September 7: Brazilian Independence Day

Oi, tudos! I know it´s been a few days. I have been keeping busy trying to figure out what classes I want to take. So far on my schedule is screenprinting, an interactive design class, an editorial design class with lot of theory, and photography. Soon I will find a portuguese tutor as well. So I will have a lot to do soon.

The other students at ESDI are very nice and love when we try to speak portuguese. I´m learning a lot as far as understanding when people speak to me. The trouble is when I try to speak because the accent here is so strange. It is very nasal and there are actually two dialects here, the "brazilian" dialect which I know the best and learned before I came and the "carioca" accent, which about half the people in Rio speak. It´s strange to learn how to say every word two different ways and apply it in each situation. I get by in any case.

Well, on Thursday night some students took us gringos out to Lapa, where everyone goes at night to party. We had been there once before but since it was the eve before the Brazilian independence day, it was a lot more rowdy than usual. The next day we went to Ipanema beach where there were about 10 people per kanga (towel-like things they use at the beach, beach towels are for tourists). It had such a festival atmosphere with spontaneous singing and music playing and such. Getting home was a mess because there was a military parade and a peace demonstration on the street near our apartment. So a few miles by bus took us about 90 minutes. And today of course we took the surf bus to a new beach, this one was called Barra de Tijuca. It was beautiful there but not like my favorite beach Prainha.

Next week in school I will be printing on my tshirts in screenprinting class with my professor Milton. I will update everyone with photos of how they turned out.

Okay. Here´s what I learned this week:
1. Bon de ver - "it was good to see you"
2. I have been taking the internet for granted.
3. No matter how well I think I´m blending in, everyone still knows I´m a tourist
4. I was most definitely born in England (so people keep telling me).
5. Chinese food here isn´t quite the same as in America = ramen noodles and onions?
6. Brazilians don´t know what napkins are. For some reason they keep handing me tissue paper with my food. I guess they are trying to curb the deforestation of the Amazon or something.

Cool stuff I ate this week:
1. agua de coco - coconut water, they give it to you fresh from the coconut everywhere
2. acaí com granula - Amazon berry smoothie with granola on top
3. salgado - fried bread with ham and cheese inside
4. caipirinha com maracujá - drink made with sugar cane liquor and passion fruit