Local Color

This is my dorm room across from the university.

Here is the soccer field outside my window and here are the local "boys", hanging out on the corner.

Arrival in Brazil

‘It was amusing and instructive to watch people’s reactions. There were the Prudent who said, “ This [going on an expedition into the Amazon in Brazil]is an extraordinarily foolish thing to do” There were the Wise, who said, “This is an extraordinarily foolish thing to do, but at least you will know better next time.” And there were the Very Wise, who said, “This is foolish thing to do, but not as foolish as it sounds.”’ Peter Fleming, Brazilian Adventure, 1933

May 28, 2008

– blast off date. Patrick dropped me off at SAN airport– “Oh there goes my mama again – off on one of her adventures…” .At the United gate who checked me in but two gals from Brazil, one whose dad helped build Brasilia when and where I was in the Peace Corps 40 years! An animated conversation got me to check over 50lbs a piece of luggage free! As they say in Brazil - “dar um jeito” help out a friend….

May 30, 2008
Two days in Manaus – Hotel Tropical – very comfortable and familiar. I had been here before – first time with Patrick in 1990 and second with Tom in 2004. Nice shopping and ambiance. Everyone is friendly. Breakfasts are made up of wonderful exotic fruit and omelets, all kinds of rolls and a noisy animated crowd. I will need to manage my quiet time which I have come to relish, when in company of Brazilians and their wonderful animated selves. I feel myself gradually being transformed into “Marina” like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly as my Portuguese is coming back and I am alive with the smells, the sights, the sounds and the feel of Brazil.

Larry W, please . note - there are no boa constrictors waiting to eat me – yet!

Last evening in Manaus there began early celebration of June holidays (why wait??)– I walked around to absorb everything around me. I found a local restaurant and had my first caparinga (this one made with mango), piracuru fish fried with onions, and farofa on the side. Farofa is usually only eaten by authentic Brazilians – it is like a flavored course grain of some sort. Everyone is out, night soccer is happening in the parks, chit-chat, music, guys diving off the edge of the river – night swimming on the Rio Negro. Easy to talk to workers at the restaurant, taxi drivers. They are wondering – who is this obviously foreign (tall and with strange clothes -REI model gear- woman (not wearing the tight jeans and 5 inch high heals all the Brazilian women are wearing) speaking Portuguese almost like a native?

Serendipitous encounter as will usually take place in Brazil– same taxi driver drove me to the airport that drove me around town the previous day to a shopping center.

At the airport in Manaus I was worried because my luggage had come from the States to Brazil on international luggage rules (2 50 lb bags and 2 heavy carry-ons). But I had spent two days in Manaus. The counter gal was able to “dar um jeito (let me pay only for one small bag ($25) which could not be carried on (local limit 22 kilos) – it could have cost me hundreds of $!

I arrive in Santarem. Ron from the local rotary met me at the airport (all my luggage arrived!) and short ride to my new “home” – Fundacao Esperanca a complex where visitors, workers, groups of foreign student community service (presently here from Westalen College) stay. Pleasant room with my own private bath – yes! With the Alta Falante and “hede” (truck with speaker blasting very loud music and advertisements circulating outside my window every now and then and a hammock for my use), yes, now I know I am in Brazil!.

Fundacao Esperanca has many medical services for women and children, dentistry. They also sponsor a youth at risk center where I will be working in July.

May 31, 2008
Ron and his wife Vera, the local rotary governor who covers more than the state of CA, whisked me off at 8:30 (I was already in bed! But came alive) – the night is young in Brazil. IESPES university put on a festa last night at the Hotel Amazon (same place I stayed with Tom in 2004). This hotel is like the one in one of Steven King”s book which takes place in a dilapidated hotel being taken over by the jungle, etc. In its hay day this hotel was owned by VARIG plane company who thought that Santarem was going to be a regular stopping place.

There are six universities in town. Three federal, this one is private. Most students attend school at night after working all day. I will be teaching a night class in August, 6 days a week. Nossa sonhora (translation – oh my God!)

Brazilians love to get together to talk and dance-much more social than Americans. So the festa was (cheia de gente – full of people) I met many students and teachers. They had booths of imaginative companies and got many real local companies to participate (cell phone, small plane medical airlift, Xique (a stylish “sheik” women’s clothing place in Santarem). The college fictitious companies were made up of the different university schools – pharmacy, nursing, teacher training, business administration, etc. Teacher training was most interesting – students had made up hand-made books of the region to teach youth about their local heritage and toys made up of recycled materials. Maybe they might be a good source for my Brazilian purse microcredit venture? I was so impressed by the college students who put on such a creative and well-thought out event. I met many university teachers with whom I will be working with. Some want me to teach an informal English class with them. I told them I want to also share teaching methods, etc.- discutir metados de erudicao.

This feels like this is Peace Corps all over again. I am being shown around and yet so many things I thought I would teach or give to them, they already have better and are more knowledgeable. I must listen and be like a sponge.

This afternoon I have a fabulous lunch with Ron and Vera (whose children reside in the States) by the riverboat port, for this is a riverboat town – no roads go to and from Santarem just planes and boats. Then a siesta (now I get it and get on Brazilian time!) and then shopping at the local mercado two blocks away. So I get a bottle of cachaca (Brazilian national drink), drinking water, and wafer cookies. What do I mix cachaca with to make caparingas? Hmm, I need some limes. Yes, my diet Isogenix :”Want more energy?” lime powder mix. Michele M. – new use for the diet powder. How good is that?

Oppsies – the soccer gang is back again outside my room – bagunca (lots of noise and activity!)

Off to Brazil May 20, 2008

Here is a picture of me and my sons in my condo in Encinitas overlooking Moonlight Beach. I will miss them and Encinitas.

Count down - 8 days - to go off to the Amazon where I will be teaching and working on Rotary projects. Am I ready? As in Brazil there is a saying - "dar um jeito" - which translates - don't worry - there's always a way to make things work out.