I Have Been Kissed Between The Ears

Reasons I Wish I Could Find A Little Blue (or Green. or Brown) Tee That Says I Heart Brazil (Or Better: I Heart Brasil):

--The skyline goes on for days. 17 million people live here. But there's no 'big city' claim, no tourist attractions, no American tourists in sandals, on buses.

--Hidden between bad '70's architecture and millions of tiny cafes, the shopping is chic and way cooler than any neighborhood ever featured in InStyle Magazine

--The Portugese language is cool. It's the efficiency of Spanish rolled up with the lazy confidence and attitude of French. It's hot.

--The women are tough. They're confident. By right of their gender, they're considered sexy.

--The young men all look like they belong on a soccer field.

--The service isn't like the timid-bowing-begging-abused-ducking in Asia or the passive-aggressive-bordering-on-hostile-and-usually-with-mistakes in India. It's smooth.

--It's the place where I best pass for a local. I don't know why but it's thrilling to be addressed in Portugese. And it's best when i can get by without needing complete sentences. Nods, big smiles, 'obrigada' and 'tout a bon'

--Diet Coke is Coca-Cola Light. It comes in glass bottles and is served over ice and crushed limes. Automatically. Oh. And the ice is the oval kind with a hole through the center for your tongue. (If anyone appreciates those cubes as i do, we could be soulmates.)

--The flight from Chicago is just right for one viewing of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, two glasses of wine, a full six hours of sleep and cleaning out the inbox

--I've visited in February, April, August, September and November. I've never seen it rain and never worn a jacket.