Tired...

Ok, so this is not a transcending blog post, nor something very interesting, funny or worthy of your time. Sorry. It's just that I'm tired. Traveling for this long takes a lot out of you, especially when the airline loses your bag, the hotel and other things annoy you, and all you want to do is sleep for a week. I'm at 3 months of traveling today, and I've been to 9 different countries in 2 continents.

I was thinking yesterday that I am in Greece after all, and I could find one of the millions of amazing beaches and just sleep.... that's when I realized I don't even have a bikini... :(

I apologize if this is a pointless blog, but it's a sad day when I need a vacation from my vacation...

Faces and Appearances

We tend to look at people and create an idea of who they are, within a few seconds, most of the time before they even open their mouths. It's that first impression that is so important in so many moments of our lives. As the saying goes: "You never have a second chance to make a good first impression."

I'm thinking of this now, because someone spoke to me in Arabic, then as I looked confused, they asked me in English where I was from, and then looked surprised and said "but you look Arabic!"

In Israel, everyone was speaking to me in Hebrew directly, and even the fact that I had a Lonely Planet guide in my hand didn't make them think I was a tourist. I went to a synagogue, and this girl sitting behind me naturally passed me a prayer book and pointed to the part of the service where they were... I could only smile and nod...

While in France a few years ago when I was taking care of 3 little girls, people would always ask me if I was their older sister... and I've lost count how many times I've been stopped on the street by people asking for directions. Ok, some of them were tourists, but some weren't!

In Italy, same thing, I had a guy actually not believe me that I was not Italian... and I don't even speak Italian!

In the US I had a roommate in college who was full blooded Navarro Indian... and people thought we were sisters everywhere we went. And some people have called me "Pocahontas" before and are certain I have Indian blood in me (which I don't btw).

Obviously in Brazil nobody thinks I'm out of place... and the same is true with Argentina and Uruguay.

So all of that got me thinking... I guess I have a pretty general face/features that can fit into a lot of different countries. I'm sure in Sweden I wouldn't look like a native, nor in Africa, but most places in-between seem to think I don't look much different than them.

The question I ask all of you is this: What's in a face? What makes a face interesting, or friendly, or "common". What constitutes a good "first impression"?

I was just wondering...

FIGHT THE POWERS THAT BE!!!

This is actually a travelpost, but it also fits into this blog, so I'm posting it here too... to make sure people see it! :) 

Yesterday evening I arrived at the airport in Berlin with my nice little backpack, the same one I had been carrying around for 2 months in 7 (count them, SEVEN) low-cost flights, always as a carry-on, and with absolutely NO PROBLEMS. The bag is pretty small and even fits properly in the box they have at the airport that says "If it fits, take it on board!"

Well, the lady at the counter decided that I couldn't take it on board, and would have to pay, even though the bag WAS in the box! She argued that I couldn't easily put it in the box (which by her description meant in one move, like a nice little suitcase). This is a backpack, so it takes more than one continuous movement to put it into the box, but it fits. She said "I'm not going to argue with you. Will you pay to take your backpack, or will you stay?" I picked up my passport from the counter and left, furious, because NO, I was NOT going to pay.

So I called E. and we started talking about what to do, he went on the Easyjet website to look for their terms and conditions of carriage, and it states clearly that if it fits into the box, you can take it on board. It says nothing about how you manage to put it into the box. Now please, look at the pictures below and tell me if the woman had ANY reason to complain!!!

From one angle...

From another angle... 

The backpack is completely in the box, and you can't even see it!

So I took pictures of the backpack in the box, went back to the woman, put my phone in her face and stated that I was recording this conversation, and started to tell her about the terms and conditions of carriage stated on the Easyjet website. She wouldn't even look at me, she told me to go talk to her supervisor. I did, and again, stated that I was recording the conversation and that I had taken pictures of the back inside the box and that if she didn't let me in the plane I would contact Easyjet, customer service, passenger rights and every "proper authority" I could think of to make my rights heard. I guess she decided she couldn't really argue with me, and that if I really was going to make such a big deal, I could take it on board... so the only words she said to me were "ok, you can take it then" and signaled to the check in lady to give me a boarding pass. The lady, having lost her battle, of course, didn't even look at me, just handed me the boarding pass, and I smiled triumphantly at her and said "thank you." 

Moral of the story: don't try to cheat me of my rights. I already have so few, that I am damn right going to make them be respected! Low-cost airlines make it cheap to take flights everywhere, it's true, but they've got no right to cheat me and make me pay things I don't owe them. 

For all of you friends and travelers out there: don't let them cheat you!!! :) 

Happiness...

I think happiness takes a lot less than we'd normally think...

Of course, that's a sentence full of pre-requisites. It's hard to explain. I guess what I mean is that we don't need a lot to be happy... we just need the right things.

I'm sure those of you who have lived through this know exactly what I'm talking about...

:)

Communication-- Friend or Foe?

If you believe in Evolution, you will believe that species developed communication to help them in cooperation and survival. If you believe in Creation, you’ll know the story about the Tower of Babel, when God implemented different languages all at once so that mankind could no longer cooperate and build the tower.

But no matter what you believe, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of examples coming to your head of misunderstandings and communication problems that have caused difficult situations.

So I’m wondering why is it that sometimes it’s SO hard to say the right words to convey what we mean? Even when it’s something you believe with all your heart, sometimes we’re just clumsy, and end up causing more harm than good. Let me give you an example: a couple of days ago I was at the Zurich train station, and this guy was going around saying “Jesus Christ is Lord.” I was a bit surprised, and didn’t know what to think. On the one hand, I was happy and even encouraged that he believed it so much, that it permeated every fiber of his being and he didn’t care if he looked like a fool-- he just had to proclaim what he believed. On the other hand, he was more likely scaring people away and reinforcing the belief that all Christians are freaks.

Thinking about all of that also makes me think about communication between men and women. How can it be so hard sometimes? Why is it that the most important things are usually the hardest to say?

At least I can say I’m happy that sometimes, every once in a while, time is your friend, and what would’ve turned out a disaster if it had been said 7 years ago, turned into something wonderful when said now. ;)

Expecting and being expected…

One of the things I hate the most is having to wait for someone to pick me up… be it at an airport, train station, whatever. I have some serious expectations about that. I know it’s probably stupid, but it annoys the crap out of me, and makes me feel completely unwanted. Most of the time I don’t need anyone to go pick me up, I can make my way to wherever I’m going on my own, and that’s perfectly fine. But if you volunteer to come pick me up, please don’t make me wait!! My own family makes me wait, and I’ve already yelled at them and told them to just not come at all, I’ll take a bus, taxi, whatever, and go home on my own, cuz I just hate waiting!! Especially since I know they live like 10 minutes from the airport….(This rule has a few exceptions, like if you had to drive 2hrs to get to the airport to pick me up, you’re totally off the hook if you’re late… cuz I’ll already be so freaking impressed that you were willing to drive that far to pick me up that I won’t mind waiting…)


The other day I was at the airport waiting for a friend and I realized something: I’m usually the one traveling, and being picked up at the airport/train station, but I haven’t actually waited for anyone in a while. I started looking around and was reminded of that scene at the beginning (and end) of “Love, Actually“. It’s true. If you want to see special moments, and people being genuinely happy to see someone else, all you have to do is go to the airport. And it’s a pretty incredible feeling to go through the arrivals gate and see someone there smiling and grinning, ready to give you a huge hug, and just happy to see you. Makes me feel loved and cared for…

It’s just one of those moments that are so simple, and so powerful… at least for me.

Memories...

Sometimes all you need is to see someone you haven't seen for a while... a very dear close wonderful friend, to remember those moments spent together many, many years ago, and how true friendships really do stand the test of time, and no matter what happens, you love them and they love you just as much as if you had never been apart.

Friends are truly the best thing in the world. Not ice cream. Not even love. (Since love without friendship would probably not last long anyway).

Today I am thankful for my dear friends, old and new, scattered across countries and continents, but who are incredibly dear to me and who I miss and love very much.

Thank you for your friendship. :)

Saudade...

Saudade is a word that only exists in Portuguese. It cannot be correctly translated because no other word (at least to my knowledge, and yes, I have researched it) can convey all the feeling this word carries with it. It means you miss something or someone. But it carries with it a bit of nostalgia... a bit of sadness... a bit of love... a bit of sweet memories...

It's a beautiful word.

The worst thing you can do when you feel that about someone, is think about them, about the happy moments you've spent in their company, or even worse (if that's possible): read what people say about them. Then you'll see through other people's eyes how wonderful that person is, and confirm what you already knew: you miss them terribly!!!

:(

New Beginnings...

It's a New Year! Like every year, we think about the things that happened in the past year and make a balance of it all, remembering certain things with fondness, others maybe with sadness, but I think looking at the lessons we've learned and the wonderful things that happened is a good way to start a New Year full of positive energy and a desire to make this year even better than last year!

I had a wonderful 2009. It was full of challenges, of beauty, of friends, of happy moments, of not so happy moments, of adventures, of difficult decisions... It had all the ingredients a year must have, so that I can look back on it and say it was a year well lived.

Now 2010 is upon us, and it's almost crazy to think how fast time goes... I hope it turns out even better than 2009, and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make it that way! :)

Love you all! Happy New Year! :)

Serendipity

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Serendipity is : the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for;

Nothing could represent that to me more than what happened today.

I'm walking around with Liesje and Ana through the streets of Ipanema (yes, like the famous song) and we stop at a big flashy fruit stand. The guy was an excellent salesman, and started giving us little pieces of delicious fruits to taste and be tempted, before quoting exorbitant prices for them. We were busy trying to figure out what to do, if we should buy something or not, when I hear something in the background that catches my attention. It sounded like "mangostino."

For those of you who don't know what this is, it is a fruit from South-east Asia that I am completely obsessed with, and it is without a doubt the best thing I have ever tasted in my life. By far.

A few months ago, I spent a couple of weeks in Colombia looking for it everywhere I went (as somebody had told me you can find them there) but with no success. After I left, a friend of mine was lucky enough to find them, but I wasn't there anymore, so I didn't get to taste heaven.

And then today happened. I wasn't thinking of mangosteens. I had never heard they existed in Brazil. I would've never even dream of looking for them here. Don't know anyone who knows them and hasn't been to south-east Asia (or been told by someone who has.)

So you can imagine my surprise, and my reaction, when I caught that faint "mangostino" and turned around to realize that I was indeed NOT dreaming, and the old man from the fruit stand behind me (which I hadn't given any attention to and would've missed completely) was opening one up and offering me a taste of heaven. I tasted it. I started laughing and hyperventilating and acting like a crazy nut.

Of course, I bought some, at the price of gold, but who cares?? It was cheaper than a plane ticket to Thailand... :)

All of this to say, if you haven't had the chance and happiness of tasting a mangosteen, you don't know what you're missing... but most importantly, sometimes the best things in life we find when we're not looking for them.