TV interview

I feel like I'm back in school. Up every morning bright and early...it gets bright around 5am here, and this morning for some reason, the guy whose car was parked directly below my window thought it'd be a good idea to press his car lock button about 8 times in a row, honking the horn each time. I disagreed.
But since I was up, I made myself coffee and tried to connect to the internet to post my blog from yesterday...with no success. Drew has showed me how to disconnect the wires, but I felt lazy enough to just stay in my room, drinking my coffee and reading. Happy Bookers (with a "B") get-together in the neighborhood 4 days after I arrive back home so I've got to get this month's book finished.
After breakfast, back to Cidade Viva for the advanced English class. Today also I'll meet Paula Carosi, who will interview me for the TV program broadcast by the church at Cidade Viva. She's part of the class. Today, she WAS the class. (Everyone has paid for these lessons, but since they all work at Cidade Viva, sometimes they get tied up in their offices). Since no one else came, Drew agreed that we should just take a tour of the property. Before we begin, though, Paula gives me a very complete history of Cidade Viva and the faith of Pastor Sergio. He is a man who thinks big and has the confidence that God will do it. He is a pastor who researches the gifts of the people in his congregation and once he finds out, tells them he knows they're good at such and such, so they need to do it! And they do. (are you getting this, Pastor Neil?) This church is very involved, has over 20 different ministries around the city of Joao Pessoa, and so many in the congregation seem very willing to give sacrificially. In order to do some of their projects, of course, the people need to give more. For one of the projects, one woman stood up and said all she had was $50 reis, ($30US + or -) but she wanted to give it all and be an example like the widow in the Bible. Others have given cars and vans as well. Paula explained that so many of the people are very involved in all aspects of the ministry, from drug rehab to working with prostitutes, reuniting families, helping prisoners...and the list goes on. At last count, 28 separate ministries coming from Cidade Viva.
When Paula finishes, we take the tour. The school so far runs through the first year of the 3-year high school here in Brazil...possibly equivalent to our 10th grade. Very nice building with colorful classrooms, and Paula explained that the children's very favorite thing is their lockers! Of course it was pouring. We also see the offices of Cidade Viva, the "brains" of the operation (nice and cool in the computer room...a/c turned off everywhere else) and the TV studio where we'll have our interview this afternoon.

Finally changed money for the first time...dollar is falling (no kidding), which gave me less reis to spend. Oh well, I'll have to make do. (that also is a joke, because I never buy much at all.) In our hotel in Maragogi, I saw a ceramic figure that I really liked, but since it was in the lobby, I figured they would not appreciate if I took it. Therefore, I will look for them here...in the Feira de Artisanato (Handicraft Fair). Next time I come I want to buy some clothing, made from fabric only made here in Joao Pessoa, not dyed, so in shades of tan and natural white, but this time my eye is on the ceramic woman. There are 3 floors and as is usually the case, many shops that carry the same items...but different prices, some negotiable and some not.
We visit all the shops that carry ceramic figures, but ya gotta be careful and look at the faces. Some are prettier than others. We find the perfect woman and the price is a good one. No "discount", but that's okay because she's taller than some I've seen at the same price. The proprietor wraps the mulher ceramica (ceramic woman) very carefully, I pay the 40 reis and we're ready to go for lunch to Marta's apartment. However, we discover that Shalomir and Renan are in the bank right next door so we stop to say hello. That's one of my favorite things about Brazil (and many of the European countries I've visited) - the fact that relationships are more important than schedules. There may be an appointment set for a certain time, but if we happen to see someone we know, we stop and talk. The bank has a very little revolving door that only admits one person at a time. Make sure you do not take any metal items in with you, or the door stops. Renan was watching carefully at the bottom and the top of the door and I could just see the puzzlement in his little mind - what made it stop sometimes and not others? I call him "Mr. Gadget" because he has already figured out things about my camera and Droid that I've not known in all the time I've had them! As cute as he is, and with his dimples, he's going to be trouble one of these days, for sure. His mind is so quick and his eyes are full of mischief. He hasn't even been living with Sha and Michael for a year yet, but he knows he is loved and he's so willing to give it back as well. Even though we saw each other this morning, I get a nice tight hug. I love getting those. He's wearing one of the shirts I brought for him that is supposed to change colors in the sun. Unfortunately, it's still raining, but maybe before I leave, we'll get to see it.

For lunch, you probably won't believe we had liver and onions, chicken, and the ever present beans and rice to be topped by farofa - manioc flour that is dried and, in this case, mixed with chopped bananas...doesn't sound appetizing, I know, but makes a nice topping for the beans and rice. This time no salad, which is fine because that too, varies little to not at all. Much of the food gets overcooked, and therefore, quite dry. And EVERYONE cooks with way too much salt. (they also brew their coffee highly sugared) I think when we bring the groups we'll have to have some ground rules with the cooks - leave out the salt (or at least most of it), and brew coffee without sugar. There doesn't seem to be very much variety in what is cooked in the home, but they make up for that with the vast array of delicious tropical fruits and juices.
This afternoon I'll be interviewed by Paula Carosi for her TV show "Universo Femino" and I'm proud to say I was her very first interview entirely in English. Until now, she's used translators, but since she's been taking lessons with Drew, her crew wanted her to speak English and Drew will then transcribe the interview for the subtitles. She did and excellent job, and I thoroughly enjoyed her and her questions as well as her reactions to my answers. She said something no one but Terry has ever said to me. At the end of the interview Paula asked me to bring my violin the next time and play for her show, but for this time she loved hearing the music in my eyes. I'm getting teary just remembering that. Quite taken by surprise, for once I did not have a response.
We had a meeting set up tonight with Samara, who runs Cenca, assisted by Marta, and the head of the town council who will receive the project explanation and requests. If he approves this, Cenca will have some government funds with which to continue their work. As I'm writing this, we got an email from Samara, who explains that her kitchen ceiling has just collapsed and she has to wait for a repair man. We then called to inform Ricardo, the head of the council and he replied that he will do everything possible but right now he's tied up at the courthouse because the roof has collapsed. I ask you - what are the odds of that? (the 2 don't even know each other) We're still scratching our heads. We'll postpone this meeting till Saturday and hopefully no more ceilings and roofs will collapse!
Sha's coming to pick us up. I have strange requests. I want to go to Carrefour to buy a pot for cuz cuz. No, not our couscous. Corn meal that sticks together a little like rice. Drew likes it with a fried egg and now that I've tried it, I think I'll bring some home and make it for Terry. This is a tall pot with a built-in steamer/container. Of course I have to buy the cuz cuz as well. A package of farofa has appeared among my items too. The first time I went to Carrefour was in San Paolo 21 years ago. There were 100 cash registers. Yes. All of them in use. And the personnel navigates around the store on roller blades, checking prices, etc. When I took out my camera to record this phenomenon, I was swiftly reprimanded by one of the guards at the front of the store. Nao! Nao! Nao foto! Like I was going to steal some deep, dark secret and open up my own store in Orlando or something. The store originates in France, and Terry and I have also been to a very large one near Paris, but not as big as that very first one I went to in Sao Paolo.
We're waiting right now for Sueli to come pick us up for dinner. Tonight it'll be just the 3 of us so we're going back to Nau, from Sunday night, my first night here in Joao Pessoa. The shrimp was SO good and the rice SO creamy, we want to repeat the experience. After that, the bed will invite me very quickly, so I'll just sign off for now and see you again tomorrow.