New toy

Yesterday I bought a new toy: a mobile phone Nokia N95. It's also usefull to make calls :) Until now, every spare moment I had was dedicated to learn how to use it. I have forgotten how addicted I was to these gadgets! The phone is simply unbelivable!! Definetly a good choice!

Next saturday it's Julia's birthday party, it will be a costume party. This weekend we (me and Marcos) went to a store to rent our costumes. We did not know exactly what we wanted, and honestly, I did not like the place at once. I wanted to go away the second I got into the store... But Marcos insisted and we asked for the Zorro costume and a spanish dress for me. The lady at the store said that they had the dress similar to the one that Catherina Zetta-Jones wore in the last Zorro's movie, so I asked to see it. It was ok, but I think I will have to explain my costume to everybody at the party. Let's see... Wait for the next post to see pictures of both of us with the costumes.

Finally it arrived!

Yesterday my new Harry Potter book arrived! Unfortunately I had to wait until late at night to start reading it, because we spent the day visiting Ana Luisa (she becomes cutter everyday...).

I think this will be the best book of the series... I only read the first two chapters but it was possible to have an idea of what is coming ahead.

Changing the subject, this is the last week of the Pan American games. We still have two events to attend: masculine volleyball tomorrow night and athletism next Saturday. We thought about going to the closing ceremony on Sunday, but we would have to pay a lot of money for the tickets.

I think we can be very proud of this edition of Pan American games. People from the organization comitees are saying that these were the best games so far and this increases our chances to host the Olympic Games in 2016!

Pé frio!!

We went to Maracanã today to watch the soccer game between Brazil and Ecuador. This was the first time I went to Maracanã to watch a match, actually this was the first time I watched a match in a stadium.

The day was beautiful, very hot and sunny and we were very excited to watch the game. We were in 7 and everybody thought that this game was going to be an easy one for Brazil. We couldn't be more wrong... This team played badly and we lost the game by 2x4 to Ecuador. My brother started calling me pé-frio (cold foot), that's how we call a person that does something for the first time and brings bad luck, in this case, because it was my first time in Marcanã to watch a game.

We didn't even wait the end of the game, we left right after Ecuador scored the 4th goal. But the experience of being in the largest soccer stadium in the world made the day!

It's on the way!!!

My Harry Potter book was posted today!!! Hopefully it will arrive here on Monday! I can't wait to start reading it!

Hummingbirds at home!

This is really a miracle. A hummingbird did a nest at my father's house. I had never seen a hummingbird completely still, and now we have the opportunity to see it taking care of its eggs. It's so cute. Here you are some pictures of mom hummingbird and her kids!! (They were born last weekend)

Let the games begin

The Pan American games began last Friday, with a beautiful opening ceremony at Maracanã. The picture shows a little bit of the colors and lights that were used to celebrate this event that is touching all the cariocas.

But for me and Marcos, the games began yesterday. In the morning we went to Copacabana beach. We wanted to walk and enjoy the sunny day, and also, I needed to get another T-shirt at the Pan store. The day was really beautiful, the beach was crowded, very far from a winter day. Check it out in the next picture.

It was the perfect way to get prepared to our first participation in the games. At night we went to Marcanazinho, where volleyball is taking place. As I mentioned here before, the stadium is renewed, but being there and having the opportunitty to see that everything is really well organized, was a different experience.

Here in Brazil, especially in Rio, we are used to lack of organization, lack of security and people that are unprepared to deal with huge events like this. I was surprised with the organization of the games. For the first time, I had the proof that is just a matter of will, I mean, there were no "flanelinhas" around Marcanã (people that ask for money to take care of your car while it's parked at the street - non-official activity that gives the feeling that if you don't pay maybe your car could be scratched or even stolen when you come back), no parking on forbidden spots, tons of policemen. Why can't be like this forever?

Anyway, going back to the games. We had problems to find our seats, this was the only negative point of the night. We paid for the most expensive seats, hoping that they would be located near the court. But for our surprise, they were located at the top of the arena. We had a good view from there, but I wanted to be close to the teams. At least we will be at the lower part of the arena to watch the masculine volleyball game next week.

The first game was between Cuba and Puerto Rico. Of course everybody was cheering for Puerto Rico, once the cubans are the most famous oponents to the brazilian girls. Was a nice game, and obviously Cuba won.

After the game we had to wait for almost one hour and half for Brazil and Peru. But it was ok. We could feel the excitement in the stadium. It was a great game. And an easy one too. Brasil won by 3x0.

Countdown to Harry Potter

Tomorrow we will watch the opening of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I can't wait!!!

Pan games and the Christ

We are all excited for the Pan American games. Our tickets arrived this week and next saturday our marathon will start. The first game we will watch will be Brazil x Peru, feminine volleyball. The Maracanazinho stadium is all renewed and is now is at the same level of the most modern stadiums in the world.

Today, after we arrived from my dad's house, we went to Copacabana to visit the Pan official store, which was built at the beach. We bought so many things!!! T-shirts, caps, postcards, a huge brazilian flag that we'll take to the games, and miniatures of Cauê, the symbol of the Pan American games in Rio. You can see Ping with Cauê in the picture.

The whole city is dedicated to the Pan, and the atmosphere could not be more exciting! Especially now that we won the contest for the new 7 wonders of the world, and our Christ is one of them! The result was communicated yesterday during the Live Earth at Copacabana beach...

Unfortunately there was the episode with the press manager from the US delegation. His comments about Rio were absurd, writing "Welcome to the Congo", comparing Rio to Africa... Nothing against Africa, but this only demonstrated his prejudice and lack of consideration with the people of Rio and the Pan games organizers who are putting so much effort to make everything right and pleasant to our guests. Anyway, he was sent back to the US by the US delegation and they wrote a really nice public apology to the brazilian people. The problem now is: the US athletes, who have nothing to do with his declaration, will suffer the consequences...

Welcome Ana Luisa!!

Today Ana Luisa was born! She is the daughter of our cousins Alexandre and Claudia.
She is so cute and small and we are very happy to have her in our family!