Brasília's Metro

I don't know why stumbling across a map of Brasília's metro made me even more excited to arrive in the city, but it did. I guess it just makes it more "real" since I am seeing a layout of the city that I will soon be calling home.

The map that I found is of the metro's numerous routes and they are color coded like other major cities do (i.e. New York City and Rio de Janeiro). I like this particular map because the city's neighborhoods are labeled and this should help us orientate ourselves better.

The school where I will be working is located in Lago Sul, adjacent to Brasília's Botanical Garden. I really like that fact. We haven't found an apartment yet so I can't way where our neighborhood will be, but I hope that it's relatively close to the school and the garden.

Source: Companhia do Metropolitano do Distrito Federal

Happy New Year Cards Pictures

Happy New Year Pictures and Happy New Year Cards

Natalie Portman Pictures

Natalie Portman Pictures

No More Chances for Polygamy



Consulado-Geral do Brasil
Consulate General of Brazil



We finally made it to Miami and registered our marriage. 3 years and 8 months after the fact. Our marriage has now been authenticated by the Brazilian consul and will later be legalized at a notary office in Brazil once we arrive there. Because it had not be recognized by the Brazilian consul before today, E was still considered single in Brazil even though he married me in 2007. Now he's married in both countries so there are no more opportunities for him to be a polygamist. Sorry E.

Today's process was relatively quick and painless. We woke up at 5:30 a.m. (that was the painful part), drove 3.5 hours to Miami (and later had to make the trip back), found the consulate AND cheap parking easily, and were attended to without problem once we arrived on the 26th floor where the consulate is located.

I was fully prepared with any document and photocopy that was required and this helped us waste no time. We paid our registration fee and handed in our application and attachments to the consul. After about an hour of waiting, we were asked to look over the information that the consul printed out to register our marriage and I verified that everything was correct. It was - mostly. E's birth date was written as 4/29 instead of the Brazilian (international) way, 29/4 (day/month). I pointed this out to the consul and she made a quick correction and then we waited for our authenticated copy to be written up.

Finally, after about an hour and a half of being at the consulate, we were given our official marriage certificate. Minutes later, however, while in the elevator, E asked to see it and I realized at that time that his birth date had not been corrected. It was still printed as 4/29, even though mine was correct. We went back and pointed out the discrepancy to the consul. Apparently we weren't the only couple that this had happened to so we waited in line (again) for the error to be corrected. Once E's birth date was written in the "correct" manner, we left with our official document and a copy that E made before we left the building.

Overall it was a productive day in Miami. I feel a sense of accomplishment and more confidence as I move forward with the immigration process. I was nervous that we'd be missing something or that we'd be asked to return the following day to pick up our authenticated marriage certificate, but fortunately this was not the case. So.... our next step: E's passport renewal.



Downtown Miami



Natalie Gulbis Pictures

Natalie Gulbis Pictures

Nastia Liukin Pictures

Nastia Liukin Pictures

200 days

So we have about 200 days before we move to Brazil. Even though our departure is months away, I'm trying to feel the excitement of the new opportunities for BOTH of us, of upcoming travel to a city we've never been to, and at the same time, return to a country that we both love.

In short, I have fewer than 200 days to sort, discard, donate, sell, and pack. In a nutshell.

Sounds like a lot of work, but I don't mind any of it, even driving back and forth to Miami in one day so we can finally register our marriage.

Nastassja Kinski Pictures

Nastassja Kinski Pictures

Monica Bellucci Pictures

Free Monica Bellucci Pictures

Moscow Pictures

Free Moscow Pictures and Moskow city's wallpapers

Christmas on Both Sides of the Equator

Different cultures means different celebrations. Even Christmas. Or 'Natal' as they say it in Portuguese. As I grew up in New York state, Christmas to me means snow, freezing temperatures, FAMILY, presents, a Christmas cake for Jesus on the morning of the 25th, sledding (at least for my older sister), stockings, Christmas movies, a warm house, and a general relaxing festive atmosphere. Since I didn't give it much thought, I just figured that everyone else had the same Christmas experience as me. I was wrong. I discovered this when I first went abroad at the age of 17 (Bolivia 1999). That was a learning experience for me because I went to midnight mass on the 24th and then celebrated the holiday with my Bolivian "family" at an aunt and uncle's house afterwards.  Christmas was a 6-hour holiday, from 9 p.m. on the 24th to 3 a.m. the next morning. Then it was over. No Santa. Some presents. Definitely no snow. December in South America means summer so the weather was hot. Not what I was used to growing up in upstate New York.

Needless to say, I knew what to expect when I spent Christmas 2004 in (Manaus) Brazil. Christmas would be HOT and it would probably be celebrated on the 24th. I spent that holiday season with E since we had just started dating the month before; we've now spent every Christmas together since then with the exception of 2006 since he was preparing to emigrate here. Our individual expectations of the holiday can be summed up in these two pictures.

On the left we see the Christmas of my childhood, and on the right we see a typical situation in a tropical country like Brazil (the picture was taken there). Now where would Santa Claus feel more at home?

E's Christmas may not seem too different from mine from the outside, but when you experience it first hand, you feel the unfamiliarity in Brazil's celebration of the holiday. I am expected to not only dress up, but to wear new clothes. I am also expected to wait until midnight to have dinner. I get that the 25th is really Christmas, but why start the festivities on the 24th (which they consider to be Christmas) and then wait to eat until the 25th? Dinner is delicious, but is it really worth the wait? Brazilian children do get to open their presents on what we consider to be Christmas Eve; I'm sure American children would love that. Basically, the celebration begins on our Christmas Eve and lasts late into the morning on the 25th. Why not, the 25th is not really Christmas in Brazil anyway.

Unless we are in Brazil or with my family, we have worked out a way to celebrate on Christmas Eve (for E) and Christmas Day (for me). Seems to work out. I believe that we will forever do this. I don't think I can ever give up my Christmas Day present unwrapping (with maybe a trip to church), and a lunch on the 25th. I also don't see E envisioning Christmas as any other day than the 24th and wearing new clothes on that day is important to him. But we can do this. A bicultural relationship means compromises and bicultural celebrations. I know that as far as I'm concerned....I'll always be dreaming of a white Christmas.

Mischa Barton Pictures

Mischa Barton Pictures