The 5th largest city is the world: welcome to Sao Paulo

So I promised a post with tons of pictures, but I'm having a hard time finding my camera cable (am I translating things to portugueses already?I'm not sure cable is the right word)...I think the dang thing is in the ship on the way to this "wonderful" country. Do you feel a little sarcasm already?hahhaahha. Well needless to say I've been less than impressed with Brazil since I've been back. Not only the social differences are horrendous(sp?) I've been really anxious about life in general. I've had to use the SUS to take the girls to doctor's appointment and THANK GOD this country has a "socialist" health care for those that cannot afford a private insurance. The girls have had great treatment so far though and Bia has come down with a nasty ear infection and she is taking a round of antibiotics. Izzy is also sick but we are using the nebulizer and she is not coughing half as much as she was when we first got here.

It's humid!!!!!!My skin is great, but I cannot feel clean during the day. I keep sweating and I have to say I'm pretty sure hell will be humid and heaven will have the perfect climate like Brasilia, hehehehehehehe

So there are two things I have found out about my life that I hadn't previously realized, two things you gotta understand about me: 1) All my life I've been spoiled rotten for being a good girls in my family and I have never been really extremely exposed to poverty and unfortunetly poverty bothers me 2) I'm a little on the naive side for when it comes to real life experiences and I plan on staying that way and raising my children that way. Let me explain myself because I just sounded like a huge jerk. I am really shocked with how things worked in Sao Paulo. I was raised in the capital (Brasilia) in a clean and organized city and now I've introduced to PURE mess. Sao Paulo is caos. I have to say I'm learning how to like it, but it's definitely a process. The pollution and noise drive me nuts, but there's everything you can possibly imagine at your fingertips. The variety is amazing. People are SOOOOOO nice and I have to say I thought people in Rexburg were nice, but I think it's even better in Sao Paulo :) There are soooo many people, it's crazy....we took the subway two days after we got here and went downtown. I don't think I've ever seen so many people together. It was amusing to say the least....we got talking in the subway and met two really nice ladies who were in love with the girls and then we went our ways....people in Sao Paulo are just cool you know? I just love the people....I love brazilian people...their hearts, their smiles...their everything :)

Now the poverty, it bothers me. Because I'm not used to seeing so many poor places. You have to remember I lived in Rexburg for almost 7 years. Clean, neat, organized, small, beautiful.....I come to the polar opposite: dirty, disorganized, crowded and sometimes pretty plain ugly. I catch myself in aw just wondering WHAT IN THE HECK AM I DOING HERE?????

My ear fellow blog friends...I am yet to find out what my purpose is....but I'm sure there's one. Well, I have to hold on to that, because if I don't I will go crazy. Mt has gone to three interviews so far and we haven't heard anything. Next week there's more. People tell us we need to be patient and that opportunity is there. We are doing a lot of networking and the Lord will bless us. It just bugs me that in the meantime we have to live off my parents. I guess I really never learned to be "getter" I like giving a whole lot better than receiving things.

In Brazil everything is smaller: the toothpaste, cars, cups, portions, people, streets, the bread, apartments...EVERYTHING...it's funny and frustating, hehehehehe. I'm still getting used to all of that too :)

We are living in a tiny (and when I mean tiny, I mean a 3 bedroom apartment which is where my parents live with 8 of us). I have taken pics of our sleeping arrangements and it's pretty funny actually. We have managed to establish a routine and we are officially "settled" as far as figuring out how and when to do things.

Food: the fruits and vegetables are amazing....soooooo much better than in the States.... I guess we have to win in at least one aspect right?hahahahaha

Friends: Another thing you have to know about me is the older I get the harder it is for me to change and make more friends. I just love my friends so much and I was so comfortable with them that it just takes effort to want to get to know more people. I'm pretty open, but I have changed so much thru the years that now it takes will power to go out make friends and then be open to them. I need to change for the better!!!! I haven't felt a great need to socialize and I think it's partly because I'm still battling with myself about being here and what I need to do, and how to establish a better routine, how to take advantage of the resources I've been given etc...I need to get out of my shell though and I don't know why it's so hard. (Thank goodness Aline is here otherwise I'd be in deep depression by now, hahahahaha) I think Heavenly Father has a funny sense of humor, every time he knows I'm comfortable I move and then I have to change my life and make friends and fall in love with people and cultures and places and then he moves me again :) (is that why I'm still resistant to change?hahahaha)

Well, this post was just an update. I think I can transfer my pics to my mom's pc tomorrow. So you can have a better idea of how our lives are here. I will just leave you today with information and a lot of complaining :) hahahahahahaha. I'm really sorry I don't have pics yet. I will have them pretty soon :)

Thanks for worrying and praying for us. We are happy close to family and enjoying their company. I mean truly happy and blessed. Even with all my complaining, we are healthy and Heavenly Father has never left our side. I'm just getting used to the ride but I recognize that we have all we need for now and we just have to trust that whatever is the best will end up happening in the end!!!!!!!

Cheers everyone

Barb