How Andre and I met

Friday 21st December 2007, I was living in London about to finish work at ISS Eaton. I felt tired and I was not sure if I would have the energy for a night on the town with the girls. I spoke to Harp over the phone and she convinced me to go but I told her I would catch the last train home. I met up with Harp after work and went back to her house for dinner and for Harp to get ready. Our next destination was Covent Garden. Covent Garden Market is beautiful, it is in the heart of London and a popular local and tourist spot. There are market stalls, restaurants, pubs, and even a night club called "Road House" where most of my evening will take place. Harp and I met up with a Polish friend of hers who works at the market and went to line up to get into the "Road House".

We did not have to wait long before we got in, we walked down a flight of stairs as the bar was underground. It was a big club and packed with people drinking, socializing and dancing. It was an American style bar with vintage motorbikes and cars displayed above the many bars, there where booths where you could order food. The club was split level with one big main bar area raised in the center of the club and you step down a meter of stairs to get to the dance floor. We left our jackets in the cloak room and ventured out to explore the club. Wasn't long before Harp was at the bar buying a round, beer for me and we cheered to a girls night out.

The DJ was pumping out classic house tunes that made my body want to scream with joy so we danced, and danced and danced some more. There was an annoying young guy who kept pestering me telling me how beautiful I was, blah, blah, blah. Every time he walk past me he tried to get a dance and eventually my number so I gave it to him and said "we'll catch up some time" then he left me alone. I was having such a blast that I didn't care if I missed the last train home, I didn't want this night to end. I shouted a round of drinks with my remaining £20 and I was on the water after that. Later in the evening the girls lashed me for men, so much for a girls night out. I stood at the main bar watching everyone dancing, drinking my water till my glass was empty and went for a refill.

I walked past a guy and he stopped me to say hello, we talked and he introduced me to his friends, they all seemed lovely then I proceeded to the bar. The guy came up beside me and asked what I was drinking and I told him "Water", he didn't believe me so I gave him a sip of my water. I walked over to the edge of the bar to watch the dance floor and the guy walked over with me and asked me "who are you here with"?. I embarrassingly pointed to Harp who was trying to be sexy leaning backwards over the balustrade. He asked me for a dance, how could I refuse. We danced for a couple up tempo songs, he knew how to move, he spun me around and we danced close to each other. It felt nice to be held by a man. He made his move and kissed me, I closed my eyes and I felt fire works exploding inside me.

It wasn't long before the girls were hounding me to go home so I exchanged numbers, kissed one last time before I began my long tedious journey home to Barnes. Three buses and three hours later I was home in my warm bed. I woke up with a smile on my face, thinking what a lovely night I had. That afternoon I got a call, "do you know who this is"? I had forgotten his name so I replied "yes of course the Brazilian guy I met last night" we arranged to meet on Thursday night at Baker Street station.

Thursday came and I was at Baker Street station waiting for my man to meet me, from around the corner came the young annoying guy from Road House and I said "Hi, what are you doing here" his face went white and I realized he was he was also Brazilian and I thought "oh no, your the wrong guy". Did I just say that out loud? He mumbled something and began to walk away. Oh my god, I did say that out loud. I ran after him and I apologised and said "I think we both need a drink" so we shared a drink and talked and it was an early night for me. As soon as I got home I rummaged through my phone to find the other Brazilian guys number and messaged him " What you doing"? a few short messages were sent back and forth and I was invited to a birthday party by the right guy this time.

The 5th of January came and I ventured over to Steatham to the birthday party, I was so nervous especially after what happened the pervious week and I still did not know this guys name. He was there when I arrived and I was introduced to everyone at the party and desperately waiting for someone to call this guys name out, I was to embarrassed to ask for his name now. I spoke to a another friendly guy and he asked how I know the Brazilians and I told him "I met them all at Road House a couple of weeks back" and then I hear an "Andre" and my man answers, yes I have his name. Andre came back with a beer for me, I was so happy to know his name. I ended up staying the night and when Andre and I were alone he asked me "will you be my girlfriend", I smiled and replied "yes".

22 Week check up

Andre and I went for my 22 week check up with my Brazilian obstetrician, Dr Holland on Tuesday this week. It's always nice to see my doctor, I feel safe with him. He does his own ultra sound consultations so everything displayed on the screen is explained thoroughly. Unlike the rude ultra sound technician we encountered in Williamstown hospital, he did not say a word to us and when we asked questions he answered "it's not my job to comment you have to speak to your doctor". Later when we returned to see my obstetrician at the time Dr How, said "I am not an ultra sound technician, I don't do his job".

Dr. Holland spent an hour and a half with us and checked all the baby's bones, brain, internal organs, sexual organs, umbilical cord, placenta and blood pressure for both baby and I. He measured everything and all that I could understand was perfect, it is so good to hear a professional reassure you that your baby is growing perfect and dispels any fears I have. He explained the natural birthing procedure to Andre and he then relayed onto me in English. So long as the baby dose not grow to big and there are no complications there will be no problems having a natural birth. I feel quite opposed to caesarian sections because it is a major operation however if is is necessary I would not argue with the doctor.

Andre and I try to imagine what our baby will look like, will it have my eyes? Andre's nose? my athlete body? Andre's brains?
I still don't know the sex of the baby, just happy to know that the baby is strong and healthy unlike the rest of the family. They hound me every time I have a doctors appointment "what sex is the baby" and I always reply "I don't know and I'll tell you when the baby is born" Graziela thinks it's a boy, Jerusa and Iracema want me to have a girl so they can dress her up and put bows in her hair.

My boobs have grown more, they are nice to look at however I don't know how women live with them. They get in the way and they jiggle all over the place when ever I do any form of exercise. Well I am stuck with them now so best I get use to them. 22 weeks in and no signs of stretch marks, I rub oil into my tummy, boobs, hips and thighs every night. Blood tests and needles are the only thing I have cringed at so far. There has to be a better way to remove blood, I cannot stand the pain or the sight of the needle penetrating my skin then vein. What's worse is when the nurse misses the vein altogether and has to try again on the opposite arm.

Being pregnant has had an effect on my dreams, strange and vivid. Every morning I have a new crazy dream to tell Andre. My cravings are changing, in the beginning all I craved was salty/savory foods. Now halfway into my pregnancy and I am starting to crave sweets, cakes in particular. I still off chocolate and candy. I had a craving a week ago for pancakes so Andre took me to "Krepes" a local pancake restaurant. There I came across main meal savory pancakes, you choose the filling and sauce topping. Sweet filled craps on a stick is new for me, I gave it a go and I loved it. I will be back for more.

Andre love my new baby body, he is always complementing how beautiful I grow everyday. If Andre got his way I would be pregnant for the rest of my child bearing life. Bless him, he is so sweet but that's why I married him.

Christmas is coming.....

The countdown is on...15 days till Christmas Day. I have not been caught up in the Christmas fever this year so far, I have no work Christmas party to go to because I don’t work anymore. No money to buy christmas presents so I cannot go crazy shopping for gifts. At least Andre’s mother has made an effort, she is spreading her christmas cheer. She has decorated the house from top to bottom and inside out. It looks beautiful, there are santa’s hanging from light fixtures and the balcony. Christmas lights decorate the front of the house and looks magical at night. Christmas ornaments, fake plants, ribbons, you name it, it’s all here.

I am starting to miss home a little, most Christmas’s are spent with my family but not this year. It will be spent with my new family, my husband’s family. Brazilians are big Catholic followers, especially Andre’s family so I think Christmas day will be celebrated in grand style. I feel awful that I cannot buy presents due to lack of funds so instead I will contribute by making a Christmas cheese cake for all to indulge.

Iracema is very busy this time of the year at her school, winding the year to an end. This means late nights at work, Graziela and Diego have been burning the candle at both ends as well with no extra pay. Jerusa could not care less about staying behind, she is home most nights on time. I am looking forward to get back into work, even if it is casual. I may be working at the local English school next year. I am starting to get a bit nutty, I spend nearly every waking hour in the house. I need to see new surroundings to stimulate my brain.

I miss blueberries but I have found a replacement....açaí berries, a Brazilian super fruit. Most commonly eaten frozen then blended with granola sprinkled on top. I love a half bend of açaí and half frozen peaches topped with granola. Açaí is packed with Vitamins B1, C, E, fiber, proteins, potassium, calcium and antioxidants. Brazilian Athletes always eat açaí and hour before their events and it gives them the energy to perform their best. I am no athlete however I am pregnant and tire very easily and açaí gives me a boost.

“Oranges” are not actually orange in Brazil, when an orange is ripe the skin is green and the flesh is yellow. How can you call this orange an orange in Brasil? “Lemons” have green skins and green flesh, they look like over grown limes. In the supermarkets they sell tiny “quail eggs”, they are so cute and are used boiled in salads. They are the perfect size to fit in your mouth. Brazilians also love “farofa”, it’s bread crumbs fried with oil, onion, dried meat and eaten as a side dish or sprinkled on top of salads/beans.

People in Rondonopolis love to wear jeans, I honestly don’t get it. It is so hot and humid and everywhere I look everyone is wearing jeans. They wear jeans to work and out on the town. The shops have walls and walls of jeans in all shapes and sizes. The women prefer to wear skinny jeans no matter what size they may be and men wear relaxed fit jeans. My brother Daniel always wears jeans so he would fit in just fine here.

Messias is finally home, he arrived at 6 am this morning by taxi from Cuiba. He’s crazy, he spent R$400.00 to get home from the airport. He woke Andre and I up at 7 am this morning and I was not happy Jan. I had not got a lot of sleep as Andre and I spent all night talking again. I stayed up for a bit, it was so good to see him. It’s been a month since I saw him last and now the whole family is home, a full house.

Wrong side of the road

Do you know that Brazilians drive on the wrong side of the road.
It was a little scary for me when I first arrived to Brazil as Andre says it is the right side of the road (literally) but for me it's wrong. As soon a I get into a car, I buckle my seatbelt and hold on for dear life. There are so many motorbikes and scooters here and they swerve in and out of cars, on average there are more motorbikes and scooters per person here in Rondonopolis than anywhere else in Brazil. There are 2 kinds of cars on the roads here, you either drive a big pick up truck or a tiny small car. There is no in between cars and as I learnt the other night motorist do not respect pedestrians, I almost got run over at a pedestrian crossing.

I have tried lots of amazing new drinks and foods, my two favourite drinks are fresh "pineapple with mint" juice and "Guarana Antarctica" soft drink made from the Amazonian berry Guarana and is the second most popular soft drink after coca cola in Brazil. An unusual one I have tried is "cashew juice" from the fruit of South American cashew trees. Some new foods I have tried, "mandioca" a potato like root vegetable eaten steamed or in soups. "Tapioca bread", a white, soft, bread like pancake filled with meats and melted cheeses, I like this one a lot. "Corn ice cream" surprisingly very delicious, "sweet corn cake", "corn pudding" and "creamed corn". There is lots of corn here in Brazil and they have come up with some creative ways to eat it.

From time to time I get sick from new bugs and germs introduced to my body from trying new foods or eating out and it is not fun. When this happens I am usually up all night fighting world war 3 inside me but feel better within 24 hours. This does not stop me from trying new food or eating out. Everyday at midday everyone comes home for lunch and the maid Maria has a feast ready on the table of rice, beans, salad and a different type of meat each day. I look forward to lunch everyday and it is the main meal of the day here in Brazil. Dinner is usually left overs from lunch, if there is any left or toasted sandwiches.

Eating at the local plaza is quite an experience, you take a seat at the table in the food court and waiters from all the food shops come to you with a menu and take your order and deliver the food to your table. Once you have finished they bring you the bill and you pay the waiters. You don't have to queue for your food, you just sit down and enjoy your meal. Here in Rondonopolis you eat or use then you pay later, if you want to hire DVD's, you take them home and watch them once you return them you pay for them. Oh how this privilege could be abused in the wrong hands.

I am a little disappointed with the cinema's here in Brazil. All the blockbuster movies are dubbed in Portuguese and if I'm lucky enough to find a movie in English the sound quality is poor and I struggle to hear anything. They also have purple sweet popcorn and it is not very nice and never go to the movies on a Wednesday here because all the school kids go to the movies to socialise and hang out with friends, very loud and rude. Thankfully the DVD store is my salvation for because all the DVD's are originals (English) so this is a better option than the movies for me and anyway I make the worlds best popcorn. I find myself with a lot of time on my hands so I have been reading, my latest book is "eat, pray, love" I highly recommend it to all the ladies, it's beautiful.

My portuguese is coming along very slowly, the portuguese/english dictionary and phrase book are my best friends. Andre helps me but I find myself just talking in english because it's easy, but a different story with the rest of the family I have to try. My gorgeous sister in law Jerusa always is up for a chat with me and I really enjoy this time with her because she is patience as I flick through the dictionary to find my words. Graziela is moving to England early next year so I try to speak english with her, has a pet name for me already, "bunitinha" and every time she say it to me she squashes my cheeks between her hands which means cutie.

The weather has been crazy but always hot, one minute the sun is shining, the next there are wild wind storms, lightening, thunder and rain. The storms can be very violent with howling winds like out of a horror movie and make a real mess. Thunder so load that it shakes the whole house, I feel so small and powerless compared to the great forces of the almighty mother nature. My favourite time of the day here is at night when all the street lights are on, Rondonopolis looks like a sky full of stars. I sit out on the balcony in a rocking chair and just watch the world go by so calming and relaxing.
Life doesn't get better than this.

My Unborn Baby

This is something new for me, a baby, and it's in my belly.

I can remember the day I found out I was pregnant like yesterday, I had a feeling something was up with me when I did not get my period for 2 weeks. I happen to be walking past a chemist on my lunch break and stopped in my tracks, I thought I have to know for sure and this was the only certain way. I asked the assistant where I find the pregnancy tests and she guided me to the baby section, there are so many to choose from. The assistant assured me they all did the same job so I purchased the test and took it home that night.

I told Andre that I had purchased the test and he wanted me to do it right away...so I peed in a cup (because I did not want to pee all over my hand) and dipped the test fibers into the pee. Now the test is supposed to come up positive after about 5 minutes well, we only had to wait 30 seconds for a positive result, I'm pregnant. I was speechless, I mean I wanted to have children with the love of my life and we talked about it but when it actually happens I did not know what to say. I didn't have to say much anyway Andre was ever so excited and still to this day says it was the happiest day of his life when he found out he was going to be a father. I am excited but weary because of the what if's and I know will I share Andre's excitement once the baby is in my arms.

Pregnancy was not kind to me in the beginning, I had constant nausea 24 hours a day but I never vomited. I was cranky, moody, snappy, tired and I think I almost made Andre hate me during this period. I hated myself because I could not control my own body, I felt like the young girl in the Exorcist movie, possessed by the devil. Saying and doing things I would never in my dreams say otherwise. The nausea stayed with me until 16 weeks before it subsided and I haven't even mentioned the sore gums yet. In to my second trimester my gums on the left side become weak and this was very painful, I could not eat and I still cannot eat on my left side of my mouth.

So far we have had 3 ultra sound tests, the first at 8 weeks. The blob in my uterus did not resemble a baby yet, but it already had a heart beat. Every time we have a scan Andre gets so excited to see the baby, it's a real treat for him because he can have a look behind the scenes once in a while. The second scan was at 13 weeks and now the baby has arms, legs and we see all the internal organs and brain. The last scan was yesterday at 18 weeks with my new obstetrician in Brazil, he is very happy with the baby and I and kept saying how perfect baby looks. It is amazing to see the baby at this stage, we could see all the bones developed and the baby measures 21cm. It's half way to meeting Andre and I.

Thank god now at almost 19 weeks I am finally starting to enjoy my pregnancy, my belly is growing day by day and I love rubbing my buddha belly. For the last three weeks the baby is strong enough for me to feel it moving, at first I thought I had wind but quickly realised that it was actually the baby. Each day the movement gets stronger and stronger and over the past week Andre has been able to feel the baby to, you should see the smile on his face when he feels the baby move. The baby is most active at 10'o'clock in the evening, I when I am settling to sleep, cheeky.

The obstetrician asked if I wanted to know the sex of the baby, at the beginning of the pregnancy I wanted to know so I could pick a name and buy appropriate colours, but now I changed my mind and want a surprise. I figured that I really don't get all that many surprises in my life so I want to wait to the birth to find out whether I am having a boy or a sweet little girl. Right now I don't have any interest in knowing the sex, I am just happy that the baby is healthy and moving. Although I have thought about names, for a girl I would love to name her Jasmin and for a boy I adore Benjamin but Andre is not so keen but one name we have agreed on is Romeo.

Whether is be Jasmin or Romeo, I look forward to finally meeting you come mid april next year.

My new home in Rondonopolis, Brazil

Well here I am in Rondonopolis, Mato Grosso, Brazil. With my new husbands (Andre Gustavo Dinardi Peixoto) family and I am 4 and a half months pregnant. You could say a lot has happened in the last 6 months. There is way to much to write about so I will focus on my first impressions of my new home.

Rondonopolis is a small town with a population of 200,000, to a new comer it would be a bit of a culture shock however I have travelled all through Peru, Bolivia and Brazil before so I knew what to expect. Rondonopolis is a very dusty town, not just any old dust but red dust, I kept waiting for horse back cowboys to stroll down the main roads and my wait is over, last night on the way home form the farmers markets I got my 2 cowboys on horseback, hats and all.

It is very hot in Rondonopolis depending on the season rainy - humid and dry - dry hot, yesterday was very humid hot being rainy season at the moment and no matter how much liquids I was consuming I was constantly parched. I found it difficult to breath at times to. I need to keep a bottle of water with me at all times and pray I get use to the heat. Maybe I should make use of the pool in the back yard to cool down at times.

The night markets were pretty good, lots of fresh produce which is heaven for me and half the market was food stalls preparing dinner for the shoppers. The market reminded me of the night markets in Melbourne in the summer time except it is always summer time here and so every friday and night you can grab a bite, catch up with friends (not that I have any yet) and shop for fresh produce for the week. I experienced my first proper "pastel", a square pastry pocket with various filling, mine being shredded chicken. It was delicious and I will have to try all the flavours. I also had a bite of "pamonha", a creamed corn steamed slice and fresh sugarcane juice, "garapa" mmmmmm. I hope Andre takes me to these markets every friday.

Brazilian people are very friendly and come in all shapes, sizes and colours, I wish I knew Portuguese, I would love to converse with the locals and shop for myself. I will make it my mission to learn asap. One thing that really alarms me about Brazil is they don't really use seat belts, I see pick up trucks loaded with kids on the back and even Andre's sisters always tell me I don't need to wear a seat belt. I wear one anyway because they might be good drivers but I worry about the other drivers on the road.

My new family, are a colourful bunch. Andre my adorable husband is sweet and we are so alike in many ways, we both share a passion for food, arts in all forms and love of course. Our greatest love will be making an appearance mid April of next year.

Iracema my mother inlaw is a work'a'holic, she owns and runs a private school nearby and it is one of the most successful school in Brazil. She is amazing with time management and seems to balance her personal life with her professional life and most importantly she is a loving mother. Grazi (Andre's older sister) and Diego who I have already met in Savona, Italy are still the same, Grazi is a shit stirrer like Andre and has a very strong character and highly opinionated with a soft gooey centre which sneaks out once in a while and Diego is placid and gentle and love football (soccer)

Jerusa is sweet and affectionate, she has so much love to give. She is studding to become a law judge and she will make a fine judge at that. All Grazi, Diego and Jerusa work for their mother at her school, CIE. Maria the maid does not say much but she cleans and cooks for the family everyday except Sundays. That leaves the 2 little fluff balls Sofia and Nicolie who might I add took an instant liking to me which surprised everyone. These 2 little territorial mutts were like melted butter in my palms.

The Peixoto's live and a very beautiful double story home, very new, modern and secure with electrical fencing around the house. Andre and I sleep in the granny flat out the back, it's a small space but we have everything we need including air conditioning (thank god for that). I am loving the food however once I get over the germs and bacteria's I can enjoy it even more.

These were my first impressions of my new home.