T minus 1

Less than one, actually.

In under twelve hours I will head to the airport and things are finally starting to look like I am up and moving countries: Felix's documents are all in shape and duly photocopied; the bags are (mostly) packed; the office is clean (never thought that would happen!); the see-you-soons have been said; and the house, well, the house will be ready..... Just a few more hours and everything should be done - I can sleep on the plane right?

I Swear NO MORE CLUTTER

It's Saturday night, a few minutes before eight. I'm in the office, frantically filing, cleaning, shredding, and dashing off manic emails which will surely come across as rather garbled to their poor, non-manic recipients. My current thought is wondering whether or not my successor would prefer a clean desk or clean files..... I am still at the point of trying to achieve both, but things are looking bad. Pretty soon the round file will be bulging at the edges. Why so much clutter? Why notes and scribbles from three years ago? I know that we have all been here before - but truly - this time I promise: No more clutter!

House looks the same....

T minus 3

Since my last post, I have been to Serra Negra - in the mountains of the state of São Paulo, the Big City itself, Brasilia and back to Recife. Three days left 'till I'm off. Not sure where I can put in my request for the 36-hour days - my few remaining hours will be barely (to not) enough!

Curitiba: Day Two

Day two in Curitiba was spent taking the train between Curitiba - up in the mountains - and Morretes - down on the coast. The ride is a three hour descent through the Atlantic rainforest, precariously clinging to the sides of the mountain chain; at times the drop is so steep and so sudden, that you find nothing below as well as nothing to one side. The weather was overcast, so I think that the effect wasn't as dramatic as it could have been - maybe this is a good thing!

The Mountains of Paraná


The Devil's Throat

Not a Good Sign ...

Overturned frozen chicken delivery.

I'd rather not ask....

Morretes

Curitiba: Day One

It struck me after two days: Curitiba is basically a slightly latinised version of Toronto: wide avenues, trees, a public transit system that works and that people use, a mix of houses and apartment buildings, and people walking around on the streets - even past dark....

One residential neighbourhood reminded me of Beaconsfield in Montréal; big houses, lawns (!), sidewalks, trees. Why Beaconsfield? Not sure - but it definitely reminded me of it over other Montréal suburbs.

Highlights of Day 1 include:

Street Fair - Bundled up for the cold!


Botanical Gardens



The Oscar Niemeyer Museum



The Wire Opera House - trés cool

Loooooove Curitiba

The last few days are somewhat of a blur (my house was packed up into 55 boxes of varying sizes on Thursday and Friday), but somehow I managed to find myself in Curitiba - the capital of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná - late last night. My first impressions are all good:

1. It was midnight and the cab that took me to my hotel stopped at all the red lights that we came across. This is unheard of anywhere else that I have been in Brazil.

2. People live in houses! Yes, houses. And you can see them from the street.

3. People walk on the street. Lots of them (people and streets).

4. It's cold! I'm all bundled up in a 3/4 length jacket and little hat and fluffy scarf that I *had* to buy at the local Sunday craft fair. Temp. last night was in the mid single digits.

5. Pierogi and borscht are traditional Paranense fair and have been for over a hundred years.

Past, Present & Future

Yesterday: Transfered my car to new owner.

Today: Madly try to wrap up loose ends & prepare house for....

Tomorrow: Packers arrive.

Friday: Cut phone line. Thank goodness for cell phones.

Saturday: Head to Curitiba on vacation!

Full House!

Last Friday was my "official" going away party ... now I understand why my apartment was so huge. Exactly for incomparable moments like this: almost everyone that I know altogether in one room.

Sad Morning

This morning, I sat on the cold concrete floor of my parking garage, removed the license plates from car and sent them back to Brasilia from wence they came. It remains to be seen how either I, or the new owner of the car, will actually get the car to the transport department to get its new civilian plates, but until then, it'll sit, plateless and sad, in my garage.