When people ask how small my small town is, I generally throw out this anecdote:
My brother was on the front page of the paper and received free diapers for a year for being the first baby born in Ojai in 1987! His birthday is January 4th...
That being said, it's common knowledge amongst the town-folk that I spent some time in Brazil (or was it Argentina, Ecuador, Belize...Ethiopia?). While having a conversation with the dentist a while back (you know, when they shove their fist down your throat mouth and then ask what you've been up to. "uahh hhguu fhafndk " "oh yes, interesting!"), my dentist asked me to prove my Spanish fluency. I replied with the autopilot response: "oh, Brazilians actually speak Portuguese".
I then received the most unique linguistics lesson of my life on how Portuguese is actually a dialect of Spanish like European Spanish vs. Mexican Spanish...oohhhh so like, Portuguese = Brazilian Spanish. Anyhoo, I think dentists just like to talk out their ass because they know you can't respond.
All of this talking about Brazil is giving me some MAJOR saudades. Add to that the fact that I'm also having some MAJOR visa issues that do not look like they will be clearing up any time soon, and I'm getting ready to break my arms and legs so I can fit in a priority shipment box...will someone please pick me up at the post office?
If anyone else out there has saudades that "need to be killed", (or you just want to see BEAUTIFUL VIDEO) that my friend Bruno Villela made, check this out: www.vimeo.com/17982994
Hi Nancy,
ReplyDeleteI have read your whole blog in the past day or two after finding it, and I must say I am a fan of your writing style. Alot of the things you say are so true and funny!
BTW, I think everyone here in the US thinks that Portuguese is just some slight variant of Spanish. Even Spanish speakers think it too! Of course they change their mind after I speak to them after one scentence of Porkandcheese.
I hope your visa issues straighten out quickly! I am also having problems, but hey...according to the law all we have to do is save R$150,000 and buy a business and it should be an easy go. Now just to the saving part......It will sort out in the end for all of us who really should be in Brasil! Na verdade, nossas almas sao brasileiras!
Boa Sorte!
Alex
Hilarious as usual. I loved the video though, I just saw Man on Wire the other day thanks to Itunes and it was my first delve into that sort of thing. It still takes my breath away to watch!! Good luck with the visa issues, what a mess, I know all about it!
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J
Thanks! Man on Wire, I will have to check that out, I've never heard of it.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Alex, thanks for the comments, it's great to know that when I have a rough day, someone will get some giggles out of it while reading my blog. haha.
ReplyDeleteI can't blame Brazilians for all the bureaucratic BS when it comes to visas...it's not like we make it that easy on them...but it sure is frustrating!