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!!!

My home town
Yesterday we went to visit a friend?s farm in Duas Barras valley. It was great. We saw a beautiful forest and cascade. Roo and Stuart loved it. The only problem came when my friend did not let us to return to town. He wanted us to sleep over. I was looking forward to see the Carnaval, Stuart also wanted to return to town. He did not like to be in farm over night. He was really squerd then I told him that there are lights and TV and he calm down. Roo loved everything even the weird noises from the forest that all strange animals were doing. The stars and the sky were so beautiful! After long discursion we decided to sleep over there. They cooked a delicious dinner for us and we kept talking outside in the back yard around the fire for hours and hours. Roo loved Jilo and green banana sauce. Stuart enjoyed the huge variety of farofas. The only thing that has annoyed me is that a lot of people in my hometown have not seen me for more than 10 years. They insist in point out how fat I am. For them, It is like saying that I am healthy but for me this this the worse thing to say. I need to loose weight. It has been so hard without car. My legs are completely broken. Only a couple people have Internet here and all of them went to the beach. I could not send anything. I am sick of talking about the fantastic, this Brazilian TV program. Everyone talk about it when they meet us. Stuart and Roo are thinking that we are celebrities. Some people even think that my job is connected with coaching soccer. It is so funny everyone wants to talk with me. It made my live more difficult as well. They would think that I am a dick head if I don?t say hallo. So, I have to be extremely careful with my behaviours during this day. Carnaval in my city is a big event and the guy in charge of the event, in louder voice (microphone) made an official announcement about my arrival and welcomed me in Padre Paraiso. I felt a bit embarrassed but Roo and Stuart were so proud and on the summit of their vanity. I am a bit worried with them. All these attention may change their behavour. What do you think? Juremi?s house, where we suppose to stay if we have come to stay for a year, has been renovated and was just waiting for us. How much we need to make to come here? When do you think it will be possible? Are you Penny coming next month? I am going to make a big forro (Party) to celebrate my birthday. 200 people or more. It will be fun! I started already to invite everyone. I am enjoying myself here we are playing soccer every single day and them in evening we are going to dance until 3 or 4 am.

Roo is a real headache
Stuart told me that he loved Jaco city yesterday and today he would like to go to Puntarena beach in other city. We prepared everything to go but them Roo wake up and we told him our plans. This was just enough for Roo. He went on complaining and saying that we did not come here to be having fun every day on the beach. He asked if have already seen Ronaldo and discussed all the problems with him. When he found out that I have done it yet. It was the end of our plans. Roo phoned Ronaldo and organised a meeting in a shopping centre in San Jose. It was sad not to go to the beach but in this point for my surprise Stuart also thought that this conversation was more important. Two votes against one and I did not have choice. We all went to this meeting.

Jaco beach and the North Americans
Gusmao is a brasilian friend living in Costa Rica. He just bought car year 72. We (Gusmao, my brother Ronaldo and I) used his car to go to the beach. In the montains when we were going to the beach the water in the car started to boil because the fan was not working properly. We stop for ? hours to wait for it to cool down. Finally we got in Jaco. This is an interesting place to be. The majority of tourists up here are North American(N.A.). They are desperate trying to learn or improve their Spanish and large percentage of the locals speaks fluent English. So the locals want to talk in English to impress them and sell more. The N.A in other hand would like to have a perfect accent perhaps to get better deal. I found myself in the middle of this situation and I just hided my ability to understand English and tried very hard to put a strong accent in my Portuguese to look like the locals. We were all in a pub together having some drinks (light beer of course) and playing an North American game. I was also trying to be local. The N.A. were straggling to speak Spanish and so did I but because Portuguese and Spanish have some many thing in common I was doing quite well in comparison. They did not pick up that I was not one of the locals. I felt like been a French (you know what I mean don?t you?). It was so funny to see them trying so hard when we could perfectly speak English. Finally in the end of the evening an local had to help someone to explain something for me and she told him in English that the problem of communication in part was because I was not from Costa Rica. She said to him that I was Brazilian bending my Portuguese to make it a little bit similar to Spanish. Once more I did not react to her comments, I felt really good not be speaking in English. Anyway they assumed that I was not able to understand them. Their problem? Stuart and Doo were very naughty today. First Do chose a shirt to Rapha written in English because it was easy to read them Stuart chose one shirt written in Spanish to Felipe just because Costa Rica speaks Spanish. So, Doo changed his made and wanted to buy same shirt with Spanish message as well. I did say to Doo that he could change rapha?s shirt if he wants to. But then Stuart got upset and started to cry and in the end I had to get involved to sort out this fight. I told Stuart that it would be ok if Doo choose something in Spanish but it would not be allowed to have picture of animals like the shirt that Stuart have chosen to Felipe. They both were happy with this suggestion and Doo bought rapha a shirt with Spanish message as well. They had I photo together in the shop where they bought these shirts. Stuart also took other picture in the beach but Doo was not present. Doo run way to the forest and just came back later. On our return to San Jose our car once more warmed up the radiator and the water started to boil. It was 8 pm and we had to walk until we found water to fill out the radiator. This is a quite higher mountain and five other cars stopped for same raison. We arrived home 10:00pm and I am very tied. Doo and Stuart were also very tied and sleeping. I just put them into their bad. Thanks God for that!!!

Costa Rica ? Praia ? Salsa ?Rum
30-degree heat, but it was not even necessary with all these salsa around me. I am already feelling HOT. Beautiful volcanos, mountains, burning larva, people moving in town. Welcome to Costa Rica ? Rich Cost - Gold Coast. The beautiful and sensual way that the ? las ticas? walk though out city centre. It has been so different of what I last saw in Los Angeles. These girls have ?grace? on them. I can see the curves and turns of their tremble bodies. It gives us a good felling. Hooooooooo!!! I am alive. Bradie you should come to this place, it is a good exercise as preparation to GO DOWN into Brazil.

Today I went to the market and it was so funny to see all the vegetables placed along the street. All the cooking been made and sold to people as if live was so simple. It remind me what freedom means. People everywhere just taking live easy. My Portunhol (portuguese + espanhol) attracts people and I do not mind it at all. On the opposite, I feel like a STAR.

The other side of the coin is PORVERTY. You would not believe, these city look so old fashion and surreal. People are struggling with the economical situation and we can see in their eyes. I was walking in town and I found myself in front of the ruins of beautiful old castle and it is just in the middle of city. It was locked, nobody around it. It was like if people were trying to ignore it. I could not believe that something so import for the history of the country was just sitting there and they did not even explore it as a tourism site. I thought that they are sitting on a mine of gold and they did not know. I compared how tourism is smartly done in the Aussie land and this people without money with so many resources to be explored. I really cried. I was so passionate about that I went to the city council to talk about it. But, I will tell you all about it when I get there.


We are going to the beach tomorrow. We can even choose between Pacific or Atlantic coast?!? There we go. Atlantic! It will be great man?,

Stuart Little(SL) and Kanguroo (Roo)
Mood:  cheeky
Topic: Going back to Brazil
Hi guys to add some excitement to this trip ST and Roo, Felipe and Raphaelas's soft toy are coming with me for a holiday in Brazil. They are very happy. Roo had a nightmare last night and waked up the YHA in Sydney. ST little of course was so embarassed that today they are not taking with each other. But I manage to place them together for a picture in front of the Opera house. Tomorrow I will be leaving sydney to NZ 1600.

Two days to go...
Everything is almost packed. I just have to fix a few things in the garden for Penny. Visit a couple friends and we may have a beer together.
I received Bradies's CD and James DVD's, They are excellet.

God's day - 2005
Mood:  happy
Today is first day of year and I am very excited about preparation for my trip. HOwever, today I am celebrating God's day. We get togheter to pray and think about the new year and connection and plans for the new year...
It was a great day. Penny's family turned up here at home and we enjoyed the day together.
As they not religious, it must have been at list funny to see a altar in living room with all the food photos and etc...

Farewell from Bruny
Mood:  amorous
I took Felipe to Bruny Island with me today. Adventure bay was great. Felipe and me are in love with the place and we want to buy house to leave there. I know, it is to far a way from work. It is just a dream. It looks like a litle village in Brazil. I maybe to optimistic and looking everything and compering with Brazil. Couple days more and I will be travelling back. This week has been magnificient in Tassie the wheather is so good! Next week I will show kelli and Bradie my new burn Blog so they f'up me though the parties in Brazil. It will be fun.