Rotary District 4420 Conference + 1st Night in Sao Paulo

So after a 3 hour plane ride from Los Angeles to Houston, a 3 hour stay over in Houston, and a 9 hour plane ride from Houston to Sao Paulo, I have arrived in Brazil.

I was picked up by Andrea, the wife of a Rotarian in Sao Paulo. It was pretty cool because she had a sign that said "Rene-Rotary," so I felt a bit like a celebrity. An extremely friendly person, (as were all the Brazilian staff in the airport), Andrea took me to the Rotary Conference in Agua di Lindiao, Brazil. While I was happy to get on with the trip, I was extremely tired and the subsequent 5 hour car ride really kicked my ass. My back and neck are killing me!!!

So this is what I arrived to:










A gorgeous hotel with a colonial-feel called the "Grande Hotel de Lago." (or something like that) After a much needed hot shower and intense tooth-brushing in my hotel room, I went downstairs for lunch. I was greeted by a few dozen Rotarians who applauded me and welcomed me to Brazil. They proceeded to stuff me with fejuada (steak and beans mixed in a dark soup), pasta, and a whole bunch of Brazilian pastries. At night ,we went to the Governor's ball. Everyone was in costume, but no one told us, the GSE team, to dress up. Nonetheless, after some miscommunication with invitations and such, we were in, and began to have a blast. I had never had so many pictures taken of me. Here's a couple:









When the "YMCA" song came on, I knew it was over for me:









I went to sleep and woke up for a 9 o'clock massage appointment. It was ok, but considering it was an hour-long and free of charge, I refuse to complain.

The afternoon came, and the conference was over (I didn't arrive until the 3rd day of the conference...I had a show in Los Angeles!)

This is a pic of the LA team and the team from Hong Kong (who has been in Sao Paulo for almost a month)



Here are a few pics I took on the ride from Conference to Sao Paulo:











I arrived in Sao Paulo, and spent the night with my first host family:











The father (Silton) and one of his sons (Silvano) are pictured with me. The family owns an Office Furniture Company. They were extremely nice and welcoming.

Silvano (21) and his older brother (Silton, 23) took me out for drinks in Sao Paulo. We went to a part of Sao Paulo named Villa Magdalena, which is like the bar/nightclub hub. We sat down at a bar and ordered a beer and the famous Brazilian drink, a caipirinha. It was delicious. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so I did not get any pics. Nonetheless, it was a blast.

Great first night in Sao Paulo.