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!