I'm an alien

Since moving here in December 2008, I have been on the long road to gaining permanent residence here, i.e. a legal alien.  I made my first visit to the 'Policia Federal' in Maringa, in April of last year and was told to await a home visit, which sounded to me like they were going to approve where I lived and deem it suitable 'alien accommodation'. 

A couple of weeks ago after returning to Brazil from my honeymoon, I finally had a visit from the PF representative.  Of course she came on the day when I was still in my PJs, with honking morning breath, gossiping with my mother-in-law, yes she is that nice.

I had slept in, left my bed unmaid.  It's always good to make a great first impression when your future is at stake.  Or maybe it's better that it was messy, more realistic, who knows.

Simone, a tall blonde, came through the door and introduced herself.  "Hi", I said hoping that my Portuguese would see me through all the answers I was about to give.  She asked me all these questions about how I'd met my husband Paulo, and it began to feel like a scene from Green Card, remember that awful 90s movie with Andie McDowell and Gerard Depardieu?

Soon enough I had turned it into a scene from MTV's Cribs when she asked to see our bedroom.  I apologised for the unmade bed.  "Don't worry, it's the fifth one I've seen today", she said slightly miffed.

Unfazed I proceeded to show her through my entire wardrobe, explaining how I categorised our clothes, which were my favourites and which ones I couldn't wear here as I thought they were too chic.  I realised almost immediately that my capsule collection of Issa, McQueen, Basso & Brooke and Vivienne were hardly going to see the light of day in this small town, where popular brands are Guess and Tommy Hilfiger, but at least I could look after them!

Aside from giving a lesson in British fashion I managed to learn a bit about the other foreigners living in Maringa.  Apparently we are some 3,000 strong and consist mainly of students who attend the University of Maringa, where my brother-in-law works as a physical education teacher.  Also working there is an Englishman called Peter who has lived here for about 20 years and is married to a Brazilian woman.  I know that there are several other English and some American citizens living here, but as yet I have yet to meet any of them. 

All in all it was an interview that I will never forget.  I now have to wait up to six months to know whether my apllication has been successful. 

Fingers crossed.

First meets third

For some time now I have been wondering what really makes the difference between a person from the first and a person from the third world, I mean in real terms. 

Personally, as someone who was born and raised in the so-called first world, I believe for better or worse that my expectations are higher, I am more spoilt if you like and I find it harder to put up with things that don't work in the way that I am accustomed to.  In plain English this makes me a pain in the arse around here. 

That being said, when we are outside of our comfort zone, are we victims of are own success, so dependent on modern technolgy, so able to buy practically all the things we desire that we have become incapable of surviving on our own.

I have lived in Maringa, a small city in southern Brazil on and off for six months now and I am supposedly living in what counts as part of the third world as my family jokingly reminds me when I complain about things and constantly compare them with my own city or country. 

I realise that this is unfair but it seems fairly instinctive and also vaguely patriotic.  Why do we feel the need to wax lyrical about the benefits of our own country, especially when we are living in someone else's?  Is it because we are homesick?  Is it because we regard ourselves as superior?  Or is it because we enjoy boasting about a higher standard of living?

At this point I still don't know the answer but all the expat blogs that I read inevitably make comparisons between their native country and their new place of residence.  So based on this evidence I can only assume that it is human nature and nothing more.

Hopefully one day I will find out what the answer is. 

Japan Brazilian style

The islands of the Japanese archipelago were formed from the tears of a goddess.  Where each tear fell into the Pacific ocean, an island arose or so goes the legend.

Today, Japan has grown into a land of contrasts where uber-modern gadgets, buildings and culture go hand-in-hand with time-honoured traditions and rituals. 

My first visit to Japan was great.  Although I didn't travel through this country as much as I would have liked to, I did spend time getting to know some members of my husband's family that I otherwise would not have met.  We were the first family visitors they had had since moving to Honjo, a small town about an hour away from Tokyo, ten years ago.  I couldn't help feeling sad that most of the family will never be able to afford to visit them as travel is so expensive in Brazil - never mind that it is practically the otherside of the world, but I was glad to be able to relay news and show videos. 

My Japanese Brazilian family at Mount Fuji

Japan and Brazil have an immigration partnership that dates back over a hundred years when Japanese farmers arrived to work in coffee plantations in 1908.  I have always been fascinated by the Japanese population that in exists in Brazil, mainly in Parana and Sao Paulo.  They make up the largest concentration of Japanese descendants outside Japan, beating the US.  Despite some initial problems and ill-treatment during the second wolrd war, similar to what happened in the US at the time, the population recovered and today has become one of the more successful groups of immigrants within Brazil.

The beautiful Japanese countryside

Conversely in the 1980s and 90s Japanese Brazilians started to migrate to Japan, the approximate population today is 450,000.  Tokyo currently holds the largest carnival outside Brazil and communities of Japanese Brazilians remain Brazilian from a cultural perspective.  Portuguese is the third most spoken language there after Chinese and Korean and is also among the most studied languages in Japan.  

Japanese Cultural Festival in Maringa

In 2008 a census was conducted on Japanese Brazilians from the city where I live, Maringa.  It revealed among other things that 15% of the 15,000 strong population was working in Japan; that 6.61% were born in Japan, 40 was the average age, 47% can read and write Japanese and that 52%  are women. 

Everyday I am learning more about Brazil's culture and its past.  I have come to love the racial diversity and fascinating history that surrounds this giant of South America, the country that has now become the first in its continent to host the Olympic games. 

Beijing - Imperially modern

Temple of heaven

Beijing is powerful and imposing, you can tell as soon as you arrive that you are visiting a city assured of its own significance.  The sheer scale of the structures here immediately makes you realise that this land knew it was going to be powerful, influencial and densely populated - how's that for planning ahead.


This city is also a hybrid of themes and styles; soviet-inspired communist monuments and buildings merge with imperial temples and palaces.  Beijing seems improvised yet it is perfectly organised and has traditional elements fused with quirky modern touches.

I loved hanging out trying some traditional cuisine whislt enjoying the view in Houhai, Beijing's lake area.  Walking around in general took its toll as everything is huge but at least my legs were toned by the end of it.  Shopping was a lot of fun here, from the smart boutiques of Wangfujing to the crazy hassling and haggling of the Silk Market - you can't walk by a stall without the vendor shouting out "You want to buy _________?  I give you best price, very good quality."  It is a sight to be seen and is wonderfully exhausting. 

Houhai at night - the only time to go

Part of our brief trip was a visit to the great wall, which was an added bonus and a life-long dream.  We chose the Simatai region as it is unrestored and untamed, the ideal location for a great  hike.  Another benefit of this area is that it is virtually empty, we must have seen no more than 10 people for the few hours we were there, an absolute contrast after the crowded, bustling streets of Beijing.   

The Great Wall - practically deserted

After the Taj Mahal, I thought nothing could ever leave me in awe again but the wall has her own breathtaking tricks.  Being able to amble through the watch towers practically alone gives you an idea of the vastness of this epic structure and of China as a whole.  The wall weaves over a patchwork blanket of green, extending as far as the eye can see for some 6,000 kilometers or 4,000 miles. 

I was happy to return to China after having lived in Hong Kong in 1997 just after the handover back to the Chinese (wow was it that long ago?).  It remains a fantastic destination and Beijing in particular sells you memories you are happy to pay for. 

Next week:  Japan

A passage through India - more photos

Incredible, indelible India

"So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked." Mark Twain

For me this quote sums up India better than I ever could.
India is unique, unlike any other country I have ever visited. She enters your soul, gets under your skin and steals a piece of your heart all at first glance.

This ancient country is a sensory overload of colour, taste, sound and smell and is so rich in custom, history and culture that it takes you on an unforgettable journey with enough tales and fables to fill a lifetime.

It is the vast contrasts that make India so incredibly memorable.  Decadent structures, monuments to endless wealth and ancient dynasties stand alongside crippled children walking on their hands begging for change, dragging their mangled legs behind them.

The unbelievable Taj Mahal

Beautifully adorned women in jewel-coloured saris decorate the streets and goats and cows stroll along as if browsing the markets and running errands.

A goat out window shopping in Jaipur

I have wanted to visit India for so long and now that I finally have, I can't think of anything else but going back.   India didn't disappoint on any level, all the years of waiting only made me wish I had discovered her sooner. 

Even though I only visited four locations on my trip, it was enough to make me want to renounce my worldly possesions to roam free. 

Arriving at the airport in Delhi, bound for Beijing, I was left in tears as we said goodbye to our driver, I didn't want to be parted from my new found friend India. 

Gandhi Smriti - touchingly simple

With our driver Aadesh at the airport

Comfort food

Sharing food with my Brazilian family is always a rewarding experience. So much energy and emotion is invested in cooking, eating and discussing food; life literally revolves around food here and I have to say that I absolutely love it.

Although I am by no means a cordon blue chef, I love cooking and I am always looking for typical English dishes to introduce them to. So last weekend I decided to take on the mammoth task of making my Mum's apple crumble.

I was quite nervous as I had never cooked it before, and I had also decided to make custard from scratch which was an added challenge and again something I had never done before. Knowing that my efforts will always be rewarded with praise and that I will never experience a Gordon Ramsay-style tirade gives me the confidence to try new things. So more often than not I am cooking dishes for the first time.


To my surprise the crumble turned out really well, not quite like my Mum's but close enough. The only thing I regretted was that she wasn't there to taste my first apple crumble and custard. I was able though to tell her about it during our weekly call the very next day.

My first apple crumble

Mixing the custard - service with a smile!

Ready to eat!

Miranda's Mum's Apple Crumble
Serves up to 6

300g Plain flour

Pinch of salt

170g unrefined brown or demerera sugar

200g unsalted butter cut into cubes

700g apples cored, peeled and cut (ideally Bramley but any kind will work)

Pinch of cinnamon
2 tbsp of water

Crumble mix

Mix flour and sugar together really well. Rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. If the mixture sticks together when pressed in your palm it has enough butter.

Apple filling

Cut the apples in 1cm slices and mix with with the water and cinnamon being careful not to break the fruit. Grease the bottom of a medium sized pyrex dish or 9" circular pie dish, spread the apples along the base so that they lie flat. Add the crumble mix over the top and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes until the crumble is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.

Miranda's custard

4 egg yolks

30g Caster sugar

570ml milk

55ml single cream

1 Vanilla pod or 1/2 tsp essence

2 level tsp cornflour

Heat the milk, cream and vanilla pod (if using) over a low heat and bring to simmering point. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and conrflour in a seperate bowl. Take the pan off the heat and pour into the bowl, whisking all the time. Return to the pan, add vanilla essence and cook on a low heat until thickened. Serve immediately. To prevent skin forming place in a jug and seal with clingfilm.

Bon appetit!