As some who follow my blog shall know; I have just returned from a short trip out to the northeast of Brazil. I spent the week in the major city of Fortaleza and traveled back to Canoa Quebrada which is on the southern end of the state.

When I visit, I am surprised at the lack of tourists from the United States. There are lots of tourists in Ceara but mainly they are from Europe and the south of Brazil. So I am often the odd ball when I visit a restaurant or the mall in Ceara and people probably assume that I am from Europe when they first see me. But when they find out I am from the United States it seems that I go from average to celebrity.

North or South?

Ceara has many faces. The big sprawling cities such as Fortaleza, farms nestled amongst arid landscapes…

On January 10, 2011 my son J was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I can remember everything about that day. It was a Monday and I had taken the day off work. The temperature outside was in the teens and so J and I were both bundled in our puffy coats patiently waiting for J’s name to be called.

The waiting room was not child friendly, surprising since it was a children’s hospital. There were some torn books scattered on a table and some weird mirror shaped like a fish that reflected everything upside down.

J tried amusing himself as I filled out what seemed like a million forms.  There were insurance forms, privacy forms, health history and family background questionnaires. I answered questions like:

How much did your child weigh at birth? Has your child ever had surgery? Does your child look at you when you call his or her name? Can your child point his finger…

Happy Monday everyone!

-Amanda Moxie