Erin Dealey

World Cup 2014 makes me reminisce about my visit to Brasil, where I spent three weeks doing Author assemblies and workshops two years ago.

Here’s a re-post of my musings from February 5, 2012, with photos this time:

Oi (Hi) from Brasil, where the d’s sound like j’s and the r’s are h’s. Last week’s rains have stopped and summer heat arrived just in time for my Brazilian adventure. First stop: Brasilia. Thank you to the students and staff at the American School of Brasilia for such a warm welcome.

Miss Anna Maria (c-right) and her wonderful library staff.

We kicked off the day with an assembly for the Elementary (K-5) and PreK, starring students Henrique, Genevieve, Tereza, Andressa, Finn, Alexandra, Matheus, Mariana, Isabella, Luiz Felipe, Leonardo, and Kellita in Little Bo Peep Can’t Get to Sleep. Excelente!

Yes, this is the school!

Each hour after that I met with different age groups to have fun with words. I wish I knew the name of the young man who beat-boxed while I did the Writer’s Rap for Grades 4-5. I heard he might like to be president some day. (I’m not sure for which country but I’d definitely vote for him.) An added delight: a standing ovation after the rap from the high schoolers in the computer room next to the library. Wish I’d had time to meet each one of them!

Thank You (Obrigada!) to Librarians Miss Anna Maria–who has been at EAB for over 20 years–and Miss Claudia, and their staff, as well as my personal tour guide extraordinaire Kathy Dillon, EAB Special Ed teacher for the past five years.

Thanks Kathy!

(Kathy moved to Hong Kong to teach the following Fall 2013. Lucky Hong Kong!)

The staff at EAB is as interesting and varied as the students. I had a chance to hang out with them after work and hear about the paths that brought them to Brazilia –many from Canada and the US. Talk about adventures!

TGIF with the staff. : )

Who are the EAB students? Eager, beautiful faces with bright smiles–some from Brasilian families; many from all over the world, whose parents work for different embassies and diplomatic services. A smattering have already written stories and already want to be authors. Many –like my elementary school self–think they aren’t writers and would rather finish their assignments and go out and play. (Yay tetherball!) I’m betting at least one of these kids will write a book some day, if they aren’t running a country. : )

My new friends told me a trip to Brasilia would not be complete without churrasco (barbecue), so they took me to dinner at Fogo do Chao. I have never been so glad I’m not a vegetarian! Yes there is an endless salad bar, but also every cut of grilled beef, as well as lamb and chicken and sausage served by waiters who slice it off the skewer at your table. (You catch the slice with your own tongs. If you want them to stop hovering, you turn the round green token over to red.) You know it’s good when I have no room for dessert. Si?

On Saturday, we explored Ceasa ( the open air fruit market), where I played guess the fruit or vegetable,”

Can you guess?

Pinha Grande, of course!

and sampled a  delicious Acai dessert, and wandered around the “Hippie Fair” (local crafts and artisans fair). Then it was adeus Brasilia and an 1 1/2 hour flight to Campinas, my next stop.

Viva Brazil! More adventures amanha. (Tomorrow.)