Self-Image

The kids have been doing art classes with Deborah for the last 8 months, and it feels like they are getting a good hand at it. When she started them on the idea of self-portrait I did not expect much. And here it is: pretty amazing!

Those Things we Take for Granted

In the list of things we take for granted, there is the box of plastic film with the little metal cutter. Sounds like a petty thing, but really, cutting the plastic film again over the food once again and again without being able to do it in a clean way, with a little cutting edge incorporated into the box, is indeed some kind of luxury. Yes these "modern" boxes are available in some, but not all, grocery stores. But finding them is an exercise, and keeping them, is, indeed, a special task. And living without them is a zen exercise. Ask my dad and June.

Secrets of the Serrado

Roberto Burle Marx is the Brazilian landscape architect who contributed with Niemeyer and Costa to the design of the city. He took advantage of this natural wealth, and peppered the city with patches of color that mutate and transform the city throughout the year, allowing the nature to enter the cityscape.
He took a genuine interest in the local flora, which was until then mostly disdained by his fellow countrymen (read here). The Brazilian nature is rich and diverse, with the country at the scale of the continent.
The cerrado, the natural ecosystem surrounding Brasilia, and most of the Minas and Goais states, is very special and unique.  Like a savannah, with bushes and tall grass, termite towers, a rich variety of trees, some with a shape reminiscent of Africa, it is an exotic landscape that enters the city. It almost feel at times, when I look on these slopes near our house, as if a lion or a zebra could peak their head behind a bush. Trees keep blooming along the various months of the year, notwithstanding the changes of seasons. Strange fruits hang from the branches of the trees, the diversity of the flora is surprising, with more than 800 variety of trees found in this ecosystem. When we ate at Vago Fogo, near Pirenopolis, we tasted a number of dishes using the fruits of some of these.
Here is a few images of some of the strange fruits found here.

Becoming more French than the French

Our house has an amazing garden in the back, but we do not go there enough. The kids are happy to have a green and flat yard to play football. We received a set of balls a few days ago, and now the backyard has also become a pétanque yard. By a chance I imported a bottle of pastis from China!

Mastery of the Line

Abraham Palatnik is a Brasilian artist that I just discovered today at the CCBB. Born in 1928, he lived a portion of his life in Tel Aviv before returning in Brazil to become an artist. He contributed to the development of kinetic art, or a type of art that moves and transform itself mechanically. He experimented with various ideas, creating little machines with springs and pendulums, mechanical boxes moving shadows and lights, all very different from one another. The portion of his work that I found really mesmerizing had less to do with mechanics and movements, but more with movements created by the shifting and juxtaposition of textures. Very narrow bands of textures, all stemmed from the same board, and therefore having initially very little variations one from another, are laid side by side. Their positions are shifted a few millimeters, creating the impression of movement in the newly created texture. The craftsmanship of the work is extremely accurate, precise, leaving an impression of perfection. Very architectural too. Really inspiring.

Shopping Habits

Similarly to when I lived in other emerging (or depressed) economies, supply chains in Brazil do not always equal demand. In other words, you might find a lot of an item one day and never see it again later. For example these large jars of sun-dried tomatoes in oil that were available in Carrefour in the fall, and completely disappeared since. Or I might never find a specific item, until I stumble on it in a very unusual store - recently here I found blueberries, fresh. Or at times some items are getting the exotic tax (so the blueberries are US$30).  The taxation has a lot to do with this unreliable supply of goods. Who would pay for US$10 for asparagus or 15 for endives - apart from me?

In terms of shopping habits, it means that if I see something I might eventually need later, I buy it now, and usually in quantity. Or I might not remember exactly where that specific store was in the row of these very nondescript facades. Or some items are so hard to come by I might as well buy a collection of them, for the future. Or just because I hate waiting in line for these things I need week after week. Any of these are essentially a good excuse for really bad shopping habits, and make it difficult to achieve my ideals of simple living.

In practice, for us expats, it also means using our visitors as mule. Our friend D came one time with a delivery of cereal and mac&cheese boxes. My dad carried kids underwear, cereals and French language exercise books, all for the kids. Another friend lugged gin bottles. My husband shrugs to the idea of going to the US, as the terms "mission" aptly applies. The kids are always thrilled when we have visitors, except when they carry alcohol. 

It also means that when I travel, I already have a list of items to purchase, mostly food items. This latest trip to Tel Aviv was a special stocking moment, an unique occasion to fill my pantry with fresh spices, sun-dried tomatoes, cheeses, olive oil, yogurt, typical israeli snacks, bread, what not. I came back with 35 kilos of goodies. I just could not help myself.

As I am writing this post I realized that you might find me slightly neurotic. Until you come over for dinner.

Stomach Talk

If there is a thing that makes me really really really ecstatic about Israel, it is the food. It is the land of the fresh, plenty, delicious. The variety of the dishes is rich, as rich as the multitude of origins of those who call themselves today Israelis. And in all the restaurants we go, little mezzes (small dishes and salads) are served until the real meal is brought, a joy for the hungry stomachs like mine.
Now that we live in Brasilia, where the market selection is often limited, where the prices are crazy, and where the variety is limited, going back to Tel Aviv is like a gourmet tour, whether at our family gathering, our tour of the grocery store, at our friends' table or at the restaurant next door.
Have a look!
I returned with 35 extra kilos (in my suitcase!) Now you know why.

Middle Eastern Diversion

Here we are! Back to the Land! We are all very happy to see everyone again. And solely minutes after our reunion with the family, we get our first medical assessment. I was joking that both Emmanuel and I's accidents were planned to have to visit the best doctors ever, since my father-in-law and his nephew are both orthopedists. Upon looking at the X-rays, Sabah confirmed that Emmanuel is ready to loose his cast, and proceeds to removes it right there. My foot, on the other hand, needs the super-booth as indicated. 

The rest of the week was spend among family - playing, eating, chatting, walking, shopping, eating, cooking, and chatting even more. The kids had a seriously good amount of fun, it is great to see that the connection is there despite the distances. Traditional dinners at home and at Gocha, afternoons playing with the cousins, reunion with with old friends, we just did not have enough time, and we enjoyed every minute of it!

The kids had a few moments of grace, spoiled like ratinhos by their aunts and granny Safda. They could not ask for more, it was too much!

In the end we did not escape the bad weather; it was cold, windy, rainy, nothing like the usual Tel Aviv Spring I know. My dream to sit every morning by the beach did not materialized until the last morning where, despite the need to pack our millions gifts and purchases, I pulled my little boys by the water. It was well worth it.

Flying High

So despite the odds (a broken foot, a kid with a plastered arm, a 23 hour journey), I would not cancel this trip. Kids are off school for two weeks - French system oblige - and what am I going to do with them during all that time, specially with the rainy season that is stretching itself well into April? So off we go!
Travel tips for parents of young kids: take all the screens you can - for us it was one portable DVD reader and its DVD selection, and fully charged with games, 2 ipods and one ipad (without counting my own computer). Bring unusual snacks (M&Ms, new types of cookies, raw veggies), some new workbooks, stickers, small cars (take a count before each landing). Take the usual suspects (doudous or blankies). Socks, light long sleeves. A book. And then, broken foot oblige, reserve a wheelchair service with the airline (luxury!). And some patience too. At take off, a glass of some alcoholic beverage if you can. 
We did get a little delay in Sao Paolo, waiting from midnight until 4 before flying out towards Rome yikes! I had initially booked my tickets for them to sleep on flight. They ended up being so lovely, coloring, watching DVDs or playing on the ithings - thank you airport power outlets. The good thing with this delay: my boys were fast asleep on the second leg, faster than the boarding. We later needed to wait one hour in Rome for a wheelchair (which delayed our flight), but the plane waited, and I could drink a real italian cappuccino (ooh! joy!)... We also were able to get various rides in the process: bus, train, small electric car, mommy's wheelchair - what fun! The grand finale: our welcome committee waiting for us in TLV airport - everyone was relieved, happy and excited to be together again.

Going Up to Say Goodbye

Far from the architectural significance of the Eiffel tower, the visit of the TV tower still provides the visitors great vistas of the city center. Nevertheless, with its 218 m of height, it is the highest tower in Latin America. Standing in the center of the Plano Piloto in between the two avenues of Monumental Axis, it is over looking a set of water cascades, just a bit up from the Rodoviaria. It is possible to reach by elevator the 75 m high observation deck from which the Three Power Square at the end of the Monumental Axis can be seen.
In a very strange set of weather circumstances, we were forced to hide from the rain at the bottom of the TV tower. We eventually had to turn around, the deck being open to the elements, and therefore not open during or right after showers. At the base of the tower, there is a craft fair where my dad and June spent their last dinheiros in a last-minute shopping spree.
Despite its touristic importance, like many other architectural icons in the city, the grounds and the surroundings of the buildings are poorly maintained, with very little elements to facilitate, or even encourage visitors. Under the tower, the access to the elevator does not have anything to make this experience pleasant or memorable; the ground is covered with a dirty cracked concrete, the base is half boarded up, half covered with graffitis, and the touristic office that sells city tours is hidden away under a pillar, almost as if it is illegal. The rain only aggravated this impression that we were not welcomed. Brasilia has a long way to go before really being the touristic and cultural center it aspires to.

We eventually returned, with better weather. Our final touristic visit was more successful, leaving a better impression of the city, once seen from high up. Yet our best moments were more the casual family times, around a good meal or while playing some games with the kids.

Pool Work

When we were negotiating with our landlord, we briefly talked about the pool. He said that there was no solar heating system for it. What I missed is that there was also not filtration system. With its dimensions of 20 m by 5 m, it is probably one of the largest dengue mosquito breading pond in the area.
The filter-less pools are not really unusual here. Many young men make a living cleaning these pools, driving around beaten up cars, motorcycles or even bicycles. They are easily recognizable with the long pole and its nets and brushes attached on their vehicle.
Despite our attempts to keep a clean pool, whether spraying chlorine and chemicals, brushing, vacuuming and flushing water, we only were able to reach various shades of green, not really a crystal clear water. At some point, we even turned it a pretty lime green, and were able to get a little tickle on our skin with all these brews. Which eventually helped us conclude for our need of a real filtration system.
So I did my homework and visited about every pool store in the area to get pricing. Obviously what appears simple here is not.
The first issue is technical: the pool is already fitted with a machine space in the back, and some pipes. However, these are not done correctly and some changes are needed before the installation of a filter. Then there is the risk of using a set of pipes that have been buried for ten years. Any kind of problem with them would require digging, and consequently destroying the patio brick floor treatment.
The second is just brazilian: getting a quote is not difficult. Finding a person that is reliable and decently priced a little more tricky. One of the largest and best located store in Lago Sul send me their technical guy to check things out. He was supposed to come back with a construction guy to do some further estimates. By the time they both came, a month had passed (call that the brasilian time zone!) and I had gone to three other stores, sure that they were avoiding me.
In the end, Severino was my man. His suggestion also was wise: a set of hydraulic stairs, which circulate the water to the pump was the least involved option for us, avoiding the possible risk of defect of the existing system, and the resale possibility when we leave (as we are dishing the dinheiros for this).  Despite delays in his schedule and some small details (my garden suffered a bit), the pool finally is clean. What a relief!

The Mercado Municipal

One spot on the W3 is quite special: the Mercado Municipal. We took my dad and June there just before their departure. The Mercado is a market, with fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh bread, fresh fish, import products like olives, cheese and wine. It is also a restaurant and a pub. And the decor is a collection of vintage elements; tiles, posters, stain glass, tables, all sorts of details with history, all brought from Sao Paolo, Rio and Manaus. This place is an oddity in this city.  Indeed, a new kind of history was made by creating the city itself, leaving the country's colonial heritage away, making room for this new "brazilian modernism".
So, in the end, the Mercado is a cosy spot. Old things are comfortable. And on Saturdays, it has a great ambiance, with a group playing live samba at one table. (yes they are so laid back that they play sitting at the table!) They also serve a buffet of feijoada, this dish made of beans. This is typical brazilian food, and most people cannot live without it. It comes in a variety - brown, black, white, or red - with different meats added to it - sausages, pork neck, pork feet, pork skin, or whatever pork. The buffet has a selections of an incredible number of them.
The good thing at the Mercado is that it is possible to select a fish and get it prepared. Or it is possible to have something from the menu, which is also delicious. And with the music, it is even more delightful.

Architectural Gems - Dom Bosco Sanctuary

Dom Bosco is an italian saint who is also the patron of Brasilia. In 1883 he dreamed of a utopia city of the future, a capital city that would be located in the New World, between the 15th and the 20th parallels. He described it as a place that would provide for all the needs of a great nation. His vision was a major inspiration for the foundation of Brasilia. In his honor, the Sanctuary is built right on the 15th parallel, on the W3. While its exterior is very sober, its beauty reveal itself when you enter. Design by Carlos Alberto Naves (not Niemeyer!), its 80 columns of 16 meter high meet one another in gothic arches, and harmoniously integrating stained-glass work by Belgium artist Huber Van Doom. Covering entirely the four walls, they are in fact a collection of little squares of 12 different shades.  The center of the room is dominated by a huge golden chandelier, made of 7,400 pieces of Murano glass by architect Alvimar Moreina. Some say that the walls would not hold without the weight of the piece.