I'm home for the foreseeable future. Three weeks, three continents, 36 hours at home. I thought I was doing ok but I have had the uncontrollable urge to just lie down on the sofa and sleep all weekend. But I remind myself that my children did not sign up for my work schedule so I flip the on button before it shorts again.
I may complain about the failure to lift a mat before vacuuming or the state of the towels but really what's to worry about when all are healthy, no parties have been hosted and there are no piles of liquor bottles in the dustbin?
Beijing was hard work but Brazil was a breeze. I may not have been allowed to roam the streets of Sao Paolo but I loved it. The extra night may have helped in not feeling I was on one of my fly in, fly out escapades. I went to dinner every night. I ate a lot of meat. I snacked on fruit salad cut in tiny pieces and served from a punch bowl. I drank excellent argentinian and chilean wine. I ate dulce de leche in various guises. I shopped at the haviaiana flagship store and various other beautiful locale along Av Oscar Freire. I was trying to buy a pair of navy suede heels. Alas they were not in my size but I bought the same pair in a kind of pinky coral which I am hoping work for summer. The heels are just the same as the ones in the ads for the new season prada shoes. There was an intense pleasure in shopping where there was no Zara. Not that I don't love Zara but the relentless homogenous nature of shopping is depressing. I came home with 7 pairs of havianas and 3 pairs of shoes.
I came home the long way. Sao Paolo to Santiago to Auckland to Sydney to Canberra. All coach. Actually I think the sundry stops made it more bearable. I bought cachaca in Sao Paolo. I had it confiscated in Chile as I had forgotten the no liquids rule even in transit. I bought marzipan fruits in Chile. I showered in Auckland and wondered if merino mink (merino wool spun with possum fur) was wonderful or creepy (whatever, it was expensive). I bought cachaca in Sydney on arrival.
I had to tick the "have you been in Africa or South America box" and found myself grilled on my yellow fever status. I am now in self-quaratine which means if I note the symptoms of yellow fever I have to take myself to a dr. Since apart from noting a yellow tinge to your skin, the symptoms are almost identical to all other feverish/flu symptoms (aching, cough, headaches) this seems a bit loose. Whatever. I am in remarkably good health from my gallivanting other than a) pulling a muscle in my calf from my too high heels in China and b) an expanding waistline due to all those caipirianhas.
I got home Sunday morning and then went to lunch for my friend's birthday then got on a plane to Sydney on Monday morning for another week of the same kind of stuff but with zero shopping. It was fine.
Jason Bateman was staying at the hotel and can be reported to be short with a large head. More exciting was that I met Jacki Weaver at the security queue at the airport the week prior. She is also tiny but beautiful. She should have won the oscar. I felt weird about approaching a stranger as it I knew her but I told her Animal Kingdom was the best movie I had seen last year. She turned round and said thank you and gave me a hug. Travel has its own rewards.
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