Professora Susana's House & BBQ

On Sunday 28th May our Professora Susana invited the class to her house for a BBQ.

Doing my best to beat Susana's dad at Brazilian Rules Draughts

Susanan and her mother and father on left
Class Picture

Kidnapped??

I woke up Saturday morning {27th May} to phone calls, text messages and Emails all inquiring had I been kidnapped. It seems that a strong rumour originated in Gorey that I had been kidnapped. Even the school kids had this news. I heard that I was even prayed for in Mass in Texas.

Of course when I reported in, the “Smart Alexs” said I was paid by my kidnappers to leave them!!!!

But it seems that the rumour took a life of its own judging by the text messages, phone calls, etc. It’s good to know that so many are looking out for me.
I wonder did the recent violence in São Paulo have anything to do with it. As many people think I am in São Paulo and not Brasilia.
The Language Course ends on the 9th June and then I return to São Paulo for a few days before heading for Mato Grosso.

Asian Cultural Night

The "Asian Curltural Night" consisted of Curry and more curry and MORE CURRY, Indonesian Dancing and Chinese Music. All provided by our Indian, Indonesian, Filipino, Chinese, and Vietnamese students. We also had visitors from the families we lived with out in the parishes.

Here I am under pressure to answer questions in a quiz - I still don't know if they were in Portuguese or Indian????

Indonesian Dance Lessons

Our Italian Student had to leave early so we gathered for a School Photo

American Cultural Night

Every second Friday night we have a cultural night, a party really, but we have to explain parts of our culture with the other students using Portuguese. The Friday after Easter it was the turn of the American's North and South.
The Mexican head is full of sweets, I thought it was full of water, so I was expecting to get drenched.
I nearly flattened the poor nun in musical chairs.

Cemetery in Gama

While staying with my adopted family in the city of Gama, a neighbour died, and I was brought to the cemetery for the funeral. One of the neighbours normally says the prayers but when they heard that I was a priest I was quickly roped in to do the funeral service. Unfortunately I had no prayer book or ritual. So for my first funeral in Brazil, I said the Our Father in Irish, the prayers I could remember in English and gave the blessing in Latin as I spprinkled the Holy Water, and not a word of Portuguese passed my lips - some student I am??? The good people were delighted non the less.
Here is a view of the cemetery.

Here is a few images of Brasilia from the local TV Tower, it shows the "Retornos" very well - these do away with the need for Traffic Lights.

In the bottom picture the road is in three levels. 1st Car Park; 2nd Bus Station; 3rd Main Road through the city. The twin towers at the bottom of the picture is the Federal Parliment and the sky scrapers on either side are all the governmant departments.

End of Easter School Term BBQ or "Churrasco" for students and staff. They really love their churrascos here, and there is always too much meat. TG.

Here are a few pictures of the local Fauna & Flora that Fr. Abraham {India} and myself came across in our area.
Don't know what the tree is called. The anaconda snake is not too dangerous, if you leave it alone. The "Victoria Lilly" plant will eventually cover the pool and kill anything in the water. The "capivara" (in the local park) is as big as a dog and is supposed to taste nice on a BBQ?????!!!! It lives mostly in or beside the water. It belongs to the rat family?

After Easter while the diocese was celebrating our new bishop I was sent, along with my fellow students, to live with a Brazilian Family as part of my language training. Here are some pictures of my adopted family, saying Mass in the local church, visiting a school for the poor kids from the local favella - shanty town, and a goodbye party - In front of me is my fellow student Louis a Mexican priest and beside me are two Italian priests from the local parish.