Out-of-towners

Yesterday I slept almost all day - why? - because I just spent one week showing a Norwegian woman and her partner around Rio, Buzios and Nova Friburgo. It was great fun and I have a high energy level, but they ate and drank me into the ground. (which with the drinking is not hard to do) I complain often that Camillo and I never go out at night and that we never go dancing. They wanted to do both and I had to say I was sorry but I was capoot. We needed Riorose and the Comandante to take over for us on the night life but, of course, she's not here when I needed her for generating energy and ideas. The problem was not my ability to enjoy the tourist sights again nor that I am getting old, no, no, but that I was the one responsible for asking the taxi drivers, the waiters, the shop keepers for everything in Portuguese. I wasn't physically tired as much as just mentally emptied by the need to drag out of my brain all the phrases the I know. Now that I have had a day of rest, I am also very proud that I was able to speak so much Portuguese and to be understood. There may be hope for me yet. GingerV

Oscar Meyer Hot dogs

This last week I returned to Brazil after 5 weeks in the USA. In five weeks, I managed to add one kilo to my weight. Considering that I enjoyed nachos with chicken fajita meat, enchiladas with chili, chips with hot sauce, and my favorite of all favorites Oscar Meyer all beef hot dogs with chili, chopped onions and Frenches mustard, one kilo is not too bad. If you hunt around in Rio you can find most of these foods but never Oscar Meyer hot dogs with real French's mustard. You can buy French's mustard here but it doesn't taste the same, it's watered down or something and no matter what, nothing will make a Brazilian hot dog taste like Texas. All that said, it is really good to get back home.