Marcos Pontes and Space Tavel

Astronaut turned life coach/
motivational speaker/
engineering consultant

After dragging my kids around a few too many beaches in the pouring rain, I decided to spice up the kid's "winter break" in Recife by taking them to a mall. Sort of. Specifically, a mall that advertised a month long "Children in Space" exhibit in honor of Marcos Pontes, Brazil's first (and currently only) astronaut who blasted into space back in 2006, spending a week at the International Space Station with the Russians. The exhibit's claim to fame promised a strict thirty minutes of unfettered space learning; with blue suits, hair nets and shoe covers. We watched a 6 minute video, walked around a few model planets, and stared at tiny models encased in glass. Well, I did all these things while the kids staggered under their ill-fitting, giant space helmets, totally distracted. 

I felt their space experience lacked any sense of awe and wonder but chocked it up to the stale circulated mall air. But then they lead the kids to a looming space capsule lined with 3 inch foam and spray painted stars for a galactic dance party. The kids went absolutely insane, dancing and body slamming in the black light. They refused to leave that sweaty fun pit for thirty more minutes, but to the space employee's delight who put the songs on repeat. In the end I managed to peel off their uniforms but immediate freedom allowed them to run back into the dance party. I'd say this made up for Schlink rainy day death marches in the sand. 

Margonaut

A slightly underwhelmed astro-tot
before the foam pit throw down.