I was graciously invited to hang out with a good man I work with and his family.  Instead of the usual Thanksgiving feast, it was a very comfortable BBQ.  I found it relaxing and I will repay the favor with a wingfest for them.  Here are some pictures taken for my 99-year-old mother.  (That excuse always works) I love these types of BBQs because they are more a social event then just chowing down.

And then Yesterday, Saturday, a good man who I usually eat lunch with, Ricardo Rios had a birthday party celebrating his 60th year.  I was the only American from the Consulate he invited, but there was another good American, (actually a fellow Texan) who knew Ricardo from years past, and lives in Sao Paulo with his lovely Brazilian wife.  I enjoyed just sitting and watching everyone as I realized it was actually a family reunion for them.  Brazilian hugging and kissing.  Very nice.  Right before I left, I had a picture taken of me with him, his wife and daughter.

One of the many things interesting about foreign countries, is the taxi rides.  Sometimes in a taxi, the driver will ask me some question.  Usually I can decipher what he (or sometimes she) is saying, but when I can’t, I will say Desculpas. Eu não entendo português  (I apologize. I do not understand Portuguese).

What happens then is either of two things.  Either the driver will say nothing else, or he/she will start practicing their English on me, which is always enjoyable.  So on the way home from Ricardo’s party Saturday, the young man was glad to have me in his vehicle.  At one point, while trying to think of something nice to say, he gave me a belated holiday greeting.  He told me (in so many words) Happy Black Friday.

I could have spent time telling him that Black Friday was in no way a holiday, but it just wasn’t worth it.  I simply replied, Thank you.

So, until next time, Kick butt, seize the next adventure and I hope you had a happy Black Friday.

Occasionally, one of the good guys from the Facilities Department will come to me asking for donations for a BBQ.  I never turn them down.  Underline Never.

Here are a few pictures from tonight’s BBQ: These Brazilians know how to cook meat, and I know how to eat it …

Just something sitting in the bottom of my belly to make me sleep good tonight.  And I watch them play a card game that made no sense.  Here is a video of them playing it.  Click the pretty red Game.

It actually got a lot more livelier than that with hands slapping on the table and cards whirling in different directions.

D.

After posting the Marine Ball pictures, I realized I forgot the most important one, where I had my picture taken with the Marines.  Here it is below.  I am the one in the middle smiling on the inside:The good Marine on the far left in white trousers, was the guest speaker.  Extraordinary gentleman.  Within the first few minutes of hearing him speak, I had a great respect for him.

A week earlier, we had our first Churchill Gathering of cigar smokers and hard drink drinkers.  There were about twelve of us which included three members of the feminine gender, two of which partook.  I took a picture of the group as we sat under a covering while Mother Nature poured rain down on us, probably trying to put out our cigars.  You will notice one good man whose face was covered by smoke.  He is one of my many bosses and even though you cannot see his face, trust me when I say he is a good man and I am proud to have him as one of my many bosses.So much for that.  Kick butt, look for the next adventure in Life and remember to always take time to breathe.

D.

The Marine Ball was last night and it is always fun to witness, but very thought provoking.  The presentation of the “Colors” (the flag) with the National Anthem always leaves tears in my eyes.   Every year they have a video message from the Commandant of the Marine Corps telling about the birth of the Corp on November 10, 1775 and all it has gone through.  I hear it every year and I still love the story.  For those who don’t know, the Corp was born in Tun Tavern and Brewery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania promising free rum to those who joined.  As with ever year, there is also a guest speaker, and this year’s was one of the best I have seen.  Very active in his speech and vibrant deep inside.  His love for the Marine Corp was such that he literally could not stand still as he spoke.

When I told MotherDear about the upcoming gala, she wanted me to take many pictures of pretty women.  I think she was hoping I would end up with a wife if I did; but there was a nice supply of such, so I did as I was told.  I start off with this one.  She is a Brazilian friend of mine who speaks fluent Australian English.  Yes.  She learned her English while a student in Australia.  I love listening to her accent, and evidently someone else did too, because she was the MC for the Ball.Below are three young girls who attended.  Their parents were sitting at a nearby table, so they behaved themselves.  I kept trying to offer them wine, but they chose not to fall into a life of debauchery so early in life.   … that and they are too young to drink.So, I’m going to post several more before returning to the Ball itself. I found it fascinating how easy it was to take these pictures after telling them my 99-year-old mother wanted pictures of pretty women.  All except one did not question it and gladly posed.  The lone questioner asked me if these were for my 99-year-old mother or myself.  … Duh!

Okay.  After catching our breath, we move on to the good people who provide protection for us during the event.  I work closely with these men and have great respect for them.  Several you have already met in a previous post.  The first one is Lucas with the orneriness just waiting to escape, and the very serious Antonio who hurts my hand when we greet each other.  And the good Marcelo who is another supervisor.They may not be pretty, but they are incredible to work with.  And below are some of the Guard Force Coordinators.  On my right is a gentleman I call “Little Santos” and on the left is Fabio.  Again, very good men.The ceremony has a cake cutting which is symbolic in many ways.  I recorded the video for it, but my phone says it’s too big to send to my computer.  But believe me when I say it is amazing to witness.  Below are more pictures of the evening. And lastly, I post one of the most poignant images of the evening, which is the table set aside for those who gave the Ultimate Sacrifice and did not return.Every year I look forward to this event.  Knowing my son is a former Marine, and me working with scores of the men and women who chose this life, my respect for them is deep.  I thank them and I look up to them.

D.

Remember me mentioning buying sausage for about a buck a piece on the way home?  Well, I do that at least once a week now.  The old boy at the grill, Antonio also works at my Portuguese class bar, so he is a familiar face.  Here is Antonio busy at work.You know, I may do something like that when I retire….

This is a holiday in Brazil, so I decided to spend some time cooking another pot of Jambalaya.  Came out well with red wine and an after lunch cigar, but next time I will leave out the shrimp.Last month, I went with my buddy Ricardo to a British pub for lunch and ordered a BLT.  That itself is an amazing sandwich because it has bacon on it.  But here in Brazil, they add an egg on it also.Ya know, Life is good at times, and at other times, it is very good!

The Local Guard Force.

I work closely with these good people.  They know me by name, and luckily they wear name tags for me.  The two in the picture below are most interesting.  The one standing next to me is Lucas.  You can tell by his suppressed smile that he is most ornery.  He is vibrant and full of life, happy down deep inside where it counts.  He took his hat off for the picture, but I made him put it back on.

The one on the end is serious as a heart attack.  His name is Antonio Carlos.  He is extremely professional and it took many months of joking with him to get him to respond back.  Now, when I walk past him we will have a hand shaking contest.  I will squeeze his hand until I feel his joints popping.  Afterwards as I walk away, he will shake his hand to get the blood back.

… actually, if the truth be told, it is the other way around.  I am the one walking away shaking to get the blood back in his hand.There is an interesting female guard that I must tell you about.  She does not look Brazilian, but more European.  Because of the massive Japanese population in Brazil, she could be part that.  But she never smiles, so…. I saw that as a challenge.

Every time I saw her I would nod and say, Bom dia (good day), and she would nod back with a polite smile.  Over a period of months, the smile would get bigger.

One day while I was working at one of the Consulate’s gates, I saw a pretty woman enter and pass through the metal detector.  She was laughing and very much at ease, and I found it hard to look away.  Over a period of several months I saw this woman come and go several times, before I realized it is the female guard who never smiles.

A few months ago, I was working in the LGF Command Post during the shift change, and I happen to see her enter to start the checkout process.  I watched her remove her body armor, unload her firearm and check it in.  I watched her remove the tunic she was wearing and complete her required paperwork.  And with each step, I saw her personality slowly transform from serious armed guard, to a frivolous young lady.  At one point, she looked over at me and smiled, without me having to force it from her.

I found the transformation fascinating, yet beautiful.  I wish I had a picture of her to post.  She knows no English, so I can’t pull the 900-year-old mother trick.  Perhaps I will get one someday.

So, take care, kick butt and take on any new adventure you may encounter.  This weekend is the Marine Ball.  MotherDear asked me to take lots of pictures of pretty women, and that I can do.