PROVIDENCE - Successful, spectacular and inspiring.
      It wasn't all a show for Carlos Cesar - the President of the Regional Government of the Azores - during his first official visit to Rhode Island as he won the hearts and minds of those who he interacted with in his three-day stay.
      Even on Memorial Day, Cesar drew a crowd, with 100 people present for his visit to the dual language (Portuguese-English, Spanish-English) K-5th grade International Charter School in Pawtucket.
      "It was spectacular; it really motivated the students," said Dr. Julie Nora, the ICS Principal. "It is really a boost for the program to have him visit and validate what we are doing. It's very exciting, and the students were able to perform and showcase what they have learned."
      At ICS, kindergarten students performed three songs, a fifth grader played a guitar and sang "Eu Gosto de Você" and the third grade students made a poem out of each letter of Cesar's name.
      Jumping a few grades, Cesar's visit to Rhode Island College was also equally exciting for its students.
      "It was the first time that I saw him in person; the experience was amazing," said Sergio Nunes, a senior and one of the seven RIC students who will travel for a month long program studying Portuguese as foreign language, literature and culture in the islands of S. Miguel, Faial and Terceira.
      "It was great; we are going to the Azores Islands, where this guy is the president and we got to meet him before going... it's just great. I would love to have the opportunity to meet him in the Azores," added Nunes.
      Pilar Coelho, this year's President of the Day of Portugal in Rhode Island Committee and also a member of the advisory board at RIC's Institute for Portuguese and Lusophone World Studies, said that the president's visit to the campus and to the state was "really inspiring."
      "The Azores by his representation seems to be interested in creating better relations between young people here and in the Azores," said Coelho. "He was very excited about what the students are going to be doing there and wanted to make sure that more students are invited in the near future."      
      Towards the end of Memorial Day, a reception on his behalf was held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Warwick organized by Casa dos Açores da Nova Inglaterra.
      "Even with the cold and the long weekend, we were able to have here 200 people... it was a success," said CANI president João Pacheco. "It was very important to have him here."
      The following day, Cesar visited Providence Mayor David Cicilline, and invited him to the Azores. The Mayor said that he looks forward to the trip.
      "It was truly an honor to meet President Carlos Cesar and his wife, Luisa," said Cicilini. "Rhode Islanders who trace their roots to the Azores and Portugal continue to make important and lasting contributions to arts and culture, business and the civic life to our community."
      State Representative Helio Melo, who was part of the Rhode Island delegation that met Cesar at the State House, said the visit was a great opportunity for him to express his concerns and ideas on improving the Azorean economy and matching it with the Rhode Island economy.
      "He signed a sister state protocol with the governor, which reinforces the relation that the Azores have with the State of Rhode Island and vice-versa," said Melo. "We also discussed the oceanographic program in the Azores and our program at the University of Rhode Island and the possibility of the programs working in coordination with each other."
      During the visit of Portuguese President Cavaco Silva to our region in 2007, State Senator Daniel Da Ponte approached Cesar and teased him by telling him that he only goes to Massachusetts.
      Cesar chuckled.
      Da Ponte followed up when Cesar won his reelection bid for his third term as President of the Azorean Regional Government. In Da Ponte's congratulatory letter, he invited him to visit the state.
      "The group was impressed by what they saw and each visit he made was distinct in its own way," said Da Ponte. "We talked about someday celebrating the Day of the Azores here in Rhode Island, but nothing is confirmed."