GOAL!

With the end of Carnaval has come a far more quiet Salvador. Although it does feel like there's less to do, I appreciate the quiet, especially in the morning. School started this week, my first class was suppose to be a painting technique class yesterday morning. Of course when I got to the main office I discovered that the course was no longer being offered and knowing that I could absolutely not return home(out of principle) I instead sat in on a cinema class with a professor whose name was Artistotles. The class itself was a little slow but I met a very nice woman who wrote down the names of a bunch of cool places to go for art stuff. I'm going back to the same class on Friday because I dont have anything better to do and need to get out of the house. In general I'm very excited about the start of school. It'll be nice to enter a routine, meet some new people and get my brain working creatively and critically again.

My host family situation is still working out for me although my host mom's motherly instincts are definitely in full swing. Its hard to live with people who don't know you and not be able to even communicate who you are to them because of a language barrier. It's maybe my largest frustration with Portuguese. I can go out on the street and get around and I can make conversation with strangers but I have a really hard time communication fairly simple ideas to my host parents.

Yes I speak Portuguese like a 1st grader but when I'm doing things in English I swear I'm on a college level.

On the bright side she is still a wonderful cook and the other day she bought me ice cream. Food really does make everything better. Also, my host father is hilarious and always teasing me.

All in all, Salvador is definitely different than what I expected. In all honestly, living here is a little more complicated than I expected. I attribute this to a few things:

a. Although I've been here for three weeks I feel like there is so much of the city that I still don't know and this is probably because we had a very brief orientation and Carnaval shut down the city for a week.

b. The number of tourists that come through the city creates strange dynamics between native Brazilians and foreigners and I am often implicated in that even though people don't always read me as a foreigner.

c. The way the rich and the poor live in the city is different from other cities I've been in, where the poor tend to be pushed into specific areas. Here everyone is all mixed up which means that just because you have a five star hotel in your neighborhood doesn't mean that that there won't also be a homeless person sleeping right in front of the gate and just because my apartment building is pretty safe and houses a lot of families doesn't mean that I don't feel just a little apprehensive walking down the street alone to get there at night. Being here, especially a night I've had to have my guard up a little more than Im used to (especially at Macalester) and even though I don't feel like I'm in an serious danger, the danger is there.
So in short, I wish I didn't have to keep so many things in my bra when going out.

I am definitely growing and being forced out of my comfort zone. I've found some great spots to hide out when I'm overwhelmed (mostly bookstores, oh and the mall!) and I have met some good people some of whose names I remember and many whose names I don't.
Yesterday I went over to my friend Olivia's house where she and another friend where in the midst of making rice pudding (so good). Later we went to the movies (The Fantastic Mr. Fox, which I adored) and then after, to an outdoor bar to watch The Corinthians soccer team play a team who I now don't remember (I mostly went for the beer and street food).
Every so often when it feels like I'm struggling I'll have a day like that and know that I'm suppose to be here. Beijos.

Salvador

Salvador da Bahia is a city of about 2 million people right on the coast of Brazil. Although a big city in many ways Salvador feels very small. I live in a neighborhood called Barra (prounounced “Baha”) which is right on the ocean with lots of stuff to do and people who consider a bathing suit with shorts, or a sunga with a tank top acceptable clothing for the grocery store.

My new host family is an older couple, Ieda and Fernando. Ieda is a biologist and Fernando has a printing business. They're in their late fifties with older children studying in Europe. Ieda is such a mom, she's constantly making me juices and cutting up the papaya on my plate.Warning me about drunk people out late at night.Wishing me a Happy Carnaval. She says it genuinely makes her happy to do things for other people, so I try not to protest too much, even if it feels ridiculous sometimes.
We live in a small apartment but can see the ocean from every window.
My room has a great big comfy bed and a wonderful closet. I have a great view of the ocean from my desk (which is actually a table).

What I've been up to.
Not a lot to be frank. School doesn't start until March 3 which means that I've been at the beach more or less everyday and out dancing at night.
By the way, Black people do get sunburned.
I've been hit twice and have ridiculous tanlines as well. The sun is no joke, so I bought sunscreen today--SPF 30. For some reason on the bottle it's written as "FSP" 30.I don't know.
Oh and Carnaval.

Carnaval.
I'm not even sure how or what to write about it. In some ways it has been exactly what I expected and in a lot of ways not. I've been out from 7 pm until 3 am every night for the past 4 days including the two days I was sick. (Take some medicine and keep it moving.)

The first day of Carnaval we went out in masks that we purchased at a artsy used book store/cafe near my house. Mine was red, purple and green with yellow feathers sticking out of the top. Soon it started raining and my mask fell to pieces but it didn't matter because everyone was soaking wet, and dancing and more or less happy. There's so much more I could write about but It's probably better saved for a Skype or real life conversation. And perhaps some day I'll also give my critique of Carnaval(because I definitely have one).

For now, I'm happy and getting a lot of rest, eating a lot of good food, feeling frustrated at times but getting over it and getting used to the idea of being here for 4 more months.
Tchau.

Bimbola