We made it! After 24 hours door to door, we arrived at my in-laws' house at 1:00 in the morning. While we were driving from the airport, I could feel a cool breeze, and thought, I can do this! If it gets cold at night, it'll be fine. Then we got to the house and I opened the car door to one of the balmiest, hottest nights I've ever experienced and realized the cool breeze had been the air conditioner.It's HOT here!
I knew it would be, but I think it's like childbirth. You know it will be painful, but you forget just how much until you're actually experiencing it again. Othewise you'd never have more children, or multiple trips to Brasil.
And oh my word is it humid. The air feels so thick I keep waving my hands through it to see if I can catch some. It's turned Gabi's hair into beautiful waves while I'm stuck with wing tip bangs that make me look like I'm trying to fly away. Such is the blessing of youth.
So far we've been excused from morning walks on the beach because my feet and fingers are swollen and look like sausages. None of my shoes fit comfortably and I can't get my rings off my fingers. I'm not sure if it's from traveling or the climate change, I just hope they go back to normal soon. Though I'm certainly enjoying all the watermelon juice my MIL is making me drink to help with the swelling.
Since I'm stuck in the house, I quickly figured out how to turn on the TV. Today's morning news included a huge story on the Amish of Lancaster County and the history of a gelato shop in Sao Paulo. The latter of which included lots of shots of women in bikinis eating gelato. It just wouldn't be the Brasilian news without women in bikinis!
TV has been a huge help with my reintroduction to Portuguese. Last night my FIL put on one of the Rambo movies, and with the help of the Portuguese subtitles I was able to pick up quite a few phrases! You can learn a lot from mercenaries on the run in the jungle. I think within a week I'll be having conversations again.
Gabi's already speaking quite a bit. Which is what we came for. I'm pretty excited to see how well she speaks by the time we leave.
I'm all alone in the house right now. I need to go stick my head in the freezer again before my MIL gets home.
Glad to hear you had a safe flight down! And I hear ya on the hot and humid! We were in Rio for the weekend and broke out in a drenching sweat anytime we left air conditioning . . . made me appreciate the all year long moderate-ness of Belo Horizonte!
ReplyDeleteBoa sorte com seu português (e sua sogra!)
Hahahaha, yes, you are in Santos! Humidity... I am happy to here from you, I will be coming back to read more about your experience down there!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
ReplyDeleteNow, go stick your head in the fridge again! It does help! haha
Oops, I meant "happy to HEAR from you"
ReplyDeleteSo glad you made it safely! Oh the humidity...ugh. Keep drinking that watermelon juice - it really does help!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome that Gabi is picking the language up so fast!! How is Gilberto faring w/o you? ;-)
So glad you made it safely! Oh the humidity...ugh. Keep drinking that watermelon juice - it really does help!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome that Gabi is picking the language up so fast!! How is Gilberto faring w/o you? ;-)
Watermelon juice sounds divine.
ReplyDeleteLove that you're learning portuguese from Rambo.
Glad you had a safe trip! Uff... I know what you mean about the humidity along the coast. I can't take Rio for more than a day - and even in much cooler Minas, I have to take my wedding bands off for part of the summer.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that in Rio the heat and humidity combined with the extreme poverty is what makes it such a violent town. People just loose it!
When you can't take it anymore, take Gabi to a movie theater and see some silly American film!
Good to hear you are safe.. Okay this sounds YICKY but.. it works! Trust me, after traveling LOTS and me being.. well not the gellato in a bikini type.. I feel your pain, with regard to the swelling.. so here is a holistic remedy...
ReplyDelete8 oz warm water with the juice of one half a lemon. Not great in the taste department by any stretch.. HOWEVER, it helps clear out the old liver and flushes excess fluid. You may have to do it every morning until your body accepts it's new climate but it will work. HOPE it helps and viva Brazil!!
Have a good time babe!
Happy safe and humid arrival!
ReplyDeleteNo fair that Brasilian women get to eat gelato AND wear bikinis. :)
I have to say that that last line made me laugh out loud, like throw your head back and laugh...and I have not done that in a LONG time. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a safe trip down!! I spent 2 weeks with the in-laws in Rio last month and had to take off all my rings too!! Even though I lived in Rio before, I got pretty unaccustomed to it fast!! Minas is so much milder!! Look forward to hearing more about the trip!
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you had a safe trip. Good luck getting over the climate shock.
ReplyDeleteHey!!! I'm gald you made it safely!!
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain Laural! I almost miss extremely quiet Switzerland because of all this hot weather! I'm not a winter girl, but definetely not a veru hot sumer either! :P
My tip is: go to the beach and stay inside the water as much as you can! And don't forget sunscreen! hehehehe!!
Gabi must be the cutest little thing speaking portuguese!! hehehe!!
hugs!
This post explains a lot for me. I have neighbors from Brazil and I am sweating hot everytime I'm in their house...we live in Texas and they do NOT use their A/C nearly enough...but now I understand...they are used to it!
ReplyDeletewish i was there. got a b on my anatomy test. met a guy. tell you more later.
ReplyDeleteWelcome!!! I hope the temperatures are better in Santos today, since we are in the mid-60s in São Paulo. I am in love with the weather today. I HATE the high temperatures.
ReplyDeleteI hope I can talk to you soon.
We are in SP and in the middle of two major family dramas (my FIL and my grandpa are in the ICU).
Fabiola
Glad to hear you made it to Brasil safely! Now I can't wait to catch up on your posts and see how it's going! Hope you're having a great time :)
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