Cha de Panela

Cha de Panela, in English it's literal translation is Tea of Pot, but actually it's the name for a Bridal Shower. :) I'm so blessed that 3 1/2 years after my wedding, I had another bridal shower thrown for me. :)

I mean it when I say that, I AM BLESSESD. I don't even really know these women very well. Some of them I've only met 2 times. Others are family. But they all came together to help me with a few things I need for our house we're renting.

Praise God! The paperwork went through and we are moving into the house this week. Yay! Saturday, Renato and I cleaned it up in the afternoon, so all is ready.

Yesterday there was another big party here at Renato's parents' house. (It's soccer play-offs and they've had a "super-bowl" type party for the past 2 weeks. I mean, HUGE parties, with a TON of food, and LOTS of people!) The women (friends of the family) decided to help me out and throw me a shower because I have NOTHING when it comes to things needed for a house.

This was such a blessing. Like I said, I don't even really know these women. AND I don't speak their language. But they got together and we had a fun "Cha de Panela" while the men were watching the soccer game. (Actually the TV was on where we were too, but the volume was turned down.)



Bridal showers aren't the same in Brazil as they are in the U.S. I got to attend another one when I was in Belem, and instantly noticed the differences.

1st-In the U.S., the girl who's shower it is, is held in a place of honor and it's a very special day for her. Not in Brazil. It's a day to humiliate the girl. I'm not joking. Here's a picture of me and what they did to me during the shower. (I got off super easy. You should have seen the girl at the shower I went to in Belem!)



2nd-The games they play are different. I was blindfolded and had to guess what each present was while it was still wrapped up. They even made me do it in Portuguese! THEN I had to guess which woman gave it to me. I had 2 tries. If I didn't guess it by the 3rd try, they got to humiliate me some more. Fun, fun.



3rd-They dance. Yes, they dance. But first, I was supposed to dance....by myself... with no music. Fun. Now, I've been known to bust-a-move, but it was all just a little odd to me. I wasn't feeling the groove.



In the end, it was fun, and I got to know all the women much better, and I got some things I need for my house. So I was blessed. AND I got a kiss from a pretty handsome man, if I do say so myself!