And So

And so, I almost have no words. I have only been in São Paulo three days and it´s already seriously putting the moves on me. Everything is bright and exciting and new. Even the things that most Brazilians would consider dirty or dull, I find fascinating, just because I can´t believe I´m getting to experience them first hand.

I´m staying with a girl who I met in Canada and, despite the fact that I barely knew her, she´s welcomed me into her home as if I were the ruler of some far off land. She´s a flight attendant and had to take off only hours after I had arrived. So,I had to fend for myself (which means eating all of the food she made for me and watching her cable tv). I spent my alone time allowing SpongeBob (Bobby-Esponge) to teach me Portuguese and wandering around the neighborhood trying to round up a few last minute items that I´d forgotten to bring. On my way home from my exploration, I saw a nearly dead, black and yellow catipilliar, with an orange head and green guts trailing behind it. I stopped and stared at it for minute, trying to take in its awesomness. I can safely say it is the coolest catipillar I´ve ever seen up close.

Today, Mariana returned around three and promptly saw to it that I had something to eat and something to drink (despite the fact that I told her I´d just eaten)! She decided that three days alone with SpongeBob had done me well and that from now on we would only speak Portuguese. She is absolutly tickled everytime I use the proper verb in the proper tense. Fala Portuguese! She speaks Portuguese! She tells everyone. It is far from the truth, but I´m flattered nonetheless. I have to say though, even as I write now, the English words swirl around the page and seem more foriegn than they did a few days ago.

After making sure I´d had plenty to eat, Mariana and her boyfriend Thomas, took to me a street fair where they preceeded to feed me more. We tried what I can only describe as oversized empanadas, vino quente aka hot wine which is reminiscent of hot cider, and a boiled nut that looks like a clove of garlic. When you bite it properly,the nut pops out, you salt it and enjoy it. We also ate Gnocci, which I thought would be old news, but it was served looking more like a french fry than anything. Being at the street fair was the best part so far because it´s winter time and so everyone is wearing winter jackets, pants, gloves and hats and it´s 60 degrees out. Mariana kept yelling about how cold it is and talking about how she almost froze to death when she was in Florida. She says that Brazilians don´t leave the house when it drops below 50 degress. I just laugh and she laughs at the fact that I don´t feel cold.