Sunday, January 29, 2012

Sunday in Porto Ferreira


29 January 2012

Yes, I know, I am wayyy behind on uploading photos and making posts as usual. 

On Sunday we went again to the river at Porto Ferreira just for the afternoon.  The water was warm and the weather was not but not stifling.  A perfect day to spend on the river. Fantastic time with fantastic friends!  

Rather than buying supplies, we started with lunch at the floating restaurant "Costaneira" (which was no longer floating because the river level is much lower than it was in the winter).

Also with us was our new friend, Mr. Chicken.  I am sure the other customers in the restaurant loved the music he made.



As you can see, the river was MUCH more crowded than it was in November, as it is now officially the summer holidays here in Brazil.
 I was thankful for the shade on the bank, but these girls wanted to catch a few rays, even at the peril of falling backward into the water!
Going out in the boat... the engine of which was less than reliable that afternoon.  It stalled repeatedly and had to be paddled ashore several times.  Crazy.
Stalled, and waiting for the boat to drift back to the bank... hey, let's take more photos!






 High fashion photo shoot...
Group photo time!
photo: Juliane Mai
The entire group together.
photo: Juliane Mai
We stayed until after 10pm and the stars came out. The constellations here are difficult to identify because the orientation is different and also because a large portion of the sky here is never visible in the northern hemisphere, so it takes me a long time to find familiar constellations.  Orion is always visible but he is upside down in the evenings.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Summer garden flowers

27 January 2012

The garden here is a neverending source of new and interesting plants and flowers to me!

Red fuzzy caterpillar flowers.
 That strange monkey tailed tree I photographed in the spring has the most beautiful yellow flowers, reminiscent of wisteria.

Four different trees in bloom together - two different yellow ones, the red and the purple.

A large funky plant which resembles a stubby palm tree in the ground, and now it is in bloom - the flower is kind of like a large feathery brain!

These leaves are about one meter (one yard) long and were absolutely amazing with the sun shining through them and lighting them up like stained glass.



Adult intensive - final day

27 January 2012

This adult beginner intensive was one of the most fun classes I've ever had.  We sang, we danced, we talked about our lives and generally had a great time. You girls rock!!!





Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Teen Intensive - final day

24 January 2012

I enjoyed this three-week intensive course so much.  Two teenage girls aged 11 and 15, 90 minutes per day.  Seeing them every day made for a much more relaxed atmosphere and a smoother lesson flow.  The girls are of an age where they are very curious and have a lot to say, so it was lovely working with them.



Monday, January 23, 2012

Clouds with a Silver Lining

23 January 2012

After a rainstorm, the clouds were so amazing with the light shining so brightly behind them.








Saturday, January 21, 2012

Farewell Party

21 January 2012

A friend is moving away to Sao Paulo, so we had a farewell party at the nearby Sunset Bar.  As usual there was much silliness, impromptu songs, and exchanging of lettuce bouquets.









Random videos during the party...



Group photo!


Saturday, January 14, 2012

Birthday Party!

14 January 2012

This day was the 30th birthday of a very special friend!  She had a small party at home with family and friends, barbecue, food, music, and laughter.

(Note: I normally avoid posting people's names on my blog to protect their internet privacy.)



The birthday girl, receiving strange gifts... a gourd that says "hollow leg" and has a face on the other side.

First, some family photos.


And then some pictures with the rest of us.




The Brazilian version of the birthday song.

The moment of truth. Can she blow out the candles on the first try?

Sort of... but they were trick candles.  Nice try!  I think it still counts for a wish.

 Mmmmm, cake.
 I swear, we really didn't drink THAT much...

 The family has a young boxer who is obsessed with balloons.  the dog would bounce the balloon in the air with her nose over and over, it was really cute.

I'm not sure how my camera did this, but it turned out cool.
Here's a video so you can see how cute she is.

 Not everyone likes playing with dogs... hilarious moment caught on film!

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