The best laid plans

So remember how I said we were going to try to limit our outings? Ha. Yesterday we started the CPF (like a social security number) process at the local post office (don’t ask) and then my host at UFMG, Marilia, wrote that she would be on campus in the afternoon and would I like to meet up. Would I! So we scrapped our plans to finish the CPF (involving a trip downtown, about a half-hour bus ride away) and settle up our cell phone plans, and instead walked over to the university’s School of Library Science. I introduced Marilia to Duck and she led us up to the third floor of this square building with a lovely courtyard in the middle. We all deposited our bags in a locker and went into the library, Duck settling into a carrel and Marilia and I into a room with small tables and chairs for group work and conversation. We had a lovely talk wherein I apparently agreed to give an hour-long presentation in Portuguese next month, about which I am equal parts nervous and excited, already having at least a page worth of ideas to share with her intro to library science students. I learned a lot, including how to google search for BH city library branches, which are mostly located in cultural centers, and it turns out there are about 20! So that bodes well.

This morning I went to a nearby mall to buy some clothes (I have barely a week’s worth, and no shoe options to wear with a pair of capris, my only really hot-weather professional pants). To treat myself for accomplishing this, I bought a pão de queijo (which came heated up! delish – also I am getting better at the keyboard shortcuts for the accent marks) and then headed home, where Duck had been working (writing some emails in Portuguese, looking at Portuguese classes, and some other work).

After a little lunch, we ventured back out, this time in the rain, to the drug store for some shampoo and sunscreen, and then convinced ourselves to bite the bullet and go downtown. Finishing the CPF process, which involved “triagem” (triage?) where an employee gave us a number like at the RMV and waited for half an hour to be seen. The guy gave me a hard time because I filled out the application without my middle name – oh, bureaucracy. Duck, luckily, on his own at a different window, managed beautifully. Mine took a little while longer but eventually we left with our new CPF numbers!

We rewarded ourselves with some gelato and pizza (yes, in that order) and then Duck talked me into walking over to the restaurant Glouton (if you haven’t watched the Parts Unknown episode in Minas Gerais, what are you waiting for?) which was down a very steep two blocks that we then had to walk back up. Then we made it to another mall to try to sort out our phones, for which we thought we needed the CPF but turns out we haven’t built up any credit yet, so we still needed to get pre-paid plans instead of a real plan.

Maybe tomorrow we’ll take it easier? We’ll see!