June 29....GOOD START - Fifteen minutes after took-off, plane returned to Pearson
Airport for emergency landing. After replacement of a compression valve, the Air Canada plane was able to gain altitude and
landed in Sao Paulo without incident.
July 1....City center of Itanhaém, a beach city one hour south-east of Sao
Paulo, at a sandwich shop owned by Cantonese from Mainland China. Free lunch and fresh cane juice for us.
July 2....Santos, port of Sao Paulo. We parked at the beach. Had fried fish
at one of the many beachside fast food places. The nice woman gave us a free salad. After lunch, we stick our umbrella
into the sand. A black man walked over, speaking Portugese to me and pointing to our umbrella. I thought we chose
a place too close to his business territory of his umbrellas. He wanted me to pull out the umbrella. Then he used
his pump to suck out the wet sand making a deeper hole for our umbrella. I said, Õbrigado. When Adriana was back from toilet,
the black man brought her a chair since I was sitting in our only one. There were more good looking bodies of young men than
women on this beach. We spent two hours walking and sitting. On the way to our car, Adriana returned the chair and asked about
rental for the chair. The black man said it is free and lets keep it as our friendship. Brazilians eat a lot of snacks
than big meals. We went for expresso and cheese bread. At a street corner, we ran into a hawker food stand selling Pastel,
a deep fried flour pocket with stuffings. A black woman made my pastel with shrimp and cheese and Adirana~s with heart
of palms and tomatoes. The food stand is very clean and I checked the oil for frying is very fresh. We stood there and
tasted our pastels, umm..... The woman~s tall son politely thank and wish us a good day. What a blessed day
in Santos!!!!
Adriana, my Brazilian secretary
At Santos Beach
Friendship Chair
Santos, State of San Paulo
July 4....Leaving Itanhaém for Bauru. First, an hour~s drive
through the always foggy mountain to Sao Paulo. A man waved at us, the driver door not closed. Out of Sao Paulo, we stopped
often for coffee and lanches-snacks. All the good highways here are privately owned. We went through six toll booths costing
us over R30. (US$1 = R3) On the last second stretch of highway, cars from opposite lane flashed to warn us of police
check ahead. It took us 10 hours to get to Bauru-inland west of Sao Paulo, instead of non-stop 6 hours. We were welcomed by
the jumping joy of two dogs and one cat.
July 5 to 10....All is peaceful in Bauru. Winter is here. No heater in the house. Need jacket going
out at night. Looking forward to meet up Anita and Jennifer for our Bahia trip, hot, hot, hot sun there.
July 12......Two hour drive to Aqua Sao Pedro - city famous for its mineral springs and best hospitality
university courses in Brazil. Should try out the hotels there!! The four of us had a set lunch, R8 per person. (C$1 = R2.3)
It includes prime rib, drumsticks, salad, pate, french bread, rice, corn crumbs, french fries, beans. It is an all you can
eat deal. They will bring more of what you ask. Drinks are extra. Tips are always included. No tax on retail purchases. It
gets dark here at 6pm, time to return to Bauru. The first part of the highways going back are not toll highways. They
are kind of rough with pot holes here and there. We see mostly trucks and buses. They are nice enough to signal
us to pass by blinking the right signal light, even on No Passing sections. Around the highways are nothing but farm
lands of orange groves and sugar canes. At night it is truly dark. As I look out the car window, the sky is full of stars.
We stopped on the side of highway. It is legal here to stop on highways. There is no city near by. It is peach black and my
first time to see so many stars in the sky. A star even blinks at me when I pee.
Set Lunch - 8 Real pp All you can eat.
Prime ribs, fried chicken, fries, rice, beans, salad and Pate. Drinks extra. Tips included.
July 17....PIcked up girls at Sao Paulo
international airport and headed for Itanhaém. We will
leave early tomorrow for one week in Porto Seguro. It was a rainy day. The girls are
jetlagging anyway. We went to say Hello to our Chinese friends and were treated to freshly sqeezed sugar cane juice.
July 18....We have to catch our plane
at 7:30am. We left Itanhaém at 4am, gas up the car and head for Sao Paulo on
the wet highway. It is still raining. We arrived Sao Paulo, left one piece of luggage with a doorman at a building where Adriana's
daughter, Gabriola, is staying. We called a taxi service but no one answer. We drove over to a taxi station but no one there.
There is a newstand close by but they don't have a phone. Our cell is not connecting well. A passerby was kind enough to let
us use his cell phone. He even tried calling taxi for us. In 5 minutes, a taxi showed up. When we arrived at the airport,
it is 7am. We quickly checked in and obtained our boarding passes. We ran through the security check point and made it on
the last bus to the airplane. One good thing about being late is you don't have to wait in line. Try being late to the airport
next time!!!!!!!!!
It took about one hour 20 minutes to arrive at Porto Seguro. Our tour guide gave
us the bad news that we won't be able to check in to our hotel. This is the season for high school graduation trip. The students
have taken up all the rooms. The good news is we will check into a more expensive hotel. Originally we book a hotel package
of 1,300 real and this upgraded hotel's package costs 1,900 real per person. We were happy to oblige.
The package includes airfare, airport transfer, city tour, double room, breakfast
and dinner buffet. The tour guide is very helpful. Amazingly, the people we met are very friendly, hospitable and kind - the
tour guide, the hotel staffs: doorman, bellman, reception, cleaning lady, restaurant staffs. This more than make up for a
few day's bad weather, rainy and windy. I was told it is quite abnormal.
July 19....It is a cloudy day. Fortunately the sun
shows up in the afternoon. It's a bit windy. Just look at the what the girls are wearing, instead of suntan lotion.
Afternoon relax
Hotel beach front patio
Anita and Jennifer
A lazy afternoon
July 20....Yesterday we booked a tour to the Red Coral
Reefs. The universe is cooperating. It is sunny and bright. We board the boat with about 30 other visitors. We were told to
wear runners. We walked over the reefs and dived into a pool of sea water. We snorkeled and swam with the fishes. Jennifer
saw a sea turtle. Afterwards, we were treated to a lunch at Doa Doa-a beach front restaurant and night club. Later we walked
about one kilometer on the beach back to our hotel, Arcobaleno.
Jennifer and Anita
At the Doa Doa
Walking on the beach
Color of the sand here is yellow and fine.
July 21, 22....What else to do? I am already into
my third book, Ethnic America by Thomas Sowell. Reading in the patio, listening to the birds singing, mosquitoes flying, skin
brushed by light breeze, I am eating my watermelon seeds from Shanghai and occasionally light up a cigarette. Adriana is also
reading, Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer and occasionally rubs my feet. How wonderful?
But can't keep the girls in their room. We head to town by city bus, 1 real(C$0.40) one
way. Plenty of shopping here in Porto Seguro downtown. Swim suits are cheap, about C$10 upward. We had lunch at a kilo restaurant. Food
is buffet style and charged by weight. There were only two Bahian items, stewed ox tails and intestines. We also had
acarajá, a fried bread sandwich stuffed with beans, tomato, little shrimps(they eat the shell
here) and it costs 2 Reals. It is very filling.
I tried using internet in a shop but it was very slow. I gave up updating my
diary.
10pm at night, our tour operator offer bus service to night market. There
must be over 200 street stalls selling artifacts, t-shirts, jewellery, etc. Everyone walks away with something in his
hands. Everyone is excited except me. My legs are unusually tired when it comes to shopping. A cup of expresso sure helps.
There was a shop selling local stuffs from Amazon seem interesting. Anita bought a bamboo filled with sand that makes very soothing
sound. It is supposed to be a rain maker. I would use it before bedtime for it's sound.
Acarajá
Bahia fried bread sandwich
Night market walk
Empty handed
July 23...Do you know Arabs were the best slave traders?
Just like Germans are good piano makers, Chinese good retailers, and Irish good politicians!! Massive commercial sales of
Negro slaves began after the conquest of northern Africa by the Arabs in the eighth century. The Arabs were notalbe as the
most cruel of all slave masters. As late as 19th century, British explorer David Livingstone had nightmares for weeks
after witnessing the treatment of slaves by Arabs. Slavery was not completely abolished in the Arab world until after the
middle of 20th century.
Middle of 17th century, 10,000 slaves per year were being transported across
the Atlantic. By 18th century, it peaked at 60,000 per year. Over the centuries, nearly 10 million African slaves were shipped
to the Western Hemisphere. Many of the slaves came from a region of West Africa east of the River Niger. US held
the largest number 400,000 of slaves of any country - more than one third of all the slaves in 1825. Yet
another country actually imported more slaves, and Brazil six times as many. The conditions under which slaves were held were
generally more brutal in other countries than in US. Whippings were common. The sale of children away from their parents happened
often enough to be a danger to be constantly feared. The forcible separation of husbands and wives also occurred with considerable
frequency - about one out of six couples. Other cruelties and atrocities, although sporadic, were inherent features in the
institution of slavery and the caprice of slave owners.
In Brasil, slaves were
not allowed to fight or train, so they had to find a way to do that in secrecy. They disguised their combat techniques with a dance. In the centuries that followed, Capoeira grew to be a formidable way of defense. Ever since those times, till
well into the 20th century, it was forbidden
to play Capoeira.
There are two forms of capoeira, Angola is the
oldest form, developed by slaves from Africa. Only decades ago the famous Mestre Bimba introduced Capoeira Regional. Regional
is faster
and more "up". It uses a belt-system like the asian
martial arts. Angola is played close to the ground and has the characteristics of a chess-game.
Adriana arranged with one of the best capoeira school for the girls to visit.
We started off near noon to other side of river from downtown Porto Seguro. On way to the ferry terminal, a black man walked
across street from his restaurant to solicit us. We must have spent 20 mintues chating with each other.
Official restaurant solicitor
Adriana and him converse in Portugese while I took a rest on the river band.
We took the passenger ferry crossing the river to
Arraial D'Ajuda.
On the passenger ferry
To Arraial D'Ajuda, the other side of river from downtow Porto Seguro
We took a VW van into town. We were early. It's only
2pm. The Capoeira school doesn't open until 6pm and the lesson starts at 7. We walked through Broadway, a street full of shops,
then to an small old church-probably the first in Brazil.
Oldest church in Brazil
A small catholic church
I am not sure if you believe in miracles. But, apparently
many did.
Miracles do happen here!
The hallway walls are full of letters and photos acknowledging the miracle cures.
I believe in miracles. I made a short prayer in the
church. I believe all religions are good and they ultimately lead to one source - the universe.
The Portugese landed in Porto Seguro, and met the
Indians in peaceful terms. Porto Seguro means Port of Security.
We stopped by the book shop next to the church and they charge to use the toilets.
A while back we were in a stationery store and the lady owner was nice enough to let the girls use their toilet. I think it
is because I gave her a good smile as she walked into her store.
We strolled along to a section of town where the American hippies of the 60's
settled. Naturally the streets look more modern and clean, plus the prices more expensive.
Well, time for the school soon, the breeze is becoming windy.
On the way to Capoeira school
A street in Arraial D'Ajuda
The Capoeira lesson started after the Latin dance
lesson. The cost is 10 Reals. Anita and Jennifer are both ready than ever. First is the warming up period, a strengeous stretching
session. They were bare feet. An Asian looking young man from Boston gave us a thumb up sign(it is very common here meaning
hello, OK, etc.) assuring us it will be quite a lesson. A and J were the only new students. The rest look quite experienced.
After half an hour, the master came and started the lesson. He was very patient with A and J teaching them a few of the basics
of Capoeira steps. Later he assigned an English speaking Brazilian girl to practice with A and J. Hey, I won't last ten minutes
in the lesson.
Wow, by now everyone is hungry. We went to have stone
oven baked pizza while Anita went for kilo food, her usual vege and fish diet. As we headed back, it got really windy. It
must have been 14 degree C with wind blowing. We took the vehicle ferry back to Porto Seguro. It was so cold that I had to
stand next a truck engine to get warm and I missed taking picture of the big and beautifully yellow moon. The sky is filled
with stars. It is amazing that none of us catches cold that night. I was wearing only a t-shirt, short(with underwear) and
Japanese slipper. I can feel great energy in my body that night. We were so lucky as we got off the ferry to find a tour bus
happened to go the direction of our hotel. Otherwise we had to wait in the wind for the city bus. Need I to tell you
how great the hot shower that follows?
July 24 Saturday....Today we have a free city tour.
The bus took us to hilltop overlooking downtown Porto Seguro and the beaches. The tour guide pointed to a tree with red color
resembling 'Fire'. Brazil is named after that-Fire and it all started right here.
Birthplace of Brazil
Where Portugese first set foot
We toured the first village built by the Portugese
in Brasil. The buildings are still occupied and used. The church remains and some turned into shops. We were treated to a
Capoeira dance performed by a group of young people. Anita bought a 'berimbau'. The shop owner taught her how to play. I am
sure she will be glad to play for you. Perhaps we can get Jennifer to demonstrate the basic Capoeira dance steps.
This is also the first time we come to know Cocoa. The seeds are dried.
Then crushed to make cocoa powder. Mix it with sugar to make chocolate.
Berimbau Shop
Made out of coconut. 10 Reals
Cocoa
Fruit with multiple seeds inside. Meaty around the seeds. Taste sweet and sour.
Let me tell you that we walk around this old village
historic site. I have very comfortable feeling with this place. I don't usually like old places. There is good energy here.
When the tour is over, we were dropped off at Doa Doa the beach front restaurant
again. We decided to try a new place. We walked over the beach to a another restaurant owned by a European couple. We ordered
'Paella', salad and fruit juices. It wasn't the greatest Paella but the size was big. We have to take out the leftover and
gave it away to a young woman.
'''PAELLA'''
Portugese Style
Afterwards, we walked by the beach back to our hotel.
We were all reading our books by the beach and by the pool. When the time comes, we had our last supper at the hotel restaurant.
I must tell you that the staffs at this resort are really friendly. They don't work for extra tips. It's included in the package.
Their service to us was untiring. The lady manager at the self-serve breakfast buffet insists every morning to bring us coffee.
The waiters always smile and wave hello when we walked by them outside of the restaurant. And the Manager, Marcos treats us
expresso and tea after our dinners. He just loves to practice his English with me. Even the housekeeping lady was helpful
although she speaks no English.
All the time we were in Porto Seguro, the people are nice and friendly. The weather
wasn't as good as it normally is but good enough for us.
Marcos
very dependable for our free after dinner expresso and tea
July 25....Time heading back to Sao Paulo. Goodbye,
mosquitoes. I must had over 30 bites mostly on my legs. The plane is full. Adriana and I have to take separate seats to make
room for two handicapped people. On the plane, we get a box of sandwich, fruits and cookie. We were picked up at the airport
by Rafael, Adriana's dentist son. We stayed in Sao Paulo for a short sight-seeing ride and lunch. After picking up Anita's
suitcase, we head west to Bauru in late afternoon.
53 kilometers out of Sao Paulo, we stopped by a roadside Portugese restaurant
sampling Portugese egg tarts and snacks. I watched the Brazilian team won the South American Cup in TV.
As we drove on the highway, the temperature dropped further. It must had been
at least 15 degree C below Porto Seguro. And we arrived in Bauru around midnight feeling chill. We are getting a taste of
Brazilian Winter.
July 26....First thing we wanted to do is to buy some
winter clothes. We hit the only mall in Bauru, but the girls found the clothings not cheap. We end up wearing Adriana's old
clothes she found in her house. Last time I was in Bauru. I made a remark of Bauru being 'an insignificant city'. There aren't
much to do here. There are only two cinemas here both playing the same features. Ticket is 9 Real. Large popcorn is 4 Real.
They show mostly Hollywood movies with Portugese subtitle.
We eat out everyday, either lunch or dinner. Adriana is busy cooking, making
cheese bread, baking cakes. All her diet menus are temporary withheld.
We learn to play a Brazilian poker game called Burraco. Gabe and the three
of us played while Adriana entertains us playing her guitar and singing old Brazilian songs.
Playing Burraco
Entertainment by Adriana
July 27....After midnight yesterday, Jennifer found
her allergy symtoms deepened-eyes itchy, nose stuffy, plus a little coughing. Gabe called a pharmacy and they delivered medicine
to our home for less than 20 Real(US$1=3 Real).
Today we suspect it is because of the 3 little Brazilians who lived in the house.
Three Brazilians
From left to right, Claire, Mer and Robin.
Mer the cat
The most likely suspect
July 28....Today, we drove two hours to a resort situated
between orange groves and sugar cane fields to see the 'Singing Sand'. We paid 45 Real per person for the guided tour including
a buffet luncheon.
Singing Sand Pool
It is recommended to skinny dip in the pool.
We all thought we will hear music sung by the sand.
The tour guide explains the sand in the pool has a high concentration of quartz. She scoops out some sand, kind of white looking,
put into our hands and asks to rub the sand. Sure enough, the sand starts to make sqeaky sound.
I can email you a short video I took. Afterwards,
we walked along the trail to a small rapid.
Nice cool feet
Crossing the rapid
Returning from the tour, we went for our late
luncheon buffet. After digesting our food for ten minutes, we went for our horse back riding among the sugar cane fields.
It has been quite an enjoyable day with the nature.
July 29....The place we frequented most is the 'Supermarket'.
We went to supermarket everyday. Anita found the exotic fruits curious and fascinating, fig, passion fruit, guava, mango,
papaya, cashew, pitanga, cupuacu, tapereba, etc. I found the Marlboro interesting, Can$1 a pack. It is normal to find
free coffee promotions. 500 grams of coffee costs about $2 Canadian. One supermarket even provides live music for shoppers.
Beef is cheap here and widely consumed. You can find 'filet mignon' listed even in snack menus. There is no sales tax here.
Bauru sandwich is popular nation wide in Brazil and
is originated here. It is a French roll sandwich with sliced beef, tomato and thick melted white cheese.
Downtown Bauru provides shopping for cheap items.
There are One Real shops here. Like the rest of the world, Brazilians are good shoppers also. I go there for fresh squeezed
sugar cane juice. You can have it mixed with lime juice or pineapple juice. 2 Real for a large cup. It reminds me of my boyhood
in Hong Kong.
The weather warms up quite a bit to mid 20's during
the day and mid teens at night when I can sit on a chair watching the stars and blow smoke at them.
Otherwise, we watch satillite TV, get on the internet,
play cards, munch on Adriana's fresh baked cheese bread and sleep close to noon.
July 30....We have to drive one hour to Barra Bonita
to pick up Adriana's two young sons from her second marriage. Midway, we stopped by 'Shoe City' in Jau. I found the shoes
impressive. They don't seem like knock-offs. They cost approximately from Can$10 to $50, mostly women's shoes and handbags.
Click on the name below to find out for yourself.
If you want to have a 'Crazy Shoe and Handbag Shopping
Spree', just get in touch with me. I may consider accepting fly free to Bauru with you.
We, the six of us, made it in time to attend the 7:30pm
service at Adriana's favorite church. Adriana is not a Christian(Anita is!), but her family feels good being there. There
is a stage filled with musical instruments. A band starts off the service with good music. Everyone sings along with the band.
It is more like a concert!! I will tell you an amazing first hand story about this church next week, after the girls return
to Canada. OK? Meantime, we are all hungry. It's 10pm.
We head for cheese bread sandwiches and fruit juices.
Cheese bread sandwiches
A Brazilian delicacy, made fresh when ordered in this restaurant.
July 31....We picnic at a forest park with lots of
pine and eucalipto trees. Eucalipto oil is used to cure respiratory illness, also a insect repellent. I use it at home instead
of the artificial fragrance. The mud here is red color. Most Brazilian children run around bare feet.
We had to leave early because Cesar's old wound in
his arm is acting up. He hurt his arm falling from skate board a while back. At first, he was treated with pain killer. Few
days later, he felt such an enormous pain that he was taken to the emergency. Doctors found out there was an infection
in the arm. It was so serious that they have to operate immediately.
One month later, during a family conversation, Cesar's grandma mentioned his
arm must be painful during the operation. Cesar immediately told his grandma it wasn't painful at all. As a matter of
fact, he felt very good knowing he will get well. He said the doctor drilled two holes into his arm to drain out the yellow
liquid. He didn't feel a thing. He was watching his own body being operated from the ceiling. Adriana said Cesar was
supposed to be unconscious during the operation. Believe it? Or not?
Cesar
Found a Shoe
Aug 1....We are taking the boys back to their father.
We took a highway going through sugar cane fields. The landscape around here is beautiful. Sugar cane and coffee plantations
flow with the rolling hills. Occasionally, you see huge smoke rising to the sky as the harvested cane fields are being set
on fire. We stopped on the highway and started to attack the cane field.
Highway robbers
We started eating the sugar canes immediately.
Group photo
Stretching session with Barra Bonita in distant background
Later that afternoon, Cesar was taken to the hospital
in Barra Bonita to examine his arm. He was given anti-biotic and sent home. School starts the following Monday as their winter
break is over. We headed back to Bauru through the cane fields. As usual, we stopped on the highway to look at the stars.
Aug 2 to 6....Jennifer's allergy systom is improving.
As usual, we went to supermarkets everyday. Anita learnt making banana cake with healthy ingredients, cooking beans. Next
to where they put the rice in supermarkets, you always find different varieties of beans. Beans come with most meals along
with rice. Brazilian cook rice with oil, garlic and salt. They almost eat as much rice as the Chinese. Jennifer learn to make
chocolate dessert with condensed milk and cocoa powder. I am always the friendly observer.
We also stopped by the natural food store as herbs are widely used in Brazil.
Anita brought home Stevia leaves and guava powder. I bought some passion fruit skin powder for lowering of blood sugar. (First
at another natural pharmacy store, they didn't have enough quantity to sell to me. They refered this store for cheaper price
for higher quantity. Some nice merchant!) We also learn to use salt for cut wounds, alcohol(a cheap substitute) for
mosquito bites and eucalipto as natural freshener.
There isn't much spectacular activities happening. Jennifer uses the internet
and watches TV. Anita checked her e-mails, slept till noon and took the days easy. Adriana does her favorite chores,
keeping the house clean, making meals, washing clothes, drying them in the sun and ironing, bath the dogs and cat and of course,
rub my feet. I am into my sixth book, Race and Culture by Thomas Sowell. It is a history book observing how immigrants changed
many nations. In the book, it describes how the Portugese just sat there holding their lands while the immigrants from Italy,
German, Croatia, and Japanese transformed Brazil, just as the mixed races of Irish, Jews, Germans, Italians, Chinese, Japanese,
and blacks transformed the United States. Interesting!
I am glad the girls didn't find it boring. They feel relaxed and appreciated
having live for a short while with a Brazilian family. They are truly impressed with this trip. Dad's money well spent!
Meanwhile, the girls get new hair do from Adriana. She also cut my hair.
This hair is too curly and long
Jennifer getting a new hair do from Adriana
Her young friend Alesanda dropped in to give us manicure.
Free manicure
Easy going, friendly and non-English speaking Alexanda
Aug. 7....We left early for Barra Bonita to attend
Adriana's sons school performance. The theme is 'Olympic'. The students perform in different cultures, Italian, German, Japanese(There
are one million Japanese living in Brazil, the biggest Japanese population outside of Japan.), etc. In one scene, the performance
is about Confucius-when you refuse a gift, who do you return the gift to? When someone says or does something you don't like,
why put it in your heart? Just refuse it into your heart. I have been to enough student performances. As Jennifer is out of
school, she finds this opportunity to see other school's performance interesting, especially a foreign one.
Rubens
Danced in traditonal European costume
Last minute shopping....It is the last day for the
girls to shop for gifts. Anita found the swim suits here very cheap. Jennifer found the soccer shoes in Canada few times more
expensive than here. Cesar's arm has been improving all week. We went out to the most popular restaurant in Barra Bonita,
by the river. The children seems to be serious tonight. They find this evening's dinner the most enjoyable in this formal
restaurant. We ordered some appetizers, fried jerked beef, salad, fried corn fritas and their famous dish, fish cooked with
cream sauce in a roof brick tile and filet mignon. This is the most expensive meal so far in this trip. The bill came to 100
Reals, about Can$40.
Fish cooked in brick tile and Filet Mignon
My girls and Adriana's sons think this is their best meal.
Farewell on the street...Adriana's parents hugged
and kissed the girls goodbye. As Chinese tend to be conservative, the girls let them. Rubens told my girls that they are welcomed
to sleep in his bed in the future. Adriana has to drive one hour back to Bauru. She has been doing all the driving throughout
this trip. She is the best woman driver I have came to know personally.
Aug 8....The car is just right for 2 pieces of suitcases,
one backpack, one carry-on and four people. We headed out to São Paulo-Guarulhos InternationalAirport. We naturally stopped at Rodoserv Star roadside restaurant for midway coffee. It claims to be the best in South
America. Just take a look at its men's room.
Rodoserv Star, the Best in South America
4-1/2 star electronically automated Men's Room with smoking lounge
50 km to São Paulo, we also stopped
at a roadside restaurant specialized in food items made with corn-corn milk, corn ice cream, hot corn pudding, corn-on-cob,
etc. But the 10 degree Celcius is spoiling our last few hours of fun. With couple of hours to kill in São Paulo, we went
to a shopping mall. It was full of people. Mall culture is alive here also.
It took another hour to get to Guarulhos
Int'l. I had a really funny feeling saying goodbye to the girls. It is the first time I am not walking in the departure
area with them.
Before we start our 5 hours' drive home, Adriana and I went downstairs for coffee. After
the first sip of the expresso, I noticed Adriana's eyes are full of tears. She is already missing the girls. We picked up
Gabe in São Paulo. She cried in the car after kissing her SP boyfriend goodbye. Are women more emotional? Or Brazilian
women are? The cold quickly made us realize we have only our own body to keep warm. Gabe cuddled in the back with her blanket.
Again, the temperature dropped as we approached Bauru. The roadside restaurants are without heat. The tiny cup of expresso
in a vast premise lack of human heat didn't really do us any good. When we got there, it is home sweet home.
Aug 9 to 14....Through Yahoo, I learn the girls are
home safe. My brother and his family are there visiting our parents. I am going to miss them this year. Aside from the
supermarket visits that I stocked up my coffee supply and a few other 'cheap' things such as a carton of Marlboro, visiting
the eucalipto forest, continue reading my sixth book in Brazil, watching the stars and moon with Adriana, spending time with
her family and visiting Barra Bonita one last time, there aren't much excitement happening to me. Everything is peaceful and
calm. I took over Jennifer's allergy after she's gone. Except.....................
I want to tell you a first hand story as I promised on the evening of July 30,
Friday at the Christian church.
Here it goes,
Since Ruben was born, he's been having allergy problems with milk products. Through
this ordeal, Adriana becomes an expert in reading food labels. She used soy instead of milk and tried endless ways to help
cure Ruben's allergy. When in school, the teacher gave out chocolate occasionally to the students, Ruben would keep his
until Adriana picked him up at school. He would then throw the chocolate at his mother and yell out words of resentments.
Once, he even tore up a schoolmate's birthday invitation in the classroom stunning the teacher and everyone else. He yelled
'why invite me.' knowing he is not allowed to attend birthday parties. Rubens was kept from parties to avoid milk products.
Adriana was told that if Ruben's allergy is not cured before seven years old, the allergy will likely to stay with him
his whole life.
Adriana is not a Christian, but she attends Igreja Crista Renovada. She said
she has good feelings there. One day, she came to know one of the priest there who knows how to heal. Adriana has tried just
about everything she can all these years through western medicine, natural herbs, spiritual healing but to no avail. She asked
him for a prayer for Ruben's allergy. He said why not; this boy does not meant to have an imperfect health; that's not how
God created him in the first place. Adriana wanted to try anything before Rubens becomes 7 years old. She wasn't sure the
priest can do the job. She told Ruben that a priest at the church will give him a prayer to help heal his allergy.
They went. The priest gave a very forceful prayer to Ruben. When finished, Ruben's
eyes were full of tears. As they walked out the church, Adriana wasn't sure what they prayer would do to her son.
But her mind was made up about what to do next. She went and bought Ruben a slice of cheese pizza.
Ever since that day before he turned seven, Rubens cosumes chocolate, fresh milk,
pizza and of course, attends birthday parties.
Igrela Crista Renovada
Where miracles took place.
Aug 15....I got up early and packed my suitcase. Put
it in the car. Then went to take the boys, Cesar and Ruben back to Barra Bonita. We stopped at Jau. Remember the shoe
city? We couldn't find any restaurant open for lunch. We gas up the car at a gas station. There was a restaurant opened
for business. We went for the buffet. Adriana and I started disputing the date. The owner of the restaurant told us today
is Jau's annual birthday and it is always on August 15th. Holy moses! All along I thought today is the 16th-the day of
my departure flight. I decided that we may as well go to Sao Paulo. Gabe wanted to spend a few hours with her boyfriend. Now
she can spend one whole day with him. And we can tour Sao Paulo as I haven't yet. So, we took the boys home and said farewell
to Adriana's parents. Adriana took the wheel and head out under the sunny sky.
I want to tell you this is not the first time I make a mistake on my departure
flight. Last time, I mistaken 21:30 as 11:30 and missed my flight from Sao Paulo to Chicago. Good thing there was
another flight to Washington that I was able to got on and reconnected to Chicago catching the Vancouver flight. And in between,
I got to go out the both airports for smokes. Hehe!
And another time in Rio, I missed my flight and had to take a later one to
Maceió, a northeat beach city. Damn European 24-hour time. I am glad you are not coming
along on my trips. You will get unecessary high blood pressure because of me. But I'm cool! Really! Every time!
Back in São Paulo, we rent a hotel near the domestic airport for 55 Reals a night.
It is simple, clean and has heating from the air conditioning unit. That night, we went downtown to watch a movie 'Notebook'
by James Garner. Next day, Adriana drove around São Paulo city to a mall which I didn't have anything to buy, and São
Paulo University. We had a late lunch at Fogo de Chão, a steakhouse with atmosphere from Rio Grande do Sul (Southern Brazil).
We were both very satisfying with the Brazilian
meal, great meat, service and good price-the most expensive meal I had this past month and a half. It came
to R134.20, about C$58. 'Churrasco' is all you can
eat BBQ meat that you must try when in Brazil. You can find 'Churrasco' everywhere, even on the side of highways. It can be
as cheap as R15 per person or as expensive as the one I tried. I suggest you try the expensive one. The meat is well worth
the price, for meat lovers. For those who gave up eating meat, the buffet is usually good with hot and cold variety. There
is one in downtown Vancouver and recently a few opened up in China. I am not sure how authentic they are. There are also quite
a few in the US.
Adriana used to live in São Paulo. She still remembers the
directions and most streets of this city populated by almost 15 million people. We went to see the longest building between
two columns which houses Museu de Arte de São Paulo(Click to see photo). Then we joined the struggling after office hour traffic towards Guarulhos International airport.
I was told the plane is quite full. Adriana and I had one last expresso before my departure.
I carry a bottle of 80 Canadian cents cachaça in my backpack. I am ready to make Caipirinha
for the boys back home. After hugs and kisses, I left Brazil, again. I am
quite sure Adriana is weeping on her way to the parking lot. But I shall see her soon, in the internet. Gabe will keep her
company home to Bauru.
An incident happened in the afternoon before
my departure. It happened in São Paulo, while Adriana and I was having expresso in
another part of the city. It took place in front of the building where Adriana's relatives live. I must have been there over
ten times. Rafael('R' is pronounced as 'H' sound in Portugese), Adriana's dentist son, was in front of the building showing
off his CD player in his car to a cousin. Two black men dressed in suits showed up with guns in their hands. They asked for
cell phone, watch and money. Rafael didn't wear a watch, had only R50 and no cell phone. But, actually Rafael was sitting
on his cell phone in the back pocket. And sure enough, someone called his cell. Strangely, it only vibrated instead of ring
and vibrate normally. Later he found out it was his sister, Gabe calling. Now, the two black men wanted Rafael's car. Rafael
told them the gas tank is almost empty. They forced their way into the car and told Rafael to drive. They stopped by a
gas station to get gas. Suddenly, the two black men wanted to get off the car. They took Rafael's money leaving him R20 for
the gas. Rafael didn't know what was going on. He was glad the cell phone didn't ring and grateful that he is still alive.
Two weeks later, I was told over the MSN messenger that Adriana's brother who
lived in the same highrise complex got robbed. From the descriptions, the robbers are the same ones who gave Rafael a lesson
of life.
And as for me, I feel so blessed that all the time I was on that street in front
of the buildings, nothing happened to me. I remember myself smoking on the sidewalk, waiting in the car, moving suitcases,
chating, during daytime, nights and even wierd hours.
