Ode to a friend

First day of School

In the past year I've been catching-up with my oldest best friend.  Hummm, or rather my first best friend.

You know the one, the one you played with since kindergarden, the one who easily understood how you played and how your early personality worked and the one with whom you could share everything?

Yes, well, as the years went by we got older, made-up languages (mostly one).  Communicated easily in that language and our mother tongue, shared travel experiences (well hers since I didn't travel much that I can remember), shared family experiences and stories.  Then suddenly, just as things were reaching a new stage, the move.

Yes, I moved.  Not too far, but in a kids scale, pretty far.  We tried to hang out, as well as you can in grade 6 while still a dependent.  It was mostly on my Dad's weekends that we were able to see each other.  Mostly we hung out at the cheezy local mall, took hilarious photo booth photos, shopped in clothing stores and Grand & Toy...  but then, there was the one memorable time at my Mom's where we tricked the storekeeper into giving us a cigarette (for our grandmother that is...).  I think there was a theme to that sleep-over.  Suffice to say my bedroom was clouded in talcum powder for a couple of days.  It smelled lovely!  We did other fun things like dance and sing (oh Flashdance!)  I still remember all the lyrics and the ones we made up to fake it - well, maybe not those...

Then I moved again.  Grade 7 and onward.  To a distant land I'd never heard of.  So of course, we fell out of touch for a long time.  I suppose this is a bit of an ode to FB too.  For all it's flaws, it can redeem itself in spades at times.

So hopefully we're able to keep in touch now.  I am really happy about it!

Dear Acquaintances,

I've been bumping into some acquaintances lately.  An old neighbor, a cashier at the local DM, a "father" from our pre-natal class, the local green grocer almost downtown (i.e. not in his shop) and so on.

I believe this is a sign of 4 things:

1. Frankfurt is small;
2. Everyone in Frankfurt looks like everyone else (my GF's theory);
3. People don't travel far from home / work;
4. I'm a local. (Almost).


Item 4. comes exactly when we are planning to move. Yes, you read right!  It figures!!  We don't know where we'll land, but Basel, Switzerland is the hub of our destination.  Maybe we'll end-up in France like we once daydreamed so badly!   Either way, we depart by Christmas and start 2012 in a not-so-far-away-land.  Frankfurt and many of it's peoples and customs will be missed.  Dearly in fact!

Just something fun!

Ateliê Paola

Check-out my Aunt's lesson: How to make a velvet purse in graduated colours!

Ateliê Paola - TV Demo

Mental preparation - work in progress...

With Halloween firmly behind us, Christmas is in the air!  Seriously!  I haven't even finished making Alex's Halloween costume!!  I never put the arm holes into it.  So it remained a very frustrating costume for him.  And now with Halloween behind us, I don't think I'll bother. Oh well!  I still got some cute pics. Mostly action - waving arms etc.  But whoooo ooo oooo can ever photograph a ghost anyway?

As with every year, the shops are already decorated with gold, fuchsia, red and so on.  I actually don't mind this year!  There is so much to do between now and then that I've actually started thinking about things well into next year.  That being up to mid-January and some things even as far as March.  Yep!  March.

Anyway, I was thinking of what to do for Alex's first birthday and have some ideas.  We might throw a party or keep it small.  Either way, we're thinking of putting an album together featuring his first year and it's accomplishments.  I've been working on it recently and am enjoying it quite a bit.  I've also taken the opportunity to clean-up some outstanding photography mess from when our computer died.  I've made considerable progress, but need to do more.  What a painstaking ordeal!

What else... well, lots of stuff that I'll have to reveal when the time is right.  Stay tuned!!

Brazil

Back: E, Du, Henrique, Gus, Fre
Middle: Cy, Tati, Vi
Front: Alex, Stella, Vale, Vivi

This trip came about suddenly as E had a project that needed him in Brazil.  Sao Paulo to be exact.  So when I heard, my cogs started churning.  E needed to be in Brazil for meetings which would book-end 3 weeks.  Meaning two Thursday to Sunday trips 3 weeks apart.  So I hopped aboard!  My visit bridged his 2 trips (came with him, stayed for 10 days without him and then left with him).  It was great to take advantage of this situation (3 seats for the price of 1)! And the opportunity to introduce Alexander to extended family. Fantastic!! Truly!

Arriving in Brazil this time was like taking a dunk into the everyday lives of my Family on any given hectic day.  This wasn't holiday time and everyone was busy beyond all recognition.   My family was as always, extremely accommodating and they were able to make lots of time for Alex, E and I.  We had a lot of fun!

My Aunt and Uncle were having an insane time preparing for my Uncles 2.5 month contract in Korea (with no more than a week to prepare), my cousins were busy with work, teaching, studies, significant others, babies, kids, health concerns, pets etc.  At least 3 items per cousin.  I just came in an stirred things up a bit more for them.

I was visited regularly by Gus during lunch times as he works near his parents' place.  It was a nice treat during the long days (alone with Alex).  The evenings were filled with visits from Fred & Vivi and Du and Sco.  There was also quite a bit of iPad training going on and my Aunt, Fre, Du and Gus each have one now.  It's great!

It was quite wonderful to see Alex interact with everyone so warmly and comfortably.  I am so happy for this!  Everyone had a lot of fun with him too and this warmed my heart.  Such a special time! (Love love love!!)  He was also a hit with the family dog Ragu.  I don't know who chased whom faster - Ragu behind Alex or vice-versa.  I have a suspicion that "Ragu" means "Dog" to Alex.  He calls out "GU" every time he sees a dog and almost cried in frustration in the park the other day when the dog didn't come running...  Either way, seeing Alex and Ragu was tons of slobbery fun!

There were quite a few events as well.  Pizza at Gus & Vi's after babies were bathed and asleep, play dates with Vale, Euro tour planning with Fre & Vivi, a baby shower, the second Singstar gala where Vivi & I kicked butt, some shopping at my Aunts' Atelie (I'll put a link here as soon as her site is up and running!!), visiting my Vovó, hanging out with my other Aunt & Uncle and of course, the reunion of cousins.

The reunion of cousins was quite a feat.  5/8 of us were there with significant others and kiddies.  What a blast!!  It was also a union of the 2011 harvest.  That being similar to the 1978 harvest.  In 1978 1 child was born to each of the 3 Anders siblings (my Mom, my Uncle Lindolfo and my Uncle Rodolfo).  Christina, Henrique and Gustavo respectively.  In 2011, Alexander, Valentina and Stella also (almost) respectively were born.  That's about as close a repeat as possible!  It was great.  We ate well, as is famed by the Anders clan, and we spoke tons.  It was a wonderful time!

On our last day we did all you can eat Brazilian BBQ.  MummMMMMmmmMMMmm!!! It was delicious!!!  We had a gigantic table, made a fantastic mess and were quite noisy.  What a wonderful time!

Again, I thank my gracious family for hosting us so warmly.