31.12.19 - Para fechar com chave de ouro

Halloooo, and happy New Year's Eve to one all.

We're in Ilhabela, having set off first thing on Saturday after a jolly, sleepy Christmas time. So far it's been one beach and restaurant after another, with surprisingly little intervention from work, which is ideal. 

Tonight we're off to a restaurant by the sea in the south for dinner and bubbly, then on to a beach near the hotel to see the new decade in, jump over waves, etc. Then back to work and back home on Thursday.

Elsewhere I've made my last compilation of 2019, "para fechar com chave de ouro" ("to close with a golden key"), as they say here. All the best for 2020, and speak to you soon! x

Can't Get You Out Of My Fred

24.12.19 - Papai Natal

Halloooo,

Hope all well in Antibes despite the apocalyptic scenes I've been seeing on that there internet, and you haven't all been washed into the sea. How did the gambling party go? 

Here in Brazil I've broken up for the holidays and am doing as little as possible to mark the occasion, although we've headed out a few times to see various folk around town, including a trip to the Zona Norte's newest revolving rooftop restaurant for Ridaut's birthday, which was pretty fancy.

Currently looking forward to a completely inert Christmas break followed by New Year's in Ilhabela.  I've made a compilation, and my phrase of the day is one I made up to annoy Gaby, since the correct way of saying "Father Christmas" is actually "Papai Noel" (I find "Papai Natal" is funnier - I am probably alone in this).  

Happy Christmas to one and all, and speak soon!

O Come All Ye Fredful

17.12.19 - Não esquenta cabeça

Halloooo,

Hope all well in Antibes.  I'm back in balmy Brazil after a short spell in London, a short hop to Heathrow to get the first plane out of dodge post-election, and an interminable day on a plane watching lots of mediocre films, smuggling Jaffa Cakes across international waters.  It's nice and warm, the mangos flow like wine and we had an all-truffle three-course meal last night for the price of a cheese sandwich in Switzerland, so all is well.

Otherwise we've been trying to get our house in order ahead of the Christmas lull, and catching up with various people who I haven't seen since the wedding. On Saturday we went on a Travelling Spoon recce, to have a typical Paulistano lunch cooked for us by a professional chef-slash-toxicologist, which was very nice indeed, then went on to a clothing line launch by one of Gaby's influencer chums, which was fairly amusing too.

I've made a new compilation (and another one for your gambling party!), and my phrase of the week means "don't heat your head", or basically "fugeddaboutit". Seems apt as we roll into the height of summer and Christmas festivities (assuming I get some time off).

Ciao for now,

Freddytale of New York

10.12.19 - Carro chefe

Halloooo,

Hope all well in the midst of strikes and flooding - all relatively sedate over here despite an impending election immediately followed by my jaunt in the UK coming to an end, and not a moment too soon. It's been fun hanging out with the grandparents but the time has come for me to head back to sunny Brazil, no matter how briefly.

Not much else to report: I spend pretty much every waking hour slaving over a hot computer; I might have a review scheduled for tomorrow (and definitely have a Travelling Spoon jaunt in SP scheduled for Friday); I've made a new compilation; and my phrase of the day ("the boss car") means the centrepiece or flagship of any given enterprise, which I think derives from the main float in a Carnival parade.

And on that note, ciao for now and speak soon!

The Fred Wall

03.12.19 - Pé de Fava

Hallooooo,

I'm in that there London for a grand total of one meeting, which we had yesterday under some train tracks in Camden - I'm staying at Kika's spare room in achingly hip Dalston, after a surreal, flu-ridden few days in a Heathrow hotel before Gaby went back to SP on Saturday morning. Back to Isleham tomorrow, then London again briefly, then Brazil for some sun.

I've made a compilation but due to wifi-related mishaps I haven't actually had a chance to listen through to it yet; and my phrase of the day ("beanstalk") is actually the name of a São Paulo restaurant which went viral after it was savaged by amusing French man Erik Jacquin on Brazil's version of "Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares" - I recommend you watch it here in full even though it's not available in English.

That's all from now, speak soon!

For the Freddy Not the Few

26.11.19 - Fazer fusquinha

Halloooo,

Our time in Isleham is coming to an end but we managed to see a bunch of fine folk before we head to London and hand in our car and gun on Saturday - notably, Tom and Henar in Cambridge for high tea and gossip, and Brenna and co. on Sunday in Bergh Apton, which was a lot of fun - jamming with Ossian, smashing up Lego buildings with Dougal and reading bedtime stories to Rima, plus a full roast dinner and lemon drizzle cake!

We've also met up with several of Gaby's friends in Cambridge and Newmarket, and of course there were Gaby's 21+9 birthday celebrations in London last Tuesday night, involving ice-skating at the Tower of London and a trip up the Heron Tower for duck and a waffle at Duck & Waffle.  

Otherwise work continues apace, I've made a compilation, and my phrase of the day means to "do the little beetle", or go on about something or other in a very ostentatious way until you annoy everyone around you. Apparently!

Anyway, speak to you sooooon,

Lots of love,

Spare the Frod, spoil the child

19.11.19 - O gerente enlouqueceu!

Halloooo,

Good to speak t'other day! As you know we're in Isleham, hanging out with the grandfolks while negotiating upheaval at work, plus we have a car so we've been scooting around the Fens to Cambridge (Saturday, busy), Wimpole Hall (Sunday, muddy), Ely, Newmarket and briefly Fordham to pick up a Chinese takeaway.  

We also went into London on Wednesday for a meeting at the club and some arepas at Borough Market, and we'll be heading in again tonight for Gaby's birthday, plus Thursday for another meeting.  I am becoming well acquainted with the Virgin Anthems radio playlist...

My phrase of the day means "the manager has gone crazy!" - commonly used in adverts to promote some amazing special offer, but sadly all too relevant to my current work situation. Plus: new playlist!

Speak soon,

Fred Fred Wine

12.11.19 - Onde a coruja dorme

Halloooo,

We had a whizzy jolly time in London, heading to Oxford Street, Brick Lane, Camden Market, Regent's Park and Borough Market among other hotspots. We mainly based our travels around food and checked a lot of British staples off the old bucket list along the way.  It was tiring trying to balance work and, well, dossing around in town, but ultimately rewarding.

The weekend was a bit hectic - it rained all day Saturday, so we took shelter in a pub and met up with Francesca who was living down the road, then on Sunday we had to check out early and find somewhere to stash our dozens of suitcases, as we went to Newham Hospital to get some drugs for Gaby, then on to Heathrow to pick up a rental car, then back across London to pick up the bags, then on to Isleham to collapse over lasagna.

This week we'll probably be taking things a bit easier - I have to go in to London tomorrow, then again next Tuesday for Gaby's birthday celebrations, but otherwise we'll be based in Isleham for the forseeable. 

My phrase of the day ("where the owl sleeps") refers to the top corner of the goal in football, which I believe is called "la lucarne" / "the skylight" in French.  Oh, and new playlist is up now! Speak soon x

The Fred Flag

05.11.19 - Metade da laranja

Halloooo,

You join us in foggy London town, as the leaves turn to brown and are mushed underfoot. 

After a pitstop to scout for free samples in swish Zurich shopping centres with Alex, I made my way to Heathrow and across town to our cosy little Airbnb in Maryland (apparently a place that exists in London, and not the one in the States), then back again the next day to pick up Gaby and negotiate broken down trains and Friday night traffic with lots of suitcases, which was pretty hectic.

This weekend we hit the town and went to Covent Garden for a wander around (also more free samples, from Whittard), then around Brick Lane and the City for a review of a rather nice steakhouse, which was just what the doctor ordered. And on Sunday we went to Camden for a browse, met up with one of Gaby's Minas mates, and ambled through a particularly autumnal Regents Park for an Icco's before heading back to bed.

Otherwise we're back to work and planning our next move, including a prolonged stay in Isleham and other potential trips around Gaby's birthday. Good to be back in civilisation again with my "metade da laranja" / "half of the orange"; I've already ticked off fish and chips and Jaffa Cakes from my bucket list...  Also, made a new compilation.

Speak soon!

King-Sized Fred

29.10.19 - Jogo de cintura

Halloooo,

You join me in the final throes of The Great Swiss Experiment, which cannot end soon enough as far as I'm concerned.  In but two days time I'll be whisked out of this godforsaken valley and into the bustling metropolis of London, if only for a few days, there to meet with Gaby and readjust to society. Mine's a fish and chips!

I've been wiling away the hours until my escape by climbing hills and getting irrationally angry at church bells ringing, plus I made not one but two new compilations and my phrase of the day ("the waist game"!) means to be adaptable to all sorts of situations. I haven't had cause to use it but found it amusing, such as would help and comfort a Wedged Bear in Great Tightness.

Speak soon, and London here I come!

Open the Frod bay doors HAL

22.10.19 - Cabra de peste

Hallooooo,

Business as usual in Switzerland, now with added rain and a slightly modified bus timetable.  

I managed to work from home all last week, which was fine until I started to get serious cabin fever, and had to get out and climb up both sides of the valley for good measure. 

On Saturday there was a funeral in the village and I saw more people walking the streets in five minutes than I have in the rest of the five weeks I've spent here. And the church has been ringing its bells so often that I've been tempted to go and knock on the door to complain (7am on a Sunday for god's sake! I'm not even supposed to flush the toilet after 10pm...)

Anyway I'll be out of here soon, and I've got an interview tomorrow afternoon!  In the meantime I've made a compilation that tails off into some pretty wild jazz (be warned), and my phrase of the day means "plague goat", i.e. someone who stands up to a great deal of trials and tribulations without flinching. 

Ciao for now,

Don't Fred the Small Stuff

15.10.19 - Bananeira que já deu cacho

Halloooo,

Another completely unremarkable week in the mountains, although my boss is now off on some crazy desert adventure in Morocco so we will hopefully have a bit more leeway during the week (although we're still expected to commute in to his flat every day at dawn for some reason).

I climbed up a mountain again, did some shopping and laundry, communed with some sheep for a bit, applied to a whole lotta jobs in São Paulo, nailed down our trip to London next month, and otherwise marked time.  

Got a new compilation in the works, and my phrase of the day means a "banana tree that's already sprouted" - apparently they only sprout once, so it basically applies to fruitless (ho ho) projects that aren't worth pursuing anymore. A propos of nothing...

Speak soon,

Fredding Water

08.10.19 - O pássaro que come pedra sabe o cu que tem

Hallooooo,

Hope all well witchu.  I finally managed to leave my 2-square-mile patch on Friday night, eloping to Zurich in the dead of night via several trains and tunnels to meet up with Alex and see the sights - there wasn't a lot going on other than the (mostly- sold-out) Zurich Film Festival, but it was still wildly more entertaining than S-chanf, and had actual people on the streets, restaurants, etc.

We took a funicular up to the university to check out the view, then back down for a burger, quickly sidestepped a far-right march which had lured us in with oompah music, and on to Zug, which wasn't nearly as provincial and tiny as I'd been led to believe. We went to the cinema to watch Ad Astra (which was alright as Sad-Men-in-Space movies go, but I'd much rather have been watching either Space Odyssey or Apocalypse Now), checked out the aviaries and the town museum (which included plenty of armour and had an exhibition on Switzerland during the Cold War), then I headed back after a farewell pizza to do my washing.

Since then I've been back to work and back to the job hunt, with ever diminishing returns, but who knows what the future holds eh.  I've made another compilation (including a novelty Cold War-era hit by Louis Prima which I heard in the museum), and the phrase of the week is one I learned together with you in Ilhabela: "the bird who eats rocks knows the *ssh*le he has". All rather visual really.

Ciao for now,

(A Fish Rots) From the Fred Down

01.10.19 - Dessa água não bebereis

Halloooo,

Bit behind today what with trying to launch a tech behemoth literally with two people in a spare room, but here goes. 

The platform is going from strength to strength, with a few relatively big names getting involved, and not always at our own personal beseeching.  Life is still pretty rubbish here in the valley, especially when the wafts of cow dung get too much to bear, but I'm away to Zug to see Alex at the weekend which'll make for a nice change (probably, I mean it might be the exact same landscape as here...)

I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day is one from your time in Brazil, meaning "I'll not drink from that water" - apparently it gets used a lot when you swear off doing something ever again, only to do it over and over again (the so-called "post-'I'll not drink from this water' tsunami").  

Ciao for now,

Fred & Butter

24.09.19 - Massa sem queijo é namoro sem beijo

Halloooo,

You're probably all already aware of my dire Swiss straits and efforts to extricate myself from the Most Boring Place in the World™, so I'll just say that plans are afoot, and keep your fingers crossed for me.  

The highlight of the weekend was apparently the triumphant return of the cows from the mountains for the winter, which was celebrated with great pomp and traditional dress.  I didn't go.  As for my non-work activities, I climbed up a hill, checked out the recycling facilities, spent £15 on bin bags blah blah blah.  Let's skip to para 3...

I have made a new compilation, while my phrase of the day translates as "pasta without cheese is like dating with kisses" - basically Brazilians love cheese on their pasta.  Oh, and the site has now officially launched, so feel free to check it out if you've got the time IF YOU'RE NOT TOO BUSY.

Ciao for now,

Fred Over Heels

17.09.19 - Pé de pobre não tem tamanho

Hallooo,

You join me live from sunny Switzerland, which I eventually reached after an epic (actually quite boring) 43-hour journey via:

- New York JFK (fun fact: there are USB ports and credit-card swiping devices for every seat in every terminal in JFK, and none of them work);

- Atlanta (fun fact: the mayor of Atlanta, whose likeness welcomes you to the city in every airport shuttle, is called Keisha Lance Bottoms);

- Zurich: (fun fact: Zurich can be spelt six different ways, which I'm not going to tell you);

- S-chanf (I think it's fair to assume that there are no fun facts about S-chanf)

Now I'm back at the coalface, and living in the roof of a tiny cottage, with the pleasantries of yesteryear receding into a fog of polls and spreadsheets and whatnot (we officially launch this week! Tell your friends).  

But I've rallied with a new compilation, and a phrase of the day which you may remember from your time in Brazil: "the foot of the poor man has no size", i.e. "beggars can't be choosers".

Speak soon!

Fredag.ch

11.09.19 - Casei na balada

Hallooo,

Do excuse the lateness of this missive, but we've been coming down from an absolute blinder of a party in an island paradise resort, so blogging kind of fell by the wayside for a day or two.

As you may be aware FredWed2019 took place this weekend in São Sebastião, after a few days in Paraty and Ilhabela, attended by São Paulo's brightest and best, plus some out-of-towners who soon got into the spirit of things after lots of caipirinhas.  Twas a lovely ceremony - even the cake was in tiers, etc - and a great party with a partial Fat Gabby reunion and a whole Actual Gabby singalong.

The next day we went to Ilhabela for the afterparty, which turned into a sort of Ilhabela greatest hits, including endless prawns by the sea and of course Pimenta de Cheiro to cap things off.  After that we checked in to our seriously luxurious hotel to sleep for about 12 hours, and spend the next two days lounging around by the pool, beach, restaurant, spa, steam room, Finnish sauna, etc. So that was pretty cool. 

Today we're taking it easy albeit cleaning the house from top to bottom - I have an extra few days before I'm shipped off to Switzerland (via New York AND Atlanta, which seems excessive) thanks to my previous airline going under.  I even get to check in hold luggage for free! 

No compilation I'm afraid, but my phrase of the day is "I got married on the dancefloor" - i.e. I stuck with one person all night, so it must be serious. 

Lovely to see you, and speak soon!

Fred Wedding

03.09.19 - Rapadura é boa mas não é mole

Halloooo,

We're in Paraty, after a Dante-esque descent down the mountains to the sea, through thick fog, with the Moulin Rouge soundtrack blasting out.  Today we're off to Ilhabela and I am on holiday in about three hours, which I'm almost as excited about as the actual wedding, to be honest.

Otherwise we saw out our last week in São Paulo with a tour of Ibirapuera Park and several shopping malls, a hairy incident at the football which ended with the application of several icepacks, a frantic dash to the doctors to get vaccinated against measles, a visit to Liberdade market for deep-fried ice cream, and a slap-up lunch at Coco Bambu for Adny's birthday on Sunday.

I've made a new compilation, and my phrase of the day means "rapadura [concentrated cane sugar used in cooking etc] is good but it ain't soft", i.e. nothing good ever came easy. BRB, getting married on the morrow!

Speak soon,

Frederal Bureau of Investigation

27.08.19 - Cavalo dado não se olha nos dentes

Halloooo,

Since most of you are already here and are active participants in this blog, this is but a brief update for posterity's sake.  

We've covered a fair bit of ground in the past week, including trips to the Museu da Casa Brasileira (ft. awesome chocolate cake and antique commodes), the Football Museum, a street market for several pastéis, a tasting evening to finalise the wedding menu, our local pizzeria, and a night at t'footy.  And on Sunday we drove out to a rather idyllic ranch in São Pedro for an all-you-can-eat watermelon-caipirinha fever dream, ending in chicken sketches and hammock naps. 

Otherwise I've been down the compilation mines and bring you not one but two new'uns, plus a phrase of the day which is Portuguese for "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" - or "one does not look a given horse in the teeth", to be precise.

Onwards and upwards,

Hansel & Fredel

20.08.19 - Os humilhados serão exaltados

Hallooo,

Quick note before you touch down in SP - not a lot to report this week, plenty of work and not enough sleep as I try and reconcile two time zones. 

On Tuesday night we went to visit our wedding bar suppliers and were plied with about 20 different cocktails -  I can't remember much from about one hour in, but as far as I know we decided on our menu.  Thursday was my first football-and-bar combo in a while, and on Saturday we went to see Gaby's grandma and "Once Upon a time in Hollywood", which was certainly something.

Otherwise I've been eating cheese and meat and mangoes and other things that were withheld from me in Switzerland, and making compilations.  My phrase of the day is the Portuguese for "the meek shall inherit the earth", or "the little guy will get his eventually", which comes up a lot when we discuss my work.

See ya soon!

Frod x 

13.08.19 - Mas perdido que un pulpo en un garaje

Halloooo, and bom dia from Brazil!

I'm back after a monster 20-hour journey from foggy St. Moritz up to Zurich (the first half surrounded by picturesque valleys, the second surrounded by boozy football fans), then on to Lisbon and finally on to São Paulo.  Thank god for the Avengers and their incredibly long and time-consuming films, is all I'll say.

We went out for a lovely lunch on Sunday, and on to see Gaby's grandparents, and her aunt's dog's new litter of puppies, which was pretty great. This week we're nailing down various wedding issues, including an open bar tasting this evening which I'm rather looking forward to. 

I've made another mix, and indeed am mixing it up this week with a Spanish phrase which means "more lost than an octopus in a garage", amusingly enough.

See ya soon!

Frod Complex

06.08.19 - Mais perto os dentes do que as parentes

Halloooo,

Lovely to see you at the weekend for a brief but nonetheless intense round of song, ceremony and lasagne in the valley of Erli.  Good to get out of my own valley too - the picturesque Bernina Express and second train past Lake Como were a nice bonus.  Enjoyed whizzing about in a car for a change too.

Otherwise we had half day closing for Swiss National Day on Thursday and my boss took us on a hike from Pontresina to a rather picturesque restaurant for fondue and open season on the desert table.  I told my "the flag is a big plus" joke AND my "how do you make a Swiss roll?" joke, which went down very well. 

Otherwise it's business as usual but I'm off to Brazeeel on Saturday, and I will see you there! Plus new compilation, etc, and the phrase of the day ("closer to the teeth than the parents") means you selfishly value personal personal well-being over that of your acquaintances, apparently.  Will wonders never cease.

Ciao for now,

Even Fredder Than The Real Thing

30.07.19 - Mãe coruja

Bien di, as they (apparently) say in Romansh.

Time trudges slowly forward here in Switzerland's kneepit, as our website inches ever closer to completion.  I went for a trek up my neighbourhood mountain at the weekend, which was quite pleasant despite being priced out of a ride in the funicular (I sat in an abandoned ski-lift in a café and used my imagination instead).  And on Sunday rain stopped a food festival which was due to take place in the city streets, so I flopped about a bit for old time's sake.

Otherwise I've booked ma tickets to Erli on Saturday (huzzah!), made a new compilation and discovered an amusing Brazilian term for "helicopter parent", which translates as "mother owl". And that's literally it.

See you soon!

Fred

23.07.19 - Zugzwang

Halllooooooo,

Well here I am in Switzerland, I guess.  It's very pretty and Evian comes out of the taps, but it's also eye-wateringly expensive and I feel like I've already done everything there is to do in my price range here in the first weekend (namely hike around the lake, see the Norman Foster house, ride the escalator down the hill, see the majestic bobsleigh run and watch Netflix (Wifi permitting)).  

It costs a fortune just to be alive, and there is apparently no way out of the valley except back up to Zurich, which is 4 hours away.  On the other hand, there's a huge pool in the basement of my building, and I've just about come to terms with the bus schedule, so there's that.

I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day is the German word for "a situation found in chess wherein a player is put at a disadvantage because they must make a move when they would prefer to pass and not move".  I feel there's a lesson to be learned there, but if not, it's quite a funny word which reminds me of both "Numberwang" and Guyball.

Speak soon,

Roger Frederer

16.07.19 - Oi sumida

Halloooo,

Off to Switzerland today with a heavy heart, but it has been a rollicking good few weeks back home!  

Football and pub on Thursday, first dance rehearsal on Friday followed by a burger at the Zona Norte's latest swinging hangout, another surprisingly extravagant baby shower on Saturday, and a trip to the Serra on Sunday for nice food and views.  Then we went on a whirlwind tour of pretty much every part of the city delivering wedding invites on Sunday evening, so I've certainly had my fill of SP.

We're in good stead for the wedding season and the app is (touch wood) almost ready to launch, so it's not all doom and gloom.  Really not looking forward to living in a Swiss valley with no luggage for a month though.  Anyway, my phrase of the week ("hey, [one who has gone missing]") is usually used by people looking to hook up with their ex, but I feel it has a certain poignancy in this context. 

Also: come on down, compilation #200!

See you in Zurich,

Fred, White and Blue

09.07.19 - Cebolinha

Halloooo,

Greetings from chilly Brazil, where temperatures have dropped into single figures (!), notably on Saturday night where we went for dinner with friends of Ridaut and Adny in the mountains and literally had to huddle together for warmth over pasta.  

We've focused on hibernating, keeping the cats warm and eating lots of nice food, and have been to a baby shower and first-dance rehearsal, among other wedding-related goings-on. Brazil won the Copa America and their breakout star, Everton, has been nicknamed "Cebolinha" or "Little Onion", for reasons unclear. And I've made a new compilation!

Until next week,

Your Fredly Neighbourhood Spiderman

02.07.19 - Durchzug

Hallooooo,

Great to be back in São Paulo after a Friday night flight and a particularly sweaty week in Berlin.  Although I discovered the expression "durchzug" - or "courant d'air", which the Germans are also apparently averse to, even in the middle of a heatwave - and went to a packed Olympic pool again on Wednesday, so it wasn't all bad.

Since I've been back we've been to several lovely parties, to deliver wedding invites in person and catch up with various folk, and had BBQ for lunch AND dinner on Sunday at Claudio's, which scratched that particular itch.  Gone made a new compilation too, have a listen if you like.  

Speak soon so we can go over our Brazilian plans in detail!

Freddity (is the soul of wit)

25.06.19 - Cama de viúva

Hallooooo,

Lovely to speak to you in sunny Italy, hope the rest of your trip was productive and filled with pasta.  Here in Berlin I'm literally just marking time until I head back home on Friday, with ridiculous heat and humidity forecast for the rest of the week, which should be fun.

At the weekend I went to check out Hackescher Markt and its delightful Hofes, then on to Museum Island for a stroll in the sun, down Friedrichstraße and back home, then on Sunday I went for a dip in the Olympic Stadium pool and went for a huge Syrian-style lunch with my flatmate before collapsing.

I've made not one but two new compilations, and my phrase of the day is one of the weirder idiosyncrasies of the Brazilian furniture industry: a bed which is somewhere in between a single and a double in size is commonly referred to as a "widow's bed", because that's obviously the only market demographic for them...

Speak soon!

Fred Up

18.06.19 - Uma mão lava a outra

Wa'gwan? Back to work here after an enjoyable flying visit to the UK at the weekend. 

I got to Isleham on Saturday morning to take in a farmer's market, meet Fred the dog, pick up my deliveries and eat an assortment of pies, only to relocate to Cambridge in the afternoon for practical transportation purposes, which worked out quite well as I got to see Henar, Brenna, Callum and the kids, have a jam in Tom's shed, eat lots of scones and eventually collapse before an early-morning trek to Stansted. 

The rest of the weekend was spent napping, eating Sudanese haloumi and watching The Young Pope, which is ruthlessly absurd and quite brilliant. I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day ("one hand washes the other") is the (typically hygienic) Brazilian equivalent of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours".

Speak soon!

StanFred Airport

11.06.19 - O sujo falando do mal lavado

Halloooo,

Lovely to speak the other day - as mentioned, we've been trying to crack the UK market with our forever-delayed website, holding several quickfire meetings with potential investors and partners in London (all either positive or at least not totally confusing), and grabbing home comforts like fish & chips where we could.

At the weekend I went to Potsdam to check out the Dutch Quarter and the Sanssouci Park, which had so many opulent castles that I got castle fatigue and had to wander back for a Lindt milkshake, which I highly recommend.  Then I stopped by the Film Museum which was most amusing, particularly my in-costume screentest as a character from Sonnenallee.

On Sunday I went to the Reichstag for a guided tour of the halls, the plenary chamber and the cupola, which was pretty cool (and free!), then on to the sunny East which had been taken over by pedestrians, food trucks and Brazilian samba troupes, before heading back and napping furiously.

I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the day ("the dirty speaking of the badly-washed") is a more hygiene-based take on the old "pot calling the kettle black" chestnut. Makes sense given the relative importance of tea and showers to the English and Brazilians, respectively.

That's all for the noo,

Freidrich der Große