Bed of roses

So, I am a nanny! The parents are in Taiwan for ten days and I am taking care of them So far, so Good. Last night we made caramel apples and they were delicious. Gannon( the 4 year old) said the cutest thing yesterday out of the blue. "Kimber, you are going to get married, and grow flowers". So cute!

10 pounds and counting

Well, I will break my recent hiatus by some good news! I have lost ten pounds! I have been working really hard at running and going to aerobics classes and it has paid off! I have reached the ten pound mark. I still have lots to go, but I am really excited about it! I did just sprain my ankle on Saturday so there is another hurdle but we'll jump it!

Slacking

A month later...talk about procrastination. It is okay, I am pretty sure no one reads this anyway! I just read a friend's blog,who is an english major, and I am therefore feeling very bashful about my freehand...I'm not a great writer, but I guess I'll give it a try. Well, big news! I am training for a 5k. I am already in week 5, so just three more to go and I should be ready. I am not a runner not do I think I will ever be but it has been a great goal setting experience!

uh!!! Im back!

Alright, so on a recent wonderful trip I had some friends tell me I should be blogging so in an attempt to try again I officially announce the return of my blog!

Babysitting...

My first day off of work and I spent it babysitting...All day! It was fun, although at times I felt like I was running a day care. I told my sister I would babysit Luke so they could celebrate her birthday, and then my other nephews and niece came over. It was pretty great. I am grateful for children especially for my niece and nephew, but I am also very grateful for my single status and that at the end of the day I can give those adorable kids back to their parents. Don't get me wrong some day a family will be awesome but for now I am happy with my life!!! Oh yeah, and my mission!!!!!

Weather of Fortaleza

Temperature in Fortaleza
There is very little variation in the average temperature of Fortaleza. This phenomenom happens because Fortaleza lies very near the Equatorial Line (see map of Ceará); the closer a place is to the Equatorial Line, the smaller the temperature amplitude along the year.Temperature ranges from a minimum of 26 oC and 28 oC (or between 79 oF and 82 oC).
Raining in Fortaleza
The graph shows that there are two well defined seasons in Fortaleza: a dry season and a wet season.The wet season goes from February to June, when it is Summer and Autumn in Brazil (notice that people from Fortaleza erroneously refer to the season as "inverno", of Winter). The increase in precipitation causes a slight decrease in average temperature.The dry seasons goes from July to January. During this period, Fortaleza becomes one of the driest cities in Brazil; not uncommonly, several months go by without one single showering day.Even during the wet season, rains come in showers, rather than storms (which do happen, occasionally). Also, because precipitation in Fortaleza is caused by evaporation/condensation, rather than by the collision of cold and warm fronts, it is very uncommon to see lightinings and thunders in Fortaleza.

History of Fortaleza: Part Two (Parte Dois)

Brazilian History starts officially on April 22nd 1500, when Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral reached the coast of Bahia. Due to Ceará's poor soil that state was completely abandoned, leaving room for corsaries to become friends and do business with the local indians.

1612: Martins Soares Moreno, arrived in Ceará to fight the French and claim the lands for the Portuguese Crown; Soares Moreno won.
1649: the Dutch built another fort, by the banks of river Pajeú, and called it Fort Schoonenborch.
1654: the Dutch are expelled from Brazil; the Portuguese take Schoonenborch, and change its name to Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora de Assunção

A village grew around the Fortress, named Fortaleza. On April 13th 1726, Fortaleza became capital of Ceará.

FAST FORWARD.......

1930: in an reaction against the dominant oligarchies, Getúlio Vargas becomes President with dictatorial power
1952: President Vargas created a bank with headquarters in Fortaleza, to provide credit to new enterprises in the Northeast of Brazil.
1959: President Juscelino Kubitschek creates SUDENE, the Superintendence for Development of the Northeast, with the function of fostering projects of social interest.

During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, some industries flourished, like shoes, textile, food processing, agriculture, petroleum and other minerals. Ceará, however, remained as one of the States with poorest economy and worst social indicators.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Ceará (and Fortaleza in particular) found their true avocation: tourism. Word of mouth about the beautinesses of the State, along with marketing campaigns in Brazilian media turned Fortaleza into one of the most popular destinations in Brazil. Heavy investments, both private and official, improved the infrastructure of tourism.

Since the early 1990s, the successive governments have been recognized as ethical and efficient, improving social and economic indicators. Ceará today is a State with excellent perspectives.