sunset on the beach

Up at 6 in order to be ready for Drew to pick me up for English class. These adults really want to learn, and the class is even more fun than yesterday. 2 of the 6 from yesterday return, along with 4 others I haven’t met. Today we continued conversing with each other about locations of places and their relationships to each other. “The barber is behind the coffee shop”, etc. Lots of laughs. Sueli met us here because afterward we’re going to look at an apartment Drew and Sueli want to buy after they are married, which should be within the next year, or sooner, depending on Drew’s extension of visa for Brazil. He has lived here most of his adult life until the last 7 years when he was in Spain teaching English. After 5 years out of country, one loses one’s permanent citizen status and needs to re-apply for permanent residence. Brazil allows dual citizenship, and since he’s from England, he also has a British passport. If he uses that one, he doesn’t need a visa for the States.
When I applied for, and received, my visa for Brazil, I noticed this time the indication is that it’s good for all travel within the next 10 years. Much different than my trips 20 years ago, when each time I came, I had to apply for a new visa. I asked Drew about it and he said Brazil plans to eliminate all need for visas very soon. Joy! Cut out several exasperating steps of the process!
The apartment was closer to the ocean, and very nice...but as it was not completed yet and all open, we had to ride the construction elevator – ok, it was a cage – on the outside of the building. Of course just because everything was all un-enclosed, it had to rain! But we don’t have any more “important” appointments for the day, so I guess “rain hair” will have to do. Though it was foggy, I still had pretty good views of the long beaches. I hate that it’s so cloudy because at night I can’t see the southern cross constellation that only occurs here and not north of the equator.
Sueli left for work and we took our usual lunch at “the gathering place”...Marta’s apartment. Today it was just Drew and me...Lourdes and Carlitos had gone to Recife for some medical appointments. Lunch is always the same – the biggest meal of the day (which I like) – and consists of a nice salad, usually lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes. Olive oil and vinegar are set on the table. Penha makes scrumptious, tender liver. (ok, everyone who just said “ugh” doesn’t get dessert tonight!)
There are pieces of chicken and also ground beef besides these delicious liver pieces. Always, there is rice and black beans. Here in the north, one puts the beans on the bottom and tops it with the rice. Since my first several trips to Brazil were to the south (Sao Paulo, Rio, Curitiba, etc.) I learned to put the rice on the plate first, then the beans. So, I usually say Eu sou Paulista (I’m from Sao Paulo). It’s not quite as heated an argument as the Gators vs. the Seminoles, but comes close!
Here one would take a coffee mid-morning, but not usually at lunch. The lunch beverage is usually fruit juice (cashew, one of my favorites, maracuja – passion fruit juice, strawberry...here the list of fruit juices is seemingly endless). Occasionally there are potatoes and yesterday we had manioc prepared just like boiled potatoes. It’s sweeter and a bit softer than the potatoes. There is no dessert.

Back at Shalomir’s apartment we both tried to get on the internet but it kept failing. Who knows? (makes me feel right at home...we’ve actually had far quicker and better connections here than Terry and I do in GA) Since I’ve always got several books to read, I’m fine. Drew needed to skype with some business associates so he was frustrated for a while. When Sha returned with Renan (they arrived to lunch after we left) we all left for the mall, where she had an appointment with the “landlord” of her milkshake shop. Drew and I each had shakes...mine was nutella and he had “Creme de Papaya con liqueur de Cassis” (papaya cream with Cassis) and I think that’s my next choice. Mine was good, but his was heavenly. Renan, at 7, has already figured out some things about my camera that I’ve never known. Scary. He loves to take pictures so he played around with the camera, being very careful – and also my Droid phone. At one point, he asked me in Portuguese, though his parents are trying to teach him English as well, “where are the games?” He enjoyed looking at some of my pictures of the cruise, Terry, and Meisha and Max.
When Sha’s meeting was over we headed to the beach to walk for a while...Bessa beach. They’re all pretty, but this is one of the favorites. From the beach, we drove to the river - praia do jacare - (alligator beach - but no, there were none) where our intention was to watch the sunset. Though it had poured in the morning, by this time it had cleared up. Drew found us a spot at one of the little restaurants on the water and Shalomir, Renan and I walked through the little artisan kiosks there, where I bought some necklaces and 2 hats. Why? Terry asks...because I needed more necklaces and hats. (doesn't everyone?)
Sunset was less than spectacular because the clouds had rolled in, but we had some nice crab balls and guarana and listened to the guy who plays saxophone to Ravel’s Bolero every evening just at sunset. Searched all over the internet for a name, but couldn't find it. If you just google Ravel’s Bolero sax player at sunset in Joao Pessoa, you can see what we saw last night... 3,884th presentation.
Hurry home to change and go to Cidade Viva, first for a meeting with Rosinha about her work in the orphanages, and then for the church service, which began at 8 and ended around 9:30. Everyone was hungry so we stopped at a Japanese Restaurant for sushi buffet (little 7-year old Renan loves sushi!) before bedtime. Having dinner at 10 pm makes it more difficult to sleep, but I always figure I can sleep on the plane going home. Maybe.