Libioca!

Here's Suleiman, native of Benghazi, graduate in engineering from Tripoli University, fluent English speaker and resident of Rio de Janeiro for 25 years. He has kept his Libyan nationality, and describes himself as a 'Libioca' playing with the name of his homeland and the descriptor 'Carioca' for residents of Rio!

His newspaper kiosk is at the top end of our street and we've built a relationship with him over the time we've been here. He was interviewed not so long ago in 'O Globo' newspaper and shared some of his story there along with his views of developments in his home country; he worked for the United Nations Development Programme in Libya specialising is water hole drilling technology, met a Brazilian lady colleague who became and is still his wife, decided to opt for Brazil as a place to stay, working originally in a real estate agency before falling in love with his present work through first working for a Portuguese who had a kiosk in Copacabana before buying his own 12 years ago at the end of our street. His son and daughter are both studying electrical engineering in Niteroi, just across the bay from Rio and, I have to say, he runs the neatest kiosk in town, opening at 5 am and closing 12 hours later except on a Sunday when he closes at 2 pm.

He's fun, always pleased to see us, and became quite animated in front of the camera...I liked this one best, and hope you like it too! Thanks, Suleiman!