Bridging Heaven & Earth Show # 129 with Wayne Peterson

Wayne was the director of the Fulbright Scholarship Program with the US Information Agency. He has served with the Peace Corps in Brazil for two years, and in the Foreign Service as a diplomat in various embassy positions in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. He traveled in circles inaccessible to most people, and had contacts at the highest levels of the White House, many foreign governments, and the Vatican. Wayne is the author of "Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Beings: Experiences of an American Diplomat with Matreya and the Masters of Wisdom". This book tells the incredible story of how he first met Maitreya, the Christ, and the group of highly evolved spiritual beings who surround him and oversee the evolution of our planet. It follows his career in the political halls of power, where he met many other highly-placed people who have had similar experiences of Matreya. All are aware that life as we know it is about to change dramatically for the better, and that they have a part to play in the transformation of our world when the time is right. Wayne has recently retired from government service, and is now free to share his most unusual experiences, which offer great hope during the present trying times. He assures us that the future is bright; that we have the possibility of making our world a place of peace, beauty, justice and sufficiency for all-- a virtual heaven on earth. Bridging's website is: www.HeavenToEarth.com Bridging's International Healing <b>...</b> From: bridgingheaven Views: 5223 18 ratings Time: 59:01 More in Entertainment

"Meeting of the Waters"

near Manaus, Brazil

08/21/11With a population of approximately 1.8 million, Manaus is the capital of the state of Amazonas. There is an unusual natural phenomena that occurs when the dark, warm water of the Rio Negro, which comes from the northern jungle area, meets the light, cold water of the Rio Solimões from the Andes to the south. The difference in temperatures and current speeds causes the waters to remain separated for several miles until they eventually mix to form the Amazon River.

The Rio Negro, which is on the Manaus side of the parallel rivers, is also very acidic, and thus doesn't support mosquito life. Despite temperatures that reached 108 F (about 43 C) while I was there, I had no problem with them. Dehydration, yes. Mosquitos, no.

A popular tourist attraction is a 4-5 hour trip to see the "Meeting of the Waters" and travel through the rain forest.

A Walk in the Rain Forest

Before stopping for lunch at a floating restaurant, we

took a short walk through the jungle on this boardwalk.

(Photo: Eric Lifrak, used with permission) Carolina, Erika, and Brunie

After returning from our boat trip, Erika, the daughter of an

old friend (Nancides, now deceased) drove us to a lovely spot to

view the sun setting over the Rio Negro.

Then we had wonderful Brazilian ice cream that comes in

hundreds of exotic flavors: mango, tapioca, passion fruit, açaí,

coconut, coffee-chocolate-rum, pineapple. I wish I would

have had the time to sample them all.

(Photo: Erik Lifrak, used with permission.)

Sunset On the Rio Negro

Hoje no E. U. A. nós celebramos o feriado de Ação de Graças. O feriado começou com primeiros colonizadores e indígena norte-americano indianos em América do Norte quando eles celebraram a colheita de outono juntos no décimo sétimo século. Em 1863 dia de Ação de Graças foi posto para a quarta quinta-feira em novembro. Agora está um dia para todo o mundo de todas as religiões ou nenhuma religião estar agradecido. Tradicionalmente, as pessoas unem-se juntos para um jantar especial. Peru e torta de abóbora são comidas tradicionais na refeição.Este ano estou pleno de agradece para duas coisas especiais.Primeiro é as experiências maravilhosas que eu tive em Brasil como um Voluntário de Paz 1967-69. Era o tempo mais memorável de minha vida quando eu tive a oportunidade de viver em Brasil, aprender sobre a cultura brasileira, aprender a falar português, e, melhor de todos, tornar-se amigos com brasileiros maravilhosos. Hoje também estou pleno de agradece para a oportunidade que tive que retornar a Brasil este ano encontrar meus amigos e estudantes anteriores no Sergipe outra vez e visitar lugares em Brasil sempre tinha querido ver ---Iguaçu e Amazonas. Então, neste dia especial, quero agradecer meus amigos brasileiros outra vez para sua hospitalidade quente e amizade perdurável.

Tumblr -- How Blogs Connect You with Citizens- New Media Talk

To blog or not to blog...is that your question? With social media constantly changing the way agencies and organizations communicate with their customers, it's important to have a platform where you can post, respond, and provide efficient, effective, and timely customer service. Join our free webinar on Tumblr! Learn why this blog platform has an estimated 80 million visitors a month, and how to create a blog for your agency. Discover how easy it is to set up a blog, and how agencies like the Peace Corps are using Tumblr. You'll also have an opportunity to hear from Mark Coatney, Media Evangelist for Tumblr, on best practices using Tumblr. Take Aways: - How to create a blog, post to share information, and enhance your agency's citizen engagement initiatives -Manage your agency's blog -Blogging best practices From: HowTogov Views: 3 0 ratings Time: 01:00:42 More in Howto & Style

USAID 50th Anniversary event

Watch the encore presentation of USAID's 50th Anniversary event below, held on Nov. 3 in Washington, DC. From: USaidVideo Views: 1373 7 ratings Time: 01:13:06 More in Education

Iguaçu (Portuguese) or Iguazú (Spanish) Falls are on the border of Brazil and Argentina and close to Paraguay.

Below find two slide shows, one from the Brazilian side of the falls and another from Argentina.

The first presentation is longer, because I had more time to spend on the Brazilian side. I caught a bus across the street from my hotel, which took me to Brazil's lovely welcome center with colorful buses to take one to the actual falls. One descends and climbs lots of steps and takes wooden or metal walkways to see the falls. Afterwards, I walked across the road to the Bird Park where one can enter cages with exotic birds. (See the Bird Park slideshow HERE.)

The following day, I caught a bus from Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, went through customs at the border, exchanged dollars for pesos, took a bus to the city of Puerto Iguazu, then another to the falls. It was a rainy day, and not as nice for taking photos as it was the previous day.

By the way, even when it was not raining, the overspray from the falls, even when not close to them, is enough to get one quite wet. The first morning had been cool, so I threw a nylon parka into my knapsack, not even thinking I would need it to stay dry, but it came in handy, although plastic raincoats were on sale on both sides of the falls.

The Argentinian falls were fun because of the coati, an animal of the racoon family, which roamed everywhere. (I have seen videos of coati on the Brazil side, too but I didn't see any myself.) In Argentina, they wandered among the tourists and were quite tame. Despite many signs about not feeding the animals, I saw many tourists doing so. Some of the Argentinean falls were wide and spectacular like the Brazilian ones, but some were narrow and surrounded by vegetation. I felt more as if I were in a rain forest than when viewing the Brazilian falls. But they were both spectacular to see.

These falls just go on and on. They were one of the highlights of my trip.

I had always regretted missing Iguaçu when I lived in Brazil 40+ years ago, so I knew I had to visit there on this trip ---my first time back since 1969.

Iguaçu Falls - Brazil Slideshow: Carol’s trip from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States to Foz do Iguaçu (near Foz de Iguacu), State of Parana, Brazil was created by TripAdvisor. See another Foz de Iguacu slideshow. Create your own stunning slideshow with our free photo slideshow maker.

Iguazu Falls - Argentina Slideshow: Carol’s trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States was created by TripAdvisor. See another Pittsburgh slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.The sound of the roaring water is almost deafening. I included a very short (27 seconds) You Tube video to demonstrate the sound and the enormous amount of water rushing over the falls. (This is just one small section of the falls. Imagine this amount of water multiplied by perhaps 100.

"Rick" - ELP Administrator - "Segregated from Matriculated for Content"

This video is an artifact of the Carter Winkle PhD Narrative Inquiry dissertation, "Into the Corporate Unknown: Faculty Impacted by University Privatized-Partnership EAP Matriculation Pathway Programs." Clink on the "WinkleAtBarryU" channel link for additional information. All videos of narratives from the study are read by colleagues of the researcher: they are not the actual participants. All participant, institution, and corporate-partner company names are pseudonyms. Below is an introduction to the study participant: Rick is currently the Director of the English Language Institute at Top Tier University in Rivertown, Wisconsin. "Many moons ago," however, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Brazil helping to develop an emerging ecotourism endeavor. In his second year there, he met his would-be wife, Carol, who had joined as an English-language teacher. Once finished with his commitment with the Corps, he stayed in Brazil for an extra year, waiting for Carol to finish, but he needed to make money. Following some gentle prodding by the director of the American Cultural Center, Rick began teaching English-language courses, having had no prior experience. When they left Brazil, he and Carol began teaching English in various international situations, including a year teaching in Hong Kong. "After that year, I decided, well, if I'm going to be doing this for a living, I need to get a degree. So, I went back to the States, and I started a master's in TESOL." He later rejoined <b>...</b> From: WinkleAtBarryU Views: 3 0 ratings Time: 08:59 More in Education

"Rick" - ELP Administrator - "The Pathway"

This video is an artifact of the Carter Winkle PhD Narrative Inquiry dissertation, "Into the Corporate Unknown: Faculty Impacted by University Privatized-Partnership EAP Matriculation Pathway Programs." Clink on the "WinkleAtBarryU" channel link for additional information. All videos of narratives from the study are read by colleagues of the researcher: they are not the actual participants. All participant, institution, and corporate-partner company names are pseudonyms. Below is an introduction to the study participant: Rick is currently the Director of the English Language Institute at Top Tier University in Rivertown, Wisconsin. "Many moons ago," however, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Brazil helping to develop an emerging ecotourism endeavor. In his second year there, he met his would-be wife, Carol, who had joined as an English-language teacher. Once finished with his commitment with the Corps, he stayed in Brazil for an extra year, waiting for Carol to finish, but he needed to make money. Following some gentle prodding by the director of the American Cultural Center, Rick began teaching English-language courses, having had no prior experience. When they left Brazil, he and Carol began teaching English in various international situations, including a year teaching in Hong Kong. "After that year, I decided, well, if I'm going to be doing this for a living, I need to get a degree. So, I went back to the States, and I started a master's in TESOL." He later rejoined <b>...</b> From: WinkleAtBarryU Views: 3 0 ratings Time: 05:58 More in Education

"Rick" - ELP Administrator - "We Already Had What Education Syndicates Was Offering"

This video is an artifact of the Carter Winkle PhD Narrative Inquiry dissertation, "Into the Corporate Unknown: Faculty Impacted by University Privatized-Partnership EAP Matriculation Pathway Programs." Clink on the "WinkleAtBarryU" channel link for additional information. All videos of narratives from the study are read by colleagues of the researcher: they are not the actual participants. All participant, institution, and corporate-partner company names are pseudonyms. Below is an introduction to the study participant: "Rick" is currently the Director of the English Language Institute at Top Tier University in Rivertown, Wisconsin. "Many moons ago," however, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Brazil helping to develop an emerging ecotourism endeavor. In his second year there, he met his would-be wife, Carol, who had joined as an English-language teacher. Once finished with his commitment with the Corps, he stayed in Brazil for an extra year, waiting for Carol to finish, but he needed to make money. Following some gentle prodding by the director of the American Cultural Center, Rick began teaching English-language courses, having had no prior experience. When they left Brazil, he and Carol began teaching English in various international situations, including a year teaching in Hong Kong. "After that year, I decided, well, if I'm going to be doing this for a living, I need to get a degree. So, I went back to the States, and I started a master's in TESOL." He later rejoined <b>...</b> From: WinkleAtBarryU Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 05:50 More in Education

Being a Peace Corps Volunteer was one of the defining experiences of my life. I spent 2 years in Brazil, living and working in Glória, a small town in the interior of the state of Sergipe, without benefit of full-time electricity, running water, a sewage system, TV, phone service, paved roads, hospital, nor university. There was no industry and only a few small businesses. I left Brazil and the Peace Corps after 2 years of service in July 1969.

Over the intervening years, I had always wanted to return to Sergipe. Brunie (the other Volunteer who served in Glória) and I kept in touch and discussed traveling to Brazil often, but there was always some reason we couldn’t. Besides work, family, and money issues, we had lost touch with our Brazilian friends and former students.

Jorge Henrique (striped shirt) and his wife Veronica (top left photo between Brunie and me.)

Brunie's husband Eric is with Brunie and Jorge in the lower right.

(Photos: Jorge Henrique and Veronica, used with permission.)I won’t go into the details (you can find them HERE) but finally in 2009, 40 years after leaving Brazil, I found the email address of one person in Glória. Even though Jorge Henrique, a poet and professor, hadn’t been born when I lived there, he helped me contact others and soon Brunie and I were invited to visit Sergipe. We were told all we needed to do was pay for airfare ---we would be provided with a place to stay.

How could we refuse?

It took nearly 2 years until we could both travel (Brunie from southern CA, while I left from PA.)

On August 8th, 2011, she and I (and her husband Eric) met at the airport in Rio de Janeiro to catch a flight to Aracajú, the capital of Sergipe. We expected former students Idalécio and Célia and her sister Alcione to meet us. We were shocked to find more than 20 people at the airport, clapping, shouting, whistling ---and even a professional videographer to record our arrival.

Friends, colleagues and former students meet us at the airport in Aracajú.

Brunie is in blkack holding a sign. I am besife her in an aqua shirt.

Celia, front row left, and her family hosted us in Aracajú.

Teresa and José Augusto (back row behind the woman in the striped shirt) hosted us in Glória.

About five people who greeted us are missing from the photo.

(Photo: Eric Lifrak, used with permission)Aracajú is now immense. Because most of the city has been built in the last 40 years, it is relatively new and therefore clean and modern with lovely beaches. It is one of the best-kept secrets in Brazil ---a beautiful unspoiled and safe resort city.

One evening, we were told we were meeting "a few people" for dinner. Another 20 or so showed up. We were honored with several speeches and one former student Gil, now a professional singer, sang for us.

Gil sings about everlasting friendship.

(Photo: Erick Lifrak, used with permission)

At the dinner reception for us at a churrascaria (bar-b-que restaurant) in Aracajú.

Again, a few people are missing from the photo.

(Photo: Eric Lifrak, used with permission)In addition, many people stopped by Célias beautiful home to visit us and others invited us to visit them. We also met others at the apartment of Idalécio and his wife.

In Brazil, one can never eat enough to please one’s hosts, so after eating wonderful meals at Célia’s home, we were offered more food everywhere we went. Sisters Neuzice and Euridice took us to the beach for fresh crabs, then wanted us to have another meal at their home. (Already full of delicious crabs, we politely declined.) Idalécio and his wife Graça took us to a great restaurant for feijoada, the Brazilian national dish. Irene and Dona Guiomar both had us to their apartments for scrumptious lunches.

One former student, Valmiro, now a doctor, invited us to a restaurant to celebrate his birthday and informed us that his first child was named Bruna Carolina in our honor.

Célia's brother Wilson who owns a fabulous studio, where he is a videographer creating commercials and promotional videos, had his driver take us to many places including his farm in the country.

On our fifth day in Sergipe, we moved from Aracajú to Glória to stay with Teresa and José Augusto (both former students) in their lovely home. Again, we were fed wonderful Brazilian foods and visited by many old friends.

On Saturday night, more than 50 people showed up for another dinner reception where the former school director of the ginásio where we taught, now in his eighties, made an eloquent speech about us. It was all quite embarrassing and yet a bit thrilling.

Dinner reception in Glória.

We received tons of gifts ---luckily I hadn’t filled my suitcases. One entire piece of my luggage was overstuffed with them --- several CDs of Brazilian music, including one from Gil, a DVD of Idalécio’s singing group, tote bags, key chains and other small souvenirs of the region, a hand-knit sweater, a blouse with hand-made lace, several linens embroidered by local crafts people, T-shirts, a hat, fancy soaps, cologne, hand-decorated dish and bath towels, several books including a beautiful book of photos of Sergipe and two books of Jorge Henrique's poems, a wood-cut print, sculptures created by local folk artists ---one made by Veio, who had been a pre-teen neighbor when we had lived there.

Gifts were totally unnecessary. My best gift was just being there and seeing everyone again.

Another photo from the reception in Glória.

Seu Manoel, the former school director in on the right.

Jorge Henrique and his wife Veronica are in the foreground.Glória has progressed. All the things I stated above that didn’t exist when I lived there are there now. There is even a cell tower in the middle of the city. The town has many businesses and several industries. It always had a market on Saturdays, but now has a huge outdoor market from Friday through Saturday that attracts buyers from three states. Whereas few vehicles existed there in 1969, the place is teaming with cars, trucks, and zillions of motorcycles, but fewer horses, mules, and donkeys.

Many things came together in the late 1960s. I know I was part of it, but without all the other happenings, the town may not have progressed. The National Department of Works Against Droughts built a dam to hold enough water to last through rainless years. A high school was established a few years before we arrived. A branch of the Bank of Brazil opened, providing loans for farmers and small businesses. A silo was built to store farmers’ crops so the market would not be glutted when they were harvested. An agricultural assistance agency provided an agronomist and a home economist (Irene and later Maria José.) A progressive woman, Dona Guiomar (Célia’s mother) became the elementary school director. The Brazilian Legion of Assistance started chicken cooperatives. A health center was opened and a doctor hired to visit one morning/week accompanied by Helen, a Peace Corps nurse. Nancides, an extremely intelligent, hard-working, eloquent, and humorous bank worker who also taught night classes at the high school, became the president of a Municipal Commission set up to make positive changes in the town. Brunie arrived in 1966 and started literacy classes. I arrived one year later and took over Brunie’s high school teaching duties so that she could concentrate of health and sanitation projects.

Best of all, despite there being no colégio nor universidade in the town, nearly all of our students managed to continue their educations. They are doctors, lawyers, professors, engineers, agronomists, social workers, nurses, teachers. Some work for the states’s health service. One is a meteorologist. One became a minister of agriculture. One was the first woman to work for the Bank of Brazil and when she retired, became a lawyer.

If there was any doubt that we had made an impact, the doubts are gone.

Yet, as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I gained so much more than I left in Glória. I have thought about Brazil and especially about Glória nearly every day since 1969. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to live and work there, to learn Portuguese, to know and appreciate the wonderful Brazilians and their culture, and also the opportunity to return 42 years later.

And while I was in Brazil in August, I decided I was going to do two things I had always regretted missing ---I visited the Amazon region and then went to Iguaçu Falls. And although, they were spectacular natural wonders, nothing compares to the reception we received from our friends and former students in Sergipe.

(I wish I could have mentioned everyone who we met or visited while in Sergipe, but I will be writing more about my trip later.)

In response to the writing prompt, “The Simple Things” on Mama’s Losin it blog:

Glória, 1967 (top) and 1969 (bottom)There are times when I would chuck most of what I own, burn down the house, and start over, because sometimes the simple things are the best.

*****************

In the late 1960’s I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Glória, a small town in the interior of Brazil. Brunie (another Volunteer) and I lived in a house that had 4 rooms: a sitting room, 2 bedrooms and a kitchen. We placed a table for eating in the wide hall that stretched from the front to the back of the house.

In the front room, we used our footlockers for seating. They rested on bricks (to keep them from touching the damp mud-brick floor.) We had a small table and chair there for a desk and used unfinished wooden chairs from our dining area when we needed more seating. We could hang a hammock diagonally from two adjacent walls for an overnight guest.

Each bedroom held a bed with a straw mattress and a mosquito net hanging from the lattice ceiling which supported our ceramic tile roof. We each had a small hand-made wardrobe and a tiny table next to each bed for a lamp.

The lamps were kerosene-powered. The town had electricity only four hours each evening, but our house, which we rented for a total of $5.00 ($2.50 each) per month, wasn’t wired for energia.

Once the town’s street lights were extinguished at 10:00 each night, one could see billions of stars in the southern-hemisphere skies.

The town had no sewage system, nor running water. Many larger homes held cisternas in back yards to catch and store rain water, but we needed to have water delivered to our home. A teenaged neighbor had a contraption for the back of his donkey which carried four large cans of water from the dam outside of town. Once he arrived at the house, we strained the water through a clean dishtowel into a waist-high ceramic jug to filter out leaves, small stones, and insects.

Water meant for cooking or drinking was boiled for 20 minutes, then put through a water filter. We boiled our water on a small stove with a propane tank attached to it. Most of our neighbors used wood-burning stoves.

We had a shower room, about 3-feet square, but we chose not to use it after my house-mate found a snake there one day. Instead, we heated water on our stove and poured it over our heads in the kitchen. The mud-brick floor slanted slightly toward the back entrance, so the water seeped under the door into our back yard, past the outhouse entrance and into the mato.

There were no telephones in town and no TVs. Many homes had refrigerators waiting for the full-time electricity that was scheduled to be powered up within a year. We had a temperamental kerosene-powered refrigerator.

We walked everywhere in town. If we needed to travel a short distance from town, we borrowed a horse or mule, unless we could catch a ride on one of the half-dozen cars in town. There was a bus three times a week into the capital city ---a drive which might have taken 90 minutes here, but on the dirt roads with frequent stops to pick up or dispatch passengers, stretched to four hours.

Yet, despite all of those “inconveniences” the town overcame its shortcomings with the warmth of its citizens. The Brazilians corrected our Portuguese, forgave our mistakes, shared their joys and sorrows, and treated us like daughters. I don't know that I have felt any more "at home" anyplace else.

I haven't been back to Glória since I left 4 decades ago. The town’s website shows a much larger city with a cell tower looming in the mato outside of town. The city's praças are filled with stunning tropical plants. Power lines are everywhere.

With TVs in most homes, probably fewer people spend evenings visiting with their neighbors. I’m sure the small circus that used to arrive annually, no longer visits. The nightly social event, gathering in the praça to watch the movemento, has doubtless disappeared.

Most likely street lights are left on all night. And with all that light, I am guessing one can no longer see the Southern Cross constellation quite as clearly in those big, beautiful, Brazilian skies.

There are times when I long for the simple life I lived in Glória. We had a roof over our heads, food to sustain us, boiled and filtered water, meaningful work, and friends. Really, what more do most of us need?

Despite the conveniences of modern technology, sometimes the simple things are still the best.

Glória, 2009

photo by Alcione (see her on the photo to the right)

-------

Alcione, c. 1967

youngest child of

Dona Guiomar,

(elementary-school

principal)

with brother & sistersI will be visiting Glória in just a few weeks ---my first visit since I left in July of 1969. Check back for photos and new stories.

Clinton's Libya: hiring Jihaadists to beat Gadaffi to death,gloating "we came we saw he died"

PART 1 OF 2: Part 2 HERE: www.youtube.com References: Evidence of crimes: www.youtube.com Diego Marin on Resistance in Tripoli and looting and killing of Prisoners in Sirte (Oct 14, 2011) www.youtube.com Apartment Buildings Bombed by NATO and Rebels (Report from CCTV News, Oct 12, 2011) www.youtube.com www.thenational.ae www.examiner.com blogs.reuters.com The Pulverization Of Libya by a deaf whitehouse and a hear no evil see no evil media Tragic Violence of American Diplomacy under Obama Clinton & the MSM Obama Clinton Foreign Policy in Libya: Terrify the world through brutality while media cheers! Hilary Hires Jihaad to beat a recent us allies leader to death & terrorize his followers Hilary's Libya Inbox: Or how to destroy 40 years of statecraft in 10 minutes Libya: From a police state with universal services Hilary & Barack's Libya: From the most developed country in Africa to the stone age. Hilary Clinton's statement "We came, We Saw He Died" should not have been necessary to trigger horror at American Foreign Policy. But here it is staring us in the face. The US has created enormous fear throughout the world through its sinister dark arts of casualty-less warfare using drones. It was a drone that set Gadaffi up to be beaten to Death by the Misaratans. The Misaratan Brigade calls itself -- and spray paints this slogan all over the cities it attacks -- these are our allies -- this is barack The Libya intervention has been conducted recklessly and violently at every <b>...</b> From: aligzanduh Views: 200 10 ratings Time: 09:03 More in News & Politics

Peace Corps Family Album- Brazil

Meet Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Brazil and hear some of their stories. From: erniezaremba Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 04:39 More in Nonprofits & Activism

House Session 2011-10-12 (13:00:52-14:02:34)

From: CSPANHouse2011 Views: 1 0 ratings Time: 01:01:42 More in News & Politics

House Session 2011-10-11 (18:00:56-19:01:36)

From: CSPANHouse2011 Views: 1 0 ratings Time: 01:00:40 More in News & Politics

I just returned from a great trip to Brazil (August 7-31, 2011.) One of the highlights of my trip was the Parque das Aves (Bird Park) which is just a few minutes walking distance from the entrance to the Iguaçu National Park where I had just viewed the magnificent Iguaçu Falls. I will be posting photos from my trip as time permits, so please come back to see photos from other locations in Brazil.

Click on the arrow below to view the slide show.

Bird Park, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil Slideshow: Carol’s trip from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States to Foz do Iguaçu (near Foz de Iguacu), State of Parana, Brazil was created by TripAdvisor. See another Foz de Iguacu slideshow. Create your own stunning slideshow with our free photo slideshow maker.Click on the full-screen icon for the best view.

One of the highlights of my trip to Brazil in August (2011) was the Jardim Botânico in Rio de Janeiro.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Jardim Botânico - Rio de Janeiro Slideshow: Carol’s trip from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States to Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was created by TripAdvisor. See another Rio de Janeiro slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.Click on the full-screen icon for the best view.

WORLD HUNGER SOLUTION (Go Vegan for Health, Starvation Solution, Environment) Human Population

MeatVideo.com (must see factory farms), veganhealth.org (RD), adoptacollege.org (volunteer/donate), Stop Reproducing, too many people means future generations, our and other species/mammals environment will be compromised and the standard of living and resources will be reduced greatly! Tax kids, provide birth controls despite what religions say! ChristianVeg.org, rasta, 7th day adventist, hare krishna...good religions! From: SaveSomeAnimals Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 11:44 More in Nonprofits & Activism

State of Siege (État de Siège) by Costa Gavras

State of Siege (French title: État de Siège) is a 1972 French film directed by Costa Gavras starring Yves Montand and Renato Salvatori. Yves Montand plays Philip Michael Santore, an official of the US Agency for International Development (an organisation sometimes used as a front for training foreign police in counterinsurgency methods). Posted to a fictional South American country in the early 1970s, Santorean is kidnapped by a group of urban guerrillas. The story is based by Costa Gavras on an actual incident in Uruguay in 1970 when US Embassy official Dan Mitrione was kidnapped and killed. Using Santore's interrogation by his captors as a backdrop, the film explores the often brutal consequences of the struggle between the repressive government of Montevideo and the leftist Tupamaro guerrillas. Using death squads, the government decimates the revolutionary group, whose surviving members vote to execute the smugly calculating Santore, who is accused of arranging training in torture and political manipulation. In the finale a replacement US official arrives, watched from the crowd by a defiant and angry survivor of the radical group. en.wikipedia.org Costa Gavras: en.wikipedia.org Mikis Theodorakis: www.mikis-theodorakis.net en.mikis-theodorakis.net da.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org Mikis Theodorakis: Films - www.youtube.com Theodorakisfriends's Blog: theodorakisfriends.wordpress.com theodorakisfriends.wordpress.com TheodorakisFriends: www.youtube.com Los Calchakis: www <b>...</b> From: solidaritet2010 Views: 13 2 ratings Time: 01:55:00 More in Education

For anyone new to this blog, Brunie and I served in the Peace Corps together. We worked in the same interior town in the state of Sergipe, Nossa Senhora da Glória ---everyone just calls it Glória. Luckily Brunie was there a full year before I arrived because her excellent Portuguese and outgoing personality allowed her to fit in extremely well. She was able to teach me everything I needed to know to get along there, even the year I remained on my own after she returned home.

For over 40 years, we have talked about returning to Brazil but we had lost track of our friends and former students. Read HERE how we were able to reconnect, which led to our upcoming trip.

We planned to travel in 2010, but that trip had to be postponed. But, now our tickets have been purchased and we will be making the trip in a few weeks.

Brunie and I have finally been able to schedule our trips to Brazil. Brunie and her husband are traveling from California, so their best travel deal was to fly to Manaus. From there they will make her way to Aracajú. They could choose from flights that had layovers in Brasilia, São Paulo or Rio.

From Pennsylvania, my best deal was to Rio. And it just so happens, that on Brunie's itinerary from Manaus that passes through Rio, she will transfer to the very flight I will take to Aracajú.

Note: if we purchased flights from our homes directly to Aracajú and then back home ---which might require flights of 30 hours each way, including numerous layovers, we would pay about the same as we are paying for Brunie's flight to Manaus or my flight to Rio, plus Brazilian airpasses which allow each of us up to 4 flights around Brazil. So the airpass was the best way to go.

We will arrive in Aracajú on a GOL flight at 2:25 pm on August 8th.

We will stay for a few days in Aracajú (the captial of Sergipe) where many of our friends and former students live now. One family will host us there. The weekend of August 12, there is a big festa in Glória. We specifically planned our trip to be there for it, because many former residents of Glória return for the festa. Two of our former students who are now married will find places for us to stay there.

My itinerary:

Fly PA to Rio via Atlanta 8/7-8/8. Fly (red line) to Aracajú 8/8. By car (aqua line) to Glória and back8/12-8/14. Bus (green line) to Salvador 8/15. Fly (blue line) to Manaus 8/19. Fly (orange line) to Foz de Iguaçu 8/23. Fly (pink line) to Rio 8/26 before heading back to PA via Atlanta 8/30-8/31.After returning to Aracajú, we will take a bus to my favorite Brazilian city, Salvador where we will stay at a modest hotel near Barra Beach ---a lovely spot. I will also visit Bob and his family. Bob was in my Peace Corps group, but has been living and working in Salvador during most of the past 40 years.

After a few days there, we will fly from Salvador to the Amazon region. In Manaus, we are staying near the famed old opera house, built during the city's prosperous rubber-plantation days. Among other things we plan to take an afternoon trip on the River. Also we will visit with Erika, Nancides' daughter. Nancides was our friend in Glória. Sadly he died when his daughter was only 11. She is anxious to hear our stories about her father even before her mother knew him.

From Manaus, Brunie and Eric will fly home while I catch a flight to Foz de Iguaçu, where I will fill up my camera's memory cards, I'm sure. From Iguacu, I will fly to Rio where I will stay for a few days with a friend.

Ginger lives in Novo Friburgo which was in the news in January 2011 because of terrible floods in the region. There were many deaths and the loss of roads, homes, and businesses. Ginger and her husband had no damage, but the woman who works for them lost everything and now has to live an hour's bus ride from her work.

Ginger has an apartment in Rio near Ipanema Beach, so I am staying with her there. I am interested in seeing the contemporary art museum designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer (who designed most of Brasilia) in Niteroi, across the bay from Rio de Janeiro. Ginger knows the city well so she has told me about great street markets and beautiful botanical gardens I won't want to miss.

I always regretted not visiting the Amazon area or Iguaçu when I lived in Brazil, so I will be able to cross those 2 off my bucket list ---and one more: I plan to hang glide down to the beach in Rio. I figure if it took me 40+ years to return to Brazil, it's probably my last shot ---and even if I return, I'll never be in the physical shape I am now ----so I better do it while I can still get around without a walker. I also plan to do an obstacle course through a forested park in Rio, including a few zip lines. (I've been putting in extra hours on the elliptical and strength-training machines at the Y, so I won't seem like too much of a wimp.)

I will, of course, post my photos here. I might be able to post some while I am still traveling, but look for them sometime in September.

World Thinking Day 2010

A look into World Thinking Day 2010! Thanks to all of our Peace Corps Fellows for mentoring the girls! From: GirlScoutsSoAZ Views: 817 0 ratings Time: 07:56 More in Nonprofits & Activism

Senate Session 2011-05-26 (17:38:24-19:04:51)

From: CSPANSenate2011 Views: 36 0 ratings Time: 01:26:28 More in News & Politics

Nuclear Weapons Commercial: Hubert Humphrey 1968 Presidential Campaign Election Ad

thefilmarchive.org Minnesota elected Humphrey to the United States Senate in 1948 on the DFL ticket, unseating incumbent Republican Joseph H. Ball with 60% of the vote, and he took office on January 3, 1949. He was the first Democrat elected senator from the state of Minnesota since before the Civil War. Humphrey's father died that year, and Humphrey stopped using the "Jr." suffix on his name. He was re-elected in 1954 and 1960. His colleagues selected him as majority whip in 1961, a position he held until he left the Senate on December 29, 1964 to assume the vice presidency. During this period, he served in the 81st, 82nd, 83rd, 84th, 85th, 86th, 87th, and a portion of the 88th Congress. Initially, Humphrey's support of civil rights led to his being ostracized by Southern Democrats, who dominated most of the Senate leadership positions and who wanted to punish Humphrey for proposing the successful civil rights platform at the 1948 Convention. However, Humphrey refused to be intimidated and stood his ground; his integrity, passion and eloquence eventually earned him the respect of even most of the Southerners. His acceptance by the Southerners was also helped a great deal when Humphrey became a protege of Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas. Humphrey became known for his advocacy of liberal causes (such as civil rights, arms control, a nuclear test ban, food stamps, and humanitarian foreign aid), and for his long and witty speeches. During the period of <b>...</b> From: nologorecords Views: 3 1 ratings Time: 01:00 More in Education

Bali - the UN Conference and its Impact on International Climate Change Policy

Bali - the UN Conference and its Impact on International Climate Change Policy - Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming - 2007-12-19 - Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming held a hearing on the post Bali, Indonesia international climate negotiations. Chairman Markey and other members of the Select Committee hosted climate experts returning from Bali to discuss the outcome of the climate conference and an effective path forward on global warming for the United States and the international community. WITNESS LIST: * Ms. Christiana Figueres, Official Negotiator, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, Costa Rica; * Mr. Philip Clapp, Deputy Managing Director, Pew Environment Group; * Mr. Alden Meyer, Director of Strategy and Policy, Union of Concerned Scientists; * Mr. Ned Helme, President, Center for Clean Air Policy; * Mr. Myron Ebell, Director, Energy and Global Warming Policy, Competitive Enterprise Institute. Video provided by the US House of Representatives. From: HouseResourceOrg Views: 523 0 ratings Time: 01:51:39 More in Education

"Colonia - The Gem of Uruguay" Dananddana's photos around Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay by TravelPod blogger Dananddana titled "Colonia - The Gem of Uruguay". TravelPod is a company of TripAdvisor™. Dananddana's travel blog entry: "After ferrying over from Tigre, we landed in a small town named Carmelo. Uruguay is known to be less expensive than Argentina and much more laid back. Carmelo is a one-horse town to be sure (or in this case a one square town), but interestingly has a Ritz Carlton nearby with luxury rooms for less than $200. Something to keep in mind. We only stayed for a few hours before fortuitously (and barely) catching the last bus to Colonia. If you are planning this same route to Colonia, I recommend getting to Carmelo as early as possible as the accuracy of the bus schedule is whimsical at best. Laid back Uruguay - right, got it. ***Guest Blog: Dana's Mom*** Dan, Dana and I visited Colonia del Sacramento, a small town on the Rio de la Plata a few hours west of the capital, Montevideo. It is a UNESCO heritage site, and this means the town receives lots of advice and preservation information, but not the funds to restore many of the buildings. Sad. Still, a lovely town to stroll around, and in the course of a walking tour, our guide described the history of Uruguay and its relationship with its giant neighbors Argentina and Brazil - and thereby historically the Spanish and the Portuguese - both of whom intermittently were in control of the country. You can see <b>...</b> From: TripAdvisorTRIPWOW4 Views: 22 0 ratings Time: 02:37 More in Travel & Events

Death of a TV

An example of how to get rid of your TV when you are drunk. Not really funny, but still quite nice. From: arnoudlakestein Views: 1984 6 ratings Time: 00:28 More in Comedy

Joseph Brazer: A Different Shade of Travel

A travel book written by me, Joseph Brazer (www.joebraz.webs.com). It is based on my travel experiences around the world from the rarely discussed perspective of a black man from the USA Funny, exciting, entertaining, and thought-provoking--I talk about the good and sometimes negative side of world travel and how America has become just as bizarre as the rest of the world is amazing! From: adsotbraz Views: 10 2 ratings Time: 05:04 More in Travel & Events

Rachel Carson event (end)

End of panel discussion (Georgina Downs + Laura Potts + Liz Rothschild) the question was about whether politicians acknowledge PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE in practise, ie the idea that pesticide users should have to prove safety before they can spray. It was felt that European law had this sort of idea established, with more political acceptance and therefore this should soon work down into laws for the UK. From: ecoconference Views: 4557 2 ratings Time: 00:55 More in People & Blogs

Martín von Hildebrand - on indigenous rights and the Colombian Amazon

Short interview with Martín von Hildebrand, Gaia Associate, on the work to protect the tropical forest of the Colombian Amazon through strengthening indigenous rights. Martín is founding director of Fundación Gaia Amazonas and the COAMA Programme. [Interviewed by The Gaia Foundation during our May 2003 Summit meeting] From: GaiaFoundationVideo Views: 1905 3 ratings Time: 05:12 More in Nonprofits & Activism

The story of the Manipur Women Gun Survivors - 1

The story of the Manipur Women Gun Survivors Visit: cafi-online.org From: cafivideo Views: 5116 6 ratings Time: 07:59 More in Nonprofits & Activism

Kucinich withdraws from Presidential race 01 25 08

In a speech delivered in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio Congressman and Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich delivered an impassioned speech that said, in part: "I deeply and sincerely believe that we fought the good fight -- in large part because of the support from all of you here and from hundreds of thousands of people just like you all across this country. I stood strong because you gave me strength. I spoke out because your voices needed and deserved to be heard. And I told the truth, no matter how unpopular or inconvenient, because, no matter how long it takes, the truth really will set us free." Video by Chad Ely. From: electdennis Views: 16972 273 ratings Time: 09:13 More in News & Politics

World March For Peace - Interview With Tony Benn

Tony Benn MP gives his views on the World March For Peace From: MrJammy75 Views: 1269 7 ratings Time: 02:54 More in News & Politics

Kay Sah Ma She Bu (It Doesn't Matter)

An award winning music video about an American who expresses his heart felt appreciation for the culture of Myanmar (Burma). All the video footage was taken in Myanmar and woven into the lyrics of this original song for the People of Myanmar (Burma). From: ujongyi Views: 33977 87 ratings Time: 07:19 More in Music

Harvesting Cassava

Going to "grounds" with some local community members. I learned to "pull" cassava and carry it back to the boat. From: backcountrydavid Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 03:54 More in Nonprofits & Activism

MAYDAY London 2009 Part I

May 1st, Trafalgar Square, London 2009 - Speeches: John Mcdonnell & Tony Benn From: iblack Views: 1301 6 ratings Time: 09:39 More in Travel & Events

'Manifest Destiny' - White House scenes (2)

Excerpt from the opera 'Manifest Destiny' - act 2 scene 3 - the second White House scene. Manoeuvred into moving towards war, the President is troubled by her conscience. The Director of the CIA has no patience with this, as he believes that it is America's duty to seize the Arabian oil reserves. He compels her to sign the authorisation to proceed with the war. At this point, Mohammed (now a double agent for the US military) arrives at the Oval Office. Publically, at least, Mohammed appears to be a born-again American zealot and the Director, intoxicated by the moment, reveals his own further plans for "full-spectrum dominance" over the world. The President and the Director assign Mohammed to Guantanamo Bay to interrogate the imprisoned Leila. Left alone, however, he reveals that all he wants is to seek redemption and forgiveness from his beloved Leila... Featuring Bernadette Lord as the President, Peter Willcocks as the Director of the CIA and Paul Carey Jones as Mohammed (piano - Keith Burstein). 'Manifest Destiny' (music by Keith Burstein, libretto by Dic Edwards) is an opera dealing with lives caught up in the War on Terror. It focuses on Leila and Mohammed - two Palestinian Arabs drawn into a suicide bomber cell who subsequently undergo a profound change of heart and (on the eve of their first suicide mission) renounce violence and reject their bombs. However, their attempts to achieve a peaceful resolution to their lives (in the face of a brutal and cynical war <b>...</b> From: imago31 Views: 1334 3 ratings Time: 07:56 More in Music

CARV--Ken Bordwell-02-19-11

Ken Bordwell describes his Peace Corps tour in Brazil, 1966 to 1968, noting what he accomplished and what he learned from the experience. From: mpsterry Views: 2 0 ratings Time: 06:38 More in Nonprofits & Activism

Cutting Grounds

Here we are cutting down the bush just north of the village of Gonini Kriki Mofu. This is the future location of a playground, football field, market, and new houses. The men are all community members of Sticting Kamisa, a local group dedicated to making the local community a better place to live. From: backcountrydavid Views: 1 0 ratings Time: 04:18 More in Nonprofits & Activism

"Chapada Diamantina National Park" Hippler's photos around Lencois, Brazil

A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Lencois, Brazil by TravelPod blogger Hippler titled "Chapada Diamantina National Park" Hippler's travel blog entry: "Christina was waiting for us at the Lencois bus station at 5 am as promised. The night bus was uneventful, albeit bumpy. She led us back to her place behind the bus station, up some stairs and then up a couple of really steep streets. We reached the end of the road, and she patted a big brick wall and said "This is mine." We kept going up a narrow concrete path that hugged the wall and went through a locked gate that led to her own little private Shangri-La. She had a couple acres (3000 sq meters?) of land with her house and a couple of bungalows she built, all surrounded by woodland and then the big brick wall. We knew immediately that we were home for awhile. She brought down homemade whole wheat bread each day along with some special treats like cooked bananas with cane sugar, or little pizzas. And always, always there was a freshly squeezed juice of some sort. We loved the watermelon juice with ginger. There were hammocks to hang out on and there were wild monkeys that would come up for breakfast too. She'd leave bananas out on a shelf for them. Deanne had a wish fulfilled by seeing monkeys in the wild for the first time and even got to feed them. So, our 2 days in Lencois naturally turned into 4. We hired Chris' friend Tai, also from France, to guide us over 2 days. And Chris mentioned that Roy Funch <b>...</b> From: TripAdvisorTRIPWOW1 Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 02:21 More in Travel & Events

Class 6 Orientation: What's Your Highlight of Day #1?

Atlas Corps Class 6 Orientation Week Day #1 is complete. Hear the highlights from Alexandru (Moldova) one of the inspiring Atlas Corps Fellows! From: atlascorps Views: 2 0 ratings Time: 00:20 More in Nonprofits & Activism

The circus comes to Ecuador

Visiting the Brazilian (?) circus in Ecuador... Check more out at govolcano.blogspot.com From: boulderer Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 03:15 More in People & Blogs

Third Planet Review

Third Planet Review hosted by hippielawyer Alan Graf, features a panel of activists from The Farm in Summertown, TN commenting on and analyzing the news giving you a completely different take than the corporate pundits. Panelists are Ina May Gaskin, midwife and author, Albert Bates, founder of the Eco-Village Training Center and author of a new book on surviving peak oil and Peter Schweitzer, executive director of Plenty International, otherwise known as the hippy peace corps From: hippielawyer Views: 6078 13 ratings Time: 24:38 More in News & Politics

NEWSFLASH: Atlas Corps reports from the Newseum in DC!

As part of Orientation Week, the Atlas Corps Fellows enjoy a tour of the Newseum in Washington, DC. From: atlascorps Views: 156 0 ratings Time: 00:52 More in Nonprofits & Activism

Susan Luz, author of Nightingale of Mosul

The true story of a female soldier in Iraq who was awarded the Bronze Star—not for fighting, but for fighting to care. She is todays Florence Nightingale. At age 56, Susan Luz was deployed to Iraq. By the time she returned home, she had helped save the lives of 30000 wounded soldiers, contractors, Iraqi civilians, and detainees. But this was not the first time Luz responded to the call of duty: this is the inspirational story of a life dedicated to service and to the ideal of fighting for what truly matters. As a young woman, Luz served in the Peace Corps in Brazil, where she experienced the brutality of poverty and violence. As a public health nurse, she has worked in jails, psychiatric wards, and a violent inner city high school. But nothing prepared her for what she would see in Iraq. Working under constant fire, Luz routinely witnessed the most horrific effects of the war. Her dedication to her job earned her the Bronze Star in honor of her selflessness and the life-saving work she carried out under unfathomably difficult circumstances. Susan Luz is a true hero and her story will resonate in the hearts and minds of readers for generations to come. From: KaplanPublishing Views: 568 2 ratings Time: 01:13 More in Education

The Great Dessie Marching Band & Other Stories, part one

An entertaining montage from the early years of the Peace Corps of Volunteers, their work and the communities they served in Borneo, Brazil, Bolivia, Kenya, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Sierra Leone and Morocco.. Musical score by Antonio Vivaldi and Jimmy Guiffre. A film by Paul Freundlich. From: pfreundlich1 Views: 115 0 ratings Time: 09:25 More in Entertainment

Volunteer Abroad - Introduction to GVI Childcare in Brazil

www.gviusa.com http Find out more about the latest addition to GVI's teaching and community development projects in Salvador, Brazil... From: GVItube Views: 126 0 ratings Time: 03:05 More in Nonprofits & Activism

Mag-O Video Blog: World Traveler

Dan Johns talks with Nia Bradley about globalization, joining the Peace Corps, family & more From: danjohnny Views: 173 0 ratings Time: 06:57 More in Travel & Events

Building a Jungle lodge Part I

The never ending process of building a foundation in the middle of the amazon. From: ronban1 Views: 186 0 ratings Time: 00:44 More in Travel & Events

The Great Dessie Marching Band & Other Stories, conclusion

An entertaining montage of Peace Corps Volunteer life and work from the '60s filmed in Bolivia, Borneo, Brazil, India, Iran, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Sierra Leone. From: pfreundlich1 Views: 90 0 ratings Time: 06:04 More in Entertainment

ALLEN WHITE ENDORSES PEOPLE 4 EARTH

www.people4earth.org Allen White, Ph.D., Senior Fellow at Tellus Institute, endorses People 4 Earth's mission and call for sustainable consumption. Dr. White is a Vice President of Tellus Institute where he directs the Corporate Redesign Program. He has 30 years of experience in the area of corporate responsibility, advising multilaterals, foundations, corporations, and NGOs on strategies and policies for elevating the contribution of corporations to sustainable development. He co-founded the Global Reporting Initiative and served as its Director from 1999-2002. In 2004, he co-founded Corporation 2020, an initiative focused on designing future corporations to sustain social purpose. Dr. White has served on advisory boards and committees of ISO, Civic Capital, a social investment fund, the Institute of Responsible Investment at Boston College, and Instituto Ethos (Brazil). He is the Chair of the Board of Directors of GAN-NET, a non-profit dedicated to capacity building and movement building of global action networks that address critical issues of health, education, environment, trade and transparency. Dr. White has published and spoken widely on corporate responsibility, sustainability, and accountability. Earlier in his career, Dr. White held faculty and research positions at the University of Connecticut, Clark University and Battelle Laboratories, and was a Fulbright Scholar in Peru and Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua. Dr. White received a Ph.D. in geography from <b>...</b> From: JoinPeople4Earth Views: 64 0 ratings Time: 02:44 More in Nonprofits & Activism