Familiarities

I"ve been having really vivid dreams since I arrived here. Vivid and realistic. In a few dreams, I have been going back to Toronto to check up on things back home... Last night I dreamed I was buying bulk candy and chocolate. On a totally separate note, can someone settle an argument between Ro and I? Is it more correct to say dreamed or dreamt? Can't figure that one out...
Anyway. I'm sick right now. Suddenly, unexpectedly, sick. Everything was going fine this morning when BAM sore throat punches me right in the kidneys. Or, the throat, to be more accurate. It f'ing hurts and I hate having a sore throat!!!!! Especially in the heat. And it's f'ing HOT AS HELL here. My loving husband just went down to get me some ginger tea, which will be a bitch to drink in this heat but I can't afford to eat anymore ice cream (I mean, my stomach can't afford it, not if Im going to wear all those string bikinis! which Im actually not so I should just go eat a tub of ice cream right now.) Longest parenthesis ever.
I have been really bad about updating lately - not sure why. Partly because I've been having some sad days recently and the drive isn't there. Partly because my nails have grown really long and it's a pain in the ass to type on my keyboard. I am trying to make it a goal to update my blog twice a week so you can hold me to that. I am also trying to make it a goal to get a weekly manicure, just because it costs 16 Reais for a mani and a pedi!! That is about 9 or 10 bucks. Hells yes.
Sad - they dont really sell teas here... Only mint tea was the closest we could find. I have come to appreciate in 2 short weeks things that are familiar to me, especially during particularly emotional times in my life. Like my birthday and Christmas and having a sore throat. All of these things had really wonderful moments (I mean minus the sore throat ha) and I really enjoyed learning about the different ways they do things here but at the end of the day, you feel like something is missing a little. You just want that thing that is familiar. Ro and his family planned this really thoughtful surprise party for me. It was beautiful and so well planned and I was really surprised. So surprised and overwhelmed that I cried a lot... They only cut the birthday cake and sing Parabens at the end of the party and it's the responsibility of the birthday person to cut their cake from the bottom up. Ro was coaching me the whole way through and at the end of the cutting whispered "now you have to give the piece to someone." Everyone eagerly watched as I, stupidly, with no idea what was happening, said "uhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmm here!" and thrust the enormous piece towards his aunt. I could see everyones faces change into surprise and a sort of embarrassment... I was laughing and saying "I'm sorry!! I know, the piece is so ridiculously big! I'm sorry!" It was only later that Ro pulled me aside and asked why I gave the piece to his aunt. "Because she was right in front of me!" "Oh, the first piece is supposed to go to the most special person there... you probably should have given it to my mom." I'm so embarrassed. Of course his mom says she doesn't care about these things... she doesn't get offended. Maybe so but I'm sure she was embarrassed herself because I saw the way everyones face changed. I saw them looking confused "why didnt she give the first piece to his mom?" Hell, I was going to give it to the lady next to me who was the employee serving the cake! I didn't know!! Oh it was a terrible end to the night for me. I felt so bad... bah.... I still feel terrible.
Anyway, the only redemption to the night was the next day. We had SO much leftover food - so so much - that we packed it all up into little individual bags and took it to the street to give away to people needing food. It felt AWESOME AWESOME that people really seemed to appreciate the gesture and took the food with a big Thanks and a God Bless You. Felt pretty spectacular actually. We might start doing it weekly....