One of those days...

Basically I had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Well really just afternoon. The morning was fine.

My kids made my cry (and by kids I mean students).

And then I got hit by a car.

Seriously. Like me. My body.

I'm fine. I just got bumped (the guy was backing up and didn't see me. And I was watching traffic and didn't realize he was backing up. I got bumped. Fell down. I only have bruises and scrapes.

The guy didn't even stop. He saw, looked irritated that I was in his way, and drove off.

I cried.

Now it's all good.

I hate these days.

Dr. Google Diagnoses

So I know it's not good to self diagnose...but I thought I was crazy. Here is the thing, if I wear heels with a closed back, I automatically get blisters. But that didn't use to happen. I have these little round bumps on the backs of my heels. They are hard like bones. I have lost a LOT of weight in the last couple of years. I attributed this to finding lots of bones in various areas I didn't realize I had and are now much closer to the surface.

But lately it's been bothering me more and more. And I'm all, this cant be normal. But what if it is and everyone thinks I'm crazy. So I did what any one I would. I asked google. And google did not fail me!

I have Haglund's Deformity . I am almost 100% positive this is what is going on. It must be aggravated by the fact that now I walk almost everywhere, whereas prior to my Brazil life, I drove everywhere. And I'm on my feet in school during classes most of the time, particularly with the kids. So I guess the first thing I'm going to do is go find some heel lifts (anyone know where I can get those? Or what the name in portuguese would be?). If that doesn't work, it's off to the docs for me!

I have a question

So, here is the thing.

I know everyone is not down with the Masons. Totally fine. My Dad is a part of the organization and I was a part of the daughter's organization in my teens. In the states, it's no big deal. I know people are all, why is it secret and whatever...which I understand.

However, here (in Ipatinga, not all of Brazil) people seem to have this belief that they are a church (they are not), and that they are somewhat satanistic. Um...what? As far as I was concerned, and as far as I was involved, we had meetings and we raised money for charitable organizations and did lots of service projects. So why is it all crazy here? People think it's like really really bad. Does anyone have anything on this for me?

I just got into basically a war with my family. It was not pretty. I was/am mad. Someone help?

Just Because

I can not believe this baby girl will be a year old in June...it feels like only yesterday I became her aunt!

What is it with me and talking about gross things lately?

I remember it like it was yesterday.

The itching. The pain. The swollen eyes. The gook that crusted your eyes shut at night.

Pink eye. (For any of my Brazilian friends reading, pink eye=conjunctivitis)

Possibly put here on this earth as a form of hell.

And here in Ipatinga it is a RAGING EPIDEMIC. All my students have it. All my co-workers have it. Family members have it. And I am going through hand sanitizer like a hypochondriac in a hospital.

Remember that I mentioned I ride a hospital bus to get to work?

Seriously it's like torture. Every time my eye itches I swear I have pink eye. I refuse to touch my face and every time I forget...I curse myself all the while convincing myself that I have given myself pink eye.

However, so far, so good. Knock on wood. Throw salt over my left shoulder. Four leaf clovers, horse shoes and rabbits feet. WHATEVER. Just please for the love of all that is holy DO NOT give me pink eye.

I know this isn't just in Ipatinga, but is it just as bad everywhere else in Brazil? The states?

Gross

In the mornings generally I take the bus to work. The particular bus I take is, unfortunately, on a hospital route. Which means that right now, all the people who are sick are riding the bus. This also means there are a lot of old people on the bus. This also makes for some interesting times. And lots and lots of hand sanitizer. So this morning it was really great. I continued my morning tradition of giving up my seat to a member of the elderly....I just can't watch them swaying and hanging on for dear life in the aisles. People, I ALMOST made it to my stop without a single incidence. And then I hear the voice of an anxious mom (i had my headphones in) Move to the side! She's going to vomit! Cue yucky noise and something wet and sticky all over my jeans and feet. Gotta love public transportation. Happy Wednesday friends.

A lesson worth learning

So here's the thing...

I come from a place (the US, you know, just in case you forgot) where in the summer, pasty white is definitely not a good thing. In fact it is frowned upon. Maybe even considered sickly to be so pale. There are many jokes...ones like blinding people in direct sunlight which may or may not be true .

However here in Brazil, people are HORRIFIED that I would want to be tan. They are equally horrified if I get burnt. I am lectured constantly about sunscreen, umbrellas, and freckles. I get freckles if I get sun...here it is not cute. It's a hard mindset to change. Especially when people get a look at you for the first time and the first thing out of their mouth is something to the effect of, "nossa, ela é branquinha demais!" (or, "oh my gosh, she is so white!")

Normally I don't mind except that one time a cashier asked me if i ever went out in the sun and then I wanted to reach across the cash register and give her my own special ray of sunshine ...normally it's just a comment, but it's hard not to take it as a negative given what the culture is geared towards back home. (And I know a lot of people back home are very conscious of the sun too and are big advocates of sunblock, just throwing that out there)

So anyway, why all this? I'm burnt of course. So I will take the next few days of all the stares (they can't believe a person can be so red), the lectures, and I will nod my head and agree. Then I will embrace the whiteness. I will learn the lesson. I will use sunscreen daily. I will use the umbrella in the middle of the day when waiting for the bus or walking in the sun (although I really hate it). I will see it as a good thing. Even when little kids follow me around whispering because they have never seen someone so white. True story y'all. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.