Porto Seguro
I just arrived in Porto Seguro and Roo and Stuart run to the beach. They are having so much fun here. This is a very nice place to be. Look this picture: www.solardospassaros.com Tomorrow I am going to buy Raphaela's indian costume. Stuart wants to help Roo to choose the costume. I am litle bit concerned about it. I think that tomorrow will be a big day.

40 years old ? a party with style
I was in process of organizing a little party for my 40 birthday when I discovered that a band of Forro was coming to my town the day before my big day. I decided to do just a BBQ in birthday. Party, dance and drinks I would have at the forro party. Five other guys have their birthday 23 march as well. So, we had a fantastic evening with alive band, midnight we had a special birthday music from the band for us with mention and everything. We went mad. So we spent the following day in a beautiful cascade and Roo and Stuart were more alive then me because they did not go to the party. The water was so nice around 23 degrees

DNA test - Who is who???



The accident in Goiania was just a chock and now I am in BH. My plan is to go back to Padre Paraiso to visit my father once more before my return to Australia. I will stay over there one week and than I will travel to Bahia and Rio.

I am going to a special clinic to take some material for a DNA test. Rosane is a girl 20 years old. She wants to have my name if DNA test confirms that I am her father. We know each other for long time but now she thinks that is the right time for us to do this test. This test is very expensive but we must do it.

I am worried with her. I am not sure if she is really prepared to receive this result. She really looks like me. Some people who know us think that we are very similar. I think that there 90% of chance of her to be my daughter. What do you think? I will send you tomorrow our photo let me know what you think about it.

Teodoro Sampaio
I just traveled 12 hours from Campo Grande to Teodoro Sampaio. My auntie Iracema is very happy and she wants to take me to her little farm. Paulo her husband is working over there. Iracema does not have a car. She asked the radio station to announce my arrival so Paulo would listen about me and he would come to take us to the farm. It sounds a bit complicated but this is the way they use to communicate. There is no phone in his farm yet. Roo is surprised with everything and he wants to go to my auntie's land. Stuart is more reserved and did not demonstrate any feelings about the place. There is a park called Devil mount and Stuart wants to go there.

Jardim/Campo Grande
I am glad to be in Campo Grande. I really did not like Uberlandia. I do not think that I would be able to live in an apartment. I went to Jardim yesterday but I did not have the opportunity to go to the NEW HOPE training center. I did fell comfortable to ask for us to go to the farm because the current political circumstances involving the members and C* Leaders is not very good. Roo and Stuart(Raphaela and Felipe`s soft toy who are travelling with me)felt a litle bit frustated but there were nothing that I could do it to take them to the training center. I visited Mr C and I felt more relaxed, releaved and happy with what has happened. I am going to Teodoro Sampaio tomorrow morning to visite Iracema e their land (This land was given to her last year by the brazilian government(terra do assentamento dos sem terra).

Again in Berlandia.
I am Uberlandia for last two days. In one hand it has been wonderfull too catch up with old friends from university but in other hand I felt for first time anoyed to be away from home. I felt like I should go back straight way. Tomorrow I will see Geraldo and Alcides and there is no raison to stay here longer. My plan is to go to Brazilia, Goainia and Campo Grande next week. I will go to Padre Paraiso after that and remain there until my return home.

galo 2 X 0 raposa, There we go.
Last thing I did in Padre Paraiso was to give a speech in two English classes at a public school. They were so happy with all stories about Australia. Roo and Stuart loved all teenager and vice versa. Leonard, one of the students even asked me to leave Stuart in Padre Paraiso. Stuart was surprised with his popularity but by common sense all of us understood that Felipe would not be happy if Stuart did not return to Australia. In mean time, Roo was ?green of joule? . Last Saturday night I decided to return to Minas?s capital to see game between Atletico X Cruzeiro, the most important soccer game in my state. It was one excellent game. My team, Atletico, won 2X0. Mineirao stadium was full, 61000 supporters were present and the crowed went mad. Stuart was so happy there. He sang all music of the ?Galoucura?, the most important group of supporter of Galo or Atletico. Roo was not excited to go to this game. It is a bit dangerous. We saw a gang of Cruzeiro?s supporter running to get to two supporters of Atletico. To go to these games you need to be very careful. When the game was over we made sure that we got a street designed to Atletico supporter to go back home without problems. My plan is to go to Brasilia, Capital of Brazil and Goiania this week. I want to visit some relatives who live there. I have not yet send a post card to you guys team WON. But, today I will do it. I will send some cards from Belo Horizonte and Ouro Preto.

Feet on Road
I went to Itaobim last Tuesday to visit my uncle Flavio and Lady. They build a wonderful house on their land and now they are living there. The other two houses in town are rented. God sake they have made lots of money. There are several little potteries in this area and bought some pots. Their pots are very beautiful and cheap. My father likes to accumulate every single thing for a long time. He is worse than me. Can you believe it? There is lots of stuff everywhere. Now he is placing stuff around his house in town as well as in his land. I cleaned the area around house and created a little garden. He went with me to a farm to collect cow?s poo(dung), good soil, sand and rocks for us to use in the garden. It was a long 35 degrees day. I did want to stop several times. I was going mad. I know that some of you thing that I am already mad! Anyway, my father is 67 now and he is quite strong and he did not stop. It put me under pressure. We finished this job 7 pm. It was so hard that during the day I wished that I had not start it. But, It was great to see that we have done. Roo and Stuart were laughing at me the whole day. I don?t think it was fear. I received the last two boxes of toys. I posted them before I come to Brazil. Edina?s and other toys from Centrelink were on these lot. I have already contact Barra Nova School and soon we will have a special morning to present all the toys for their kids. Saturday I am going to have lunch in Teofilo Otoni with Socorro. She was my former Team leader in the Education Department. Oh God, she was tuff! I don?t know way I always get them. She phoned me yesterday and I promised her that I would go there to visit her. Up to Monday my agenda is full on. So, I think that next Tuesday I will leave Padre Paraiso. I am planning to go back to BH to see my mother again. After that I will go to Goiania and Brasilia. Roo is still fine here. He loves this type of country live style. Stuart is getting bored and probably the best thing to maintain him happier is put our feet on the road again.

Motorbikes
I went to Teofilo Otoni to visit aunt Dalia. Teofilo Otoni is 100 Km from Padre Paraiso, my hometown. These two cities are so close from each other but the weather is quite different. Teofilo Otoni is very hot and Padre Paraiso?s temperature is mild in comparison. It was almost 33 degrees today. I could not stand to stay in Teofilo Otoni overnight, as I have planned. I returned very quickly to Pe. Paraiso. Motobike taxi is a new fashion in all small town in Brazil. It is very cheap to go anywhere on these motorbikes. I am having a lot of fun. I used a lot these bike taxi's service once here is too hot to be walking around. The only problem to go out in motorbike is that Roo does not like bikes. He almost screamed last time the bike ?bended? around the corner. I am not joking, but I had to put Roo in my pocket as if he was baby kangaroo when he is already quite old. I tried to rent a car in my hometown but I found just one guy interest to do it. He charged me 25 Dollars ?North American?. I decided not to do it because it is too expensive. A friend promised to lend me his car during the week. In meanwhile, I am getting lift to go everywhere. It was interesting but it took me a lot of time to get back home. I might check with my friend if would be possible to use his car next Monday and Tuesday. Stuart has been very quite these days. He sleeps during the day and goes away during night. He loves the nightclubs. Salsa, meringue, forro and samba all sort of dance is an invitation to Stuart. The carnaval has already finished, everyone started already to work in Brazil but Stuart is getting most of his holydays?He is just enjoying himself. Unbelievable, is not it??? He seems to be from Bahia instead of Tasmania. In Bahia, Brazilian estate, people always prologue as long as possible any festivity. Roo Found Raphaela' s first shoes and he was so excited that he wants to post it to Tasmania immediately. I told him to bring it with us in May to save money but there were no negotiations. He will send it today.

Brazilian carnaval
Mood:  quizzical
Carnaval finished today. This means that officially our country will start to work next Monday. I discovered someone with internet and I updated website for you. Please note that my English is detrimental but some of my friends cannot read Portuguese so I have no choice. Stuart and Roo are my kid?s soft toy travelling with me. I spoke with the Principal of Barra Nova School about the toy library that we are trying to create. Two boxes arrived last week. Box donated by South Hobart School has already arrived. We are still waiting two other boxes. Centre link?s people box has not arrived yet. Hopefully, everything will be fine and we will organise toy library as soon as possible. Ronaldo, my brother from Costa Rica sent me an email and apparently things are going well as he expected. He will be returning to Brazil on 28 February. I am trying to find a job in Padre Paraiso so I can return to Brazil with the whole family for a year. But, It looks like an impossible mission. There are no jobs here. Well, I should not loose my hope. We never know, a miracle can happen anytime. I have to maintain my faith and work towards this project. Everyone is asking me about my family and raison why they did not come. It is almost like a sin to leave them in Australia. I feel sad each time people ask about them. Life oh life? I left my hometown to go to UNI and since that I have not live here. I was a teacher and local politician. There was expectation that I would return to work here after finishing UNI. They are proud of all my achievements and simple things like finishing uni, travelling, TV show and the work that I did for Hobart United but in other hand they would like to see me working with them. You know, a country boy does not go away so far specially in my little hometown. These expectations are difficult to be reconciled. It is like a chapter of a book which has not be finalized. The problem is that there is nothing substantial for me to do here. There is not even a job to keep me here. It is real dilemma. My mind is in conflict. However, I was prepared for this kind of stuff. I will once more survive!!!