And now for something completely different

DISCLAIMER:  I didn't take this photo. Sigh. It is, however, an image of one of the beaches within walking distance of my friend Ana's house.

It's summer here in South America, and all of the kids are out of school. Or at least they will be until about Wednesday. Carnival will be over, and people get to work. 

When I was in Buenos Aires, I kept thinking something looked different to me about the folks there and their kids. Finally, it dawned on me that there were no strollers. Everyone carried their children in their arms, on the street, on the bus, in the car, everywhere. Coming from New York, where you almost never see anyone with a child in their arms, this was actually a big change. It made me wonder:  is it better for the kids to be held all the time? Certainly it's not safer for them in cars, but I did wonder about everything else. If nothing else, I guess that it would build upper body strength in the parents.

On a different note, I've been in Florianopolis, Brazil for almost a week. Although Floripa doesn't have a Carnaval like Rio or Salvador, it is still a big deal here, and I've gone to a few events (complete with drums and dancing) in the neighborhood where I'm staying with my friend Ana. 

Today I got a late start to the beach, and, unfortunately, my skin is letting me know that it does not approve of such sloth. I'll just have to postpone my afternoon swimming and body boarding session until the sun is a bit less intense.

While I noticed the thing about carrying children in Argentina, here I've noticed women who are probably in their 60s wearing thong bikinis, or at least bikinis. Gut and all. I love it. I love it that regardless of age, women here are fine with showing their bodies. Since I've been doing a lot of water sports, I went shopping for a new, more robust suit, and I realized that I didn't want a one-piece because it really would make me look soooo old and prudish. Note to self:  must find one of those beach volley-type things.

Brazil apparently is the country with the most plastic surgery operations in the world, and I hear that eating disorders are an issue, too. So, clearly, this is not body image paradise. However, comparing this to the taboo on physicality in the US, particularly if one doesn't have a movie star's body, I have to say that I appreciate the fact that people with "normal" physiques show their stuff at the beach, too.