A Long Night (and day)

I think the best way to tell this story is backwards.

Not least because that's how I'm thinking right now. It's 5:30 am, and Diane and I just got back from a good 45 minutes of being completely and totally lost while trying to walk home. Luckily, the churches in Lins decorate with crazy neon crosses, so eventually we found our way back, just as the dawn was breaking.

Walk home from where? From our friend and co-worker's house. Remember when I made a big deal about riding in a Slug Bug for the first time? Well, big fat deal, August-Rachel: today I drove my first VW Bug. Diane and I went clubbing with two of our friends from work, both of whom drank. A lot. There was no way we could let them drive. Especially the one who drove to the club, whose Beetle needed to get home. Diane never learned stick shift, and so I--and this is one of the bravest things I have ever done, Follower--I, whose stick shift knowledge comes from a 30 minute lesson 6 years ago with Uncle Erik and an hour of driving Aurora's car 1 1/2 years ago--I drove us all home. Being re-coached by a wasted guy is not easy (although it's admittedly hilarious), and I stalled the poor love bug several times, ran countless "Pare" signs, and insisted on remaining in first gear for the majority of the journey. Sorry about that, passengers. When I finally got up the nerve to try for second, I stalled in the middle of the freeway. But I got it eventually. I also improved my starts and stops when I let people out to pee.

So, before we realized we were in a fix with the car situation, the club was really fun. It's almost as scary to dance with a drunk Brazilian as it is to drive his car, but I have to say, even the Brazilians who insist that they can't dance are actually good. It's just ingrained in the culture, I think. Sertanejo plays at every party and club, and everyone actually grabs a partner and dances. I love it. I also love when they play Maroon 5 and Diane and I know all the words and what they mean.

Before that, we had a really great time at Choppão, a bar, with a tableful of other English teachers. We discussed, among other things, various kinds of alcohol, jackets, and pick-up lines. I really like hanging out with the other teachers, and I hope we do it more often.

Wait! That's still not the beginning. Before Choppão, Diane and I went with Iruã from and to the Linense soccer game, which was so fun to see. I asked lots of dumb questions but enjoyed myself immensely, and Linense won 5x0. It poured on the way there, but luckily it stopped, and instead there was a beautiful double rainbow. The perfect, promising beginning.