The Date
As promised in the last post, I will give you my brief analisis of Brazilian dating.
My friend from samba class class took me on a date to a club that holds themed dances every Saturday. This friend of mine drives a motorcylce, however, my host parents were not comfortable with me riding the motorcycle at night, so they drove us. From the American aspect of this...I figured this would make him uncomfortable, but it didn't. He talked with my host parents very comfortabley. If he didnt like the situation...I didn't pick up any hints.
We danced and talked much of the night and had a really good time.......
He paid for everything...
He was not shy there wasn't awkwardness.....
What else is there to say?
Brazilians seem to be good date companians.
CHristmas.
So much food. Too much food. My host mother was concerned about having enough...so she requested that I made double of everything. So, in addition to my three dozen cookies, I made two apple pies, two pumpkin pies, two pumpkin rolls and bananna nut bread. And...my host mother made two dishes of moose maracuja (really good) and my host mother's mother made a really good pinapple dessert and another family brought ice cream. That was just dessert. There was too too much for only fourteen people.....an aspect of the Brazilian Christmas similar to our own. The family stayed Christmas Eve night until very early Christmas morning and then returned Christmas day for left overs.
Main Events:
Food
Drink
More Food
Me Singing
Food
Short Exchange of Gifts
Things I've Noticed:
-many Brazilians wear scapulas
-Brazilian woman are many times the dominant in a relationship...atleast more so here than in the US
-Brazilians use lots of pattern
-Holidays are less fun with out family
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Christmas Time Update
The Show
The show went well. I danced the foha...a brazilian folk dance. My partner, Vini, and I did not make any mistakes big enough to ruin the show.. My performance of Once Upon a December went all right too. I actually was accompanied with a violin...so even if the sound system wasnt the best..the vision was strong. I lived my dream that night...and I had my friends Andrea, of Columbia, there to witness it. She was with me the first time I encountered this theater..and was there to hear me say I wanted to perform in it...and was there in the end to see it happen. My host parents and the mother of my host mother was there as well. They seemed to have enjoyed the show.. My host father had teary eyes when I returned to there table after the show. After the show was a baile...or a dance. This baile was especially fantastic because it consisted of dancing with actual steps and movements..and actual people who knew how to dance. It was so much fun for me. My feet hurt so bad at the end of the night.
Feet
Yes my feet hurt that night...but they looked good. My host parents bought me a very very chic pair of black stiletos as an early Christmas present. My host mother is a very intelligent woman.. Along with her knowledge in law and motherhood and common sense is her knowledge and passion for shoes. In my room exists a closet containing probably 60 pairs of heels. All of them (the ones I have seen so far) were purchased in good taste. It is a very cool experience for me to know someone like this..femine, stylish, and a power house.
Dreams
I dreamed in Portuguese. I was at a dream version of my Aunt Char's house with my friends and some cousins. The dream version of my Aunt's house had about four stories and balconies on each floor...as well as a huge basement with lots of doors and a large in-ground pool. I was with my friends talking to them in Portuguese...making an effort to talk to them in Portugese...and didnt realize I was doing so until my cousin Arron...with very uncharacteristic hair (mullet) asked me why I was doing so and told me not to. Because of this I spoke in english..until my 7th grade teacher came and told me I should speak in Portuguese..
Life
There are ups and downs here..just like there would be at home. Its not always easy being away from the people who mean the most in your life. I do not want to go home. I have nightmares about being home early, not fluent and with out a way to return. No, I have not wished to be back in the states but, there have been times when I wished I was with my family.
Holliday
My plans to see my sister in Peru fell through..but there is still hope. My sister plans on coming to see me after the holliday passes. I am excited for this. After a very annoying, unnescessarily extended amount of time searching for answers from the right people...I was told , only a little bit less than rudely, that I did not have permission. Honestly I knew it was a long shot, but the suspense pulled me in...so I was dissapointed, but now theres hope of Lauran being in Brazil...which makes me very happy.
This year, my host family will be having a well sized Christmas gathering here at the house. I have been assigned the duty of baking Christmas cookies and treats..very excited about this..
The plan for the new year...is that the family will go to the beach..a brazilian tradition that will be carried out by, I am assuming, the majority of Brazil..It is going to be um festa grande.
Brazil 101
- parties here start at the same time when parties end in the states.
-Brazil has 12 national hollidays..and there are parties for all of them
-For the new year there exists the tradition of buying new panties. The color you purchase represents your goal of attaining in the new year. White-peace Yellow-money Green- health Red-romance
My Next Update
In the next update of "B-zil" you can look forward to learning about the cultural aspect of Brazilian dating..:)
The show went well. I danced the foha...a brazilian folk dance. My partner, Vini, and I did not make any mistakes big enough to ruin the show.. My performance of Once Upon a December went all right too. I actually was accompanied with a violin...so even if the sound system wasnt the best..the vision was strong. I lived my dream that night...and I had my friends Andrea, of Columbia, there to witness it. She was with me the first time I encountered this theater..and was there to hear me say I wanted to perform in it...and was there in the end to see it happen. My host parents and the mother of my host mother was there as well. They seemed to have enjoyed the show.. My host father had teary eyes when I returned to there table after the show. After the show was a baile...or a dance. This baile was especially fantastic because it consisted of dancing with actual steps and movements..and actual people who knew how to dance. It was so much fun for me. My feet hurt so bad at the end of the night.
Feet
Yes my feet hurt that night...but they looked good. My host parents bought me a very very chic pair of black stiletos as an early Christmas present. My host mother is a very intelligent woman.. Along with her knowledge in law and motherhood and common sense is her knowledge and passion for shoes. In my room exists a closet containing probably 60 pairs of heels. All of them (the ones I have seen so far) were purchased in good taste. It is a very cool experience for me to know someone like this..femine, stylish, and a power house.
Dreams
I dreamed in Portuguese. I was at a dream version of my Aunt Char's house with my friends and some cousins. The dream version of my Aunt's house had about four stories and balconies on each floor...as well as a huge basement with lots of doors and a large in-ground pool. I was with my friends talking to them in Portuguese...making an effort to talk to them in Portugese...and didnt realize I was doing so until my cousin Arron...with very uncharacteristic hair (mullet) asked me why I was doing so and told me not to. Because of this I spoke in english..until my 7th grade teacher came and told me I should speak in Portuguese..
Life
There are ups and downs here..just like there would be at home. Its not always easy being away from the people who mean the most in your life. I do not want to go home. I have nightmares about being home early, not fluent and with out a way to return. No, I have not wished to be back in the states but, there have been times when I wished I was with my family.
Holliday
My plans to see my sister in Peru fell through..but there is still hope. My sister plans on coming to see me after the holliday passes. I am excited for this. After a very annoying, unnescessarily extended amount of time searching for answers from the right people...I was told , only a little bit less than rudely, that I did not have permission. Honestly I knew it was a long shot, but the suspense pulled me in...so I was dissapointed, but now theres hope of Lauran being in Brazil...which makes me very happy.
This year, my host family will be having a well sized Christmas gathering here at the house. I have been assigned the duty of baking Christmas cookies and treats..very excited about this..
The plan for the new year...is that the family will go to the beach..a brazilian tradition that will be carried out by, I am assuming, the majority of Brazil..It is going to be um festa grande.
Brazil 101
- parties here start at the same time when parties end in the states.
-Brazil has 12 national hollidays..and there are parties for all of them
-For the new year there exists the tradition of buying new panties. The color you purchase represents your goal of attaining in the new year. White-peace Yellow-money Green- health Red-romance
My Next Update
In the next update of "B-zil" you can look forward to learning about the cultural aspect of Brazilian dating..:)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Lots to talk about.
Yes yes lots and lots to talk about.
For starters, last night I changed houses. I am now living with Sergio(Father), Lee (Mother) and Rodrigo (brother). The change is a typical rotary change. Through out the year exchange students are required to live among three different families and these changes take place about every three months. Wow, time flies. We're told (exchange students) that changing houses can be difficult and what not, but I have known this family since my first day in Brazil. If you recall from my earlier posts, I have traveled with them a couple times before once for my first Brazilian wedding in Sâo Paulo and also my first trip to Guaruja. My things are not yet put away, but I am already feeling a comfort within my new home. As for the Valdrighis, they were a perfect beginning family and I feel like I will miss them. But there are already plans for them to be at my future wedding and I will be seeing them often, especially Lucy, through out the rest of my stay here.
So, with in this past month, it was impossible to keep a routine. Between Palavras Crusadas (the play) and Guaruja and just typical "intercambista" things, the almost usual routine of dance classes, and Portuguese classes was ignored. Last Thursday I returned to my Samba class after atleast three weeks of missing it. The class ended a little bit early and more people started showing up to practice for a performance they will be giving on the 12th of this month. I had known about the performance before hand, and was invited to participate but declined the offer because I knew I would not be able to participate in all of the practices. Well I waited behind to catch a glimpse of what my fellow dancers would be performing and to my suprise my name was called by my teacher and I was directed to a spot on the dance floor. Honestly I did not really have a grip of what was going on. I was thinking that for some reason he just randomly put me in the show. Life here as an intercambista is all about embracing randomness and ignorance so like always I just went with the flow, not attempting to ask questions in my broken Portuguese that would be sure to cause confusion among the Brazilian dancers. I practiced with them, easily using the steps that I had learned before and putting them to a new sequence, impressing many...possibly discouraging a few. The practice ended and Lucy was there, so I asked her if she could ask someone what was going on. In ended up being that I was just filling in so that one of the dancers could have a partner...but then it happened that the dance teacher asked me to be in the show. He asked me to attened a practice on Sunday...with the thought of paying for costume I gave him an indefinate answer and left. I decided later that night that I wanted to participate and so on Sunday attended another dance practice and then attended to on Monday. The early practice on monday was a private lesson with my dance teacher. He decided that I would be dancing the Foha..(I would have preferred samba or waltz). After the lesson, when Lucy came to pick me up she mentioned to him, as she mentions to almost everyone we meet, that I sing. With just the right amount of cohersion I sang for them Oh Holy Night. After hearing me sing he pulled up the programs for the show on his computer and asked if I would sing for free or if I required payment. Ofcourse I told him for free...hoping in the back of my mind for some free dance classes...and he got all excited and wrote me into the program making for an international show. Yay. So I will be singing, Once Upon a December from the movie Anastasia for the performance..and on top of all this excitement is the location. All of this is going to take place in an old(leaks when it rains), but beautiful Ball room theatre. The first time I saw this theatre I said to myself that I wanted to perform there...and now I get too. I am very very happy about this...very happy.
The third big news..well the above definatly takes the cake, but I find it worth mentioning that school is over for me until Feburary. I am very happy about this as well. I am excited for Christmas here....and I am hoping to go see my sister in Peru during Christmas time as well.
Lots and Lots of things..
Thinking of my loves back in the states.
Things that I have Noticed
-I am beginning to forget how Americans dress
-Brazil does not really have a film or tv industry...TV here consists of US made movies..US based series and about 4 or 5 Brazilian soaps...with ofcourse Local News
For starters, last night I changed houses. I am now living with Sergio(Father), Lee (Mother) and Rodrigo (brother). The change is a typical rotary change. Through out the year exchange students are required to live among three different families and these changes take place about every three months. Wow, time flies. We're told (exchange students) that changing houses can be difficult and what not, but I have known this family since my first day in Brazil. If you recall from my earlier posts, I have traveled with them a couple times before once for my first Brazilian wedding in Sâo Paulo and also my first trip to Guaruja. My things are not yet put away, but I am already feeling a comfort within my new home. As for the Valdrighis, they were a perfect beginning family and I feel like I will miss them. But there are already plans for them to be at my future wedding and I will be seeing them often, especially Lucy, through out the rest of my stay here.
So, with in this past month, it was impossible to keep a routine. Between Palavras Crusadas (the play) and Guaruja and just typical "intercambista" things, the almost usual routine of dance classes, and Portuguese classes was ignored. Last Thursday I returned to my Samba class after atleast three weeks of missing it. The class ended a little bit early and more people started showing up to practice for a performance they will be giving on the 12th of this month. I had known about the performance before hand, and was invited to participate but declined the offer because I knew I would not be able to participate in all of the practices. Well I waited behind to catch a glimpse of what my fellow dancers would be performing and to my suprise my name was called by my teacher and I was directed to a spot on the dance floor. Honestly I did not really have a grip of what was going on. I was thinking that for some reason he just randomly put me in the show. Life here as an intercambista is all about embracing randomness and ignorance so like always I just went with the flow, not attempting to ask questions in my broken Portuguese that would be sure to cause confusion among the Brazilian dancers. I practiced with them, easily using the steps that I had learned before and putting them to a new sequence, impressing many...possibly discouraging a few. The practice ended and Lucy was there, so I asked her if she could ask someone what was going on. In ended up being that I was just filling in so that one of the dancers could have a partner...but then it happened that the dance teacher asked me to be in the show. He asked me to attened a practice on Sunday...with the thought of paying for costume I gave him an indefinate answer and left. I decided later that night that I wanted to participate and so on Sunday attended another dance practice and then attended to on Monday. The early practice on monday was a private lesson with my dance teacher. He decided that I would be dancing the Foha..(I would have preferred samba or waltz). After the lesson, when Lucy came to pick me up she mentioned to him, as she mentions to almost everyone we meet, that I sing. With just the right amount of cohersion I sang for them Oh Holy Night. After hearing me sing he pulled up the programs for the show on his computer and asked if I would sing for free or if I required payment. Ofcourse I told him for free...hoping in the back of my mind for some free dance classes...and he got all excited and wrote me into the program making for an international show. Yay. So I will be singing, Once Upon a December from the movie Anastasia for the performance..and on top of all this excitement is the location. All of this is going to take place in an old(leaks when it rains), but beautiful Ball room theatre. The first time I saw this theatre I said to myself that I wanted to perform there...and now I get too. I am very very happy about this...very happy.
The third big news..well the above definatly takes the cake, but I find it worth mentioning that school is over for me until Feburary. I am very happy about this as well. I am excited for Christmas here....and I am hoping to go see my sister in Peru during Christmas time as well.
Lots and Lots of things..
Thinking of my loves back in the states.
Things that I have Noticed
-I am beginning to forget how Americans dress
-Brazil does not really have a film or tv industry...TV here consists of US made movies..US based series and about 4 or 5 Brazilian soaps...with ofcourse Local News
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)