I just returned from Florianopolis where I was staying with Luiza and Paola. They were super-hostesses and I really enjoyed my time with them. We went to the best pizza place in the world, it is called Pizzaria Cica. If you ever go to Floripa you should go.
I went there for the 2008 South American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu championships. I was a little nervous going into it, as I was recently promoted to purple, as I’ve mentioned before, but I was really pleased with my performance.
The results: I won my division, and got second in the absolute.
Here is a video of the last few seconds of the finals in my division. I’m the one applying the triangle choke. 
Also, on the road there, the road works people blew up a hill, which was really cool.
Nice! Definitely the best way to feel comfortable about your belt (not that I’d know from personal experience, given my whole one competition to date ;p).
Thanks! Yeah, I feel like I broke in the belt now. It felt a little weird walking in to fight all these guys with stripes on their belts when mine was so shiny and new.
Do you have any comps coming up? Are you going to the Europeans?
Plenty I could go to, but none I actually will.
The idea hasn’t yet grown on me, though I’ve got a vague intention of competing at least once for each belt level, as it would be a bit pants only ever trying it once.