It has been really fun to be in Brazil during the World Cup and today's game was probably the most exciting and emotional soccer game that I have ever watched.  I saw Brazilians crying, praying and literally exploding with joy and relief when Brazil clinched the victory.



It has also been entertaining to see how much time and effort the locals put into representing their country in terms of fashion.  The biggest trends I've noticed for men are wearing Brazil jerseys and crazy hats.  The women, on the other hand, are way more dedicated and spend hours doing nails and Brazil flag-inspired makeup.



I did a double take at lunch today when my waitress blinked and I saw the image of the flag perfectly represented on her eyelids.  It's quite incredible, really.



But the nail art is over and above anything I've ever seen.  It's not hard to snag pictures of impressive nails and eyelids without being a creeper because my students post pictures of all of this excessively on Facebook. 


I get asked at least once a week why I don't wear makeup or do my nails.  I usually say that I don't have time or that I sweat so much in this crazy heat that it would just melt right off.  That doesn't stop me from looking at everyone else and admiring their game day flair, however.  The more games Brazil wins = the more national holidays we receive = the more time we have to do makeup and nails to cheer on Brazil.  It makes sense if you think about it.

One of the things that's very unique about the English Without Borders program at UFPA is the creativity.  It's very common for us to have class outside in one of the university gardens or under the gazebo along the river.  Last week, Sean, Ken and I went on a field trip with Professor Allana's class.  We took a boat ride across the river to nearby Combo Island where we went on a hike and had lunch, all while practicing English, of course.



The island was beautiful and even on our short hike we were able to see snakes, a giant tarantula and huge and very old trees.  For lunch we had shrimp, fried fish, rice, salad and açai.  Here in Pará, açai is not eaten like it is in Bahia (as ice cream with granola, honey and bananas).  Instead, it is eaten like a thick warm soup with puffed pieces of manioc flour.  Let's just say it takes some getting used to as it has a very raw and natural flavor (I have to dump sugar in mine in order to choke it down). 

 
It was a really fun afternoon and one that I hope can be repeated with more teachers and different classes.  We are in the last week of the semester and things are definitely feeling crazy.  Next week Sean and I are working with the Brazilian Youth Ambassador program in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy and then after that we have July off to relax and travel a bit.  As we approach the warmest time of the year, I am preparing for the hottest summer vacation that I've ever had in my life!

Our hiking group

One of the events that I arranged when our friend, Ken, was visiting us was a guided hike in the nearby Utinga wilderness.  We spent the better part of the morning hiking around in a hot and humid jungle while listening to our guide tell stories, give survival tips and point out interesting creatures that we would never have spotted otherwise.  He also knew the location of several safe swimming holes or igarapés as they are called here which allowed us some time to relax and cool off.

Sloths in the trees

The highlight of the hike for me was seeing sloths for the first time.  Even though they were high up in the trees it was still really cool to see their furry shapes and very slow movements.  We saw a family of five up in the trees which was very exciting.  Other memorable moments were seeing toucans and a gigantic tarantula. 

Meeting a recuperating owl

Interestingly, it is recommended to explore the park with a guide not because of the environment but because of other people.  The protected wilderness is used as an escape route and safe haven for drug addicts, thieves and prostitutes as it is right on the edge of some of the more dangerous neighborhoods in the city.  That being said, I was more than happy to be accompanied by a guide in full military gear who was definitely not messing around.

Another slot picture because they were so cool!

Arraial do Pavulagem - at the start (photo credit Eric Stoner)

June is not only a fun time to visit Brazil because of the World Cup, but also because of the traditional June festivals celebrating Saint John (São João).  These June festivals involve special foods made from corn, bonfires, lots of forró dancing and in Belém it includes the "Arraial do Pavulagem" which is a parade of dancing and drumming from the river to the main plaza in town.

Waiting for the cows to get off the boat - Photo credit Eric Stoner

The Arraial began today, the second Sunday in June and runs on every Sunday throughout the rest of the month.  Ken, Sean and I joined the parade from the beginning and marched all the way to the Praça da República.  Everyone wears straw hats with colored ribbons down the side and moves their feet with the beat.  There are dancers on stilts, drummers and musicians and lots of vendors selling cold drinks and popsicles on the side.

Getting ready for the parade - Photo Credit Eric Stoner

The most important part of the festival is the cow or "boi" as it is called here.  The cow is made out of paper maché and the person inside it makes it dance and twirl in a dizzy and impressive display.  There are also people dressed as cowboys that dance along with the boi, small children riding paper maché horses and others wearing large artsy heads or "cabecões."

Traditional June foods

Although the festival used to only be about St. John, the harvest and the cow, in Belém it has morphed into a display of Amazon culture, languages, music and religion.  Sean didn't buy a straw hat with ribbons, but he did buy a beer cozy shaped like a cow that hangs around your neck so you can dance while you are marching - very handy during a celebration like Arraial do Pavulagem in Belém where drinking and dancing are simultaneously required.

Walking in the parade - Photo Credit Eric Stoner

This past week has been a lot of fun because of the arrival of our friend, Ken, and the start of the World Cup.  We met Ken while teaching in China, became friends and kept in touch ever since.  Ken decided to visit us in Brazil during the World Cup because he is a huge fan of soccer and also had never been to Brazil before and wanted to see what it was all about.


He arrived a week ago and we have kept busy doing all of the touristy things that Belém has to offer (which isn't much).  Ken has tried some of the traditional indigenous foods, watched various types of dancing, visited some classes with me at UFPA, went on a rainforest hike, checked out some of the free parks and music performances and of course watched a fair amount of soccer.  We even went to one of the championship games between the two local teams here in Belém.

The opening day of the World Cup was a lot of fun.  We went to McDonald's and tried the special burgers, donned our Brazilian gear and headed to a friend's apartment to watch the game.  I think everyone was surprised that Croatia scored the first goal.  I thought the city would be a little crazier but everyone was pretty calm and there weren't any protests around here that I heard of.  Besides a few fireworks after each goal that Brazil scored and the occasional noise maker heard several stories up, the citizens of Belém went to bed happy, hoarse from cheering and ready to go to work hungover the next day.

I've posted before about how it's fun to see the menu changes in McDonald's from country to country and Brazil is no different.  The main change is in the breakfast choices.  The traditional breakfast here in the north of the country is coffee and milk and a form of toasted bread.  Thus, McDonalds offers grilled bread and pão de queijo, a type of extremely addicting cheesy buns.  Of course you can also order the national soda of choice, Kuat, a pop made from the Guaraná fruit, which is also deliciously addicting.

"Bread on the grill"

Cheese bread and coffee

More interestingly, however, are the new (and I think genius) menu items making an appearance just in time for the World Cup.  Every day of the week there is a sandwich designed for one of the countries participating in the sporting event.  Monday = McEspanha, Tuesday = McAlemanha (Germany), Wednesday = McFrança, Thursday = McItália, Friday = McArgentina, Saturday = McEUA (U.S.), and Sunday is McBrasil.  Each burger has the stereotypical elements from the country it represents.  For example, the American burger has bacon and bbq sauce, the Italian sandwich is essentially a pizza burger and the Brazil burger has regional cheese with the traditional vinagrete and mayonnaise.



The coolest move of Mickey D's? Making the bun in the shape of a soccer ball.  Nailed it.