today's bike ride

Saturday

Today we woke up early to go to church. Church lasted 4 hours.
Then we went to all the places in the photos on the post below this one. and a few more. My camera doesn't have a memory card, so i was limited to that and also to the fact we were driving most of the time, and usually the photos taken during driving suck.

Hopefully in the next days I'll be able to drive myself there again and we'll see. it didn't feel exotic today, mostly. The birds were fun.

I felt sickish because we had had breakfast early and I was without food for 5 to 6 hours. and that's not good. I need to eat every 2 or 3 hours, or my stomache goes on strike, and I get low blood sugar symptoms..... So we stoped at a place and ate an amazing wrap. with amazing vegetables I had never seen, I think one of them was sprouts from "linhaça" I have no idea how to translate that. it had cucumber, peppers, lettuce, tomato , chicken and a garlick cream. and it was amazing. I haven't eaten anything that wasn't delicious so far.

So then we went to visit some familly members of the friends I'm with, they're all brasilian. We were supposed to take some of those cookies I made....I made loads of them, because they weren't good, they melted and didn't rise, and, whatever, they finally were good. but we ended up not coming home again to take them to this familly's home. so everyone was wishing we had, specially me. I starved alot this day.
Then we had some tapioca! some sweet with coconut, and some salted. I ate one pancake of it, and a slice of bread and butter, and a coffee. And then......I thought I was gonna die. I had a crisis. Due to my gastric bypass I can't overeat or I get serious pain. It varies in intensity, it usually is acute and lasts half an hour at most. This crisis was big, I couldn't breathe almost. I don't even want to try to remember it. I went outside to get some air and try to survive and people were worried. and I was so embarassed. I had acute pain all over my abdomen and couldn't breath or talk, my mouth was foamy and dry.... because I was outside in the wind, mouth wide open trying to breathe. geez. fortunatly it passed quite suddenly, as it usually does, and things were back to normal. I explain to the people what had happened. If I don't eat for a long time, the next time I eat has to be a light meal. It's like a normal person doing a fast for a day and then eating a big pan of beans and meat or something like that. Tapioca is heavy stuff. I had never had it before.

It wasn't such a fun day. Due to the church, it made me think of past traumas, and it kind of haunted me... but the last part of the day the ride home was nice.
cheers to tomorrow.

Snaps

This is Las Olas, it's a beautiful street, very european-wanna-be, I loved it. lots of gorgeous antique stores and gorgeous cafes...

Loads of curious birds all over the pier. They're used to people.

Goodyear.....
The pelicans were the great atraction of the day for me. They were all over, sleeping, bathing, cleaning themselves with they're huge beak...

These guys were near a fisherman waiting for him to pull some fish. if the fish are small the fisherman throw them back in the water, and the pelicans get a chance to grab them.

The water is so clean! It's so hot and humid these days. The beaches were loaded. It's spring break, and all the students come here now-. it was caotic.

This bird is like a big parrot! it's gorgeous, but hard to get on camera.

Big Apple

THIS IS A FREAKY APPLE! IT'S THE BIGGEST I'VE EVER SEEN.

IT LOOKS SMALLER ON CAMERA, FOR SOME REASON.

It's BIG. I only got one, but they were all like this, maybe bigger. There were some normal ones too of a different brand.

Today i had venus conjunct sun, so it seemed like a good time to take pictures of me.

Do I seem bored? Taking several pictures of an apple? I'm not, really. It's just everything is new, I feel really excited all the time, litle things are exciting. I was awed during all my biking this morning at the park. i'm living intensily.

Today was one of the most exciting days. I went to get my drivers license. I studied for 15 minutes online, here: http://www.dmv.org/fl-florida/english_handbook.pdf

then we had to leave to get there on time, hoping I'd have to wait at least 30 minutes, during which i could study a bit more. No such luck. I got there and took the test almost imediatly, after all the paper work and taking a photo. They told me to go to computer #3 and take the written test!

It had 2 parts, each had 20 questions. One was general rules, the other was signals. You're allowed to fail 5 out of each 20. I failed 6 or 7 on the general rules : The signals I passed. So the computer told me to go back to the examiner, and I told her I didn't pass the first one, and passed the second.. Then she asked me if i want to take the general rules test again, it would be 5 dolars. I said: YES, I do. I had no idea I could take it again! I knew which ones i had wrong, because the computer shows it and gives u the right answer. Also the computer said the credits i got from the right answers would be considered. That sounded good.

So i took another test. some questions were the same, Most of them were the same. i knew them and everything was right. I passed. I wasn't sure what that meant. If it was all. Went back to the examiner, and she told me to come back on monday to have the driving test. I can't wait to have my drivers license, I'll take a picture of ti and post it here!

I'll pay 20 dolars for the whole thing. In portugal you'll pay 600 euros or so. (940 dolars, by today's dolar rate)

And it sucks. The traffic signals have no words or phrases, you have to know what they mean. and know alot of useless random facts about trucks and god knows what.

Anyway. I was really relived to pass. It would be free if I didn't take it a second time.

God bless America. I love this country. :) I used to not like hearing people say this, but I totally agree now. Between this and the Walmart pharmacy section, it can't get much better for me. Besides a democrat will be president soon enough.

ps- the food here tastes better. I wondered about the cheese here, and it's very good. I had an amazing pizza experience at newark airport. (I saw Kat from miami ink at the airport! :D ) There's alot of healthy food too, and it looks great. i'm getting hungry!..... maybe i'll start chowing on that giant apple now. It will feed me for a couple of days,

Biking in the Park

It's 10:30 am here and we've already gone for a walk in the park. I took the bike. I saw an aligator! and a Turtle and lots of crows and other birds! It was great! The weather is amazing.
There were a few lizzards climbing this tree, you can see one if you zoom in. See?

THAT'S AN ALIGATOR! He's very young. He's not supposed to be there, they get them out if they are big enough to be dangerous!

A crow!

more fun then stiching

There are the things I bough, I forgot to mention in the last post about that scope botle, I beleive it's a mouth wash. I don't care what it is, i love the tiny botle.


these are the stiched pants, they're strechy and really comfortable. and they look nice, not in this photo though.

this is the shirt I got today.

The unstiched pants. They are pretty. and very comfy.

they are too long. i'll stich them once i'm done here. those are my feet. some of my toes are missing under the pants. I'll get right to that.

and these cookies came a long way accross the world. they're worth it. the ants sure think so. I couldn't get a photo of any ant. they're too tiny and quick.

Love u Bennie.

day one

Today I woke up at 8 am and then we left to get my social security card... we waited about 30 minutes or a bit longer. There were some funny people there, it was packed. An old skinny lady was wearing fluffy blue tiger patterned old alippers. and her hair was crazy. People are very talkative and fun. There are loads of crows here, they are gorgeous, black and bluish, turquoise blue. Not as many obese people as I remember seeing in California, though there are a few.
Then we went for some clothes shopping at macy's and jc penny. not fun. the good clothes are extremely expensive and not worth it, and all the others are really cheap but i wouldn't be caught dead in them. i got a pair of pants and a shirt though, they're nice. and some white slippers. maybe i'll photograph them.
i didn't take any photos today.
tomorrow i'll go get my drivers license. i hope that works out ok.

then i'll cook some of those cookies. i'm improving the recipe and it's amazing by now. i use corn starch and no other flour, and a bit more of margerine. and i forgot to say i use a bit of vanilla essence now. they are the best cookies EVER! seriously. I brought some here, and i'll cook some more. there are tiny ants here.lots of them. I promisse to take nice photos. i'm dependant on other people to go around now so i don't have the time to stop and be artistic and photograph stuff that is exotic to me, like Dairy's Queen or dunkin donuts. Alot of time for that, i'll be here two more weeks.
I might go to miami for an interview.. I'll write about that once i now if there's anything to talk about.
I went to WALMART! I love walmart. I love the cosmetic /pharmacy section. LOVE IT. Love it. love it. I got some eye lubricant, some tooth paste, some protein bars, and an amazing vanilla shower cream. i'm happy. this is all i need. I'm happy here. I'll photograph all of it. just not today.
i'm tired. i slept 6 hours and we walked alot today. and now i´have to go stiching the pants i bought, cause they're too long.
more fun things to come. stay tunned.

Flight day/ Night

travel preparations

I've been doing a million things, very productive day today. I'm preparing for Florida.
I still need to go to the pharmacy to get vitamins for the month, and some Dramine, for the air sickness I get. I hate flying due to it. And go to the bank and exhange euros to dollars. The euro is exactly 1.536 dollars right now. Not bad, for me.

I need to do alot of laundry, which I HATE.

I'm really sleepy. I bought decaf coffee and i think it makes me sleepy. I sound really boring when i'm sleepy. I'm just forcing myself to write today.

If I have easy access to the internet there i'll try to keep a diary on the blog of each day.

I'll leave lisbon on wednesday morning, arrive at Newark, stay there for 5 hours and then fly to Fort Lauderdale, i'll arrive at 5 am lisbon time. I hope to sleep alot. I'll take a book too.
And some music would be nice. some self hypnosis mp3. I love those.

I went to the american embassy today with my boyfriend, to ask about working visas and fiancee visas. It would be alot easier to get married in order for him to be able to live in the states. I feel ready to get married, I want it. I love my BF so much. and more everyday. I hope i don't burst soon. He's pretty perfect.

I have jupiter conjuncting venus next saturday, and a few times later this year. like in November, and venus trining my north node in the 7th at the same time..... I have a feeling I might be married later this year.
My saturn return in the 7th will be exact on the 21st August. so after that I guess it's safe to marry, right? The golden rule will not be broken. :)

With the fiancee visa we'd have to be married 90 days after being in the states...
I need my birth certificate. i can't find it anywhere. I've had a big trip down memory lane today, going through old stuff trying to find the birth certificate. Old pictures, old love letters, penpals, friends....seems like past lifes. I've found pictures of me really big, 60 kgs bigger I'd guess. I kept some. I threw alot of stuff out. I don't like to be attached to the past. It's not time for that now. Once I move out of the country most of my stuff will be left behind. It's ok though. I can deal with it. I just want my books and some objects I brought from other countries I've been to.
I'm trying to find a friend i used to talk to on ICQ. remember that? We were really close, and then I came to lisbon and didn't have internet at home for almost a year, and she was busy with a new baby and we lost contact.... back then there was no messenger. we never knew what we looked like until we started exchanging pictures through snail mail. good old days =P

Anyway, I'm rambling alot. I wish my blog had a theme. it's too miscelanelous.
I learned today that Bush vetoed the anti torture law....."alternative questioning techniques" will continue to be used. That means alot of people will be treated inhumanly and alot of people will be confessing stuff they didn't do in order to not be tortured. Bush is such a criminal. I don't see any diference between him and saddam hussein. His imigration law will make illegal imigrants into criminals.. it won't be just a civil offense, it will be a crime, and people that help someone in that situation will be a criminal too, that means humanitary help too. If they are dying...of thirst, you can't help. if they are children.. there are lots of possible situations where this could be particularly tragic and unhuman.
My mind is blank. I guess i'll go now. I'll try to update and post pictures often. thank u for reading.

oatmeal bread :)

This recipe was too wacky. I have no idea what quantities I used.

It was some warm water with some dry yeast. a couple of eggs. a spoon of sugar.. it could have used a bit more. A bit of salt.

a big cup of oatlmean.. maybe half a cup of corn flour..... then some wheat flour until it was hard enough. then i remember i should have put some fat, such as butter, olive oil, etc.. so i put some olive oil, and some more water. because it had too much flour.... it was messy.

then i left the dough to rise for 30 min.. then mold 3 balls and put them in on of those muffin shaped things you can see in the photo. that's how I got that shape.

Anyway.....i just ate a bit with butter.. yum! I feel ready to settle down now and have a bunch of kids. Or maybe I could just feed other people's kids.

cookies

So I made these cookies, and I wanted to show you and post a recipe - a kind of recipe at least.

i don't have alot of time cause i'm baking bread, oatmeal bread, my favorite. i need to get it into the oven in 10 minutes.

On second thought, i'll go do that now!

Back...in a more relaxed spirit now. Having saturn opposite mercury means requiring alot of time to write and edit.

These cookies are really good. I've been trying different things and these were the best so far. This is what I put in:

2 medium eggs

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of wheat flour - the non self rising

and then

1 cup of self rising flour

1 cup of corn starch

(OMG the bread is smelling wonderful now...i'm near the kitchen)

The flour measures are aproximate and I don't think it's too important that they are exact. If you don't have self rising flour be sure to put baking soda. maybe 1 spoon.

then I put some coconut, maybe 1 cup.

Then i made small balls with the dough in my hands, then flattened them a bit, and put a roasted almond in the center. Then I baked them for maybe 20 min in average heat.

The bread is wonderful too. :)

My housemate says "this cooking phase of mine is wonderful" hehehe.

My camera is out of batteries, so i'm using the camera on my phone.. and them emailing the photo to myself. and it takes forever.

I hope to get the bread photo soon.....

update

Hi.
updating... I'm going to Florida for a couple of weeks this month =) To check it out and meet some friends.
i'll need to get some documents meanwhile. since my wallet was stollen last week.

I'm sick again. I have been sickish ever since 2008 began almost. I've had a flu 4 times. I have weird symptoms this time. I'm itching. not sure it's an allergy or a bug. seems like an alergy on my upper body and like a bug on my legs. I have low fever today.... and it hurts a bit. also I cough non stop for almost an our every night in the past 3 days. then I'm normal the other 23 hours. Feels like I have water in my lungs ticking inside. I'll try to go to a doctor tomorrow. hope that works out. I've started to hate doctors...
I've had other strange symptoms . I hope it's nothing serious. I don't feel much like dying at this time in life.

turns out the cooking craze isn't totally gone. I was just too exhausted before. I didn't sleep much due to the iching so i'm very tired today. too tired to cook. I'm glad it's not gone. it's not such a craze now, but it's entertaining.

Wish board

This image is definetly part of my "wish board". things I want in my life.

I'm getting very psyched about going to florida. I google-earthed it yesterday, and saw some pictures of the Keys...... tropical islands in the south of Florida. I never knew that existed outside far away pacific islands like Bora Bora, where i'd have to fly 29 hours to get to.

I'm a tropical island freak.

north node

Hi,
just thought i'd share how exhausted i am
i left the work, cause it's not compatible with a class i need to take this semester. today was the last day. i'm relieved and emotionally unstable.. i feel psychically contaminated, or at least that's what I think it is. it happens everytime i'm in contact with large groups of people for a long time. i suck all the bad vibes i guess. bad thoughts keep coming to my mind making me feel bad and i can't seem to fight them off. a salt bath is supposed to help.
this happens when i'm tired too. i keep thinking people don't like me. they think i'm bad. they don't get me. i'm alone.
there's no rational reason for this. I just see the negative side of things when i'm tired.

I've been taking a natural calmant sometimes.... makes me feel confy and have confy thoughts as i drift to sleep. Today i think i need a bath in candle light..... wish i could listen to some music too while bathing. *sneeze* life sucks.
i want another job. i like having a shedule. I applyied for a 20 hour/week job answering phones in a support line for domestic violence. that would be pretty nice. it's 4 hours a day and it's not a physical job. i should be fine there. living in a bigger city is nice for getting jobs, there's more options.

I'm planning on moving to Florida by the end of this year, me and ben. we'll get jobs and start a new life. and we'll swim and be in the sun. maybe become vegetarian. that's a long term plan for me. I imagine having a vegetarian familly. we might eat fish though. just not eat mammals. that would be enough.
I want a simple life. I want to cook and do gardening, have fruit trees and pets. I might have a baby, and ben would take care of him. he adores babies. me not so much. but being a mother is one of those things that is just part of being incarnated, one of the big lessons. right? I think it could be wonderful. it could be terrible too. I might risk it.
have u noticed how lots of people never thought of how terrible it can be to have a baby? I know mothers that never had imagined a baby would cry all night long, and get sick so often, or even be born with a terrible sickness of whatever, become an addict, a teenage delinquent.. etc. I'm very aware of all that and not really aware of the good things.
*cough* ugh. hate being sick. bye.

Persepolis Movie Trailer

this movie is so worth seeing. it's so funny and sweet.

solar return

I'm exhausted.......my wallet was stolen today. I'm just.....ready to check out. so tired, so unmotivated....tired tired tired........my whole body hurts.
I hope the next days are better. the new job is hard.
i just want to sleep. goodnight.

Rainy Sunday

it's a rainy day around here....
I've been recovering from a nasty flu.

Tomorrow will be my first day at work officially. I'll be stoping people in the street to talk to them about human rights and asking them to be a supporter. This would be fine in most places, but doing it in lisbon is kind of spooky. People aren't happy. They are poor and have too many problems of their own, kids and husband to feed, and dealing with traffic, that sort of thing. who cares about female genital mutilation and darfur when you have all these things going on. it won't be easy.
I think this will be a big part of my saturn return in the 7th. And a big part of my life in general. My development as a person. I'll need to learn to get up by myself, over and over. What saturn in the 7th has taught me so far has been to find peace inside me after being let down by other people. It made me feel ok by knowing i'm a good person, doing my best, it's ok to not be perfect as long as you are trying your best and not being mean or having bad intentions. But I wonder if i'll be able to do this everyday.
I feel sickish.....
my cooking craze is gone. i'll still cook, because i want to eat. but it's not very joyous lately.

Pray for me.

My birthday will be this week, by the way.

About Amnesty International

Fun fact about the AI: it actually all started back in 61 when an english journalist wrote about 2 PORTUGUESE students being arrested for toasting to freedom.
fun fact about portugal: we only become a democracy in 1974, 25 of april, after a peaceful revolution. meaning no one was killed during it. It was known as the flower revolution, because a woman put flowers she was carrrying in the guns of the soldiers.

Amnesty International

BULLET - THE EXECUTION

Lots of people are being sentenced to death, or life in prison for decades for speaking their mind. Go to the amnesty internationl site to find out what you can do to help. A simple letter can save lifes. http://www.amnestyusa.org/JoinUs.html

http://www.amnesty.org/ http://www.amnistia-internacional.pt/

Ask and you shall receive

Remember when I wrote this a couple months ago:

I beleive the Universe conspires to realize your wishes once you put them out there, so this is me doing exactly that.My perfect job would be 30 hours per week, using my skills in psychology or astrology, or translating, or all of the above and maybe some other skills I might have, maybe computer skills or driving skills! And i'd be payed for it, a fair amount. I'd be happy with that.Thank you Universe, in advance.

Well, I got a job! The coolest thing is they called me and offered it. And guess what, it's 30 hours a week! a fair pay! AND I'll be helping save lifes fund raising and informing about the work of Amnisty International. :) I totally identify with the ideals of the AI, I feel happy and blessed.
Thank you Universe, yet again. :)

I plan to soon post some more info about how you can colaborate with the AI and more info about what they are doing and etc. It's really inspiring and powerful.

Iceland

This was alot of fun, for 10 minutes. My face was freezing.

I went back to the car and dreamt of a tropical beach. The snow is delicious though.

Lusa, the cocker spaniel

LUSA, my favorite dog in mainland portugal.

I look really good eating snow with that thing on my hair, don't I? That black spot behind me is Lusa!

Snow and stuff

Bennie and me. I love being outside the city.

Today's carbohydrate creation. I figured out how to make them with the hole. Happy day.

Frozen grass

Butter & Co.

Forgive me, I just can't help myself....I just baked these for that dinner this weekend. Waiting for those beauties to cool down so I can freeze them.

A Randam Fact about me I just remembered: as a kid my grandmother used to crush an aspirine and mix it with sugar so I would take it when I was sick. Didn't taste bad at all.

I'll be away from home for the next 5 days and I'm afraid I'll miss cooking so much I won't be able to sleep. This is what I do lately, I'm in bed planning to cook things the next day and fighting the urge to get up and not sleep at all..... Is there a Cooking Addicts Anonymous ? Maybe I should start one. This as lasted for 3 weeks now.

I've always liked to cook ocasionally, but especially because I wanted to eat something special.

Another Random Fact: I started cooking when I was 7 years old, pancakes.

I made some great oatmeal bread yesterday. I had some fresh baked bread with real azorean butter : Ilha Azul. (translation: blue island) It's made in my island, where all the cows are happy cows.

There's pictures of the cows a couple of posts below by the way.
So, back to the cooking, I think this adiction is very interesting. It's fueled by the fact that people compliment me on it. It makes them happy. And that makes me happy. Cooking itself makes me happy lately, that's the real mistery. I think of the combinations I can make, the improvements, how things would taste if I do it another way... I'm looking for perfection. That's the ultimate goal. Makes me feel more independent, powerful in some weird housewife way.

Lately I had been feeling traumatized with dining out... since meeting my boyfriend 6 months ago I started to eat at restaurants all the time with him, and even though he usually insists in paying all of it I am shocked by how much money one spends, and then the food sometimes is so not worth it. (by the way, I've done some great pizzas at home now, that's so cheap to make an so much better then when u buy them here. I make one with pesto and buffalo mozzarela and cherry tomates, and thyme or basilic, not sure now, it was great) It might have started when I paid 1.10 euro for a Brigadeiro. I can make 50 of those with 1.10 euro. It's a tiny ball made with condensed milk and coccoa. neither of those ingredientes cost more then 70 cents and can make lots of those balls. Also because I have a tiny stomach I usually feel sick eating out because I try to force myself to eat a whole plate, then spend 40 minutes feeling very sick.. maybe all these things amounted to my compulsive cooking.

Anyway, it's not a bad thing at all, just weird.
I'd like to say my computer is packed with trojans lately. And they make my keyboard very slow. It's much better today, maybe all the adawares I installed are working, but it's still not normal. So the lasts posts are full of typos, which I won't correct unless someone asks me too. I think it's readeable like that.

Hope u enjoyed my pictures. Have a great weekend/Carnival!