Return to Rio

Well, Carlo and I survived another crazy visit to Rio de Janeiro! We have just barely returned to our regular daily routine, but we're still having problems getting used to the cold weather again.
We had such a great time! I was happy to find myself communicating with our Brazilian friends with much more comfort. My portuguese is still really primitive, but its getting better. At least this time I didn't have to have Carlo (aka: translator) at my side at all times so that I could communicate. I could actually manage on my own a little.

What up What up!? A dogg and biggie C just arrived in Rio!!

Before the Carnaval celebrations began, Carlo and I went with some friends to visit the Cristo on Corcovado. Our driver was extremely knowledgeable and took us on a little tour of Rio before we arrived at the statue.

Group photo! Our driver stopped at a lookout spot in the middle of the forest where you could see the statue. See it behind us?

Even though it was my second time visiting the statue, I was still overwhelmed by how beautiful it is. It really is incredible.

Once the festivities start, Rio becomes CRAZY!! Seriously crazy! The streets everywhere are crammed full of people dancing, drinking and doing things most would rather not see!! (like urinating in public so they don't have to miss out on valuable party time)
The streets are packed!!

You have to be careful not to get separated from friends in these crowds.

As you can imagine, whenever crowds of this size gather, the weirdos start to surface!! Endless people watching entertainment!!

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After four days of celebration, we were very happy to have a few days left in Rio to relax and enjoy the best part: THE BEACH!! I have never seen beaches as beautiful as those in Rio. I may not be as well traveled as some of the other family members, but I would be willing to bet that the Brazilian beaches are some of the most beautiful in the world.
Look at that sunset!

I love these photos...the sunset made the lighting perfect, almost looks like a fake backdrop, right?

These are our best friends Kevin and Alex. They live in our same building in NYC, it was great sharing this vacation with such close friends

I love the way the mountains seem to flow gradually into the ocean, creating these cool little islands along the coast. Like the ones you can see behind Carlo and I here.

Every day at sunset, the Cariocas (people of Rio) stay at the beach until after the sun goes down. Then, they all stand and thank the sun for a beautiful day with a standing ovation! It gave me the chills the first time I experienced this. They are such a passionate people.


We cannot wait to go back!!
Amms

What it takes to feed a family...

I thought this was pretty cool. I have no idea who put it together, but it is pretty telling, or, at the very least, interesting.

Here are some pictures from several different families across the globe showing what they eat in one week as a family. It is interesting to note not only the size and the cost they incur to feed their family (and how it differs from country to country), but also the types of foods that are avaliable in each country.

I don't know about you, but it really makes me grateful for what we have and at the same time it makes me feel gluttonous for having such abundance. I hope we never take what we have for granted and look for ways to help others and share what we have been so richly blessed with.

Ok, check this out:

Germany:
The Melander family of Bargteheide Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07


United States:
The Revis family of North Carolina (Sure hope most American families eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and less junk food than this family.) Food expenditure for one week $341.98


Italy:
The Manzo family of Sicily Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11


Mexico:
The Casales family of Cuernavaca Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

Poland:
The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-JeziornaFood expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27

Egypt:
The Ahmed family of CairoFood expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

Peru:
The Ayme family food expenditure for one week: $31.55

Bhutan:
The Namgay family of Shingkhey VillageFood expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

Chad:
The Aboubakar family of Breidjing CampFood expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

Makes you think a little bit doesn't it?

Air Carver

We recently got a few of those large bean bag chairs and, well, we had to break them in...head over to our family blog to see some pictures Katie just posted...

...and yes, I do have mad skills.

-Cim