March

 The beginning of March brought Carnival, a national holiday in Brazil. To celebrate our week off, we planned to go to the beach, but the morning we were planning to go, it got called off.  Lindsay, Brittney, and I decided we couldn't just spend the day at home.  So, we headed to the mall.  This my friends, is quite an achievement, since we have never been to a mall without a male.  Driving in Recife can be a bit difficult, so we've always had someone else with us.  This time, though, Lindsay took the bull by the horns...or rather, the wheel by the...round....ness.  Shopping with just the girls is vastly more fun than with guys...just sayin'  :)  

The pictures above are a few of the interesting things we found.  Awesome English t-shirts,  eighties-style pants, and a product with a truly inspiring translation of its description. 

At the end of our Carnival vacation, a group of us went to the beach.  It was a rainy day, with a muddy road that we had to trek up and down, but even so, it was a lovely day with good friends.

After a nice, week-long break, normal life began again.  Outreaches in Lagoa de Itaenga and Guadalajara and teaching at the International School.  There are real students at the school, but the only pictures on my camera are pictures of the book.  Projecting pictures of the activities onto the board has been a nice way to show the beginners what I'm talking about.

A couple weekends ago the women from the ministry had a baby shower for Lindsay.  We're all looking forward to meeting Melody Anabel in May.


And that, my friends, was March, 2011, or at least the parts that I have pictures of.  

Gettin' on My Good Side

I was complaining yesterday that I never get to see the advanced students at the school anymore.  I teach the beginners' class, but as soon as the students are confidently conversing, they move up to the advanced class.  So, I don't teach some of the kids that I had last year, or the year before...or in 2008.  As a matter of fact, the vast majority of them aren't in my class any more.
Anyways, today one of the older advanced boys came down to my class just to say hi.  "I come to see you, Teacher Emily".  
A good kid, that one is.

And Then We Laughed

I was sitting at the gas station with Lindsay today, waiting for the guy to pump our gas, 'cause you don't get your own gas in Brazil.  When all of a sudden, we heard the guy next to us belting something to the tune of Alanis Morisette's "What if God Was One of Us".

It was way off key

And way loud.

We looked at each other and giggled...until we realized the song playing was in English.

Then we were intrigued.

What had he just sung?

When the chorus came back, he once again belted the only line that he knew:

"YON ABAA BEE BONE ABUS!"