No power? No problem.

Today got off to an odd start.

I kept waking up in the night thinking I had overslept. I fell back to sleep easily. The fourth or fifth time I startled myself awake I had overslept. It was only by five minutes, but I couldn't understand why my alarm hadn't gone off! Here's an interesting tidbit... if you set your alarm to go off on Tuesdays and Fridays it doesn't ring on Wednesdays. You're welcome.

I expected my driver to pick me up at 8AM. I got a call on my cell not long after but we couldn't communicate because he didn't speak English. By 8:10 I started calling my contacts. They found out that the driver was at the hotel waiting for me. I couldn't find anyone who seemed to be looking for a particular passenger though. I finally got a call from the manager who gave me the license plate and model of the car, but I still couldn't find it. I called back to make sure that we were all talking about the Hotel Cardoso and they said, "You mean the Afrin, right?" LOL. The manager picked me up himself at the Cardoso at about 8:20. I had wanted to get there early to get things set up, but I arrived at 8:25. I was expecting the room to be full, but no one was there yet. People started showing up at 8:40 for the 8:30 class. I had been warned that time is relaxed here.

By the time everyone had arrived it was about 9AM and the power went off in all of our outlets. An electrician was called and I was told they were getting an extension cord from the other side of the building where the electricity is working, but by 11AM we still had no electricity. Well, at least I was able to get a jump start on my blog since I had a little power left on my laptop (but no projector.)

We got power by 11:10 and then fought for a while longer to get internet, by 11:15 we were ready to roll!
During our breaks from the workshop we walk out of the building to the beautiful, though empty, pool. There is smallish building next to the pool with a bar, several tables and a tv with the volume set WAY too loud. That is where our "coffee" and food is served.

The "Break Room"

The television seems to be broadcasting a stream of soap operas in Portuguese. I can't understand a word, but I seem to be following the story pretty well. It's amazing how much overacting can convey.

There is one commercial that I particularly enjoy -- a woman is interacting with her two children. Clearly a loving woman as she gives them cookies or something from a basket and then she pours them some water -- but oh, in the next scene the little girl is sitting in Mommy's lap looking very sad and the boy is doubled over with stomach pain! Now the mother opens a blue bottle that looks like concentrated fabric softener. She pours out a small amount of clear liquid and pours it into her bucket of water and the children drink. A clock shows time passing and everyone is happy and loving again. I can't tell whether this purifies water or resolves tummy aches, but I really find the commercial amusing.

I've really got to do something about the food. Between the breakfast, the coffees that are more like a meal, and the lunches (where I just HAVE to try one of everything,) hospitality is going to make it difficult to fit into my pants by the time I leave!

I finally got to do some teaching! We discussed Pivot tables as they relate to the data for this project. Most of the participants didn't stay for this as they will not need it. I'm hoping most of them will come back for the general Microsoft Office Classes that I will be doing for the next one and a half days.

After the class I got to have most of the evening off in my hotel room with my feet up. I'm listening to the Boston NPR station on the web, checking some emails and downloading some software that I'm going to need. When the software finishes downloading I'm looking forward to watching more of that DVD that my mom got me!

David contacted me early this morning to warn me that the cat, Amber, was definitely not well and he was planning on taking her to the vet. The news was much worse than we were prepared to hear. Large-cell lymphoma. I'm still researching what .we can expect, but there are treatment options. I know this is harder on the family because I'm not there.

Amber

So on that thought, here are my random thoughts of the day:

• As we have been driving around, there is this one particularly vernal area that our driver says is where the President is. I'm not sure if it's his residence, offices or both. When I said that is is the equivalent of the White House I was told they actually call it the "Red House."
• I am surprised at the number of handicap ramps here. Of course, these would never pass code in the US. Some of them seem REALLY steep.

Ramps are really steep.

• I believe I have figured out how to identify Americans in my hotel before they speak. The halls and walkways are narrow enough that you need to pick a side. If the person walking toward you moves to his or her right, I'm pretty sure that is an American.
• In the two hotels the pillows were unusually shaped for me. They are wider and shorter than the "typical" US pillow. Nicely firm. In general, I think it's a more practical shape. Hotel Cardoso gives four pillows plus two decorative pillows per bed -- Afrin gave two.



Lots and lots of pillows!

• No one says "Bless you" when someone sneezes. I keep doing it out of habit. They must find that so odd.
• Late Addition! When I was teaching Pivot Tables the group was being to quiet about what I think is really exciting stuff! So I instructed them to say, "Ooooooh! Aaaaaaah!" but as one student pointed out, since these are Pivot Tables, they should instead say, "Aaaaaaah! Ooooooh!"