I used to swim in São Paulo and it was the best thing EVAH. Then I moved to Canada and couldn’t find classes close to where I live or where I worked, and lost everything I had learned, which is very bad. I did lots and lots of yoga, and I really love yoga, it is AWESOME (I love it so much I am technically a yoga teacher, but, yeah, that’s another story) but, gotta say, there was a recent McDonaldization of the yoga studios here in Toronto and I am really spoiled when it comes to yoga – I like GOOD classes, not “gym-like” yoga. And these are becoming hard to find. It’s been disappointing to do yoga in most places. Most good studios are not close enough to work or home to become a choice.

Then I started looking for swimming lessons again, and decided to take a look at UofT Athletic Centre, which is in my way home. It is GREAT. The membership is reasonably priced, there are plenty of drop-in programs and I am ok with the prices of the registered programs – they are good. Like, there are competitive athletes who were/are trained there, so my money is sort of funding these people, I like this idea.

I’m now doing two very basic courses, although in the past I’ve been able to swim 2km/day 4 days a week and even learned butterfly, but 2 years outside of a pool is deadly for your swimming skills. So I’m interested in fixing my strokes (I’ve been told by at three teachers I REALLY know how to kick, well… I know I have VERY STRONG LEGS. but ridiculously weak arms) and getting more endurance, so I can join their swim masters club – people who swim like I used to when I was in São Paulo, or more. I’m not really into competition, just for fun.

Last night, by the end of the class, the teacher told me to “swim some laps”, and I started. Since I begun, two weeks ago, I couldn’t do more than 100 yards nonstop. Then magic happened and I kept swimming, 5×1, and only felt tired after 600 yds. And after this crazy swim spree, I rode 10km back home – a mini-duathlon! Of course today my leg muscles ache like there’s no tomorrow, but I rode to work again. In high heels, because I’m classy.

I have another class tomorrow, I’m wondering if I will be able to swim those laps again…

This has probably been the lamest winter from a Canadian perspective EVER. I know this is only my third-ish winter here, but last year I’ve had snow to my knees, blizzards and the like. This year, less than a month before spring equinox, I’m yet to see a decent snowfall.

We’ve had a couple of so-called “cold spells” (for some reason they always happen on weekends) and the temperatures were around -15, “feels like -25″ (it really feels like -25), but only a day or two. And THIS RIDICULOUS ABSENCE OF SNOW. Last weekend I was walking around my neighbourhood and saw the saddest snowman, about 50cm tall, deformed, melting (it was just around freezing and sunny), a really, really depressing snowman, made from slush. Poor Frosty, he’s had better days.

Temperatures have been on the rise, I feel we’ll be having patio weather soon. Can’t wait for it, cycling to work via the lakeshore is awesome! I just need it to be a bit warmer. Come on, spring, arrive sooner this year!

Tudo bem que esse inverno tá sendo meia-boca – um ano atrás estava rolando Snowpocalypse e eu estava com neve quase na altura dos joelhos – pois até agora as ruas estão secas e o máximo que eu vi foi meia dúzia de floquinhos que dissolvem no dia seguinte. Mas, ainda assim, é fato que inverno é uma coisa à qual você se acostuma. Eu sou carioca, nascida num sábado de sol, quando todo mundo estava curtindo uma praia. E tenho ficado surpresa com minha reação de acordar, olhar a previsão do tempo, ver “hm… -5 é? Ah, não tá tão ruim assim”.

Claro que dá uma certa preguiça se desenrolar do edredom e vestir o uniforme de inverno. Meu truque tem sido tomar um bom banho à noite porque meu banheiro é meio frio (não tem aquecimento) e me desestimula de tomar banho de manhã. Eu também durmo melhor depois de um banho quentinho, claro. Para temperaturas entre 0 e -10, em geral duas camisas, calça e meia calça ou legging, meias grossas e um moletom, casaco de neve e cachecol compõem o tal uniforme. Eu não costumo usar luvas nessa temperatura, só enfio a mão no bolso. Quando fica mais frio que isso (não é muito comum em Toronto) eu acrescento mais camisas e mais meias, é a técnica Photoshop de aquecimento – camadas.

Sapato é um lance à parte. Tenho uma bota de couro bonita, mas ela é escorregadia pra andar na neve. Comprei uma galocha peludinha Tretorn ROSA e adoro. Ganhei uma nova de aniversário da Sula, ROXA, combina bem com um suéter igualmente ROXO que tenho, infelizmente tivemos pouca neve (é, eu gosto de neve, com moderação) e usei galocha exatamente DUAS VEZES esse ano, uma no dia em que a sensação térmica chegou a MENOS 25 e eu te digo, isso É FRIO PACAS – o problema é o vento, que não raramente chega a 40km/h, por causa do lago e da ausência de montanhas. Alguém precisa construir umas montanhas nessa cidade. Da última vez que pedalei – à noite, 10km! – estava fazendo -3 com ventos de 40km/h. Fiquei doente dois dias depois, surpreendente, não?

Vamos ver se eu vejo algum dia de Snowpocalypse esse ano. Depois de uma nevasca, quando abre o sol, o parque e as redondezas ficam lindíssimos, eu tenho fotos do ano passado – deve ser por isso que gosto de neve. A nevasca em si não me incomoda muito e acho tão bonitos os dias seguintes que fico empolgada durante. Mas, janeiro tem sido tão meh em termos de inverno – tem até chovido, e detesto chuva – que não estou levando muita fé.

I was very excited to have my flu shot early in December so I would be bug-free for this winter and would be able to enjoy outdoor winter activities – like skating, I’ve gone skating exactly twice last year before the rinks were closed – could do more yoga, well, many things. I even enjoyed a few days of higher temperatures by cycling to work. THEN everybody around me started getting sick with this annoying cold, which is a different virus, and I finally got it too. End of story, two weeks of sore throat, coughing, and the only activities I’ve been doing are going to the drugstore to buy more syrup and cold medicine. Now, you, tell me, isn’t that REALLY EXCITING?

Today, after two weeks, I don’t seem to be coughing anymore, although my throat is still a bit sensitive – I will keep eating right, drinking tea and taking meds, as I am travelling to Montréal this weekend and I don’t want to stay in the hotel during the trip. Wish me luck! It is indeed colder there and I want to walk and try some snow activities we couldn’t have this year in Toronto (because there was no snow :D). Stay tuned!

Oh, did I tell you that the winter had begun? NO IT HAS NOT! Like, 8 POSITIVE DEGREES, FOR REALZ? In the first week of January? I can’t believe this! I can’t believe I am not enjoying such a nice autumnistic afternoon by riding my bicycle around the city. But it’s a weekday and I gotta work. Hopefully, tomorrow will be nice too and I will be able to enjoy an outdoor Saturday. I hope this lasts, and Environment Canada was really wrong when they predicted “lots of snow” for this year. Have a wonderful warm winter your too!

Now that I survived the crazy summer (fortunately it only lasts a few weeks here), crazy winter is about to arrive. My favourite season is fall, and it’s for sure gone. Trees are naked, stadiums are covered and we’ve been seeing light snow since the end of November. I couldn’t care less about snow, I just hate when it’s freezing cold and raining. A beautiful, sunny, and cold day like today makes me super happy.

Environment Canada has predicted a very snowy winter, but I’m yet to see things they predict to really happen. If we get this huge amount of frozen things falling out from the sky, maybe I get excited about learning how to ski? It’s really ironic that I got an awesome friend this summer who happens to be a ski instructor, but now he’s up at the Alps, at Montgenèvre. So now I have to find my own ways to learn how to ski or skate or whatever with the snow.

Well, who’s up to go ice tubing with me?