Dia das Almas (All Souls Day)

Every November 2nd in Brasil, families gather at gravesites for the purpose of praying for their departed, cleaning the gravesites and placing new flowers on the graves. It is a sight to behold. Since it is mainly a Catholic tradition and the majority of Brasilians are devout Catholics, there are scores of people at the cemeteries this day. Sometimes they stop for treats or ice cream before or after their individual ceremonies. You’ll see women with scrub buckets and mops walking down the streets.

You don’t see that here in America. Everyone maintains the gravesites at separate times. Although I prefer to remember my loved ones as when they were living and not in the ground, I still appreciate the trouble these people go to keep the eternal resting place of their loved ones’ bodies in as nice a shape as possible.

Til Later, Tchau.

Dia Nacional do Fusca (National Day of the VW Bug)

The Brasilians love their Fuscas. You see them more than any other auto on the street and there are some very cool ones in Brasil. They love them so much, in fact, that they've honored them with their own day...Dia Nacional do Fusca. I've found a great little video to click on for today's blog, so be sure to click on the title to see it.

Fuscas come in all colors. I was envious of the guy who painted the inside of our cafe. He had a Fusca painted a really cool color that looked like a mixture of chartreuse and pea green. One day, he was coming from work and someone ran into him. He wasn't injured too badly, but his Fusca really took a hit. Of course, when I heard, I asked if he was ok, and when he said ok, I then asked...what about the Fusca? He smiled and said it would be ok. Since he didn't speak English, and I very little Portuguese, we did alot of sign language, but we got the gist of what was being said. About a month later, his Fusca was finally drivable again and was the same color. What a relief.

If I ever go back, I'd love to own a Fusca.

Til Next Time, Tchau!