August 4, 2009

I have been having so much fun here!  I was supposed to start school yesterday, but since I just got here on Sunday, my host mom Marisa isn't having me go until later this week or next week because she wants me to just get settled in first.  

After the last blog that I wrote when we went walking on the beach at night, there was a small group of people doing capoeira.  Capoeira is an African danc

e that was developed many years ago from the slaves that came over.  It's pretty common to see in the Northeast still.  I took a few pictures and I'll put one on here!  After that we went out to a Chinese restaurant and by far Brazilian Chinese food is wayyy better than American Chinese food!

Yesterday, Pedro and I went to Bessa Beach, a 5 minute drive from the apartment for a few hours.  It was sooo pretty there!  We first sat at a 

restaurant on the beach for a while and talked.  The waiter kept staring at me and talking with his fri

ends because he had never seen an American before!  

Later on we went swimming.  After I had Pedro promise me about 3 times that there were no sharks at the beach, we went out swimming a little farther o

ff the beach, which was really scary for me, but so much fun!  After that, we came home and I took a nap, because I'm still a little jet lagged :/.  

Later on last night we went to Marisa's friend's birthday party at his house.  A lot of family and friends were there, and for most of the time we were sitting around talking... in Portuguese.  It's really frustrating for me, because there is so much that I want to say, but I can't say it because I don't know how to.  Understanding is hard too ri

ght now, but everyone tells me that I'll be able to understand and speak in a month or so, so that gives me some hope!

This morning two of Pedro's friends, Rodrigo and Diogo came over.  Rodrigo was in New Mexico for a year through Rotary a few years ago, and Diogo is going to New York through Rotary with Pedro in a few weeks.  We watched the movie 17 Again and they were looking at my high school year books for a lot of the time too.  The movies here in Brazil are mostly in English, but with Portuguese subtitles.  That's really helpful for me so I'm able to hear it in English but read it in Portuguese.

The lunches here are SOO good!!  Lunch is the biggest meal here in Brazil, and it is always eaten with beans and rice, and some kind of meat.  

After lunch today, I spent about 3 hours in my room studying my Portuguese books I brought.  I'm really determined to be able to speak it soon!!

Tonight I think we're going out to the same Chinese restaurant for a going away dinner for Pedro and his friends at Krav Maga (a type of martial arts they do here).

Tchau beijos!