Sunday, October 04, 2009

The List

The week I left Brazil, I made up a list of the things I was going to miss and the things I was looking forward to. Here it is:

United States:

1. Real customer service
2. libraries
3. bulk discounts
4. bookstores
5. traffic
6. sausage gravy and biscuits
7. good sidewalks
8. high speed internet
9. coffee shops for the seating, not the coffee
10. Internet shopping
11. Autumn leaves
12. used clothing stores
13. size 11 shoes
14. farmers' markets
15. ethnic foods
16. good postal system
17. efficiency
18. safety
19. decent pay
20. cheap electronics
21. the ability to audit classes at universities
22. aged cheddar cheese
23. dark chocolate
24. no more foreign fees on my credit cards
25. Target
26. no one asking for exact change and not selling to you if you don't have it
27. being able to carry bills larger than a 10 without a backup plan
28. pens
29. scrapbooking supplies
30. travel sizes of anything imaginable

The Rio List:

1. Amazing clothes and shoes
2. People watching
3. The beach, the waves, the surfers
4. Manicures and waxes for cheap
5. The best hairdresser ever
6. Fresh fruit year-round
7. Bananas that taste like bananas
8. Juice bars
9. Café com leite
10. Boxed milk
11. Having the grocery store(and the papelaria and the bookstore and the
French pastry shop) just around the corner
12. Cultural events. Free.
13. Churrascarias—lots of meat, lots of salt, lots of goodness
14. Being whistled at (but not harassed)
15. Everyone saying “Vai com Deus”
16. Cheap health care
17. Cheap medications
18. Actually knowing what you’re buying at the pharmacy and not having to show a
prescription. (Would I self-diagnose? Hmmm)
19. Pastels
20. Água com gás. Seriously. Can’t believe the only option is nearly US$ 2 for
Perrier.
21. Breakfast from Cafeína or Talho Capixaba.
22. Window shopping
23. The kids (and staff) at Timonis
24. Hanging out with Dona A, my “grandmother” in Manguinhos
25. Carol and Amy and the gang and wild nights in Lapa or just at home in front
of the projector
26. Pizza dinners with House and the red sofa and a special someone
27. Portuguese
28. Shoes. Oh dear. Even if they didn’t fit. American ones are
D.I.S.G.R.A.C.E.F.U.L. unless you’re willing to pay over US$ 150. Grrr.
29. Luaus
30. Portuguese worship songs.

2 comments:

Joseph said...

Hello Jenna,

Can you send me an e-mail (joseph.henry.murphy@gmail.com). I have some questions about Rio and I wanted to get your expertise (I'm in Urca at the moment). To keep it brief, I'm hoping to come live here, and it seems like a daunting and terrifying process, so I'm hoping you can calm me down, haha.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks,
Joseph

Miriam said...

I miss that red sofa! spent many happy hours lounging on it.