Cereal - São Paulo and USA

Brazilian cereal aisle:

Just those five rows there...that's milk on the left and granola bars on the right.

It's about 12 types of cereal. Not even that when you count the repeats between competitors. Boring. Mostly sugary.
American cereal aisle:

I can't count that high.

Wow! I haven't even tried most of those cereals, and yes, quite a few are sugary too. No one makes a cereal aisle like the Americans...



I am back from vacation and posts go back to normal just as soon as I can find my way out from under the mountain of dirty clothes.

Spell check please - São Paulo

Seriously, if you are going to put up a sign advertising parking, at least spell "estacionamento" (parking) correctly.

At the soccer academy, Vila Leopoldina.

From October 4 through October 13, I will not have access to internet. All blog posts for these dates are “pre-recorded” and I will not be able to respond to any comments until October 14.

Fazendão - Paraibuna

Charge up the "comanda" - where you save all your purchases

My favorite stop on the way down to the beach on Rodovia Tamois is Fazendão (big ranch). It is a combination store, restaurant and doo-dad shop that is hard to beat. Also the bathrooms are fun with little plants growing in each stall (last time I was there the plants were looking a bit grim, but the idea is good).

When you walk in, you get this "card" made of plastic with a bar code. You charge all your purchases to this card--in the food shop, the coffee balcony, the sweets shop, the cheese shop and the best part, the sandwich grill. Here they make sandwiches like they mean it...barbecued sausage, pork, steak piled up on warmed French bread. Delicious! So delicious, I forgot to take a picture of it before I stuffed it in!

Bring your cash or checks because at Fazendão, they don't take credit cards of any kind.

Lining up at the grill (or not, okay we were early)

Cheese shop

Doo-dad shop

From October 4 through October 13, I will not have access to internet. All blog posts for these dates are “pre-recorded” and I will not be able to respond to any comments until October 14.

Cai cai balão (fall fall balloon) - Joanópolis

A couple of weeks ago on a weekend trip to the country house we rent, we were greeted by huge lines of crepe paper and ropes hanging from the eucalyptus trees. Apparently a big balloon had come down the week before and I am not sure how the ropes and crepe will be cleaned from the trees. It was rather pretty but I think you can guess that the owner of the fazenda is not so happy. 

These balloons are enormous. Another one that fell in Jundiai in September measured 50 meters, and was carrying a flag that was 100 meters by 50 meters. It covered a school, messed up electric wires, and burned up five square kilometers (story here). Seems obvious why the owner of a tree farm would be upset, especially since it is currently dry season. The damage from a burn would be catastrophic. The owners of these balloons can be arrested and fined for their irresponsibility. Making, selling or flying these balloons is completely illegal as a crime against the environment (see laws, in Portuguese, here).

This stopped no one ever.

Here is an example of one of these balloons and flags:

And the title of my blog?

From a popular kids' song:

Cai, cai balão
Cai, cai balão Aqui na minha mão
Não cai, não
Não cai, não
Não cai, não
Cai na rua do sabão

From October 4 through October 13, I will not have access to internet. All blog posts for these dates are “pre-recorded” and I will not be able to respond to any comments until October 14.

Beach bites - São Sebastião

Snacks at the Beach

Tremoço, toasts, pickled garlic, cheese, sausages, tiny tomatoes and oops, is that a beer on the ground? 

From October 4 through October 13, I will not have access to internet. All blog posts for these dates are “pre-recorded” and I will not be able to respond to any comments until October 14.

Tremoço - São Sebastião

When we were debating which snacks to bring to the beach a few weeks ago, my husband suggested "tremoço". And I said "huh"? And all our friends, including the Brazilian ones, said "huh?" Tremoço, it turns out, is pickled lupin beans and once upon a time were popular snacks in bars, particularly those with a Portuguese background. 

Personally I found the little snacks not so interesting. Seemed like you could pickle a garbanzo bean and get something more tasty. And after I read up on it in wikipedia, I think I might skip them in the future. If not prepared correctly, they can cause poisoning. Seriously: look here.  Cashew nut, anyone?

Tremoço (photo: Wikipedia)

From October 4 through October 13, I will not have access to internet. All blog posts for these dates are “pre-recorded” and I will not be able to respond to any comments until October 14.

Spring flowers - Piracaia

These little pom-pom flowers on what seems to be a purple marijuana plant needed no color adjust in iphoto. This is the way they are. Anyone know what they are? Me neither.

From October 4 through October 13, I will not have access to internet. All blog posts for these dates are “pre-recorded” and I will not be able to respond to any comments until October 14.