Friday, April 06, 2007

Signs I've been in Brazil too long

Today I walked 2-3 miles in flip flops (despite my many ankle and foot injuries which make sneakers more appealing) in the 88 degree weather under the direct tropical sun with no cloud coverage and simply thought it was "deliciously warm". And i didn't even have shorts on I had on jean capris. I was sweating, but still I didn't think it was hot, only warm. Clearly I have been here too long.

Other signs I've been in Brazil too long:
1) The most obvious one - I'm very dark.
2) My pants never leave my closet.
3) I do the thumbs up sign to excess
4) I say "tchau" when leaving, even when speaking English
5) My socks are eternally grungy from washing them by hand
6) I no longer expect to encounter hot water in plumbing
7) I tell time by looking at the position of the sun - after 6 pm all bets are off
8) I forgot that windows can have screens
9) I love sweetened condensed milk. and fried beach cheese. and papaya. and molasses. and acai. i still haven't mastered the pressure cooker, however.
10) I can distinguish between two kinds of mangoes
11) I routinely dance in the street
12) I consider anything within 3 miles "within walking distance"
13) I never actually have money in my purse.
14) Rain causes me (along with everyone else) to run to the nearest awning and wait till it stops
15) I am no longer disgusted by throwing toilet paper in the trash
16) I (yes me) am planning to buy a bikini
17) I rarely call people, I just plan to run into them, or know where to look for them
18) I'm always surreptitiously interviewing people
19) I want to learn how to play the mini-guitar thing
20) I argued with a Brazilian over the Portuguese lyrics to a song
21) I know cans can cause fights
22) My nights end at 10pm (stupid bus)
23) I know teeny ants will attacking my cup/plate if I leave them on the table for 10 mins after eating
24) I believe in the myth of "well-ventilated"
25) I expect to be able to buy almost anything by walking down the street, without ever actually going into a store.
26) I rarely actually know if the bus is going where I'm headed.
27) I don't eat lettuce because it's too much of a hassle to wash in bottled water
28) I accept the fact that heating up leftovers requires 20 minutes and an elaborate apparatus on my stove
29) I know there is no such thing as exact change.
30) I look 10 ways before, during, and after crossing the street
31) I figure I'll be extremely depressed when, in the distant future, I actually have to leave Brazil.

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