Rumo a Noruega

Hoje confirmei nossa presenca no casamento da minha querida amiga Mia. Nem acredito que vou ter o prazer de ve-la se casar!

Amiga de fe' e roommate durante a faculdade em Guildford, a Mia e' a quele tipo de amiga do peito, alma gemea - uma tem tudo a ver com a outra. Pensamos igual, gostamos das mesmas coisas, e o senso de humor.. identico! Ate ja saimos com um mesmo cara... (eu peguei primeiro, mas tudo bem... - hahahaha)

Entao dia 06 de Junho, Patrick e eu desembarcamos em Oslo pra prestigiar essa queridissima figura se casando com Fabrizio, seu noivo italiano.

Mais do que ir ao casorio, vai ser maravilhoso ver minhas amigas do coracao - a Mia e a Stine - depois de quase 10 anos..! A ultima vez foi no meu casamento no Rio.. Que loucura.

E voltar a Noruega, pais encantador de gente hospitaleira, simpatica e descomplicada. ( e festeira!)

Vai ser um verdadeiro arraso! Prometo muitos posts e fotos desse dia tao especial.

No estaleiro

Ando pra la de morta, cansada pra valer.... Durmo, durmo, durmo e durmo. Eta, preguiiica!

Estou lendo no momento "100 anos de Solidao" - maravilhoso! - e parte da historia conta sobre a tal da "peste da insonia" que os moradores de Macondo contraem. Ninguem dorme e aos poucos todos vao perdendo a memoria.

Engracado eh que no meu caso, alem de hibernar como uma ursa, tambem ando totalmente esquecida. Deveria ser ao contrario..

Alguem arrisca um diagnostico?

Absurd world

I admit having tried to ignore what is going on in Zimbabwe for a while. However impossible that is and how much I dislike my own attitude, I have done it. Guilty as charge.

Yesterday night I received a letter from a friend of a friend by e-mail, who writes from a chaotic, mad, isolated Zim, where whites are again losing their houses and homeless people are sleeping on the streets at zero degrees Celsius, with no food, water, anything.

There is no petrol, no provisions, no security, no hope. Fortunate, better-off families are taking "refugees from poverty" into their own homes, unable to send them back to the freezing streets.

The fears of failing to support themselves is an ever-increasing one as well as utility bills prices go up at staggering rates. Electricity will raise up to 250% next month.

Journalists were kicked out of the country once again and no one can see the real picture of what Mr Mugabe and his mob are doing to the, already, miserable, starving, desperate population.

It is useless and naive to ask these question, but... why isn't anybody doing anything to help? Why hasn't England (the former coloniser) done anything concrete to help this nation? Why Mbeki still treats Mugabe as an old pal and has washed his hands over this issue? Why the US, the sheriff of the world, has ignored the doings of the ZANU-PF and its chief? Why the result of the recent elections are still not out? Why are there so many English troops in Afghanistan and none in Zim?

This is one of those moments of History I feel ashamed of belonging to the same race as some of those bastards.

The most beautiful day in the world

Waking up in a day like day makes one happy to be alive. And to love even more living in this Southern part of Africa.

Mrs Lieberman

I took Antonio to his first piano lesson this morning. I knew it wouldn't be an easy task to get a 5 year-old boy to sit quiet and was ready to go back home without hearing any tune at all.

I did not count on the charm and experience of Mrs Lieberman - as from this morning - his and mine piano teacher.

The friendly lady was recommended to me by Alberto, who sold us his late father's piano and who learned all he knows from her.

Antonio, after much resistance, played a few notes until his attention span expired. Then was my turn to try and remember anything from my classes as a child.

I did not remember much but look forward to studying with this adorable woman, who reminds me of much better times from the past.

Goodbye Parreira

Ao passar pelo jornaleiro de um shopping no sabado a tarde li: "BAFANA COACH QUITS". Levei um susto e parei pra ler.

Bafana e o apelido da selecao de futebol local e o tecnico em questao, o nosso muito querido Carlos Alberto Parreira.

A reportagem dizia que apesar do salario astronomico, Parreira estava se desligando do comando da selecao Sul-Africana e a razao seria saudades de casa. Fiquei bastante triste com a noticia mas entendi, como ninguem, a causa de sua partida.

Hoje, li mais uma vez, desta vez no site do Globo, que Parreira estava voltando ao Brasil pois sua mulher esta com cancer. O artigo falava dos progressos feitos pelo "professor"a frente do time local e de como esse trabalho de montar uma selecao do nada era mais gratificante para ele do que treinar a selecao Brasileira em 2006.

Uma pena para a Africa do Sul perder presenca tao ilustre e talentosa em suas terras. Espero que sua mulher venca essa dificil batalha e que Parreira ainda nos de muitas alegrias como essa - maior de todas - abaixo.

Saudades de casa

Hoje e um daqueles dias no qual me pergunto varias vezes por que moro fora do Brasil.

Minha saudade de casa ja vinha crescendo nos ultimos dias (semanas, alias) e hoje, apos ler O Globo, e ver essa foto deslumbrante do Arpoador (abaixo), quase explodi de vontade de pular num aviao e ir pro meu querido Rio.


Minha amigona/irma Bruna esta tendo sua terceira filha num desses dias e gostaria muito de poder estar la.

Nao existe lugar no mundo como o lar, com certeza. Hoje, meu lar e o Rio e a saudade da minha cidade querida e seus habitantes ta doendo no peito.

I miss home

Today is one of those days when living abroad feels completely senseless.

I've started feeling homesick a few days (weeks, actually) ago and when I read the news from home this morning and saw this picture (below) I just couldn't help but feeling like jumping a plane to go to Rio.


My good friend/sister Bruna is having a baby daughter these days, her 3rd one, and I wish I could be there right now.

There is no place like home (that's for sure) and home happens to be Rio - very strongly - at the moment.

Masterpiece

Few things give me more pleasure than reading an excellent book.

One of those I can hardly put down and keep on thinking about the story all the time.

Well, I have finished reading a book that had a similar impact on me now as Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" had when I was in my early twenties.

"On Chesil Beach" by Ian McEwan is exquisite reading and I strongly recommend it.

And already miss it.

Fabulous Jozi

I have complained about Jozi's weather and guess what? The bluest skies are back!!!

Autumn is there and is getting colder and colder everyday. And the sun - oh the sun!- is always there, making each day more glorious than the one before.

I missed Johannesburg as it is now, as I am used to. Beautiful, sunny days and cold, starry nights.

Delightful.

Pesach at home

I finally had to cancel my Pesach holidays with the Kabbalah Center in Miami. I am a bit disappointed, of course, as in the end I was looking forward to it.

I will do all the spiritual work required here in Joburg and hopefully will spend many other Pesachs with the KC team somewhere in the world in the years to come.

Enjoy it, guys! You deserve it.

PS: I look forward to one more Rosh Hashanah in Tel Aviv later this year. Let's hope I can make it.

Good news

To hear good news is second best only to sharing it. I must admit being VERY happy with the late developments in my life.

I will be even happier when I can tell everybody what's coming up.

Boas novas

Receber boas noticias so nao e melhor do que dividi-las. Confesso estar MUITO feliz com os ultimos acontecimentos na minha vida.

Ficarei mais ainda quando puder contar a todos o que vem por ai.

Thin Cows

In such a period of economic crisis and of very poor sales in my shop - and when you think business could not get any worse - I get assaulted by the news of another increase in interest rates.

It is now 15% per annum.

In a country where a great majority of people has mortgages to pay, this is some piece of bad news.

Some South-African authority - not sure who that was yet - has asked the population to "tighten the belt" even further...

Now, that was a really bad joke with the retail industry, my man!

Best thing after sex

I love eating. And I adore eating well.

Yesterday night we were "treated" by friends to a fantastic meal of unforgetable food and wine.

Christian is a German friend of ours and a fantastic cook. Anna is Swedish and his fiance and a sweet and attentive hostess. Add to that great wine and a cosy and charming set up and - voila! - we had a fabulous evening together.

The starter was a delicious seafood soup - with langoustine, scallops and fish cooked to perfection - followed by the best rack of lamb I have ever tasted in my life. Absolutely divine!

Bravo, you guys! And thanks a lot for a fantastic time.

Life is not fair sometimes

Antonio spent the weekend feeling terrible - the poor thing. He had a temperature, a running nose and body ache.

Yesterday (Saturday) afternoon he told me: "Mum, isn't it unbelievable that I get sick on the first day of my school holidays?" He was so right, my beloved boy.

But after a good laugh and agreeing on the unfairness of the situation, I couldn't help myself but, proudly, noticing what a fine sense of humour my 5 year-old boy has.

Mundane distractions

The Kabbalah Centre has put in the web a few recorded conference calls from KC teachers explaining us all we need to know about the upcoming event. All super well-done and organised as always.

During a call, an Israeli teacher meant to explain us something related to the "direction" one should take in such and such matter and he pronounced the word as "DEE-ERECTION", which I obviously understood as "THE ERECTION".

And that was it for the evening! Concentration was gone and I could not stop laughing anymore...

And by the way...

The lazyness is gone and my trip to Miami is confirmed.

Pesach

The preparation for the Kabbalah event in Miami, coming up in a few days, has been intense and extremely important.

Pesach - or Passover - is the Jewish holiday that marks the escape of the Israelites from Egypt. From a Kabbalistic point of view, it means escaping from your own fears, your ego.

This is the time of the year when we have the opportunity to fight our major negativities and connect to an incredible amount of LIGHT.

I will do my spiritual work and do my best to share all the LIGHT received with all those I love. In fact that means everybody.

Dr Davis & Bechstein

There were only a few things missing to make our lives in Joburg complete bliss.

Our black Bechstein upright piano arrived last Thursday and our little boy has sat down to it every morning ever since and played a few tunes. "Happy Birthday to you" and "The beef" were the first hits discovered by Antonio of, hopefully, many more to come.

However, meeting Dr Davis, a pediatrician recommended to us by the always-reliable Dr Cobb, was by far the best thing that has happened to us this year. The old-school, friendly, extremely knowledgeable, chatty and cosy doctor has given us an indescribable sense of relief and happiness. Our son, now, is definitely in fantastic hands - I don't have to call Dr Pedro Solberg, his Rio pediatrician, in every single emergency - and that makes a world of a difference.

A few more things are still on the pipeline to make us even more happy here but at least the basic ones are sorted.

Laaazy!

The hotel is booked, the event paid, the JHB-LON-MIAMI ticket sorted and confirmed,... but I must admit I am soooo lazy to go and spend Pesach with the Kabbalah Centre in Miami!

I must travel for two days - via London - and what's worst: I must connect through Terminal 5, the new chaotic BA terminal in Heathrow.

I have already decided to take hand luggage only if I want to have anything to dress during the event at all.

Since its opening a few weeks ago, 28.000 pieces of luggage have been lost in T5 and the tales of the madness in this place strongly encourages me to stay put in SA.

Should I stay or should I go?

De volta as minhas origens

Desde minha visita ao maravilhoso blog da minha amiga Bia - l'amour dans l'assiette - nao consigo parar de pensar em voltar a cozinhar.

Desde meus tempos de Cordon Bleu -tempos esses que me trazem doces memorias de horas e horas gastas cozinhando na minha minima cozinha Parisiense- que nao desenvolvo meu lado gastronomico. Depois do nascimento do Antonio, abandonei de vez todos os ensinamentos adquiridos atraves de meses de arduo trabalho nas cozinhas da escola.

Entao ontem, com pilhas e mais pilhas de trabalho de contabilidade em cima da mesa, e ainda me recuperando de uma gripe, resolvi desempoeirar minhas facas e comecar a treinar a Loveness, que e a baba do Antonio e nossa cozinheira formidavel.

Nossa talentosa ajudante ja havia trabalhado em um conhecido restaurante Portugues aqui de Joburg e conhece bem a arte da boa mesa - e faz um bacalhau DIVINO!

Nossa primeira receita foi uma quiche de rucula e queijo de cabra (uma delicia por sinal) e hoje de manha fizemos um bolo de creme azedo, receita deliciosa da vo da Bia (Vo Genny). Enquanto o bolo assa no forno sinto uma imensa felicidade por estar de novo envolvida com uma das minhas grandes paixoes...

A Vos fourchettes!

Back to my roots

Since I saw the fantastic Blog "l'amour dans l'assiette" of my friend Bia, I cannot stop thinking of going back to cooking.

Since my Cordon Bleu times - a period of my life that brings sweet memories of lots of cooking in my tiny Paris kitchen - I haven't done much for my gastronomic side. After Antonio was born I very much abandoned all the knowledge I acquired in months of hard work in the school's kitchens.

Then yesterday, with piles and piles of accounting work sitting on my desk, and still recovering from a cold, I took my knives out and decided to start training Loveness, Antonio's nanny and our formidable cook.

She has previously worked in the kitchen of a famous Portuguese restaurant in Joburg and is no stranger to pots, pans and Bacalhau (cod).

Our first recipe was a goat's cheese and rocket quiche (which was divine, if I may say so) and this morning we made a sour cream cake - a recipe from Bia's granny.

While I wait for the cake to cook in the oven, I silently celebrate my long-awaited return to one of my greatest passions..

A Vos fourchettes!

What's happening to Joburg's weather?

The weather in Joburg is notorious for being fantastic. Sunny -always- dry, pleasant days by the pool and cool nights by the fire place have made this city a true delight to live in.

Since late last year though, we have seen more and more rain, cooler, gray days. Is it due to global warming?

The winter is coming up and in this place, unlike most of other cities I know, winter days are usually cloudless, gloriously beautiful throughout the whole season. How will it be like this year?

Let's wait, hope and see.

Amigas queridas

Esse mes que passou trouxe de volta a minha vida muita gente querida que nao via e ouvia ha seculos. Ja ha alguns meses, atraves do Facebook, reencontrei um monte de gente legal dos tempos da faculdade na Inglaterra, a maioia de Noruegueses - gente otima, querida e companheira de (muitas) farras.

A Stine, minha madrinha de casamento civil e gente muito boa, que era minha amiga do peito e roommate na epoca de University of Surrey, esta casada com o Morten (namorado desde aquela epoca) e com duas filhas lourinhas e de olhos azuis - lindas como a mae.

A Mia, outra alma gemea, amiccissima minha e tambem roommate em Guildford, re-apareceu e se casa agora dia 7 de Maio em Oslo com o noivo Fabricio. E la vou eu me debulhar em lagrimas por ver amiga tao querida subir o altar... A Mia tem uma familia que amo de paixao. Na epoca do meu casamento no Rio, todos os Hovers vieram ao Brasil para o casorio e seu irmao mais novo, tremendo pe-de-valsa, deu um show a parte na nossa festa.

Outra queridissima que re-apareceu depois de (nao tao longo) periodo, foi minha muito querida amiga Bia "Cordon Bleu" Belliard. Amiga de coracao da epoca em que eu ainda conseguia fritar um "oeuf" e colega de Cordon Bleu, a Bia, que viveu um tipico conto-de-fadas com o (agora) marido Yves (se ela deixar eu conto a historia aqui no blog) esta felicissima da vida dela. Mora com o filho lindo Marc e o maridao em Rennes e prepara delicias e mais delicias - e depois da tudo de bandeja para nos mortais atraves do blog sensacional dela.

Tenho andado me preguntando... Quem sera que vai aparecer em Abril?

PS: A ordem das amigas acima foi ditada somente por data de "reaparecimento".

Souvenir from Rio

A few hours and a few beers later, we headed back from Maracuene to Maputo and had to face the "cruiser" trip back to the mainland again.

On our way we met a group of youngsters, two Spanish girls and one Mozambican boy, who asked us for a lift back to the capital.

We could not deny it, of course, as the very friendly Horacio was wearing Rio's Prefeitura's (City Hall) t-shirt, which allows young students to travel by bus in Rio for free.

He claimed that traveling in my beloved city on the tax payer's expenses was not his motivation behind bying the t-shirt. He loved the design and thought it would be a nice souvenir.



Let's pretend that Cesar Maia's (Rio's mayor) polemic choice of colour was to his liking and let's also pretend I believed him.

Not so adventurous anymore

Patrick and I have done a lot of risky traveling before. Mostly in Asia and during our 20s, we never gave a second thought about flying Mandala in Indonesia or Air Nepal out of Singapore, crossing from Malaysia to Sumatra by speed boat, taking our various long bus and train trips in Southeast Asia and hopping on many "not so recommendable" ferries in Thailand.

We even thought about jetting off to the Spice Islands Archipelago (the Moluccas) - close to the remote Indonesian province of Sulawesi- and crossing the Philipino part of the South China Sea, known to be infested with 21st Century pirates.

But now... in our (not so late) 30s and having Antonio on board, things are quite different.

I've realised it when I felt not so keen to take the "ferry" below to cross a tiny little river on our way to Maracuene, a beach located in the northern part of Maputo.


This vessel, which certainly cannot be called a ferry, has definitely seen better days but nonetheless carried 6 cars, a tractor and lots and lots of passengers.



What used to be an adrenaline-fueled part of our way of traveling, became a nervous, non-enjoyable, nerve-wrecking trip.

Patrick and I later agreed that, during the "crossing", we both thought of various ways of saving our little boy in case that bloody boat sinked.

It hurts me to say that.... but, yes, we are definitely getting old.

Mozambique

After our marvelous days at the Kruger, our next stop was Maputo, Mozambique's capital.

I had no idea what to encounter there but was very anxious nonetheless. Similar to Brazil in being a former Portuguese colony, to me our trip felt like paying a visit to a distant cousin. I must admit I prepared myself for the worst as the country is currently ranked as the 7th poorest in the world.



Maputo was a messy and dirty capital but with a very distinctive European flair. The urban design is the same you see in most Brazilian cities and I couldn't help but get very homesick. However, the sheer poverty and piles of garbage sprawled all over the place constantly reminded me we were in a poor part of Africa and that this former colony was not as lucky with natural resources as its distant cousin from South America.

The city had definitely not yet recovered from the many conflicts in the past and its population - surprise!- was not as friendly and hospitable as we had expected.

We stayed at the "Grand Dame" of Maputo's hotels, the Polana. An impressive building with a feeling of colonial times and sea views, it made our visit to the capital much more glamorous indeed.

The sun was shining and we enjoyed our trip to Mozambique. It was tiring but extremely interesting visiting South Africa's next door neighbour.

Next time our destination will be the beautiful "turquoise-water" archipelagos in the Northern part of the country. Looking forward...

PS: In the picture below, Maputo's train station built by Eiffel and later found to be inappropriate to Mozambique's heat due to all the metal work involved in the project.