O computador não funciona!!

So, yesterday was a very long day. I was so anxious to write about my day, but annoyingly the hostel computer was (up to about a few hours ago) out of comission. No one exactly knows why (some people say that a fuse in the computer plug blew out, etc.), but the bottom line is that the computer wouldn't even turn on (hence why I'm writing about yesterday today :( ). Thankfully, though, Anthonette let me use her computer to start, but I felt bad using it for an extended period of time.
Anyways, yesterday I taught the kids about body parts, months of the year, the alphabet in English and how to say their birthdays. It went a lot smoother than I expected but of course I know when to stop teaching them new things and say we're done for the day because they get visibly antsy. The lesson itself was ok, though. I've found it's better not to plan everything down a T with them, because otherwise I'd be really annoyed that the lesson didn't go exactly as I planned it. As it is, though, leaving things a little open allows things to go more smoothly (if that makes sense). After class while the kids were eating their snack, I played "amarelina" (hop-scotch) with the girls (Paula, Kassie, Taciane and Vanessa) :). It's actually a lot harder than I remember it being, lol, and I was a bit tired after hopping a around for a while ;). It's so nice to see them excited about things, though, so I didn't mind playing with them. I also asked Paulo what time I should come in tomorrow (because Chantelle is going to the Iguazu Falls with some people from the other hostel and leaves today at noon; it's about a 22 hr. busride to get there), because I usually go in the afternoon on Fridays to teach. He agreed that the morning would be better. That way, I can say bye to the kids, take pictures with them, etc. :(.
After Paulo locked the center, Jacson and I walked up the hills (yes, again :( ) to go to Cantina do Gaucho. Partway up the second hill, though, I asked him if we could take a kambi or bus instead, and he said ok. Unfortunately for me, though, they don't stop on the hills so we ended up having to walk up them anyway until we reached the flat stretch of road to catch a bus (which by then we might as well just have walked the final flat stretch, but I was exhausted anyway so I just paid for us to both take the bus). The food at the Cantina was great and the best I've had in Rio in quite a long time, though, so I'm actually glad we went up there to eat (we ordered filet de frango grelhado with rice, beans and fries--for some reason, I've noticed that Brasilians like to serve fries as an option alongside their rice and beans; I also got a Guarana Zero, of course! ;). I also took a picture of Prazeres from the window of the Cantina (because there's an awesome hilltop view of the favelas and of Rio down below). I feel it would be weird and inappropriate to take pictures outside in the actual favela, so that's pretty much the only pictures I'll have of the favelas themselves (I am going to take pictures with and of the kids before I say bye to them).
I told Jacson I wanted to meet Saulo (and possibly take a picture with him, since he's a local celebrity to me for obvious reasons! ;), so after lunch we took the "bonde" (which is pretty much a cable car like that runs through up to Prazeres, I think), because he insisted I had to take it at least once before I left. It was cute, but as I was going to step off of it (and despite the fact that I was holding on to the handrail), I lost my footing and slipped (the step is also really high so I couldn't catch myself). Luckily, the guy who was collecting the money and another man who was getting on caught me by the arm otherwise the fall would've been even worse. As it was, though, I got hurt pretty badly. My left arm hurt like crazy and was bleeding a bit (I saw stars for a while afterwards cuz the pain was so sharp), but I tried to play it off to Jacson when he asked if I was alright so as not to worry him (today my arm is bruised pretty badly and still tender; it's not in a place on my arm that I can see it clearly, but the people in the hostel have told me it looks pretty bad, lol; it doesn't hurt much anymore though).
So we got off the bungey and walked into Fogateiro (a favela adjacent to Prazeres and Falete) to Saulo's house. Unfortunately when we got there, though, his little brother said he had gone with Charles to Sao Paulo and when Jacson called Charles on his cell phone to see if they'd be back before I left, he told him they wouldn't be back til Monday :(. So, alas I guess I wasn't met to meet Saulo after all :(.
In the afternoon, I quickly taught the kids the ABCs in English and then ended the lesson (they were more rowdy than usual so I wasn't going to compete with that). I ended up getting back to Catete around 4 and going back to the Museu da Repubilca to see the rest of the exhibit (since it's free on Wednesdays) and the preserved room where President Vargas committed suicide.
Last night we (basically everyone from both hostels) went to Rio Scenarium in Lapa, which I actually went to the last time I was in Rio! :) It was so cool to go back. The decor is awesome (think: "TGIFriday's" and "Applebee's" with all the random stuff on the walls, but without the clutter, lots more space and with way more vintage and classic-looking stuff) and it's incredibly spacious. It's just a very well put together venue with a very chill vibe. Two live bands played samba and bossanova, and there were people dancing downstairs in front of the stage they performed on. From the upstairs balcony, you have a bird's eye view of the dancefloor and watching everyone's dancesteps was amazing. I was trying to pinpoint/figure out how the women's feet moved when they danced samba (i.e., was there a particular dance pattern they followed), but I couldn't figure it out at all. So, I just basically stood there and watched in awe. Maybe when I get back home I look into some samba lessons? Anyone interested? ;)
Today was a pretty slow and uneventful day. I woke up pretty late (10:30; I guess climbing those hills, the fall, and going out til late last night took a lot out of me), and then set straight to work pretty much (well, I took a shower and then started at around 12) on getting the notebooks for the kids done for tomorrow. I basically sat outside on the patio and listened to my ipod til I finished at around 5:30 (yup, it took that long; I made 13 in all, with the kids' names in caligraphy on the front and a written copy of everything I've taught them in class up til now). I was exhausted, but I'm pretty pleased with how they came out. I also made a thank you card for Paulo and Jacson.
For dinner we went to Estacao Republic at the bottom of the hill and had the pizza buffet (they bring different kinds of pizza to your table for you to choose from). It was awesome. My favorite entree pizza was the tomato and basil and my favorite dessert one was chocolate with strawberries (!!). There was a dessert pizza that kept going past us that I wanted to have also (I had it for the first time on my last trip to Rio in Ipanema; it's ridiculously delicious: it basically tastes like those strawberry shortcake ice cream bars, just without the ice cream), but every time the waitresses would come back around, it would be with an empty tray. So sadly, we didn't get to have any :(. I might just drag Ambar back to the pizza buffet place in Ipanema where I first had it so we can have some ;). It's so worth it.
Well, tomorrow (well, today now I guess, lol) is my last day of work and in Baron Garden :(. I'm going to miss both: my job because I feel like the kids are just warming up to/getting used to me and the hostel because I like it here and I've met some really cool people. I'll let you know how it goes, though. Ambar and I also will be going to our new hostel in Ipanema (The Mango Tree), and I think we'll have internet access there so I'll try to write as much about our days there as possible before we head home on Tuesday. Beijos!

Comunidade em Ação e Mulheres de Chico

Today was an adventure and a half! I went to Ambar and Penny's (Penny is from the UK and is staying in the other hostel further up the hill from us; she's mad chill) project/favela with them today (since I have Tuesdays off). We took 2 buses and it took about an hour and and 20 minutes to get there. The favela itself is unreal and unlike any one that I've visited so far on this trip. There are twelve favelas all pretty much adjacent to each other that encompass Complexo do Alemão, and this "complex" is known as one of the roughest and most dangerous favelas in Rio. Last June there was civil unrest and a "war" broke out between the favela gangs and the police. Documented (as in newspaper articles, etc.) the government claims there were only 19 casualties but the favelados (people who live in the favelas) say that at least 70 were killed. This is typical of the government: to downplay how many casualties there actually were in order to keep the public (who don't live in the favelas) in the dark. As a result of this "massacre" (as the Cariocas call it), there is now military presence (soldiers replete with military uniforms, rifles and protected by waist-high sandbags) at the entrance of each favela in order to "maintain the peace."

So the three of us got to the center, Comunidade em Ação, at 10. When we arrived, Reza was sitting with 2 other guys writing down the project's creed basically into Portuguese. One of the men, he said, was a member of the community who had lived in the favela for 28 years and was attempting to go on and get his masters. It was proof that (contrary to popular belief) not just down-trodden, uneducated and uninspired people live in the favelas. He appeared to be someone who really wanted to help his community and see it prosper and grow. It was nice to meet someone who goes against all of those negative stereotypes that so many people believe are based in truth.

The center is so different than mine. Much more high-tech and put together. They even have a computer room (with about 5 computers in it) and a secretary! I mean, it doesn't look like a typical office space or anything like that, but it's a lot more organized and has a lot more resources than the community center in Falete. They owe a lot of that to Reza, though, who basically heads the center. He's Iranian and from D.C. He's really chill and really dedicated to this cause and getting it well established and well-received in the community. It's really admirable what he's doing (especially considering he doesn't get paid, isn't Brasilian and is basically funding the center and a lot of its resources with his own funds). His Portuguese is pretty much impeccable too (he's been here for a year and a half). I'm a bit jealous, lol ;). I also met Leandro, who also works at the center (he has 2 jobs, I think outside of that too, so he left at about midday). He was really nice and welcoming, and his English was great! I would've liked to have gotten the chance to chat with him a bit more, though.

They actually ended up making lunch for us (they have a kitchen; the secretary--whose name I can't remember :(--and another guy prepared the food; Ambar and Penny said that they actually hadn't prepared lunch for them before, but when we were eating we noticed there were a lot of people there eating too, so it's not like it was made specifically for us which is nice :), but Ambar, Penny and I were a bit hungry so went across the street to the bakery (which was emitting the most delicious smells) and bought some pastries. I was sooo happy with what I got! I got about 10 small (it's about 10 for 1 real) cookies called "biscoitos amanteigados," which basically translates as "butter cookies," but they were awesome and had this amazing jam in the center (*sigh of sheer ecstasy*). I also got 7 (that's how many it is for 1 real, so I figured I'd get that many and just share) small donuts coated in sugar and cinnamon (sounds simple but it was exquisite), called "rosquinha" (I may be spelling it wrong, but that's how the woman at the counter pronounced it). It was such a satisfying experience :).

When we got back to the center, I sat in on Ambar's class (she had 4 students, and was teaching them about how to tell time in English for an exam they have next week). Their English was much better than I'm sure any of them realized. Afterwards, we ate lunch and the rest of the afternoon I attempted to help Ambar shave a few pages off a "how-to" manual of how to utilize Microsoft Word, which Raza requested she do. We headed home at about 3:45.

When we got back, Ambar was speaking to Ashley (another American girl who is 25 and has been working with the center for a few years now) online and she invited us to a live show in Centro (which is a little past Lapa). We had a quick bite at Big Nectar with Russell, and then took the train to the Carioca stop (about a 5 minute ride). We were supposed to meet Ashley outside, but ironically just as we were stepping off, Ashley and Reza were too. We walked from there to the Teatro Nelson Rodrigues where we met Chris (whom Ambar and I met at orientation, and whom Ambar has seen a lot of since then because she seems to be tight with Raza and Ashley) and some of her friends in front of the theater. It was a free show, but the tickets went fast and just as we were getting to the window (there were about 2 people in front of us) the person behind it closed the shutters :(. Thankfully, though, we were able to sit on the steps in front of the stage (because there were no more seats). The show was absolutely fantastic. It was this band called "Mulheres de Chico," who do covers of songs by a famous Brasilian singer named Chico Burque. They were awesome and super energetic. It was a group of 20 women and each one played and instrument (there were lots of different types of drums, guitars, cymbals, 2 singers and some other instruments I can't name). Even though there were 2 singers, though, all of them sang along and seemed to have a genuinely good time on stage: dancing in place, bumping hips with the woman next to them and smiling up a storm :). It was so refreshing and their renditions were awesome. They also all wore different outfits, but the common thread, I noticed, was that they had to contain some red, pink and or white. I thought that was a cute touch ;). The show itself was about a little over an hour (at the end they did an encore--which the crowd demanded--and the audience was on their feet dancing samba in the aisles :). I wanted to buy a CD after the show, but they were only selling t-shirts. I wonder if they have any. I'm going to be on the hunt now, so if anyone knows anything about them, please let me know! ;)

Afterwards we went to a bar in Lapa with Reza, Ashley, Chris and her friends and had some drinks (I had a vodka tonic for the first time; it might be the last...). It was super chill and nice to get to know them. It was such a cool vibe :). Ambar and I took a cab home around 10:30 and here am I writing to you when I should be sleeping (because I have to teach tomorrow)! But I absolutely had to get all of my thoughts down about the day because it was so packed and I didn't want to forget a single thing. I think that's everything, though. Anything I've forgotten I'll just tell most of you in person ;). Well, boa noite!

Descanso

Didn't do much today, but it was a nice, easy-going day. I went to work and taught the kids (a lot of them were missing, but Paula, Vanessa, Adilson, Caio, Matheus and a boy I've never seen before, named Marcos were there) colors and different types of clothing. I think they did well, and I tried my best to make it as interactive as possible (in spite of the fact that I've already taught them before, it's still a bit nerveracking getting up and front of them and leading things). For example, I started off the lesson by asking them to name the colors of the rainbow (in Portuguese) for me. Then I wrote down all the colors they named in English and said them aloud. To test they were paying attention, I pulled out Ambar's handy-dandy UNO cards that I've been toting around and asked them to say not only the color of the card, but the number that appeared on it as well (since I taught them 1 through 20 last week). They did really well I was proud of them. Digging around in my bag, I also found 3 Starbursts I had left and I said whoever could name the color of the ones I should to the class got to have it. That went over well, as you can imagine, lol. I only wish I had more than three for them to have.
Clothing started off ok, but they got a bit restless. We got through naming and saying the clothing I wrote down (just basics like pants, shirt, socks, skirt, etc.), but when I told them to pair up and write down the clothing and the colors of the clothing their partners were wearing to present to the class, they didn't really take to that. It started off ok (with everyone writing diligently on their sheets of paper), but then they seemed to get distracted and started to get up and walk around. So in order not to delay the inevitable, I said that we were finished for the day and would continue on Wednesday. I can pretty much tell by now when they can't retain any more information. After class, Paulo told me most of the kids wouldn't be there in the afternoon (since they're on break from school, aparently their schools do activities which must them usually go to), so instead of having me teach 2 kids, he said I could just go home. It was a nice surprise.
So the rest of the afternoon was pretty much mine for the taking. I came home, and immediately hopped on the computer and called my sister on Skype. We talked for like an hour and 15 min., which was nice cuz I never would've been able to do that if everyone else was home. I was considering heading to the beach because it was so nice out, but the thought of getting into my bathing suit, putting suntan lotion on and walking there just seemed overwhelming (plus, the sun starts to cool and head out at around 3ish here since it's their winter). So after that I decided to go exchange some money and try Bob's (think Brasil's version of McDonald's). I ordered what was their equivalent of the Big Mac (which I haven't even had since I was a little girl). It was quite disappointing. Not the meat patties themselves, but their "special sauce" which was cold and basically plopped on top of the burger in big clumps (I ended up wiping most of it off with a napkin and didn't even finish the whole burger). The fries were nice, hot and salty, though, so that's a plus ;).
After that I went back to Lojas Americanas to potentially price some souvenirs. They had a whole array of Havaianas there (included my black ones in the exact size I need, which have been virtually impossible to find; I'm guessing because a 7/8 is a common/popular women's size). I was tempted to buy the ones I wanted, but they were 20 reais ($12 U.S.), which is still cheaper than what you can get them for in the states, but more expensive than a few places I've seen that have had them here. I decided to wait, though, and if I absolutely cannot find them somewhere else before we check out of the hostel on Friday and head to Ipanema, then I'll bite the bullet and buy them.
On the way home I also priced some notebooks for the kids (and I got another churro, but this time with dulce de leche because he didn't have chocolate; it was really good but I think I prefer the chocolate). I was thinking that I do want to give them something, and since I don't want it to be as superficial (or potentially meaningless) as presents (and also because a.) I don't know what they like and b.) that can get pricey), I figured I would by them each a plain, mini notebook and write their first names in caligraphy on the front. I also figured I could include the things I've been teaching them (for example, the numbers from 1 to 20 in English, the colors and clothing we learned today, etc.) since it won't be too much I've taught them before I leave. They can use the rest of the notebook for whatever they like, but I figured it would be nice for them to have something that's just theirs (since I'm sure not many of them get many things they can say that about). I'm excited. It's my own little project/surprise for them before Friday ;). I'm going to buy the notebooks sometime tomorrow and get started.
Anyways, that was the extent of my day. I came home and read for a bit. I bought a Brasilian women's fashion magazine, so it was cool to just sit down with it and see what I could understand ;). Tomorrow I'm going to work with Ambar, so that'll be another adventure. I'm sure she'll put me to work and make me help her with her classes, etc. Should be chill. I'll let you know how it goes! Ate logo!

Maracanã!

So today started off slow, but got really good towards the end ;). Ambar and I left the hostel around 11 to go to a few museums and get some grub (namely, her feijoada completa that she's been wanting to try; I love Brasil, but I can't bring myself to try that ;(. We walked towards Lapa to the Museu de Arte Moderna in Parque do Flamengo (which is gorgeous, by the way--but then again, what isn't in Brasil? ;). I was a bit underwhelmed by the museum itself (modern art not being my thing, even at home), but I guess I'm glad we went cuz we at least got to see the park (did I mention it's gorgeous? ;).
Afterwards, we headed towards Lapa on the hunt for some feijoada for Ambar. We saw a few places that actually had it, but were a bit pricey (one for 23 reais, another for 46). So, we ended up just heading back to Bar do Altado, since the owner had told us yesterday they'd definitely have it today. She ordered it and said she really enjoyed it (I give her a lot of credit, cuz there are some things I just won't eat and that's one of them). I, on the other hand, ordered "carne assada" which I assumed was just grilled beef without any sauce (I'm weird, because I enjoy very dry food except, like, sauce from roasted chicken and steak with onions), but it definitely wasn't. Instead, I was served stewed beef (which I really hate, just ask my mom ;). I was really annoyed, especially because the Brasilians have a name for meat served that way and it's called "esopada" (you can order chicken or beef esopada), which I definitely did not order. This is the second time that's happened to me. Next time (as annoying as it might be), I'll specifically ask how the meat is prepared in order to get my point across. I was even contemplating eating it because I felt bad, but then I saw a huge roach on the wall behind the stove and I lost my appetite altogether (roaches and I definitely are not friends, but we can coexist I suppose if we absolutely must as long as I never ever see them). It sucked.
After lunch we headed to Museu da República/Palácio do Catete, which is literally around the corner from our street. It was AMAZING and they had some excellent exhibits (aside from touring the elaborately adorned rooms once occupied by Brasil's royal families, they had an exhibition on the 3rd floor dedicated to revolutions around the world--including the Black Panther Movement, the liberation movement in Cuba under Fidel Castro and che Guevara, etc.--and a specific section dedicated to the liberation movement in Brasil against the military dictatorship). They even have preserved the room that president Getúlio Vargas committed suicide in (we didn't get to see it, though, because we had to meet the group and Felipe to go to the futebol game). There's so much I didn't get to see that I'd really like to, so I think I might just go back later in the week and pay the 5 reais to get in (it's only free on Wednesdays and Sundays).
We met up for the match at 4 and headed to the stadium. There's so much to say and remember, that I hope I remember it all! So, ok we took the train to Estacio RioCidadeNova and then switched to another line to get to Maracanã. The view of the stadium getting off the train was unreal. It was so awesome and the vibe was completely electric. As some background info, the state of Rio de Janeiro has 5 teams or "clubs," as they call them. Today, the match was between 2 of those teams: Botafogo and Flamengo (which happen to be 2 different districts in Rio). As a group, we were rooting for Botafogo becuase that's one of Felipe's "rules" (Rule 1: Felipe is always right, Rule 2: If you ever think Felipe is wrong, remember rule #1, and Rule 3: You must cheer for Botafogo!; his exact words ;). Otherwise, we wouldn't have been allowed to go to the game with him and since none of us are from Rio and are die-hard fans of any team in particular, Botafogo it was ;). As a side note, I'll be referring to "soccer" as "futebol," since that's how the rest of the world refers to it (aside from the U.S., of course, since we have to be "special" with everything :(. So as soon as we set foot out of the train station (and even as people were getting out of the train cars), the cheering started. These are some fans for life. No wonder people refer ot futebol in Brasil as a way of life. We got to the stadium at about 5, and the match didn't start til 6:10, so we chilled outside for a bit and took pictures :). I took lots and lots. I even got to take one with Botafogo's mascot! :)
There were people on the street leading to the stadium selling all sorts of Botafogo memorabilia, like jersies, flags, hats, etc. And the fans were unreal, chanting, singing, and waving some of the hugest flags (oh, each team has its own flag too) I've ever seen up close. At one point, though, one of the police officers (they were all on horseback) took away one of the fan's giant flags for some reason and everyone started booing. Thank God it didn't turn into something more serious. At about half past (5), we headed inside to our seats. I've never been to a professional futebol match before so it was super exciting for me. I absolutely love futebol (even from my days of playing on a team as a little kid :), and it pains me that the U.S. is so against the game. Anyways, the game started shortly after and that's when the singing, chanting and jumping up and down really picked up and never stopped (it even went through half-time and after the match ended). These were some of the most loyal fans I had ever seen. Even football (American football) games in the U.S. don't have fans who sing or cheer the entire game. They showed quite a bit of love, to say the least. It was funny because although there were unanimous and loud "oh"s when Botafogo missed attempted goals, they would still cheer immediately afterward and also when the Botafogo goalie intercepted shots from the opposing team. I expected a little more in terms of the playing style of the players (there weren't any particular "amazing" shots or extremely fancy footwork, surprisingly), but they were still good. Although, I was quite annoyed that neither team seemed to be playing as a unit and some (or should I say most) of the shots taken were outrageous and seemed to not be aimed at anywhere even close to the goal.
I had forgotten, though, how comical futebol players are in terms of exaggerating stumbles and falls. I swear, they must all take drama and acrobatic classes! At one point, one of the Botafogo players rolled three times and laid for about 30 seconds sprawled out on the field. I suppose it's to invoke "sympathy" and outrage (in terms of the Botafogo fans cursing the other team's players for "tripping" him) from his fans. It was hilarious :). Sadly, though, the game was a draw (0-0) so both sets of fans, I guess you could say, went home disappointed. I'm so glad I went though :).
In terms of the food, I really expected much much more. There were vendors walking around selling soft drinks and chips (and at one point ice cream, which I eagerly bought), but not much else. You could go to stands inside the stadium itself and buy hot dogs (although, I'm not really sure why they call them "hot"; Anthonette got one and said it was the "first cold hot dog" she had ever eaten--so I'm guessing it's served cold on purpose for some odd reason) and sodas but that's about it. It sucks that I was so hungry, cuz the only things I ate I were some chips, an ice cream bar and a few sips of Ambar's Guarana.
All in all, the game was awesome. I'm so glad I got to experience Maracanã and a futebol match! :) If you ever come to Rio (which you all definitely should!), I highly recommend it. It's like nothing I've ever experienced.
Well, tomorrow's back to teaching and to the kids at Falete. I'm off to rest up now. Ate logo!

Lapa, Cidade do Samba e Catedral Metropolitana de São Sebastião

So last night we (Anthonette, Russell, Ambar and I) ended up going to Lapa to party. Well, lol, we actually didn't start off by going to Lapa. We actually took a cab from the hostel to what used to be Bunker 94 (this club I actually went to when I was in Rio the first time that was a lot of fun; they played hip hop--English and Portuguese--and samba) in Copacabana, because we were going to meet up with other people from our hostel that were supposed to be going there too. What a surprise when we got there and the cabbie motioned over a bouncer in front of the place next door and he told us it had closed down (as you can see, the people we were supposed to meet there didn't do much research before we went and I took it for granted that it was still up and running)! So we ended up paying him, getting out of the cab and catching a bus back up (because Copacabana and Lapa are in two different directions) to Lapa. We got there at about 1ish and the streets were packed: there were literally people in every crevice of the streets in spite of the drizzle and the semi-cold weather (about 65ish) dancing to pulsating samba, hip hop and Brasilian funk (I'll get to that in a minute ;) beats. It was so cool. I haven't seen anything like that since last time I was in DR).

We made our way through the massive crowds and towards this club that looked decent called Carlito's. Before going in, Anthonette bought a beef kebab (which looked awesome) from a row of vendors and I ended up giving in and getting a chicken one too. I was beyond delicious ;). Ambar got a cheese one but said it was too salty. Afterwards we headed inside. It was only 5 reais to get in and it was funny because as we made our way upstairs, they started playing "Fergalicious," lol. They played English music (some Flo Rida and some Diddy) for a while but that eventually gave way to Brasilian funk. How do I go about explaining Brasilian funk...in my opinion, Brasilian funk is Brasil's answer to reggaeton as it exists and permeates the rest of Latin America. There's a lot of booty shaking and getting down low to the floor. Although, I do feel like Brasilian funk requires more rhythm and the beats to me are a lot hotter. I'd actually like to buy a mixed CD of some before I leave Rio.

The place wasn't too packed when we got there, but it started getting tight around 2. There was a group of guys next to us dancing and kind of getting all up on each other. Some of their moves were ill, but some of them were kind of wack (no lookers at all in that group, though). We actually thought they were gay at first (who knows, they still could've been) but then some of us asked us to dance. I obliged for like a song but then I pulled out cuz it was getting kind of raunchy up in there. There were a few non-Cariocas who were visibly having trouble catching the rhythm of the Brasilian funk the DJ was playing, and some of the chicks that were dancing with guys from that group literally reminded me of that scene in "Dirty Dancing" where Baby first meets Johnny (if you haven't seen it, watch it! It's awesome ;), and he pulls her out to dance and she's all awkward and rigid. It was kind of funny ;) lol. We ended up taking a cab and getting home at around 4. I went straight to bed.

Because we got home so late, we ended up getting a late start to the day. I woke up at around 11 and hopped in the shower but we didn't end up leaving the actual hostel til about 2. Russell, Ambar and I ended up taking a cab to Centro to go to Cidade do Samba, which is basically a commerative Carnaval museum that displays some floats, costumes, etc. from past Carnavals. It was amazing and we took some excellent pictures. The detail and brilliant colors that the floats have are definite indications that they involved some long and painstaking work. Some of them were gigantic and looked ridiculously real! I think my favorite one was this one of a native woman with a headpiece holding a small baby. It was done in white and from far away it literally looked like it was made of white marble or stone: the eyes were hallowed out and there were spaces of shadow that looked like they had been down with a chisel. It was absolutely gorgeous. We actually took some pictures standing on top (there were stairs up the middle) of one of the floats. It was so amazing. It made me want to come to Rio even more for Carnaval ;).

Afterwards we stopped at Catedral Metropolitana de São Sebastião and took some pictures. From the outside, the church is definitely an eyesore and not much to look at: it's cone-shaped and made of . Inside, though, it's much nicer. There are huge stained glass windows that stretch from top to bottom and if you stare straight up at the ceiling, there is a skylight in the shape of a cross and surrounded by multi-colored stained glass. It was actually quite nice. I didn't take too many pictures there, though, because it was dark inside and they weren't coming out that clear.

After that we walked home (the church is actually right on the outskirts of of Lapa, which was super convenient for us) and since Russell and Ambar were on the hunt for feijoada completa (it's Brasil's national dish; I won't even bother trying to explain, so here click on this: feijoada), we stopped to look at the menus of a few places to see if they had it (Saturday is supposed to be the "national day" for Brasilians to eat feijoada; since it takes quite a few hours to make and it's so filling, most people make/eat it at home with their families and just chill at home). We ended up stopping at a hole-in-the-wall place in Lapa called "Bar do Adalto," and even though they didn't have feijoada (the guy said they'll have it tomorrow), we ended up eating there anyway. The food was decent (not the best I've had in Rio, but definitely better than Paz e Amor) and cheap (6 reais each).

On the way home I finally got a "churro recheado com chocolate" from a street vendor (a churro filled with chocolate; you can get one filled with chocolate or dulce de leche and they fill it right there for you on the spot). I say finally because I've been eyeing them since we first got to Catete ;). It was ridiculously good. I think I'll add it to my list of Rio addictions right along with Acai smoothies, Guarana Zero and Pao de queijo ;).

Tonight should be a pretty lax night. No going out or anything cuz: a.) it's cold (66 degrees) and b.) we're going to a soccer match tomorrow. So it's time to rest up and get pumped for tomorrow!

Ate logo!

Teatro e Descanso

Today I went to Falete with Chantelle to sit in on her acting class and to let Paulo and Jacson (as well as the kids) know that I couldn't teach this afternoon because I practically have no voice (although, it is getting better and you can actually hear me when I speak now as opposed to yesterday ;). I just wanted to go in in person so that they didn't think I was just skipping out on them and delivering the message through someone else (Chantelle). I just feel that consistency is something the kids really need and don't always get because of where they live. So any way that I can maintain things and make them as stable as possible, I'll do.
I sat in on Chantelle's theater class with the kids, though. They played a lot of different kinds of games, and although Chantelle tried her best she wasn't always able to keep their attention and interest. Kassie in particular today was in a bad mood. A lot of the time she came and sat next to me on the bench and tucked her arm under mine. I asked what was wrong, but she didn't really answer. From what I observed, though, she doesn't like to lose and likes to be right. So the fact that a lot of the games don't allow her to do both of those things visibly upset her. She did participate (begrudgingly) though towards the end. All in all, though, I think Chantelle did a good job and kept her cool in spite of not speaking the language and depending on Jacson to explain/interpret everything for her to the kids (there were times though where Jacson didn't understand some of her explanations and I had to step in and explain--in what little voice I have left--what she meant to the kids in Portuguese, which I didn't mind doing at all). She said she wants to put on a mini play or skit with them for the performance they intend to do on August 4th.
We got home around 12 and I've basically been lounging around since then: I sat out on the patio with the dogs (there are 4: I know Hendrix and Lola but I don't know the names of the other 2; Hendrix is HUGE--he's a black great dane. Literally when I'm standing up he comes up to just above my hips on all fours, so if he could stand on two legs he'd be taller than me; I was kind of afraid of him at first because he's so big, but now I just let him smell me briefly when I go out there and we're chill ;) reading for a while but then it got a bit windy and cold (yes, cold cuz it is their winter here; the sky is completely clouded over now and it looks like it's going to rain very soon) so I came inside to the living room and ended up dozing off for a bit, which is just as well because we're all supposed to go out and party in Lapa tonight. Hopefully (*praying really hard*) there will be no run-ins with Pedro or Christian. I'm actually looking forward to going out because it'll be the first time Ambar and I go out since we've gotten to Rio. Hopefully it won't get postponed or canceled because of the weather. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. Beijos!
P.S.- I was told my blog was getting a bit boring (Augusto) because of lack of pictures, so I've put some up for your visual enjoyment ;). Although they're not my own pictures (I borrowed Genevieve and Augusto's underwater camera for my trip but they couldn't find the cable so that I could upload my pictures here before I left), they're still really similar to what I would put up anyway. I'll try to keep at it as much as possible. Enjoy! :)

Escadaria Selaron & Carmen Miranda!

Today was a sightseeing day for Ambar and I. We headed out at around 11:30 (we slept in til about 10; I'm still not feeling well and have pretty much lost my voice at this point :(; so I needed all the extra rest I could get) and headed for the Escadaria Selaron in Lapa, which was about a 20 min. walk from our hostel. We got a bit lost along the way, but not so much so to the point where I felt we looked like obvious foreigners. The steps actually ended up being situated on a very bizarre street. It almost looked like a back alleyway that you never would've guessed they would've been on, but they were there. They were absolutely gorgeous. As some brief background info., Selaron is a Chilean artist who created the steps (which are decorated with tiles of every color and design imaginable) as a tribute to the people of Rio and to Brasil as a whole. It is literally a living work of art because on the information plaque in front of the steps, he mentions that he's constantly changing the tiles out for new ones (there's tiles there of every color and design and from so many different countries--they're are some written in other languages like French and even Arabic!; he also said he collected/bought some of the tiles from vendors all around Rio). It was truly amazing. I've never seen anything like them. And, of course, I took tons of pictures! ;)
It was really bizarre too because Ambar and I ended up meeting this old Chilean man named Pedro at the base of the steps (he looked at least in his late 60s; I noticed him talking Spanish to another person and asked when he was done--in Portuguese, of course ;)--if he spoke Spanish) who said he was a salsero (salsa singer). He asked where we were from/how we knew Spanish and we told him we were Dominican. He then said that he had travelled all around the Caribbean singing and loved our country (DR). He proceeded to sing us some salsa songs acapella (which it seemed like he had penned himself), which was cute and told us that he had been living in Lapa for the past 7 years. He told us about some place in Lapa that plays salsa on Friday nights and said we should go cuz he's always there and that it's really fun. He pulled out his camera and asked if he could take a picture with each of us (which I was going to ask him if I could take a picture with him anyway for memory's sake). We did (I took one of him and Ambar with his and her camera and vice versa), but then he asked her to take another picture of him and I and kissed me on the cheek in the picture which was cute...at first. As we kept talking to him, though, he kept giving me kisses on the cheek and saying how he loved darker women which made me feel a bit uncomfortable. He even asked Ambar and I if we'd like to smoke (a blunt) with him in his apartment! It was weird. So we kind of said bye and climbed the steps and were taking pictures. As we were coming back down he said he'd take pictures of she and I together on the steps, which was nice of him. But then he kept doing the kissing me on the cheek thing and saying he loved dark women! It was creepy and annoying (especially because he was old enough to be my grandfather). Then he called down his Chilean friend, Christian (they live in the building just next door to the steps), and told him to come meet us. We chatted with him for a bit (he didn't seem too creepy--he was a lot younger, but not well kept or anything; they told us to come back tomorrow and they'd take us out to eat and to the club--we're definitely not doing that by the way), and then jetted asap. Aside from that weird encounter, I loved the steps. It's a shame, though, that my experience there was a bit overshadowed by the chance encounter.
After the steps, Ambar and I walked to the Carmen Miranda Museum. It took us quite a while to get to (on the map it looked within walking distance, but in reality it was mad far; it was literally in the next town over--Botafogo--and took us about 40 min. to get there), but when we finally did it was fantastic. It's in such a non-descript building, though, which really shocked me. You would have no idea it's even there unless you were specifically looking for it (there's not even a sign on the actual museum on the outside that says "Carmen Miranda Museum" or anything). It's literally in the middle of a park. The museum opened in 1976, though, so it's been there for a while. It's just sad because it's really great and I feel like it gets all the attention it deserves (I don't think many tourists think to go there or even know it exists when they visit Rio). I was really impressed by it. There were so many beautiful pictures of her inside and there were even disaplys with the jewelry, costumes, shoes (which were RIDICULOUSLY high!!) and headpieces she wore. There was also a tv in the back with chairs where you could watch some of her musical performances from movies she was in. She was a really beautiful woman. She reminded me a lot of Josephine Baker in her heyday. Needless to say, I took plenty of pictures there too ;).
After that, we walked back to Catete and went to the art museum next to the ex-presedential palace (which is literally around the corner from our street) and then walked around the palatial garden. All in all we did quite a lot of walking today so I'm genuinely tired. We also took some really cool pictures of graffiti along the way to each of our destinations (Rio's supposed to be known for its intricate and beautiful graffiti). Maybe I can even have one blown up and hang it up in my room ;).
We ate dinner at (you guessed it) Big Nectar and Ambar got the "X-Tudo," which was basically a hamburger with an egg, ham, cheese, and bacon on top of it. It looked ridiculous and monstrous but she said it was good. I also tried something new and got a "pastel de frango," which is basically a huge pastelito (a turnover) with chicken in it (although I didn't like how they prepared the chicken; it tasted almost like tuna fish but with other spices and pieces of corn in it--not good; I'll definitely be trying another kind when I get one again) and got a mango juice to go with it. We also got a slice of cake called "pavi," which tasted like it was made with whipped cream and had softened cookies in it and chocolate shavings on top. It was surprisingly good.
Well, it's off to bed now. I'm hoping my voice comes back so I can possibly teach tomorrow, but if not I'll go to Falete with Chantelle in the morning anyway just to show that I made the effort and to prove that I truly won't be able to teach. Hopefully no one will be mad. Anyways, boa noite! Beijos!

Profesora!

Today was intense. It started off with me waking up late (I set my alarm for 7 because there's so many females here and all of them like to take their sweet time in the bathroom). I only woke up because Chantelle tapped me on the shoulder and I realized it was 7:30. I was so mad, because I could've sworn I had set my alarm before I went to bed. Chantelle says she thinks she heard it go off and that I turned it off, but I don't remember a thing (I think I was so knocked out because I've been feeling sick and fighting cold-like symptoms since Sunday; yesterday was really bad because I had a runny nose and was sneezing like crazy, but today when I woke up my body just felt leaden and my throat really hurt--all I wanted was to lay back down and go to sleep). All I know is I hate waking up late. It just sets the wrong kind of vibe for me for the day because I like to wake up early and leisurely take my time in the morning before I have to be somewhere. Obviously that was not the case today.
I got ready in a half hour and Chantelle and I headed out at 8:20ish. What was funny was that we caught the bus from the Flamengo beachfront at around 8:50 and as we were passing through Lapa (which is about a 10 min. drive from where we're staying in Calete), Chantelle spotted Charles walking (he actually lives in Lapa) and called out to him from the window. The bus driver actually stopped so that he could catch the bus, which was nice :).
When we got to the community center in Falete and were waiting for Paulo so he could open the gate, I took a deep breath and talked to Charles about my dilemma with taking the bus four times in one day and having the English classes so spread out. I asked if we could possibly push the second class up to an earlier time (the first class wouldn't technically start til about 9:30 anyway--because we have to wait for the kids to come and for Paulo to come down from Falete and open the gate--and last til 11; so I proposed we push the second class up to 12 instead of 2). He basically told me that that wouldn't really be realistic because of how life in the favelas (unstructured) is and that the kids wouldn't show up that early in the afternoon to the center. I felt really bad and didn't want him to think that I didn't want to help, so I just said nevermind and that I could do the 2 classes as scheduled. I wasn't too happy about it because it is taxing on me, but I do want to help as much as possible. While we were waiting Charles also introduced Chantelle and I to Jacson (yes, that's how he spells it; he's 17), who is one of Charles's old students and will be helping Chantelle and I linguistically when we work if there's something we don't understand that the kids say in Portuguese and vice versa.
When Paulo came, the kids pretty much were in tow. I saw many of the faces from yesterday--Kassie, Paul, Matheus, Nathan, and Livia--but a few new ones as well. There were 12 kids in all. Charles led them into the classroom (which is about half the size of an average room and can only fit 4 thin rectangular tables with three chairs each) and explained to them once more what Chantelle and I would be doing. Afterwards, he handed the class over to me (Chantelle and Jacson sat in) and I started my lesson. It was so nerve-racking and I was super nervous, but I just took a deep breath, said a quick prayer in my head and dove right in. I basically had to (which I knew ahead of time) conduct the class and explain everything in Portuguese and then translate whatever I was trying to teach them (by writing on the chalkboard) into English. In the TEFL course I took before coming to Brasil, they say to conduct the entire class in English when teaching English to those who don't speak the language, but that's almost impossible to do with kids especially when they are so young and have such short attention spans. So, I started off by teaching them how to count from 1 to 20 in English (I wrote each number and how to say it in Portuguese, and then wrote the English equivalent underneath). Ambar even lent me her UNO cards, which was a big help. I quizzed them on the numbers we had just said aloud by holding up a number and having them tell it to me in English (her idea, not mine; I give you props, Ambar ;). Afterwards, I taught them (because this goes along with the whole numbers bit) how to say how old they were in English. There was some disruption and lots of movement, but I feel for the most part I got the point across. They kept calling me "profesora," but I told them they can simply call me Amanda. Some of them continued to call me profesora, though ;). I was actually pretty proud of myself by the end of the lesson, because I have never taught before and I feel like I pulled it off with very few hitches ;). It was a good feeling.
I ended the class a little before 11 and the kids had their snack. When they were done, Paulo scooted the kids out and locked the gate and Charles suggested Chantelle, Jacson, he and I walk to Prazeres to eat at Cantina de Gaucho (where we ate lunch on Monday), which I assumed wasn't too far away. Boy, was I wrong. I have never before in my life climbed hills like those. I know they say the roads in San Francisco are steep (I've never been), but those roads ain't got nothing on the cobblestone virtually vertical hills that lead up to this favela. The walk was ridiculously steep and just when you thought you had gotten through the worst of it, you would round a corner and there'd be another steep hill waiting for you at the bend. It was quite ridiculous, and it made you wonder how people do that multiple times a day (like Jacson did today). Plus it was extremely hot today, so I felt a bit faint and like I was about to cough up an organ. We stopped to catch our breaths one time, but it got to the point where Chantelle said she couldn't go on and so she and Charles took a taxi the rest of the way up. Jacson and I walked the rest of the way. I definitely can't do those hills every time I have to work, so I don't exactly know what I'm going to do about lunch.
When we finally got to Cantina de Gaucho, I was exhausted and even felt a bit nauseous (it was about a 30 min. walk to the top). Although I had had somewhat of an appetite when we left the community center, by the time we arrived I had none at all. I just wanted lots and lots of cold water (a bottle of which I pretty much ordered right away). I managed to force myself to eat a bit of steak and rice and beans, but I couldn't stomach most of it so I stopped after a while. After lunch, Charles told Chantelle he wanted her to help Carolyn (another girl from the UK staying in our hostel) in Prazeres in the nursery on Wednesday afternoons, so they headed there. Since I had more time to kill before 2, Jacson took me up the hill a little further to this beautiful community center they have just in front of Prazeres. It's gorgeous and such a contrast to the houses that lie in the favela just behind it. It's literally a big house made of cherry-colored wood with a wrap-around porch. Inside there are 3 floors and Jacson explained to me that different classes (like ballet, capoeira, crafts, etc.) are held there for children in the community. He told me that he himself is taking Kung Fu classes there now. At the time we went, the kids were preparing to put on a performance (which I'm guessing they do annually; especially because they have off at this time every year for two weeks until August 4th) and many of them were dressed in costumes and tuning various instruments outside on the porch. The stone ledge on the outside of the house has a breathtaking view of all of Rio. Since it is one of the highest peaks, you can see the entire city from there.
Unfortunately we couldn't stay for the kids' performance because we had to head back down to the community center in Falete. Unfortunately for me, the walk back down was almost just as brutal as the walk up, if not a little scarier because you felt like you were going to trip on the cobblestones and just go flying down the hills. At one point Jacson skid a bit and I asked him it's even more dangerous when it rained. He said yes, that many people fall when it rains but that unfortunately people still fall even when it doesn't. We finally made it back, though, in one piece and waited for Paulo. The kids met us there, but 3 of them (Kassie, Paula, and Tacione) had already come to the first class I did that morning. Gabriela was the only know face. So, it was a bit hard because I couldn't just do a repetition of what I had done in the morning (which is what I had originally planned to do) but I tried to improvise as much as possible. I taught them the days of the week in English and how to say "Today is ___ ." It seemed to go well for a time, but they were a bit more talkative (with each other; specifically Kassie and Gabriela) and then just started asking me how to say random words in English. So there wasn't much structure. Paula (she's 11) was attentive the whole time, though, and asked a lot of questions. She seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying and repeating the words. I think she's definitely my favorite for now ;).
It was a shorter class because I didn't want to dip in to other lessons I had planned (I was really expecting there to be a different set of kids, which is what Charles had said there would be; since there wasn't, though, I don't really get why I need to teach 2 classes to pretty much the same group in one day). At about 3:30 I ended the class, the girls had their snack, I said goodbye (to them and thanked Jacson for all of his help) and took the bus back to Catete (by myself! :). On the busride home, it felt good to feel like I had accomplished something significant for the day.
For dinner, Ambar and went to our usual spot (Big Nectar) and brought Russell along. Ambar got a "bauru," which is basically a sandwich with ham, melted cheese, a piece of steak and an egg in it (she said it was awesome). Russell and I both got burgers, which I don't feel guilty or like a spoiled American about because Brasil is supposed to be known for it's excellent beef (and it was damn good! ;). It was nice to just chill there for a few hours with good conversation :). I love being in Rio and just taking in the night air here. It's awesome.
Friday will be my next day of work, but tomorrow is a day of rest and sightseeing. Ambar and I are going to the Escadaria Selaron in Lapa (which are the steps featured in the Snoop and Pharell video for "Beautiful"), the Carmen Miranda Museum, and possibly the Palace here in Catete which used to be residence to the president until the middle of last century (it also has a big, beautiful park you can walk around in). So it should be a fun time :). Lots of pictures! Boa noite!

Falete

This morning, Chantelle and I met Charles at the school on the bottom of our hill at 8:30. From there, we walked to the Flamengo beachfront (and stopped at this awesome sandwhich/juice bar called "Panque de Flamengo," which I will be frequenting often when I hit up Flamengo beach within the next few weeks ;), and took the 410 bus to the Falete favela. It was a lot like the other favelas we went to yesterday, but of course each favela is unique in its own way. Unlike Julio Otoni and Prazeres, the community center we went to was right at the entrance of the favela on the bottom of a hill. Outside of the center we met Bibi, who is one of Charles's old students (he's 21). He was toting a boombox and waited with us while we were waiting for Paulo (who has keys to the gate in front of the center) to open the gate. While we were waiting, we were joined by Jose (a friend of Bibi's who is 17) and then by a group of kids came and began talking to Charles and Bebe. We soon discovered that they would be some of the kids that would be taking part in my class and the drama class Chantelle will be doing. They were super talkative and friendly. If I can remember all of their names, there was: Kassie, Paula, Matheus, Nathan, Livia, and Vanessa. They all ranged in age from 6 to 14. Livia (she's 6) actually asked me: "Voce tem filhos?" ("Do you have kids?"), which was a question another little girl asked me yesterday in Julio Otoni. It was bizarre at first, but I guess they're just used to girls my age already having kids by now.
After Paulo came and opened the gate, we went inside and Charles talked to and explained to the kids who Chantelle and I were and what we would be doing with them. They seemed really receptive of us and genuinely excited, so that was really nice :). After that, we scooted some of the benches out of the center of the cement floor and they showed us a dance they had been putting together (led by Bibi, who is quite a good dancer) to Chris Brown's "With You" (which is really hilarious, actually, because the day Anouska left she told us that she got the impression that Brasilians really love Chris Brown, and that "With You" would always remind her of Rio because she always heard it being blasted in cars and stores; so I thought of her the whole time ;). They were actually pretty in sync and very into it. It was so cute :). Charles said they're actually planning to do a presentation of the dance they put together and what they learn in drama with Chantelle on August 4th. Unfortunately I won't be here for that :(.
After that, Charles talked to us about which days Chantelle and I would be working with the kids. He decided that Chantelle would do two hours of drama with them on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and that I would do English with them Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (Fridays will be divided into half a day of English and half a day of drama). I was ok with the plan but then thought about a glitch: Charles wants me to teach 2 hours of English to one group of kids in the morning (9 to 11) and then 2 hours to another group of kids in the afternoon (from 2 to 4). So, I would have 3 hours in between, and he said I could just take the bus back to Catete (which is the part of Rio where our hostel is; it's a 20 min. busride, and then about a 15 min. walk up the hill to our hostel) and then back to Falete in the afternoon. But unfortunately I'm not ballin like that (the bus is 2 reais each way, which doesn't seem like much, but adds up if you have to take it 4 times in one day). I feel bad being an inconvenience and I definitely want to help the kids all I can but I just feel like it'll be too much for one day. I'm going to talk to him tomorrow and ask if I can teach one hr. of English to one group of kids and then another hr. to the second (especially because it's ridiculously difficult to try and make kids that young sit still for 2 whole hours). We'll see how that goes.
Chantelle and I got home early (around 12ish), so I basically lounged around the hostel the rest of the day, which was nice and relaxing :). Ambar got home at 4 and around 7ish we went down the hill to "Big Nectar" (our new spot in Rio ;); we've decided we'll probably do dinner there every night we're here cuz it's cheap, yum and healthy--they have awesome fresh-squeezed fruit juices and great sanwhiches), where we shared an Acai smoothie (acai is a berry that grows in the Amazon and is big here in Brasil). It was delish ;).
It's off to bed now. I'll let you know how my first day of (official) teaching goes tomorrow. Tchau! :)

Julio Otoni

So today was our first day of work (!). It was such an experience that I don't even know where to start, so I guess I'll just start from the beginning...
So Priscilla (one of Felipe's "employees" I guess you could say), picked Chantelle and I up (on foot) at the hostel at about 9:10 this morning. She walked us down Rua Catete to the square (about a 15 min. walk from the hostel) where all three of us took a camioneta (which they call a "kombi"; I only call it a "camioneta" because that's what we call it in DR; for all of you who don't know, it's basically a VW bus that the driver squeezes as many passengers into as humanly possible even when there's no room for them--it's usually a cheaper alternative to a regular bus and most of the time goes places a regular bus wouldn't) to the Julio Otoni favela. It wasn't far at all (about a 20 min. ride) and when we got there, we walked to the Centro Comunitario which wasn't to far from the entrance of the favela. There we met Charles and met all the little kids that were in the center. They were so adorable. It sounds cheesy and I never thought this was a real, genuine emotion that people had, but I did want to take a number of them home with me. They literally look at you and you're done--they touch a part of your heart that no one's penetrated before. After dropping us off, Priscilla left and we stayed with Charles and the kids. We sat in a circle and they all introduced themselves in English ("My name is...") and Chantelle and I did the same. Then we helped them paint their t-shirts (they all got bright yellow t-shirts with "Julio Otoni" printed on them in black, and they got to make a design--on the "o" in "Otoni" only because there wasn't enough paint for more than that--like a sun, flower, or any other round object they could think of) and put them to dry.
I really thought this was a ridiculous thing that people just made up, but some of the kids actually randomly gave me hugs out of nowhere and even sat in my lap. They were so thirsty for my attention. It was both heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. They have so much potential and so much drive. The sad reality is, though, that most of them will get swept away by the violence and destitution that pulse in every crevice of their communities. You want so much to give them all you have and be all that they can. The sad reality, though, is that it's just not possible. I loved being able to talk to them in Portuguese, though, and having them talk to me (in spite of how basic and trivial our conversations may have seemed, I still think it had some kind of effect).
At around 11ish, Charles took Chantelle and I up a hill to eat at a locally run "restaurant" called Cantina de Gaucho (I only put it in quotes because although you sit down and have food served to you, it's not like a restaurant the average person goes out to eat in; it's run by local people in the community, and although it's not as "glamorous" or run-of-the-mill with the usual amenities, you can find some of the best food you've ever had in these kinds of places). The view from the window was breathtaking (it's perched atop a hill, so it's literally a hilltop view of Rio and the adjacent favela, Prazeres). There, Charles talked more to us about his life (he's 39 and used to be a dancer and even lived in Paris at one time) and why he decided to come back to Rio and work with the local communities here (he actually works with more than one favela and he said he decided to try and help because he used to teach a dance class in a favela and saw that there was such a need for more help in all areas within the favelas). He seems like a really nice and genuine person who truly cares about what he does and the people he comes in contact with on a day-to-day basis. He definitely doesn't get paid for the work he does, so it truly is out of the goodness of his heart that he does it. At one point (I know this has nothing to do with what I was just talking about, but I have to mention it ;), he answered his cell phone and said, "Oi, Saulo!" I couldn't believe it! There are actually other people in this world with my brother's name! And right here in Rio! If that wasn't a personal shout-out and an incentive to come back over and over again, I don't know what is ;).
There was one part of lunch, though, that made me cringe. I know she only asked out of genuine curiosity, but at one point Chantelle asked if the favelas truly are like what she saw in "City of God." I literally cringed internally. I was so embarassed and sad that she asked that. I know that that is most people's first (and only) impression of Rio and Brasil in general, but it definitely isn't what it's like at all. Charles handled it with grace, though, and said that Cidade de Deus (the favela/community that the movie is based on) is actually quite far and that it's different than most. Let me clarify for all the skeptics and those who just have no idea what to think of Rio, the favelas, Brasil, etc: the favelas are not like what's depicted in City of God. Yes there's violence, yes there are shootings between local gangs and the polics, and raids and drug dealers (all of which exist in many other places in this world), but in spite all of that the people and tight-knit communities you encounter in the favelas are some of the nicest and most genuine you'll ever meet. Even the drug dealers (surprisingly), should you ever encounter one, (not that they're wearing signs around their necks that read "Hey! I'm a drug dealer!"; sometimes you can tell because they're carrying guns in plain view on their waistbands, etc.), know well enough that you're trying to do right by their communities and help the people who live there and will greet you warmly as you walk by (not that I advise you to stop and have a long chat or anything).
After lunch, Chantelle and I walked up the hill with Brian (a guy staying in our hostel) to Prazeres (another favela), where he works. We didn't stay long because we were just waiting around for Charles, but it was a lot like Julio Otoni. He eventually came and we walked back to Julio Otoni, where there was a fresh batch of kids (ranging in age from 6 to 14) waiting for us. We helped some more with painting t-shirts and got to know some more of the kids. It was a similar experience to the first time: we sat in a circle and introduced ourselves one by one in English. The kids had so much energy: running around every which way, playing tag and screaming at the top of their lungs. It was cute for a while, but you can only imagine how tired Charles must get and how exhausted he must be by the end of the day. Yet, he continues to do all of this with a smile on his face and an upbeat disposition.
I also met Ilhana (an older women whom I'm guessing helps Charles out and comes out of the kitchen every now and then; she and another girl named Carina helped prepare the kids' snack--which is probably the only thing most of them will eat for the day), who was so sweet. She asked me in Portugues, "Voce e brasileira?" ("Are you Brazilian?") and I was of course flattered but said no that I was from NY. Carina even also said how good my Portuguese was, which I doubted (especially because when talking to the kids they speak super fast and sometimes if you miss a beat, you completely cannot understand even the gist of what they're saying) but really encourages me to continue to practice and speak Portuguese to whatever new people I meet :).
Chantelle and I talked a lot particularly to Felipe (who's 14) and his two sisters, Gabriela (12) and Debora (6). Felipe spoke a bit of English and Gabriela and Debora were very sweet and talkative. It's just amazing how much most of the kids seemed to open up to us.
We left Julio Otoni at around 5, and took a kambi back to Rua Catete (the cross street that leads to our hostel on Rua de Guaratiba). Inside of the kambi, though, there was an awesome bumper sticker the driver had placed above the rearview mirror for passengers to read. I've decided to adopt it as my quote of the day: "Ta pressa, sai mas cedo." Which means, "If you're in a hurry, leave earlier." Ahh, I love this country :).
Tomorrow, Chantelle and I have to meet Charles in front of the school on the bottom of our hill at 8:30 to go to another favela (we're guessing another community he works for/with). I'm guessing perhaps this is where I'll be teaching English (Charles said they'd be adolescents but also said he might like me to participate in some other things aside from teaching, which I don't mind at all). I'm still not too clear on everything (how many days a week we're working, how many hours, etc.), but hopefully tomorrow will clarify some things. Anyways, that's it for now. E tempo de dormir! Boa noite!

Garota EM Ipanema ;)

Today was awesome. Ambar, Chantelle and I went to Ipanema to the beach and to the Hippie Fair. We took the bus (which I never did the first time I was in Rio). It was quite an experience for me since I hate buses no matter what country I'm in (I almost always try to avoid buses at all costs even in NYC, but lately I've been getting more used to them), but it wasn't too bad. A lot of sharp turns and speeding, but I made it out alive ;).
The beach was breathtaking and picturesque, just as I remembered it ;). It's just a really breathtaking view--any description I attempt to give won't do it any justice, so I'll keep it short and sweet: it's a long stretch of beach with white sand and clear, blue water surrounded by huge cocoa-colored mountains. Ahh, it's amazing. It's one of the scenes that you know could only have been created by God Himself :). We spent like 3 hours in the sun (it was a much hotter day today than yesterday, which was good for tanning ;) and I was considering even going into the water (and testing Gen and Augusto's waterproof camera! ;) but the tide was kind of rough. In fact, we weren't even sitting too close to the water (there was literally a hill of sand and some people between us and the water) but there was one monstrous wave that came up right over the hill. Some people grabbed all of their stuff in time (like us!). Others weren't so lucky and picked up their sopping wet beach towels and other belongings and shifted back, further away from the water. Since Ambar and I are spending our last few days in Rio at a hostel in Ipanema, I'll just go in another time. We took the tide jumping up at us as our cue to leave ;).
Afterwards, we went to eat at a restaurant called Paz e Amor (very filling lunch: rice, black beans, steak, and farofa; not very good at all--I won't be going back there--but Ambar had been wanting to go there and I didn't want to break her heart) and then headed to the Ipanema Hippie Fair (which they hold in Ipanema every Sunday) and walked around. I saw sooo many things I wanted to buy for myself and for people back home, but Ambar and I decided to restrain ourselves and wait til we get down to our last few days to splurge ;). Instead we just each bought a painting for ourselves (they had some AMAZING artwork at the fair; if only I could carry some of the bigger ones home and had more money...). They're so pretty. The colors and the details in both are mesmerizing. The vendor explained to us that each one represents a different dance done in different parts of Brasil. It was a bit pricey ($50 reais = $31 dollars), but I didn't mind supporting him because he was so nice and the paintings were so well made.
Tomorrow I start my project, so there'll be a lot more to report ;). Tchau!

A Rua Barão de Guaratiba

Today was a pretty chill day. Didn't do much sightseeing or "touristy" stuff, but I did get my bearings more and got more acquainted with what will be my new "home" for the next 2 weeks ;). I woke up pretty late--like 11 (I'm blaming it on jetlag and the 20+ hrs. of traveling we did to get here from NY)--and after that just lazed around waiting for orientation to start (which I knew little to nothing about in the first place--like what time it started, where it was, etc.). Eventually, Chantelle, Russell, Ambar and I walked down to Felipe's house on the bottom of the hill (Chantelle and Russell arrived yesterday too; Russell's from Oregon and helping with the surfing school in Ipanema and Chantelle's from London and will be helping implement a theater program in the favela I'll be teaching English in).
Felipe's is the "mastermind," if you will, of the whole program here in Rio. From what I understand, he is the "in-country coordinator" and is the one who decides what project placements the volunteers who come to Rio will have. Today was the first time Ambar and I ever met him (when we walked down to his house for orientation). His house is pretty awesome. Like most of the places on Rua Barão de Guaratiba (which is the road our hostel is on), it doesn't look like much from the outside but once you step inside it's like a hidden treasure. Inside, he explained to us that he had just recently bought the house and was in the process of remodeling it for him and his family (his wife, who is French, and his two children are currently away visiting her family in France). We sat in a section of the house that could be called a "living room," but it was much cooler than that. What now served as a common space to welcome guests (complete with couches and a small coffee table), was once an open veranda and he was explaining to us how he hoped to finish closing some of it off with bamboo in the coming weeks. He even had a hamock hanging a little ways off from where the couches were situated! Now THAT'S what I call a living room ;)...
Felipe started off the orientation by basically recounting his life's story to us. He told us that at one time he was an aspiring actor and even lived in New York for a few years when he was younger (from what I can tell--since he said he was once asked to be in a Brasilian soap opera in 1986 when he was 22--he's about 43 now ;). He described how he fell into non-profit work in Rio (having been born and raised here) and explained to us how important and influential the work we will be doing here in Rio is going to be to the communities we'll be helping. He also told us some precautionary safety advice for traveling around the city on our own (mostly just to keep our eyes open and think before we do things) and the commonplace rules of staying in our hostels (respect and maintain them as if they were our own homes, etc.). We also found out what time we would be leaving for our specific projects/destinations come Monday and who will be in them with us (as I mentioned before, Chantelle and I are in the same program and we leaave for our program at 9; from what I understand, the favela we're going to is only a half hr. away! Whereas Ambar's is about an hour and a half...). I'm excited about starting work. Felipe said most volunteers work 3 or 4 days a week. I think I'll work 4 just to get the most out of the experience and so that I can actually feel like I'm having some kind of an impact ;). Felipe also warned us, though, that we'll have good days and bad days at our project and to just take things as they come. I know it's going to be hard for me not to be able to structure, plan and organize things down to a T, but I'm going to try my best so that they and I can get the most out of it possible.
After orientation Lia, Timmy (Lia's son), Ambar, Russell, Chantelle and I went to Lojas Americanas (think Brasil's version of Walmart ;)--which literally translates to: "American Stores"--down the road because Chantelle had to buy a bathing suit. On the way we chatted a bit and Lia divulged to Ambar and I that Dominicans indeed do the best hair (damn right! ;) in terms of blowdrying as she experienced in NYC. She asked if we knew how (and we regretfully admitted that we didn't) and said she could probably make a fortune here in Brasil by importing Dominicans from NY to do hair here. We agreed with her completely. It's so cool though to see women here sporting their naturally curly hair, whereas in most places Spanish women with curly hair feel compelled to get their hair blowdried bone straight (I must admit that at times I'm guilty of this at home, because I do like the sleek look of straight hair on me). So because recently I've come to embrace my naturally curly hair, it feels so liberating here in Rio to sport it and see other women who look just like me :).
For dinner a group of us went to a churrascaria in Copacabana called Monchique. The food was pretty good, but I got fuller quicker than I expected. We had some excellent cuts of beef and also there was a buffet table where I got some delicious rice with black beans (some of the best I've ever tasted, in spite of the fact that both of those foods are staples in my diet as a Dominican ;) and other local dishes. One of the waiters who brought around some of the cuts of meat was particularly chatty with me once I started speaking Portuguese to him (he was surprised at first, but then even asked if I was Brasilian! What a compliment! :). He asked how long I was here, if I liked Rio, etc. He even tried to explain (in between placing slices of meat on people's plates) some of the dynamics of Rio (i.e., how it can be dangerous, how there are rich sections and poor sections like the favelas, etc.) most of which I already knew but it was interesting to hear it from someone of the city itself. He explained how he works because he needs to make money and when I told him I was American, he said that it must not be hard to make money there. I disagreed though and told him that it was, and also explained that dynamics in the U.S. are different (especially where race is concerned) unlike here in Brasil. His response (if I can remember it correctly) was: "We don't have that problem here in Brasil. We're all friends. There's barely any issues of racism here." I agreed and said it was better that way. To explain how race relations here in Brasil are is difficult, but to be brief each person here regardless of color is regarded as quintessentially "Brasilian." Divisions here are more based on economic means and wealth than on race. No one asks where you're from expecting to get an answer of some distant country or where your parents, grandparents, etc. were born. They all share a common bond of being Brasilian and it's a truly beautiful thing. It's a shame not more countries in the world can be like that, but it's something so unique that I love about Brasil :).
Well, it's been a long day so I'll end here. More to come! Boa noite!

A Cidade Maravilhosa!

So I'm here! And it's as breathtaking as I remember it. I must say, my first day back (!) has been pretty good. A few glitches here and there, but overall good. The flight was long and tiresome but we finally rolled into Rio at 7:20am. There isn't much of a time difference (Rio's an hour behind) but I'm still a bit disoriented and out of it. For instance, right now it's only like 8:30 and it feels like way past 11. Maybe I should get some sleep, huh? lol.
The taxi driver who picked us up (he was hired by the program) was really personable. And I even felt brave enough to utter my first words of Portuguese! He was a bit taken aback that I addressed him at all in Portuguese (aside from the customary "oi" and "como vai"), but after that he went on and on talking to me in Portuguese and pointing out main attractions of Rio as we entered the heart of the city. Even though I missed a few words here and there, I must say I pretty proud of myself for taking that leap, and since then I've been a bit more at ease speaking to people here :).
The hostel, Baron Garden, is charming. I never quite understood what people meant when they said that, but I feel like this place is the epitome of it: there are walls tiled with what looks like Arab-style tiles, little nooks to sit in and relax, over 10 rooms, 2 bathrooms, and even a mini wall fountain in the computer room. There's a pool outside and the owner, Lia (she actually lived in NYC for 18 yrs. and just moved back to Rio; she makes documentaries and is taking over management of Baron Garden from her mom), is super nice. She speaks English and Portuguese. She lives here with her 12-yr.-old son and there are other women whom I think live here and clean. They seem to all share a certain respect for each other too, which is refreshing. There's no one being bossed around. If I were Leah I would say screw the hostel idea and I'd make this into a phat house for me and my family. I know she does this out of the goodness of her heart, though, and it shows.
Ambar and I are staying in a room with 4 bunkbeds and a total of 6 other girls. There's a bit of a revolving door system here, though, and although everyone is nice, you get a bit overwhelmed by everyone you meet, who's leaving because they finished the program, who's arriving, etc. We did happen to meet a girl from the UK by the name of Anouska who was really chill. Even though it was her last day, she was still nice enough to show us around Flamengo (the area of Rio we're staying in) and even took us to the beach! Although it's not as glamorous as Ipanema or Copacabana, it's still beautiful and breathtaking. I think we're going to make frequent trips there, especially since it's only a 10 minute walk from our hostel. We dozed for a while and took in some sun, which always picks up your mood no matter what ;). Afterwards, we stopped at a juice bar where she ordered an Acai smoothie (which she said she's become addicted to) and proceeded to lend Ambar and I money because we hadn't had a chance to exchange currency yet. It was sad to see her go when we got back, but at the same time it was a great beginning to our adventures here :).
Most of the other boarders here are from the UK (mostly London) and are staying for 4 weeks or more. That made me feel like my trip was a bit wack at first (one girl from Ireland is staying til September, then traveling throughout South America and even participating in an Amazonian volunteer program in Ecuador!! She said she won't be returning home til right before Christmas!), but later I realized that it doesn't matter how long (or short) of a time I spend in Brasil, because I know it'll be amazing no matter what ;). I also found out that none of them speak a lick of Portuguese, which really shocked me! When I told them I did, they were all really surprised. It was really encouraging though to know that I'd at least be able to communicate with the amazing people I meet here and get through to them. Even though my Portuguese is not perfect by any means, it's nice to know I'm working at it and at least people can understand me! :)
Afterwards, Ambar and I got a bit lost in the heart of town trying to find a specific location to exchange money, which Ambar claimed Lia had given her "directions" to (note: I will be navigating for us from now). I was a bit annoyed but we eventually found it, exchanged dollars for reais, had a snack at Pao de Queijo (yum!) and stopped by the supermarket to get some food to have at the hostel for us to eat (the program provides no meals whatsoever, which I think is ridiculous but am trying to accept out of absolute necessity). So that was the end of our first day. Ambar has proceeded to fall asleep in the overchair across from the computer, so I assume that means she's ready for bed ;). I think I'll take a shower myself. Tomorrow's orientation for our program, so we should meet even more interesting people and learn even more about what we'll be doing :). I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. Boa noite!

Até Logo!!

Sooooo, I'm leaving TODAY! :) But being the neurotic traveler that I am (as usual, lol), I've been triple-checking the 101 lists I made of things to bring making sure I didn't forget anything (even though I can almost guarantee that when I'm buckled into my seat on the plane, something will randomly come to mind that I forgot to stuff in my suitcase...just the laws of the universe in play, I suppose?). I'm mentally prepping myself for the flight to ATL, the 4 hr. layover, and then the 10 hr. flight from there to Rio. Not fun, but it'll all be worth it when I'm back in the Cidade Maravilhosa! (just as a warning I'll probably be writing with Brasilian words and phrases mixed in, so maybe you'll even be able to carry a conversation by the time you finish reading about my trip! lol ;). See you (at least virtually) in Rio!

Preparations, Preparations...

Leaving for Rio in almost exactly a week! Can't wait, but there's so much left to do...Will I be done in time?? It's really not an option, lol, so I guess I'll just have to pick up the pace ;). It'll all be worth it when I'm taking in some of that Carioca sun!