Eventfull saturday

Today, when I woke up I thought it would be a very calm and bothering saturday. I thought that I'd stay home and watch some tv and do nothing for the whole day... Instead, it happened to be a very very eventfull day.

I logged in on msn messenger and found out that one of my friends, "F" was online and nearby. I messeged her and she said that she had nothing planned for the day, but that she had to chose some of her wedding presents. I'm not sure how things work outside here, but in Brazil, the bride and groom go to a store and chose whatever they want to get for their wedding present and then the guests and friends chose from that list whatever they want to give (according to price, etc). Well, F was going to chose some of the gifts that she wanted to get. So, we decided to go to the mall. We ended up going to this mall that I haven't been in like... 7-8 years. It hasn't changed much, but there were lots of new stores and it was renewed a while ago. There're still some constructions going on there.

When we were having lunch, another friend of mine. "P" called me that she wanted some help with some of the souveniers she's giving to her guests at her party. We call it "cha de cozinha" like a baby shower, but for the bride to be. (is there any word for that in English). Of course the guests have to give her some presents related to the kitchen. The party is going to be a week for now and I'm helping her make the small gifts (I'm going to get one too). Actually, this is the bride's maid job. I'm not one of the bride's maids, but my sister is. P is one of my sister's best friends and they call each other sisters... so, I'm P's sister too. hehe...

When we were finished with all the small gifts task, I was driving my P home, but then we thought that we should look for a hair dresser (that someone recommended) for her wedding day. We went to this place what is quite new (opened only 3 months ago) and they were really nice. We were there for about 3 hours (from 6-9) and they explained everything about the hair set, make-up, hair cut, manicure, pedicure, and other services that they provide. My friend even got a quick make up and hair test. As a courtesy I got a hair treatment too. :) . There I was with my hair done and nothing planned for the evening.

Chandelier at Figa's bar
Originally uploaded by Carol^-^.

I got home and a my friend "C" called. It was his b-day on Friday and he was celebrating it in a pub-bar called FIGA. I took a quick shower and headed to the pub. It was quite crowded and it was really nice to meet some friends that I hadn't met in ages!

I didn't had dinner and I had to drive back home, so I was taking it really slow with my drinks. My friend's sister though was already drunk when I got there and she wasn't going to stop soon. It was predictable that she was going to feel sick some time soon, drinking the way she was. Well... sometime past midnight, she was feeling sick at the lady's room. I tried to convince her to throw up all the alcohol that was making her feel that way, but she didn't. We were leaving the lady's room when another friend "G" came and saw how she was feeling and simply dragged her into the men's room and, believe it or not, he managed to take care of her. (I'm not going to write what kind of disgusting things happened)...

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to make my friend feel better, so I was going to bring her home. She lives only 3 blocks away from here. I went out of the pub to get the car, and I couldn't go inside anymore, but I was told that she didn't move and she was going to stay there. I headed back home. Here I am.

I'm kind of worried 'cause I've never seen her like that. But at the same time, she was there with other friends and her older brother so she'll be fine. Probably with a terrible hang over tomorrow. :p I think I'm going to call her soon.

Guess it's time to go to bed. Good night everyone! Enjoy your Sunday!

Festival do Japao - Japan Festival in Sao Paulo

I'm a week late... I was trying to upload the pictures before writting here... LOL

Well, it's a huge Festival that takes place in Sao Paulo once a year. There are lots of booths in separate areas. There's a huge food court with Japanese food and snacks from all over Japan... all home made. There's the cultural area with booths where you can get to know more about the Japanese culture and there's the shopping and sponsor areas, where people can shop Japanese things, Japanese-like things.

On the main stage, there are presentations of Japanese dances, taiko (drums), singers, etc...

This year was my first time working as a volunteer at the Festival. I helped 2 booths. The Japanese Consulate one, where there was this Taiko that people could try to play and take pictures. The other one was the ASEBEX (an alumni association for people who had been in Japan for studies or internships). There, we were offering people to wear Yukata's (Japanese summer kimonos) and take pictures.

Wearing a Yukata is a bit complicated, so we were helping people wear them. I was wearing my yukata myself...

It was a fun weekend! I met some friends that I haven't met in a long time.

See the entire set of pictures on flickr

Lady bug and Ice cream

Yesterday, I went out with a my friend and her brother for some ice cream. We were chatting on msn and all of a sudden we decided to have some ice cream. It's been a weird winter, it's quite warm.

We went to this place called Stuppendo that's about 10 mins drive from my place. It was my first time there, because it's kind of hidden. We were looking for the place for more than 20 mins. (I was not the driver!)

I ordered a Petit Gateau with Strudel flavour ice cream and my friend and her brother a triple ice cream Sunday. :p

While we were eating, a lady bug decided to keep us company. She stayed with us for a while, and I was able to take some pictures.

Recovering!

568
Originally uploaded by Regina Suzuki.

Well, it's been a while since my last post... I was having a hard time with my tooth. It was making my cheek all swollen and hurt.

I had to settle an emergency dentist appointment on Saturday, when I had my tooth removed. It was a 1 and 1/2 hour surgery. With lots of blood and lots of needles. *ack*

Today I had taken my last antibiotic and went to the dentist again to remove the stitch. She told me it was healing fine, but I'm still in some pain. It really bothers when I go to sleep. *sigh*

I'd like to thank you all for the concern!

I was looking for a picture to post when I was feeling better... I found this one. It was taken by my flickr friend Regina. Thanks!

Bad day...

Trying to smile...
Originally uploaded by Carol^-^.

I had a terrible day today... I'm so glad I'm not working and that I could stay most of the time at home, sleeping... or at least, trying to.

I woke up with my tooth bothering me... Well, it's a tooth that I've had a fracture some years ago, and for some reason the protesis came out the other day, but not it decided to hurt. (I'm not sure whether that is the tooth or the gums that are hurting. Anyway, I had to go to the dentist as an emergency... and guess... I'll have to extract the whole thing... meaning that I need a surgery to fix that tooth. I'm not sure how fractured that tooth, but I guess it was eating a very good sausage that had a small bone inside... Careful with those!

Besides the tooth that is bothering me... I woke up, when to the kitchen and I hurt my toe. I opened the door to the small storage room that we have there, it's an aluminium door... the corner of the door scratched the top of my toe... and it really hurt! When I came back to my room to change, I realized it was bleeding... （どおりで痛かった！）...

After a very pleasant morning and an aching tooth, I decided that I should stay home, quiet before anything worse happened... :p

At least I got a phone call from a friend from Manaus that is here in Sao Paulo for a visit. I think we'll meet tomorrow. (if my tooth stops aching).

Good night everyone! Sorry for the not so pleasant talk...

Shakespeare...

Cake decoration
Originally uploaded by Carol^-^.

Last week, I was looking at my shelf and I found this Shakespeare's Complete Works book. I haven't touched that for a while. I like to read it little by little, specialy read his plays that became movies.

Last month I finished reading Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice for the 2nd time. I just thought I should read it once more, after I've seen the movie, just to be sure of how faith to the book the script was. :p

Anyway, that lead me to this Shakespeare's Sonnet that was mentioned in the other movie version of one of Jane Austen's novels, Sense & Sensibility. I don't think that the sonnet is mentioned in the novel, but I remember it being mentioned on the screen. I really like it!

"Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no, it is an ever fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand'ring barque,
Whose worth's unknown although his height be taken.
Love's not time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Whithin his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved."
by William Shakespeare

Anyway, this picture was taken in a friend's wedding on Jun 24th.

Today and 20 years ago...

This morning, I got this very sad phone call. It was my mom's cousin saying that his father (my mom's uncle) had passed away during the night. He was 90 years old and was in the hospital due to pneumonia.

20 years ago, July 10th 1986, my greatgrandfather had passed away. Son and father passed away at the same date. For me, it's a weird coincidence...

The story of my greatgrandfather and his eldest son is really interesting and quite dramatic to me. When my greatgrandfather decided to come to Brasil, back in 1918, he had to leave his son in Okinawa to take care of his parents. I was told that they kept my uncle there so that my greatgrandfather and his wife would come back to Japan in some years. Fortunately, or unfortunately, that didn't happen. They had other kids here and because of the 2 WWs and the breach in the relations between Japan and Brasil, they were stuck here. (I don't believe they had saved all the money that they were supposed to either) .

After the war was over and the relations between Brasil and Japan were restablished, my grandfather and his dad were able to bring this uncle and his family from Japan. My mom was about 10 years old already and she always tells me that she had never seen two grown up men cry and hug as they did when they arrived in the Port of Santos.

I didn't know this uncle much, because he used to live in the countryside, about 600km from here. But I've visited him and his wife, and my mom was very found of him. とてもやさしいおじさんでした。May he rest in peace.

Agua Bar

The Dancing Floor
Originally uploaded by Carol^-^.

After all the fuss about my car, I finally got to go to this bar. My friend Y picked me up and we went there. It's only 10 mins from my place.

The place wasn't very big (as you can see at the picture), but I liked the athmosphere very much. Unfortunately the DJ wasn't rocking as much as I expected.

The main reason that I went there, was to celebrate some friends' birthdays. Actually there were 5 birthday people and I knew 3 of them. We even had 5 birthday cakes! :p

Last year, I was invited to this place, for a birthday celebration (one of the girls') but I didn't go. I fell asleep in the afternoon and woke up at 2am... I was so upset then. I'm glad that I was there this year. :D

Another good thing, one of my friends that I've met in Japan and that I haven't seen in more than 2 years, was there too. He lives in Manaus (that is quite far from here) and in here on vacations.

Well, I'm off to bed... It's sooo late and I'm really sleepy. おやすみなさい。