Day 1, Phase 2, US-Brazil Connect Conexao Mundo (World Connection)
On my flight from Omaha to Detroit, I sat next to a man from Cincinnati, but his wife was from Recife, Brazil, in the same region where I am staying. He had been to Maceio and only had good things to say. Maceio is where Brazilians go on vacation.
In Detroit, I met another coach at my site and we ate at Popeye's because it was next to our terminal, nothing glamorous. While in the air, I got a text message to my phone from Canada. There's a trivia winner for you, in Michigan you actually go south to get into Canada, and we flew over it. The flight was about 10 hours, not the worst I've ever had. I watched a documentary about a kid with progeria, a disease that causes extreme premature aging with a life expectancy of like 15 years. It was surprisingly optimistic. I also watched a couple episodes of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) and the Regular Show (Cartoon Network). The selection was impressive, thanks Delta! The in-flight meal was cheese ravioli, pretty OK considering I was 30,000 feet up and eating a hot meal. I sat next to a handsome Argentine who had lived in Sao Paulo for the last 15 years. He was an engineer at Brazil's largest auto maker, in Detroit for a week of work. He was probably 40 or so. He said that Maceio is a beautiful city I slept for probably 3 or 4 hours of the whole trip and listened to podcasts the rest of the time.
In Sao Paulo (SP), immigration, customs and security were an American's dream. Stood in line for about 3 minutes, showed the lady my passport and Entry Card that I filled out on the plane, got a stamp that was it. Got my checked bag, walked towards the customs area where I was expecting to get my bags rummaged through, and was directed to leave without that. So, took my bag and rechecked it. They checked my carry-on for free too, which was so nice. Then, to security where I put my purse in the tray, my backpack on the conveyor, and walked through the metal detector. Kept on my shoes, no one checked my hair or swabbed my hands or anything!
So, in the SP airport, the engineer on the plane said, "oh, you will have no problem, it is a very small airport, only about 100 meters in each terminal." I knew this was wrong, being an international airport in a city of about 25 million and all. Still, it seemed smaller than Detroit, and didn't have a train inside.
I'm proud of myself because my fight actually changed gates, but no announcements were in English. So, between the monitors showing departures and the announcements in Portuguese, I figured out where to go! The flight from SP to Maceio was about 3 hours. I sat next to a Brazilian woman who had been an environmental lawyer or 7 years in SP but quit a month ago to design jewelry. Her English was very good, she said she used it a lot while looking at international acquisitions and mergers. She also told me about how nice Maceio is. This flight actually hurt my ears the most of any, which seemed strange. A man was snoring so loud the whole plane could hear. I slept in a way that made my neck hurt.
When I landed in SP, I followed everyone out to the baggage claim. I could hear screaming and cheering, so I knew my students had come to greet me...after 24 hours of travel, I had to be ready! Everyone at the claim was looking around like, "why are those kids screaming and who are they here for!?"
It was like Beatlemania, which I had been warned of from the other coaches. The doors slid open and there were my dear Greyhounds, about 10 out of the 12 were there! They had big posters for me, welcoming me. I got many hugs! It was very exciting for all of us. I also got some Brazilian snacks from the students that I have to try out. Big smiles all around, and many pictures.
We took a car from the airport to the hotel. Francis, the site coordinator from the school, rode with me...and it was terrifying! We were almost hit once, and scooters weaved in between cars. I just focused on talking to Francis-I'm very glad I don't have to drive while here!!
The hotel is amazing, so beautiful. It is literally across the street from the beach. This is the view from my window.
I slept for a few hours then took a shower. Not everyone was here yet, but 7 of us walked down the street for to get dinner. It was only about 7 p.m. but already totally dark. We ate at a little place on the beach. I split a chicken risotto sort of thing, and we had mango juice! On the walk back, we went into a little tented market. I will buy a sun hat there later probably. For the rest of tonight, unpacking and sleep! We have tomorrow off and start at school on Monday!
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