Family Bar-B-Que and Goodbye Party

We got up feeling a little stiff from dancing, but breakfast was waiting for us and we had a nice morning feast. A little swim and then it was time for a walk in their central park that was a tropical paradise with a big lake in the center. Zosia and I were happy because the birds were wonderful and we found several life species. How interesting that we ran in to Anita and Don and their crew talking a walk in the same park. Small towns are different.

Today is the family Bar-B-Q, so we spent the morning setting up and cooking. Gilberto and Marceli's family were all coming, brothers, wives, sisters, mothers, And Judy's hosts and family also came. Giberto did the meat cooking and there was plenty. The younger family members spoke English so we had lively discussions about the way of Brazil and the many issues they have in their society. We knew that there was unrest in the country where the President had only a 5% approval rating. And we expected to hear all about the Olympics - no not a word on the Olympics, just day to day living and lack of education.  But Maringa is really isolated from the chaos and crime that lives in the bigger cities.  The party lasted all the afternoon and then it was nap time again to prepare for the Farewell party.

The farewell party was held in a high rise in the center of city near the cathedral. We all met and had a good feast we were all teary-eyed as we are leaving the next day. It was like leaving our relatives, and this after just five days. Pictures all around and then our ambassadors decided that we would sign, and sing we did - America the Beautiful, Let there be peace on Earth, even the Iowa song.

The hosts were quite impressed with our new found talent. We shared gifts and pledges that share the friendship our club promotes. We felt like old friends and wished the times could last, but tomorrow we will be on another adventure, but this time on our own and not with a home stay. 

A day downtown and a night at the County Music Dancehall

We got up a little late this morning, Gilberto asked me if I wanted to go with him to the fitness center. You bet, and I was ready for some exercise because these exchanges have you active much of the day, but no real physical exercise. It was wonderful as his trainer, who also did not speak and English had me work out for an hour or so. I felt great, and isn't nice that no one seems to be put out that you cannot speak or understand their language.

Back at the house, we packed off to the open market downtown. It was mainly food and we were pretty late at this point, so we went into the covered market to see what was going on. All the ambassadors and hosts showed up and after shopping for a while, we settled down where there was a really good musician. I must say that all of our people loved his music and he played to us.   So we art and ate and had many beers throughout the afternoon.

We had a leisurely day around the pool with the family as tonight we were going to go out to the country music dance hall. I was taking my afternoon nap when Marceli came out and said that Giberto want to know if I could join him at the neighbors for a beer. Sure, that sounds like fun. We went next door where his friend had wheeled out a key of beer to the street and all the neighborhood men were sitting around joking and cutting up. Not that I knew anything they were saying but I laughed when they laughed and refilled my glass when they did. We were like old friends. They slapped me on my back when we had to go an hour later. These are some really friendly people.

Now we are off to the dance hall which was way out in the country. It must have held a thousand people and we were greeted at the door by the owner, a woman well into her 80s. But she knew our hosts and we got a great table that fit all 40 of us. The buffet was enormous in the Brazilian way, but the specialty was the fried pork. The band played all sorts of music like waltz, polka, Latin dance music and just plane old popular music and everyone got up to dance. 

Tour the UniCesumar (university) and Brazilian Nightclub

We had a nice leisurely morning good breakfast and swims. We didn't know what to expect at this University but we were shocked. In Brazil there are Public Universities which are free and the are Private Universities which you pay. Public ones are highly competitive where 1 out of every 100 applicants get in. This university we are visiting is private. We are to meet the president in this beautiful conference room - they provide us with an information package full of goodies. We watch a video that describes their mission and programs. It was impressive but nothing compared to the speech the President gave us. It was in Portuguese, but the translator, Naama, made the hour-long presentation sound so fluid, almost like we were understanding the President directly.

President Wilson passionately explained how the public school system worked providing only two hours of instruction each day. Far below all other Latin American countries and how this has led to their crime rate being high and holds the seventh largest economy back so long. It sure sounded like a political speech,and it were, all of the Ambassadors would have voted for him. We were breathless and impressed; and felt we knew the cure for much that ails Brazil. Then, of course, a wonderful wonderful lunch salmon and sushi starters and the endless "self-service" buffet.

Then during afternoon we went to the mall where I hung out nursing a tiny cut of strong Brazilian coffee reading a book on the phone. Zosia and the others shopped for what seemed like a long time. The mall is the last place I wanted to be on this Brazilian day, but we all need to appreciate the needs of others. And Mall did have the best Creche scene - after all Christmas is only six weeks away. The streets were decorated already. Then it was back home again for a swim and wait out the daily thunderstorm.


Tonight was the night we were to go to the Brazilian dance hall, but things didn't go as smoothly as we hoped. The night club was to open at 9:00, but the club had been flooded with the afternoon thunderstorm. So we decided we would head out late. Some of our group showed up early without calling and found the club closed, others didn't know what was going on so they found there things to do. Our group showed up a little after ten, but we were told the band wouldn't start until 11. That's OK, we'll just sit here and eat fried chicken and fried fish, and of course drink lots of beer.

When the band did start the place started to rock. We all got up and danced much of the time. It was exciting, but then again when are we really out at a club until 1:00 am eating and drinking. They were a versatile band and even started  playing songs that we Americans loved. What a time and it was no surprise that our hosts knew the owners.