The Guiaba River that runs parallel to Porto Alegre

After arriving to Brazil, we realized that internet time would be scarce. I am happy to find a few moments to share some of our experiences, fifteen days after entering a fabulous yet tiresome whirlwind. Rotarians in the cities of Canoas, Porto Alegre, Gramado, Canela and Novo Hamburgo have dedicated a lot of time and effort to planning our schedule here and making sure we enjoy EVERYTHING they have to offer.



Thus far, we have visited private and public primary/secondary schools as well as universities, talked with English and foreign language teachers, seen a homeless shelter funded by Rotary, toured a public hospital that received an ambulance donated from a local Rotary club, toured an agricultural school that is in part supported by raising and selling little pigs similar to Babe, went to a school for mentally and physically handicapped kids up to 18 years old that receives Rotary support, learned a lot about the Brazil social security system in the main office of Porto Alegre, talked with the mayor of a few cities, the international relations secretary, visited DECA, a center for kids that are victims of physical and sexual abuse, and the list continues. In short, wow.


That doesn´t cover the nighttime get-togethers, family dance parties, vineyards, barbeques and Rotary district conference that lasted late into the night. I am now with a third family, after having spent the last two weeks with a family in Canoas, both of the parents, Jairo and Isabelle, are lawyers who work together (Kate and Brad in the future:) and they had a 15 year-old boy named Gabrielle and a 23 year-old girl named Raquel. I was sad to leave them but was greeted by the next family last week in Porto Alegre who had a one year old little guy named Mateus, affectionately called Mateuzinho by his VERY loving parents. Ricardo is a federal judge and Alexandra stays home though she has a law degree. I am now with yet another great family in Canela, a town in the mountains that looks like Austria. It is a historically German settlement area. The family has many children that are grown but the two I met last night are Lucas, 25 and Ana Paula, 28. Dirceu and Maria are retired but still very involved with Rotary.

Family, friends, I send you love and samba!