Renata » Reality Show

Just keep swimming

Renata — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:31:50 +0000

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…

Seven Months

Winter status: LAME

Renata — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:42:12 +0000

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!

Montréal mon amour

Renata — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:14:06 +0000

Fuck Paris, whenever I want to have great food and drinks, I can book a 5 hour beautiful train trip to Montréal. I did that on January’s last weekend – not coincidentally, my wedding/dating anniversary – and I am still in love with the city. I have been there before, just by the beginning of 2010′s Fall, and this year I had a more winter-ish experience. Boy, it REALLY snows there, but it’s so beautiful.

The only problem is combining lots of snow and good food – this makes you fat. But if you get over your weight paranoia, travelling to MTL during winter is lovely – just don’t forget GOOD SNOW BOOTS, otherwise walking will be a challenge. This was an atypical winter and wasn’t cold at all, so I could walk a lot and see things. And eat. Oh yes eat. Always.

I absolutely love it there, if you’ve never been, you have to.

Costume

Renata — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:00:07 +0000

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.

Feed a fever, starve a cold

Renata — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:51:21 +0000

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!

Happy New Year

No it has not!

Renata — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:05:49 +0000

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!

Winterland

Renata — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:12:35 +0000

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?

Coffee Standards

Renata — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:41:05 +0000

There are plenty of good, even amazing coffee shops in Toronto. I’m not a coffee enthusiast – I am a tea lover – but caffeine is more of an addiction. So, for someone who doesn’t really like coffee, it’s even worse when coffee tastes REALLY BAD – and north americans, believe me, are experts in the art of making badcoffee. I don’t really know why people go for coffee at chain coffee stores – those who shall not be named – when there are so many indie coffee places to get your daily coffee fix.

For instance, around my office, I have a Seattle-based chain coffee shop*, and Jimmy’s Coffee. Everybody knows the Seattle cappuccinos are just meh, and Jimmy’s staff offer me very good coffee drinks! Makes me happy.

In my neighbourhood, I have a couple of options: the OUTSTANDING The Good Neighbour, seriously, a must visit even if you don’t go to the west end that often. There’s also Crema, which I think is seriously overrated (I hate their service, but coffee is ok) – I hate their service SO MUCH I tend to go to their neighbour from Seattle, seriously.

A problem I see with indie coffee joints is their “organic” “natural” “healthy” approach. This sometimes means they won’t offer you anything but agave nectar and raw sugar and almond milk or whatever THEY believe it’s best for you. Listen: I DON’T CARE. I want ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER, SUCRALOSE, because I LIKE IT, and SOYMILK because I LIKE IT. YOU ARE NOT MY MOMMY. You are a COFFEE SHOP, and I AM JUST YOUR CUSTOMER. So, please, offer me what I like. I don’t want to be taken care of. This is creepy. And, honestly, If you’re selling me scones and muffins, you’re not really concerned about my health. So, give me a break.

But, as I am lazy and don’t like brewing coffee when I wake up, I just bought an automatic pod machine – one of these – and, although it’s not awesome, it makes pretty decent coffee in 30s by just pressing a button.

*Forgot to say: the Seattle coffee company tastes MUCH BETTER in Brazil than in Canada (I wonder why…). ESPECIALLY the pastries – their espresso brownie in Brazil is something I really miss!

P.S.: Don’t miss Bulldog, great coffee and amazing Latte Art. Unfortunately, not so close to me.

Update: Found another coffee close to my office. La Mercería is an argentinian café, good food and good coffee. Go for the Café Caramelo – with Dulce de Leche.

Ageing

Renata — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:22:47 +0000

How do you people cope with getting old? As unexpected as it seems, I am HATING the ageing process. I used to eager my birthdays, and, as much as I like the day itself, I dislike the fact that I am getting older and I feel it. I know I obviously look younger than I am and often get carded – mostly because I am petite – but my body knows its age and hell, I feel it every single day.

For instance, the glasses. About eight years ago I started wearing glasses but I could choose NOT to wear them and be ok, it was just to be more comfortable at work. This year the glasses are something I NEED, otherwise I can barely read what’s in front of me. I don’t remember how long ago I found the first grey hair, but I was really shocked the last time I had a haircut, because I really have LOTS of them now.

My body can LOOK better, but I feel tired more easily and need much more sleep. 24 hour party people no more. Coffee in the morning is my fuel for the day, and tea or milk are my pass to sweet dreaming nights. I sound like a grumpy old lady and Fabio fears that I may plan on buying a Snuggie this winter ;)

In short, I don’t like getting older, which is a surprising experience for me – I thought I’d feel neutral about it, that’d be just logical. Does it make any sense?

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Getting ready for Snowtravaganza

Renata — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:29:34 +0000

Last year I had NO FUCKING IDEA what winter was going to be. I had been, in my late teens, one week in a winterish Florida – nothing, absolutely nothing like winter in Toronto. Now I am planning my winter season – snow boots, snow jacket and I am seriously considering an electric heater for my bathroom, so I don’t freeze and my towels don’t smell like death a few hours after I shower.

I was obviously considering a Canada Goose parka, but I couldn’t find the medium-sized Junior Kensington anywhere. Same thing for small boots. HOW DO CHILDREN SURVIVE WINTER IN THIS COUNTRY? I wonder if there are any kids in the Yukon????? Do you wrap your babies in goose down to protect them from the cold in Nunavut?

There’s a Patagonia store a few blocks away, and, like Obi-Wan Kenobi, now they’re my only hope. I know their sizing is ABSURD (I bought a thermal t-shirt a couple of weeks ago, and it was “kids small”), so I hope I can find the Girls’ Down Coat in small/medium size – and decent colour.

Those North Face would be another option, but I’ve never ever seen anything small. Looks more like a monster kong costume than a winter jacket. Comfortable, though, but doesn’t look very, hm, practical for walking the snowy streets. The kids’ designs are not similar and don’t cover your legs.

Any suggestions from expert Canadians? I want long-ish kids winter warm jackets. And nice boots!