Happy Birthday to ME!

Well, I know that sounds kind of selfish, but I just turned 50, so you have to humor me now that I am old.   Oddly, there was a lot more celebrating this year than last year.  Last year on my birthday we were waiting and watching all the news in Brazil, and around the world.  That day, the World Health Organization declared the pandemic and in the same afternoon our school campus closed.  We were so distracted by everything that was happening that we basically skipped my birthday last year.  Am I saying that my family caused the pandemic because they ignored my birthday? No, but if you want to think that, I won’t stop you.  This year my family was determined to do better, so we celebrated with cake, presents, bike rides for me, and a day out hiking to waterfalls with friends.  They gave me two Elephant and Piggie books in Portuguese, a three month subscription for board game rentals at the neighborhood game store, and dry erase markers.  Yes, dry erase markers.  Brazil has the best ones ever.  They have really durable bullet point tips and a cartridge refill system so that when they run dry, you unscrew the back and switch out the cartridge.  Ok, I know.  Only teachers will appreciate that, but they are best.  And don’t even get me started on the paper clips down here.  Luckily, I already got those for Christmas.  Even my students helped out by making the near unanimous decision that I was turning 70.  I am not sure how to feel about that.  I mean, if I feel this good at 70, I will be ecstatic, because 50 isn’t too bad, but it could also just mean that they think I’m old.  

Unfortunately, we are already grasping on to the happy memories of just a few weeks ago.  Anyone who has been following the news knows that things down here in Brazil are bad.  Hospitals are full, medical supplies are running low, vaccines are few and far between, and new cases are through the roof.  We are breaking all sorts of bad records every day, most deaths, most people waiting for ICU beds, most new cases.  If it’s bad news, it’s Brazil.  Covid has been all around us for the past year, but it feels a bit like it’s closing in on us right now.  We have had four potential exposures as a family in the last two weeks, and my class is back on distance learning because a staff member was in our room and then tested positive.  As much as I hate Zoom, I will not complain because it lowers my exposure, and hence our family’s, at least for a few days.  I won’t say that it feels inevitable that we will catch Covid, but as long as we keep going to school in person, we will not be surprised.

And oddly, this is the first time it has felt like we are in the wrong place.  Sure, there have been ups and downs this whole time, but it has felt like either Brazil or the US could be the place to be at any given time. At Christmas we were actually feeling lucky to be here instead of the United States, and things felt pretty equal into February.   Now, not so much.  This is no longer two similar countries each on their own roller coaster.  This is two ships passing in the night, and we are on the one that is sinking.  Brazil, a place I now love, is botching it all badly.  

Could the power of a good birthday be the key to turning this all around? If so, we did pretty well down here all things considered, and you can give Sara and the girls all the credit you want if things improve.

Be safe, be happy, and be well!  

And yes, we are trying to follow those instructions ourselves right now.

Lots of love,

Adam, Sara, Lila and Hannah

Do dogs understand elevators?

Do dogs understand elevators? If you were thinking that this is one of those cute questions five year olds ask, then you clearly are not living with a teenage girl in your home.  This was Hannah’s question, and while the greater discussion of just what goes on inside a dog’s head when they enter an elevator in one place, and then exit in a totally different place, is a much deeper topic than the statement might imply, it is also a fairly accurate representation of the inside of that kid’s head.  Our topics as of late have included whether or not a prom dress is appropriate for Zoom classes, answer is yes, the best way to teach a friend a TikTok dance when dealing with the delay in the music when video chatting, answer is giggle a lot, and whether hamsters have periods or not.  No answer on that last one yet.  Hannah says we should monitor Hammie for mood swings.  

And for the record, Hannah’s answer to the dog in the elevator was that the dog would see the doors open and think, “whoa, world changed!”. 

I return to in person instruction tomorrow, which is a good thing only because I am starting to run out of Zoom jokes.  The ones I have been using have taken on a life of their own, and not necessarily for the better.  We have a morning greeting on Zoom where we wave, fist bump, make silly faces, and my favorite, ride the elevator.  If you haven’t tried it, break it out, it’s a hoot.  My class loves pretending to push an elevator button and then sinking out of sight, waiting a second, and then slowly coming back into view.  Some of them are getting pretty good at it, and have even branched out to taking the stairs up and down, another classic.  Had I left it at that, all would have been good, but I decided to start bringing up random items that I had found in my “basement” when I took the elevator down.  Another good Zoom gag, but now my kids have started bringing up more and more elaborate items.  What started with stuffed animals has turned into full breakfasts, siblings, and whatever pet they are able to keep a hold of and out of sight until it is time for our morning greeting.  Except for the dad in his bath towel that somehow made it on screen, It has made for some lighter moments to start our day.  

However, I do not recommend stopping your Zoom class to suddenly exclaim, “oh no, _____ has turned invisible!” when someone gets out of their chair for too long.  That one has kind of backfired because now all they want to do is lay on the floor out of sight and yell, “Mister Adam, I’m invisible.”  I know, that one is on me.  But I can’t help it because I have one student who either just turns around or only makes it halfway off the screen.  Yes, I should be worried that he has not moved past the object permanence phase, but it makes me smile.

You might be thinking that the return to in person instruction is due in part to the Covid conditions in Brasilia improving.  You would be wrong.  Our numbers per 100,00 are in the high 40s, our ICU beds are still over 93% full, and seven hospitals in town have zero beds available.  We are now under a curfew from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM.  In short, the current conditions in Brazil and Brasilia are setting daily records for being the worst they have ever been.  

So why are we going back?  In a nutshell, the leadership at our school decided that we would return to school the instant the governor allowed it, regardless of the Covid conditions in the community.  When asked, they stated that the only reason we would shut down, short of a government order, is if things get bad at our school.  They have decided that school is the best place to be, and the community is the worst place to be, despite the fact that it is exactly this same community that we are bringing back on campus.  Do I agree we should go back right now, no.  Do I feel like I have a voice, no.  Am I worried about going back, yes.  And considering just how devastated I was to be back on Zoom just ten days ago, for me to want to stay on Zoom for a few more days is saying something.  Interestingly in a town run on money and power, only the private schools have been allowed to reopen.  Public schools remain in distance learning.  We will leave that discussion for my interview with Oprah.

It’s late.  I’m going to bed.  I have a day full of Covid dodging ahead of me tomorrow and I want to be as rested as possible.

Be safe, be well, and be happy.

Love from Brazil,

Adam, Sara, Hannah, Lila and Hammie

Hammie monitoring me for mood swings.