School Story:
Update to above: Over the past days I’ve so enjoyed reading everyone’s walk down memory lane that I’m inspired to share some of my own Graded/Brazil memories. And, upfront, many thanks to Danny Waters for his great collection of photos and funny, poignant captions! ANd thanks to Sharon Crane for putting all this together!
I arrived in Brazil May 1971, and like so many of us, stayed in the Ca'Doro hotel, for about 4 months. My mom and I loved the chicken cordon bleu. Went to Graded 9th grade, then to Chatham Hall, a boarding school in southern VA for my last 3 years of high school. (I think Graded and the scene at the time was a big shock for my parents!) While at Chatham, I spent US summers and holidays in Brazil. Between my junior & senior year in high school, my parents moved to London.
At University of Florida I earned a bachelors in foreign languages (including Portuguese) and masters in international communications. For almost 10 years I worked for IBM based in Atlanta, pioneering the fledgling multimedia industry. Then joined Time Warner Cable in Orlando creating the Health & Education channel on their interactive television system. When that folded (ahead of its time), I headed up public relations for Turner Broadcasting Latin America (parent of CNN, TBS, TNT among other networks). At 40, I took a 7 month personal sabbatical and traveled to 13 countries primarily in Asia and Africa. Fabulous! Subsequently I went in to business for myself: media and communications consulting and project work. Two years ago I moved to Washington DC as director of international media and communications for Conservation International. I loved this job but alas was laid off end of last year. I now split my time between Florida and Colorado consulting while I look for and figure out my next big gig.
I’ve been lucky to return to Brazil many times, mainly on the nickel of a company. My Portuguese is definitely better today than it was when I was at Graded. I didn’t apply myself in Dona Lucia's class, or too much in any class for that matter. Fond memories at the bio lab in Sao Sebastion, collecting and studying lygia exotica on the little cliffs/rocks with my partner Carl Kincaid. I remember the feijao and rice for lunch everyday in the Graded cafeteria. And, yes, the red clay. I got into it plenty being a cheerleader (a kind of crazy endeavor considering all the other non-healthy things I did....but it was great fun…especially trips to BA and Rio…those are major adventures, stories and memories in and of themselves…). Flocos ice-cream, pao de queijo, Brahma and Antartica beer especially at Atlanticos in Guaruja, wishing my parents would sign a permission slip so I could hang out in the smoking lounge (they never did but that didn’t stop me smoking and at times sneaking into the lounge), Minister cigarettes (one of several of those non-healthy things…), many parties at many homes including Sages (Chacara Flora and Ubatuba), Derrs, McDonald’s (one night drawing as a group our interpretation of Pink Floyd’s “Mettle” album), awesome pizza, firsts of many things…love, music, philosophy, travel to remote places in very basic ways (including hitchhiking).
I met a woman at a party in Atlanta a few years ago who had graduated from Graded about 7 years before me. We both shared an instant understanding of that unique, crazy place where we lived and went to school. It was much further from the US at that time than it is today. I drove by recently and couldn’t believe the surrounding tall condo buildings and American drive-throughs in the neighborhood. Brazil had a huge influence on who I am. Don’t mean to be corny but it became a permanent thread in my life fabric. It continues to be a special part of my life professionally and personally. I’m still in close contact with Tino, my first love relationship; and his sister and brother-in-law, Mark Ary, are like family.
I’d love to get together with all of you to share our memories – to complete, or really continue, the circle. Hope to see you at the reunion!
