tonycak
07.28.2008 - happy birthday dad!
so, today was an interesting day, one that was completely unexpected and unanticipated from when i woke up and what i had in mind of doing. i originally thought i was going to move stuff into the apartment i found (which is a really long, somewhat complicated, and stressful story for another day). well, that did not turn out to happen, as 1) the electricity has yet to be turned on, 2) they painted the apartment over the weekend, and 3) they needed to clean the apartment. so, i decided to scope out costly internet providers for slow internet service (at least they have it here, thankfully!) - well, at one provider i was told one wasn't available, and at another one i was told that the service seemed feasible, but may or may not be good in the area where the apartment is located (the bairro centro). things here can be quite slow and difficult, and it's almost to the point that i've resigned myself to try and get at least one thing done in a day...though it seems like that one thing can take all day to accomplish.
well, in a frantic search for any other internet providers, i wandered about town and ran into my friend fernando, who used to work at augustu's hotel (where i am staying at, and stayed at in 2005 with act), and he asked me what i was up to. i told him about the internet situation, and he replied with knowledge of a good provider, which turned out to be the one who apparently did not have good service in the city center (oh no!). anyhow, the person who runs the store/provider, a really nice man, told me he would stop by the apartment in the afternoon to see if i can get a connection - apparently, internet here is largely delivered by a radio broadcast, and you need an antenna to get it. i have no idea how this works, but apparently it does. most of the time.
we went back to where my apartment is (above the loja capesca, a fishing/hardware store), and asked the owner (who is really nice, by the way) about internet - and it turns out, she uses this good provider. so, good omen, no?
anyhow, fernando now works as a coordinator/administrator for a school about 30-45 minutes outside of altamira, in an agrovila in the municipality of vitoria do xingu (agrovila=a small rural village). he asked me if i wanted to go out there with him to see his school, and how could i not? so, we travelled a bit on his motorbike on the eastern part of the transamazon highway (paved though!) to the school - leonardo da vinci, in fact. it was a brand new school, so it stood out completely in the middle of the dirt-road lined agrovila. we went around town meeting various people there, as he was reminding them that school starts next week. we at lunch there and i listened to them talk about the upcoming municipal elections, which is a big deal here.
on the way back, fernando asked me if i wanted to drive his motorbike...i initially refused, saying i didn't know how to drive one (and manual shifting no less!). anyhow, he could not be convinced, so i had my first lesson on how to drive a motorbike! it was actually successful, to my surprise. scary, yet a little thrilling. i even drove it into town for a little while too. call me impressed.
...and the extra bonus, it appears the internet connection will work at the apartment. small successes, i guess i have to take them when they come. down some more money to furnish the apartment following that news, and it appears i will be a temporary resident of altamira. hmmmmm, very very strange to think about...
here is a picasa photo album of today's activities, plus a few scenes of altamira, and my friends thais, alessandra, and eliane. thais and alessandra have helped me so much in getting organized and meeting people, it certainly would have taken a lot longer to find people/organizations here had it not been for them. plus, they are incredibly sincere and genuine - i'm blessed to have such great friends, around the world.
in order - 1) the store where i am going to live, 2) a few pictures of the xingu river, 3) a few pictures of the election propaganda, 4) the oddly-futuristic looking augustu's hotel front, 5) a picture with thais, 6) a picture with thais and alessandra, after a graduation ceremony that alessandra presided over for students who completed college over the internet, 7) a picture with thais and eliane, a friend? of alessandra's, 8) a picture with fernando and one of his school's teachers, 9) a picture with fernando and the teacher's daughter, 10) and a picture with fernando and a few people from the restaurant where we ate lunch, along the highway)
well, in a frantic search for any other internet providers, i wandered about town and ran into my friend fernando, who used to work at augustu's hotel (where i am staying at, and stayed at in 2005 with act), and he asked me what i was up to. i told him about the internet situation, and he replied with knowledge of a good provider, which turned out to be the one who apparently did not have good service in the city center (oh no!). anyhow, the person who runs the store/provider, a really nice man, told me he would stop by the apartment in the afternoon to see if i can get a connection - apparently, internet here is largely delivered by a radio broadcast, and you need an antenna to get it. i have no idea how this works, but apparently it does. most of the time.
we went back to where my apartment is (above the loja capesca, a fishing/hardware store), and asked the owner (who is really nice, by the way) about internet - and it turns out, she uses this good provider. so, good omen, no?
anyhow, fernando now works as a coordinator/administrator for a school about 30-45 minutes outside of altamira, in an agrovila in the municipality of vitoria do xingu (agrovila=a small rural village). he asked me if i wanted to go out there with him to see his school, and how could i not? so, we travelled a bit on his motorbike on the eastern part of the transamazon highway (paved though!) to the school - leonardo da vinci, in fact. it was a brand new school, so it stood out completely in the middle of the dirt-road lined agrovila. we went around town meeting various people there, as he was reminding them that school starts next week. we at lunch there and i listened to them talk about the upcoming municipal elections, which is a big deal here.
on the way back, fernando asked me if i wanted to drive his motorbike...i initially refused, saying i didn't know how to drive one (and manual shifting no less!). anyhow, he could not be convinced, so i had my first lesson on how to drive a motorbike! it was actually successful, to my surprise. scary, yet a little thrilling. i even drove it into town for a little while too. call me impressed.
...and the extra bonus, it appears the internet connection will work at the apartment. small successes, i guess i have to take them when they come. down some more money to furnish the apartment following that news, and it appears i will be a temporary resident of altamira. hmmmmm, very very strange to think about...
here is a picasa photo album of today's activities, plus a few scenes of altamira, and my friends thais, alessandra, and eliane. thais and alessandra have helped me so much in getting organized and meeting people, it certainly would have taken a lot longer to find people/organizations here had it not been for them. plus, they are incredibly sincere and genuine - i'm blessed to have such great friends, around the world.
in order - 1) the store where i am going to live, 2) a few pictures of the xingu river, 3) a few pictures of the election propaganda, 4) the oddly-futuristic looking augustu's hotel front, 5) a picture with thais, 6) a picture with thais and alessandra, after a graduation ceremony that alessandra presided over for students who completed college over the internet, 7) a picture with thais and eliane, a friend? of alessandra's, 8) a picture with fernando and one of his school's teachers, 9) a picture with fernando and the teacher's daughter, 10) and a picture with fernando and a few people from the restaurant where we ate lunch, along the highway)
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| 07.28.2008 |
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