Fútbol

The crisp, fresh air with an ever so subtle breeze makes for the perfect combination of an autumn game played under lights. The excitement is palatable. Fans converge to cheer their team to victory donned in their teams color of scarves, hats, jerseys, flags, and even body paint. The self-proclaimed “team band” plays adds to the evenings thrill as the beating of bongo drums and chanting voices creates a concordance of sound that rings through stadium. Conversations of player and team stats; discussions of the best players and the reasons why; children excitedly talking about their own skills for and love of the sport; husband’s/boyfriend’s explaining to their wife’s/girlfriend’s the rules of the game; discussions of previously watched matches and amazing goals all softly circle around where I sit with growing anticipation for my team and hopefully their victory.

The whistle blows, the game begins. The players vying for possession. Dribbling, passing, crossing, heading, trapping, fouling, shooting, and cards are all a part of the game. The fans cheer for their team, boo at the refs with nervous anticipation and hopes that their team finds the ball in the back of the goal. The game remains scoreless for both teams until the 80th minute when a cross from the right side finds the foot of the player running up the flank on the left side. A second goal came about the 90th minute when a player simply beat the goalie.

As a player of the sport myself, I tip my hat for both goals--even though it was not my team scoring them. They were the kind of goals all players love to have and make the sport exhilarating; perfect play making and passing created the opportunity for the perfectly executed finishes. Well done boys, well done.

Although watching New York Red Bulls lose to Real Salt Lake didn’t really meet my “to do list” of watching a game in Brazil, maybe the fact that I sat by a guy that used to help coach Flamingo sort of makes it Brazilian. Sort of but not really. Either way, I am back from Brazil and win or lose I love the sport. Love it!

Macacos me mordam!

J

Just because I love it so...

Way to go Rio!

Macacos me mordam!

J

Açaí na Tigela

When asked where my friends and I were going for dinner one night, I was told that we were going to eat "earth." I was not thrilled. I was hungry and was not too excited to eat something that I would not like. Envisioning eating "earth brought back memories from long ago of eating at "One World." I had to choke down the food and even then, I could only force myself to eat but a few bites. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to a repeat. When the "earth" dish came I took a bite expecting a gritty, dirt-like, taste but what I found was a wonderfully delicious taste. Thank goodness! I seriously thought I was eating a dessert, not a fruit. Açaí how yummy you are.

Açaí na tigela ("açaí in the bowl") is a typical Brazilian dish made of frozen and mashed açaí palm fruit from the Amazonian region. Its preparation in southern Brazil is different than how it is prepared in the Amazonian region. It is served like a smoothie in a bowl or in a glass, and is commonly topped or mixed with tapioca and/or granola and fruits, especially bananas and strawberries. (Wikipedia).

A little more of Brasilia

In pictures of course...

Macacos me mordam!

J

Brazilian hot chocolate

I love hot chocolate. I love it so much in fact that I would most certainly pick hot chocolate over ice cream or any other treat. It's not like I won't don't eat ice cream, I consider myself a seasonal ice cream eater... but cold hot chocolate is pretty good too;)

Moving forward. When my friend Juliana mentioned this restaurant had the best hot chocolate I was excited. I never dreamed that Brazil would have hot chocolate! I figured that the weather was too warm that hot chocolate would not be something to be had on menus. I am glad

that I was wrong. Knowing that there was hot chocolate in my new neighborhood, drinking some was added to my 'to do list.'

Check it off my list.

I loved the dark chocolate taste but hopefully next time I can drink my hot chocolate instead of spooning it eat like ice cream.

Macacos me mordam!

J

A lesson in Brazilian etiquette

Etiquette: the conduct or procedure required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be observed in social or official life.

Faux Pas: a social blunder.

We've all been there--social gatherings or functions that demand our best behavior. We pull out all our proper etiquette skills in our effort to show respect, intelligence (or at least not our lack thereof), sophistication and whatever else have you. Basically, we don't someone, or even ourselves, to be embarrassed by our gaucheness.

As hard as we try, sometimes, just sometimes, our adroit maneuvers fail us.... as I found out the hard way.

Now, I have been to several functions, requiring the upmost adherence to proper etiquette. Usually I walk away unscathed by any embarrassing blunders. But not always...

Did you know that in Brazil, when you leave the home after being a guest, that the guest does not open the door? Instead, the guest waits for the invitee to open the door, permitting the guests departure. AND, do you know that if the guest opens the door, the belief is that he/or she never wants to go back to the invitee's home again? Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way. Even after I tried to remedy my blunder, my maladroitness shouted loudly that day.

So! Should you ever be in Brazil, may you learn to avoid this faux pas by learning this lesson from my mistake. Wait for the host to open the door.... that is unless they put a broom behind the door to signify that you are no longer welcome.

Macacos me mordam!

J