Brazil and a Tsunami of Asses

January, 2014

It has been a week since I've arrived in Brazil and so far it's pretty fabulous. After a crazy day of travel from NYC to Miami to Belo Horizonte, I finally made it to Brazil in a short 24 hours. I have to say, it is so weird to actually be here after so many months of anticipation. Our groups catch phrase during our first few days was a constant stream of "wait were actually in Brazil, what is this???" A quick and casual freak out session, but now it is finally starting to settle in that I am here to stay.

Upon arrival the USAC staff picked us up from the airport for our 5 day tour of the state of Minas Gerais, a beautiful area north of where I will actually be spending my semester. The tour was a really cool experience because we got to see a totally different side of Brazil, very opposite from Florionopolis where I will be living for the next 5 months. Minas Gerias is a more colonial area with tons of history, beautiful cobble stone streets and huge vibrant churches.

I was surprised by how European the city looks and I guess this is because of the large Portuguese influence within the country. The area is full of history due to the African slave trade and gold mines that were booming for centuries. Another striking element of this area is the huge green hills that span the city. These massive green hills are stacked with houses perched side by side, all in different colors and sizes (quite a fabulous sight to see). All in all, the tour was a great preview of Brazil and what is to come.

Now let me get to the good stuff. During my first week here I have picked up a few crucial observations that I think you will all appreciate:

#1. Portuguese is a freaking hard language. That being said, my mouth was not made to make the sounds that come out of the mouths of locals. It's struggle city up in here. The other day I was trying to tell a waiter that I was a vegetarian so I said: "ayo vegeterianno" and the response I got was "oh your Italiano! Exelenche" (excellent). Moral of the story: I won't be eating much here...

Thankfully my friend Lucy has a "dirty Portuguese" dictionary and I was able to master two crucial phrases. "You have grown a nice goatee since the last time I saw you" and "The Copacabana beach is like a tsunami of asses". Now that I have mastered these phrases I think that I have a chance of making it...

#2. Speaking of asses, everyone in this country is stunning and has some junk in their trunks. Brazilians are known to be a bootylicous and take pride in their behinds. I don't blame them because they really have it going on. Even in stores you will see "ass art" with statues and postcards of butts in different colors, shapes and sizes. Whatever, if you got it flaunt it.

#3. The local Brazilian drink is called a Caipirinha, wich is similar to a mojito but better! It is considered nectar of the gods here, you got to try one. 

#4. Stray dogs in Brazil are the stray cats of Israel. They are everywhere and anywhere, running around and nuzzling up to you. The other day we went on a 5 hour hike up a mountain and this stray dog followed us the whole way..actually leading the troops. Even the Brazilian dogs here are fit, no surprise.

That is all of the updates I have for now! We are flying to Florionopolis tonight where I will be moving into my apartment and getting settled for school. More to come soon!

Chao' biddies 💋