My big news for this week is that I have photos online.  Click the link on the left under Things to Do to View the Photo Album.  I have pictures from Christmas, New Years (Revillion), and some other miscellaneous places now, but I'll post more every day. 

When I returned from São Paulo, Edmo had a CD that allowed us to connect my laptop to the internet.  There is cable internet at home, and now that all my electronics are able to communicate with one another, I can post the pictures and my journals more easily.  I'm still going to keep posting a synopsis of my journals though.  My friend Errol told me that he wants to see the unedited versions when I arrive home.  Since I haven't been able to post directly, I've been writing much more interesting journals that I don't necessarily want the whole world to see.  I'm going to continue doing this because it's been really fulfilling to me.  I'll show the real versions to anyone who wants to ask me, but there are probably things I don't want to post.  YES, I'm having a good time! 

We had three days of celebrations for Lenora's graduation with a Physical Therapy degree from Católica University of Goiás.  Her graduation was last Thursday night at the Convention Center.  The auditorium was decorated with large brightly colored balls and other decorations consistent with a physical therapy theme, and there was loud cheerful music playing as we entered the building.  There was almost a carnaval atmosphere after the graduates received their diplomas.  At our graduations, the Principal usually asks the spectators to behave in a dignified manner.  Here the spectators were encouraged to cheer and acknowledge the accomplishments of their graduates.  It's their chance to celebrate after all their hard work.  After the ceremony, we went to Toshca Arabian for a party with family and friends.  I'm finding it more easy every day to make small talk with people, even those I don't know. 

There was an ecumenical church service on Friday night.  This was similar to our baccelaureat service.  The church was very modern with a full wall of blue stained glass.  A small live orchestra played I Want to Hold Your Hand by the Beatles as the graduates entered the church.  The music was loud and energetic, but the participants and spectators were more subdued than they had been for the graduation.   Lenora's father is a professor of Architecture at Católica, and he spoke at the service, giving the words of encouragement to the new graduates from their parents. 

The culmination of graduation was the dance on Saturday night.  This is like a huge prom for all the family and friends of the graduates.  It was beyond anything we know as dressy.  I rented a dress for the equivalent of $200 USD so that I would be appropriately attired.  I bought high heeled gold shoes and had my hair and nails done to match.  There were several hundred people at the dance and I didn't see any two dresses alike.  We were all together at tables assigned to our graduates.  There were waiters with drinks and appetizers roaming throughout the ballroom and we could have all we wanted to eat and drink.  After the appetizers, there was a dinner and then dessert.  The dance started with a grand march and a waltz by the graduates and their parents.  The second dance was for graduates and their significant others.  Lenora danced the third dance with her boyfriend's father.  He told me later that she has been like an only daughter to him.  The rest of us got to dance after these three opening dances.  There was a combination of fast and slow dances, but I preferred the fast ones.  I tried a slow dance, but I had apparently had a little too much to drink by that time.  It felt like walking and chewing bubble gum at the same time! 

The other thing I will say about the dance is that we left home to go to the dance at 11 PM, and arrived home about 4:30 AM.  This is a definite cultural difference!  What was even more interesting is that after I went to bed, I could still hear ultra-loud music and voices from a party about a block from home.  No one was complaining and no one was calling the cops.  This is considered normal behavior - people here want their kids to be happy and have fun.  But kids here don't get their drivers license until they are at least 18, and the penalties are so severe for drunk driving that they don't do it. 

After all the traveling of the last few weeks and the festivities of the weekend, I'm starting a normal routine here.  I went to a noon Rotary meeting yesterday by myself, where I was the only female member, but they were really nice to me.  I'll go to another meeting tomorrow night, and next week there's a walk for peace, and a Rotary 100 Year Anniversary Celebration. 

My normal routine was interrupted yesterday, however, when I tried to change my return plane ticket.  I had purchased a ticket for 3 months with the understanding that I would change it after the Brazilian government approved an extension of my visa for an additional 3 months.  United Airlines is telling me that I can't change it even by paying a fee.  At the moment I have 5 options:

1.  Stay here, and don't return to the US (Brazilian authorities would probably frown on this alternative!).
2.  Fly back to Chicago on March 9 and not return to finish my 6 months (I don't consider this an option!).
3.  Fly back to Chicago for a week from March 9 until about March 16, and return to Brazil on a new ticket (unbelievably, this is the cheapest alternative, and the one that will allow me to gain frequent flier miles for all the money I'm spending).
4.  Throw away my return ticket and buy a one way ticket for almost twice the price of a round trip ticket (and the airlines wonder why they have troubles when they are engaging in these types of business practices!).
5.  Throw away my return ticket, buy a new round trip ticket from Brazil to the US, and then throw away the return part of that ticket too.

If anyone has any suggestions within the next week, I'd love to hear them!

Oh, and my final news!  Andy is scheduled to receive his Green Beret in a ceremony in Fayetteville, North Carolina on May 21.  I'll be driving, hopefully in a new Subaru! 

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