My Brazilian neighbor

(She's actually the sister of one of my best friend's here in Lebanon)
had a long feature in the leading Sao Paulo paper in Brazil.

http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/mundo/ult94u98063.shtml. We told her son to take off his hat when we were taking the photo, but the kids wanted to look like "malandros", little gangsters.

I would just go over there all the time unannounced, usually when I was hungry, and her mom (like any great Lebanese grandma) would make a plate for me and sit me at the table.

When I came in the other night, Katia was sitting in her towel, just having taken a shower, and we all had to be quiet as she was doing the interview on the phone.

Apparently, they had been reading the paper in Brazil and it didn't make it sound that Brazilians wanted to leave and it was urgent for their government to do something. So Katia e-mailed her feedback directly, and was contacted by a reporter.

The articles says there were 70 people in the embassy. On the phone, Katia said 60. Neda was sitting next to me and she whispered, "It was more like 20."

And then when Katia described Aley, she said it had great nightlife with restaurants and "bares". Neda and I laughed. Yes, there are restaurants, but there are no bars, not like the way a Sao Paolo resident would think of them.

The article talks about how there are 3 people working in the Brazilian embassy. The Brazilian government sent a bus to Turkey with 100 people, but don't have plans for the next round. Katia and her sons are waiting there, along with everyone else.

I got out.

I think this is going to be my obsessive theme from now until indefinately. They call that survivor's guilt. There will be much more on that later.

Actually, am I speaking too soon? I mean I'm still at the AUB dorm. I feel totally at peace though. I'll probably freak out once we start boarding the boats. Pray for our protection.