Things I will miss about being here
And other wisdoms about Brazil.
Yesterday, I was researching what I could take back to the US, and I decided to research Brazilian cuisine to see if there was something in particular I wanted. Actually, to be honest, I was researching the heavenly lime shakes I've been drinking. You know that place in the food court at Pennsic that has lemon shakes? Imagine that with limes instead, and alcohol. Now pour it into a cute little highball glass and put in a tiny straw. Yummy.
This is what they are: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caipirinha
And this is the firewater: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cachaca
TQO and I decided after tasting some local wine, to go home toting the Cachaca instead. Today's mission includes going out and purchasing the limit for both of us, which I think comes down to two bottles each.
I also found out that there has been gluten free bread on nearly every appetizer table I have sat down at, and in every grocery store. Tapioca flour is apparently indigenous to here, where they call it something else. There are these little puff breads that are basically eggs, cheese and tapioca flour. The name translates to cheese bread, which in no way told me they were gluten free. http://www.sonia-portuguese.com/recipes/pqueijo.htm
Last night, I bought little tapioca cookies to take on the plane that are very much like animal crackers, only lighter (they have egg whites in them). I find them very pleasant and re-assuring. They are also low carb, probably because of the egg whites and fairly low amount of sugar. Just little crunchy sweet bites of vanilla with maybe some fruit overtones, maybe coconut, not sure. I have not been able to decipher a high percentage of food names yet.
Apparently, the indigenous indians are occassionally gluten intolerant - something that was not a problem in their indigenous cultures since those kinds of grains are not native. When they intermarried with Northern Europeans in the last twenty-fourty years and changed their diet to a more European one, the incidence of gluten intolerance in children here has gone up greatly, impacting the child's ability to gain a reasonable height and weight because of poor absorption of nutrients. So there is a high awareness of gluten free - waiters actually can answer the gluten content of food, don't try THAT at home. Everything that has nutritional labels here have a gluten/no gluten statement. There is a gluten free area in the big grocery store. Amazing.
Another thing I will miss is the absolutely awesome weather. I guess if you are from Chicago, coming here during our winter and experiencing 115 degree weather may sound good, but I got to say that really hot and humid is NOT appealing to me. But this weather, this 85 degrees with beautiful blue skies and a light breeze --- heaven.
My husband. Yeah, I'll miss him, but unless they extend his stay, I will see him in less than a week.
I will miss the diversity and the friendly people. There is just the right amount of respect for your personal space, but openness to human interaction here. Many big cities, everyone ignores each other, does not make eye contact. Here, pretty much everyone on the street says hi, at least with their eyes and many by voice. I like that. They also have an open curiosity about foreigners without preconceived notions or prejudice. It's not social paradise, I'm sure, but there seems to be a new world openness to diversity combined with an old world sense of graciousness. Cool.
They are very much into ecological values. It's everywhere - ads, restaurants recycling, etc. Their buses and taxis have stickers that say they are using biofuel, etc. They are ahead of us.
Tchau, Brazil.
Yesterday, I was researching what I could take back to the US, and I decided to research Brazilian cuisine to see if there was something in particular I wanted. Actually, to be honest, I was researching the heavenly lime shakes I've been drinking. You know that place in the food court at Pennsic that has lemon shakes? Imagine that with limes instead, and alcohol. Now pour it into a cute little highball glass and put in a tiny straw. Yummy.
This is what they are: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caipirinha
And this is the firewater: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cachaca
TQO and I decided after tasting some local wine, to go home toting the Cachaca instead. Today's mission includes going out and purchasing the limit for both of us, which I think comes down to two bottles each.
I also found out that there has been gluten free bread on nearly every appetizer table I have sat down at, and in every grocery store. Tapioca flour is apparently indigenous to here, where they call it something else. There are these little puff breads that are basically eggs, cheese and tapioca flour. The name translates to cheese bread, which in no way told me they were gluten free. http://www.sonia-portuguese.com/recipes/pqueijo.htm
Last night, I bought little tapioca cookies to take on the plane that are very much like animal crackers, only lighter (they have egg whites in them). I find them very pleasant and re-assuring. They are also low carb, probably because of the egg whites and fairly low amount of sugar. Just little crunchy sweet bites of vanilla with maybe some fruit overtones, maybe coconut, not sure. I have not been able to decipher a high percentage of food names yet.
Apparently, the indigenous indians are occassionally gluten intolerant - something that was not a problem in their indigenous cultures since those kinds of grains are not native. When they intermarried with Northern Europeans in the last twenty-fourty years and changed their diet to a more European one, the incidence of gluten intolerance in children here has gone up greatly, impacting the child's ability to gain a reasonable height and weight because of poor absorption of nutrients. So there is a high awareness of gluten free - waiters actually can answer the gluten content of food, don't try THAT at home. Everything that has nutritional labels here have a gluten/no gluten statement. There is a gluten free area in the big grocery store. Amazing.
Another thing I will miss is the absolutely awesome weather. I guess if you are from Chicago, coming here during our winter and experiencing 115 degree weather may sound good, but I got to say that really hot and humid is NOT appealing to me. But this weather, this 85 degrees with beautiful blue skies and a light breeze --- heaven.
My husband. Yeah, I'll miss him, but unless they extend his stay, I will see him in less than a week.
I will miss the diversity and the friendly people. There is just the right amount of respect for your personal space, but openness to human interaction here. Many big cities, everyone ignores each other, does not make eye contact. Here, pretty much everyone on the street says hi, at least with their eyes and many by voice. I like that. They also have an open curiosity about foreigners without preconceived notions or prejudice. It's not social paradise, I'm sure, but there seems to be a new world openness to diversity combined with an old world sense of graciousness. Cool.
They are very much into ecological values. It's everywhere - ads, restaurants recycling, etc. Their buses and taxis have stickers that say they are using biofuel, etc. They are ahead of us.
Tchau, Brazil.