Ariel Crivelari

Well you huts it’s been hard to write like I thought i
would. Have was not able to get my iPhone to work and just as well
because it was mostly for the 3G but I come to find out that the 3G
feature only works in the big cities like Sao Paulo. the only wyfi
I get I here at the park where I am now writing this. I am using my
iPhone because it is just to much to bring my laptop here. all the
pix I have been taking are on my camera and transferred onto my
laptop so it has been a disappointment to me that have not been
able to share more the you. but when a get a chance i will post as
many back posts as time permits. Thank you all for being there for
me and I see you soon happy new year

I had laid down for about an hour or so when I was awaken by my aunt to say that there were people here to see me. It was my cousins Thaisa, Maisa and her boyfriend along with my dad’s youngest sister  Maria Louisa and my grandmother had already been there for a while now. With heavy eyes from my nap looked at family that I had not seen in twenty one years. What wonderful feeling it was. I hug each one long and hard enough as if it was to make up the hug that was sent over the years and was now cashing them in. We talked of a while then they went home for it was Sunday and they all had to work in the morning and they, at least all but Thaisa live in another city, but not before I began dispensing gifts brought. And so I met them and was now awake so, I decided to go visit my grandfather, mother’s dad, and take a look around the house where I spent so much time as a kid playing with my sister and the neighboring kids. Walking into that house was dream scene, a dream that I have had many times over the past 20 years. At his house we shared a coke, my grandfather told me that he only drinks coke. He has not drank water in over ten year, and we watched Fasto a show like while we don’t have stuff like that anymore but it would have been like Johnny Carson. It was a good time but I soon  had to go because I was really tired and want to shower and just hit the pillow. And so I did and that concluded my first day and a long, long trip into the country.

Driving into Brotas we pass an entrance which welcomes us as we enter. It was amazing. My aunt took a drive around to take a look before we headed to my Grandmothers, on my father’s side, Margarida Crivelari’s house where I will be staying. As we drive through town I only knew as a little kid, little was recognizable due to the growth of the town in the past 21 years. Botas has beautiful land and waterfalls with rapid white waters that the town has turned into a tourist town. On our dive we passed through the new area of the Bota

Driving into Brotas we pass an entrance which welcomes us as we enter. It was amazing. My aunt took a drive around to take a look before we headed to my Grandmothers, on my father’s side, Margarida Crivelari’s house where I will be staying. As we drive through town I only knew as a little kid, little was recognizable due to the growth of the town in the past 21 years. Botas has beautiful land and waterfalls with rapid white waters that the town has turned into a tourist town. On our dive we passed through the new area of the Botas that was not there when I was last here. In this area is where my mother and father own rental property a house which I have not yet been able to see inside but look from the outside well I could not tell because there is a wall ten feet that surrounds the house. In front though there is roche coach with a flat tire that kind of gives the area a bad look, but as I am told it is one of the nicest houses around. Inside there is pool with an outside BBQ area which is to be sweet. We’ll see. And we drove passed my aunt Dilza’s house which is the biggest place in the town I think. I again could not go inside for lack of keys and plus it is still in construction. Her house sites on four lots. It is crazy; keep a look out for pictures in later posts of her house. We also drove by the four empty lots of my parents, my future build spots hee hee.  As we went to my grandmothers we passed my grandfather, on my mother’s side, Hilario Baltazar’s where I saw the park across the street, man I thought it was much, much bigger, and being that the last time I played at that park I was six years old it makes sense I thought it was bigger.

Now, we get to my grandmothers and she is not there. I took all my bags out of the car and I had to put them all back in to go and get keys from her. As we could not locate her so we went out look to see if we could find her out and about. The first place we went was my grandmothers sister who they call her, tia Midia, and she stays in a house that my dad bought for her to stay in. it’s a nice place, but she was not there so we continued our search to find her at a restaurant on a street I can’t remember with Ligias man and his mom, dad bother and others. There they were eating a “letoa” now bare with my Portuguese spelling but that is a baby pig. After, the meal on the road I was not down to eat. So, after a quick hi it was off to the house because man oh man was I tired. On the way, now this was kind of cool, on the way I had the window down and someone calls out my name “Ariel” a girls voice calls out. Imagine my surprise, I was not excepting to know anyone let alone be recognized in the first twenty mins I was in town. Well, my aunt did not believe it either and she said that they much have seen her and called out for her. Well in fact it was my name that was called out. When we went around the block and went back it was Marnia. She is my cousins, cousins. Back in 1998 she went to the US and spent some time there and I got to know her some. So when she saw me she gave a surprised yelp “Ariel”!?  And so we finally arrived at the house around 3:pm and I got to relax for a bit.

s that was not there when I was last here. In this area is where my mother and father own rental property a house which I have not yet been able to see inside but look from the outside well I could not tell because there is a wall ten feet that surrounds the house. In front though there is roche coach with a flat tire that kind of gives the area a bad look, but as I am told it is one of the nicest houses around. Inside there is pool with an outside BBQ area which is to be sweet. We’ll see. And we drove passed my aunt Dilza’s house which is the biggest place in the town I think. I again could not go inside for lack of keys and plus it is still in construction. Her house sites on four lots. It is crazy; keep a look out for pictures in later posts of her house. We also drove by the four empty lots of my parents, my future build spots hee hee.  As we went to my grandmothers we passed my grandfather, on my mother’s side, Hilario Baltazar’s where I saw the park across the street, man I thought it was much, much bigger, and being that the last time I played at that park I was six years old it makes sense I thought it was bigger.

Now, we get to my grandmothers and she is not there. I took all my bags out of the car and I had to put them all back in to go and get keys from her. As we could not locate her we when out look to see if we could find her out and about. The first place we went was my grandmothers sister who they call her, tia Midia, and she stays in a house that my dad bought for her to stay in. it’s a nice place, but she was not there so we continued our search to find her at a restaurant on a street I can’t remember with Ligias man and his mom, dad bother and others. There they were eating a “letoa” now bare with my Portuguese spelling but that is a baby pig. After, the meal on the road I was not down to eat. So, after a quick hi it was off to the house because man oh man was I tired. On the way, now this was kind of cool, on the way I had the window down and someone calls out my name “Ariel” a girls voice calls out. Imagine my surprise, I was not excepting to know anyone let alone be recognized in the first twenty mins I was in town. Well, my aunt did not believe it either and she said that they much have seen her and called out for her. Well in fact it was my name that was called out. When we went around the block and went back it was Marnia. She is my cousins, cousins. Back in 1998 she went to the US and spent some time there and I got to know her some. So when she saw me she gave a surprised yelp “Ariel”!?  And so we finally arrived at the house around 3pm and I got to relax for a bit.

Well, I am here. Can’t even believe it man can’t even believe it. After that long long plane ride I am finally here! Walking out of that gate to find my aunt waiting was a feeling I don’t yet think I have fully got. Tired  from that flight I was not all there for the next few hours. Pushing that cart full of bags along this red carpet type path with loved once along the side until I reached the end where she was and gave her one of many long hugs to come. Getting out of the airport we put the bags in her car, a pretty nice Honda, we began our journey on to Brotas  my mom and dad’s home town. The ride was a 2 1/2 hour dive. Alone the way was the most beautiful dive I have ever been on. I have been to Yosemite, I have driven through the Sierras  but this beat them all. The grass was a green that I have never before seen, the sky a blue that I have never seen before. Now, I left Brazil when I was only six years of age and so I have never learned to read nor write in Portuguese and on the drive I was reading or trying to read all of the signs that I saw. Now, I don’t know how to read but I was doing good if I’d say so myself but my aunt might say differently. I houses are so different here. its nothing like that houses in the States. To began the are all different from each other but, I will talking about that in another post. We stopped alone that way to eat. Ligia my aunt said it was about the half way mark. This place was cool. They had an old school taxi, one like you would find that show taxi with Andy Kaufman and Danny Devito  from the 70′s. Inside they had a buffet type thing but different. The food was unlike what you would find at Home Town or anything else. It was Brazilian food. Pastries and meat so good I took a bit of everything and was in heaven. Ok food great, now here is the kicker there were carolers singing Christmas songs in Portuguese. How cool is that. I can’t remember the last time I saw carolers anywhere in the States. When is the last time you saw carolers? Back on the road I had a good talk with my aunt one that I have never have had with her. This aunt has been up to the states many time and I have had conversions with her but never a one on one like this one. It was nice. No the talk is private, Areta and is it was about you and dad and me and dad and dad and you. OK on the road here its weird. the drivers are nuts. You want to talk about Europe or Chinese driving well I don’t know about them first hand but these Bazillions are nuts at the wheel. Their motorcycles in view at all times. So many of them. They cut you off going so fast and some even so slow that I was in constant fear of a crash. And on these roads they have radars and tolls. Some are both and some are just there to get you. Just about every time there an over path there is a radar that, like fastrak takes a picture and scans your plates deducting from an account money for the toll, but unlike fastrak,  if you are not going the speed limit you get ticketed. Now, these radars are as well placed throughout the freeway to catch speeders. There are two kinds, one: the kind that is known and visible, and two: the kind that they send out people, we saw them out there placing a seeker radar on the side of the road. But I did not think to harsh of them for we have to highway patrol who hind with the radar guns and do the same thing but last lest here it was just a radar and then you get a ticket in the mail than have to get stopped and dealing with a cop. Oh but there are cops and guess what, and this a find strange, they ride with there light constantly on. Weird right, I know. I guess they just want people to know they are there.?

And then we finally arrived in “Itirapina” huh dad, inside joke ya’ll. And then Brotas. What a place we will get to know it together so stay tuned in for the next update of my voyage.

Bye for now

Well I got to say that the  flight was a long one. I sat on the window seat once again and I am beginning to think that the view may not be worth the crampness of a 9 hour flight. My seat was A23 on the left side the plane. My neighbor was a guy returning to brazil after a week of training in the states for his job, something to do with Oracle. He passed out in the first two hours of the fight and only woke up a couple of time. He got up to eat, to go to the bathroom, and of course when I needed to get out myself, which was only two times in the 9 hours. I tryed to not get up much though my back and my hip was killing me. I had to bags, the roller and my backpack. Well, on the domestic flight we were to put one, the roller, in the upper compartment and the other under the seat. Ok, so I being of sound thinking figured that it was the same for the international flight, right? Well as it turns out not so I could have put the both bags up. Now here is the thing bigger plane but the seat were not in fact under them were smaller well there was something blocking because my bags,as it fit in the domestic flight, did not fit here under the seat of the international flight. Not at all. And so my foot space was none existent. Well I have to say that that was the most tiff I had with the flight. Everything else was expected. The food right, the sleeping up right again the footing and not have any played a roll in the comfort level, none. Turbulence was pretty bad most of the trip but did not bother me any for I knew I was in safe hands. Jesus has control. I put my being in and worries in His hands. Getting go and letting God!
Ok, so every time I looked at the clock it seem to have broken or slowed down or something cause it seemed never move. After the 5th to 6th hour yes I began to become a little ANSI! Again it was a nine hour flight. But the time come when landing was near future event and the preparations had began. There was a stewardess ok flight attendant who’s, OMG, her Portuguese was worse than mine. After we land the guy behind me say ” her Portuguese was worse than Lula’s” funny.
Now I need to the my friend who sat next to me. He was a very nice man and helped me a great deal. When it come time to filled out papeer work he read to me and helped me understand what it was I was checking. And, leaving the plane I then followed him out. We met with a friend of his a lady who to was on our flight. The baggage claim was a nightmare. Th conniver was tinny. There was a layer of thee thick to get to the bags. We three then made our way to the mouth of the beast and found, one by one, our bags. We then come the the end of our trip together as they went on to the free shopping, were you can buy things free of tax, and I went through to custums and thank God they did not find it necessary to open my bags so they waved me off and on I went. I come out to a band of people waiting for loved one I mean a band gang of poeple and there in the front was my aunt “Tia Ligia” waiting for me. As we had our way to the car we paided for the parking and put the bags in the car and off to brotos we when. But thats another page for another time bye for now.

Man this is going to be nuts. Just sat down in my seat in the plane to brazil and not happy so far. The out morts are like the car outlet don’t have that. The under seat space well there really isn’t any for my backpack. My phone is about to die and my iPad is at 50% or less. Buy on the bright side my laptop has full charge. I for see a long flight.

Ok here it is the trip have began. I am sitting here at gat 64 in the San Francisco Airport writhing this on my IPad. Now this have already gotten good or interesting, fun. First my mom wanted to get here early so elect her house three hours before the flight which is cool, and it paid off, mom knows best. First my dad parks on the other side of the airport and we have to walk are bags way on the other side thank God for the airport mini Bart which got us there quicker. Then in the check in my carrie on bag was to wide with my flip lop so in the side packet so I put them in my check in bag. Now we packed that bag so top that the bag weighted 70.5 lbs when the limit is 70 lbs but they let it through, right. Now here it is security check in. So I go through the line parents whacking for the side line. I get to the guy he checks my passport good boarding pass good then its time to take all my electronics out of my back bag my lap top and my IPad and put them in the tray. I took off my belt and shoes and also put them in a tray and waited. This lady and here kids and two dag were taking forever in front to with the trays in hand I jumped in front and passed through the stuff. Everything checking out I pass throughout without a hitch. So I put on my belt and shoes took my stuff put things back in my bag, through my back bag over my shoulder and started to go and then it dawned on me something didnt feel right and it wasnt, you see I had another bag when I started this check in were was it? Well as it went when I took out my stuff from my bag I forgot about the other and it stayed before the X-ray and I after! Well what now and freaked a bit. So I went to and security guy and told him. Now, again mom to save the day she had saw what happened so she told the security as well and so by the time I had made my move the bag was already through the xray and now worry now everything this time was this time. So I went on through to my gate 64 plugged in my iPad and started to write this piece and so regrettably to this is not my first draft of this writing because my figure pinky hit a key on the right side of the screen and without saving I lost all that I wrote so i had to rewrite all of this. Then I figured out that I was At the wrong gate. On the way I stopped and bought a sparking water for $2.75 man Supply and demand. Getting the to the correct gate I sat. And began again to write. as I was not as far in the writing as last I did it again everything blank. And so I again once more and this time guess what happened? You can’t even guess what happened! I opened the sparkling water and it sprayed all over me and all over my iPad, yes not only did it look like I peed myself it got all over my iPad man.
Well had had to stop writing to board I am on the plane on my way to Dallas right now finishing this up. Well this is it for now of and thing interesting happens in Dallas I will let you now bye for now.

Ok here it is the night before I depart. I have had a full day. Woke up and made sure I did not forget anything but I know I have just wont remember till I need it whatever it is. Then got an interesting call some needed to talk my God work in mysterious ways and always when you need it. That was on the way down to the bay. I met Areta my sister and Wellington and the baby at Chevys in Emery bay did a little shopping. Then I picked up Lee bear and took her over to met my god son Richie gave him k’nex every kid must have got a big hug and am I love you god-fathger. After that when to Areta’s drop off Lee and wrapped presents with miss print sheet drawings of mine. From there to Gi’s for a waxing the brows yo the brows when to a Christmas parting built and awesome Gingerbread car. Then came finally to mom, but when I got there it was nothing but business and I could not pay attention man I have just so much going on in my mind. I have no idea what I am going to so there. I have to let go and trust God. But we eventually got to open presents when Areta and the girls got here. Man those kids sure got a lot. Gave Dad something I think he really liked at least he said he did it was my card engraved with the laser cutter at school. Well it late 2:26am should go to bed. I am a little fearful about he trip. it’s a long flight and my hip acts up will see how it goes. Oh by the way I gave my mother my 4 year chip she deserves it it felt good. Well thats it for now maybe I well write on he plane but if not talk to you when I get there. Brazil here come!