Days 29-31: Christmas and Vovo 90th Birthday by ES

  Belem, Brazil
Friday, December 28, 2007

After we arrived back from Agodoal Christmas Eve morning, there was lots to be done in preperation for the evening dinner.  In Brazil the common tradition is too have a late night dinner on Christmas Eve, very similar to how I am used to celebrating New Years.  However, at midnight you wish everyone "Merry Christmas"....or in this case "Feliz Natal".  Carolyn spent most of the day helping in the kitchen and I helped a bit...after a good nap of course.  Many of her family members arrived from all over Brazil and her parents and brother flew in from the US a few days before. 

Prior to the party, a few neighbors stopped by with desserts and to wish the family a Feliz Natal.  (People are very hospitable here.  They just stop by whenever to chat, have a snack, etc. and catch up.)  Which brings we to the next part of the evening...

Most of the family arrived to the house around 8:00 PM or (20:00 since they use what we call Army time, here).  Family started arriving and there is no other way to greet each other than the traditional Brazilian way.  This means that every person who arrives you give a hug and cheek kiss.  The kind of stuff you normally see in the movies and for some reason associate with French people...I dont know...Aunt Carol......do the French do this too?

Erin, Uncle Fred and Carolyn

Carolyn and Cousins

Carolyn and Vovo

Vovo and Children + Irene

Vovo and 5 of 6 kids

Carolyn and I dolled up for Xmas

It was a little weird at first because as an American we are used to greeting each other with a hand shake or "Hello".  Here everytime you meet someone or have to say goodbye you must give the hug and cheek kiss.  In the North you give the 2 cheek kiss and in the South (Sao Paulo for ex. which is the New York of Brazil) people are very busy so you only give the 1 cheek kiss.  It is a bit confusing and knowing which cheek to kiss first.  Usually you lean to the left first but sometimes you may be in an ackward situation where the person is in a car or an ackward position.  Then you have to decide if you should still try to reach for the left first or if you should go for the cheek which is more convenient.   I almost kissed one of Carolyn´s old co-workers on the lips in Sao Paulo due to the car situation.  I am getting used to the greeting since I met some of Carolyn's family in the US but sometimes it's still a little weird.  She claims there is no right or wrong way to do it and that you should just go with the flow.  Needless to say i met a lot of people.

As the evening went on we had drinks, snacks and socialized and ate dinner. Family members exchanged some gifts and at midnight we wised everyone Feliz Natal.  Shortly after the family stared heading home and we cleaned up and went to bed.

Christmas day was very relaxed and we had left overs with the family and went to the pool.  We then spend the afternoon over at Uncle Freds using the internet and making a few phone calls.  It was not quite the Christmas day I was used to with no snow, and a mostly non-english speaking family.

Carolyn getting down and dirty with a crab

The next day we relaxed and Carolyn got busy preparing a power point presentation for her grandpa's 90th birthday party (who they call "Vovo" which is a nickname for the Portuguese word for Grandpa "Avo").  He was a doctor in the Brazilain Air Force and had been living with his wife Irene (pronounced E-Rain-E) in Carolyn's parents home for 5 years now since his leg was amputated due to a blod clot.  He has been bed ridden since August but is still hanging on.  In fact his older sister is 95 years old and a live wire!  Vovo has 2 nurses who tend to him each day, one who sews on the side and mde me two custom bathing suits for R$20 each which is about US$10. 

The next day was Vovo's birthday party and even more family came in from all over.  I had the pleasure of meeting Carolyn's great Uncle Betinho who has written 6 books, sings, song writes and used to be a English teacher.  We chatted in English for a while and when no one was relly left in the room he asked me to itch his back....or so I thought....  I forgot to mention that he is paralyzed from the waist down and is in a wheel chair, so I thought maybe this was a normal request although I had just met him.  I got up from my cahir and walked to the other side of the table and started scratching his back.  He was mumbling something and pointed so I said "Oh, lower?" so I started scratching lower and even harder and said that "I get a really itching back too."  Then he said in the clearest English possible "No.  Can you please get my bag?" ......and there sitting on the table behing his wheelchair was his bag.  He had a slight accent and i somehow misunderstood "Can you please get my bag?" with "Can you please itch my back?".  Needless to say it was a bit embarressing, but at least someone got a free back scratching out of it!

Back to the party!  There was tons of food, mostly desserts and snacks which is typical of a Brazilian b-day party.  Live music and Betinho and Fred even joined in for a song.  

Tio Betinho

Vovo left his bed and got into a wheel chair which has not happened at all since August.  Lots of pictures were taken and Carolyn's presentation was enjoyed by all, with included the history of Vovo's life, family, career, etc.  

Vovo's Presentation

Vovo with sister and 9/10 grandkids

Vovo and Carolyn's Fam

Erin and Carolyn at Vovo's 90th

Christine and her floral arrangement

I ate way too much brigadeiro.

Vovo's Presentation