Final Post (I think)

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am safe back in Canada, loving being back with my family although still missing my friends in Brazil. Thanks for all of the love and support throughout my trip, and if I haven't seen you yet, hopefully I'll be seeing you soon!
love,
Alyssa

Day 97

I've heard it said that absence makes the heart grow fonder; I'm learning more and more that goodbyes make the heart grow fond too!! All this week it has been so bittersweet to spend time with friends and enjoy it on purpose because I know I'm leaving soon and to have people telling me that they'll miss me when I go.
Catherine's English class had a goodbye party for me this morning - lots of people brought food - mostly cakes, but some other breads too, and pop, and it was so much fun! Everyone wrote me a little note to say bye or wish me good luck, and I loved reading through them! There is a mix of English and Portuguese, but they were all filled with such kind thoughts, and it made me really happy :) - By the way, yes I am wearing jeans and a sweater... it was cold and damp this morning! I think Brazil is trying to prepare me for heading back to Canada where summer hasn't quite yet arrived ;)
Catherine also broke out her guitar, and we sang Leaving on a Jet Plane and Stand By Me. One of the students, who I also helped to teach keyboard to, learned the words to Wherever You Go and she sang it to me accompanied by Catherine on guitar. We also all did an a capella version of the YMCA, and we muddled through one verse and the chorus of My Heart Will Go On. All in all a very sappy and beautiful goodbye party for sure!

I also wanted to post a picture of my fingernails because they are gorgeous!! Socorro is the cook at Free Flight, teaches hairdressing and manicure, and also cleans Joyce's house once a week, and she gave me a manicure yesterday! It was a little bit scary because she trimmed my cuticles which I've never had done before, and she accidently cut each of my pinky fingers because my skin is very delicate apparently... anyways, the second time it happened it hurt a lot! I was surprised, and tears came to my eyes, and we had just been joking about me crying the first time she cut me even though I hadn't, so I was trying not to cry, but then I was laughing and crying and it was a big silly mess and we bonded a lot over the ridiculous situation. Anyways, here you can see that it was definitely worth it! I keep looking at my nails no matter what I'm doing, and I feel all motivated to practice this summer until I can give myself a manicure :)If you can't see very well, you should click on the picture to make it bigger and see how cute my nails are! This is NOT a picture of a missionary suffering out in the bush.

The plan is to go out for dinner tonight, although Catherine is not feeling well and Frank sprained his wrist yesterday so he has a hard time eating. I need to hang up some laundry now though so it can dry before I finish packing tomorrow. bye for now!

Day 95

Day 95... and I'll be leaving on day 99! I know that it is so close, but thinking about actually going home still feels very surreal.

I gave my testimony in Joyce's English class today - they are the class that I was teaching while she was in India, so it was neat because they've had a chance to get to know me a little bit, and they are the most advanced class right now, so I spoke in English, and then Joyce asked them questions after to gauge their comprehension.

I also had my second-to-last time with Frank's English class this morning - my favourite group of students! They're all girls, from ages 14-20 and they are just all sweet and bright and wonderful :)At lunch time I knitted a cell phone holder for when I get back to Canada, and then I had my Portuguese class at 2 as usual. I am going to do a review/final exam tomorrow, and preparing for it today with Maricildes I realized HOW much Portuguese I have learned since I arrived. On my trip home I have an 8 hour layover in Sao Paulo, which would have been much more difficult three months ago - this time I am not nervous about ordering food if I need to or asking directions for anything, or even possibly making some conversation waiting for the flight. It is a flight to Toronto, so some people will likely speak English, and I'm planning to bring things to do, so hopefully the time passes pretty quickly.

And now there is something very important that I need to know about Canada: do we have white chocolate Smarties? Because I just ate a package of what amounts to white chocolate smarties, and they were too delicious for words. Usually I have to be in a certain mood to love white chocolate, but apparently I was in that mood about 20 minutes ago, and now I am just blogging, basking in the afterglow of a LOT of sugar :) If anyone has information about that, let me know :)

About Fruit

Mmm, you might be thinking, what is that delicious and tropical looking fruit?
Or maybe you already know about guavas. I did not before I came to Brazil. Sure, occasionally it may have slipped into a bottle of Frutopia I was drinking, or maybe I've eaten a guava-flavoured skittle in my time, but I never knew.

And now? I love guava! This is from a trip to the market that Catherine and I made a few weeks ago - the fruit stands usually have portions of whatever fruit divided up on styrofoam trays, and then there is one cut open to show how flavourful and delicious the fruit will be once you buy it! It is very appealing, and they're cut just like so, which is just cool - it makes me feel like I might be on a cruise.Well anyways, I just found these pictures on my camera and realized that I hadn't posted them yet, and I should have, because I cut this guava myself! Which means... I could work on a cruise!

Day 93 - American Propaganda is Working

Joyce and Frank drove into Taguatinga this afternoon to pick up some things that were needed at Free Flight, and they were late getting back, so Catherine and I waited for a ride home, and a man waited with us who needed to meet with Joyce. He needed to use the bathroom, so Catherine unlocked it for him, and when she was locking it back up the man started talking to me. The following all happened in Portuguese:

Him: Are you American too?
Me: Oh.. I'm Canadian.
Him: Oh, right, okay.
five minutes later; by this time Adilio has arrived and is also waiting for Frank and Joyce to arrive
Man: So is it pretty different living in Brazil instead of the United States?
Me: I'm Canadian, I don't... (confusion)
a minute passes
Man: So can I ask... is Canada a country?
Me: (not laughing but wishing I could)... Yes, yes it's a country.
Man: It's not just part of the United States? The northern part of the country?
Me: Nope, it... it is a country.
Adilio: It shares a border with the States, but it's its own country. Like Argentina and Brazil. (cultural note - Brazilians hate being mistaken for Agentinians)
Man: Oh I see.. so they're different.
Adilio and I: Yes...

A Super Duper Weekend Pt.1

This weekend we went to Cocalzinho and stayed with Frank's mom for Easter - Me, Catherine, Frank and Diego. It was amaazing.

We took the bus, which I loved - we were driving through beautiful scenery for a weekend away from volunteering and assignments and everything, and I was riding a bus in South America: such a necessary experience!

Frank's mom was so welcoming and made us supper - it was dark by the time we ate, but then we walked up to Frank's sister's house, which is just up the road from his mom. We sat on their porch and Frank and Catherine played guitar and everyone sang the songs they knew and listened to the ones they didn't, and it was great, and we went to bed late since there were no classes to wake up for in the morning!

A Super Duper Weekend Pt. 2

Friday morning was Good Friday, although like I've said earlier, the whole concept of Easter was kind of surreal for me this year. It had occurred to me that I've been pretty slack spiritually, which never helps any situation, but it seemed like fasting would just be a disaster, because first of all, Frank's mom is an amazing cook, and it would be impractical if not rude to not eat as a guest and random foreigner she let sleep in her house - in her bed! So instead of not eating, I fasted from English.

Fortunately, I remembered my intentions early enough in the morning that I hadn't said anything to anyone, and I only slipped up once. I did sing some English lyrics later that night, but I don't think that was breaking the spirit of my fast. It was great - the extra effort that it took to say things made me less chatty with my friends, but it also meant that everyone was included in any conversation that I had - a good move, I think!

We spent the morning relaxing at home (Frank's mom's home, that is), watching TV and enjoying not doing anything. After lunch, Frank's brother-in-law Tiago drove us to a river where we swam around for a couple hours. By swam around, I mean that I never actually took my feet off the bottom of the river; actually I may not have even gone in further than my waist, but it was nice and cool to stand in the water and get some fresh air and just hang out! There was a lot of PDA at that river, so that was a little awkward every time I accidentally glanced at people making out (Catherine and I talked about that today - each time we saw we were both asking ourselves, "is that the same kiss as before, or did you start a new one?" and also "really? that? here? yikes.")

We had supper at Frank's mom's and went up to his sister's house again that night - she was away until Sunday because she works weekends in Pirenopolis, but we hung out with Tiago and their two daughters, as well as Frank's younger brother and sister. It was so much fun, and the couple from next door came over to play guitar/listen to music with us, and it was great!

A Super Duper Weekend Pt. 3

Saturday was an amazing day on top of Friday. This is a blurry picture from a tree in Frank's mom's yard - blurry because I didn't have time to check the picture before my batteries died. That is why there are not hundreds of pictures from this weekend.

Saturday started out similar to Friday - I didn't sleep super well because Frank's niece crawled into bed with me in the middle of the night. Catherine and I were sharing Frank's mom's bed, and Frank and Diego were sleeping in Frank's brother's and sister's beds, and everyone else slept on mattresses in the living room. Frank's two nieces slept over Friday night, and apparently one got disoriented and went to climb into her grandma's bed: there I was.

We had an easy morning though, and in the afternoon Catherine, Frank, Diego, Lucas (Frank's brother) and I walked to another river to go swimming. This time Tiago didn't drive us, and it was probably at least a half hour walk, if not 45 minutes, but this river had a waterfall! We spent the whole afternoon there, swimming (for real this time, not just wading), sitting on rocks with our feet in the waterfall, jumping into where the water poured into the river and letting the current push us close to the beach - it was idyllic really.

Saturday was the day that I got my first terrible sunburn in Brazil.

But it's not as bad as you think! Sure in hindsight lying to dry in the sun seems unwise - but I was wearing sunscreen! I reapplied like four times! This is the thing though, I didn't reapply below my bathing suit top - that would be fanaticism, right? The sun never gets past my shoulders (again, hindsight: lying on the beach means the sun burns everything).

In my defense, my face and arms just got some colour, so that validates that when I use sunscreen it totally works - I do it right! - and I covered my head with a towel like a nun for the walk to AND from the beach, so I didn't get heat stroke or anything. I've just.. slept absolutely still for the last two nights, oh and most of the day Sunday, but we'll get to that. Clothes hardly hurt me any more at all!

A Super Duper Weekend Pt. 4

This is another flower tree in Frank's mom's yard - gorgeous!

By Sunday, our routine was pretty solid: sleep as long as possible with kids playing in the living room, eat breakfast, watch TV, make lunch, eat lunch. We were all pretty beat from our two days of fresh air and sun (some of us more than others, ehem), and everyone napped Sunday afternoon except for Catherine I think. I also napped Sunday morning before lunch. It's really hard to get a good rest when moving makes your skin feel like cracking open, but that is all in the past. Suffice it to say that I wore loose-fitting clothes and abstained from taking a shower. The movie Madagascar was playing on TV, so I watched part of that and slept through the rest - one day I will see the middle of that film! Okay, chances are that I won't.

Catherine and I had been hoping to go to church, but everyone was dead tired and it just didn't happen. Frank's sister got back from Pirenopolis late in the afternoon, and she and Tiago had a party for Easter at their house, so we walked up around six o'clock. I had mixed emotions about going since I'd spent the whole day in bed, and I was feeling somewhat better, but my stretch capris and nike hoodie were less than glamorous and very un-Easter-y.

It turned out that I had the best time at that party! We didn't have supper until late - maybe 10 or 11 o'clock, but the food was so long because it was cooked over a wood-burning stove: rice with chicken mixed together in a way that this blog cannot communicate - it was creamy and spicy and filling and amazing.

A lot of neighbours came to this party - someone opened up the back of their car so their stereo could play music loud enough for everyone in the house (everyone in the neighbourhood, really), and there was dancing forever. I learned how to dance Forro ("foho" like fo sho ;), accent on the second syllable) and Pagode, which was SO fun. Apparently Pagode is similar to Samba, but I don't know anything about Samba so I really can't say. Also, I pretty much mastered the "cockroach dance" lol, which is so named because it looks like you are stepping on cockroaches - my favourite!! (not)

It was late by the time people started going home, and it was probably at least 2am by the time I took a shower and went to bed. I've been hobbling around a little bit like an old lady today because of a sore knee (apparently I busted more than new moves!), but it was Definitely worth it!

To top off the weekend, the four of us were able to catch a ride back to Aguas Lindas rather than take buses full of commuters, so our morning was not as early as it might have been - we got up at 7 instead of 5:30 :S This weekend is definitely right near the top of my list for this semester - possibly second to my day in Pirenopolis, even considering the sunburn! (It's healing, I promise.)

Day 88

Well I'm still taking things slow - I don't know what this bug I have is, but its not going easily, and Catherine may have some of the same thing. We are planning to go with Frank to visit his mom this weekend in another city because of the holiday for Easter - it doesn't really feel like Easter at all though, I'm sad to say, although we've been having tons of rain lately, which kind of reminds me of April at home? It will be neat to see another city though, and apparently there are hiking trails and places to swim near where Frank's mom lives, so it should be a fun weekend!

I had a sweet moment with Andressa and Linda-Inez yesterday - we were sitting at Free Flight scrunching up strips of party streamers for an art project that is too complicated to explain. Andressa asked me when I am leaving, and they were both sad at how soon it is! Andressa said that she will need a picture of me, and I told her I would definitely print her one, and that I would keep lots of pictures of her and Linda and always remember them :)

I am so excited to know that I'll be home with my family in two weeks, but it sucks that I'll also be so far away from such amazing people. If only Brazil was just a couple-hour drive away - then I could visit for the weekend sometimes and keep in touch so much easier!

Day 85

This is a day that I spent in bed. I was all excited because we planned a barbeque at our house yesterday, and Frank and Diego spent the day cleaning the house and getting food ready. I started not feeling well in the afternoon and lay down until after it was dark and the barbeque had already started. I kept feeling worse and worse and got sick, and it was all terrible, although I managed to sleep through most of the night. Today I felt somewhat better and got on the computer for a bit in the morning but didn't eat much and felt sick and weak, so I stayed home from Sunday School. I lay in bed and slept and kept lying in bed and read an entire book, but Catherine made chicken noodle soup (she hasn't been feeling great either), and that was so good, so I am hoping that I'm on the road to recovery!

Day 83

Well, it's the end of another week, and April has started! On Monday, Catherine, Frank and I drove into Brasilia to get my visa extended because it was only good until April 10 and my flight is on the 19th. It was weird to go the federal police station in the airport and think that I would be going there again in three weeks (closer to two now) to come back to Canada.

I made good progress on my assignments this week and have almost finished two out of thee major projects. The rest is under control, and I am going to try to finish everything in this coming week so my final week will be less stressful.

Other than that, it was a pretty normal week - English classes and keyboard classes and studying Portuguese. I shared my testimony again in Catherine's beginner English class (I spoke in Portuguese), and I managed to finish the last book that I was assigned to read this semester, which is great!

Oh, I also watched Butterfly Effect 2 this week - it is.. the worst. Absolutely terrible. It was not a waste of time only because I watched it with friends and we got to laugh together, but if anyone ever invites you to watch this movie with them, know that it would make more sense to spend that time flossing each other's teeth.