I'm getting cabin fever. Even in the wet OR winter I spend a good part of each day outside walking Buddy, doing chores, stacking firewood....
I can't go outside here because the streets aren't safe for anyone, especially an obvious gringo. Joe & Michelle (my hosts) live in a perfectly fine neighborhood, it's just that in this city the definition of "fine" doesn't include gringos going for a walk. Their 16-year old daughter doesn't walk alone, take a bus alone, or do anything else alone. That's just the way it is.
I think when I get home a week from today I'm going to go stand outside and spend an hour just staring at towering fir trees, goats grazing, and all things green.
Then I'm going to work on Sally.
Hi. My name is Craig, and I'm an addict of all things vehicle related. My preference is old cars, but I have an almost insatiable desire to....
Ever since building the teardrop I've had it in my head to do an RV conversion. I see vehicles like this and think: "I could turn that into a cool motorhome!" I little imagination, a few supplies from Home Depot, and some fun with tools I already have and we'd be ready to hit the road in a custom ride. Oh, and now I know I can paint it for less than $300.
I'm running out of time. I need to find the pause button so I can get all these things done before I'm too old to pull them off.
Brazil, Recife (pronounced hay-SEE-fay) is a fascinating place. Bella, their 15-year old who has spent about three years in the States, and I agreed this morning that we wish we could combine the people of Recife with the systems in the States. The culture and govt. of Brazil are SO messed up in important areas. But the people are cheerful, open, gracious, and genuine. Bella and I don't see the snowflake self-absorption of contemporary Americans that has Americans walking on tiptoes. People here don't take offense at the smallest imagined slight. They can laugh at themselves and their crazy life. Whether it's relatively comfortable Boa Viagem (more middle class) or the favela that is Dois Carneiros, the Brazilians I've met are easy to be with. If I teased my class at home like I do these folk I'd be out of a job in a week. Here they laugh, have fun with it, and we bond as they enjoy the attention. I feel such freedom as I teach.
And SO many men treat their wives like they're worthless. They beat them, restrict their interaction with others. drink what little income they get, and are generally horrible husbands. The unemployment rate is 14%. If you've had a job for about six years you're going to get fired so the company can hire a newbie and pay them less. (The govt. requires annual pay raises.) Govt. corruption is the rule, taxes are outrageous, and the only way to have a decent (read: crazy high) income is to get a govt. job. Which comes because you're a relative or paid someone already in the govt. Crime? Not surprisingly rampant. No guns, but knives, clubs, fists....
The people of Brazil + the systems of the U.S. = great place to live.
I'm writing this at 3:30 p.m. We'll leave for church about 6 p.m. to set up for the session that begins at 7:00. OK, it won't actually begin until about 7:15 with attendance at about 30% of the people who will be there by the time we get to 7:30.
Welcome to South America. Punctuality isn't a core cultural value. But goodness, I find it almost impossible to get upset with them when they're so stinkin' happy to be there. Besides...
Truth: there are people coming to these sessions who are taking three busses and riding 90 minutes to attend! Who would do that in the States????
Joe and Michelle have an apartment on the top (6th) floor of an older building. The second floor of the apartment has a balcony that looks east. Here is the view from that balcony, to give you an idea of what this part of the city looks like. Vertical! Early in the panorama you can catch a glimpse of the ocean, six blocks away. It's hard to pick out on this cloudy day, but it's there.
The netting around the balcony and over all the windows (normally left open) keeps pigeons from flying into the apartment.
The cars here in Recife - maybe in all of Brazil have a feature I've never seen in the U.S. When you turn off the car and open the door all the windows go down about 1". Enough to help cool the car in the equatorial sun but not so much that a passing rain storm can get the inside of the car wet.
OK, it's coming up on 11 p.m. and we're home from the seminar. I am once again exhausted. So I'm going to hit "Publish," shut down my laptop, and climb into bed.
Tomorrow we do it all again.
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