Since I've asked my group to keep a journal, I spoze I should do the same. "My Group" is the ten or so people from Williams Institutional CME Church who will be traveling together to the Connectional Youth and Young Adult Conference in Orlando, FL.
This is one of the CME Church's quadrennial conferences. This one is geared towards youth, ages 12-17, and young adults, ages 18-35. Its purpose is to challenge youth, young adults, and church leaders "to consider new and prophetic ways of ministry in the areas of formation, leadership, nurture and mission."
I'm all for that. It's a bit disheartening sometimes to look objectively at something so emotion-packed as ones religious beliefs or practice. If an omnipotent God is the background upon which we consider our reflections, they will always fall short. Someone said that all we do is "pay money to go to meetings to pay money." That may be a slightly simplistic way of expressing it, but many of our connectional meetings do seem to lack any focus other than a fiscal one.
For me, the issue is two-fold. On the one hand, I desire to be a good steward of the gifts God has bestowed upon me. It's getting harder and harder to justify travelling somewhere, staying in a hotel for five days, for -- what, exactly? There is a certain value in fellowshipping with people, but it's hard to fellowship when everyone's in meetings. And I can't help but think that the meetings would be more democratic, more effective, and more purposeful if they were done via teleconference or satellite or something -- instead of having people spend money on hotels, why not invest that money in the local churches and the local church infrastructure? You could then have congregants gather at the local churches, and have the meetings that way. Not only would it be more cost-effective, but it would be a step towards lessening the digital divide that exists in our communities.
Perhaps that would also allow us to address the second issue I see with our connectional meeting structure. That is the substance. While there has been an attempt of late to provide workshops and sessions for the conference attendees, I have to say that much of the thematic organization of our larger conferences is lost on me. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, I'm saying it's lost on me.
I'd like to see a variety of conferences offered throughout the year, on a variety of themes. I'd like the ability to choose which conference I attend, and for there to be some tangible benefit to attending the conference. For instance, when I go to AAR, I get to meet people who are potential employers, and I get to go to lectures and workshops by people in a variety of fields. The result is that I can engage in detailed discussion in areas of interest, or I can sit, listen, and learn about other areas. This makes the conference worthwhile before we get to the discounted books in the basement.
While I'm ranting, it seems to me like the only time Jesus got mad was when He was headed into the temple, and the guys were sitting around selling animals (presumably for sacrifice) and changing money. How is that different from our connectional conferences where, to get from session to session, one has to run a gauntlet of vendors? Just like the guys were sitting around outside the temple selling animals for sacrifice, these vendors are selling any kind of junk they think they can -- as long as it has "Jesus" plastered on it, or has a pseudo-religious saying or logo. While I've certainly been guilty of impulse buying, and while the case could probably be made that they offer Christian-themed goods that are not readily found in other places, I can't help but wonder if those vendors aren't taking advantage of folks who 1) have poor impulse control (myself included); or 2) somehow are confusing their faith with superstition, are believing their salvation to be a result of their actions, or are otherwise equating the purchase of Christian-themed goods with any aspect of their individual faith journeys.
But nobody ever challenges having the vendors there, and nobody ever draws a parallel between the vendors outside our meetings (or outside our places of worship, since we gather for worship every day at these meetings) and the vendors that Jesus whipped away from the temple.
It would probably be a good idea to outline what I'm going to say before I start blogging. There was some other point I wanted to make, but now it escapes me. My hope and expectation are that the attendees at this conference, with the Isaiah 43:18-19 "Doing a New Thing" theme -- my hope and expectation is that the attendees will come away emboldened, equipped, and empowered to do a New Thing in our CME Church.
On another note, I spoke with Dr. Moody-Shepherd just now. Not only will I be teaching the online Church History class for the Certificate Program in the fall, but I've just found out that the course offering she has for the Holy Land trip is through the same group with whom I'm going to Israel. So we'll be able to partner together for future trips to the Holy Land. I'd like to offer them through NYTS, the CME Church, and possibly Phillips School of Theology, the seminary affiliated with the CME Church.
It's 6 pm. I'm spozed to be here til 7 and then return at 10, but think I'm leaving now, going to the Y for a swim, home to play with the Wii, and then heading back here. I'll be here from 10 pm til 3 am, and then will head to church for the day.....
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
cleaning
So I use a company called Maid Brigade to clean my house. When I came back from Brazil, I brought a stone dolphin and went to set it on the table beside the Waterford crystal dolphin I bought in Bermuda in 2000. Except it wasn't there. I looked all around, noticing that some things on my little display table had been rearranged, but I couldn't find it. I called Michael Bryant, who owns the Manhattan Maid Brigade franchise. I told him about the issue, and he said he'd ask the lady who does the cleaning.
That was two weeks ago. Since that time, the cleaning lady has come once again. She left me a note stating that she was not alone during the visit when the dolphin disappeared. She also stated that she saw the dolphin, but she didn't take it. When I asked Michael what progress they were making towards recovering or replacing my dolphin, he told me he'd spoken to the second worker, who "said she didn't take it." (I guess it's common for thieves to admit when they steal?) Despite his verbal assurance that the piece would be replaced, I started to get a little uncomfortable and decided I'd file a police report.
Oh. My. Goodness. I went over to the 25, my local precinct. Some hairy little redheaded man named Reid talked to me about the incident. I asked him if I could file a report, but he wanted to play detective, telling me what he could and could not deduce from the timeline. He continually questioned why I didn't call 911 the minute I suspected my cleaning lady had taken something. I told him I didn't consider discovery of a theft after the fact to be an emergency. This guy then looked me in the eyes and told me he couldn't take a report. He told me to go home and call 911. I said "but it's not an emergency. Isn't that an abuse of 911?" He said "No, absolutely not."
So I went by Dunkin Donuts and stuffed my anger (four DD donuts, btw, put so much sugar into my system that I literally couldn't get out of bed the next day). Then I came home and called 911. When the operator asked "what's your emergency?" I apologized, told her it wasn't an emergency, but that I'd gone to the precinct to file a report and the officer had sent me home to call 911. She was incredulous, too.
But it worked. In less time than it took for me to go to the precinct and listen to officer Reid lie to me, two very nice officers appeared at my door. I told them the situation, they came in and took the report. We actually had a nice time chatting about travel and history, until they got a report of shots fired somewhere on the East side.
So by this afternoon, I should have a complaint number. Not that it will help to recover the item, but somehow formalizing the report makes me feel a little less violated. And I've decided that Maid Brigade isn't a company that can come into my house for any reason any more. The agreement with them was that this one lady I trusted would come in. Now I'm hearing that they had a second person in because they were training them. I don't know if a court of law would find their behavior liable or negligent in any way. I just know that they brought somebody into my house and my only piece of Waterford crystal disappeared.
That was two weeks ago. Since that time, the cleaning lady has come once again. She left me a note stating that she was not alone during the visit when the dolphin disappeared. She also stated that she saw the dolphin, but she didn't take it. When I asked Michael what progress they were making towards recovering or replacing my dolphin, he told me he'd spoken to the second worker, who "said she didn't take it." (I guess it's common for thieves to admit when they steal?) Despite his verbal assurance that the piece would be replaced, I started to get a little uncomfortable and decided I'd file a police report.
Oh. My. Goodness. I went over to the 25, my local precinct. Some hairy little redheaded man named Reid talked to me about the incident. I asked him if I could file a report, but he wanted to play detective, telling me what he could and could not deduce from the timeline. He continually questioned why I didn't call 911 the minute I suspected my cleaning lady had taken something. I told him I didn't consider discovery of a theft after the fact to be an emergency. This guy then looked me in the eyes and told me he couldn't take a report. He told me to go home and call 911. I said "but it's not an emergency. Isn't that an abuse of 911?" He said "No, absolutely not."
So I went by Dunkin Donuts and stuffed my anger (four DD donuts, btw, put so much sugar into my system that I literally couldn't get out of bed the next day). Then I came home and called 911. When the operator asked "what's your emergency?" I apologized, told her it wasn't an emergency, but that I'd gone to the precinct to file a report and the officer had sent me home to call 911. She was incredulous, too.
But it worked. In less time than it took for me to go to the precinct and listen to officer Reid lie to me, two very nice officers appeared at my door. I told them the situation, they came in and took the report. We actually had a nice time chatting about travel and history, until they got a report of shots fired somewhere on the East side.
So by this afternoon, I should have a complaint number. Not that it will help to recover the item, but somehow formalizing the report makes me feel a little less violated. And I've decided that Maid Brigade isn't a company that can come into my house for any reason any more. The agreement with them was that this one lady I trusted would come in. Now I'm hearing that they had a second person in because they were training them. I don't know if a court of law would find their behavior liable or negligent in any way. I just know that they brought somebody into my house and my only piece of Waterford crystal disappeared.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
June 17, 1995
June 17, 1995 was the last time I used mind or mood altering drugs. I'd started 33 years before then, at age 6, with little sips of beer from the adults around me. We all thought it was cute and harmless. When, at age 12, I started to smoke marijuana, no one seemed to notice -- after all, I was a straight A student, was active in church, and (with the exception of smoking pot) was generally perceived as a "goody two-shoes."
The journey was just pot for a couple of decades; once in a while I'd do some mushrooms or try a hit of acid, but it usually didn't get me off, and I had no steady supplier for those things, so I stuck with pot. Which I loved. It was only after I moved to NYC in the late 80s, was introduced to cocaine and later, to crack, that my love affair with marijuana ended and the descent into hell began.
But it's 2008, and everyone's heard a middle-aged-former-druggie-now-clean story.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Rio blog
New York – JFK,
May 23, 2008
7:54 pm
I left work a little after 4. I’d called the church during the day and Angie confirmed that I’d left my both my bilingual and my Children’s Bibles in the pulpit. So I stopped at the Christian bookstore on the way home and found a pocket-sized NIV. The print’s a bit small for me, but I can’t imagine traveling without my Sword. An easily concealed one is that much better.
Came home, wanted to play with my wii but thankfully decided I’d do the “must-do” things first, like get my meds together, pack my laptop, etc. I’d spent half the night before looking for my moleskine, so was delighted when I switched bags and found it in the bottom of my grey Sidley duffel bag!
While I was making the bed, I got one of those annoying automated calls from the Big Blue Van people. It was 5:25. They said my driver would be there in 5 minutes. I grunted, hastily finished making the bed, and trundled downstairs. Just as I was about to tell the doorman about my trip, the driver pulled up. I always expect to be the last pickup, since I’m a short distance away from the Triboro, but a) I forgot I was going to Kennedy, and b) this driver was a little different. He’d just finished a run on 135, and picked me up then headed for some fares downtown at 96th street and in the 70s and 80s. He was quite a character. He spoke with a heavy, Caribbean accent – I was about to write that it was unintelligible, but when I listened, I could understand him. I seemed to be the only one in the van who could, although I did notice that the yuppie white guy stopped asking me what time we’d get to the airport and started making conversation with the white female when the driver’s conversation turned to the safety of his son, and when we both expressed incredulity that 50 bullets into an unarmed human could ever be considered anything but murder. He very interestingly noted the fact that three police officers were judged not guilty of shooting a human after firing 50 bullets into him, but that Michael Vick got years in prison for abusing a dog. The white people didn’t even attempt conversation with us after that.
So this guy is going on and on, and at 6:10 the yuppie guy is stressing out about whether we’d get to the airport by 8 because his flight left at 9 and he had to be there an hour beforehand. The driver continued his rants, (we were now in midtown, heading for the bridge), but he took side streets and back streets. We pulled up in front of stress bunny’s Jet Blue just around 7 (on Memorial Day Weekend!). After congratulating the driver on making such good time, I turned to stressboy and said “and you were worried about getting here by 8?” He gave me the “I wish I could melt through the floor and you’d go away” look, wished the white woman a pleasant trip, and exited the vehicle.
I got to Delta a little later and, because they have no Clear lane, had to wait in a line of about 50 people for checkin. There were 10-15 ticket agents, though, so it went pretty quickly. There was a woman behind me with two adolescent sons, one of whom appeared to have some sort of dysfunction regarding spatial perception. He kept stepping up on me, in a way that would have me convinced he was a pickpocket had we been in Rio. Still, I was headed to Rio, can couldn’t be too careful. So I gently moved away from him. He stepped up on me again. I put my luggage between me and him, and then I realized that he was impaired and not a pickpocket, because he kept stepping up on the luggage. When he started pushing it into me, I cast a few looks at the mother. She was busier playing “I Spy” than she was mothering him, though. Just as I thought I’d found a not-too-bitchy way to ask her why her son would choose to position himself closer to a stranger than to her, she FINALLY pulled the young man back to her and told him to maintain a distance. Goodness!
I only saw one couple of African descent in the line (I have no way of knowing their destination, and I was a few hours early), but otherwise I saw great ethnic diversity: southeast and Pacific Asians, Whites, and Latinos. Lots of people speaking Portuguese.
Before 8, I’d cleared security, gone to pee, and found a place to plug in my laptop. I decided on the Zune rather than the ipod, and I actually brought some of my Netflix CDs to watch, so I should be entertained. If I don’t go to sleep. I have a couple of grapefruits and some dates with me as I watch this woman eating Dunkin Donuts. I need to go get a cappuccino and maybe some more fruit. I feel a bit ridiculous with this money belt, but have yet to speak to someone who doesn’t warn me about the crime in Rio. I even made a mugger’s wallet for when I’m there – an old wallet with some useless or expired credit cards, and I’ll put a couple of dollars and a few Reales into it. I just have to figure out what to do with my regular wallet.
I’m pretty excited. I hope Larry will manage to not be the Nervous Nelly he’s been so far -- I understand he’s concerned, but I’m finding his input a bit controlling. I think my growth is coming in learning to manage him, though. I copied him on correspondence between me and the agent saying that he could ride back from the airport with me at no additional charge. I wrote the driver to confirm. Larry asked if I heard from the driver. I told him I thought it was ok with the driver, since the only thing he’d commented on was the fact that I had an incorrect flight number. My thought was that he would have commented on anything else in my communication that was incorrect. But instead of explaining that to Larry when he asked if I’d gotten confirmation from the driver, I just told him “no.” I decided it’s better for me to develop a relationship with my driver/guide independently of Larry. Larry has his ideas about what he wants me to do in Rio, and about the activities I’ve planned, yet he’s determined to do the things he’s deemed worthy whether I join him or not. God, I THANK YOU for giving me the wisdom to rent an apartment rather than staying with Larry and Pedro!!! He’s my boy and I love him and all that, but I just don’t do well in enclosed spaces with people who think they have a right to make decisions about my life.
Well, I think I’m going to have to give up my lovely seat and go find some coffee and more fruit. I’ve written enough for now. I’m excited.
Sao Paolo, Brazil – Guarulhos (GRU) Airport
10:27 am, 5/24.
The looong and cold flight was uneventful. They showed Mad Money, which I got to listen to halfway through after taking out the piece of headphone jack someone had left in the socket. It was just very cold on the flight, but other than that, it was fine. I’m trying to stay on my Weight Watchers program – it’s really hard when you travel; even hardeer when you’re traveling internationally. Fortunately, I’m registered with Delta as one who needs diabetic meals, and even though they still always serve rice, it seems to be no more than ¾ cup. Also, I noticed my veggies were (over) steamed rather than covered in gravy,. I got something that I think was grilled chicken wkith a bit of sauce on the side, Promise instead of butter, a green salad with fat-free balsamic vinaigrette instead of one of the Newman’s brands, and fruit instead of candy. I’d estimate what I ate at about 6 points. I’d brought a couple of grapefruits, so I ate them on the way.
For breakfast, they gave me a small 100-calorie bagel (I think it was the 100-calorie one – it was the mini-bagel) instead of a regular sized one, and sugared jam and promise instead of cream cheese. They also served me orange juice and a banana, neither of which I consumed, and a very good 90-calorie granola bar. I had a couple of glasses of water and a diet soda.
Here at the Sao Paolo Airport, I first went through customs, then changed money in the airport. Not wise, but I’m on vacation and wanted to play. Airports are airports all over the world, though. I saw a bunch of stuff in a gift shop and realized I could find the same stuff, at probably half the price, in a crafts fair. There’s a pizza hut and a coffee shop with pretty, but stale-looking brazilian pastries. I managed to order a decaf cappuccino, with artificial sweetener (already forgot the name), though I forgot to order it skim. I was able to pass up the pastries and stuff – it’s an airport, for Christ’s sake. I was also able to ask a couple of girls if I could find fruit – an apple or an orange – anywhere in the airport. I’m told it’s not available. So I have a bottle of water and a diet soda.
I can’t say the place has been welcoming. Everyone seems to think I’m Brazilian, and there’s the same “I’m going to ignore your presence” you’d see in the southern US in the late 60s, early 70s. When someone speaks to me in Portuguese and I respond in English, or if they hear me attempt to speak Portuguese, there is a marked change in attitude. So I’m sitting here being very much an American, typing on my laptop, with a bottle of water and a diet soda by my side.
While I was at the coffee shop, a couple of kids came up and asked me for money. They asked in Portuguese, and I said “no faillo Portugues,” to which they responded “money.” I felt bad for them, kids wandering around by themselves begging, and had I not read so many prior warnings, I probably would have attempted to give them something. Just like I have a mugger’s wallet, I probably should have a beggar’s pocket for money. The problem is, often if you gkive to one you get bum rushed…. I waved the kid off in the way we do it – he knew better than to waste his time – but I gotta say I felt bad doing it.
I’m already prone to not trust anyone here. On the flight, I noticed my blanket had disappeared. I was looking everywhere for it, and finally the man behind the woman beside me pulls it out and says, “Miss are you looking for this?” Yes, I suppose it could have slipped off my body, through the seat, and into the lap of the person behind and beside me – yeah, I suppose that’s possible. But these two guys that looked a little scruffy just walked up and made eye contact. I was going to be suspicious until I saw them pull out laptops. I now realize they were doing exactly what I did – deciding it was safe to use your laptop after they saw someone else using it. I only pulled this out because the guy in the aisle behind me was working on his….
So it’s 10:45 am and my flight leaves at 2:30 pm. The company, Gol, has lots of domestic flights, and I’m sure it will be a couple of hours before they’ll allow me check in. The guys, it turned out, were very cool . They found electricity under the seats, had a power strip and let me plug my laptop up to it.
We were cool – we tried connecting to the internet through the available wi-fi networks, but of course they were for pay. They guys are named Fabio and Wilton. Fabio is from Sao Paolo and Wilton is from Milieras. Wilton has come to help Fabio work on something. Fabio used to live in Zurich, and we started talking about how wifi is free at the airports in Zurich, and in Columbia, SC, but how you have to pay for it in NYC and in Sao Paolo. They also warned me to be careful in Rio. They seem like cool guys.
I’m a bit bored now. I don’t think I have time to watch a movie, though I think a power strip is a great idea….
I’m going to play games or something.
12:31 pm. I walked around the airport – found a couple of Brazil magnets for myself, got a couple of Brazil/Israel flag pins, saw some amazing collections of semi-precious stones that I’ll hope to find somewhere else for 8-10 reales each. I also managed to communicate enough with the guy in the gift shop to find where a restaurant was. It was in another terminal, but I made my way there, and resisted the urge to exit the airport and go on an adventure. The restaurant didn’t have fruit, but even without my morning injection, I could feel my blood sugar dropping and new I needed to eat. They had a self-service salad bar that was actually quite good. It was like a scaled-down Brazililan version of Manna’s. There were cukes and lettuce and tomatoes and onions, and something I think were beets. There was some mixture of either mushrooms or seafood with onions, but I wasn’t sure and it had oil in it, anyway, so I skipped that. There was something like pico de gallo, which I used as a salad dressing. There were marinated plum dried tomatoes and other stuff I couldn’t readily identify. The hot table had pastas and pan-fried meats and something that looked like fried fish. None of it appealed very much to me. The cooked veggies were broccoli. There was something on the cold bar, some kind of root veggie / tuber that I later discovered was manioc. It was quite good.
So I got my stuff and took it to the guy in the back who weighed it (this is all on real plates, btw) and wrote out a ticket for it. I had my own water, so I went and took the first available seat. There was a young man sitting by himself. We eventually got to talking. His name is Hobson, he works in the airport making copies, he’s taking his first trip to Argentina on the 14th, his boyfriend is now in NYC and will return on the 6th. While we were talking, he was watching tv, and I turned just in time to see the gay pride balloon rainbow. He told me that today and tomorrow is gay pride week in Sao Paolo. Had I known, I certainly would have come to that! He says it’s great. Maybe another year.
We talked about gay people and about my work with PLWAs in NYC, and how heart-wrenching it had been to see parents reject their kids (for any reason), and about the need for gay communities and families to supplant the lack of biological communities and families. We kinda hobbled together the conversation between Portuguese, English, and Spanish. It worked for me.
Came back upstairs to find Fabio and Wilton still in the waiting area. (I did see a power strip, but since it was 30 reales and in the airport, I thought I’d pass. There have to be others around.
I’m warming up to Brazil. It’s been good so far. People initially think I’m Brazilian and so interact with me the same way all big-city residents interact (or fail to interact) with one another; once they realize I’m not, they are very friendly. I do wish I had at least practiced some Portuguese, though… I can understand more of people’s conversations and the intercom announcements now than when I could a few hours ago, but by the time my ear gets fully used to it, it’ll be time to leave..
12:57 – Twice now, two guys hawking socialist newspapers (just like the socialists do everywhere) have tried to sell them to me. One of them came back and had a conversation with me in English. He actually tried to get me to buy the paper as a souvenir.
I forgot to say that Hobson had shoulders about twice the width of his waist. He wasn’t bulky or anything, but clearly has a body that’s spent a lot of time in the water. As I look at the folks around me, I’m starting to see more ethnic diversity – well, more black people. It’s always interesting how you can spot people you know (by the way they walk or talk) even when they’re in another country. I started this post to say I wonder how Brazilians, overall, stay as fit as they do given how hard it was for me to find fresh fruit or veggies in the airport. I guess everyone doesn’t eat that way – and the restaurant where I found the salad is the one where the employees eat…. But there’s an awful lot of gorgeous bodies around and there’s also a lot of sweets and pastries…
And it’s all good.
Oh. There was an “Ecumenical Room” in the airport. The first thing I did was go in and offer a word of thanks. IT’s a nice, quiet place, and there were a few other people in there. God is still Good.
5/24/08, 10:39 pm
Rua Djalma Uhlrich,
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro.
After about an hour’s delay, the flight finally left SP for Rio. The scenery was beautiful. It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted, so: met a brother on the plane who also came from NYC. We chatted. Larry surprised me at the airport. Arnold was a bit late (because my plane was late), but WAY cuter than his picture, and well worth the wait. He’s WONDERFUL, and I’ll be taking pictures with him and Bruno tomorrow. Tonite we went shopping at Zona Sul, where I got some light microwave meals, some salad, and some fat free turkey, along with water and sparkling water. We came back and had that. We also went to Bob’s and had a salad. We went to the fair out on Copacabana, and despite myself I got a bird of stone, some hands holding the 12 disciples, and a drum and whistle like they have in the samba schools. Going to the hippie fair tomorrow, hope to get a larger leather bag (will be my second checked bag and will carry souveniers), some of the leather hanging pieces for me and Wallace/dot, maybe a larger bird, about 10 smaller birds, and 10 Corcovados and 10 stuffed piranhas. Maybe a mask for Pam and EJ, and a medium sized Corcovado for Mrs. Townsend, Angie, and Vicki. Get one of those somebody went to brazil and got me a t-shirt shirts for Faith; want to get some polished rock sets – there’s lots of stuff to buy here. Also may get a backgammon and chess game for Pam, Kenny, and me.
Small world: met some more black Americans in Bob’s. They’re from the Bronx! They said there’s a guy on Copacabana who owns a jewelry store. They say he’s from Harlem, he came down here 27 years ago, and never went back. I gotta go meet him. Also met some folks from Kentucky.
I’m absolutely exhausted, but excited and happy to be here. Larry has turned out to be a prince, and I’m happy he’s here. He’ll be joining us tomorrow. We’re going to start out watching Bruno and Arnold (I hope to take pictures with them), then we’ll go to the hippie fair. Then Arnold will give me the quick tourist’s trip around Rio, ending with Corcovado at sunset.
I’m sitting in my room, haven’t turned on the A/Cm, because I’m feeling the breeze off the ocean and watching the tide come in. This is quite nice.
Brought some Netflix CDs to watch (I’m not a night out person, it’s supposed to be a bit dangerous here after dark, and since this is a vacaction, I’m cool to just watch movies at night), but didn’t load a DVD player. So I’m now downloading WinDVD which is going to take something like SEVEN hours! It seems that’s the only way to download it without registering with Corel….
I’m going to have some popcorn, take my meds, watch CNN, and call it a night.
5/25/08
Rua Djalma Ulrich, Copacabana, Rio
WinDVD downloaded fine, I installed it, and just finished watching George Lopez. Today was a wonderful day. Larry came over at 11. We went to the beach to find Arnold. Larry, of course, would not walk on the sand. I went to the water’s edge, but it’s colder than I would have thought. I seriously doubt I’ll be doing any swimming, specially since I’m not an open water swimmer. I walked up and down the beach, watching volleyball and something I’d never seen before, Frescoball and watching the sunbathers. I saw several guys who looked like Bruno. After Larry abandoned me to go sit under a tree, I wandered around and found Arnold and Bruno. They were with a bunch of hunky guys playing volleyball. I took pictures with them, and met a couple of gay black guys from CA and DC who were salivating over Bruno. I took pictures of Bruno with him and emailed him the pics.
Larry and I then took a cab to the hippie fair. It’s just a big flea market, but I did manage to get some leather wall hangings, some small Corcovados, some small birds, some larger birds, a big chess set, and a couple of belts. I got great prices on everything, but between that and paying Arnold for the day, I almost used up my day’s allotment of cash. Not a major big deal – I’ll cash more tomorrow and buy a few more things at the feira, and then that’ll be pretty much all my spending, except for food and having Arnold take me back to the airport.
After the hippie fair we met Arnold for a quick trip around town. We saw all the sights – the national palace, the national museum, some buildings used in movies, some parks – all the touristy stuff. I actually went inside the National Cathedral. It was awesome.
Then we went up to Corcovado. Arnold drove us to the beginning of the train, we took the train up, and then I walked up the steps instead of doing the escalator. That and the walk on the beach were all my exercise for the day (and walking around at the hippie fari) – but then, all I ate was some turkey breast and an apple – I had a corn fritter with salad at the hippie fair, then had perhaps the tastiest mango Ive ever eaten at Corcovado. I came back to my light frozen salmon meal with some salad, and some popcorn. I’m trying to stay on or at least near program. I’m drinking light fruit juice and water, but probably not enough.
That’s what I remember of the day in a nutshell. It was lots of stuff, and tomorrow we’ll do Sugar Loaf and Tijuca Forest. That will conclude my sightseeing, and Tuesday and Wednesay will find me just on the beach. Or doing whatever I want.
Since Larry has invited Arnold for some kind of pizza lunch tomorrow, I’m going to try to do Weight Watchers. I actually hope Arnold can’t make it, because both the meetings are at 2 pm and we’re spozed to meet Arnold at 2:30. So I’m going to try to do WW tomorrow instead of eat the pizza. I’m actually excited about that prospect, and if I’ve lost weight, then I can maybe eat some pizza later.
It’s sad that the more I spend time with people, the more I want to isolate…It’s good to have Larry around because he does speak Portuguese, but I find him, like many men, self-centered and controlling. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just annoying.
So that was a wake-up call. I looked up NA meetings in Rio, but there are none in English.
Ps: the hot water in the house doesn’t seem to work. But that’s not a major big deal for me. I’m having a wonderful time!
Tuesday, 5/26/08 Rua Djalma de Ulrich, Copacabana
Got the hot water working. I think. I took a nice long shower that was kinda tepid, but felt better than the cold one before. Watched George Lopez and the L word last nite. Have already used up all the credits in my phone.
It’s nearly noon, so I’m heading out down ipanema beach. I found a ww meeting at 2, I’m gong to go to it, and try to see if I can find the brother from Harlem who came here 26 years ago and never left. I have to meet Arnold and larry at 2:30, have to get money, and have to get phone credits. IF I see the brother from Harlem, I might buy a piece of jewelry.
Gotta jet.
5/27/08, 12:01 am
I made it to WW just fine. Weighed in at what appears to be a loss of 5.3 lbs. Met a woman, Sonia, who invited me to her home. We’ll see if she calls. After that, we went to Sugarloaf. Spectacular views, even though it was cloudy. We couldn’t go to Tijuca Forest because of the fog; if it’s better we’ll go tomorrow, if not, we may just bag it. I’ve had SO MUCH fun – not a lot of beach time, though. I need to spend a day on the beach just taking pictures of pretty people.
I walked the two miles to Ipanema. That was fun. I got the phone credits and did some window shopping. Also went to the fair tonite and bought another leather bag, a backgammon set, and some more piranhas. I wonder how I’ll get it all home. I need to get yet another suitcase…
All for now. Oh, yesterday when we were driving, I noticed that Arnold didn’t really stop for red lights (I knew stopping for red lights is optional on weekends). I said “You don’t have to stop for red lights?” He said “Nobody around.” It thought it was a great comment.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
6 pm.
We didn’t make it to Tijuca forest today because it was cloudy. Larry took Arnold and me for pizza, and we spent the afternoon walking around a bleeping mall. When Larry wanted to have crepes, I asked him why we always had to sit and eat whenever we went anywhere. Of course he went into a snit, so I left. I’m just tired of having him around every time I turn around. It’s too bad it had to erupt with me leaving, but at least I have one day left to myself to enjoy my vacation.
It’s dark now, but I’m going out to the beach to buy my last few souvenirs. Then I’ll come back and start packing. Sonia, the woman I met at Weight Watchers, wants us to have lunch tomorrow. Of course, she spoke with Larry, who has the directions and who I hope won’t show up, but who may. Yesterday and today were the days I had planned for the beach, and since he doesn’t go to the beach, I sort of thought I’d have them to myself. I’m tired of having conversations in Portuguese and hearing what he did 20 years ago. He’s a sweet enough guy and I know he means well, but I’m tired of him now….
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Rua Djalma de Ulrich, Copacabana
10 am
Today has been wonderderful so far. I got up, got myself a cup of cappuccino, got some cash, got a scapular for Stefanos (though I didn’t see the plastic ones he wanted, so I got fake gold), and took a leisurely stroll through Copacabana. I walked for a while on the beach, and got pictures of old guys playing volleyball, pictures of guys playing futevolei, which is volleyball played with the feet, and pictures of people in a frescoball school. So I got my futevolei and frescoball pics, and I got pics of people on the beach. It was Divine provision – there is some kind of health fair going on on the beach, so I was able to get a little bit of everything! My trip is complete! I’m going to call Sonia, call Arnold, take a shower, go get some flowers for Sonia, then go to her place for lunch and have Arnold pick me up there and go to Tijuaca forest or to the Jewish Museum.
Tonight I’ll get one or two more birds, two or three corcovados, pack, and I’ll be ready to go! Tomorrow I’ll stroll the beach taking more pictures.
This has been a fantastic vacation, and I hope to do it again. I need to figure out how to get plane fare for 7-800 dollars, arrive on a Friday, and leave on a Tuesday. If I could do it over Memorial Day, I would like to go to Sao Paolo for Gay Pride, since it’s the biggest in the world….
5:45 pm.
It was GREAT! I went to meet Sonia, and met her and her daughter Erica Pavan.
They served Fejoida and manioc and rice and collard greens and mango… it was GREAT! I had two helpings and took pictures of her and her kids and their house. She gave me a silver wall hanging of Brazilian fruits. Arnold came and picked me up, and we went to Tijulca Forest. I took more pictures. He dropped me off at Pedro’s place. Larry was sitting there like a bump on a log, so I talked to Pedro. He walked me back to my place. I gave him a card with $R50.00 in it.
I have to go to the fair and get a couple more birds then pack. Arnold will pick me up at 2:00 tomorrow. The only bad thing is that I lost my camera case with a couple of 2 GB cards in there. I had uploaded one (maybe both) – actually, as I think about it, I believe I’ve uploaded all the contents of it. So in the worst case, I’ve just lost the last 2GB card I bought And a micro-SD to SD adapter. And the case, but I wanted a new one anyway.
So if he finds it, it will be great, but if he doesn’t find it, thank God there’s nothing irreplaceable on it!
I’m going out to the fair now.
May 23, 2008
7:54 pm
I left work a little after 4. I’d called the church during the day and Angie confirmed that I’d left my both my bilingual and my Children’s Bibles in the pulpit. So I stopped at the Christian bookstore on the way home and found a pocket-sized NIV. The print’s a bit small for me, but I can’t imagine traveling without my Sword. An easily concealed one is that much better.
Came home, wanted to play with my wii but thankfully decided I’d do the “must-do” things first, like get my meds together, pack my laptop, etc. I’d spent half the night before looking for my moleskine, so was delighted when I switched bags and found it in the bottom of my grey Sidley duffel bag!
While I was making the bed, I got one of those annoying automated calls from the Big Blue Van people. It was 5:25. They said my driver would be there in 5 minutes. I grunted, hastily finished making the bed, and trundled downstairs. Just as I was about to tell the doorman about my trip, the driver pulled up. I always expect to be the last pickup, since I’m a short distance away from the Triboro, but a) I forgot I was going to Kennedy, and b) this driver was a little different. He’d just finished a run on 135, and picked me up then headed for some fares downtown at 96th street and in the 70s and 80s. He was quite a character. He spoke with a heavy, Caribbean accent – I was about to write that it was unintelligible, but when I listened, I could understand him. I seemed to be the only one in the van who could, although I did notice that the yuppie white guy stopped asking me what time we’d get to the airport and started making conversation with the white female when the driver’s conversation turned to the safety of his son, and when we both expressed incredulity that 50 bullets into an unarmed human could ever be considered anything but murder. He very interestingly noted the fact that three police officers were judged not guilty of shooting a human after firing 50 bullets into him, but that Michael Vick got years in prison for abusing a dog. The white people didn’t even attempt conversation with us after that.
So this guy is going on and on, and at 6:10 the yuppie guy is stressing out about whether we’d get to the airport by 8 because his flight left at 9 and he had to be there an hour beforehand. The driver continued his rants, (we were now in midtown, heading for the bridge), but he took side streets and back streets. We pulled up in front of stress bunny’s Jet Blue just around 7 (on Memorial Day Weekend!). After congratulating the driver on making such good time, I turned to stressboy and said “and you were worried about getting here by 8?” He gave me the “I wish I could melt through the floor and you’d go away” look, wished the white woman a pleasant trip, and exited the vehicle.
I got to Delta a little later and, because they have no Clear lane, had to wait in a line of about 50 people for checkin. There were 10-15 ticket agents, though, so it went pretty quickly. There was a woman behind me with two adolescent sons, one of whom appeared to have some sort of dysfunction regarding spatial perception. He kept stepping up on me, in a way that would have me convinced he was a pickpocket had we been in Rio. Still, I was headed to Rio, can couldn’t be too careful. So I gently moved away from him. He stepped up on me again. I put my luggage between me and him, and then I realized that he was impaired and not a pickpocket, because he kept stepping up on the luggage. When he started pushing it into me, I cast a few looks at the mother. She was busier playing “I Spy” than she was mothering him, though. Just as I thought I’d found a not-too-bitchy way to ask her why her son would choose to position himself closer to a stranger than to her, she FINALLY pulled the young man back to her and told him to maintain a distance. Goodness!
I only saw one couple of African descent in the line (I have no way of knowing their destination, and I was a few hours early), but otherwise I saw great ethnic diversity: southeast and Pacific Asians, Whites, and Latinos. Lots of people speaking Portuguese.
Before 8, I’d cleared security, gone to pee, and found a place to plug in my laptop. I decided on the Zune rather than the ipod, and I actually brought some of my Netflix CDs to watch, so I should be entertained. If I don’t go to sleep. I have a couple of grapefruits and some dates with me as I watch this woman eating Dunkin Donuts. I need to go get a cappuccino and maybe some more fruit. I feel a bit ridiculous with this money belt, but have yet to speak to someone who doesn’t warn me about the crime in Rio. I even made a mugger’s wallet for when I’m there – an old wallet with some useless or expired credit cards, and I’ll put a couple of dollars and a few Reales into it. I just have to figure out what to do with my regular wallet.
I’m pretty excited. I hope Larry will manage to not be the Nervous Nelly he’s been so far -- I understand he’s concerned, but I’m finding his input a bit controlling. I think my growth is coming in learning to manage him, though. I copied him on correspondence between me and the agent saying that he could ride back from the airport with me at no additional charge. I wrote the driver to confirm. Larry asked if I heard from the driver. I told him I thought it was ok with the driver, since the only thing he’d commented on was the fact that I had an incorrect flight number. My thought was that he would have commented on anything else in my communication that was incorrect. But instead of explaining that to Larry when he asked if I’d gotten confirmation from the driver, I just told him “no.” I decided it’s better for me to develop a relationship with my driver/guide independently of Larry. Larry has his ideas about what he wants me to do in Rio, and about the activities I’ve planned, yet he’s determined to do the things he’s deemed worthy whether I join him or not. God, I THANK YOU for giving me the wisdom to rent an apartment rather than staying with Larry and Pedro!!! He’s my boy and I love him and all that, but I just don’t do well in enclosed spaces with people who think they have a right to make decisions about my life.
Well, I think I’m going to have to give up my lovely seat and go find some coffee and more fruit. I’ve written enough for now. I’m excited.
Sao Paolo, Brazil – Guarulhos (GRU) Airport
10:27 am, 5/24.
The looong and cold flight was uneventful. They showed Mad Money, which I got to listen to halfway through after taking out the piece of headphone jack someone had left in the socket. It was just very cold on the flight, but other than that, it was fine. I’m trying to stay on my Weight Watchers program – it’s really hard when you travel; even hardeer when you’re traveling internationally. Fortunately, I’m registered with Delta as one who needs diabetic meals, and even though they still always serve rice, it seems to be no more than ¾ cup. Also, I noticed my veggies were (over) steamed rather than covered in gravy,. I got something that I think was grilled chicken wkith a bit of sauce on the side, Promise instead of butter, a green salad with fat-free balsamic vinaigrette instead of one of the Newman’s brands, and fruit instead of candy. I’d estimate what I ate at about 6 points. I’d brought a couple of grapefruits, so I ate them on the way.
For breakfast, they gave me a small 100-calorie bagel (I think it was the 100-calorie one – it was the mini-bagel) instead of a regular sized one, and sugared jam and promise instead of cream cheese. They also served me orange juice and a banana, neither of which I consumed, and a very good 90-calorie granola bar. I had a couple of glasses of water and a diet soda.
Here at the Sao Paolo Airport, I first went through customs, then changed money in the airport. Not wise, but I’m on vacation and wanted to play. Airports are airports all over the world, though. I saw a bunch of stuff in a gift shop and realized I could find the same stuff, at probably half the price, in a crafts fair. There’s a pizza hut and a coffee shop with pretty, but stale-looking brazilian pastries. I managed to order a decaf cappuccino, with artificial sweetener (already forgot the name), though I forgot to order it skim. I was able to pass up the pastries and stuff – it’s an airport, for Christ’s sake. I was also able to ask a couple of girls if I could find fruit – an apple or an orange – anywhere in the airport. I’m told it’s not available. So I have a bottle of water and a diet soda.
I can’t say the place has been welcoming. Everyone seems to think I’m Brazilian, and there’s the same “I’m going to ignore your presence” you’d see in the southern US in the late 60s, early 70s. When someone speaks to me in Portuguese and I respond in English, or if they hear me attempt to speak Portuguese, there is a marked change in attitude. So I’m sitting here being very much an American, typing on my laptop, with a bottle of water and a diet soda by my side.
While I was at the coffee shop, a couple of kids came up and asked me for money. They asked in Portuguese, and I said “no faillo Portugues,” to which they responded “money.” I felt bad for them, kids wandering around by themselves begging, and had I not read so many prior warnings, I probably would have attempted to give them something. Just like I have a mugger’s wallet, I probably should have a beggar’s pocket for money. The problem is, often if you gkive to one you get bum rushed…. I waved the kid off in the way we do it – he knew better than to waste his time – but I gotta say I felt bad doing it.
I’m already prone to not trust anyone here. On the flight, I noticed my blanket had disappeared. I was looking everywhere for it, and finally the man behind the woman beside me pulls it out and says, “Miss are you looking for this?” Yes, I suppose it could have slipped off my body, through the seat, and into the lap of the person behind and beside me – yeah, I suppose that’s possible. But these two guys that looked a little scruffy just walked up and made eye contact. I was going to be suspicious until I saw them pull out laptops. I now realize they were doing exactly what I did – deciding it was safe to use your laptop after they saw someone else using it. I only pulled this out because the guy in the aisle behind me was working on his….
So it’s 10:45 am and my flight leaves at 2:30 pm. The company, Gol, has lots of domestic flights, and I’m sure it will be a couple of hours before they’ll allow me check in. The guys, it turned out, were very cool . They found electricity under the seats, had a power strip and let me plug my laptop up to it.
We were cool – we tried connecting to the internet through the available wi-fi networks, but of course they were for pay. They guys are named Fabio and Wilton. Fabio is from Sao Paolo and Wilton is from Milieras. Wilton has come to help Fabio work on something. Fabio used to live in Zurich, and we started talking about how wifi is free at the airports in Zurich, and in Columbia, SC, but how you have to pay for it in NYC and in Sao Paolo. They also warned me to be careful in Rio. They seem like cool guys.
I’m a bit bored now. I don’t think I have time to watch a movie, though I think a power strip is a great idea….
I’m going to play games or something.
12:31 pm. I walked around the airport – found a couple of Brazil magnets for myself, got a couple of Brazil/Israel flag pins, saw some amazing collections of semi-precious stones that I’ll hope to find somewhere else for 8-10 reales each. I also managed to communicate enough with the guy in the gift shop to find where a restaurant was. It was in another terminal, but I made my way there, and resisted the urge to exit the airport and go on an adventure. The restaurant didn’t have fruit, but even without my morning injection, I could feel my blood sugar dropping and new I needed to eat. They had a self-service salad bar that was actually quite good. It was like a scaled-down Brazililan version of Manna’s. There were cukes and lettuce and tomatoes and onions, and something I think were beets. There was some mixture of either mushrooms or seafood with onions, but I wasn’t sure and it had oil in it, anyway, so I skipped that. There was something like pico de gallo, which I used as a salad dressing. There were marinated plum dried tomatoes and other stuff I couldn’t readily identify. The hot table had pastas and pan-fried meats and something that looked like fried fish. None of it appealed very much to me. The cooked veggies were broccoli. There was something on the cold bar, some kind of root veggie / tuber that I later discovered was manioc. It was quite good.
So I got my stuff and took it to the guy in the back who weighed it (this is all on real plates, btw) and wrote out a ticket for it. I had my own water, so I went and took the first available seat. There was a young man sitting by himself. We eventually got to talking. His name is Hobson, he works in the airport making copies, he’s taking his first trip to Argentina on the 14th, his boyfriend is now in NYC and will return on the 6th. While we were talking, he was watching tv, and I turned just in time to see the gay pride balloon rainbow. He told me that today and tomorrow is gay pride week in Sao Paolo. Had I known, I certainly would have come to that! He says it’s great. Maybe another year.
We talked about gay people and about my work with PLWAs in NYC, and how heart-wrenching it had been to see parents reject their kids (for any reason), and about the need for gay communities and families to supplant the lack of biological communities and families. We kinda hobbled together the conversation between Portuguese, English, and Spanish. It worked for me.
Came back upstairs to find Fabio and Wilton still in the waiting area. (I did see a power strip, but since it was 30 reales and in the airport, I thought I’d pass. There have to be others around.
I’m warming up to Brazil. It’s been good so far. People initially think I’m Brazilian and so interact with me the same way all big-city residents interact (or fail to interact) with one another; once they realize I’m not, they are very friendly. I do wish I had at least practiced some Portuguese, though… I can understand more of people’s conversations and the intercom announcements now than when I could a few hours ago, but by the time my ear gets fully used to it, it’ll be time to leave..
12:57 – Twice now, two guys hawking socialist newspapers (just like the socialists do everywhere) have tried to sell them to me. One of them came back and had a conversation with me in English. He actually tried to get me to buy the paper as a souvenir.
I forgot to say that Hobson had shoulders about twice the width of his waist. He wasn’t bulky or anything, but clearly has a body that’s spent a lot of time in the water. As I look at the folks around me, I’m starting to see more ethnic diversity – well, more black people. It’s always interesting how you can spot people you know (by the way they walk or talk) even when they’re in another country. I started this post to say I wonder how Brazilians, overall, stay as fit as they do given how hard it was for me to find fresh fruit or veggies in the airport. I guess everyone doesn’t eat that way – and the restaurant where I found the salad is the one where the employees eat…. But there’s an awful lot of gorgeous bodies around and there’s also a lot of sweets and pastries…
And it’s all good.
Oh. There was an “Ecumenical Room” in the airport. The first thing I did was go in and offer a word of thanks. IT’s a nice, quiet place, and there were a few other people in there. God is still Good.
5/24/08, 10:39 pm
Rua Djalma Uhlrich,
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro.
After about an hour’s delay, the flight finally left SP for Rio. The scenery was beautiful. It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted, so: met a brother on the plane who also came from NYC. We chatted. Larry surprised me at the airport. Arnold was a bit late (because my plane was late), but WAY cuter than his picture, and well worth the wait. He’s WONDERFUL, and I’ll be taking pictures with him and Bruno tomorrow. Tonite we went shopping at Zona Sul, where I got some light microwave meals, some salad, and some fat free turkey, along with water and sparkling water. We came back and had that. We also went to Bob’s and had a salad. We went to the fair out on Copacabana, and despite myself I got a bird of stone, some hands holding the 12 disciples, and a drum and whistle like they have in the samba schools. Going to the hippie fair tomorrow, hope to get a larger leather bag (will be my second checked bag and will carry souveniers), some of the leather hanging pieces for me and Wallace/dot, maybe a larger bird, about 10 smaller birds, and 10 Corcovados and 10 stuffed piranhas. Maybe a mask for Pam and EJ, and a medium sized Corcovado for Mrs. Townsend, Angie, and Vicki. Get one of those somebody went to brazil and got me a t-shirt shirts for Faith; want to get some polished rock sets – there’s lots of stuff to buy here. Also may get a backgammon and chess game for Pam, Kenny, and me.
Small world: met some more black Americans in Bob’s. They’re from the Bronx! They said there’s a guy on Copacabana who owns a jewelry store. They say he’s from Harlem, he came down here 27 years ago, and never went back. I gotta go meet him. Also met some folks from Kentucky.
I’m absolutely exhausted, but excited and happy to be here. Larry has turned out to be a prince, and I’m happy he’s here. He’ll be joining us tomorrow. We’re going to start out watching Bruno and Arnold (I hope to take pictures with them), then we’ll go to the hippie fair. Then Arnold will give me the quick tourist’s trip around Rio, ending with Corcovado at sunset.
I’m sitting in my room, haven’t turned on the A/Cm, because I’m feeling the breeze off the ocean and watching the tide come in. This is quite nice.
Brought some Netflix CDs to watch (I’m not a night out person, it’s supposed to be a bit dangerous here after dark, and since this is a vacaction, I’m cool to just watch movies at night), but didn’t load a DVD player. So I’m now downloading WinDVD which is going to take something like SEVEN hours! It seems that’s the only way to download it without registering with Corel….
I’m going to have some popcorn, take my meds, watch CNN, and call it a night.
5/25/08
Rua Djalma Ulrich, Copacabana, Rio
WinDVD downloaded fine, I installed it, and just finished watching George Lopez. Today was a wonderful day. Larry came over at 11. We went to the beach to find Arnold. Larry, of course, would not walk on the sand. I went to the water’s edge, but it’s colder than I would have thought. I seriously doubt I’ll be doing any swimming, specially since I’m not an open water swimmer. I walked up and down the beach, watching volleyball and something I’d never seen before, Frescoball and watching the sunbathers. I saw several guys who looked like Bruno. After Larry abandoned me to go sit under a tree, I wandered around and found Arnold and Bruno. They were with a bunch of hunky guys playing volleyball. I took pictures with them, and met a couple of gay black guys from CA and DC who were salivating over Bruno. I took pictures of Bruno with him and emailed him the pics.
Larry and I then took a cab to the hippie fair. It’s just a big flea market, but I did manage to get some leather wall hangings, some small Corcovados, some small birds, some larger birds, a big chess set, and a couple of belts. I got great prices on everything, but between that and paying Arnold for the day, I almost used up my day’s allotment of cash. Not a major big deal – I’ll cash more tomorrow and buy a few more things at the feira, and then that’ll be pretty much all my spending, except for food and having Arnold take me back to the airport.
After the hippie fair we met Arnold for a quick trip around town. We saw all the sights – the national palace, the national museum, some buildings used in movies, some parks – all the touristy stuff. I actually went inside the National Cathedral. It was awesome.
Then we went up to Corcovado. Arnold drove us to the beginning of the train, we took the train up, and then I walked up the steps instead of doing the escalator. That and the walk on the beach were all my exercise for the day (and walking around at the hippie fari) – but then, all I ate was some turkey breast and an apple – I had a corn fritter with salad at the hippie fair, then had perhaps the tastiest mango Ive ever eaten at Corcovado. I came back to my light frozen salmon meal with some salad, and some popcorn. I’m trying to stay on or at least near program. I’m drinking light fruit juice and water, but probably not enough.
That’s what I remember of the day in a nutshell. It was lots of stuff, and tomorrow we’ll do Sugar Loaf and Tijuca Forest. That will conclude my sightseeing, and Tuesday and Wednesay will find me just on the beach. Or doing whatever I want.
Since Larry has invited Arnold for some kind of pizza lunch tomorrow, I’m going to try to do Weight Watchers. I actually hope Arnold can’t make it, because both the meetings are at 2 pm and we’re spozed to meet Arnold at 2:30. So I’m going to try to do WW tomorrow instead of eat the pizza. I’m actually excited about that prospect, and if I’ve lost weight, then I can maybe eat some pizza later.
It’s sad that the more I spend time with people, the more I want to isolate…It’s good to have Larry around because he does speak Portuguese, but I find him, like many men, self-centered and controlling. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just annoying.
So that was a wake-up call. I looked up NA meetings in Rio, but there are none in English.
Ps: the hot water in the house doesn’t seem to work. But that’s not a major big deal for me. I’m having a wonderful time!
Tuesday, 5/26/08 Rua Djalma de Ulrich, Copacabana
Got the hot water working. I think. I took a nice long shower that was kinda tepid, but felt better than the cold one before. Watched George Lopez and the L word last nite. Have already used up all the credits in my phone.
It’s nearly noon, so I’m heading out down ipanema beach. I found a ww meeting at 2, I’m gong to go to it, and try to see if I can find the brother from Harlem who came here 26 years ago and never left. I have to meet Arnold and larry at 2:30, have to get money, and have to get phone credits. IF I see the brother from Harlem, I might buy a piece of jewelry.
Gotta jet.
5/27/08, 12:01 am
I made it to WW just fine. Weighed in at what appears to be a loss of 5.3 lbs. Met a woman, Sonia, who invited me to her home. We’ll see if she calls. After that, we went to Sugarloaf. Spectacular views, even though it was cloudy. We couldn’t go to Tijuca Forest because of the fog; if it’s better we’ll go tomorrow, if not, we may just bag it. I’ve had SO MUCH fun – not a lot of beach time, though. I need to spend a day on the beach just taking pictures of pretty people.
I walked the two miles to Ipanema. That was fun. I got the phone credits and did some window shopping. Also went to the fair tonite and bought another leather bag, a backgammon set, and some more piranhas. I wonder how I’ll get it all home. I need to get yet another suitcase…
All for now. Oh, yesterday when we were driving, I noticed that Arnold didn’t really stop for red lights (I knew stopping for red lights is optional on weekends). I said “You don’t have to stop for red lights?” He said “Nobody around.” It thought it was a great comment.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
6 pm.
We didn’t make it to Tijuca forest today because it was cloudy. Larry took Arnold and me for pizza, and we spent the afternoon walking around a bleeping mall. When Larry wanted to have crepes, I asked him why we always had to sit and eat whenever we went anywhere. Of course he went into a snit, so I left. I’m just tired of having him around every time I turn around. It’s too bad it had to erupt with me leaving, but at least I have one day left to myself to enjoy my vacation.
It’s dark now, but I’m going out to the beach to buy my last few souvenirs. Then I’ll come back and start packing. Sonia, the woman I met at Weight Watchers, wants us to have lunch tomorrow. Of course, she spoke with Larry, who has the directions and who I hope won’t show up, but who may. Yesterday and today were the days I had planned for the beach, and since he doesn’t go to the beach, I sort of thought I’d have them to myself. I’m tired of having conversations in Portuguese and hearing what he did 20 years ago. He’s a sweet enough guy and I know he means well, but I’m tired of him now….
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Rua Djalma de Ulrich, Copacabana
10 am
Today has been wonderderful so far. I got up, got myself a cup of cappuccino, got some cash, got a scapular for Stefanos (though I didn’t see the plastic ones he wanted, so I got fake gold), and took a leisurely stroll through Copacabana. I walked for a while on the beach, and got pictures of old guys playing volleyball, pictures of guys playing futevolei, which is volleyball played with the feet, and pictures of people in a frescoball school. So I got my futevolei and frescoball pics, and I got pics of people on the beach. It was Divine provision – there is some kind of health fair going on on the beach, so I was able to get a little bit of everything! My trip is complete! I’m going to call Sonia, call Arnold, take a shower, go get some flowers for Sonia, then go to her place for lunch and have Arnold pick me up there and go to Tijuaca forest or to the Jewish Museum.
Tonight I’ll get one or two more birds, two or three corcovados, pack, and I’ll be ready to go! Tomorrow I’ll stroll the beach taking more pictures.
This has been a fantastic vacation, and I hope to do it again. I need to figure out how to get plane fare for 7-800 dollars, arrive on a Friday, and leave on a Tuesday. If I could do it over Memorial Day, I would like to go to Sao Paolo for Gay Pride, since it’s the biggest in the world….
5:45 pm.
It was GREAT! I went to meet Sonia, and met her and her daughter Erica Pavan.
They served Fejoida and manioc and rice and collard greens and mango… it was GREAT! I had two helpings and took pictures of her and her kids and their house. She gave me a silver wall hanging of Brazilian fruits. Arnold came and picked me up, and we went to Tijulca Forest. I took more pictures. He dropped me off at Pedro’s place. Larry was sitting there like a bump on a log, so I talked to Pedro. He walked me back to my place. I gave him a card with $R50.00 in it.
I have to go to the fair and get a couple more birds then pack. Arnold will pick me up at 2:00 tomorrow. The only bad thing is that I lost my camera case with a couple of 2 GB cards in there. I had uploaded one (maybe both) – actually, as I think about it, I believe I’ve uploaded all the contents of it. So in the worst case, I’ve just lost the last 2GB card I bought And a micro-SD to SD adapter. And the case, but I wanted a new one anyway.
So if he finds it, it will be great, but if he doesn’t find it, thank God there’s nothing irreplaceable on it!
I’m going out to the fair now.