Kevin

Horses and Airplanes

Wednesday, 12. September 2007, 01:30:15

Blog for the week ending Monday, September 10, 2007
TUESDAY, September 4, 2007

Bob and I had lunch at Chão Cerrado, and then headed over to the tattoo studio to see Lexy and her parents.

The next stop was Gringolândia, where we’re trying to get things ready in the eventuality that students some day might show up.
Our newspaper “article” came out today.

Maybe it was an “ad-icle”, since we paid for it. The photo of the white board didn’t inspire me, but otherwise I thought it was OK.

WEDNESDAY, September 5, 2007

I went to Gringolândia this morning at 10:00 to meet with two potential students. They seemed impressed. Bob joined me later, and we went to the restaurant downstairs to fetch our lunches.

Bob and I spent the afternoon at Gringolândia, trying to resolve technology issues, and just generally getting things ready for classes and the social club. Once we got home I realized we were out of watermelon, so I went to the store to get a big huge watermelon for about 10 cents a pound, in dollar terms. Shirlee called on Skype. I feel like George Jetson whenever I use the web-cam picture-phone.

THURSDAY, September 6, 2007

This morning we stopped by the covered market on our way to Gringolândia and picked up a couple of liters of jabuticaba...

the strange fruit that grows right on the trunks of trees. It’s back in season now. To me the fruit tastes like cloves.
We had lunch at a different place. Its distinctive claim to fame is that the food isn’t over-salted or over-buttered.

We went to Gringolândia, where Heidi was already on duty. I was expecting two or three potential students to show up, but they had better things to do. Eliana came to help me out, and her family stopped by later to pick her up. The computer guy was supposed to come, but likewise never showed. Oh well. I got a few things done.
I bought cornmeal-fennel broa on the way home. I got home around 6:30.

FRIDAY, September 7, 2007 National Holiday: Independence Day

Today was a slow and lazy day... For me. Bob did some gardening and cleaned the house,

and I worked on a bunch of projects for Gringolândia... But we didn’t even leave the house. Heidi called from downtown to tell us we were missing the parade. Otherwise, I ate granola and watermelon that I found in the fridge...

and I worked on the computer.

SATURDAY, September 8, 2007

We have another ornamental pineapple growing in our garden.

Bob and I had lunch downtown at Ferreirinha, and got back home in time to meet Guilherme. He had invited us to go to Corumbá to watch the cavalcade. We stopped along the way to take pictures of a yellow ipê tree.

It’s the same kind of wood we had on our deck back in Seattle.

Once we got to Corumbá,

we saw a band,

we saw all kinds of things...

but mostly we saw all kinds of guys on horses. We watched the guys on horseback ride through town towards the stadium. The mascarados, as the name suggests, were all wearing masks, and just galloped around in no particular direction.

The organized event was the marching in formation of the Christians on horseback, wearing blue, and the Moors on horseback, wearing red.

I’m pretty sure the Moors never invaded Brazil, but the spectacle is some holdover from the olden days in Iberia. The Moors and the Christians all seemed pretty friendly to me. Maybe it was all the beer they were drinking.
After we had spent a couple hours in the stands,

we decided it was time to walk back to town to eat and drink yellow and orange things.

The next stop was Corumbá Falls, the place the real estate guy tried to sell Bob and me a year ago for two million dollars.

Bob even took pictures of the trip with my "old" camera.

We got back home just after sunset... time for me to make a fruit salad and watch the soap opera.

SUNDAY, September 9, 2007

Bob and I walked downtown for lunch at Chão Cerrado, and then visited Heidi and Marcelo at the tattoo studio. Heidi was working on cleaning up their new home behind the studio,

looking forward to the day they’d be moving in. Bob and I walked to Jundiaí

to meet Guilherme. He had invited us to go to the air base for their annual “open gates” independence day weekend air show.
The main attraction while we were there was the smoke squadron, flying in formation.

We missed the Mirage jets, but we didn’t care.
There were hundreds of motorcycles in the parking lot.

The traffic getting off the base was bad, but a fun time was had by all.

MONDAY, September 10, 2007

Today I spent the day waiting for people who didn’t show up. I got up early and got to Gringolândia at 8:00, hoping to meet a potential student. No show. No matter. I had plenty to keep me busy. I walked downtown and met Bob for lunch at Barrigão.

We ran some errands downtown before heading back to Gringolândia.
Street vendors sell jabuticaba, cashew fruit, tamarindo and mangoes, among other things.

I waited for an afternoon no-show, and then I waited some more for the no-show computer guy before finally heading home around 5:00. Bob is getting things ready for our Grand Opening party this Friday at Gringolândia. You’re invited.