2005-10-13 - 5:31 p.m.
We needed something quick to eat in between the bus ride to Angra dos Reis and the ferry boat to Ilha Grande. So we dropped into a Max Burger, a brazilian fast food joint equivalent to Wendy's.
Now, Freddie did really good through out our entire trip with communicating. While neither one of us speaks Portugese, we brought a little phrase book with us and, when in doubt, Freddie would rattle off some Spanish, which was usually "close enough" to get the point across.
We were looking at the menu and we saw what appeared to be a value meal: burger, fries, soft drink...and an ICE CREAM CONE? All for 10 reais? (about 5 bucks). No! couldn't be!
Erin: "Um...so how does it work? I mean, if you get an ice cream with all that food, what do you do with the cone while you are trying to eat the rest of the stuff? 'cuz I don't want to eat the ice cream first and all?"
Freddie: "Weeeell. I don't know. Let's just order and find out!"
(p.s.? we did a lot of that -- "I have no idea what that sign says, so just go ahead and do it...if we get yelled at, we'll know we were wrong. Agreed?")
Freddie placed the order while I got a table. When he got to the table with the food, he had all the elements except the ice cream.
Erin: "What? No ice cream after all?"
Freddie: "I think we get it later. I mean, I think that's what the dude said." - waving and smiling at the counter guy - "I have no idea what he's saying right now."
Just as we were finishing the meal - voila! - the ice cream was presented to us with excellent, smiley customer service.
Now, I ask you, WHERE in America can you find service help that notices your meal progress and WALKS an ice cream cone at to you at the perfect time and in a cheerful manner?
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2005-10-11 - 7:26 a.m.
Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand.
Where do I begin?We did the wedding thing and we were off to Rio two days later. We just got back Sunday.
I am completely unorganized about how I want to express myself right now.
I guess you'll have to take all the little stories that come up over the next few months and put them in chronological order for yourself. Partly because I get so excited and inspired to share a certain moment and then say to myslef "no, no, no! you can't write about THAT until you write about THAT OTHER THING..." (which is the painful, Type A, linear thinking I am trying to move away from.)
The other reason my stories will be a bit piecemeal: that's just how it is all coming back to me. I spent nine months putting The Big Show together and - woosh - it's done now, but I have to concentrate really hard to put myself back into the moments. Everything entrophied once we got into "tech week" (as we say in theatre).
I am off work this week, which I highly recommend for any brides out there reading this. Just knowing I had a whole week to decompress after my honeymoon made everything so much more relaxed for me. When I found out from HR that I wasn't going to get vacation pay since I was in my first year on the job and didn't qualify, it went a little like this:
Erin: "So...you're telling me I just...won't get paid for the time I am off doing the wedding and honeymoon thing?"
My Boss: "Yes. That's correct."
Erin: "Well, shoot. I'm taking a MONTH. See ya!"
My Boss: "Arf?"
It was awesome. And now I am enjoying my week in my jammies...catching up on everything I was too busy to do when I was being bridal.
Hey, guess what?! I am a wife now!
"Clearly I am still on vay-cay...as I forgot to include the comments when I first wrote this."
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