outubro 29, 2008
** I finally could update the pictures.
Back to S*ã*o P*a*u*l*o
As we come back to S*ã*o P*a*u*l*o, on Sunday, we passed by Aparecida do Norte. Aparecida is a city It is home to and named after the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, the patron saint of Brazil.
The text bellow, I copied from Wikipidia:
Our Lady of Aparecida (also written as Our Lady Aparecida) is the patron saint of Brazil, represented by a statue of the Virgin Mary located in the Basilica of Aparecida, in the city of Aparecida in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. In Portuguese the name is Nossa Senhora da Conceição Aparecida (Our Lady of the Conception who appeared).
This shrine is the most visited in Brazil and one of the most visited in the Catholic world.
The history of Our Lady of Conception Aparecida begins in 1717, when news arrived that the Count of Assumar, Dom Pedro de Almeida e Portugal, Governor of the Province of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, would be passing by the village of Guaratinguetá on his way to Vila Rica, today the city of Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais.
Three fishermen, Domingos Garcia, Filipe Pedroso and João Alves were sent out by the local authorities to find fish in the Paraíba River. They went down the river and found nothing. After many unsuccessful attempts they arrived at a place called Porto Itaguaçu.
João Alves threw his net into the water and brought back a statue of Our Lady of Conception, but the head was missing. He threw his net in again and soon reeled in the head of the statue. After that, according to the legend, the fish arrived in abundance for the three humble fishermen and their nets were full.
According to most sources the image had been sculpted by Frei Agostino de Jesus, a monk from São Paulo known for his sculpture. The image was 40 centimeters tall, was made around 1650, and must have been underwater for years. It is a dark brown color, is covered by a stiff robe of richly embroidered thick cloth, and wears an imperial crown which was added in 1904. Only her face and hands can be seen.
For the next 15 years the statue remained with Felipe Pedroso's family and neighbors came to venerate it. The cult began to grow and, according to the story, many prayers were answered by the Virgin. The fame of the extraordinary powers of Our Lady spread throughout Brazil. The family built a prayer chapel, which soon became too small. Around 1734 the priest of Guaratinguetá built a chapel on the hill of the Coqueiros, and public visits began in July 1745. The number of faithful increased and in 1834 construction on a larger church (the Old Basilica) was begun.
In 1904, the statue of Our Lady of Conception Aparecida was crowned and in 1908 the church received the title of Minor Basilica.
Twenty years later, in 1928 the village that had grown around the church on the Hill of the Coqueiros became a municipality. Finally, in 1929, the Virgin was proclaimed Queen of Brazil and its official Patron Saint by Pope Pius XI.
The New Basilica
This shrine is the most visited in Brazil and one of the most visited in the Catholic world.
The history of Our Lady of Conception Aparecida begins in 1717, when news arrived that the Count of Assumar, Dom Pedro de Almeida e Portugal, Governor of the Province of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, would be passing by the village of Guaratinguetá on his way to Vila Rica, today the city of Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais.
Three fishermen, Domingos Garcia, Filipe Pedroso and João Alves were sent out by the local authorities to find fish in the Paraíba River. They went down the river and found nothing. After many unsuccessful attempts they arrived at a place called Porto Itaguaçu.
João Alves threw his net into the water and brought back a statue of Our Lady of Conception, but the head was missing. He threw his net in again and soon reeled in the head of the statue. After that, according to the legend, the fish arrived in abundance for the three humble fishermen and their nets were full.
According to most sources the image had been sculpted by Frei Agostino de Jesus, a monk from São Paulo known for his sculpture. The image was 40 centimeters tall, was made around 1650, and must have been underwater for years. It is a dark brown color, is covered by a stiff robe of richly embroidered thick cloth, and wears an imperial crown which was added in 1904. Only her face and hands can be seen.
For the next 15 years the statue remained with Felipe Pedroso's family and neighbors came to venerate it. The cult began to grow and, according to the story, many prayers were answered by the Virgin. The fame of the extraordinary powers of Our Lady spread throughout Brazil. The family built a prayer chapel, which soon became too small. Around 1734 the priest of Guaratinguetá built a chapel on the hill of the Coqueiros, and public visits began in July 1745. The number of faithful increased and in 1834 construction on a larger church (the Old Basilica) was begun.
In 1904, the statue of Our Lady of Conception Aparecida was crowned and in 1908 the church received the title of Minor Basilica.
Twenty years later, in 1928 the village that had grown around the church on the Hill of the Coqueiros became a municipality. Finally, in 1929, the Virgin was proclaimed Queen of Brazil and its official Patron Saint by Pope Pius XI.
The New Basilica
The National Basilica, located in Aparecida, SP
Because of the popularity of the statue another much larger temple became necessary, and in 1955 construction on this new basilica was begun. Architect Benedito Calixto designed a building in the form of a Greek cross, 173 meters long and 168 meters wide; the naves have 40 meters and the dome is 70 meters high. It can hold 45,000 people. The 272,000 square meters of parking hold 4,000 buses and 6,000 cars.
It is the second-largest Catholic place of worship in the world, second only to Saint Peter's in Vatican City, and in 1984 was officially declared by the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) "the largest Marian Temple in the world."
In 1980, still under construction, it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II and received the title of Minor Basilica.
While in 1900 the number of visitors was calculated in 150,000, today that number is in the millions. According to the official site of the basilica, in 1999 the number of pilgrims was 6,565,849.
The influence of the cult of Our Lady of Aparecida on Brazilian society is incalculable. In 1992 a study showed that 296 parishes were dedicated to Our Lady Aparecida while five cathedrals had the same title. In addition many towns are named after the Virgin.
Because of the popularity of the statue another much larger temple became necessary, and in 1955 construction on this new basilica was begun. Architect Benedito Calixto designed a building in the form of a Greek cross, 173 meters long and 168 meters wide; the naves have 40 meters and the dome is 70 meters high. It can hold 45,000 people. The 272,000 square meters of parking hold 4,000 buses and 6,000 cars.
It is the second-largest Catholic place of worship in the world, second only to Saint Peter's in Vatican City, and in 1984 was officially declared by the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) "the largest Marian Temple in the world."
In 1980, still under construction, it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II and received the title of Minor Basilica.
While in 1900 the number of visitors was calculated in 150,000, today that number is in the millions. According to the official site of the basilica, in 1999 the number of pilgrims was 6,565,849.
The influence of the cult of Our Lady of Aparecida on Brazilian society is incalculable. In 1992 a study showed that 296 parishes were dedicated to Our Lady Aparecida while five cathedrals had the same title. In addition many towns are named after the Virgin.
outubro 28, 2008
A really especial post
I met Marilyn a few years back on the blog land.
We started to talk over the MSN Spaces and we hit it off right away.
I became a huge fan of her. One of the things that got my attention was all the strength and guts that she has. She had a life full of accomplishments. She is from Canada, even though she has been in US for a long time now. She used to be an Olympic Swimmer and she has a career as an Interior Designer.
She decided to have a major turnaround on her life and she left MI behind her, her business, her house, everything to embrace a PhD Program at Virginia Tech.
After a lot of hard work, she received the news that her dissertation has been approved on its final version and now we can proudly call her Dr. Marilyn.
Marilyn, Congratulations, you deserve it. I wish I could be there to celebrate with you.
Fabiola
We started to talk over the MSN Spaces and we hit it off right away.
I became a huge fan of her. One of the things that got my attention was all the strength and guts that she has. She had a life full of accomplishments. She is from Canada, even though she has been in US for a long time now. She used to be an Olympic Swimmer and she has a career as an Interior Designer.
She decided to have a major turnaround on her life and she left MI behind her, her business, her house, everything to embrace a PhD Program at Virginia Tech.
After a lot of hard work, she received the news that her dissertation has been approved on its final version and now we can proudly call her Dr. Marilyn.
Marilyn, Congratulations, you deserve it. I wish I could be there to celebrate with you.
Fabiola
No cell phone
As we say in Portuguese: I don´t forget my head because it is glued.
I left my house at 6:00 am today, because I had to come to R*I*O. I left in a hurry, because I couldn´t lose my flight. I entered in the cab and the traffic was free, so the cab driver was really happy and so was I.
When I got to the check-in line, I missed my cell phone. I got worried that I might have forgotten on the cab, but as I retrace my steps I remember putting a book in my backpack and leaving the cell phone on the kitchen table.
I called my husband from a paid phone and he confirmed…. The cell phone was resting on the kitchen table. So, I am cell phone less for the week.
Fabiola
I left my house at 6:00 am today, because I had to come to R*I*O. I left in a hurry, because I couldn´t lose my flight. I entered in the cab and the traffic was free, so the cab driver was really happy and so was I.
When I got to the check-in line, I missed my cell phone. I got worried that I might have forgotten on the cab, but as I retrace my steps I remember putting a book in my backpack and leaving the cell phone on the kitchen table.
I called my husband from a paid phone and he confirmed…. The cell phone was resting on the kitchen table. So, I am cell phone less for the week.
Fabiola
Weekend in Penedo
Last weekend we went to Penedo to spend the weekend. Penedo is a small town, South of Rio de Janeiro. It is the only Finland colonization spot in South America. The city is surrounded by mountains and lots of forests. The climate is different. Since the city is surrounded by mountains, the mornings are really cool, with fresh air and a lot of fog. The temperature is around 55/65 ° F. By 10:30/11:00 am, the sun is shining, but I mean really SHINNING and the temperature goes up to 110°F. The city looks like those LEGO towns that we see in books. Since the city was colonized by people from Finland, the architecture of the city is really European. Those little cottages are perfect. We even went to look for a cottage to buy (we can dream, right?) Mother Nature was really generous as well. There are a lot of mountains for hikers and a lot of waterfalls as well. Since this was a company event, we didn´t have time to spend a lot of time sightseeing, but we could go for a finland ice cream, finland chocolate, as well as, I enjoy myself with lots of crafts.
Unfortunatly Blogger isn´t allowing me to post pictures... I will try it later.
Fabiola
** Update:
Santa´s House
Unfortunatly Blogger isn´t allowing me to post pictures... I will try it later.
Fabiola
** Update:
Santa´s House
outubro 20, 2008
Brazilian Maternity Leave and my confused thoughts
I´ve have been reading a lot about pregnancy, maternity, SAHM vs. working moms and so on…
I guess the time for my final decision is approaching about motherhood, since my 34 birthday is approaching really fast (less than 30 days now).
I have a few friends who are pregnant and today one of my best friends baby was born in Manchester – England. She was my last excuse, as my mom likes to say. Because she is been married for more than 10 years and she never wanted a baby, and she caught everyone by surprise, back in Feb when she announced she was pregnant. I am happy for Caetano´s arrival.
Two of my teen years friends are pregnant with twins. Last, but not least, one of my friends from Bahia, is pregnant after the third IV.
So, all of these make me appreciate one of the things that the Brazilian government does right. The 4 months of paid maternity leave. All employed women are entitling of 4 months of paid maternity leave. The federal government will paid their income, with no financial expense for the company. A new bill has recently approved by the government to add 2 more months that are optional and the employer will decide with the employee, if the new mom will stay at home two more months or not.
In a country like this, where most women leave their children at day care, because they do have to work to provide for their family or to help in the house budget. It is really a nice thing to do.
This post is not supposed to be a news paper article, just a few thoughts that passed through my mind.
Have a nice week.
Fabiola
I guess the time for my final decision is approaching about motherhood, since my 34 birthday is approaching really fast (less than 30 days now).
I have a few friends who are pregnant and today one of my best friends baby was born in Manchester – England. She was my last excuse, as my mom likes to say. Because she is been married for more than 10 years and she never wanted a baby, and she caught everyone by surprise, back in Feb when she announced she was pregnant. I am happy for Caetano´s arrival.
Two of my teen years friends are pregnant with twins. Last, but not least, one of my friends from Bahia, is pregnant after the third IV.
So, all of these make me appreciate one of the things that the Brazilian government does right. The 4 months of paid maternity leave. All employed women are entitling of 4 months of paid maternity leave. The federal government will paid their income, with no financial expense for the company. A new bill has recently approved by the government to add 2 more months that are optional and the employer will decide with the employee, if the new mom will stay at home two more months or not.
In a country like this, where most women leave their children at day care, because they do have to work to provide for their family or to help in the house budget. It is really a nice thing to do.
This post is not supposed to be a news paper article, just a few thoughts that passed through my mind.
Have a nice week.
Fabiola
outubro 17, 2008
This is just me.....
I left my house at 7:00 am this morning. I thought “man, this is good. I will get to work a little before 8, so I can get myself organized, since I am going to R*i*o next week. “
So, I stopped by C*u*rves to pick up a travel pass and drove to the office. It only took me 25 minutes, which is a miracle, since normally takes me 40/45 minutes to get here. My joy only last for 60 seconds, until I opened my trunk to see that my purse WASN’T there, only my laptop…. Can you imagine me, retracing my steps and realizing that I did forget my purse at home, with my wallet, car documents, keys, badge… EVERYTHING, and with a almost empty gas tank in my car….
So, the most difficult decision: to face the transit and all the traffic jams that S*ã*o P*a*u*l*o has to offer… I got back home in 40 minutes and back to work in 1 hour and 10 minutes….
Have a nice weekend,
Fabiola
So, I stopped by C*u*rves to pick up a travel pass and drove to the office. It only took me 25 minutes, which is a miracle, since normally takes me 40/45 minutes to get here. My joy only last for 60 seconds, until I opened my trunk to see that my purse WASN’T there, only my laptop…. Can you imagine me, retracing my steps and realizing that I did forget my purse at home, with my wallet, car documents, keys, badge… EVERYTHING, and with a almost empty gas tank in my car….
So, the most difficult decision: to face the transit and all the traffic jams that S*ã*o P*a*u*l*o has to offer… I got back home in 40 minutes and back to work in 1 hour and 10 minutes….
Have a nice weekend,
Fabiola
outubro 15, 2008
Hello
It is 7:10pm, I AM still at work. Today is my day without a car, so I came to the office at 6:50 am and I am still WORKING…. I decide to post one entry and clean the dust of my blog.
I am waiting for some data to process and then I have to validate then…. So I am waiting…
Fabiola
PS: It is way too hot in here. It is about 33°C / 88° F.
I am waiting for some data to process and then I have to validate then…. So I am waiting…
Fabiola
PS: It is way too hot in here. It is about 33°C / 88° F.
outubro 09, 2008
Huge City and Motoboys
S*ã*o P*a*u*l*o is known for its huge traffic jams. It is said that we only loose in traffic jams for M*e*x*i*c*o C*i*t*y . (I´ve never been in M*e*x*i*c*o C*i*t*y, so I won´t write anything about it there).
But motoboys are the worst kind of driver a city can have. They are men and women who drive between the lines and always show up in your car´s blind spot. They just cross in front of your car, they pass by you spending as much as their motorbikes will allow. Totally insane. Today, I was stuck in a traffic jam inside a tunnel (no news in that) and during 75 seconds it passed by car 33 motoboys and they were speeding in between two really thin lines… Can you imagine all this kind of situation?
Love,
Fabiola
PS: BG, I am in S*ã*o P*a*u*l*o this week, and I can tell you the weather here is just crazy. The temperatures are around 50/55 °F.
But motoboys are the worst kind of driver a city can have. They are men and women who drive between the lines and always show up in your car´s blind spot. They just cross in front of your car, they pass by you spending as much as their motorbikes will allow. Totally insane. Today, I was stuck in a traffic jam inside a tunnel (no news in that) and during 75 seconds it passed by car 33 motoboys and they were speeding in between two really thin lines… Can you imagine all this kind of situation?
Love,
Fabiola
PS: BG, I am in S*ã*o P*a*u*l*o this week, and I can tell you the weather here is just crazy. The temperatures are around 50/55 °F.
outubro 02, 2008
My God, this blog is getting full of dust.
Well, the only excuse is the same excuse. I ‘ve been busy and I am back to the “Ponte Aérea”. I am in R*i*o this week, working a lot.
And on my personal life…. Everything is looking good. We finished the orders for the House Projects Phase 2. We ordered the drapery, the living room and dining room furniture and the office furniture as well. I hope I will be able to post pictures of the finished house in about 40/45 days. I am so happy my house will be ready for Christmas…
Have a nice day!!
Fabiola
And on my personal life…. Everything is looking good. We finished the orders for the House Projects Phase 2. We ordered the drapery, the living room and dining room furniture and the office furniture as well. I hope I will be able to post pictures of the finished house in about 40/45 days. I am so happy my house will be ready for Christmas…
Have a nice day!!
Fabiola
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