We don’t have Valentine’s Day in Brasil. We have something similar called Dia dos Namorados (Boyfriend/Girlfriend Day, June 12th). It actually applies to anyone who is a couple but it’s not as extensible as v-day. For example, you wouldn’t wish a Feliz Dia dos Namorados to your friends or co-workers.

The funny thing is that, in looking it up on the web, I found out that we used to celebrate v-day in Brasil instead. Read on:

Dia dos Namorados was created in São Paulo, on June 12th 1949 by the owner of a store who wanted to import the idea of Valentine’s Day. Since June is winter time in Brazil, it was also a slow period for retail. So he proposed June 12th (which fell the day before Saint Anthony’s Day, the patron saint of marriage).

Anyway, the whole reason why I started this blog was to talk about my favorite Brazilian holiday. And I won’t get into the whole morals and ethics behind this holiday. The reason why I like it is that it sums up the Brazilian mentality even better than Carnaval. I’m talking about the Dia do Amante which falls on September 22nd (That’s Lover’s Day for those who don’t know Portuguese. Actually, it’s really “illicit”, as in cheating or having an affair, Lover’s Day). It is obviously a recently made-up holiday and I’m not sure who takes credit for this invention. I remember going back to Brazil on vacation several years ago and seeing a billboard advertising gifts for “Dia dos Amantes”. My mom then explained to me that it was some sort of new holiday as though she had just told me, “Oh yeah, it’s a new brand of toothpaste”!

And that is why I think Dia dos Amantes is the most Brazilian of holidays.

My throat is still sore but the two Tylenol I took really helped!

I woke up with a sore throat. It felt very weird, I forgot what that was like. When I lived in Rochester, I was always sick but I haven’t had a sore throat since I moved to California.

Anyway, I have to leave home now so I can make it to my 8:45 meeting. yawn.

Picture this: it’s February 10th, a nice not so chilly Sunday morning in Mountain View, California and you are a happy little ant taking a stroll through a grassy field. Now picture this: it’s February 10th, a nice not so chilly Sunday morning in Mountain View, California and you are a happy little ant taking a stroll through a grassy field when you get hit by the Sunday paper and get killed instantly.

Something to think about, isn’t it?

Unrelated comment, Canadian accents are so cool. I love hearing a Canadian say “out”, “about”, and my new favorite, “again”.

Found them at Fry’s of all places. They suck! For some reason, they’re a bit salty.

One of my new year’s resolution is to get rid of clutter. So I decided to start with the easy kind of clutter and clean up my closets and garage. I spent 8 hours yesterday and most of it was going through all the junk in my garage. My question is, where does all this stuff come from? I don’t remember ever buying it, getting it as a gift, inheriting it, etc.

Tonight was nice, very girly. I met up with Lenore after work to go see Amélie. I had been dying to see it since it first came out back in November but then I went to Brazil and just never had time to see it. The movie is great. I usually get disappointed after I read so many great reviews about a movie. That wasn’t the case with Amélie. I mean, at least I wasn’t disappointed with the movie itself.

The thing is that I had read so many places how everyone in France had been affected by the movie and there was this huge wave of good deeds (and we’re talking about the French here! Actually, I had never heard anything bad about them until I moved to the US). Anyway, I was certainly expecting a life changing experience from seeing this movie. And it wasn’t like that. So I’m more disappointed with myself for thinking that a movie could do that than with the fact that the movie wasn’t powerful enough to change my life. But to get back to the movie, it was great. Great photography, great plot, awesome characters. I especially liked the opening intro of her as a kid. The scene with the raspberries is just great.

Although, now that I think about it, I did break up with my boyfriend of three years because of a movie. Well, it wasn’t really because of the movie but something that I saw in the movie made something click in my mind. I didn’t even finish watching it and drove to the dorms to end things. The movie? He Said, She Said. (yeah yeah, I know)

Amelie

Miramax Home Entertainment 2001, DVD, $19.99

He Said, She Said

Paramount 1991, DVD, $9.98

Anyway, after the movie we went to check out a new restaurant in Mountain View called Zucca. I read a review that said they served awesome Mediterranean tapas. The place is really small but very cozy and the food was awesome. The owners come to your table and check on you a couple of times and we got complimentary glasses of dessert wine.