Informacoes para voces

Oi Everybody!

Just a little update to let you all know how we're doing.

First of all: I am mad at the beach. We have been warned time and again by everyone
here not to swim in certain beachs, such as the one we live on, because they aren't clean. So instead everyone takes the bus to the other side of Niteroi to swim in the clean beaches. Well this past week we visted the very most popular beach here...Itacoatira. It's gorgeous, set between two mountains and has huge waves and lots of surfers. This is the second time I've been there...the first time, no problem. But oh, this time. We had a great time: laid around, splashed in the waves, played beach tennis. But the next day Stefan had a terrible cold. I just assumed it was mere coincidence and it's probably cold season. But no, then I developed a HORRIBLE cold sore...big, painful, and mean...I mean the thing screams at passersby! We went to the farmacia to get medicine and the first thing the pharmacist said was 'you've been at the beach?' Aaaaarrrrgh! Beautiful beaches should not cause this much pain and suffering! All I have to say is it better be gone by Monday cause it's my first day of school. It's already bad enough being an estrangeira, but one with a very cranky lip is just too much!

Enough of my rant...

So my classes:
Antropologia 1
Antropologia Urbana (urban anthropology)
Rituais e Simbolismo (rituals and symbolism)

All sound interesting, but I couldn't really tell you any more about them than the name. No catalog or description of classes...i picked them off a list the wall. We like to be adventurous! Classes begin on Monday so I'll update more about them later. For now, I am simply terrified.

We're loving living here. Some things are very different than at home, but some are just the same. The scenery is gorgeous and the beach is tons of fun (usually...grrr). The neighborhood is nice, and we're liking the change of actually living in a big city. It's cool to have a bakery on every corner and not have to worry about owning a car. They would think we were insane for going to the grocery store and spending $150 on three weeks worth of groceries. Here they just pop into the little markets and paderias (bakeries) every day or so for the next day. That way everything is always fresher and more yummy!

Other interesting tidbits:
-->Hmmmm....the other day in a buffet restaurant in Rio with our friend Matheus I tried some sort of dish that looked like gumbo with sausage and some white meat that looked like fish. I had plopped two pieces of white meat on my plate, and after cutting off the first slice I tried and tried to chew it but to no avail. It had the consistancy of rubber and tasted like trash. Only to find out it was stomach! Of what sort of animal I do not know. After further inspection, I believe the other piece of meat was tongue. Ewwwwww!

Don't get me wrong the food here is wonderful! Our favorite is the mosserella pizza covered with fried garlic at Grill Pizzas in Sao Francisco. And the desserts are to die for. But you gotta watch those soupy things at the Minas buffets...ick!

-->We did have dinner at Outback the other night b/c we thought it be funny to see if it was the same. It cost us about a billion reais but it was pretty close. We got a bloomin onion and big ole steaks...and Stefans favorite? it's the only place we've found in the country with free refills. I think they thought he was insane after he drank about 9 cokes.

-->The other afternoon in Rio we saw an orthodontist on wheels. It was a small minivan parked at the curb with one dentist chair in the back, where they would give you braces right there on the street! For all you that wish you'd gotten the braces, Rio is the place to be! They'll slap em on ya and have you back out on the street before you can say 'health codes!'

Anyway, just some little things going on around here. For the most part we've been leading a really hectic life...wake up, eat, lay around, eat, hang out at the beach, go out for beers, beach again, eat again, dubbed over American movie on SBT, bed. We're just worn out, really we are.