Duty Free - Sri Lanka

Essa nao foi a primeira imagem que eu tive do Sri lanka, quando passei pelo Duty Free de chegada.

Estou ate agora querendo cortar os pulsos por nao ter tirado foto. Sabe a 25 de marco? Pois a coisa e meio parecida. Uma lojinha atras da outra, com um mooonte de bugigangas. Mas as bugigangas daqui sao maiores, bem maiores. Tinha gente empurrando geladeiras, TV de plasma e eletro-eletronicos pra la e pra ca.

Muito Sri lankes sai do pais a trabalho. Eles vao principalmente pro Oriente Medio ganhar a vida. E ai quando voltam, aproveitam a grana no bolso e os precos do duty free pra deixar a casa chic e bem equipada!

Fiquei feliz de ter visto isso.

Aquela coisa gloriosa dos duty frees que a gente ve em todos os lugares caiu por terra. No Sri lanka o duty free faz um trabalho muito mais legal. leva qualidade de vida para as familias que ficam pra tras quando o marido ( ou muitas vezes as esposas que vao trabalhar como domesticas) deixam o pais em busca do sonho da estabilidade financeira.

Muitos desses trabalhadores so voltam pra casa de dois em dois anos, quando tem ferias remuneradas e passagens pagas pelo empregador.

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This was definately not the first image I had in Sri Lanka, when I went through the Duty Free.

I still can not believe I did nit take any pictures! The Arrival's Duty Free is composed of one appliance shop after another. But they are not those light, beautiful shops we are used to. They are small stalls with things standing almost on top of each other. Like a crowded second hand shop. The only difference is the goods sold here are all new.
I saw many people pushing refrigerators, plasma TV and electro-electronics on trolleys. 
Many Sri Lankans leave their family and go overseas to work. The Middle east id one of their favorite destinations. When they come home from a long lonely time working overseas, they stop at the Duty Free and buy new appliances. 
I was happy to see it.
Nothing of the glamour of the duty free selling perfumes, lipsticks and expensive handbags. Instead of these superfluous goods, they are selling a better quality of life.

A imagem dos pescadores Sri lankeses e sem duvida a que mais me marcou durante essa viagem. Eu os vi em outdoors logo no aeroporto e em cartoes postais em todas as paradas que fizemos pais afora.
Mas o mais emocionante, foi sem sombra de duvidas, ver um pescador de verdade, em cima do seu "pau de pescar".

Fiquei imaginando mil historias, mil formas com as quais esse habito passou de geracao em geracao. Perguntei para alguns locais o por que dessa pratica, o que havia por traz disso e todos ficaram me olhando como se esse fosse o unico jeito de se pescar no mar. "trepado" num pau, na agua salgada.

Historias a parte, essa memoria vai ficar comigo pra sempre. Pra mim, ela resume a simplicidade e a magia do Sri Lanka.

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The image of the Sri Lankan's fishermen are without doubt the one that struck me during this trip. I've seen them on billboards at the airport as soon as we arrived and saw the same postcards at every stop we made during our tours.

But nothing compares to the emotion I felt when I  saw a real fisherman, on top of his " fishing pole".
I imagine one thousand stories, a hundred ways in which this habit passed from generation to generation. I even asked why some locals about this practice, what was behind it and how it came about. Every time I asked, I got the same surprised look. As if this was the only way to fish in the sea. "Perched" on a stick, in salt water.
Stories aside, this memory will stay with me forever. For me, this image sums up the simplicity and magic of Sri Lanka.

Conversinha que  a Anita ouviu na piscina do hotel essa semana ( o menino nao tinha mais que dois anos):

- Nos nao estamos mais no resort.
- Sim, filho. Nos estamos.
- Nos nao estamos mais no Sri Lanka.
- Sim, filho. Nos estamos.
- Entao nos estamos no resort E no Sri Lanka?
- sim.
-WOW...

E eu fiquei morrendo de saudade do tempo em que as minhas pequerruchas tambem estavam descobrindo o mundo.

Little conversation between a two year old and his father, at the pool, this week:
- We are not in the resort anymore.
- Yes, darling, we are.
- We are not in Sri Lanka anymore.
- Yes, darling, we are.
- So we are IN the resort AND IN sri lanka?
- Yes.
- WOW...

And I missed the time when my girls were also discovering the world around them...

Show de danca no Sri lanka / Dance show in Sri Lanka

I saw the ad for this show at the hotel and could not resist. I dragged the whole family with me. And yes, I loved it!

I spent hours trying to upload the videos here, but i failed miserably. So all I have to say is how amazing the show really was and how gorgeous the Sri Lankan girls are. they have this exotic beauty, added to an unpretentious aura and very sensual moves. I was very impressed!

Eu vi o anuncio pra esse show no nosso resort e arrastei a familia toda pra "cidade" assistir comigo. Eu adorei!
passei horas (literalmente) tentando colocar os videos que eu fiz durante o show, mas nao consegui.

So me resta dizer que eu amei tudo o que eu vi, e fiquei impressionadissima com a beleza e a sensualidade da mulher sri lanka. Elas tem essa beleza exotica, esse ar despretencioso com um que de sensualidade que naoe  nada vulgar... Eu fiquei boquiaberta.

And this guy terrified me. He ate fire, he passed it on his tongue, on his chest, on his everything. Only part of the show i really disliked.

E esse cara ai de cima me deixou apavorada. Ele "comeu"fogo, passou na lingua, no peito e no corpo todo. Foi a unica parte do show que eu achei pessima.

O Blog sumiu... My blog disappeared!

Como voce esta lendo o blog agora, ja viu que deu tudo certinho e os fdp caras do blogger resolveram devolve-lo.
Phew!
Foram horas de lagrimas, desespero e uma sensacao de impotencia imensa.
Vim dar uma olhadinha nele, e tava la, em letras garrafais:
- Esse blog foi deletado.
Mas eu nao deletei. EU NAO DELETEI!!
E embaixo: leia os termos e condicoes, pra vers e vc foi deletado por ter sido uma palhaca e escrito o que nao devia. ( ta bom, eles foram um pouco mais sutis)
Li. Reli.
Eu nao tinha feito nada de errado.
Parece que a internet aqui estava muito ruim, eu fiquei entrando e saindo do blog e dos blogs amigos feito uma louca decompensada e o blogger me identificou como spammer. E suspendeu a minha conta.
Coisa feia isso.
Demorou um pouco, mas ele voltou.
Obrigada pelos e mails e mensagens de carinho e indignacao pelo sumico do Out and About. Ele ama voces. e eu tambem. A gente nao vai a lugar nenhum nao. Vamos ficar aqui, escrevendo bobagens e interagindo com voces.


PS - Se voce tem um blog, pelamor de Deus, faca um backup AGORA!! Por que a gente nunca sabe se um maluco nao vai resolver tirar o seu bloguinho do ar!

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You are reading the blog now, which means everything is ok and the sonofabitch guys diligently working for blogger decided to return it.

Phew!
I confess there were hours of tears, despair and an overwhelming feeling of loss when I came to check on the blog and all I saw was a message, in bold letters:


- This blog has been deleted.


But I have not deleted it. I WOULD NOT delete it!

And in small letters:  Read the terms and conditions, to check if your blog was deleted because you are an idiot and wrote what you should have not written. (Okay, they were a little more subtle)
I read the terms and conditions. And I re-read it. Twice.
I have done nothing wrong. At least I could not see what I could have done wrong.

My theory was very simple: the internet here sucks, and keeps going on and off all the time. Blogger detected my "suspicious activities",declared me a spammer and suspended my account.
Bastards!
It took a while, but  managed to get it back.
Thank you for all the e mails and messages of support and indignation by the disappearance of "Out and About". We love you guys and would never quit on you. We are not going anywhere. You can count on me to stay put and write all sorts of crap about my life. And other people's too.
PS - If you have a blog, forthelove of God, backup it NOW! Because we never know if a crazy person is not going to put your blog down!
.

OB no Sri Lanka/ Tampoons in Sri Lanka

Na verdade esse post deveria se chamar NAO OB no Sri Lanka.
Por que eu cheguei aqui nessa terra paradisiaca de sol e mar e fiquei menstruada, ne?
Voce deve estar se perguntando por que eu, uma mulher linda, educada e discreta estou te contando uma coisa dessas, mas "guenta" ai que voce ja vai entender.
Pois entao. Fiquei menstruada e nao tinha OB comigo. Fui ao supremercado da cidadezinha vizinha e tambem nao tinha. Fui a farmacia, nada de OB. Fui a outra farmacia e nada...
Ai a noite fomos a uma cidade maior, muito mais moderna, assistir a um show. Paramos no maior supermercado do lugar, e nada de OB.
 Ai o Fabio, fofo, doce e carinhoso, perguntou pro nosso guia onde a gente podia encontrar OB. E claro, explicou o que era um OB ( juro, juro, juro que ele se recusa a me dizer como foi a explicacao, mas eu to roxa de curiosidade).
O guia ( que e viadissimo, fofissimo e purpurinado), parou em todas as farmacias do caminho. E pra ganhar tempo, ele descia comigo, da porta da farmacia ele ja gritava perguntando se tinha OB ou nao, quando os atendentes faziam cara de quem nao tinha entendido nada, ele explicava o que era ( em Sri lankes), os caras olhavam pra mim com cara de "ta louca, minha filha??" e balancavam veementemente a cabeca dizendo que nao. Como se aquilo fosse coisa do demonio. Que provavelmente pra eles e mesmo.
Essa cena se repetiu 6 vezes, por que o nosso guia, maravilhoso, se recusou a desistir ate a gente passar vexame em todas as farmacias da cidade.
Ai que MICO!

Amanha vou pedir pra ele bater de porta em porta , perguntando pras hospedes do resort se alguma delas trouxe o produto milagroso na mala  ( ele fala 7 linguas, e obviamente se diverte procurando OB obstinadamente - tenho certeza que ele nao vai se importar)

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This post should be called NON tampoon in Sri Lanka.

Because as Murphy would have it,  I got to this paradise land of sun and sea and I got my period.
You must be wondering why, a beautiful, polite and discreet woman like me, is telling you something that personal, but hold on for a little longer and you will understand.
So I got my period and had no tampoons in my suitcase. I went to the neighboring supermarket village and they also did not have it. I went to the local pharmacy, no tampoons. I went to another pharmacy and nothing ...
At the night we went to a bigger, more modern city, to watch a local dance show. We stopped at the biggest supermarket so I could follow my tampoon quest, but they also did not have it.
Fabio, who is the cutest, sweetest and most loving husband, proactivelly asked our guide where we could find tampoons. And of course, explained what a tampoon was, because our guide was completely lost when he heard the word tampoon. (I swear, I swear, I swear he refuses to tell me how was the explanation - and I am dying to know).
The guide, stopped at all the pharmacies he could find in the big city. To save time, he decided it would be more efficient to come along with me. From pharmacy door, he would yell if they had tampoons, then he would yell the proper explanation of what a tampoon was! 
 The pharmacy employees, mostly guys, looked at me with horror stamped on their faces and shook their heads vehemently saying NO.
I felt I was shopping for drugs or something even worse.
This scene was repeated six times, because our amazing guide, refused to give up until we shamed ourselves in all pharmacies in the city.
Tomorrow I'll ask him to knock door to door, asking the resort guests to if any of them brought the miracle product in their suitcase (our guide speaks seven languages, and obviously has fun looking obstinately for tampoons - I'm sure he will oblige)

Causos / Short stories

Descobrimos ( o Fabio descobriu) um esquilo que vem comer o coco que nos deixamos do lado de fora do nosso quarto. E o bichinho ENTRA no coco pra come-lo.
Ai que vontade de levar pra casa!!!

We found  out( Fabio found out) a squirrel comes to eat the coconut we left outside our bedroom. And it actually goes inside the coconut to acomplish his task.
I would LOVE to take it home with us!!

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Fomos a um show de danca local. Uma graca ( depois coloco as fotos e os videos que eu fiz).
Na metade do show, teve um sorteio e eu ganhei o premio. Um anel fofo.
Perdi o dito cujo antes de chegard e volta ao hotel.
Acho que foi praga da Anita que insistia que o anel nao era meu, era NOSSO. Agora ele ja nao e masi de ninguem nessa familia.

We went watch a local performance. I loved it ( I promise to post some pics and videos I made).
During the break, they gave away a prize  and I won it - it was a ring.
I lost it before we made it back to the hotel.
I blame it on ANita who insisted the ring was not mine, but OURS. Now it no longer belongs to anyone in this family. It is gone.

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Hoje nos passamos o dia na praia. So nos quatro. Essa e definitivamente uma ocorrencia rara. Nossa familia quse nunca esta junta e sozinha.
Fabio fez umas contas e chegou a conclusao de que essa foi a QUARTA vez que nos entramos no mar juntos. Em 13 anos...


We spent the day in the water. All of us. We must register the moment. It is very rare for our family to be together alone. Fabio was trying to remember and this was the FOURTH time we went to the beach together. In 13 years.

Nos apoiamos os contrabandistas! We support smuglers!

Ainda nao me decidi qual e a nota que eu vou dar para o nosso resort. Ontem eu estava furiosa por que aqui, no meio desse paraiso tropical, eles simplesmente nao oferecem sucos naturais. Os caras so vendem refrigerantes e refrescos.
Mas hoje, eu estava sentadinha na minha varanda, aproveitando a brisa do mar e lendo meus e mails ( ja que a internet voltou a funcionar) quando vi um cara passando com uma carriola cheia de cocos verdes.
Comecei a abanar os bracos histericamente e pedi 4 cocos, por favor. O cara, muito solicito, me deu logo os cocos. Fechados.
- E vc nao abre?
- Nao. Eu so apanho.
Nisso eu olho pro mar e vejo um cara me chamando.
- Voce quer coco?
- Sim.
- Perai. Vou pegar.
E pegou mesmo. Pegou os cocos, cortou, botou canudos. E nem cobrou nada, por que segundo ele, os cocos estao ali, dando sopa. E so subir no coqueiro e pegar.
E como o mar tambem fica ali na frente, ele entra no mar e pega lagostas, camaroes, carangueijos... e vende no restaurante que ele abriu ao lado do hotel.
So que com a Lia "de pe quebrado", nao da pra ficar sassaricando. A gente guarda todas as energias pras estripulias dela, e economiza na rotina. Andar ate o restaurante nem pensar!
MAs como nos estamos no Sri Lanka e o pessoal daqui e o mais fofo do mundo, como nos ja estabelecemos nos posts anteriores, o cara me trouxe o menu, depois a comida, os sucos naturais ( SIM, ELE TEM) e mais tarde voltou pra buscar os talheres e os pratos sujos.
Tudo escondidinho, ja que eu estou desconfiada que trazer comida "de fora" prum hotel com tantos restaurantes, e com certeza ilicito.
Comi uma pratada de camaroes imensos, por 1/3 do preco do hotel ( que pega os camaroes no mesmo lugar). E ainda tivemos atendimento a domicilio. Tomara que ninguem nos descubra. Pretendo repetir a facanha amanha. e depois de amanha. e na segunda. terca...

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I still haven't decided how much I like our resort. Yesterday I was angry because, despise the fact we are in this tropical paradise, they simply do not offer natural juices. The hotel only sell soft drinks and cordials.
But today, I was sitting on the porch, enjoying the sea breeze and reading my e mails (since the internet is working again) when I saw a guy passing by with a wheelbarrow full of green coconuts.
I started waving my arms hysterically and asked for four coconuts, please. He imediately gave me the coconuts. Exactly how they came off the tree.
- Can you please open?
- No. I just get it.
IWhen I glanced over the beach, I saw a guy calling me.
- Do you want coconut?
- Yes
- Just wait. I'll get them for you.
And he sure did. He went up the tree, got the coconuts, cut them open, even gave us some straws. And he did not charge us anything, because according to him, the coconuts are there, up on the trees. All he had to do was go and get them. No trouble at all.
And like the coconut trees, the sea is also right there in front of us, so he also goes into the sea and catches lobsters, shrimps, crabs ... to sells in the restaurant he opened next door to our resort.
I would love to go there and check up his restaurant, but infortunately Lia has a broken foot and we can not afford to walk around. All her energy needs to be saved to play like crazy on the beach and swimming pool, so she can complain about going anywhere else.
Walking up to the restaurant, is a no go for our family!
But as we are in Sri Lanka and the people here are the cutest in the world, (we already established that in previous posts) the guy brought me the menu, then the food, the natural juices (YES, HE HAS THEM) and later returned to pick up all the dirty cutlery and dishes.
All hiding from the hotel management, since I'm suspicious that sneaking food from "outside" in a  hotel with so many restaurants, is illicit.
I ate a huge plate full of tiger prawns for 1/3 the price of the hotel's restaurant (which takes the prawns from the same beach, righ in front of them).
And they brough it to our door. Hopefully no one will find out about it because I want to repeat it  tomorrow. and after tomorrow. and on Monday. and on Tuesday ...

Chegamos as 5:45 da matina no Sri lanka. O mais dificil foi abrir os olhos e tentar lembrar o que estava acontecendo...


Sono, muito sono. Gosto de champagne e comida asiatica ainda na boca. Onde estou mesmo?
Ai me lembrei do voo, da perna quebrada da Lia, da nossa chegada na madrugada. Pulei no assento ( sim, nos todos acabamos nos esparramando em bancos vazios e viajando deitados).
Esperamos todo mundo desembarcar e fomos ajudar a Lia a pegar as muletas, mas la veio mais surpresa:
- Nao se preocupe. Ja pedimos a cadeira de rodas para ela.
Se a coisa continuar assim, vou me mudar para o Sri Lanka. Gente mais fofa do muundo...
Vieram com uma versao Sri Lanka do caminhao hidraulico do aeroporto de Bahrain ( versao Sri lanka – velho, enferrujado, ameacando desmontar).
Entramos no caminhaozinho e fomos alegres e saltitantes pista afora. Ate que o caminhao fez uma curva, e a maca onde a Lia estava sentada virou ( nao, nao estava amarrada) e a Lia voou pro outro lado do caminhao.


We arrived in Sri lanka at 5:45am. The challenge was to open my eyes and try to remember what was happening ...

I was sleepy, very sleepy. I could still feel some champagne  and Asian food after taste still in my mouth. Where am I right now?
Memories slowly came back to me. I remembered the flight, Lia's broken leg. I jumped on my seat (yes, we all ended up in rows of empty seats and could lie down and sleep.) 
We waited until everyone was off and started making our way to help Lia get her crutches, to get out too. Before I could get anywhere near her, the flight attendant said:
- Do not worry. We've requested a wheelchair for her. It is on it's way.
WOW! That's impressive. Specially because we never asked for it.
If things continue like this, I'm moving to Sri Lanka. People here are so friendly ...
They finally came with a Sri Lankan version of the hydraulic airport truck that transported us in Bahrain. ( Sri Lankan version - old, rusty, about to fall apart).
But we were experts by now and knew what to do and how to behave!
Lia had a hospital bed only for herself, we sat wherever we could find space for our bums. Everything was great, until the truck made a sharp turn and the bed Lia was on turned and sent my daughter flying to the other side of the truck.

nao, essa nao e a Lia. mas achei a foto bem apropriada. Google search

O funcionario da companhia, que a tinha colocado ali, deixou escapar umas tres “merda”enquanto tentava resgatar a menina voadora.
A Lili nao falou uma palavra, so a carinha de dor e as lagrimas escorrendo pelo rostinho dela entregavam o jogo. Ah Sri Lanka, Sri lanka...
Sei que nao adianta concertar a cagada o erro depois que ele acontece, mas mudei a Lia pra um banquinho que estava devidamente amarrado e fiquei ao lado dela.
Desembarcamos, ja tinhamos o visto pre aprovado ( eles tem e-visto que sai pela internet e vc paga no cartao de credito. Muderno).

All we heard was the employee who "placed Lia" on that bed swearing under his breath.
Lili did not say a word.Only her painful look gave away what she was going through. And the tears streaming down her face. Ah Sri lanka, Sri lanka...
I know it is not good enough to fix the mistake after it already happened, but there was little more i ould do, so I moved Lia to a safe sit and stayed with her - just in case.
We got out the truck, our visas were pre aproved. Sri lanka has a web site where you can apply and pay for your visa before you arrive. It is pretty cool.

Quando fomos buscar a bagagem, nos avisaram que uma das pecas estava faltando. Contei e recontei as malas para nao repetir a palhacada de Londres. Nao lembra? Ta aqui .
E como nao poderia deixar de ser, era mais uma vez a mala da Anita que estava faltando. Justo ela que AMA as suas roupas, os seus sapatos, as suas coisinhas. Ficamos mais de uma hora esperando alguem localizar a mala.
Consegui ate sair pra avisar o nosso motorista que a coisa estava engastalhada, mas que nos estavamos la sim! Pelamor nao va embora... E os oficiais da Policia federal nao tiveram coragem de me impedir de voltar pra area restrita do aeroporto quando viram a furia exalando pelos meus poros.
Sim, sai da area internacional do aeroporto, andei, sassariquei, troquei dinheiro e voltei pela porta da saida.
Mas nada de acharem a mala. E a cada 5 minutos a Anita falava:
- Meu oculos da Armani esta la.
- Meus biquinis da Aqua Brasil. Todos eles.
- Os meus sapatos brasileiros estao nessa mala.
- E as minhas roupas de verao mais bonitas.
Fiquei com o coracao apertado e apesar de saber que nao ia adiantar nada, deixei claro ao pessoal da companhia aerea, que aquele incidente podia ser comum pra eles, mas estava atrapalhando as nossas ferias.
Agora a Anita nao tem uma unica peca de roupa no Sri Lanka. Nada. Nao da pra esperar sabe-se la quantos dias ate encontrarem a malinha dela. Se encontrarem.
A moca da bagagem conseguiu uma autorizacao para nos dar US$ 40.00 para aplacar a situacao ate ver se a mala chega ou nao chega. Oba! Ja da pra pagar a sola de um dos sapatos que estava na mala.
A pobre Anita estava desesperada. E nos todos morrendo de pena, mas depois de mais de duas horas de espera, tivemos que ir embora para o Hotel. Nao tinha mais nada a se fazer ali.

At the baggage claim, we noticed one bag was missing. I counted and recounted the luggage to avoid going through what happened in London. Do you remember it? It is here
Of course,as Murphy would have it, it was Anita's suitcase that went AWOL. And she loves her clothes, her shoes, all her things.
After an hour waiting for the bag to show up, we had to give up.
I even managed to get out, find out driver, let him know we were there, but not ready to leave yet, and the I simply walked back inside. Customs decided not to stop me as soon as they saw my face.
I guess I can be quite scary sometimes.
Every five minutes, Anita would sau something like:
- My armani glasses were there.
- And my leather shoes.
- I had all my brazilian bikinis in that suitcase.
- And my best summer clothes.
My heart broke. Poor girl. And I knew nothing would change things, but i made sure I explained to the airline that could be routine for them, but for us, it would bring bad memories forever.
And now Anita had nothing to wear Not a single piece of clothes. Everythig was in the bag they lost.
After a while, the attendant managed to authorize a $40 payment until they find out what will happen to the luggage.
That will not cover a single shoe, let alone all she had there, but after over two hours batling in the airport, we decided to finaly leave.
Anita in tears, fabio and I witha  broken heart.

O sono bateu de novo. Eu apaguei. De tempos em tempos, eu quase acordava, abria os olhos e via um cenario paradisiaco a minha frente, mas imediatamente eu apagava outra vez.
Quando chegamos a uma cidade perto do hotel, pedimos pro motorista nos levar ate uma loja para compramos umas coisinhas basicas pra ela.

Um maio, uns tres shorts, algumas camisetas, calcinhas... o basico dos basicos.

Quando perguntei onde estavam os maios, a mocinha super sorridente me levou pra ver umas pecas que pareciam saidas de obra de ficcao. Imagine um maio de corpo inteiro. Agora acople uma saia franzida que vai pelo menos ate os joelhos da modelo. E pinte flores coloridas na lycra. Tchan Tchan!


On our way back, I felt so sleepy, it was not even funny. I simply fell asleep. From time to time I would open my eyes and see the most beautiful beach, but in a second, i would go back to my sleep.
When we were almost at the hotel, we asked the driver to stop in a shop, so we could buy Anita some basics.
A swimming suit, a couple of shorts, some tops and underware.
Every time I asked where the swimming suits were, the girl would take me to see these old fashion suits that our great great grandmother wore. They are one piece with a long skirt sewed into the body. And most of them were in bright colors. Tchan Tchan Tchan

Esse maio ta moderno perto das opcoes que tinhamos aqui
This suit is fashion and hip compared to the ones we saw

Se eu mostro um negocio desses pra Anita ela nunca mais para de chorar.
Fomos a 4 lojas diferentes. Todos os maios tinham o mesmo estilo. E as roupas eram saias e blusas. Nada se short, muito menos camisetinhas baby look. Na ultima loja consegui UM short, umas 4 camisetas e demos a odisseia por encerrada.
Quando chegamos ao hotel, a Anita decidiu usar o MEU maio ( que apesar de ser de veia coroca, ta dando de mil nas alternativas locais). E foi alegre e saltitante brincar na praia e na piscina. Com a Lia* . Eu fiquei tao exausta que dormi por 3 horas consecutivas. Juro. Fui da van pro chuveiro e me enfiei debaixo dos lencois ate a noite cair. Fabio fez a mesma coisa. Estavamos mortos.
As duas adolescentes, a do pe quebrado e a sem-roupas passaram um dia maravilhoso nadando, andando de caiaque, passeando pelo resort e o escambau...


* Eu explico. Comprei pra Lia uma daquelas botas que sao removiveis, assim ela poderia tira-la la pelo 4 ou 5 dia, se estivesse sem dor. A mae dormiu, a primeira coisa que ela fez foi se livrar da bota e cair na farra agua...


Thank God Anita was also sleeping and she did not see it. She would have a heart attack, cry her eyes out and probably never recover from the trauma.
We went to 4 different shops and they all had the same kind of clothes - nothing suitable for a western teenager at all. Even I could see that. And I am fashion blind.
At the last shop we managed to get ONE pair of shorts, 3 t shirts and two pieces of underware. Anita decided to wear MY swimming suit - it looked so modern in comparison...
As for me and Fabio, we were so emotionally exhausted, we simply crawled into our bed at the hotel and slept for 3 consecutive hours.
Anita and Lia*  had a great day. After the ordeal, they went swimming, caiaking and had a blast.

* I bought Lia one of those removable boots, so she could venture into the swimming pool after 4 or 5 days rest. But as soon as I went to bed, she took the boots off and jumped straight into the pool, then walked to the beach, got herself insto a caiake...the works!

 

Dilmun Loung e Sri lankan Air Lines

Pra compensar os possiveis aborrecimentos com o nosso voo da Sri Lankan Airlines ( o mais barato que nos encontramos), a nossa familia resolveu se meter numa luxuosa ( e carissima) sala de esperas no aeroporto.
Aqui voce nao precisa ser VIP ( very important person), voce simplesmente COMPRA o privilegio de ir parar na sala VIP. Muito mais facil.
Pois nos achamos que mereciamos o paparico depois de termos sido destratados por sermos pacientes particulares no hospital que engessou o pe quebrado da Lia ontem.Nao sabe nada sobre isso? DA uma lida aqui
Jeca visitando sala VIP e aquela coisa ne...
Primeiro eu nem sabia o que esperar. Uns jornais, revistas, internet de gratis ( depois de vc pagar uma fortuna pra estar la), um suquinho, uma aguinha...


To offset the possible hassles we may encounter with our Sri Lankan Airlines flight (the cheapest we found), our family decided to go to a luxurious (and expensive) lounge at the Bahrain Airport.

Here you do not need to be a VIP (very important person), you simply BUY the privilege of ending up in the VIP room. Much easier.
Because we thought we deserved some pampering, after having been insulted for being private patients at the hospital that took care of Lia's broken foot yesterday. You don't  know anything about it?  Read here
First I did not know what to expect. Some newspapers, magazines, free internet (after you pay a fortune to be in that room), juice, water ...

 

Imagine a minha surpresa quando eu descobri que tinha buffet com sopa, saladas, sanduiches, quibes, rolinho primavera e varias outras guloseimas alem de um bar com sucos frescos variados, e todo tipo de alcool que voce possa imaginar. Na sala VIP do aeroporto num pais muculmano. Ne?
Comi uma saladinha, tomei champagne por que eu sou deslumbrada chic, e muita agua com gas, pra nao apanhar da ressaca logo na chegada do hotel no Sri Lanka.
Depois de ter sido chiquerrima e me controlado no buffet, caminhei graciosamente para a maquina de cafe e fiz um super cappuccino espumante ( se tudo der errado na minha vida, posso ser barista). De repente, uma forca maior tomou conta de mim, nao sei o que aconteceu, meus dedinos se abriram e a xicara se espatifou no chao.
Ah... os holofotes da fama me perseguem! Mas quando eu pedi pra chamar a atencao toda vez que eu entrasse num lugar, eu nao pedi pra ser tao desastrada que a atencao ia ser sempre por que eu tinha quebrado alguma coisa. Entenderam tudo errado.
Antes de eu conseguir falar puta-que-o-pariu, alguem limpou os cacos do chao e eu pude fazer outro super cappuccino. Delicioso por sinal!
Fiquei arrasada quando soube que eu poderia ter tomado banho no banheiro chiqueterrimo do salao VIP. Com aqueles chuveirinhos que massageiam o seu corpo todo. E poderia ter usado o sabonete perfumaderrimo de grapefruit rosa, seguido do crème da mesma marca e perfume. Nao tive tempo pro banho e para as toalhas felpudas. Mas lavei a mao pelo menos tres vezes, so pra descontar o azar do nao-banho.
Quando deu a hora do nosso embarque, tive que ser arrastada pra fora do saguao VIP. Por mim, ficaria ali mesmo os 8 dias de ferias ( tomando banho no chuveiro massageador).
Do nada surgiu um funcionario ( nao sei se do aeroporto ou da Cia Aerea) pra empurrar a cadeira de rodas da Lia. Nao contei: A Lili esta doida para “investir”numa cadeira de rodas propria. Anda ate treinando para participar dos jogos olimpicos para deficientes fisicos...
Furamos as filas- vergonha das vergonhas - e fomos levados para um cantinho de espera longe de todos os outros passageiros. Sera que as pessoas acham que a gente ta com sarampo?


Imagine my surprise when I discovered there was a full on buffet with soups, salads, sandwiches, meatballs, spring rolls and various other goodies besides a bar with a variety of fresh juices, and all kinds of alcohol that you can imagine. In the VIP lounge of an airport in a Muslim country. Don't forget THAT.
I ate a salad, I had champagne because I am greedy sofisticated, and a lot of sparkling water , to avoid a hungover on arrival.
After attacking, enjoying the  buffet, I gracefully walked towards the coffee machine and made myslef a super frothy cappuccino (if everything goes wrong in my life, I can be a barista). Suddenly, a force majeure took over me, I do not know what happened, my hand opened and the cup shattered on the floor.
Ah ... the spotlight haunt me! But when I asked to be the centre of attention everywhere I went, I was not calling for catastrophe every time I did something in a new place. Someone got it all wrong.
Before I could say fucking-cow-in the desert, someone cleared the debris from the floor and I could calmly make myself another super cappuccino. It was delicious by the way!
I was devastated when I learned I could also have taken a shower in the VIP lounge. With those showera that massage your whole body. I could have used the  pink grapefruit shower gel, followed by the crème of the same brand and scent. I bet they also had the shampoo. As luck would have it, I did not have time for the bath and fluffy towels. But I made sure I washed my hands at least three times. And used the pink grapefruit stuff.
Whenthe time of our departure came, I had to be dragged out of the VIP lounge. For me, there would great to just stay there all our 8 day vacation (enjoying the darn shower).
Out of nowhere came a man in uniform (I do not know if  he works for the airport or Airline) to push Lia's wheelchair . Did I mention Lili is eager to "invest" in a wheelchair of her own .She is even training to participate in theOlympic Games for handicapped ...
We jumped all queues - shame of all shames - and were taken to a corner away from all the waiting passengers. Probably people misunderstood us and  think we are infected with measles?

Na hora do embarque, o nosso ajudante super fofo nos levou para um caminhaozinho com elevador, que nos transportou pela pista do aeroporto e depois nos catapultou para dentro do aviao, por uma porta secreta destinada a deficientes ( e pelo jeito familias de deficientes e adolescentes com o pe quebrado).
So depois dessa odisseia eu entendi por que o pessoal do check in estava tao preocupado por nos nao termos pedido a cadeira de rodas para a Lia na chegada no Sri lanka.
Eles falavam e repetiam que a gente tinha que ter avisado com antecedencia. Mas ela acabou de quebrar o pe, a gente nao sabia ( sera que eles foram treinados pelo Hospital Alemao? Naon sabe da historia? Leia aqui)

Entramos pela porta lateral do aviao ( oposta aquela que nos sempre usamos) e assim que todo mundo estava a bordo, a Lia foi imediatamente acomodada numa fileira de assentos vazia, a aeromoca trouxe travesseiros para ela ficar com a patinha levantada e cobertor para ela nao passar frio.
Vc se lembra que nos estavamos um tanto preocupados com o atendimento de bordo da Sri lankan airlines? Pois foi tudo perfeito. Desde o embarque, passando pelo cuidado dos comissarios, ate o capricho do menu e a delicia da comida.
Sri lankan Airways? Eu recomendo... ( mas nao use o banheiro - como 90% dos passageiros eram homens e o banheiro estava impossivel de ser usado, cheguei a conclusao que o "passarinho" do sri Lanko vem com um motorzinho giratorio. Juro. Tinha xixi no chao, nas paredes, na tampa do vaso, e pelo que eu vi ate no espelho...)
Nos eramos os unicos “ brancos”do voo todo. Com tantos turistas visitando o Sri lanka, fomos parar num aviao 100% local. Otimo pra gente ir se acostumando...

When the aircraft arrived, our super efficient helper took us to a truck equipped with a wheelchair lift.We were drove around in this futuristic truck and then catapulted straight into the plane, through a secret door designed for the handicapped (and obviously for families of disabled and/or teenagers with a broken foot).

Only after this odyssey I understood why the check-in staff were so worried we haven't requested wheelchair support for Lia on arrival in Sri Lanka.
They mentioned and repeated a hundred times that they had to be warned in advance, to organise help. It was hard for me to understand how difficult could it be to get a darn wheelchair...and  she just broke her foot a day ago, how could I let them know in advance? (were they trained by the German Hospital? You don't know the story? Read here)
We got onboard through a secret side door of the plane (opposite to the one we always use) and when everyone was on board, Lia was immediately accommodated in a row of empty seats, the flight attendant brought pillows to keep her ​​foot up and blankets so she would not get cold.
Do you remember  we were somewhat concerned about the service on board the Sri lankan airlines? Nothing to worry there, because everything was perfect. From boarding, through the flight attendants care, up to the gorgeous menu and the delicious food.
Sri lankan Airways? I recommend ... (But do not use the bathroom - as 90% of the passengers were male and the bathroom was impossible to use, it was so filthy,I came to the conclusion that the "Sri Lankan penis " comes equipped with a  little engine that rotates the "equipment.Ï swear. There was pee on the floor, walls, on the toilet seat, and from what I saw up there was some in the mirror too ...)
We were the only "white people" in that aircraft. With so many tourists visiting Sri Lanka, we ended up in a plane 100% filled by locals. Great opportunity for us to get used to it ...

O dia de ontem daria um livro.
Assim que a professora da Lia sugeriu que eu fosse busca-la por que nao parecia que ela estava inventando doenca pra faltar na escola a Lia parecia desconfortavel, comecei a ligar para os hospitais para avisar que eu ia chegar com ela na emergencia da ortopedia.

Hospital Alemao ( dizem ser o melhor de Bahrain em ortopedia )
- Alo! Minha filha se machucou, vou leva-la para uma consulta agora.
- So temos consultas amanha.
- Desculpe, me expressei mal. Ela caiu e eu a estou levando para a emergencia.
- Emergencia so amanha...
 ??????

Desliguei. Ai nao me conformei e liguei de volta. Outra pessoa atendeu.
- Qual e a melhor entrada para a emergencia?
- Emergencia?
- Minha filha se machucou, estou com ela no carro. Quero saber onde estacionar para ir para a emergencia.
- Ah! Ela tem consulta?
- Nao. Ela acabou de se machucar. E uma emergencia.
- Aqui nao tem emergencia.

Agora me expliquem. Como um Hospital especializado em ORTOPEDIA nao tem emergencia? Ortopedia nao e a especialidade que cuida de ossos quebrados? Ou as pessoas planejams e arrebentar?

Bahrain Defence Force Hospital

- Alo. Preciso de uma consulta com o Dr Khalifa.
- Ele esta viajando. So volta semana que vem.
- Tem outro ortopedista ai?
- Tem, claro.
- Entao pode ser qualquer um.
- Me da os dados da paciente.
Passo os dados da Lia, que ja e paciente do Dr Khalifa.
- Ah! Paciente particular?
- Sim.
- So a tarde. Nos nao fazemos atendimento privado pela manha.
?????
- Mas e uma emergencia.
- Emergencia privada so a tarde...


Peguei o carro e fui pra la de qualquer forma, por que sei que o hospital e bom.

Chego no portao e sou atendida por simpaticos guardas armados com metralhadoras. Nem me abalo. Estamos no hospital militar...

- Onde fica a emergencia?
- Eu nao falo ingles ( o cara me responde em ingles)
- Fala sim. Voce esta falando.
- Mas eu nao sei onde e a emergencia...
Ah bom ! Entao mente, ne? ( so pensei por que o cara tinha metralhadora na mao, lembra?)

Chega outro cara

- Onde fica a emergencia?
- Sai. Da a volta, entra pelo outro portao.

Faco o que me mandam e chego na ortopedia.

Entrego os documentos da Lia. O cara processa, ai me diz:
- Particular so a tarde. Agora so atendimento ao publico.
- Entao em atende como publico.
- Nao. Voce e paciente privado. Nao pode.
Comeco a gritar
- A minha filha esta machucada! Voces vao me atender ou eu vou armar um escandalo aqui! Isso aqui nao e uma doceria, e um hospital!!!
- Ah! Entao e so ir la na emergencia.
Lia ja nao conseguia mais andar. Deixei a bichinha encostada numa parede e fui la na tal emergencia. Ja cheguei aos berros:

- Minha filha ta com dor. Eu ja andei esse hospital inteiro. Quero uma cadeira de rodas e um medico JA!
A cadeira de rodas aparece misteriosamente. O cara comeca a processar meu pedido. Quando ele abre a boca pra dizer que eu era paciente privado eu comeco a rosnar e ele me manda imediatamente pra um PEDIATRA.

Pelo menos a Lili foi atendida, o pediatra a mandou para o raio X e perceberam que o pezinho dela esta quebrado.

Nisso entra um medico bonitao, com um uniforme militar e diz:
- voce tem algum paciente ortopedico pra mim?

Como a Lia estava sendo atendida pelo pediatra, achei que aquilo seria um "upgrade". Apontei pra ela e pro pe quebrado.

- Ah nao. Ela nao. Ela e paciente privada...

Como ele viu que eu provavelmente ia infartar, ele explicou:

- To procurando paciente pros meus estudantes treinarem.

Eh, definitivamente a Lia nao ia ser cobaia dos aluninhos dele nao!!

I could easily write a book about my day - yesterday.

As soon as Lia's teacher suggested she was not making up her pain to miss school, she was in real pain, I started calling the hospitals to let them know we were coming to the emergency room.

German Hospital (considered to be the best orthopedics in Bahrain)
- Hello! My daughter hurt herself, I'll take her for a consultation now.
- Sorry, we only have appointments for tomorrow.
- Sorry, I expressed myself poorly. She fell, got hurt and I'm taking her to the emergency room.
- Emergency only tomorrow ...
???
I hung up. But I could not believe what I heard, and trully thinking it has been a misunderstanding, I called back. Another person answered the phone.

- What is the best entry  to the emergency room?
- Emergency room?
- My daughter is hurt, in lots of pain, I'm with her in the car now and I am driving to your hospital, so someone can see her.You are the best orthopedic hospital in Bahrain. I want to know where to park to go to the emergency room.
- Ah! She has an appointment?
- No. She just got hurt. It's an emergency.
- There is no emergency here.

I hung up again.Now explain to me, please. This is an ORTHOPAEDICS hospital. How can it afford NOT to have an emergency room? Isn't Orthopedics the specialty that takes care of broken bones? Or people plan to break them and call in advance for an appointment ?

Bahrain Defence Force Hospital
-  I need an appointment with Dr Khalifa.
- He is traveling. Will be back next week.
- Is there another orthopedist there?
- Of course we do.
- So we can see anyone.
- Please give me the patient's info.
I gave Lia's information and explained she already is Dr Khalifa's  patient.
- Private patient?
- Yes
- So you need to come back in the evening. We do not see private patients in the morning.
???
- But it is an emergency.
- Private Emergencies only in the evening ...

I took the car and drove there  anyway, because I know  the hospital and the doctors are good.
I arrive at the gate and am greeted by friendly guards armed with machine guns. I do not care. We are in the military hospital, after all ...

- Where is the emergency?
- I do not speak English (the guy answered in English)
- Yes you do. You are speaking English.
- But I do not know where the emergency is ...
Oh good! So you lie to me because it is easier, right?  ( ​​I thought but never said it, because the guy had a gun in his hand, remember?)

Another guy comes around

- Where is the emergency?
- Go out. Drive all the way around the hospital and go inside on the last gate.

I do what I'm told and I arrive in orthopedics.
I give Lia's  documents. The guy looks at them and say:

- Private practice only in the afternoon. Now we only take care of the public.
- No problem. Give me public service.
- No. You are a private patient. I Can not do that.

I begging to yell:

- My daughter is hurt! Will you get someone to see her or I will make a mess here. This is not a candy store, this is a hospital!
- Ah! Then go to the emergency room.
Lia could no longer walk. I left her leaning against a wall and went to the emergency room.
I got there shouting:

- My daughter is in pain. I've been everywhere in this bloody hospital. I want a wheelchair and a doctor NOW!
The wheelchair appeared mysteriously. The guy immediately starts  processing my request. When he opens his mouth to say that I was a private patient I start to growl and he sends me immediately to a PEDIATRICIAN.

At least Lili was seen by a doctor. The pediatrician sent her to the X-ray and realized that her foot was broken.
While we were there,  a handsome doctor comes in, all dressed up in a military uniform and says:
- Do you have some orthopedic patient for me?
As Lia was being cared for by the pediatrician,I thought having an orthopedist  would be an "upgrade". I pointed at her and her broken foot.

- Oh no. Not her. She is a private patient ...
As soon as he saw  I'd probably have a heart attack, he explained:
- I am looking for patients for my students to train on. OK, Lia definitely would not be a guinea pig for his pupils!

Hoje eu acordei com a corda toda e com tudo planejadissimo.
Pulei da cama as 6:40, fiz cafe pras meninas, preparei as caixinhas pra levar pro correio ( seu presentinho ta indo, Tatiiii), e preparei a minha listinha de coisas pra fazer antes de embarcar pro Sri Lanka amanha:
- ir ao correio
- entregar uns documentos a um cliente
- comprar ultimas coisinhas pra viagem
- manicure/depilacao
- pagar viagem das meninas ( na escola)
- arrumar malas
- confirmar taxi pra nos levar ao aeroporto amanha
- confirmar motorista do aeroporto ao resort no Sri Lanka
.
.
.
e a lista continuava!
As 8 da manha toca o telefone. Era da escola das meninas. Lia esta com dor no pe.


- A sua filha esta com dor no pe, vem buscar
- Ela nao pode perder aula. Voce ja deu anti inflamatorio?
- A Lia, sua filha, esta com dor no pe.
- Ela nao pode perder aula. Voce ja deu anti inflamatorio?

E a conversa ficou engastalhada assim por mais de 5 minutos. Desisti da enfermeira da escola, liguei para a professora da Lia, que fez a gentileza de ir la, falar com a Lili e  me mandar o veredito:

- Vem buscar. Nao parece balela.

Peguei. Levei pro hospital. Acabei a via sacra as 2 da tarde, exausta, com uma filha com o pe quebrado, a lista de coisas a fazer completamente ignorada e uma viagem pra PRAIA amanha.
Comentei que vou prum resort com uma filha com o pe quebrado?

ai, ai

*******************************************

Today I woke up full of energy and ready to get lots of important things done!

I jumped out of bed at 6:40, prepared my girl's breakfast, made up the boxes to take you to the post office( Tatiiii your gift is coming!), and prepared my to do list. We are going to Sri Lanka tomorrow, remember?
Here is the list:

- Go to the post office
- Deliver some documents to a client
- Buy last minute things for our trip
- Manicure / Waxing
- Pay Anita's school trip to Oman
- Pack bags
- Confirm taxi to take us to the airport tomorrow
- Confirm the driver from the airport to the resort in Sri Lanka
.
.
.
and the list went on and on, and on!
8 in the morning the phone rings. It was the girls' school. It seems like Lia is not feeling well. 
- Your daughter has a sore foot. Come and pick her up. 
- She can not miss class. Have you given her some anti-inflammatory?
- Lia, your daughter has a sore foot. Come and pick her up
- She can not miss class. Have you given her some anti-inflammatory?
The conversation went like this for more than 5 minutes. I gave up on  the school nurse substitute, who clearly had no clue what she was doing.
I then called Lia's teacher, who was kind enough to go check on her and deliver me the verdict:
- Come and get her. It does not seem she is bullshitting.
I drove to the school, picked her up, drove her to the hospital, where we stayed until 2 pm
I got home exhausted, hungry, with a daughter with a broken foot, my to do list completely ignored and a trip overseas tomorrow.

Did I mention we are going to a resort in Sri Lanka? and did I mention Lia broke her foot? Beach, swimming pools and a broken bone just does not seem right.

14 de fevereiro - Feliz dia dos Namorados?

Hoje e o dia dos namorados.
E tambem o aniversario da "revolucao Bahraini".

E nos, pobres mortais que nao fizemos as malas e nao fomos passar frio na Europa, estamos aqui, sem saber ao certo o que esperar ou o que esta acontecendo la fora.

Nao entendeu nada? Eu explico.

Ano passado, exatamente no dia 14 de fevereiro, o grupo anti governo comecou uma manifestacao para derrubar a Monarquia local.

Meio de carona no apice da Primavera Arabe, os Bahrainis tambem entraram na danca.

Houve manifestacao pacifica. Houve represalia militar. Tivemos tanques de guerra de paises vizinhos espalhados pelo pais, para manter a ordem. Houve violencia e varias mortes. Protestantes perderam suas vidas, a maioria deles jovens que teriam todo o futuro pela frente.

Ja fomos manchete da CNN. Ja fomos manchete na BBC. Todo mundo ja falou dessa ilha. E hoje, praticamente ninguem mais se lembra que nos existimos.

Nos nos acostumamos a viver com manifestacoes anti governo e retaliacoes por parte do governo. Entao, num dia comum, nos vamos ter o nosso caminho bloqueado por protestantes queimando pneus numa rua qualquer e depois vamos sentir cheiro de gas lacrimogeneo quando estacionamos em algumas areas da cidade.

De longe, vemos fumaca negra subindo ao ceu em varios lugares da cidade, e ja sabemos que sao protestantes fazendo a sua parte. Logo em seguida vemos camburoes e mais camburoes indo nessa ou naquela direcao.

Voces ja nao me perguntam como estao as coisas por aqui. Nada e novidade. Ja vimos esse filme, ele se repete infinitamente...

Eu, quando vejo essas coisas acontecendo, penso:

- Xi, essa rua ta bloqueada, vou ter que dar a volta no quarteirao.

Simples assim, por que tudo isso ja faz parte da minha rotina, do meu dia a dia.

Se me convidam para uma festa ou um cafe, ligo e pergunto:

- E ai? ta tendo alguma coisa ai na sua regiao? Como esta o transito?

Minhas filhas frequentemente veem pessoas com o rosto coberto, arrastando grandes latoes de lixo pro meio da rua. E essas mesmas figuras que vao colocar fogo no latao de lixo e bloquear a rua, nem olham pro lado das meninas. Acho que nos ja nos acostumamos a ve-los, e eles se acostumaram a nos ignorar.

Eles nao sao nossos inimigos. E nos tambem nao representamos o inimigo deles.

Quando um de nos acaba encurralado em um dos protestos pro ou contra o governo, todos os manifestantes sao muito simpaticos, muito gentis. Muitos pedem desculpas pela inconveniencia.

Eu ja nem sei mais como me sinto no meio desse "pega-pra-capar".

Ha tempos a coisa esta em banho maria. Nao esquenta e tambem nao acaba.

Os anti governo dizem que so param quando o Primeiro Ministro for embora. Eu duvido que isso va acontecer. As suas conexoes sao fortissimas e os outros paises do Golfo nao teriam problema nenhum em bancar Bahrain por tempo ilimitado. Dinheiro para isso nao falta.

Os pro governo dizem que ja estao cansados de tanta reivindicacao, de tanta baderna e que isso tem que acabar.

Mas a coisa nao acaba e nem muda de cara. As estrategias sao as mesmas, as represalias tambem. Como se fosse um jogo. Agora e a sua vez. Agora e a sua...

Na verdade, ninguem sabe o que acontece nos bastidores. Ha quem diga que a noite, a policia cai de pau em civis. Bate feio. Ataca mulheres, criancas, inocentes que moram nos bairros onde ha mais manifestantes.

Outros juram que os protestantes atacam a policia e chegam ate a jogar coquetel molotov nos carros com placa da Arabia Saudita.

Eu continuo dizendo o que vejo: todo mundo sempre muito gentil e atencioso comigo e com a minha familia.

E hoje, aniversario da revolucao, a queima de pneu, as manifestacoes e o barulho estao muito mais fortes. E a policia tambem nao esta pra brincadeiras. Ha policiais por todos os lados.

As meninas nao foram para a escola. Fabio e eu nao saimos de casa.

Feliz dia dos Namorados! Vamos comemorar aqui em casa, juntinhos, comendo pipoca na frente da TV.

Feb the 14th - Happy Valentine's ?

Today is Valentine's Day.

And it is also the anniversary of the "Bahraini revolution."


If like me, you did not pack and leave the country to go freeze somewhere in Europe, then you are right in the middle of it, not sure what will happen later, not even sure what is happening right now.


Sure, I get e mail updates and text messages letting me know where the danger is, where the protests are taking place, which roads were blocked by the police or taken by manifestants.


But it is liking watching it from far away. Like you are doing. Or not doing, as no one ever asks me what is happening here anymore. We are no longer news. For the rest of the world, we are old news. For me and my neigbours, it is all happening as we speak.


You can't remember what it is all about? I will refresh your memory and give you a quick overview of what is happening now - from my perspective ( this is important, because you may have a thousand other opinions and ideas about it).


Last year, exactly on February 14, the anti government group began protesting for social/political and economic equality. The ideal outcome would be to overthrow the Monarchy.


Many other Arab countries were protesting. Many governments feel. I think they had a point, but also got caught up on the "momento".


There were peaceful manifestations. There were military tanks from our neighbour countries all over the roads. Violence started.\The military force "lost it" , invaded the protesters camp and several people died.


Bahrain was featured on CNN. Bahrain was featured on the BBC. Everyone heard about this island. People were calling me from all over the world to find out how I was. If we ere safe here.


Today, exactly one year later, no one else remember we exist.


We got used to the military check points on the roads. We hear helicopters roaming over our homes every night. We here tear gas shootings. FAbio even found an empty tear gas canister in front of our house. He keeps it as a souvenir.


We got used to protests and police retaliation.


On a typical day, we would have a road blocked by burning tyres in sign of protest anti government. then we would go to a mall or a restaurant later that evening and smell tear gas in the neighbourhood.


From afar, we see black smoke rising to the sky in various places in the city, and we already know that protesters are playing their part. Soon after we see police cars trying to get to the place before the protesters are gone. It is like a cat amd mouse game.


But no one else asks about the situation here. We are no longer news. The novelty wore off. It is just watchin an old movie playing over and over.


When I see all these things happening, I think:


- Oh! This road is blocked, I better go around the block...


Simple as that, because this is already part of my routine.


If someone invites me to a party or for a coffee, I simply ask:


- How is traffic in your area? Are there any tyre burning today?


My daughters often see people with their whole faces covered, dragging large trash cans to the middle of the street. They will burn the trash and block the street. When the girls pass by, they do not react. They just go about their business as normal.


I think we've grown accustomed to them, and they have become accustomed to ignoring us. They are not our enemies. And we do not represent their enemy either.


Every time I end up trapped in a protest against or pro government, I feel pretty safe. I am treated with respect and everyone is friendly towards me.  Many people apologize for the inconvenience.


I am not even sure how i feel about all of this any more.


At times I feel nothing is going anywhere. The anti government people say they will only stop when the Prime Minister resigns. I very much doubt that will happen. His political connections are very strong and all the other Gulf countries would not have a problem financing Bahrain indefinitely. They have more than enough money for it.


The pro government people say they are over tired of it. They say there are too many demands, too much of a fuss and this mess  must end.


But nothing really changes. One pulls, the other one pushes and nothing move. The strategies are the same, the reactions are the same.


Truth to be told, nobody ( in the expat world) really knows what happens behind the scenes.


Some say the police goes around the villages at night and make a mess over there. Other swear the protesters are becoming more and more violent, attacking the police and even throwing Molotov cocktails at cars with Saudi Arabian plates.


I keep repeating my experiences: everyone has been kind and considerate to me and my family.


And today, on the anniversary of the revolution, the tire burning, the manifestations and the noise are much stronger - and it is very early. Things will only get worse. The police is also ready. They are everywhere.


The girls did not go to school. Fabio and I decided not to leave the house.


For you, everywhere else,Happy Valentine's Day! We'll celebrate ours here at home, close together, eating popcorn in front of the TV.