The Importance of Blending In...Start by Learning the Language

After over a quarter century of being a foreigner in various countries around the world, there is one thing that I have done in each situation. I try to become a local as fast as possible.
Luckily, I learned French in high school(even though my French teacher was the epitomy of super bitch that had a problem with my preppy walking shorts....)When I went to Paris to become a model, I had a small edge over the other girls, I could understand the photgraphers and the clients easier. Over time, I found myself eating speaking and dressing like the French. I was never the ugly tourist. The French language helped me navigate through places like Morrocco, Tunisia, Syria as well as the islands of St. Barth's, Guadeloupe and Martinique. Lets face it folks, even if your French is very rudimentary, you get major Brownie points for TRYING!!!
Living in Brazil is the same thing. I took a few private lessons and then from there I just winged it. My knowledge of French helped me alot with the Portuguese grammar, but even to today, I speak with an accent. It comes in handy when I haggle street vendors. They think I am some rich American tourist( How doubly wrong they are)that has no clue about the real value of what they are selling. When I start speaking Portuguese with the Rio de Janeiro lilt, they are floored. Just from that, it is easier to talk them down to a decent price on their merchandise.
I am always looked upon as a `gringa`. Showing the locals that you speak the language (or at least are trying)makes life so much easier. You earn the best thing of all,RESPECT.

Rock Climbing in Rio de Janeiro

Behind the beaches of Rio, enormous black granite monoliths emerge from the ocean. Depending on where you are, one can see shapes of women, facial expressions and even the outlines of animals on these mountains. Shaped from eons of wind and rain, these same mountains are home to over 400 climbing routes. Thats right, 400! Other bonus? None of that annoying scree that you get in the Rockies. There are many types of climbs here that go from total beginner to 7 or 8 negative.
The climbing season in Rio and area is starting up now and usually goes to October. This is usually the dry season, and also cooler than summer. Believe me, rock climbing up black granite in 35 C is definitely egg frying hot on the rocks, and on your fingers!!!
One great place to learn is the rock in Paineiras. Best place for first timers. On a weekend, it is full of people climbing up the wall. Sometimes my partner and I take our kids there to get the jungle gym experience. We are both climbers.
Check it out, its worth a try!!!

My Rio Address Book for Ex Pats

I have decided to open my book of secret addresses here in Rio de Janeiro. After all of the years I have spent here, I have come across alot of places that I continue to go back to year after year.A quick sampling...

1. Best beach. Prainha. Its far but its worth the drive. Park your car in the parking lot where all of the surfers hang out. Avoid parking on the road. This beach is cool yet has a family feel to it. Look for the beach attendant named Simone. She will bring you anything you need(umbrellas, beach chairs, cold beer in a styrofoam cooler etc)Tell her that the 'Loira' sent you.

2.Best juice bar. Depending on where you are:
Leblon-Balada Suco-Ataulfo de Paiva near Bartholomeu Mitre
Ipanema-Poli Sucos on the corner of Visconde de Piraja and Maria Quiteria
Barra- Bibi Sucos- Olegario Maciel

3.Best place for party stuff. If you are planning on throwing a birthday party, go to the SAARA in the centre of Rio and meander the streets of Rua Alfandega and Senhor dos Passos. It is relatively safe, yet I suggest you go with your driver if you have one, parking is a nightmare there.

4.Best Churrasaqueria (Brazilian BBQ) Montana Grill in Barra. Just across from Citta America, they have a great BBQ, they have a folder explaining the meat cuts and the price is very reasonable. Best bang for your buck.

I have lots more, if you are looking for something specific, leave a comment.

05h48 Rio de Janeiro Continua Lindo

Its still dark, the sun is slowly rising and my daily insomnia attack has arrived.So off to the computer I go.
Perusing through other blogs, catching up on world news, haven't checked my Email yet.
The view from my window never ceases to amaze me...

Diets Don't Work

Thats right , folks. DIETS DON'T WORK!!!!
We are in an international epidemic of obesity, while the fashion models on the runway are whittling away to nothing. Size 0?? I learned in math that zero is equal to nothing. Zero time anything is zero. Either we have disappearedinto thin ar, orwe are taking up too much space.
What people need to do if they want to shed those extra pounds is actually amazingly simple and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out. It involves re-educating yourself. The word 'DIET'is just the word 'DIE' with a 'T' at the end.
These are tips that I have learned over the years that have helped me keep my shape.I am 42 years old,I have two boys and at 5'9" inches tall I weigh in at around 135 lbs.I am heavier than my modelling weight by a few pounds, but I would be considered too heavy to be a model with my present weight.Go figure.

1. Eat a healthy breakfast. Even if it just whole grain cereal with milk and fruit juice, its better than nothing. You need breakfast to kick start your metabolism. It is definitely the most important meal of the day.
2. Take your time to eat. Get out of the office at lunchtime. Don't eat at your desk. Take the time to sit down and CHEW your food. Savor every bite. Use your meal time to interact with others.The Italians and the French consider meals as a sacred moment to enjoy food and company.
3. A silent dinner. I had the opportunity to experiment a silent dinner. No words were spoken at all during the meal. It is amazing the difference in the taste of the food.You also feel full faster, therefore you eat less quantity.I like to do this on my PMS days.
4 It is healthier to eat various smaller meals throughout the day rather than 3 large meals. Eat the heaviest meal at lunchtime.
5. The more colorful your plate of food is, the better it is for you. Orange foods such as carrots and pumpkins, are high in beta carotene, green veggies are full of anti-oxidants. Stay away from 'beige' foods(white rice, potatoes,white bread etc.). They tend to be high in carbs and low in nutritional value.
6. Stay away from deep fried, fast food and processed food. If you can't pronounce the ingredient, it does not pass your lips.
7 Prepare your food with a positive attitude. A meal made in anger or irritation will not be savored the same way as a meal prepared with love. My mom always said, if you can read, you can learn how to cook.
8. Set the dining room table for every meal. You don't have to channel the spirit of Martha Stewart, and you may be just serving leftovers, but the ritual of setting the table and having to sit down and eat helps make you appreciate what you are eating.
9. Get out and move around. Go for a walk, ride your bike. Aerobic exercise is fundamental to help get rid of those pesky pounds and you will feel better.

Notice that I have not mentioned calories. In the moment that you are more aware of WHAT you are putting in your body, the calorie question takes care of itself.

Many career women complain that they don't have the time to cook healthy foods. Not true. Preparation in advance and family participation is the key.Menu planning and sticking to a shopping list!(how can you tell I was raised by a Home Ec teacher). Get everyone involved in food prep,even the smallest kids.They can set the table! If possible,spend a day prepping for the week. That way, all you need to do is heat it up and throw a salad together on the day.

Common Sense

There is an element that is sorely missing in this modern world. Its called COMMON SENSE.Soon the WWF will be putting it on the 'Endangered Species List'.Blame it on Global Warming....Or the microwave.

Where was the common sense of the individual who actually put a cat in the microwave? Did he think the cat was actually going to survive unscathed? What was he thinking?
Nothing.....
No thoughts....
No idea......

Thats what he/she was thinking.

Common sense dictates that microwaving a cat is not a good idea.Period.

Lack of common sense keeps litigation possiblities endless.

Have you noticed how everything has 'Warning Labels' posted all over them. Well my theory is that because of this 'modern world' we have forgotten to teach our brood the basics in common sense. We cannot depend on our schools to teach our children about common sense.A teacher's role is to instruct and inspire. As parents, we are responsible for illustrating what is right and wrong, encompassing common sense.

In past generations, family dynamics encouraged more time together as a family unit.The modern world, despite all of its advances and subsequent conveniences for all, has created double income households or working single mother run households that run on schedules, Blackberries(or Crackberries as my brother calls them),dinner on the run, keylatch kids and all around a non stop activity of go-go-go-go!!!GO WHERE???? They have ran out of room on this planet..We are all on this planet together, folks!
All the more reason to have common sense.

Examples of lack of common sense.

1. Putting a hot cup of coffee between your legs while driving and thinking that you will not get burned if it spills on your leg. Common sense lesson to be learned? HOT LIQUID = BAD BURN. A woman who did this sued McDonald's and WON! End result? Coffee cups come with a warning label now.

2. Not washing hands after using the toilet. How do you spell H-Y-G-I-E-N-E????


3. Being rude to others. It gets you nowhere. Not even in Rio de Janeiro traffic. It would probably get you shot.

In the end, common sense is routed in the Golden Rule..Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Would you like to be fried in a microwave?
Would you like to shake someones hand after not washing them post toilet?
Would you like to be treated rudely?

Wiccans believe that we receive three times what we put out there...
Lets start with common sense and its good friend, common courtesy'.

BE KIND.

DENGUE...Inside the epidemic

My adopted city of Rio de Janeiro is in the midst of a dengue fever epidemic. Over 60 000 cases reported and approximately 70 deaths. The culprit and transmitter of this virus is the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. I was just in Canada, and I brought extra cannisters of Deep Woods OFF for friends and family. As is there is no known cure for dengue, the only way to fight it is to PREVENT it.
So in the name of public health and education, I am doing my part to spread the word on how to prevent dengue.

1. Use repellent. There is kid safe repellent and if you know of anyone going to Canada, ask to bring back Deep Woods OFF (25% DEET)
2. Mosquitoes breed and lay their eggs in stagnant water. Make sure that the water cisterns are sealed. Anything that is a collector of rainwater should be covered or turned over. Examples of such being old tires, bottles, pails.
3. Plants in vases should have the collecting tray removed or filled with sand to prevent water from pooling.
4. Bromeliads and other plants that collect water should be cared for in the following way. To one liter of water, add one tablespoon of Clorox. Spray this on the plant. You can also use used coffee grounds. Add a few teaspoons to the water that is held in the plants. This will poison the water for the mosquito larvae.
5.Put Clorox down drains.
6. Any abandoned building or land should be checked. Call the local authorities so they can gain access to these places and take the correct prevention steps.

It is up to us, conciencious citizens, to spread the word. The mayor of Rio, Cesar Maia, is too busy calling on mediums and spiritual entities to save his skin. Pathetic.....

ADHD or Just a Mile a Minute

After my last blog entry, I realized how easy it is to start with one topic and then start going off onto many tangents that originate from that one topic.Could it be that I too suffer from ADHD?
Before the ranks of the 'politically correct' start their squacking, let me remind them that my own son has been diagnosed with ADHD.
So I ask myself, is it genetic? My nephew is also ADHD. His father(my brother )is questioning if he himself wasn't ADHD/ADD when he was young.
I believe that all of us (especially mothers) have a certain level of ADHD. They just call it by nicer word, 'multitasking'. Ask any mother of a small child, what she is able to do all at once. When you are on the go all the time keeping up with kids,the house, your job, your marriage, the finances,etc etc, I believe that we all have to be a little ADHD. It always reminds me of the plate twirlers in the circus,trying to keep the plates rotating so they don't fall. I can be focused on doing one thing or project, and then in a flash, I find myself doing something else that is TOTALLY different from what I was just doing. Usually because of interruption or urgency coming from others. I end up sometimes with 5 things going on at the same time, yet I find it hard to fully finish them to my satisfaction.Sometimes the plates come to a crash on the floor.
I can change the subject of a conversation in a heartbeat, going from Metheral genetics to alternative cures for cancer within one paragraph.
So to all of my faithful blog readers, I salute you!!!

Why We Should NOT Boycott the Bejing Olympic Games

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past month, news coming out of Tibet is frightening. The Chinese have gone in again to beat up and bully the Tibetan people. If it isn't enough that they invaded this small mountain country in 1949, have literally destroyed Buddhist teachings in the monasteries, beat and tortured monks and nuns, caused a massive exodus of Tibetans, the Chinese have pushed their way of life onto the Tibetan people without any respect for their culture.
I have watched the demonstrations worldwide against the Chinese in Tibet. Even in London, demonstrators tried to put the Olympic flame out as it passed down the streets. There are calls to boycott the Olympics to protest the Chinese crackdown in Tibet. Of course there were the pro Chinese protesters, but they all just sounded like wind up Kewpie dolls with their brainwashed prefabricated slogans,saying how great China is etc etc.. Hey dude, if China is such a great country, WHY DID YOU LEAVE????
Why am I against boycotting the Olympics?? ITS NOT THE ATHLETES FAULT!!! I went to high school with a future Olympian(Mark Tewksbury),and I remember the hours he spent training and competing. My niece is a future Olympian in skiing and I see the sacrifice that my sister and the rest of the family make. Why should athletes have to pay for a political situation that has nothing to do with them??? If the world is so up in arms at the human rights violations in China, go one step further...BOYCOTT PRODUCTS FROM CHINA!!!!!! Well Wal-MArt, you may as well close your doors. EVERYTHING is made in China nowadays. Here in Brazil, a local jacket and camping wear company gets their merchandise made in China. IT IS CHEAPER TO GET THINGS MADE IN CHINA AND EXPORTED BACK TO BRAZIL THAN TO USE LOCAL SEAMSTRESSES!!!!!
This type of boycott could actually be good for the financial crisis in the USA, and could eventually help emerging nations such as Brazil as well. IF we all stop buying products made in China, maybe we can recoup some of the manufacturing jobs lost over the past decade. I just read that 80,000 jobs were cut in the USA. Shoe factories are closing in Brazil because of the strong currency, it is impossible to compete with the cheap labor(and may I add shoddy workmanship) of the Chinese.
If we are to show solidarity to the Tibetan crisis, the best way is to punish the Chinese in the place where it will hurt the most...THE WALLET!!!!!
I can live without Chinese made products....CAN YOU?

Why I Love Ugly Betty

It could be because I have just put braces on my teeth, that I can sympathize with her oral pain.
But no...It is for other reasons much more profound.I love Ugly Betty because she symbolizes integrity and ethics.
The original version of Ugly Betty hails from Columbia. This Latin soap opera caught my attention when it was shown on RedeTV here in Brazil. Albeit dubbed into Portuguese and shown at bad hour of the day, it had a cult following.

Fast forward to 2006 and the American version was launched.Produced by Salma Hayek, the American version is flashy and fast. My heroine Betty is thrown into the cutthroat world of magazine publishing, more specifically the fashion world.Riding the 'major interest in the fashion world' craze which started with "Sex and the City"(or even "Ab Fab" for the true insiders)and was carried on with "The Devil Wears Prada",the series "Ugly Betty" appeared at the right time.

While most people in my generation went on to university, my formative years were spent modelling in the fashion capitals of Paris,Milan and New York. I have seen fashion editors have orgasmic clapping fits at the site of a new hemline. I have seen backstabbing at its best(or worst, if you will) I learned photography from the best photographers in the world (Albert Watson, I will always be grateful for your wonderful insights on photography, Sasha for teaching me patience, Patrick Demarchelier for teaching me that doing something that pleases you above all is the best reward) My experience in the fashion world was rich with adventures and stories that could become a movie one day...(this is usually when I secretly hope that some Hollywood director reads my blog and thinks "Hey, why doesn't she write a screenplay, I could film it"...and then I get some life altering phonecall..)But I digress....

Back to Betty..
Betty is hired by the publisher of Mode to be the assistant of his airhead, women- on- the -brain -and -in -the- pants son, Daniel. As Betty is obviously 'ugly', the publisher hopes his son will concentrate on his work and not be distracted by his assistant long enough to take over the publishing empire one day. Latin soap opera drama here,drama over there. Betty is the second daughter of an illegal Mexican immigrant,her sister has an effeminate son from a one night mistake 13 years ago, her mother has passed away and they all live in the same house in Queens.Novela novela novela.....

Total underdog.

The world has become obsessed with the fashion world, and the superficiality of it that has ALWAYS existed, and will continue to exist. The evil backstabbing is real,yet exaggerated for cinematic effect on Ugly Betty, and there really are people that are THAT shallow, I have seen it myself, but I will not mention names for fear of a lawsuit on my back.Betty is treated mostly with contempt from her ditzy and shallow co-workers, yet they eventually realize that Betty is alot more than meets the eye. Her ethics and moral standards are intact. She is loyal to all around her. She cares, and wants to make the world a better place.

There is nothing Ugly about that, Betty....