Saturday, December 02, 2006
Well, I'm back......
Category: Travel and Places
Well, it's a Saturday evening and I'm home. Actually got home yesterday evening around 3pm.
Basic rundown of last couple of days ---
Thursday had a last lunch with Senhor Rubens and Dona Lourdes. Then we finished packing and they, Dani, I, and Maria went to the airport. Made a little loop near the Santos Dumont airport (the domestic airport - we had arrived at the international airport) and then we got there. It was raining a little all day, and Senhor Rubens said Rio was crying that Dani was leaving.
Well, the flight was delayed, so the ticket person gave us a ticket on an earlier flight (they were all delayed as the rain slowed down everything air traffic-wise). So we were supposed to take off on a 4:25 flight, but caught a 1:25 flight that had been delayed at 5:00 pm.
I wonder how pissed the people (who had been waiting for much longer apparently) got.
We got to Sao Paulo and there was a discussion over whether we'd need a taxi or find some other way to get to the other airport. The itinerary said "You will be responsible for means of travel between the two [airports]." -- which to me says "taxi". Dani assumed there would be a bus or something and got pissed when I pointed out what the itinerary said.
Needless to say, she expressed severe dissatisfaction with the fact that I paid for a cheaper means of transport.
1. She bitched about having to drive to Miami (I drove, she just complained.) Which then turned into "Let's spend a few days in Miami before we go"
2. She bitched about having the trip stop in Manaus, Belem, and Brasilia before getting to Rio. (She slept on the last two trips, I didn't sleep except for 30 minutes between Brasilia and Rio).
3. She bitched non-stop about having to make any stops, that if she'd had her way, it'd've been non-stop from Miami to Rio and back, with a flight from Jax to Rio (and back) as bookends.
4. She complained about not being in Rio longer (even though she admits she needs to get back to work to make some money).
Well, turns out the airlines have buses from one airport to the other. So we caught the TAM bus to the Sao Paulo international airport (which was pretty nice btw). Took little over an hour and was free, thank God, while a taxi would've taken much longer and probably would've run around R$300 (according to D).
Well, we spent from 8 to 11 at the airport. Ate a little pre-packaged pita sandwich, bought some souvenirs, picked up a copy of Foreign Affairs, and hit the security line.
(Dani got a lot of scrutiny since she now had a carry-on bag full of medicine. That was fun. And it's always fun carrying her crap for her. Believe me, I am not one of those put-on guys who are always happy to carry the gf/wife's bags. They got arms, they carry their shit, that's my opinion. If I carry it, it's my job to make you miserable.)
Well, we got on the plane - flight 8090, an Airbus A330 which actually had a first class section (it was business class on the earlier plane) which looked pretty sweet. Needless to say, A330s over A320/1s, although I still like Airbus. Movie was POTC:DMC, or you could watch toons (Yogi/Fred/Scooby) or Click (the crappy Sandler movie)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383574/ - Pirates
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389860/ - Click
So, the plane took off at midnight local time. After watching the movie, it was four am local, 1am EST. So I managed to take a three hour nap before we landed in Miami at 5:05 am.
Well, getting out of Miami became the trick. I thought that the rental agents would show up at 7, allowing us to rent a car. So we waited from 6 to 7 near the rental car stations. (It took an hour to get off the plane and get Dani and her gear through security and both of us through customs).
(Speaking of which… on the customs form, it tells you to enter the amount of good you purchased and are bringing through customs. So you put that amount [in my case US$50 – I had a SHOPPING BAG in my hand]. Dani said leave it $0 if it's below the amount they allow private, non-commercial purchases [US$400]. That was an argument – Honestly, I am not going to tell people I didn't buy anything when I've got a shopping bag in my hand and they've got weapons. What'll they think - either I'm lying or I stole it.)
Well, we rode to Enterprise. They didn't have any cars, and one-way trips should be reserved beforehand anyway, so they said tough titty. Then we rode to Dollar. Got another Dodge Caliber. (And they're open 24 hours, just catch the shuttle – so I felt foolish for waiting for an hour.) Have I said before that I like that car? Yeah, I do.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Caliber
Enough to get rid of the Mustang? Not really.
Drove back to Jacksonville. Dani slept. Dropped off the luggage, Dani got her car, we dropped off the Dodge at the Jacksonville Airport. Came back home.
Called Doug to let him know we're back (I'd called the family on the drive back – my Dad turned 59 on Friday, so it was a birthday call as well.) Dani called some friends and Philip so she could get Jaws back.
Ordered a pizza, Doug came over and brought the key back. And then, to my surprise, Cameron came in. I'd thought he'd gone back to his truck already (he drives for TransAm Trucking)
So I drove him to his truck in St. Augustine and dropped him off at the truck stop. Had been almost two months since I'd seen him (10/8) and it was good to do so. Of course I was tired so I ended up driving south on I-95 after I dropped him off. Was 20 miles south of St. Aug before I realized what happened.
Came home, ate a slice of pizza and fell asleep.
Home.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Continuing...
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
The last few days
Current mood: awake
Category: Travel and Places
Well,
Monday didn't do too much. Dani went to the dentist, and I worked on a few things, took a few pictures, wandered around a little.
Tuesday Senhor Rubens introduced me to Brazilian Snooker. Had fun and took a few pics. Pool cue was bad, but the game was fun to play.
Tuesday went out to eat at a place called Shenanigan's and play trivia. Met up with Flavia, Hubert, Anne, Leonardo, and Anna (Paulinho's daughter). We didn't win, but it was a lot of fun. Drank a Pint of Guinness (R$16 here, that's $7... but well worth it) and a Dos Equis and ate Chicken Tenders as an appetizer and a Brendan's Blackened Chicken sandwich.. Total R$61. But, well worth it.
Wednesday, Paulinho showed me some of Downtown, including the Candalãria, the most important Catholic church in Rio. Also saw the Sambodrome and the Maracanés (sp) Football Stadium, which is the largest in Rio, if not elsewhere. He also showed me a few buildings that had importance for the local and national government, and the beaches - how Copacabana is not as great as it used to be since the state tried to increase the beach size, and how Ipanema is much better. Almost no one was on the beach in Botafogo. (Dani had gone to the doctor in the morning.)
After that, Senhor Rubens took Dani and I to take pictures of a business he's investing in. Needed inventory and establishing shots, as well as showing what needs to be fixed. Then we had ice cream at a place called Burgão where they serve beer alongside hamburgers. Not on the scale of a restaurant, it's a burger chain like Burger King (which I haven't seen here), where they actually serve cold beer on tap.
Last night Flavia and Hubert came over and we all had pizza - Paulinho and Dona Cris weren't there, but it was still ok - and Flavia coloured Dani's hair blonde. Hubert showed me his website he created for a model plane club he's a member of in Rio. Pretty neat stuff.
I had this dream where I got a new cat. White but reminded me of Twerp. And there was a dog. And we were far away from home, Cameron and I. And the pets ran back to where we used to live (Chicago for some reason) and broke in through a window. The entire time, that Nickelback song is playing in the background.
That was followed by a dream in which I was scolded for drinking too much, as it apparently leads to sweaty sheets, which means you wash your sheets more often, which leads to people seeing you go to the laundry with bedclothes and sheets, which leads to speculation.
Colour that f'ed up.
This will be my last post before heading back on a jet plane, so...
TTFN
PS. A list of things I've misspelled:
agua com gás (sparking mineral water)
Hubert (not Roberto)
Barra da Tijuca (not 'de')
Anne (not Ani)
"Beto" (not "Berto")
Luana (not Loana)
Senhora (not Senhor, but more properly it should be Dona for older women)
Inglês (not Engles)
Cristina (not Christine)
"beach house" (not "country house" - referring to the one in Coroa Grande)
Coroa Grande (not CorraGrange)
acarajé (not akaraje)
Peace.
The last few days
Current mood: awake
Category: Travel and Places
Well,
Monday didn't do too much. Dani went to the dentist, and I worked on a few things, took a few pictures, wandered around a little.
Tuesday Senhor Rubens introduced me to Brazilian Snooker. Had fun and took a few pics. Pool cue was bad, but the game was fun to play.
Tuesday went out to eat at a place called Shenanigan's and play trivia. Met up with Flavia, Hubert, Anne, Leonardo, and Anna (Paulinho's daughter). We didn't win, but it was a lot of fun. Drank a Pint of Guinness (R$16 here, that's $7... but well worth it) and a Dos Equis and ate Chicken Tenders as an appetizer and a Brendan's Blackened Chicken sandwich.. Total R$61. But, well worth it.
Wednesday, Paulinho showed me some of Downtown, including the Candalãria, the most important Catholic church in Rio. Also saw the Sambodrome and the Maracanés (sp) Football Stadium, which is the largest in Rio, if not elsewhere. He also showed me a few buildings that had importance for the local and national government, and the beaches - how Copacabana is not as great as it used to be since the state tried to increase the beach size, and how Ipanema is much better. Almost no one was on the beach in Botafogo. (Dani had gone to the doctor in the morning.)
After that, Senhor Rubens took Dani and I to take pictures of a business he's investing in. Needed inventory and establishing shots, as well as showing what needs to be fixed. Then we had ice cream at a place called Burgão where they serve beer alongside hamburgers. Not on the scale of a restaurant, it's a burger chain like Burger King (which I haven't seen here), where they actually serve cold beer on tap.
Last night Flavia and Hubert came over and we all had pizza - Paulinho and Dona Cris weren't there, but it was still ok - and Flavia coloured Dani's hair blonde. Hubert showed me his website he created for a model plane club he's a member of in Rio. Pretty neat stuff.
I had this dream where I got a new cat. White but reminded me of Twerp. And there was a dog. And we were far away from home, Cameron and I. And the pets ran back to where we used to live (Chicago for some reason) and broke in through a window. The entire time, that Nickelback song is playing in the background.
That was followed by a dream in which I was scolded for drinking too much, as it apparently leads to sweaty sheets, which means you wash your sheets more often, which leads to people seeing you go to the laundry with bedclothes and sheets, which leads to speculation.
Colour that f'ed up.
This will be my last post before heading back on a jet plane, so...
TTFN
PS. A list of things I've misspelled:
agua com gás (sparking mineral water)
Hubert (not Roberto)
Barra da Tijuca (not 'de')
Anne (not Ani)
"Beto" (not "Berto")
Luana (not Loana)
Senhora (not Senhor, but more properly it should be Dona for older women)
Inglês (not Engles)
Cristina (not Christine)
"beach house" (not "country house" - referring to the one in Coroa Grande)
Coroa Grande (not CorraGrange)
acarajé (not akaraje)
Peace.
Continuing...
Monday, November 27, 2006
Saturday and Sunday
Current mood: chipper
Category: Travel and Places
Short version --
Saturday: Everyone gone (Senor Rubens and Dona Lourdes to Coroagrande, Dona Cris and Paulino to the beach after work). Dani picked up Loana. We went to the beach. Ate akaraje (very good). Watched wedding video of Flavia and Hubert. Dropped off Loana, met her mother. Not much more. Had thought of seeing Little Miss Sunshine, but plans nixed by Ani (too many people, too few movies in Brazil). Couldn't think of anything else to do that Dani wanted to do.
Sunday: Went to Copacabana. Sweat. Pretty people. Wrong clothes. Rode Metro. Sweat. Long walk. Met Dani's dad. Sexist pig. Met Senor Goncalves' mom - nice woman - and aunt - quiet, nice woman. Ate lunch at Spoleto - Italian chain here started by a local chef. Dani's dad flirted with attractive checkout girl. Left. Walked. Sweated. Rode Metro. Rode around. Second shower of the day. Exhausted. Missed meeting Flavia and Hubert due to time in Botafogo. Wrote and read while Dani talked all night with Dona Cris.
Key things:
Akarajé. Good fried bean biscuit, laced with peppers, filled with shrimp, cheese, onions, more.
Wedding. Pretty.
Loana. Good kid who may make it out of a bad start. Looks to be going places.
Copacabana. Crowded. Muggy. Mixed feelings.
Senor Goncalves. Not impressed.
Overall:
Could've been better, could've been worse. Exercised, did new things, met people from different walks of life.
(I had typed out a much longer entry but it got zapped by a breaker-check. And no, Word would not have saved my document.)
Saturday and Sunday
Current mood: chipper
Category: Travel and Places
Short version --
Saturday: Everyone gone (Senor Rubens and Dona Lourdes to Coroagrande, Dona Cris and Paulino to the beach after work). Dani picked up Loana. We went to the beach. Ate akaraje (very good). Watched wedding video of Flavia and Hubert. Dropped off Loana, met her mother. Not much more. Had thought of seeing Little Miss Sunshine, but plans nixed by Ani (too many people, too few movies in Brazil). Couldn't think of anything else to do that Dani wanted to do.
Sunday: Went to Copacabana. Sweat. Pretty people. Wrong clothes. Rode Metro. Sweat. Long walk. Met Dani's dad. Sexist pig. Met Senor Goncalves' mom - nice woman - and aunt - quiet, nice woman. Ate lunch at Spoleto - Italian chain here started by a local chef. Dani's dad flirted with attractive checkout girl. Left. Walked. Sweated. Rode Metro. Rode around. Second shower of the day. Exhausted. Missed meeting Flavia and Hubert due to time in Botafogo. Wrote and read while Dani talked all night with Dona Cris.
Key things:
Akarajé. Good fried bean biscuit, laced with peppers, filled with shrimp, cheese, onions, more.
Wedding. Pretty.
Loana. Good kid who may make it out of a bad start. Looks to be going places.
Copacabana. Crowded. Muggy. Mixed feelings.
Senor Goncalves. Not impressed.
Overall:
Could've been better, could've been worse. Exercised, did new things, met people from different walks of life.
(I had typed out a much longer entry but it got zapped by a breaker-check. And no, Word would not have saved my document.)
Continuing...
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Friday
Current mood: calm
Category: Travel and Places
Friday, we visited Niterói. "Hidden Waters" in a nativ language, it's quite a spectacular looking place - cleaner than Rio (it's smaller, duh!) - European feel to it, and it's got a beautiful bay and beach.
(Churrascaria - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churrascaria )
Niterói - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niteroi
We visited the Oscar Niemeyer Museum of Contemporary Art (Port.: Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói or MAC), which is a flying saucer-shaped museum sitting on a jutting piece of rock over the bay. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niter%C3%B3i_Contemporary_Art_Museum
There was a delay in getting inside - CNN or someone was interviewing a minister in the building. So I took quite a few photographs of the bay - Guanabara Bay -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanabara_Bay - while we were waiting. Senor Rubens and Senora Lourdes were with Dani and I - they had never been to the MAC before, although there are plenty of museums in Rio, especially Downtown.
(The drive over there was two hours, and the drive back as well. It's only about 30km from where we are in Barra de Tijuca, but traffic was hellacious. At one point before the bridge to Niterói there was a major jam - there is no real off-ramp before the bridge [not that I could see one] - as people from the main artery cut across the on-ramp to get to a service road. Talk about crazy!)
There was a motorcycle accident on the way back. A fatality. There were a lot of rubber-neckers, and a goodly number of moto riders had parked their bikes to watch and make sure things were taken care of. It looks like a community within a community almost.
I'll try and have the photos of Niterói up later this week before we head back to the states (November 30th).
Last night Dani and I met up at the Hard Rock Café Rio with Ani and her bf Leonardo (younger guy who's been to the states and we hit it off, talking in Englés), Christine (30-yr old married fitness expert who looks like a short Rosanna Arquette [ala Desperately Seeking Susan, not Pulp Fiction] ), and Roberta (27-yr old student).
Good crowd. They danced, I watched the band - the Eclethics ( http://www.eclethics.com.br/ ). 70s cover band. They played all the oldies - YMCA, Hot Stuff, Good Times, I Will Survive, Rapper's Delight, Let's Dance (the Last Dance), started off with the bass line to Shaft, some Kool & the Gang, Commodores, Donna Summer, more. At one point a member of the audience (Roberta something but someone different - not the one in our group) was singing along with them on stage.
Wasn't drunk enough to dance. Did have a hurricane (was good...... ) and a beer, but the sandwich was atrocious. The jumbo sampler was good though, even if the chicken tenders were crispier than they should've been.
Hard Rock Rio - http://hardrockcafe.com/locations/cafes3/cafes.aspx?LocationID=26&MIBenumID=3&MenuID=15
Got back around 1:45 or so this morning. Woke up a little while ago.
Senor Rubens and Senora Lourdes went to the country house in CorraGrange (think that's the spelling), while Senora Cris went to work and Dani went to get Loana so they can spend some time together today.
Friday
Current mood: calm
Category: Travel and Places
Friday, we visited Niterói. "Hidden Waters" in a nativ language, it's quite a spectacular looking place - cleaner than Rio (it's smaller, duh!) - European feel to it, and it's got a beautiful bay and beach.
(Churrascaria - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churrascaria )
Niterói - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niteroi
We visited the Oscar Niemeyer Museum of Contemporary Art (Port.: Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói or MAC), which is a flying saucer-shaped museum sitting on a jutting piece of rock over the bay. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niter%C3%B3i_Contemporary_Art_Museum
There was a delay in getting inside - CNN or someone was interviewing a minister in the building. So I took quite a few photographs of the bay - Guanabara Bay -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanabara_Bay - while we were waiting. Senor Rubens and Senora Lourdes were with Dani and I - they had never been to the MAC before, although there are plenty of museums in Rio, especially Downtown.
(The drive over there was two hours, and the drive back as well. It's only about 30km from where we are in Barra de Tijuca, but traffic was hellacious. At one point before the bridge to Niterói there was a major jam - there is no real off-ramp before the bridge [not that I could see one] - as people from the main artery cut across the on-ramp to get to a service road. Talk about crazy!)
There was a motorcycle accident on the way back. A fatality. There were a lot of rubber-neckers, and a goodly number of moto riders had parked their bikes to watch and make sure things were taken care of. It looks like a community within a community almost.
I'll try and have the photos of Niterói up later this week before we head back to the states (November 30th).
Last night Dani and I met up at the Hard Rock Café Rio with Ani and her bf Leonardo (younger guy who's been to the states and we hit it off, talking in Englés), Christine (30-yr old married fitness expert who looks like a short Rosanna Arquette [ala Desperately Seeking Susan, not Pulp Fiction] ), and Roberta (27-yr old student).
Good crowd. They danced, I watched the band - the Eclethics ( http://www.eclethics.com.br/ ). 70s cover band. They played all the oldies - YMCA, Hot Stuff, Good Times, I Will Survive, Rapper's Delight, Let's Dance (the Last Dance), started off with the bass line to Shaft, some Kool & the Gang, Commodores, Donna Summer, more. At one point a member of the audience (Roberta something but someone different - not the one in our group) was singing along with them on stage.
Wasn't drunk enough to dance. Did have a hurricane (was good...... ) and a beer, but the sandwich was atrocious. The jumbo sampler was good though, even if the chicken tenders were crispier than they should've been.
Hard Rock Rio - http://hardrockcafe.com/locations/cafes3/cafes.aspx?LocationID=26&MIBenumID=3&MenuID=15
Got back around 1:45 or so this morning. Woke up a little while ago.
Senor Rubens and Senora Lourdes went to the country house in CorraGrange (think that's the spelling), while Senora Cris went to work and Dani went to get Loana so they can spend some time together today.
Continuing...
Friday, November 24, 2006
TIGERS WIN!!!!!!
Current mood: ecstatic
Category: Sports
TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!
Okay, 10-2 and bowl bound!!! Take that Arkansas! Can ya feel that Darren McFadden?!? Uh uh??
Of course, we f'ed up and lost to Auburn and Florida, but who cares?!?
TIGERS WIN!!!!!!
Current mood: ecstatic
Category: Sports
TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!TIGERS WIN!!!
Okay, 10-2 and bowl bound!!! Take that Arkansas! Can ya feel that Darren McFadden?!? Uh uh??
Of course, we f'ed up and lost to Auburn and Florida, but who cares?!?
Continuing...
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Past couple of days & Turkey Day
Current mood: groggy
Category: Travel and Places
Nothing much happened.
Wednesday went to a Churrascaria place called Tauro with Flavia and Hubert (I've been calling him Roberto as the H's and the R's in Portuguese sound the same and Flavia calls him 'berto, so 1+1=3 in this case).
Food was good, they keep bringing chunks of meat on huge skewers and slice some off for you. Vegetables, sushi, rice, fruits, soups, etc. you go get yourself. Sausage was really good.
(Have I mentioned that dinner here is around 9:30-10:00 pm local? It's always late, and usually light. Lunch is heavier. Good strat.)
Thursday didn't get to too much, either. I was hoping to go to Nitéroi to see a museum, but we ended up leaving late since I was adding four hundred pictures or so to my albums - http://new.photos.yahoo.com/clintonhlowery/albums (the Today's photos groups 2 & 3) - and then we got turned around near a favela. We then went to see Dani's half-sister, Loana. Nice kid, looks kinda like Dani did at 20 (she's 18). Just graduated from high school, fixing to start college. Lives with her two brothers (who were playing MK3 like crazee when we were there), and her mom and dad.
We went to NorteShopping, which is like a poor man's version of Barra Shopping. (Similar to comparing a Westside strip mall to St. John's Town Center). One difference between the two - Barra Shopping would indicate the full price - almost everything (except the food) at NorteShopping was listed as 4 payments of this, 5 payments of that, etc.
They did have motorcycles for like 48 payments of R$120, ~ US$56.
After that, we dropped off Loana, ate at McDonald's (in Rio!), then I started feeling achey and I came back home. Dani went out for a while.
----------------------
I don't really know what I should be thankful for for Thanksgiving, considering I'm in a place where it's not celebrated (it is a purely American holiday after all).
Since I am a gringo (or norteAmericano, or Americano) as has been pointed out to me recently, the things I could mention are:
I'm thankful to have had a decent out-of-country trip for the first time in my life.
I'm thankful that my family are alive and doing well.
I'm thankful that the friends I do have tend to be honest and true friends, at least the ones I hang around with the most are. Deceivers, well, keep deceiving me and leave me blissfully unaware.
I'm thankful that I'm at point in my life where I have a job with decent income and a decent apartment.
I'm thankful that Twerp is still alive and kicking (and still biting me occasionally) after thirteen+ years as he keeps me sane and is the one thing that has never broke my heart at some point.
I'm thankful for the sun rising and setting every day and reminding me that there is true beauty in this world, even if sometimes you have to work to see it.
Udder dan dat, laissez le bonne temps roulez.
GO LSU KICK THEM HOGS' ASSES!!!
Past couple of days & Turkey Day
Current mood: groggy
Category: Travel and Places
Nothing much happened.
Wednesday went to a Churrascaria place called Tauro with Flavia and Hubert (I've been calling him Roberto as the H's and the R's in Portuguese sound the same and Flavia calls him 'berto, so 1+1=3 in this case).
Food was good, they keep bringing chunks of meat on huge skewers and slice some off for you. Vegetables, sushi, rice, fruits, soups, etc. you go get yourself. Sausage was really good.
(Have I mentioned that dinner here is around 9:30-10:00 pm local? It's always late, and usually light. Lunch is heavier. Good strat.)
Thursday didn't get to too much, either. I was hoping to go to Nitéroi to see a museum, but we ended up leaving late since I was adding four hundred pictures or so to my albums - http://new.photos.yahoo.com/clintonhlowery/albums (the Today's photos groups 2 & 3) - and then we got turned around near a favela. We then went to see Dani's half-sister, Loana. Nice kid, looks kinda like Dani did at 20 (she's 18). Just graduated from high school, fixing to start college. Lives with her two brothers (who were playing MK3 like crazee when we were there), and her mom and dad.
We went to NorteShopping, which is like a poor man's version of Barra Shopping. (Similar to comparing a Westside strip mall to St. John's Town Center). One difference between the two - Barra Shopping would indicate the full price - almost everything (except the food) at NorteShopping was listed as 4 payments of this, 5 payments of that, etc.
They did have motorcycles for like 48 payments of R$120, ~ US$56.
After that, we dropped off Loana, ate at McDonald's (in Rio!), then I started feeling achey and I came back home. Dani went out for a while.
----------------------
I don't really know what I should be thankful for for Thanksgiving, considering I'm in a place where it's not celebrated (it is a purely American holiday after all).
Since I am a gringo (or norteAmericano, or Americano) as has been pointed out to me recently, the things I could mention are:
I'm thankful to have had a decent out-of-country trip for the first time in my life.
I'm thankful that my family are alive and doing well.
I'm thankful that the friends I do have tend to be honest and true friends, at least the ones I hang around with the most are. Deceivers, well, keep deceiving me and leave me blissfully unaware.
I'm thankful that I'm at point in my life where I have a job with decent income and a decent apartment.
I'm thankful that Twerp is still alive and kicking (and still biting me occasionally) after thirteen+ years as he keeps me sane and is the one thing that has never broke my heart at some point.
I'm thankful for the sun rising and setting every day and reminding me that there is true beauty in this world, even if sometimes you have to work to see it.
Udder dan dat, laissez le bonne temps roulez.
GO LSU KICK THEM HOGS' ASSES!!!
Continuing...
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
More pictures posted
Current mood: content
Category: Travel and Places
I've put up some more pictures.
These were taken with Dani's camera, some by me, some by her.
The URL is http://new.photos.yahoo.com/clintonhlowery/album/576460762346888425 for the new album.
Old photos are placed in the Flight to Rio folder - http://new.photos.yahoo.com/clintonhlowery/album/576460762346779925
and in the Miami folder - http://new.photos.yahoo.com/clintonhlowery/album/576460762346603272
I've also started a "Personal favourites" folder - http://new.photos.yahoo.com/clintonhlowery/album/576460762345609275
As far as what's happening in Rio --
Monday was a holiday in Brazil - the Birthday of Zumbi, a hero to Brazilians of African descent, celebrated mostly in Rio de Janiero. The American equivalent would be MLK day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zumbi
Senor Rubens rented a car for Dani to drive while in Rio - a VW Gol (not a Golf, it's an economy version of the Golf). We went and picked up a friend of hers named Ani that she hadn't seen in a while and we went to Barra Shopping, the largest shopping center in Rio.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Gol
Barra Shopping has eight cinemas, a large shopping area and food court, and an almost completely separate second section called the "New York City Shopping" area, with a replica of the Statue of Liberty and other NYC landmarks.
http://www.barrashopping.com.br/index2.asp
After spending about three hours wandering around and eating, we said we'd go see a movie Friday, and then called it a night.
Tuesday, nothing much. Dani went to the dentist, and Senor Rubens drove the two of us over the mountain to the North zone of Rio, the neighborhood of Tijuca. A friend in Jax - Joana - is from here. The drive was quite pretty. We passed through a couple of favelas on the way. It is striking to see the differences between one part of town and another - it's like going from Ponte Vedra to the Northside by crossing a hill. Sometimes the disparity can be seen on two sides of the same street.
Other than that short trip, not much more. Just read some more of Friedman's book The World is Flat and slept a good bit.
More pictures posted
Current mood: content
Category: Travel and Places
I've put up some more pictures.
These were taken with Dani's camera, some by me, some by her.
The URL is http://new.photos.yahoo.com/clintonhlowery/album/576460762346888425 for the new album.
Old photos are placed in the Flight to Rio folder - http://new.photos.yahoo.com/clintonhlowery/album/576460762346779925
and in the Miami folder - http://new.photos.yahoo.com/clintonhlowery/album/576460762346603272
I've also started a "Personal favourites" folder - http://new.photos.yahoo.com/clintonhlowery/album/576460762345609275
As far as what's happening in Rio --
Monday was a holiday in Brazil - the Birthday of Zumbi, a hero to Brazilians of African descent, celebrated mostly in Rio de Janiero. The American equivalent would be MLK day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zumbi
Senor Rubens rented a car for Dani to drive while in Rio - a VW Gol (not a Golf, it's an economy version of the Golf). We went and picked up a friend of hers named Ani that she hadn't seen in a while and we went to Barra Shopping, the largest shopping center in Rio.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Gol
Barra Shopping has eight cinemas, a large shopping area and food court, and an almost completely separate second section called the "New York City Shopping" area, with a replica of the Statue of Liberty and other NYC landmarks.
http://www.barrashopping.com.br/index2.asp
After spending about three hours wandering around and eating, we said we'd go see a movie Friday, and then called it a night.
Tuesday, nothing much. Dani went to the dentist, and Senor Rubens drove the two of us over the mountain to the North zone of Rio, the neighborhood of Tijuca. A friend in Jax - Joana - is from here. The drive was quite pretty. We passed through a couple of favelas on the way. It is striking to see the differences between one part of town and another - it's like going from Ponte Vedra to the Northside by crossing a hill. Sometimes the disparity can be seen on two sides of the same street.
Other than that short trip, not much more. Just read some more of Friedman's book The World is Flat and slept a good bit.
Continuing...
Monday, November 20, 2006
Sunday night in Lagoa
Current mood: sleepy
Category: Travel and Places
Most of Sunday was spent relaxing and napping. Sunday night, around 22:00pm local Roberto and Flavia picked Dani and I up at the condo, then we all headed over to Botafago to pick up Caroline, another friend of Dani's.
Caroline – 29, slim, newly single, sandy blonde hair. Other than that, didn't get much of a background on her, but she's nice and has known Dani for years.
We drove around a little bit then went to an open air dining place in Lagoa. We walked around a bit first. Managed to get a few nice pictures of Lagoa by night, including the 90m tall Christmas tree the Prefeitura (Mayor) of Rio had set up. The picture of Corcovado didn't come out nearly so well, as by that time, well… get to that in a second.
We ate sushi – I had a Mix Tempura (vegetable medley and shrimp fried tempura style) with some wasabi and soy sauce. To drink, cachaça and agua con geis ("water with gas" or sparkling mineral water). Total R$40. Dani had a plate of salmon pate and Pepsi (was surprised the place had no Coca-cola). Total $26.
(Oh, a note about service in Rio. They charge for just about everything. Wasabi, refills (here everything coke-wise is canned, so no taps), etc. So pace yourself if you plan on drinking while you eat. And watch what condiments you get. If it ain't on the table aforehand, it prolly will cost a bit.)
The weather was great. There was a band playing, and lots of couples walking around hand-in-hand. The band played the Girl from Ipanema, as well as a Portuguese version of several American classics – Nirvana's "Come as you are" and some Beatles – some conga songs and more. About 1:30am local, tho, it kicked up a rain storm. It had drizzled for a few minutes, nice warm rain. Then bam. Wind was blowing, girls were screaming and giggling – especially when it would blow the umbrellas over the table a little and a spout would hit someone on the ass.
After some discussion with the waiter (the bill was not itemized, and it took us twenty minutes to figure out what was the price for which item, since it was all hand-written except for the receipt which only had the amounts, not the items), we paid the bill, and then Roberto ran to get the car.
We dropped off Caroline, and then Roberto & Flavia dropped us off at Rio Mar, and we called it a night about 2:45am local.
I stayed up til sunrise this morning, trying to figure out when the sun came up. I'd forgotten that in the Southern hemisphere, days are currently getting longer as summer approaches. (It's spring here.) Sunrise is at 6:00am local, sunset at 19:16pm. It's like Jacksonville a little, in that in the morning, no one is on the beach. The beach here in Tijuca is narrower than in Jax, but the waves are great, and the water looks a helluva lot cleaner.
I'll write up Monday evening shopping with Dani and Ani in Barra Shopping (the largest shopping center in Rio) tomorrow. I'm also going to try and catch the sunrise. We're facing south here, so once can see the sun rise and set on the ocean, unlike in Jax where the sun rises over the Atlantic and sets over the St. John's.
I´m also posting the first batch of pictures soon. To see my photo gallery, go to http://photos.yahoo.com/clintonhlowery
Sunday night in Lagoa
Current mood: sleepy
Category: Travel and Places
Most of Sunday was spent relaxing and napping. Sunday night, around 22:00pm local Roberto and Flavia picked Dani and I up at the condo, then we all headed over to Botafago to pick up Caroline, another friend of Dani's.
Caroline – 29, slim, newly single, sandy blonde hair. Other than that, didn't get much of a background on her, but she's nice and has known Dani for years.
We drove around a little bit then went to an open air dining place in Lagoa. We walked around a bit first. Managed to get a few nice pictures of Lagoa by night, including the 90m tall Christmas tree the Prefeitura (Mayor) of Rio had set up. The picture of Corcovado didn't come out nearly so well, as by that time, well… get to that in a second.
We ate sushi – I had a Mix Tempura (vegetable medley and shrimp fried tempura style) with some wasabi and soy sauce. To drink, cachaça and agua con geis ("water with gas" or sparkling mineral water). Total R$40. Dani had a plate of salmon pate and Pepsi (was surprised the place had no Coca-cola). Total $26.
(Oh, a note about service in Rio. They charge for just about everything. Wasabi, refills (here everything coke-wise is canned, so no taps), etc. So pace yourself if you plan on drinking while you eat. And watch what condiments you get. If it ain't on the table aforehand, it prolly will cost a bit.)
The weather was great. There was a band playing, and lots of couples walking around hand-in-hand. The band played the Girl from Ipanema, as well as a Portuguese version of several American classics – Nirvana's "Come as you are" and some Beatles – some conga songs and more. About 1:30am local, tho, it kicked up a rain storm. It had drizzled for a few minutes, nice warm rain. Then bam. Wind was blowing, girls were screaming and giggling – especially when it would blow the umbrellas over the table a little and a spout would hit someone on the ass.
After some discussion with the waiter (the bill was not itemized, and it took us twenty minutes to figure out what was the price for which item, since it was all hand-written except for the receipt which only had the amounts, not the items), we paid the bill, and then Roberto ran to get the car.
We dropped off Caroline, and then Roberto & Flavia dropped us off at Rio Mar, and we called it a night about 2:45am local.
I stayed up til sunrise this morning, trying to figure out when the sun came up. I'd forgotten that in the Southern hemisphere, days are currently getting longer as summer approaches. (It's spring here.) Sunrise is at 6:00am local, sunset at 19:16pm. It's like Jacksonville a little, in that in the morning, no one is on the beach. The beach here in Tijuca is narrower than in Jax, but the waves are great, and the water looks a helluva lot cleaner.
I'll write up Monday evening shopping with Dani and Ani in Barra Shopping (the largest shopping center in Rio) tomorrow. I'm also going to try and catch the sunrise. We're facing south here, so once can see the sun rise and set on the ocean, unlike in Jax where the sun rises over the Atlantic and sets over the St. John's.
I´m also posting the first batch of pictures soon. To see my photo gallery, go to http://photos.yahoo.com/clintonhlowery
Continuing...
Sunday, November 19, 2006
GODDAMN IT
Current mood: pissed off
Category: Travel and Places
Okay, well I´m fucking pissed.
I typed out a couple of pages worth of notes, and this goddamn blog timed out on me while I was reviewing it.
Love this shit from Popeye´s.
Now I´m going to try and type it all again tomorrow, for now it´s 3:28 in the morning and I started typing at midnight.
If you want to know what my day was like, here´s some links to what I saw.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corcovado
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarloaf_Mountain%2C_Rio_de_Janeiro
http://www.riosul.com.br
http://www.bodinho.com.br
Things to remember:
Lindevan, the guide who saved us money and told us the history of Corcovado
How expensive things are in Rio, even considering currency conversion
Carrying a pair of shoes up a mountain.
Cable cars that shook. A mountain that was windy.
Buses and narrow cobblestone roads do not mix.
The breathtaking views.
The compulsion to cross myself when near the statue.
Souvenirs.
Rip-off artists posing as taxi drivers.
Confusion in ordering in Portuguese.
Long day.
Sunburnt.
Pissed off at making one mistake and costing myself hours of exposition.
Save, motherfucker, save.
Beautiful day ruined by one moment´s stupidity.
GODDAMN IT
Current mood: pissed off
Category: Travel and Places
Okay, well I´m fucking pissed.
I typed out a couple of pages worth of notes, and this goddamn blog timed out on me while I was reviewing it.
Love this shit from Popeye´s.
Now I´m going to try and type it all again tomorrow, for now it´s 3:28 in the morning and I started typing at midnight.
If you want to know what my day was like, here´s some links to what I saw.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corcovado
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarloaf_Mountain%2C_Rio_de_Janeiro
http://www.riosul.com.br
http://www.bodinho.com.br
Things to remember:
Lindevan, the guide who saved us money and told us the history of Corcovado
How expensive things are in Rio, even considering currency conversion
Carrying a pair of shoes up a mountain.
Cable cars that shook. A mountain that was windy.
Buses and narrow cobblestone roads do not mix.
The breathtaking views.
The compulsion to cross myself when near the statue.
Souvenirs.
Rip-off artists posing as taxi drivers.
Confusion in ordering in Portuguese.
Long day.
Sunburnt.
Pissed off at making one mistake and costing myself hours of exposition.
Save, motherfucker, save.
Beautiful day ruined by one moment´s stupidity.
Continuing
Friday, November 17, 2006
10 o´clock on a Saturday morning
Category: Travel and Places
Let´s see...
Thursday mostly slept.
Friday, woke up, watched some Brazilian TV - Gilmore Girls in Portuguese (no, I´m not a fan, but it was on...), some Brazilian soaps, Smallville, some other stuff. Their news reports actually report world news on the local news stations. No wonder America´s so provincial. I learned about flooding in Canada and the seizure of the Uruguayan dictator where in America, you´d learn "scary news about a local restaurant" for 20 minutes.
Saw the beach at Prainha.. It´s a popular surfer hangout, with a couple of islands nearby and waves you wouldn´t ever see in Jax. Drank agua de coco - coconut water where they chop a hole in the top and stick a straw in. Was warm, and not as good as the canned cold kind. But, still tasty.
Then we went to a local open-air shopping mall called Downtown. Was fun. Drank cachaca.
Well, off to Sugarloaf and Corcovada.
10 o´clock on a Saturday morning
Category: Travel and Places
Let´s see...
Thursday mostly slept.
Friday, woke up, watched some Brazilian TV - Gilmore Girls in Portuguese (no, I´m not a fan, but it was on...), some Brazilian soaps, Smallville, some other stuff. Their news reports actually report world news on the local news stations. No wonder America´s so provincial. I learned about flooding in Canada and the seizure of the Uruguayan dictator where in America, you´d learn "scary news about a local restaurant" for 20 minutes.
Saw the beach at Prainha.. It´s a popular surfer hangout, with a couple of islands nearby and waves you wouldn´t ever see in Jax. Drank agua de coco - coconut water where they chop a hole in the top and stick a straw in. Was warm, and not as good as the canned cold kind. But, still tasty.
Then we went to a local open-air shopping mall called Downtown. Was fun. Drank cachaca.
Well, off to Sugarloaf and Corcovada.
Brazil trip (11/06)
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Well, I'm here....
Current mood: awake
Category: Travel and Places
Moving old posts from MySpace to over here...
Well, I'm in Rio.
Actually, been here since yesterday morning - here it's three hours ahead, so I'm typing this at 8:45 am on Cris's (Dani's mom) laptop.
The journey itself was fun.
Breakdown --
Dropped off the car at 11:30 am, got to the airport at 11:45 or so. Spent the next hour going through security - they took my Swiss army pocketknife - I swear there was some change in the rules about things like that a while back, with them focusing on bigger problems, but *shrug* I have plenty of others - and checking bags, etc. etc. Wasn't very long to do, just a longish line.
Then called Dad, Mom, Cameron, Doug, to check up and in. Ate at a little Jose Cuervo restaurant in the Miami airport. Picked up an Economist and Newsweek for the plane - wanted to catch up on whatever news I could, since I hadn't seen CNN since Sunday.
Then it's on to the plane(s).
(Took quite a few photos, just no way to load them yet.)
The first plane was an Airbus 320, flight 8075 on TAM Airlines (Brazilian national airline). Took off at 5:20. Well, other people have flown, but that first flight, with that 2G force hitting you for the first time - needless to say I gripped the armrests. Dani took a picture and laughed. I kept asking "What's that noise?" anytime I'd hear something (it was the landing gear going up). I could feel the walls contract/expand due to the pressure (had a window seat of course). So I was a little disconcerted at first. But after eating airline food - the chicken not the fish - and watching Talladega Nights (in Portuguese), I was ok.
But, when we hit the second part of the journey - we landed at Manaus (around 11:00 pm EST) to let some people off and let others on - that second takeoff was fine.
There weren't too many people on the first leg of the trip or the rest, but that second step from Manaus to Belem was CROWDED. We didn't get off in Manaus, so there's no pictures coming from there.
We landed at Belem around
(to be continued, Dani's wanting my a-tain-shon atm)
Well, I'm here....
Current mood: awake
Category: Travel and Places
Moving old posts from MySpace to over here...
Well, I'm in Rio.
Actually, been here since yesterday morning - here it's three hours ahead, so I'm typing this at 8:45 am on Cris's (Dani's mom) laptop.
The journey itself was fun.
Breakdown --
Dropped off the car at 11:30 am, got to the airport at 11:45 or so. Spent the next hour going through security - they took my Swiss army pocketknife - I swear there was some change in the rules about things like that a while back, with them focusing on bigger problems, but *shrug* I have plenty of others - and checking bags, etc. etc. Wasn't very long to do, just a longish line.
Then called Dad, Mom, Cameron, Doug, to check up and in. Ate at a little Jose Cuervo restaurant in the Miami airport. Picked up an Economist and Newsweek for the plane - wanted to catch up on whatever news I could, since I hadn't seen CNN since Sunday.
Then it's on to the plane(s).
(Took quite a few photos, just no way to load them yet.)
The first plane was an Airbus 320, flight 8075 on TAM Airlines (Brazilian national airline). Took off at 5:20. Well, other people have flown, but that first flight, with that 2G force hitting you for the first time - needless to say I gripped the armrests. Dani took a picture and laughed. I kept asking "What's that noise?" anytime I'd hear something (it was the landing gear going up). I could feel the walls contract/expand due to the pressure (had a window seat of course). So I was a little disconcerted at first. But after eating airline food - the chicken not the fish - and watching Talladega Nights (in Portuguese), I was ok.
But, when we hit the second part of the journey - we landed at Manaus (around 11:00 pm EST) to let some people off and let others on - that second takeoff was fine.
There weren't too many people on the first leg of the trip or the rest, but that second step from Manaus to Belem was CROWDED. We didn't get off in Manaus, so there's no pictures coming from there.
We landed at Belem around
(to be continued, Dani's wanting my a-tain-shon atm)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Stairwell
ascending
two heads close in together
sharing breaths
knowing smiles
listen to the party
a million miles away
descending
howling in the wind
tears in the lamplight
watching baby birds
running for shelter
two heads close in together
sharing breaths
knowing smiles
listen to the party
a million miles away
descending
howling in the wind
tears in the lamplight
watching baby birds
running for shelter
Monday, June 09, 2008
Memory from LSU days...
I remember a girl from my days in college. A roommate of a friend's, the only memory I retain is of one night when I visited their apartment on East Chimes Street, near the north gates of LSU on Highland Road. I'd gone to meet Debbie, and Heather was home.
I'm sitting on a sofa covered with texts and book bags. The lights are low; Debbie's in the back getting ready for dinner. The windows to the street are open, sounds of the campus and the nearby bars and restaurants drift in on the light breeze. A ceiling fan lazily circles overhead. The Cranberries are playing "Linger" and Heather begins to dance. Slowly, she turns, dancing to the music. She knows I'm watching as she twirls, sundress riding up, revealing her knee-high off-white socks. Her long blonde hair creates a shower of light as she ignores me, responding to the music. She's like a fairy, an elf, ethereal in her moves and innocence. She continues to dance until Debbie comes out from the back, ready to go out.
I remember this, and the days of hanging out at Claire's and playing drinking games. Giving back rubs to Melissa, a girl from a neighborhood back home. Getting drunk and watch Tre down a suitcase of Natural Light. Working up stock at the Super*Fresh, then hanging out at Louie's afterwards. Playing pinball at the Circle K and drinking beer with Red, a homeless alcoholic who basically lived there. Erin and her exotic Native American looks. She worked two weeks at Louie's while she followed the Dead. Nights at the Bengal, the Bayou, and other old bars. 80s retro at the Varsity where I danced for hours until I sweated out all the whiskey. Kathleen and her 20s' flopper-girl style haircut. Sheree who thought I was cool and Adriana, the cool violin student who amused herself with my attention. Seeing Hootie and the Blowfish, Sheryl Crow, the Sundays, and others at the Varsity with girls I dated at the time. Jude and his bullet-wound. Jamie and nights of 40s, boiled crawfish and toking.
These were my days in college. My nights of debauchery and wickedness. Nostalgia washes over me as I think of all these things, and what I remember the most is the sundress. Transitory beauty, never lasting, yet eternal, albeit briefly.
I'm sitting on a sofa covered with texts and book bags. The lights are low; Debbie's in the back getting ready for dinner. The windows to the street are open, sounds of the campus and the nearby bars and restaurants drift in on the light breeze. A ceiling fan lazily circles overhead. The Cranberries are playing "Linger" and Heather begins to dance. Slowly, she turns, dancing to the music. She knows I'm watching as she twirls, sundress riding up, revealing her knee-high off-white socks. Her long blonde hair creates a shower of light as she ignores me, responding to the music. She's like a fairy, an elf, ethereal in her moves and innocence. She continues to dance until Debbie comes out from the back, ready to go out.
I remember this, and the days of hanging out at Claire's and playing drinking games. Giving back rubs to Melissa, a girl from a neighborhood back home. Getting drunk and watch Tre down a suitcase of Natural Light. Working up stock at the Super*Fresh, then hanging out at Louie's afterwards. Playing pinball at the Circle K and drinking beer with Red, a homeless alcoholic who basically lived there. Erin and her exotic Native American looks. She worked two weeks at Louie's while she followed the Dead. Nights at the Bengal, the Bayou, and other old bars. 80s retro at the Varsity where I danced for hours until I sweated out all the whiskey. Kathleen and her 20s' flopper-girl style haircut. Sheree who thought I was cool and Adriana, the cool violin student who amused herself with my attention. Seeing Hootie and the Blowfish, Sheryl Crow, the Sundays, and others at the Varsity with girls I dated at the time. Jude and his bullet-wound. Jamie and nights of 40s, boiled crawfish and toking.
These were my days in college. My nights of debauchery and wickedness. Nostalgia washes over me as I think of all these things, and what I remember the most is the sundress. Transitory beauty, never lasting, yet eternal, albeit briefly.
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