Prep Day and Competition Day 1

I apologize for the lack of updates- Yesterday and today have been... very challenging. But, spirits are up! :) I'll try and share a few things while the internet is working, then I must get to bed. Sleep is hard to get down here and I have to be up and back on the competition floor in 6.5 hours.
The bus leaves our hotel at 6:15 every morning and we arrive at the competition site at about 7:15. The venue, Rio Centro is phenomenal. The complex is made up of 5 Pavilhoes (pavilions, for those of you in Rio Linda). Imagine 5 buildings, each the size of 4 Costcos put together, connected by courtyards and walkways. Its crazy. And the Brazilians have gone all out. The place is decked out the the slightest detail in in the most elaborate displays and decorations you have ever seen. I'm going to try and get pictures of it up eventually because it is really impossible to describe without being here so I won't even try. I'm thinking of making a video, walking from one end of the complex to the other, to show you what it is like and really how top notch everything is. Anyways, this part of Brazil is semi-jungle ish and that means it is hot and humid. And there are bugs. The pavilions are air conditioned... kind of. Outside its at least 85 degrees and very humid. Inside its maybe 80, but it feels even more humid. You basically just sweat. All day. Lovely! :)
Yesterday was supposed to be tool unpacking and competition familiarization, but it ended up with us sitting outside in the heat until 10 am waiting for instructions. Then they talked to us for an hour, sent us to lunch, then told us to come back at 2pm. We come back at 2 and they tell us that they are not ready. We come back at 3.. not ready. Come back at 4... Finally ready. 2 hours to unpack tools, check passports and inspect tool boxes, then dinner time. After dinner, 3 hours of familiarization. We finally left Rio Centro at 1045. Everyone else left at 7 pm. Back to the hotel at 11:30. An exhausting day.


Today wasn't much better. It was supposed to be the first day of competition, I was slated to work on the Citroen C3 Electrical Systems Station in the morning, and Volkswagen engine measurement in the afternoon. Again, wake up at 5:20 am, bus at 6:15, arrive at 7:15, wait for 3 hours in the heat. Finally they bring us inside and have us sit at the stations we are going to compete at first. After sitting for two hours, they send us back outside. Apparently the computer network crashed. Packages of crackers, fruit, granola bars, and Guarana (juice they drink here, tastes like red bull and pear juice mixed together) are brought to us for lunch. Finally at 1, they let all the other stations begin working while I have to sit because my station isn't working. 3 hours later, the group finishes and I am still sitting there (I think I fell asleep for an hour). They tell us to hurry and get dinner, we come back half an hour later and then they tell us they are not ready until 430. Finally at 6pm, after waiting for nearly 11 hours, I begin working on my first station of the competition. Engine Mechanical Measurement on a VW Fox engine.
Oh and one thing I didn't mention, the entire competition is in Portuguese. All the technical info, the cars, the scantools, the computers, the manuals, etc. My interpreter, Gustavo, is very nice, but the extent of his self proclaimed car knowledge is "I fink dey have four wheels, en dey usually runs on gas fuel." He showed up today with a printed English to Portuguese automotive dictionary from the internet. Needless to say, I am picking up Portuguese fast. I was fortunate, that they were able to translate a few of the technical words on the exam sheet so I could tell which measurements I needed to take etc. I literally had to hunt and peck through an entire online VW technical manual with only a few sheets of Portuguese automotive terms and try to find the procedures and specifications to disassemble, measure, repair, and reassemble this engine. The expression "finding a needle in a haystack" came to mind. But, God intervened, and after 11 hours of waiting, I just wanted to get my hands dirty. I tore into the engine with a vengeance, popping pistons, rings, micrometers and feeler gauges flying. One piston had the wrong size compression ring, the cylinder was tapered about .07 mm, one of the connecting rod caps was loose along with a main bearing. The crank thrust washers were the wrong size and one of the main bearings was too large as well which had locked up the crank. The water pump bolts were loose and I think that was it. I fixed everything, recorded all my measurements and had 15 minutes to go. I don't think I have ever reassembled an engine that fast in my life. Thanks to Rizzoli Automotive's generous sponsorship, I was able to purchase some tools which made the job a lot easier. But again, God had to have been involved because I installed the pistons, oil pan, head, and timed the engine and finished with 2 min to spare. So far, the only one in the competition to finish. All in all I feel like it was a good first station and I am happy. Thank God for his help!!
Tomorrow, 8am I have to make up the station I missed today due to tech difficulties. Then the president of Brasil is coming to tour the competition area, so we will be visiting with him. Then I forget what I have tomorrow afternoon. I'm exhausted. The water down here comes in little plastic cups with foil sealed tops, so the other competitors always joke with me about how I have a stack of basura (trash) with me all the time because I am drinking so much water. Staying alive!
There is so much more to tell, but I'm done for the night.
Boa Noite!