Home again, for now

Finally after 24 hours of travel I am home, sitting on my couch freezing. It is so cold here by Tropics standards. I had uneventful, but long plane rides stopping in no less than five airports, with the hopes that just maybe I could use my seat cushion as a floatation device. I have always wanted to do so! But alas, no such luck. Probably for the better, my gifts cannot get wet!

It is so nice to be home. Three months have gone by like that. As with most things, there are some things that never change; like time, like my house, like the dryness of the desert, I am home.

I can’t wait to see what comes next and I am happy to be where I am. I am so happy to just be. I am me and I am happy!

Beautiful Potential

Saying “See you later,” instead of “goodbye,” it seems more appropriate and it’s easier on the heart. I have come to adore this city full of people, full of life and love. This morning, my last full day in Vitória, I went for a walk on the beach I have become so fond of and saw its beauty for what it is, simply beautiful. I realize just how lucky we are to be alive. Each day is a creative endeavor we just have to choose to fulfill that potential of every moment to be spectacular.

I want to say thank you to everyone who has read my blog. It is great to know that you are all thinking of me and I feel your thoughts and prayers. I will continue to write so please keep reading!

The next adventure begins as I return home to regroup, share stories, and see what happens next.

Warm regards, because summer is upon us in the Southern Hemisphere and I hear it’s getting cold up North.

Tchau for now.

Food Orgy

Success! I made dinner for the family last night. I cooked for ten people, but it was more like fifteen because my Brazilian family eats a lot! It was a perfect evening of cooking and talking, well, them talking and me listening to the language that has become like a familiar tune, with a few translations here and there. (I have vowed to learn Portuguese for when I return!)

“A food orgy,” as my Brazilian sister, Paola, said. Yes, at the end of the night, which turned into early morning, we where all sprawled on the floor just like kids because it was too hot and we where too full to do anything except be flat on our backs, just like Rodolfo, the dog.

And thank god for Frank Sinatra, he is a genius at making those who listen dance and sing, even if you don’t know all the lyrics. Try it sometime when you are expecting company, put him on, loud, and see what happens!

Thank you for loving

Throughout the past three months the reoccurring theme has been one of family and choices. Both of which make up who we are as people (a whole) and as individuals (separate entities). The Barbosa’s, most host family, have taken me in and christened me Shinay Maria Barbosa – there is no greater honor. My own family has held me tight for my whole life and then let me go knowing that their love is forever in my heart and always present in me. My family has been a stable body of love while I plunder off in to the unknown, which turned out to be more love in return. It’s these choices, the leaving and living and love, that help us realize that the love of family is the same all over the world. With big hearts and open arms all we have to do is dig a little deeper into our own hearts and there we will find that love is ever present and it’s our choice to grasp hold of it or not. And it is this love in our hearts that our families have instilled there since before we were born. And it is this ancient love that we feel throughout our lives. Sometimes we loose touch with it, and forget it even exists but just remember that you are loved. Family love never dies and so never dies our love for life. Just don’t forget where to find that love – look inside and make the choice to BE LOVE. For we all have it in ourselves just don’t loose sight of it through all the other choice in life. I have felt so much love though my family and friends. Thousands of miles away and I feel it still; their love surrounding me, embracing me, caressing me, enveloping me in the arms of their everlasting love. Thank you to all who love me in my life. I feel so blessed, and well, LOVED!

Rio de Janeiro

The most beautiful city I have seen yet. Renaissance architecture fused with modern technology and traditional shrines to Jesus and The Mother Mary. Poverty and crime is more present but that does not stop one from dancing in the streets and singing from the balconies.

I was on a whirlwind trip for three days. A tease that left me wanting more of the Corcovado, the Pão de Açúcar, and the beautiful, beautiful beaches – white sand with water that really is as blue as the postcards.

We danced every afternoon and evening for three full days. I learned to samba (with a partner), some new swing moves, and even a little tango. Exquisite I think would be the right word here. Simply exquisite.

As you can see I have finally learned how to add pictures! Whoot whoot! I have been using Blogger in Portuguese so please forgive the language barrier and my technology retardation. Yes, I finally found the little icon of the “picture” where it says, “Upload picture,” in Portuguese. More fun to come!

Love to all and thanks for keeping tabs on me!

Beijos!

English Lessons

Okay, so I know you are all waiting to hear about what I really came for – to teach conversational English. Right? Well, this month I have finished my official lessons and I am going to say that it was harder than I thought it would be but, also a lot more fun than it could have been. The most interesting discovery that I had was finding that a lot of words in English and Portuguese are very similar in spelling and pronunciation, just with a little tongue twist. It makes it a little easier to understand what someone is trying to tell me. The fun part was looking up words that I didn’t know the meaning to or how to explain the meaning such as, covered wagon, scaffolding, swing, and vignette. Needless to say my, “artistic skills” (stick figures and all) came in very handy. Along with my trusty dictionary – thank you Mr. Webster!

Driven To Conquering My Texture Phobias

For all of you who know me, and those who don’t, I HATE pudding, pie, jell-o, flan, and tapioca ¬– anything that jiggles and moves in odd ways. Anything with a remote texture of slime or goo. I will not eat it, I will not come near it, don’t even think about setting it close to me. I am a chocolate, ice cream, and cookie person. So what about this place has made me come to actually LIKE pudding? What is in the air that could have possible driven me to value a good pudding? I have finally conquered my texture phobias. I have overcome my taste issues and now am able to appreciate flan for what it is – surgery goodness. Yes, flan, I have come to like you. Hooray for gummy, gooey, wobbly things! I can fully appreciate them all.

In a country where I do not speak the languages, there is always the communication of appreciating good food. So I try everything, even if my mind is screaming, “No, don’t eat it, it’s moving!” I make myself pick up the fork and put a bit into my mouth. I chew, and find that despite the texture, “Oh my god, it actually tastes good!”

The glitzy walks right beside the dirty

The thing I like most about the Brazilian culture is that they hide nothing. There is no underlying secret, there is no hidden darkness or anything swept under the rug. They wear everything on their sleeves and there is nothing they won’t talk about, even in front of their children. They are not ashamed of telling the truth. Everyone knows who’s rich and who’s not. The poor make do, while the wealthy wear it like it’s going out of style. No one is condemned or repressed by others. What I mean is everyone is free to make their own choices because in Brazil, anything and everything can happen. Nothing is too extreme and taboo is just another word. Let’s not forget respect and etiquette though. There is still tradition even if it’s not blind to the new and "improved" ways of life. This is a culture of bright and brilliant people and they are not afraid to let their colors show.

For all of you who are wondering I will be back in Arizona in November. I will be there for about a month so I hope to see most of you while I'm there! Thanks again to all of you have been reading and posting your wonderful thoughts on my blog. It's so nice to keep in touch and hear from you all!

Beijos from Brazil

Familiar Things

The first morning in Brazil I woke up to Bob Marley singing “Every little thing’s gonna be alright,” on the radio. On the second day I arrived, I went to the supermarket with my host mother, and heard Leonard Cohen playing over the loud speakers. The second week I discovered granola in the house, what a novelty! Then there was the Beatles playing from the apartment down the hall. The first movie I went to see was “No Reservations,” yes it was in English but had Portuguese subtitles. When I walked out of the theater I forgot where I was for just a second. Eating Chinese food in Brazil is just one example of what a diverse culture this really is, it’s wonderful! And when I told my friends that I don’t like McDonald’s they said I was not American, and I liked that! This morning I made myself a cup of chamomile tea, probably the most familiar thing I have had since I’ve been here. What a treat!

Let me just add that I LOVE being surrounded by the unfamiliar, that is after all what I came here for, but every now and then it’s nice to have a cup of familiarity.

First Day of Spring

Yesterday was the first day of spring here in Brazil. As the weeks pass the days get longer, the sun starts to set a little later each evening. The sun is warmer and when it rains, that too is warm. So, I celebrated the first day of spring with my host cousin and her friends. At around eleven, we drove to a little fishing village about forty minutes from here and laid on the beach all afternoon. We ate corn on the cob and delicious fried cheese on a stick. We played in the waves and listened to funky reggae rock. As the sun become cooler, we headed home, full of sand and sun – hearts happy and stomachs full. A perfect day, for the first of spring. (I could get used to this life).

In awe of the world

I am surrounded with creativity. Everything is inspiration. I am intoxicated with imagination. Everything I see, hear, smell, taste, touch, feel brings into being a passion for life. All my sense are utilized and alive. Everyday I learn something new about me, about Brazil, about life in general. Invention cannot be stopped. I am in awe of the world. I relish in the graffiti on the walls, in the dirt of the slums. I drink in the smell of jasmine and honeysuckle. I am consumed with emotion and the need to express it. So I write.
Can you hear me in my writing?
Can you hear my voice as I tell you these stories?
Can you hear my laugh through the words on the page?
Can you hear my sense of humor and my inflection as I write these sentences?
I wan you to image with your entire body.
Can you smell the salt and garlic in the air?
Can you taste the orange color of the moqueca, warm, with fish and shrimp?
Can you hear me in my writing?
Can you see what I see?
Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
As you let your lids drop and your eyelashes kiss your cheeks, imagine yourself sitting by the ocean with your feet in the sand.
Dig your big toe in and feel the moisture, cool and damp.
Listen to the sound of the waves licking the sand by your side.
Feel the breeze as it tousles your hair.
Can you hear me in my writing?
Can you see what I see?
Let’s take a walk.
Grab your bikini and one Real and I’ll take you through my neighborhood.
As we head out the door, it is cloudy but by the time we reach the beach it will be sunny and we will go swimming.
Under your feet you will find cobble stone streets.
Granite bits line the sidewalks and scale the side of the buildings.
You can hear the children as they play across the street.
See the coconut venders with bags overflowing with green coconut shells.
Let’s buy one!
“Um coco por favor.”
Taste the juice, sweet and creamy.
As we head towards the beach, we dodge cars as they whiz by and always look twice before crossing the street, you can never be too careful.
We pass the dress store with flashy jewelry and glitzy glam.
We pass the bakery with a delicious smell wafting from inside. They sell pizzas and sweats and the bread in town.
We pass the post office where they don’t speak any English, but somehow I still managed to send postcards!
And finally, we are at the beach.
Warm sand and bronzed bodies everywhere. Some people laying on the sand and others playing valley ball.
The light, the dark, no one cares just as long as you’re in you swim suit!
I’ll race you to the water.
Ready, set, go!

Better than chocolate, better than ice cream

Crystallized banana squares are better than chocolate, and I for one, can't live without chocolate - I will vouch that these are better then chocolate! Dense, rich, delicious! The whole thing will fit in your mouth if you want to feed your carnivorous nature, or you can saver it, and eat it bit, by bit, one scrumptious bit at a time.

Açai is better than ice cream, yes it is even better then chocolate ice cream. Top that! This fruit is to die for. Deep purple in color, high in vitamins, blend it with ice, add rounds of banana, sprinkle with granola, and drizzle honey over the whole mix, and you have yourself a concoction better than ice cream.

Alcobaca, Bahia

This weekend was Independence Day in Brazil and the Barbosa family and I took a trip to Alcobaca, (in Bahia) about five hours away by car. The ride was beautiful and for the first time I finally got that I AM IN BRAZIL! It hit me like a wave, full body contact. From the window of the car I saw coffee plantations, papaya tree farms, palm trees, bright green grass, and lots and lots of trees for making paper. For five hours we drove past tall, skinny trees used for making paper. The vast scale at which these trees grew was astounding. They went on, and on, and on over hills and valleys - I simply could grasp how many there actually were.
When we arrived in Alcobaca, we were greeted with peculiar looks because the town contains approximately 2,000 people total. It is a quiet town and every body knows everyone else. We stayed threes blocks from the beach, but I don't know if they can be called blocks, because all the roads are dirt - it was more like threes dirt paths, an orange house, and a few palms trees away from the beach!
Relaxing and inspiring, all in one. Alcobaca would be the place I would bye my house from what I’ve seen of Brazil so far (but anything could change). The city is small but the home of the dance, Fohal, my favorite! I was told that the people who live in Alcobaca are joked about because they do everything slowly, as if everyday is a vacation, but for me, everyday IS a vacation! Simply terrific!
During this trip I saw so many beautiful and tragic things. There was such stimulation in everything that I laid eyes on. I was like a little kid - I wanted to stop and touch and feel everything. It was hard to sit still and I kept looking around incase I might miss something spectacular! The bottom line: I was consumed with awe and admiration.

Jaboticaba

Jaboticaba is best described as a berry. It is round and black and grows on trees. But not on the branches as you might think. No, it is attached right to the trunk and bark of the tree, stuck there as if someone had glued it. You can't eat the peel so when you pop in into your mouth, bite down, suck out all the innards and the seed and swallow, then spit out the peel. Sweet and creamy like nothing else I can compare it to, with a little bit of sour near the center. I ate about 98 total.

Last night as I turned out the light and crawled under the sheets, I heard the sound of a guitar outside my window. So, naturally, I being of the curious type, stood up on my mattress and peeked my head out the window. Down below I saw three boys. One was playing a guitar and leaning against a parked car. As I watched he started singing. A low melody, soft and sweet. The others sat on the steps of a near by apartment. The one in the red tee shirt stared drumming on his knees and the one in white shorts started laughing. But that didn’t stop their music. I perched there, on the windowsill until I became really sleepy and rolled back into bed.
The beauty of living in a place full of free spirits, open windows, and surprising new food.

Food For Thought

Whether you are a travler of the world or your own back yeard, I think you all can relate to the facts of trying to find one's true self and the meaning to all your discoveries.

The exploration of self and the physical world takes great time and consideration. It will not happen in one sitting, and it may not even happen in one lifetime, however, if we try, and I am trying, in that trying we dicover the relationship between our body, mind and the outside world.

Just observing these relationships is enough for now.

And so, I have discovered that for me; life is living wihtout wanting. Because through wanting I create need, and through need there is conflict. And without conflict I am alive and enjoying living.

Take it or leave it, but one thing is certain, acceptance of the inevitable will get you a very long way. It is what is, righ now.

"Life has more imagination than we carry in our dreams."

Excellent Beer

Good friends, great food, and excellent beer make up the perfect evening. To night I want out with my neighbors, and thier children, both of whom are just my same age, and we ate the best steak I have EVER had in my life, served with powdered corn, chilies and salsa, not to mention really good beer - sweet and smooth with a nice aftertaste; and the best part was I got to have my very OWN bottle! None of that "sneaking little sips at the dinner table." Oh no! This was served to me in my very own glass! Ha! What a novelty!

Brazilians, and anyone for that matter who can speak Portuguese, are very intellegent. They have words for things that we Americans can't even pronounce let alone allow into our vocabulary! They are such intellegent people, I just wish I could understand HALF the things being said. They talk so quickly and with such enthusiasm, that I can only pick up the intonations of their conversations, which is great, but I really would like to be PART of their discussion.

I also like the fact that when someone does somehting that you don't like, you don't just call them one bad name in Portuguese, oh no, you string together a whole stream of awful things and say them with a force meant only for the table or chair upon which you stubbed your toe!

Also, don't ever complain about bad drivers agian, until you have been to Brazil. Stop signs-none existent, cross walks-yeah right (fear for your life when you cross the street), stop lights-just a suggestion (even the red ones!). People drive so close to one another that you might as well just RELAX, or become oblivious, because when you get out of the car, your nerves will be a big knot and fried over REALLY hot oil. Oh, and into that mix, add horse drawn carts, filled with pineapples, and garbage! WHAT A TRIP! This place is awsome!

I have been to the beach three days running. I hope to make tomorrow my fourth, weather permitting. (And for all the mothers out there, yes, I DO use suncreen!)

Hope all is well in your lives.
Much love and many good thoughts.

Kiss, Kiss

SAMBA

Imagine music, great music coursing through your entire body. The beat consumes you and your being is moving from the inside out. First you let your head go swaying to the beat, then you move your shoulders from side to side, back and forth, then your hips and waist jive to the rhythm of the music, then come your feet, oh your feet are moving at a speed you didn't quite think was possible. Your whole body is moving, moving, moving. It is enlivening and the most "Get Down Boogie Free Form Dance" imaginable.

On Friday, I saw the best concert in the world. They were, Monobloco and Bloco Bleque. Simply put, SPECTACULAR!
Inside this funky little wooden gazebo type deal, overlooking the ocean with palm trees, and a warm breeze, there were crammed over 2,000 people, yes that is TWO THOUSAND people. Bodies were so close there was barely room to dance, but we managed, oh yes, we managed to dance!

Liberation

Liberation comes in very small incriments. (At least for me). This morning I went for a walk to the near by park ALL BY MYSELF. It was the best thing ever. I felt free and unafraid, even after all the stories I heard about being too careful.

The park is filled with green grass, luscious flowers, magnificent rock formations and small ponds teaming with turtles and huge fish. There are geese and chickens running wild and birds who squak in the trees. There are paved path ways but also small rilling hills for one to scamper up, and at the top the most beautiful view of Vitoria. I watched as the sun peeked through the clouds and I turned North in the direction of home and said a little hello and wished you all well.

Now, I'm off to the beach.

sorrisos e beijos (smiles and kisses) from afar!

Music

Music is everywhere. Eveyone whistles and sings, eveyone has a rhythm, everyone can sing and sounds REALLY good. Artur (my Brazilian brother) told me that when you play music, you play it for eveyone, not just for you in your car or at home. As a result, you get the best speakers on the plnet and play your music as loud as humanly possible. (The "pimped out rides" of Norht America would be put to shame by the amount of money spent on speakers here in Brazil). It is wonderful! Tonight I have my first Engligh lesson with my host family. (Wish me luck!) Tomorrow I get my first taste of Samba!

More about that to come...

Love to all. NEVER STOP THE MUSIC!

Father's Day in Brazil

Today is Father's Day here in Brazil and this morning I went to church with the Borbosas (my host family). Wow, no one here can be tone deaf. It is absolutely impossible. I mean for the 20 minutes that they sang it was as if I was in a cathedral filled with hundreds of people, but instead it was about fifteen max-impecable to say the least. After, we had lunch here and the house we ate and drank and played cards! (Such a wonderful universail game!) I am swiftly becomeing the "best" playing at the game HOLE (a rough translationg, but that's the jist of it).

I am finally beginning to settle into life here in Vitoria. I am slowing finding my placeby being patient, always smiling, and doing my best to understand Portuguese. It is said to be one of the most difficult languages to learn.

Tomorrow starts my official teaching lessons. wish me luck and thanks to those who have commented! I do read them!

Love always

My Big Fat Brazilian Birthday Party (Uncle CRAZY included)

Yes, I went to my first Brazilian Birthday Party. It was... what's the word... VERY LOUD. No, no, much more than that. It was full of life and enerygy and everyone talking truly loved everyone else. I learned that no metter when you are, that is home. Just kidding! I learned that everywhere in the world people are exactly the same. Family is important to eveyone and that's a fact of life.

Here in Vitoria

I have finally arrived in Vitoria after months of planning and e-mail to my host family. They are everyting I expected and more. Life here is wonderful and I can't wait to hear from you all! I'll try and write more often now. (Shorter but hopefully more!) Pictures will come! Hugs and kisses to all!