2/5/2010 – 2/6/2010 - Os Corinthians!

Today we finally got our act together and booked a hostel in Florianopolis for Carnaval. We were very lucky to still find a place to stay because Carnaval starts on Friday and most places are usually booked weeks, even months, in advance.

One of the best things about my host mom is her love of music. She is constantly playing new CDs on her stereo system, and the constant flow of classical music and Brazilian jazz throughout the house is very calming. I have noticed that Brazilian’s have a much slower pace of life. Even though we are in Sao Paulo, one of the largest cities in the world, you can still see how much people enjoy taking time to talk to one another or to sit down for a long meal.

*We have quickly learned Brazilians are not very punctual. For example, if someone invites you to a party that starts at 8:00pm, you probably should not show up until 10:00, if even that early.

Every meal that I have had with Solange takes at least 45 minutes, and we always prepare and clean up together as well. Also, last night she was playing one of her favorite albums for me, and she was enjoying it so much, that she just quit everything she was doing in order to sit and listen to the entire album. Now I would consider myself to enjoy listening to music more than the average person, but I do not think I have ever taken the time to simply sit and listen to an entire album. Usually music accompanies me while I am doing something else, such as driving or studying.

I am not sure if all Brazilians are as expressive as Solange, but it is really a great thing to hear someone express there excitement or frustration for something. When we were listening to that album, she would constantly say “Que lindo!” (how beautiful!) and I don’t think her smile left her face the entire time. I think that Solange really enjoys having me around so that she can share her passions with me. She is seventy years old, divorced, and has two sons that have grown up and gone away, and it makes me really happy (and a bit sad) to see how content she seems to share her life with me (no matter how small or seemingly insignificant some of the things appear to me).

We experienced our first futebol game today in the Pacaembu stadium. Despite the elements, the game was very fun to watch. When we arrived, it was about 90 degrees and we were wearing black because that is the color of the home team: Os Corinthians. (If you were caught wearing the away team’s colors, there would most certainly by violence). It was comforting to watch the rain clouds move in as we were sweating our butts off, and finally the sun disappeared and we got a nice little shower to cool down. However, the shower turned into a mighty downpour that lasted for pretty much the entire game. We were freezing, but at least it wasn’t scorching hot anymore.

The home team won, 4 x 0, but the most exciting part was watching the fans. The were chanting and screaming throughout the entire match. If you think college football games are crazy, you haven’t experienced a Brazilian soccer match, and the game we saw wasn’t even considered a classico (big game).

2/4/2010 - Host Mama

It is my second day living with Solange, and it is actually quite nice. She treats me as if I was her grandson, and feeds me until I am stuffed full. Can’t complain. Also, because she is diabetic and cannot eat gluten, we will definitely be eating a lot of rice, beans, and meat. The only downside about her apartment is the lack of air-conditioning. Sleeping is kind of difficult when you’re sweating and there is constant street traffic outside the window. It’s something else I will need to adapt to.




Like I mentioned, Solange is 70 years old, but when she was younger she looked exactly like Sophia Loren. Weird. She was showing me a picture of herself when she was younger, and I said, “Wow, that picture was taken a long time ago wasn’t it?” Haha. Idiot. Luckily she just laughed and gave me a loving slap on the shoulder.




I started my Portuguese class today, and I am actually not that bad. I know a lot of vocabulary and verb conjugations, and now I really need to work on the accent. I still get stares of confusion when I try to speak to the local people. Oh well, it’ll come with practice. We also visited one of the soccer stadiums in Sao Paulo and looked around its museum for a bit. It was really cool and I am very excited to go to a game on Saturday. The Brazilians are the ultimate definition of “super-fan.” After finishing up our cultural activities for the day, Solange picked me up at the CIEE headquarters and we proceeded to take the bus home. An hour and a half later, we finally had traveled the two miles to our apartment. Yikes. If it’s not pouring outside, I think I may just walk.

2/1/2010 – 2/2/2010 - I'm sick of trying to make the layout look nice...

We’ve done a lot of sightseeing the last couple of days. CIEE is a great program because they have so many knowledgeable people helping out with tours and giving us advice about everything Brazilian. We’ve been to a museum, visited the largest market in South America, eaten traditional food, seen the parks, learned to ride the metro, and so much more. I am learning how to fit in with every minute that passes. We also got stuck in our first torrential rain storm today. Apparently you are always supposed to have an umbrella with you because the weather changes so sporadically, but we were ill-prepared and consequently got soaked.

Side note* Last night I figured out how I am going to make my millions. We went to a bar called the Wall Street Bar, and the prices of the drinks are constantly changing as demand changes. Also, the menus are on the wall horizontally scrolling like stocks, and I spent the entire night just trying to spot the hottest deals. It’s really a fun place, and assuming the idea hasn’t been brought to the U.S. already, I plan on opening several of them. I think they could be a big hit!

1/31/2010 - Gluten Free

I met my host mother tonight. Her name is Solange and she is a 70-year-old divorced woman who lives alone in nice apartment (She is the woman on the right). I am actually very excited because she said she loves to cook and go out to see shows and concerts. However, I will have a bit of adjusting to do because she cannot eat gluten (shout out to Dudley and Kierstin!) She speaks Italian, Portuguese, and a little English, and I was very grateful that we could understand each other. After our little reception, Solange went home (I will be moving in with her in three days) and I got ready to go out for Karaoke. It was my first time ever doing Karaoke and for my first song, my roommate and I sang “Wanna Be” by the Spice Girls. Haha.

I am having a lot of fun with the other students in my group. It’s funny because we’ve got so many different stereotypes: The frat boy, the indie boy, the token black girl, the hippie, the male dancer, the southern belle, etc. Anyways it’s 3am here so I’m off to bed. Boa Noite

1/30/2010 - Hedgee Hodgee Chile Peppers

Orientation started today. The kids in my group are really nice and fun, and they are from all over the United States. Should be a good semester with them. We also found out our final schedule for the semester:

Portuguese Class: Now – February 11th
Carnaval Break: Feb 12th – Feb 17th
Module I: Feb 18th – April 9th
Break: April 10th – April 25th
Module II: April 26th – June 9th

On top of all the breaks, we also have three-day weekends. Legit.

We went out to dinner with Ana Luisa, Mauricio, and Fernanda. They will be our CIEE contacts throughout the semester. We talked a lot about the Portuguese language and learned that not all hand gestures mean the same thing here. For example, you would never want to give the OK symbol. It’s similar to flipping the bird. Also, Brazilians pronounce the “te” and “g” at the end of words like “gee.” And since “r” is not pronounced, there are some pretty funny translations:

Red Hot Chile Peppers = Hedgee Hodgee Chile Peppers
Rock = Hockey