Lindo Maravilhoso!!!!

Day two in Brazil has been an absolute adventure! I intend to update later with pictures so you can see some of the things I saw today. This is the first day our team has been split up and we were turned over to our host families. And initially when the day started I was anxious to do something and a little homesick all at the same time. But then Renata walked into Guido;s home she was like a burst of sunlight! Leigh and I hopped into her red Fiat pickup and sped off to our new home for the rest of the week. Let me tell you...her home ....absolutely beautiful! Renata is a lawyer who got tired of practicing law and decided to spend her time helping people. She owns several properties that she is renovating for some of her less fortunate friends to get a step up in life. Renata is new to Rotary but the way she talks about working with poor people and giving any and everything she has makes her seem like Rotary has always been a part of her life. Leigh and I immediately fell in love with her dog and her bird, Tucano...yes he is a tucan! After lunch Renata was determined to show us where the real Brazilians lived and explained that she wanted us to visit a friend of hers that lived in the favela. Favela would be something Americans considered the ghetto, but really, Americans do not know poverty like this. The houses are multi-colored shacks that scale up, down and around the hillside. There are no roads just trails that you would need a 4wheeler to navigate. This visit was definitely not on the Rotary itinerary and probably somewhere Guido and Jim would NOT want us to be, but Renata is a strong woman and the people who live in the favela were so simpatico that we felt very comfortable the entire time. Plus, despite all forewarning, I was just as determined to see ALL of Sao Paulo. Kids were all over - boys playing dodgeball and the girls swinging on a makeshift swing. All the kids ran to us so they could play with Renata;s dog who came along. Renata;s friend invited us into her home and fussed over us offering cake and water. Renata advised us not to drink the water and we politely pretended to drink. The lady talked about how she went to see a doctor and when he asked where she lived she was embarassed because she doesnt have an address. There are no streets in the favela, no one pays rent or water or electricity. Since the people here dont pay, some days they have water and lights and other days they do not. Even while we were sitting in the house the lights would dim periodically. But this lady was a proud woman who declared that she wanted to pay for these things because she works hard and is a good person. We left thanking her for her hospitality and wishing her good luck at her new housekeeping job she was starting the next day.
Immediately after slowly trekking down the hillside and leaving the favela, Renata took us to the other extreme of Sao Paulo. After lots of chat, lots of traffic and a near side swipe from a city bus, we were gazing as the storefronts of Roberto Cavalli and Armani and Tiffany & Co. A stark contrast to the life we experienced 45 minutes earlier. Renata definitely opened our eyes to the fact that Sao Paulo has it all and everything in between.
I feel so fortunate to be living with Renata for a week, she has opened her home and heart to us and insisted that we act as if we are home as well.
YAWN!!!! Its getting late and we have to visit Guido;s Rotary club tomorrow so for now...BOA NOITE! Til next time...

Well as you can see from the previous posts, we are here! Oi Brazil!!!!!

LaTonya and I are staying with Guido and Seonea this week. We had a huge lunch of pasta and fresh salad. Seonea is a woman of my own heart, she suggested we take a walk for ice cream later. We are apparently blocks away from the best ice cream parlor in Sao Paulo.

We officially start the GSE program with tours and meeting Rotary groups tomorrow. Can't wait to see more of this country.

Sao Paolo is huge. I am posting a few pics, Jim and Christina have more on their cameras and will post even more later.

Loving it so far!

Ciao Ciao!

Boa Tarde!

Well.. we finally made it.. Thank God! I am exhausted, but so excited to be here. The city is beautidul but very crowded and busy. The team I am with is awesome. The day was busy but tomorrow is going to be worse as the program starts tomorrow. The home stays should be interesting but I am looking forward to learning a lot. I miss my family, but the time should go by quickly because I will skype them a lot. If anyone is interested in being my skype buddy, you can download for free at http://www.skype.com/. Well, keep in touch because I am sure you will hear a lot from all of us. Take Care and God Bless! LaTonya M. Evans

Como se chega?!

Sao Paulo -how indeed did we get here...technically it was after a long day beginning at 9:00 am with a drive to Raleigh Durham Airport then a brisk flight to Miami followed by a brezzy layover and finally a long night flight to Brazil! However, the credit really goes to my boss, my co-workers and my family who helped me even make it onto the planes! Muito obrigada to all for helping out so I can experience this firsthand. Today is just the beginning with so much more to come but I can't wait as already we have had a brisk day tour around the city via car, eaten breakfast in Brazil at a cafe and have now finally checked into a hotel for some much needed downtime. Keep your eyes on the blog as it will soon beign to fill with fun new experiences from us all!

24 hours from now.....

.....I will be on my way to Leigh's house and from there we are going to link up with Jim and make our way to the airport! I'm still having packing issues, but I need all eight pairs of shoes (and it's a feat that I've been able to narrow it down to that!) so we will just have to work that out tonight.
The team has spent so much time on our presentation, brochures(an amazing job by Christina!), business cards(another great job by Beth!), language lessons(muito obrigada Nadi!) and more so we are anxious to get our adventure started.
I'm extremely thankful to Wayne Opportunity Center for their incredible support! (Hugs and kisses to John, Amy, Jackie, Heather, Brenda, Sarah and the George St. crew) Another big thank you to the Golden Eagles Rotary Club for their sponsorship. I am looking forward to dazzling you with my presentation upon return. Finally thank you to my family. Eu te amo and will be thinking of you everyday! Keep me in your prayers.
We will be posting updates while in Sao Paulo so check back often!

GSE Team District 4610 meets GSE Team District 7720!

2 weeks ...

Oi!

We met the in-bound team from Brazil this weekend during a great Rotary Distrcit 772o Conference in Williamsburg, VA. What a great group of ambassadors from Brazil. This group could not be more intelligent, engaging or friendly.

I personally look forward to catching them on the flip-side when we are in Sao Paolo!!!!!! There were hints dropped that we may have the opportunity to attend a soccer game with them ... how exciting ... a preview to the quickly approaching World Cup?!?!?

This program is a catalyst for building world-wide friendships, and all of us ... both the Brazilian District 4610 and District 7720 teams ... are lucky to be a part of this program.

Stay tuned ... we have pictures of our teams together and will post soon!

Check out their trip blog at http://ige2010nc.wordpress.com/