Juquehy

Juquey


"Que Vida Difícil" my host parents have been saying, or "such a hard life", but they're only joking ofcourse. Juquehy is the name of the beach we arrived at last Saturday and life here on the beach, in the town of Sâo Sabastion is anything but hard. I was here once before with Sergio and Lee last October in the vacation home of Sergios sister. The previous stay here was different. Last time a good part of Sergios family was here, celebrating the 93rd(I think) birthday of his mother. My Portuguese in October wasnt too strong, and I remember not understanding a good part of conversation and having difficulty speaking. This time, I am fluent and have less trouble speaking and it is just my family and my host brother's friend Fernando, who I also know from Liceau, spending the week here in the beach house. Tiago, my 32 year old cousin, who's wedding I attended in Sâo Paulo, was here the first two nights, but had to return to Sao Paulo for work.



Brazilian Family

Tiago, actually reminds me lots of my cousins. He has the whole big framed, sport soul, sweet heart personality that a number of my real cousins and family members share. The first night here Sergio, Lee, Tiago and I played Trunca, a card game not really comparable to any other card game I know, but a good good game with really good company. The second day here was mostly spent in the ocean, and later in the day Tiago taught me how to play...oh man I forget the name of it...a game with wooden rackets and a rubber ball. All you do is volley the ball back and forth. Its a really popular game..every time I have been to beach I have seen numerous people playing it. We were on the beach playing it and it started to rain...but we played in the rain anyway. (I always thought it illogical for people at the beach to leave when its raining)

Tiago mentioned a more than once that he is going to mark a day for me to come and play Texas Hold 'em with him and his family. I mean...really..this guy couldnt be more like real family.



Today

I woke up around seven this moring in the beach house living room. Although there existed a bedroom for me to sleep in I chose to sleep in the "sala" with the fans. Even with the fans, this morning was very warm and I couldnt seem to go back to sleep. So I took five or six short steps into the kitchen...opened up a bag of pistacios and poured myself a cup of pear juice. Shortly after I slept again. Around nine, I ate a small breakfast with my host parents and then we slathered ourselves in sunscreen (a process taken very seriously) and went to the beach.



Beach

The beach here is long. I would say it stretches at least a mile. Unlike the lake beaches I am accustomed to in Ohio, the sand here is real and white and clean. From the beach, maybe another mile out into the ocean exists about 6 or seven islands .....these random tiny mountains sticking up out of the water...giving everyone on on the beach a focus point so not to get lost in the eternity of the ocean. From the water, looking at the beach you can the homes directly beyond the sand, but beyond the homes you see green mountains, varying in size and shape. It really is beautiful.



Today cont.

After spending a few hours of the moring and a few more hours of the afternoon at the beach...I walked the unpaved road back home, only a short and safe distance away. Being here, I've lost a great deal of my independence. I cannot drive, I rarely have the opportunity to cook for myself, I do not go placed unaccompanied....so little instances like this...just walking by myself a little ways becomes something special to me....something worth writing about.

Upon returning home I moved my things from the bedroom downstairs to the upstairs room that Tiago had been using. I made a trip to a grocery store with my host father, twice...because the first time he forgot his wallet (a characteristic of his..hehehe). Later checked my emails, ate a good lunch with my family, napped, made brownies minus recipe. Looked up real recipe online afterwards. Began writing my blog and then was told to leave with my brother and Fernando. Walked with the two of them into town, watched them ironically eat American food and then walked back and now am writing this.



Pets

Listing the things I've done today makes it seem like I did lots. But my days lack accomplishments. I understand here, while I am on vacation at the beach there is not much I can do, but I have an idea, a goal, that when I return back to Piracicaba I will find a task, a mission to accomplish. I need something. This thought often comes to my mind; that I am a pet. I am like the family dog in that the funny things I do are good for conversation , I have a few tricks, and the family loves me and takes care of me. But in the end I am not a golden retriever and having some real tasks would make me really happy.



Last Wednesday

Last wednesday night I went to a barzinha with the group of people that I met through a boy from my school before he left for Switzerland. This group of people is perfect. They are my age, into theatre, hilarious, smart. When it happens, it is just really nice to find people you click with.



Brazil 101

-The current president of Brazil, Lula, currently has a movie in theatres about his life story....

-It is common and delicious to cook eggplant on the grill.

-Brazilians do not have powdered sugar. They have something with the translation of powdered sugar...but it is not the same