Holy crap it's dry here!

I'd like to start off this post with a few statements - 1) I knew it was going to be dry before I arrived, 2) I'm not dying of thirst, 3) I'm not complaining but am rather stating observations, and 4) I still prefer dry weather over humid weather. But still, dayum, it's dry. Brasilia's weather can be compared to that of a desert, which is very interesting since I picture the state of Arizona when I hear that word - not Brazil's capitol. It hasn't rained since May (so I've been told) and I don't think we can expect rain again until October (correct me if I'm wrong). I've also been told many times that August and September are the driest months. And here were are. 


Now when I take a look at Weather Underground it says that today's humidity is 41% and I don't know much about that since I spent the last 6 years in central Florida where it's hot and HUMID (think 100%), but I know it's dry. Sometimes my eyeballs feel like they're golf balls rattling around in the hole of a mini golf course. And I don't wear contacts. The thing is that I don't often feel thirsty, but I think that can be a problem. We need to drink a lot, all throughout the day. It's common to find jars and glasses of water everywhere, students carry bottles of water around with them, and there's a water dispenser in probably every office in the city. There are also dispensers all over Manaus, but that's because it's HOT and so humid that you sweat and need to hydrate.


I find it interesting and almost funny that I've now lived in two very extreme climates in Brazil - Manaus and Brasilia. I like both of these cities, but if I had to choose only based on the weather it'd have to be Brasilia. I almost never sweat, the weather is warm even though it's the winter, and I know that the rains will return and the city will be green again. It's sunny and comfortable most of the time.


Anyway, I've digressed. Back to the dry weather. If you don't constantly drink water and stay hydrated, you can get headaches, feel tired, and just feel dried out. At least that's how I felt this morning. My skin has not reacted well so I have to use a lot of lotion (suggestions?). I also have to keep a bottle of water by my bed because one night I woke up in the middle of the night because I was thirsty and was dreaming of drinking water. I need to make sure I have a couple of glasses of water before I leave for work in the morning and then drink throughout the day (juice counts because here it's usually all natural). 


I remember one of my principals telling me that it got so dry one year that they had to close the school - send the kids home. We even received a memo from my school about precautions to take during the driest months of the year. You know how in New York you get announcements about winter storms and in Florida it's about tropical storms? In Brasilia it's about dry weather. I've also heard that your nose can bleed; that happened to one of my 9th graders last week. You can use a humidifier in your home, but like everything else in Brasilia they're pretty pricey. Another of my principals said it's not worth it because you have to leave it right in your face. She suggested putting a wet towel over a chair in the room where you're at to leave moisture in the air.


Of course all of this is new to me and it doesn't really bother me too much. I think of it as part of where I'm living. I just need to follow the lead of the locals and I'll be alright. I just hope it doesn't get down to 12% humidity like it has in the past....but if so,I'll just drink more water, soak more towels, and be glad I'm not sweating bullets. 

First Impressions

I like Brasilia. We both do. We have been received very well by both the school and the citizens of Brasilia. Everyone has been helpful - friends, our doorman, store owners, school employees, etc. I have limited use of the Internet at this time as we are still awaiting ours to be set up in our apartment, so unfortunately I don't have the time to write out in detail all of my first impressions and how I feel about what I know about the city and how I feel living here; however, I can list briefly my first impressions of the first five days in this city.

• The airport was designed well and and the weather was perfect (we arrived at 10 a.m.); the airport smelled sweet and it was busy once we got out of baggage claim
• My boss was smiling and yelling "Bem-vindo" to us like she was very excited to see us. Nice reception
• Our neighborhood is quiet, calm, and yet it has all kinds of stores, restaurants, bars, cafes, and grocery stores within walking distance
• Yes, Brasilia is expensive. We must have paid over $20 for a scratching post for the cat
• The weather is DRY but it's sunny and the sky is blue and during the day the sun is out and it's warm (can get very cold at night, though)
• Brasilia is very organized with sections for everything - from embassies to hotels to the ministries
• No one asks where I'm from, why I'm in the city - they're just helpful and talkative
• Our next door neighbors are an older couple who have directed us on where to make copies of keys, where to find certain stores, and even to tell us that the vet will make house visits. They're very nice
• OUR CAT IS LIKE A MOVIE STAR. People LOVE him. They can't believe how big and beautiful he is. Even the doorman wants to meet the "famous Sebastian"
• The metro and bus stops are near us, but we don't need them on a daily basis. Friends come and pick us up, take us out, and are very generous and kind
• The school is also close by and the lunch that's served there is delicious (and healthy)

I have so much to add, but I'll have to save that for a later time. I have family to talk to and E has friends to call. Our Magic Jack works like a charm.

Oh yeah, my Kindle somehow got "destroyed" during the flights and won't turn on. But I was able to call Amazon and they'll send a replacement to my parents who will ship it to me.

Everything else is going well for us. We have an extra room and will be expecting visitors soon...