The best interests of our children

I have been following the drama of International Parental Child Abduction since I became familiar with the Sean Goldman case back in the fall of 2008. As I have previously mentioned, I was extremely naive and didn't even know if was such a big issue - likely due to the fact that cases are swept under the rug or treated with "secrecy of justice".

Father's day is tomorrow and it's a date Left-Behind Parents know all too painfully well. Especially due to the fact that 75% of the LBPs are men - and, believe me, from what I've seen, the vast majority of these women do not leave the country due to domestic violence.

What about the children? Yes, the children... these innocent creatures that are carried like a suitcase by one of their parents when they decide to do so. They're just pawns in this sick game. They're lied to, alienated, and abused. We're adults, people! Whatever problem we have with our current/former spouses we have to solve without getting the children involved.

As we all know, the instrument to recover children abducted overseas is the Hague Convention on the International Aspects of International Child Abduction. However, not all countries are signatory of the Hague, and others that have signed it "have trouble" enforcing the returns (for the lack of a better word).

That's why Congressman Chris Smith has introduced a bill, HR 1940, The International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2011, so this country can have legislation with teeth to enforce the returns of children abducted abroad. We have to call our representatives and ask them to co-sponsor the bill, and inquire the reason - if any - why they refuse to do so. Some representatives think the US should not jeopardize international relations with other nations because of "some children". I'm pretty sure if these Congressman had their children abducted, they'd be singing a different tune.

For those who think the problem is not as bad as they think, that parents can take off with children when they please, and feel sorry for the abducting families, please take a look at the following:

- Testimony of a formerly abducted child, posted in the Bring Sean Home Foundation Orkut community on June 16, 2011 (click it to enlarge)

Translation:

When I was 3, my father took me away from my American family when we went to Brazil "on vacation". For 16 years, I did not see my mother, sister, aunts, grandmother and grandfather (he passed away in 2002). My father returned to the US but left me in Brazil with my paternal grandparents (who passed when I was already back on the US).

I'll never forgive my father for doing what he did. I came back to my country (US) nine years ago and I don't want to see him or the rest of his family. I'm very traumatized.

People like Bruna and her family do not understand the severity of what they did. I missed 16 years of my life with my family, and I'll never have those years back. My relationship with my family here is not the greatest since we were deprived of being together for so long.

This Grandmother [Sean Goldman's] doesn't have the right to play victim. She's just paying for what she did.

- Blog of a Left-Behind Aunt. She wants to be a voice out there for her brother Carlos and nephew Sage, who was abducted to Mexico. It also provides a perspective on how child abduction plays a devastating effect in not only the LBP and chid(ren)'s lives, but also on the rest of the family

www.justiceforsagebermudez.blogspot.com



On May 24th, I attended a Congressional Hearing on IPCA. The hearing was over 4 hours long and I couldn't stay for the whole thing. The place was so packed some people got turned away. David Goldman spoke as a former LBP and on behalf of the others with children abroad - 2 panels: Hague Countries and Non-Hague Countries.

After his testimony, David read a letter to SOS Clinton signed by 80+ parents. Before he started reading the letter, he asked that other LBPs in the room to stand up. Half the room was up, men and women holding pictures of their children. I didn't know what to do. I was invaded with shock, sadness, anger, desperation... you name it. How can you look at those faces and not do anything, not feel anything? That image will never leave my head. That's why I'll never stop.

A bit of everything

Well, where do I start? I write posts in my head, daily, then I get home and don't write anything...

I've been working a lot. No news there. Times are hard, the company slashed our overtime. We're not authorized to do it, they won't pay for it. I end up doing it anyway, the work has to get done. I guess management did notice I was going above and beyond the call of duty and gave me a promotion. I was pretty happy about that!

Now hubbs and I are shopping for a new vehicle. His car payments ended in 07, mine in 08, so we did have a few extra bucks every month (which was nice considering there is a recession out there). I'm going to get an appraisal on my car tomorrow to see what we are able to afford.

T is his happy self, as usual. We traveled to WDW/Universal during memorial day week. He had a blast, rode 2 rollercoasters with his Dad (which means he cannot possibly be my son) and the splash mountain. The following week was his Pre-K graduation, the same day we met "his lovey girl who he's going to marry". He has very good taste, I must say.

BTW, he has decided the theme of his birthday parties in 2009, 2010 and 2011, which makes everything so much easier for me. 2009 and 2010 are practically ready. For 2011 I already have a few things - yes, I'm a planner!

I am still volunteering my time at the Bring Sean Home Foundation. Despite favorable court decisions, appeals after appeals have been filed. Add that to a slow judicial system... that really makes me mad. The Federal Judge wrote a brilliant, airtight 82-page sentence on this case (followed by a 2nd ruling concerning parental alienation). I feel really bad for this child, all this abuse. The family wants to cut all contact between him and his legitimate father. It makes me sick to my stomach...

I just realized I didn't write a single movie review this year. We've seen a few. There's also the TV series. LOST is more awesome than ever. I can't believe next season will be the last. Since we have a lot of time to kill before the next season, we've been watching it from inception? Who's we? Well, I attend a LOST roundtable every Friday at my friend's workplace (down the street from me). Well, now I'm also addicted to Fringe. I found the episodes from Season 1 online and I'm almost done. It's like the X Files, many conspiracies, twists and freaky stuff (and cutie Joshua Jackson). Lil Ole Nerdy me loves it.

Just wish I were in San Diego for the Comic-Con.

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

As in http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com

I know, I haven't posted much. The layoffs have started at work so I've been laying low.

For this week's FFFF, I've decided to post random strange things I've seen around. I was particularly inspireed by a lady who rode the metro with me today. She had a tan overcoat and a rather large scarf. It was red, fluffy, and it was wrapped around her neck and head. The ensemble made her look like a chicken.

Anyway...

On my last trip to Rio de Janeiro, we drove by the beach and suddently I saw this kiosk (this photo is not mine, I found it on google). You find these kiosks by the beach, and they sell beverages, snacks and the like. I'm sure the owner has no idea what the name means, but I just couldn't stop laughing. I'd steer away from the beer just in case :)



This one I found in Baltimore (duh). This bench is exactly across the street from Charm City Cakes (you know, Ace of Cakes from the Food Network channel? that guy!). So I just had to take a picture. I mean, seriously, if you've been there, you just KNOW it's not true. My co-worker was laughing really hard and pointing out all the litter underneath the bench.



This one is for Portuguese speakers only. I'm not going to elaborate. I saw this sign at a local park here in MD. I was with my Dad and we laughed so hard we nearly crashed the car.



This one I snapped on my last trip to WDW. This lady unfortunately turned away. She looked to be about 70. Her husband was on a wheelchair. They were taking pictures with Pooh and Tigger. Her ensemble was just something, the Snow White strapless top and the Minnie mouse ears. Hey, they say you turn into a child at WDW. I guess that's true....



NYC is already a strange place with strange people. We all know that. But here, on the same photo, on the famous Times Square, you will see a Naked Cowboy, a Chinese Elvis and the ugliest Statue of Liberty ever (suggested donation: $2).



Hope you've enjoyed the show. I'll see you next week.

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

As in http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com

Last friday we took a trip to Philadelphia. We left early in the morning and came back to DC after sundown.

- We met friends
- We took pics with the Rocky Statue
- We ran up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum
- We ate Philly Cheesesteak (yum!)
- We saw the Liberty Bell
- We tried to go to the Independence Hall but all the free tickets were gone
- It was fun despite moi stumbling around driving an automatic minivan (seriously, people, how can you NOT drive a stick?)

Here's the batch of pics! Roll over to read the caption and click on it to see the enlarged version.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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.

All hail the portable DVD player!

So I got home, with some minor glitches. If you can call it minor...

In the morning I had to go into work for a couple of hours to tie up some loose ends - not good.

The flight from Baltimore to Atlanta was uneventful. In fact, it was a great smooth flight and I couldn´t even feel the pressure of taking off or landing.

We go to Atlanta and had a few hours to kill, so my dear friend Renata met us at the aiport and we chatted away. Then we made into the flight to Rio. Or so we thought. It was scheduled for 8:30PM.

Everyone has boarded and we´re ready to go. The plane leaves the gate. But we stop and just sit there for a while. I´m thinking there is a back-up in the taking off line - pretty normal. All of a sudden the pilot comes on and says the right engine is not working and we´re going back to the gate so the mechanics can have it checked, but they think it´s the fuel supply valve and it shouldn´t take long so we can proceed.

Pardon me, but I was thining "WTF? We´re taking this plane 5,000 miles to Rio like this?"

So, after some back and forth saying we´re-going-or-we´re-switching-planes (some people around me were kinda freaking out with the idea of going like that) they decided we should switch aircrafts. Phew!

They gave us $7 meal vouchers and had us go eat until they figured what to do. The only place open and that we could eat for $7 at that time was McDonalds LOL. So we did.

We went back to the gate around 10:30PM and the plane was scheduled to leave at 11:55PM. Just remember I had my 4 1/2 year old with me. So we sat on the floor on the gate and I popped Nemo in the portable DVD player. My salvation. Then I realized there was a young couple trying to deal with very tired 1 and 3-year-olds. So I asked the lady if her kids would like to watch the movie as well and all of a sudden we had a mini movie theatre going on with a few tots. All the parents thanked me many times LOL

After we got on the plane, it was smooth sailing (which I was surprised since there are a couple of tropical storms in the caribbean area). Virtually no turbulence whatsoever. T fell asleep before the take-off. I took a few naps here and there, between dinner and the showings of Prince Caspian and 21.

We made it to a very rainy Rio de Janeiro, all in one piece. Thankfully!

T is happy playing with Relatives and his Mommy went to bed at 6PM and slept for 14 hours LOL. All ends well :)

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

As in http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com

As Daughtry would say...

So I'm going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me

Click to view a larger version

So I'm going home today. That's why I have been working 12-13 hour workdays.

I took this picture all the way from the Sugar Loaf Mountain. You can see Copacabana Beach, Praia Vermelha and even the club where hubby and I had our wedding reception (the little building on the left hand side of the small beach).

Breathtaking, huh?

Here's more:







See ya!

"I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps"

Just came back from the Big Apple. Last time I was there was in May 2000. Things have changed - a lot!

It was T's first time there and he had a blast. He didn't want to leave (he's my son after all). His favorite part was the huge Toys R Us store on Times Square. There is an indoor ferris wheel and a full size animatronics T-Rex from Jurassic Park.

We had a blast! I stayed with my friend Regina and was able to meetup with some e-friends I had not yet met: Mauro & Lydia, and Sonia with her family.

As usual, there isn't enough time to see everything, so we'll have to go back there again sometime, hopefully soon.

There were some - uh - "celebrity sightings": Chinese Spiderman with a rope web, bizarre statues of liberty, Chinese Elvis, Naked Cowboy, Naked Cowgirl, Freddy Krueger, Frankenstein's creature and weird sidekick, Shrek, Elmo & Mickey Mouse.

The M&M's World store on times square is incredibly cute. 3 full floors of chocolate and merchandise. I purchased a t-shirt that says "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of chocolate" LOL

We've been to F.A.O. Schwartz and even watched a live piano show (like the movie Big). I have a huge complaint, though. The cute little clock tower has been removed!!!!! That's just absurd!

Today, before we hopped on our train back, my friend drove me to Ground Zero and it was heartbreaking. There was this... void. I had such weird feelings going near that place. I didn't leave the car, it wasn't even necessary. They're starting to rebuild around the area now, and even nearly 7 years later, they're still repairing nearby buildings.

A few photos: