Je t'aime Magic Jack et YouTube

I mentioned a couple months back how much I love Skype and now I'd love to sing the praises of Magic Jack and YouTube, the latter I appreciate much more now that I live abroad. 


I'd seen a number of commercials on TV advertising Magic Jack and I it always sparked my interest, especially as I knew I was going to/wanted to live outside the US and this product seemed perfect for expats. So I was sure that I wanted to buy one once a friend of mine told me that her brother, who's in the Army, uses one while he's in Iraq, Afghanistan, and even Uzbekistan. He later told me himself how great it was and how he had requested an area code to match that of his mother, making it easier for her to call him. I knew I was moving to Brazil so this sounded perfect to me. Not only is the Magic Jack good for me, but it makes it easy (and free) for my family and friends to call me. 


We bought the Magic Jack about a month ago and started using it while we were still living in Florida. It turns out that a lot of Americans buy it and use it as a home phone, or for a second line. It's only $19.95/year (if I'm not mistaken). Very easy to use, even though you do have to plug it into the computer and leave the computer on if you're going to use it to make/receive calls. HOWEVER, if the Magic Jack is turned off, people can leave a voicemail which is recorded and sent to your e-mail. I can download the message in seconds and listen to it even if the Magic Jack is turned off. This is priceless. I can pick up the phone and call friends, family, Amazon, AT&T, and my bank back home in the US and the call sounds the same as if I were in Florida or down the street from my mom in New York. AND we requested the same area code as my mom and my older sister and a number of friends. They don't even need to dial that when they call me. It's WONDERFUL.


Thank you Magic Jack for creating such a simple product that has saved me money and let's me be in touch with my family and friends back home. I can also call any business I need to in the US to "handle business" and not bother my family to call on my behalf. I couldn't be any happier with the service. It's been nice to be able to give people in the States a "local" number.


Along with Skype and Magic Jack, I've found YouTube to be very convenient here as well. I don't know if you remember, but some time back I wrote a blog post about what I was watching on TV and I mentioned "Meet the Browns". Well, E and I love that show and yet we haven't been able to watch it on TBS.com here. I don't know if it's a location thing...? I tried at home and at school. No luck. We can watch the commercials (the previews), but not the show. But it's on YouTube; it may not be the same, but at least we can laugh out loud here in Brazil, too.


So thank you to these three companies for making my life easier and better. 

Happy Father's Day to my stepdad and my mom!

Father's Day is not just for all of the fathers out there. Let's be real, it doesn't take much to become a biological father. And when I say "father" I'm referring to the fact that you have fathered (let's just say it, made) a child. It doesn't mean you've taken care of your child. You were half of the equation in forming a child. For some men that could be less than a minute. BUT it takes a REAL man to become a DADDY. Those are the men that are appreciated today and every day. 


Today we celebrate the men out there who deserve to be thanked, those who have made a difference because you have supported and encouraged your children. You have nurtured and loved, given advice, spent time and energy, been a role model, and raised your children to be the best that they can be. And the caveat that I should have started with is that I may have gotten the terms confused as to whether I should be using father or dad to refer to those who have children. It's not the word that matters; it's what the man did, or didn't do, for his children and for their mother in most cases.


What I don't want to do is whine about deadbeat dads (i.e. mine). I want to celebrate and thank the men out there, like my stepdad, who have taken on the responsibility to help raise and mold responsible, honest, hardworking, successful, good children/teenagers/adults. I believe that to raise someone else's child is especially admirable. That's what my stepdad did. My parents had a nasty divorce (thanks to the man) and it was all very distressing and difficult for us all - my sisters and I'm sure for my mother even more. Now you already know how fabulous she is, and of course she never failed us nor showed any weakness throughout the years. So today's Father's Day is for her, too, because she was a mother AND a father to my sisters and me for a number of years.


Therefore, this Father's Day I'd like to honor both my stepdad (for taking care of us and being our father figure from our teenage years on - and we know how tough that is) and my mother for all she has done, and continues to do, for us. And by us I don't just mean my sisters and me. My stepdad (even after all of these years it's difficult to say the word "dad") has become a father to my fatherless husband as well. And my mother has become a "mama" to him. I'm not just grateful for this; I'm truly touched. We're blessed. 


Today, and everyday, I want to commemorate the lives of two important people in our lives - my parents. My real parents. The mother and father that everyone wishes they had, or are grateful that they have. Thank you to my parents for encouraging me, supporting me (financially and emotionally), helping to make me the person that I am today. Thank you for raising me right, for never pressuring me to be someone I'm not, or to do something I didn't want to. Thank you for guiding me and loving me and missing me when I'm gone. And for letting me choose my path in life. 


Thank you father and mother for accepting my husband as if he were your son. Thank you for calling him son and making him feel like he has a real family, not just in the United States, but in the world. We love you unconditionally and cannot wait to see you in a few days!

Happy Father's Day!

Feliz Dia dos Namorados

Happy Valentine's Day in Brazil!

E and I celebrated our first "dia dos namorados" in Manaus six years ago. It was exactly one week before I was going to leave Brazil to return to the U.S. after spending almost a year in the country.

I remember the date very well as we went out that morning for breakfast to spend our last weekend together. It was a Sunday. He bought me one of those cute red heart-shaped pillows with hands sticking out. It reads "Amo Você" and I still have it to this day.

Happy Valentine's Day/Dia dos Namorados to all of the lovers out there,

Marrying out (multicultural relationships)

I wrote a post recently about multiculturalism and mentioned that I had contributed to an article that was going to be published about Latinas marrying Non-Latinos. Now, while I'm not a Latina, and my husband IS a Latino, you may think that this does not include us, but in a way it does. We are in an interethnic and multicultural relationship (marriage). Consequently, the author of the article was interested in hearing my voice in regards to the issue of "marrying out" and included my input when publishing the article on NewLatina.net. 


I believe the article is interesting and informative, giving the viewpoints of people in multicultural relationships, and I think everyone should check it out (especially if you're in such a relationship). It's refreshing to read about the similarities that we have, regardless of our race, ethnicity, culture, or religion. And as the article states, "One thing is for sure:  our innate tendency is to move towards where the heart feels content, excited and peaceful…"


The article can be found at: Marrying Out: Why Latinas are Marrying Non-Latinos
Source: NewLatina (written by Angelica Perez-Litwin, PhD)

Thanks for visiting my blog and checking out the above links. as well as supporting communities like NewLatina and Multicultural Familia.


Take care,

Mothers and Daughters

There is nothing like the bond between mother and daughter. It is unbreakable. It is strong. It is fierce. Impermeable. Unique. One-of-a-kind. We come from our mother's womb and as a result we have the invisible connection that continues to bond us to her throughout our lives.


With this being said, I have had the honor to witness such a bond between two of my best friends (REAL best friends) and their mothers. I mean where the daughters have respect, love, admiration, and true friendship with their mothers. And these women are not mothers because they gave birth to my sister-friends, but because they were extraordinary women during their time on this planet, and they touched everyone in their lives. They were role models, they were strong, they fought the illness that reached out to hurt them and which eventually took them away from us. And yet they remained beautiful inside and out throughout their battle.


But the sickness only took them away from us physically. It canNOT take away their spirit, their strength, their LOVE. These women will remain with us forever; they will live within us, reminding us to be good people, as they were. To work hard, to treat people with respect, to love our husbands, and to be fabulous mothers like they were.


Today I honor the memory of, the life of, and the legacy of Virginia Surowka and Barbara Bogart. Two of the most fascinating women in this world. Two of the most wonderful women that have ever entered into my life, and who I will never ever forget.  And I had the blessing of seeing them as second mothers, as aunts, as an additional member in my family. God bless these women for all that they did while on this Earth. My thoughts and prayers go out to their families everyday, and especially today as Mrs. Bogart has left the Earth this morning to ascend to heaven, pain free. I love you ladies, and I love your daughters Stephanie and Kim who would not be the women they are today had they not been born by you and raised by you. Thank you for your gift.

Stephanie & Virgina Surowka

Kimberly & Barbara Bogart

Barbara (Babs) and Virginia (Gemini), may you rest in peace, and be remembered for all of your beauty and all that you accomplished on this Earth. These women are truly, angels in heaven.


With love,

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to the most beautiful and fabulous woman on the planet!

There are a million reasons why my mother is such a fascinating woman and such a perfect mom to my sisters and me. It'd be impossible to find the words and/or even possibly list everything that my mother has done for us and all that she means to me. Nevertheless, I'd still like to honor her by thanking her for all that she's done. 

Therefore, a few reasons why I'm grateful that my mother is who she is....

• My mother is selfless
• She was not only our mother, but was also a "father" to us for many years
• She stressed the importance of an education and good grades
• She has supported me in everything that I do - from travelling abroad alone (for a year) when I was only 17 to choosing my major in college to loving the man that I married as if he were a son
• My mom is a hard worker and has been a great example of what one can accomplish when working diligently
• She is a good listener
• She is fair, honest, and has a kind heart
• My mother has endured suffering without ever complaining and has never shown a sign of weakness, regardless of the situation
• She has taught me so much that I don't even know where to begin with describing all that I've learned from her
• Her love is unconditional
• Her faith is strong and has always been
• She is intelligent and beautiful
• My mother is classy and well spoken
• I am proud to be my mother's daughter
• I can only hope that I will be a tenth of the woman that my mother is
• My mother is a perfect role model
• She makes me whelm with pride to say "that's my mom"
• She has never made excuses for anything
• My mom is proud of the husband that I chose
• She is never, nor has she ever been, pushy
• She knows exactly what to say to me, and how to say it
• My mother is fabulous, gorgeous, and one in a million

I could go on and on and on....but then this post would be pages long and would take hours to read.

Thank you for everything you have ever done, continue to do, and will do for me, and my husband, in the future. My love for you is as limitless as yours has been for me.

With respect, admiration, and unconditional love, your daughter,

People really care

I know that people care, but it's great to hear it. It made me smile, for example, to hear my mother tell me last night that the guest bedroom is made up at her house for us - and we won't be there for another 2 and 1/2 months. But as E said, she's anxious about our arrival. We're excited to see family as well.

I have a great relationship with my family and they LOVE my husband. I'm glad the plane tickets are bought already, and that we will be able to spend time with everyone - my parents, sisters (minus one :(, brother-in-law, NIECES, and even grandparents! I'll also get to visit with my best friends that live near my parents. I can't wait to see everyone! And in the summer...upstate New York in the summer should be nice.

With that being said, I know it'll be sad to say "goodbye", or "see you later" (which it will be). It made me sad when my (step)dad told me the other week that he didn't want me to go to Brazil. I know, but I gotta....

Along with telling my family and friends and my administrators that I'm leaving, I've begun telling my colleagues at work and even some of my students. You see, as teachers we always have at least one class that really tries us. I really like the students in this class, and have told them that many times, but they are not good students. Maybe it's the age, maybe it's the subject, maybe it's because they're either ALL friends or they're enemies to the 10th power, or that the class is right after lunch (I think that this is a major factor), but those kids are not interested in figurative language, or any other subject in English for that matter. As I was reading them the riot act last week, I told them that I'm moving to Brazil next year. Their response was great because I could tell that apart from being very interested and curious, they were disappointed that I won't be returning to the school next year. I was absent the following day and six of the girls went looking for me in another teacher's classroom before the bell rang. I think they may have thought I had left already. That's touching.

They're not the only ones either. Of course I feel bad when I hear my students say that they want me to stay - even though I won't be their teacher next year. They want to stop by and say "hi" on their way to their 10th grade English class. Me too, kids. But I have to move on with my life and do what's best for me and my family. I think they understand. Or at least I hope so because I don't want to feel guilty. I'm not abandoning my students, I just got a good job offer in a country where I want to live.

My co-workers are also supportive, and some maybe a bit jealous (in a good way). I'm trying to plant the seed in a few of them, too. I mean, who doesn't want to move to another job to teach?

Of course people are curious and want to know more. I've also realized that people seem to only take me seriously when I tell them that I got a job.

My students have lots of questions, some even funny. One student asked me "are there black people in Brazil?" Hey, it's a teachable moment. I'm also asked if I speak Brazilian, Spanish, and Portuguese (from the better "educated" students of course :). Overall, even the students that are going to miss me, seem to be excited about the opportunity and it's fun to talk about.

It's nice to know that people care and will miss you, because they're not the only one.

My love affair with Manaus

I somehow knew, even before I received notification that I'd be teaching in Manaus, that that is where I was going to spend one year of my life while teaching EFL in Brazil.

I first went to Manaus in 2004 after being accepted into a program that allowed me to work as an intern teaching English at a language school. I was "hired" by a Brazilian NGO called IICA  (Instituto de Intercậmbios e Cultura Americana) that placed me in a very well known Brazilian school called Fisk. The school teaches English and Spanish; there are schools ALL over the country - and even in the movie that I love, "Bossa Nova". The particular school that I worked at is a franchise and the owner (my boss) frequently requests native English speakers to work at his schools in Manaus and in the nearby town Itacoitiara. In fact, there had been Americans working at his schools in the past, there were two while I was there, and there were more after my time. It's a great opportunity for both the American teachers and Brazilian students. It is truly an exchange program.

I worked in Manaus for a year. It was one of the best years of my short life. I had been to Brazil before, and I had volunteered in ESL classes in the United States, but this was a unique chance for me to really experience Brazil, learn the language (one of my goals for going to Brazil in the first place), learn more about teaching English, and spend more time in South America, the continent that I love.

There is not enough space here for me to describe why my year in Manaus was so unforgettable and just down right amazing (for lack of a better word) and I'm afraid to start and leave anything out. I'm sure that one of the best reasons was that that is where I met my husband, my love, E. (There is a post about him on this blog somewhere). But it's more than that. Manaus has so much to offer - a wide array of tastes and smells, of welcoming and wonderful people, culture, nature, contrasts, heat....

I fell in love in Manaus and at the same time with Manaus. I miss everything about the city and so much about the life I lived there. I miss what I did while in Manaus, I miss my job, my students, my friends, my trips, the Amazon River and forest, the neighborhoods I lived in, the places I frequented, the parties..... The city, and all that it encompasses, will always have a special, sweet place in my heart.

There will be another time when I will be able to find the words to describe in more detail my love affair with Manaus.

I LOVE my family!

I haven't posted on here in a few days because my sister, my brother-in-law, and my stunningly BEAUTIFUL nieces (both under the age of 2) were here to visit! It was an absolutely amazing time. It was the first time I met my youngest niece and when I say that their names is just the beginning of their adorable-ness, I'm not kidding. They're GORGEOUS! I wish they'd never left, or at least would come back next weekend. But it's not just about how cute they are; they're sweet, lovable, fun, intelligent, generous,....and the list goes on and on. Of course it was wonderful to visit with my sister and her husband, too. Oh, how I miss them already.

You see, family is very important to me, and becomes even more so with every passing year (so I've noticed). It's actually the ONE thing that I KNOW will be extremely difficult to live without while I'm in Brazil. I can do without peanut butter, Oprah, my trashy MTV and VH1 shows, and all of the luxuries of the "first world", but I will miss my family beyond belief. In the first place, it was difficult for me to tell them that I wanted to move abroad, though it wasn't a surprise to them. I knew they didn't want to hear it; I know they don't want us to leave. But I feel that they try to understand. For instance, once I knew I was going to apply for a job in Brazil (even when I wasn't sure there'd even be a vacancy for me, let alone an opportunity) I started leaving hints and "reminding" them that we planned to move back to Brazil anyway. But they already knew, and almost understood. I mean, I've been back and forth between South America and the U.S. since I graduated from high school. But still, I realize that it's a difficult reality to accept from your loved one.

I know they'll miss us and we'll desperately miss them, but I still want to go to Brazil and we just have to accept the fact that we're moving and that it may be indefinitely. As a result, I have purposely searched, found, and accepted a job that pays a higher salary than the one I have now and that will pay for my airfare back to the U.S. when my contract ends (which can be extended again and again....). I will make it a priority to come back to the U.S. to visit my family as often as I can, and to encourage them to go to Brazil to visit us. They know this and it consoles us (even if only a little).

I am blessed to have a neverending support system and a family that has always encouraged and supported me. My mom is my inspiration, my idol, and my rock. My stepdad is the father that I never had, and my sisters are my world. I'm one lucky girl...that's for sure.