If we had known how the day would end, we would have greeted the Beja sun with more than our usual enthusiasm. We went off to our school assignments – some to have sad partings as they received beautiful remembrance gifts of the city and school in which they volunteered; others to have only the satisfaction of contributing to and creating a bridge to world peace as they conducted their last classes and said goodbye.

A few who had the “ritual” of lunch at Capitel wished (adios) to Pedro and other acquaintances.
Others were able to join our Pensao hosts Barbara and her son Hugo who had invited all of us to lunch at the restaurant next door. Barbara’s daughter-in-law and granddaughter who had been tutored by Marcia joined us.

When we were served the traditional meal, we gave a thank you and goodbye toast to our hosts and to Beja. The final touch was the traditional dessert, very sweet but beautiful to look at with the golden egg yolk color. Judy and I had to leave the others to leisurely after dinner conversation and more toasts. We had our final class at Escola Secundaria com 3 de Ciclo D. Manuel de Beja. Lucilia’s tourism class of reluctant learners became quite motivated as
we engaged them in role playing hotel receptionists and guests. We left the school on a most pleasant note. It was a very quiet place at 4 pm on Friday.

Judy took some final pictures of Beja as we walked back to Pensao Residencial Bejense.

THEN [drum roll} there was dinner at Pousada de Dao Francisco, one of several monasteries which have become part of Pousadas de Portugal. What a delightfully Portuguese dining room and what an elegant presentation of mixed salad followed by saltimbocca {chicken breast with smoked ham and potatoes) and ending with encharcada (the traditional eggs and sugar dessert). Of course, vinhos nao incluidos. The marvelous feast was followed by a brief wrap up program
in the moonlit garden by the pool.

The final [piece de resistance] Joanie and Bea regaled us with the “Last Will and Testament for those who Remain and come after them.” Filled with laughter and tears we
gave them a standing ovation.

The heat wave continues, but so too the shady spots and the
cooling breezes. Mornings and evenings are the perfect time for walking, shopping and sightseeing provided our teaching schedules permit (often they do).

The Global teaching volunteers at Escola de Santiago were treated to a formal dinner at lunch time yesterday, all planned, prepared and served by students in the service program. Our
five-course meal was delectable, beautifully served, and greatly enjoyed and appreciated. A number of staff members joined us for this special event. The second year program students wore uniforms that they had previously selected for the school. Likewise, the china
plates had been selected. They had a small picture of the school at the top of each plate. Elegance prevailed!

Festivities continued on Thursday (along with the heat!) The local coordinating staff and
community members collaborated with our group leader to serve a traditional Portuguese meal at Escola De Santa Maria. A number of teachers from the schools where we volunteer also
attended. We all missed out teammate Joanne, who had to leave this afternoon for her flight back home to Hawaii. The evening events at Escola de Santa Maria ended late. Anyone needing
or wanting a ride back to the hotel was provided with such by the Beja teachers. Yes, hospitality features strongly here in Beja. We have enjoyed an extra special volunteering opportunity because of the friendly, helpful, interesting teachers, hotel staff, and community members we have had the pleasure of interacting with.

First I will tell you my impressions of Beja and our beautiful hotel, The Residencial, and then I will tell you about my day at school, Santa Maria.

From my first look at Beja, I fell in love. It is all I imagined this part of the world would be: narrow winding streets of small pavers set in patterns, Moorish architecture, shops intermingled with colorful doors leading into homes, magnificent tiled walls, the ever-blue Portuguese sky.
There are many parks, clean of debris as are the streets, with lovely old trees, many with fountains.

Our family-owned hotel is charming, tiny but bright and decorated with interesting pieces of art collected, I understand, when the family lived in Angola. Every morning we meet for breakfast in the maroon breakfast room and eat on trays with embroidered placemats. The very narrow front of the Residencial features an ancient blooming bougainvillea and the rooms on this façade have Juliet balconies. Unbelievably there is a chocolate shop two doors away.

Besides the chocolate shop, our street has many small shops; some have very trendy clothes and shoes. From the windows of these shops, it looks as though the children of Beja
are the well-dressed children of Portugal. Many shops have a strange conglomeration of goods – from fishing poles to jewelry to pots and pans.

Every morning I walk to Escola de Santa Maria. It is about a 25 minute walk which I enjoy. I have never discovered a direct path to the school through the twisting disjointed streets of Beja but I know how to get close enough to see the walking backpacked kids and so follow them. The less than 20 year old building is large and would be rather stark and institutional if it weren’t for the art work of the students on the classroom walls and in the corridors. There are 900 students ranging from three-year-olds to late teenagers; the younger children study in a separate building.

My classes are for the most part pupils who have been learning English from one to four years.
After the first day, they are responsive and eager. They are very curious about me and about the
United States. They seem to understand my use of a simple vocabulary; I try to get them to answer my questions using sentences which, with prompting, they are able to do. From what I can tell, English language is taught here somewhat blended with social studies with emphasis on the European Union Countries.

Another beautiful Beja day – wonderfully cool and pleasant morning and evening, blisteringly hot and sunny mid-day. The locals have assured us that “isto nao e comum." But probably we won’t have a chance to find out.

Joanne and I are quite warmly greeted by our students at Escola Bento de Jesus Carala as they
wait for class. They like us to take their picture which we are, of course, happy to do. In class we have been more integrated this week helping the students one on one form questions on a reading passage, then answer them. While I don’t have much experience with kids this age (15-19) they seem to be very sweet (not a term I think they would like.)

Unfortunately these kids had trouble in other schools and are here in a “last chance” situation.
They must pass each term in each subject for three years. They can repeat (which some have done several times) but there are limits. Apparently individual tutoring is not available.
Sadly they do not seem to understand how paying attention in school will matter to their future. Like kids they’ll worry about the future manana.

Joanne and I have also had sessions with Katarina, the 10 year-old granddaughter of Barbara, owner of Residencial Bejense. The highlight of yesterday was her arrival for “class” with not one, not two, but three friends: Margarita, Maryana, and Diana. Between bouts of giggles we had the girls tell us a bit about their families, worked with flash cards, and listened and
helped as they took turns reading. I was astonished when I asked if they would like to sing a song for us. They all jumped up, whispered excitedly for a few moments, lined up and animatedly sang a song in excellent English, something about red, yellow, green: stop, wait, go, and traveling in a car, a plane, a train, a jeep, a helicopter, and a motor scooter. Then they all patiently allowed Phyllis to direct us in a photo shoot. For me, it was truly delightful, as I don’t interact with kids a lot and didn’t know it could be so much fun.

The team continues to be very well taken care of. Meals are more than adequate, generally very tasty, with a mix of familiar favorites and traditional Portuguese. Fish and pork, including the infamous ‘pig on a stick,’ are wonderful. Hotel staff continues to keep our “home: clean and comfortable.

Several of us have tried valiantly to help the local economy with limited success. Fortunately we
were ale to procure a few actual “made in Portugal” souvenirs in Evora and Monseraz.

Beja feels like a really small town. We see our students everywhere and some of the same locals everyday at the Capitol. The men having coffee each morning next door are familiar and then there is the ubiguitaus carbs. We are becoming part of the fabric of the community just when it is almost time for us to leave.

Back to work after our various and exhausting weekend adventures. The IP Beja team of Janice and Keith began the day with the discovery that the library was closed on Monday morning. Unfortunately the posted notice did not define “morning.”

Phyllis came to the rescue with her snooze-alarm cell phone and called to discover that morning ends at 2:30 pm. With some pleading Phyllis got us in through the library’s back door so we could prepare the day’s lesson. A little VIP treatment is always appreciated.

A small group of us met at Capitol for lunch. By now we know that baguette sordeix chex
arrive immediately but toasted involve a long, tortuous wait. Pedro showed up as usual for his daily lunch time dose of English conversation. I admire this kid for his ambition. I just don’t know how to tell him he is not likely to find a regular Skype partner in this group.

Classes at IP Beja went well. We are grateful for our loyal core of regular students and realize that the start of the school year means some can’t attend regularly. Teachers fret about the
stress of beginning classes and the festive feeling of a new semester for the students is apparent.

We get approval from Maria, our school contact, for the end of class project that Janice has devised. We have high hopes of ending this inaugural program on a positive note. We hear vague rumblings of satisfaction among the students, which is encouraging.

Peggy and Tim, the Cuba crew, were invited to their school director’s home for fresh-killed wild rabbit dinner. Who could refuse? The description of the food and the suburban house with pools had us all in envy. This is another new site for Global Volunteers and from the sound of it, things look promising for a return engagement.

Sleep came easy on Monday night. Mercifully.

The weekend was filled with adventure for all the volunteers. The two Kathleens, “Jo-knee” and Peggy spent Saturday and Sunday in Lisbon. Kathleen A. met her niece who is studying in Spain and they toured the city together via an open bus. The others went on a
“forced road march” to the Alfama historical district and Belem. Afterward they took a bus tour to Sintra and the coast. Seven other volunteers hired a bus and got a guided tour of Evora.
Tim and Keith opted to spend the night there while Marcia, Joanne, Janice, Brenda, and Beatrice continued with their tour guide to the small, charming Portuguese village of Monseraz that overlooks Spain. Meanwhile, back in Beja Constance and Judy toured the local museums and totally enjoyed Beja’s ambience. The weekend’s cultural experiences will long
be remembered by the team members.