Erika's Metalblog: One for the road

Long time and nothing? Not really, I've been busy as hell lately. Work has been crazy in both good and bad ways. I really started to feel the stress level again and really tried to get out of office as soon as I could, which proved to be a lot harder than it sounds... But on the good side I got to go to Sao Jose Dos Campos, Brazil for a workshop. It sure as hell was nice to get away from the cold Swedish winter for a few days.

Ok, it was mainly work all the time but still as free it was possible to go outside and enjoy the heat for a few minutes. We were a bit out of luck with the weather though, no sun and mostly rain and a serious humidity level... But it was still so nice.

Chapirinah's are perhaps even tastier in the sun but I can't complain about the taste or feeling after sinking one! I wonder how good it is to drink a cup of booze with sugar really, ok a lot of lime too but I don't think that weighs it up the bad things. No matter what, it tasted good and felt really nice.

The pool area was quite empty, we tried to sit outside with our Chapirinah's but the bartender looked a little funny at us and just shook his head... So what, it wasn't raining at the moment. The Novotel also featured a gym which I went to EVERY morning of the stay. I'm really impressed with myself.

After the Chapirinah we went shopping. It gets more fun that way. I'm not really a shopoholic unless we're talking about records so I didn't buy much. Just some Cachaca to make my own Chapirinah's at home, snacks and sweets. That's the most fun thing to do, to go to the supermarket and just watch local stuff. The fruit section of this one smelled amazing, mango's, papayas and a lot more...

Maria and Jocke bought Hawaianas (flip-flops) for their friends and families. I thought of it too but I've hated those all my life. Don't like the strap between my toes. All I shopped for, except the snacks and booze was some scrunchies since I forgot all of them at home.

Then one of the nights we were invited to a traditional Brazilian dinnerparty, Churrascaria. A walking meat buffet really. The waiters come to your table and offer you different pieces of the cow (there's a "map" on the table so you know what you get), chicken hearts, pork ribs, long ribs, fish... Very nice meat but damn I got stuffed as hell.

After dinner it was time for desert. I'm not too much for sweet cakes and such things and since I was full already I tried to say no but I got my Papaya Cream anyway. The Brazilians said it was good for digestion. Damn that was nice, vanilla icecream and fresh Papaya with a touch of Cassis Cream Liqueur, extremely tasty.

That was about all we had time for... A few hectic days but really good. I learned a lot and got some energy back to work when I got home. It's also nice when you start to see other sides than the professional ones from your workmates. So it was a nice trip.

Though it felt a little bad going home without seeing anything but the office... On the other hand, that area provided one Hummingbird and some crazy flowers. A fig-infested tree and more. A lot of things to look at and the locals probably thought we were crazy. But what the hell...

The nature seems so amazing. It would be so cool to go to a trip through Amazonas, see all the creepy crawly's and vagitation. So hopefully this wasn't the last trip for me, maybe next time some sightseeing can be arranged too.

Then it was time to go back home again. On the way out I had the worst imaginable seat, couldn't move for 11 hours. That SUCKED!!! I took the opportunity to get myself a window seat which was, according to the blueprint of the plane, a bad one... Still it was 1000 times better than the first one. So the trip home was so much better, an no running from one gate to the other at the Frankfurt Airport either.

But then, arriving in Gothenburg again I realized my bag had been searched. Some things were stolen even, like all the snacks and sweets, a bottle of cachaca, my perfume and facecream and a little more. Sucks big time!

But at home I had some nice packages of records waiting for me. My plan was to pick it all up and have a pile of unopened boxes when Peter arrived. But first the luggage and then I was fooled (so I don't find my way around here yet) to let one of my colleagues off first, took almost 2 hours to get from the Airport and home instead of 30 minutes that's normal. Didn't want to do anything after that.