Another Milestone.

A few weeks ago, my very wise friend Leandro B invited me to his place and offered help. It took a while to figure out if the right thing was to get help.

When I decided to move here I gave it a lot of thought, but the inevitable is that one will NEVER be able to think of everything. So what didn't I think of?

I hadn't thought that Rio de Janeiro would be busy. I mean, I know alot of things happen there, but I wasn't able to forecast that #1: the Pope is going to there for the "Youth Day" in July 2013 and that #2: Rio is hosting the Confederations Cup in June. Prices everywhere will be on the rise!

When I went out looking for places to live, everything was expensive and people are looking for people during those periods that want to pay. That's no me!

So I took a chance and put my trust in Leandro. I got on a plane and few to Florianopolis. It's bitchin' cold!! How do I (AGAIN) find myself frozen in Brazil? In the humidity? Urghhhhh...

Day one: Where am I? I find a tourist booth and obtain the worst scaled map ever created. I wander and go to the market. I see shrimp as big as my feet for sale! I need to learn to cook shrimp!! I get home and start looking for where everything is to make my documents; turns out all the places are about 2-3 streets away from where I'm located. I go collect information. Here I need to get my CPF before I get my Carteira de Identidade, ok, so I go to the bank, and they don't need an address... It's funny how everything got so simple.

Day two: I try to sleep in but there's construction going on. I toss and turn and I give in, I get up. I eat some pao de queijo for breakfast. I eat a yogurt and a banana. I answer emails and finally decide to shower. I'm ready by 1:30pm. I go take pictures. Everything goes well.

Then I decided to casually go into the bank and see what documents they need for me to make my CPF. Turn out they don't need an address. Phenom. I come home (3 streets away!), gather my documents and rush back. I pay the 5,70$R fee. I go get another number and the woman taps her keyboard a few time and goes to the printer and gives me my CPF. I couldn't stop smiling. I did it. I did it.

It was only 2:30 pm, I figured I can go try to do my carteira de identidade, the place closes at 6pm anyway. I arrive and there's no one there. What? How lucky am I? The woman taps another few keys on her computer and before I know it, there's someone putting ink all over my fingers. I did it. I am a recognized Brazilian and I can do anything! I can buy ANYTHING here. I can function. I did this.

This was a huge hurdle.
When I woke up, I hadn't even imagined I'd be able to get so much done.
Now all I have to do is wait 10 business days till I got pick up my card.
I did it. What a good feeling.