João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brasil

Come with me again on a time travel, back several days.

It was my last day in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil and I had too many hours ahead with not much planned. It was about 4:30 o'clock when I went to the Praia Shopping mall and got a ticket to The Human Stain, with Anthony Hopkins and Julia Roberts. I had not planned to see this movie, but any port in a storm.

As usual, I headed for the back row but a couple were near my usual spot, near the projector, so I settled on a seat off to the left. About ten minutes a young miss at first sat in front, and then moved to sit in the seat beside me. Well, it was beside me and it wasn't beside me. All the other seats were joined, but our seats were not physically joined, being separated by about a couple inches.

I noticed her English study books just before the lights went dark and we started a conversation, which threatened to carry into the movie. She offered me a jujube (that soft, sweet), which I accepted.

After the movie we chatted and sat for a soda. She ordered a Coca Cola, but I am still boycotting American products, when it is convenient for me to do so, so I ordered a Brasilian drink.

I took about three photos, without flash, since we were in a very public dining area. They still looked good.

Daguia wore a chain with a cross, glasses. We had a very pleasant conversation. She is very engaged, on different levels, in her church. She had improved her English in Chicago on her first visit to the States and planned to return about mid-year. Her English is quite good at his point and can only improve. She sees a movie every week so that she can discuss it, in English, in her class.

About an hour later, we moved to another part of the mall to have dinner. I left my camera in her care, while I went to the banheiro. On my return, she expressed surprise that I could leave my valuable camera with a complete stranger. I told her it was the way I have lived my life. I come to conclusions on people I meet, based on the vibrations. I don't wait for people to prove they can be trusted. I trust up front, and if I am exploited and betrayed, I manage to get over it somehow.

In that way, I have missed my extensive record and book collections a lot more than I have missed some of my friends, after our expiration date had come and gone.

After dinner, we walked to the bus stop, a few yards away, and, after one of the strongest handshakes I ever experienced in my life, caught her bus. If I receive her permission, I will share the photos with you.

I returned to the store to search for a book, then caught my bus at the same stop. The conductor helped me get off at the right stop but I was disoriented for several minutes, never having seeing that area from that point of view.

Finally got the hotel, the best on my trip so far.

Até logo.

PBB

The movie was better than I had expected.