Sao Paulo 1

…speaking of breaks, well mine's enough for plenty of people, perhaps a lifetime? and sometimes I feel guilty that I'm able to enjoy so much with while having suffered so little. Should I have to suffer in order to enjoy? It's difficult to "keep perspective" whin the perspective is so obscured by the mess our world always seems to be when trying to be "realistic." What can I do other than enjoy myself, somebody has to have a good time, right? This weekend was a perfect example.

Immediately upon our return to Sao Paulo, we were invited by a yet to be known friend to go to the beach for the weekend. After rearranging my busy agenda and making sure all appointments were cancelled, we set off with a very motley group of four Italians (from Italy) four Brazilians and us two Americans. Naturally it was a relief to see that seven of the eight people that came in two cars to pick us up were girls, all our age (early twenties). Despite the fact there was no sun the three days we were at Toque Toque Grande (toque toque means "island" in the native tongue), the weekend was very bright with a continued hedonistic theme carried over from the previous weeks festivities (carnaval). The place we stayed was a tiny village somewhere between Santos and Sao Sebastiao and tucked away so that one could not hear or see any traffic, people or noise beyond the paraquites that wake all too early, especially when one sleeps on a hammock on the porch next to their roosting tree. And aside from a little language barrier (the common language was English since the Italians don't speak Portuguese) and many persistent mosquitoes, the weekend was a perfect success and I now have several new friends with whom to keep in touch on the internet. I hope the Italian contacts come through some day, i.e. I wouldn't mind travelling Italy similarly as I've done 'round the Americas (So much to see so little time!).

And back in Sao Paulo, all seems well. It's been rainy, soft rain. More of a drizzle, and the sun doesn't come out. But when one sleep in 'till 1PM it's not so much of a loss. Yup, we went out again last night and I think I'm going to call it quits soon because I don't like always returning home at 4AM, the dogs make too much noise. Perhaps, I'm not being fair to myself. I am staying healthy and am making many new friends and am pondering schemes to either extend my stay here (later) or return (even later), like grants, jobs or whatever (matrimony is out of the question, for now). Brazilians are a very lively people, it also is nice to see many attractive ladies, but there is so much more to see in this giant country (just as big as the continental US).