Sorry I haven't been around to visit blogs or write a new post here for over one month... :(
You see I had been house-hunting here for over 4 months and now (after renting a different holiday apartment every month for those 4 months - yes, moving every single month = nightmare!) I have finally found a fixed apartment!
So onto another new start.... But now the real fun begins: moving all my things from my old home to the new one, drilling holes in walls for pictures, mirrors and curtain poles, putting up curtains, installing washing machine, setting up my home entertainment room, setting up PC, decorating the guest room (Dad's room) decorating the bedroom, buying endless new stuff seen in shops that "will look great in bedroom, bathroom, Dad's room, Living Room..." and the list goes on... But it's great that I have a strong hunky Boyfriend to help me with all the heavy stuff! hehe ;)
If anyone is a dab hand at putting up curtains, picking out duvets and sheets, cleaning rugs, and all those things that Mum, Auntie Pat, Auntie Linda and Nanny did so well please let me know any tips or hints as I am useless with all those things and so stressed! and I can't wait until I'm all settled into my new Home Sweet Home!!
And I promise I'll try to be around more often! I will "Resume Normal Business" as soon as all the stress is over!
Oh, and I almost forgot: Yaaaaay! Rio 2016!!!!! Big parties here!!!!! :) After Rio de Janeiro winning the official award for the "World's Happiest City" it was a wonderful "icing on the cake" by being chosen to host the Olympics! Oh yes It's going to be beautiful! :D
Rio de Janeiro has officially been voted the happiest City in the world by Forbes magazine... Top of the list... and you can read the report on the official site here
I've lived here for over ten years now and can say with my hand on my heart that Rio really does deserve this fantastic award, nowhere have I ever experienced the absolutely positive joy of life and joy of living and loving that Brazilians have, and for these reasons and so much more I would never want to live anywhere else in the world! All this without speaking about the natural beauty that exists within the city! A city surrounded by beautiful mountains and deep blue sea, a city where you can leave your work, go to the beach and be watched over by the wonderful spiritual Christ statue (Cristo Redentor) standing up there high in the crimson blue Carioca sky as you soak the stress of the day away.
Yes Rio has it's problems, mainly the most publicised ones of violence and poverty, but it's got better over the years (there are a lot of over-hyped stories) Rio has always been a city with all types of social levels living together; lower, middle and upper classes all walking along the same beaches, soaking up the same Carioca sun, drinking fruit juice or beers in the same bars, buying the same food in the supermarkets, sharing the same pure air - everyone living together and getting along, smiling every day no matter what.
For me Rio de Janeiro is absolutely unique, I've travelled to many cities in the world but have never fell in love instantly with a place like I did with Rio the very first day that I got off of the airplane and touched the red hot tarmac. The city has a magic about it, you feel it in the air... I felt it that very first day that I arrived here, it encapsulates you, charms you, takes your breath away and makes you fall in love... just like the Cariocas (the name given to people who are from Rio de Janeiro) themselves.
And the Cariocas?! Here the people are incomparable!! I have no words to explain the wonderful energy and spirit of living that everyone has! You could be sitting at a kiosk or bar alone and within ten minutes you would have four or five new friends. There is a famous expression here in Brazil which is: "Sou Brasileiro e desiste nunca" (I'm Brazilian and I never give up) which is so true... Brazilians have this wonderful way about them that no matter how bad the situation in life they never give up, never allow themselves to be beaten and never stop smiling in the face of adversity. I am also like this now, I have become Carioca, or maybe I always was... because the very first day I set foot in this wonderful, beautiful, fantastic city I felt like I had come home, I really did, for the first time in my life I felt like I belonged somewhere.
Going to the beach here is an experience in itself, you make your way to the sand and the energy is all around you... a huge community of people, beautiful strangers all joined together, soaking up the energy of Rio's sun, sand and sea, people talking, laughing, sunbathing, dating. A day at the beach is like a huge social outing, especially the weekends when most of the city heads for the sand.
Those of you that have never been to Rio de Janeiro and personally experienced all this wonderful energy and beauty should get a flight here as soon as you can!! And I can speak from my own personal experience that there is no place in the world like Rio de Janeiro to fall in love! especially when the love of your life turns out to be Brazilian!
This is the new highly-anticipated comeback single from Whitney Houston called "Million Dollar Bill" It's written by Alicia Keys and has a great positive vibe about the joys of love - a real anthem with it's roots set firmly in the 80s and 90's! This new single is from her new CD called "I Look To You" a must-buy for Whitney Houston fans. It's great to see Whitney back on top after many years of problems not unlike Amy Winehouse!!
Now everyone all together: "Say ooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!"
Oh oh oh yeah Ooh oh ooh oh oh Came in the door Checked in my coat And who I'm looking for is Staring in my face oh oh oh They played our song We hit the floor He held me strong And we danced the night away I can see the way that he is making feel This way about his love I’ve been looking for something like this I’m saying ooh oh oh oh ooh oh oh!
If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh! If you go left right up down Make you spinning round and round Say ooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!
It’s been a long long time Since I fell, fell Love has found my way oh oh oh I’ve been looking (looking) I’ve been searching (searching) For the man to touch this place, oh ooh oh yeah Can’t deny the way that he is making feel This way about his love I’ve been searching for something like this I’m saying oooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!
If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh! Makes you go left right up down Makes you spinning round and round Say oooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh! If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh! Makes you go left right up down Makes you spinning round and round Say oooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!
If you feel good If you’re feeling good Put one hand in the air, say yeah If you feel good If you’re feeling good It’s cause love is in the air Love is in the air
If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh! Makes you go left right up down Makes you spinning round and round Say ooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh! If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill Say oh oh oh, say oh oh oh! Makes you go left right up down Makes you spinning round and round Say ooh oh oh oh, say ooh oh oh oh!
I haven't posted anything here for a while, apart from a couple of poems, and I'd like to say sorry to everyone for not being around so often...
I don't have much to say that I haven't already said, except that I am ecstatically happy, over-flowing with love and joy and am spending every moment that I can with My Love... this wonderful, amazing, fantastic, loving man who has been sent to me like a Brazilian Bossa Nova song from the skies, like a gift from God, and who has filled my life with colour... my life that was once so black and white.
For Claudinho: I never thought I'd ever feel this way... All I can think about is you, all I can dream about is you, all I can look at is you... I can't concentrate on anything else at all. I look at you, think of you, dream of you, touch you, hear your voice, feel your touch and see your beauty and I am smiling 24 hours a day, my heart is beating 50 times faster and the reason for all of this is you, Meu Amor - Eu Te Amo.
Thank you God for sending me My Love, Meu Amor! And thank you Claudinho for teaching me how to love again, for giving me the courage to fall head over heels for you (which wasn't difficult), for showing me that so much love and affection exists in your arms, and for showing me that life is full of such wonderful, fantastic, perfect surprises!
I'm a British Guy living in Brasil, an ex music journalist and an aspiring Poet/Writer/Songwriter walking along the road of life and
"Spinning The Wheel" to see what the hand of fate has in store for me...
They told me to hang on as it was going to be a bumpy ride...
I am a "film & music maniac" and will be recommending some new stuff that I have seen and heard along the way.
Welcome to my Blog! Pull up a chair, choose your favourite song on the jukebox and come back to listen to some of my sounds whenever you want!
Claudinho has created his own Blog and has been very busy translating some of my poetry into Portuguese and posting them, I'm very proud of him and all of his hard work! So now my Brazilian readers can visit his Blog and see the translations there... and also anyone else around the world! Go visit!! He also writes his own original texts and his Blog is becoming very interesting... Here is the link: The Brits Brasil
Awarded to me from Internationally published author and photographer David McMahon. Check out his bestselling novel "Vegemite Vindaloo" published by Penguin Books India!
Superior Scribbler Award
I'm So Honoured To Receive This From Fellow Ex-Expat Debs Lehner 07/12/2008
"Vale a Pena" Award
Very Kindly Given To Me By Leo 26/03/2009
Friendship Around The World Award
Very Kindly Given To Me From Fellow Ex-Expat Debs Lehner 07/12/2008
Dog Lover Blog Award
Very Kindly Given To Me By Leo 03/11/2008
Blogging With A Purpose Award
Kindly given to me by menopausaloldbag 09/07/2008
Faberge Artistic Award
Kindly given to me from fellow British Ex-Pat Debs 02/07/2008
Special Scribe Award
From Fello British Expat Debs 28/06/2008
Good Heart Award
given to me from my Dearest Friend Jeannie 06/06/2008