Halfway mark...

Ah... blast these portuguese computer, it is definitely a challenge posting with an insecure internet connection that can go down at a moments notice! And all the warnings are in Portuguese, so this will be short because my longer post got erased! So we are now at the halfway mark of our trip. I have already made some fabulous friends. Isabel, Darcio, and Dave.

Isabel is 23 and has a boyfriend back in the states that did a 6 mos internship down here before I came. Darcio is 18 and helps run the youth club down here with our church and Dave is an intern down here for 6 mos. Isabel and Darcio are products of the english classes we help teach down here. Both are fluent in english after 4 years and serve as translators when we need them. Both also look forward to attending college in the U.S. but are in the process of getting passports set up and it is quite a process for a Brazilian to get into the U.S. at all. Isabel is back left, Darcio is next to me and Dave is in back of me. Isabel is so sad that I have to leave Monday and wants me to stay longer. The little kids that we teach as me if I like Brazil and of course I say yes and then they ask why don't I stay. I confess it's crossed my mind, after I finish my degree to come back for abit. The kids down here, even in the most dire conditions have so much energy, hope, and general happiness. They value things taken for granted by so many people in the U.S. like education and clean water. So many have aspirations for making an impact or being the best soccer player in the world like Pele :). In case you've been living in a hole, Soccer is a big deal here. In Brazil nicknames are a huge thing: My nickname is 'mel' because in portuguese it means 'honey' so actually my nickname isn't different from my real nickname in the states. Sydney is skidpants, Garrett is MMF (mommy my feet...) because he is always asking Kerry, his mom, to rub his back, his head, his feet, Isabel is 'sea urchin' and 'little devil' because she is michevious, causes a lot of trouble, teases incessiantly and once impaled her hand on sea urchin spines while at the beach. Dave is 'fogado' which means 'silly boy'. Brazilians get a feel for your personality and almost immediately you have a nickname, it is a way of life. Issy, Darc, and Dave are amazing wonderful people, I am happy I got the chance to get to know them-their aspirations, their dreams and why they got such nicknames :)