Where are we?

[Me] - Last Friday we had lunch at Subway (to celebrate our 115^th anniversary). A few days before that we had lunch at Jack in the Box. And couple of weeks ago we shopped at Sears.

[You] - Wait a minute! Did you say you went to Austin or back to 1984?!

Me and my big mouth

Remember when I said that it was hotter in Austin than in Sao Paulo 2 days ago? Well, forget it!

Austin 27 x 26 Sao Paulo

Right now, it's actually hotter in Austin's winter than in São Paulo's summer! (I know it's already night in SP, but nevertheless...)

Song of the day

100 years (Five for Fighting)

This is a very beautiful song that's in a credit card comercial. And here are the lyrics. I thought it was Pearl Jam at first!

Delivered by UPS

I got my camera!!! (from NY, $50 cheaper than in Austin)

I got my 1GB memory card!!! (from CA, $20 cheaper than in Austin)

And, best of all, I got pictures!!! (from TX, priceless)

(little by little I'll post what I've got; be patient, my little fellas...)

Why I hate PhD Comics (1)

BECAUSE IT'S TRUE!!!



(but the most embarassing thing is that I actually considered doing the other three alternatives, and all of them BEFORE getting to see this comic strip!!!)

SNL moment

From the creators of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!":

I Can't Believe It's Not Water!

(from the series: "Products that I would like to see on the market on day")

"I could be in Brazil" moment

Always, always, I mean ALWAYS lock your bike!!!

(No, my bike wasn't stolen. But this is just because I always, always, I mean ALWAYS lock my bike!!!.)

"I'm not in Brazil" moment

1) In the airport

There was a newspaper booth with an acrilical box on its side, full of money. People were suposed to just put the exact change in the transparent box and pick the number of newspapers and magazines that they paid for. By the amount that should have been in that box, I'm almost sure it is exactly what people do!!! I couldn't imagine this system working in São Paulo (but I would like someone to try, just as an experiment!)

2) At H-E-B (a supermarket chain here in Austin)

After picking up all my things, I head to the cashier. No, there wasn't a person over there to assist me. I passed all the products by the scanner, bag them and, at the end, swiped my credit card to pay for them! Another interesting experiment to do in my hometown...

About this "self-service" thing, Americans are long used to not having "frentistas" at gas stations... It's so weird to put the gas on our own car! I guess we're really spoiled... Not to mention that doing those things (self-service at supermarket and at gas stations) in a country with staggering unemployment rates would be extremely polemical and unpopular! (Instead, we pass laws in Brazil making it ilegal for gas stations not to have "frentistas" and buses not to have "cobradores", as you may all remember...) This reminds me of Salvador, where, at the supermarket, not only there were people who put our purchase on the bags, but also to put the bags into the cart, take the cart into our car and put the bags into the trunk of our car! I felt so uncomfortable! (But a friend of mine who used to live there -- Nicolini, now studying in Paris! -- said that this had to be done due to an unemployment rate of aprox. 20%!!!)

Chris Rock moment

Why do they call it "restrooms" over here?
I don't rest in them!
In fact, I go there to do some serious shit!

Kodak moment

It's been like this since the Longhorns won (Jan 5)! Very beautiful!!!
(I know it's not my picture, but I haven't got a camera yet!!!)

This is the tower of the main building of the University of Texas. I entered there yesterday to pay my tuition bill, but I pass by this tour almost everyday!

I'm a Texan moment

Hook'em Horns!!!

(Didn't get it? Click here, here and here.)

Seinfeld moment

Shrinkage. Significant shrinkage. Like a frightened turtle!!!

(I must be because of the cold weather -- I hope....)

Hello, Austin!

Hi there!

This blog was created to keep track of my life during my sandwich-program here in Austin, Texas. Most of the posts will be in English, for a rather simple reason: I NEED TO PRACTICE!!!

Welcome everybody to this blog, so long and thanks for all the fish!