A Sweaty Recife Halloween

To my extreme disappointment, I missed out on the consulate's Halloween festivities this year. My children had school Halloween parties scheduled at the same time, so I had to choose one. I figured I could rock out in a festive costume, fawn over the adorable children,  and maybe even meet some local moms. I even was assigned to bring juice! Unfortunately, I found out too late that the parties were only for children and thus found myself uninvited to a party I apparently was never invited to attend.  So when the time came to get ready for school, sighing in resignation, I dressed Deets up in his much anticipated costume and Margo in a party dress. Incidentally (and my apologies to Grandma Kaye and Grandpa Tom) Margo's costume, though listed to fit children ages 2-4 didn't quite fit her growing toddler body-  I squashed her into the pink taffeta dress, but instead of looking like a glowing princess, she looked like an sweaty encased sausage. A very unhappy sausage at that. 

Waiting outside for the school bus to pick up the kids, a perfect stranger sitting in his car saw Deets in his Dr. Who costume. Summoning him over to his car, I warily watched as he reached into his bag. I was curious to whether it would be candy or food- an occurrence that happened frequently in Romania but I hadn't experienced it here yet. Back then Deets would get anything from oranges to chocolate cake from bread to pork chops.  I figured this time would be something also food related, but no.  What else would the driver produce, but... a spiral notebook? An unused, hardback, lined notebook- not too shabby for a random, road side gift. I realized that the guy probably thought Deets was a professor for Halloween thus adding to his persona. For whatever reason, Deets was stoked and decided he'd use this notebook to specifically write his name and draw light sabers, sperm whales, and Daleks. Margo wasn't too pleased with the whole matter.

It got me thinking about the random things strangers have offered me and the family. Margo has been gifted cakes, ribbons and jewelry. On multiple occasions Mark received liquor often homemade, stored in water bottles or in little green bottles labeled with a cross. He got copious amounts of religious material and on one occasion received both at the same time in Bratislava. I have been given mostly benign items like pins or flowers, but once I was given two peeled hard boiled eggs from the pocketed sweatpants of a patient who came to the urology clinic I used to work at. How she didn't crush them on her lengthy metro ride into the city, I'll never know. 

In the end, after my lonely pity party I did some yoga and felt immensely better about my lack of pedagogical judgement. The kids came home exhilarated with copious amounts of candy, Play Doh, and books- and the prized possession of all time: vampire teeth. The two of them shoved those food crusted, spit soaked plastic fangs in our mouths with such joy, I had no choice but to revel in their happiness. It was a very good Halloween after all. 

Despite the heat, he was ALL about his 100% unbreathable polyester jacket.

At the newsstand practicing with their makeshift Sonic Screwdrivers.

The one notebook-two kid ratio is its own form of torture.
Thanks guy.

Going to School

I am sure for most parents, the sticker shock of school registration, uniforms, and supplies is something that you get used to over time. I don't want to hear "Just wait until they get into elementary middle school high school college!" but I gotta say, this one felt like a labor of love and was an educational introduction to school, as I will know it be from here on out. I dutifully paid my fees to the school in exchange for a two page list of supplies each child needs to have. Considering my recent success with grease, I was up for the challenge of checking off the list. After two days of feeling stoned from all the fluorescent store lighting and being overstimulated from the business and roar of our local flea market, I finished!

Schools these days. They don't mess around. Amongst searching for things like puppets, hula hoops and very specific elastic blue plastic folders, I was also in need of roller paint brushes, play dough and memory games. Plus party supplies and of course books. Veterans of Brazil said stuff was expensive here, and for the most part they are right. So out of curiosity I decided to do some price comparisons inspired by The New Diplomat's Wife who showcases a few similar products within Denmark and the United States.  

For example Margo needed a backpack. I perused and found:

Brazil: 250.00 Reais = 105.90 USD
US: $25.00

Needless to say I decided she could use my existing messenger bag until our boxes arrive. I also felt very thirsty. That led me to wanting to drink a fine sour beer...

Brazil: 52.90 Reais = 22.41 USD
Europe: 4.30 Euro = 5.54 USD
US: 15.00

Ok- so maybe I bought the beer anyway. To be fair, I didn't drink it because it's Mark's "Welcome to Brazil" housewarming gift. Instead, I stayed the course and bought all of this instead: 

Grand total: 498.80 Reais = 211.74 USD
With haggling. 

I am not complaining one bit. In fact- I am grateful because our children are fortunate to have a great education and opportunity. Mark works very hard to provide for them and so far they love school. According to Deets they have "the coolest airplane collection ever" and he likes riding the bus like the big kids. Margo? Not so much. Once the fervor dies down I am told she enjoys music and dancing. She even gets a shower every day before coming home. It happens to be one of her favorite things (next to running around naked of course.)   

I'm not sure of hot pink shirts are allowed, but I had to pick my battle. 

Waiting for the bus. Margo's holding a bottle opener ready to help.