This week marks the 100 year anniversary of Rotary International.  Clubs all over the world are finding their own special ways to celebrate all of the contributions Rotary has made to world peace and understanding and improving people's lives.  I participated in two different celebrations this week in Goiânia. 

Last night would have been the regular meeting for Goiânia Serra Dourada, my home club while I'm here, but we joined clubs from all over the greater Goiânia area in the City Council Chambers for a meeting which featured speakers from Rotary and government, as well as a video from Rotary International.  We shared fellowship, food, and beverages afterwards. 

I had a funny language mixup during the meeting.  Angela had whispered to me that she was really sleepy (com sono) because she had gotten up early and worked in another city all day before coming to the meeting.  A woman on the other side of me asked me a question, which I interpreted as "Are you tired?"  (cansada).  I answered her with a no.  However, she was really asking me, "Are you married?" (casada)!  As you can see from the spelling of the two words, there's only one letter of difference, but when she started talking about finding me a namorado Brasileiro, I knew she had asked if I was married.!  The answer to the question was still no!  I quickly recovered and told her that I would be very interested, and we agreed to start looking for a single Brasileiro at the Rotary event of today. 

Vida Menos Violência was the theme of the third annual Walk for Peace in Goiânia.  Everyone had a specially designed T-shirt for the occasion, and a Rotary cap.  We met at the Praça Civica, which is similar to the lawn in front of the State Capitol in Minnesota.  I took the bus downtown because Angela had to work and couldn't join us until later.  I managed to find everyone from Serra Dourada, and they were suitably impressed that I had managed to get myself there using the bus.  Goiânia is a city of a million and a half people, so using the transit system is a bit of a challenge, but I have probably learned more about how to go anywhere on the bus than anyone else I know here.  They all drive everywhere! 

After a number of speeches, songs, and performances by the Federal Police marching band, we set off on our 3 kilometer walk to Praça Trabalho (Labor Square).  We walked down the busiest street in Goiânia through the downtown area carrying banners and signs, with music and information blaring from a sound truck about Rotary and everyone's responsibility to work for peace.  I carried a banner which stated that I was a messenger of peace, and walked with hundreds of Rotarians and their families.  The Federal Police closed all the cross streets for us, and many of their members marched with us.  When we arrived at Praça Trabalho, there were more speeches, performances, and an interdenominational prayer for peace with everyone joining hands.  It was an awesome event! 

I had a good time today and didn't need to speak any English. Earlier this week, Breno told me that most of the family is talking at normal speed because it appears that I am talking a lot and understanding almost everything.  However, this is a bit of a Catch 22, because it causes me to understand less than I did before! 

My other major adventure this week was taking the bus to the mall.  I've been to the mall before, but never alone, and never on the bus.  I took a taxi there with Livia when she was here, but a few days ago I saw a bus with Flamboyant Mall on the front of it that stopped at the same place where I have caught the bus before.  I decided to try it, and I figured I could always take a taxi if I got stuck somewhere.  I bought a five-ride Sit Pass and caught a bus to the mall rather easily.  The bus meandered through many neighborhoods on the way to the mall, and I got a chance to see a lot of areas in more detail than I ever could in a car.  I stayed at the mall for a couple hours, exploring all the stores.  I bought a small tripod for my camera and two history books written in Portuguese.  That eliminated all my cash, so I was forced to find a bus that would get me home! 

The first two buses were Mall Circulars.  I probably could have taken one of them to downtown and transferred, but it was starting to get dark and downtown isn't the safest place to be at night.  I started talking to another woman who was waiting for a bus to go to a nearby neighborhood, and she told me that her bus would get me pretty close to home.  By the time bus 402 arrived, it was dark.  I got on hoping that I would recognize something as we got close to Setor Oeste.  While I was riding, Angela called on my cell phone to see where I was, and she was surprised to learn that I was on the bus.  We had to leave for Rotary within about a half hour.  I told her that I'd be home in about 15 minutes, but I didn't want to frighten her by telling her that I had no idea where I was!   

I bought an atlas of Goiânia about a month ago, and I have memorized most of the streets in the neighborhoods close to home.  The bus went through downtown and passed Bosque dos Buritis, a park where I have walked for exercise.  When the bus turned south, I knew I should get off and walk from there.  I managed to get myself home in time to change and be ready for Rotary before we were even late! 

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