Paolo's house

Yesterday I had lunch at my neighbor's house. Let me tell you a bit about Paolo:

- He's in his late 60s, but very youthful. He wore swim trunks to lunch yesterday.
- His home has 54 rooms, including eight bathrooms and a guest wing built into a turret.
- He makes designer handbags for a living and shows them at international fashion weeks.
- He is obsessed with Queen Elizabeth and got to meet her at a dinner in Buckingham palace (on Brasil's 500th anniversary [this confused me too, apparently the event celebrated the arrival of the Portuguese on the continent, not the actual date of independence], the country invited renowned artisans on a diplomatic/cultural tour of the world). Paolo also loves Whitney Houston.
- He was shot twice leaving his warehouse in Zona Norte five years ago, and after recuperating began to do all his designing from home. Three more of the 54 rooms are designated as purse workshops.
- He served us a traditional (and delicious) Brazilian meal with traditional Brazilian portions -- two HUGE scoops of rice with tomatoes, two tong-fuls of salad, and an enormous piece of chicken cooked in a red garlicky sauce. When Anna, who weighs maybe 100 pounds, cleaned her plate, Paolo asked her if she wanted more. When she refused, he asked "you did not like it?"
For sobremesa (dessert), we had a Brazilian pudding made from blended avocado, cream, and sugar. The avocados came from Paolo's backyard. After two cups of coffee to end the meal, I could barely move my stomach was so full. Luckily the great conversation (half in English, half in Portuguese) allowed us plenty of time to digest.