What language do you speak?

Do you speak English? 
      Você fala português?
               Parlez-vous français?

Some people say we need English to communicate worldwide. Others claim that Mandarin is the language of the future. French used to be taught at schools. Spanish is the third most spoken language in the world. So, which is the best language to learn when planning a trip abroad?

I'm fluent at Portuguese and English, but I know a little bit or two of other languages. If I'm traveling to another country I like to study at least the "traveler basics", like: hi, thanks, please and a few other expressions in order to sound more polite. And I definitely recommend you to do the same, it's a little thing that shows you care.

I've traveled to six different countries that had, as their mother tongue, a language different from my own. This immersion is great, because it completely takes you out of your comfort zone. Suddenly you have no idea what people are talking about, the signs are a little confusing, it's difficult to order something to eat, you have to be alert to the street's names, and asking for information is always a brave thing to do, since you never know if you'll be understood.

After traveling and listening to six different languages in my trips, I came to a conclusion: I discovered the TRUE universal language! 

SMILING!

It's not a language! It's a non-verbal expression! Simply smiling!

You don't have to learn all the languages in the world. There's this simple shortcut to a conversation starter, when nobody knows what language to speak, when you don't know any other mime to what you want. You look polite, receptive, friendly, happy!

This is the true universal language. When words got in the way, I smiled! Everybody smiles, no problem with accents, talking speed, vocabulary, grammar; with a simple smile you can "talk" to anybody from anywhere! Your French is a little rusty? Italian? Dutch? German? Smile and do your best!

How to survive a 12 hour flight

I'm a traveler, so I love to fly! And a 12 hour flight won't hold me back! Of course, I have my ways of surviving a long flight. Even though many airline companies have entertainment on board nowadays, and I do enjoy them, you see some people reading, working on their notebooks, sleeping and some just can't wait to land soon. I'm here to share with you what I do, and find really helpful, to feel comfortable at a 12 hour flight. Oh, in coach!

Before I share with you my "secrets", remember to wear comfortable clothes and shoes. I swear to you, someday I'll be wearing my pijamas on board, 'cause at every flight I always go wearing the most comfortable pieces of clothing I can! Come on girls, 12 hours wearing a bra? Wear a top and you're fine!

1. Bring a light jacket and socks: still on the matter of clothing, I always bring with me a light jacket on board. I may be cold and the blanket they provide sometimes isn't enough. Wearing socks is also a good idea so it will keep your feet warm, and they won't be touching the carpet directly. Yeah, I always take off my shoes, I have a much more pleasant flight, although I put them back on when I need to use the restroom.

2. Eye drop: the air on board is extremely dry, it's usually less than 20% of humidity, so I keep my eye drop in my pocket. It's a life safer, especially after you take a nap.

3. Lip balm: because the air in the cabin is so dry, it is also a good idea to have lip balm with you. Just remember to wash your lips before applying it, you may have eaten something sweet, so it's better to have clean lips before using your favorite lip balm.

4. Water bottle: we can't enter the plane with liquids, I know, but an empy water bottle, yes, we can! Picture this scene: you got thirsty during the flight and asked for a cabin crew member for a glass of water, maybe two. Pour into your water bottle so you can take a sip every now and then. You'll keep your throat hydrated and won't feel embarrassed to be bothering people all the time you're thirsty. Avoid sodas!!! They will give you gas...

5. Bubble gum: I used to take bubble gums with me for the take off, it really helped me not having my ears blocked. Of course, I always saved the wrap to throw it away afterwards. But, in case, you don't have gums with you, pretend you do!, the movement of the jaws is what really matters.

6. Snacks: yes, there is food on board, but sometimes you just want something to nibble. A good idea is for you to take some dry fruits with you, they won't smell the whole plane, they are nutritious and they perfectly satisfy you.

7. Baby wipes: baby wipes need to be part of your packing at all times, remember that! You can clean your hands, your face, after you take your in-flight nap, and can also take with you to the restroom. Baby wipes, people!

8. Stretch your body: you are 10, 12, 14 hours sitting down. Don't be shy and stretch your body! Get up, bring your arms up, stand on the tip of your toes, turn your waist to the sides. Forget what others will think, they should actually be doing the same! On my way to the restroom I almost go doing lunges. My body appreciates that and maybe that's why I am able to take a nap on the plane!

These are the things I do to survive a 12 hour flight. I eat, I get up, I drink water, I wear comfortable clothes, my feet are free from sneakers, my eye drop is at hand. But the most important thing you should do is move your body! Don't be sitting for 12 hours! Reset your watch and enjoy the flight! 

Off the beaten path: Brazil

Rio de Janeiro off the beaten path

"It's weird to think that the Laranjeiras neighborhood pleasantly smiles when I arrive there" ("Estranho é pensar que o bairro das Laranjeiras satisfeito sorri quando chego ali"), used to sing a famous Brazilian rock singer Cássia Eller in her song All Star about one of the most delightful neighborhoods that the city of Rio de Janeiro can offer.

While many new visitors arrive every month in the marvelous city, as Rio de Janeiro is known, tourists usually look for the Ipanema beach and the Copacabana boardwalk, not to mention the city landmarks such as The Sugar Loaf mountain and Christ The Redeemer.

If you are a tourist in Rio de Janeiro for the first time or for the tenth time, catholic or no religion at all, you will probably visit Corcovado and take several pictures with open arms in front of the 38-meter high statue of Christ The Redeemer. From there you will have an incredible view of the city. It definitely is a must-do tour, although if it is too cloudy save it for the next day, unless you want all your pictures to say that you were above the clouds.

After this visit, it is time for you to go off the beaten path. You are just a few steps away from the Laranjeiras neighborhood, which means "orange trees". There aren't as many orange trees as there were in the past, but you can still find, in the middle of the urban area, some fruit trees and if you are lucky you might photograph a capuchin monkey, known as mico, jumping from one branch to the other.

General Glicério Street

Besides the fruit trees, another aspect that calls attention is how some inner streets of the neighborhood smell so good. There is a reason for that. As you walk the streets you can spot many colorful flowers planted by the Cityhall or by the house owners themselves. Since the sidewalks can be narrow you will be so close to some of these flowers that you will feel enchanted by their smell.

During your visit to the Laranjeiras neighborhood you may be hungry or in the need of nibling something good. Homecooked meals and family run restaurants are what you will find there. No big chain food places, but delicious food in pleasant and well decorated restaurants at a very accessible price.

Largo do Machado

After taking a stroll in this peaceful family vibe of Laranjeiras maybe now you would like to enjoy the rest of your stay shopping or sun bathing. You have easy access to the carioca subway system at Largo do Machado, in honor to the famous Brazilian writer Machado de Assis (Laranjeiras was where he used to live). As soon as you go downstairs to buy your subway ticket you may still think that you are outside, that is because there is a sound system programmed for the riders to listen to bird chirps. While at the station you still have the chance to flavour some delicious Brazilian goodies and buy some souvenirs and beautiful handicraft products.

Now just choose your stop and continue your visit to Rio de Janeiro and in case you feel like being close to the locals again, remember to go off the beaten path in the neighborhood of Laranjeiras.

Are you ready to stay at a hostel?

Low-budget accomodation: HOSTELS

I had never stayed at a hostel before, but when I decided to backpack in Europe, I got the feeling that these two words always go together: if you backpack you sleep at a hostel. So I decided to give it a try and enjoy my adventure! Let's see if after reading this you'll be ready to stay at a hostel or not!

My husband and I were backpacking in Europe going to Berlin and would stay there for one night only. First I looked for an Airbnb host downtown Berlin, but did you know that there aren't any? It's forbidden, that's why you'll only find hosts some miles away from downtown. A hotel was out of the question, so I downloaded the Hostelworld app and started my research.

Since it was our first time at a hostel, we are married and not 18 anymore I had some demands for our first stay:

a. breakfast included;

b. sheets and pillows included;

c. downtown area;

d. near a subway station;

e. English spoken;

f. cheap.

So a because we were in Germany and none of us know any German to go out in the morning to buy something to eat, b because yeah the cheapest ones charge you or just don't have sheets and pillows on the beds, c and d because we only had a day there, e well, I just mentioned this above and f it's a hostel, right?, so cheap is what I want.

When looking for hostels the feedbacks is what I'm interested the most, and many of them complained about bad smell, dirty facilities and loud noise. Because of these things I set my budget a little higher. 

I found a hostel that covered all my demands and had very good reviews St. Christopher's Inn. We just wanted a cheap and comfortable place to crash; our aim wasn't a party hostel, but they also have a very nice bar for you to mingle. By the way, it's the same place they serve breakfast.

I booked via the app 2 beds in a 16-bed bedroom! We paid 16 euros each with all the perks mentioned above. Here's a picture of our bedroom, well, part of it:

As you can see, the pointy yellow arrows are showing the things that I thought were really cool. My bed was on top, my husband slept on the one behind me, and there was a large drawer for you to store your bags, but no lock, so you have to have your own.

The drape gives you privacy, the beds have pillows, sheets and a comforter. There's a tiny light at the bed for you to do your readings, and your own outlet to charge your devices. Loved it!

The way the bedroom was organized was really nice because it didn't look like there were 16 people in there. The bathroom is separated, on the hall you see signs to show you where the bedroom is for room numbers x and room numbers y, but don't mind that because since there are only two stalls, you can just look for the next one available, nobody likes to stay in line to use the restroom... For showering, only one stall, or you can go to the unisex shower, then there are more.

The hostel is quiet and people respect your privacy. It's possible to hear people on the sidewalk talking and having drinks, but that didn't disturb me. What DID disturb me was a couple who kept talking, and eating, and coughing, and calling their family on the bed right under mine! That freaked me out, but I didn't say anything to them, I was leaving the next day, so I didn't want any problems. But that's not all! Their sneakers smelt REALLY bad! Oh boy, that was the worst! I put some VapoRub on the area above my upper lip so I would smell that instead of their feet! Urgh!

Breakfast on the next day was simple, but good. It goes up to 10 o´clock, so you see many "sleepwalkers". Fruits, bread, juice, coffee, butter, cheese, jam and hazelnut cream. That was good enough to start the day!

We wanted to spend some extra time in Berlin before taking our bus, which was leaving only at night, but we didn't want to be carrying our backpacks. When we asked the receptionist about lockers, they mentioned we could use the ones next to the hostel. It was a room full of lockers, small and big. They cost 2 euros for four hours, I think, but I remember it was a very reasonable price. We used one locker for both of our bags. And you don't even have to be a guest at the hostel.

As you can see, it is possible to find a good comfortable hostel, even if you're not there to party, have a good night sleep and go on to your next destination. I don't think I'd recommend staying at a hostel for many days, I think one night only is enough, but hey, that's just me. If it weren't for the talking smellersons it would have been great, but they upset my night sleep.

Hostel, good. Experience, interesting. Travelers, some of them don't shower. Please do!

Are you ready to stay at a hostel? Have you already slept in one? I'm sure everybody who has slept at a hostel has a story to tell. What's yours?

Malls in Porto

When we think of Portugal we never think of spending some quality time at the shopping mall, right? After living here for a while I came to the conclusion that neither do the Portuguese! But, at the mall you can have a bite to eat, browse some stores, and do the biggest trend nowadays: charge your phone while using free wifi! That's why I created this list of the "busiest" malls in Porto so you know where to go according to your needs.

1. Via Catarina: if you are walking around the Bolhão area you will come across this mall since its on the street that takes the same name and it's at one of the most traditional areas of Porto. In my opinion, the best feature of Via Catarina is the food court that imitates the Portuguese houses and also some tables that make you feel like you are in a streetcar.  Congratulations to the person who had this idea! Isn't it just too cute?

2. La Vie Baixa Porto: still in the Bolhão area, there's La Vie. It has the famous bookstore Bertrand and it holds some events. Though from what I see, it's just a place for you to chill a little before you go back to sightseeing.

3. Parque Nascente: now this is a relatively big mall but it's away from the tourist area, in Fânzeres. You should go up to Levada station, up the street and in four minutes you're there. Really good for shopping for clothes or groceries (there's an attached supermarket), eat something, go the famous Primark two-floor store, hang out and use free wifi. 

4. Shopping Cidade do Porto: this is one of the calmest malls I've ever been to. Close to Casa da Música, Shopping Cidade do Porto may be seen as a perfect place to work online. At its food court, there's free fast wifi and outlets for you to charge you phone, tablet or notebook! Always good to find a place for you to charge your devices nowadays, right?

5. Alameda Shop&Spot: until June this year, 2016, this mall used to be called Dolce Vita, but nothing has changed just the name. It's peak hours are just before a game starts at Estádio do Dragão, Porto's soccer team stadium, which is in front of the mall. There's a nice water fountain and a glass floor on the first floor. Easy access from the subway station, another place to have a bite to eat and just chill.

6. Mar Shopping: this one is a big mall, considering that the famous Ikea store is there! Since it's really away from tourists and with no public transportation nearby, they provide a free shuttle service from Casa da Música bus station every half an hour, round trip.

7. Norte Shopping: biggest mall in the North of Portugal! Sete Bicas station is full of shoppers holding their shopping bags! Remember, Portugal is not famous for its shopping malls, but this is a modern one with 267 stores (including Primark), and its ground floor is made of those Portuguese cobblestones which is really nice, because you don't feel like you are in a mall, it seems like you're outdoors. 

Each one of them brings some special feature as I have highlighted, and at all of them you'll feel comfortable and safe and will definitely charge your own energy to go back there and appreciate all that Portugal can offer you. So, you see, in case you were wondering if there were any malls in Porto, you just found the perfect post!

To Inspire!

SATURDAY MOTIVATION QUOTE

Tastes of the World

Brazilian Food You Must Try

As you know I am from Brazil and I am currently living in Portugal. I moved five months ago, and though I usually cook what I was used to eating, there are some types of food that used to be so simple to get around and now I'm starting to miss them a lot. So, I'm here to share with you 15 types of Brazilian food that are really hard to get - if not impossible - in another country, and if you have never tried them, I strongly suggest you do!

1. Fresh coconut water: love it or hate it. I love it! There's nothing more tropical than drinking coconut water from a coconut, and the ones you find at the supermarket do not - really! - taste the same. After jogging, at the beach, on a summer evening, nothing beats cold fresh coconut water.

2. Cocada: talking about coconuts, cocada is a sweet made from coconut  and sugar and there are many variations of it: simply white, with burned coconut, with passion fruit, with condensed milk, and they can be really soft or a little harder, as if you grated the coconut meat and then glued it back together. It's sweetly yummy! Kinda hard to explain what they look like, so here's a picture:

3. Fruit salad with gooseberry syrup: ok, so far you know that I love fruits and sweets, so if you have ever tasted Brazilian fruit salad and on top of it you poured gooseberry syrup (maybe a plus of condensed milk?) you know what type of God's nectar I'm talking about. If you prepare fruit salad in Brazil you will probably use every and any fruit you can find: orange, papaya, banana, apple, pear, pineapple, cherry, kiwi, melon, watermelon, grapes, strawberry... you got the picture, right? Oh, so healthy! Here comes the gooseberry syrup! Just enough for you to have your own fruit syrup at the end.  

4. Coxinha: now this is a Brazilian favorite: coxinha. At all birthday parties you will find this finger food which is filled with well seasoned shredded chicken. It's finger licking good! Oh, sorry, this is already taken...

5. Brigadeiro: Brazilians usually say that money can't buy happiness, but it can buy brigadeiro, which is pretty much the same. This classic chewy chocolate truffle is getting new creative versions and all of them are incredibly delicious: strawberry, pistachio, coffee, passion fruit, with wine, nutella, oreo... Blame it on the condensed milk!

6. Cheese balls: in Portuguese we call it bolinha de queijo and it is as popular as the coxinha. I am not kidding, I can eat a 100 of them and not feel guilty at all. The good news is that they are easy to make, so I'll probably prepare and fry a batch of them any time soon.

7. Cheese bread: this round bread is made with manioc flour and the cheese goes in the dough mixture. It's light, healthy, rich and we are all proud of this Brazilian deli. At breakfast or as an afternoon snack, we never say no to a batch of pão de queijo hot from the oven.

8. Feijoada: eating feijoada is not just eating a dish, it's preparing yourself for an occasion! Usually, we have all the family together for, let's say, Sunday lunch, and the hot pan of black beans is the main course. The original one takes different types of sausages and pork, however, nowadays there's also a vegan version of it. Feijoada needs to have a very thick well seasoned bean sauce to be eaten with white rice, shredded kale, slices of orange and cassava flour mixture, which takes us to the next item.

9. Farofa: a well roasted cassava flour mixture with some olives, pieces of egg, little cubes of bacon, some spices, just plain or what have you, may make you forget about your main course. Gosh, how I miss farofa!

10. Tapioca: once you start eating tapioca, specially in the morning, you just won't want to go back to eating plain bread anymore. Tapioca  is a starch extracted from cassava root, used not only in Brazil, but also in Japanese cuisine, for example. It's healthy, light, nutritious, easy and delicious. You can quickly prepare it on a frying pan, with no oil, and fill it with anything salty or sweet. There are other types of tapioca, to make pudding, for example, and the type you use to prepare one, can't be used for the other. They are both good and addictive. Come on Brazil, let's start exporting some tapioca mixture for all the tapioca fans out there!

11. Honey bread: sweet honey bread, filled with dolce de leche (or caramel or brigadeiro or coconut) covered with milk chocolate. Do I need to say more?

12. Caipirinha: I think I don't need to introduce you to the worldwide known Brazilian drink caipirinha. Cachaça, the spirit used, is really expensive in European countries, so it's not a drink I can appreciate very often, but it's possible, I'll just spend four times more than I would in Brazil. So, if you're visiting Brazil, make sure you try the original one, made with lime, but also try the ones with strawberry, clementine, kiwi, lichy...just don't drink and drive!

13. Stuffed crab shells: made with sautéed crab meat, coconut milk, palm oil and bell peppers, this appetizer that we call casquinha de siri is one of my favorite appetizers to order in a restaurant. It's very tasty and it really opens up your appetite. I've never dared to make one, and now I wish I had in order to try cooking stuffed crab shells abroad.

14. Pastel: this fried pastry is commonly seen at the farmer's market in Brazil. We like it so much that we even eat pastel with nothing in it. We call pastel de vento, "wind pastel", but usually the fillings are made with cheese, ground beef, pizza, shrimp or heart of palm. You're not supposed to do this, but many times I've substituted a meal for pastel.

15. Sugar cane juice: and what's the best thing for you to drink when you order pastel at a farmer's market? Sugar cane juice! It doesn't get more Brazilian than that! It's purely sugar cane that goes into a pressing machine where you're able to get the juice from. That's it. Then, you can mix some lime juice with it and enjoy it cold. Though the color is not very appealing, if you are a sweet tooth, this is the juice for you. 

Food is something that brings memories and emotions, and when you're living abroad, just the fact that these types of food aren't at an arm's reach makes you want them even more. In case you're visiting Brazil, take notes of all my suggestions and go ahead and try them. Then, let me know which is your favorite!

WORKAWAY PART II

When things go better than you'd have thought

As you've seen in the previous post, it's important to be alert to the conditions that are imposed for you to volunteer. The idea and experience of workawaying is to learn, to share and to help, which is a very interesting way of traveling on a budget. My first experience wasn't good, but that didn't stop me from trying again. Lucky me, because it will be very hard to top my second workaway.

the sunset from their property

This time we were going to the countryside of France, around 4 hours away from Paris, to volunteer for an English couple. They posted a picture of them in their profile and they mentioned they would provide meals. We were having a hard time to know how we would get to their house. Once we found out the best way, we kindly asked them if they could pick us up. We exchanged some e-mails and we felt that maybe this time it would be different since the tone of the messages was already friendly.

Remember I told you about first impressions? After a long bus ride, there they were waiting for us with a big smile on their faces! The conversation in the car? Though we were getting to know each other, we were already bonding and telling jokes and talking about dinner. What a great sense of relief! 

Volunteering France - when things go well

The property was so cute. When I grow up I want to have a house like theirs! Our accomodation was really special: a caravan in their backyard. My husband would help Rod and I would help Margaret. They are full of energy and friendly, he has a great sense of humor and she is a real MasterChef. I would never guess in my entire life that I would learn how to cook Chinese food with a Scotish woman in the countryside of France! And that I would drink white tea (it means tea with milk) prepared by a true British gentleman!

the view from the kitchen window

My husband was dying to build a fence when volunteering, and he got the chance to do it! I would love to work in the garden while getting some tips, and I was also fortunate for that. We felt we were there to bond, share and volunteer, but we weren't even counting the time or days, we were so happy there that we made ourselves available at any time, plus they also liked our company, so in the evenings we were all watching tv together. Margaret and Rod were more than just hosts, they wanted to make sure we were warm and comfortable at all times. Not to mention, really well fed!

We spent two amazing weeks with them, really feeling as if we were part of the family. We'll never forget them and they will live forever in our hearts. For sure, next time we are in France, we'll visit them. Rod doesn't like this word, but it will be AWESOME! Of course, I won't forget to bring some Porto wine for Margaret.

my bucket of weeds full of thorns

In the end, this was what we expected from the beginning. Visiting a new place, meeting new people, sharing our experiences, and feeling grateful that we were able to volunteer not for the "job" itself but to grow as people.

So in case you're browsing the website workaway.info, what I recommend is for you to  focus more on the host rather than in what they need you to do. The hosts make all the difference, and you are also there to experience the day by day with people who have a different background from you, different culture and beliefs.

oh I miss dinner time

Are you ready to volunteer? Go ahead, don't wait too long. We shared, we learned, we "workawayed", we made friends for life! 

To inspire!

SATURDAY MOTIVATION QUOTE