Renata » Default

I’m not really Brazilian, you know….

Renata — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:12:39 +0000

A very interesting phenomenon are the friends I’ve made here in Canada who, once they get to know me, get interested in Brazilian culture. The only problem, I’m a HORRIBLE reference for the kind of thing they ask me about – what Brazil exports is what I loathe the most.

Take, for instance, a guy who tried to befriend me by telling his interest in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Being born and raised in Rio, I can only associate jiu-jitsu practitioners to horrendous brainless douchebags. I tried to explain that to him in a nice way, but I don’t think he believed me. A co-worker was being super nice and friendly and told me how much she loved this brazilian music she heard, she felt like dancing to it immediately, and if I could recommend some bands to her – of course it was AXÉ, something I utterly dislike. Well, at least I could help her, because everyone knows Ivete and Daniela Mercury…

I have been asked about movies, bands, and even food I dislike or don’t know, because that’s the reason I left the country: I don’t care/like the mainstream Brazilian culture. I don’t like soccer, Axé, Pagode, Samba, Carnaval, Feijoada (damn, I don’t even eat pork). My favourite food is sushi! I am a fraud!

The next time you need recommendation in asian gore movies, or nordic electronic bands you can ask me. But brazilian art, maybe someone else.

Paul Rabbit on the Academy Brazilian of Letters

Spring is Here

Renata — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:18:01 +0000

There are so many things I love about spring!

The squirrels!
The flowers!
The birds!
The cherry blossoms!
Cycling!

Everything looks beautiful, beautiful, oh I love the park and the lake!

But, there’s something I really hate about spring. HAY FEVER. I am back to nasal steroids. Pollen and me, we’re no good friends.

“E por que você não volta pro Brasil? “

Renata — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:23:58 +0000

Já disse que tem um monte de razões, mas todo dia vejo nos meus feeds de notícias alguma coisa que me lembra o quanto do Brasil eu não quero nem o pó. A última, que merece post histericozinho, é essa notícia que o Supremo Tribunal Federal está votando a descriminalização do aborto de fetos anencéfalos. E tem um rio, um mar de instituições protestando POR ISSO, como se fosse um grande drama.

Tem vários lances errados acontecendo aí. Em primeiro lugar, o que mais me incomoda, é que a essa altura do campeonato, o Brasil já deveria ter amadurecido o suficiente em respeito a direitos da mulher para estar discutindo, e votando, a legalização do aborto. Mas nãããão. Não são nem capazes de falar “aborto” quando querem defender o ponto de vista nas notícias, usam o eufemismo “interrupção da gravidez”. É aborto sim. E é um direito de qualquer uma que fica grávida. Não é problema meu nem de ninguém. Se alguém é contra aborto, beleza, não faz, né? Mas deixa o serviço lá disponível pra quem precisar. Que encheção de saco, mania de se meter na vida alheia.

Em segundo lugar, daí que a mulher ficou grávida e descobriu que o feto tem anencefalia. Acontece. Isso significa que ela vai carregar por meses um feto que ou vai morrer durante a gravidez ou vai morrer logo após. Em casos muito raros, vivem um pouco mais que isso. A lei lá é pra permitir que a moça tenha a possibilidade de abortar se quiser. Se ela quiser sofrer e ver como é um feto anencéfalo (sei lá, tem gente masoquista) e enterrar o natimorto, e curtir sofrimento pós-parto, problema dela também, não tenho nada a ver com isso. Mas se ela quiser evitar isso tudo, ELA VAI TER ESSE DIREITO SEM MUITO STRESS. Mas a bandinha de pessoas que se metem na vida alheia está lá, de pé, patrulhando, e querem obrigar essas moças a curtirem o sofrimento de uma gravidez que vai resultar em um natimorto, mesmo que elas não queiram isso.

O fato é que o Brasil é demasiado machista e se importa demais com a vida alheia. Essas duas coisas combinadas resultam em leis retrógradas e muito atraso social. Como melhorar isso? Eu honestamente não faço idéia. Acho que só com muita educação, e a educação no Brasil vai de mal a pior, então eu vejo um futuro PÉSSIMO nesse aspecto. Eu não acredito no futuro do Brasil. Eu vejo a sociedade puxando o país para trás, pra um conservadorismo que deveria ter sido esquecido. Ignoram fatos, se prendem a dogmas.

O Brasil se parece cada vez mais com aqueles Estados ali ao Sul do Canadá, sabe…

You are my sunshine

Renata — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:00:48 +0000

Having been born and raised in Rio, a city just 22 degrees south of the equator, the effects of sunshine and heat were, most of the time, ANNOYING. It’s always hot, sunny, and hot, really hot. And, believe me, going to school, to work, 40 hours a week, under this neverending heatwave, is exhaustive. The sun is your worst enemy.

Then I spent two years in São Paulo, a bit southernmost, a city with a terrible climate. It can be hot and cloudy, you have a very dry winter – no rain at all for a month or longer – and the pollution levels are unbearable. I am glad I only lived there for two years, my skin didn’t like it. But it got enough sunshine, though.

When I moved to Toronto, I understood why the sun can be important. We are 43 degrees north of the equator, meaning there are days the sun will be shining for less than 9 hours. And you will probably be stuck at the office during those 9 hours. You won’t see any daylight. It gets DEPRESSING after a while. So, when the days start to become longer again and you see the sun outside and you can go out without wearing a parka, you get really happy! Your body is producing chemicals which make you smile again! Birds are singing, squirrels are playing, there’s no reason to be sad. And you MUST enjoy it, because after the summer solstice the days will become shorter again, that’s how planets work.

So, now that the spring equinox has come, I have 4 full months to SMILE with longer days! Hooray for the sun in MAH FACE… NOT! Today is raining, and supposedly the temperatures are dropping for the next week. Well, it was good while it lasted.

Almost Spring. Almost

Cycling Again

Renata — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:46:15 +0000

Spring arrived early this year, and it means I have been cycling for a while now. And cycling regularly also means I have to be aware of crazy drivers. I do my best when I cycle and have been especially careful since my accident last year, but I really have this feeling drivers feel they are *PERFECT*. That doesn’t apply to TTC drivers, who are usually AWESOME when you are riding a bike and tend to be extremely helpful.

But, back to drivers, the most common mistake – and a terrible one – is to open their door in a busy street. Sometimes in a bike lane. This can seriously hurt someone. This can kill someone. Or, there could be a truck and the driver can die. People are just CRAZY and SIMPLY OPEN THEIR DOORS and DON’T EVEN LOOK. If you do that, please stop doing that or someone WILL DIE. People die.

Not so terrible, but annoying as hell: people who park on the bike lane. The bike lane exists for a purpose, and if you park on it, then, doh, bikes cannot use it. Same thing applies for delivery trucks on bike lanes. Dude, you are A GIANT and bikes are tiny. I expect some bad outcome from this. Don’t put your big thing on the tiny lane. Thanks.

On the other hand, there are some VERY BAD cyclists in the city. People who cycle on sidewalks. People who cycle in the dark wearing no lights. People who cycle in the wrong way. You, people, I hate you. You make my life harder, too, because one of these crazy dudes riding in the wrong way was the asshole who hit me last year. Don’t be one of them.

Long story short, my accident made me more careful with crossings, and pay more attention to things around me. I could have learned that without damaging my wrist, but at least it wasn’t something so serious!

It has begun

Renata — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:58:46 +0000

Sure I said just one week ago we weren’t getting real snow at Christmas eve, joking about living in Toronto and having above-freezing temperatures in December and everything. Then it started, exactly one day after Christmas, like all meteorologists are playing a prank on me. We got three days of a light, but constant snow, and lots of wind, and -12 temperatures. I took a picture from my office when the snow gave us a break – it sure doesn’t look that bad, but it was VERY cold outside.

During New Year’s Eve things got a little better and people were even able to celebrate outdoors, but it was just a quick break for what’s coming after us now: another week of snow, wind and freezing temperatures. Welcome, Canadian winter. I am glad I don’t have a driveway to shovel, and have lots of tea to keep me warm.

Happy New Year!

Renata — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:11:18 +0000

I hope your 2011 was just as incredible as mine, and I wish you people a FASCINATING and PROSPER New Year. See you in 2012!

Customer Experience

Renata — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:05:57 +0000

I went shopping yesterday, spent some lots of money and had two opposite shopping experiences. I was looking for a simple black dress (you people know buying adult clothes is difficult if you are short) and an OMG iPad2. After walking most of the Eaton Centre without any luck, I was suggested to try Armani Exchange (for the dress, not the iPad).

The Good Experience

I was welcomed by a non-pushy salesperson who just asked me what I wanted, let me know where I could find it and was just friendly *enough*. By *enough* I mean, she didn’t ask to see “how the dress looks” or anything silly like that. She asked my name, adding a nice touch of friendliness (“are you italian or portuguese? oh, brazilian? “ola como vai?” – I thought it was cute) and told me she’d be outside if I wanted anything else. As I only wanted the dress, I went straight to the cashier, paid, nobody tried to sell me more stuff and people were still smiling at me. I was HAPPY and I would, surprisingly enough, totally come back to ARMANI EXCHANGE. I forgot to say they have amazing sales and their clothes fit really well. Dress was on sale!

The Bad Experience

Now, for something completely different: time to buy iPad2. I know exactly what I want. I ask some random guy with an apple on his chest “Hello! How are you! I came here to buy an iPad2!”. He tries to show me the amazing iPad2. “No, really, I know it, i just want to buy it”. Then he takes me to another appleguy. Appleguy2 asks me which one I want, I tell him. He gives me shinybox. I’m excited. Then I pay. Then he tells me some stuff about activation, I am like “whaaaaat?” “Yeah, we need to activate it… let me call Appleguy3… Dude, can you activate iPad2 for her?”. Appleguy3 comes and asks me about AppleID and password. I think it’s bizarre.

The iPad is to be Fabio’s new toy, so I call him and explain the situation, and how I think it’s bizarre. then I turn to Appleguy3 (who has already opened shinybox) and ask: “Dude, can we do this activation stuff from home, by ourselves? Because, you know, this sounds really unnecessary” and then comes the most awesome answer “You can, but I was going to do it for you and show you how to setup email and install apps”. OF COURSE, BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA ON HOW TO USE SILLY APPLE DEVICES. I am so thankful I have Apple staff to help me!

I have to add, they forgot to send me the electronic receipt. I have to come back today with my debit card and have it printed / resent / whatever. Because they are GENIUSES.

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iMortality

Renata — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:58:02 +0000

I think we all got so smashed by Steve Jobs’s loss because we all techies don’t see ourselves as mortals. In fact, most young people – especially geeky, for some reason – think they are superheroes. So when they see a generation icon dying relatively young of such a terrible disease like cancer, it just hits you right in the face – IT CAN HAPPEN TO EVERYONE, DUDE. EVEN TO STEVE FUCKING JOBS.

The guy was no saint – hope you don’t believe in such thing as fairies, pink fluffy unicorns, and benevolent millionaires. But it was the mastermind behind some amazing tech awesomeness and yep, I would be as shocked as I am if it were Bill Gates. Yet, honestly, I would be heartbroken if it were Linus Torvalds, of course. I am biased.

Life’s short. Do cool stuff. And thanks for all the 4 macbooks I have at home, Steve. But one of them is running Linux ;)

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The last summer afternoon

Renata — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 21:02:04 +0000

As seen from High Park

The summer is crazy