Sunday, November 28, 2010

One week to go!





So after thanksgiving, i usually feel like Christmas is around the corner and at home i am so ready to bake a lot of cookies, breads, and sweets to make my family members fat and then wrap any present i can get my hands on, because i like wrapping presents a lot of some reason. It works out though, my dad hates it. But this year instead of eating turkey and stuffing left overs, i am going to the beach and going out to clubs and dancing to Brazilian music. It has been such a different feeling around this "fall/winter" because i have been experiencing a "spring/summer" here.

On Friday i went to the mall with Rebbecca and Haley to get some stuff and it was a Santa's village theme. It was cute, but i thought there were some things that where just a little off and weird. First there were 2 Santa's, but they were fake and in their robotic voices they were giving a tutorial about how to make chocolate cake. Then they had fake reindeer's that had saddlebags of chocolate, but it looked like poop. They also had lamps/ chandeliers that had fake cakes on the top of them. Then i saw the real Santa" and although he had a real beard, he was on a cell phone, while the kids were in line to see him, last time i checked, Santa didn't have a cell phone, and he had a wife name Mrs. Claus. I am not sure if Brazilians do Christmas right here. Later Mollie came over and we ate popcorn and watched inception. Which is a really good, but confusing movie.

On Saturday i did some work in the morning and then Mollie and i went to the beach, it was kind of a cloudy day, so we didn't get to see a sunset.I took a run in campo grande, for the first time at night, and it wasn't that bad, although i am still scared of the dark. Later about 12 of us went out to a club called Garotas Cariocas, which means in English, sexy people from Rio de Janiero. We took the bus there, which was fun because with 12 Americans and a girl playing lady GAGa, we sang and everyone looked at us, but it was all good. It was a really fun place! It was 15 rieas to get in and we stayed till 4am. The Band that we saw, was our 4th time seeing them, named Os reis da Festa, kings of the party. They know who we are by now, but its awesome because i really love there songs and when they left i stole their play list. Muhahaha. I got a ride home with Marisol's brother, and he didn't stop anywhere like he usually does, so it was great. It would have been an expensive taxi ride too, so i got home at 5am and i only spent R$20, it was a success.

Today i had plans to go to Itaparica or a different beach, but it didn't work because we got home so late, we all woke up late. So Haley Mollie and i went to Mercado Modelo, but it was closing so we just went up to buy ice cream and then went to the beach in Barra. It was sunny and nice today, we got there kind of late so it didn't last long, but i got some cool pictures of the sun today. Anyways now i have a Portuguese presentation, Culture class paper, Portuguese Final, and a Culture class final in the next 4 days. Sucks i have to study a lot in my last week here in Salvador.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Americazilan Thanksgiving





Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Its thanksgiving here in Brazil as well but just 5 hours earlier! Its okay when i was done with dinner and dessert, my family in the states was just getting ready. The first thanksgiving without my family, but with all my new and wonderful friends in my program. So we decided that we really wanted to have the holiday for us still, because it is a American holiday (even though it has many flaws pertaining to the indigenous tribes of north American) we Americans wanted to celebrate it as we do at home. So even thought we lacked many ingredients that we have access to in the states, we did what we could and made it work.

I made stuffing from scratch, my first time, and it was amazing. The worker at the store thought i was a little weird because i wanted to buy stale bread to use as breadcrumbs, and tried to get me to buy the soft kind, but it was all good and i got it. Then sauteed carrots and onions and with some chicken broth, oregano, and seasonings, it was perfect! I also tried to make yams (or a yam-like dish), Yams don't really exist here, so i used carrots and boiled them and put brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter on them. They were yummy too. Matt's dad got us a turkey and made the party so fancy and legit. He got out his good silver, and even insisted that we transfer some of the food into prettier bowls than the pots that we made them in. We even found sparkling cider. Overall it was a wonderful collection of food, everyone brought something and everyone was full and happy. For dessert, Haley even made homemade cookies. Even though when we were cooking in her kitchen, her maid was a little confused on what you do with it, and thought it was some sort of pancake and flipped it over and was going to put it back in the oven.

We even listened to Christmas music on my ipod, it was almost like i was home, besides the fact that it was hot and i was wearing a summer-like dress with flip flops on. Although this holiday gives us a reason to think about the things that we should be thankful for everyday, I am really so grateful for this opportunity, every time i go abroad i feel better about myself because i feel like i learn so much every time and that i should be truly grateful for the things i have in my life, and i am. Happy thanksgiving.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

90th day in Brazil



Just a few moments ago Mollie reminded me that today is our 90th day in Brazil. I cant believe that i just spent the last 3 full months here, it has been amazing. I always under estimate the experience of living abroad. I think this is the last program i will do during college unless i do a summer abroad, but i want to travel soon after. I always get the travel bug after being away from home, even if it is always nice to come home after being away.

I know my sister is excited for me to come home because she wants her presents and wants me to make her food, because she is sort of incapable of making her on food, and that is why she eats chevy's a lot or making Joe's Crab shack has changed her and she now eats seafood, who knows. No, wait it is Stephannie, she isn't eating seafood. Although i do miss a lot of the food from the United States and am not that excited about that as i am to have to availability to work out and get back in shape. I have been wearing shorts and dresses for the last 3 months and now i need to go back to my jeans.

Yesterday we tried to have a little flashback reunion and go to Pelourinho and dance like we did the first week we were here. The first time was fun we all danced and got to know each other, and this time i wanted everyone to be like that again and just have fun. But because we have been here for 3 months, groups have formed and people that are closer to each other hang out with each other. And there is more of a division among the group. It sucks but it always happens, but i think it was a good effort, a lot of people went to Pelourinho, but not everyone went into the bar like we all did in the beginning. It is kinda suiting because i wanted it to feel like the beginning all over again, because i don't want it to be over. But the reality is, is that it is ending, and it will be over and it couldn't have been like the beginning because its the end.

The tourist season is coming in the Brazil and many Brazilians think that we have just arrived, but we have been here for what seems like forever, and we have grow comfortable and familiar with the city. There is a huge difference from visiting a place than living in it. You actually feel like you live here, and not totally out of place.

Tomorrow is thanksgiving, and it is going to be the first thanksgiving that i haven't been with my family, it will feel awkward but i don't think it will be that bad. I will miss some of the food that we cant get here in Brazil. But we are going to have a thanksgiving at our friend Matt's house and we will be all together so that it will be fun and we'll give thanks for having this wonderful experience all together, happiness and health. :)

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Free stuff in Brazil... a miracle.






So i woke up today at 8:30, so the plans that i had to go running in the morning failed, so i decided to wear my running clothes to school so that i would have some kind of motivation to exercise. It worked but i always feel lazy during the middle of the day, and i only did a mile and a half, but my legs are sore, so that's a good sign i believe. I had i good lunch i think, my mom wasn't home so i didn't eat rice and beans but just the chicken and a bunch of veggies. YAY!

Yesterday i stayed up late because i was studying, but i had a fun night a bunch of us went to pelourinho to see a new museum open and there was drumming and bahianas dancing. I got some good pictures. Also there was free food and drinks, which is almost a miracle because i have come to the realization that nothing is free in Brazil. But we didn't even pay to get it, crazy to me. Most of us got ice cream before, i tried not to, but Bryant insisted that we share, and the brownie flavor was just to tempting. Good thing i wasn't holding it, because i could have eaten it all. We got Acai afterwords around 8pm, which is something that i am going to miss here in Brazil, its amazing how good it is, and i hope it is as good for you as they say it is because i think something that tastes that good cant be that good for you, it just isn't logical. It fills you up though, i didn't even eat dinner. The only bad thing about that place (where we got the acai) is that it smells awful, the location is horrible, it is near trash or something, im not totally sure.

I had a composition in Portuguese yesterday, i think it went okay, i did better than i thought i was going to do, meaning that i finished within the time limit and didn't stare at the paper for the first 30 minutes thinking about what to write. The book i am writing on is less than interesting though. Or i guess i could say that it just isn't a story that i would want to read. It is about a young poor girl living in the favelas of rio who only eats hot dogs and she is dirty, skinny, and unloved. And in the end she goes to a fortune teller (because she realizes that her life sucks) and then after the teller tells her that she is going to have good luck in the future, she gets hit by a yellow mercedes benz and dies! Awful story right!?

Tonight we are going out to Pelourinho again to go to the salsa club one last time all together, i hope everyone goes. It will be so fun to hang out with everyone one last time before we all go back to our real lives and next week we have to study because it is finals in both classes. I also have a paper due in Portuguese, where i dont know my topic yet, also a presentation due in Portuguese about that awful book.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Reggae and Birthdays



So yesterday i didn't go to the beach as planned because we were suppose to leave early to this reggae concert, around 3 or so, because the doors open at 5. Anyways before that i studied a little and went on a run and discovered that it was Black awareness day here in Brazil, it was nice to everyone in the streets dancing. So although there was a party going on in the day in Campo Grande, where i run, the real party was where i went. The reggae concert, which is the biggest reggae concert in all of Latin America, impressive huh? After i was on the bus for an hour and a half, we left at 5 because Brazilian time is always later than they say, and got there around 630 and it still hadn't started yet. So we chilled outside and ate some street food and took some pictures, it was fun about 20 of us went to the concert it was fun to have a lot of the group there. So we entered around 730 and they started at 8, 3 hours after the scheduled time said on the ticket!

So anyways, inside, there were so many people, i don't think i have ever seen that many people in one place at one time, it was crazy! and everyone was so happy and excited to be there. We made our way up to the front of the stage so that we could see the performers and surprising it was easy to get there! But as the night went on it was hard to walk in and out because more people would try and push there way though and it was very hot, and sweaty. I took a shower as soon as i got home. But my back started to hurt so i sat down for a while and went back in and then i couldn't handle it anymore, i needed to go home because i felt like i couldn't stand or walk anymore. Even though i left around 240am the main band hadn't even come on yet and there were 4 more to go by the time i left. Brazilians know how to party HARD!

So this morning i woke up and i had no idea what time it was, my window was closed so i couldn't tell from the brightness of the sun, but it was 12:20pm! So even though my day was cut short i decided that 1 week without going to the beach in Brazil was unacceptable, so i went with Haley and we eventually met up with Chuy and Alfonso. It was a chill day and my mom made really good steak for me. So now i have to figure out how i am going to write a composition in Portuguese class tomorrow on a book that is in Portuguese that i don't quite fully understand. wish me luck!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Harry Potter !




written on 19 November.

So I really should be studying this weekend because I have a final in culture coming up soon, and am Portuguese final, composition, and project due in the next 2 weeks, but I can’t bring myself to stay in my room when it is sunny and nice outside. This week of school went very fast to me, because we had another holiday on Monday and then a walk out on Tuesday to protest fee increase, which they passed for the upcoming school year, so when I get back to Davis, and I going to find a way to get out of there as fast as I can to avoid any more increases to come. So Thursday came fast, which means the weekend has started. After school about 5 of my friends and I went to Mercado modelo to go shopping, and I can say that I am totally done! Yay. Too bad I am going to have to pack accordingly to make everything fit, and not to mention I am going to have to where my winter clothes to the airport in Brazil, where I am sure I will get looks while wearing a fur coat and pants in the middle of the Brazilian summer. Oh well, I know that San Francisco will be cold when I arrive at 7am on December 6.

That night, about 12 of us went out to the club called “whats up”, it was fun and I am really learning how to dance like a Brazilian. Although if I dance like this in the United States I think I might get some weird looks. But oh well, Bahia Brazil is such a dance culture, that if someone starts to make a beat, someone close will start moving their body. I am learning to words to the songs to, so I can sing along and pretend to be Brazilian, until they realize that I have a Spanish/English accent in Portuguese and with that I am not really Brazilian. Well the night ended odd. We got a taxi and he stopped to get gas (which was my first time in Brazil, getting gas at the gas station) and then the driver went the wrong way on a one way street and go pulled over by a cop and got a ticket. It was certainly an experience; the cop was even trying to hit on us…awkward.

Friday morning I woke up and got ready to see my favorite series of movies. I think I was showing my inner nerd (although it is outer as well) to my friends by recapping the harry potter movies. I don’t remember when I read the last book, the 7th, but I know that I read it twice, and it was very good. And this movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, parte 1, was one of the best ones out of the series. I rode on a bus sweating and afraid to touch the seats because of germs for one hour there and one hour back to see this movie, for R$8, 5 US dollars. It was interesting seeing Portuguese subtitles and I think my friends and I were the only ones in the theater who didn’t need to read them. Either way it was very exciting, and I am sure I will go and see it again in the States.

Afterwards we had a little festa (party) at Haley’s house. It was so cute; her mom put out snacks and set the table for us. We had about 7 people over and ate pizza, acai, ice cream, and chocolate cake. Her mom made and bought us all food, they are such a god host family, and it was so cute. There were small spoons, plates, and knifes too. Then we just hung out and talked about school, and our lives back in the States and waiting to see how the transition from our Brazilian life here, and back to our real life at home.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

DOWN with the fee increase!


So today is a day of resistance throughout the Universities in California to be against the fee increases. The tuition is going to increased by 32% in all universities. This is not only going to prevent many kids from enrolling into college but it is going to prevent those who already in college from deciding to go abroad and experience the world, as many of us are here. This takes away so many opportunities that can benefit and help them in their lives and those around them. There has been so many of them to compensate for the government spending. Although many people did not like President Bush, he never spent this much money, Obama has spent more money in his first year in office and Bush Jr. did in his entire term, all 8 years. It is ridiculous how much money is charged to students who are trying to get an education. 40 years ago, so many of the schools were free, or little money was need to be paid by the student, now many students have to work to just stay in school, and get loans that they will probably be paying well into their 30's. That is if they are not "special" in some way to receive financial aid threw grants and scholarships.

Maybe the meeting that we are going to have today, ABROAD, will show the UC's that their students are speaking out and trying to show their dis concern, even if we are 4500+ miles away from the school, it still effects us here. We are all wearing blue to show our solidarity together with the same ideas. We are paying more, but getting less. The trips that were promised to us had been canceled, and we have to pay for transportation to and from school activities, it is not right. We are paying to much money to have the experience taken away from us, lie it has been. One day education will be the most important thing, but as for now, our world is not like this. Charge Charge Charge is the only way the think will make everything better.

Monday, November 15, 2010

I couldnt live in salvador during january..





It is Monday night, and i didn't have school today, it was another one of Brazil's many holidays. I went to the beach today with Haley and Mollie, we tried to go to porto da barra, but it was crazy crowded, the most i have ever seen it, i cant even imagine it in the summer, believe it or not we are only in spring. I am sweating all the time, it is gross. Because i will take a shower, and then sweat as soon as i get out. Same with the beach, go into the water and then when i get out im sweating and the sand is sticking to me everywhere!

i also went to the mall again yesterday with Ashley and we soon discovered that this mall was decked out in Christmas decorations as well! so even though Christmas in Brazil is not cold with hot chocolate and scarves, the decorations do not depict this, Santa is still wearing a huge red coat and all of the trees and ornaments still have fake snow sprayed onto the them. Although they had a lot of Christmas decorations in many stores, it was almost impossible to find a Santa hat, but i found one after searching for about 2 hours. And now i just have to take my Christmas picture at the beach with my red bathing suit on and my Santa hat. I love Brazil and everything, but i am glad that i am going home for Christmas, i don't think i could believe it was really Christmas until i see all of my grandmas super old Christmas house and figurines and my dads Christmas goofy and bears that only see daylight for about 2 months a year, my mom many many Christmas pictures of my little brother by the tree and all of the dogs in our family with their Christmas gear on, oh and not to forget about the Christmas lights! even if they are left up till June, it still feels like the holidays. And right now it doesn't feel that way, unless i want to spend A LOT of time in the mall.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Tour guide... nao tourista!





So this weekend i was suppose to go somewhere, but i decided to stay put and use that money to buy people souvenirs instead. So i met Mollies family who came all the way to Brazil to see Mollie, and we spent time being their tour guides. Thursday night was when i actually met them but then mollies sent them to Fran's cafe to eat dinner before we went out for the night. All we ended up doing was going down to the beach and hanging out.

But on Friday, i registered for my classes for winter quarter at Davis and i got all of them! so i then got ready and met her mom dad sister and their family friend to go to pelorinho with Ashley Haley and i. I got to feel like a tour guide for a while because we had already had so many tours over in the historic center of Salvador for school, we knew where everything was and how to get there! I think they liked it, because they were asking us questions and going into the store to shop. We got them to experience some of the good Brazilian snacks like agua de coco, picole, acai, and wonderful soverte, but they weren't ready for acaraje... So after it started to get dark Mollie showed her parents a museum and then the rest of us girls went to mercado modelo to buy more souvenirs. I am almost done! Although my arms had indents from the heavy bags i had be carrying the whole day, but biceps are even sore, and that's when you know you did some damage. Then we went home at dinner and then went out to Club bohemia with almost everyone who was left in the program that wasn't traveling this weekend. It was fun, they got to experience the Brazilian culture a little more, the straight forward guys, the sexual dance moves, the vast amounts to beer consumed, and no matter how uncomfortable the heels are, every girl is wearing them. But i think they liked the band, the bands in Portuguese always sound better that they do if live in English, but i got them a free cd too!

So yesterday i got up around 9am and got ready to go to the Island of Itaparica, it is the closet island to Salvador and only takes about 40 minutes to get there on the ferryboat and for only 4 reias each way, its a good deal. Mollies family wasn't to excited about the ferryboat ride, it was kinda wobbly for them because i don't think they are used to it, that was my 12th boat ride this trip so far, so it felt fine and normal. But when we got to the island, it was beautiful! I couldn't believe that more people were not there. It had huge beaches that were not crowded and the water was shallow and very warm... like a bath. Crazy because i was expecting rocks and cold water, but it was a nice surprise! After being at the beach for about 2 hours or so, we got hungry so we decided to go eat and found a pretty cheap pizza place and was delicious and had really good cheap juice as well. The only thing that i always forget about, that is one of brazil's faults is there lack of sense of urgency. They take their time for everything, and when you are really hungry or thirsty, it is very annoying. But we got it eventually. But i think we spent more time at the restaurant than at the beach. So we went home just before dark.

When i got home i went for a run and then i changed and met Haley and Ashley at the corner store to buy snacks. We bought everything that you needed for a sleepover, popcorn, cake, ice cream, cookies, chips. etc. It was amazing, we didn't have dinner but we made the best desserts ever! and watched movies, we were going to do our nails but we got lazy and sleepy. So we took some pictures and then passed out. Woke up the next morning watched the world championships for volleyball in japan with Brazil vs. Russia for way to long in Portuguese commentary, and then eventually wondered why we were watching in the first place. But we had a good breakfast, cereal, fruit, juice, and chocolate milk, yum.

So now i am just deciding if i should do my homework or go to the beach?

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Eu nao existo...




Today was kind of fun. Besides the test that i had in Portuguese, it was good. I went to a bigger mall today, that was called iguatemi, and although it took about an 45 minutes to get there, it was interesting about what i found. As soon as i got off of the bus there was a huge Santa statue outside the mall and inside there was also a huge Christmas tree there. But perhaps the best thing about that mall was the ice cream, it was amazing, and it made me really happy! I also found a funny shirt that says "I don't exist" in Portuguese with a picture of Santa on it, kind of a sad shirt for me. But i was thinking like why would they even make that kind of a shirt?! Anyways my trip to the mall is always quite interesting and i always bring my camera, so that i can never miss something weird or funny in foreign countries.

I tried to go out tonight, but it was kind of a fail. We went to this hostel party, but it wasn't really a party so some people bought some drinks and then we all went down to the beach and just talked and walked for a while. Except there was a weird guy sitting with us and making weird sounds, i am pretty sure he was drunk too. So we left early, and walked home, it was pretty safe.. but no one person is going to try and jump 8 people, at least not a sane person.

well i register for classes tomorrow, i hope i get everything i want!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

oh elk grove, i miss you?

AS of now i am sitting in my house and no one is home, and i hear the freeway right behind me through my window, i can always tell when it is late or really early because there is usually no sounds and no cars. But although i am kind of getting sick of Salvador i am not going anywhere during the long weekend because i want to save moeny so that i can buy people presents back home. I also want to go to the beach, i love it there, even though i don't get into the water that much i just like being in that kind of atmosphere. It nice, even if there is a lot of people around.

I think i am going to try and go to a different beach this weekend so i can experience further parts of Salvador, which i think will be good for me. I don't mean to complain, but Salvador smells bad a lot of times and it is quite un-appetizing. It smells like pee, dog poop, and fried food on the streets and sometimes in certain areas. I have never experienced a country that has such beauty but smells so bad... whatever i guess it is a trade off of some sort. Elk Grove for sure smells better.

I am getting ready to go back home, i am missing a lot of things like milkshakes, Thai and Vietnamese food. Most of all i miss my bed, because i think that someones bed is the most important thing, my sister would agree that there is nothing like it! So as i sit here trying not to think about the essay that i have to do in Portuguese and about how i have to read 60 pages and do 3 outlines about the Black Power Movement, i really miss some stuff from home.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Where Alcohol is cheaper than water...





I just got back from the Cachoiera trip that nobody thought would be worth it, but it was. We were only gone for a day and a half, but it still felt like longer because we got out of Salvador, which was good. We went with the entire group so it was good to get to hang out with everyone all together. We started out by getting up at 6am to be able to get taxis and be at the ferry boat station by 730am. And although we were on time, with maybe 5 minutes to spare our tour guide shows up at 7:29am saying that we are early. But it is Brazil and that means that anything on time is still early and if you are at least a half an hour after the time your suppose to be there, your still early and on time.

So we got on the boat, and it reminded me much of the boat trip that i went on with my mom but funner because i was with all of my friends and there was no language barrier. And they had fruit and water juice and soda for us and we all brought snacks. Although they ran out of water within 2 hours because being in the sun that much makes 40 kids really thirsty. We first sailed for about 2 hours towards an island that i don't remember the name of, but i am sure that nobody really lives th;ere and it is just a little stop off in the bay for boat tours. But nevertheless it was really cool because there was this huge pier about 40 or 50ft high that all of us jumped off of. There were these stairs that we very old and were high for the tide, but i wanted to pull myself up so i tried and it didn't work too well and i totally scraped up my knee and it was bleeding everywhere. It stung when i jumped back into the salt water too, but i think it will heel fast because i am putting stuff on it. So after that some of the people that couldn't swim got off during the low tide and then when it was time to go it was high tide and they had to be rescued to get back in the boat because they were scared. Quite comical if you were watching because it wasn't actually that deep, but whatever, i bet that they are not scared of bridges.

So then we went along sailed for another 3 hours on the river to get to the city and we went on the top of the boat where we were sunbathing and taking a bunch of cool pictures, mostly of our butts, but when in Brazil or butts in Brazil? I got some good color though, where as some people got burnt. When we arrived we got off and went to the hotel and took a quite city tour, which was small because the city is small and they took us to a cachaca making plant where they make flavored alcohol. Then we walked back to eat dinner, which we devoured because it was a long day and all of us were so hungry, it was a buffet, but only until we ate everything gone.

I went swimming a little bit after i ate and then I took a shower and changed into clothes and went downstairs to hang out. we brought our own music and alcohol to have a little party where the pool was. It was fun besides that fact that after i was nice and clean Axel picked me up and i got thrown into the pool, lucky Rachel was there to take my camera before he took me down with him in the water, and she filmed it, convenient huh? There were so many people getting pushed into the pool, but i was the only one that was fully clothed, oh well. It was fun though and then i got cold so Haley and i went to sleep.

This morning we woke up and ate breakfast and it was almost as good as the breakfast that we had in Itacare, which was amazing. But they did have nescau, so i was very happy. So we took a small tour again and then got all of our stuff and went to lunch. Lunch was at a Fazenda, which is a Portuguese/Brazilian style ranch and they had a lot of food and even passion fruit yogurt type of dessert and they had a pool as well. The view was the most amazing part, and Erika and i took a lot of pictures, because i think it is in our blood. Her Chinese dad, and my Japanese mom handed down the obsession to take pictures to there offspring. So then we left and were on our way back to Salvador, on one of the most bumpy rides in the world, but i cant expect much more, because i think Brazilian roads are extremely uneven and their vehicle makers haven't yet invented suspension.

So Salvador here i am and now i have to write a paper about racism. :(

Friday, November 5, 2010

American souvenir?





Tomorrow i am off to another adventure in Bahia, we are going to this place called Cachoiera, which means waterfall in Portuguese, but yet this town has no waterfall... so oh well, i guess we will see how this goes. But we are all going to be together so that will be good and it will be a wonderful time to take some more pictures, which everyone in the groups knows all to well that i love to do way to much.

The election happened this Tuesday in the USA and a lot of people here in Brazil in the program were mad with the outcome of the GOP winning the House back and the majority of governors. But i was happy, because i am a republican, and although 94% of my friends and colleges here are not, and are liberal, i wont change my mind or what i think, we just wont talk about politics, it would only end badly. Even if i don't look like a "republican", what ever that might mean. We are all so young anyways to fully comprehend and understand everything because we do not live on our own yet and we still don''t have our lives put together yet, only college students.

Today was a weird week at school because we didn't have class on Tuesday and almost nobody even went on Monday so we only watched a movie, but we had class all Wednesday and Thursday so i feel like our weekend was cut a little short because we are going on this trip and i have only had one beach day. But a lot of us went out to this bar called, "Whats Up?", yea i know what your thinking, and yes it is really called that. Although the name was very lame and makes you laugh, it was a fun place and it was open bar and only 15 rieas for girls, but it was kinda far, so that was the down side. A lot of my friends got pretty wasted, which for me it quite entertaining to watch, no matter how much they don't remember.

So today i went to the fair today in Salvador where they had booths for different kinds of food from Italy, Spain, Germany, Bahia (Brazil), Arabia, the Orient, and the United States. It was kind of funny because i was so excited to get a milkshake, but at "The United States of America" booth they didn't have them yet, only on Saturday. I hate that about Brazil, the menus are never what they actually have on the menu, so i stopped looking and i just asked what they had instead. So i got a brownie, which was quite good, so i got a little bit happier after my dreams were crushed from the lack of ability of milkshakes. I think they were a little confused on what American food was as well because they have enchiladas and quesadillas on the menu... which last time i checked is Mexico, and it also made me laugh a little bit that the food from the "USA" booth were packaged in McDonald's bags. I finally decided to eat some Spanish food, which was very good, i think it had a lot to do with the fact that the people working in that booth were from Spain, which confused me at first because i thought there Portuguese was so clear and then i realized they were speaking Spanish, good job Jessica. The next little issue that was laughable was that they had "The Orient" like Oriental food right? No its only Japanese food here, i think if you are Asian or anything Asia, it is considered Japanese, so the Japanese flag, yakisoba, tamaki, and sushi was representing the Orient over there.

Oh and now i have reached my goal of having equal amounts of bottoms and tops of bathing suits here. 15 baby :)

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Iiye Aiye celebration!




Yesterday we had school, it wasn't really worth it because there was only 5 people in my class when we usually have 13, but i went anyway. But last night i think i really got a feel for the Bahian culture because i went to Ilye Aiye's 37-year anniversary celebration in the Liberdade district of Salvador. This was celebrating Black culture in Black with a huge party, there was samba, acaraje, feijoada, cervejas, and awesome drumming groups and performers. I am not sure how long the party lasted but i left at 2am and i am pretty sure that it went on all night long. When we finally reached the favela district of Liberdade there was a huge street party that had been going on sense before sunset and it didn't look like it was stopping anytime soon, our taxis could barley fit threw all of the people dancing and talking to each other. I felt so crowded but happy and excited at the same time to be in that environment that i would have never found on my own in Brazil. One of the girls in the program, her dad is the director of the program and its anniversary so she got us availability to the tickets, and it was so worth the 20 reias.

There were so many beautiful people there, i was wondering were they all were sense i came to Salvador. And not only did i see Afro-Brazilians but all colors and ages too. Everyone was invited and it was amazing to see all the races and colors dancing and singing along together for the same purpose: to just be happy and celebrate. The music was unbelievable, i have never heard as good music live as i have here in Brazil, they are amazing and they had wonderful dancers and costumes too!