the last walk

PRESS PLAY Décollage - Les Balayeurs du Desert

This is my longest post so far; lots of pictures, long video, the history of a lifetime. This is me saying goodbye to the apartment that was home for me and my family for 26 years. I grew up in this place. I remember when I moved here I used to get lost in the hall because it was so much bigger than our former place... but it's ok, I was only 6, and everything looks bigger that it really is. My sister and I used to roller blade in the living room and everything... good times :)

We had a dog named Pepita, a parrot that I don't remember the name, a few black birds that used to walk around on my dad's shoulders and eat breakfast from his mouth, one of those cute white mice, a turtle, a crazy cat we had to get rid of and I think that was it. Pretty much we had a zoo...

I've lived there most of my life. I left a few times, came back, and 3 years ago I moved out for good, but this place was still my house in my heart. My mom lived there all this time, my dad left 10 years ago when they divorced and my sister moved in with her family when I moved out this last time, to watch for my mom, who was not so well... great memories, horrible memories, LOTS of memories.

You can't believe how much stuff you can find in a place where a family lived for all these years. I saw things I didn't even know exist anymore. I had to get rid of lots of things, some with pleasure, some with pain. I brought a bit of everything back home, so I can make them part of my history now. Recycle. Transform. Reborn.

Somehow saying goodbye to this house was saying goodbye to my mom once again. She left this world on September 21, last year. Although we have been taking care of her stuff this last year, most of it was still there, and the room itself held a strong memory of her. Now I will have no where in this physical world to be that reminds me of her like this; only my heart and mind. In a way that is sad, in another that is liberating.

I learned that our memories are very adjustable to what we wish life had been, and I'm definitely going to use that in my favor, and keep only amazing loving memories of this past that is now more than ever behind, and some well learned lessons that made me the woman I am today. I'm sure my mom would be proud.

Good bye sweet home :')

moving feet

these are the nails of people that spend the whole day boxing, packing, organizing, moving

helping my sister moving out of our family's apartment, that we finally sold, almost exactly a year after my mom passed away

myself, my sister, Carol and my brother in law and Billy, on the floor

we stayed there till 2:30am

it was a long, long day

I keep walking with Billy and Valentina

Isn't he lovely in his little raincoat? :)

warm coffee on a cold rainy day

These last few days were really cold in Rio. Well, really cold for cariocas like me, meaning 16 Celsius (or 60F - don't laugh!). Anyways, it's always good to have a nice cup of warm coffee in days like these.

I ended up having a great surprise at a juice house, in Copacabana. It's called Big Polis, and it's a filial of the famous Leblon one. I used to eat there a lot many years ago. For a very small price R$7.00 or U$3.50 you can pick 5 items for your breakfast, including everything from drinks to food that you can find on a Brazilian breakfast, and the portions are big! For a little more you can add more items too. It's enough for at least 2 people. They also serve it up to very late (I got there at 12:30pm). They are open everyday from 7am to 1am, and the juices and sandwiches are all very famous. The only downside for me is the fact that it is right in the middle of Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana, the noisiest and crowdest street of Copacabana. I bet it's more pleasant on Sundays, for a nice morning meal. The plus is the decoration. I LOVE the tiles!

Multishow Music Awards

PRESS PLAY All my loving - Rita Lee

Carol showed up last Tuesday with 2 last minute invitations for this music awards party. Nice! I saw some people I haven't spoken with in ages, from different times of my life. We danced so much Carol's skirt didn't resist. Great surprise for random week night :)

I chose this song for the post for 2 reasons; the singer, Rita Lee, received a very much deserved homage that night and the lyrics are for my dear boyfriend who couldn't come along.

my sister's birthday party (or with a little help from our friends!)

PRESS PLAY Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

Last Friday I had a blast at my sister's birthday party with music from the 80's/90's . I even did some moonwalking! All of her old friends danced like they were still in their 20's and didn't have kids, some extra pounds and some missing hair... I was nobody the day after, and I'm only 32! I'm not sure how they have survived...

My special thanks to Junior and Roberto who very nicely and bravely let us have this party there and to Ricardinho for making us travel on time playing all we loved to hear. Friends are the family we choose :) Thank you friends!

babysitting

PRESS PLAY Aquarela - Toquinho

My nieces are still on vacation (in Brazil it's winter, they should have gotten back to class 2 weeks ago) because of the swine flu. All schools will remain closed until next week. Aunt Lilli is helping her sister out, so she can take care of her birthday party preparation. She is 40 now, we gotta celebrate!

Father's Day

Nina giving paw to my dad / dad showing me his rare bromelias

My dad, his wife and Felipe / Sol

hitting the road back home

My dad lives in a little town called Miguel Pereira, a couple of hours from Rio. I went there to spend the Father's Day weekend with him. We cooked, I watched him play volleyball and win (he is 71!), he showed me his beautiful garden, I played with the pets (aren't they lovely?)... oh, and this time he finally did like my presents! It was great. I really needed that :)

Thanks, Dad.

I love LEGO!

PRESS PLAY Take Ten - Paul Desmond

I saw this miniature on my friend's lovely blog called Lovely69 and I couldn't resist it... so I ordered it online! Isn't internet great? Pretty much everything is just a few clicks away!

In the other hand, this project took 16 years (!) to be completed and it took me about half an hour to put the 208 pieces together.

...I guess although modern (or post modern?) times are great, some things will never change... :)

PS: Since Adam Reed Tucker built this mini Guggenheim to celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright and the museum's 50th anniversary, I choose Take Ten as a soundtrack, the song Paul Desmond wrote a couple of years after Take Five (one of my favorites). It's a wonderful version of his original creation, which was the first jazz single to sell more than 1 million copies back in 1961, and became the most famous Dave Brubeck Quartet song.

Lilli in the sky

PRESS PLAY Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - Bono

They say everything has at least 2 sides, but I'd say it has as many sides as a kaleidoscope...

I keep biking

PRESS PLAY Coralie Clement - Samba de mon coeur qui bat

going to Leblon / going to Ipanema

I use my bike for transportation purposes. Traffic is caotic, noisy, and expensive, and for things I have to do bike is often faster, not mentioning the environmental issue. Besides, I LOVE the ride :)

Dancing with the stars

I made my boyfriend buy a Converse and took him out to dance!

PRESS PLAY Living la Vida Loca - Rick Martin

Carol, Felipe, Jonata and I went to Club 69 for a fun pop music dance night. Now I LOVE Converse even more cuz I just found out how comfortable it is to dance with it! Oh, and the hand is not mine, it's Carol's.

My first Converse

I just realized Converse are my winter Havaianas :)

I had a pair of red Converse (in Brazil we call them "All-Star") when I was a teenager, and for some reason I have a memory of it being unconfortable, and I didn't use it much back then. Some people told me this is because they used to produce the shoes here in Brazil to sell in the national market, and ours were not so good and the original ones. I don't know, but the fact is, I always thought they looked really nice and interesting, but I never bought one because I thought it would hurt me.

I've been wanting to find out about it for sometime now, and yesterday I decided to finally buy a pair. I choose the leather off-white ones to start with. I left the store wearing them, and I'm wearing them now. I LOVE it, love it love it. I want many different ones. Oh man, one more addiction. I don't have much space at home. I'm screwed. I'm in love now :)

My savings are not safe

PRESS PLAY Money - Pink Floyd

I I was completely broke, not even a penny, inside of a cab on a rainy Sunday when I asked the driver to stop for a minute in front of an ATM, so I could cash some money. That's when one of those adorable machines decided to tell me the password I was typing was not right (but it was!) and before my third attempt it just blocked my card (not fair!), leaving me in this situation...

So I had to tell the driver to wait downstairs while I ran up to my apartment and I saw myself with no other option but breaking into my pig savings! Damn! I've been saving all the coins that cross my way for a few months now, to spend on my next trip. I learned this with a friend, she always buys great things with her coins... I'm not sure how I am going to spend it, but I have a few ideas. One option is to finally get the camera of my dreams, but I'd have to save coins for a few years for that :)

This time I decided to experiment with a video. I've been thinking about that for a while, but I couldn't find a way to make a feet video interesting... well, maybe this one is not too bad. Let's see what happens. Another possibility is of course videos of dancing feet. I will try that when I get a chance. I've made a few experiments with walking feet, but I didn't like much... I'll keep trying ;)

home sweet home 2

PRESS PLAY Peel me a grape - Diana Krall

Cuddling in bed in cold winter :)

Dinner @ Madame Butterfly

Madame Butterfly is an oriental restaurant in Ipanema. I LOVE their decoration. Very cozy and colorful. The tables are made with cartoon images covered with resin. I sat at the Hello Kitty table :D Food is pretty good. Oh, and they have fried ice cream for desert, you gotta try it ;)

mall parking lot

Where else in the world you have a view like that on a mall parking lot?

Although it's cloudy I think you can see the Christ on the mountain on the left... and right at the bottom there is Lagoa. Really breathtaking. If you ever go to Shopping Leblon in Rio, park on the roof. If you don't have a car, go there anyways ;)

Winter in Rio

Typical winter day at Ipanema Beach, in front of the famous Coqueirão (big coconut tree). Where else can you find a weather like this?

I LOVE Rio :)

"Mom, give me attention"

"See, I support your work and everything, but now put that aside and pet me!" - said Ganesh.

no flash please

"Stop it, mom" - Brahma said.

Saturday Morning Wedding

PRESS PLAY Xote das Meninas - Marisa Monte

Saturday I went to a wedding with my friend Carol. Her friend Carol Castro got married to Marco Bravo in a very emotional ceremony. The bride was wearing a lovely beige lace dressing with flowers, and it took place in a quiet beautiful place surrounded by nature. I LOVE morning weddings :)

I didn't get the bouquet, but my friend Marcia, who did, gave me one of its roses and someone gave me the bridesmaid bouquet... well, maybe I will still get lucky!

Saturday Night Fever

PRESS PLAY Staying Alive - Bee Gees

Rodolfo, Lívia, Carol, who took some of these pictures (good job!), and myself @ Copacabana Palace.

"Stayin' alive

Life goin' nowhere

Somebody help me"