I brought coffee as a last-minute gift for my hosts. So far, it’s been well-received, although I do not yet know how they’ll like it. Not that I’m worried, mind you, as coffee is coffee, and our coffee at Breaking Grounds is pretty darn good, but still, there’s the whole cultural differences thing. Who knows how wrong things could go because their cups are metric and ours are English measure? Egad!
One thing I learned was this: Whole bean coffee, always. Some of the bags I brought were pre-ground. Those are the first I am gifting away, as some of the coffee has leaked out and into my luggage. Fortunately I kept all of my clothes in Lewis & Clark bags, so I don’t smell like coffee, even though my bag does. I also found small coffee bits in my neti pot. It’s a good thing I look in there before I use it, or I’d be smelling coffee for a while.
Note to self: You never know how contents may settle in transit.
I’m just glad I didn’t decide to try to bring Maple Syrup.
Today, I may explore the city and see if I can find a capoeira studio or aikido dojo.
Brazil: Day 2
This morning my hosts too me to breakfast at a local bakery. They served it buffet-style, with a huge assortment of baked goods, fruits, and scrambled eggs and bacon. I tried a few things that didn’t look familiar, but the small roll, I couldn’t tell if it was topped with coconut or cheese until I tasted it, had a savory filling (and was indeed topped with cheese). I also had a cappuccino, which, at least at this place, included chocolate syrup, cinnamon, and possibly some extra sugar or sugar in the whipped cream topping. Whatever it was, it was sweet. As of now I am officially on calorie watch. Continue reading “Brazil: Day 2”
First Day In Brazil
At the airport, I had the pleasure of seeing a Windows error message on one of the terminals’ computer displays.
When I asked my hosts (while staying at their daughter’s apartment) “What can I do?” The response was “take a shower.” I’m hoping that was just polite for “we’ve got this covered, you do what you have to do” and not “you really need to take a shower.” Then again, I had been traveling for more than a day, so…
After that, we ate a light dinner of fruits, bread, and cheese. There was also a dessert which seemed to be made of custard and cornmeal. It was yummy, but I forgot the name. I washed it all down with Passion Fruit juice. Yummy.
I've Landed in S?o Paulo
The trip here was uneventful. I spent extra to get a seat with more legroom and bought a Tempur-Pedic neck pillow, which is a lifesaver.
I made it through customs, which took a little longer than it should have, due to a bit of a miscommunication. The guard handed my paperwork back to me, instructed me to “get [my] luggage and keep [the paperwork] when [I] come back.” So I went to get my luggage, then wondered how the heck I was supposed to get back to the customs desk. What he meant was “when you go back to the USA.” Clearing that up opened the door to go through the “something to declare” line, which was completely empty and moved more quickly than the “nothing to declare” line. Hah!
Now I’m hanging in the airport, where the food is overpriced and absolutely horrible. Somehow I managed to resist the temptation to try Pizza Hut or McDonald’s a la Brazil…
No AT&T service here on my phone, even roaming. Wireless costs R$9.95 for two hours, but was worth it to let the folks back home that I arrived safely and relatively soundly.
T-minus Five Days to Brazil
My trip overseas begins this Sunday when I fly south to Brazil. Here’s what I am packing, adapted from Tim Ferriss’ article How to Travel the World with 10 Pounds or Less. I haven’t weighed everything, but here’s what I’ve stuffed into my Victorinox E-Motion luggage. Continue reading “T-minus Five Days to Brazil”
Summer Wrap-up: 2010
It seems like just last week it was Memorial Day and I was at Jamie and Lisa’s for a barbeque, yesterday it was Independence Day and I was at a barbeque with Steve, and now Labor Day has come and gone in a flash. So much for summer.
I’ve been more outgoing and made more new friends this summer than I have in years past, which is excellent. I’ve been channeling my inner Tim Ferriss and killing my inner wuss. (Watch out, Kim).
My biking was rewarding. I did more road biking than mountain, which isn’t my preference, but it was certainly enjoyable, so I’m not complaining.
Aikido has been getting fun again. My sensei has informed me I will be testing for nidan next month in Boston. I am happy.
The coffee shop has been up and running for a month. Business is steady, and I am only involved on rare occasions. Paradigm is under the daily operation of a new manager, so I get to jump in and do the work that I enjoy only when I am really needed or want to be “in the way.”
One casualty of all this has been the Fresh Ubuntu Podcast. While it hasn’t been pronounced dead, it is definitely on life support. I’ve been busy. Harlem has been busy. Leftyfb is getting married in a few weeks. CafeNinja is a regular contributor to our friends at h4cked.
Finally, I will be departing for a month-long trip to Brazil in November.
And yes, I’m still on Facebook. *grumble*
Wow. Life is good.
Small Delay in Travel Plans
Due to my still getting over this cold thing I’ve had (for two and a half weeks), my vaccinations being somewhat out of date, and my passport being close to expiration, I’ve decided to delay my travel plans until next month. By then the antibiotics will have done their job (or I’ll be dead), my vaccinations should be back in full effect, and my new (RFID-enabled… can you spell “DIFRwear?”) passport will be here. At least now I can make a somewhat more informed decision about where to go. What are my options? Anywhere. What’s in the front running? Ireland, Germany, Japan, Thailand, Costa Rica (‘though it’s rainy now), Brazil (just suggested by a friend), Argentina, and Nepal.
If you have suggestions of a country you’ve been to, I’d really love to hear them.
It's (Almost) Go Time
I just finished burning through Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts. My hope was that this book would quash any remaining doubts I had about taking a leave of absence from work, aikido, and general everyday life here in my hometown. To that end, it succeeded. Continue reading “It's (Almost) Go Time”