Sétimo Mês

Sétimo Mês
Today is dia 22 de Mars. What does that mean? It means that seven months ago today I walked off an airplane and stepped into Brazil. At seven months in, I feel like I am at an emotional peak. My thoughts often drift to the ones I love back home. I often find myself imagining how it will be coming back...I expect that my parents and friends will bring me an automatic comfort. I dream about my brother...and the unparraled joy of being in his presence. I will need all them...My heart swells at the idea of sitting with them around a campfire...telling stories and laughing so easily...but this joyful thought cannot exists with out the heaviness in my chest. A heaviness that reminds me what I will have to leave behind.
These thoughts, dreams, emotions loom. I've been telling myself and telling those who've asked...I am not ready to go, but I will be when I the time comes. I still believe this...I believe that the same out of body, out of emotion force that took over me on the way here will return again and nothing beyond the furture 15 minutes will be of concern.

Routine
I've picked up a bit of a different routine with in the past month. I frequent high school Monday through Friday 7 until 12:45. On Tuesday I have Portuguese lessons with the other exchange students. Monday through Thursday teach English classes to three different groups of students ranging from 14-23 at the language school ICBEU (Culteral Institute Brazil USA). Thursdays I attend Drama classes. And then there is always the random things with school or rotary that I do during the week. Today for example...after school my friend Dominika from Slovakia came to my house for lunch, at then at 2 o'clock we went to the nursing home campus and played Bingo with some very old Brazilian Ladies.

Soul
Last Friday night my first host mother Lucy put on a Arabian food themed party for Rotary. In addition the the excellent food and company, Lucy and her sister Suzy (in who's house this was taking place) hired a two man band to keep the party entertained all night. I noticed quickly the bands talent and admired the singers correct pronunciation of English. At some point in the night..I was pressured into singing along with the band. After an improv. "Blowing in the Wind"and "Don't Cry for me Agentina" the two man band invited me to sing along with them in a gig they were having the next night in the shopping mall. I accepted. So, Saturday night with out practice or rehearsal I sang about 10 songs...half of which I had never previously performed. What turned out wasnt my best...but it was enough to impress the musicians and provoke them to further invite me to more gigs and offer to do a rehearsal with me sometime during the weak. I am excited about this and very humbled.

Jungle
On May 3rd I will be flying to the Amazons. Ill fly into the capital, Manaus. There I will do some site seeing and museum tours. Then for four days I will be floating down the Rio Negra in a medium sized boat making stops at some indian villages. At night I will be sleeping in a hammock and be wearing bug repelent instead of skin. After the boat there will be some more village and city sight seeing and then on My 13 I will fly back to Sao Paulo.

Brazil 101
-Only about 20 years ago in Piracicaba sport and leisure clubs were openly denying membership to blacks.
-Families exchange large chocolate eggs for easter.
-Automatic cars have only become socially acceptable in the past decade. Before this they were percieved as handicap cars
-it is common to encouter not only handicapped parking, but also old people parking