Apologies!
26 May 2012 Leave a Comment
I know I’ve been MIA lately but I promise I will write this week ASAP! Not only am I lazy, but also, I have been full of things to do/think about lately. No excuse, I know!
Next post: GREECE! :)
The big N Y C {last part}
08 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in New York Tags: big apple, blue note, blue note jazz, books, jazz, littlemismatched, manhattan, MET, metropolitan, metropolitan museum of art, new york, ny, nyc, strand, strand bookstore, yellow cab, yellow cabs
I really hate when I say stuff like ”I will finish this post tomorrow” and then BOOM, two weeks later and guess what? Still no post. It’s not really that I am lazy….but it’s mostly that. And I do do a lot of things…but mostly, just lazy. I apologize for that. New York, finale. Haha. This last post will be short and I am going to speak mostly (wow, do I overuse this word or what?) about the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Yellow Cabs and the Yellow Cabs drivers, the people and the 5th avenue and some people I met while in New York. And OF COURSE, my favorite place ever. (suspense music) So if none of those things interest you, go to the search box or the tags and look up some other post! Or email me suggesting something! :) No prob! Here it goes: First. Yellow cabs and drivers. Why would I choose to talk about the cabs? Because since I was a kid, I wanted to ride in one. Simple as that. You know how it goes: you are in a hurry, you need a cab, you whistle. THERE. Just like that, 23424524 taxis show up right in front of you. And it’s awesome. It might not seem or sound like such a big deal, but you gotta admit, it is very impressive. Besides, when I write about my Greece trip, and compare NYC to Mykonos, you’ll understand me. Anyways. The drivers. Not a single American cab driver, at least I didn’t get to see any. They’re all foreigners with a really strong accent and sometimes they’re not all that happy. Scratch that, they might be happy but they’re quite moody. And I do not say that as a bad thing. I am moody myself. I tend to get along and have fun with those kind of people, because the end up making clever little remarks and comments. So, all I had to say about the Yellow Cab Co. was that. That’s all. Ride one. Be happy. Second. 5th Ave. Why not? It’s amazing. If you like shopping OR just walk around to see the city, watch people, window shop…I like the first option, of course. Haha. Little known fact about moi: I do not like to match my socks. I actually cannot stand to do so. Why am i telling you this? WELL, because there is this ADORABLE store at the 5th ave. called LittleMissMatched. The name says it all, right? But yeah. Things like that is what makes me happy. Look at it this way: there are all sorts of weird people in the World and NYC knows a LOT of them. :) Haha. 
These are mine :) yay!
Anyways. There are tons of amazing stores, and for everyone, not only for those who had 234525 dollars to spend. I didn’t. But there are cool places, nice little shops, fun people…
The MET. If you like museus, this is obviously and definitely a must-go. I was so amazed by it all, the place, the expositions, everything. Very clean, organized, complete. I went sort of crazy. I love the part with all the statues, and those old rooms (ya know!?) haha. So, I will just post some pics of it, but my advice is GO. GO GO GO. If you have the chance. If not, I’ll leave a sneak peak :)
Here are their hours and prices:
Hours
Tuesday–Thursday: 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.* Friday and Saturday: 9:30 a.m.–9:00 p.m.* Sunday: 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.*Closed Monday (except Met Holiday Mondays), Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1
Admission
Fee includes same-day admission to the Main Building and The Cloisters museum and gardens. There is no extra charge for entrance to special exhibitions.
| Recommended | |
| Adults | $25 |
| Seniors (65 and older) | $17 |
| Students | $12* |
| Members (Join Now) | Free |
| Children under 12 (accompanied by an adult) | Free |
I sooo wish we had Strand in Brasil :( Oh well. A girl can dream.
NEXT.
The Blue Note Jazz Club. I really enjoy listening to Jazz, so when my Uncle suggested we went there, I quickly called to make a table reservation. I was with my mommmmy and her friend :)
The club is very Jazz-y. Kind of dark, a bit chilly, but you feel great when you’re inside it. The atmosphere is very pleasant. They also have a good menu with a lot of options to choose from. I got chicken wings because, well, I love chicken? And something to drink but I can’t remember what…I am not 21 but I think I ordered something with alcohol, not quite sure haha.
Our table was for 4 people so the waiter asked if a lady could sit with us. She was considerably older than my mom and her friend, and she seemed to be a jazz lover, and more than that, she liked the woman who was playing that night. So it was very enjoyable talking to her. She told us how she used to go there with her husband, who had recently passed away, and it was heart breaking–although awesome, at the same time. We spent all night chatting and laughing, enjoying the amazing music, piano, sax, everything. It was a perfect evening and for those who love jazz, if you haven’t yet heard of the place, go to the website, youtube it, etc. I intend on going back there as soon as possible.
So, to end this post about one of the most amazing cities in the World, some videos and photos :)
I miss you, NY :)
CLICKKKKKKK
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I ♥ NY
25 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in New York Tags: lights, new york, nyc, times square
And who doesn’t? Seriously!
I mean, even people who has never been to the place, loves it somehow. Even if it’s just because of F•R•I•E•N•D•S, or some other fun sitcom.
The thing is…once you get there, you’re completely mesmerized. Now, whenever one of my new yorker friends is all bragging about how he is awesome for living there, I don’t even argue anymore. Because, you know…I’d brag too, if I lived in the big NYC. (And mark my words: I will live there one day.)
I think that it’s time to talk about the Times Square. A lot of the people I know from NY don’t get why I’m so in love with it. Mostly because you know, when you live at a certain place, you end up not paying attention to all the touristic stuff. It’s just background, just normal everyday places. But it doesn’t mean it’s not amazing.
When you first step foot to there, you get this feeling…it’s like no other. All those lights, all those people…it fills your heart with some sort of feeling I have not yet been able to describe.
It’s silly, I know. But I think I might be a little bit like a child, who gets excited with lights and colorful things…
It’s not just that. There are a lot of cool stores, restaurantes, theaters, movie theaters….so on and so on.
AND advertising. As an Advertising major, I can tell you, that is paradise. All explendid ads, too.
Anyways, enough with the geeky advertising talk.
I believe that what made me so hypnotized was probably the crowd. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves so much! Whether they were shopping or just hanging out with family/friends, they were happy. Again, why wouldn’t they be? When you’re there, you feel so small but not in a bad way. It’s a bit like when you’re looking at a extremely starry sky. Or the ocean. You feel tiny tiny tiny. And it’s not bad because that only means that you are a part of a huge thing. And that makes us feel comfortable.
I can’t just talk about the Times Square but I swear to {insert god here} I would love to.
So please, bear with me while I vent about all the amazing things I saw there, and then I’ll make a new post about the rest of the other amazing things in the Big Apple.
While my mom and I were walking, we saw this crowd gathering in a circle to watch some sort of street performance. It was a group of very strong guys who were basically jumping around and entertaining everyone. It sounds simple but it was actually a lot of fun. I am talking about this specially because of what happened. They were picking people from the crowd to use in their …performance? And I guess they couldn’t do that, because a cop came by and told them to stop. I guess it was because the guy was jumping over people. haha. The cool thing, though, was that the cop was so nice. He, very politely, asked them to finish their show and move on. It was a nice gesture, and if you know any countries where the cops can get a bit extreme, you will understand what I mean.
Well, I am going to post some videos of Times Square (I was there twice but my videos are all kind of all together so I don’t know which was which…) but first this cool website I found where you can watch webcams of the Times Square:
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- LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL!
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- He proposed!!!!!!!
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- and i cried HAHAHA
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- silly haha
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- sideways
the cool cops NYC (((VIDEO)))
NYC
25 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in New York
Well, the days that followed we were just typical tourists. We shopped at the 5th Ave. Went to the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center etc.
The Empire State Building is, indeed, pretty cool. You can get one of those audio tour thingy while you walk around the building…I got one and even though I don’t normally, I ended up enjoying the stories and comments–that are narrated by this guy with a strong italian accent.
You pay $23 bucks to go up, and once you’re at the top, you have an amazing view of New York…everything is tiny but so beautiful. The yellow cabs, the people running to get to work, the tourists, the families having picnics at the parks…
And the Rockefeller Center is just as nice. You can also go to the top and you’ll have a view that is just as pretty. You pay $25 to go up to the top, but the cool thing is that besides the cool view of NYC, like you can get at the Empire State, at the Rockefeller you can get the view+see the Empire State and this really nice view of the Central Park. And there is no high ”fences” like the ones in the ESB. Instead, the ”walls” are made of glass and you can see everything. A bit scary, too. haha.
- Rockerfeller Center USA Flags
I don’t mind doing all the touristic stuff, some of them end up being really fun. I did not go to the Statue of Liberty though, I’m not quite sure why, I just didn’t feel like it. But I saw it. That’s good enough for me. Haha. Next visit, maybe.
And, a video to end this second post.
Worth listening to, Frank Sinatra ;)
Anyways, more of the Big Apple laterrrr.
New York, New York!
10 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in New York Tags: big apple, gaga, good morning america, lady gaga, manhattan, new york, nyc, USA
So the winner was…..New York!
And I’m secretly happy about it because NY was amazing. I mean, duuuh, it IS New York, what else would you expect?
I went to NYC because my mom was going to present a paper at this…well, thing for her job. Anyways. I went with her and her other speech therapist friend. :)
This was JUNE 2011
Going to New York with my mom was actually a big dream of ours. We are very close and we enjoy traveling together, but NY was the one place I dreamed of going and a place she already knew and loved. When the opportunity came for her to go present this paper, she thought it’d be an amazing idea to take me, with her.
It was.
We also went to Pennsylvania afterwards, but that’s another story :)
When we got to the Big Apple, I was in awe. I thought everything was so beautiful, and so much more awesome than in the movies. haha.
We stayed at this really pleasant and comfortable hotel on the corner the 45th and Madison: The Roosevelt Hotel.
We have a cousin in NY, he’s Brazilian, but has been leaving there for over 15 years now. My mom had stayed over his house a couple times in the city before, but I didn’t even know the guy till this trip.
So the first thing we did was (after chilling at the hotel, long trip. jet lag…) go out for some chicken wings and beers at a local bar our cousin Claudinho knew.
It was basically a college people kinda bar and legally I’m not even supposed to drink there, but he knew the waitress so, ya know! haha
Our first night was a success, we talked, got to catch up, laughed, ate great food..then me and my mom went back to the hotel.
I was on the internet looking up fun new things to do in NY and I saw ”Lady Gaga on Good Morning America @Central Park”. I actually do like her. I like her voice, my mom likes her voice. It’s not a matter of taste, here, so just shh :)
It was really early in the morning though, so we had to get some rest. I texted a whole bunch of people to try to get tickets, no luck. We woke up early and went anyways. Besides, it was summer, hot, beautiful out and we wanted to enjoy every second of our days.
My first time at the Central Park was very good. I could picture myself sitting under a tree, reading a book etc. It’s such a nice place.
I am NOT a morning person at ALL but I was happy (how could I not?)
So we started to see the crowd and figured it was probably because of the Good Morning America thing with GAGA.
We followed the crowd and yeap, that was it. People who didn’t have a ticket could watch from another side of the stage, a big screen kinda thing….It was great though.
Then after the concert we went to get some breakfast. Having lived in the US for a couple of years, I am a big fan of egg muffins, bacon, coffee and toast. And that was exactly was we got.
OKAY. I AM SORRY but I gotta continue this tomorrow. I had the longest day, I’m falling asleep on the keyboard and that’s not fair with any of you :) haha
(If anyone even reads this, anyways)
SO, more about the magical NEW YORK,
TOMORROW.
VOTING TIME!!!!
04 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in POLL
I’m going away for a couple of days with my mom, for the Easter holiday. So I want to know what you guys want me to write about when I get back!
:)
Also, you have the option ” suggestion” and that just means that you could help me write my next post, maybe about a trip that you’ve made, a cool place you’ve been to. Then we’ll create a cool post about that place, together, and I’ll post it here!
OKAY,
here it is!
VOTE VOTE VOTE!
Those crazy Finns.
02 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in Finland Tags: beer, beer float, finland, finnish, finns, fun, helsinki, kaljakellunta, vantaa, vantaa river
No, seriously. The Finnish people are insane. In the best way, of course.
The best experience I had while in Finland was, without a doubt, the Kaljakellunta, or, Beer Float.
What it is, you ask? Well, it’s basically a bunch of people who do not like to stay at home with nothing to do and decided to get something that floats, a few beers and…go down a river. The Vantaa river, more specifically.
A lot of people get together to have fun on top of floating things while they go down a river, drinking beer. There’s really no other way to describe it. It’s simply as awesome as it sounds.
Me and my cousin were really excited about it and as soon as we heard of the event, we started thinking what would make us float down the Vantaa River. We ended up buying an air mattress. Like this one:
We got there and there were already hundreds of people with all sorts of floating things. People actually put a lot of effort into these things! They definitely planned ahead. Some people built a boat-like thing, with woods, car tires, etc. It was amazing. Some people bought those kid’s inflatable pirate ships and they even had pirate hats (awesome!).
The main thing though, was the BEER. You’re supposed to be drinking BEER at all times. Haha.
Me and Lucas bought a snack, some beers, brought a camera (which was ruined because of the water).
We started inflating our mattress and it was all very fun. People helped each other, and when ready, took their ”ships” to the water. The feeling when you are about to jump on top of the mattress that is already on the water, is very funny. It’s scary, and funny, I mean.
So there we went….people were watching, filming, laughing…and it was fun. Simple fun, you know?
Who would’ve thought that going down a river would be that much fun? But it really was.
And not just because we were, well, drunk and floating, but because everyone there was nice and talked to each other, we were part of a big thing, of a tradition of people who did not like to be average, boring….People who actually did something different. We were a part of something.
Sometimes we would have to stop to well….in simple words….pee. And then we had to ask people for help to ”stop” our mattress and go to a little bush. It was hilarious. There was music, food, talking, laughs. It was sunny, too, which helped.
The Kaljakellunta (Beer float) is organized through websites like Facebook and such, to gather people. There are no official organizers. It is a annual event, that started in 1997.
So, enough talking, here are the photos, and a video of my experience on the Vantaa river :)
And, if you’re ever in Finland, in the Helsinki area, around August, GET INFORMED about dates and try to go to this. It is amazing and so worth it!
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Finnish partying !
26 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in Finland Tags: clubs, finland, finnish
I didn’t go to a lot of clubs but I did go to a really nice one in Helsinki. The name is Kaivohuone. I couldn’t find many websites from the club because most of them are in Finnish, but their Facebook page is pretty good.
Kaivohuone is a really cool club and a great choice for the summer. It is packed with beautiful young people, good music, and the building is big. I went there with my cousin two times in a week haha and it was really fun.
They drink a lot of cider in Finland, and not the American kind, that are usually non alcoholic or pretty damn weak.
Their cider tastes delicious. You can apple or pear (maybe some other flavors, but those are the ones I had) cider and it’s good because it isn’t super strong so you can drink it and get a buzz after a few.
They drink a lot, I think hahaha. Vodka, also. Great Vodka. Duuh!
I also went to one of my cousin’s friend’s house and we played some card games, had some beer, etc. Young people in Finland are fun but they might be a little more reserved, very different from us, Brazilians. And i think that that was a great thing.
This is the club, Kaivohuone:
Best part was: we walked there. Haha, you cannot walk to a club in the middle of the night in brazil. Not if you don’t own a gun or a bodyguard. lol
NEXT POST, LAST POST about Finland!
A picture is worth a thousand words.
23 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in Finland
Later today, I’m going to talk about how me and my cousin Lucas bought an air mattress to go down a river with thousands of people.
:) haha
Let’s talk about Finland some more.
19 Mar 2012 2 Comments
in Finland Tags: beach., cabin, cold, finland, helsinki, karelian, kauniainen, lake house, liquorice, salmiakki, summer, train, tram
I’m going to start this post by talking about a comment I received on my last one :)
I briefly talked about the Finnish Sauna, and Sartenada (blog) told me that he had made a post about it, and it is very complete, with photos and everything. So, check it out: http://sartenada.wordpress.com/category/sauna/
It’s hard to explain WHY the Finnish Sauna is so amazing, but maybe by looking at these pics, you’ll be able to get an idea. Also, Sartenada is a blog worth checking out, I was just taking a look myself and wow, incredible photography.
Well, now more about my trip :)
First day, as you all know, I went to the beach. It still sounds very odd to be to say that, and yes, it might be silly and i might sound like an ignorant who only knows the cliché things about places, but I really did not know how things worked in Finland when it wasn’t snowing and dark…That was just the idea I had…I could’ve never imagined going to the beach there.
But it was a wonderful experience, after all. Then, later, me and my cousin went to the Mall and a few other places in the downtown are of Helsinki. For those of you who do not know what or where Helsinki is, it’s the capital city of Finland.
Here are a few things I have been reading about it:
Helsinki is among the world’s northernmost capitals and the lengthy winter, from October all the way up to April, is dark and freezing. Winter temperatures average -5°C, but the wind chill makes it feel even colder and the mercury can plunge below -20°C on a particularly cold day. Snow falls only intermittently and often melts into gray slush.
The summer is often pleasant. Temperatures sometimes climb above 25°C. Parks burst into green and sunbathers dot the city’s beaches.
So yeah, there you go…. But it is such a beautiful city, very organized, nice places to go, cool things to do, there are parks, shops, museums etc.
Helsinki Cathedral!
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But where I stayed at was not Helsinki. My cousin was living at this little apartment in a city called…are you ready? Kauniainen. It’s a cute little town in the Metropolitan area of Helsinki. Me and Lucas took the bus to Helsinki a lot, and the train to other places. The train leaves every 15 minutes…and it’s like I said about Paris, it’s better if you don’t try to be a smart-ass and ride without paying because someone might come check if you bought the ticket. I need to be honest, as Brazilians, me and my cousin skipped this rules a few times and just hoped for the best. hahaha
The apartment lived at was a place his host family had because where they lived was a bit out of hand from where they worked, so it was too big of a commute. It was a small but very pleasant place to live, close to a nice market, pizza place, a park, the train station was a few blocks away…
Kauniainen apartment.
One day after I got in Finland, my cousin informed me that we were going to his host family’s lake house. Apparently it’s very common to have a Lake House.
Getting there, after 5+ hours, was a good surprise. It was very peaceful and extremely beautiful. There was the main cabin, where the kitchen was, the porch, the living room and a small bedroom were…Another cabin with two separate rooms. The outhouse. Yes. Outhouse. And the Sauna.
It was at their lake house where I discovered one of the most amazing snacks I have ever had in my life.
It’s this rice pastry thing filled with mashed potatoes, or a rice-pudding-like sort of thing and you’d eat it with butter or butter and tomatoes on top…Just divine! I found a few recipes but I doubt I can find all the right ingredients and prepare it correctly in order to be just as perfect as the real Finnish ones. Here is the recipe of Karelian.
THIS IS AMAZING, PLEASE TRY IT.
Another thing about Finnish food is, obviously, SALMON. And if you don’t like fish…well, too bad for you :( but salmon in Finland is even better than the salmon dishes i have tried before.
Lucas’ host dad made this spaghetti with a creamy salmon sauce that was….can I use the word divine just one more time???? Because it was!
A lot of their dishes use salmon. I tried googling ”why is finnish salmon better” but found nothing. I think it might where they fish it from, but I will not say anything dumb, so let’s just stop here with this last comment: EXQUISITE!
There was just ONE thing I did not enjoy eating in Finland and oddly enough, EVERYONE there seemed to love.
Salmiakki. It’s SALTY LIQUORICE. Horrible, huh? But since they all love it so much, I’m going to talk about it…
Liquorice is very common in the US and that’s where I tried it for the first time. I didn’t love it, either. But when my cousin’s host sister offered me this black candy, liquorice did not come to my mind. I just thought ”oh, candy, sure”. Then when I bit the candy, well…it was salty!!!! So weird! But they have a bunch of variations of the Salmiakki thing. I think I remember seeing Salmiakki ice cream at Mc Donalds. Or it was somewhere else, you know…I didn’t buy it so, whatever. But it IS worth trying, since it’s such a normal thing around there. Even if people tell you it’s bad, try it. Just do it!!!!!!
WELL, BACK TO THE LAKE CABIN…
Besides trying the delicious finnish dishes, that was where I had my first Sauna experience. The Fins take pride in their sauna. A lot like Argentinians and Brazilians, the people from Finland constantly make comments that imply they are a bit better than the Swedish people. So when we talk about Sauna, they make sure you understand it is a FINNISH thing.
But, anyways. When you first enter the sauna, the sensation you get is hard to describe. It’s way hotter than anything i had ever witnessed. As soon as you sit down, you start sweating. Not in a yucky, disgusting way, but in a purifying way. You feel like you’re cleansing. It’s great for your skin, your hair…I think it’s even great for your soul, and I am not even joking!!!!! haha
When I thought it was already pretty hot, the girls kept pouring more water into the steam thing…. And it got hotter and hotter and they didn’t seem to mind or be satisfied.
Then you start getting used to it…and it feels really good.
After the sauna, you jump in the lake!!! The cold lake. And remember, I was there during summer time…they do that in the WINTER, with snow and frozen lakes.
After taking the courage to jump …I finally got in and I think for that moment, I went to a place like Heaven or something like that. It’s so worth it.
For you, girls, a great tip my friends gave me was to leave some conditioner in your head while you’re in the sauna. It makes it soft and shiny! Very good.
So we spent 3 to 4 days at the cabin and it was very good to relax. During the day we’d eat and sunbathe, read some books and play crosswords, talk, take naps….swim…And during the night we basically just talked and ate and it was great.
Relaxing time!
The Lake
some pics for you to see how great of a time we had at the lake :)
And the weather was amazing, too.
Close to the cabin (well, an hour away) there was this castle. First real castle I’ve been too, and it was very pretty.
The name is Olavinlinna.
Currently, the castle hosts several small exhibitions, including the Castle Museum which displays artifacts found in the castle or related to it, and the Orthodox Museum which displays icons and other religious artifacts both from Finland and Russia. The castle forms a spectacular stage for the Savonlinna Opera Festival, held annually in the summer since 1912.
Me and Lucas in front of the Olavinlinna castle.
Me loving the castle!
I’m going to finish this tomorrow, because I want to chat with my cousin to see if he remembers a few other things that I don’t and to add more cool info about Finland.
Good night ! :)
