Skype--Just hype?

We started using skype for our long distance. We have a friend who lives in Taiwan and uses it. He loves it. I was wondering if anyone else could give me some insight on the subject. Like, do I have to buy their equipment (headphones, etc.) or can I use my own? It seems like my end cuts out or comes in and out. Does that happen to anyone else? And today a call was dropped but I was calling my mom's phone, not her computer. I was just wondering if anybody has the same problems.

Things to look forward to this week

• Good basketball game tonight. I haven't been following the tournament like previous years, but I am going to try to stay up and watch the game! I am rooting for Memphis.
• New episodes of The Office on Thursday.
• Dinner with the mom friends on Thursday night
• Keith Urban/Carrie Underwood concert Saturday night. I can't wait!

Brazil--Day 5 (the day of the wedding)..

This was Saturday. We got up and ate breakfast at the hotel. We skipped the lunch with the group and headed to the Central Market. We had been there two years ago and knew that it offered some bargains for souvenirs, etc. It is a crazy, packed place where one needs to watch their belongings. It is in the Central part of Sao Paulo and it took about 25 mins by taxi to get there. This is the place that people go to buy produce, meat and cheeses. There are vendors there for lunch. The market is located in a huge old building with beautiful stained glass windows.

Outside is where the street vendors are. They sell anything from purses to food to wooden bowls. There are legitimate shops around this huge building as well.
I think this area was more crowded than usual because of the holiday season. Pete ate the chicken from this outside stand. I wasn't as brave.
But the real reason for our trip was to celebrate Matt and Tati. The wedding was spectacular and elegant. Here is Tati with her father. She was radiant.
The wedding was at a hotel (not a church), but Tati had designed the space and you felt like you were in a church. The spaces were divided by sheer curtains that flowed in the breeze. After the ceremony, the curtains were pulled away to expose another space filled with tables.

The dress for the wedding was formal. Ladies in long gowns and men in suits. The attendants stood in pairs and formed a half circle around the couple with the official in the middle of the half circle facing the bride and groom. All in all, the actual ceremony lasted about 20 to 25 minutes.
I love this picture here. Matt's face says it all.
I'll post about the reception later (it requires its own post).

Brazil--Day 4

Day 4 in Brazil was Good Friday. Most of the shops were closed, and the ones that were open were open from 2 to 6 pm. We needed to shop, however. Pete needed some shoes for the dinner that evening! I now understand why men do not like to follow the women around while they look for that must-have thing. It was driving me crazy. We went to Avenida Paulista which is this giant, busy street and found a shopping area that was open. And we found Pete some shoes. He got two pair and they were a great value. Once again, I went to Brazil and did not get a pair of shoes! And once again, Pete went to Brazil and got the shoes! What is wrong with that picture?

Friday night was the Rehearsal Dinner for Matt and Tati's wedding. They wanted everyone to wear all white. Here we are with Ben and Emmy in our white outfits:

Here are Chris and Ahn:

It was really fun to see what everyone came up with. This evening was casual and the dinner went until midnight with guests giving great toasts. The restaurant was Capim Santos in the Jardims district of Sao Paulo.

After the dinner, we all were invited to Fernando Scherer's house. He lived really close by. Pete knew I thought he was good looking so he took my picture with him.

And here I am pictured with the wedding crasher. He was taking a trip to Rio and one of his friends happens to be one of the groom's good friends from junior high. So, he tagged along to the wedding and all the parties involved. This guy is pretty interesting. He wrote a book last year called, "The Success of Robert Fitzgibbons." The book is about following your dreams. I am definitely going to buy one. He also tours and gives talks at schools, etc. I think he even borrowed a suit for the wedding. And girls, he's single. Anyway, that was day 4.

Random questions from Cheryl

In honor of Cheryl's oldest daughter getting her license, I am doing her random post.

(1) When did you get your license and what was the first car you drove? I got my license when I was 16. I drove my mom's Chevrolet Monte Carlo. It was huge and I could hardly see over the steering wheel, especially when I was cresting one of the big hills in Fayetteville.
(2) Ever had a wreck? Yes. I was 17. I was driving too fast on a curvy, narrow road. I met a car and swerved. I hit a tree and the car flipped end over end. I walked away from it. God wasn't ready for me yet.
(3) Honest now... how many speeding tickets? I have never had a speeding ticket, but rather, a warning.
(4) How much are you paying for gas right now? The "cheap" gas is $3.29/gallon in State College, PA.
(5) What would be your Dream Car now? I like the new Austin Minis.
(6) Favorite road trip you've gone on? I drove to Colorado with a boyfriend one time. We stopped in South Dakota and saw some buffalo. Once we got to Colorado, we stayed with his Aunt. I fell in love with the Rocky Mountains!
(7) Road trip you'd love to make? I would love to go to the Grand Canyon.
(8) Ever gone "parking"? Of course.
(9) Ever done the Chinese fire drill? I don't think so.
(10) Any other "crazy" car-themed activity you want to share? I used to ride around with a friend who had a little convertible. He would drive my boyfriend and me around. I sat in the back and my hair would get all messy. It was so much fun.