returning home

The last security has been passed...I’m now sitting at the gate waiting for my flight to be called. We made it to the airport in 1½ hours. On a Sunday, there’s no traffic, but the closer we got to Recife, the worse the condition of the roads. Even though we arrived way early to check in, there was a huge line ahead of us already. We counted 3 separate tour groups of teens...probably all of them are going to Disney World. There are parents, sisters, and grandparents, all here to see their kids off, so the line is “padded” with many extra people. However, for the hundreds of us who will board the plane, there are 3 check-in agents and each person seems to take forever. We arrived at the airport at 8am and I just stepped up to the check-in desk at 9:20. Why it took so long for the others, I’ll never know, because I walked away at 9:21. Quem sabe?

Shalomir and Renan came with us because Drew was not so familiar with the directions. There’s just one highway to Recife, but once you get here the airport exits are not so clearly marked. Coming to pick me up last week, Drew got lost 2 or 3 times. The flight is late so we still have time to have a little breakfast – at least a coffee and a pao de queijo (bread with cheese baked inside it...a favorite of many Brazilians). When we get to the security gate, it looks crowded, but everyone is just saying goodbyes – many times over! I walked right through and on to the x-ray machines. Since my other suitcase was still too full to use as a carry-on, I had to check it, so I put my liquids in it. The US is the only place I’ve ever had to take off my shoes...never in other countries, however, they have to do a closer inspection of my bag. Turns out in Brazil, contact cases and contact solution are classified as liquids. In all the other countries, contacts and solution are classified as medication...I thought that TSA security would be the same everywhere, but obviously they don’t agree with me. Anyway, the security agent found a plastic bag in which to put my contact solution and 2 contact cases...then took quite a long time to examine my EPI pen...turned it over and over. I explained that it was medication in case of a bee sting. Remembering that I saw not one bee during my entire 10 days here...maybe she hasn’t either. No flies, one or 2 mosquitoes, and 2 wasps at the beach. Most beach homes don’t even have glass in their windows and none of the apartment homes have screens. I left my windows open all day and night and never saw any flying critters. It’s just not a problem at all – boy I sure wish we had this “non-problem” in Georgia!
Something I may have forgotten to mention is the fact that even though Shalomir and Maikol had a hot shower, it was in their master bedroom bath. Maikol hadn’t been feeling very well, so he was in bed most of the time...I would have had to ask him to leave. Plus, most mornings we left so early, that if I wanted the hot water bathroom, I’d have had to shower at noon, when we came back to get ready for lunch, so I just continued to take the cold showers. Fortunately, though, the water is not icy cold, like ours is, so it wasn’t quite the shock it could have been. Mainly, staying there was much more like being with family because from 21 years ago when we first met, every time I traveled to Brazil, I always stayed with the Saunders family. There are 2 biological children – Shalomir is the elder, and Joshua is a couple years younger than her. There are also 6 adopted children, all grown with children now. Naomi is the adopted child I know best because at one time I had considered adopting Naomi and her brothers, Abraham and Marcio. But instead, Drew adopted the 2 older ones, and Marcio went to another family who really wanted just him. He was such an adorable little boy...I fell in love with him instantly, but he had already been spoken for – just waiting for paperwork when I met him. Naomi is now around 26 years old and lives in Waupaca, WI. Guess how that happened? She had one child here in Brazil, and around age 1, the child became very sick and died. So Drew wanted to “distract” Naomi from her grief and asked if she could come visit us for a month or so. Since I’ve spent so much time with her, she’s more like a daughter to me and we were thrilled to have her there with us. That month turned into 6 months, at which time she had met a boy who asked her to marry him...which then allowed her to remain in the states on a permanent green card. Even when we moved away from Waupaca, Naomi had made so many friends there she wanted to stay. She now has 4 children and has remained right there in Waupaca. Right now, Drew is considering visiting her for a while until the visa problem gets resolved. His other option is to apply for a marriage certificate and hope he can get someone to “grease” the wheels a bit and expedite a license for him to marry Sueli immediately.

I’ve got so many little notes in my notebook, it’s going to take a while to sort them all out and categorize them. We talked more about when I come back with the group – things we want to do, places we want to take the group, and the work that has to be done. For anyone considering making this trip, please be assured that I will request that your hosts have hot water showers for you. That’s probably more common than not, especially in the homes of Cidade Viva church members, so don’t worry about the cold water. The meals will probably all be together in one place so you don’t have to worry about eating or drinking anything terribly unfamiliar to you unless you really want to. Another consideration is host families who speak English. With the school at Cidade Viva, and Drew’s English classes for the adults, that’s probably a non-issue. I’ve discovered that when in doubt, sign language works just fine. Everyone has bottled water but there’s no need to worry about brushing your teeth or taking showers in it. I remember on a trip to China (before the western world was even allowed in) we couldn’t even use the tap water for brushing our teeth...every night we received a thermos of hot water outside our hotel room door, and each morning we brushed our teeth with it, so I got used to doing that activity with warm water. But here it’s not so critical.
There is so much more...keep checking my blog, because I’ll be updating everyone on what’s going on in Joao Pessoa as well as more definite plans for our team trip.

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.

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.