In a world gone blind, what if you were the only person who could see?

Yes, I saw Blindness, the latest Fernando Meirelles film.

It hasn't opened in the US yet. It will hit the theatres this Friday.

Let me warn you, this is an amazing film but it's not an easy one to watch. People who saw it either loved it or hated it. There are a lot of issues presented. If you get easily depressed, you might want to skip it. It's not plain entertainment; it's a movie to make you think.

The film was based on the Nobel-prize winning novel by Portuguese author Jose Saramago. I have read the book - a very hard read - and I must say it's a very faithful adaptation. The action takes place anywhere. There isn't a particular city, or country. There are multiple languages being spoken. The characters have no names.

The story is, suddenly, the world is hit by what it looks like "an epidemic of Blindness". And there is only one person who can see. But she wishes she didn't.

It's a metaphor, an alegory. You must understand this. It will make you uncomfortable, many times (the overexposed photography will help you get there).

The ensemble, multiracial cast does an amazing job, but Julianne Moore steals the show in a very moving performance, hopefully worthy of a few awards. A must-see! (no joke intended)

So long, Butch Cassidy!

You will be missed. RIP!

Paul Newman
January 26, 1925 - September 27, 2008



 

Josh Groban @ the Emmys

The best thing that happened this week!

I am serious, the week was horrible, and this put a big smile on my face.

I have all Josh's CDs, but I love him even more now.

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

As in http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com

My little T is growing up so fast! He will be 5 years old in about 2 months.

I found this picture the other day in my computer. It's one of my favorites. I think he was 4-5 months old. Look how big he is (he was born 9lbs 3.2oz, approximately 4,170kg).

I love these little rolls on his arms - Michelin baby! Oh, those big cheeks! Added the funky shades... doesn't he look like a miniature of Bono from U2? :)

Love it!

DWtS starts in less than a week...

...and I just had to post this. Too good!!! LMAO

Some things must come to an end (w/ Update)

Today I returned to work after a 2-week vacation - even though my ears are still crackling after the plane trip (the first time it ever happened to me).

After speaking to hubby and my parents, I have decided to turn in my resignation tomorrow.

I was actually suprised when my parents agreed I should quit my job. They would be the first ones to say *don't even think about it*.

I don't have anything lined up yet, just sent out a couple of resumes. But I am confident i will find something in a near future. Meanwhile, I can have time for myself - plus my house will be tidy and clean.

UPDATE: they didn't let me go. All of a sudden I'm the best employee in the department (riiiiiiiiight) and they will make a bunch of adjustments in the coming weeks. We'll see if the adjustments will pay off (especially if it includes $$$)

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

As in http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com.

Straight from the vault!

I was going through some old photos and I found my kindergarten pics. Can you spot me?

Hints: I started wearing glasses when I was 4 and my favorite color is red

The chronicles of a carioca: the shoes, the beach and goodbye mole!

Hubby is going to kill me. I'm hoping the thrill of seeing me and T again will offset his rage :P

I have been comparing the price of merchandise here in BR with the US. Things seem so much more expensive in Rio than I anticipated.

The thing is, nice, quality shoes in the US are usually imported from Brazil or Italy. So I decided that shoes were a good investment. So I bought a couple of pairs. I mean, ok, I bought 5 pairs of shoes! :P

I am the bargain lady, so 2 of the pairs I was able to get at a discounted price at a store. I mean, really good prices.

The other 3 are jellies. Do you remember jelly shoes from the 80s? They're a weakness of mine. I admit it. I am addicted to Melissa shoes. Melissa is a brand of jelly shoes that started in 1979 and became really big around that time. I had several pairs growing up. Recently, it became a very popular again and even high-end designers have released custom Melissa shoes.

These are the ones I bought. They're so incredibly comfortable!

I bought a pair of Melissa Joy in black and 2 pairs of Melissa Hello, in black and in red. The heel is a bit higher than I'm used to wear, but the inside is padded and it's incredibly great to walk on.

Changing the subject...

Even though it's winter in Rio de Janeiro, we have been experiencing a variety in temperatures. From 60 to 97F. My aunt often says in Rio there are 2 types of weather: hot, and a cold front.

60F and my aunt was wearing a hood and a scarf - I am serious!

Anyway, we were able to enjoy the beach last week, despite the cold water. The sad thing is I met one of my best friends today, and she asked why I didn't go out in the sun. I did! I am *tan*. The thing is I usually look like Casper (LOL).

But now I can no longer be under the sun. I went to the doctor today and had a mole between my eyebrow and my hairline removed. It was getting bigger and bothering me, so she applied some local anesthetic, grabbed the scalpel... voila! Only one stitch and I'm as good as new. I was calm during the whole procedure and nearly fell asleep. My mom went with me and was like "Ew, I don't want to watch it". Too bad.

Other than that, I have been eating like a pig. But I think I lost some weight. The jeans are looser. My dad and I have been going for walks whenever possible, and I have been sleeping long hours. I think that helps.

P.S. My grandma is not doing well at all. But I don't want to talk about this right now.

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

As in http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com

Wonders of the ocean

This week we spent a couple of days in the city of Angra dos Reis, about a 2-hour drive from the city of Rio de Janeiro. It's a wonderful place by the shore, where there are many small islands (most owned by wealthy people). It's a vision of paradise. The water is so clean and transparent you can see fish and many other things.

My father and I were standing on a pier and all of a sudden we see this huge stingray swim by, jump 3 feet in the air and attack the prey. Fantastic! Too bad we were caught off guard and didn't have time to snap a photo. We also saw a sea turtle on the same day, and we didn't have a camera handy. Oh well...

I was able to capture a few other things, though. A diver was kind enough to pick up a beautiful starfish (which T called Patrick LOL), many little fish, a large eel, and a couple of small crabs.

Check below for some pictures. Click on the photos for a larger version, and/or roll over with the cursor for the captions.