21.06.22 - URSAL

Halloooo,

Hope all well! 

We're in the final stretch of Operation Move Into a House That's Still Being Built, which looks like it'll go right down to the wire, and began the downsizing process at the weekend by announcing we were giving away and selling a bunch of stuff (inflatable pool, etc). Said stuff was picked off almost immediately by various neighbours so that was a productive few days, and I'm more confident we'll get everything to fit into a tiny São Paulo flat now.

No compilation this week, as we move into the fallow part of the musical calendar year, but my phrase of the day comes from an amusing bit of online tomfoolery which only really makes sense in Brazil. "URSAL" is the "União das Republiquetas socialistas da América Latina", a socialist utopia which was made up for a laugh by an academic in 2001, quoted as a genuine conspiracy theory in a 2018 presidential debate (leading to endless memes based around a big bear / "ursão" mascot), and is now one step closer to reality following the Colombian election on Sunday.

That's all for noo - speak soon!

Mission: Impossible - Fred Reckoning Part One

14.07.22 - Com o rei na barriga

Hallooooo,

Hope all well witchu! 

We're in the midst of another cold snap here, and busy overseeing the end phase of the building work back in town. On Thursday I drove into the Sherlock office for some light admin and typical Festa Junina jollity in the evening, most of which went right over my head but was rather fun nonetheless. And the weekend was spent mostly napping and barbequing burgers.

Elsewhere I've made another compilation, and my phrase of the week concerns people "com rei na barriga" ("with the king in their belly"), i.e. with a disproportionate sense of self-importance - a throwback to the days of the Portuguese monarchy when having the literal (future) king in your belly got you preferential treatment from the royal court, and disdain from the commoners.

In other news, I have put together a Parada Inglesa radio show for an online station which was recently launched by a music forum I sometimes frequent, and it airs later today at this link, so listen in from 6pm UK time and let me know what you think!

Ciao for now,

FredEx

07.06.22 - Ficar com um pé atrás

Halloooo,

Hope you're all doing well, and thanks again for your various cards and whatnot. We've had a relatively uneventful week, with just the one flying visit to São Paulo on Saturday for a birthday party, and even a whole day doing nothing on Sunday, which was a nice change of pace. 

This week I'm off to the office for a Festa Junina - no doubt involving lots of dancing around in circles and corn-based snacks, as is tradition - and we have to get our various houses in order since we've officially given notice here. I've also made a banging mixtape, and my phrase of the day translates as "to be with one foot behind", which is fairly self-explanatory.

And that's all she wrote! Speak soon,

TGI Freddys

31.05.22 - Situação de barril

Halloooo,

Hope you're all doin' well! 

We've been out and about this weekend, to visit Beatrice & Jacob's new flat - they've gone through renovation hell too, so it was encouraging to see proof that these things come to an end eventually. Then we stopped off in Sorocaba on the way home the next day, to check out a cat café and have some cat immersion therapy, which was good, wholesome fun. 

Elsewhere I've made another compilation, featuring the latest gibberish hit to sweep the nation, "Acorda Pedrinho". And my phrase of the day means "a barrel-like situation", or "dire straits", basically - an homage to beloved TV character Chaves, who lived in a barrel. And that's all I have to say about that. 

Speak soon!

Fred Green Tomatoes

24.05.22 - Não vale um pequi roído

Hallooooo,

Hope all well! It's been unusually cold this week due to a polar snap that lasted a gruelling two days, and the entire neighbourhood ran out of water for the last two days which wasn't great, but otherwise all well here too.

We've been out and about this week, heading to Pedreira (city of crockery) on Saturday to stock up on mugs and the like, and scout out a cupboard for the flat, before moving on to nearby Holambra (city of flowers and Dutch people) for a pannekoek and apfelstrudel. And on Sunday we went for lunch at Adny & Ridaut's overlooking the EcoPark in Indaiatuba, before stocking up on supplies and heading home. 

Elsewhere I have made another compilation, and my phrase of the day is a Tocantins expression for disparaging people who "aren't worth a gnawed pequi", a pequi being a fruit from central Brazil. I hope to use it frequently in conversation. 

Speak soon!

Frod x

17.05.22 - Dormir mais que a cama

Hallooooo,

Hope all well witchu. 

Things here are hectic as ever - just the one trip to São Paulo this weekend, for a wedding (of one of Gaby's friend's brother - tenuous at best!) in a rather ornate church followed by a reception with a rocking band, and a hungover Sunday spent trekking through building supply warehouses and shopping centres before heading home.

We also went to the cinema on Friday night, and emerged to find an actually-quite-decent U2 tribute band holding court in the shopping mall, which was a pleasant surprise and a nice bit of culture for Indaiatuba.  Then there's the small matter of my weekly playlist, and phrase of the day ("to sleep more than the bed"), which is fairly self-explanatory. 

That's all for the noo,

Kentucky Fred Chicken

10.05.22 - Quem nasceu Pateta nunca vira Mickey

Halloooo,

Hope all well with you. 

It's been non-stop this week with about ten different proposals on the go at work, the builders falling behind in São Paulo leading to an overhaul of the strategy so we can get everything done by next month, and Mother's Day which is always fraught and over-emotional over here at the best of times. To get everything done we had to make three separate back-to-back trips to São Paulo, so got absolutely no rest over the weekend, and next Saturday we're going back again for a wedding.

I have of course found the time to weave together a fiendishly groovy playlist (and another one about trains, for the 'Gram), and my phrase of the day means "he who is born Goofy will never become Mickey", a rather fatalistic reading of the beloved Disney characters if you ask me. 

That's all for now, speak to you sooooon,

I Know It Was You Freddy