I have become good friends with the nurse at the Consulate.  She is Brazilian and spent a few years in Tennessee of all places, where she learned her perfect use of English.  I am often amazed how many of the foreigners I meet in the world who learn our crazy language, can speak it better than this old Texan, who lived in the US for a crazy number of years, and then some.  One of our beautiful friends we met in Adana, Turkey learned her English in Tennessee also.  I don’t know what it is about Tennessee, but it has made a difference in many lives.

I have had a few short discussions with this Brazilian friend, and realize her personality is unlike any I have interacted with.  Although she is a nurse, she is also a mathematician.  That alone raises all sort of interests in my mind, because it points to someone who I can have a good discussion with.  For some reason, I am drawn to people of intellect.

A few weeks ago, she sent me an email politely suggesting me to drop by the Health Unit to visit.  So, I dropped everything and went by to see how she was doing, where she told me she and her fiance were getting married and asked if I wanted to attend.  I was elated!  “Ah … yeah!!  Will there be Brazilian women there?”  She laughed and said, “Of course!”

The wedding was in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, and hour and half by plane.  I quickly made reservations for air-flight and hotel.

So below are pictures I took of the ceremony.  The wedding was announced to be at 5:30 pm, but it did not actually start until 6:30.  This is Brazil.

There was a small string ensemble with a flute, playing light music that seemed to float among the trees.Then it was down to business …Afterwards, the quests headed for the food as the couple prepared for the reception.  Food ….  that was an understatement, and as would be expected in Brazil, the Country of passion and colors, the settings themselves were works of art. And here is the table with the wedding cake, in the center.These two people are completely opposites and yet I see how they will compliment each other throughout their marriage.  She is vibrant and sociable and he is quiet and reserved.  Where he is subdued, she will boost him up.  Where she is bouncing off the walls, he will calm her down.He is an American from Tennessee, who is an engineer for the automobile manufacturer Nissan, and they are planning to move to Japan with his job soon.  These are good people, and I look forward to seeing what happens to them in the next 10 years.   … a new Adventure for them.

As for us, keep kicking butt.