Smile sheepishly!

12/02/2010 21:17  

I guess you all must be feeling very sheepish after sheepishly smiling at my last update.

You must have got fair idea on the art of smiling sheepishly from the illustrations. But how to smile sheepishly. Do sheep smile ? This is all crazy talk here. Yes they do. See real pictures.

To smile sheepishly, imagine yourself looking at a sheep. The Sheep is staring back at you. You stare back. The staring is focused. Then tilt your head southward by about 15 deg. Keeping the head tilted, turn right by 2.5 deg or left by 2.5 deg (depending if you are lefty or otherwise), and then smile. There you got it. A perfect sheepish smile. See below – 10 on 10.

Conversation with Taxi Driver

11/02/2010 21:25  

General conversation with the taxi driver last few mornings.

Me - Falo Ingles – Do you speak English?

Taxi Driver (TD) – Nao (No).

TD – Smiles sheepishly.

Me – Smile back sheepishly at him

TD  – Muito fkjfsdldgldl;ldfkdhgjlkfgjflgjfd;lgjdflkjdslfjdfj;g;as;kad;kga;
afoirgghoiurghakghkxhreosr[ege {Pls stop – I can’t understand a word}

Me – I nod my head. Twinkle twinkle little star.

TD – hgljhljsa;ldj;ldfg;ljkl;l;kfghor’p;dkkASMLKL;
DSSDKALKTWIEFJSDLKFJDLKSLKFDJHLKDJGLKKLGLKLK

Me – I nod my head very vigorously. Stars are twinkling even faster. I beg to stop.

TD – Falo Portuguese?

Me – No. Smile more sheepishly.

TD – Smiles back even more sheepishly.

After all the smiling, at the end both of us have a job to do – he has to drive, I’ve to be driven. So, no talking: Speech is silver, silence is golden. The entire itinerary then explained on paper and of course smiling does not stop, supported by some nodding.

Had to do a take a medical test for local permit. It is mandatory. I give my papers at the Govt. clinic and wait patiently for my turn. My number is 73. Finally after waiting for 1 hour or so, I am directed to the Doctor office. He asks me many questions. The paper has a big list of diseases. I do not understand a single word. English medical science is challenging enough, forget Portuguese medical science. I use my experience and a) Smile sheepishly b) Utter “Nao falo Portuguese”

He does not smile back and keep asking questions. I keep cycling with my two best learnt survival tricks.

After 10 minutes of this circus, result is awarded : “Apto para a funcao – ALL OK apparently”

TOMORROW CARNIVAL STARTS!!! 

Brush after every meal

09/02/2010 19:30

How many times, do you brush your teeth?

Once….Once in two days …OK..OK…Once in a day…

Some amongst us…specially the health conscious subject their pearly whites to two sessions of mild to intense brushing, once (primera) before breakfast and the second (secunda) time before hitting the sack.

The average Brazilian brushes 3 times a day, before breakfast and after meals, lunch and dinner. Any takers.

Went out for lunch with the other guys. As soon as we entered, we were handed Yellow Slips. It had names with different drinks (beber) and multiple boxes. Followed the other guys to the buffet. After you grap whatever you want, you are pushed to a weighing machine. And you are charged on the weight of food that you plan to help yourself!! The weighted price is then stuck on Yellow Slip. The drink is ticked off and then before you exit, you pay the total bill. Different and amazing experience.

Dinner invitation at Porcao
www.porcao.com.br/porcaoSite/porcao/unidade_barra.php

Being welcomed to the Churrascaria world of Brazil. Meat was flying from all directions, and I was trying to find something which looked good to eat. 

Settling In

08/02/2010 19:21

I am motivated to write daily now. Would be good to feedback.  Let me know when it gets boring, or you start filing it “To read later” or “you create rules to transfer the mail to Junk”

Thinking about the lost baggage. Was it because it was the unlucky Bag No. 13. We had 13 pieces of luggage checked-in. Maybe something to do with number 13. It was even Friday the 13^th!!.- The Day of Booking. Later at Sao Paulo. I was told that one bag had not arrived, I smiled, but forced it not to look so obvious.  1 less bag to handle and it would be delivered to the hotel. Should I consider myself lucky!

When we checked-in in Delhi, it took us 5 trolleys to accommodate 13 bags. At Sao Paulo, we managed to fit in 4, thanks to 1 left at Dubai. And in Rio, we got pro by accommodating the 12 bags in 3 trolleys! That is some serious achievement. You can hire my wife's professional advice on packing. I though have challenged her to think about placing them in 2 or even 1. Not sure if would move though :). It is similar to a record of having 42 people in a Maruti 800, published in the Limca book of records !!!

http://www.prideofindia.net/world.html

Giri Bagri of Chennai who had won the Pack-your-Maruti contest held in 1989 with 35 people beat his own record on Feb. 26, 1995. Forty-two people actually got into the car which was driven for a short distance!

Some bad news to share. Well it may warn you in the future to be more rigorous on checking out the custom/immigration policies of the destination country. All the lentils : Tuar, Chana, Moong, Mixed were taken by customs as ban on agriculture products. All the Curry Masala dutifully returned to us. Now it would be interesting to use India masala on Brazilian grains. Though we can see chickpeas, beans (feijões nutrem) – more like foster sister of our endearing rajma, black  tuar – lentils.

Summer brings the mango season. So the king of fruit makes it to our palate after every meal, as this is the summer time. 

We got back to the hotel by 11:30 after the admission process. It was already muito calor, and wife was was in a Black top, and even the car was Black. All this Black heat made us hungry and we took a lunch of Spinach Rice and feijões nutrem !!

The Carnival is coming next week, from 12^th to 17^th Feb. 

Will sign out today with the most famous picture of Rio – The “Corcavado” – The Statue of Christ. Need to plan a visit when the temperature is not so "muito calor".

Reached Rio De Janiero

07/02/2010 23:33

Reached Rio De Janiero. Put up at Hotel Windsor Florida. 

Brazil is GMT-3 and India is GMT + 5.30. Now local time is 23:20, so Delhi must be 06:50, time to wake up!!

Rio seems to be hotter (muito calor as per the driver, though in proper Portuguese is muito quente – 36.5 deg C while driving from the Airport) than Sao Paulo. This is summer here, lasts till March and temp. starts going down in April.

Just went out to find a departmental store. All closed. People seems to be enjoying Sunday evening, singing and drinking cerveza (beer).

Until next update. 

Reached Sao Paulo

07/02/2010 01:30

Sao Paulo

Reached Sao Paulo all the way from New Delhi.  Clearing baggage at Customs took significant time, also 1 bag left at Dubai. Will arrive the following day.

Emirates got us a hotel for overnight stay. Sleep tight!

http://www.aeroportoguarulhos.net/en/