will soon be immersed in the beleza pura (pure beauty) of , where we will come together Weto celebrate our recovery at WCNA 36— O Presente é a Liberdade, The Gift Is Freedom!

Each NA World Convention is a unique experience, and our celebration in Rio is sure to be magical. We are counting down the days to welcome and fellowship with mem- bers from around the world. We are grateful to all of you who were able to pre- register, and we’re looking forward to greeting all of you who will register onsite.

This newsletter and all updates about the convention will be posted on www.na.org/wcna.

RioCentro Convention Center (RCCC)

All of the activity for WCNA 36 will occur at RCCC. En- trance to the center is con- trolled by security gate access. The gates will be open for access to WCNA 36 be- ginning at 12h00 on Thurs- day, 11 June. There are many access gates to RioCentro. We are planning to use Gates B and C off of Av. Salvador Allende for access to Pavilion 5. RioCentro - Exhibition & Convention Center | www.riocentro.com.br Avenida Salvador Allende 6555 Barra da , Rio de Janeiro, Registration Information those expenses are US $128 per attendee, a difference from the actual registration cost of US $105. The gap be- Pre-registration allows us to plan for our members and tween the actual cost of WCNA and what is covered by to use the Fellowship’s resources more effectively. All the registration is made up by revenue from sales of mer- pre-registered members will gain access to their registra- chandise. tion packages through expedited lines and will be able to select merchandise that is fully stocked on Thursday. Additionally, a small pre-registration gift will be included Children in their packets. Please note that childcare is not provided by WCNA. Chil- dren aged 13 and under are eligible for specially marked Pre-registrations are to be picked up by the primary reg- children’s badges at no charge, but they must be accom- istrant. Registration packages cannot be split up. Please panied by an adult at all times during the Convention. Chil- bring your confirmation with you. If you do not have your dren over the age of 13 must have a registration badge to confirmation, a picture ID will be honored. If you are hav- gain access to the convention center and any of our ac- ing someone else pick up your registration, they must tivities. We ask for your support and cooperation with the have your printed confirmation. volunteers who are working the doors of events. Pre-registration pickup and onsite registration will be lo- cated in the entrance Hall to Pavilion 5, during the follow- Your badge is valuable! ing schedule: This is a registration-required event. Anyone not wear- ing a badge will not be able to go beyond the registration Thursday 13h00 – 18h00 and 21h00 – 23h00 area in the RCCC. Entertainment events and dances cov- Friday 10h00 – 18h00 and 21h00 – 23h00 ered by registration and most of the workshops and main Saturday 10h00 – 18h00 meetings will be held in the RCCC. (RioCentro) You must wear your badge both to enter any of these events and to participate in them. What Your WCNA Registration Pays For The cost of registration is priced as it is because the cost We are not responsible for the replacement of lost con- of putting on the Convention is indeed high. We continue vention registration badges; we will not give you anoth- to try to balance the needs of this unique celebration of er badge if yours is lost or stolen. There are no refunds NA recovery with prudent use of the Fellowship’s funds. on registrations. There is a tremendous difference between a World Con- vention and the vast majority of local conventions. WCNA Payment and Credit Cards requires the use of a major convention center, while most Onsite sales at WCNA 36 will be in Brazilian reals only. area and regional events are held in a single hotel. Each Cash or credit cards are accepted forms of payment. facility has requirements and expenses. Additionally, the size and scope of our audiovisual, translations, and acces- Newcomer Packages sibility services are unlike even the largest local events. We try to accommodate new members by providing as The core expenses for this WCNA will most likely exceed many newcomer registrations as possible for those with 640,000 US dollars. With 5,000 expected registrants, fewer than 30 days clean. Our ability to provide those packages is supported by the generosity of members

How do we adequately say to the fabulous WCNA 36 Workgroup and volunteers? Organizing a World Conventionthank is always you a monumental task with a multitude of details and deci- sions to be made. And planning WCNA 36 has included particular challenges, which were only overcome with the help of these talented and dedicated members. From Rio and throughout Brazil, NA members have shared their skills, time, and spirit to help us navigate our way through unfamiliar—and sometimes very rough— waters! Their efforts have brought to life the sentiment expressed in Living Clean (Chapter 7):

WeService are truly is gratefulnot a forposition their support in awhich committee; has helped it makeis athis posturea unique inand thespecial heart. celebration for us all. who make newcomer contributions. The number of pack- WCNA 36 Merchandise ages we can offer is contingent upon the contributions received. We are grateful for each of you who chooses to The merchandise room is located in Pavilion 5, Sala 101-A1 give back by “paying it forward,” helping to make mem- of RCCC. The times below are subject to change based on ories for our newest members. Newcomer registration sales volume and traffic. Any changes will be posted out- packages are available on a first-come, first-served basis side the merchandise room. The scheduled merchandise and hours for newcomer badges will be posted at regis- hours are as follows: tration. The first opportunity is 1300h on Thursday 11 June. Thursday 13h00 – 18h00 (open to pre-registrants only) Additional Needs Friday (open to all) 10h00 – 18h00 If you have additional needs for disability access or assis- Saturday (open to all) 10h00 – 18h00 tance, please visit the Convention Information booth lo- cated in the entrance Hall to Pavilion 5. Accessible seating Alternative Merchandise will be available at all main meetings and events. Please Groups, areas, and regions will be selling merchandise left ask volunteers posted at the doors for direction and assis- over from their own events. No private vendors are per- tance to the designated areas. Line monitors will be help- mitted. In order to be approved to sell in the store, sales ing disabled people to the front of all lines. Please be pa- must be on behalf of a registered NA group or service tient with volunteers as they attempt to assist those who body and must have a WCNA approval certificate. To ob- require special assistance. Elevators are for those who tain a certificate you must have submitted an application cannot take escalators. We ask that elevators be reserved in advance. Please pick up your approval certificate at the for those who are disabled or for those with strollers. CI booth by noon on Friday, 12 June. Everyone must also follow all established regulations regarding loading mer- Transportation chandise into Pavilion 5, as required in our facility agree- ments. These regulations are described in the alternative Arrival in Rio merchandise registration packet. WCNA is not permitted Rio is a city with plentiful taxis and many companies that to make exceptions to these procedures. No applications arrange airport transfers. Radio taxis are available at air- will be accepted onsite. ports in major Brazilian cities and charge set prices which vary depending on the destination. Therefore, taximeters are not used by radio taxi drivers. Regular cabs are those PLEASE NOTE that circulate around the city using taximeters. It is not uncommon to see people selling merchandise Shuttle Bus Service with our logos outside the facilities or even sometimes For those interested in shuttle bus service, there will be inside the hotels. This unofficial merchandise does bus service to and from specific locations in RioCentro not honor either our copyright agreements or our and . On Thursday, 11 June people who commitment to self-support. Merchandise purchased preregistered will be given priority to board the busses from WCNA helps to offset convention costs and to on the INITIAL RIDE TO RIOCENTRO only! People who support our primary purpose. It would be disrespect- are pre-registered will receive a document to print via ful to WCNA and those who have honored our copy- email that will cover their first ride on the buses to Rio- right and vendor agreements to support these outside Centro. The bus routes and schedule will be posted on- sellers. The sale of outside merchandise by anyone line at www.4lifetours.com/#!sobre-1/cosq as well as in any convention facility or hotel is strictly prohib- www.na.org/wcna. ited. Violators will be subject to immediate removal. Please help us enforce this by buying merchandise A bus pass will be required to utilize the buses after the only at official WCNA sales areas. initial ride. Bus passes for the 3.5 days of the conven- tion will be available for R$ 100 in the lobby of Pavilion 5 at RioCentro.

Parking at the Convention Center Private vehicle parking is available at RCCC at ap- proximately US $27 / R$ 80 for a multi-day pass. For more information, visit www.riocentro.com.br. Being of Service: Volunteer Registration Program and Meeting Information NA World Conventions always rely on the efforts of the WCNA 36 features a wide variety of program and en- local NA community and other volunteers before and dur- tertainment options. Meetings, workshops, music, and ing the event. If you are willing to be of service, please dancing offer something for almost everyone. WCNA 36 consider how much help is needed to keep everything officially opens at RioCentro with meetings beginning running smoothly. Volunteering to serve is a wonderful at 14h00 on Thursday. More than 37 workshops, 4 main way to meet people and enhance your convention experi- meetings, 3 World Board Forums, and 1 PR Forum are ence by giving back. If you have not already signed up to planned over the four days of the Convention. If you can’t participate, please visit the CI Booth in the entrance hall find anything else to do, go to the marathon meeting! of Pavilion 5 at RCCC. We are so grateful to all of you who find a way to be of service this weekend. Main Meetings “The heart of NA beats when two addicts share their re- Excursions around Rio covery,” but the heart of WCNA beats when thousands For those who are interested in touring Rio and the sur- of us celebrate our recovery together! We love our rounding area with other members, we have arranged WCNA main meetings so much, we have one every night! excursions with www.4lifetours.com/#!sobre-1/cosq. Go Through the geographic roll call on Friday night, the online and choose your desired excursion, day, and pick- cleantime countdown on Saturday night, and the Unity up point. Day call on Sunday morning, we experience for ourselves the enormity of our Fellowship and the power of our pro- gram. All of our main meetings will be bilingual. Please al- Photos, Videos, and Social Media low time to get your headsets before the meeting starts. We recognize that it is a common practice for members to take photos and videos at NA events and post them on Each evening we will come together in the main meeting social networks. We do not believe this to be in conflict with speakers from around our Fellowship sharing their with our Traditions so long as they are for the enjoyment experience, strength, and hope. In addition, on Sunday, of members and are not made available to the general we will pass the basket for Unity Day. If you have read the public. Please be considerate of our guiding principles rest of this newsletter, you know that registration alone and the anonymity of others as you share your photos doesn’t cover the cost of WCNA. The Seventh Tradition and videos from this NA event. For more information, collection we take on Sunday helps us meet our obliga- please see the service pamphlet Social Media and Our tions in Rio—and around the world, as NA continues to Guiding Principles. carry the message.

Entertainment WCNA 36 has some of the best local Brazilian entertainment in Pavilion 2! Experience the flavor of Samba on our first evening as we celebrate “the gift” and then dance until your feet can no longer carry you. On Friday night, celebrate “freedom” with MTV Video Music Brazil (VMB) award winner, Detonautas, with their hit songs such as Quando O Sol Se For, O Dia Que Não Terminou, O Amanhã, to name just a few. Saturday night, martial arts dancers will get the crowd going before we start the Main Meeting. Then later that evening, the hot Brazilian band, Grafite, will play their unique blend of new wave music; and finally a troop from one of the oldest Samba schools in Rio, will take your breath away with their infectious energy. Our entertainment for “O Presente é a Liber- dade” captures the diversity of our Fellowship, embraces the beauty of various cultures, and celebrates our freedom. On Saturday night, our main meeting features a panel of Bilingual Meetings members from around the world—including Argentina, We are offering an unprecedented number of bilingual Nigeria, Iran, Russia, Australia, and Portugal! We start the workshops and meetings at WCNA 36. Our hope is that evening with a brief Samba “teaser,” so be sure to come members will take advantage of this opportunity to hear early. And the cleantime countdown will have the whole the message of recovery shared in a different language. room on its feet. If you’ve never experienced this amaz- All of our main meetings and all meetings and work- ing gathering, don’t miss it. Those of us who’ve experi- shops in Pavilion 5, Sala 101B1 will be bilingual. Transla- enced it before don’t have to think twice about this ques- tions headsets are necessary and available outside of tion – we know! See you in Pavilion 2! the meeting rooms. You will need to leave a photo ID to receive translations headsets. Please allow ample time Live Audio Streaming before the workshop or meeting to secure your head- For the first time in WCNA history, we’ll be providing a set. free internet audio webcast of all four main meetings. For meeting times and information to access the audio web- Language Groups and Translations cast, please go to www.na.org/wcna. We will be stream- If you can volunteer as a translator, please sign up at the ing in English and Portuguese. All meeting times listed are Convention Information booth as soon as possible. Brasilia Time (BRT). Check your local time zone at www. timeanddate.com/worldclock. (Please note that we are testing this audio webcast on an experimental basis, and we cannot guarantee accessibility, quality, and consis- tency of the audio broadcast signal.)

The gift of Narcotics Anonymous is that weJust learn For Today, we April are 5 not alone.

A dádiva de Narcóticos Anônimos é aprender queSó por não hoje, estamos 5 de abril sozinhos.

Recovery Meetings Before the Convention Other Groups The local NA community has gone to great lengths to find Neighborhood: space for all of us to attend meetings before WCNA 36 of- Grupo Ipanema ficially begins. Please join them at the following locations Rua Visconde de Piraja, 339, 2 andar and times: Monday-Thursday: 19h30, Friday: 17h00 and 19h30, Satur- day: 19h30

Monday and Tuesday (8 and 9 June), 19h30 Neighborhood: Grupo Bem-vindo Grupo Gata Recreio dos Bandeirantes Av. Lauro Sodré 85, Sta. Theresinha Church (beside Rio Rua Helena Maneca 101, First Baptist Church (near Rec- Sul Shopping Center) reio Time Shopping Center), room 7 Monday-Friday: 20h00, Saturday & Sunday: 19h30 Bilingual Neighborhood: Downtown Wednesday (10 June), 19h30 Grupo Cidade Rua sete de setembro 14, 2 andar, N. Sra. do Carmo Grupo Barra da Tijuca Church Av. Jorn. Ricardo Marinho, 301, Sta. Rosa de Lima Church Monday-Friday, 12h00 Bilingual For more information, visit www.na.org.br/grupo The Carioca Lifestyle: A Tourist’s Guide to Rio

Climate, Weather, and Dress You’ll enjoy temperatures ranging from about 60 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, with tropical sea breezes from the Atlantic Ocean. Take advantage of brilliantly sunny days and clear, sparkling water along the longest, cleanest beach in Rio. We suggest dressing in layers so that you are comfortable both outdoors and inside the convention center.

Etiquette Kissing on the cheek (first right, then left) is the custom- ary greeting between women and between men and women. In Rio always 2 kisses, in Sao Paulo 1 kiss, in Minas Gerais 3 kisses. Men greet with a handshake and/or brisk Tipping pat(s) on the back. Frontal hugs are not common be- tween men, unless they are related or have been friends Tipping in Brazil is typically not expected unless there for a long time—or if they are fellow recovering addicts! was some special, nonstandard service; however, service people appreciate tips from foreign guests with a good The "OK" sign made by joining the tips of the index finger exchange rate who can afford to be generous. and thumb is an obscene sign in Brazil and should not be made. Restaurants Most restaurants include a standard serviço (service) fee of 10% listed at the end of the conta or bill. (In Brazilians tend to be friendly and enjoy chatting very a few restaurants this fee can be up to 12 or 15%.) This fee close to their friends or newly-met persons. is not compulsory, even though it may seem so; however, most people do pay it unless there's a good reason not to It may be offensive to introduce controversial topics or (e.g. very bad service or an absence of service). Although opinions in conversation. This includes criticism of their optional, some waiters may react negatively if you don’t country and touchy domestic topics (like social condi- pay the 10% service fee. tions, politics, etc.), even though many Brazilians may criticize these things themselves Hotels For most hotels, tip the bell hop if they transfer your luggage to/from the room. A small tip (R$5 to R$10) is Brazilians see time as something outside their control and appreciated. The chamber maid should be tipped (about the demands of relationships take precedence over ad- R$5+ per day) for good service. hering to strict schedules. Punctuality varies from region to region, but it’s generally acceptable and normal to be Beach Vendors Tip the person who rents you a chair and up to 15 or more minutes late. umbrella at the beach, and arranges your food and drinks. Beach umbrellas and chairs are usually rented by vendors Rio is a relaxed city. Dress casually and comfortably, but for a set price, so make sure to know which price you're this doesn’t mean shabby or sloppy. We suggest dressing being charged before renting them. in layers so that you are comfortable outdoors and in the convention center. Organized Tours Typically a hat is passed at the end of the tour to provide a tip. It is up to the individual if and how Look carefully before crossing the street (including bicy- much they wish to give to the crew. cle lanes). Cariocas don’t stop for red lights—or pedes- trians. Some Common Expressions Beleza? (beh-leh-zah) How’s it going? (informal)

Tudo bem? (too-doo behng) How’s it going? (standard)

Por favor (pour-fah-voor) Common Please.

Carioca (kaw-ree-aw-kaw) A person or thing from the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Saudade (sow-dah-gee) Fond remembrance; to miss somebody.

Favela (fah-veh-lah) Distinctively Rio shanty towns.

Gostoso or Gostosa (goh-shtoh-zoh or goh-shtoh-zah) Delicious—used to describe food, drinks, etc. You can also say that somebody is gostoso or gostosa, but only if you have enough intimacy to say so, otherwise you will sound rude or impolite.

Porquilo or A-quilo (poor kee-low or a-kee-low) A pay-by-the-kilo buffet.

Rodízio (ho ‘gee zee yoo) is an all-you-can-eat restaurant where you pay a set price and servers bring foods to your table throughout the meal.

Churrascaria rodízio (shoo ‘hah skah ‘rree yah ho ‘gee zee yoo) is a traditional Brazilian steak house where serv- ers slice cuts of meat from large skewers at the table. It’s traditional not to eat for the entire day, and then go to a rodízio and gorge. To indicate that you do not want a certain cut or that you want no more food, cover your plate with your hand.

Botequim or Boteco or Barzinho (boh-tche-kin or boh-teh-koo or bar-zim) Neighborhood bar with table service.

Saúde! (sah-oo-gee) To your health! Used when making a toast or if somebody sneezes.

Valeu (vah-lay-oo) A hip thank you. Or stick to the more common obrigado.

Obrigado or Obrigada (oh-bree-gah-doo or oh-bree-gahdah) Common thank you. (Obrigagdo is masculine, obrigada is feminine.)

Other Information about Rio We gathered this information from online resources and had some help from the WCNA 36 Workgroup. There are many internet sites with information about Rio, including www.rioguiaoficial.com.br.