February 24 - Day 10

We spent a lazy relaxing morning catching up on diaries, journals, emails, and Facebook. At about 11:00 a.m. Anna drove Patti and me to Grande Colorado, a gated community about 30 km out of Brasilia, where Rodrigo, one of Patti's students from 2008-09 lived. After introductions all around we sat down to a "lunch" with Rodrigo, his mom, and his cousin. We had an excellent dinner of a chicken dish, the obligatory delicious rice, a creamed potato dish with caramelized plantain and ice-cream for desert.

Rodrigo was hobbling around on crutches after surgery on knee ligaments that were injured during a taekwondo session. We visited and again caught up on the Winnipeg experience. Midafternoon we left after getting Rodrigo to promise to join us that evening for a supper get together.

Anna then drove us to back to Brasilia where we would do more sight-seeing. First stop was the 75m-high observation deck of the TV Tower. Here we were able to get a bird's-eye view of the city from which we could get a sense of the layout. Off in the distance we see a brand new soccer stadium under construction for the World Cup of Futbol in 2014. We could see the cathedral and art museum and the various government buildings. Below was a fairly large village which had wares and crafts on sale on weekends and holidays.

We then drove to the National Congress which unfortunately was not sitting and was closed because of the carnival holidays. It featured the photogenic ‘dishes’ and twin towers.The convex dome on the roof of the House of Representatives is supposed to signify that membership is open to all ideologies. We were lucky enough to visit on the day of the month, the military pulls out all stops for the ceremonial changing of Brasília's tallest and largest flag, a 286-sq-m banner on a flagpole conceived by Sergio Bernardes, the only edifice in the square not designed by Niemeyer. We were surrounded by the most interesting buildings surrounding the Praça dos Trés Poderes. It puts togrther the ideas of architects Niemeyer and Costa, combining various monuments, museums and federal buildings. The space includes striking sculptures including Bruno Giorgi's Os Candangos, Alfredo Ceschiatti's A Justiça and Niemeyer's O Pombal. Patti had a heyday with her camera.

We left from there to avoid the rush hour of all the government workers when they exited their places of work. It was home to rest and then around 9: 00 p.m. we went with Anna and her friend to meet Rodrigo, Paula, Luiza and her mom, Mercia,at a restaurant with a "forro" band. We again ordered hors d'oeuvres and large bottles of ice-cold Brazilian beer. The band was good and everyone listened and visited and ate, and some got up to dance in the small space between tables. The dancers were intimate and were not conscious of anyone looking at them.

Patti and I were welcomed to the restaurant and to Brasilia by the band's leader and later Patti and I had to get up and dance. After midnight our visit broke up. It was a memorable evening for the music and for reacquainting with our students.