Feliz Páscoa

Páscoa/Easter

The Wednesday before Easter I went to an outdoor play called Paixão de Cristo. The performance, which took place in my city of Piracicaba, is the second largest outdoor performance about the life of Jesus in Brazil. The aspect of the it taking place outdoors was really neat. The show commenced at night in the dark. The scenes were set up on the broad side of a large grass, rock and dirt mound close enough to the Piracicaba river that one was able to here the water. The cool breezes that seemed to pass in the most emotional heightened moments created goosebumps on the arms of all who watched. The show had 500 actors who participated as towns people, soldiers, the deciples and all the main characters in the New Testement. The costumes were outstanding as was the scenery. The live horses and donkey were impressive. The music was well selected, the lighting perfectly placed, and the special effects successful. It was a great show. My host grandmother, two cousins, uncle and aunt and I all agreed.



Easter Day

Easter day I woke up around noon and acted on the urge to call my parents before even stepping out of bed. I got a chance to talk to with both of my parents and then was happily surprised to get a chance to talk with my brother who I did not realize had already returned to Ohio. The conversations were fairly short, but complete and lovely. After saying good bye I began to get ready for Easter dinner at Li's mothers house.
My host mother then eneterd my room and set a large brown box on my bed begining, what I quickly came to understand, the Brazilian Easter tradition. The box contained a large chocolate, truffle filled shell, easter egg. Honestly, I knew it was coming because I had gone with her to the shopping mall to purchase more than seven different large, deliciously shell filled, eggs. What I didn't know is how she would give it to me or when. So I hugged and thanked my host mom, she made a little joke about the "coelinha de Páscoa" (easter bunny) and reminded me to hurry up. At one o'clock my host mother, brother and I left for dinner. Sergio had been traveling with workthe entire week before, but after a long drive and shower he made it to the grandparents home, a little later than the rest, but in time. In the time before dinner, my host grandmother and grandfather gave me another large chocolate egg wrapped prettily in pink and gold shiney paper. I hugged and thanked them, and felt a little bad not having something to give to them. Then when my host aunt and uncle arrived they gave me another package wrapped in shiny black paper which contained a dark chocolate Easter egg. I quickly understood the Easter tradition fully and made mental notes to send these family members Easter eggs for the next year.
Soon we all sat down at a large ten person table in the dining room (my grandparents house here reminds me a little of my real grandmas' houses. Older furniture, lots of interior wood, family pictures, soft lighting, memorabilias, cookoo-clocks, and it generally smells like either somethings baking or old books.) For dinner, my host grandmother cooked so much food. There was salade, rice, cuscus, lamb, potatoes, roast beef, gnocci, and for dessert miniture strawberry torts and icecream. It was really good. Everyone ate too much.
After dinner I went with Sergio and Li to Li's grandmother and aunt's house for the first time. Li's grandma, aunt, mother and Li all look fairly the same. The great-grandma (Bisavó) is much older than the rest, with ninety some years. She suffers from an illness that makes her shake and interfers with mental clarity, but this day she looked well and was able to speak more in comparison the to first time I met her. What I found remarkable about bisavó was her skin. Even after ninety years her skin is practically free of wrinkles and glows with a soft white color. Li's aunt, who takes care of bisavó, much resembles her sister, Li's mom, not only with looks. They way she talked, the things she chose to converse about, the way she walked, they way she ignored our cries not to feed us. I imagine now seeing them in a room together and assume that I would not be able to control my laughter. They are both cute semi-old ladies. There we made a short visit to wish them Feliz Páscoa and drop off a traditional easter cake (bought). The aunt gave me my final Brazilian easter egg, a smaller (thank goodness) fist-sized chocolate egg wrapped in pink shiny paper. I thanked her, and smiled at her pile of easter cakes on a table.
The rest of the day was calm. We returned home, where my host parents crashed into their bed and I into my computer chair where I stayed until 2a.m. working on paper and sending Easter wishes to my buddies at home.

Enjoying the Weather
Wow, lately its been chilly here. Today is 19 degrees Celsius or 66 degrees farenheight and it was even colder the past two days. I actually love this weather. I love the clothes, my hair behaves better, the extra bedding, its perfect for exercise. It is great. I road bikes with my friend Dominika on the college campus across the street from my house. It was cool once I got over my fright or getting hit by a crazy brazilian driver, or getting mugged by a crazy brazilian hobo.
Yesterday Sergio took a break from traveling and came home to recuperate a bit. I went for a walk with him on campus. I always enjoy walks with Sergio. We talk about furtures, family, problems and we joke a lot. Sergio and Li have plans to come to Monroeville and meet my family. I am excited about this because I know they're not just talking. They have talked about this more than one time, and not once I have witnessed Li say she was going to do something and not follow through.


Brazil 101
-I learned in biologia that peanuts sometimes contain a type of bacteria that causes cancer.
-Brazilian businesses do not out source there help lines to India. (My host parents thought this was funny about the US)
-In Rio de Janeiro hundereds of poor people built their shack homes on a mound that used to be a dump, but was covered over....or a sink-hole. Now, after the heavey rain there, that ground sank killing many people and destroying all the homes. Rescurers resitate to enter the site because of the unsafe ground and toxitity.