Thursday

Today is a holiday here - some sort of government holiday.  We decided to go to a store that was suggested by my Portuguese teacher in the U.S.  It's called Casa Santa Luzia.  It's a very nice and big grocery store and is considered a gourmet grocery store.  It's about 15 minutes away.  We took a quick trip in the store, then walked to Avenida Paulista which is known as an upscale shopping area. 

On our walk we found a church and checked it out.

Then we went back to the store and made our purchases.  It is a very nice store.

Our crazy cat

This is a cabinet in my office.  Dave left the door open for a few minutes, and look what crawled in.

Sunday

So, we decided (afterwards, of course), that maybe Palm Sunday was not the best day to try the Portuguese speaking church.  Four pages of gospel in Portuguese were definitely out of our league. 
In the afternoon, we went for a walk in Ibiripuera park.  It was definitely crowded.  Great weather.
I also gave Charlie a bit of a bath.  He likes to go out on the balcony, and due to the work they are doing on the exterior of the building, our balcony is pretty dusty.  Charlie came in and I noticed that he was very dusty.  Since the bath tub is one of his favorite places, I had no problem getting him in there.  He was OK with water being dumped on him, but that didn't last long enough.  But, at least, he's cleaner than he was.
I made my second batch of muffins (still without mixing bowls, measuring cups and measuring spoons).  I haven't tried them yet, but they look like they turned out a little better than the first batch

Weekend

Today Dave played basketball in a tournament with our friend Shawn.  They lost both of their first games, so they were out of the tournament early. 
I walked to Ibirapuera park when Shawn picked up Dave. The park was very full today with the good weather.
I also had a lesson with Shawn & Nancy's Portuguese teacher, Cecilia.  She was here to teach me the basics - like how to communicate with the Portiero, ask for things in the store, and how to talk to waiters.  We took Portuguese lessons in Michigan, but our last class was several weeks ago, and our Portuguese skills are rusty.
We decided to try the local church tomorrow (which will be in Portuguese).  We'll see how well that works.  Maybe it will help with our Portuguese skills!

Good purchases

We had to make a "quick" trip to Walmart tonight (about 2 hours).  Dave is going to play basketball in a small tournament on Saturday and is required to have one plain white T-shirt and one plain black T-shirt.  The only thing we could come up with was a St. Mary Magdalene T-shirt (which isn't plain) and a dark grey T-shirt.  So, we made a trip to Walmart and of course bought a bunch of other stuff.
The purchase that Dave is most proud of is:

Yep!!  A one liter bottle of Budweiser!  Amazing.

Another day in Brazil

Things are kind of settling down.  Dave got a different car yesterday, hopefully one that will start regularly.
On Sunday we were able to get the oven lit.  There's a timer that if you don't have it set, the oven won't stay on.  Once Dave figured that out, all is good (except for converting from Fahrenheit to Celcius).  I made muffins on Sunday (again without measuring cups, measuring spoons, and baking soda) and they turned out pretty good.
We made hot tuna salad on Sunday evening.  We were well into the preparation when I realized that we don't have a pan we can put in the oven... ooops!!  So we finished putting it together and just cooked it on the stove.  It turned out pretty good.
Yesterday and today have been pretty uneventful.  I spent all day on a conference call yesterday.  Today the Zelador came and worked on the stove.  It is much easier to start the burners now.

Last night we had a good view of the moon.  Picture didn't turn out too good, but here it is....

And the view of our corner at night:

And Charlie on the balcony at night:

Based on the last digt of your license plate number there is an area in Sao Paulo where you can't drive your car (and of course the area includes us).  If your plate ends in 1 or 2 you can't drive on Mondays between 7am - 10am and 5pm - 8pm.  Tuesdays are 3 and 4, etc.  Dave license plate is on Tuesday.  So, today he actually came home early to miss the 5pm deadline.  In the future, we plan on my car being in a different group, and he can drive that on Tuesdays.
It's a good thing he came home early because it is really raining now.  He would be stuck in even more traffic than usual with this rain.

Some pictures Dave took from the balcony

Sunday adventures

The morning started out a little rough.  We were trying to go to church, and our vehicle (Chevrolet Zafira) wouldn't start.  Dave tried numerous times, and decided it needed a jump start.  So, went the porteiro to see if he had some jumper cables, and the answer was no.  So, he came back to the garage and we tried to figure out what to do.  We talked about several options, and then he tried once more, and after a few stutters it started!!!  We weren't too sure if we should go anywhere with it, wondering if it would start again.  We were going to church at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish.  It is about 20 minutes away from here, and the only place we could find with an English speaking mass. We figured that if we had a problem starting it at the church, at least there would be Engligh speaking people there.
Our Lady Help of Christians is part of an international school.  The mass is held in what looks like an auditorium.  There are orange chairs set up and a somewhat portable altar.  For those of you that are St. Mary Magalens, think of the set up at the school at the beginning of the parish.  The priest is 84 years old and announced during mass that he would be retiring September 10, when he is 85 years old.  One thing we will definitely miss from St. Mary Magdalene is the choir.  Our Lady of Help could definitely use some help in their choir. 
Fortunately, we had no problems starting the Zafira after mass!
After we got back from church, we had a bit to eat and then walked to Ibirapuera Park.  It is a large park about 1/2 mile from here.  There were tons of people there today (typical Sunday) walking, biking, playing games, eating, etc.  Unfortunately, about halfway around the lake it started to rain. For a while it wasn't too bad, but then it started to rain pretty hard.  We got under some trees for a few minutes, but mostly kept walking in the rain.  So, we changed our path and headed out of the park and back to the apartment.  The rain has passsed now.  Charlie is laying out on the deck enjoying the fresh air.

Saturday Shopping

This morning we went to Walmart.  This Walmart is not quite like the one's in the US.  However, we were able to find a lot of things we need.
On the way back from Walmart, we saw the street market that our friend Nancy had told us about.  So, we came back to the apartment, unloaded the Walmart purchases and then walked to the street market.  Unfortunately, they started packing up right about when we got there, but we still had enough time to stroll the whole market and buy a few things.

The market has tons of fruits and vegetables and fresh fish, fresh meat, and fresh flowers and plants.  We bought fresh asparagus and fresh nectarines.  We're not sure if this street market is every weekend, but we'll have to find out and go back again when we have more time to look around.

This afternoon I decided that I would make some muffins.  We don't currently have a toaster, and I need something for breakfasts.  Fortunately, I didn't get too far in making the muffins before I discovered that I couldn't get the oven to stay lit.  The burner will start up but won't stay on once the button is released.  We have the same problem with the stove burners, but usually after a few tries we can get the burners to stay lit.  We tried many times to get the oven to stay lit without success. 

Saturday morning

Dave did a very good job at making pancakes this morning - without mixing bowls, measuring cups, and measuring spoons.  He mixed the batter in a cooking pan.  Used coffee cups for measuring cups. Used table spoons for measuring spoons.  They turned out quite good. 

We are going shopping this morning at Walmart.  There are still a lot of things we need to survive.  I sure wish our air shipments would get here, that would make life so much better.  For sure, the air shipments are here in Brazil, but the customs process and just simple Brazil bureacracy slow things way down.  Dave found out that another ISP has been waiting for 6 weeks for his air shipment!!!!
After our shopping excursion, we are meeting our friends, Shawn and Nancy, for a late lunch at 2:30.  We are planning on going to a restaurant that none of us has been to yet, so it will be a new experience.

Wonderful husband

OK, going back in time to Monday....  When I took a shower Monday morning I realized that there were no washcloths in the package of towels we were provided. ARRRGHGHHH!!!  We have some washcloths in our air shipment, but of course we don't know when we will get it.
So, my wonderful husband had his driver stop at Walmart on his way home from work on Monday.  Apparently, Brazilians are like Europeans and don't use washcloths.  So, Dave did the best he could and found the smallest towel they had.

Wonderful!!!!  But it does work well as a washcloth!!!

Night Views from the balcony

Tuesday

So, today, Tuesday, proved to be a better day (eventually).  Our appliances were delivered at 11:00 this morning, however, no NET yet!!!
At noon, Dave called to tell me that Tamiris told him that NET would not be able to come for installation until Friday!!!  She offered to let us rent a 3G card so I could get on the internet, so I could start working!  It would cost about $20 per day.  So, we said go ahead and do that.  Dave called back and needed my credit card number to set it up.
I was very frustrated with NET and called Colleen (our relocation consultant in Detroit) to see if she could help.  Unfortunately, I could only leave a voice mail. 
At 3:15, Dave called to say that Tamiris called him to tell him that Fabio (the appliance installation guy) would arrive in 30 minutes.  So, about 30 minutes I got a call from the guard (who doesn't speak English) that someone was here.  I said send them up.  A few minutes later I got another call that Fabio was here.  I said send him up.  When five guys arrived at the door, I was surprised that there was so many to install a refrigerator, washer, dryer, and TV.  As it turned out, two of the guys were from NET!!!!
Fabio was the only one who spoke any English (and his was pretty good).  So, with his help, the washer, dryer, refirigerator, TV, internet, cable and phone got installed today!!!  YIPPEE!!!!
When Dave got home, he hooked up our wireltess router, and our VONAGE.  You can now call us on our Brighton phone number (810-229-4728).  Just remember that it is one hour later here (so don't call too late in the evening).
That's the update for the past three days!!!  Life should get easier now!

MONDAY - Frustrating Day

Monday and Tuesday were very frustrating for me.  Dave went to work starting on Monday.  I spent the morning reading and, of course, trying to figure out where everything is.  At noon, Claudia, the relocation person that helped us find the apartment came over, to wait for the NET (internet, TV, phone) people to show up to do the installation.  She was told that they would arrive sometime between noon and 4pm (just like deliveries in the U.S.!!).  We talked for a while, then I went in my office to do some work that I was able to do without the internet.  About 2pm, the guard called and said the NET guys were on their way up.  About a 1/2 hour later, when they still hadn't arrived, Claudia called the guard to ask where they were.  The guard said he went back to his vehicle to get some tools. 
At some time in the afternoon, there was some sort of accident and there was a fire truck, a police car, and an ambulance at a gas station we can see from the dining room window.  Someone was taken away in the ambulance on a stretcher.  We wondered if somehow the NET guys were involved with that (and we think not, but we don't really know the answer). 
At 4pm, they still hadn't arrived.  Claudia started making phone calls to LAARM (the relocation company that organizes all these activities).  Claudia was unable to get any answers.  Bruno (at the LAARM office) talked to someone at NET who said they had been unable to contact the installation guys. 
At this point I was very frustrated because I expected to be connected on Monday afternoon, so I could start working.  Claudia said she would do everything she could to get it set up for Tuesday morning. 
Around 5:30pm, a guy from NET showed up!!!!  Yipppeee!!!  However, he didn't speak ANY English.  He kept trying to tell me something and I thought I sort of understood, but wasn't sure.  I called Claudia and put him on the phone with her so she could tell me what he was saying.  He was trying to tell me that he wasn't going to do the installation now.  I don't really know why he bothered to come here just to tell me that it wasn't going to happen. 
Sometime later (6:30pm?) Tamiris (our main coordinator from LAARM), called and said that NET could still come tonight to do the installation, and asked if that's what we wanted to do.  I said, YES!!!  She called back a bit later, she called back to say they were on their way.  An hour later, they still weren't here.  Dave called Tamiris back and said they better be here first thing in the morning.

In Our Apartment!!!

So, we finished moving into our apartment on Sunday.  No refrigerator, no washer, no dryer, no TV (kind of like camping, in an apartment!!!).  Sunday afternoon we were trying to figure out what to do about dinner.  We didn't feel like going to a restaurant, so we got creative.  We had been to the grocery store with our friends Shawn and Nancy on Saturday, but didn't buy anything that needed to be refrigerated. We decided that we would make rice with cream of mushroom soup for Sunday dinner and spagetti and tomato sauce for Monday dinner.  As dinner time was approaching, I had a terrible thought - we don't have a can opener!!!!  So, we walked to the grocery store (about six blocks away) and searched all over for a can opener.  We finally found one - approximately $16.  We have a can opener coming in our air shipment, so we really didn't want to waste $16.  I finally stumbled upon a very simple manual can opener for about $3.

We got back from the store and Dave started making rice and the can of mushroom soup was sitting on the counter.  I picked up the can, and of course, the soup can has a tab on the top to open it!!!!  Well, all is not lost, we still need the can opener for the tomatoes for Monday. 

Moving (again!!)

Moving to our apartment this morning.  We moved most of our luggage and all of our belongings that we had in our friends apartment there yesterday, but stayed at the hotel last night.  We just have Charlie and a small amount of luggage to move now.  Our friends Shawn and Nancy are going to help us move.  I couldn't think about Dave carrying 25lb Charlie in his carrier 5 or 6 blocks to the apartment.  We would have had to make at least two trips.  This will be our third move in month!!  Charlie is still doing well, and I hope he likes the apartment.

Our Arrival in Brazil

Hello from Brazil!!!
Our trip here went very well.  We got to DTW early to make sure we got Charlie settled on the plane.  Our first dilemma of the day came when we were headed to the check in counter and realized that we had packed one too many suitcases.  In Business Class we are able to check three bags per person for free.  Somehow we packed seven bags and didn't even realize it.  So, we decided that we would carry on one suitcase - no problem.  After we checked in, we had to take Charlie to an area to have his carrier inspected by TSA.  While we were waiting there, we were talking about how crazy we were to not realize that we packed seven suitcases, and I suddenly had a thought and asked Dave if there were any liquids in the bag we decided to carry on.  He didn't know, so we opened the bag, and unfortunately there was two bottles of saline, one bottle of multi-purpose solution, and one mousse (all new and unopened).  We ended up giving them to the gate agent and she was so happy.  The TSA agent fell in love with Charlie. I had to take Charlie out of his carrier so he could inspect the inside of the carrier.  After he inspected Charlie's carrier, he had to hold Charlie.  After he put Charlie back in his carrier, he showed us pictures on his phone of his orange tabby. 

Our flight was slightly delayed.  We were just about to take off, when the plane headed back to the gate.  There was a light flashing in the cockpit that needed to be checked.  So, we went all the way back to just outside the gate, sat there for a few minutes, then returned to the runway and took off about 1/2 hour late.  We arrived in Sao Paulo almost on time.
Charlie's first ever flight went very well.  After we got on the plane, a flight attendant brought us the tag (like a luggage tag) for Charlie.  As we were talking to her, we told her that we were concerned how he would be on the flight since it was his first time on a plane.  A little while later she came back and said she had called down below to check on him, and she was told that he was just laying in his container watching what was going on around him.  She assured us that he would be alright.  When we arrived in Sao Paulo, we went through immigrations (thankfully short wait) and then headed to baggage pickup.  As we were walking to the baggage belt, we saw Charlie's carrier on the belt!!!  Dave ran and picked Charlie off the belt before he got too far.  We expected him to be very upset, but he was just laying in his carrier.  We gathered our bags and then had to go through customs.  That was also thankfully quick.  Most people go through the "nothing to declare" line which is always very long.  Because of Charlie we had to go through the "something to declare" line, which was quite short.  We had to put our bags through x-ray and Charlie's documents had to be verified.
After that, we met our driver and came to the hotel.  After being released from his carrier (after17 hours), Charlie sniffed his way around the entire hotel room and then settled in.

We will be moving into our apartment tomorrow, and will have our phone and internet set up on Monday.