Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Tuesday in Sao Paulo


While the USMNT will train today and then travel to Recife for the huge Thursday match, the US Family Group has a relaxing day in Sao Paulo.  It is a beautiful day in Sao Paulo, a few days into winter – today the temps will reach mid to high 70’s under a brilliant blue sky with only slight traces of clouds.  The Parque de Ibirapuera was busy today with locals and the usual suspects from the Family Group enjoying the running trails on a wonderfully comfortable day.  This afternoon there is an option to have a tour of the training grounds where the USMNT has been training in Sao Paulo.  It is the headquarters of FC Sao Paulo. 

Tomorrow the Family Group is right back in travel mode.  The busses for the airport leave at 6:15am for what could be a 2 hour drive to the airport followed by a 3 hour plane flight and another lengthy drive to the hotel in Recife. 

Final thoughts on Chris’ appearance in the game the other night.  I believe that he might be the first Native American to play for the USA in a World Cup.  If not, I strongly believe he is the first Polish-Native American to play for the USA in a World Cup.  Chris is officially enrolled in the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma.  His ethnicity blends essentially 50/50 Native American/Polish. 

The Brazilians are tremendously friendly people in general.  I have noticed that whenever I try to speak something in Portuguese and then I ask them if I pronounced it correctly … every single person has the exact same answer, they all say:  “more or less”…. Which I have come to realize simply means:  “no”.  I’ve got Bom Dia, Obrigado/Obrigada, and Cerveja successfully in my vocabulary so I might be stopping there.

No comments:

Post a Comment