The Bicycle and Mower

February 09, 1997 (Sunday)


It Sunday again.  Almost every Sunday we will return to our factory quarter in Macosur for overnight and as part of my job duty.

Thought we have rented a flat in the city at our own expenses, the staff quarter at Macosur factory is still our official accommodation provided by the employer. The reason we do not stay in the factory is Macosur factory has been closed down for business and now the Spanish owner is looking for buyer to the property. Sooner or later we will have to move out off the factory compound. So we secured a flat in the city before we are forced out by the new owner and became homeless.


However inside the factory are a few machineries that in "Accounting” still belong to Taiwan partner. And that I am paid by the Taiwan Company to be base in Paraguay to supervise the business operation. With the responsibility of keeping an eye on employer's property, I come back to the old factory each Sunday.

Today, something not a good sign inside my factory quarter. We return to discover that the gas stove in the kitchen has been taken away by the factory management. The management has the master key and the right to our quarter. The management staff do not stay in the factory, they are all living in the capital city Asunsion. They sent order and instruction through phone.

Several months ago, the Macosul factory already talked directly to me to move out of the quarter. But I persisted to stay with the reason of company property ownership of machines still belong to my employer and that I have the responsibility to stay in the factory compound until Taiwan official inform me to move out.

However with the gas stove and almost all other kitchen utensils such as rice cooker being taken away, the factory obviously is impatient any longer.

Most of my family belonging has been moved to our new flat in the city, except a few big items such as the bicycle and the mower.

I made immediate decision to take our own bicycle and mower out today before they claimed as their. If not, next week when we return we might find them taken away and might never able to claim back from them.

So, without making too much hesitation I push the two items one by one across the high way to Nilsa's house half a kilometer away.

Nilsa is the pretty young girl who often walks across the highway to our quarter to spend a whole afternoon to play with our baby son in the back yard and return home after dinner. Her family live in one of the wooden houses in the settlement opposite our factory across the highway.  Months before, Shirley already got agreement from her mother to help to sales the bicycle and mower for us.

And now it is the time for me to bring these two items over to their house.

Without stove to cook, we had lunch at Nilsa's house. Her mother cooks asado for every one.

We return to the city late afternoon by bus as usual.

Chinese New Year

February 07, 1997 (Friday)

Chinese New Year.

Shirley given Lai-See to Aida and Felicia 10,000 guaranies each.

Caaguazu - where I wanted to be a farmer

February 05, 1997 (Wednesday)

My outstation work trip to Caaguazu. But, this trip is special, as I brought the whole family to the town. I like this quiet town and having the idea of  in the future coming to settle down here as a farmer. So, this trip I bring my wife and the boy to come have a look.

We have lunch in Brasileiro restaurant near the hotel acrocess the highway.

Evening we cooked quick noodle in the hotel for dinner.  A Korean Supermarket is at the front of the block where we bought sundry from. This is perphep the largest supermarket in the town.

I cam to Caaguazu almost monthly for the last half year because my Taiwan company is buying wood from a wood factory near by in the town.  Every time I stay in the same small hotel and buy foods and drinks from this same supermarket.

The shop attendants are familiar with my face because I came several times. But not the young adult son of the Korean Supermarket whom I never seen in the shop. One day as I walked into supermarket this young son was right behind the front counter at the entrance and almost as soon as he saw me, he started to complain to me in Spanish or perhaps mixed with Korean. My understanding of Spanish is still very limited but I listen careful trying to catch some keywords to know what his trouble is. He repeats point to the cash machine on the counter and I figured out what was wrong.

What he was complaining was that the cash machine "supplied by my company" has been out of order for too long and has been waiting for the supplier to send some one to fix it. And that I came late only now.


While I was trying to say with broken Spanish something like "No No Mi No personel...." (No, no I am not the representative from the company), his shop attendant quickly approached him and tell softly to him that I am not the repair man.  The young shop owner looked at me a while with puzzled and I proceed into his shop with embarrass smile.


This is something I like about my apparent, that I can be "localized" easily in many countries I went.  I have been assumed by some local people as one of them in India, Burma, Thailand, and Brazil.

In India I was look alike a Tibetan or Ceylonese.  In Brazil I was look alike an Amazon tribe.

Except in Hong Kong where they do not consider I am one of them. The Police like to stop me to check whether I have a passport to be there.



February 06, 1997(Thursday)

I finished my QC inspection works in the morning.  We checked out the hotel after lunch to return to Ciudad del Este. We have some time to see more of the town.

As we stroll around Caaguazu town,  I saw a horse-drawn wagon by the street.  Its a farmer's horse carriage. A mother and son were unloading some packages to the shop.  Shirley, my wife, talked to the lady whether their horse cart could take us for a tour round the town for a small fee. The mother gladly accepted. Her young son became our horseman for our half an hour interesting experience sight seeing of mercado of Caaguazu.

They call the horse Calesa.

6 February 1997 - sightseeing on a horse cart in the town of Caaguazu, Paraguay

LIBRERIA COSMOS

COTILLON MERCERIA

BOOKSTORE

ATALAYA DE INMUEBLES

VENTA DE LOTES

BUILDING ATALAYA

SALE OF LOTS



Back to Ciuded del Este, we have dinner in Korean restaurant.

1st birthday of Noemi's baby sister

February 04, 1997 (Tuesday)


Yesterday, the father of Noemi came to panorama to invite us to attend the birthday of their baby daughter tomorrow.

So today I prospone the family trip to Caaguazu for the birthday party in the late afternoon.

This is the 1st birthday of Noemi's baby sister.

Noemi's house is in the city outskirt and beside a small river.  I went to have a look at the mudy river. Its a short walk down the slop from their house.

Guatambu Dinning Table

January 19, 1997 (Sunday)

Mir, wife of a worker, brought her new born baby to Panorama to visit us.

The husband is away for 5 days already.

January 21, 1997 (Tuesday)

Bought a Guatambu wooden dining table set with 4 chair this morning at 8:30 AM.

Our newly rented flat has no furniture. 

Graduation from Dressmaking Course

10 January 1997 Friday Graduation from Dressmaking Course

Yenny Barreto, the wife of City Mayor Carlos Barreto gave out the graduation certificates to each graduate student.

One of the effort the local government tried to reduce poverty and increase wealth is encourage ladies perform productive activities such as selling food products, running a convenience store and a newspaper kiosk, selling clothes, operating a hairdressing salon, tailoring and selling school uniforms, etc. This tailoring class is one of the major courses offered by the city government in providing the necessary skill to the female.

Together with  Mirta, I brought Xing around  6:30 P.M to her graduation.

Children are prohibited but Xing stumbled and his lips swollen.

When it was about to start at 8:00 P.M suddenly it rained. The event moved inside.

Shirley has a  photograph with Yenny Barreto, the wife of Intendente Carlos Barreto.

After the graduation we went directly to hospital for check up of Xing.

Edificio Panorama (Panorama Building)

6th January 1997

Today we finalized with Panorama Building at USD450 per month we rent a apartment in this building.

Our office is also in this same building but at 2nd Block. 1st Block is where we stay.

Panorama Building or Edificio Panorama is located at Avda Carlos A. Lopez. Ciudad del Este.

Days earlier on January 04, 1997 (Saturday), we bought an iron tube frame white bed completed with mattress in abasto. Its U.S$ 350.00, expensive but there is not much choice in that furniture shop. The slightly cheaper alternative I does not like is the wooden bed set complete with side cabinet which was Shirley's favorite. But that type of hotel like bed is old fashion, clumsy, and to big a set to occupy most of the room space with unnecessary side drawers and cabinets.

New Year 1997

January 01, 1997 (Wednesday)


It’s New Years Day. we went to Km 34 together with Vilda and Luis, Juliana's family for swimming. We brought cooked food. After rodeo Nilsa came with us to our new flat for the night.

Luis and taxi neighbor sent us to panorama using Quintana's car. On the way we saw a drunken truck driver. His driving is already zigzag and bombing the white car. After that he shoot to the white car and then we saw the white car driving backward and stop on the side waiting for the car to come again.

While passing to their car our driver drive it faster.

January 04, 1997 (Saturday) We bought a white iron fram bed in abasto  U.S$ 350.00.

Christmas Trip in Brazil

December 25, 1996 (Sunday)

Christmas Day afternoon we went to zoo. We have lunch here.

Shirley, Aida and Xing enjoyed the cycling-boat. A bird dropped a 'sovenior' on Shirley hand.

At night we walked to a University then to 15 street.

Christmas decoration is beautiful.

Shirley bought a cap of Santa Claus for Xing Xing. Xing likes to hold very much the ball of a cap.

Praça Tiradentes (Tiradentes Square) The first square in Curitiba, is walking distant from Cathedral.

Flower Street is the street infront of the HSBC building. Several commercial building beside Flower Street is colorfully decorated.

Botanical garden

December 26, 1996 (Thursday)

We went to Botanical garden. It is a very nice place.

Aida just stayed in the hotel she is not well.

We feed the fishes in botanico.

Beside Botanico Garden is a small Pizza restaurant. Shirley ordered fried fish and rice.

December 23, 1996 (Friday)

At 7:00 P. M we went to foz Brazil to take the bus going to

Curitiba. We have eaten our dinner in foz. We took the bus to

Curitiba at 9:45 P.M. We enjoyed sitting on a nice chair. The

nicest bus (chair I have taken) but I didn't slept well because

of Xing Xing.

December 24, 1996 (Saturday)

We reach Curitiba at around 8:00 A.M

We go directly to hotel near bus station.

At 8:30 A.M we went down to have our breakfast. After break­

fast we bought some fruits and galletita for Christmas. Christmas

usually the shops are close.

Largo da Ordem - Old town Curitiba

Large tiles panel of art by Poty Lazzarotto

At Largo da Ordem (Old Town Curitiba)

Poty Lazzarotto

(Curitiba, March 29, 1924 - Curitiba, May 8, 1998)

Napoleon Potyguera Lazzarotto is Curitiba's most known artist.

25th December 1996 Day 2 in Brazil

We came to Largo da Ordem - Old town Curitiba in the evening of Christmas Day of 1996.

From our hotel we took a taxi (R$5.00). The taxi driver dropped us in front the art panel of Poty.

Many years before, the old town of Curitiba (Largo da Ordem) was an area of intense commerce of the city.

Today the area has been developed into an historical, cultural and artistic area.

Here you can find old architecture of houses, buildings and churches; historical monuments, artistic panels, art galleries, restaurants, etc.

The Traditional Handcraft Market “Feirinha do Largo da Ordem” is held here every Sunday from 10:00AM to 2:00PM since 1973. This Sunday market is the second largest craft fair in Brazil, with over 1,000 artisans present each Sunday.

This cultural rich location is a meeting point for locals and tourists.

Christmas Eve in Brazil

24th December 1996 Tuesday Day 1 in Brazil

Transportation is very efficient in Curitiba. In front our hotel is always taxi ready for service. We paid R$6 (Rm 19.00) to get to Flower Street - the street I always go for dinner and relaxation each business trip to Curitiba factories.

Rua de Flores, the pedestrian-only street full of shops and restaurants. Sede da Universidade Federal do Paraná

Attracted by this outstanding decoration in the Flower Street, we each in turn take a snap shot as remembrance.

We were not interested what this shop sales, after all it was closed after business hours for tonight Christmas Eve. We were interested only the twinkering lights against a large panel of real red Christmas leaves.

Big effort put into unique Christmas decorations means serious business behind. True enough, we learn later that O Boticário is the world’s largest perfumery cosmetics franchising network. This shop in Flower Street is only one of its 2,000 over stores in Brazil.

• Official O Boticário International Web site
• O Boticário Foudation

"Flower Street" is the nick name. The official name is "Rua XV de Novembro" (15th of November Street)

A major street in downtown Curitiba. This street is the first pedestrian streets in Brazil inaugurated in 1972.

Here, tourists welcomed with pots of flowers, restaurants and hundred-year-old buildings.

I come here each time for the street artists - the mimes and clowns who interact with those who pass by, who bring back some joy to my heart after a hard day work.

Thought my life in South America is amusing, my work is full of risk and demanding. To satisfy the Taiwanese market's strong demand of "South American Parquet", my job as their quality controller is always under strong pressure.

After a hard day's work, sitting in one of the bench in Flower Street watching the clowns creating joke and fun out of the innocent passing by is a great fun in life.

...Look! A big old fat lady carrying lot of heavy shopping begs coming the way of Flower Street.

"Why every one is looking and smiling at me?" She is wondering but continues walking but a quick check on the zip of her skirt and double checking other obvious part of her dress.

Before long she realized that it was what behind her every one are looking and smiling at. She gave a sudden turn of her head and frightens herself by seeing a short skinny creature with big red nose wearing a too big multi color suit pretending looking for something in the empty air. Now every thing is clear to her, this funny fellow had been following and imitating her walking action all the way as a joke. To release her great unpleasment, her unload the shopping begs to the other arm, held up her big feast and gave a heavy empty punch to the big red nose and continue her walking while the small crown "dropped death" on the pedestrian street with his big red noise pointing toward the blue sky..................

Most by standers amused will smile except a few ill-mannered visitors will give a big laugh like me as appreciation of a good street art well performed.

Located at Tiradentes Square, the beautiful Catedral Basílica Menor de Nossa Senhora da Luz of Curitiba was built from 1876 to 1893, in neo-Gothic style, inspired in the Igreja da Sé of Barcelona. The Cathedral is dedicated and has an image of Nossa Senhora da Luz dos Pinhais, Saint Patron of Curitiba. It was founded on March 29th, 1693 and it is considered the most important construction on Tiradentes Square.

We met Santa Claus in Curitiba City

We met Santa Claus in Curitiba City

24th December 1996

On the morning of Christmas eve (24 December 1996) we met Santa Claus in downtown Curitiba. He appeared in a sudden. We hesitated for a moment then quickly realized that the red and white Christmas Father in front of us is whom we have been wishing to see since childhood.

Father Christmas, we learned in stories, only appear to children of good standing ........ and now we stumble right in front of him as he stand  in front of us with a warm smiling face..................

Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle)  is a historical, legendary and mythological character associated with bringing gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

After a long night bus ride from FOZ, we arrived Curitiba early this morning, 24 December 1996, the morning of Christmas Eve.  We put up at a small hotel next to the bus station. We came to Curitiba for a 4 days Christmas holidays.

After wash up we were out for breakfast nearby. It was still early and the streets were still empty. As we walked down a quiet street not far from our hotel, a shop house door opened and we saw him, the Christmas Father Santa Claus, walked out of the door with his wife. 

Before, we have seen many department store sales assistants dressed up  for a silly look-alike Father Christmas. But today we met the real Santa Claus.

He had a broad face, and a little round belly.  With his long snow white beard and red gown standing tall,  he was the jolly Santa Claus that we have all come to expect. 

..........Santa Claus hold his gift bag in his right hand, the bag was empty.  Yes, off course its was still empty, but not when the night fall when he will visit each children with a bag loaded with presents.  For now, early in the morning, he is in a hurry with his wife to go shopping for presents before night fall .....................

I asked, in broken Spanish,  if we could have a  photo with him.
Santa Claus answered with a welcoming smile..... Shirley and Xing had a photo with Santa ..... and an ever lasting memories.

As I am getting old it is not the days that I remember, only moments, moments in the memories.... and Santa Claus in Curitiba gave us a memorable moment of Christmas spirit.

To all my dear friends, a Merry Christmas to you. Santa Claus is not a legend, so when you walk on a silent street on the Christmas Day be prepare to meet Santa Claus, for he does appear suddenly to children (and adult) of good standing ........ 



More about Curitiba From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Link : Welcome to Curitiba
Link : Curitiba: Story of a City

1996 Christmas Holiday to Curitiba

23 Dec 1996 Foz do Iguaçu to Curitiba

We are going to Curitiba tonight by bus from Foz do Iguaçu bus station to Cutitiba bus ststion. For 3 adult the fare from Foz to Curitiba is R$175 (Rm560)

Aida, care taker of Chun Xing, is invited to accompany us. After all, for the good work on taking care of Chun Xing, she deserved a holiday outing too.

We had our dinner (R$6.80 Rm21) at the Foz bus station before boarding.

The journey is 10 hours passing through farm and ranch country, hilly with beautiful fields we never able to see in Malaysia.

Driver in Paraguay and Brazil is a respected profession. Unlike in Malaysia where bus and truck drivers are considered as cheap workers (with low pay)

The drives, especially driver of a tourist coutch like the one we are going to travel with, are smartly drassed in uniform. Though without a captain cap, they look smarter then most pilots of our MAS airline.

Drivers here receive respect from the public. In one of my bus journey passing a farm village, a boy by the road side with body straight and chest up gave a salut to the bus driver with hand held up infront the forehead. I seen such a couple of other times in South America.

Itaipú Dam: The world's largest hydroelectric plant

Itaipú Dam: The world's largest hydroelectric plant.

1.5 Km from the Dam is a zoo that has a display room of stuffed animals. We spend some time in this display room taking photographs

.

December 10, 1996 Tuesday - Text by Shirley Wong

Our Dressmaking Class has an outing today with our professora. And the place ? Non other then the world largest hydroelectric power plant.

Noemi, sussana, Carmen are among us.

Our group had eaten our lunch at 10:30 A.M

In the afternoon went to The Itaipu Local Zoo. We did not spend too long because of rain. We were all caught caught in the rain specially profesora and I were too wet.

Itaipú hydroelectric power plant - the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world. Completed only several years earlier. Build over Paraná River, the river that flow acrosse Panorama Condominium where we stay.

Itaipú Dam represents the efforts of two countries, Brazil and Paraguay.

The dam lies 20km north of Ciudad del Este.

A main draw for visitors of the city.

Itaipu’s turbines still produce more electricity than any other power station on Earth, supplying electricity to Paraguay and Brazil. For this it was recognised as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

Itaipu Dam area also include a museum and a zoo.

The zoo houses many of the animals rescued from the forests flooded when the dam was constructed.

Good Bye Macosur

15th November 1996 Macosur Company officially closed down. Today, the office paid all the outstanding salary to all the staff and workers but without a farewell party.

The sawmill already stopped for half year without new log coming in. Followed by the S4S line shortly after all the remaining raw wood are used up.

17th November 1996 Senior Ramirez came to our house to paid up G65,000 (US$33) he owed us and gave us a warm good bye. After that he carried his 2 bags of all belonging and waited for a public bus by the highway. Moment later he board a bus and with it he left forever.

Senior Ramirez aged 60+ is the oldest office staff of Macosur sawmill who worked for the company almost for the whole life. Now at his retirement age he saw also the company closing down. How much he keep for his remaining life from the company he work for I do not know, but I understanding the intense of his financial difficulty that for the mere US$33 took him half a year to pay up.

And for my whole family, 2 weeks later on 1 December 1996 we started living in a condominium in Ciudad del Este City just 22 Km away. My job continue as usual under the Taiwanese company.

The Paraguay sawmill was later dismantled after the land changed ownership, with only its formal address remain in history record:

MACOSUR S.A.

RUTA 7, KM22,

ALTO PARANA, MINGA GUAZU.

TEL: (595) 064-510

MACOSUR S.A. -

MAderas del COno SUr S.A.

(Timber of Southern Cone)

International and Multinational Private company .. Asuncion .. Manufacturing:

November 15, 1996 (Friday)

Macosur closed. On this day they already paid all the workers.

November 09, 1996 (Saturday)

Went to birthday of Noemi. The celebration was held on their

Evangelican church. Yee and I are the godmother and godfather of

her 15th birthday.

November 15, 1996 (Friday)

Macosur closed. On this day they already paid all the workers.

Normi's quinceañeras

Normi's dresses for quinceañeras (galas for girls' 15th birthdays)

Normi's 15th Birthday

November 09, 1996 (Saturday)

Noemi's 15th Birthday celebration at their Evangelican church. Shirley and I are the godmother and godfather of her 15th birthday.

Quinceañera Celebration - Celebration of 15th Birthday

The Quinceañera is a celebration of a young girl's coming of age (her 15th birthday). In Paraguay, like else where in Latin America, a girl's 15th birthday is considered an important milestone.

This Hispanic tradition dates back to the ancient native cultures of South America.

This rite of initiation, that is rooted in the customs of the Toltec & Aztec, the Maya, the Quechua and other indigenous civilizations, continues today in the traditions of the present-day Hispanic cultures.

In Latin America's Latino cultures, a girl's 15th birthday, (a quinceañera) , marks her passage into adulthood. This celebration often includes a religious ceremony at church, in which the young lady recognizes her heritage and her spiritual journey.