House of Memories

The creaking boards. The stairway rail. The irregular steps. The smell of the entryway when I first walk in the door. All the same. I cannot understand how this house remains still in time while the rest of the world changes, but yet it does.

Living in the house my Dad grew up in is surreal. This old house is filled with memories of times passed- black and white faces frozen in frames; kissing, hugging, laughing. Many of theme are gone now but these little monuments have sealed their youth. My grandpa too is now a sage, my storyteller who daily relives younger days. During breakfast I am taken away with his tales to India or England. At lunch it is Peru or the seas, and at tea time we remember together the years of this old house. My imagination runs wild and my emotions are a roller coaster. It is so easy to be delighted in an instant, and then I am suddenly tragically nostalgic: for an age I never knew. Still the British Gentleman, he calls me "Ali, my Love," and says words like 'fond' and 'adore' when he is excited. Then we just sit together in silence. Sometimes just in memory, or reading books by Faulkner or Hemingway.

The streets have changed, and the stores are different. The graffiti is is new and bright while the cobblestones are cracking on the street. Everything around has changed. The people inside the house change too, people come and go, are born and die.

But the house still remembers.

My dad and grandparents holding my cousins Pedro and Felipe

"Poor Niagra"

...As the first lady Eleanor Roosevelt put so perfectly, yes: poor Niagra. The pounding, crushing energy of the falls at Foz do Iguaçu is overwhelming. Every emotion is augmented there- awe, power, fear... White mist envelopes everything, and as you walk closer to the falls, so are you. The green grasses and trees glisten with water and butterflies fly up from the trail ahead. I watched as birds of all types and sizes flew in and out of the white cloud rising from the falls- soaring and floating for no reason at all but to play. Walking up to the falls and looking over the edge, a strange and foreign sensation overtakes you- and you suddenly feel the temptation to jump; to fall with the water and be enveloped in the roar.

A plaque on the path to the falls had this verse inscribed in it:

"Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty." Psalm 93:3

This verse made me stop and wonder... many times. Looking at the raw power of the falls, and the imagining what kind of power cracked the earth to make it- I cannot imagine anything mightier. How awesome, how mighty is He that created it?

Friends, "turkey," and a long way from home.

Pontal do Sul.
This place has come to mean so many things to three americanas that were privileged enough to call this small town home for a month. It was a place of sun, sand, waves and music; a place to dance, to create, to fall in love and discover a new passion for life and learning. The latter was true for me.

In Pontal I met some of the most incredible people of mylife. Selfless. Intelligent. Inspiring. Free. And there was really nothing more perfect to end it with, than our very own Thanksgiving dinner. Starting as a small dinner between Lucy, Camila and myself, the idea soon grew to include more of our friends and new “family” of Pontal.

This too marked a certain passage for me- hosting my first Thanksgiving. Lucy and I quickly set to work on a menu- Turkey was an unfortunate loss in our charming beach town, but we made due with a delicious chicken, roasted with apples, onions, carrots and potatoes. This was served with two types of mashed potatoe

s, regular and garlic oregano, and two dishes of squash (sweet and salty). We also steamed some green beans to add more color to our table. I carefully laid out a picnic table in our mini courtyard, utilizing the flowering trees as a natural decoration, and taking some of the flowers to hang down over our heads. We were also able to procure some candles and a wildflower bouquet for ambiance.

Then our guests arrived, and soon it really did feel like Thanksgiving day. Various fragrances wafted through the air from the kitchen, glasses clinked as toasts were made, laughter and (folk) music filled the air. The only major difference of course, was portuguese.

Finally all was prepared, and we sat down to eat. Our friend Gabriel quickly assumed the role of cutting the chicken, which Camila insisted we still call the Turkey. I stood and stumbled through a small speech about what meaning of Thanksgiving mean to us three 'americanas' and what meeting them had meant to us. I have never been one with speeches, much less in my second language, and was quickly embarrassed; but Camila enthusiastically took up my slack and made a toast- to Dolphins no less!

With that kind of a kick off, we tucked in. The Brazilians were blown away by Lucy's stuffing, and were equally impressed with our two versions of squash. Since it is not usual to have a heavy dinner in Brazil, I was fully expecting our guests to eat small portions. I was totally blown away then when they went in for seconds, then thirds, until some were so full they were falling asleep at the table (another Thanksgiving tradition- I explained)!!

But Thanksgiving is far from over when the turkey is cleaned. Hot from the oven, we presented the ultimate American tradition: the Apple Pie. Making everything from scratch and improvising a pie dish and spatula, we served it the only way it is edible- with vanilla icecream. One of our friends, Mattheus, had been a student in the U.S. several years ago, and when he got is slice of pie- he just sat and stared at it. He said it was his secondfavorite food (after cheesecake) and was just too excited to be eating it again.

Camila is prending to be Anna-Maria Braga (Brazilian Oprah) here. According to her, Anna-Maria goes under the table when she eats food on her show (?????). ...I have a feeling that I am really missing something here- but anyway, it is hilarious!

It was a perfect evening of stories, jokes, and bloated stomachs. Despite the fact that I couldn't avoid dishes this year, it was the most memorable Thanksgiving yet. This place, for as short of a time as it was, became my home; and these people- my family. I will never forget them, and will daily live out the lessons they taught me. This small little beach town will always have a place in my heart.

Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação do Mamíferos e Tortarugas Marinhas

Our Lab: Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation for Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles.

From left: Lucy, Mattheus, Camila, Me, Ronaldo

Front: Glecie

I love these people.