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Brazil: Saying Goodbye to a Bilingual Kid
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By Stephen Thompson
A time when you had to leave your kids thousands of miles away, whether it's for work or separation... when time is limited, I want to make the most of it with my daughter.
The Sunday before last, I hired a car and took my daughter to Wet 'n' Wild, between Campinas and Jundai on Banderantes. It was the last weekend before leaving for London, and I didn't know when I would see her again, so I wanted to do something special. Unfortunately, by the time we got there at 1pm it was completely full. So I took a photo from the outside and drove home again.
From São Paulo, we drove on to Parity. We took the Cunha Road which is especially beautiful with the strong scent of pine forests and many unusual candelabra shaped pine trees, as well as cowboys who work on local farms. Traffic is very light, due to the 10km stretch of dirt roads as you enter the Serra do Mar National Park.
We stayed in a hotel by the bus station for only R$50, and first thing next morning we hired a boat and sailed to a nearby beach, where I drew an aeroplane in the sand and tried to explain to my daughter that I was leaving.
In the afternoon I took her to a beautiful waterfall. I wish we could have stayed there for ever, but I had to go. We stayed the night in the lovely Primavera hotel in São Luis de Paratinga, and I showed my daughter the stars, a rare sight for an apartment reared São Paulo kid.
The next day, taking advantage of the hired car one more time, we drove up to Sunset Square in Alto de Pinheiros, and my daughter played on the swings and slides.
And then it really was time to go. But at least I had some good memories of our last days.
Stephen Thompson runs "O Gaucho", a snack bar serving breakfast, juices, smoothies and sandwiches. Galeria 2001, 2001 Avenida Paulista, São Paulo. For an English menu contact stephenthompson@hotmail.com
To read previous articles by Stephen click the links below:
How to get Brazilian Citizenship
Getting Work in Brazil
Acquiring and Running a Small Business in Brazil
Brazil: To Free Or Not To Free
Brazil: Trail Biking in Chapada Diamantinha
Brazil: So Near, but So Far Apart
How to Get Into University in Brazil
The Pleasure of Driving a Car in Brazil
Brazil: The Bairro of Flamengo in Río de Janeiro
Brazil: The Information Technology Law
Managing a Brazilian bank account
Brazil‘s Middle Class Ruled By Political Apathy
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2/19/2006
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