Last week, in pictures.

Saturday-Sunday, Bondi Beach.

Monday-Friday, the city academy.

Back home. 

Alone all day for the whole week, The Dog gets cross and starts to throw [minor] tantrums.

Friday night, St Mary's Cathedral.

Saturday, Darling Harbour.

Back home.

The Dog has had time to reconsider and starts to cheer up! She realises life with just her and The Cushion might not be so sucky after all.

+++

After 7 days of [some] training and [a few] games, my left knee finally gives way on Friday night. 

Apart from that, I survive the grading without incident! as did The Cushion and The Dog! Hallelujah!

I don't want to bore you with explanations of what we did. But if any of the stuff you see here looks weird and/or interesting and you'd like to know what it's about, please ask! :)

Normal programming should resume shortly.

+++

By Sunday.

"Bummer Cushion. Looks like The Typist is home again."

Oops. Almost forgot.

Today, The Other Half and I celebrate [and I use that term loosely] our 25th wedding anniversary. I can't believe we've lasted this long and I know he can't either. 


In an hour, I'll be off again for the 5th day of the batizado. So far, I've been out from 11 in the morning till about 10 every night. After which, I sit down at the computer for another few hours, sorting pictures to share on facebook. Adrenalin and aching bones make it impossible to sleep anyway.


I staggered out of bed at almost 7 this morning, looked at all the likes and comments on the batizado pictures [funnily enough, way more than here], uploaded a few more, fed Georgia her brekkie, and prepared her dinner. 


With 30 glorious minutes to spare, I thought I'd write a really quick post with the help of this article, just to mark Our Big Day.


Here are some excerpts from the article [which is about 25th wedding anniversary ceremony ideas], followed by my responses.


Recreating the First

• Pull out your scrapbooks, your wedding dress and your fondest memories of the event 25 years ago and do it all over again. You will have to make some substitutions for the pastor or a parent if they are no longer living; your flower girl and ringbearer will no longer be children. Make your substitutions meaningful to both of you, such as asking your current pastor to officiate and having the grandchildren throw flower petals and carry the ring. Use your original vows, music and elements.

  
  

  What wedding dress? What flower girl and ringbearer? 

  
  

  We got married at a civil ceremony in our work clothes. It was attended by my parents and our neighbours, one of whom was a witness to the signing [after my mother refused to be one]. After the ceremony, we went back to work.

  
  

  Before you sigh and go, "Oh no, poor thing." I have zero regrets about this.

  
  

  Your Dream Wedding
  

  • Perhaps your previous wedding was small, hurried and not all you wanted, or perhaps you gave in to parental pressure and you had the wedding they wanted. This time around, take the time and expense to create your dream wedding. Select your vows, Scripture readings and music, using elements that mean something to you and your spouse. Use your current wedding rings or purchase a new set to commemorate your 25 years together.

    
    

    The ceremony described WAS my dream wedding. Simple and cheap. It's easy to do this when you don't have 500 friends or a large extended family. 

    
    

    Who You Are Today
    

    • Your life has changed dramatically in 25 years, and your wedding ceremony can reflect that. Have your son, daughter or all your children walk you down the aisle. Alternatively, use your children as your wedding attendants, and give each one a separate part in the ceremony. Write your own vows to reflect how your life differs from your first days together. Include thoughts about your current and future dreams. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Honor the things you appreciate most in your life today.

      
      

      What children? 

      
      

      The biggest difference between now and 25 years ago is probably that we argue less. Or we've learnt how to switch off. [Would you agree, Cushion?]

      
      

      You know what our current dreams are - move to somewhere exciting. As for our future dreams - how on earth would we know? We're not exactly  in the future yet, are we? 

      
      

      Oh! Hang on. They mean, dreams for the future! Duh.

      
      

      Comfortable clothes and shoes - now THAT, I like. A lot.

      
      

      Private Ceremonies
      

      • Your 25th anniversary ceremony can include only the two of you. Have a candlelight dinner and reminisce about all the blessings you have received. Repeat your old vows, or pledge your love, friendship, kindness and understanding to your mate. Include flowers and music, or celebrate to the trickling sounds of water in your meditation fountain. Exchange new rings or jewelry that reflects the changes in your life, such as birthstones for each child and grandchild, or matching necklaces or bracelets.

        
        

        After careful consideration [and because I'm knackered and would like an early night], the quiet private evening might actually happen! 

        
        

        I've decided to forgo the hot forro, samba and batucada party tonight and come home immediately after training instead! Why would I want to mingle with the gods of capoeira and the Brazilian consul when I could be home with The Man and The Dog? Seriously.

        
        

        I should be home by 8.30pm, just in time to settle in with the Other Half for a night of telly [perhaps a pre-recorded Game of Thrones Season 2, episode 2] and a takeaway meal of Vietnamese cold salad with barbecued pork, with Georgia snoring away on her bed by our side.

        
        

        I would love to do this to the trickling sounds of water. Unfortunately, The Other Half hasn't finished the water feature yet.

        
        

        I think it's going to be a good day and a good night.

        
        

        Happy Anniversary, Cushion!

        • • Thanks for letting me sleep in every day this week and washing up and taking in the laundry and bringing me coffee in bed and not complaining once.  What more could I ask for?

        • • 
            

        • • Love ya! :) x

Oi! Tudo bem?

Once a year, for a week or sometimes 2, I become a wannabe Brasileira.


I start to do inexplicable and, frankly, embarrassing things.


I speed-flip through my Portuguese dictionary trying to cram new or forgotten words into my aching head and wish I hadn't wasted the other 51 weeks learning how to speak Klingon. 


Sometimes, my English develops an interesting Portuguese accent.


I test out my new language skills on Georgia who mostly looks perturbed.


I develop a sudden craving for  pão de queijo that, for most of the year, I manage to quell because they're so annoyingly fattening. 


I buy ingredients to make a big pot of feijoada. 


I drag out the dusty Brasil-On-The-Go playlist on my iPhone, listen to Brazilian jazz and pagode. And I wail along with them as I pretend samba around the kitchen.


It's fair to say this is a very confusing and trying time for The Man and The Dog.


Here are 3 old favourites I listened to yesterday morning as I was cooking. I am a sentimental fool.

Tragic, no?

*

What is all this wannabe-ness in aid of? 


My capoeira batizado or grading starts in just 2 more sleeps!


Thanks to my stinky right knee [acquired during a careless and callous takedown in training], I've missed 2 big gradings over the last few years, and I think, 3 little ones. So I'm absolutely chuffed about the one coming up! 

That said, I've never had much luck with gradings and now approach each one with trepidation [more like a sense of impending doom].


>>> One grading day a few years back, The Other Half dropped me off at Darling Harbour, drove across Anzac Bridge and was 1 of 5 cars involved in a pileup when a truck in front tried to avoid a carton in the middle of the road at the very last minute and pulled his brakes.

Our car was a total write-off. To the amazement of the cops and ambulance crew that arrived on the scene, The Other Half emerged from the wreck without a scratch. I only found out about the accident hours later, when I returned from the grading. The Other Half can be stoical, considerate and silly.


In memory of that little miracle, we named our new car Baz, short for batizado which in English means baptised. [The same car that now sits on the street, unwashed, unloved, covered in cobwebs, gum leaves and bird poop.]


>>> Another year, my nanny passed away in the middle of the grading. Although she was old and not in the best of health, it was unexpected. She was playing with her grandniece [or nephew, I can't remember which], felt tired, had a shower, a mug of Milo, went to sleep and never woke up again. She was the mother my mother never was, and I loved her very much. But it was the best possible way a person could go, so I was grateful.


>>> Last year, I had just returned to training after a break of more than 2 years, and didn't feel ready to take part in the rough and tumble. Then, Rufus died and I lost interest in even being a spectator. 

What could possibly happen this year?


Glad you asked.  

**

Incredibly [or perhaps not], the curse has struck again! and my good left knee went bad about 2 weeks ago, thanks to a devilish move that entails dropping to the floor from a standing position onto one knee then swivelling around on the ball of your foot to the back. [Don't bother to try to picture it. It's too hard to even explain and I probably didn't do it right.] Then, repeat the move 10 times on each side, every day, for a week. 


It was just a disaster waiting to happen.


The Other Half [and my long-suffering GP] will tell you that some of the stuff we do in capoeira is ridiculous and unnatural. 

Hogwash, I say! I can think of loads of things worse for the human body! Like shovelling gravel every day for a week. [Right, Jean?] Or sitting in front of a computer all day and night blogging. [Right, all you people reading this?]


Should I give up just because my body is falling to bits?


Hell, NO!

***

So that's my exciting news for today. 3 masters from Brazil have already touched down, with more to come. And I've mastered what to say when I meet them. My scintillating conversation will go something like this -


"Oi, Mestre So-And-So! Tudo bem?" [Hi, Master So and So! Everything well?]


And if they should be kind enough to ask me the same, I will cheerfully answer, even if I feel like crap, "Tudo bom!" [Everything good!]


I've cooked enough frozen dinners to last The Other Half most days of next week. Being a forward thinker, I've also made an appointment with my trusty orthopaedic surgeon [whose waiting list is 3 months long, in all 3 of his clinics]. I've even spoken to Georgia about being away a lot next week and she basically said, "So?" 


In short, I think I'm set! There's a good chance I'll be too knackered to blog, so I'll see you in 10 days or thereabouts. [Unless I have any exciting news or another black eye to share.] If you want to hang around, that would be grand.


Till then, tchau! [That's goodbye for all you people who don't speak fluent Portuguese like I do.]


With love and respect, as always, The Typist :) x

****

Oh!


I just had to include this priceless picture of a capoeira friend, Laura, enjoying her udon lunch.
Taken by yet another capoeira friend, MandaChuva.
Guess where Laura is from.

*****

>  In case there's any of you who still don't know what capoeira is, here's the link to that old post with the video.


 >  This reminds me that I haven't yet finished telling you about our trip to Brazil. I don't know if anyone is interested any more. I've certainly lost the zing. But I know The Other Half is keen. So, specially for him, I shall be writing about the tail end of the trip soon. 


Very soon. 


In fact, just as soon as I remember what happened. 


It'll be the least I can do for putting him through this week-to-come. Stay tuned.