A Parallel Universe Called Brazil

Friday night was my first encounter with my fiancee, R's, cousin F. We had emailed back and forth for a few days setting up our outing for the night. Her friend, Raul, was turning 60 and having a get together at a local restaurant, Salsa e Cebolinha-- owned by a mutual friend named Conceicao-- and I was invited to come along. The night began slow enough with just a few people there and a round of Skol beer at 7pm. F was sweet, fun and always worried about me having a good time. I think I had TOO good a time. An unknown amount of beers, about 3 full meals, 10 dances, 50+ people and 6 hours later I was rather buzzed and completely exhausted. A friend of F's gave me a ride home since Flavia wanted to keep partying (she left around 3am)! 

During the course of the night, prior to becoming fuzzy over numerous glasses of beer, I told F about my plans to meet another cousin, D, the next afternoon and asked if she were going. She politely replied that she had not been invited. I quickly decided that changing the subject was in order. Being rather unfamiliar with the intimate details of Brazilian etiquette, I asked her what I should bring for the birthday of someone I didn't know-- wine, perhaps? She replied that, since he's older, retired and loaded, wine wouldn't be a good idea; considering he probably only drinks the most expensive kinds. Yipes, I thought. Ok....so, what would you suggest? I cautiously said. After thinking for a minute, she said, "Flowers. Pick a bouquet of whatever looks pretty. It will look sweet and thoughtful and flowers are pretty universal as a gift." Cool.

I decided it was okay that my weekend was getting a little out of control since, during the week, I never go out and it's all about work. So, Saturday afternoon I went to meet D. He was turning 87 that day and had invited a few friends and close family to have brunch at 1pm at his condo in Ipanema. D had kindly arranged for a taxi to pick me up at the hostel and bring me to his place. So, I waited....and waited....until 1:30pm when, even according to Brazilian standards, the taxi was late. The girl at the front desk called another one and I arrived, not so fashionably, late around 2pm. When I walked in, it was like a parallel universe. People were demurely chatting over cucumber finger sandwiches and red wine while sporting dock shoes and pearls. Not only was D's place enormous, it was very lavish. I suddenly felt hickish and sorely under-dressed. He greeted me at the door and, after wishing him a "happy birthday", I presented him with my flowers. As I explained that, since we hadn't met, I didn't know what to get him and had been advised that flowers might be nice, he signaled the maid to "take them". Damnit....a second major social mistake within 24 hrs. Oh well, I couldn't be offended. He was just the sweetest old man ever; he led me around the room and introduced me and kept checking to make sure I was doing okay and having a good time.

He led me down the hall into a small living room where he introduced me to all his kids and a few grandkids (friends were in the main living area at the entrance). Wow....he considers me family already? His sons I and P were wonderful and super-interesting. P makes documentaries about Brazilian social inequalities. Naturally, after hearing about what I do, we hit it off and got into a major discussion (with his wife as well) about race, class, etc. Nerd stuff. After about 4o mins of chatting, we were called by M.H. (D's wife) into the main area for brunch. I ended up at a table with a guy named P and his wife. The conversation was brilliant until they heard that I study race. They then began to tell me what a "social problem" black people are. WHAT?? How they don't want to work, study or do anything productive so things like the new affirmative action policies in Brazil are doomed to fail. These policies are also a form of reverse-racism against people who study hard, get good grades, are good workers and deserve that spot (i.e. white, elite people). The wife admitted openly that she was "a racist" but countered that, in Brazil, everyone is (ummm, no). For example, she said that she has no problem talking or interacting with people of color but, if one wanted to marry her daughter, "No way". During this Twilight Zone conversation, they continually asked me, "Don't you agree?" I constantly ignored the question. Ah, rich people; how you amaze me! 

Sunday night was another beer-fest with F. For all her wild partying, I feel more like myself with her. She's very motherly and always open, which makes me comfortable to speak my mind. This time, she took me to a little hole-in-the-wall bar (literally) called "Tabuleiro da Baiana" for a samba party. I drank WAY too much again, danced samba all night and generally had a marvelous time. F and her best friend "A Baiana" (I can't remember her real name) took me to eat at the Cervantes Restaurant, which is apparently rather famous here. They make an awesome sandwich, I gotta say. After dropping me off at the hostel, they reminded me of more social events that I "must" attend on 10th, 19th and 20th of the month. I was exhausted and rather dehydrated all day at the archive. Thank God I have tonight to recover and sleep!

This weekend was truly like falling into some strange Brazilian vortex. Racism, dancing, 100 year-old red wine from France, roast beef sandwiches at 1am....how will I ever balance living in Rio and working here?? 

Samba de Aviao

Hellooooo out there for anyone brave enough to continue to check for updates on this blog!! Yes, after a looooonng hiatus, I'm officially back in business. And back in Brazil! I've returned to sunny, scenic Rio this trip.

Just flew in this morning and I'm already overwhelmed, which probably doesn't bode well. Ok, maybe not overwhelmed....nervous is probably a better word. Rio is a HUGE city. It has a lot of beauty to offer but also plenty of danger. Lots of options but, for the inexperienced, non-carioca, it can seem like too many. Luckily, at least my flight went off without a hitch--- unlike the Air France flight that has been in the news for the last few days. 

Right now, I'm basically moping in my little hostel room. I'm staying at the Botafogo Easy Hostel in the middle-class, residential neighborhood of Botafogo. It's rather far removed from the city center and the night life but it is very safe and quiet, which I appreciate. The prices are a bit high, I think-- especially for the off-season-- but it's clean and the staff seem helpful and nice. I miss my fiancee, R, a lot; mainly, that's on my mind. Other than that, I'm cowering at the prospect of my first real summer of research.

I'll be here in Rio for 6 weeks doing preliminary dissertation research. Make it or break it time! Hopefully, I'll find something worth pursuing and hopefully I won't come to hate my chosen career path in the process. I figured, to ease my pain and air my grievances, I'll document my research and life experiences here in Brazil for all those pondering a similar life-- or even those already in the trenches. I'm going to start small--- the Arquivo Publico do Estado do RJ (Public State Archive), which is about two blocks from where I'm staying. That's the agenda for tomorrow.

As for tonight, I'm tired, stinky from the over-night flight and hungry for lunch (it's about 12:30 in Brazil right now) but too lazy to do anything but type on my little laptop. Which, by the way, nearly gave me heart failure earlier. The main reason I chose this hostel, aside from location, was its offer of free WiFi (what grad student can survive without it??). To my horror, upon arrival and check-in (including payment in FULL) my computer wouldn't connect. I, of course, began to resort to freak-out mode in my head. SHIT-- my mother hasn't heard from me and will start to worry! SHIT--- my fiancee is expecting me to Skype with him while I'm here! SHIT-- I don't have a working cell phone or phone card here in Brazil yet! How am I going to communicate or do work without the internet??? SHIT SHIT SHIT  I frantically asked several people here (EVERYONE is male except me, which is kinda weird) if they knew how to fix it since I'm not terribly computer savvy. People kept trying things but nothing worked. Pouty and panicky, I used one of their public computers to send an email out alerting family and loved ones that I was indeed fine and that I was simply having technical difficulties which were surely temporary. (Lie--- gotta protect people from worrying, right?)

In my head, I'm already contemplating how to ask for a refund, look for a new place to stay, move all my luggage, figure out alternative modes of contact and starting to sweat (which I tend to do....a lot...especially when nervous....very dainty, I know). Suddenly, my internet pops online and the heavens open up and the angels sing my redemption. Thus, I have spent the last hour and a half relishing my connectedness to civilization once again. I think I may have a slight addiction....hmm... anywho, that's all for now. I'm resolved to get clean in the VERY tiny and rather public bathroom here and go find some lunch....and probably get lost for a little while in the process. Hurray for Rio!!

Very Embarassed/ Just Plain Happy

I've had some requests from blog followers (who shall remain nameless) that I "spice things up" and that my posts have been a bit dull recently, haha. Ok, this one is for you people....I didn't do this on purpose to add "spice" and it is a totally true story. However, it will go into the annals of history as one of the most embarassing moments of my natural life.

So, I asked my friend R to teach me how to play tennis. I've always loved the sport and wanted to learn. Being an academic usually means sitting inside all day long reading, writing or grading. The few opportunities I have to go outside and move around are very valuable. I had my first lesson Monday evening. It was a blazing night--- 90 degrees F with high humidity. After about an hour or so, we were both drenched in sweat and called it a night. (after a brief stop for some well-deserved but rather counter-productive ice cream at Maggie Moo's) I got home and felt so icky I couldn't wait to take a shower. I walked into my bedroom and immediately began to peel off my sweaty layers--- first the shirt over the head and my shorts were around my knees when I heard, "Woooooooo, yeah baby!!"

I looked to my right where the sound had come from and realized with dismay that the blinds in my bedroom were up. A group of three guys (my neighbors in the next building) were on their deck having an evening beer and got about half of a free peep-show from me! They raised their beers to me and cheered. I was so mortified I had no idea what to do. I'm not sure why I reacted the way I did, perhaps it was the fire drill training I had in elementary school or all the war movies I've watched with my boyfriend but....I hit the dirt. I literally dove on the floor and Vietnam War-style crawled over to the window, crouched in the corner and managed to close the blinds from there. After which I heard, "Awwwww..." neighbor-side. Sorry fellas, nothin' more to see here! How's that for spice, right?

Other than that brief, shining moment of complete idiocy on my part, things have been pretty great so far. The weather is currently gray, overcast, cool and rainy---- aka the BEST weather ever. I love days like this. God bless hurricanes! My classes are going well (both teaching and taking). I really feel like I'm hitting my stride here or, at least, getting very comfortable and confident. My health is perfectly fine now, thank goodness--though I do have a rather awesome scar on my neck now (I just tell people I got into a knife fight in Brazil). As boring and cheesy as it may sound, I'm just plain happy :)

Back in the saddle again

It's the start of yet another school year and I'm so excited! I'm entering the 2nd year of my Ph.D. and I feel good about my new role. This year, I get to be a TA; I will be in charge of two discussion sections of Western Civ. Woo! I was hoping to get that class because some of the other options were either bleak, boring or embarassing (i.e. Survey of U.S. History, History of Medicine, History of Business and Enterprise, History of Pornography and Prostitution). Granted, I think I could handle the Porn and Prostitution class but, I think I'd be blushing consistently for about the first month. Maybe next year ;)

This year brings about a few more changes, mainly in the personnel area. One member of my cohort is currently spending a year abroad in Germany teaching and doing research. We're all very happy for him but, I think we all miss him pretty terribly. There are undeniably certain people in life that leave a hole in the universe when they're not around; this guy is one of those. Another member of my cohort decided not to return for his second year. This was a shock to all of us. He was very much the silent type so, no one knew anything was wrong. All efforts at communication with him have been unsuccessful so, if you're reading K, we all wish you the best and would like to hear how you're doing!

It is amazing to me that, as a 2nd year, some of the new grads have been asking for my opinion and advice. Ha! Like I know anything. Truthfully, I only feel slightly less lost than I did last year (at least I can find most buildings on campus and locate food, when necessary). I'm still not anywhere near the kind of researcher/writer I want to be; my only consolation is that I think I have a better idea of what I should be. In any case, the new batch of newbies seem very friendly, intelligent and down-to-earth. The last thing we need in the department is a flood of people on an ego trip. Academia in general has enough of that.

TA orientation was this week and for the next two weekends we will be having departmental social events. This is all part of the"welcome-back-from-summer-death" adjustment period. "Summer death" being defined as the total and complete lapse in social contact or interaction that occurs during the summer months. No one knows if you are dead or alive, no one asks and you don't give any signs of life until the week before classes start. It's a time of quiet reflection, procrastination, beautifying, weight loss and general self-transformation. Extreme Makeover-- Academic Edition. We are never as tan, thin, rested, happy or energetic as in those first few weeks. Personally, I'm going to try to enjoy it while it lasts...this year's gonna be rough...

Ehhh....what's up Doc?

Well, in case anyone has been wondering, it's been a very busy and interesting month for me. I got back from Brazil and immediately began the medical ball rolling. I had a rather enormous lump on the left side of my neck (as you can see) that had started causing me pain and a lot of discomfort. By the time I got state-side, the left side of my face was puffy and swollen; my jawline was almost indistinguishable from my neck due to the inflammation. I quickly got an appointment with my family physician in Hagerstown, Md and she referred me to an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) specialist named Dr. A. Chris Manilla. He was awful. When I was trying to explain what the specialist in Brazil told me, he interrupted and rudely interjected, "Well, I'm a specialist too, ya know." Yeah, buddy, I know. And real professional too. Then, I asked him about the timeline for my surgery. He said, "If you think you're gonna be scheduled for surgery in the next week or so, you're crazy. We're looking at at least a month." He then asked me what I do. When I told him I was a Ph.D. student at a rather prestigious Southeastern university he said, "Why would you do this here, then? They have one of the best programs in the country for this. You'd be crazy to do it here. It's just me and it's just Hagerstown." Not the best vote of confidence for your skills or your facilities, my friend. I'm sure the rest of the medical staff where he works would be interested to know his thoughts on the hospital there. In any case, I did follow his advice and had the surgery done at my home university. They scheduled me immediately for surgery (this past Monday). I was treated wonderfully by all the doctors, nurses and staff here. VUMC is a fantastic medical facility. I would recommend them to anyone for anything. (Recently voted "Best of the Best" by Newsweek!). Dr. Wendell Yarbrough was the one to actually do my surgery and he was wonderful! Very patient, answered all my questions, was extremely friendly and did an excellent job; I have no complaints whatsoever.

Basically, I had a cyst removed from my neck which was about the size of a medium egg. It was a congenital, branchial cleft cyst. This means that, as an embryo, I developed with the end of a branchial tube in my neck left open (cleft). This allows bacteria to enter and infect the area, which forms the cyst (a collection of fluid), and needs to be removed. Only about 2-3% of the population has this occur and recurrence is rare (thank goodness). The surgery doesn't take very long, about 2 hours, but the area around the neck is very sensitive and delicate (lots of arteries, nerves, etc). Luckily, my situation wasn't terribly complicated and so my recovery has been rather easy. Right now, I'm hooked up to a drainage tube (as seen below). I go in tomorrow to have it removed. After that, I will have a small scar under my jawline which should fade with time and proper care. All in all, things were very easy and I'm happy to have it all over with. I'm still hopped up on pain-killers and a virtual cocktail of other medications but, I'm feeling okay. It's a bit like getting kicked in the neck....really hard. My parents came down to care for me and my boyfriend is here too so, that helps a lot. I look forward to the start of classes and getting back to normal life again.....whew....

Officially a Cyst-er

Oh, so much news....I´ll start with the good stuff...

I went this past weekend to Mucuge, a little city in the interior of the state of Bahia, for the festival of São João. This festival is a huge deal here in the Northeast...kinda like Carnaval is for the Southeast of Brazil. Basically, it´s a redneck festival. People wear straw hats, dress in plaid shirts, jeans and cowboy boots and dance to Brazilian country music (called "forró" here). It is also a festival that includes many different traditional foods and drinks of the Northeast. It´s really my cup of tea-- the whole idea is to eat, drink (and get drunk), be merry and dance all night long. Awesomeness! I went with a tour group so, there were 23 of us in a tour bus. Everyone except myself and two Germans were Brazilians so, it was great to see the dynamic of Brazilian tourists for a change. They were hilarious! Everyone was trading stories, jokes and food. Our tour guide was a riot and very energetic. He was also very into spiritualism so, every time something went wrong (and plenty of things did), he would say, " Ok everyone, let´s just think positive shall we? Let´s take 3 deep breaths now....ok, one for you, one for the group and one for the universe." haha Part of the tour package was a series of small trips to neighboring cities where we went rock climbing, swam in grottoes, got drenched in waterfalls, went hiking in the mountains and then, every night, partied for São João. It was easily the highlight of my time here.

Ok, so now the bad stuff. Having said all the above, the highlight of my trip has surely passed. I spent all day Wednesday in the emergency room of a local hospital. Why, you ask? Well, before leaving for Brazil I noticed a lump on my neck. It was small, right below my jawline and wasn´t causing any problems for me. However, I went to a doctor in TN (who shall remain nameless....the bitch) who told me it was probably nothing....some kind of allergy...and it would pass. So, I came here. As the weeks went by, I noticed that this lump was starting to enlarge. After returning from the trip this weekend, this lump began hurting. My host family got scared and took me to the hospital. After a whole day there, a battery of tests and R$2,000, it was finally determined that I have a branchial cyst (more or less like the one in the photo, except on the left side). I was referred to a specialist, who I met yesterday. He was very nice and explained to me that it´s not cancer, just fluid. However, I will need surgery to remove it; otherwise, there is a very real risk of infection which, around the head and neck area, is serious business. So, as a result, I am in the process of changing my flight to this Sunday. My parents have already called my doctor there and are scheduling things. More bad news-- I didn´t get to finish my research here. In fact, I barely got started. Today was going to be my last day of language classes and then I had interviews and meetings scheduled for the next two weeks, in addition to trips to libraries and museums here. No research, no more fun and no more Brazil.....

So, America, I´m on my way home....but I´m not happy about it.... :(

Misadventures at the Morro de São Paulo

This weekend was crazy! Got to tell everyone this story...

A group of American students and I decided to visit the Morro de São Paulo (a tropical island off the coast, photo above) for a weekend get-away. We almost missed the last boat on Friday afternoon because traffic was bad, one friend was late and the line at the ticket counter was rather long. Luckily, we got there in time and got on board. We opted to take a catamará (very fast motorboat) to the island instead of the slower (and cheaper) ferryboat. We had been warned by the language school not to eat lunch before leaving. I heeded this warning, and for good reason. The motorboat was so fast that it cut the waves which meant that everyone inside moved both up and down and side to side. Virtually half the boat got intensely seasick, including myself. This suprised me considering I´ve been on lots of boats before and I don´t really have motion-sickness issues. The beginning of the trip had been full of laughing, talking and jokes about how rough the sea was; after about half an hour, no one thought it was very funny anymore.

Two hours later, we landed at the island. It was incredible. It looked like something from Gilligan´s Island mixed with Jurassic Park-- wild, craggy, and fantastic in the setting sun. Giddy as school girls, the four of us settled into our pousada (little hotel). We had a great steak dinner on the beach by the light of tiki torches and drank ourselves silly. About 2am, our friend A wakes us up in a panic. "What the hell?? There´s something in the bed! Guys, get up!" Naturally, we all leap out of bed and flip on the lights. A´s back and chest were covered with large, red welts. We frantically checked his bed but there was nothing there. As the others discussed a possible case of hives, I took a closer look at A´s back. "Hey guys, these look like mosquito bites, not hives." As we all looked around, it became apparent that little black dots were buzzing from every corner of the room. Stupidly, we had left the window of the room open for fresh, cool air during the night and invited a dozen or so buggy-friends in from the rain. Strangely, they only went for A. Another friend had some Off! wipes which we all used on A and ourselves rather generously before tenuously falling back asleep.

The next day, we all basked in the glory of the equatorial sun and thought our troubles had ended. Eh, not so much. By dinner-time, I started to notice that my cash was running low, as was everyone else´s. Despite having little VISA and Mastercard plaques in their windows, virtually every place on the island did not take a card--of any kind (not even the hotel!!!) There was an ATM near our hotel that had the proper insignia so, I went to get some cash. It kept saying it couldn´t read my card. Damn. So, I went to ask at the hotel where there was another one. The closest one was further in-town so, my friend B and I went on a quest to get money. We went for the national bank of Brazil but, that ATM was out of order. The last one left on the island was the same brand as the one near our hotel that hadn´t been able to read my card. Shit, shit, shit, I kept thinking. If this doesn´t work we´ll have to wash dishes or pimp ourselves out or something to eat and get back. Thanks be to Jesus, the ATM worked on my card. So, I took out a ton just to be safe. Ironically, no one else could get it to work. I became the sugar-momma of the group.

That night, our group went out to celebrate our new problem-free existence. A dinner and a few drinks later and my buddy A was down for the count--- food poisoning. We suspect that the ice or perhaps lime in one of his drinks was dirty. He was vomiting all night long in our hotel bathroom. We didn´t have the heart to leave him there alone and we were tired anyway so, we went to bed early. The next morning we ate and did as little as possible to not tempt fate, got on the return boat and made it back to the mainland intact. Ahhhh.....world travel!!!

Attitude Adjustment

I can´t believe it´s already week two!! Time is definitely flying down here. I feel like I´m just now starting to feel comfortable and well-adjusted. Maybe too comfortable; you can blame it on the heat, the intensive language courses, the laundry list of things to buy, do and see but, the truth is that I haven´t gotten any work done yet. It´s driving me crazy! I have been trying...honestly, I have. I tried emailing a few professors/grad students here in Salvador that do the same kind of research but, they either pass me off to other people or simply don´t reply to my emails. I´m not exactly sure what to do about this. Be persistent and kick down the door (figuratively speaking, of course)? Leave well enough alone and forget about talking with anyone local? Social mores are rather different here and I know that but, I don´t know what the alternative is. Clearly, I need an attitude adjustment of some kind.

So, what have I been doing instead of work? Lots of stuff. I´ve visited the Mercado Modelo (local artisan fair in the historic city center), which is where everyone´s gifts are going to come from. I love this place. The area around it is a bit dodgy but, the stuff they sell is awesome. Anything you can imagine made from wood, leather or stone is there (musical instruments, jewelry, clothing, shoes, artwork, etc.). Way too much fun.

Yesterday, a few of us went uptown to the Museu de Arte da Bahia (Bahia Museum of Art). I wasn´t allowed to take any pictures (at least from the inside) but, let me tell you, it was fantastic! To be totally honest, most museums in Latin America (at least in my personal experience) are not all that great. However, this one made up for all the rest. It is a beautifully restored colonial house converted into a museum of all varieties of art relating to the history of Salvador, Bahia. Royal furniture, portraits, dishware, sketches, maps, etc. It was wonderful-- worth way more than the R$2.50 (roughly USD $1.20) that I paid to get in. There is also a Museum of Modern Art here that I hope to get to some time soon.

There´s more but I´m running out of blog space and time (gotta pay to get on the internet here). So, I´ll have to wait until next time to give more info....Bye for now!

P.S. Family & Friends-- You guys can leave comments on my blog if you want to; I´d love to hear back from you! Just click [comments] below the entry.

Rain, rain go away....

Well, I´ve made it through my first week here in Salvador, Brazil. The first few days were rather rough for me. My Portuguese was rusty, I didn´t know anyone and I had nothing to do. Thankfully, I know my way around now so, there are plenty of things to do. My language skills have improved to the point that even taxi drivers compliment my Portuguese. One even thought I was from São Paulo, haha. I´ve also made some friends here. As an internationally-oriented language school, there are people here from all over. It is a constant flux of foreigners in and out but, as of now, there is: a Spanish girl, a guy from NY, a guy from Minneasota, a guy from Montreal, Canada, a couple from Slovakia, two German girls, a Russian girl, a guy from South Africa, a British guy, and a few that I haven´t been introduced to yet. It´s pretty awesome.

I´ve seen a bit of the city so far, but only a small bit. The weather here has been really tempermental. It pours rain one minute and then it´s hot, humid and sunny the next. This weekend, a group of us had plans to visit the Morro de São Paulo, which is an island off the coast of Brazil. It has a nature preserve, a resort and some of the best beaches in the area. Unfortunately, the forecast is for rain and thunderstorms all weekend long so, those plans will have to wait. I did get to see some of the historic center of the city, Pelourinho, at night. A group of us watched a drum corp and dance troupe as they moved through the streets. It was awesome! Everyone was joining in, dancing and singing-- even tourists. Then, we went to a reggae club and I learned how to dance forró, which is a typical dance of the Northeast of Brazil. The picture here is actually not Pelourinho, but Barra-- the area where I spend most of my time. This is a photo of the fárol (lighthouse) there at night. I have pictures of it during the day but, uploading photos here would be impossible. You get the idea...

Not sure what I´m going to do this weekend. A few students here were going to go out again and the school is throwing a party for us on Sunday night. Still trying to get my research started. I´ve emailed a few people and am waiting on responses. I´ll keep everyone posted!

News from Brazil

Well, I'm here! After roughly 24 hours traveling (lay-overs, flights, blah, blah), I'm here in sunny Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It's not very hot today (roughly 80 degrees F) but the humidity---my god. Killer. My hair has lots of extra volume (aka frizz), haha. Oh, and no air conditioning...anywhere... except the shopping malls. Oh well, I'll survive.

I've learned quickly that maintaining a blog with photos will be nearly impossible here. Internet is very hard to come by and rather expensive so, infrequent amounts of descriptive words will have to suffice.

Salvador is beautiful, I have to say. Flying in gave me a really great view of the ocean, the white-washed buildings and the snake-like little streets everywhere. The people here are very friendly though I stick out quite clearly as a foreigner. Here, I'm blond and blue-eyed--- rather unusual for these parts. Plus, my wardrobe is rather American--- too casual. Brazilians love to dress up when going anywhere, even the grocery store. The women wear intensely high sandals on pavements that look like someone took a jack-hammer to them. I don't know how they don't break their legs every day. I know I don't have the balance to do it, nor do I want to risk it to try.

My host family consists of Carla (40ish kindergarten teacher) and her daughter Larissa (21 year old law student). They both work and go to school so, it appears that I'll be on my own most of the time. A bit of a disappointment but, hey, that's life. They're both very nice and extremely welcoming. Their apartment is rather big and very airy--- though without air conditioning. It gets a bit steamy at night, especially when it rains which, apparently happens rather often in the winter (their seasons are the opposite of the U.S.).

Well, gotta run. My first Portuguese class is today. Then I have to attempt to find my way home....wish me luck!

Waiting stinks but boyfriends and Brazil are awesome....

It's been a little while since I've blogged and for good reason. My life has been a bit frustrating lately but, hopefully, things are looking up. Quick re-cap/ gripe-fest.....

--- classes ended almost three weeks ago and I STILL have not received all my final grades (no fault of mine)

--- weather has been stinky for May; rain, gray skies, wind and rather cool temperatures have dampened my mood (and I stupidly packed for the much-warmer Southern climate I've grown accustomed to)

--- I left town and STILL have not received my summer research funding checks; I'm rather upset about this. I had to either foot the bill upfront and see my loved ones before flying out or wait around indefinitely and watch as airfares went through the roof. I chose the former....

However, life is not all bad....

---I'm back in lovely WV enjoying the company of my most excellent boyfriend. He's working and I'm reading like crazy but, at least we're together.

--- I've been hanging out with some of my old WVU friends. So good to catch up...

--- I get to see my family this weekend. I miss them a lot and haven't been home since Christmas.

--- I'm going back to BRAZIL this summer!!! I'm so excited. In 7 days, I'll be heading to Salvador (for 6 weeks) in the Northeastern state of Bahia this time. Tropical climate, beautiful beaches, samba, famous cuisine and my very own research project...what more could I ask for??

I'll do my best to blog about my Brazilian adventure this summer but, internet access might be a bit spotty. We'll see...

A New Way to Get Dressed in the Morning?

Check these guys out...

A Family Visit

So, since the end of classes and finals I have achieved almost everything on my "To Do" list. My cousin J from Philly came to visit this past weekend and we had a blast. He's quite a country fan so, we went to the CMA Hall of Fame, the Historic Ryman Auditorium and the famous Pancake Pantry (breakfast nook to the stars). We also did karaoke at Lonnie's (THE place to get discovered). Here are some highlights from the weekend... more news to come....

Hay muchos tacos en Mexico!!!

OMG...laughed so hard when I saw this...needed a good belly laugh...thanks to Lorena for showing this to me...





...and I'm sure half the world has seen this one...



Love it! Reminds me of being a Spanish TA.... :)

When this semester is over....

I will:

1) Get a full night's sleep
2) Eat 3 real meals a day-- stuffing my face during each one
3) Read for pleasure
4) Have contact with humans again (preferably friends)
5) Go have a drink (preferably something strong)
6) Get a massage
7) Go out dancing all night long
8) Call all the people who probably think I've died or been abducted by aliens because it's been so long
9) Go outside again and get some color
10) Visit my family and loving boyfriend

2 weeks left to go!!!! Barely hangin' on.....whew....

More of NOLA....

Here are those pictures I've been promising....

<-- My hotel/ bed & breakfast

The streetcar---->

<---Entrance to Audubon Park, next
to my hotel; reminded me a lot of
Brazil

<---Samba group that performed on the last day of the conference; SO good

Conference Craziness and Bourbon St.

There comes a time in the life of every grad student when they must attend a conference. However, if they are really lucky, they will at some point have the unique experience of helping run a conference, which is exactly what I did last week. For practically the entire week (Tues. to Sat.) I was a certificate-printing, badge-making, question-answering, Portuguese-speaking, trouble-shooting machine. It was a conference specifically in my geographical area of interest so there were people from that country and scholars from all over the world with that focus; almost all areas of academia were represented: history, language, sociology, anthropology, political science, literature, geography, etc. It was THE biggest conference the hosting organization had ever undertaken--- roughly 700 people total (with a staff of about 10 people). It was so incredibly stressful, hectic, frustrating and exhausting that the week was practically a blur. I had just enough energy at the end of the day to eat and fall asleep.

The location for the conference was festive New Orleans, LA on the Tulane University campus (which was gorgeous). I had never been there before and was looking forward to getting acquainted with the city. No such luck. I managed to run to the French Quarter Saturday night with some friends after the closing ceremony. I rode the streetcar downtown, which was a lot of fun, then we had some dinner. This was accompanied by a desire to hear some live music at a little hole-in-the-wall bar. Following the advice of our waiter (a local), we proceeded to walk through Bourbon St. to get to the intersection that would lead us to the local hangouts. We got lost. Suddenly, there were no street lights, no people and no signs.

We got a bit freaked out and turned around-- too tired to press on after walking so far. So, we had to walk back through Bourbon St. and then catch a cab back to the hotel. May I say, Bourbon St. is one of the most disgusting, chaotic, ridiculous places I've ever seen (way worse than Vegas--at least Vegas was relatively clean). The streets stunk like piss and puke (which there was a lot of), everyone was completely trashed and staggering around, and people on balconies overhead were chucking beads at my head at every turn (and they hurt). Frankly, I don't know what anyone sees in it. It's like hanging out in a gigantic public bathroom--- bodily fluids, dirt, stench and lots of booze. Yuck. The rest of the French Quarter seemed really pleasant and very pretty; too bad I didn't get to explore more during daylight hours.

All in all, it was a very good learning experience, on several levels. I got a free trip to a place I'd never been and I got to meet and rub elbows with lots of important people (prominent scholars, the Brazilian Ambassador to the U.S. (left), Brazilian composer Jose Miguel Wisnik, etc.). Meeting some of these intellectuals was, for me, like meeting rockstars. I was totally star-struck at times, in my very nerdy way. I have to say, though, I'm really happy to be home. (Pictures to come!)

Peanut gallery: have you ever had a trial-by-fire experience? How did it change you? What did you learn?

Rocker Chicks, Random Celebrities and Fresh Faces

I LOVE THIS WOMAN!!! I saw her in concert Friday night and she frickin' rocks! Seriously, Ani DiFranco is one of the best live performances I've ever seen. She's got so much energy it's amazing; plus, she's a great live act (and so few people are anymore). I thought she managed to balance a fair amount of old, classic stuff with some songs from her newest album. I was so moved, I even bought a T-shirt :) Not only is she super talented, she's very politically outspoken, which I respect a lot. Ani is the epitomy of a rocker chick with lasting power. I'll admit it, I've got a bit of a girl-crush. I can't help it--- she's just so cool. She also seems like the kind of person that fame has not ruined; I'd totally be up for having a beer and chatting with her.



Ok, enough gushing. I recently had my first random celebrity sighting and I'm pretty excited about it. I was out for a beer with my cohort and a few guests (that I'll talk about in a minute) and, as we were leaving, I spotted Lou Diamond Phillips (you know, the "La Bamba" guy) standing by the bar. How did I know it was Lou Diamond Phillips, you ask? Well, he kind of did a double-take as our group walked by (not sure why or because of whom) so, I got a good look at his face. I recognized him immediately; his hair was shaggy and that made me remember an ad I saw on TV for the musical "Camelot" (starring him) that is currently playing in town. So, I would bet the farm that I've had a genuine celebrity encounter (brief and impersonal as it may be). Woo hoo!

In other news, my department has recently brought in a group 0f prospective Ph.D. candidates for the upcoming year. I believe there were about ten people here, if I'm not mistaken. Diverse areas of interest as well as geographical origins were represented, which made for interesting conversation. There was also a new "homestay" policy put into place this year. Candidates were housed with current students and there were several social events so everyone could get acquainted. I think it turned out really well and I'm really excited about the incoming class. There were a few people that were still trying to decided between here and other universities so, we all did our best to woo them our way. I guess we'll find out soon who's in and who's out.


So, peanut gallery, have you ever had a celebrity sighting? Who did you see?

Growing Old & Life in General (a short re-cap)

I recently had a birthday (3/8). Hit the big 2-5....my quarter-life crisis, as I like to call it. It was a good day; not the day I had planned but, good nonetheless. Being born in March, it snowed on my birthday this year--- as it has done for the last 25 years of my life. In fact, I was born during a blizzard. Perhaps that explains my utter aversion to snow and cold climates...

Anyway, I had this big gathering planned and invited all my good friends (those still in Motown) but, it snowed so long and so hard that the roads were darn near impassable. Since I didn't want anyone I cared about to get into an accident, the party was called off. I was bummed but, my honey and I decided to improvise. We did everything fun we could think of, despite the weather: dined at Solera (my fav place to eat in Morgantown since it opened in '06), went to the mall, took crazy pictures of each other, took a walk in the snow, went laser bowling, played pool, had a few drinks and came home to watch a late movie. All in all, this birthday was a good lesson in growing older, and life in general, I think. Sometimes your plans go completely to hell but, you can still make the best of it and have fun in the process.

In other news, I'm back in the Southeast and loving it! It was in the 60's today and sunny with a slight breeze. It was so warm at noon I opened all the windows in my apartment. It apparently snowed here while I was away on Spring Break (in the snow) but, it thankfully melted before I got back. That would've just been way too depressing--- leaving snow and arriving to see more snow...ugh. The semester is RAPIDLY coming to a close and I've reached critical freak-out point. Prior to the break, I went to a Gipsy Kings concert with my good friends J and M. We had a blast! Only at a Latin music concert do people kick off their shoes, push away the chairs and start dancing in the aisles, which is exactly what happened. When they played "Volare" as the closing song, it brought the house down; people went nuts....and jumped on stage (as you can see here)--->

So, peanut gallery, what life lessons have you learned as you've gotten older?

Spring Breaking in Exotic WV...oooh....ahhhh.....

Greetings from good 'ole Motown, WV where it's cold, rainy, snowy and gray! Yay! Who needs Cancun, right? I'm here gettin' my Spring Break on, which is less break than work, really. There is no break in the life of a Ph.D.-- I'm learning that quickly; there's always something I can be doing. So, I'm spending time with my honey and trying to get some research and writing done so I don't arrive back at school looking like a total bum.

It's kinda weird to be back in Motown. Egocentric human that I am, there's a part of me that feels like the world stops revolving when I leave a place--- like here, for example. After two degrees and six years, I feel like I know this place and it's people pretty well. However, seeing old friends isn't quite the same. We can't complain about the classes, students and teachers we have in common. We can't have a ritual lunch, coffee or beer gathering every week at the same place. I miss out on all the little day-to-day dramas that make up life. People still know me but, it seems there is less and less to talk about. Even the town has physically changed--- a lot. There are new buildings, old buildings have been renovated and new apartment buildings are popping up everywhere. Nothing is exactly as I remember it. This is a sad realization for me. I enjoyed my time here tremendously and I miss it so, moving on and letting it go is hard. Coming back to visit my honey and my baby bro only rubs salt in the wound. I come back here multiple times a year and get to see this place slowly morphing into something I don't recognize.

In any case, I'm trying to enjoy myself as much as possible. There are favorite restaurants to eat in, friends to chat with and familiar streets to walk on that make me remember what it was like to be an undergrad. Sometimes a bit of nostalgia is nice; it makes you see how far you've come and how you got there. It's kinda like rubbing a bruise--- slightly achy but pleasant at the same time.

So, peanut gallery, what is it that takes you back to by-gone days? Music? Places? Smells? What do you miss from your past?