Monday, January 27, 2014

Manguinhos Community Garden - Jan 27th.






Our garden is really pulling through! It's so exciting to see the beginning of everything we planted really starting to grow! :)

On the photos there is one chilli pepper, and one quiabo - okra!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Awesome Day

I went to work. Nothing exciting happened until the last 30 minutes. A Japanese couple arrived. In their mid-30s. They carried a little whiteboard with them and a pen. The wrote to me that they are deaf. I was lucky they wrote English.

I checked them in, and had to explain the house rules to them. It challenged me to a whole new level. If I had written it, it could've taken hours, so I had to mime and use pictures and some key words. I felt so rewarded when they understood... especially explaining that they wont be getting a towel for 24hours, because the Laundry Service didn't bring back towels- that's I laughed internally (in shame), because that is something that in Japan, would NEVER happen.
I loved this challenge because they were so grateful.

As soon as everything was explained and I showed them into their room, I got changed and went to Ipanema. It is included in my bus-fare after all.
I arrived and asked some foreign girls to watch my purse while I took a dip. Why hadn't I done this before? It's so close to my work. Spending the afternoon at the beach... why not?? Why haven't I took advantage of that enough?? It's sooooo beautiful!!
I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!

Whilst I was at the beach, I was watching Natalia - a professional beach tennis athlete in action. This girl is young, fun and very serious about the sport. She plays 9 hours a day on sands of Ipanema. I sat there and cheered her on (even considered a career in coaching)! She goes over her mistakes, she thinks of solutions, she is quite inspiring to watch!

After that I came home to find Pamela. I decided to make guacamole, so we went alllllll the way up to Bairro de Fatima to get vegetables, where we checked 3 stores to find coriander. We had a blast! She cracks me up! She takes my humor to the next level, with the same logic I use.

Now I'm going to have just a couple of beers with my hostel-working-friends.

I also printed a sign to put at the hostel, advertising my garden, I'll see if it'll work!  :)