Arembepe until now

The last few days have been a whirlwind....

Meghan and I caught up over a wonderful dinner of pizza and sangria - so much to talk about with education and her father´s work in curriculum (ôtimo!) and the course.

Then, I met the first two students, Roopika and Christine, who have been venturing all over Salvador already and, together with Meghan, we made a trip up to Arembepe, a small fishing town whose famous hippy village and local Ford plant have somewhat transformed it - but I believe that there is still a great deal of magic there. When we visited last year I met Luis, a community leader, with my friend Helene and when we arrived this year Luis greeted me and invited us all into his house to see his art, to meet his guests from Uruguay (they´re in the circus!), and to offer us agua de coco (coconut water straight from the nut).

The trees still bent the same way from the wind on the coast - the light over the wetlands is still the same silvery gold trapped in globes of mist - the turtle with an inverted shell still watches over his friends with sorrow and (likely) envy - the walls of the open restaurante in the hippy aldeia still have words of welcome and divine intentions - and the dirt road is still as red.

Tessa arrived yesterday - I went with Domingos (our incredible host) to the airport and then into town to make new keys while Tessa rested. Making keys takes some time, so, true to Brasil, we went and had lunch, walked a bit, and I had a chance to talk and learn from Domingos´friend Cesar. He has studied English for 14 years, but, to help me, he didn´t truely let on until later in our conversation - so many new words at once! - he is also translating Jorge Amado´s second book and hopes to begin translating the rest of his stories and poetry (only 18 or so have been translated until now).

Then Meghan and I met with Taia! He worked with us on the project last year and has both a passion for change and an incredible love for his community, Coutos, a suburb of Salvador close to where we will be working. He will live with us at the house as a student, a teacher, a guide and our lone man. He hopes to learn more English with us, because in the fall he will move to the U.S. to marry his incredible namorada, Ariana, an American storyteller whom he met working with Meghan on another project.

And, last night, perhaps the best surprise of all. The group, (myself + Tessa + Christine + Roopika) went up into Pelhourinho and amidst a skirmish over some "free" peanuts, the phone rang and I talked to whom I thought was Taia, who wanted to know where we were so he could meet us. But, like a ghost, my friend Naoul appeared - apparently I was talking to him on the phone and he gave up trying to explain that he was not Taia and started walking around to find me. Such a good hug, and a wonderful night for all of us. The girls are as charmed as anyone, and he has already begun his patient lessons in portuguese with them. We sat, drank, pulled up more chairs for friends of his we saw in the street, visited the incredible apartamento that he shares with a friend overlooking the ocean, and talked until forever. I am so excited to see my friend again, and know that the women will get as much out of their friendship with him as with anyone in Salvador.