Samba and Mormons

Friday night samba proved to be a blast. 3 of my friends and I went out to dinner for my friend Ryne's last night then met up with the other volunteers at a samba club down the road. The man who comes to our home base once a week to teach samba told us about the club and told us he would be us there around 830. He showed up at 11, but we were already making the most of our time! We tried our best to samba and our pathetic attempts attracted Brazilian natives; they tried desperately to help us. I was dancing with one older gentleman who was a good 6 inches shorter than I am and had a hefty beer belly. He tried his best to help my moves but I just couldn't keep up. Several of us ended up dancing with the people in his group and we soon found out that the man is a priest. A priest with moves. So we made friends and tried to improve our steps (2 steps right, 1 step left...) One guy just kept telling me "be smoother!" it was not helpful advice as I seemed incapable of doing so. The night was definitely a success, the most fun I've had here.

The next day our good friend Ryne left us so we were pretty bummed all day. We ended up going to the outdoor weekly jazz concert at the marina and enjoyed some drinks there. Sunday was another adventure of a whole different kind. My friend Karlie is a practicing Mormon and, through a confusing chain of people, two young guys on their mission in Salvador found Karlie and invited her to Sunday services. The two guys (one from Ohio who has been in Brazil for 6 months, and the other a native Brazilian) came around 9 on Sunday morning to accompany us to the church, a floor above a lottery shop. All the people there were so nice and welcoming even though only a few spoke some English. I was surprised to see so many Mormon Brazilians! Over the next three hours we met people, attended a 45 minute discussion on how to properly fast (the Ohio guy translated every once in a while), an hour long sermon type thing where several of the more important men would say some words of wisdom or read and discuss a scripture passage, then met some more people. We met one guy who went to Geoegetown and has been living in Salvador for the past two years. He teaches English and one of his students is a member of the church and brought him along. We exchanged emails and we will probably be hanging out with him outside of the Mormon church sometime soon. It was quite an interesting experience over all.

This week was a little different, work wise. Monday is a story in itself. When I arrive in the morning at my placement, the kids are usually in the middle of breakfast. Breakfast generally consists of milk with a little coffee in it accompanied by little cookies or boiled bananas or some other fruit that I'm not familiar with. Monday they each got a box drink of chocolate milk and cookies. One of my girls, Laila, didn't drink very much of her box and another girl, Jessica, asked me if she could finish it since she had already finished her own. I thought, sure, why not. Better than wasting it! I handed it over and a wave of dread passed through me: I sure hope she's not lactose intolerant, that's kind of a lot of milk. Not thirty minutes later, Lindalva was in the middle of her morning lesson (that morning she was discussing the importance of safety when setting off fireworks. I could tell by the occasional BOOOM! that she and the kids would shout out. They set off a lot of fireworks here.), when Jessica suddenly threw up the both boxes of chocolate milk on her table. A little got on poor Douglas as well. I'm pretty sure I said out loud "oh, that is definitely my fault." Lindalva and I cleaned it up and it was forgotten. Well, until little ol' Douglas was crawling on me an hour later in his chocolate vomit stained shirt.

Tuesday was a normal, hectic day, then Wednesday Vini told me that my placement would be having a party to celebrate Sao Joao (a two week festival that they celebrate here) after which they will be taking a 2 week break from school. I am pleased to hear about the party and head off to work. To my surprise the kids were not at school and only the teachers were there with some of their kids preparing for the party that afternoon. I was disappointed because I knew I wouldn't be seeing the kids for a week and a halfish, then Lindalva told me the kids don't come back until July 9th! Two days after I leave Brazil. I was pretty upset. Tuesday was my last day with the kids and I didn't even know it! I went to the party later that afternoon and was able to say goodbye to Lindalva and a few of the children but it certainly wasn't the same. The kids were distraced and didn't really understand that I was leaving. I was glad I was able to see those few nonetheless.

Thursday I began working at CAASAH, a facility that houses adults and kids affected with HIV or AIDS. It's pretty intense and disturbing, mostly on the adult side where many men have wasting disease, so some weigh less than 100 pounds and are incapacitated. There are a few adults who are pretty mobile and enjoy sitting with us drawing or whatever else. We spend at least an hour on the adult side then head over to the children's side (the adults and children do not mix or even see each other). The children are just like any other kids running and jumping on us, coloring, joking, etc. The ages range from infants (there are three baby girls that are less than a year and a half, one is less than three months old) to 17. Some of the teenagers are pretty moody just like any teenager but they tend to open up even as the morning goes on. My favorite kid is Edgar (pronounced Ed-jee-gahr). He's about 7 or 8 and is just so sweet and silly. Today we blew up water balloons (quite a task, let me tell you) and hung them up around the little playground they have. Unfortunately, they do not let us take pictures at this placement which is sad because this kid has the most ridiculously pretty amber eyes and I know already I'm going to want to remember him when I leave two weeks from tomorrow. This placement once again takes me out of my comfort zone, but I think I will grow and learn a lot from it. Tomorrow we're heading a couple hours north to a beach and hiking area! I hope to get another horse ride in!

Character Descriptions

I have finally gained access to an actual computer so today I will do a special little (maybe long) post on the characters that I deal with everyday.

Vini (Program Manager): Vini is the guy that is here at the home base every day and has arranged everyone's placements and knows each placement very well and personally. He's 36, very funny, like most people here, and is super helpful with everything- placements, ideas of what to do during the day, suggesetions of where to go in the evening, etc. I think he's great and have the slightest crush on him.

Ivan (pronounced, E-vahn, Driver): This guy is my buddy. Or at least I think he is, he may just think I'm annoying. He drives me and several others to our placements every morning in Alogadros and drives us around on our tours, picked us up from/takes us to the airport, and any other driving involved jobs. His English is pretty decent, and he learned it only from speaking with CCS volunteers. He has only worked here for 2 years. I'm impressed. He too is funny, but like I said before, this is not abnormal for these people.

Lulu (House Maid): This woman is crazy and I love her. She's a short chunky woman with a booming voice. Every evening when dinner is ready she screams up the stairs "JANTA!!!!!!!!!!!!" ("Dinner" in Portuguese) in a very obnoxious and loud voice. You sure learn to love it. She is very loving and caring and dotes on all the volunteers. She speaks no English, but communicates instead in hugs and kisses and funny little noises. Obviously, I have grown very fond of her. We don't say much to each other than "Oi. Oi oi. Oioioioioioioioi." ("Hi. Hi hi. Hihihihihihihihi.") and then we hug. She cleans, changes our sheets, washes our towels, helps with lunch and dinner, and other random things around the house.

Lindalva (Teacher): I have mentioned Lindalva before, but I thought I would again because she's just the best. She is the woman I help at Frutos de Maes. She speaks maybe a total of 20 words of English (words I've heard her say: blue, ugly, house, fat), but she communicates phenomenally in eye rolls, shoulder shrugs, and hand motions. She is really good with the kids, discipline-wise. She can really get them to behave and is strict, but you can tell they love her. They will randomly come up and hug her or hold her hand. Although, sadly, I have a theory that when certain kids are really bad and will not quit acting out, she will threaten to send them home. The kids freak out at this and will begin crying uncontrollably. But because I can't understand what she says to them I'm not really sure what she threatens them with, it may just be to send them to the director or something else. Either way it really gets them to behave.

A couple students that deserve some attention:

David (Pronounced Day-vid-jee)- I have mentioned this kid before but I have another story about him today so I thought I'd share. David is by far the most misbehaved out of all the students in my class. He is violent and aggressive, disobedient and defiant, unaffectionate, and just all around bad. Today he was bad as usual, running around like a mad man, randomly hitting kids at his convenience, and not listening to Lindalva when she tried to stop him. She took him and another disobedient boy out of the classroom and, I presume, to the director's office where she left them. A few minutes later, we all went to the room where lunch is served and the students ate their meals. After a short while I see David wandering around looking a little confused and lost and I asked him if he had eaten. He looked up at me and shook his head. I informed Lindalva and she is surprised and contrite and exlaims "Oh my God!" (a couple more English words I've heard her say), and ran to get him and the other kid food. As I handed them over their bowls of rice and beans with a dollop of some conglomeration of vegetables and mush with what I believe was liver, I really looked at David and simply saw a 4 year old who didn't get his lunch. It hit me then that behind this crazy, rascal, mean, violent kid is just a little boy who has a tough life and not enough to eat at home. I felt really guilty for being angry and fed up with him all the time. The director came up to me and told me that either he or the other one (I only understood so much) eats a lot because he doesn't have any food at his home. This was the first time the whole picture really became clear to me, and it hit me hard.

Ricalme (Pronounced Heh-cay-all-me)- By far the cutest one in the class, I love this kid. He's not necessarily very well behaved, but he is so darn cute and randomly affectionate that I forgive him his occasional acting out. I will often find him roaming the hall by himself when all the other students are in the classroom. He's generally not really doing anything, just kind of in his own little world.

This post is too long. I hope you enjoyed it. I will try to use my friend's computer more often so I can spit out some posts faster and more frequently so they're not so long. We're going to a Samba club tonight, so I should have some good stories soon!

Capirhnias and Cow Heads

Well, turns out I wasn't such a pansy for missing work last week. I tried to go to work on Tuesday and had to be picked up early. I went to the doctor that afternoon and found out I had a 103 degree fever and the doctor diagnosed me with bronchitis. I later got my blood tested and found out that I had/have a bacterial infection. I got antibiotics and a fever reducer and have been feeling a lot better. I missed 4 days of work though.

This weekend we didn't do too much. Thursday night we went for some drinks to say goodbye to two girls that were leaving. Saturday some of my friends went to a beach north of Salvador where there is a turtle reservation. I didn't know they were going until later in the week and it's a place where I want to spend a lot of time and plan a lot of activities. So my friend Karlie and I met the new people (we got 19 new volunteers!!) and walked around a little bit then went to the beach. Saturday night, our friend Tiago (pronounced Chiago) that lives here in Salvador took us to Rio Vermelho, which is a collection of restaurants that each have a whole bunch of outside seating. So we sat outside and enjoyed a few capirhnias as beers with the newbies. I was still tired and recovering so I retired fairly early.

Tuesday nights there is an outdoor festival of sorts in the neighborhood called Pelourihno. I wasn't able to go last week because of my disease, but I sure as heck went this week! And had double fun! The main square is encircled by little stands that sell capirhnias made with fresh fruit, beers, food, and other such goodies. There is also a live band and obvs plenty of room for dancing. It was a fun time, having drinks and attempting to samba.

This week at my placement was tough, but I think I'm getting better at handling myself if not the children. Every morning around 10 I think that I won't make it through the end of my seven weeks much less the day. The kids can just be so bad and it's hot and everything is so dirty and disgusting that it's hard for me to imagine that this place is a sanctuary for the kids, away from their homes which are probably in much worse conditions. The kids are so violent with each other. If something doesn't go their way they immediately hit the other kid that they're with. And hard. In the face, in the stomach, anywhere. One kid in particular is especially violent, David (pronounced David-jee). I just wonder why they are this way and what happens at home. I just found out the school will be going on a two week break later this month so I will have to pick another placement to work.

Today the program manager, Vini, took us on a little tour to an open air market. It was certainly not a tourist spot. It was a market that sells fruit, baskets, shrimp, herbs, and meat. Lots of meat. "Fresh" meat that's been sitting out all day hanging from grungy shacks with flies everywhere. I saw a cow head. There were also a lot of live animals that were sold there, chickens, doves, goats, for both eating and sacrificing. Then we got ice cream!!

Overall, the past two and a half weeks weeks have been an experience, I'm not sure I'd say it's good, necessarily, but certainly eye opening, challenging, buggy, new. But I'm glad I'm here for now. Many of my friends are leaving on Saturday so I'll let you know if I change my mind after that.