More in Rio

SugarLoaf
Originally uploaded by PriscillaHowe

This picture was taken on Monday, at the cafe with the view of Sugar Loaf. Today I went to the top of Sugar Loaf on the cable car. It's a two-stage trip. At the first landing, there were marmosets all over the place. I ran out of batteries for my camera, so no pics yet. They're interested in the tourists and are probably hoping for treats.

At the top we could see all over Rio and the bay. Stunning view! 

This all happened after my last two shows of the week, at the German school, where I told stories to kids learning English. I had about forty teenagers in each group, in a science lecture hall. They were, umm, high-spirited as they arrived at the hall and I wondered if they'd be willing to listen. I used my usual ploy with adolescents: I began with a creepy story. They were with me from then on. 

I've learned over the years that when I tell stories to non-native speakers, it's useful to allow them to talk to each other for a couple of minutes in between stories. They're not being rude, they're just explaining to each other the words they didn't quite get. These kids were wonderful listeners, attentive and interested. 

It turned out that the English teacher in charge had lived in Garden City, KS as an AFS student years ago. Small world!