Liberdade

It has actually been a busy week. We are back to giving our Leadership Pattern training every morning in English. We now have the books, which really helps. We also have our Portuguese classes on Wednesday and Fridays. They really like to get sidetracked, like talking about the difference in the Word of Wisdom in English and Portuguese - yes, there is a difference in the Leadership Handbook of the Church #2. We are also getting ready for our English class that starts next month.

This week Crista and Allen (from across the hall) came over for English practice as part of the Pathway Program offered by BYU-Idaho. We also managed to go to the movie on Friday (called Joy) followed by dinner at The Fiftys Burger restaurant. There were 13 of us so they sent us to a room of our own. Everyone raved about their hamburgers, except for me who had ribs.

We still feel like we live in a fishbowl since we don't have our curtains back. Maybe some day :-)

On Saturday we went to Liberdade, the Asian area of São Paulo. It was started by the Japanese and filled in later by Chinese, Koreans, and other groups. I talked to one older Japanese man who said he was born in São Paulo and never learned to speak Japanese, since it was banned during WW-II.

We catch a bus to the metro station, take the yellow line to Luz then transfer to the blue line to Praça de Liberdade. Four couples went.

On the way to the bus. You have to look down when walking in São Paulo.

 There is a feira at Praça de Liberdade with a lot of booths selling all types of things.

This is defiantly Brazilian

 There are all types of shops, including a Japanese bookstore.

How do you say "good reading" in Japanese?

The main street down from the praça is the main shopping area with lanterns across the street.

This street gets quite crowded

 And lanterns for cross walk lights.

Does this mean walk or stop?

There are two nice stores that have Brazilian crafts (as well as Asian). Another store was like a Deseret Book for the African Religions. They worship several gods and dance to get possessed.

Fortune teller Bahian style

 Of course there are Catholic churches all over.

Church next to the fortune tellers

We all went to a nice Chinese restaurant which had very good food (and gluten free).  It only cost about $6.50 (US dollars) each for a full meal including watermelon juice to drink.

We returned in the afternoon ready for a rest. There were some kids playing in the gazebo of our apartment building.

Fun place to gather

I figured since I have some experience with sound systems that I would prepare some training that they might use for chapels in Brazil. The chapel where we meet is the worst. We had lunch in the temple on Friday with the manager of church buildings who lined up a meeting for next week to see what we can do about it.