So, I had my first job interview ever this morning ... it was an interesting experience and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
It's a bilingual school for little people (babies through kindergarten) and my English is definitely better than everyone else's at the school (not to mention that I've had over 8 years of experience), but because I don't have a degree, I must suffer :).
The school is really nice and it's ok that my Portuguese is as horrid as it is, AND it's walking distance from home, just that the salary sucks.
What to do? I know I have to start somewhere sometime ...
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Funny
Alina was playing with all her stuffed animals this afternoon and had given herself the great task of dividing them into "families".
A while later she proudly shows me her families:
Alina: Look, Bob, this is the rabbit family, this is the bear family ... and this is the chipmunk family (holds up a chipmunk and a raccoon).
Me: You know that one is a chipmunk and the other is a raccoon, right? They are different animals.
Alina: But it's ok, they're from the same family ... all the animals like chipmunks, and squirrels, and macaroons!
A few minutes later she holds up several animals and informs me that "all the flying things" are one family and that "all the green things" are a family (the green family consisting of a frog, a cricket, and a turtle).
Being a child has got to be fun! Everything's so simple (although incorrect at times, hehe)!
A while later she proudly shows me her families:
Alina: Look, Bob, this is the rabbit family, this is the bear family ... and this is the chipmunk family (holds up a chipmunk and a raccoon).
Me: You know that one is a chipmunk and the other is a raccoon, right? They are different animals.
Alina: But it's ok, they're from the same family ... all the animals like chipmunks, and squirrels, and macaroons!
A few minutes later she holds up several animals and informs me that "all the flying things" are one family and that "all the green things" are a family (the green family consisting of a frog, a cricket, and a turtle).
Being a child has got to be fun! Everything's so simple (although incorrect at times, hehe)!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Last of Belo
Being a monkey:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdCvnE4t2SE
Posing with a couple of the gifts from their cousins:
Getting a ride:
She starts off politely eating the appetizers:
Before I knew it, she had the little basket on her lap and was happily picking what she wanted and spitting out what she didn't like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdCvnE4t2SE
Posing with a couple of the gifts from their cousins:
Getting a ride:
She starts off politely eating the appetizers:
Before I knew it, she had the little basket on her lap and was happily picking what she wanted and spitting out what she didn't like:
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Arrival
We arrived safely in São Paulo Wednesday morning only to be met by the coldest weather ever! No matter how many layers of clothes I put on, I'm always freezing!
We don't have a washing machine yet, so I have to wash our laundry by hand, which wouldn't be all that bad if it weren't for this nasty weather, but to top it off, nothing dries because it's cloudy and drizzles every day ... yay!
Anyhoo, I have to adjust to a much smaller living space and am frying my brain trying to figure out how I'm going to fit all of our belongings into tiny closets (tiny compared to the ones we used to have).
Other than that and the weather, everything else is fine. Of course, I miss "home", but I do have to be brave and force back my tears so that I can dry Alina's.
Poor thing, she was happy enough during our last day in Belo and said goodbye to everything (the trees, the pets, the playground, the grass, and whatnot), but the moment the bus pulled out of the station, I think reality finally hit her and she dissolved into tears.
I know the feeling, being that I cried my eyeballs out the last time I moved (when I was 11), but I didn't think she'd take it so hard since she's still quite young.
Oh well, Lord willing, the bulk of our things will arrive next week. Thankfully I had a couple of boxes here with some of the girls' toys and that has been helping keep Alina happy and distracted ... hopefully until she gets used to our new situaion.
We don't have a washing machine yet, so I have to wash our laundry by hand, which wouldn't be all that bad if it weren't for this nasty weather, but to top it off, nothing dries because it's cloudy and drizzles every day ... yay!
Anyhoo, I have to adjust to a much smaller living space and am frying my brain trying to figure out how I'm going to fit all of our belongings into tiny closets (tiny compared to the ones we used to have).
Other than that and the weather, everything else is fine. Of course, I miss "home", but I do have to be brave and force back my tears so that I can dry Alina's.
Poor thing, she was happy enough during our last day in Belo and said goodbye to everything (the trees, the pets, the playground, the grass, and whatnot), but the moment the bus pulled out of the station, I think reality finally hit her and she dissolved into tears.
I know the feeling, being that I cried my eyeballs out the last time I moved (when I was 11), but I didn't think she'd take it so hard since she's still quite young.
Oh well, Lord willing, the bulk of our things will arrive next week. Thankfully I had a couple of boxes here with some of the girls' toys and that has been helping keep Alina happy and distracted ... hopefully until she gets used to our new situaion.
I wrote the above when we got here and only today I was able to access the internet.
There's a soccer field and a little park right across the street and I took the kids there today, being that it was the first sunny day since we've been here.
We also walked around the neighborhood and picked a ton of flowers. Laura fell asleep on our way back so poor, weak me had to carry her.
Needless to say, the girls were quite happy to get out of the house and run around.
Alina came down with a cold and we just found out that my sister-in-law (who's living here) has chicken pox. Please pray for no one else to get it (only Alina and I have already had it) and for Alina's health to be restored ASAP.
There's a soccer field and a little park right across the street and I took the kids there today, being that it was the first sunny day since we've been here.
We also walked around the neighborhood and picked a ton of flowers. Laura fell asleep on our way back so poor, weak me had to carry her.
Needless to say, the girls were quite happy to get out of the house and run around.
Alina came down with a cold and we just found out that my sister-in-law (who's living here) has chicken pox. Please pray for no one else to get it (only Alina and I have already had it) and for Alina's health to be restored ASAP.
P.S. Mom, the girls received your letter today ... Alina was very happy that you wrote.
Alina with her farewell gift from her grandpa (a Portuguese pocket Bible):
Saying goodbye to her aunt Ana:
Ready to leave:
My handbag stuffed with goodies (junk) for the trip:
At the bus station with Grandpa:
Enjoying her last moments with the grandparents:
Playing with their new bubble blowers the morning we arrived:
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
So Long, Farewell!
The day I thought would never come has finally arrived ... I'm actually moving! I've wanted to so many times but something always held me back (a Higher force or unfortunate changes of circumstances).
We had a little farewell dinner last night and some friends came over. I've known most of them for a decade or more, and naturally I'll miss them so very much, sniff, sniff.
So, I'm saying goodbye to this city that I've lived in for almost 19 years, and this house which I've lived in for 17 of those years ... I love it all! For sure I'll be taking with me some very great memories and then again, it's not like I'm moving all that far away, so I'm sure we'll visit some time.
Anyway, thanks, Dad and Mom, for putting up with me all these years, for the love and care you showed me and the girls, for having faith in me and training me.
Keep up the good work! We'll miss you!
Lu and mom:
With Lu, mom, Gracielle, and Concéssio:
Gra and Rafa:
Renata putting lip gloss on Lili:
Márcia saying goodbye:
This one's from Sunday after the meeting:
My good friend Gracielle:
And this one's from Saturday:
We had a little farewell dinner last night and some friends came over. I've known most of them for a decade or more, and naturally I'll miss them so very much, sniff, sniff.
So, I'm saying goodbye to this city that I've lived in for almost 19 years, and this house which I've lived in for 17 of those years ... I love it all! For sure I'll be taking with me some very great memories and then again, it's not like I'm moving all that far away, so I'm sure we'll visit some time.
Anyway, thanks, Dad and Mom, for putting up with me all these years, for the love and care you showed me and the girls, for having faith in me and training me.
Keep up the good work! We'll miss you!
Lu and mom:
With Lu, mom, Gracielle, and Concéssio:
Gra and Rafa:
Renata putting lip gloss on Lili:
Márcia saying goodbye:
This one's from Sunday after the meeting:
My good friend Gracielle:
And this one's from Saturday:
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