Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Little Kid Sweat Smell


This city is just too HOT during the summer months. I've decided I like Rio a lot more in fall and spring--maybe even winter, than REAL summer.

For example, right now I have the smell that children get when they've been out playing all day. It's not a sweaty, stinky smell, it's just kind of a little-kid-sweaty-active-worn out-tired smell...do you know which smell I'm talking about? Well, I have that smell.

And it came from no major physical activity, just me being in the hot outdoors, standing in lines, walking to lessons and bus stops and getting lost on a bus and having to back track in the heat until I could hail a taxi...you know, stuff like that that gave a smell like this.

I need a shower. But why shower NOW when I know I'll be sleeping in the hot air and sweaty again by the morning. I'll kill two smelly birds with one shower and do it in the morning.

LETS GO TO THE CIRCUS

As I mentioned above, I was standing in line--in the heat. Well that line was for thing I was at the Cirque de Solei ticket booth. I finally found it, tucked away at the far end of the marina. (See above). No big deal except today was like mid 90's and humidty up the ying yang, but when I took my place in line, there were only about 20 people ahead of me. No problem...you'd think.

ONE HOUR LATER, I finally made it to the window and purchsed two tickets...one for me and one for Mark. I offered to have Sam attend but he opted out.

Now that I'm home and five hours later, I get a text from Max...ok, he's in, he says, so tomorrow I'm back to the line. UGH. Oh well, it'll be a fun activity for my last day here. Then four hours later, I'll be boarding my flight home.

Leaving one circus for the circus that can be NYC.

AN APPLE FOR THE TEACHER

I told Nisa today that I would be leaving and today was my last lesson. She didn't shed a tear, but she did say I'd improved a lot...Congratulations, she said, I should be proud. And then in the same breath, she added that congratulations are due her too, being that she was the one that taught me. :)

She got her thanks and we headed our separate ways, for now.

The last thing she said as I was about to leave...when you come back, do you think you could bring me some things if I contact you. She's ALWAYS thinking.

A THIEF AMONGST US

One of my roommates brought a new friend over to the place the other night and while we were all sleeping, he robbed him blind. Watches, money, credit cards, camera, etc. etc. The clever part was that he locked my friend in his bedroom and I think drugged him so that when he woke up, he couldn't get out.

Luckily, nothing was taken in my room--i was sleeping in there so I guess he didn't dare come in--and today all the locks on the apartment were changed so everything should be ok.

The moral of that story...choose new friends wisely. And locked doors don't always work to your advantage.

Speaking of which, does anyone else remember that one room in Pleasant Valley that had the door that locked immediately from the outside if the door was shut. WHAT A FIRE HAZZARD, now that I think of it, but Mom and Dad used the power of that door VERY WELL. "Stay in there until you can be happy or at least look like you're happy." A THERAPIST POT OF GOLD. :)

EXCHANGE RATE BLUES

Now that I'm thinking of buying an apt here, I've been paying very closer attention to the exchange rate. Today, I believe it closed at 1.747 reals to one dollar, up .024 centavos from yesterday. You may think that's nothing, but if you're looking at R$100,000, that means $764 less dollars I have to pay to get the same R$100,000 property. So every day I'm hoping that the dollar keeps getting stronger. Stronger! STRONGER!


Ok, night time for me.






2 comments:

  1. Brett,
    Not only should your friend choose his friends carefully, but YOU, my friend, should also choose carefully. I worry that YOU were put in danger because this friend threw caution to the wind.
    I do NOT remember that room in pleasant valley. Wow, I should have made sure I had one of those when I was raising teenagers!
    Love you!

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  2. I know exactly the smell you are talking about. Sweaty dog smell. It's in every elementary classroom from August to May. There's a part of me that loves it. It means life and love and noise and laughter have been there. You don't get that smell too often just sitting by yourself. I guess unless you are in Brazil.
    Love you,

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