Traveling, Staying, Missing

I started writing this post in Brasil and I didn't finish it. It's very hard for me to finish things when I'm there. I try to take control of my time, but in a way or another I end up with my To-Do list just the way I left it.

Every single time I go to Brasil, I make the commitment to do every single thing I wanna do and guess what? I don't do it! I don't visit the friends I wanna visit, I don't eat the food I wanna eat, I don't go to manicure/pedicure as often as I wanna go and so on. I neglected even some doctors. I feel as my time doesn't belong to me over there. I never get it!

So, since I'm home now, I'll finish the post below that I've started long ago.

Wow, I don't remember being this long without posting anything.
Well, let me see...

My nephew was born on 21st, one day after my birthday and just like my oldest nephew and my niece, he was born on 21st, but in different month. What is amazing about it, is that my father passed away on 21st and this day, of all months, was a very sad day for me, but now, those beautiful human beings came to cheer this day up. Thanks guys!

My nephew is so so cute! I really mean it! He seduced and seduces everybody around him for real. Everybody says that Márcio, my nephew, was born "already raised" because he seems that he is 3 months old already!

Just to keep things on normal level, I'm sick. I got a flu, but not the swine one, just a normal flu that is letting me lazy and I just want to be in bed in a dark room and in silence. The fever is high, but I'm already medicated. It will be over soon. The annoying about it, it's that here in my hometown, people are going nuts because of the swine flu and nobody can sneeze or cough around anymore. I mean, polite sneezing or coughing with your hand blocking the virus to get out of your mouth. If you initiate a sneeze, people immediately give you a weird look.

I'm staying at my mother's because I don't want my newborn nephew and my sister-in-law to get any sick. You know she is nursing.

Anyway, here in Minas Gerais, my state, there is no winter whatsoever. It's hotter now than Nigeria was and I do mean it. Winter now just means one thing: dry season! Days seem even hotter than 15 years ago when I was living in this town. All that my dilemma about what to pack was a really a waste of time. If I could anticipate such a weather I'd pack much lighter . In this 25 days I'm here, I didn't wear any long sleeve yet, just summer dresses and I'm so very sure I will not wear any.

Well, things are pretty ok over here. I have spent a lot of time with my sweet niece Maria Luíza. In fact we are together as rice and beans. We get along very very well and she is definitely my pal. I love the way she talks and conduce herself. It's a little lady and not just a 6 years old girl. Oh boy, I have a lot to learn from her.

Besides my cold, I'm not spending much time at my brother's simply because I have no practice or skills whatsoever with babies. So, if I can't help I think is better not to disturb. I became the delivery lady though. Everything the ladies in charge of taking care of the babe and Marly, my mother and my sister-in-law Márcia, need they ask me and I'm ready to go... or to come.

My fever is a little higher now. Better take a rest.

My fever lasted about a week. It was a hard time for me because I couldn't even read, but also I had a wonderful nurse who took a good care of me. Thanks Maria Luíza! Yes, my niece was there by my side all the time. One afternoon, she was sweeter than ever and I spent all afternoon long resting my head on her lap. We watched Barbie's movies, cartoons. She made me juice, fed me and overcame me with her caress and love! What a doll!

Maria Luíza and I had a great time. Even though we didn't do almost anything on your list, we did a lot. The time to say goodbye was pretty hard on both of us. I couldn't see her eyes full of tears...oh poor thing. She was trying her best to keep me there at least until her birthday now in September 21st. I wish I could!

From Brasil I went to Paris for about 5 days. It was amazing without being redundant. I guess going to Paris is always a amazing experience. I have been there a couple of times and I don't need map anymore to go where I wanna go. This time I stayed in the Quartier Latin, in front L'Université Paris-Sorbonne. From my window, almost covering it as near it was, there was the majestic dome of its chapel. The Théâtre L'Odéon was just 2 blocks away as the Panthéon and the Jardin du Luxembourg also around the corner.

I had a wonderful time there. As it's summer time almost all small museums and galleries are closed for vacation. French style! So, I spent my time going to bistrots to have a glass of champagne at sunset time, then I take time to walk by the Seine river without any rush. Also I spent a lot of time reading in those little charming cafés where you can stay for hours and nobody will disturb asking you to leave.

I didn't go to any tourist spot this time, besides la Cathédrale Notre Dame. I go there every time I'm in Paris firstly to thank God for such a wonderful life and also to feel the smell of centuries of burnt candles. I love it so much. As soon as I step into it, I close my eyes and I let that very particular smell get into my heart. It takes me back in time in seconds. The smell will always be there, impregnated on those secular walls that have been the silent witness of history. I just love it.

Besides many other places, I also went to Centre Pompidou, but it isn't a touristic stroll for me. It's pleasure and work and a must go. I spent the whole day there looking and appreciating Modern and Contemporaneous Art exhibitions.

I told you, I really had a great time there. I will post pictures soon.
I'm finishing my unpacking task, organizing my closet, my house and my academic life and I'm almost getting over of the jet-leg.

Getting rid of the jet-leg seems easy comparing to the knot I have in my heart for missing my nephews and my niece. Guys, you are so especial to me! I love you with all my life, heart and soul!

Another Earthquake in Taiwan

Another earthquake just hit Taiwan and it seems that people are so used to it that they just don't care, or don't care anymore.

For sure I'm the only one literally in panic, crying without stop. This time the magnitude of the earthquake was 5.5! In Italy, last week, was 6.3!

I'm still in panic! Thank God everything is fine now...I guess, I hope!

Pollution of Taiwan

Back of one of my book shelves!

This is mould! A huge culture of mold that has grown on my furniture and on my life since I got back from Nigeria and Brasil. Luck me that I'd spent almost 2 months out because believe me, it could be much worse to my lungs.

For more than 2 months, north of Taiwan doesn't have a day without rain or gray sky! I'm so tired of this!
I'm very dependable of a good weather to be in a good mood and I can tell that it hasn't being easy to cope with such situation.
Everything is moulded, everything smells badly. Doesn't matter how many times I change the anti-humid and nice aroma saches of my wardrobe and drawers, it always smells terrible.

It is a hard work to keep the house and the furniture mould free. I have lost how many times I have scrubbed the back of the furniture to take this crazy field of mould out and after 1 week it is back again and stronger.

I guess I'm allergic to it, or as I have asthma it gets worse with the smell that insists in living in my home. I keep the windows always opened but it doesn't help.

Taiwan's weather is not a funny thing at all and besides it the air is extremely polluted due the careless of the industries and government about it! Taiwan is an island but without clean beaches. All of them, in the north of the country, are extremely dirty and pollued by the industries that use the ocean as trash can! It's a pitty!

My respiratory system claims for pure air.

Back of my printer table!

He lied to me!

He lied to me!

I can't believe I was that naive after so long... I trusted his words with my life and I prepared to live on happily after all.

He promised that my dark days were gone and from now on I'd have only bright days as fresh spring mornings. And I believed on him. I did believe on every single word he said and wrote. That was really a punch on my face. I do have faith on the power of words. I used to believe that words have lives on their own, and what was once said...it's said forever. When you write something down, it doubles the power of it, making a agreement that can't be broken easily.

Well, he just threw beautiful hopeful word on the wind. He did! As soon as the first morning coming I realized that I was betrayed. Those beautiful promises that brought back joy to my heart again were meaningless!

I'm lost, I don't know what to do anymore. But I'm so very sure of one thing: I will not look or even believe in any single word Yahoo says about weather anymore. I can't live waiting and hoping that sun is going to shine tomorrow and get frustrated as soon as I wake up with the unchanging reality!

Yahoo lied to me! He lied to me!! Yahoo promised me 5 days in a row of sunshine light and all I get is rain,rain and more rain...

I'm moulded!

It's almost 4:30 AM and the window in my bedroom looks...wet! It seems that even the window is crying asking for a few hours of sunshine day!

The humidity here is extremely high. Today it reached 92% and I can't take this anymore. Really! I'm cleaning up the mould every single week and it comes back stronger. Even some clothes got moulded. I'm moulded for sure as well.

I live in the 12th floor of a 13th floor high building and all this wetness in the interior of my bedroom's window is the consequence of months without sun light. I was preparing to sleep and I needed to try to dry it because the water was coming to the floor already!

It's too much rain, too much!

The interior of my bedroom's window!

Really, it's the interior not exterior!
It's raining through the glass and metal parts of the window!

A lake is forming in my bedroom!

The mould starts and grows daily!

Glacial weather of Taiwan

Yesterday I had no power to take my pajamas off, I just did that to take a shower and then back in my flannel starts pajamas again.
It's freezing here in Taiwan. It doesn't stop raining for ages. I don't remember a sunny day this year. The humidity is super high and this makes the 15 degrees Celsius looks like glacial weather.

Really, +15 here is much colder than -15 in Switzerland. Firstly there is no heat and the wind is crazy. I feel the cold into my bones. Oh gosh, I'm really in a process of being frozen.

With all this, of course that my body couldn't take without getting sick. I got a strong cold and I'm feeling miserable. I was trying to study, but the book seems too have for my weak arms.

I just want to sleep, sleep for days and nights and just wake up and get out of my cozy warm bed when someone tells the weather man that he has sent enough rain and that we need sunny bright days from now on.

Back to sleep...

Another earthquake!

Taiwan had another earthquake and this time it shook good!!

I was in a couch few minutes ago and I felt myself shaking and suddenly I started listening to some noisy coming from the kitchen. Just then I realized that the noise was provoked by an earthquake that was shaking the building and everything else. I have some bottles on the top of the fridge and they were beating against each other, adding a terrify noisy to my fear.

My building started swinging as it was made by rubber. The small chandelier on the living room calmly was dancing and I never saw it small hanged pieces moving before.

It was really really scared! I checked in a weather website of Taiwan and it was 6.0 of magnitude, what for Taiwanese is nothing, since they are so used to those natural phenomenons.

I looked outside and life was going on normally!

Taiwan

It's 2:57AM and I got home approximately 30 minutes ago. Thank God the flight was tranquil and we all arrived here in Taiwan safe and sound!

I'm so glad I'm home!

Hong Kong

I'm at Hong Kong International airport. I missed the flight I was supposed to get, but I'm ok. It's retuning back to Hong Kong now, because there is a typhoon, again, in north of Taiwan.

I hope I can get the next one, around 6:30PM, and land in Taiwan safely, without any typhoon.

My blood pressure is getting very down, really dropping down, and I starting sweating a cold sweating that is making me very uncomfortable.

In about 10 minutes I'll find out whether I'm going home or not...

Time and its reflexions

After a very long journey, 28 hours flying and 36 hours trip, I'm home!

I'm being jetlagged good and since I got here I'm not able to do much. I don't know if is time to wake or to sleep, or it's breakfast or lunch. Anyway...time and sleep are not what I do the best thou.

Right now is 6:20am and I'm impressed with the warmness I felt outside. According to Yahoo Weather it is 27 degrees Celsius and humidity of 84%. The air condition is on all the time and I didn't feel how sultry the day was. Now as I didn't sleep...I decided to do some laundry and as soon as I opened the laundry's door and this very hot air came without asking for excuse and hit me good! At 6:20 in the morning!!

I was exposed to weather like this just twice in my life. The first time was in South Caroline, Charleston, and the second time in Texas, Dallas, what impressed me because I always thought that Dallas was dry as Brasilia is! Well, I really don't remember about the humidity in Dallas but I remember the insupportable sensation of being outside. It seemed I was inside a pressure cooker and it is exactly what I feel being outside here!

I went out with my dear friend Zoe 2 days ago to have a foot massage. Oh god, I'm writing about it. Until now I didn't decide what I think about it. I just know that I cried as painful and hard it was!
So, we walked for some blocks to get to the place and I can affirm that I was destroyed when we got there. I mean, I was destroyed! Zoe was spotless, flawless, sweatless, really impeccable! My hair was glued in my head, my t-shirt was dirty and wet only 20 minutes after a relaxing shower! I really don't know how they manage to be like this under this weather. I'm so jealous!

Sunrise is being very early. Around 5am the day is bright and clear. I don't have a blackout curtains here and I do need to providence it in a regime of super urgency. I have looked for it, but the currier I have here is not the common type. I've looked at Carrefour, Ikea and some other stores but I didn't find any blackout that could fit into it. For sure I need to look for it at some specif curtain's store.

Oh no, Portugal is out of the UEFA!

I feel a little and timid wish to sleep coming slowly slowly...at 7:46am...I better respect it otherwise it will be gone all day long!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

My blue sky!

Outside is a beautiful day,
(I just opened the window and snapped it)
an amazing blue sky that
I use to miss madly and
I'm under a blanket
burning up in fever!

North Coast of Taiwan

Saturday I left home around 8 AM to go to a beach, any beach! I love the smell of the sea and the feeling on being near it. As it isn't the first time I live in island, I have lived in one in Brasil and it was great, I was very excite to discover this lifestyle here in Taiwan.
Being from a country who owns a beautiful and long coast I use to admire the mysteries of the sea for long. Unfortunately the state I was born in Brasil has no sea, so this increase my passion for it.

Anyway, on my mind I would be back home with a little tan and a huge smile on my face caused by the sunshine day...I was soooooooo wrong!!
Well, there was no sunshine day but only rainy day! Just about 30 Km from the city I live, the sky started become grayer and cloudier and the inevitable came...rain. Came and didn't stop until today, Tuesday!

I was driving to the Northeastern Coast when I realized that my plans for a long and lazy day under the sun would be gone! So, since I was passing by an exit to a famous village I changed my plans and I went to Jiufen that is an old historical town on the top of the mountain where the main attraction is the craft and the tea houses!

It was a very nice going to there. I love how things usually turn out greatly of a frustrate previous plan!

Northeastern and North of Taiwan

The organic shape of those rocks are beautiful,
making them natural sculptures!

I love those shapes!

My swim suit is in my car...
Wondering...get it or not get it!

The road contorts the coast proportioning a
scenic view in each turn!

Abbey road in Keelung!

Taiwan is a very beautiful country
and it's always a pleasure to travel around here

On line, waiting for a fresh and warm meal in Jiufren!

One of the many comfy and beautiful tea house of Jiufren!

Tea time!

Green tea's cookie, dry mango and the wonderful mountain's tea!

Preparing the tea with all the formalities!
Very nice!

The atmosphere of this tea house is absolutely perfect!
I loved there very much!

Tea house! It's so charming!!

Tourists and more tourists taking a pic of the tourist...

The view from the old village!

The funniest diet propaganda I ever saw!
Yeah, right! Just take this medicine and...

101 building on left, a view from the road!

Earthquake

Exactly at 2:24 PM I was in my bed with my laptop on my lap chatting with a dear friend and then my bed started shaking very strongly. The window was closed, air condition off, but the curtains were moving as well!

My heart almost got out and I got very very scared, really in panic because I live in the 12th floor! I guess all the shaking duration was less than 1 minute but for me it was an eternity!

As soon as I caught my breath back I goggled to find a website about earthquake and I found exactly what happened here.

The city I live is just at the end of the red line,
on north, over Taiwan!

A friend just said the Taiwan is a blessing because it has "just" inoffensive earthquake!
Yeah, right!

Alishan - Ali Mountain!

Last week I went to Alishan, Ali's mountain, South of Taiwan!
Alishan is the most famous scenic spot here in Taiwan and I got amazed to see how far people travel just to watch the astonishing sunset, sunrise and see the cherry trees blooming!

It was an amazing holiday plus weekend here! On Friday was Ching Ming Jie, the day to pay a solemn homage to the beloved ones who have passed away! In this day the Taiwanese visit, clean and light incenses to their dearest ones! Along the road was possible to see the smoke of the incenses coming out of the cemeteries and long lines of cars! And I can tell that it seemed everyone left home in the same time. Every single place was full of people and food.

I left Taoyuan under rain to get there, only 250 km far, under shiny and bright day! The blue sky lighted my heart up and I was feeling the queen of the world, really!!

I took a lot of pics but for a better vision and understanding, I advise you to start from bottom to top! I never get the pis in a correct way!

The monkeys came to steal some nuts from the tourists!

I could stay there for hours and hours just looking at
those magnificent mountains!

I love the blue of the sky...remind me of Brasil

The best spot to watch sunrise at
Alishan Forest Scenic Road!

Thank you God for all this!

Thank you!

Thank you for allow me to see
the splendor of your creation,
dear God!

Sunrise at Zhu Mountain peak!

The great apparatus people bring to see the stars!
It was before 5AM

In front of the hotel, people preparing to see the sunset!
It was before 4AM

I stayed in a hotel at the top of the mountain! On 3:20 the bedroom's phone called the whole hotel, waking us up to get in the bus to go to a scenic stop to watch the spectacular sunrise!

It was a great experience, I just loved! I'm those kind of people that think that I don't need words to explain any art work. It just talks by itself!
I know it's a little strange to an art historian to say that, but I truly believe that people don't need any guide to their emotions, just let it flows to its maximum without any holding! When any art work touches you, it's because you feel it in all its plenitude and it is what matters!

Well, this master piece of God's work doesn't need any explanation at all! It's a pleasure and privilege to be able to look at it and to feel it...but unfortunately the Taiwanese people don't share this opinion with me and there were guides talking all the time without stopping during the sunrise magic...The guide was speaking in Mandarin and using a megaphone to reach as many people as he could.
So, I tried my super best to be as far as I could from the group to listen to the extraordinary silence, that is the better soundtrack ever, produced for this show!

After 2 hours walking in a park,
I got at the best spot to see the sunset in a perfect time!

How come I can see such a beauty
without tears coming out of my eyes?
Impossible!

Brasil? Present!

This tree is 2500 years old!

A train station on the main spot:
Ali's favorite tree that was broken by a wind storm years ago!

Food market at Shouchen Temple!
Taiwanese people love to eat!

Shouchen Temple!
My passion for dragons keeps growing here!

Two sister's pond!
Says the legend that two sisters fell in love for one man,
and one of them killed the other one to get his love!
Then the one only pound divided in 2 being the sisters apart for good!

Incredible view, amazing feeling!
I got touched for sure!

A practical joke to a Brazilian friend!
A "Paçoca tree"

Alishan Forest Railway that is one of the only three remaining
alpine railways in the world!
It goes from 30 mt to 2,450 mt above the sea level

How gorgeous is that?!

Cherry blossoms! I always saw that on TV
but I never imagined I would be presented with such
a great moment in my life!
Thanks!

The main gate of Alishan!
Crowd places here is really a pleonasm!

Tea field! It smells wonderfully!

Going to the temple on Saturday morning!

The scenic road to Alishan is really breathless!

Typical Taiwanese woman going shopping early in the morning

Chiayi City! It's the main gate to Alishan

Food court at a gas station! Was it crowded?
I don't think so!

Stop at a gas station/food court!

Believe, it says: you are here!
So easy to get lost here!!