Apartamento Mattison- culinary castle, yo.

Luc has been living with me here in Brazil the last three weeks (and hopefully for a while). It has been pretty awesome being able to show him around Campinas. We are currently planning a trip with 5 other co-workers to visit Florianopolis in November. I also want to take him to Sao Paulo for a more economical, yet equally as fun getaway on a weekend. I feel pretty lucky that life has worked out this way so far. I have extremely awesome brothers, and I consider both of them my best friends. I wish Ben could be here too.

Anyway, I wanted to post some of the meals we've been having lately. Cooking with two people in the apartment is much more fun. I have made more cakes, cookies, and sweets in the last few weeks than I did all last year, as a result of having another person to share them with. I used to avoid making so many cakes because I tend to eat half of all the confections I create... It is way more fun to spread the fruits of my labor around.

Luc is also an awesome cook. He is way more talented in the "salgado" area, or salty dishes. He made this a couple days ago with herbs from our balcony garden! Homemade pesto pasta with red pepper and onions, and this AMAZING pumpkin puree with ginger, rosemary, baby potatoes, and several spices. I really need him to teach me how to make it because it was one of the most delicious things ever. Pumpkin is sooo good.

All the meals have been made using veggies from the street market. I go every Saturday, and the difference in price between buying produce there or at the supermarket is pretty insane.

I also made this stirfry using ingredients from the market (purple cabbage, shitake mushrooms, chicken, broccolini, greens, and brussel sprouts).

I took a picture because it looks like Donatello.

dreaming

I carried the dream around like a full glass of water, moving gracefully so I would not lose any of it.”

― Miranda July, No One Belongs Here More Than You

This is one of the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen. I think if Bjork was a flower, she'd be this one.

Ode to the Drag Queen in the Beauty Shop

I walked into your shop

with its brightly colored purple exterior

looking for a massage.

You were applying warm wax to

an old woman's upper lip;

distracting her with gossip while you

smeared and ripped,

smeared and ripped.

She must have been at least seventy.

I worried about her delicate skin,

and how that must feel at her age.

But she could not have cared less, and

instead laughed wildly at your story.

You paused for a moment and walked my way

swaying your hips, your big bundão

mini-skirt, short black hair, and lined-lips.

the fake nipples poking

through your tight sweater.

You, who are so proud.

A real show of your talents,

an expert at your craft.

Next time, I want my hair cut by you.

Arte

It's a very rainy Sunday. I've been in my pyjamas all day grading papers, doing my Portuguese homework, and watching this crazy storm on the couch by the window. I love having a balcony more than anything else about this apartment.

Here is some of the artwork I've bought since moving down here. Most of it is from Rio, but I have a few things from Salvador that I'm still deciding where to hang up. Yesterday Lisa and I took stuff to get framed at an art store near the convivencia, so I'll have two more sketches of gauchos I bought in Cordoba to add to the mix. I have no idea where I'm going to put them. I'm running out of wall space! oof.

made from a box of matches

I fell in love with the old man who painted this.

beads

my favorite one.

mercado municipal, Salvador

mini trees made from coffee beans, cinnamon, and seeds.

poetry books. 2 reais each in Salvador.

The best one is Meus Poemas de Saudade e Amor. muito romantico <3

Sound Effects ! PLAM!

I bought a Monica comic the other day after reading one at Vitor's house. Lots of people of all ages collect them here. To my surprise, the one I bought made me laugh out loud several times..it's not just for the kiddies, folks!

It also took me back to when I was an avid Archie Comics collector. I will always hold a special place in my heart for Jughead. Archie was always way too busy messing around with Betty and Veronica. Jughead Jones LOVED food, especially hamburgers...way more than girls. . Plus, he had some major huevos to wear that crown to high school every day.

::sigh::

Anyway, Monica one ups Archie when it comes to sounds. I love Portuguese sound effects, and these comics are full of them. Here are a few:

lazer

lightning bolt!

falling down

the broken bike sound

Ker Plunk

Hammering

A mix of a leopard growl, a howl from Cascao

Arranha is "scratch!"

Morde is "Bite!"

morning walk

I went for a walk in the neighborhood and took some pictures of beautiful things.

super gushy teacher post

Another week at school done. This ween went by waaaaayyy faster and waaaayyyy easier on account of my class suddenly cooperating way more than ever before. It may have been the new toys I put in the treasure box, because everyone is obsessed with these little keychains I bought at a dollar store, and they all want to earn enough stars to get them.

By the way, I don't care what anyone says, I am all about reward systems in the classroom. My kids are awesome, and many of them are internally motivated, the majority actually. However, for the five or so kids that are definitely not motivated, stars and treasure box toys work really well. So I'll continue to use them, because we all know that it only takes one or two kids to throw the whole class off track.

We also started a new unit in Science this week on natural resources and nonrenewable resources. I've been showing them videos about our obsession with plastic, the trash islands in the Pacific, and reducing waste. I have them all super pumped for our assembly next month where we have to present a play for the school with the theme "Respect the planet". They have all sorts of excellent ideas, such as collecting all the plastic cups thrown away in a week and displaying them at the assembly so kids can see just how much is wasted in only five days. Or the fact that one of them wants create a raft made of empty water bottles to use in their pool. They also spent their free time after morning work making posters all week and hanging them in the cafeteria above the trash cans to remind people to dispose of waste properly.

I have created a class full of hippie activists, and it's pretty supermuitobom. Anyway, I'm going to post some stuff in my class that showcases the excellent mood that all my kids seem to be in lately.