Mini's Brazilian Cousin?

 I spied this banner the other day and had to take a picture.  Who knew I would end up so close to Mega Bazar after all those years at Mini Bazaar.  I might just have to go check it out.

Where do the Hours Go?

I ran across this little cartoon while I was trying to clean up my Inbox today. 

 Isn't this the truth or am I the only one that has this problem?

It also really reminded me of this picture:

I don't know why I like this picture of Mom so much.  I know I have posted it before, but I had to put it on again when I was reminded of it.

Hold the Cheese Please

I wonder how many of the weird misconceptions about what Mormons believe get started like this:

Recently a Burger King opened right across the street from the mission office in Fortaleza, Brazil.  The missionaries were quite excited about it and the new Burger King has had a lot of business from nice, clean-cut, young men wearing white shirts and ties and a black name tag.  The president of said missionaries has enjoyed a fair amount of Whoppers in the last couple of months.  (In his defense, it is difficult to resist the aroma of the flame-broiled beef wafting through the window of your office, especially when you can "have it your way.")  

Said president always orders his Whopper "his way"...without cheese.  

Why no cheese?  Because a) he doesn't really like the taste of it,  b) they take 10 centavos off the price, and c) you have to cut calories somewhere. 

The wife of said president doesn't care to have fake cheese on her hamburger either and also orders the Whopper without cheese.  Recently, she ate there with a sister missionary that opted out of the cheese too.  

A few days later one of the managers at Burger King approached the president with a stack of coupon cards that are punched when a sandwich is purchased.  After a certain amount of purchases a "free" sandwich is earned.  When the manager finished explaining the coupon card, he leaned in close, lowered his voice a bit and said, "And you know, we can make all of these sandwiches 'sem queijo' (without cheese)."

The president was amused that the manager thought that members of the church didn't eat cheese.  He shared this story at a stake conference where he talked about how church members should share their beliefs with friends, family, and neighbors and clear up some of the crazy misconceptions that people have about Mormons.

Shortly after, during a baptismal interview, the missionaries asked a man, who had attended said stake conference, if he understood the limitations of the Word of Wisdom.  He answered, "Yes, I know that alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and coffee and tea are off-limits, but what's the deal about cheese?"

So, I don't know if it is one of those misconceptions that is going to get out of hand or if I need to notify Elder Ballard that he might want to consider adding to his "Fact List" from his excellent talk that Mormons do, indeed, eat cheese.  All I know is that when Rebecca and I went to Burger King the other day the girl took our order and then said, "Now that's without cheese, right?"

A Toast to the World Cup

Brazil's next soccer match in the World Cup is due to start in half an hour.  I'm already hearing some random horn-blowing and the traffic is starting to thicken as people are getting back home to watch the game.  I tell you, everything comes to a halt during the games here.  Stores, offices, and businesses close; even the buses stop.  It's CRAZY!

Well, I'm back.  (You probably didn't even know I left.)  I had to stop blogging for lunch and the game.  It just ended and Brazil lost, 2-1, to the Netherlands.  I didn't even know they played soccer in the Netherlands.  Aren't they supposed to be growing tulips or something?  Anyway, the party is over for Brazil.  Too bad, because they were having such a good time and I was hoping for a match-up between Brazil and the pretty boys of Argentina when Rebecca comes down next week.  There is a pretty intense rivalry between the two countries and that would have really amped things up.

I've been taking pictures when I've been out and about that might explain some of the excitement that Brazil has for the World Cup and soccer (futebol) in general, I think.

Tons of cars have been flying these little Brazilian flags.  I thought the super-fans were the ones sporting two flags, but then I saw this:

  A car with four flags; one for each door.

There were guys at every main intersection selling flags and other World Cup stuff. 

Even one of the guys that goes around pulling a cart gathering stuff to recycle from garbages bought a flag or two. (Or got them somehow.  They do work at night quite often.)

We had to go around the block to get a shot of this bike a guy was riding.  By the time we got back, he had parked it and gone in the pharmacy.  I don't know if you can see all the time he put into it.  It even had a little roof for shade over the top.  I don't know how he could even see through all the streamers.

People had parties with friends and neighbors to watch the games.

People at the airport welcome visitors and share their enthusiasm.

Stores, restaurants, and even the gas stations got in the spirit of things and decorated.

Lots of neighborhoods put up streamers over their streets.  At first I thought maybe the city was doing it, but I kept seeing older bare-bellied men up on ladders stringing up the decorations, and found out it was just something neighbors got together and did.  We drive through this area that I call "The Hood"  all the time.  Let me tell you, "The Hood" went all out.

They started out with the streamers,

The next week there were more streamers plus the flags,

and the painted poles and walls that are around peoples' houses.

Here's a close-up of one of the walls.  Who wouldn't want a mermaid with the thumbs up signal on the front of their house?

The boys in "The Hood" were caught up in the excitement after one of the games.  I think the ball just got kicked into the street as I took this picture.  I never could get a good picture of the street itself.  Somehow, they even painted big flags and other stuff on it.  They must have done it at night, because there is a lot of traffic on that narrow little street.

Even the richer folks got into it.  Somebody hung this big Brazilian flag out of their high-rise apartment with a couple of smaller flags on the sides. (I thought they were Italian, but looked them up and found out the stripes are vertical on Italy's flag.  There are too many flags that are quite similar and I didn't have the patience to figure out which country they represent. If you are interested or bored you can go here and see if you can tell.) 

We got into the World Cup fever a little ourselves and decorated the table for a get-together we had with a bunch of parents and grandparents and other relatives of missionaries that were going home.  I forgot to take a picture of the table before the party, so things look a little trashed.  

Six different missionaries had relatives here and we had nice evening; visiting, eating, listening to testimonies, and saying good-byes.  It is always a little hard saying good-by and we will really miss this group.  They were obedient, hard-working, loving, and effective missionaries.  

The World Cup will be held here, in Brazil, in 2014.  I think some of the games will be played in the big stadium here, in Fortaleza.  I can only imagine the World Cup fever then.  We might have to come back just for the fun of it all.   

Dad's Food Fads

I thought I would acknowledge Father's Day this year by talking about some of  Alan's food fads and favorites.  I honestly can't remember all of them over the years, but I'll just mention a few.

One of the things he has been excited about since we've lived here is access to delicious watermelon at a fairly decent price year-round.  He also had a few food fears, like salmonella, so this picture shows him washing a humongo melon with soap before we cut it and devoured it.

Zorro left his Z and Alan always leaves his fork in the rind, like a flag raised by the conquerer.  It's sort of his signature move, I guess.  

Alan rarely eats "the bowl."  That's what my dad called the ends of the watermelon.  He liked watermelon too and always ate it with a knife, not a fork or a spoon.  Somehow Dad convinced us that the bowl was the coveted piece of the watermelon, second only to "the heart."  It wasn't until I was grown up that I figured out that the bowl really isn't that good.  I guess I got off track a little with that story, but since it is Father's Day, I hope you'll allow that.

  

 Then there is Alan's famous fudge.  In Idaho, certain types of weather, usually cold or rainy, triggered a "fudge day."  Sunday afternoons were quite often "fudge days" too, especially in the winter.  Even without the cold, we've had quite a few "fudge days" here too, until recently when he got on a health kick. (That is probably using the term, health kick, loosely.)  He hadn't made a batch for a long time, but to celebrate Father's Day, he made some yesterday. The fudge recipe, which Alan has memorized, is one that his dad used to make when he was a kid, so it was fitting for Father's Day. 

This photo captures his two most recent food fads, homemade tomato juice and coconut water.  He boils up a big pot of tomatoes and  blends it; seeds, skin, and all and freezes it.  He just thaws it and drinks it and thinks it's great.  The green things on the counter are the coconuts.   He saws the ends off, puts a hole in it with a scary-looking tool made especially for that, and drains the coconut water into a big glass.  Supposedly agua de coco has a lot of potassium and other health benefits.  I think it is an acquired taste, which I haven't acquired yet.   

 So here is the Father's Day Portrait for 2010; Alan with his a coconut that just gave him 3 cups of coconut water.  (That's a lot for one coconut).  You can see the peeled potatoes on the counter ready to get made into potato soup, another long-time favorite food.  He still has fudge on a plate in the refrigerator. Life is good. 

 

AND

AS A FATHER'S DAY BONUS

Who said you can't teach an old Dad new tricks?

Guess who did all these dishes and stacked them to drain so precariously creatively? (Our kids probably won't believe that he did them.)  He never rarely did dishes at home.  I didn't really mind because I didn't really help him with his sheep either, but, here is proof.  He knows how and he does a good job.

I can think of a few more of his food fads, like the fruit drinks, and his favorites, like the hot milk and toast.  I'm sure I missed a few though.  If you had the pleasure or the misfortune (depending on how you want to look at it)  of sharing in one of them leave a comment and refresh my memory.   

New Chapel

This is the new chapel that was recently dedicated in Juazeiro.  

  The Church really uses quality construction methods and material.

 It is so nice. 

The inside is really nice too.  (There is another bank of pews on the left side too, but it wouldn't all fit in the picture.)  This room has air conditioning built right in so it is quiet and effective.  I almost got cold.  Almost.  The bishop's office has air conditioning too, but the classroom's don't.  More about that in a minute.

The choir practicing on Saturday.

Missionaries just chillin' while waiting their turn for an interview with President Batt.  They are a great bunch of young men and you can see they are enjoying the break from the afternoon heat.

Sunday at church, we talked to this young couple with their new baby.  He was so tiny;  about 5 pounds, I think.  I don't figure kilos/grams to pounds and ounces that well without a calculator.

Not the greatest photo, but I wanted you to see the nice basketball/soccer area they have.  The young people gather almost every night and play there.

I don't know about Elvis still being alive, but I do know about John Lennon.  That's him coming around the corner in the aqua blue shirt.  I know it's him because I asked him his name when I sat by him in Sunday School.  I wasn't sure I got it right, but then I saw it written on the roll when they passed it around and "Now I'm a Believer"  (Oh yeah, that was the Monkees. Sorry.)  

Remember I said there was no air conditioning in the classrooms?  Lots of the babies were in diapers only by the end of the meetings.  The little guy in front had had it too. The shirt came off the minute he was out the door.  I wonder if they will be able to talk him into wearing a suit and tie next week.

The location of the new building is convenient.  It's on the bus route and the bus stops right out in front.

Or, you can just all jump on the family motorcycle and "moto" on home.  I hope he doesn't take the corners too fast.

This new building will really be a blessing to the people in this district.  It's good to see progress. 

Too Close for Comfort

My next space neighbor in the parking garage just got a new toy. 

I'm happy for him and all, but every time I pull in, I can't help but think about Pee Wee Herman and his Big Adventure.  

Parking is pretty tight anyway, and squeezing a Harley in between my car and his, which is usually parked behind his motorcycle, has upped my parking anxiety level considerably. 

If the unthinkable were to happen and I accidentally nudged it, I don't think he would have to scratch his head very long before he figured out who to blame.  

Pee Wee had some pretty cool dance moves and those unforgettable shoes that smoothed things over, but all I've got is the "Pony" and flip-flops.  

That probably wouldn't cut it.