Random Stories of Brazil

Two´s Company. Twenty´s a Crowd.

So I have been in my apartment for exactly a week now. Its a great set up and I got extremely lucky. Ari´s friend Christiano was able to get me some bed space in an apt with 19 other Brazilians. Minus the fact that its crowded I got a pretty sweet deal. For 200 reals a month, or $100 US dollars I get a completely furnished apt, all utilities included, daily housekeeping service which does my laundry and dishes, and free internet. I share a bedroom with 2 other girls who are sisters attending the local University. They are amazing, super sweet and so much fun! My favorite housemates are the two sisters, the house keeper Bianca who wants to take me dancing, a a 37 year old woman named Nayada, and a 46 year old gay man who Goes around the house calling me ´Oh Laurie linda!´

I am doing what I came here to do. Dance!

Everyone in the house is really excellent actually. Every single one of them looks out for me and they make sure that I am enjoying my stay. If I need alone time they wonder if I am sad and check in,  and since my eating schedule depends on dance classes, they are always offering me their food because they dont think    that I eat. They make sure to tell me when to be back at home too. At first I thought it was for safety reasons but I am starting to think that they dont want me to hang out with my other friends here. Its super cute though.

I really did luck out though. Its super cheap and I cant think of a better way to immerse my self in the culture. And my roommate Melina and I exchange an hour of english for an hour of portuguese 3 days a week. Awesome.

Lost in Translation

So since I have arrived I have been trying to learn portuguese. The first month I only learned a few words because I was with Ari and Sheena who could translate for me. Since the week of moving into the apt my portuguese has improved so much! It is pretty amazing actually at how much I know but also discouraging because I dont think Ill be able to master it before I leave. Its pretty hard to learn a new language and I have a new found respect for those who know more than just their native tongue. Especially to be fluent, that is truly a gift. Learning new words has just overall been exhausting for me. A three sentence paragraph takes 15 minutes to learn, understand, pronounce correctly, and have it sink in. The first few days I would talk for 3-5 minutes and need to take a break. Its been the toughest thing yet. Although...I have had some help from a few of my closest friends.

Meet Kelly Clarkson, Metalica, Bob Marley, Shakira, the cast and crew at Moulin Rouge, Don Henley and Big Brother Brazil. Thanks to the wonder of television, voiceovers, subtitles and remakes of popular and not so popular songs, Ive been able to hear and see familiar sounds, words and phrases and take notes to study later. And of course my Trip Across the Planet would not have been complete if I didn´t hear ´Hotel California´ in Portuguese as well. I heard that song in every country I visited in SE Asia and I almost peed my pants laughing when I heard it again here.

Learning Portuguese hasn't come without its mishaps. I asked for popcorn the other day in what I thought was correct grammar and apparently was taking about a mans genitalia. I turned bright red and my new Brazilian dancing friends have been talking about it all week.

Other mishaps...Oh...I think...I think...I signed up for a Brazilian gym. Not sure yet. But I know that I missed a couple of appointments with friends because I wasn't clear that I had scheduled them...and I guess while talking one day I told people I would make them hotdogs. (Why hotdogs?)  Well that was tonight...and they didn't have any hotdogs for dinner and they seemed to  be upset. I told them that there was no way I would have offered to cook because I have never taught myself how! I guess I´ll just make the only thing I know...yummy yummy oatmeal cookies!

So...I bought a Portuguese / English dictionary, I look up the words I dont know, and the others I try to remember in spanish. Sometimes I get them right and they are the same in Port. Or I try to think of the word in english, add an o or an a to the end of it, throw in a twist of a brazilian accent and hope I got it right! It has worked a few times but other times I just get looked at funny. Oh and holy crap to this! A random word from 9th grade spanish popped into my head the other day as I was looking for the word for ´things´. Cosas. I said it, got it right and wondered where the hell that came from. I hadn't used that word in 10 years! God Bless Senor Evancho!

Self-Acceptance

Fat. Skinny. Old. Young. Love Handles. Small Breasts. Big Bellies. Big Breasts. Huge Thighs. Stretch Marks. Hairy Backs. Back Fat. Cankles. You Name It. Its here too.

People of every shape and every size and no one hides behind their clothing because of insecurities with their looks.

Its a truly beautiful thing to see the way in which the Brazilians love themselves. There doesn't seem to be a comparison, a judgement, a certain way to look. Maybe its here and maybe I haven't seen it yet.  But they wear clothing that makes them comfortable. Women of all shapes and sizes wear bikinis, Men of all shapes and sizes wear speedos. And no one says ´hey look at that whale on the beach. She shouldn't be wearing that.´ They are beautiful whatever their shape and they just let it all hang out. Why should they hide it? Its the way God made them. And its beautiful to see people acknowledge their sexuality, their sensuality, their overall shape and size. And they´re happy. They don´t need to look like anyone else.

The Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini...

Ah yes. The Brazilian Bikini. There is no other option here. There are no European Bikinis, no full covered behinds on the beaches. You can not find one in a store. Believe me, Ive looked! They think that Americans actually wear too much clothing. The funny thing is...its every where. Little girls ages 3 and 4...there are their little tushies hanging out. Its just the way it is. Its a style. Its a culture and believe me, I´m the weird one when I wear my suit on the beach!

Foods for Thought

- Rice and Beans. RIce and Beans. Rice and Beans.

- Ive been lucky enough to taste a dessert that was made with layers of cooked bananas and rice and topped with melted cheese. It was more of a meal than a dessert to me but it was actually excellent.

- The CheeseEggBurger. I am actually suprised that the US hasn't cashed in on this awesome treat! Just take a cheese burger and throw a friend egg on it, catsup, mayo, mustard, lettuce and tomato and dig in. Its freaking un real and a great source of protein! It sounds gross but it is one of the best things that I have had in brazil so far!

- The Homemade Churros guy and the popcorn guy are right at the top of my street!

- I woke up one morning to find an entire fish, tail and all, sitting chopped up and bloody in the kitchen sink.

- No need to cover meat. Just leave it out all day on the stove or throw it in the fridge without a plate. No worries.

- Oh and PS...Don´t leave your cart unattended at the grocery store. Somebody took my meat, cheese and bread when I turned my back. I hope it saved them that 5 minutes.

- Rice and Beans. Rice and Beans. Rice and Beans.

The Daily Grind.

I think thats all for now. My weeks from here on out will just pretty much consist of learning Portuguese and taking Dance. I end up doing both about 4-5 times a week. If anything else exciting happens, Ill fill you all in. But I think I pretty much have a settled, scheduled routine until May. Its weird, Im starting to feel stagnant. I miss traveling around and am feeling the itch to move after being in the same place for a month.  (Oh shut-up Laureen.) This will be a great experience just the same. How can it not be?  I am doing what I came here to do. Dance!