Brazil Day 8

I'm back home ! I didn't get the chance to update the site on the plane so I'm writing the final page from my office at home.

I got up early as usual so that I could complete my diary for day 7 and then started packing.  When I went to check out of the hotel I found Margaret at reception asking about using the business centre internet connection so that she could check in on line.  I had a wired connection in my room so she used my laptop instead.  I didn't know how on line check in worked so she talked me through it and I checked in too.  It all worked out fine.  I will always do it that way now.

After a bit of discussion about how many mini buses we needed nine of us got in one bus and headed for the airport.  Arminder and Fez have stayed on for a few days and are going to Rio de Janeiro.  Karen came to the airport but is meeting a friend and heading off to see the Brazilian rainforests. Vicky had left a few days before.

Arriving at Sao Paulo airport.  Margaret and Marty

I had a look around the airport shops at Sao Paulo but couldn't really find anything that I wanted to take back as presents.  I contemplated buying a packet of Brazil nuts for everybody but they had an English Language label and they looked just like the ones you get from Sainsbury's.  What's the point of that then ?

Final Brazilian meal in the airport before boarding.  Margaret, Raj, Deirdre, Keith and Marty

It's difficult to sum up a week like the one we have had.  It's been fantastic for me and I hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did.  We have had some good laughs along the way.  Treating non English patients with non native English speaking tutors was a hoot.  I have never heard so much swearing and bad language in a clinic.  Of course the Brazilians were totally unaware of this and the air was pretty well blue most of the time...very funny.

My favourite photograph taken by Nadeem, Me and Deirdre

In the end it was about the people that we were with and the new friends that we made.  We all got to know each other better and it was interesting to see relationships change and develop.  We were made to feel very welcome by the Brazilians at the University and the Titanium Fix company and they are very genuine about fostering good relations between England and Brazil.  On the last night Marcelo told us that we all have a new friend in Brazil and he meant it.  Thanks for everything Marcelo.

Nadeem, Arianne and Marcelo outside the Sao Paul Museum

It may be a personal reaction but for me there was a spiritual aspect to it too.  Being with someone as devout and genuine as Prof Palhari makes you think.

Back to more earthly concerns, Heathrow have lost my luggage.  I have always considered Heathrow as the earthly manifestation of hell and today it was worse than ever.  The flight from Sao Paulo started okay.  I was originally sitting next to a young Brazilian woman with a nearly two year old girl on her lap.  She was a cute kid but crawling all over me from the first minute.  It would have been fine for an hour or so but I couldn't put up with 11 hours of it.  I used it as leverage to try and get an upgrade to Club Class.  It nearly worked.  The "Captain's seat" was available.  However in the end an absolutely massive guy who couldn't fit in a regular seat took the captain's seat and I took his.  The diazepam didn't work so well this time, I guess it was because of the time difference compared to the outward flight.  I had a very restless night.

On arrival at Heathrow it was just queues and scrambling from the outset to get across to the next terminal, go through security, go through immigration etc.  It was just as well that I had three hours to get through before the next flight to Manchester.  Evidently this wasn't enough time for baggage handlers to get my case across to the Manchester plane and at the time of writing it still hasn't turned up.  Their tracking system has it located in Heathrow and they have promised to bring it round by tomorrow.

I arrived home at about 12.00 noon and everything caught up with me.  I hit the hay and the next thing I knew it was 7.00pm.

Anyway that is it.  Thanks to Nadeem, all the staff at the FAPI University, the Titanium Fix company and everybody else on the course for making it such fun as well as a learning experience.  Thanks also to all the friends, family and other interested parties who have been looking at the site and making me feel like it was a worthwhile exercise.

I have got a feeling that this won't be my last visit to Pindamonhangaba.

Cheers,

Andrew