Seeing
I visited Santos, Brazil over the three-day Easter weekend. It was fun to see where my boyfriend and his family grew up. Santos is beautiful and more laid-back than busy São Paulo, and it is the southernmost place I have ever been.
Smelling
Popcorn! Lots of street vendors sell popcorn in the afternoons and evenings when I’m on my way to and from work. I usually don’t carry cash, but the other day I happened to have something that works equally well: Easter chocolates. Guess who successfully made a trade with the popcorn man!
Tasting
While in Santos, we strolled along the beach and I decided that this was the time to finally try a traditional Brazilian caipirinha. It’s a drink made from sugar cane alcohol (pinga), lime juice, sugar, and crushed ice. I liked it, but it was too strong for my lightweight body. When my Portuguese improves, I’ll ask for it to be half soda water.
Hearing
I’ve been listening to The Fountainhead during my commutes. It really takes my mind off of how much time I spend riding the metro. I'm so close to finishing it, but my loan expired and someone else was in line for it. Curses!
Touching
Wool blankets! The nights have been much cooler as we shift to later in the fall here in the Southern Hemisphere. Unfortunately, it’s not cold enough yet to kill off the mosquito population.
Interesting Links
Do not miss this series of posts about teen-girl representation: About the Girls
Some goodies found on the awesome #VeryRealisticYA
Why I Need a Break From Books About Dead Girls
Can’t Get Enough of that Trope