This is really just an excuse to post a viral video...

Merry Christmas!  Hope y'all had a nice holiday.  As I mentioned in my last post, we are in the US, having a very UN-Brazilian vacation.  Right now it is -4 C outside, and snowing like mad.  I've been playing with the very large dog in the woods.  I have only been shopping ONCE in the past week.  Today we went roller skating.  And it's been wonderful. 

Yesterday (Christmas) we unfortunately had to call customer service here.  There was an issue with a Kindle, and we had to call Amazon.com.  I felt very bad, because it was Christmas morning, and it was so sad to think that someone had to work.  But the person we talked to was VERY helpful, and got things taken care of very quickly.  It was a great experience.  It is always easier calling customer service in a language that you are proficient in.  I've gotten to the point in Portuguese where I don't dread making phone calls, but I have to prepare myself for the many challenges.  Most of the time I feel like it's just me and my inability to understand and be understood.  And then I come across something that makes me feel better.  This is a video from a comedy show that has been popular in Brazil the past year.  It will really only make sense to you if you speak Portuguese, but even if you don't, it might give you a taste of the "challenge" of trying to get things done here (the guy is trying to cancel his phone line), and how funny it is to hear certain names pronounced in Portuguese (like Judith).  Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/vEaNCoCXcdk

time for vacation!

Well, I made it!  7 Christmas performances, report cards, LOTS of birthday parties, a kindergarten graduation, and all the normal things of life are over.  It's time for vacation.

We are so fortunate that we get to spend the holidays with my hubby's family in New York (upstate).  We got here yesterday, and I'm trying to figure out how to relax.  We've been going going going for so long, it is "work" to wind down and to stop.  But one of the many things that I LOVE about Brazil is the value for vacation.  Not only is it the law to give paid vacation time to employees (and pay an extra 1/3 of the salary for vacation expenses), but it is part of the culture.  It's an expectation that you would travel, rest, relax, spend time with family.  I like this.

I haven't decided if I will be posting much during my vacation, but you can be sure that I will be enjoying it. 

Feliz natal!  Merry Christmas!

I need some recipes!

Hi there!  We are so fortunate to have a great helper (empregada) come 3 times a week.  She cooks, cleans and irons.  And on some days she watches the kids for me while I run to the store, or schedule a dentist appointment, or run errands.  But we're kind of in a recipe rut.  So, I'm asking my fellow expats in Brazil for some inspiration.  What Brazilian recipes do you like to make?  What do you have your empregadas make?  Here's what we currently do:

Strogonoff

Costelinha

Cozido

Bife (frango, lombado, ou boi)

Frango milanesa


So, what do you guys like?  I notice that we are very heavy on the meat, so I'd love to get your suggestions.  The other challenge I have is that we have kids (i.e. picky eaters) and there is a dairy intolerance issue (a certain someone can't eat strognoff, so we don't have it all that often.  Thanks!