Saturday Dec 12

Hey everybody,

Greetings on this beautiful morning. Temp here is about 65 and it is sunny. We made it through another "grueling" week! Last night we went out to eat with our friends from next door, the Voelkers, at Chili's ... yes, that Chili's. Same decor, similar menu (some in Portuguese), English speaking waiter, U.S. music (which is quite common in many stores and malls), etc.. .. We almost forgot where we were for a while. Except for the prices (higher here), it was a Friday night at home.

Today we went back to Portugal to an outdoor market called the fiera) where we bought slippers for me, Nancy bought some boots (very cool), and some odds and ends like salmon steaks, bread, snack and sweet stuff. We then went to one of the nearly ubiquitous malls for some necessities. Nancy missed her coffee this am so I bought her a cappacino at one of the literally 100's coffee shops that abound in this part of the world. She had not tried one yet. You should have seen her eyes light up! I think I will have to buy more of them for her. Thankfully they only cost about $ 2 here so it is not as bad as going to Starbucks.

Nina is off with her friends, both Portuguese and American, to the mall for the afternoon. Then they are going to walk to downtown Lisbon to see what we have been told are spectacular Christmas light decorations.

Pray for us as we get ready to visit Romania and Kati's birth family (mother and brother plus others) right after Christmas. We are excited but a bit nervous as well. We plan to return to Lisbon Dec 31 just in time to welcome in the New Year on Greenwich Mean Time.

I am going to add a couple of pictures to our Thanksgiving vacation since I have the newer photos to share

Mike

December 8, 2009

Being back in school after Thanksgiving break is always a treat because before long it is time for Christmas break! Just kidding. I really do enjoy my class ... but hey, I enjoy vacation time too.

We spent Thanksgiving in an area of southern Portugal called the Algarve. It is a resort area on the seaside and lovely. We were blessed with 5 days of 60ish weather. The kids even ventured into the outdoor pool a couple of days. This was not just a holiday. It also was a missions retreat for ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism) which is the group associated with our school, GLCA. There were about 70 of us staying at the resort. Everyday we met at 10AM for an hour or so of prayer and worship and a message from the guest speaker. After that we were free to do whatever we as individuals or families wanted to do with our time. There were lots of teens so we generally saw little of Nina as she was off with her friends. Kati's favorite friend, Tori, was there so she usually spent the day playing with her. They happened upon a litter of stray baby kittens so spent some of their time naming them and then checked each day to see how they were doing.

As lovely as the place was and as much as I enjoyed walks on the beach and a little souvenir shopping and some much welcomed ... sleeping in my favorite part was the morning worship services. It was so nice to be able to have church everyday in Portuguese and our guest speaker was excellent.

There were a few note worthy things I'd like to share with you. The first day when we checked in, Nina and I went up to the room (Mike had gone to help some other people unload) and we found there was no electricity ... this was in a new, modern condo-style motel. I promptly went back down to the front desk to report the "failure". That was when I found out about the unique power-saving "device they use. It seems that inside the door is a little slot into which you must put your keycard to get electricity. Without your keycard in that slot ... the electricity goes into the condo. Once that was figured out, we realized we would need another key because if Mike and Nina were both out with their keys and I was home .. I would have to sit in the dark. Mike decided he would like to have this device installed at home thus saving not only electricity but repeated lectures to the girls about turning off lights when not being used.

Portuguese Another thing is how the elevators work. We were on the the second floor but our room number was 322. That is because the first floor is zero ... so to get to 322 you must push on the 2nd floor elevator. That can be quite confusing until you get used to it.

While we were there we needed to get some Benedryl for Kati ... but since they do not have it, we had to get something else that works in the same way ... try explaining that in pidgin Portuguese. Then there is the interesting way they have to drugstores and pharmacies (pharmacies ).... one has only OTC drugs (none are sold in areas of the grocery stores) and the other has prescription drugs. We had to take Kati to a clinic to have some infected bites looked at and were given a perscription for an antibiotic ... it took 3 farmarcias visiting to find one that had prescription drugs.

There were orchards of oranges and clementines all over the Algarve. One afternoon, Mike came home with a big bag of each that he had bought right at the orchard for just a couple of million ... and they were delicious! One night we went to a Chinese Restaurant to celebrate Nina's 14th birthday, another night to a place where they cooked steak on a hot rock and one night to an American diner that featured memorabilia from the 60s and, of course, hamburgers and milkshakes. If it sounds like we ate out a lot, we did ... we ate breakfast and lunch in our condo and ate out most evenings ... sometimes with just another family or two and other times, with a larger group. One night we went to an Indian restaurant with a missionary who had lived in India until he was 12. There were 15 of us and we let him order the entrees and then shared them all. He did a great job with variety and taste.

On Thanksgiving Day everyone brought potluck (the usual trimmings) to a party room at the resort. Of course, the Portuguese do not celebrate Thanksgiving, so it was an all-American event with the ABWE missionaries from Portugal and from Spain. Several people had prepared turkeys so we enjoyed the full benefit of "stuffing" in the traditional American way. What a good time.

December 2, 2009

Walking out to the car this morning in the misty rain I realized that winter here in Portugal smells just like early spring in Illinois...the main difference is that in IL when the damp chill penetrates to your very bones, you can go back inside to a warm cozy house. Here, since the homes do not have central heat and are made of stone and tile, inside the house is often more chilly than it is outside! But hey, I hear that by February winter is over...so I will not complain.

We had an interesting trip to Morocco, Africa. We drove the 7 hours from Lisboa to Spain (Espanha) and there caught a ferry to Tangiers. The 45 minute ferry ride was uneventful except for standing in line two different times to get our passports stamped. We arrived to overcast skies as evening approached and caught a taxi (two actually since there were 8 people in our party) to the bed and breakfast (Dar Nilam) where we had a reservation. We were greeted at the door by our host, ushered into the reception area and given a tall drink of some type of fruit nectar. After
registration was complete we were shown to our rooms and asked when we would like to have dinner. We had made arrangements ahead of time to dine with the host family who owns the B&B.

If you haven't seen our picts from Morocco try to view them. It is hard to explain the oppulence of the decor at Dar Nilam. Every imaginable color and pattern could be found in the tile, the curtains, the rugs, the furniture, etc. Overstuffed cushions and decorative throw pillows abounded. Lush velvets, filmy guazes, shiny silks were everywhere. Our host told us that the home had been his family home until his parents wanted to downsize. Since our host (Rachid) and his wife (Fatima) had both been trained in hospitality and hotel management his parents gave them the home and asked them to try to make something out of it...voila...a bed and breakfast!

At seven o'clock we followed our noses (the smells were fabulous) and assembled downstairs for an authentic Moroccan dinner. It started with bread and various pate type spreads which was followed by the most delicious chicken and vegetable couscous. During dinner we discussed politics, religion and history with our host and hostess. They are Muslim but have some knowlege of Christianity. They asked questions and we answered and then we asked and they answered our questions. It was quite an interesting exchange. After dinner their two young daughters (6 and 18 months) joined us as we feasted on fresh fruit.

The beds at the B&B were beautiful although not that comfortable, but, since we were pretty tired after our long day, we slept well. The next morning we were served a huge breakfast of all kinds of rolls and breads and coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.

After breakfast we were off to tour Tangiers. We had arranged for our taxi driver from the night before to pick us up at 10AM for the tour and in a misting rain we headed out. We saw the summer home of the king of Morocco and many palaces that belong to wealthy Arab families. Most come to Tangiers only at certain times of the year when the weather is too hot in other parts of the continent. We saw gypsies hawking their wares and berbers selling their farm produce. Our guide whisked us through the market place too fast for our liking. We wanted to "shop" and bargain but he had other ideas. We ended up in a bazaar which we figured was owned by his family...he wanted us to shop there...perhaps he was getting a cut.

The sun came out and in no time we found ourselves rushing to catch the 2PM ferry back to Spain. As we headed for the ferry merchants ran after us trying for a last minute sale...I ended up buying two bracelets and 2 t-shirts literally on the run. It was actually pretty fun.

By the time we reached the ferry we were all ready to relax and take a "chill-pill"...I settled for a bottle of cold water.
Nancy

Thanksgiving

Hello all,

Well, we had quite a week off from school. On Saturday before Thanksgiving, we got up very early and headed south to the bottom of Portugal and then east into Spain. We passed quickly through Seville and then turned south again to Tarifa near Gibraltar. There we caught a ferry to Morocco. All this was required as we are allowed to tour in Portugal for 90 days and then we have to leave the European Union. What an interesting way to spend a weekend. We arrived at our Bed & Breakfast in Tangiers just after dark. Dar Nilam (Blue Diamond) is about 5 minutes from the ferry port and a world away from familiarity. We were greeted by our host and given about an hour to get ready for dinner and what a dinner it was! There were 8 in our party counting Noah who is about 18 months old and will not remember much. Our host family prepared a wonderful traditional meal for us (main course was chicken with couscous and vegetables) and joined us for interesting conversation. We covered religion, politics, social issues, and religion again. Great contrast between believing by faith alone in Jesus as the Son of God sacrificed in our place of atonement for our sin and the belief that good works might be enough to save us. Anyway it was a great experience in a beautiful place. We "toured" the next day a bit and one of us will blog about that and the rest of our week soon. Mike

Wed Nov 18, 2009

Nancy told you all about us going to Africa overnight... Doesn't that sound strange? Who goes to another continent overnight? We are doing it partly by necessity as we have to renew our visas by leaving the EU. Our other option is Switzerland which we will probably do the next time we have to "get out of town". We have a 90 day limit. Apparently crossing national borders like we will by going into Spain means nothing in Europe any more. The "united states of Europe" is moving toward reality... Anybody know any prophesies about that stuff???
We are concerned as Nancy's Dad has been very ill these last few days. Thanks for keeping him and us in your prayers..
Mike

November 17, 2009

I realized yesterday while I was supervising morning recess that fall in Portugal is like spring at home. The weather is damp and rainy and everything is starting to turn green. Every morning there is a fresh smell in the air and almost always a strong breeze...I guess that answers the question we had about gardening. We were rather puzzled when our land lord began to plant his garden as October approached...now we know why.

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. It will be strange to celebrate the holiday far from home. We will be traveling to southern Portugal with the other missionaries for a 5 day conference. The yearly conference is held at a resort (its the off season) in an area called the Algarve. From what we have heard it is mostly a week of R&R.

Before getting to the Algarve we are taking an overnight trip to Morocco (yes Africa) via a ferry from Spain. This trip is necessary to renew our visas in a country outside the European Union. Our family, one other family and two single missionaries are going on the Morocco trip. We hope to have some interesting pictures to share when we get back from our adventure.

This past weekend Mike surprised me and took me to an art gallery in Lisboa. It was so cool. They have a number of original pieces including Mary Cassatte (a favorite of mine), some Rodin work, Monet, Manet, and a number of others. The gallery was built by a man for his own personal art collection of over 6000 pieces that date from early Eygpt to the present. It seemed a rainy, dreary day but turned out to be a romantic ramble through the gallery. I guess it is all about being with the right person.

Have a great Thanksgiving. We have much for which to be Thankful!
Nancy

November 9, 2009

A couple of cute stories about Nina and Kati that will give you an idea of how they are doing here in Portugal.

On Friday night Kati went to an unusual birthday party for her friend Tori who just turned eleven. The party was a sleepover...I know that is not unusual for eleven year old girls but this was not only a sleepover for the girls but also for their pet hampsters. So, there they were, three little girls Kati, Tori and Sunny with their hampster cages and their pets Jessa, Lilly (should be Billy) and Gina. A great night and the next day of fun was had by all.

On Saturday Nina and two of her friends, Leah and Louisa decided to get their hair cut explaining what they wanted all in Portugese. They walked down the hill to the salon, explained what they wanted (Nina admitted they used a lot of hand signals along with their broken Portugese) and got their hair cut, washed and styled. Word has it all the girls were pleased with the results. After lunch at Louisa's house they walked back up the hill for some bonding time and dessert at our house...we were gone to Sintra so they had the whole house to themselves.
Nina mentioned she wanted to try an outing with friends taking the subway into old Lisboa for their next adventure...I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet.

Yesterday after church we were invited to eat lunch with a young Romanian couple from our church in Loures (pronounced Lor-ish) named Cornell and Eunice. Both of them speak great English as well as Portugese and Romanian. They immigrated here to work nine years ago.

What a meal Eunice prepared! There was enough food to feed twenty instead of just the six of us. She said she just really cooking. We had mashed potatoes, rice, a meat loaf dish with a hard boiled egg baked into the center of it, egg-roll type pastry filled with meat and peppers and onions, a cauliflour dish in cream sauce, salad, fish muffins that tasted a little like salmond patties, bread and a carmel pudding cake that was wonderful. They were so warm and hospitable and made us feel very welcome. We ended up staying at their house until around 5:00 visiting and asking them all kinds of questions about Romania. They told us if we decide to visit Romania while we are here we can stay with Eunice's parents who have plenty of room and will be happy to take us and show us around their country. When we first met Eunice and Cornell we found it amazing that they were from the same town in Romania where Kati's biological brother, Flavius is still living.
The Lord works in mysterious ways indeed! N

November 9, 2009

The big news from this weekend is...Alex and Jamie are engaged! On Saturday morning we received a picture of her hand wearing a beautiful diamond ring. I immediately emailed back to make sure we were reading this "wordless" message right...We were! We are so happy to welcome Jamie into our family...she is a wonderful girl and it is obvious she and Alex are devoted to one another.

On Saturday Mike and I went to visit Sintra Palace...this is a palace upon a high hill that can actually be seen from the backside of the hillside where we live...but is a forty five minute drive to get there. It was one of those fall days when the wind is a bit blustery and the clouds are moving quickly across the sky. One minute it is sunny and the next it is cloudy or misting rain...we even saw a rainbow on the drive out to Sintra. Due to the mix of sun and rain and clouds here rainbows are fairly frequent. Nina commented the other day that maybe that is because the Portugese need to frequently be reminded of their covenant with God.

Sintra is a place many tourists visit and this weekend was no exception. We wandered through the little shops and ate lunch in an old cafe that upon entering looked somewhat like a hole-in-the-wall. But as the waiter led us into the inner workings of the place it proved to be a popular, nicely decorated establishment. As with most cafe's in Portugal cheese, olives, bread and a few other tempting things were placed upon our table. The rule is, if you eat any of these you pay extra for them, if you don't eat them there is no charge and they remove them before the entre is brought out. A few other customs we have learned are these; you leave your napkin on the table (not on your lap), the Portugese do not touch their food with their hands, for example a sandwich or pastry is picked up with a napkin or these special little papers that are on the table, you turn you fork upside down and lay it across your plate next to your knife to signal you are finished eating, you must ask for your check or they will not bring it, and tips left are small or not at all.

Once we were back outside we were serenaded by a street singer playing love songs on an accordian. We thought of taking a carriage ride up to the castle but decided we would save that for another day when the girls were with us to enjoy it.

After lunching, shopping and exploring the only thing left to do was finding our car (parking is always an issue) which we had left along some alley way or street (it is sometimes hard to tell them apart). We did eventually find the car and headed out to pick up Kati who had slept at a friends house on Friday night.
N

November 2, 2009

I can't believe it is November already. At school we are doing grade cards...end of first grading period. Flu of all sorts is running thru Portugal. I have a child out who tested positive for swine flu. He was kind of sick for a day then really sick for another day...but unfortunately even though he is feeling fine again the law of the land is that he has to stay out of school for a week after onset of the flu...most clinics are not even testing for swine flu now, but instead just treating all flu the same...lots of rest and fluids and managing the fever...

This weekend we visited one of our malls...did I tell you we have about 5 within a 10 mile radius? I decided to take some picts of the fashions. They are pretty cool. Lots of mid-calf or taller boots, lots of layering, and lots of scarves. Skirts if worn are fairly short and worn with colorful tights and or leg warmers. Since it is still warm here we don't see much of it actually worn on the streets but the malls are full of it...things look very European! A big color this fall is plum, which I happen to like. It isn't that we are doing a lot of shopping, but it is fun to look.

I think the prices on clothing are about like in the USA. There are very expensive stores all the way down to WalMart prices. One thing that does seem higher priced here is shoes. I'm hoping the ones I brought with me will get me thru. I may end of buying a pair of boots though...there are some very cool ones to be had. Sizing is another difference. I've figured out I wear about a 38 in a shoe size and still a medium in a blouse...but pants, haven't figured that one out yet...

Well enough chatting about fashion...let's talk about something important...food! Yes, well food is different here. I think in many ways we are eating healthier...did you know they have milk that doesn't have to be refridgerated until it is opened...and all kinds of unusual juices that are real juice or nectars. Also all the cheeses are white...I guess they don't allow yellow dye #6 or whatever it is that makes our cheeses yellow. Some things are not to be found...like salsa and pancake mix, syrup, tortillas, chocolate chips to mention a few...but since we have friends who shop at the American Embassy (ex military folks) they will get those things if we ask them to. All in all we have adjusted to what there is and have found we enjoy the differences.

Enjoy! Nancy

Nov. 1, 2009

Yesterday (Sat) was another wonderful day. We didn't do much during the day except shop a bit, take a walk (Nancy picked a ripe orange from a neighbor's tree), do laundry, and homework until nightfall when we went out for supper with Brian and Lauri Dix and their HS sr son, Matthew, who is a great kid especially in Kati's eyes. We went to a place where you cook your own steak in a rather unique way. They bring you a tray with some condiments and a big thick chunk of raw meat on it. In the middle of the tray is a 5' X 5' piece of (very) hot granite rock so you slice off a piece of meat, decorate it as you like, put it on the rock and cook it to your preference. Great fun and delicious! Sides included salad and the ever present french fries. We had a great time. Kati even ate the "whole thing" which disappointed me a bit since I was hoping for an extra share. Topped it all off with some chocolate mousse and something called "camel's drool" (somekind of caramel thing). This place has been at the same location for over 150 years. I can't believe it hasn't been franchised all over the place. It is called "O Patermice" which means...oh, I don't know... maybe "O how my stomach hurts like it is Thnaksgiving"? Anyway we are adding it the places we will take visitors...your treat, of course..
Mike

Saturday Oct 31, 2009

Friday we had no school, sleep-in, relaxed, peaceful day that lasted until about 7:15 when Nancy jumped up with a great idea. "Let's re-arrange the house. We'll put the dining room stuff in the living room and move the living room into the dining room" I was too drowsy to think of a good reason not to...so we did. Wow, what a difference it has made. We have so much more usable space and it looks a lot better as well. What a woman!
We also took a short shopping trip to a store called "Lidl's". It is named for the brother of Aldi's. Seriously, they flipped a coin. Aldi got the US and Lidl got Europe. The stores are exactly the same right down to pay for the cart and bring your own bags. The layout of the stores is the same and the one here carries some things that other places do not. They do have some brands that are a bit different. They carry Lisas (chips), Nougat Pillows and Wellness Flakes (cereals), Bimbo Bread, and Finkbrau (beer) which I don't think I would buy even if I had a use for it. I bought a box of "MyTime" as well. You will not guess what it is. We will keep you posted as we discover more of these. We also have a lot of familiar brands as well. Total and BP gas, Pantene hair care, Nestles (with General Mills), and Kellogg's, etc.
Of course, the best stuff is unbranded fresh and homemade (in somebody else's kitchen or a restaurant). We love a place that sells grilled chicken and fries by the kilogram. We were there early the other day and the owner was peeling real potatoes for the fries. No wonder they are so good!!!
Mike

Sunday Oct 25,2009

Beautiful 75 and sunny today
Church starts at 11:30 which is the good news...It ended today after 1. We had an English speaker which is good for us but makes for a long service because of translation. By the time we go out to eat (as there was nothing in the house...again), miss a couple of turns and drive around a bit, put $45 in the gas tank (almost filled it up), and get home, it is 4 PM.
Yesterday was quite a day. Went to a street market in the AM, dropped Nina off, drove downtown Lisbon looking for the place where Nancy's art students' (all of the elem. grades) project was to be on display. Arrived at 3 pm which is exactly the right time. (we did get a bite to eat in a park). We seriously seached for this place for 2 hours. Okay, it would help if we didn't make wrong turns, but still...put a decent sign on the buildings!
Turned out there was a program associated, a contest in which Nancy was a judge, refreshments and a birthday party after. We left there about 5:30. Nancy was great. She got to make a speech (with her own interpreter) and was perfectly charming throughout even tho she had no warning about this.
The program was about Water and the Bible and involved schools across Portugal (public and private). Very well done and great opportunity. The kids that participated (including Kati) got prizes and pictures taken and all. It was tiring but well worth it. Nancy was great.
On the way home we found a roadside wagon cooking Pao de Chourico over and open fire. For $2 you could get a sub sized loaf of bread infused with cheese and meat and still hot from cooking. Very good when you are really hungry. Helped us fall asleep in a hurry glad that we got that extra hour of sleep from Daylight savings time.
Pictures to be added
Mike

October 23, 2009

This week has brought two new Portugese experiences. Yesterday I got my first Portugese hair cut. I was a little nervous about it because as all of you know...a good cut is important! My friend and neighbor from here took me to an English speaking hair dresser who turned out to be from South Africa...she came here 25 years ago but did her training in South Africa. Well, I have to say she did a great job. Not only did she cut it but she gave my head a wonderful massage, and style. One of my concerns about coming to Portugal was...what about my hair? I know that is really vain...but I guess one of my weaknesses. My wonderful hairdresser at home solved the coloring problem for me...yes, I know most of you thought I was a natural blond...ha! She sent everything I would need to color my own hair... she even gave Nina a lesson right before we left. Nina colored it for me two weeks ago...and did a great job. But the cut was another thing...so I ventured out to have it done...and SUCCESS!

Our other new experience was seeing a doctor here in Portugal. Mike needed a medication adjustment so we went to a clinic that has English speaking staff. Our doctor was also trained in South Africa. He was very thorough and his English was impeccable...of course he looked about 12 years old...why is it that professionals keep getting younger???? The neat thing about this clinic is, it is on ocean front property and you look right out to an ocean view. I have to say that was a first for us.

Kati's new hampster is doing well. We made a trip to the pet store last night to ask some questions and found that the young man who worked there spoke great English and was a hampster lover so gave us all kinds of good advice and some samples of treats for her. We also purchased a hampster ball so now she can roll all over the apartment...it is so funny! Nina has decided she might want to get a hampster too. Mike is still sure he doesn't want one and calls this one "the rat".

Plans for this weekend are shaping up...a movie night tonight with the family and our friend Meridith Peters..with of course Pizza. Tomorrow Nina is invited to a day with the highschool girls...watching movies and fixing supper together...Kati has invited her friend Tori (also a hampster owner) and her hampster to sleepover. We may also drive out to search out an orphanage we heard about in Lisbon...it is an Evangelical orphanage. We'd like to do some volunteer work there sometime. There is also an art display which our students participated in at an expo center...we will try to stop by there. So, another relaxing, laid back weekend with the Dubois family of Portugal...

A neat little event yesterday...as I was making garlic chicken and realized I needed some lemon juice...Mike stepped out into our yard, picked a fresh lemon from the tree, cut it and squeezed it into the mixture. Then we cooked the chicken...well that is another story...I'll let Mike write about our adventures with the ancient gas oven we have.
N

October 18, 2009

One of the things about living in a foreign speaking country is that you get used to the idea that those around you probably don't know what you are saying, therefore you carry on conversations with family as if you are alone...well, you can't always assume.



Yesterday we again visited the seaside town of Nazare, this time with the girls. We decided to eat lunch at an outdoor cafe...very European...that looked out over the rollng waves of the ocean..very beautiful! We sat at a table for six...another couple was seated at one end. The four of us...Mike and I and Kati and Nina commenced to carry on a normal family conversation...that of course involved a few unpleasant interchanges along with the normal chitchat. I think Kati was telling me how bad my attempts at Portugese are or something such. We ordered our meal and while waiting for it to arrive the lovely young lady at the end of our table asked if we would like to try some of the steaming clams the waiter had just placed before her and her companion.

Nina and Mike said yes and found them to be delicious. This offer broke the ice
and we began to talk to them. We found out they were celebrating their first wedding annivesary and that she was a psychologist and he a psychiatrist...and they spoke and understood English perfectly. Alarms immediately went off for me...as I realized our "private" conversation and our family dynamics were probably being analyzed the whole time we were sitting there. Seriously though, it was fun talking to them and sharing thought about the country, the city, foreigners, etc.

I do think I will be a little more cautions when I am talking though, many people understand more English than one realizes.

The big news this weekend was Kati got her hampster and named her Jessa. She had been saving money she earned by cleaning the house...first she bought the cage, then food...then she finally saved enough to buy Jessa. She had to find someone to "babysit" while we travel at Thanksgiving and Christmas...and with that done Mike and I had run out of excuses why she could not have a hampster...so now we have a new family member. Mike was lobbying for a boy but...oh, well...
N

Sunday Oct 18, 2009

Hello again,
We have been offline for a few days and that is our excuse for skipping a few days. We have been having a good and busy time.
These may be a bit out of order but all have actually happened...

Yesterday we went to the walled city of Obidos again only this time with Nina and Kati. They were not as impressed as they should have been but it was good. We also went on to the beach town of Nazare. This time we went up to the high town at the north end. Very high cliff and a spectacular view. Also some bargain shopping. Nina got a beautiful wool hooded shaw/poncho thing for about 1/2 what we have seen them priced. Nazare was definitely off-season but the weather has been unseasonably warm and sunny and it was great.
We had lunch (seafood) on the sidewalk like real Europeans. We were joined at our table sort of because of the crowd by a couple celebrating their 1st anniversary. They were Portuguese professionals and were so gracious. We even shared some of their food (delicious clams) and had a very pleasant conversation. Great memory.

Last week, I had a couple of "mini-victories". I met my butcher on the street and he recognized me and we spoke. A car stopped by me to ask directions and I was able to assist accurately, I think. A couple of the guys at the "pastelaria" where I buy bread (frequently) and a treat (sometimes) finally admitted to being able to speak English and said I needed to keep working on my Portuguese. I complimented them on their English and we decided that they would practice their English on me and I would practice Portuguese on them. They are really nice and work very hard at a very popular cafe. Nancy and I went down there today to get some fresh bread...it is so good, we eat too much sometimes.
Speaking of eating, Nancy and Kati broke down and ha
d a McDonald's on Friday. Nina and I disdain such food. We went for some other stuff that we can't really name or even describe accurately. Imagine egg, pasta, carrots, meat(s), salad, with a dressing poured all over it sorta like a chef's salad. It was great.

We are having our first company over for dinner on Tuesday. Since we have very little that we can cook here due to lack of a controllable stove and necessary familiar ingredients (okay, and limited culinary skills), it will be an adventure. Last week we finally bought a new skillet (quite expensive) but after burning 10-12 different things, it was time to step up. Having a good camera makes for better pictures and having a better pan makes for better meals as well!
Mike

Oct. 10 Saturday AM

Hey,
Just checked the weather forecast for Lisbon and I thought I would share the good news with you so you can be happy for us. Clear and 77, 86, 85, 83, and 82 is the prediction for the next 5 days. So boring...
The school director has rejected my request for a schedule change... Plan B is in operation as we speak.
We had an interesting week at school. A visiting special speaker with chapel everyday and he was great! Some of you know Ken Rudolph so you know what I am talking about. Great spiritual impact on some kids (and adults). Praying that it is not just a temporary thing. MK's are sometimes very needy kids.
We took Ken and his entourage to dinner (9 of us) at a small chicken grilling local cafe and did it all in Portuguese w/o help. It helped that grilled chicken is the only entre on the menu (except for the ubiquitous codfish that you have to be a 3rd or 4th generation Portuguese to tolerate). We had a great time and enjoyed the fellowship. In this small hole in the wall place, they grill chickens all day (mostly for take out) and they are great. Be sure that we take you there when you visit. We do have a Chili's here in Lisbon but what fun would that be? We have easily avoided McD's although it is the most popular food court place by far.
One thing that was really cool at the restaurant is that Kati volunteered to ask the waiter for more water...in Portuguese!!!
We are headed to a street market this AM
Got to go
Mike

Tuesday Oct 6

Hey

After looking at pictures and reviewing our weekend, I have decided to change schedules. I will now work on the weekend and "tour" during the week. The crowds are down and it will give us more time. The school director is pondering my proposal... Pray for him!

Mike

Oct. 6 Tuesday

Hello all,

What a weekend. We were banned from the school property as it had been rented for a special conference, so we couldn't work at all. Kati was staying with friends, Nina had special scheduled event as well. So off we went doing tourist stuff.

The ancient walled city of Obidos was our first call. Really cool place but a bit touristy as well. Weather was great (about 85 and sunny) and the company was excellent. (see picture) We strolled and shopped and ate and took pictures (check them out w/Picasa if you want). It seemed like every alley was more photogenic than the last. We watched as a wedding party gathered and dispersed. Guests were all decked out and looked strange mingled with tourists in shorts and tees. It was only about an hour's drive north so we decided to press on to the fishing village (and tourist hotspot) of Nazare about another 1/2 hour northwest (top photo). Famous as the origin of Vasco Da Gama's first voyage around Africa to India and the beginning of Portuguese ascendency in the 1500's. Also famous as a fishing village, beach spot, and home of the ladies who wear 7 petticoats. They also have ladies who "recruit" for B&B's (ligit) with signs and then lead the cars to their rooming house. We plan to go for a weekend when the opportunity arrives. It was a very pleasant trip. GPS got us home without incident mostly on fast well-made toll roads.

Monday (yesterday) we had our first serious rain since we arrived. Yes, we had clothes on the line and they are still soaked having endured at least 4 "final rinses" from the sky. Yesterday was also a holiday (for others). I made a trek to the PO only to find it locked up. The internet was down for a while as well as the phone. We felt a bit isolated. It is still rainy today so maybe our season has changed. It has been extremely pleasant weather-wise so far.

Oct. 1 Thursday

Hey,
Just filled up the car with gas after we got our flu shots. Going back up the hill I got a warning light that I was low on fuel. Up at the top of the hill, the guage showed I had a 1/4 tank. Anyway I put in 40 Euros and did the computation. Gas here cost $6.97 a gallon! Nina wanted to know why we drive so much... good question. I think the answer has something to do with hills.
Mike

October 1, 2009

It is October and we are still having unseasonally warm weather...we will just keep enjoying it until the chilly and I'm told damp weather begins.

Last night Mike and I went driving, looking for a chicken (frango) place that everyone told us is really good and an excellent place for take-out when you don't feel like cooking after a long day at work. We "thought" we knew where it was...but after driving the same streets for awhile we called a friend and got directions...and yes, we had passed it several time. We just didn't know to look for the place with the red awning. The next challenge was finding a parking place. You have to understand what that is like during the evening rush when the Portugese are going home and always seem to be stopping off for a loaf of bread or some vegetables at the (mercado) market. Picture this...narrow two way streets with cars parked and double parked on either side. The dilemma is, do we try for a real parking space and take the chance of getting hemmed in by a double parker or do we join the double parking craze and worry about getting hit by a passing car or yelled at by an irrate parker who is hemmed in...decisons, decisons!

...we decided to find a real parking space and take our chances. We lucked out, found a space not too far from the red awning chicken place and went in. Now came ordering...we were taking it home for the four of us...so how many kilos is that? Yes, you order the take out chicken in kilos.
We ended up ordering 1.3 kilos ( I'm not sure we knew how much we were ordering). As it turned out it was enough for supper plus several pieces left over for today's lunch. The chicken was cooked over a wood fired flame...it was so good. On the way home with our chicken and a fresh loaf of bread we saw several available parking spaces... with parking at such a premium we hated passing up those spaces even though we had no desire to park. Such is the way with supply and demand I guess.

Now we know where the red awning chicken place is and I have no doubt we will be frequenting it again soon.

N

Wednesday Sept 30

Hey...
After much effort, consultation with mentors (all under the age of 16), and nagging by Alex, I learned to add pictures to the blog. Thanks to all who helped. I hope it gives proper vision to the words.
Big news here is the addition to the school family born yesterday. Baby girl.
Imagine photo here



Big excitement in the elementary school as her older sibs are there.
We are trying to plan a short out of town trip this weekend to the medieval town of Obidos and the old fishing village of Nazare (place that Da Gama left on his epic voyage around Africa). Our plans keep getting interupted by Nina's social schedule. She is in high demand as one would expect from such a wonderful person. We sometimes miss her a lot. Last week end, she left for school Friday AM and came home late Saturday night before leaving again most of Sunday. Portent of the future, I guess. Nice to see her in class though.
Mike

Monday Sept. 28

Hello, all
Friday night was a different experience. Nancy and the girls went to a baby shower with a bunch of other like-gender types (Americans mostly) in a town about 20 miles from here. I dropped them off and joined the other males from age 1+ to... well, me at the beach. There were about 20 of us. Played soccer in the sand, took a dip in beautiful waves, and found a roadside wagon selling fresh baked (in a wood fired oven) bread stuffed with various cheeses and meats (locally called pao com Chouriço) to take care of our hunger. It was a beautiful night.

Saturday we played tourist at the waterfront monuments. The Tower of Belem used to be a fort in the middle of the river. It is now on the shore as they filled in the north side of the river. It predates the 1755 earthquake. The Monument to the Discoveries was first built as a temporary site by the dictator Salazar in the 30's or 40's and then replaced with this permanent one in the 1960's. It is impressive and attractive in the special setting it enjoys.

About a block away is a early Renaissance Cathedral (also an earthquake survivor) and attached monastery/convent. Vasco Da Gama's burial site as well as the final resting place of kings and queens.
Nearby is the site of the invention of a famous local delicacy... a kind of custard pastry... called Pasteis de Belem. The coffee house type place has been in business since 1837 at this site. It has has many smallish rooms as it has expanded over the years and taken over nearby buildings. It would be a great +place to play "paint ball" or hide and seek. Hot out of the oven, sprinkled with cinnamon and/or powered sugar and washed down with your favorite coffee/chocolate drink, it is great. Often imitated (all over the place) but never duplicated, it is said that only the owner and 2 trusted employees actually know the recipe. Sadly, there is a Starbucks 2 doors down and a McDonald´s across the street. I think it will outlast both...
Yesterday (Sunday) after church, we went to the "largest mall in Europe" for lunch and joined hundreds of others wasting their time, looking at stuff in stores. It was fun though and we didn´t get lost (much) at all getting there and not at all getting back home.
We are constantly reminded of contrasts here. Old (very) and new, side by side. Example of new. Underground parking garages at malls have a small green or red light over each parking slot indicating occupancy. The red is automatically activated when a car fills it up. Easy to spot open spaces from a distance, so that you can join the race to get there first. Some other things, like toilet paper that is a mixture of wood fiber and crepe paper, are not so "up to date".
Got my first hair cut today. (He pre-washed it, took 30 minutes "styling" it, and washed it again before my blow dry) 10 euros well spent and I feel beautiful...
Mike

Wednesday Sept 23, 2009

Hump day---
What a great climate/weather pattern we are in here. Cool nights and sunny warm days. Our car has been in the shop with a muffler issue as a result of a high object in the road, so I have been walking home in the AM to do my household chores like hang the laundry or, like today, prepare dinner by turning on the crockpot.
It takes about 6 minutes to walk one way with about 2 more used to catch my breath and look at the view. Of the 6 minutes 4.5 are used going up a steep hill. About 400 yds of up hill closely akin to 40 stories of steps... I will be in shape soon if I don't get the car back. Nothing like starting class with a little sweat already worked up... here I go
M

September 21, 2009

I have come to the conclusion that we are having way too much fun on the weekends. That makes it hard to go back to work on Monday mornings.

On Saturday we took the metro and went to old downtown Lisboa...it is very old and very European...lots of pastry shops and sidewalk cafes. Lots of foot traffic...they actually have designated walking streets and large piazzas where no cars are allowed...that is quite welcome since we often feel we are risking life and limb when we walk on the regular streets....so narrow with cars dodging here and there. The day started off cloudy but half way into our venture the sun was out again. As a result half our pictures for the day show gray skies and half show blue.

Before we got to the downtown area, Mike gave us a lesson on some Portugese history...one of the many advantages to being married to him...one of the most interesting things he told us was about the tragic events of 1755...one Sunday morning the great city of Lisbon was hit by a massive earth quake. The quake caused fierce fires to break out all across the city. Only minutes later the city was hit by a devastating tidal wave that finished things off. Thousands were killed and all but one small part of the city was destroyed. I can't help but think the people must have thought this was the end of the world!

Since most of the city was destroyed almost all the buildings we see now were built after 1755 in grand European style... Think Paris on a shoe string as much wealth along with the lives was lost that fateful day.

One interesting site is the elevator, designed by a student of Eiffel, who transports people from the lower part of the city to the upper part. Another is the partially finished cathedral which was not finished because the people thought God was displeased with their effort and sent the earthquake as a warning.

As we wandered along the streets, we came to a bazaar where artisans were displaying their wears...Mike bought me a lovely necklace for only 10 euros...he said it does not really seem like my style...I told him it is my new Portugese look.

Sidewalk entertainers, tourists of all origins, cafes, shops, street vendors, and smells of strong coffee vied for our attention. We will definitely do it again and soon...

September 18, 2009

Yeah...it is Friday of the second week of teaching! And, can you believe this, I have my lessons plans all done for the coming week. This could make for a relaxing weekend. Seriously, it may sound like I am glad it is Friday...and, well, I am...but that does not mean I am not enjoying my class. They are sweet kids and hard workers. I love starting the day out teaching a class on Bible and having a short prayer time...very different from when I taught in the public schools.

Along with first and second grade I am teaching art to my class and to the 3-6 graders. I am also teaching...now those of you who know me well will gasp at this...music...to my class. I know that is a bit scary but as I was doing it today I found I was having fun. God does work in mysterious ways. You have to remember I am teaching 6,7 and 8 year olds so they don't know a lot about music...thankfully for their music teacher.

Enough about school. Today I woke up at 5:30, thought it was 6:30...my usual time of arising on school days...and did not discover the mistake until after I had had my coffee...so of course there was no chance of getting back into bed and falling asleep. I was bummed about how tired I would be all day until I realized that since my clock was wrong this morning it was also wrong when I went to bed last night...so I got to bed an hour earlier than I thought I did. I felt much better after this realization. Isn't it funny how our minds work...or at least my mind.

Anyway, it was raining this morning. This doesn't happen often but when it does it can affect more than ones walk or ride to school...since we have to hang out all of our laundry on the clothes line we have discovered it does not dry in the rain...we have to plan when we do laundry around the weather. Luckily by midmorning today the rain had cleared and the sun was out so Mike went home before his first class (which is at 11 AM) and hung out the clothes I had thrown into the washer before we left for school. The really cool thing we have discovered about hanging clothes on the line is...you never need to use a loofa on your skin ...your stiffly dried clothes will do all the exfoliating you'll ever need!

Tonight we plan to go to a Chinese Restaurant (I never could spell that word) that has been highly recommended to us. We are looking forward to this experience in Portugal. One thing we have found with the restaurants here is you pay for everything....rolls, butter, pickles, etc. Anything that is on your table will be an extra charge if you eat it...so beware.

Tomorrow, if the weather is good we are going on a tour of old Lisboa (Lisbon). We have heard the tour is filled with lots of interesting history facts and the viewing of historical sights.

All in all, after almost a month (in four days) of life in Portugal we are settling in. Nina is starting to think of herself as a highschooler instead of a middleschooler...that is helping her confidence. I think she is realizing she actually can do 9th and 10th grade work...with more effort perhaps than she has had to put into school in the past...but she is learning a lot. Of course her favorite teacher is...Mr. Dubois...at least that is what she tells him at home. Kati is working on getting organized...we invested in a folder for each subject after she forgot her homework or thought she lost it three nights in a row...she found it the next day tucked away under something else. It is actually pretty cool to be going to school each morning together. Some days we go home at different times since the girls are taking Portugese after school a couple of days a week and Nina has a Bible study with the high school girls on another day. Soon I will be starting the women's Bible study one day every other week.

One more funny "slant" story before I sign off. Yesterday as we got home from school our neighbor was unloading groceries and dropped a rather large melon of some sort onto the road...the melon began to roll, faster and faster, and when it came to the intersection it actually turned the corner and rolled down another hill...finally coming to rest in many pieces in the middle of a downward slanting street after bouncing off a curb. down the block...it was a funny sight to see and no one even attempted to chase after it. They instinctively knew that once that melon escaped the confines of the bag it was in...it was gone forever!

Bye for now.
Nancy

09-15-09

Tuesday already...
Another interesting thing about our area is the large number of dogs. Many of the loud barking watchdog variety on chains or behind walls, but also a number free roamers. No negative experiences yet (although some close calls when one fails to watch your steps carefully, if you know what I mean). The interesting thing about the roamers is that they seem to be missing the gene that controls the "get out of the street when a car comes" reflex inherent in most living critters. They sleep in the street, often in the middle of intersections, sit in the street, eat in the street, have meetings with several of their ilk in the street, etc. They do go to the sidewalks (at least near our house) to do their "business", but are very slow responders to the menace of auto tires or honking horns. Haven´t hit one yet but nearly did last night. Gray dog on a gray street at dusk... It survived... probably to breed more with the missing gene...
M

9-13-09

Finally Saturday…
Nancy did school work all morning and I prepped for PE by walking up and down a hill with the GPS marking off 1.5 km for a fitness test.
This afternoon I forced them all into the car and we headed for the beach… Caparica.
We visited there 22 years ago and Mike Jr. and Lisa, sorry to say, were introduced to “nature worship”. No such untoward events today. Today it was beautiful. 10+ miles of sandy white beach and 3 foot waves of clean cool (very cool) water rolling in. Kati and I had a ball. Nina is a great swimmer but being from IL thinks that water you swim in has to have lots of chlorine and a cement bottom. She finally joined us but I had the most fun. Nancy took pictures and looked cute on the beach. She doesn’t do cool water.
I really feel rejuvenated and I think I can do another school week…
M

9-11-09

Another significant date... Powerful images remain. Who doubts that the actions of one have an impact of world events?
Anyway, we have completed the 1st week of school. I think I will call it a draw. I have enjoyed talking with my students and getting them to think about significant things but it is exhausting. Been very hot and the gravity thing takes it's toll. I notice it a lot when getting out of our little Toyota. It doesn't seem to matter where I park, it is always in a way that intensifies the impact of gravity on the exiting process. Up hill presses me against the seat in a way that is difficult to overcome, downhill tends to sent me running out the door and then clawing my way back up the side of the car. Sidehills exert odd pressures either out the door and down the hill or toward the passenger seat upon releasing the steering wheel.

You have to understand that some of our hills have a 40% grade so I have been told. That is a very steep hill. Many of them have lesser but still impressive grades. "Life on the Slant" is very interesting... I wonder if I can find a pizza place for a Friday night meal...

More 09-09-09

September 9, 2009
Number one rule of blogging…don’t rely on the battery…plug the thing in! I just lost all that I had written. So, I will try to recap. The first day of school I dragged myself home, ate something, and fell into bed. Not all of the exhaustion was due to being out of shape for the rigors of teaching after being retired for eight years…I was suffering from a head cold and I had not been able to sleep much the night before. Luckily I have felt much better the past two days.
The days here are hot and by afternoon everyone is sweaty and sticky and somewhat fragrant…but by 6PM a cool breeze is blowing across the hills and cools everything off…by night time we usually need a sweater if we are outside. We leave our windows open when we are home…no screens…we share our home with a few flies so we keep our two fly swatters handy. Mike likes to hit them in mid-air…but I wait until they land and then…usually miss anyway.
My school day is pretty jam packed…not much time to plan lessons and organize so I try to do that before and after school. Today I decided that I would attempt to teach my students music once a week…I know that it is hard to believe I can do that…my musical ability is…well...shall we say…lacking! Any suggestions from my musically inclined friends and family would be appreciated.
Mike is doing a great job of taking care of us. Since his classes don’t start until 11AM he does the marketing and menu planning and sometimes the laundry…then after school he cooks dinner for us. Nina’s job was to wash dishes but since she is getting tons of serious homework I have taken on clean-up duty…except for sweeping the kitchen floor each evening…that is Kati’s job.
We are working with a nice group of people. All the elementary teachers are new and short termers like us…all the high school teachers, except Mike, are returning teachers. The elementary teachers consist of a young single woman, a couple about my age and me. We seem to be developing a good working relationship. I look forward to getting to know them more personally as the year progresses.
It rained today for the first time since we have been here…it was an actually rain storm with thunder and lightning…pretty unusual for this time of year we were told.
It sound like Swine Flu is heating up…we are constantly washing our hands and telling the kids to do likewise…I have to admit it is a bit scary to think about it. One of my constant prayers is for good health for all of you out there and for us here…it is all in His hands! Bye for now.
Nancy

09/09/09

Interesting date, huh? We had a very unusual thunderstorm this AM. It seldom rains here until later in the year. It almost never experiences thunder and lightening. I hung the laundry out just minutes before a brief heavy shower on the mistaken notion that it was over. Not only did the clothes get a "final rinse", so did I on the way back to school after my household chores were done.
GLCA has diversity! I have kids from Korea, Germany, Angola, Tibet, Canada, & USA. Some have lived here a long time and some have not been here as long as I have. Some speak several languages and some don't seem to speak any... at least, that I can tell what it is. They all seem to be willing to learn stuff so we are working to give them a great learning experience.
I found the Post Office tucked in the back of a tiny storefront today. I was doubting the GPS but it was right.. Only went down one 1-way street the wrong way to get there. Had lots of people help me recognize the driving error as I did last night when I tried to check out of the shortest line at a crowded market that happened to be reserved for PG moms and handicapped people. They did let me stand there until I was next in line...Talk about embarassed!
Once again if you would like pictures to see some of this stuff, let me know via email and I will copy you in for those.

Sept. 7,2009

Labor Day has taken on a new meaning for us. We labored, actually toiled, today in honor of the event. First day of school was hard on all of us. Lots of real hard work but we are on a mission and are going to go to bed early and get ready to do it again. It actually was a lot of fun but also very taxing and challenging for us. We will be ready for the weekend for sure. We will tell you about our students another time. Lots of diversity here at GLCA

Sept 6, 2009

I still can´t get over the view from our house and from the school. My classroom is on the down side of the hill (thankfully) and I can see the Tejo (Tagus in US) river and the otherside all the way to high hills in the distance, at least 20 or 30 miles when it is clear. Since I face kind of east in my desk, I can see the hills that were opposite the old school (our 1986-87 experience) as well. There are still barren of houses and have olive trees on their flanks. I also see the airport and look down on the planes as they land and take off invariably (so far) from the west to the east. If I lean a bit forward I can see downtown Lisbon (which we have yet to visit), a couple of hugh soccer stadiums, and the roof of the largest mall in Europe. I think a foray Sunday pm into the city may be in order if I can get my guts up to drive it. The GPS is great but not foolproof. The driving is more of a challenge than I remember. I think because we didn't drive that much then and it was less busy as well. The freeway system is well developed but I have not yet been able to make it orderly in my brain. Plus once you are on it, right or wrong, exits are few and far between. There are also no as yet discovered, easy-off easy-on situations either which makes for a high price extracted for entering a wrong on-ramp. Landmark recognition is still out of my grasp as I have to focus so much on avoiding contact with the other zipping little autos trying to qualify for the next Formula 1 race...
I bought a butane tank for the house yesterday... another "great" learning experience. My inability to glutterize and roll r's at the same time led to lots of puzzlement on behalf of the gas station staff. Another quart, oops, liter of sweat on that one but finally got it. (saved by someone who knew English).
Also found the Ramada (formerly Odiveles) church yesterday. It is at the bottom of our hill and surrounded by housing. It was isolated on a dirt road before.
School starts tomorrow and we are all ready. I hope I don't start drifting into day dreams as I glance out the windows...

September 4, 2009

As you may have noticed we have lost count of the days we have blogged and are now using the date as a reference...I hope we will be able to remember the date!

I wanted to share about an unusual place we visited a few days ago...it is called Boca du Inferno. It is a place on the coast where the ocean has weathered out a huge, and I mean huge hole in the rocky coast. The design of the hole is such that the waves wash in and water sprays up hundreds of feet. The day we were there it was quiet but when Mike was here three years ago he saw it in action and said it was amazing. We will visit it again on a more turbulant day. It is located in a beautiful seaside vacation area about 30 minutes from here...quite a beautiful area.

One strange thing I have noticed here is that most things you buy in a store, even in the "supermercado" are packaged in small amounts. I am so used to big packages and places like Sam's club. Mike says it is a throw back to the days when there were only neighborhood markets and the people shopped everyday. It is certainly different.

Some things that are hard to find here or non-existant or very expensive are chocolate chips, peanut butter, hand sanitizer, and hand lotion with a pump top. There are probably others but so far this is what we have run into.

Well, we are off to get ready for a potluck lunch for the staff at school. Mike is making Oriental Slaw since we were assigned to bring a salad.

Mike's dad who was in the hospital for 4 days is home now, thanks for the prayers on his behalf.

Bye for now.

Nancy

Sept 3, 2009

Sorry it has been awhile since I've blogged. It seemed every evening when I started to do it the internet was down. So here it is early on Thursday morning.

We have been furiously getting ready for school to start. It officially starts on Monday but there is an open house (they call it a family tea) this evening. My classroom looks ready but my mind is a bit boggled with the curriculum I will teach...although I have only 3 students I have two grades (1 and 2) and a separate curriculm for each. The school has a lot of materials so it looks and feels a bit overwhelming. I'm sure things will fall into place as I get to know my kids and what they need and how fast they work. We had a teacher meeting yesterday and it seems the tone of the school is fairly low-key. The other el-ed teachers seem very nice...we are all fist timers here so we can kind of help each other out.

Along with grades 1 and 2 I have been asked to teach 2 art classes...I'm looking forward to that...but of course that means two more preps and no planning time...but hey, I'm here to work and I'm looking for any opportunities that God puts before me. Since Mike's schedule is quite a bit more open than mine he has decided to do the grocery shopping and cooking for our family. I sure won't complain about that. He is already the best cook in this family anyway.

We have set up a tutor for the girls so they can learn Portugese...they will be taking the class for an hour after school once a week. The 14 year old daughter of one of the new missionaries will be taking it with them.

I found out that one of the missionary women is going to hold a women's Bible study. She plans to do a Beth Moore book about John. I'm looking forward to that. There is also a baby shower planned this month for one of the missionaries who is having a baby. She doesn't seem a bit nervous about having a baby here.

Yesterday our electricity suddenly went off but in no time at all Mike had solved the problem and had it working again. He is amazing!

Our landlord, Senor Martine is out working in the yard and garden everyday. Two different days he called us over to where he was working and wanted to cut some fresh roses from the yard for us. They make a lovely and fragrant centerpiece for our little kitchen table.

Two days ago we made a trip to the AKIA store. We bought a few household things and had lunch there. We took Meridith one of the young single teachers with us.

Yesterday Mike and I decided to buy things for dinner so went to the local vegetable market for a few things and then walked across the street to the meat market for what we thought was some hamburger patties. After we cooked them we decided they were probably pork burgers. We looked up in our Portugese/Ingles dictionary how to say hamburger and guess what....it said "hamburger". I guess that will make it a little easier to order next time.

Today we are going to try to find this market/street fair we heard is held on Thursdays...it may be our last chance to check it out since we will be in school most Thursdays.

The girls are doing great...they even cleaned the house for us yesterday while we were working at school, then walked up the hill to join us when they were done. Kati joined one of the missionary families who has a daughter who will be in her class to go to see the movie "UP" yesterday afternoon. I think Kati and Tori may become good friends while we are here.

I don't know how often I will be blogging during this first couple of weeks at school but we will for sure share any new and exciting experiences we have. I talked to someone the other day who told us about a Portugese orphanage here in Lisboa...I want to find out more about that.

Bye for now.
N

Sept.2, 2009

Hey
We went the whole day yesterday without getting lost once! OK, so we only went to school which is 628 meters away but it does involve hills (of course) and a couple of narrow twisting streets... School starts next Monday so we are focused on gearing up.

Day 7

Well, the lessons go on...
We found the largest mall in Europe. It is about 20 minutes from here however it took us nearly 2 hours and a number of alleys, false leads, deadends, asking for directions, etc. We all kept good humor and made in time to enjoy a meal at one of the 47 or so food court choices. Everyone, especially Kati is being very brave about trying things. She likes Sopa de Julianna which is kind of a carrot based (tomato soup consistency) stuff with some cabbage and other leaves floating around in it. Who would have guessed she would do this when Pizza Hut, KFC, Burger King, and, of course, MickyD's are all available. We made it home just fine.
Of course we were late for dinner because we got lost going to someone's (Jeff and Jenny Thomas plus 3 kids and one on the way) house. Got home fine. The GPS is invaluable for that so far.
Today we went to church (15 minutes) Kati rode with the Volkers so she was on time. We got very lost again and had to be rescued. We were within 3 minutes when we hollered for help. I really thought I could find it. From now on, I am humbly accepting offers to follow someone, GPS or not.
We did arrive in time for one song and the sermon. Followed a bit... a very little bit. Met one person I knew from 22 years ago. He was 11 and a friend of Mike, Jr. Really cool to see Bruno who has grown up in the Loures Church.
We went into my old neighborhood on the way home. It really has not changed much. Just gotten smaller like my elementary school did. Amazing!
Ate at the food court at a mall for lunch. We finally cooked a meal at home tonight... not bad.
Please pray for my Dad who is in the hospital with pneumonia.
If you would like to see some pictures email me at ncdmad@hotmail.com
thanks

catching up Day 6

Internet here has been very erratic and we have been sort of scheduled up. We have been having a meal a day with the Missionary and school people here. This has been fun and helpful to us as we are learning how to get around a bit. There have been many high lights and a few lows as well.
My lows:
1. Mopping the floor 3 times in one day. Once to get it clean(er), once when things dripped all over because the machine failed to spin, and once when the door opened and a couple of gallons oops, liters, of water ran out. Still haven't figured out the machine.

2. We have a demand hot water system fueled by propane tanks... The tank ran out when Nancy was in the shower. This was a low for her too apparently.

3. The GPS is great but it seems indiscriminate. Somethings are not really roads.

Highs
1. Nancy is my hero... found the Post Office, meds for Nina's allergy, so many other things.
2. Driving safely (and fast)
3. successfully lighting the gas stove (X2), changing the gas tank, cooking a meal.
love
Mike

Nancy begins:

Kati has discovered her favorite food so far is cabbage soup...who would have guessed!

So far my Portugese consists of "obrigada" thank you, "bon dia" good day, "saldo" sale. I tried finding the post office yesterday by saying "corrios" but I got such a confused look from the fellow I was asking that I resorted to pointing to a letter and saying "post office" with what I thought might be a Portugese sounding accent. He suddenly smiled and directed me to the post office. A trip to the "farmicia" brought about similar confusion as I tried to ask for allergy medicine for Nina whose allergies have kicked up. First the young lady directed me to a mask. I said no and acted out a sneeze. I guess all those games of gestures is paying off.

Two days ago one of the missionaries took us to the beach. Mike and Kati were the only ones who got in the cold water...they even used the boogie board. While I laid under an umbrella our friend, the girls and anothe young single teacher who is here short term like us climbed some steep cliffs at one end of the beach. Mike started the climb but returned to the shade under the guise of not wanting to leave me alone.

Nina has become our official GPS person. She has done a great job of directing Mike as he drives since all of his focus has to be on the twists and turns of the road...she is learning much about the metric system and even the shortened term for kilometers which is "clicks". One place we have been told about and looked for but have not yet located is the Chinese store...known in the US as the dollar store. We need a few small items for our home and think that would be a good place to buy them. Mike is amazing driving these roads...although I think that at times he is pretending to be a race car driver.

Yesterday Nina and I spent time getting my classroom ready. I went through all the materials to see what I have and don't have...she made numbers for my calendar time bulletin board and printed some other things for me. She is an amazing helper. I'm thinking maybe of letting her skip this year of school so I can keep her in my classroom as a helper...(just kidding).

We have two more meals scheduled with the missionaries and then we are on our own. They have been wonderful and seem like just warm, friendly people. We know our way to the grocery store now and Mike knows how to light the gas stove so at least we will be able to eat.

I have to say it eases my mind to know that Joyce and Cal Volker live right next door to us. They are the ones who run the school. I asked Joyce yesterday what happens if one gets sick and she said, "You are a Christian, aren't you?" Meaning of course "pray". Then she said don't worry there are doctors here and of course we are right next door and you can call on us anytime day or night. But seriously please do pray for good health for all of us.

Today we are off to the Jumbo mall...the biggest one in Europe. Mike and I were taken there to do some banking and get time added to our cell phones but the girls haven't been there yet.
Tomorrow we have our first chance to go to church...it will be in Portugese...should be interesting.

Love to all.
N

PS Mike is still working on getting pictures onto our blog.

Day 3

After virgorous urging from Alex we decided to give blogging a try...so here we are.

Although we live in a decidedly urban area we are awakened each morning at sun up by the crowing of many roosters. They continue their "music-making" at few minute intervals through-out the morning.

I am trying hard to get the family into a school routine and sleep schedule before school actually starts. This morning I dragged myself, and I mean that literally, out of bed at 8AM. Once I was up and had my coffee I was fine...but getting out of that bed took determination. I found I was enjoying the solitude of my morning so much that I didn't wake Mike and the girls for another hour.

I love opening my back door and looking out over all the orange tiled roofs below. Every house has an orange tile roof. Just as every house has a gated yard and garden with stones, flowers and a bit of grass. Our landlord, Senor Martine is always out there puttering. Each morning I go through the house opening the windows (no screens) and curtains to let in the fresh air and sun light. By noon it is warm so we close them to keep the house cool. There is no rain at this time of year so things are dry...no humidity.

This morning we did our first load of laundry and hung it out on the line to dry. We have a washing machine but no dryer. I don't know how well this will work during the rainy season...we may look into getting a dryer before then.

This place is amazing and very different than any place I have been before. Mike has been pleasntly surprised that much of his Portugese is coming back. I on the other hand just smile a lot. I wanted to say good morning to Senor Martine this morning but couldn't remember how so I just hid so he wouldn't see me. I'm trying though, so I know I'll get better at it. N

Introduction

Hello from Ramada, Portugal. Our family journal is called "Life on the Slant" because we live on a steep hill and our house sits sideways at a right angle to the slope. We can see miles out the south side of the house across Lisboa (Lisbon), across the Teju River to mountains beyond. We can see 10 ft to the north to the side of the hill (mountain if you are in Illinois). East and west also afford great views that are especially attractive at night because of the city lights twinkling in the distance. Some one said today that everything in Portugal is uphill and it seems that way.
It also seems that the roads are very steep and have a distinct roller coaster feel to them as they also twist and turn. In some (many) places they are also too narrow for real cars to pass single file let alone for two way traffic. Buses and trucks are serious impositions on your road space especially head on. We are learning to get around a bit. GPS is helping a lot. Driving requires full attention most of the time as straight aways are few and far between and these little race cars buzz all around. (They seem to all be training for F-1 driving opportunities. Michelle would like this a lot.) This necessary focus on the road has slowed my opportunity to identify landmarks or even look at the GPS. I have had to go to audio with Nina or Kati reading the distances to the next turn. Nancy's job is to clutch the chicken bar and gasp frequently. She is also learning to make some new noises, maybe in Portuguese? She is really doing very well at all the challenges of setting up a home here. She also wants to write...