Rio Trip, Last Week, The End (of the beginning)

Hey guys, I know I haven't posted in a really long time, but I've been unbelievably busy this last week here in Brazil. It's only now, that I'm packing my bags to leave, that I have time to recount my latest adventures.

The trip to Rio last weekend was amazing! The journey itself was hard, however, as Tiago and I drove more than 500 kilometers each way on his motorcycle. But the city was worth all of the pain and suffering. We stayed in a hostel in Copacabana, just a few blocks from the beach. We arrived late on Friday night, and went to bed early, to wake up and get out early Saturday morning. We ended up leaving the hotel around 9, and we headed over to the beach to see the ocean and have a breakfast chopp. The rest of the day was spent around Cobacabana and Ipanema beaches, as well as a trip up to Pão de Açucar, or "sugar loaf." From the two hills, we saw gorgeous views of Rio, and we saw a plane land at the Sants Dumont airport, right in the bay.

Copacabana beach in the morning

Tiago with Pão de Açucar behind him

The afternoon was spent touring the city a little on Tiago's bike, as we went to see Barra, the nicer area of the city. We ate dinner out there as well, and then went to a mall where they had a Hard Rock Cafe, to meet up with Tiago's girlfriend. Then we went back to Copacabana to stroll along the beach, buying drinks from the beachside bars along the way.

The view from Pão de Açucar

Sunday was busy as we still had to see the Corcovado, where the Christ the Redeemer statue is, and go to the Pedra de Gavea, where I was planning on hang gliding over Rio. We went to the Pedra de Gavea first, only to learn that the wind was bad that day, making it impossible to jump. I was disappointed, but the views from the rock were beautiful, way high above the city and the beach. We then went to see the Christ statue, but we had to park the motorcycle 5 kilometers away and walk, since the road was closed. In the end, it was worth it, as I got to see the most iconic landmark of Rio de Janeiro. Then we went back to the hostel, packed up, and made the 6 hour journey home. More pictures are on Facebook, and should be on Flickr soon.

On top of Pedra de Gavea

At the Corcovado

After the Rio trip, I only had one week left before leaving for home. During this week, I spent Tuesday night at Rodrigo's house playing video games with him until 3 in the morning, Wednesday night at Tiago's house after washing my clothes and failing to get into a club because Tiago had track pants on, and Thursday night at Rodrigo's again after going to Outback for a happy hour with all of Rodrigo's friends for a sendoff party. On Friday at work, Rodrigo, Tiago, Rosana, and Alex revealed they had a gift for me: a Ponte Preta original jersey with my name on the back! I was really happy, as the shirt is beautiful and really comfortable. I even got to wear it to a Ponte game, as Rodrigo, Tiago, Fucho, and I went to the Ponte Preta game yesterday. Then Tiago, Fucho, and I went out at night to a bar to eat and drink before heading out to some funk party for my last weekend in Brazil.

Today, Tiago's mom cooked feijoada for me for a sendoff lunch with some of Tiago's extended family. It was delicious, but I'm sad that lately, all I've been doing is saying goodbye to people. I'll really miss the people here in Brazil who have so readily taken me in and treated me like one of their own. Rodrigo and Tiago's respective friends and families have really made these weeks pass by in a blur. I have rarely experienced a lonely moment here, and I really have them to thank.

Well, that's really about it. I'm almost done packing my suitcases, and I'll go to work tomorrow, say more goodbyes, pick up my bags, and get driven to the airport, hopefully by Tiago, Rosana, and Rodrigo. So concludes this chapter of Rollin in Brazil - I know I will be back to this wonderful country sometime in the next year, I just don't know when. I really want to thank all of you who have tuned in from time to time to see what I've been up to this summer, and especially those of you who have given me feedback. It's always easier to write knowing people are out there reading! I'll be arriving back in Newark Liberty Airport Tuesday morning at 6AM, and from there it's a fast track back to Duke in less than two weeks. I hope all of you are well - some of you I will see sooner than others, but I cannot wait to see you all again.

Bejos e Abraços,
Rollin

Wednesday & Thursday: Poker & The Magic Box

This post will be very brief, as I'm leaving soon for Rio de Janeiro for the weekend. So Wednesday after work I left with Rodrigo to head back to Valinhos, as his friends were organizing another game of poker. It was great to be able to see them again, as my time here is ever dwindling. We played a couple of games, and, since I departed relatively early from both, I played a good amount of snooker as well. The pictures will do the talking.






Thursday wasn't very eventful, except the box my mom shipped from the states finally arrived! Inside were gifts for pretty much all of the people here in Edumed. I opened the box and gave everyone their gifts. They all loved what they got, as I had carefully considered what to get each one of them. For Rodrigo I got a high performance laser Logitech mouse, for Tiago a new watch, for Alex a PS3 game anticipating his purchase next week, for Rosana a scarf (mom's idea), and for Professor Sabbatini and his wife Chinese artwork (also mom's idea).

Tuesday: Military Police Helicopter Unit Visit

Hey guys, sorry for the non-posting these past couple of days. I didn't get around to posting on Tuesday night, and then last night I was staying over Rodrigo's. But more on that later. Tuesday was somewhat exciting, as we ate a huge lunch at this restaurant we occasionally order take-out from called Casa de Moqueca. Then we went and got ice cream afterward from the gelateria on the corner.

In the afternoon, Rosana and Rodrigo had to go to a convention/event of sorts in a hotel here in Campinas. Tiago was going to his former military police helicopter unit to train in preparation for his physical examination this Friday. A quick note about the police here in Brazil. There are three types of police - the federal police, the military police, and the civil police. The federal police are like the FBI, the civil police are like normal US cops, and the military police are a sort of in-between that doesn't exist in the states. Tiago used to be a member of the helicopter air support company before joining Edumed.

So I decided to tag along with Tiago to check out the unit and see what his company was like. We arrived and I met a few of the people in the unit, but most of our time was spent with a Sergeant, who was helping Tiago train. He was an unbelievably nice man, and throughout the course of the 2 or so hours we were there, we talked about plenty of things. I was given a tour of the facility, which was pretty cool, complete with a radio room and a hangar for the helicopter.

The helicopter wasn't around when we first arrived, but returned later, and we went outside to watch them land. That was pretty cool. After they had shut it down and essentially parked it, I even got to take a closer look and climb inside. Pretty sweet being that close to a machine that costs about 4-5 million Reais ($2-2.5 million).

Me and Tiago inside with the copter

We took some pictures with the helicopter, then stood around on the tarmac talking. The Sergeant was giving Tiago a pep talk to prepare him for his test on Friday. He also expressed some regret about missing an opportunity to go to the United States and serve in the military to gain residency/citizenship. He cited that he doesn't get to do much here in Campinas, yet he still has to conduct himself like a soldier. He admired the order and preparedness of American soldiers, and also wished he would see more action, since he did sign up to be a soldier after all.

Me with the Sergeant

I thought this was a very interesting perspective, since I never really considered many people wanting to actually go to war. But I certainly can understand his desire to perform the type of duty he originally signed up to do. We went on to talk about some of the differences between the two countries, until it began to rain. Something of a flash storm began, with large droplets of rain coming down and thunder rumbling and lightning crackling in the sky. We took shelter inside, and the Sergeant said he wanted to give me a t-shirt with the logo of their company. He went to get it and emerged a few minutes later with not only a t-shirt, but also a bunch of stickers, one kind with a helicopter and another with the company logo. I was shocked at his generosity, as I had just met this man an hour and a half ago.

Suddenly, a siren began to ring, and people started running around, putting on gear. Tiago grabbed me and pulled me outside, where it was still raining a little bit. The company had received an urgent call requiring their assistance, so they were about to head out for a mission. We watched the helicopter take off from the doorway, and I filmed it. Video is below. Pretty cool.

Video Post! Amazon Recap!

Enjoy:

Video is coming ASAP. Youtube is being annoying with upload. Thanks for your patience.
Edit: Videos have been succesfully uploaded to Youtube. Embedded below.

Part I


Part II


Pictures will be on Fbook (some are on Flickr already) soon.

Hope you're all well.

-Rollin

Monday: Health Center, Packing...

Hey people, I'm currently packing my bag for our trip to Rondonia tomorrow. Rodrigo and I will be leaving Campinas after lunch to head to Sao Paolo, where we will catch the first of 3 flights on the journey to Porto Velho, the capital city of Rondonia.

Today, we had the privilege of visiting a health center in one of the poorer areas near Campinas. The center was quite remote - we drove on a couple miles of dirt road before we arrived there. The coordinator of the health center, Elizabeth, greeted us when we arrived, and agreed to answer the questions that we had. Naturally, Rodrigo did almost all of the talking, while I listened intently and attempted to translate the spoken Portuguese into English in my brain before writing down my notes in my journal. I'm quite proud, as I caught almost all of what was said. Rodrigo and I then took pictures to document our trip and further illustrate the challenges that the health center faces when we write the report. We didn't have time today to visit the other health center in Barao Geraldo, but I'm sure we'll get around to it after our trip to Rondonia.

Now, I'm packing my bag for the trip, and I've got all of my things laid out on my bed. I still have to buy a lighter, but Tiago helped me this weekend to find a nylon hammock, a mosquito net especially designed for use with hammocks, duct tape, and a flashlight. I already brought a few supplies from home, including sunscreen, 98% DEET insect repellent, and my backpack and hiking boots. See spread picture below, all packed picture unavailable, as the camera is already inside the bag, enclosed in a gallon-size ziploc to prevent water damage in the Amazon.


And, that's about it! I'll be sure to post along the way if I can, but otherwise, expect a lengthy post or series of posts upon my return this weekend!

Tickets Booked! = Adventurous Week Ahead

So it's on! I'm officially heading to the Amazonian state of Rondonia on Tuesday night! Rodrigo and I will be spending the remainder of the week there with a couple of goals in mind. First, we will be visiting a group of UNICAMP students who have been volunteering for the month of July in riverside communities near the Cunia Lake. They are providing primary health care to the populations of these riverside communities, who suffer from many diseases, including a high incidence of Malaria. They have a bi-directional satellite there, and they've been employing a crude form of telemedicine using Skype and digital images to consult with doctors back here in Campinas. Youtube videos here and here (both in Portuguese).

Since Edumed is working with the Rondonia state government on starting a telemedicine pilot program with a jungle health outpost, Rodrigo and I will be visiting the NAPRA students in Cunia to learn from their experiences. Their program has been going on for many years, and we hope to get an inside perspective on the obstacles, needs, and successful projects that come with providing telemedicine to a community in the Amazon rain forest.

To get to Lake Cunia, we must take a 5-hour boat ride down the Madeira River, followed by a 14km trek through the jungle. Obviously, the communities we will be visiting are impoverished, and we will be sleeping in hammocks with mosquito nets for the nights we are there. Do not worry, I'll be bringing my camera along, as we will be documenting almost everything we see there.

We will then return to Porto Velho, the capital of Rondonia, and hopefully we will have time to go to Cacoal, a city nearby where we will eventually implement the telemedicine pilot project. While we are there, we are going to test the connection of the satellite and other equipment to make sure it will be ready when we begin the program.

This weekend I'm going to have to shop for supplies, including said hammock and mosquito net, along with a few other essentials. I'm really excited to break out my backpack, but I'm beginning to worry that it will be too small. I think it should be fine, though.

Monday (and Tuesday, most likely) I'll begin a different project - a sort of report and investigation into community health centers here in Campinas. I will be visiting a couple of community health posts in different neighborhoods that differ in their socioeconomic affluence. I'll be collecting data about the center and the population it serves, as well as asking questions to see what kind of technology they are applying to their work and what kind of problems they are encountering. This, coupled with our Cunia trip, should be an interesting background and primer for my eventual report and analysis regarding the health post where we will install the telemedicine pilot. Unfortunately, it's likely, almost certain, that I'll be leaving to return to the States before the pilot gets underway, but the projected time frame is a couple of years, so I hope I will have plenty of opportunity to come back and get involved again.

So, I think that's the most of it. I'll be "off the grid" for a while, but we are running a twitter feed on our activities in Cunia and Cacoal - www.twitter.com/projetorondonia - Rodrigo will be posting in Portuguese, and I will be posting in English, and we'll be uploading pictures via TwitPic. So, if you so desire you can tune in to our adventures! I'll be writing my own blog post when I return!

Change of Plans

One of those things they teach you at DukeEngage Academy is about the differences in cultural perspective on certain values, such as dress and appearance, the individual vs. the community, and work habits and practices. But I've truly experienced one notion above all others during my time so far in Brazil. That is the sense of time and of planning. I've come to learn not to expect things to happen until they've actually begun happening. Naturally this comes as a shock to my American cultural upbringing, where strict scheduling and adherence to advanced planning are part of what makes society move with such efficiency.

Today, I learned that our trip to Rondonia, the Amazonian state, is once again delayed. This rescheduling is due to the fact that our contacts in Rondonia are currently on vacation, so leaving tomorrow would result in a pointless trip. How this news broke on the eve of our departure I am unaware, but I have learned to accept these hiccups as part of the experience. Now, the plan is to make our trip the first week of August, right before I leave on the 10th. Naturally, this concerns me because another delay will surely result in me not being able to go there, even though working with that region was the original purpose of my entire summer here in Brazil. But, as they told us again and again in the Academy, things never turn out like you originally expect.

Clearly, I'm disappointed with this news, but I have been assigned an interesting project to carry out over the next few weeks before we leave, so at the least I will be busy. This does, however, push up my timetable in terms of weekends I have left to make the trips I want to Sao Paulo and Rio. Tiago says we may be able to go to Rio this weekend or next weekend, and I hope this isn't just another one of the "plans" that gets delayed and revised.

The reality is that I'll be home in four weeks. Though that both seems like a little and a lot of time, I'll be very busy working during the week and (hopefully) traveling on the weekends. Hope you're all keeping well.

Friday: Mixing Things Up

Given my latest post and mounting feelings of slipping into a dull routine, I decided to mix things up a bit on Friday night. Every time when I take the bus home from Edumed, I pass by the strip of restaurants in Barao Geraldo that are a 15 minute walk away from my home. So yesterday, I finally decided to get off the bus early and try one of the restaurants. Professor Sabbatini had recommended one in particular, a seafood restaurant called Dom Alvarez. I decided that this would be the perfect time to try it out.

The restaurant was completely void of patrons when I walked in, as it was still early for dinner by Latin American standards. I actually asked one of the waiters whether the restaurant was open for business, and he assured me that I could choose any table I liked. Outdoor seating was available, but I opted for a window seat just inside the restaurant. The first thing I ordered was a chopp, and then an order of salmon sashimi as an appetizer. As I waited for the sashimi, I contemplated my entree choice. I was having difficulty deciphering just what types of fish they had to offer, as the only two on the menu I recognized were salmao (salmon) and truta (trout). On a whim, I settled on Abadejo, and asked the waiter for a recommendation as to which dish of Abadejo to enjoy. He suggested one, and tried to explain what an abadejo was - a saltwater fish, tasty.

The sashimi came and I was impressed by both the quantity and the thickness of the slices. The wasabi was on the weak side, but the quality of the fish was quite excellent. Good texture and balance of meat and fat, and very fresh. Needless to say I was surprised.

The sashimi

The main course came and I attacked it, accompanied by another chopp. The abadejo, which I now know is codfish, was cooked with a sauce of small shrimps, mushrooms, and capers. The dish came with steamed vegetables and a side of risotto. All parts of the dish were quite good, although some parts of the cod were slightly overcooked and chewy.

The main course

I finished my meal and paid, then left to walk back home. After arriving and settling down, I got a call from Rodrigo inviting me out to Outback with his girlfriend and his cousins. I explained that I had already eaten, but I would love to go and hang out. So Joao, the same cousin that let me drive his car a few weeks ago, drove by and I hopped in. Though we arrived at pretty much peak hours at the restaurant, the five of us got the next available table thanks to Rodrigo's other cousin's hookup - she works at that Outback as a waitress.

For the next couple of hours we sat, talked, ate, drank, and laughed. Rodrigo's cousin spoke perfect English, and we talked for a while about our respective travels. She lived in Orlando for about 6 months working at Universal Studios: Islands of Adventure, and lived another year in Ireland. She also worked on a cruise ship for a year, and got to see most of the Mediterranean, as well as some countries of Eastern Europe. I told her of my own travel experiences and strongly endorsed a trip to Asia.

After a while, another one of their friends, Terrence, arrived. He was also a nice guy, and spoke pretty good English, although he was shy to use it at first. He explained how he had learned a lot of English from working for IBM for a few months, where they would make daily calls to the divisions in the US. Now, though, he works at Abercrombie in one of the shopping centers as a sales rep. Like most Brazilians, he complained how much of a markup imported goods carry when they're sold in Brazilian stores. An Abercrombie t-shirt, for example, regularly costs 100 Reais, or $50! And, like most Brazilians, he dreams of seeing the United States, maybe taking a few months to travel around the country. We also talked about jobs and the difficulty of finding a well-paying job that will allow for financial stability. Clearly, job shortages are apparent not only in the United States.

I always find it interesting meeting new people and hearing their stories - what they've done, what they're doing, why they're doing it, and what they want to do. It's ever more fascinating when the people are somewhat close in age to myself, because then I can project my own perspective onto their situation, and really see how different, or similar, life can be depending on what country or culture you grow up in. During my time here, I've met many interesting people thanks to my relationships with Tiago and Rodrigo. I just hope I'll get to see some of them again before I leave, so we can continue discussions we've started. Further, it'd be nice to maintain contact with them after I go back home, just to see if they're able to achieve their goals as I hope to achieve my own. And after all, if they do end up visiting the States, I'd feel obliged to return their hospitality and show them around.

The Calm Before the Storm

I realize I haven't posted in the past few days, and it's really because there has been little to comment about. Perhaps the only activity of note that has transpired was going out to a bar for happy hour yesterday after work with Tiago and Fucho. Otherwise, I've been going to work, talking with Rodrigo as we take the bus from Edumed to Iguatemi Shopping where we part ways, and watching movies and talking to people from home back in the house.

I feel as though I'm falling into a state where everything feels routine, and few things still appear fresh. Perhaps the daily grind is starting to affect me. I must admit I'm a little tired of the food here and long for some of my favorite dishes from back home. With only a couple of people in the house, evenings are quiet and somewhat lonesome, though a good skype session always seems to fill up the time.

Luckily, I won't have to endure this for much longer, as we're off to the Amazon early next week. I'm sure this trip will serve not only to break the partial monotony that has begun to take hold of me, but also to remind me of my purpose here in Brazil, and the goals that I am seeking to accomplish. After the trip, I'll only have a few weeks left, and they will be very busy weeks as I write my paper/report on our project in Rondonia and travel to Rio to see more of this country. This period now really is the calm before the storm of activity that will continue to bluster until I land upon the shores of my home. Guess I'll just hold on tight and keep my eyes open, so as not to miss anything.

Weekend Edition: The Fourth, Churrasco

Saturday came and Tiago picked me up again to spend the weekend at his house. I had already told him of my desire to buy fireworks, so we dropped my bags off at his house and set off to buy them. Unfortunately, I suffered a burn at the hands (tailpipe) of his motorcycle, and it is now an unsightly brown air blister surrounded by a patch of red. Quite lamentable. Regardless, we continued with the plan and went to a pyrotechnics store, where we bought a dozen little rockets, and a dozen typical colored-burst fireworks. Along the way, I even got my hair cut, something I had been neglecting for a while.

Pyros

Later that night, Tiago and I started shooting off the fireworks from his roof, and Fucho joined us shortly. Video evidence is below.

Afterwards, we went to a Festa Junina in a part of the city called Taquaral. The festa was more like a fair, with hordes of people milling around the fairgrounds and lines of stalls selling food, hot wine, and quentao, a super-strong mixture of ginger tea and vodka-like alcohol. The three of us walked around for a while, watching people dancing a traditional Brazilian square dance, quadrilha.

Sunday was spent attending a churrasco at the house of Fucho's friend. During the day we ate and played around with the kids, kicking around a light soccer ball and shooting a basketball at a makeshift hoop. Everyone was a bit impressed with my handles, even though, as many of you know, my game is much to be desired by American standards. We took a break in the evening, walking over to a little live concert of samba at a house/shop in the neighborhood. I tried to learn the steps from one of the women, but it was pretty challenging, and the language barrier prevented me from asking more about the intricacies of the steps.

After that, we headed back to the house for more churrasco. We played truco, me and one of the guys against Tiago and Fucho. The guy (Aurelio?) and I ended up winning after a closely contested best of three matches to 12 points. I had to leave early, since Tiago was worried about rain on Monday morning. So I headed back to my house in Barao Geraldo, where I was able to skype and watch an episode of Flight of the Conchords before bed.

We're officially leaving for Rondonia (the Amazon) next week, so I'm getting more and more excited every day. Hope to hear from you guys soon. Much love.

Happy 4th!

Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans, wherever in the world you may be! I don't know any other Americans here in Brazil, but I have arranged with Tiago to go buy some fireworks to set off tonight. So, despite the fact I will be without good 'ol charcoal grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, I'll still be able to share in some of the festivities.

These past couple of days have been relatively activity-filled. I went to Valinhos again with Rodrigo, where we played some poker again. This time, there were only 9 players to begin with, but most everyone there was well-seasoned in the art of Texas Hold 'Em. Once again, I finished in 4th place, despite holding the chip lead for much of the middle of the game. Rodrigo again finished in 3rd, one place out of the money. The winner and runner-up were Cahuel, Rodrigo's best friend, and his father, Carlinhos. I really had a great time as we laughed and joked throughout the night. Rodrigo's friends are all great guys, and I have really enjoyed spending time with them.

Poker, anyone?

The room where we play, snooker and foosball included

Me, Cahuel, Celso, and Marcelo

Crammed in the back of the car after poker

The view of Valinhos from Rodrigo's kitchen

I stayed the night at Rodrigo's again, and we went to Edumed together in the morning. After the usual day of work, I went back to the house where I chatted with Enrique for a while. He told me they were going to a party that night to celebrate Nahuel's (the Argentine) departure. I agreed to go along, and I was able to watch Watchmen before heading out to the festa. This time, the party was at a house just outside the campus of UNICAMP. Enrique explained that a bunch of French foreign students were staying in the house, and they were hosting the party to celebrate their own departures as well. The house was quite far away, and we had to ride bicycles to get there. I've now ridden a bike more times here in Brazil over the past 6 weeks than I had in the states over the past 6 months.

The party was fun, with plenty of international students, but no other Americans. So when I looked at the time and it was officially the 4th on the East Coast of the US, I cheered. Enrique and Yuri congratulated me as well. It was slightly awkward but pretty funny looking back on it. I'm sad to see another friend from the house leave, even though I didn't know Nahuel very well. I am the last remaining foreigner in the house.

Actually, I'm practically the only one in the house now, since all of the guys have left for their winter break. Most of them won't be back until the beginning of August, though some have to come back in two weeks to retake an exam or two. The rest of the weekend I'll spend at Tiago's, but it looks like plenty of movie-watching is heading my way next week. I'll post again soon, hopefully with some fireworks stories to tell.

July, July

To my lovely readers,

Today marks the beginning of July, and in a few more days, I will have already passed the halfway point of my journey. The entire month of June has been spent here in Sao Paulo State, making friends and learning about telemedicine. I have produced a presentation with a paper on the way, and soon enough we will be heading off to the Amazon for the main project.

In this time, my Portuguese has advanced quite rapidly. I began unable to mutter much else besides "I don't speak Portuguese" and "Do you speak English?" Now, I can understand most of the things that are said to me, as long as the speaker talks slow enough. I am confident in my day to day conversational skills, while I encounter a little more difficulty when trying to express complicated ideas or use very specific or technical terms. I think that in another 6 weeks' time, my Portuguese will be even better. Hopefully I will be able to continue studying Portuguese, and perhaps I will be fluent enough when a telemedicine conference rolls around here in Brazil.

I do certainly long for home and for school from time to time. I miss my family, my friends, food, Duke's campus, and some of the luxuries of life in the USA. I do consider myself quite fortunate, however, to be equipped with internet both at work and at home, so I am never too far out of touch with the people I care about. I suppose this post represents my reflections on my time here so far. I've enjoyed these (almost) 6 weeks immensely, though I hope the next 6 weeks are even better. Plans include our trip to the Amazon, a weekend excursion to Rio de Janeiro, and hopefully some more time in Sao Paulo.

The end of summer draws ever nearer, and I hope it is treating you all well. To those of you that are heading off abroad soon, I wish you safe travels and all the best. Skype me some time.

All the best,
Rollin

The Weekender: Poker, Driving, and Heartbreak (of the Mild Sort)

This weekend edition begins on Saturday, as Friday night was particularly uneventful, only passed with grocery shopping, movie watching, and skype chatting. Saturday I was scheduled to take a bus departing from Campinas to meet Rodrigo in his city, Valinhos, located about 20 minutes down the highway towards Sao Paulo. Unfortunately, after a thirty minute walk and frantic ten minute search for the bus stop that included asking various strangers in broken Portuguese, I concluded I missed the bus. The next one wasn't for another 90 minutes, so I called Rodrigo and he found a friend to pick me up an hour or two later.

I eventually made it to Valinhos after Rodrigo, his girlfriend Lygia, and his best friend Cahoel came to pick me up from the house. We headed over to one of their friends' houses, where we were set to have a poker tournament. The field was 21 strong, but I held my own for most of the game, playing conservatively but picking my spots to be aggressive. I ended up finishing in fourth place, though I was short-stacked for much of the final table. Rodrigo also had a strong showing, finishing in third.

Saturday also happened to be Rodrigo's sister's birthday, so we headed over to his house after poker to congratulate her. Rodrigo and Lygia had gifts for her, but I of course did not. I did, however, watch Stardust with her and her friends. Later that night, Rodrigo's cousin came over, and we hung out, playing computer games for a while. Rodrigo's cousin then took us outside to take a look at his brand new car, a Volkswagon Polo that he had done some additional work on. The car was very nice, and featured many amenities that, although standard in American cars these days, are rare luxuries here in Brazil. These included a side mirror that tilts down when the car is put into reverse, mirrors with lights behind the sun visors, and an onboard computer.

We took a spin around the block, and then Lygia drove for a little bit. Rodrigo's cousin then asked if I knew how to drive, and more specifically if I could drive manual. I replied (in Portuguese), "Kind of; I don't have many opportunities to drive manual in the states." But he asked if I would like to take the car for a short trip, and I couldn't resist. To my surprise, I found driving stick not much harder than a car with an automatic transmission, since I spent most of my time in second and third gear. I was pleased with my driving overall, and I'm now considering opting for manual when I get a car back home.

Sunday was quiet as usual. I spent some more time in the morning talking to Rodrigo's parents before we ate lunch - a couple of lasagnas. They were pretty good, and a nice departure from the other food I've been having. The heartbreak, however, came with regards to watching the demise of the U.S. international squad as they floundered in the second half of the Confederations Cup Final against Brazil. What was a 2-0 lead at the half quickly evaporated, and was eventually reversed to a 3-2 deficit due to a passive and purely defensive tactical approach. Given enough time, which took about 40 minutes, Brazil picked us apart for 3 goals. Truly tragic. I then skyped some more, checked fantasy baseball, and watched Knowing on my computer. It was quite horrible - something like a mix of a bad M. Night Shyamalan movie with Nicholas Cage and his dreadful balding mullet and diminishing acting capacity.

Anyway, work tomorrow. Amazon in approx. one week! Excited!

Tuesday-Thursday: Presentation, Transformers, Festa Junina

The past few days have been somewhat mundane, as the middle of the week usually is. Tuesday, however, I was finally able to present my report to the company. It's titled "Telemedicine Review: Telemedicine in remote tropical and equatorial regions." Sounds fascinating, right? Well Professor Sabbatini, Rodrigo, Alex, and I gathered in the conference room, where I presented my slideshow and lecture using an online webapp called DimDim. This way, the remote members of Edumed dispersed all throughout Brazil would be able to connect and listen in. Unfortunately, we didn't have any remote listeners. My lecture was recorded, however, to be uploaded to a Moodle module that I would have to manage later. Overall, my presentation went well, and Professor Sabbatini gave me valuable feedback at the end.

Rodrigo went next, presenting his telemedicine software system called MeET. While I had presented in English, Rodrigo made his presentation in Portuguese, and I had to concentrate to follow along. Being able to read the slides while listening to him explaining them certainly helped. Later, Rodrigo told me that he was speaking very slowly in his presentation so that I would understand better. I still thought it was a pretty good clip.

It turned out, though, that in the process of recording Rodrigo's presentation, mine was erased, so I was forced to repeat my lecture the following day, to no live audience. Desperate for some sort of pressure to keep me focused while presenting, I asked my mother to join in via DimDim. She did, and though it was still difficult speaking without any immediate feedback from the faces of my audience, I pulled through. If you're interested, you can watch the video of my lecture, with slides and audio, here.

Also on Wednesday was the thrilling 2-0 upset of the Spanish international squad by a brave and, at times, lucky United States selection. I was able to watch most of the second half, including the sealing goal in the 74th minute. A lifelong naysayer of the United States soccer program, I must admit that the squad that defeated Spain Wednesday truly impressed at times, showing great courage in playing gritty defense, and capitalising on the few opportunities that befell them. The team faces Brazil in the final of the Confederations Cup on Sunday, which I'm sure will be very interesting to watch from here.

The rest of Wednesday was quiet, as I went home on the bus, watched a movie, and skyped with friends and family, as usual. Thursday, however, was more eventful. After beginning the next phase of my project - writing a paper based on my report - I went to the movies with Rodrigo to see Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. While I by no means call it a great movie, Transformers 2 was sufficiently entertaining to garner better than the 21% it sits at on Rotten Tomatoes. I know I got what I expected out of the film: cool CGI of big robots fighting each other, massive explosions, a saturday-morning-cartoon worthy plotline, enough Shia LaBeouf to make me sick for days, and plenty of suggestive shots of Megan Fox involving cars and other things that go fast.

After the movie, we ate dinner in the shopping mall's food court, and I got my first taste of Brazilian Chinese food, although it was Chinese fast food, which is probably more American than Chinese in the first place. The food was okay: the flavors were a little off and the sauces a little too thick at times and a little too runny in other instances. But it certainly did stave off the longing I had for some sort of Chinese cuisine. One can only eat so many meals of beans and rice, after all.

I didn't get home until about 11:30, and when I arrived, the guys were getting ready to go out to a party at UNICAMP. Of course, I couldn't resist tagging along, so around midnight we headed off to a Festa Junina. Rodrigo told me that June parties are usually quite tame, and this one certainly fit that description. Most people were standing around and talking, drinking hot wine and cold beers, and eating assorted cakes. There was some traditional dancing going, but I wasn't too keen on trying my hand (or my feet rather) at it. We stuck around for a while before walking home and eating a late snack.

Today has been pretty quiet at work. I don't think I'll be doing much this evening, either, but I am looking forward to tomorrow night. Rodrigo has invited me to a friend's house for their monthly game of poker. I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow morning, but I'm excited to meet some more of his friends, as well as his girlfriend, who is arriving from Sao Paulo tonight. Hope the week has been treating you well!

Monday: Capoeira!

At work, Monday was just like any other Monday. The most exciting thing, perhaps, was when we bought ice cream from a store down the street after lunch. Rodrigo and I walked over and sampled almost all of the flavors before settling on a liter of Cookie and a liter of Creme. The ice cream was quite good, and we didn't finish all of it until today. After work, though, I was very excited to accompany Tiago and Fucho to learn some Capoeira. If you recall, I was going to learn about a week ago, but that never materialized. This time was for real. Let's just say the hundred pushups is on hold for now.

Tiago drove me home to pick up a change of clothes and then we headed off to meet Fucho at the fitness center to learn. We were on Tiago's bike when we came across Fucho walking up the hill, so we made room and the three of us buzzed up the street, garnering sideways glances from everyone we passed. We arrived at the place and met the Capoeira instructor. He was a very nice man and began class after a few more kids arrived. We were by far the oldest ones there. Fucho had trained before as a kid, and was looking to pick it back up. Tiago, like me, were experiencing it for the first time.

The Capoeira Professor, a young student, and me

We started off with a general warmup that began with jogging and running and gradually got more Capoeira-specific. After about an hour of these exercises, my muscles were already fatigued, though we had yet to begin the real Capoeira. Finally, I was taught the basic movement of Capoeira - a rhythmic, side to side step with the feet essentially tracing an X. I caught on pretty quickly, and the Capoeira Professor was surprised. He asked if I had ever trained Capoeira before, and I replied no, although I did tell him of my previous experience in martial arts.

The basic step

I then learned another move, called "martelo voador," which means Flying Hammer. This move is a sort of spinning outside-inside kick that maintains a straight line from the head to the kicking foot. Capoeira involves plenty of turning motions, and I found my head spinning on numerous occasions. It was all great fun, though, and it reminded me of my days with Tang Soo Do. I kind of miss that stuff now. We talked a while to the Professor after the class, and we're going to return to train again tonight. I'm super excited, though I woke up extremely sore this morning.

Tired after a good workout

Weekend Edition: Rodeio, Derby, Sinuka

On Tiago's bike

The weekend began on Friday night for me as I went out with Tiago, Fucho, and Rosana to a "country party" in Americana, a city about 25 minutes' drive from Campinas. A rodeio, the party was essentially a concert held at a rodeo grounds where I presume they had held events for the past week or so. The party included a fair-type layout with food stalls, boardwalk games, western-themed shops, and a dance area. The concert, however, was held in the actual rodeo arena, and it was overflowing with people. Tiago estimated that 50,000 people had gathered from all over this side of Brazil for this annual event.

The rodeo grounds

The concert itself featured the duo Victor & Leo, a Brazilian-country-music tandem that sang songs about love and the like. I, of course, struggled to understand the lyrics, especially with everyone around me singing along. They performed for a good 2 hours before closing the show around 2:30 or 3 in the morning. Overall it was a very enjoyable time, though I was tired after my night out with the guys on Thursday.

Victor & Leo

Saturday we got up around noon and got ready to go to a soccer game. Not just any soccer game, but the Derby game between Campinas rivals Ponte Preta and Guarani. Fucho, a big fan of Ponte Preta along with his whole family, arranged for us to go to the game, as Ponte Preta was playing host to Guarani. The game was slated to begin aroun 4, but we left at 2:30 to get to the stadium in time to settle ourselves before the match began.

Ponte Preta

We situated ourselves on the home side along with the thousands of other Ponte Preta fans crowding the stadium. On the far side, behind one of the goals, the Guarani faithful stood waving their banners and cheering their side on. Though the match itself was somewhat dissapointing with only one goal, scored against Ponte in just the second minute of play, it was certainly a complete Brazilian soccer experience. I got to help in hoisting the massive flag of Ponte Preta that covered almost the entire length of the long side of the stadium. We were in the front row, so when the match started, the people down below threw the top edge of the flag towards us, and we threw it backwards, continuing to raise the fabric and push it towards the back. Eventually, the banner reached the top, and the flag was rumbling with hundreds of fans supporting its weight.

Guarani

The real exciting/slightly scary part, though, was the famous rowdiness of the fans. During halftime, some sort of brawl broke out between the Guarani fans and the police officers holding the line between the Guarani and Ponte sections. We saw as four officers carried away an unconscious colleague, and dozens more rushed towards the conflict. Later on, we saw a Ponte fan coming back, blood dripping down his face from a gash on his head. After the game, as we were walking back to the car from the stadium, we saw an angry Ponte fan kicking at the windshield of a car stopped at a red light. After a couple unsuccessful attempts, the man took a few steps back and leapt at the window, forcing it in with his foot. Moments later, after he and his friends had run away, police were swarming in cars, all armed to the teeth with shotguns, pistols, and other weapons. I would not be surprised if there were other violent incidents across the section of the city.

Sunday was a much quieter day. We relaxed all afternoon, and I once again did my laundry at Tiago's house with the assistance of his mother. That night, Tiago and I picked up Fucho and Rosana and first went to a shopping mall. Originally, the goal was to find a place for me to get my hair cut, but both the salons in the mall were very expensive (50 reais = $25 for a cut, wash, and dry). Looking for something more to do, we drove around for a while, flirting with numerous ideas of going to other cities. Finally, we decided to play sinuka (snooker) and drove to a place nearby.

Breaking

Making fun of Rosana

The game was very similar to normal 8-ball in the states, but instead of stripes and solids, we played evens and odds, with the one ball being the last to be pocketed for the win. Tiago and I teamed up against Rosana and Fucho, who was by far the best of us. After seven rounds, including one very sick shot executed by yours truly to win a round, Tiago and I emerged victorious, 4-3. The shot that I'm so proud of came at the end of the third game. Only the 1-ball was left on the table, and I nailed a difficult bounce shot to pocket the 1-ball off of the side rail.

The showdown

The face of concentration

After playing the rounds of sinuka, Fucho and I pitted our mini-soccer skills on the foosball table. Playing a best of three, I took the series 2-0-1, with the tie coming when the table only deposited 6 balls instead of 7. I was quite pleased to have secured a foosball win against a Brazilian, as they are renowned for their football prowess. On the real field, though, I'm sure I would have no such success.

"Yay friends!"

Hope you're all well wherever in the world you're reading this from. I've been here for 4 weeks now and I only have 8 left. The Portuguese is still improving, and I'm greatly looking forward to using it in the Amazon in a couple of weeks.

Thursday: Sao Paulo, Churrasco, Festa

Thursday morning I took the bus again, and once again ran into Gabriela. We spoke for a while, and once again parted ways at the bus terminal. I called Rodrigo to tell him I would be a little late to work, and he told me we would actually be heading to Sao Paulo. So we headed off towards Sao Paulo, and along the way we stopped for lunch at a very interesting restaurant beside the highway. The place was called NYC Burger, and it was decorated with plenty of American memorabilia, along with antique cars and a yellow taxi cab out front. The sign outside advertised, "taste the flavor of America." We ate burgers and took a bunch of pictures with the different artifacts while listening to a live performer playing popular American oldies on an electric guitar. Then we continued on the way to Sao Paulo.

Rodrigo with the yellow cab out front of NYC Burger

The table we ate at

Football Rollin

We arrived at the convention center that housed the Franchising Expo, the reason for our trip to the city. Only Professor Sabbatini and Rodrigo went in, though, and Tiago was assigned to show me some of the sights of Sao Paulo. As we drove through the bustling streets of the massive city, I was at times reminded of many other cities in the world. One moment we would be driving through the small hilly streets of San Francisco, making our way to the snaking overpass highways of Hong Kong, and on to the high-walled freeways of L.A. Our first destination was the Avenida Paulista, Sao Paulo's equivalent of Fifth Avenue. The street was 8 lanes wide, with lines of tall buildings on either side, housing banks, tv stations, and other office buildings.

Tiago and Rodrigo outside the convention center

Looking in the direction of the center of the city - note the change in sky color

After strolling along the avenue for a while, we drove off to Parque Ibirapuera, the big park in the middle of the city - somewhat of a mix of central park and the national mall. The park had a very nice lake and beautiful views of some of the buildings in the area. The park also has an obelisk, somewhat like the Washington Monument, except less pointy at the top. We walked around the park for about 45 minutes, before driving back to pick up Rodrigo and the professor. Getting out of the city took over an hour, with stop and go traffic from the center to the outskirts. I didn't arrive home until 10 o'clock.

Parque Ibirapuera:

The guys at the house were having a churrasco, or barbeque, to see off Freek, the Dutchman. Last night was his final one here in Campinas, as he was headed back for home on Monday and would spend the weekend in Sao Paulo. By the time I arrived, home, however, there was nothing left but beer. So we drank and partied before heading out to a festa, or party, at UNICAMP. Almost all of the guys in the house went, and we were singing and yelling and drinking all along the road on the way there. The party was plenty of fun, and we stayed out until 3:30 or so, then Freek, Kevin, and I sat around watching Crank on tv, eating Freek's extra pizzas from the freezer, while Renato was passed out half-drunk behind us. We went to bed at 5, and I truly felt as though I was losing a good friend, or at least someone who could have been a good friend had we had more time.

The guys