Brasil-sil-sil!!!

After many long hours in airports and on airplanes...I arrived safely in Brazil. I am staying with two other students in a member's house and we're having fun already. We slept almost 12 hours last night...I think I needed it.

On another note...I finished reading Three Cups of Tea which is a great book about how humanity is all the same...notwithstanding its differences. He is an ex-mountaineer who is promoting education in Pakistan and Afghanistan..especailly for women. I really liked the book and even more loved the way one person can change the world for the better. Hopefully I can also be an influence for good, even if it is only in my little circle.

I will be posting a lot of pictures, etc, on the blog Brazilstudyabroad.blogspot.com, a collaboration between all of the students here in Brazil.

Pictures of Portugal

I know you are all dying to see some of the great sites in Portugal, so I thought I'd include these...complete with a royal damsel in no apparent distress.

So you want to know what I accomplished as far as research goes???

While I was enjoying the sun, the beach, the scenery, and the company in Portugal, I also was hard at work on my thesis...or on my pre-thesis research because I haven't written the prospectus yet...I interviewed Colonel Mariano Tamagnini Barbosa, the son of my poetess Maria Anna Acciaioli Tamagnini. I also spent some good hours in the Biblioteca National gathering newspaper articles written about Maria Anna when she published her book "Lin-tchi-fá" in 1925. In addition I found a piece that she had written about Chinese new year. I was really excited. I also got some great tips on new places to look for information and really had a successful time.

My Marvelous Birthday in Portugal

So, my birthday present to myself this year was this great trip to Portugal...it was also meant to help me with my thesis, but who says you have to be all work and no play... especially abroad. Anyway, the very yummy chocolate and coconut cake was made by Idolina and Elisabete made this great slideshow and there was all sorts of good food and great company and it was great! It was one of the best birthdays ever!!!!

Oh, my Portugal!!!

I have arrived safely in the land of castles and kings, and princesses...well, me. Anyway, I'm doing just fine, I found everyone alright and had someplace to stay yesterday and everything. The camera is working just fine and I really just love walking on cobblestones and smelling the salty air. Sure do love Portugal!!!


I found a friend on the plane and when we arrived at 8:30 in the morning we went together to visit the city...including this castle complete with moat and what probably was once a drawbridge, but with years of peace was changed into a more permanent entrance. Anyhow, just loving life and doing great. I had a wonderful visit in Colorado on my way here and have decided that at some point I will have to settle down in Arvada because I just love the community. Hmmmm....... Yep, I felt so loved and rejuvinated.

Leaving on a Jet plane

Well, my bags aren't quite packed, but I'm all raring to go. My new camera will be waiting outside my door on Thursday. Already I'm so excited I could cry... (sorry, that was really stretching it on the song similarity) the facts are all there though. I am just sitting here at work waiting for the doctor to call me back and thinking about how excited I am to go "far from the home I love" because it too is home. Anyhow, I leave on Saturday morning. I've now arranged rides to and from the airport and am halfway through organizing my very messy room so that I feel put together enough to pack my bags. That shouldn't take too long. Then I'll buy any last little things I need, give my leftovers to D the flea, he's got a voracious appetite I assure you, and be ready to go.I have to pick out the books that I'm going to take with me too...ahhhh! a great book, a sunny beach, a very white ellen, a cold bottle of water or a Magnum icecream bar at my side......what a pretty thought!

Another Wedding

I did a wedding cake this last weekend (between my 4 nights at work) for my cousin Cody and his new wife Tanya. It turned out really nice, of course the professional pictures make it look really good (done by Cody's old roommate Ken Hoglund).

Weekend with Alaina

Well, I had a great weekend with Alaina. We have done a lot of fun things, but the most important thing we did was spend some great quality time with each other. One of those things we did together was make a Barbie cake for my roommate's 22nd birthday. My first Barbie cake...I was thinking to myself, "I should have picked a shorter Barbie" Anyhow, it turned out good and tastes good too, or will whenever she eats it. Alaina and I also enjoyed swimming, making cookies and then delivering them, going to the bookstore and reading books to each other, going out to eat, and a million other fun things.

Um Poema

I was feeling inspired the other night and decided to write a poem, basically talking about all of the people that have contributed to my life. It's in Portuguese.


A colcha de retalhos

Uma colcha de retalhos
Bem velha, com a linha solta
Cada pedaço emprestado
Do avô cego mas independente
Da agente pronta para escolar montanhas
Só quando receber os paus dou-lhe parabéns
Da amiga do quarto com três, agora quatro
Colega do trabalho agora meiga, agora brava
Querida presidente prestes a sair
Quantas saudades não deixará
Da mulher que nem conheço duma conversa
Com lágrimas na cara—fala a verdade
Casal longínquo, espero um dia
Chegar convosco ao Shangai
À mesa com a família
Para mim são todas meninas mais uma
Cabelos brancos quantos não emprestaram
Um conhecimento, uma verdade
Avó de Alemanha, whoai Nellie!
Doce para o marido no hospital
Logo chegará a ela
Com o doce cheiro da eternidade
Mas para mim quando precisava, amizade
Poemas, palavras ásperas, ou claras
Pai da amiga cujo ar escapou
Ironia, humor, amiga de perna partida
Ou duas no gelo, na montanha
Dormi lá na cama, a última noite
Feliz por ser útil, madura
Irmão da página virada
Agora doutor, agora chefe, agora anjo
Quase irmão, quase mãe
Manta para me cobrir, para me ensinar a rir
Amigo histórico e nada mais
Irmã que sempre queria
Modelo perfeito pelas gerações
Sete vezes quatro mais três
Quase marido se levasse na cabeça
Estava lá comigo na primeira vez
Sentada ao meu lado, guia do além
Ninguém sabe de ti
Todos os dias o chocolate, a conversa
Escrita pedaço por pedaço, devagarinho
Bolachas de carbónico
Envermelhadas, grandes e pequenas
Gritos na relva
Esta será uma obra-prima
Com mãos postas, abraçando
Emagrecendo, cantando
As duas que não consigo reduzir às palavras
Amiga, ou alma gémea
Mãe, ou alma própria
Quantos pedaços de mim, remendados
Espero sair confortável, sem padrão
Uma colcha de retalhos
Bem velha, com a linha solta



—23 Abril 2008

School's Out!!

Well, after much sofrimento e dor, I made it to the end of the semester. Hooray! I almost didn't think it was possible. So, you may ask, what will she do with all of her time? Well, I'll tell you, read books, quilt, visit friends and work a lot at the hospital. Then I'll be off to Europe and then to South America. I almost have one quilt finished and have things cut out for the next one. It's so much fun! Oh, and I have my first real wedding cake order to fill on May 10th. So, I guess I won't get too bored with all my newfound time. Oh, and I just finished a good book. Quick read and really cute: Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg.

Morte e Vida Severina

I was part of a very successful Portuguese musical this past month or so...I was in charge of costumes and made about 3/4 of them. The other 1/4 we got from DI. I was so very proud of my ability to make clothes that don't fit. I had a lot of fun. It was a great opportunity to combine many of my talents and loves: Portuguese, theater, music, sewing and being with crazies who like those same things...my poor professor Vanessa. Elizabeth and I also did the scenery. Yes, those are weeds from the side of the road. The band sounded great and we wowed those who doubted we could do it. Maybe that gave the best satisfaction of all. You might also recognize the dead guy...the same one in every scene...except the one scene where he is only dying, not dead yet...that's right, Samuel. What a great dead guy, the star of every show!

Conference!!

Well, I got to watch conference for the first time inside of the conference center, not only inside the conference center...but in the choir loft. It looks a whole lot smaller from there for sure. Pretty exciting. We sang really well too. It was a great experience and i think my favorite part was hearing my nieces on the phone, "I saw you on TV!" One of those once in a lifetime experiences.

12.32 1.52.23 (the minutes where you can see me....go to www.lds.org to watch online)

BLOWOUT!

I had my very first experience with a blowout on the highway yesterday. I was just driving along on I-15 in my grandparent's car, returning from our weekly temple trip when the car stopped handling normally and we pulled over to the side to see the tire all thrashed. We called a towing company and they said they'd be there in an hour. We sat there waiting for a little bit and the highway patrol showed up and put a spare on and we were able to get on our way. I drove it home and then in my car followed Grandpa to the tire store. Somebody really loves us because the car didn't lose control or anything, no one was hurt and it all took less than an hour and so I wasn't late to choir again. The small miracles in life are what let us know that someone is watching out for us... of course my poor guardian angel is probably getting his wings a lot faster than most...

My Crazy Life, and How I Love It!

So, sorry for all of you who kept seeing my ugly face for the last couple of weeks. Time sure doesn't slow down for anyone...especially the wicked. Well, I've been working on my portfolio for cake decorating. Someday I'll actually get paid for the cakes that I make...but for now I'm just having fun. This is the fun basket-weave cake I made for a friend. It was a carrot cake with some yummy filling and it was super moist.
What else am I doing with my life? One might ask... Well, I'm very much enjoying life. I am working on the costumes for the Brazilian musical we're doing in a couple of weeks and memorizing my lines....eeek. I am having a lot of fun doing these costumes. It is a blast!
The other big thing I'm going to do on the 22nd is another service project for the same cute old people. This time we're planning on helping them with spring cleaning. It'll be great!
Hmmmmmm.....I'm not sure if I'm doing anything else or not....I'm writing papers and doing homework and singing and sleeping when I can't do any more. What can I say....life carries me along.

Oh, the one great thing I did this week was get inspired at church. Funny how that happens once in a while. I just really had a great Sunday a couple of days ago and that momentum is carrying me along. I am attending a family ward and really love the chance that I have to be involved. Life is good and the Lord loves me. It may sound cheesy, but His grace helps me get from one day to the next and accomplish a little something in the meantime, it helps me maintain the good works that I try to do.

Lookin hot!

Well, I've been a busy little bee with my class, which is going well, and my homework, which I should do more of. However, in the midst of all this business, there is always something that comes and makes us slow down. For me that happened last night at work. I woke up and my eye was a little bit goopy, like I had eye bugs, but it cleaned right out. As the night progressed, my eye got really gross and I was excreting green goop and it kind of swelled shut. I had the doctor look at it and he wrote me a prescription. They let me go home from work early and so I went to the pharmacy and got my eye drops. When I got home around 0200 all of my roommates were still awake and said I looked horrible...very nice for them to say...I just can't understand why everyone teases me so much...even at work they were laughing at me. Well, now here we are a couple of hours later and the green goop has stopped, but its still a bit swollen, as you can see. Anyhow, fun stuff, and just so you know, you can't catch bacterial conjunctivitis from my blog, so don't worry about it. You probably can't catch it at all anymore because the secretion of green goop has stopped...so you can't look as gross as I look....hahahaha!

January is almost gone

All six of us who live in the brick house...only the girls are shown, the dogs and boys who normally accompany us will have to make it on a later date.







Well, I've heard that my readers are starving for news....so to all of you, I'm sorry, don't lose hope, life will continue.

Things have been going very well for me. I am teaching again and have a great class full of wonderful students who are anxious to learn the art of the Portuguese language. I also am working at the hospital still and I really do love all of the people that I work with on our unit and yep, I do love being a nurse on the weekends.

I am also getting really excited about my thesis. I am writing about Maria Anna Acciaioli Tamagnini Barbosa who wrote in Macau and have been in contact with her son. I'm getting tons of information and my thesis is forming in my mind. Everything is falling into place and I feel as if this opportunity has been given to me on a silver platter.

So...plans for the future....I'll be going to Portugal in the end of May to do research on my darling Maria Anna and conduct a personal interview with her son Colonel Mariano Tamagnini. In June, soon after returning from Portugal, I'll be traveling to Brasil where I'll be the instructor for the Study Abroad. I'll teach Portuguese 201/211 to those students we take with us. I'm really excited about that opportunity....think of that, I'll get paid to travel....this is the life!

Yep, and that is the news from me. Have a great day!

DONE

I am officially done with finals and my brain has officially left the building. I am going to go relax in Vernal today and hopefully I don't die on the highway there, however, if I do, that's OK too. Maybe next semester I won't try to kill myself again...

FINALS WEEK!!!!

This morning I taught the last class of the semester for my Portuguese class. The students were pretty excited to be done, not because they dislike the class or the teacher in any way, mind you, but because they are ready to be done with the semester as am I. Just a million more things to do before vacation........

A cute comic for all of you....

Finals!!!!!

Well we're coming up on a very exciting time of year. On one hand it is really crazy because everything is due and everyone is stressed out. On the other hand it is exciting to think that in a few short days the semester will be done. This of course has no reflection on how I like the courses that I am taking, it is more a desire for something new and excitement for the new things to come as well as the slight chance of sleep during the break. I do plan on working a lot and so I'm not quite sure how much sleep I'll get, however....what can you do? Not much for sure.

Yep, that's about all I have to say at this point. Also, just a side note, I'm getting really excited about the thesis I'll be writing here soon. I've been doing a lot of research in that direction. Great stuff! Tamagnini rules!

TWEETY AND SYLVESTER

Watch this until Sylvester catches Tweety.
(this is how I feel in relation to my projects)

Thanksgiving, thank goodness!

Just when I thought I would wallow in the pit of despair, we had a couple days off school and I caught up on some much needed sleep. I had all sorts of good intentions to do a lot of homework and get ahead for this crazy three weeks that I'll have, but...I didn't. So, what did I do instead???? Well, at noon on Thanksgiving, I had a great Thanksgiving dinner at my grandparents Jex's house, my parents drove in from Colorado. Then, at 6:00 that night I had another Thanksgiving dinner at a professor's house because I wanted to meet his daughter's fiance and only intended to eat pie, however, since they hadn't yet started dinner.....well, what was I supposed to do?? It was really great food.....


Other things of note: I went Christmas tree hunting for the first time in my life and that was fun. I was reminded of the Berenstain Bear's Christmas Tree where Papa Bear is sure that he can find the best and then they end up going to a tree lot all the same. Anyway, it was a successful tree hunt, and I didn't even have to get very cold as I got to hang out with Sarah in the truck...lucky me!!

Well, back to school for me! I'll surface again in about a month. Oh, I'm also excited about this weekend. Our stake is having this great service project on Saturday serving all sorts of widowed, elderly and otherwise deserving people. I'm excited!