Anyone have friends in Rome???
God's blessed me with a surprise vacation next week and I would love to have people to eat lunch with...so please send contact info my way!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Haiti
Hint to the traveler: A day pass at the airport lounges is WELL WORTH IT. For my 10 hour layover, I paid $50 to stay at the AA Admiral's Club. It was a spacious place, with computers and free internet, comfortable couches, a nice bar (with a free drink voucher thrown in!), coffee, hot teas and various snack things available at no extra charge, and hot showers. I managed to write a short story, read, check emails, research jobs, and relax, making the whole day pass by in relative comfort. AND, when my flight was canceled, I had immediate access to an attentive AA agent who found me an even better, direct flight to Rio that same night.
I made it home at 12:00 pm on Tuesday, having left for the airport in Haiti at 4:30 am Monday (Brazil time). Yikes.
--------
So. Haiti. The flight from Miami to Haiti was great--the stewardess stole my boarding pass out of my hand, muttering about needing to bump people up, and I was moved to business class, where I sat next to a Brazilian who works for a development bank. We chatted about Brazil's economy and social problems and exchanged business cards. (Thanks, WMF, for a visually stunning card. I've only got a few more days to use them, but I'm passing them out like candy until then!)
Once we walked across half the tarmac to arrive at the terminal, it was easy enough to get out of the airport in Port-au-Prince. With the rain, there were almost no "assistants" vying for the chance to steal, uh, help with our luggage. My sister's husband Pierry was a full head and a half taller than anyone else there, so it was easy to spot him in the crowd! I piled into a Blazer-like vehicle and was greeted by two of my sisters and a very, very tall Haitian cousin who stood somewhere in the vicinity of 7 feet.
Minor mixups about time ensued, and we hung out at the cousin's house while Anna and Pierry went on one of their 5 airport pickups of the day. Someone had brought out odd Creole phrasebooks, and we passed the time eating fantastic spicy fried snacks and learning how to say horrid little things to each other. Eventually, we made it to the hotel, which was spacious and isolated from the bustle and noise of the city. They also had fantastic food. Creole food is a delightful mix of French, African and Haitian touches, which meant that the dishes were s.u.p.e.r.b. and every morning for breakfast there were croissants (so-so) with French butter (to die for).
Saturday was the wedding. It was set for 4:00 pm on the invitations, but Anna was expecting that all the guests would be an hour late. She was already having some difficulties: in a wedding with only 50 guests, one of the pastors demanded 25 invitations. She refused. One of the groomsmen is absent from the pictures, as he didn't show up until Anna was ready to walk down the aisle. Some of the guests were a bit perturbed that she wasn't willing to buy their wedding clothes for them, as well! However, everyone looked lovely, so I guess it wasn't that urgent of a crisis.
Anna had me do her beautifying and it was fun to get her dolled up, kind of like playing dress up when we were kids. The real fun started when we went downstairs to get the flowers. The florist was a squat grinning woman who presented us with two enormous bouquets and 25 or so boutinneres (why can't I figure out how to spell that word?) The bouquets were laced throughout with gaudy gold and royal blue ribbons, making them look like a cross between a funeral arrangement and a bunch of 4-H award ribbons. Anna tried to hide her horror...and we raced them back to the bedroom where Operation Save the Flowers commenced, involving nail scissors and some creativity. By the time we were ready for pictures, the offending ribbons were lying in strips on the floor, and Anna even had a couple of roses in her hair!
The actual ceremony started about 2 hours behind schedule, and the Haitian pastor was a bit anxious to get started. He raced through the official part, which was fine by us, as it was all in French! The American pastor did the religious ceremony, blissfully short too (on account of our heels), and sent them off with a blessing. Unfortunately, the sound tech wasn't paying attention to what was going on, so there was no music as they walked out, arm in arm, Mr. and Mrs. Pierry Valmera.
Congratulations!
I made it home at 12:00 pm on Tuesday, having left for the airport in Haiti at 4:30 am Monday (Brazil time). Yikes.
--------
So. Haiti. The flight from Miami to Haiti was great--the stewardess stole my boarding pass out of my hand, muttering about needing to bump people up, and I was moved to business class, where I sat next to a Brazilian who works for a development bank. We chatted about Brazil's economy and social problems and exchanged business cards. (Thanks, WMF, for a visually stunning card. I've only got a few more days to use them, but I'm passing them out like candy until then!)
Once we walked across half the tarmac to arrive at the terminal, it was easy enough to get out of the airport in Port-au-Prince. With the rain, there were almost no "assistants" vying for the chance to steal, uh, help with our luggage. My sister's husband Pierry was a full head and a half taller than anyone else there, so it was easy to spot him in the crowd! I piled into a Blazer-like vehicle and was greeted by two of my sisters and a very, very tall Haitian cousin who stood somewhere in the vicinity of 7 feet.
Minor mixups about time ensued, and we hung out at the cousin's house while Anna and Pierry went on one of their 5 airport pickups of the day. Someone had brought out odd Creole phrasebooks, and we passed the time eating fantastic spicy fried snacks and learning how to say horrid little things to each other. Eventually, we made it to the hotel, which was spacious and isolated from the bustle and noise of the city. They also had fantastic food. Creole food is a delightful mix of French, African and Haitian touches, which meant that the dishes were s.u.p.e.r.b. and every morning for breakfast there were croissants (so-so) with French butter (to die for).
Saturday was the wedding. It was set for 4:00 pm on the invitations, but Anna was expecting that all the guests would be an hour late. She was already having some difficulties: in a wedding with only 50 guests, one of the pastors demanded 25 invitations. She refused. One of the groomsmen is absent from the pictures, as he didn't show up until Anna was ready to walk down the aisle. Some of the guests were a bit perturbed that she wasn't willing to buy their wedding clothes for them, as well! However, everyone looked lovely, so I guess it wasn't that urgent of a crisis.
Anna had me do her beautifying and it was fun to get her dolled up, kind of like playing dress up when we were kids. The real fun started when we went downstairs to get the flowers. The florist was a squat grinning woman who presented us with two enormous bouquets and 25 or so boutinneres (why can't I figure out how to spell that word?) The bouquets were laced throughout with gaudy gold and royal blue ribbons, making them look like a cross between a funeral arrangement and a bunch of 4-H award ribbons. Anna tried to hide her horror...and we raced them back to the bedroom where Operation Save the Flowers commenced, involving nail scissors and some creativity. By the time we were ready for pictures, the offending ribbons were lying in strips on the floor, and Anna even had a couple of roses in her hair!
The actual ceremony started about 2 hours behind schedule, and the Haitian pastor was a bit anxious to get started. He raced through the official part, which was fine by us, as it was all in French! The American pastor did the religious ceremony, blissfully short too (on account of our heels), and sent them off with a blessing. Unfortunately, the sound tech wasn't paying attention to what was going on, so there was no music as they walked out, arm in arm, Mr. and Mrs. Pierry Valmera.
Congratulations!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Miami
It's going to be a long day. I've had a donut and a Starbucks, to start my day off right...seeing as I'm going to be spending nearly all of it at the MIA airport. From 12:00 noon until 11:30 p.m.
The power went off twice in the Port-au-Prince airport while we were moving through the endless security lines and when we finally walked across the tarmac, I breathed a sigh of relief. The wedding was beautiful and spending a few days with my family was priceless. But I am so glad to be on my way home now!!!
My mother replaced the stolen camera with a prehistoric digital one I actually owned a few years back, so I have pictures that I will be posting once I get back to Rio. We had a lot of fun...as I'm sure you'll be able to tell. Highlights from the trip:
-the photographer who took 1,300 pictures over the course of the ceremony and reception
-the priceless bridal bouquets that looked a bit more like funeral arrangements, with gaudy gold and blue ribbons
-taking nail scissors to the bouquets at the very last minute to make them a bit more American
-the boutioneers (is that REALLY how you spell it?) that the groomsmen wore and the bridesmaids carried, like itsy-bitsy bouquets
-a wedding that started 1 hour and 30 minutes later than planned (and 2 hours and 30 minutes later than stated on the invitation!)
-seeing the male members of the wedding party arriving at the beach rendezvous point in a giant truck. Not a pickup truck, but the sort of thing you'd haul 2 tons of gravel in...and everyone making it there safely.
-sexually aggressive maids
-amazing Creole food and fresh crab meat on the beach
-getting, like it or not, bodyguards. It certainly made things go a lot smoother...
-getting to do my little sister's hair, nails and makeup for her big day. That was fun!
That should whet your appetite for stories, but I'm off to find something to eat at this airport and settle down with my Flannery O'Connor book!
The power went off twice in the Port-au-Prince airport while we were moving through the endless security lines and when we finally walked across the tarmac, I breathed a sigh of relief. The wedding was beautiful and spending a few days with my family was priceless. But I am so glad to be on my way home now!!!
My mother replaced the stolen camera with a prehistoric digital one I actually owned a few years back, so I have pictures that I will be posting once I get back to Rio. We had a lot of fun...as I'm sure you'll be able to tell. Highlights from the trip:
-the photographer who took 1,300 pictures over the course of the ceremony and reception
-the priceless bridal bouquets that looked a bit more like funeral arrangements, with gaudy gold and blue ribbons
-taking nail scissors to the bouquets at the very last minute to make them a bit more American
-the boutioneers (is that REALLY how you spell it?) that the groomsmen wore and the bridesmaids carried, like itsy-bitsy bouquets
-a wedding that started 1 hour and 30 minutes later than planned (and 2 hours and 30 minutes later than stated on the invitation!)
-seeing the male members of the wedding party arriving at the beach rendezvous point in a giant truck. Not a pickup truck, but the sort of thing you'd haul 2 tons of gravel in...and everyone making it there safely.
-sexually aggressive maids
-amazing Creole food and fresh crab meat on the beach
-getting, like it or not, bodyguards. It certainly made things go a lot smoother...
-getting to do my little sister's hair, nails and makeup for her big day. That was fun!
That should whet your appetite for stories, but I'm off to find something to eat at this airport and settle down with my Flannery O'Connor book!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Haiti: Packing Lists and Nerves
Sibling number 3 is getting married this weekend! In Haiti. Long story...but it's kind of a mini family reunion as well, with my sisters and family getting together from around the globe: Switzerland, Indiana, Tennessee, Brazil, Canada. As I have to spend a lot of time in airports (no direct flights from Rio-Port-Au-Prince), I'm trying to pack light: my single bag is carrying the absolute minimum, with bridesmaid dress possibilities and my travel toiletries bag making such deft use of space that perhaps I could have been an engineer after all. I hope none of the airport officials ask me to open the plastic baggie, though, as chaos will ensue. It took me 10 minutes and the help of a syringe to fill some of the bottles, but everything in there is 3 oz/100 ml or smaller:
2 packets of nail polish remover
eye drops
saline solution for contacts
SPF 30 for face
SPF 60 for body (it takes a lot of work to stay this white while living in Brazil!)
hydrocortisone cream
a Tide pen for the inevitable spill
two kinds of mascara
chapstick
2 lip glosses
foundation
toothpaste
hair spray
hair gel
face wash
hand lotion
moisturizer
silicon cream for hair
conditioner
perfume
I'll be back in a few days, and hopefully in possession of a new camera to replace the stolen one that has surely been sold by now from some dark alley in the bowels of Jacarezinho. And if my mother remembered the charger and memory card, I'll be posting pictures here of the wedding, of the gigantic Haitian basketball stars who are now a permanent part of our family...and my sister, of course, who, despite the Haitian summer, will be radiant.
p.s. Anyone know of friends in Miami who would like to hang out with me on Monday? Maybe take me out for some cheddar cheese, raspberries, blueberries and Mexican food? A Target run? I'll be spending a good 10 hour layover in the Miami airport, and being that close to American culture and goodies is driving me a bit mad...
2 packets of nail polish remover
eye drops
saline solution for contacts
SPF 30 for face
SPF 60 for body (it takes a lot of work to stay this white while living in Brazil!)
hydrocortisone cream
a Tide pen for the inevitable spill
two kinds of mascara
chapstick
2 lip glosses
foundation
toothpaste
hair spray
hair gel
face wash
hand lotion
moisturizer
silicon cream for hair
conditioner
perfume
I'll be back in a few days, and hopefully in possession of a new camera to replace the stolen one that has surely been sold by now from some dark alley in the bowels of Jacarezinho. And if my mother remembered the charger and memory card, I'll be posting pictures here of the wedding, of the gigantic Haitian basketball stars who are now a permanent part of our family...and my sister, of course, who, despite the Haitian summer, will be radiant.
p.s. Anyone know of friends in Miami who would like to hang out with me on Monday? Maybe take me out for some cheddar cheese, raspberries, blueberries and Mexican food? A Target run? I'll be spending a good 10 hour layover in the Miami airport, and being that close to American culture and goodies is driving me a bit mad...
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Sleepy Saturday
I had to get my TB test "read" today. Which meant a trip down to Copacabana before the lab closed. So I flagged down a van on the beach road, because those tend to be the most inexpensive forms of transport. But as it approached, I realized that it was one of the special vans that runs a longer route, and they charge R$5 to R$7 instead of the usual R$2. So I flagged him off and was surprised to see that they stopped next to me.
"Get in!" barked the young teen who was manning the door.
I shook my head and waved my fingers. "I want the R$2 ones. Sorry. Go on..."
But he kept insisting, which was odd, until the driver of the van turned around and with a grin, shouted, "Get in woman!"
I'd recognize that blond hair and those shiny eyes anywhere...the driver was a "groupie" friend of the Christian singer who I've known since practically my first year in Brazil! We spent the ride chatting and catching up and I had to marvel at the fact that I really can't go anywhere in this city without knowing someone...there is NOWHERE to hide!
Not that I really want to. In spite of the frenetic pace I've been living, things have been going really well. I could use a bit stronger pain medication, though. I've broken down into tears a couple times already this week due to vicious spasms of liquid fire in my bones. On Thursday, while monitoring the playground area as the kids played a version of catch, the soccer ball veered off course and smacked me straight in the face, ricocheting off my right hand. That wrist hasn't moved forward or backward since 2001. Fused in place by deformation. But the soccer ball twisted it just enough, a few millimeters, for me to see black, lose all the air in my lungs, and all my capacity for speech or screaming. I just stood there, shaking, for a good 30 seconds before the tears started to flow. Poor kids. They were so apologetic. But even though the intensity eventually wore off, it still throbbed for the rest of the day, a pain just out of reach enough to fight off the best efforts of ibuprofen. And then yesterday, I had to kick a concrete post and smash my foot two shades of purple that will match perfectly with my bridesmaid's dress. The wedding is tomorrow, so I'm ordering in pizza tonight (yeah Domino's!) and experimenting with my "look" so I don't have to pay anyone to do my hair and makeup. Don't let the Brazilians know. They'd be horrified...
Oh, and the TB test came back negative. One down, three more labs and a couple X-rays to go and I can start shopping around for new medications!
"Get in!" barked the young teen who was manning the door.
I shook my head and waved my fingers. "I want the R$2 ones. Sorry. Go on..."
But he kept insisting, which was odd, until the driver of the van turned around and with a grin, shouted, "Get in woman!"
I'd recognize that blond hair and those shiny eyes anywhere...the driver was a "groupie" friend of the Christian singer who I've known since practically my first year in Brazil! We spent the ride chatting and catching up and I had to marvel at the fact that I really can't go anywhere in this city without knowing someone...there is NOWHERE to hide!
Not that I really want to. In spite of the frenetic pace I've been living, things have been going really well. I could use a bit stronger pain medication, though. I've broken down into tears a couple times already this week due to vicious spasms of liquid fire in my bones. On Thursday, while monitoring the playground area as the kids played a version of catch, the soccer ball veered off course and smacked me straight in the face, ricocheting off my right hand. That wrist hasn't moved forward or backward since 2001. Fused in place by deformation. But the soccer ball twisted it just enough, a few millimeters, for me to see black, lose all the air in my lungs, and all my capacity for speech or screaming. I just stood there, shaking, for a good 30 seconds before the tears started to flow. Poor kids. They were so apologetic. But even though the intensity eventually wore off, it still throbbed for the rest of the day, a pain just out of reach enough to fight off the best efforts of ibuprofen. And then yesterday, I had to kick a concrete post and smash my foot two shades of purple that will match perfectly with my bridesmaid's dress. The wedding is tomorrow, so I'm ordering in pizza tonight (yeah Domino's!) and experimenting with my "look" so I don't have to pay anyone to do my hair and makeup. Don't let the Brazilians know. They'd be horrified...
Oh, and the TB test came back negative. One down, three more labs and a couple X-rays to go and I can start shopping around for new medications!
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