Permanent Move

Seeing as how it's been about a million years since I posted on this blog, hopefully anyone who is interested has figured it out now. I've decided to just keep up my blog that I started before I went to Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Soooo, I won't be posting anything here anymore....similar to the routine of the last few months. I'd love to gain some readers at http://julieinrio.wordpress.com though!

In Rio

Just in case anyone is wondering: I won't be posting here for a while. I am using my other blog for the whole time that I am in Rio de Janeiro. There is a link on this site if you are interested.

All Lies.

Remember this story?? Well, it turns out that there is a change in the information. It's very minor really, unless of course, you consider the fact that the story was a complete lie to be a major detail. I mean, why should that bother anybody, right?? HELLO?!? What the heck? The tribe does exist, however they were not newly discovered. Instead, we have known about their existence since 1910. Seriously. The guy made up the whole thing about finding a new tribe. He actually knew the coordinates of where the tribe is located,so he sought them out to take pictures and pass them off as a brand-new, undiscovered Amazonian tribe. The guy claims he had noble intentions. (Showing the danger of logging in the Amazon) But, still....lying to the entire world??? Was that really necessary? Apparently he thought so. Ugh.

Here is the new story... http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90781/6436134.html
I encourage you to do some more research on the subject, and to read some other articles if you are interested. And, I wonder if anyone is as offended by this as I am. Anybody??

Home Again

I am back home from GA, and I am still recovering from an exhausting week. Our group had a fantastic trip, and they all really enjoyed it. Now if I can just catch up on sleep before I leave for Brasil next Monday.....yeah right. I have so much stuff to do to prepare for that, which means, there will be little catching up on sleep. Great. Oh well, you can't win them all, right?

Gone for a Week

I will be out of town for the next week....with no internet access. So, that means this will be the last post until I get back next weekend. Sorry!

Reminder: If you haven't seen my blog for my trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brasil....you should check it out!
http://julieinrio.wordpress.com

Oh How I Love the Wii...

My brother and I have been playing various games on our Wii for the last several hours. And, because Wiis are way cooler than I ever imagined....I can also access the internet on it!! That's right, it has a wireless card. So, I'm sitting downstairs on the couch writing this post from my Wii.....and viewing it on a big screen tv. Now, I'm usually not a materialistic person, but I have to admit, this is pretty freaking sweet.

I Actually Won a Contest

For the past several months, I have been reading a great blog. It is written by a girl who is from New York, but has lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil for the last year. She held a contest to raise some money, and I actually won the contest! This means I will be the new owner of a blue pair of Havaianas and a Brazilian flag canga!! Heck yeah!

Be sure to check out her blog: Adventures of a Gringa in Rio

Places I want to visit in Brazil this summer....

I decided to make a list of the places I want to see in Brazil. I originally intended for the list to be for my new blog (Minha Viagem ao Rio....My Trip to Rio), but I decided to post it here too. Check out the Rio blog though!! http://julieinrio.wordpress.com

These are in no particular order. Be sure to click each one to view a picture...

1. Ilha Grande
2. Escadaria Selarón
3. Cristo Redentor
4. Pão de Açúcar
5. Ipanema
6. Tijuca Forest
7. Jardim Botânico
8. Copacabana
9. Arcos da Lapa
10. Jardim Zoológico

This is not a complete list, but it is everything I could think of at the moment....considering what time it is... As I compiled this list, I was reminded once again that Rio is truly an amazingly beautiful city.

Random Early-Morning Thoughts

*I just got home a few minutes ago (about 3 a.m.) I have been out (since 6:30 p.m.) buying stuff for our Vacation Bible School at church, and then decorating at the church. Seriously. Over 8 hours. Kinda ridiculous, no?

*I leave for Brasil in 3 weeks! Super exciting.

*I've been admiring my fish tank since I cleaned it on Friday. It is a 45-gallon tank, so it takes forever to clean, and to do a partial water-change, but it looks so great once it is done.

*I need to buy a few more fish.

*I bought 2 new swimsuit tops today......still looking for the perfect bottoms.

*If it gets any hotter in K-Town, I just might die.

New Blog for Rio Trip

I started another blog specifically for my trip to Rio. I wanted to have a separate blog for all of my friends and family to keep up with my experiences while I'm away. Check it out.

http://julieinrio.wordpress.com/

Amazing 6-year old girl singing

My step-mom showed me this video, and I was amazed. This little girl is 6 years old, and she has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. Her pitch is spot on...plus, she is super cute!

I was also very impressed with this one:

Amazonian Tribe...Part II

As promised, I am finally getting around to writing a post about the article from a few days ago. This is simply my opinion on the issue: First of all, it is somewhat mind-boggling to me that so many people still live in such a primitive state. Survival International estimates that there are more than 100 uncontacted tribes that exist, and of course we don't know how many people are in each of those tribes. When I think of the life that I live in what we would call "civilized" areas, it amazes me that these tribes have survived over the years. They have been able to provide food and shelter for themselves, as well as, protection from the elements and otherr humans. With the controversy surrounding the Amazon, the biggest concern is that tribes like this one are in danger of illegal logging, and development of the area. Brazil's policy is basically to leave the people of the tribe alone, and to not make contact with them. I personally think this is good in the sense that these people haven't been exposed to certain diseases, and contact with outsiders could lead to death and extinction of the tribe. I also think it would be completely disrespectful to barge into the Amazonian basin (a.k.a. these people's home) and demand contact. This would be threatening to the tribe, and would probably result in a tragedy. We don't even know what language they speak, and it is most likely not Portuguese. This would make any contact extremely difficult....even if it is meant to be friendly on our part.

The Brazilian government flew over the basin to take photos simply to prove that the tribe does exist, in an effort to prevent development of the Amazon. It's good to know they are there. Now I think we should leave them alone, and let them continue their way of life.

Uncontacted Amazonian Tribe in Brazil

I saw this article today, and I definitely want to write a post about it. However, I am a bit pressed for time at the moment. So, I decided to post the link, and I will post my own thoughts later today, or possibly tomorrow. It's pretty interesting. Be sure to look at the pictures.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080529/sc_nm/brazil_tribe_dc;_ylt=Aj7UWbpVq2oDZ0SYCTqojCek4LgF

Boredom

I've been sitting in my house piddling on my laptop and watching tv for the last 4 hours. Sounds fun, huh? Yeah, I don't really think so either. The truth is: I'm unbearably bored. I just want to get out of the house, and go somewhere. I don't even really care where at this point. I think I might try to talk my mother into going out for a late lunch, as I haven't eaten anything today. Sorry this post is so chato. (boring, lame, etc.) Tchau.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

* Today's K-Town forecast was rainy. Today's actual weather in K-Town was hot and sunny. Get it right people.

* The A/C in my car is out....again. Therefore, the hot and sunny weather was not so pleasant while I was driving.

* I have rediscovered my affection for sunflower seeds. Salty and delicious.

* I'm watching NCIS on the television right now, and this episode is about people being posioned by terrorists on a plane. Not exactly the kind of thing I want to think about these days. But the plane is full of important military personnel and the President. As I don't plan on flying with the President, I guess I shouldn't worry about it too much.

My new Havaianas!

For my birthday, my best friend bought me my first pair of Havaiana flip-flops. If you have never heard of them, don't feel bad. I hadn't either until I went to Rio. They are these awesome rubber flip-flops that are made in Brasil. There are just a few places in Knoxville that sell them. Dillards happens to be one of them. The catch is, the Dillards in East Knoxville doesn't carry them, but the one in West Knoxville does. Why?? I have no idea. Anyway, because my friend loves me, she went all the way to West Town Mall to buy my shoes.

You can also order them online, as well as search for a store that sells them near you.
Here's the website: www.havaianas.com

I wanted to buy some when I was in Rio last summer, but I never did, and I have been dying to have a pair since I got back. I am now the proud owner of a pair of black ones with a cute little Brasilian flag on the straps. Here they are....

Meu aniversário está chegando! ...how the years fly....

That's right, my birthday is just around the corner, and I am super excited! It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone so quickly. I've heard that as you get older, the years seem to pass more quickly, but I am just coming to realize how true that is. I went to a high school graduation today, and as I watched my friend walk across the stage, I thought..."Wow, that was me just a year ago." A lot has happened in the last year...I graduated high school, became an adult, traveled to Brasil for the first time (and fell in love with the people and the country), I got my first and second tattoos, started and finished my first year of college, lived away from home , and of course many other minor things. It almost doesn't seem possible, but yet it is. The cool thing is: I'm so looking forward to all of the new things that will happen in my 19th year of life!

2nd Degree

Last night, I spent 4 hours in the Emergency Room due to a 2nd degree burn on my arm. I was attempting to mow the yard yesterday afternoon (because my brother has been too lazy to do it). I noticed something was wrong with one of the front wheels, so I was trying to fix it. When I did, my arm touched the muffler on the side of the mower. Now, I don't know exactly how hot those things can get, but this one was HOT! The very second I felt it, I jerked my arm back. Then I ran to the water spicket at the front of my house, and ran cold water on my arm from the water hose. My left forearm was very red, but I was hoping I didn't burn it too bad. I went inside and showed the burn to my grandmother. She said I should put some aloe vera lotion on it. So she got the bottle of lotion, and squirted some on my arm. I started rubbing it in, and immediately, my arm felt like it was on fire. I then spent the next 10 minutes screaming in pain; unable to hold back tears. I put ice on the burn, which finally did help. When my mom got home, she called the doctor, and they told her to take me to the ER to have it checked. By this time, I could see that the middle section looked like a 2nd degree burn, and the doctor at the ER confirmed my diagnosis. I have to keep antibiotic ointment on it, and keep it wrapped up until it heals. I have no idea how long that will even be. Great. She also wrote me a prescription for pain meds, and that has helped a lot. I took one last night (well, about 1:30 a.m.) once I got home from the hospital, and I have not had any more pain so far....graças a Deus! I am hoping for a speedy recovery, and a scar that isn't too awful.

Spring Cleaning

I am not usually a fan of cleaning. In fact, I avoid it at all costs. However, with the abscense of actually living in my house and bedroom for the past several months, my room is a disaster. Seriously. I'd post a picture if it wasn't so bad. So, I have decided to spend this afternoon sorting through everything....mainly a lot of clothes. I am the typical girl who says "I have nothing to wear!", when I have a bedroom completely full of clothes. Generally when I say that, I mean..."I have nothing suitable to wear for this occasion" or "I have nothing that I am in the mood to wear". But, since my trip to Brasil is quickly approaching, and I will need to pack enough suitable clothes for over a month, I am going to have to do some cleaning and sorting. I'm not particularly excited about the actual cleaning part, but I just keep reminding myself that it is somewhat a preparation for my trip, which makes it much better. Até mais.

Done!

I am officially done with my first year of college!! I never thought this day would come. Today was truly a great day. I spent the night with one of best friends last night, and she rode up to school with me today. I took my History final, which took me an hour. Then I sold my books, got my financial aid stuff set up for next year, finally found someone to do my room check-out...who happens to be a very nice Brasilian guy....and my hero for the day! After finishing up everything on campus, Fleda and I went to a really cool coffee shop in Middlesboro. It is freakishly like Starbucks...which is totally fine with us! We had some delicious iced white chocolate mocha lattes, and then I drove us up to the Pinnacle overlook in Cumberland Gap State Park. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend going up there. You drive up a mountain for about 4 miles, and then walk up to the overlook. It's really nice because the walkways are nicely paved with hand railings and interesting signs to show you where you are in relation to the three states. (Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia) We walked a little off the trail, as well as hopping a rail to climb on some pretty awesome rocks. The view was absolutely breathtaking. It reminded me how much I do truly love where I live. We managed to find our way back to my car, and then headed back to K-Town, where we had dinner, and then went back to her apartment. Oh, and did I mention I am done with a year of college??? Yes, today was definitely a good day.

These pictures aren't actually from today. I took them the last time I went to the Pinnacle in the fall. Just to give you an idea of how cool it is though....

Where is my RA??

Between finals and moving out, life has been crazy busy for me the last several days. Last night, my mom and my brother drove up to campus to help me move out my stuff. Now my room is basically empty, with the exception of the few things I needed overnight and today. I had a form slipped under my door one day telling me that I needed to schedule a check-out inventory with my RA before I leave. Sounds easy enough, right? Turns out, it's not so easy. I have gone to her room and knocked....no answer. I put a not under her door yesterday morning...still nothing. Everytime I look down the hall to see if her light is on...no, it's off. And, I realized that I don't think I have seen her car recently. Hmmmmm. So, I would schedule my check-out with my Resident Assistant.....IF I could find her! Can't I just hand my keys to someone and go home?! Do they really think I'm going to walk out of here with the desk, or maybe a mattress?? No, I'm not. I just so desperately want to go home.

History final exam

In my last post, I mentioned an issue with the final in my History class. Allow me to explain what the problem was....

Tuesday April 8th: Class cancelled
Thursday April 10th: Class cancelled
Tuesday April 15th: Class scheduled to meet, but upon arriving to the room, I find out that a conference is being held in our classroom. My professor shows up at 12:57 p.m. to about 20 of us students standing in the hallway. Class is supposed to start at 1:00....at 1:03 p.m., she dismisses us because she doesn't want to wait for the people borrowing our room to be done.
Thursday April 17th: Class meets
Tuesday April 22nd: Class cancelled because my professor is sick
Today April 24th: Class meets for 10 minutes...in which she takes over half of the material for the final off of the study guide. Yay!

So, it all turned out ok in the end. And since I am definitely not a fan of the class, I didn't mind having 4 classes cancelled. However, I would have been pissed if the material we hadn't actually been able to cover was still on the final. Thank goodness school is almost over.

Wrapping things up around here

The semester is coming to a close, and I must say that this coming summer just might be the best one ever. I am looking forward to it like you would not believe. In summers past, I have done a few cool things here and there, but nothing incredibly extravagant....you know like basically living in a foreign country for 6 weeks. However, I have decided to make the most out of this summer. As all of these exciting plans float around in my head, I am also trying to figure out where to start packing. I have to (or should I say: GET TO) move out of my dorm next week. Oba!!! (That means "yay!") As of right now, I'm planning on moving everything out on Tuesday evening. I am just going to keep enough stuff here for an overnight stay Tuesday night; which I will take home with me on Wednesday afternoon. Then I will have to drive back up on Thursday afternoon for my History final...Dear God, please just let my professor change it! (I will explain why later today.) And after Thursday, I will be done!!!! Over the past several months, I have accumulated a lot of junk here in my dorm, and it is going to be a pain to pack it all up again. But! I will be glad to be back home :)

The vet clinic

This past weekend, I put some hours in at a vet clinic near my house. (I have to get in 20 hours for my Small Animal Medicine class.) Friday afternoon was really slow....Saturday, on the other hand, was pretty steady. I went in at 7:30 a.m., and I was supposed to get off at 12:00. I ended up having to stay an hour and a half later because we had a very sick cat. After doing x-rays, and blood work, we still didn't know what was wrong with her. But, anyway, I'm really enjoying my time there. I'm going to work this afternoon, and I'm actually looking forward to it. The manager of the practice told me if I wanted to work there in the future, that would be a possibility. Of course, I am going to be super busy this summer...and GONE for 6 weeks! But, I would love to work there in the fall when school starts back. Spending some time in a clinic is kinda confirming that I made a good decision concerning college and my major...which is always a good thing.

I'm cold

After enjoying about a week of weather in the 65-70 degree range, I got quite used to the warmth. Yesterday, it was in the 50's. Today it was 44. I am NOT ok with this. Allow me to remind anyone who has forgotten.....it's APRIL. It shouldn't be 44 degrees in the middle of April. And, to make it worse, my dorm building has been switched from heat to air, and even if I turn the knob to heat on the unit in my room, cold air still comes out. So it's freakishly cold in here. Last night, I slept in sweatpants and a hoodie, and I still woke up shaking from the cold. Not cool. (no pun intended)

Lack of Motivation

As the semester winds down, I find myself with several assignments that are waiting to be completed. I actually was ahead of the game with my Animal Anatomy and Physiology class...I already did two assignments that aren't even due until next week. But, the big issue is my History paper. It's no secret...I hate my History class. Mainly because I don't know how the Ottoman empire of the 1500's will help me give vaccinations to a dog, or assist in cat castrations. But, nontheless, LMU feels it is necessary for my degree. My paper is due Tuesday, and considering I pretty much bombed the last test, I understand that I really need to do well on this paper. The problem?? It's simple really....I can't make myself start writing it. I did a little bit of organizing with my information for the paper, but that's it. I haven't even started the first sentence. Oh the joys of college.

Bats

This morning I was walking up the steps to my dorm, while talking to my mom on my cell phone. As I got to the top step, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something brown on the outside wall of the building by the door. At first, I thought it was a hornet nest or something like that. Then I looked a little closer. Much to my surprise, it was not a nest of any kind, but a bat. Not only do bats kinda creep me out a little, but since I have acquired some knowledge in the veterinary medical field....I now hate bats. Keep in mind, I am still on the phone with my mom, and I'm fumbling with my keys; frantically searching for the one that fits the door. During this whole ordeal, I was mumbling and making little screams at the volume of a whisper. Allow me to explain why...Here is a little piece of information for you if you don't already know: Bats carry rabies. (You probably know that much.) They carry a different strain of rabies than dogs, cats, horses, raccoons, etc. If you were to walk in a bat cave, which was inhabited by bats infected with rabies...you could become infected with the disease simply by breathing the air in the cave. The particular strain carried by bats is aerosolized in the cave. Pretty freaky, huh? Also, if you were to walk into an area and unexpectedly find bats, you should never scream. Noise will invite an attack from a rabid bat. And yes, bites will infect you with rabies also. This is why I was trying not to make a lot of noise...even though I was pretty freaked out. I have never been that close to a bat, and I have no desire to ever again. This afternoon, when I left campus, it was still there. Unfortunately. Since I am spending tonight in Knoxvegas, I am really hoping the bat will be gone when I return in the morning. Cross your fingers. And pray. And even do a little dance if you think it will help.

The Zoo

I fell in love with the Knoxville Zoo once again. I took a 3-year old little girl yesterday, and she had so much fun. It was a perfect day for the zoo. The sun was out, and it was wonderfully warm. There was also a nice breeze that blew right when it seemed like it might be a little too warm to be standing directly in the sun. We started off at the black bears, and it was then that I realized the slight difficulty I would have. When I spotted an animal that was a little more difficult to see right away, I would try to point it out to the kid. I don't know if you have ever tried this, but it can be a bit harder to explain this kind of thing to a 3-year old. The cheetahs were the worst. There were two of them laying on the ground (which was covered in leaves) and leaning against a tree. They were also at the very back of the enclosure. I wanted to say, "Look past the green bush, and inbetween the two big trees." The trouble is: this is not little kid language. So, all I could say was, "They are on the ground...beside that tree in the back." She tried to find them for about 5 minutes, but no luck. With a little time and effort, I was able to help her find all of the others. When we got to the camels, she decided she wanted to ride them. At first, I wasn't so sure about letting her do it, but I finally agreed. My fear was that they would sit her on the camel, and she would start screaming. But, no.....she loved it. In fact, when we were leaving later in the afternoon, she wanted to do it again. We didn't have time for that though.

The funniest part of the day was after she rode the camel. There were two 9-month old baby camels standing beside the fence. We went to pet them for a few minutes, and one decided it was going to make a snack out of her stroller! I tried to pull the stroller out of the camel's mouth, whiile the little girl is saying, "No, no, no! Camel, no!" It was great. No damage was done to the stroller......it was just a little wet. Fun stuff.

I'm going to Brasil!!!

After spending all afternoon looking at ticket prices, I finally found a fairly cheap one. Well, it's still a lot of money, but it was the cheapest I have seen in a while. I decided to go for it. With the way gas prices are these days, I didn't want to pass it up. I fly out on June 30th, so I will arrive in Rio on July 1st. I'm staying until August 5th, and I am soooo excited! It is such a relief to finally have the ticket purchased and secured. Now, I just have to deal with the anticipation for the next 3 months!

Spring Break is coming!.......(and a game/puzzle)

I woke up at about 8 a.m. this morning, when my friend sent me a text message saying, "It's your last day of school!" By the way, she has been at the beach all week, and she knows how incredibly jealous I have been! I don't have class until 10, so I didn't plan on getting up until around 9. But after being reminded that today is my last day of classes for a little while, I can't deny the little surge of excitement in my bones. Since I was already wide awake, I decided to get up and continue working on a game/puzzle that I started last night. Let me go ahead and warn you that this puzzle is highly addictive, and rather difficult. (I saw it on the blog of a woman that works with the missionaries I was with when I was in Rio.) So, I gave it a shot. It will probably take me months to finish it! I wanted to include the link, but everytime I try to link to it, it goes directly to my puzzle. Now, c'mon....that's not fair! You have to do all the work yourself! The name of the puzzle is "Funny Farm". Google that, and you should find a link to it. Good luck!

Annoyances

While sitting in my room, doing some homework.....the fire alarm goes off. Not only is it the most obnoxious sound imaginable, it was also a really inconveinent time for it to go off. It happened at about 12:30 p.m. and I had class at 1:00. So, I was trying to finish my work for the class.....because I DO NOT go to class without my work done. So, I grabbed my keys and my jacket; and left my room. When I got to the front door, I saw that it was raining. Not just sprinkling...but pouring! Rather than standing out in the rain, I decided to just get in my car. After sitting there for a few minutes, I drove around the building to see if anyone else came out.......no, they didn't. Wtf? I parked my car again and waited to see what happened. My Resident Director opened one of the doors and looked outside, and then went back in. So, I thought maybe the alarm stopped. I opened my car door to listen, and unfortunately, I still heard it. I waited some more, and in the meantime, the rain was getting worse. It was really coming down. Finally, security pulled up and went in the building to turn the alarm off. It was obvious that the dorm was not on fire, and the alarm just tripped itself. After about 5 minutes, the security guards come back outside, get in their car, and drive away. At this point, I'm thinking the alarm is turned off, and I'm going back inside. I got out of my car in the rain, and walked up the steps....when I got on the porch, I realized........the alarm is still going off!!! I went ahead and went up to my floor, and as I was walking down the hall, the alarm stopped. It was now 12:50; my homework was not done; and I had class in 10 minutes. I was so pissed off, that I said "screw it", and decided to skip class. Basically, my day was ruined by the rain and the fire alarm. Nice.

A-Z

I saw this kind of thing done in a couple of different places, and I thought it was pretty interesting, so I decided to do one for myself. I would have done this several days ago, but I have been without internet access on campus. (grrrr!) Anyway....here it is: all about me from A-Z....

Animals
3 dogs (a Shih-Tzu: "Gypsy", a Daschund "Bullet", and a German Shepherd/Boxer mix "Samson"), several fish (sorry, no names), and a Tennessee Walking Horse (Prince)....who I am trying to sell...if anyone's interested! haha.

Beverage of Choice
My American favorite is Sweet Tea; my Brasilian choice is Guaraná (of course!)

Car
1988 4-speed Acura Integra (just like this, but red)....aka: piece of crap.

Dresses
I don't wear them often, but occasionally, if I'm in the right mood, I enjoy them.

Electronics
I would be lost without my cell phone....and my laptop.

Flower
Calla lillies...especially pink ones :)

Game
Catchphrase! I'm addicted to this game...it's so much fun to play with a big group of people.

Hometown
Knoxville, Tennessee

Instruments
Bass Clarinet, Flute, Clarinet, Pit Percussion, and a tiny bit of Piano

Juice
Orange juice!

Kids
I love being around them, and can't wait to have some of my own in the future.

Living Arrangements
I live in a pretty decent dorm on my college campus. When I'm in Knoxville, I live with my mom, brother, and grandmother.

Major
Veterinary Technology

Nickname
Jules

Organization
Sometimes I can be very organized, but in general, my life is fairly chaotic.

People
As I've gotten older, I have found that I can tolerate fewer people than I used to. I surround myself with people I care about, and pretty much avoid the others.

Quote
"There's too much beauty to quit." -from the movie Stay

Religious Views
I am a Christian. But as far as "religion" goes, I think things like mission work and simply helping others are far more important than whether or not you go to church every Sunday, and sing in the choir.

Siblings
I have one brother; 4 years younger than me. I also have two older step-brothers, but they live in Texas, and I never see them anymore.

Tattoos
I have two....a black star on the back of my neck, and the outline of Brasil on my foot. They really are addicting, but I'm trying to hold off on getting another one for a while.

Umbrella
I hate that song!

Vegetables
I like most vegetables, but I'm a pretty big fan of potatoes.

Worst Habit
Hands down, it would have to be procrastination.

Xylophone
Yeah, I can play it. :)

Your favorite place
My favorite place is definitely Rio de Janeiro, Brasil!!

Zoo
I love going to the zoo....even though I've been a million times, and it's pretty much always the same.

Strange Dreams

I have been dreaming a lot lately, and my dreams have been kinda strange. Seeing people I haven't spoken with in ages, being pregnant, running and hiding from someone trying to kill me, being in classes with people I have never seen before, getting married, etc. Just totally random stuff. Also a lot of them, not all, but a lot have something to do with Brasil. I'm either getting ready to go to Brasil; I'm in Brasil; or I just got back from Brasil. I have heard that your dreams are often related to things that you think about during the day. I guess I do think about Rio a lot, but wow! I never knew I could have so many dreams about it. All of my dreams that involve Rio are pretty good dreams though. They are never scary or bad. I know that I'm getting anxious and excited about going back, and I assume that is the connection with the dreams. It's just funny to go from only dreaming occasionally, or at least only occasionally remembering the dreams....to dreaming pretty much every night. I also have been dreaming when I take naps after classes during the day. My brain has just been very active during sleep lately! I find it pretty interesting. Bons sonhos!

I had a dream....in Portuguese.....kinda :)

For a few weeks now, I have been on an obsessive kick about wanting to dream in Portuguese. Not only would it just be freaking awesome, but it would also be a good indication of my progress. Just a couple of days ago, I mentioned my obsession to André. His response?? "You will. As you learn more, you will." Well that's all fine and good, but dang it, I want to do it now! As I woke up this morning, I remembered having a weird dream. I layed in bed; trying to recall every detail possible from that strangely inaccessible, and almost forbidden storage place inside my brain. This is my recollection:

I am in Brasil, and André takes me to a restaurant for lunch. We walk in, and an employee asks "How many?" André says, "Two." Then the guy says, "How are you all today?" André replies, "Fine." And I say, "Bem." (That was obviously the important part of this story! But, I will continue with the dream because it was just funny.) So the guy takes us to our seat, and I leave the table to go to the restroom. I walk in, and there stands a girl that I went to middle school with! (She moved to Kansas after our 8th grade year, and I haven't seen her since.) But, there she was....in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil....in the same restaurant....in the same bathroom. Then I go back to our table, and André says, "A guy named Stephen came over, and he wants to talk to you." (This was a guy I went to high school with, and I also have not talked to in a while.)

That is all I can remember. Very odd, right?? So, as I was lying in bed this morning, going through that whole scenario.....it hit me. Suddenly. I said "Bem!" Oh my gosh!!!! I said "Bem!" in my dream. Wow! I said a word in Portuguese....in my dream!! Now, you are probably thinking....ummm, it was just one word...what's the big deal? Yeah, I know it was just one word, but it was one more word than I had ever said in a dream before last night! It was a very exciting moment for me. I only hope this happens more and more. I'm not necessarily expecting it to happen every night, but hey, it wouldn't be disappointing if it did! :)

Pack up!

As you may or may not know, I am planning to go to Rio de Janeiro, Brasil again this summer. I was talking to André tonight about it, and he said something that was funny, but encouraging at the same time. First, some background info on the conversation: I have been unsuccessfully looking for a job. The problem is....I live in the middle of nowhere, with few job opportunities. I have some money saved up already, but as plane tickets to Rio are expensive, I still need to save more. The cool thing is this: my dad and step-mom are putting hardwood floors in their house, and my step-mom has offered to pay me to help her put the flooring in! Yay! After telling André about all of this he said..."Julie, pack up. You're gonna be in Rio in a few months." My first reaction was laughter, and then I felt really encouraged by what he said. Sometimes I worry about it, but then there are moments like that....and they make it all ok. Graças a Deus.

Why Can't I Sleep??

So it's like 1:00 in the morning right now, and I cannot seem to fall asleep. My brain knows that I have to wake up early tomorrow for church, but my body is just refusing to shut down for the night. My sleeping schedule has been totally screwed up since last Saturday. So I have had an entire week of small amounts of sleep at bad times. This coming week is mid-terms for me, so I will most likely be up late studying during the week. Great! Another week of crappy sleep. Just what I need. I'm gonna lay down, and try to convince my body that it is tired.......such a difficult task sometimes. Boa noite para todo o mundo. Até mais.

Bored

So I'm pretty much bored out of my mind right now. I got about 3 hours of sleep last night. (about 4:00 a.m.-7:00 a.m.) After classes today, I took a 3-hour nap. I feel better than I did earlier, but I'm still physically tired. My eyes have been burning all day long due to the lack of sleep. I have no homework due tomorrow, so I decided to work ahead by doing some work for Monday. And now it's still fairly early in the evening, and I have nothing to do. It's times like this that I wish I had a roomie again. How in the world am I going to kill another 3 or 4 or 6 hours before I go to bed for the night??? It's frustrating to say the least. Boa noite.

Neve!!

It's snowing here!!! Yay! I woke up this morning and walked over by my window to turn the heat up. As I looked out the window, I got a wonderful surprise.... There is tons of snow here! It's so beautiful. I had no idea it was even supposed to snow. Here are a few pictures...

Dealing With the Hard Stuff

Tonight I went to a benefit concert/dinner/auction for a man at my church who has brain cancer. He had brain surgery to remove the tumor, but his condition is getting worse. Nobody is sure how much longer he is going to live. He went on a mission trip annually for the past several years to Haiti, which automatically puts him in a special place in my heart. After he was diagnosed with the cancer, he came up to me one Sunday night at church. Apparently, someone had been telling him about my love for Brasil, and my passion for mission work/my interest in becoming a long-term missionary one day. I'll never forget what he said to me: "I heard you've got that mission blood in your veins. I know all about that. When I'm on that mountain in Haiti, there is no place I'd rather be. I wish I could wake up there everyday." I have prayed and prayed and prayed that God would allow him to go back to Haiti just one more time before he passed away, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. It absolutely breaks my heart because I know what it's like to long for a place that you have truly fallen in love with. I do have faith that God can heal him at any point if it is His will; but I also know that not everyone who is diagnosed with cancer is healed. As I watched the man being wheeled around in a wheelchair tonight, I saw the condition he is in. At one point, the people singing asked if he wanted to say anything, and he just shook his head. I almost cried right then, because this is a man that in the past, if you asked him if he wanted to say anything...before you could finish your sentence, he was standing up, talking about what God had done in his life. This has become a difficult time for everyone involved, but especially his family. Please keep him, his family, and all of his friends in your thoughts and prayers.

Music....Brasilian/American Opinions

My friend, Fleda, (being the thoughtful girl that she is) found a cd of a Brasilian singer at McKay's bookstore, and she bought it for me. Sweet, right? The singer is a guy named Sandro Coelho, and the cd is called "No Sul Do Meu País". (In the South of My Country) I have found that I actually really like his music. So as I was talking to André a couple of days ago, I mentioned that Fleda bought me the cd, and I asked if he knew of the singer. He said he didn't, but he looked him up online and started listening to one of his songs. He then informed me that people in Rio do not listen to that kind of music, and that this guy is not famous in Rio. Ummm, what? So, I asked if he had any suggestions on what I should listen to. Why, of course he did! He sent me some videos with Samba and Funk music, and I did like them. However, that does not mean that I can't like the other guy too. André then proceeds to tell me that he hates country music, and that he thinks it sounds funny. As a fan of country music, I had to argue this. And it didn't go so well. I was not going to give up so easily, so I decided I would start sending him videos of country music singers; telling him that I am going to teach him to appreciate country music. I think it is going well so far! He did tell me that he has a hard time understanding Kenny Chesney's accent sometimes. I informed him that I have no trouble at all. haha. I just find the difference in opinions interesting. This is somewhat of a generalization, but what is it about Sandro Coelho that makes him unappealing to Cariocas? I think he has a nice voice, and I like his songs. And as for country music, clearly not all Americans like it, but I do. Oh well, I suppose it is a difference in cultures, and so forth. Even though I am pointing this out like it's a problem, it's not of course. It's actually just one more part of Brasil/Brasilians that I love. Até logo!

Living Alone

My roomie moved out today. She just decided that she didn't want to go to school anymore, and that she was moving out, as well as, withdrawing from the university. So I helped her pack up all of her stuff and load it up. I'm sitting on my bed looking around me, and it already looks and feels so strange. I'm gonna have to rearrange everything to make it look like a one-person room with a lot of space, rather than a two-person room that is half empty. It is kinda sad to me, but at the same time exciting to have something a bit different. I'm not sure how I'm gonna handle the whole living by myself thing. Of course I live in a dorm, and there are people in the rooms next to me and across the hall. But most of my time on campus is spent in my room, which means I'm gonna be spending most of my time alone. There are pros and cons of course. I guess I will just have to spend more time thinking about the pros of it all. Plus, I'm moving home after this semester, so I only have a little over two months of this. I'm sure I'll make it. Now I'm gonna start moving stuff around. We'll see how it goes. Até logo.

Blah

Today, I'm feeling very "blah". I guess that is better than what I was feeling yesterday, which was a million of the most negative feelings ever conceived.....all combined into one. I'm not gonna go into all of that; mainly because I don't want to re-live it all again. Today, however, has been neither terrible, nor great. Not even "good" really. It has just kinda been a haze. I stayed at home last night, so I woke up pretty early this morning to drive to campus. I got here around 7:30 a.m. so I could make it to my 8 o'clock. I went to all of my classes and then I sat in my dorm doing absolutely nothing. I decided to take a nap, and I only slept for about 45 minutes. I woke up, and then tried to go back to sleep, but unfortunately, no luck. It's too late to go to the cafeteria for dinner, so I will be having a bowl of ramen noodles. Exciting, huh? I did bring a two-liter of Guaraná with me, so I just might have to open it up. I'm definitely addicted to it. I drank a glass of it while driving to school this morning. It was very refreshing. Well, I have nothing else exciting to say. Actually, none of this was too exciting anyway. Sorry for being so boring today. Forgive me. Até logo.

Studying and Guaraná

I just realized that I have not written in a while. There are good reasons for this. I had four tests this week. Four. Is that really necessary? I had one on Monday morning (at 8 a.m. by the way) which I'm certain I did not do well on. Then, Monday night, I spent 5 1/2 hours in the library with a study group for my test on Tuesday. I was pretty confident for that one. Wednesday night, I spent another 4 hours studying for the test on Thursday....I totally aced that one! Yay! And, Thursday night/Friday morning I spent a couple hours studying for my test on Friday. Basically....I have studied too much this week. And I'm definitely over it!
On a lighter note, I'm going to be doing some cooking today......comida brasileira! Yummy! I'm super excited about it. I'm making chicken stroganoff, with rice and beans. I have only made it once, and I keep saying I will make it again. Soooo, today is the day! I'm also going on a search for Guaraná today. I found two international grocery stores, so I'm gonna check them out. I called one of them last night, and the lady on the phone had no clue what I was talking about. That could be due to the fact that I pronounce Guaraná like a Brazilian. I don't know any other way to say it. Anyway, she finally just said "no". I was thinking, "yeah, you have no idea." So, I'm going to make a trip out there to check it out today. Hopefully I will find it! I've been craving it for an awfully long time now. (sigh)



FYI: I found Guaraná today! I only had to go to one store. (Not the one with the clueless lady.) I was ecstatic to see the green can! I can assure you that I will be frequenting that place :)

Translating

As I have mentioned in my blogs, I am learning to speak Portuguese. (Brazilian, not European) All of my friends and family know this, but if you are reading this, and you didn't know....well, now you do! So, last night my friend from Brasil went to church with me, and several of us went out to eat afterwards. One of the my friends in our group had his "evangecube" with him, and someone asked my Brasilian friend to use the cube while speaking Portuguese. Oh, and he thought it would be a good idea if I translated! At first, I declined. haha. Of course, he asked me again, and after considering it for a few seconds, I decided it would actually be really good for me. So he started talking, and after he got done with the first sentence, I looked at him, and said, "Uhhh, you're gonna have to slow down." He repeated what he said at a somewhat slower pace, and then it was up to me to tell the other 9 people in our group what he just said. The first three or four sentences were kinda rough, but after that, I picked up on it fairly well. Oh sure, I missed a few words here and there, but I expected to do much worse. And, surprisingly, I really enjoyed doing it. It was actually a lot of fun. My friend said, I'm going to email my boss and tell her that I have found a new translator! (He works as a translator in Rio with mission teams.) I laughed when he said that. hahaha. It was a cool experience, and it definitely motivated me to work harder to improve my Portuguese.

Catching up

I just realized that i have not written in a few days because I have been rather pressed for time lately. I am unbelievably tired right now. I went to a get-together/game night last night. Some friends from church invited my family and I over to their house. We ate dinner there, and then spent the next 7 hours playing different board games. I'm not exaggerating. We left their house at about 2:30 a.m. I went to bed sometime after 3. If I went back to bed right now, there is no doubt in my mind that I could easily fall asleep again. However, I will feel like I have wasted the day if I do that. I've got some studying to do for school. I also need to study/practice my Portuguese today. I can read and write it fairly well, but I have to improve my listening skills. They pretty much suck. After all, I really don't hear Portuguese spoken too often. Listening to any kind of spoken Portuguese helps. Songs, television show clips, church services, etc. I've found that youtube is a great source for this. Also, my friend told me that the University of Tennessee is having a Brasilian film series, and she asked me if I wanted to go on the 17th. My response: Oh my gosh! Definitely! I've never heard of the movie they are showing, but it is in Portuguese. (With subtitles, of course.) I'm super excited about it. That was a long explanation for why I can't go back to sleep. Nice. Anyway, I am going out for dinner tonight. A friend from Brasil is in the states for a work-study program, and he works at a restaurant. So, I'm going there tonight. I'm looking forward to it. He is also going to church with me Sunday night. Should be fun. Well, I'm off to study Laboratory Diagnostics/Portuguese. Tenha um bom dia! Até logo!

Procrastination. And, by the way, "How is the weather there?"

I'm a procrastinator. I know this; my family knows this; my friends know this. It's no secret. In fact, by writing right now, I am procrastinating. This is how my day started......My alarm went off at 7:10 this morning. I immediately hit the snooze button. No surprise there. Nine minutes later, it goes off again. I hit the snooze button again. Somewhere in the back of my head, I know that I have to be in class at 8 o'clock. It's 7:19 at that point, and I very easily convince myself that I can make it through one more snooze cycle. When my alarm goes off at 7:28, I hit the snooze button first. (To silence the unbearably loud version of Simple Plan's song, "I'd Do Anything") My roommate says in a very mumbled and sleepy tone "I'm not going." So, I contemplated not going to class. It was like a war inside my brain. The good side, you know...the one that cares about homework, grades, and actually getting a degree in college...said, "You know you have to go to your Diagnostics class. Today is the lab. You actually really like the lab! Think about all of the blood smears, hematocrit tests, and white blood cell counts you will get to do today! Plus, you really don't want to miss something, and then have to play catch up next week, right??" This was a very good argument. The bad side....the one that cares about sleep, and...ummmm.....wait.....no, just sleep...said, "8'clock is an ungodly hour to have a class. They can't expect you to get up that early and actually make it to class every time. Isn't your bed really warm and comfy right now? Forget about being behind in class, you can figure it out next week. Your roommate isn't going, you can be behind together!" While my brain is having this fight, at 7:32, my cell phone starts ringing. This is also an unbearbly loud volume. I grab it, and see that it is a text message from my mom. It reads..."How is the weather there?" I know what you are thinking. I was thinking the same exact thing. It was something to the effect of...."It's 7:30 in the freaking morning. Not only do I not know how the weather is here, due to the fact that I haven't been outside yet, but I also do not care what the weather is like here." I closed my phone, dropped it back on my desk, and began to doze off again. At 7:36, my cell phone starts ringing yet again. This time, my mom is actually calling me.

The conversation....
Me: (sigh) Hello?
Mom: I sent you a text message.
Me: I know. (yawn)
Mom: Well you didn't answer me. What is the weather like there?
Me: I have no idea.
Mom: Are you still in bed?!
Me: Yeah (long yawn)
Mom: Don't you have class at 8? Do you know what time it is?
Me: (sigh) Yeah
Mom: Well there have been tornadoes touching down in Tennessee. The wind is really bad, and they are calling for more storms. So you just need to beware of the weather.
Me: uh-huh. Ok.
Mom: I'm serious, Julie. Be careful.
Me: Ok. Bye.

I hang up the phone and then lie in bed for a few seconds, when yet again, my alarm goes off. I turn it off and then sit up. I get out of bed and stumble to the bathroom. I get ready, and throw some clothes on; grab my stuff and then walk out to my car. Once I got into my class, and we actually started doing things, I enjoyed being there. I did a really nice blood smear. (My teacher said it was perfect! yay!) Overall, it was a good lab. Well, I screwed up on a white blood cell count, but it was no big deal. My teacher told me that she and I would work on it together next week. So, now I'm out of class and I am sitting in my dorm room. I thought of all of the school-related things I should be doing. Studying for my history test for tomorrow; finishing my quizzes and questions for Laboratory and Zoo Animals on Blackboard; studying for my diagnostics test for Monday; studying for Anatomy/Physiology test for Tuesday; etc. It was at that moment I remembered that I did not write yesterday. All of the other stuff quickly seemed less important. I gave in to my undying commitment to procrastination, and wrote this.

Last Semester of Life in the Dorm

That's right.....I'm moving back home after this semester. Yay! Clearly, I'm very excited about this. I have been talking to my mom about wanting to live at home next year for a little while now. Finally, I decided to talk to my dad and step-mom about it last night. I must say that I was very prepared for the conversation. I had a list of pros and cons in my head, and as soon as I was asked for them.....I quickly layed them all out. I had an answer for every question they had. Overall, it went really well, and I was successful. My parents could see that I put a lot of thought into the whole thing, and it is something that I really want to do. In preparation for the switch, I have been spending the night in Knoxville on Sunday nights. (In addition to the Wednesday nights that I also spend there.) I have 8 o'clock classes on Monday mornings, so I wake up at about 5:30 a.m. to allow plenty of time to get to school. I left my house at 6 this morning; stopped to get gas; and still made it to school at 7:05. And, I really didn't speed excessively. (I always drive at least 5 mph over when I am on my way to school anyway.) I really have been trying to control my speed. After getting that one speeding ticket, I toned it down some. Anyway, I said all of that simply to point out that I was very happy with my travel time this morning. It definitely reassurred me that commuting to school won't be as bad as it can seem. I'm definitely happy with my decision.

I Think I'm Addicted

I was feeling the urge to write, when I remembered that I just started a blog! How convenient, right?! I have been thinking about "Carnaval" starting this weekend in Brasil, which is a huge event, particularly in Rio. It is a time of festivities, music, the Samba Parade, elaborate costumes, and crazy people. The four-day celebration begins on Saturday and goes through "Fat Tuesday"; marking the beginning of Lent. This brings me to the real topic I want to write about: Lent. Most people know that Lent is a 40-day period before Easter, during which some people choose to fast or simply give up something that they enjoy. This is also supposed to be a time of commemoration of the death and ressurection of Jesus. I did not participate in Lent last year, however, I did in 2006. I gave up a few things, but not really for the right reasons. Shock! It was interesting, and I guess it was a good experience. But, I'm definitely going to observe Lent this year, and I've decided to take it to a different level. I haven't decided exactly what I am going to give up yet. I'm going to have to think about that. However, I have decided that during the time of Lent, I am going to start doing more for other people. I would like to think of something on a large-scale, but even if I don't come up with that, I am going to do simple things. Things like: holding the door for someone, smiling a little more, sending cards to people, being nicer to my brother, helping someone at the grocery store, etc. Just easy things that will hopefully brighten another person's day. My main focus is to be less selfish, and in a sense, more of a servant for others. My hope is that Lent will be like a "kick-off" for this, and I will integrate these things into my everyday life. After all, we could all stand to be a little more selfless.

My First Time....No, Not That.

So I've considered starting a blog for a little while now. I always talked myself out of it, but I finally decided to give it a shot. We shall see how it goes. Hmmmm.....what to write about first?? Let's go with: school. (Since that seems to practically rule my life these days.) School is.....well...school. Sometimes I have a particularly good day of classes, and I am glad I am here. However, there are other times when I want to be anywhere but college. I suppose that happens to all college students, but I never realized how overwhelming it can be sometimes. If you are close to me at all, you probably know that living on campus is not my favorite thing. The idea of living on campus is great! In fact, I would LOVE it if it weren't so far away from home. Kinda defeats the purpose, huh? I just miss my close friends and my family. I'm seriously considering living at home next year. It would be one hell of a commute, but I feel that it is worth it. To change subjects (rather abruptly, I know)...I must say I am a pretty blessed girl. I have a wonderful family. They drive me crazy sometimes, but they do more for me than I could ever deserve. My friends are fantastic! Oh, let me clarify.....my "amigos de verdade" (in Portuguese), meaning: real friends. I depend on them more than they know. And though they are few, they are truly irreplaceable. I wouldn't have it any other way. My faith plays an important part in my life; though even I forget that sometimes. Of course I make mistakes. Who doesn't? Oh, that's right....nobody. (This is totally random.....but let me just say: somehow I just exited out of this page, and I was not done writing. After cursing my computer....I found that Blogger automatically saves your drafts every few seconds! Whew! Thank you technology.) Well, for my first time, (feel free to laugh) I'm feeling this is a sufficient blog. I'm gonna try to keep this up, and see how I like it. Does anybody read these things anyway?? Oh well. If nothing else, it's theraputic for me.