TAM from Orlando (Dec 21, 2009 a somewhere over Venezuela – think UP)
“Bing!”
As I write, and prepare to close this magnificent new laptop down because we are hitting the turbulence that comes with careening South America… as we cross the coast of
Traveling on TAM after two legs on United is like getting over a very bad stomach ache. It is continually harder to defend the status of customer service in the
But overall the
Where once again, that peculiar jeitinho brasileiro with families, and grannies, and kids, and babies, rich and poor, people on cell phones reminding families that they are on the way (like a shower you must repeat this ritual, if possible calling folks at home at each stop to tell them where you are, never mind that they haven’t the faintest idea where these places are geographically), folks coming back from Disney ( a little boy walked by wearing one of those neck pillows singing a Mary Poppins song in a cute Brazilian accent), and the TAM people only too glad to assist you. I like how when you are in line and people start to talk to you, and it’s all confusing, but some odd reason the plane fills up faster, and happier than in the grumpy United zone boarding system.
Curiously enough the two gay professors from
So as is the custom on TAM, the flight attendants, young, good looking and not grumpy brought around candy… signaling that indeed we finally were on board a Brazilian aircraft, and therefore you might just believe you are now in Brasil for all tense and purposes.
After takeoff and the double beep, the handsome flight attendant named Daniel gave us both a nice smile and warm toalhas… the map came on the mini-screen and I turned on my IPod and the 2nd song came on just as we crossed the coastline of Florida just south of Cape Canaveral was Gotshalk’s Marche Solennelle (which ends with a very rousing Hino Nacional do Brasil). Since I like to listen to the music música aleatória I take that AS a sign…
An excellent dinner and a FREE glass of red wine was enjoyed over Cuba, a short nap, and then the documents were handed out, which I particularly enjoy as I can fill in my CPF…
The last few days has been trying, getting up very early to be at SMF only to find general chaos and social meltdown, and then having to rebook. But you would think I would be able to accept defeat gracefully as does my husband. But yesterday, I realized that my work wasn’t done in
The magic begins, because now the time is right to be here
Ate logo e boas festas gente!
I know for a fact mine will be grand…because I will be with the kindest funniest people in the planet.
Sing it Loud:
p.s. As I put this to sleep the map says we are near some place on the map called San Fernando de Apure,
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