say this whenever/however you want.
**Brasilians are ALWAYS late. always. Class starts at 7:15, teacher doesnt get there until 7:20. Party starts at 7 ..the host of the party goes to the store at 7 to buy food and drinks. i remember my first brasilian party i told my mom that it started at 6 and she asked, welll what time does it reallllllly start. at first, this bothered me SO MUCH becasue i am always on time, and/or early. but i find myself slowly becoming like them. ariana, we are leaving in an hour. ..okay so that means i dont have to get ready for another hour.
..i'm sure as time goes on..theree will be more differences
or there will be differences of "estados unidos" that will completely blow my mind
**their coins frustrate me. they are all different, two different coins for the 10centavos, maybe three different coins for 5centavos. this makes everything much more difficult when trying to look for change fast.
**Bugs. I know I have complained about this before but still. I sleep with my Off Spray. There is a time at night where we have to close the windows and bare the heat because of the mosquitoes. Right now, i just got attacked! by them (have around seven on one leg) but the "good" thing is that they usually last one day, usually.
**There is a brand of bags called Kipling, kinda like our Vera Bradley. Apparently its in the US but i have never seen it. Everyone has it, boys, moms, teachers
**Whenever i say that i am from the US, i always get, "I have a nephew's-neighbor who has a cousin that lives in Boston who just recently moved to Orlando." A lot of Brasilians are in Boston or Orlando. Why there? No clue. Especially Boston casue its realllllly cold there.
**everyone rides motorcycles here. everyoneeeeee. (always with helments too, alwayssssss) they are always in front of the traffic, zigzagging through cars and trucks, driving on the sidewalk, dangerous. but atleast they have helments, right.
**I have met very few people that have visited the Amazon. It is so far away and expensive and i think they would rather be on a beach somewhere then being eaten away by mosquitoes and possibly anacondas
**their milk is different. it's warm. until you open it, you can leave it sitting out, forever. my maid judges me because i dont like having my ceral with warm milk. i try to explain to her but she is just like, "you are crazy." and you never drink it. i miss having an ice cold glass of milk at dinner. they dont have that here. i tried to drink it here and its soooo grosss.
**alot of people here think that the Black Eyed Peas are the best band, ever, in the world. I have been listening to "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling" since i got here.
**There money is reallly coool! they are alll different colors and have animals on the front, because of their love for Amazon. the hundred reais (which i see allllll the time ;D) is a baby blue with a fish; fifty reais is yellow-orange with a jaguar; the twenty reais is yellow with a monkey; the ten reais is red with a parrott; the five reais is purple-blue with a beauitful bird; the two reais is blue with a turtle. (the one real is a coin)
**there are shoes here called Havaianas which are just flip flogs but EVERYONE wears them but you cant wear them out. I wore them to the movies with my brother (they matched my shirt) and my brother yelled at me "Ariana, you just wear those around the house, at the beach, or at school.")
**They are IN LOVE with Brasilian Soap Operas and evyerone watches them and knows what is going on. I know twenty-year old men that watch them RELGIOUSLY. "Passione" and "Ti Ti Ti"
**I have seen lizards in my home that crawl on the walls. And they are welcome guests! Becasue they eat the mosquitoes. They are not welcome within 4meters of me.
**Whenever i say that i am from Pennsylvania (in português, its spelled Pensilvânia ..it sounds much more beauitful) but they ask, "Are you a vampire?" Cause they think of Transylvania! "No, I am not a vampire, you can look at my teeth."
**everyone writes in cursive.
**They use the period and comma in different places than we do. For example, if you have $7.60 ..here you would write it $7,60 causes some confusion especially when we get into higher numbers.
**There are no canned food. None. I never realized this until a few weeks ago. They dont need canned fruits or vegtables becasue everything is so fresh. Imagine having fresh pinapple whenever you want, or juicy mango, or tomates whose skins are so tight. i.love.brasilian.fruit.
**hammocks are everywhere. you dont find a house without a hammock. i have slept on my hammock before (and woke sweating cause i was without air-conditioning)
**much like the US, every state/region has a SPECIFIC accent: the northeast speaks very slowly almost liek singing; the north (amazon) the indians have a different langauge and some dont speak português (its considered a different world up there); the south speaks more português of portugal, more formal; Português of Rio de Janerio is SOO ugly, its a lot of "shhh" sounds, i find it soo ugly; my state of Minas Gerais gets made fun of a lot because we say "uai" (in english its pronounced exactly as "why") it has NO definiton, dont look this up in your dictionary (ive already tried) you say this whenever/however you want.
**Brasilians are ALWAYS late. always. Class starts at 7:15, teacher doesnt get there until 7:20. Party starts at 7 ..the host of the party goes to the store at 7 to buy food and drinks. i remember my first brasilian party i told my mom that it started at 6 and she asked, welll what time does it reallllllly start. at first, this bothered me SO MUCH becasue i am always on time, and/or early. but i find myself slowly becoming like them. ariana, we are leaving in an hour. ..okay so that means i dont have to get ready for another hour.
..i'm sure as time goes on..theree will be more differences
or there will be differences of "estados unidos" that will completely blow my mind
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
ouro preto
on saturday afternoon, my dad asked me: ariana, you wanna go to Ouro Preto right now?
so just like that, we got into the car and left for a city named after its "Black Gold"
we arrived in Ouro Preto, just me and my father, and i instantly fall in love.
this smalll litttle adorable city nestled on a mountian side, stone streets that are so narrow that i am surprise we made it through. It was almost like Europe, almost like Greece (without the sea) but in Brasil so its obviously bettter
we drive through the city, bouncing around in the front seat with my mouth agap.
there are 22 churches in Ouro Preto
everywhere you look, there is a church to your left, to your right, behind you, beside you, in front ontop of the hilll. this made it diffficult with taking pictures cause i was like: "oooh! loook. how beauitful. woah, wait, look at that. can you stop for a litttle? no no, go i see another."
twenty-two historical churches that were built and dedicated from the inside out to honor a Christian figure that has changed everything, Jesus Christ.
amazing
we went into one where it was all gold.
the walls. the ceiling. the altar.
amazing
it was like the church in Salvador where i promised to get married in.
linda.linda.linda (beauitful)
we pass through the town square where, just like in the 18th century, it was used as social purposes. people sitting on the steps reading, mother's going to the bakery, children playing in the road. so cute !
in the midddle of town square is a monument dedicated to Tiradentes. i didnt exactly understand the story, but for whatever reason, this man was be-headed and his head sits in that monument. i found that rather odd and didnt want to ponder the issue much further.
while driving through town square, my father is stopped by a local tour guide, asking if he would like a guide of the famous Ouro Preto.
sure, come on in, stranger.
so the guys are talking and then my father (so proudly) says that i am from pennsylvania (my family/friends always introduce me that way, like all the brasilians know where pennsylvania is or something. why not just say US? no no, she is from pennsylvania)
the tour guide is in shock
"ohmygosh are you famous? you have been on a soap opera there, i know it. you have a face of a model. do you walk the runways with Gisele Bundchen?"
thankyou, mister, for your kind words, but no i am not famous.
we traveled to an even smaller city, Mariana, which was just close by but we passed through the local University. this university is famous for the parties, alcohol, and drugs. being a small town, of course things get a little outta hand.
we drove through around 5pm on a saturday afternoon, almost 80% of the young people had a cup of beer in their hand, just walking around, looking for the next party. i do not lie.
alot of the older people know and just kinda laugh about it. "Ohh, Ouro Preto. That place is crazy!"
but you would not send your child there to study.
while in Mariana, we went to this place where they mined gold, back in the days.
we put on hard helments and entered this tunnel where the walllls where short and narrow.
i now know that i do not like small spaces.
i couldnt enjoy myself as much as i wanted to cause i was silently planning my escape routine if things went bad.
we traveled back into Ouro Preto, wondering through the narrow streets, climbing up and down and almost twisting ankles cause of the sidewalk, realizing that Ouro Preto is amazingly beauitful and if (when) i come back to Brasil with family or friends with me, i would SO take them to this tiny town that is unbelievable.
i left Ouro Preto, loving Ouro Preto, loving Brasil (even more) loving this experience, loving this person that is standing next to me, and loving the person that i am becoming.
so just like that, we got into the car and left for a city named after its "Black Gold"
we arrived in Ouro Preto, just me and my father, and i instantly fall in love.
this smalll litttle adorable city nestled on a mountian side, stone streets that are so narrow that i am surprise we made it through. It was almost like Europe, almost like Greece (without the sea) but in Brasil so its obviously bettter
we drive through the city, bouncing around in the front seat with my mouth agap.
there are 22 churches in Ouro Preto
everywhere you look, there is a church to your left, to your right, behind you, beside you, in front ontop of the hilll. this made it diffficult with taking pictures cause i was like: "oooh! loook. how beauitful. woah, wait, look at that. can you stop for a litttle? no no, go i see another."
twenty-two historical churches that were built and dedicated from the inside out to honor a Christian figure that has changed everything, Jesus Christ.
amazing
we went into one where it was all gold.
the walls. the ceiling. the altar.
amazing
it was like the church in Salvador where i promised to get married in.
linda.linda.linda (beauitful)
we pass through the town square where, just like in the 18th century, it was used as social purposes. people sitting on the steps reading, mother's going to the bakery, children playing in the road. so cute !
in the midddle of town square is a monument dedicated to Tiradentes. i didnt exactly understand the story, but for whatever reason, this man was be-headed and his head sits in that monument. i found that rather odd and didnt want to ponder the issue much further.
while driving through town square, my father is stopped by a local tour guide, asking if he would like a guide of the famous Ouro Preto.
sure, come on in, stranger.
so the guys are talking and then my father (so proudly) says that i am from pennsylvania (my family/friends always introduce me that way, like all the brasilians know where pennsylvania is or something. why not just say US? no no, she is from pennsylvania)
the tour guide is in shock
"ohmygosh are you famous? you have been on a soap opera there, i know it. you have a face of a model. do you walk the runways with Gisele Bundchen?"
thankyou, mister, for your kind words, but no i am not famous.
we traveled to an even smaller city, Mariana, which was just close by but we passed through the local University. this university is famous for the parties, alcohol, and drugs. being a small town, of course things get a little outta hand.
we drove through around 5pm on a saturday afternoon, almost 80% of the young people had a cup of beer in their hand, just walking around, looking for the next party. i do not lie.
alot of the older people know and just kinda laugh about it. "Ohh, Ouro Preto. That place is crazy!"
but you would not send your child there to study.
while in Mariana, we went to this place where they mined gold, back in the days.
we put on hard helments and entered this tunnel where the walllls where short and narrow.
i now know that i do not like small spaces.
i couldnt enjoy myself as much as i wanted to cause i was silently planning my escape routine if things went bad.
we traveled back into Ouro Preto, wondering through the narrow streets, climbing up and down and almost twisting ankles cause of the sidewalk, realizing that Ouro Preto is amazingly beauitful and if (when) i come back to Brasil with family or friends with me, i would SO take them to this tiny town that is unbelievable.
i left Ouro Preto, loving Ouro Preto, loving Brasil (even more) loving this experience, loving this person that is standing next to me, and loving the person that i am becoming.
Monday, February 14, 2011
alguma coisas
just a little update
first week of febuary, start of a new school year. volta para aulas
i am in the third and final year here in CSFX which is good &bad.
this final year the students are preparing to take the Vestibular, a test that allows you to enter college. this and only this gets you into a university. no letter of recommandtion, no activitives. if you fail this, you spend a whole EXTRA year studying again to retake it so you can enter.
according to everyone that has taken it, it is the hardest thing in life. therefore in the third year, all the classes are designed to prepare the students to take this test. its all the students are stressing about, its alll the teachers are talking about, is all the pressure the parents put on.
everyone except me
third year also has classes in the afternoons on some days, meaning 7-12 (break for lunch) 2-6 ..then you go home and study..
guess what they study for? the Vestibular.
guess what these classes are about? the Vestibular.
guess who doesnt go to afternoon classes? ME cause i aint taking no "Vestibular"
third year is all new teachers and my classroom has grown to an unbelievable 50 (imagine 50 brazilians that dont stop talking..in one room)
it kinda "sucks" casue the teachers dont know that i am "the exchange student" and i feeel like i should introduce myself and be liek, "helllo, i am american and i dont do anything in class. hope its not a problem if sometimes i sleeep but usually i dont casue disturptions. nice to meet you!"
the one day i was sitting in class with my best friend (portuguese dictionary) just spending some time with him, we were separated for a long time. and the teacher was like, what are you doing? why are you reading?
i hold up my dictionary with a look of innocence.
the class: she's the exchange student!! she's american! she usually just sleeeps!!
teacher: OH MY GOSH! i am so sorrrry! do you understand?!??!
american: yess, but you speak realllllllllly fast.
she continues the lessson, speaking more slowly and talking more with her hands as if she is teaching kindergarden rather than teenagers and kinda directing it alll towards me. ooh CSFX..
so i went to school for a weeek..
then skipped a weeek to go to Belo Horizonte with my family :))
when my mom asked me if i wanted to go to BH with her, i was like, i would do anything, ANYTHING, to get outta school for a weeek.
my brother moved to BH to go to one of the best schools in Minas Gerais so my mom thought it be best if i stayed with her and my brother while he got adjusted to the city, his school, and the new apartment.
i wont bare you all the details of that weeek because it was mostly girly shoppping, buying you alll presents cause i love you so much!
while my brother was at schoool, we went to local fairs, markets, malls and various stores.
one day we went to this park, strollling along on the cooblestone streeet, taking in the fresh breeze that isnt in Ipatinga, having some "mother-daughter" bonding. it was nice :) we went to a museum of rocks which sounds LAME but was actuallly very interesting and beauitful and another museum of art that displayed brasilian history via pictures along with photography that had your head tilted to the side, pondering. the following day we went to a natural art museum which didnt have an actual theme, saw everything from dinosaur bones, a study on bats, and a HUGE monkey !
staying in BH for a wk, i'm not tooo sure if i could live in a big city. of course there is soo much to do, soo much to see, but man, when i am sleeeping at 3am and i hear the gargabe man almost screaming to the other man to "grab it and go!" ..i heard him until crossed neighborhoods.
or when the people in the building 2 streeets down is gettting a litttle rowdy with their BBQ.
also, who in God's name has a ROOSTER in the city? telll me why at at 5:35 EVERY morning, i woke up and sigh loudly, swearing that if i had gun and knew where that rooster was, i would be at it. (i am hitting the keys while typing this i am so angry, still!)
ooh BH..
that weeekend, me and my dad went to Ouro Preto, a place that i would go back in a heart beat.
first week of febuary, start of a new school year. volta para aulas
i am in the third and final year here in CSFX which is good &bad.
this final year the students are preparing to take the Vestibular, a test that allows you to enter college. this and only this gets you into a university. no letter of recommandtion, no activitives. if you fail this, you spend a whole EXTRA year studying again to retake it so you can enter.
according to everyone that has taken it, it is the hardest thing in life. therefore in the third year, all the classes are designed to prepare the students to take this test. its all the students are stressing about, its alll the teachers are talking about, is all the pressure the parents put on.
everyone except me
third year also has classes in the afternoons on some days, meaning 7-12 (break for lunch) 2-6 ..then you go home and study..
guess what they study for? the Vestibular.
guess what these classes are about? the Vestibular.
guess who doesnt go to afternoon classes? ME cause i aint taking no "Vestibular"
third year is all new teachers and my classroom has grown to an unbelievable 50 (imagine 50 brazilians that dont stop talking..in one room)
it kinda "sucks" casue the teachers dont know that i am "the exchange student" and i feeel like i should introduce myself and be liek, "helllo, i am american and i dont do anything in class. hope its not a problem if sometimes i sleeep but usually i dont casue disturptions. nice to meet you!"
the one day i was sitting in class with my best friend (portuguese dictionary) just spending some time with him, we were separated for a long time. and the teacher was like, what are you doing? why are you reading?
i hold up my dictionary with a look of innocence.
the class: she's the exchange student!! she's american! she usually just sleeeps!!
teacher: OH MY GOSH! i am so sorrrry! do you understand?!??!
american: yess, but you speak realllllllllly fast.
she continues the lessson, speaking more slowly and talking more with her hands as if she is teaching kindergarden rather than teenagers and kinda directing it alll towards me. ooh CSFX..
so i went to school for a weeek..
then skipped a weeek to go to Belo Horizonte with my family :))
when my mom asked me if i wanted to go to BH with her, i was like, i would do anything, ANYTHING, to get outta school for a weeek.
my brother moved to BH to go to one of the best schools in Minas Gerais so my mom thought it be best if i stayed with her and my brother while he got adjusted to the city, his school, and the new apartment.
i wont bare you all the details of that weeek because it was mostly girly shoppping, buying you alll presents cause i love you so much!
while my brother was at schoool, we went to local fairs, markets, malls and various stores.
one day we went to this park, strollling along on the cooblestone streeet, taking in the fresh breeze that isnt in Ipatinga, having some "mother-daughter" bonding. it was nice :) we went to a museum of rocks which sounds LAME but was actuallly very interesting and beauitful and another museum of art that displayed brasilian history via pictures along with photography that had your head tilted to the side, pondering. the following day we went to a natural art museum which didnt have an actual theme, saw everything from dinosaur bones, a study on bats, and a HUGE monkey !
staying in BH for a wk, i'm not tooo sure if i could live in a big city. of course there is soo much to do, soo much to see, but man, when i am sleeeping at 3am and i hear the gargabe man almost screaming to the other man to "grab it and go!" ..i heard him until crossed neighborhoods.
or when the people in the building 2 streeets down is gettting a litttle rowdy with their BBQ.
also, who in God's name has a ROOSTER in the city? telll me why at at 5:35 EVERY morning, i woke up and sigh loudly, swearing that if i had gun and knew where that rooster was, i would be at it. (i am hitting the keys while typing this i am so angry, still!)
ooh BH..
that weeekend, me and my dad went to Ouro Preto, a place that i would go back in a heart beat.
Monday, January 31, 2011
brasília :))
on tuesday morning, i woke up and went to the living room where my father asked me:
"ariana, do you want to go to brasília tomorrow?"
and just like that we went. typical brasil.
little info on brasília, the capital city of Brasil:
the city is only 50years old, fairly new, and was completely designed, from every building to every street corner there was an architect planning the location.
much like the US, Brasil had other capital cities as well. the first was Salvador, then Rio de Janerio then they finally moved it in the middle and center of the country to spread out the population, therefore creating Brasília.
much like the US, Brasília is inside it's own "state," District Federal but also inside another state, Goiás.
Dia 19 de Janerio
my father, my brother, my sister, and i left early wednesday morning for the 12hour drive to Brasília. yepp, 12hours in one day. my body is still hurting from sittting all that time. now when i ask the distance between ipatinga and another city, and then answer is less then 12, i just sigh a relief becasue anything is closer and better than 12hours.
we stopped for lunch at a resturant that was almost in Rio de São Franscico and ate fish that tasted like it was just caught that day
then back into the car where we jammed to sumba, forro, axé music ooh and Black Eyed Peas (everyone here LOVES them) my brother had a litttle dance party in the front seat, me &my sister tried to sleeep (tried) and my dad averaged aroun 120kph (im tooo scared to translate that into mph)
we arrived later that night to meet my father's ENTIRE family. this was the first time meeting his family, they alllllll live in Brasília, and again, it was really confusing to meet so many people, remember names and faces and relationships. and worse off, they just kept calling each other, Primo, Tio, Tia, Prima (aunt, uncle, cousin) ..that wasnt helping me any.
Dia 20 de Janerio:
we didnt explore the city until after lunch, nothing happened until after lunch, make that, wayyy after lunch here in Brasília. it would go a litttle liek this: okay are you going? (10minutes later) so who all is going? (20mintues later) okay go get ready (45mintues later) let's go to the car (15minutes later) finally, FINALLY, we would actually leave.
this was due to all the talking and talking and talking. it was a huge italian family. all they did was talk and eat. God Bless their souls...
when we actually got into the city part Brasília, it was so different from other cities in brasil.
its allll flat so you can seee miles (kilometers?) and everything is so organized and CLEAN. to be honest and i think all brasileiros know this, brasil is not clean. people say that everyone is uneducated therefore they throw their garbage anywhere they want. countless times ive seen on the bus, kids just throw their candy wrappers out the window. why couldnt you wait until you got home? right now, there is a hugeeee mound of garbage sittting in front of my house, waiting for the garbage man to pick it up. which makes me throw up sometimes because the garbage is in a bag but because there are street animals, they rip the bags open, therefore throwing garbage everywhere. eww. enough about garbage
but Brasília didnt have that.
we first went to the TV Tower where you take an elevador up and are able to seee alllll of Brasília. I took some realllllly nice pictures !
Next we went to this riducously beauitful catholic church. it was formed into a dome with "crowns" at the top. the whole ceiling was stained glasses with angels floating. so amazing.
after, we made it over just in time for the changing of the flag in front of the president's house.
this was no White House where Obama and the First Lady stay
it was blue and kinda old looking and if i had binoculars, i would be able to see the president having lunch. it was guarded in that there were snipper men hiding in the buses, protecting their leader but that was alll. there were the flags, a litttle river, a hugeeeeeee lawn with absolulety no treees, then the house. meaning if i jumped the litttle river, dudged the snipper men, and ran like cheetah, i would be able to ring his doorbell.
i asked my brother if the president was home because i wanted to meet her, and i'm sure she would really enjoy meeting me but unfortunalty she wasnt there. Oooh, Dilma
finally, we went to another church which is a church for all religions, a place for meditations and to feel closer to God. everything was translated into different langauges and i liked the fact that no matter where you were from or what religion you were, they was a place for you to take time and give praise to God.
Dia 21 de Janerio:
more site seeeing after lunch. we went to another church; on the outside, it looked like a normal catholic church but on the inside.. Meus Deus..
the walls were broken into sections and each section was alllll in stained glasss, all stained glass blue. and in the corners, purple. it felt like the church was glowing, it was mesmorizing. man, with all these beauitful churches, i will be redoing my vows with my husband every other year just so i can be married in all these gorgeous Houses of God.
after we went to one of the lakes of Brasília, taking pictures with the bridge, Ponte JK, which was designed with the help of my father, how cool is that! we ate açai by the lake and had a donut which is a rare. and first time i saw this fattening food here in brasil, and frankly, havent really missed seeeing them
later that night, my family bought 40 pizzza crusts (for 25people) to have a litttle "pizza party"
i ate so much pizza, it was so goood though.
Dia 22 de Janerio:
we didnt do much on this day.
only i got DRILLED with questions about my homeland country.
we sat around the table for hours and i got EVERY question there is about US.
Health Care Plan, College applications, Drugs, George Bush, War in Iraq, Obama, Racism, Prostitues, Football, Snow, Dealth Penatly. You know it, it was asked
mind you this conversation (all conversations from now on) was in português and i am trying to explain to them what Obama is trying to do with the Health Care Plan, my plans for college and how people feeel about illegal immigrants from Mexico. This is when i wish i had an opinon on the government becasue here, everyone HATED Bush (believe it or not, ive heard someone say that they think that Bush was behind 9/11 ..like our president would do that) and they adore Obama.
so i start throwing questions at them.
i asked them, when you hear of the US, what do you think of?
the one positive answer i got (ofcourse they think of mcdonalds and that we are better than ervyone else) they said we are alll patriots of our country. we have american flags waving in our front yeards, wear red, white and blue and have stickers of our country everywhere.
they said the only time they are patriots is when it is the World Cup and Independence Day.
i found this surprising.
for me, i was neverrrrr a patriot for the US
..until i left the US.
the US always comes up on the news here, people know our current affairs and history and everyone talks about our country &culture.
i get defensive, especially when i dont understand everything they are saying about US.
Dont you dare talk about MY country, MY home, MY culture, like you know it when you only know whats happening because of the news or because you spent a week in Disney World when you were 15.
i find this kinda of funny, after i cool off (i never freak out on anyone but in my head..ooh man) because i would trash talk the US when i was there, but now, because i have seen another land, another world, another culture, i am a proud american. Estados Unidos !
Dia 23 de Janerio:
On our last day in Brasília, we had a BBQ (churrasco) and spent the majority of the day in the poool.
i got burntttt even though i put sunscreeen on! the sun is sooo strong here. verão no Brasil..
later that night, "os primos" went to get mexican which only jenna eppinger knows what happened laterr.. it was really good mexican!
the following morning we packed up the car and i tried to survive 12more hours in a car. (i figured out that in ONE week, because of traveling to Brasilia and to BH, i spent a total of 30hours in the car, sittting. wowoow)
so now i know the capital city of Brasil, Brasília and what a beauitful city it is.
"ariana, do you want to go to brasília tomorrow?"
and just like that we went. typical brasil.
little info on brasília, the capital city of Brasil:
the city is only 50years old, fairly new, and was completely designed, from every building to every street corner there was an architect planning the location.
much like the US, Brasil had other capital cities as well. the first was Salvador, then Rio de Janerio then they finally moved it in the middle and center of the country to spread out the population, therefore creating Brasília.
much like the US, Brasília is inside it's own "state," District Federal but also inside another state, Goiás.
Dia 19 de Janerio
my father, my brother, my sister, and i left early wednesday morning for the 12hour drive to Brasília. yepp, 12hours in one day. my body is still hurting from sittting all that time. now when i ask the distance between ipatinga and another city, and then answer is less then 12, i just sigh a relief becasue anything is closer and better than 12hours.
we stopped for lunch at a resturant that was almost in Rio de São Franscico and ate fish that tasted like it was just caught that day
then back into the car where we jammed to sumba, forro, axé music ooh and Black Eyed Peas (everyone here LOVES them) my brother had a litttle dance party in the front seat, me &my sister tried to sleeep (tried) and my dad averaged aroun 120kph (im tooo scared to translate that into mph)
we arrived later that night to meet my father's ENTIRE family. this was the first time meeting his family, they alllllll live in Brasília, and again, it was really confusing to meet so many people, remember names and faces and relationships. and worse off, they just kept calling each other, Primo, Tio, Tia, Prima (aunt, uncle, cousin) ..that wasnt helping me any.
Dia 20 de Janerio:
we didnt explore the city until after lunch, nothing happened until after lunch, make that, wayyy after lunch here in Brasília. it would go a litttle liek this: okay are you going? (10minutes later) so who all is going? (20mintues later) okay go get ready (45mintues later) let's go to the car (15minutes later) finally, FINALLY, we would actually leave.
this was due to all the talking and talking and talking. it was a huge italian family. all they did was talk and eat. God Bless their souls...
when we actually got into the city part Brasília, it was so different from other cities in brasil.
its allll flat so you can seee miles (kilometers?) and everything is so organized and CLEAN. to be honest and i think all brasileiros know this, brasil is not clean. people say that everyone is uneducated therefore they throw their garbage anywhere they want. countless times ive seen on the bus, kids just throw their candy wrappers out the window. why couldnt you wait until you got home? right now, there is a hugeeee mound of garbage sittting in front of my house, waiting for the garbage man to pick it up. which makes me throw up sometimes because the garbage is in a bag but because there are street animals, they rip the bags open, therefore throwing garbage everywhere. eww. enough about garbage
but Brasília didnt have that.
we first went to the TV Tower where you take an elevador up and are able to seee alllll of Brasília. I took some realllllly nice pictures !
Next we went to this riducously beauitful catholic church. it was formed into a dome with "crowns" at the top. the whole ceiling was stained glasses with angels floating. so amazing.
after, we made it over just in time for the changing of the flag in front of the president's house.
this was no White House where Obama and the First Lady stay
it was blue and kinda old looking and if i had binoculars, i would be able to see the president having lunch. it was guarded in that there were snipper men hiding in the buses, protecting their leader but that was alll. there were the flags, a litttle river, a hugeeeeeee lawn with absolulety no treees, then the house. meaning if i jumped the litttle river, dudged the snipper men, and ran like cheetah, i would be able to ring his doorbell.
i asked my brother if the president was home because i wanted to meet her, and i'm sure she would really enjoy meeting me but unfortunalty she wasnt there. Oooh, Dilma
finally, we went to another church which is a church for all religions, a place for meditations and to feel closer to God. everything was translated into different langauges and i liked the fact that no matter where you were from or what religion you were, they was a place for you to take time and give praise to God.
Dia 21 de Janerio:
more site seeeing after lunch. we went to another church; on the outside, it looked like a normal catholic church but on the inside.. Meus Deus..
the walls were broken into sections and each section was alllll in stained glasss, all stained glass blue. and in the corners, purple. it felt like the church was glowing, it was mesmorizing. man, with all these beauitful churches, i will be redoing my vows with my husband every other year just so i can be married in all these gorgeous Houses of God.
after we went to one of the lakes of Brasília, taking pictures with the bridge, Ponte JK, which was designed with the help of my father, how cool is that! we ate açai by the lake and had a donut which is a rare. and first time i saw this fattening food here in brasil, and frankly, havent really missed seeeing them
later that night, my family bought 40 pizzza crusts (for 25people) to have a litttle "pizza party"
i ate so much pizza, it was so goood though.
Dia 22 de Janerio:
we didnt do much on this day.
only i got DRILLED with questions about my homeland country.
we sat around the table for hours and i got EVERY question there is about US.
Health Care Plan, College applications, Drugs, George Bush, War in Iraq, Obama, Racism, Prostitues, Football, Snow, Dealth Penatly. You know it, it was asked
mind you this conversation (all conversations from now on) was in português and i am trying to explain to them what Obama is trying to do with the Health Care Plan, my plans for college and how people feeel about illegal immigrants from Mexico. This is when i wish i had an opinon on the government becasue here, everyone HATED Bush (believe it or not, ive heard someone say that they think that Bush was behind 9/11 ..like our president would do that) and they adore Obama.
so i start throwing questions at them.
i asked them, when you hear of the US, what do you think of?
the one positive answer i got (ofcourse they think of mcdonalds and that we are better than ervyone else) they said we are alll patriots of our country. we have american flags waving in our front yeards, wear red, white and blue and have stickers of our country everywhere.
they said the only time they are patriots is when it is the World Cup and Independence Day.
i found this surprising.
for me, i was neverrrrr a patriot for the US
..until i left the US.
the US always comes up on the news here, people know our current affairs and history and everyone talks about our country &culture.
i get defensive, especially when i dont understand everything they are saying about US.
Dont you dare talk about MY country, MY home, MY culture, like you know it when you only know whats happening because of the news or because you spent a week in Disney World when you were 15.
i find this kinda of funny, after i cool off (i never freak out on anyone but in my head..ooh man) because i would trash talk the US when i was there, but now, because i have seen another land, another world, another culture, i am a proud american. Estados Unidos !
Dia 23 de Janerio:
On our last day in Brasília, we had a BBQ (churrasco) and spent the majority of the day in the poool.
i got burntttt even though i put sunscreeen on! the sun is sooo strong here. verão no Brasil..
later that night, "os primos" went to get mexican which only jenna eppinger knows what happened laterr.. it was really good mexican!
the following morning we packed up the car and i tried to survive 12more hours in a car. (i figured out that in ONE week, because of traveling to Brasilia and to BH, i spent a total of 30hours in the car, sittting. wowoow)
so now i know the capital city of Brasil, Brasília and what a beauitful city it is.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Miss. Clare F Harris
On August 28, I met Clare F Harris for the first time and on January 16, I had to say goodbye..
Being an Australian exchange student, her journey began and ended in January. So in April when I knew that Ipatinga would be by new home, she was already there, living the dream. Clare told me the Do's and Don´t's, things I absolutly had to do, and places that i needed to explore. Even before I met her, she seemed like an older sister, a mother even, although I am almost 2years older than she.
At my first Brazilian party, she nearly jumped on me, exclaiming how happy she was to have me here, and for the first time, I heard her "Aussie-English." Over time, I learned a whole vocabulary: the bush, (the Outback) keen, (eager) I cant be "bothered" (no desire) heaps (a lot) and Vegamite (a spread that i still havent decided if I like it or not)
When i barely understood the language of português, or when my head hurt from hearing it all day, she always would be the first to speak for me, teaching me more português than anyone else. I would go to her for all the riduclously stupid questions, to embarrassed to ask anyone else. ("I know there are a lot of different ways to ask, "What's your name?" but I can't understand any of them.") She gave me confidence, saying that i was learning quickly and in a few months time, i would understand it all, just like her.
While our Brazilian friends were studying for the Vestibular, we spent our afternoons at the mall, at various BBQs, becoming even more obsessed with Harry Potter, and sometimes making typical dishes from our country that usually ended up a disater. Clare saw my face after my first Brazilian bikini wax, taught me how to take the bus, and almost constantly argued on boys. We talked consistently about this strange country called Brasil, always asking the question: "Do you do this back home?" The answer was always No. Somethings only happen here..
I've met her family through skype, she shyly said Hi to mine. I feeel as though I know her bestfriend in "Aussieland" although i have only seen pictures and heard countless stories. Clare is trying to figure out my life back in the States, remembering all my stories and embarrassing details.
We are planning to visit the paradise island of Bali together someday. We are already saving money for our return in 2014 when Brasil once again takes championship at the World Cup. Somehow she is making her way over to Pennsylvania and i know that her home in Melbourne is always welcome for me.
And on the day I had to leave her side at the airport, through the tears and panicking cries, we promised that no matter what, no matter where life takes us, no matter how cliche it sounds, we will always be best friends.
We were an odd match, an American girl and an Austrailian mate, but through it all, we became "melhor amigas para sempre."
Being an Australian exchange student, her journey began and ended in January. So in April when I knew that Ipatinga would be by new home, she was already there, living the dream. Clare told me the Do's and Don´t's, things I absolutly had to do, and places that i needed to explore. Even before I met her, she seemed like an older sister, a mother even, although I am almost 2years older than she.
At my first Brazilian party, she nearly jumped on me, exclaiming how happy she was to have me here, and for the first time, I heard her "Aussie-English." Over time, I learned a whole vocabulary: the bush, (the Outback) keen, (eager) I cant be "bothered" (no desire) heaps (a lot) and Vegamite (a spread that i still havent decided if I like it or not)
When i barely understood the language of português, or when my head hurt from hearing it all day, she always would be the first to speak for me, teaching me more português than anyone else. I would go to her for all the riduclously stupid questions, to embarrassed to ask anyone else. ("I know there are a lot of different ways to ask, "What's your name?" but I can't understand any of them.") She gave me confidence, saying that i was learning quickly and in a few months time, i would understand it all, just like her.
While our Brazilian friends were studying for the Vestibular, we spent our afternoons at the mall, at various BBQs, becoming even more obsessed with Harry Potter, and sometimes making typical dishes from our country that usually ended up a disater. Clare saw my face after my first Brazilian bikini wax, taught me how to take the bus, and almost constantly argued on boys. We talked consistently about this strange country called Brasil, always asking the question: "Do you do this back home?" The answer was always No. Somethings only happen here..
I've met her family through skype, she shyly said Hi to mine. I feeel as though I know her bestfriend in "Aussieland" although i have only seen pictures and heard countless stories. Clare is trying to figure out my life back in the States, remembering all my stories and embarrassing details.
We are planning to visit the paradise island of Bali together someday. We are already saving money for our return in 2014 when Brasil once again takes championship at the World Cup. Somehow she is making her way over to Pennsylvania and i know that her home in Melbourne is always welcome for me.
And on the day I had to leave her side at the airport, through the tears and panicking cries, we promised that no matter what, no matter where life takes us, no matter how cliche it sounds, we will always be best friends.
We were an odd match, an American girl and an Austrailian mate, but through it all, we became "melhor amigas para sempre."
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
guarapari, segunda semana
after my family left, my sister's friends slowly started coming into the apartment. there would be 4girls, counting me and my sister and then 9boys, counting my brother. yeah 13people, mainly alll boys, in one apartment. yeah, talk about a messssss. (but our apartment is hugee. you could easily fit 3families and then some strangers too comfortably)
almost all the boys arrived on bus at 5am one morning, charging into our room, yelling, screaming, saying, "We're at the beach! Let's go to the beach! Right now!"
it's 5am. i am not a morning person. back offff.
i didnt like them.
..then we spent a weeek together and we became one big family together. :D
the boys are a hurricane of energy, going to the poool, going to the beach, wanting to do everything all at once.
it made me miss my friends back at home which, to be honest, i never misssed. that sounds horrible and i know that many people are offended back home but i have friends here, good friends. people that i love hanging out with and call my bffffffffs.
but being around people who have been friends since grade school, that knew each other so welll, that have each others back, i wanted to have that. go to taylors house for secret santa, wanted to have a heart-to-heart in history with matt, megan, chelsea &brian. wanted to hang out with kristi at church and make fun of schdurp. wanted to go shopping with rissssy. wanted MY friends back..
but coming to brasil is about making NEW friends ariana. duhhh.
on dia 6 de janerio, i callled laura, my friend from ipatinga, and we went out to the beach at night, sat around while people were playing the guitar, singing music and just having a good time. we were in the center of guarapari so there were alot of streeet vendors, selling anything imaginable. laura asked, "hey, have you ever ate a crepe?" "no, i havent, i would like to try one."
mistake.
ate a chocoatle crepe for the first and last time.
woke up at 5am, would not stop throwing up. threw up until 2 in the afternoon, where my father drove 6hours to take me to the hostipal, put some IVs in me, still wouldnt stop throwing up, shot in my buttt, stayed the night in the hospital, most miserable experience everrrrrrr.
i am HEALTHY now. no worrries. learned my lesson. everything is just fine.
plus, i needed to get bettter for the nightclub we were going to on saturday night ;D
the day of the nightclub we went to the different beach which actually had WAVES! and i regrettably wore a strapless top.. mistakes.
we alll took a nap, preparing to stay up until the sun came up the next morning.
going to a nightclub here in brasil, the girls wear clothes tyical to a homecoming/prom.
do i have that kindof clothes, ofcourse not. but one of the girls let borrow one of her fashionable dresses and i felt hotttttttt ..until i started sweating which was instant. then i just felt slopppy.
the nightclub was kinda of divided into two parts:
part 1: similar to a homecoming dance, but bettter. just american music that i knew so i was screaming out the music, teaching people how we dance back in US, sweating like it was mandatory, and my feeet burned
part2: the main part of going to the nightclub was to seee the brasileiro rock band, joita quest. wasnt really my type of music so i sat down for a litttle, cooled offf, gave my feeet a litttle breather, and just swayyed to the music.
part3: after the band, we ran into the danceclub which is excatly! how i pictured a danceclub: a huge, dark building with many levels, flashing lights, &techno music
and i was right in the midddle of this crazy-nesss !
it was the nicest thing everrr.
we came home 5am, gathered around the table to eat chocoatle cake and laugh about everything that happened that night and then eventually passed out and slept basicallly allll day.
on the last full day everyone was here, we alll crammed into bus and took a road trip to Vitória to a water park called Yahoo! i hadnt beeen in a water park in a long time and i was excited to seee what it would be like in brasil.
since it was a monday, basically no one was there, no lines, no waiting, just our crazy bunch of kids :)
some of the rides, i thought i was gonna die on, its brasil, safety is the least of their concern. some of the rides didnt have lifeguards! making us come home with bruises and cuts.
there was a litttle section of amusement park rides and we took adventage of that after lunch.
the funnnniest ride i have ever beeen one, the pirate ship where it was just us, 14obnxious kids. screaming, yelling, laughing, people look like they were gonna throw up cause, i could NOT stop laughing. it was soooo nice.
everyone left the following night, taking a bus back home, and i left wednesday morning, another long car ride to spend the last few days with Clare F Harris.. :(
almost all the boys arrived on bus at 5am one morning, charging into our room, yelling, screaming, saying, "We're at the beach! Let's go to the beach! Right now!"
it's 5am. i am not a morning person. back offff.
i didnt like them.
..then we spent a weeek together and we became one big family together. :D
the boys are a hurricane of energy, going to the poool, going to the beach, wanting to do everything all at once.
it made me miss my friends back at home which, to be honest, i never misssed. that sounds horrible and i know that many people are offended back home but i have friends here, good friends. people that i love hanging out with and call my bffffffffs.
but being around people who have been friends since grade school, that knew each other so welll, that have each others back, i wanted to have that. go to taylors house for secret santa, wanted to have a heart-to-heart in history with matt, megan, chelsea &brian. wanted to hang out with kristi at church and make fun of schdurp. wanted to go shopping with rissssy. wanted MY friends back..
but coming to brasil is about making NEW friends ariana. duhhh.
on dia 6 de janerio, i callled laura, my friend from ipatinga, and we went out to the beach at night, sat around while people were playing the guitar, singing music and just having a good time. we were in the center of guarapari so there were alot of streeet vendors, selling anything imaginable. laura asked, "hey, have you ever ate a crepe?" "no, i havent, i would like to try one."
mistake.
ate a chocoatle crepe for the first and last time.
woke up at 5am, would not stop throwing up. threw up until 2 in the afternoon, where my father drove 6hours to take me to the hostipal, put some IVs in me, still wouldnt stop throwing up, shot in my buttt, stayed the night in the hospital, most miserable experience everrrrrrr.
i am HEALTHY now. no worrries. learned my lesson. everything is just fine.
plus, i needed to get bettter for the nightclub we were going to on saturday night ;D
the day of the nightclub we went to the different beach which actually had WAVES! and i regrettably wore a strapless top.. mistakes.
we alll took a nap, preparing to stay up until the sun came up the next morning.
going to a nightclub here in brasil, the girls wear clothes tyical to a homecoming/prom.
do i have that kindof clothes, ofcourse not. but one of the girls let borrow one of her fashionable dresses and i felt hotttttttt ..until i started sweating which was instant. then i just felt slopppy.
the nightclub was kinda of divided into two parts:
part 1: similar to a homecoming dance, but bettter. just american music that i knew so i was screaming out the music, teaching people how we dance back in US, sweating like it was mandatory, and my feeet burned
part2: the main part of going to the nightclub was to seee the brasileiro rock band, joita quest. wasnt really my type of music so i sat down for a litttle, cooled offf, gave my feeet a litttle breather, and just swayyed to the music.
part3: after the band, we ran into the danceclub which is excatly! how i pictured a danceclub: a huge, dark building with many levels, flashing lights, &techno music
and i was right in the midddle of this crazy-nesss !
it was the nicest thing everrr.
we came home 5am, gathered around the table to eat chocoatle cake and laugh about everything that happened that night and then eventually passed out and slept basicallly allll day.
on the last full day everyone was here, we alll crammed into bus and took a road trip to Vitória to a water park called Yahoo! i hadnt beeen in a water park in a long time and i was excited to seee what it would be like in brasil.
since it was a monday, basically no one was there, no lines, no waiting, just our crazy bunch of kids :)
some of the rides, i thought i was gonna die on, its brasil, safety is the least of their concern. some of the rides didnt have lifeguards! making us come home with bruises and cuts.
there was a litttle section of amusement park rides and we took adventage of that after lunch.
the funnnniest ride i have ever beeen one, the pirate ship where it was just us, 14obnxious kids. screaming, yelling, laughing, people look like they were gonna throw up cause, i could NOT stop laughing. it was soooo nice.
everyone left the following night, taking a bus back home, and i left wednesday morning, another long car ride to spend the last few days with Clare F Harris.. :(
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)