girlfriends

i am so thankful to have met some cool buddies with whom to hang out in Salvador. They have all inspired me, introduced me, interpreted for me, blah blah blah.

BUT...

i needs my space.  nowadays, my girlfriends want to hang all the freaking time.  não.  this means "uh, no."

one of them will tell me that she will just show up at my place today.  for what?  we didnt make any plans. what you coming to mine for.  I have to work.  i have to relax. i need to by all by myself.

last night R and i met up to go to jorge's dress rehearsal.  we missed it.  so, i'm going to go home and go to bed.  não.  R wants to walk around campo grande and eat pipoco (popcorn).  then R wants to come to my house to borrow my pliers.  it's 11pm.  ok.  come get the pliers. 

"oh, maybe i will just sleep on your couch."

por que.  why.  you LITERALLY live around the corner from me.  you have a sizeable apartment to yourself. i am 28.  you are 38.  no slumber party. 

but of course, I say, "hmm."  this is my answer when i dont want to answer.  hmm.

this hepher is still on my couch asleep and i am at the "office."

and last night my new girlfriend (S) tricked me into dinner.  lol.  i am so dramatic.  i dont know the lady.  we met at the internet cafe.  have only exchanged a few words.  then she starts talking about the good pasta at this place.  on and on.  i'm thinking "hmm.  she wants me to say let's go get some. she is hinting around." i don't say anything.  then she finally asks me to go to dinner with her.  she's pregnant and visiting salvador with her two year old.  so, i go to dinner with her.

then there is my friend who works at the cafe.  i swear she asks me a billion questions everyday.  and i don't understand most of them.  she shows me photos on the computer.  ask me how to work the computer.  it's sweet.  but given my overload of girlfriends, it is annoying at times. 

i have been a stalker girlfriend before in my life.  i am sure.  i remember as a child always wanting to hang with tammy.  i would ride Pink Thunder, my huffy, up to tammy's house every morning.  and every afternoon.  and every evening.  until the street lights would come on.  then i would call her on the phone. 

so, it's all good though, right?

Chandi Guestblogs

It is me.  Chandi.  Do let me grace your ears with an ode to Salvador.

You all might know that I love me some author of obrigadabrasil.  Love her from the top of my real hair, through my fake fake ponytails, through my synapses and veins, to the bottom of my formerly aching feet.  It was my great pleasure to meet her in such a locale as Salvador.  Before I got on my plane on Thursday, July 15th, I was suffering.  See, I did not know that I was suffering.  Suffering from over-stimulation, lack of apprecation (me of others, others of me), physical burnout, slightly oppressive self-consciousness...and more.  Salvador, even if temporarily, cured me.  No more nerve ending twinges - no creeping headaches - no aching feet in the morning - I am refreshed.  I touched down in Salvador.  I spotted my very, very tanned, beloved friend, ecstatic, waiting for me.  She deftly negotiated in some very very competent porteugese, our arrival back to porto de barra and the start of some good southern healing.

This is why, you too, should go to Salvador.  I am 29 years old, but I have never had a completely relaxing vacation.  Childhood doesn't count - I was angry for not being independent then.  Even when I went with M to her parents' spot in the Sea Islands of South Carolina, I was making photo albums, writing post cards, watching T.V.  - being a busy lady.  Well, as I looked out the 10 foot by 8 foot window of the apartment living room, wide open, to see the sea - I chilled.  5 floors up, air that kisses your skin, no mobile phone, no home phone, no planner, no real appointments, a t.v. but one that was almost never on, I let my mind rest.  You can do that in Salvador.  It is okay.  As Jill would say, "no jacket, no umbrella, just warm."  You cannot help but smile in Salvador.

And the people.  I read in some academic journal, a comparison between race politics in the U.S. and Brazil.  The author called the U.S. system one of segregation and exclusion, while the Brazilian system was called one of integration and domination.  Having said that,  without analyzing how domination takes form, and while I believe that Brazil has the capacity to be appreciative of all people, as a person of color, I just felt...right.  Being American probably let me close my eyes to some of the ills of oppression, which I know exist.  Before giving myself away with my non-portugese speaking self, I was able to flow with life in Salvador.  No turned heads, no questions asked.  I belonged.  No need to worry about my tummy pouching out - no need to contemplate my semi-permed natural hair, and my completely kinky purchased attached ponytail - I fit right in.  No need to hurry my gait, no need to navigate stares that say "ooh, you are exotic, you are a black person, here."  Nope, the only stares were occasional ones of appreciation - of atavistic recognition.  Stares that say "you are just like me.  haven't we met before?  maybe we can meet now."  And the words.  Well, I don't speak porteugese, but I know I didn't hear disparagement or filth.  Other cultures might be extravagant in compliments, but how can you not appreciate hearing "beleza," and the walker keeps walking.  You don't get called a bitch if you don't answer.  You brush up against an unsuspecting sister on the street, it's all good - a smile and a "descupe" from both parties, and everyone keeps walking.  Maybe southern manners are the norm everywhere  -  being warm must keep people acting nice. 

And how good is it to see what looks like a hip-hop crowd, shaking their hips and picking up their feet to live samba... hours on end.  One sister grabs your hand, you join the circle, you shake, you laugh.  For a minute, your mind doesn't get it.  And why are all the Black boys called Luis, Lauzaro, Hernando, Sergio, Ronaldo?  I'm like what - but shouldn't your name be...Joe.  Or Rasheed.  Huh?  Nope.  I say to self - Chandi, relax your mind - this is Salvador.  Isso, Chandi.  This is Salvador.   And as the clerk at the local grocer asks for a second form of id for my credit card (cause hey, they are the bomb, and I can pay with my credit card - go development), and I am like what, I don't have other id with me - and then she looks at my name - hears my non-port speaking self and says (I am told by M) "oh, that MUST be YOUR name."  I get it.  Here, my name is not the norm - Black people here don't have names like Chandi - I have to relax my mind, don't I.  Cause, I, thanks to people who love me, am in Salvador.

Here in Salvador, you eat food that is a true cross betweenWest African fried mashed black eye peas in palm oil and African American rice and gravy.  You gaze at architecture that rivals the most beautiful in the world - you stroll on cobblestone - okay, not in mules with pointy heels - but do as the Salvadorans do, and put on your flip-flops - you'll be fine.  I can choose to challenge myself with capoiera - or lay on the beautiful wooden sofa with lovely cushion and stare at the sea for hours on end.  You laugh and play with grown people - who know that it is okay to laugh and play.  Late for lunch  - no problem.  Beijos all around.  Want two kisses?  Muah, muah.  (and an extra squeeze, just because you are so cute)

 
Here in Salvador, your new friends blow peanut skins off the peanuts for you, warm the naked peanuts in their hand, and then present them to you.  Antiseptic American, you thank them "obrigada" and toss them away.  while they are not looking.  (cause my mind was not quite that relaxed.)  Your new friends, name unknown, share their 40 ozs of watery beer.  :-)  In little plastic swish cups.  In club hole in the wall.  With one light bulb dangling precariously, while the band, man with tiny guitar and all, play from their souls.  And you say "obrigada."  And soak it all in.  And when your new friend who has driven you to club whole in the wall says - "Agencia va"  (We the people, we go - because we in Salvador, is always we the people)  and it is raining.  You do - and you don't worry about your sleek, lovely ponytail attachment getting drenched - you beatbox in the streets, hold hands with your girls, take off your shoes. And say "obrigada brasil - obrigada."   

sex shop

sexy shoppee.

my new internet cafe is far cheaper than the other one.  only 2 reals (60 cent)/hour.  and it is right across the street from my flat.

it is also next to and closely related to Barra´s one sex shop.  the shop is called "free sex".  lol.

i am cool with this and the fact that i sometimes have to go next door to pay.  other patrons are a lil confused if not scurred.  if no one is attending the four computers in the internet cafe, i will tell the person to pay next door.  "paga a lado."  A LADO!?!.  then they go and stand in front of the heavily tinted door.  or just sit and wait and wait. 

"ta bom. ta bom, amigo." that´s my broken portugeuse for "it´s all good, friend.  go ahead inside and pay." lol. 

ouch!!!

after a spontaneous lunch with raquel, she escorted me to her salon for some treatments.  (read: my feet are crunk!).

in addition to the huge, unnecessary expense for attending the beauty salon in the states, it IS most definately too much work.  that is why i normally only step into a salon every three months to let gilda console my curls with scissors or to pick up some much-loved Rusk Being Wild (a must for curly-headed peoples).

but,  the cost is different here. and my feet are crunk.  and i realized this morning that my eyebrows are...unruly. 

two hours of pure de hell!!!  the ladies were so nice.  and i enjoyed listening speak in sing-song about who knows what.  but the sitting still killed me.  and the plucking of the fro-brows just damn near made me cry.  i felt like she was digging in my skin laterally.  no sense a´tall.

i said to her "vocé entende 'ouch'?"  (do you understand 'ouch'?)  she just giggled at me and pulled my head back again.  ewww. 

fortunately there is no post-plucking pain.  jeebus!

suprise party

did i spell that correctly?

my friends and i were literally invited off the streets to join a birthday party on thursday.  hee-larious. 

 i think the hosts saw me peeking in and admiring the festivities.  i am sooooo nosey.  so, they insisted that we come in.  we came in and joined the fun. they had videoke (kareoke on video).   food and drinks were abundant as were the smiles and friendly english conversations.  lol.

too bad we were returning from a restaurant.  i was so full and could only sip on a cold beer.  BUT, baianas are extra friendly. while waiting for the toilet one of the hostesses approached me with a plate of maqueca and rice. "oh, no.  i am soo full."  well, i tried to communicate this.  she asked me why i didn´t want any as she stuffed a fork full of food in my mouth.  ok.  guess i am eating maqueca and rice anyway.

everybody was so happy.  almost everyone came up to each of us and introduced themselves. a couple of people made sure we knew what was being said.  lol.  when they sang the brasilian birthday song, i had to join in.  i dont know the words so i did the la la version of it.  you know where you just kind let out sounds that sound like what is actually being said.  no body knows the difference if you clap your hands and sing at the top of your lungs like i did. 

***to the USDA rep, thank you so much for the info on ox.  i mean damn!  i am dancing to the remake of "voulez vous"/lady marmelade  just for you. ;)

futébol!!!!

anyone who has been to brasil knows how very very important futébol (pronounced footchy-bol) is to this country. (aka soccer)  i mean the world literally stops when the national team is playing.

i watched the last two games starring the national team in the american cup.  talk about exciting.  mind you these were me 1st and second soccer games ever.  i have attended a couple but i didnt really watch them (sorry lil sis).

wow.  it is hard not to watch because the players look so damn good!  and soccer is also very fluid and timely.  no commercials here.  no "strategic" time outs.  just play ball. and, at least in latin america, the players take care of each other regardless of what team you play for and such.  they are all kind and hug.  i think i could actually write an  article on competitive negotiation with an emphasis on kindness" based on futébol.  

and you MUST scream and jump and down every good move.  you must.  i fit in.  actually i screamed a lil too much.  i thought i knew what was going on one time and cheered for the other team.  oops.

O told me that brasil has one of the highest income disparities in the country.  but i truly believe that whenever there is a futébol game on all are equal.

is an ox an ox?

when i was a child i would often eat my granny´s ox tails along with black-eyed peas, rice, and green beans or greens.  but i never considered the animal, ox.  never asked the question, "what is an ox?" until today that is.

O and I escorated chandi to the airport this afternoon and on our way back we stopped for lunch at habib´s (ahh-bee-bee´s).  i have a huge craving for mexican food, but it is impossible to find it here.  so, we went to the grocery store with a mission.  in the meat aisle i decided to buy "premium" meat, because it cost less than regular meet in the states.  the only problem is i am not sure of what i bought.   it says "ox" but is it really OX!?!  i mean, what is an ox anyway?

this may sound like a stupid question, but i will really pay the person who can answer this question $50 virtual play play dollars.

diggin deep

sigh.
 
about an hour ago i prepared a one dish meal of potatos, onions, sausage and red bell pepper.  this is exactly what you should NOT eat before going to a lukewarm computer cafe to mediate e-commerce disputes.  i know i look foolish falling asleep and waking up at the computer. 
 
but, i. am. trying.  what i really want to do is go back up to my apartment and go to sleep.
 
yawn. but i must dig deep and get this work over with.
 
my visit with chandi has been so great!  she arrived friday afternoon.  i took the hour-long bus ride up to meet her at the airport.  in usual chandi fashion she was very chipper/hyper.  while we waited for the return bus, we acted very silly- dancing, speaking nasely portugeuse, and laughing really loud.  i didn't care about the attention we were attracting because suddenly everything was familiar to me.
 
chandi has meshed in well with the atmosphere here.  taken well to everything including the weather, people, and laid-back daily life.  unfortunately i gave her my cold.  (sorry, chan).
 
we've been dancing.  we hosted a brunch.  hung out with the girls.  practised capoeira with raimundo, twice.  sat on the couch and just looked at the ocean.  it's really cool to share my experiences with someone i know.
 
fun, fun. fun!!!
 
ok.  nuf about chandi's visit.  i know i am making lots of people jealous.  but hey, open invitation to visit me.  lol!
 
oh, tonight we received a special invitation from the big actor guy to see some important play on race.  i actually want to go dancing.  it's a big night in pelo!!  but, i have to be open to new experiences. :)
 
 

guess who´s coming to dinner

after working, i spent most of yesterday trying to get over my allergies (read: i slept the whole damn day!)
 
i woke up very disoriented around 5pm and went to the nearest payphone to call O to discuss the evening plans.  we set a time to meet for salsa dancing.  i went back up to my apartment, set at the end of my bed, and deeply contemplated how i was going to get a hamburger with fries.
 
the food here is so healthy (it appears that way).  very little cheese.  lots of fresh veggies and fruits.  so, i guess you could say i am going through grease withdrawal.  lol!
 
i finally decided that it was stupid to walk all the way to "shopping barra" for mcdonald´s.  so, i went to the grocery store to get the goods.  when i returned the doorman excitedly told me that i had a guest.  "huh, who? who?"  duh, he doesnt know what i am saying.  "quien?  uma mulher?  um homme? pra mim???!!!!"
 
turns out O came all the way to my place to tell me that we should rest up because i have allergies and we will be going out every night for the next week at least.  i felt like an ass for not having a phone.  but i my telepathic return message for O worked.  she returned after searching for me in the streets.  lol.
 
and so i fried up some "texas" burgers (texas would not approve of these puny things) and some taters.  i had only a little olive oil.  so, i sliced the potatoes like the round home fries my mama and daddy sometimes make.  O was impressed that i had all the proper condiments and Coke- a very american dinner.
 
just as we were to sit down, the phone for rang (intra-building use only).  "O, somebody else is here!!!!"  it was S and raimundo.  they were stopping by to invite me out for dancing.  all the sudden, dinner for one was dinner for four. hol-la! 
 
raimundo and S were very impressed by my skills.  i told them this was nothing compared to the shrimp n´grits i will be preparing for brunch on sunday.
 
after grubbing, we watched a horrible novella (night time soap opera) and discussed brasilian tv.  we all agreed that we were very concerned.* 
 
we also looked at my little photo album and discussed the meat market/dance club "beco de gal".  i enjoyed being the hostess.  i enjoyed having company at my own place.  :)
 
 
 
*for example, there is a soap called "color of sin" (translated).  it is getting a lot of hype because the main character is a Black woman- a first in brasil.  but here´s the problem: the title, her name is preta (black girl), her profession is working as a cook in her baby daddy´s daddy´s retaurant, and she´s isn´t really the main character.  mostly she dresses up in pretty clothes and listens to everybody´s problems.  tsit!
 
 

pokey

i am literally poking my lip out right now. and my posture has curved up.

chandi´s flight was messed up. so she won´t be getting here until tomorrow.

(hangs head).

so. i reckon i will go lock myself in my apartment after i work.
then i will take some allergy medicine (sweeping only helped some)

and take more time to get rested for the next week.

Santa Claus

Last night felt like Christmas Eve for me. I haven´t actually really celebrated Crimmus in a really long time (with exception of this past one), but i remember the feelings.

i kept tossing and turning. getting up to check my powerpuff watch for the time. i thought about sweeping my floor. but who sweeps at 4 AM?

why am i excited? because chandi will be here in a couple of hours. Chandi and i have been friends since 1995. and this will be our third or fourth international meeting. so you could say that we are travel buddies too.

and she is bringing me lots of goodies too! my wishlist included a skirt, some shoes that show my toes but don´t break my feet, some undies (lol), and some Rusk Being Wild (very necessary hair product for curly headed folk). the last item is an absolute blessing if i get it.

my hair is sooooooo angry right now. i have avoided the $60 haircut for too long and now my mass of curls is knotting up at the end. not good at all. i only brought one tube of Wild. what the hell was i thinking!?!

but anyway, the next week will consist of so much grinning, dancing, chatting, and such.

it will also be interesting to hear the perspective of someone from MY reality, someone who knows me inside and out.

lazy

last night a baiana told me that i was lazy (with regards to speaking and listening to the language). well, he didn´t put it that way. basically, he told my friend, O, who speaks english and portuguese to stop being my interpreter.

in my mind i was screaming really loudly, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

ugh. we weren´t even having a conversation about language. in fact, the subject was about beer or samba or something. then jorge gave the instructions to O and she obeyed him. traitor.

now, i know that my ass should be trying to speak and understand portugeuse. but it gets so hard when there´s so much else to understand like smells and sounds, and why people are wearing crazy things, and... .

and it is SO VERY EASY when you have friends who are bi-lingual. you just sit back and let them do all the talking except for an occassional "now, what´d he say?"

one time i went to paris with "psyche". neither of us speak french. BUT, there are lots of vietnamese people in paris. so, i made sure "psyche" took every opportunity to speak vietnamese to get us around places. lol.

i bought a "portuguese for strangers" book last week. it´s still in the same spot when i brought it home. however, i have two more months here. this afternoon, guilt was laying heavy on my conscious. i was thinking about people who have to go to another country out of necessity. they are then put in a position where they may not have any material resources, let alone any grasp of the language. people (americans) make fun of latinos who travel in large groups to the store for example. but most likely this is the one opportunity to go to the store with somebody who speaks this foreign language. so, you get there how you can.

my being here is a luxury. i can afford to not speak the language. but it ain´t right. i should learn.

down to bidness!

first of all, a moment of silence for Weezie!


...


so, sunday, S and i had a business (pronounced bidness) meeting to discuss my volunteer work with her organization. the location and time was an hour before sunset on the beach. ha ha!!!!

we agreed that i would be the website development liaison. we also brainstormed ideas for making the website da bomb and i will be in charge of making this happen.

S and O are great people to plan with. I have to pat myself on the back too for my facilitation skills (thanks Kathy M.) :)

ah so, in the next couple of weeks i will be spending a couple of hours a day working on this. i feel so special.

chandi is coming in two more days. chandi is coming in two more days. yipee!!!!!!!!!!

wandering

i know it has been four days since i posted. but honestly i have fallen in love. yes. with brasil. with salvador. i´m so full of excitement that i want to burst. it makes no sense that a place like this exists. no sense a´tall. sigh. hmmm. since last friday i seen more than 10 live musical performances. axé, samba, salsa, jazz, african (burkina faso), music that accompanies caipoera, aboriginal, and hip hop (pronounced hippy hoppy). FANTASTIC.

but it gets better. the people. i just love the people. everyone is sooooo cool. of course there are un-cool people, but i can´t feel them for all the positive energy i have gotten from everybody else.

i have opened myself up to just experience. i am not trying to be a tourist. i am not trying to be a baiana. i am just floating along and appreciating every good thing that comes my way.

for example cristeane, o, a new girl (mariana) and i went out friday. first we sat at a table in the streets and listened to samba and looked at this group of beautiful people dance and sing. lol. mariana and i took a stroll ´round pelo. we happened upon this group of women drummers leading a mass of people through the streets. naturally we joined them. talk about empowering. i even had to raise my long arms above my head as the rest of my body swayed side to side, back and forth. by the way, my hip action is getting very good.

later in the evening we all went to ile aya (sp?) for more samba. it was very crowded and yours truly was recognised!!!! if you meet someone once, it´s like you are their friend from now on. so, a simple acknowledgement (i.e. head nod) is not enough. you have to hug and give the two-cheek kiss. this is always followed by brief conversation. so, i was warmly greeted by about eight or so people that i have met since i arrived in salvador. one was this local politician, raimundo (pronounced high-MOON-doh). we discovered that he went to my hometown when he lived in the states!!!!!! this makes no sense to me. too amazing. warming. everybody danced. it felt soooooo goood. i was grinning the whole time.

raimundo and co., took me and the girls out for beer at a pudding bar afterwards. by this point in the night my capacity for comprehending portuguese was diminished. my mind was too busy just enjoying the moment. later we went to a "restaurant". actually this guy and his wife set up some sterno stoves, some tables and a tent on the sidewalk. laza, raimundo´s campaign manager, ordered us some rice, marqueca (sp?), and a meat dish. it all tasted just like my daddy´s sunday dinner. the meat dish was sliced smoked sausage and fatback. marqueca consists of cornmeal mixed with juices from the meat (basically it is gravy the consistency of pudding). now, normally i like to have my own plate, fork, knife, and cup. but we were only provided with three sets for six people. but we just ate. like family. laza even cut my meat up for me. so not necessary. but he was taking care of me as baianas do.

every moment is not necessarily just about having a fun time. there have been one or two serious moments. after eating the conversation randomly turned to this discussion about black brasilians and black americans. laza, a very strong-minded person, told me and mariana that he detest americans. he also does not believe black americans are not at all connected to africa much less have any culture.

ugh. this is a difficult conversation. 1. because it is hard to express yourself fully and accurately in a language you only kinda know. 2. i AM a visitor. this is not my country. this is not my home regardless of how much i think i can relate. so, when debating any issue you have to be mindful that you and this other person interpret things from a wholly different paradigm and at the end of the day...you are the stranger. you MUST respect and honor that you are in their home.

mariana, who is nigerian-swiss, is a wonderful, intelligent and diplomatic interpreter. at the end of the long conversation, laza told me i am beautiful, he respects me, and our conversation is now with God. that made me smile again.

sigh. i have to work. i haven´t worked since friday.

marco

another tuesday night in pelo. this time we (me and O) went to an outdoor concert for a group called gerónimo. very lovely salsa jazz. we sat on some steps that led up to a very old church. it was about mid-70´s with a slight breeze.

afterwards we ended up at another outdoor concert. samba on big hill. yes it is possible to samba on a steep hill. lol. a new friend, marco, invited us to a little restaurant with jazz. we sat out on the patio, sipped caipirinhas and listened to this group of individuals who come together every tuesday night round 10 and play their instruments. very beautifully, in fact.

marco. very cute. very friendly. diplomatic. intelligent. and in love with music. it´s always interesting when the ratio of men to women is not balanced. i think the question in the back of every person´s mind is "who will the [insert male/female] favor?" this is an inevitible reality. the lucky outnumbered male or female is always in a position to pick someone to "like" even if they don´t really like them. i don´t know why we (humans) do this. maybe it is a darwin thing. anyway. marco definately favored me. but the feelings were not mutual. i am soooooooo superficial. so. maybe he is too short (5´9 to my 5´11). married twice. two daughters. so, i made sure to facilitate a hook-up between him and O. i am a dork.

i have also caught the interest of two other men. one is this african guy with a dead eye and a horrible sense of style. "heeeeeeyyyyyyyy gul! i been looking for you!!!!" he is so persistent too. i mean how hard is it to interpret blank responses to your come-ons?

then there is george washington. that IS his name. he is an actor here in salvador. very very popular. he is also very nice. however, he puts me in the mind of my uncle cherry. only he has long locks. i love my uncle cherry, but i can not date him. lol.

bom preço

having a kitchen of my own again and being surrounded by great cooks in my building makes revisiting my culinary talents irresistible. and so, i went to the market, bom preço, today. most grocery stores here are the size of a pharmacy in the states. but i managed to find a hypermarket.

talk about difficult. damn. i know this sounds stupid, but everything was so foreign to me. yes, i AM in another country. even my little pocket dictionary was useless. i thought i would see stuff i recognised, but even stuff like spinach or onions looks a little different. oranges are not necessarily orange. tomatos not necessarily red. notwithstanding my confusion, i found the produce section to be beautiful. i felt i was in the garden of eden. vibrant colors, quizzical shapes and textures. and the smells... . i picked up a little it of everything. then i remembered that i have no car and a much smaller fridge than before. so, i stuck to the staples. and i reminded myself that i avhe plenty of time to try the different stuff. maybe by the time i leave here i will have enough info to do a brasilian portuguese-english dictionary with photos.

living here makes me amazed with grocery stores in the US where everything is aesthetically beautiful because it is injected and engineered. ironically natural stuff costs more in the states. that is just wrong!!!

i did recognise some things:
* frosted flakes (but i resisted the familiar)
*garlic (a staple)
*chandon (a napa valley winery)
*miller genuine draft (my daddy´s beer of choice)
*pitú, which is cachaca, a liquour that my friend Tanya F. shared with me many times in law school (T, i had a caipi just for you tonight)

I had the most difficulty with the dish washing detergent. so many of the cleaning soaps are come in very similar bottles. it literally took me eight minures to find the right stuff.

my granny frances should have been there to help me. they still make food the old fashion way (read: fresh), just like she likes it. she could help me pick out beans and tell me how to clean and soak them. or assist me and finding the right rice or piece of meat. oh well.

i managed to find a place for everything. then i spent a couple of hours hand washing my clothes. ugh. so difficult. i have a whole new appreciation for the term "handwash." fortunately i had the goodness that is gilberto gil playing in my cd player. :)

´squitters

right now i am in praia do forte. it is the sweetest place on earth!

i cant say much now because i think this computer has a virus. the keyboard is soooooooooo wack.

all i can say is that a stupid mosquito has bit me on the lip. dam n it. must go to the sto´to buy some off.

so much mor eto tell. ........

casa da mabi

so. this morning i went up to pelo to finalise the apartment deal with cristeane. we chatted over coffee. i didnt want to leave because it was sprinkling. when the rain stopped, i returned to barra to quickly move from the dollhouse (12pm checkout) to my new casa.

the ocean looks marvelous from my big windows. the apartment smells like my great grandmother´s house. it has dark wooden floors. and some tiles in many places. some of them remind me of chickens, but i dont think the tiles actually have chickens on it. it is furnished. pretty plain.

my first task after cooling down was to strategically hide my valuables i.e. pile of very dirty clothes or in wrapped feminine products. lol!!!! i figure most thieves are men and they don´t like laundry or feminine products. the building itself is really secure. but you never know. gregor lives a few doors down. he might be a freak!!!

ah so. after dropping off my things i rushed back up to pelo for lunch with the ladies. two new people joined the group. two very arrogant american women who just are too important to talk about anything but themselves. ugh. then they left without eating. busters. i just mostly sat back and giggled here and there. i can´t stand those name dropping convos. when the busters left we got real and had a good time. no mention of the busters and how busterly they are. don´t get me wrong they are really smart and probably do really great things. but who likes braggards!?!

so. in the taxi on the way back to barra (well, shopping barra) i asked julietta what she does for a living. she had been very interested in me. so i wanted to show interest in her as well. why is she like a freaking super attorney in a big firm doing all kinds of amazing things!!!! aww. i turned into mousy mabi then. i started kissing ass and such. paid for the taxi. continued shopping although i am not a fan of shopping with others. asked questions. listened. now i am all self-conscious. wanting to sound smart because she could be a great resource. sigh. i hope she likes me. the best jobs matches come from personal connections.

tomorrow is yet another holiday. there have been three so far in my 2.5 weeks here. this one is supposed to be like carnival. but so are all the rest. i will meet O up in pelo around 12. later in the evening we plan to go out with cristeane. she is taking us to town so to speak. hol-la!!!

apartemento

while meandering around Pelo yesterday, O and I happened upon this travel agency recommended by a friend of a friend of a friend. coconut bahia. there we met cristiane, who is a very excited baiana with a german brazilian accent (she lived in munich for seven years). really interesting accent.

anywho. she impressed us with her powerpoint presentations describing beautiful places in bahia. we must go to this place: http://www.portalhoteis.tur.br/llencois.html

we then delved into a long conversation that ended up with us on a field trip back to barra to look at an apartment for me. gregor was the facilitator. imagine a 50-65 year old native american with a jheri curl dyed black. just wrong. BUT he is my new neighbor!

i never planned for getting an apartment here. well, i went back in forth over it but budgeted to stay in a pousada for the summer. but the apartments are just too cheap. ah so, i now have a new fabulous place with a view of the great bay of all saints. i have a grand kitchen. antique hardwood floors, a luxurious master bedroom, and even a room to get my "pioneer woman groove" on. but i have a maid for that.

not.

and i did haggle on the price. lol. the process was so funny. i am a student of conflict. literally. so, i like to extract myself from the situation and analyze the details. it was so dramatic. the scrunched up thoughtful faces conveying messages of deep contemplation. the posturing over high demand or lack of need. the winks. cristiane is a winker. i am not. i double wink. so instead i give the very deliberate blink. the end of our negotiation was so anti-climatic because we so easily came to a price that worked for all three of us. but we pretended. went to seperate rooms to "think". exchanged long sighs. i was going to steeple my fingers as a sign of victory. but i actually probably got screwed in salvador standards. to me it is cheap and under budget. but i know those with whom i was haggling would have found my steeple to be unworthy and, thus, lose an tiny ounce of respect. ah. to negotiate.

i want to decorate today. but i actually have full plate. have to go back to pelo to finalise some trip plans and the 30 day lease with C. then back to barra to move my one piece of luggage around the corner and up to the 5th floor (i feel like the jeffersons!). then to work at the dirty cafe. then back to pelo to meet a bunch of big brained sisters for lunch at 2.

must find time to be lazy today. sigh.

for brentwood, brooklyn, or whatever you are calling yourself today lol: i have YOUR copy of the "broke diaries". LOL. actually i gave it to janora. lol. then i bought a copy for my lil sis. i figured. we all have been broke some day and MUST read that book.