In reference to the last posting, I have realized today that I cook like I drive. I am a Chatty Kathy. This is not always a good situation. Yes, it is great to talk and have a good time around a meal. It is fun to have friends over and chat and cook. However, if there is a recipe that you need to follow precisely, it is a bad situation. I realize this is also hereditary.
When I was pregnant with my first born, we were at my parents for my birthday. I was talking to my mom while she made my birthday cake. Yes, whoever is at home for their birthday gets a cake. Unless they are weird like my brother and do not eat cake. Anyway, while talking, my mom forgets to put in the eggs into the cake mix. She realizes this after it has been in the oven for a short period of time. So she takes out the cake, cracks eggs over the partly cooked mix, blends the eggs in, and puts the cake back in the oven. The cake turned out fine, just only an inch thick at best.
Five or six years ago we were with my parents and siblings for Thanksgiving. My mom always cooks. She really, really cooks the turkey. So I told her I would cook that year. We were going fine. We were talking and enjoying each others company while I cooked the pumpkin pies the day before. After the turkey was finished the next day, we break out the pies. They tasted really pumpkiny. My mom asked how much sugar I used. My answer, "What sugar?" Yes, I forgot to put the sugar in the pies while we talked.
Thanksgiving 2011 in Brazil. My friend, whom I freaked out with driving, came over to help make the pies for the holiday. We were talking while she was mixing and I was rolling out dough. One thing you need to remember when doubling a recipe is double all ingredients. I distracted her with talking to the point that we forgot to double the eggs. We noticed after the pies have been in the oven for 10 minutes. So we took them out, poured the goop back into the mixing bowl, added two more eggs, mixed, and poured it back into the two pie pans.
They took a lot longer to cook, but they look good. I will let you know if they taste bad. That is if we can find a turkey here. Now that is another story altogether.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
You are my friend, and I promise not to try to kill you next time.
I recently asked my husband if I could have the car for the day. There were errands to run and lunch to go to, so I thought, instead of my friend having to drive me around like she always does, I will reciprocate. My husband agreed.
The day started out not so good. So we get to the large French grocery chain here and park the car in their "secure" parking area. Well, this grocery store is right next to the crack street. There was a fire behind it the week before because the junkies were burning junk. I didn't think anything of it. Happens all the time. So we go to park and my friend says, "Jen, that guy is coming this way." I thought he was going to his car next to us. No. He was coming to my window and demanding money. Now I have an armored car, with alarm that I could press if under duress. I forget about the alarm and freak my friend out by yelling at the guy through the window. He is not going away and his eyes are bugged out like he needs his next hit, bad. My friend is telling me to drive away. So I reverse it to run him over. Yes, I am prepared to do this. When he leaves. I watch him walk away and decide to park closer to the entrance. My friend just wants to leave, but I need stuff. At this point she thinks I am crazy. The security guard comes out and forces the guy to leave. Okay, we can get out of the car now.We were both a little flustered, but we got through shopping and dropping off the food before our next errand. Which was lunch.
Now I have not driven much here. I am usually the navigator. However, I usually am not allowed to navigate. What woman is allowed when their husband is driving? He will tell you he knows where he is going as he tries to go the wrong way down a one way street. So, my navigating consists of talking. We have a GPS we call Stella (because when she sends you to the wrong location it is great to yell at her "STELLA!"). So she navigates for me. Well my friend has a GPS too. So talking has become my past time in the car. I never thought about helping with the GPS and giving the turns or telling the driver how far bridge entrance is. Never crossed my mind. It is also important to be a good navigator here because there could be road hazards. Some examples are: your lane ending suddenly; two lanes merge on the other side of a light; the lanes do not match on the other side of the light; a man hole cover is gone and a large 2 by 4 or large branch is sticking out of the hole to let you know it is there; the lane could become a section of street parking without notice; there could be construction in a 20 yard section; the GPS could tell you that you will be turning left or to stay left, but in a 100 yards you need to turn right; or a sink hole could open up because the ground under the highway was washed away from too my rain and there were no supports built to prevent that from happening.
So I am driving my friend to lunch and I start talking. That is what I do in the car. So my friend is trying to navigate for us, while I chat and maneuver through the streets. I don't think my friend wants me to drive again. Because as I am being a Chatty Kathy we hit the road problems in Sao Paulo. Our lane ends, then it merges, then it becomes a street parking section, then there is a construction section, then Stella says to stay to the left, but we really have to turn right so we have to cut across 4 lanes to get where we are going. But we did get to the restaurant in one piece. My friend, bless her soul, survived and had a beer or two at lunch. Most likely to give her confidence to get back in the car with me. I did do better on the way home though - less street hazards.
So now, dear friend, I understand that I need to pay more attention to my driving in Sao Paulo. You need not fear getting into my car. That is if I can ever convince my husband to let me borrow it again, and I can convince you to get in.
The day started out not so good. So we get to the large French grocery chain here and park the car in their "secure" parking area. Well, this grocery store is right next to the crack street. There was a fire behind it the week before because the junkies were burning junk. I didn't think anything of it. Happens all the time. So we go to park and my friend says, "Jen, that guy is coming this way." I thought he was going to his car next to us. No. He was coming to my window and demanding money. Now I have an armored car, with alarm that I could press if under duress. I forget about the alarm and freak my friend out by yelling at the guy through the window. He is not going away and his eyes are bugged out like he needs his next hit, bad. My friend is telling me to drive away. So I reverse it to run him over. Yes, I am prepared to do this. When he leaves. I watch him walk away and decide to park closer to the entrance. My friend just wants to leave, but I need stuff. At this point she thinks I am crazy. The security guard comes out and forces the guy to leave. Okay, we can get out of the car now.We were both a little flustered, but we got through shopping and dropping off the food before our next errand. Which was lunch.
Now I have not driven much here. I am usually the navigator. However, I usually am not allowed to navigate. What woman is allowed when their husband is driving? He will tell you he knows where he is going as he tries to go the wrong way down a one way street. So, my navigating consists of talking. We have a GPS we call Stella (because when she sends you to the wrong location it is great to yell at her "STELLA!"). So she navigates for me. Well my friend has a GPS too. So talking has become my past time in the car. I never thought about helping with the GPS and giving the turns or telling the driver how far bridge entrance is. Never crossed my mind. It is also important to be a good navigator here because there could be road hazards. Some examples are: your lane ending suddenly; two lanes merge on the other side of a light; the lanes do not match on the other side of the light; a man hole cover is gone and a large 2 by 4 or large branch is sticking out of the hole to let you know it is there; the lane could become a section of street parking without notice; there could be construction in a 20 yard section; the GPS could tell you that you will be turning left or to stay left, but in a 100 yards you need to turn right; or a sink hole could open up because the ground under the highway was washed away from too my rain and there were no supports built to prevent that from happening.
So I am driving my friend to lunch and I start talking. That is what I do in the car. So my friend is trying to navigate for us, while I chat and maneuver through the streets. I don't think my friend wants me to drive again. Because as I am being a Chatty Kathy we hit the road problems in Sao Paulo. Our lane ends, then it merges, then it becomes a street parking section, then there is a construction section, then Stella says to stay to the left, but we really have to turn right so we have to cut across 4 lanes to get where we are going. But we did get to the restaurant in one piece. My friend, bless her soul, survived and had a beer or two at lunch. Most likely to give her confidence to get back in the car with me. I did do better on the way home though - less street hazards.
So now, dear friend, I understand that I need to pay more attention to my driving in Sao Paulo. You need not fear getting into my car. That is if I can ever convince my husband to let me borrow it again, and I can convince you to get in.
Friday, November 11, 2011
The Five Star Motel 6
There are a lot of motels here. And when I say a lot, I mean Disney World/Kissimmee Florida amount of motels. Why do you ask? Well first let me tell you there are several varieties, but all charge by the hour. Yes, by the hour. Now you have your run of the mill prostitute style motel, you have your trucker motel, you have your middle class motel, and you have your 5-star motel with room service and champagne service. And everything in between. But all are pay by the hour.
This is why. In Brazil it is common for your children to live with you until they are married. (The children even live at home when they go to university.) This can be a very long time. I personally like the tradition in the States that your children move out when they go to college and hopefully never come back. I love my boys, very much. Don't get me wrong. But I am hoping they only come back to visit after college. So apparently in Brazil, no one wants to "shake hands with Don Shelby" while their children are in the house. So there is a pay by the hour motel for every income level. They leave the kids with the nanny/baby sitter if they are young, have a quicky, and come home. Couples with the money can go to the 5-star joint for a fancy evening, shake hands, and go home. It is very popular.
Personally I don't understand why. Come on it is Brazil. There is naked girls on the TV! Sex is everywhere here. It is embedded in the culture. And anyway little kids have no idea, in my experience. And besides, isn't there a lock on the door? Don't you have a stereo you could turn up if you are loud? And if you don't want to be obvious, just go to bed early. Save the money! Please, it's not like the older kids don't understand what is going on. They know how they got here...
This is why. In Brazil it is common for your children to live with you until they are married. (The children even live at home when they go to university.) This can be a very long time. I personally like the tradition in the States that your children move out when they go to college and hopefully never come back. I love my boys, very much. Don't get me wrong. But I am hoping they only come back to visit after college. So apparently in Brazil, no one wants to "shake hands with Don Shelby" while their children are in the house. So there is a pay by the hour motel for every income level. They leave the kids with the nanny/baby sitter if they are young, have a quicky, and come home. Couples with the money can go to the 5-star joint for a fancy evening, shake hands, and go home. It is very popular.
Personally I don't understand why. Come on it is Brazil. There is naked girls on the TV! Sex is everywhere here. It is embedded in the culture. And anyway little kids have no idea, in my experience. And besides, isn't there a lock on the door? Don't you have a stereo you could turn up if you are loud? And if you don't want to be obvious, just go to bed early. Save the money! Please, it's not like the older kids don't understand what is going on. They know how they got here...
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