R.A.G 'Round the World

Corcovado

2009-06-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

Breathtaking moments are truly a rare breed, but this trip has had plenty of of'em. The #1 breathtaking moment so far, that I already know won't be topped, was at Corcovado: Christ Redeemer. I know u've all seen it ~ whether it be in City of God or the Discovery channel, or... wherever, but it truly, truly, TRULY is a sight to behold, both Him & the view of Rio from his mountaintop. It's completely undescribable, so once again, I'll let the pics speak for themselves...

CHURRASCARIA: Brazilian BBQ 4 real 4 real

2009-06-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

Ok so last night! I had my socks knocked off. Ok, I wasn't actually wearin socks, I was wearing a pair of Havaiana's ~ mad comfy, maaaaaaaaaaad comfy & cute too. But u guys, I had THE best sushi & grilled bananas, & steak, & seafood & coca cola that u can get all at once to date. Licious... every last bite. Too bad dessert wasn't included... couldn't dip into the pockets any more for the gelato. Hmph.

Did stop for some suco, tho. Kiwi Tangerina. OMG wow.

We're in Rio Baybeeeeee!!!

2009-06-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

Fabass RIO is DOPE!!! Totally gorgeous. The bus ride here was surprisingly quick, & Renato, Fernanda's cuzzo, hooked us up w/ some taxis that have been takin care of us. Heard the typical cab ride is inefficient w/ the drivers driving u everywhere but ur destination to hike up the price - so we got lucky making that connect =D thanks Fe! But LMAO, speaking of crazy ass traxi drivers, some chick today was telling us that her taxi driver stopped to get lunch w/ her. WTF!?!?!?! The only thing that could make Rio better tho is the net. For some eff'd up reason, Macs can't connect to the Wi-fi here. I'm posting using my sisters Dell @ the moment, which is why I have no pics to throw up. Quite unhappy bout that, but as soon as I get home I'll retropost.

We hit Ipanema beach early on Monday & YES, beautiful people (other than Miss RAG) hit beach as well. Mad thongs & speedos. I actually really like the Brazilian bikinis, & most of the women wearing them worked'em ~ but not all of'em :-/ Men in speedos are abundant too, BUT I actually (happily) couldn't complain about most of them either ;-) We also made a friend, Leo from Rio, who Tatted some of us up. Bought a beautiful sarong to lay on the beach w/, & topped off the day w/ a Pina Colada in a pineapple ~ licious.

Lastly... Aleyne & Kahlmus r here!!! Met up w/ us on the beach I love it! I love the fact that they made the trip ~ I can't wait til the day that all my friends & I can pick up tix & meet up in exotic locales just for the hell of it. Bennie's randomly makin the trip too, hahaa. Found out on the book. Love technology, love spontaneity, love entropy, love randomly finding out friends will be half way round the world in the exact spot I'm at half way round the world too. To Rio!

BBS

Hahaaaa! Just when I thought coke w/ lime couldn't be topped...

2009-06-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

it just keeps gettin' better loves!!! So mentos flavors, unfortunately, vary from country to country. After Aaron rolled into a meeting a while back w/ Coke w/ lime mentos!!!! =D I’ve been attached. I even checked out the mentos website to see if they were sold in the states – they’re not. No bueno. So what did I do? I emailed them something to the effect of visiting Brasil & absolutely lovvvvvving coke w/ lime mentos & be so awfully saddened by the fact that they rn’t sold in the states… worth a try at least, right? Lol. Whatever, I thought so! & in return I got:

Dear Rachel, Thank you for expressing interest in Perfetti Van Melle’s products. We really enjoy hearing from our consumers. I will forward your request to our Marketing Department. Sincerely, Jacqueline Customer Relations Department Perfetti Van Melle, USA

Isn’t that fabulous!??!? Haha. Just trust me, loves, they r licious, & I’m brining home tons ;-)

Coca com Limao

2009-06-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

Coca Cola was always my daddy’s soda pop of choice, & growing up I was much more of a root beer & ginger ale girl; I still am, really. But all that changed when I went abroad b/w my junior & senior yrs of undergrad. Duke in the Mediterranean changed my young life 4ever. Haha.

Outside the US, u generally pretty much have 4 beverage options: Coca Cola, Fanta, Lemon/Lime (Sprite) & Water (no ice). Fanta is aight, the “Spirte” was always to lemon-limey, & water w/ no ice in the middle of a Mediterranean summer?!?!? No bueno. Lucky for moi, Coca was always served ice cold =) & voila, I became a Coke addict in less than 6 weeks – been a lover ever since.

…until I found something better. In Brasil, the coke is served w/ lime slices allllllll the time! Coca com limao. Yummmmmmms!!! It’s licious. Seriously, I will, from now on, when ordering Coke, order slices of lime too… I hope that’s not a prob. I know restaurants in the states keep lemons, but limes too? I dunno what I’ll do b/c Coke w/ lime is a new RAG fav!

Ilhabela

2009-06-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we ventured into living paradise. Drove & ferried to Ilhabela, an island NE & "3 hrs" outside of SP, late night Friday, finally getting in after 7 unanticipated hours of manual driving ~ automatics only come in Luxury here, loves... so unless ur rollin in $$$, hope u know how to handle the stick!

But anyway, Ilhabela is paradise - closest I've been so far @ least. Proof is in the pics (yeah, they're small - just click on them, they'll enlarge for ya):

Breathtaking, right? We stayed at Chateau Candy, where we had 3 bungalows all to ourselves. It was a cute & snazzy li'l place, in a islandy sort of way, complete w/ hammocks, personal bedrooms, bathrooms, refrigerators & tvs, & we occupied it alllll weekend for R$ 60 ($30 USD). But we didn't spend much time there ~ we beach hopped & jumped off boats til hitting the ferry back to the mainland =D

Ilhabela relaxation & fun = the perfect weekend getaway.

P.S. While there we copped some Havaianas (slide'em on & ur feet r in heaven ~ shoot me an email w/ ur shoe size & I'll see what I can do ;-)

"Infinity"

2009-06-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

Guru Josh Project is in OD rotation on Brasil's airwaves... no joke, dudes riding round, windows down just to blast it NON-STOP. Fortunate for moi, despite the vid, I mess w/ it ;-)

Rachesavers

2009-06-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

We're leaving SP 4 Rio in just a few days, & since wally world's around the corner, I figured I should take advantage & dust off the travel list to see what I have to restock or replace. So lemme see...

R.A.G.s On-board Flight Survival Check List:

☑ Laptop
(b/c I don't trust its survival stashed up in the checked suitcase, but ☑ external hard drive too b/c I don't play; if the purple mac gets damaged or swiped, so be it, I can handle that ~ it's the content that counts)
☑ Ipod
(still in my pocket ~ musica can get me through just about anything)
☑ Inflatable neck pillow
(b/c leaning my head against the window, or against nada in the truly unfortunate case that I don't get the window seat, is hella uncomfy)

☐ Wint O Green Lifesavers
(!!! NOT "✓"ed as of this moment b/c I ate them, it's horrible) :-(

So yeah I know, this li'l addiction to wint o green lifesavers is strange; the way I eat them is strange too b/c I chew'em up, one after the other... so unnatural.

To get y'all on board tho, here's the gist: ever since the days daddy bought me wint o green lifesavers 4 my coast-coast flights to NC when I was just a li'l undergrad, I've gotta have a pack w/ me whenever I fly - I just have to. So I bought two packs b4 I left Boston: 1 for the trip to Brasil & 1 for the trip back home again.

But here's the problem: I already ate them ALL. Ate the last 2 this morning b/c once I pop I def can't stop. & I KNEW that, but I opened the 2nd pack last wednesday - there it was, just sitting there! & I couldn't resist. Now they're gone, & I'm not sure wint o green savers r even sold in Brasil. I gotta check out the local Walmart, but Fernanda says she's never heard of em... not lookin good for me, uggggggggh! But I brought this on myself. Can't believe it... haha. Sux.

I'm on it tho... if they exist in Brasil, I'm gonna find 'em & I have 1.5 weeks to do it... get set, go!

I need my lifesavers ;-)

Macacos!

2009-05-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

Macacos, loves, r MONKEYS!!! Instead of squirrels scurryin thru the trees, Brasil's got li'l monkeys. Spotted a couple while walking to the hospital the other day. Look at'em!

Available for booking... ;-)

2009-05-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

As most of u know, I love takin pics & smiling 4 the camera ~ I'm admittedly addicted to the *click & flash*. But photography is just so so beautiful & inspiring, & the perfect picture is just as much about the model talent as it is about the talent behind the lens. I'm def not a model, but miss JBK makes me look more like one than ever. & now I get to show off a li'l bit haha ;-)

So, w/ R.A.G as "model"...

JBK Photography Presents: R.A.G Hits Beach

^ Right here on left = my favorite of me. Thank u, J, for this!

But this is my favorite, hands down, by urs truly:

"Cyril"

Sans photoshop skills (& it's so terrible I don't know how to use it yet),
this is exactly why I love photography!

Location: Guarajá Beach - SP, Brasil
Photos: JBK & R.A.G studios
Wardrobe: Suitcase Shoppe

(click here 4 last post feat. Guarajá day trip video ;-)

Mem day weekend ~ Operation hit beach!!! (Guarajá)

2009-05-27T10:40:00.003-07:00

Mem day weekend finally hit loves! & as y'all know, that directly translates into hit beach if u've got access to one!!! Mem day obviously doesn't exist this far south, but I think we celebrated in good form nonetheless. Friday night we hit up Paulista Grill, an all-u-can-eat Brazilian BBQ... if ur mouth isn't watering @ the thought, it should be. Alana used her P.ton (look @ Princeton actually bein good for something) connects to touch base w/ some friendly locals - they came out to show us a good time.

All-U-Can-Eat Starters

P.ton-connect Lucas (in the middle) met us @ Paulista where we chatted it up over the eats, then 2gether we headed out to Canta De Ema, a Brazilian dance club (where they dance brazilian ;-) to live "forro" musica. Lucas taught me how to dance forro too ~ people should dance like that more often in the states; the connxn was dope.

The mem day weekend was topped off w/ our day trip to Guarujá (Gwarazha)... by far the most beautiful beach I have seen in life to date (sans a sunset, but holding all else equal - Brazilian coasts face East... ::SMH:: missed opportunity if u ask me, Portugal). The fellas surfed, we all played a li'l futbol... sipped on Caipirinhas... yeah. I'll let the vid speak 4 itself tho: Gorgeous Guarujaaa...

After driving back into the city, had to close out the night @ an all-u-can-eat Sushi spot. ALL-U-CAN-EAT SUSHI!!! $15. Absolutely nuts & absolutely worth the extra cokes w/ lime I bought to go w/. Note to self...from here on out, when ordering coca cola, order that lime.

What else... there'll be more, but 4 now: beautiful people, beautiful beaches, 'licious food... welcome to Brasiiiiil.

After-hour eats & drinks (feat. Caipirinha)

2009-05-27T10:40:00.001-07:00

Finally found some time for a mid-week evening out to eat... the food was hella hella good, & got to taste test the Caipirinha, Brasil's "national cocktail" lol - it's true: 2 tsp granulated suger, 1 Lime (or other fruit of choice) sliced, diced, chopped or whatever, & 2.5 oz Cachaca - the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Brasil. Recipe (authenticity-confirmed) courtesy of Drinks Free iPhone App ;-)

"Soooo Exotic"... lmao.

Catching up w/ The Rache, aka R.A.G

2009-05-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

What's good loveys!?! Been in Brazil for 9 amazing days, & just now coming up w/ the bright idea to set up shop in blog world. I've been taking maaaaad pics & shootin crazy footage so that I can capture as much of the experience here as I can & share it w/ friends & fam back home... but I finally realized that uploading pics to facebook or writing email updates just wouldn't be enough, & in 2009 it'd be a shame to not take advantage of the net in all of its glory, and relate to the world from a place where pics, vid & prose can interface... So voila! Here I am. Olá ;-) This intro may be a lil long so bear w/, but much has happened & a li'l background is always importante in the long run - lemme bring u up to date:

I'm in Brasiiiiil! as I like to say... b/c it sounds "sooo exotic." Fernanda would lhao if she read that. But I digress, & that'll be the end of inside jokes that none of u will get, promise. So again... Brasiiiiil is FABULOUS (also one of Fernanda's favorite english words which just so happens to be MINE too =D ). We arrived in Sao Paulo late last Sunday night, & Fernanda (Jess & my lovely hostess) & Dra. extraordinaire Cristiane (Christeyanee) were there to scoop the group & welcome us to SP. After gettin to Fernanda's condo em Higienopolis, Jess & I sent out emails word of our safe arrival & hit sheets 4 sleep so we could be awake & receptive @ the hospital in the morning. & btw, the flight over was a-ok folks. Plush 9 seater rows, personal seat back mini viewing screens, an assortment of videos/tv shows to watch @ our leisure... eh, food could always be better, but I was feeling the personal pizza & twix 4 the last meal tho. International travel def has it's perks.

1st day @ Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (HIAE) was the treatment. We got eats, took the tour, we met our point people, & we hashed out our respective consulting projects.

Meet my student self & my team - Team FOA:

Our job: to consult the hospital on making more efficient their physician feedback system that will standardize certain aspects of physician practice & reduce hospital costs so that HIAE will be better equipped to negotiate reimbursement rates with (particularly international) insurance companies as they embark onto the global frontier that is international medicine.

Team FOA (Feedback Overview All-Stars) can THAT!

What's so dope about this experience, ha, besides just being in Brazil?

The hospital is top notch - best in S. America hands down (& is more beautiful than any hospital in the U.S. I've seen).
We're meeting everybody from the CEO to the cafeteria man taking our meal tickets; these folks are hella nice & extremely helpful, transparent & accomodating = the perfect student experience - they are so very good to us!!!
If we turn out consulting reports that are the ish, we get to pitch to the President & CEO (who told me he was born on 127 Commonwealth Ave; Boston, MA when he shook my hand - that's whatsup). Getting to meet w/ the Pres & CEO of one of the best hospitals in the world? Word.

We have our work cut out for us, but in a good way. As HIAE is expanding into the global market, they are using our fresh perspectives to critique & challenge their current system. This truly is a privilege & an honor, so all 1st week we had meetings, meetings, meetings to better understand HIAE & Brazilian healthcare culture so that our proposals will be relevant & culturally competent - can't be reckless & naive Americans throwing around ill-informed opinions, dig? Plus we want to give HIAE the best we've got. They're giving us the chance of a lifetime, really - the exposure we're receiving to the international market & hospital management is priceless. Definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity loves. En route to becoming the fabass doc I know I can be ;-)

Tchao!

Sao Paulo skyline (aka highrise heaven) & HIAE