Wordless Wednesday: Brasilia's Metro (Subway)

A quick look in my local grocery store

 Just a few things I noticed when I was at the grocery store Pão de Açúcar this afternoon...

This must be cat litter because it's called "pipi cat"

Sound good?

Since I'm not really a seafood fan, besides sushi, I can't get over the smell of these bad boys (bacalhau/cod fish)

I wanted to buy one but I just couldn't allow myself to spend that much on face wash

Wordless Wednesday: Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida

I took all of these pictures about 10 days ago when we visited the Cathedral in downtown Brasilia. We were short on time so I need to go back and see more, but here's a taste of what I saw that afternoon.

Wordless Wednesday: Santuario Dom Bosco

The other day we took a short trip to the Santuario Dom Bosco while sightseeing around the city of Brasilia. Here's what's inside and outside.

Very beautiful if you ask me.



Brazilian Drinks

Caipirinha com Kiwi 

Brazilian Espresso

Wordless Wednesday: Foreign films

(United Kingdom)

(Brazil)

(Spain)

(Colombia)

I love foreign films. Much more than American, Hollywood movies. I've seen so many amazing foreign films over the years that it's hard not to want to post the covers of them all, assuming of course that I could remember the titles, which I can't unfortunately. Therefore, I present a few of my favorites (I own them all besides the third one which funny enough is my favorite). If you haven't seen any of these films then you need to go out and rent them now. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have. By the way, I recommend ANY movie by the famous Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar.

Wordless Wednesday: High School Books

As I prepare to move to Brazil to teach high school English, I'm spending some of my time (re)reading books that I'll be teaching starting next month.

Remember these from high school English class?

Quem come jaraqui não sai mais daqui

(S)he who eats [the fish] jaraqui won't ever leave here

or so the saying goes to those who eat this Amazonian River freshwater fish - he or she will never (want) to leave the region.

But I don't believe this saying only refers to eating the fish. People used to jokingly make this comment to me when they found out I was dating a guy from Manaus, Amazonas. The word "comer", or eat, also refers to sex; therefore, they were implying that my being in a relationship with a guy from the Amazon would mean that I'd never leave. I'd be hooked. Although I did end up leaving Manaus, I can't wait to go back whether it's for vacation or to eventually live there.

And we're still together, so maybe there is some truth in it.

Jaraqui is a fish native to the Amazon River. According to an urban type dictionary, jaraqui is "a tasty fish of the Amazon, it popular, cheap, and abundant". Food is very important to people in Brazil, and fish in particular to the people in the northern region of Brazil. I know for a fact that E misses his cuisine immensely. He drools when he watches TV programs about the Amazon, especially if it's about food and/or fish. When people talk about the local foods that he can't get here he makes comments about how much he misses them all and will eat like a starving man when he returns to Manaus. 

Even though I'm not too much of a fish "fan", I do miss food from Manaus like açaí, tapioca, other tropical fruits like cacau and cupuaçu, tacaca, and more. I really can't wait to go back to Manaus for vacation - to walk the streets downtown, hang out with family and friends at restaurants and their homes, drink a beer at O Largo de São Sebastião in front of the Teatro Amazonas, take a walk down to the Porto and stroll along the river on Ponta Negra at night.  

Com saudade,

Meredith

Vet Visit #2

Today we took Sebastian to his second, and final, veterinarian visit before moving to Brazil. For more information regarding taking a cat to Brazil ,read on here and then about my first vet visit just click here. This morning's trip to the doctor's was at the ungodly hour of 7:30 a.m. Apparently I thought when I made the appointment that since I was a high school teacher my body would be accustomed to waking up when it's still dark, regardless of the fact that the appointment was on a Saturday during the summer. Not the best idea, especially after a late night. E went along, but he was sleeping until the vet started including him into our conversations - she was good like that.

Note: If you're taking a pet with you to Brazil I suggest reading the consulate's website and calling the USDA for more specifics, as well as your airline. 

This final exam was to get the International Health Certificate, make sure Sebastian is still in good health, check his weight (gain?), and ask the doctor some questions about his imminent trip abroad. Sebastian IS in good health; the vet said that his teeth are beautiful and his lymph nodes are healthy. He IS 15.5 lbs (only .1 lb more than his May visit), but he is a big boy - tall and long from head to toe. However, this vet said that she'd like to see him lose a bit of his belly...maybe just a pound. 

The vet today was excellent. She was friendly and informative and knew how to talk to pet owners. She gave us the certificate, which I verified and signed, and then she even filled out a health certificate in Portuguese/English. I don't know if that's standard procedure or if she just did it to be kind, but I'm glad I have all of the forms completed and signed, and that she is an accredited veterinarian (otherwise the USDA won't accept her signature). Nice touch that there is a bilingual form, if you ask me. She also noticed that the rabies certificates that we showed her were not signed by the first vet, Dr. Hart. Hence, my trip back there to see that doctor later in the afternoon. I had noticed he didn't sign it either but didn't think much of it since it does have his name written on it, but it's better to be safe than sorry, especially with Brazil so I stopped by his office. It's too hot for that. With that being said, it wasn't so bad stopping by his office because it was nice to see a pet owner so grateful for all that that he has done for her pet. A lady there was thanking him and his secretaries a million times. He was also a good vet and Sebastian really seemed to like him.

Dr. Krampotich (from today) took her time to talk to us and answer our questions, despite the fact that it was before 8 a.m. on a Saturday, and to be honest, that is what I appreciated the most. Oh yeah, and that she called Sebastian "munchkin" - so cute :). My first question was about Sebastian's behavior on the plane. Turns out we have an 8 and a half-hour flight from Orlando to Sao Paulo and then another 1 and a half-hour flight from SP to Brasilia (and that doesn't include our layover which can be up to 5 hours, if not more). I was thinking about buying a spray that is made to calm cats. The only issue with that is that each cat is different. What if it didn't work on Sebastian? What if he went crazy(ier)? So what did the doctor suggest? Sedatives. Sure, I'll take them. She gave us a bottle (of 5) and told us to try one out today. Which we did. Sebastian is sleeping like a baby now; he looks and acts like he's all drugged up and I think it'll be best to travel with him like this. I only gave him 1/2 a pill which I mixed in with his wet food. We'll do this again next week before we leave for the Orlando airport.

By the way, the vet told me that she likes male cats to eat wet food because it's good for their urinary tract. And I know that males are more susceptible to getting said infections and that it's very painful for them. I'm happy then to make my little guy happy since he loves to eat wet, canned food.

My other major question to the vet was regarding how much/when Sebastian should eat and drink before traveling. I really don't want him to use the bathroom on the plane, nor do I want him to have to but then not go because he's uncomfortable. (Cats tend to do that). The vet suggested since our flight is at night to give him breakfast that morning and then not feed him until we're on the flight, only giving him very very small portions at a time. She said that as he is a big cat and has fat in his body, his body would attack his fatty liver if he didn't eat food and we don't want that. 

We left the vet's office with the health certificate in hand (in English and Portuguese :), Sebastian's pills, a healthy cat who had one more car trip under his belt, and a number of questions answered in a professional manner. Sebastian came home and is now sleeping soundly. In three more days we'll go to Gainesville to make a visit to the USDA, sans the cat, and he'll be ready for the following week and his first international flight.

The boys

Crazy cat

Nosy

Sleeping beauty

If you're looking for a veterinarian in the Orlando area, I'd highly recommend the following doctors. I hope that someone does find this information useful because I know when I was looking for a vet to help with this process it was difficult for me to find any information on-line. 

Dr. Roger Hart, DVM

8219 S John Young Parkway

Orlando, FL 32819

(located in PetSmart)

Dr. Eva Diana Krampotich, DVM

7424 E Colonial Drive

Orlando, FL 32807

(VCA Animal Hospital)

Wordless Wednesday: International Schools

As I'm moving to Brazil to teach at an international school in the country's capital, I thought I'd show a few  pictures of international schools found worldwide. I love the idea of an international (especially bilingual) education and I celebrate diversity, multiculturalism, knowledge, multilingualism, and peace.

American International School of Costa Rica

The Lycee des Pontonniers (France)

International School of Perth (Western Australia)

Singapore American School

Wordless Wednesday: Sebastian is ready to fly

Sebastian and his fancy schmancy self is ready to fly on an airplane for his first time ever. He even got a new carrier just for the occasion, and it's blue because he's a boy. He's tried it out and given his approval. 


Meow,