I've mentioned before that everyone shares everything here: food, drinks, rides home etc.  True, we share things in the States as well but they take it to a whole different level in Brazil.  Take for example the the check at a restaurant.  Last Friday night a group of us went out for some drinks and snacks at an outdoor bar down town.  I had a couple of beers and some fries but many others in the group had rounds of shots, plates of food and bottle after bottle of beers.

Carol (neighbor/friend), me, Kali (Loni's boyfriend), Loni (my roommate)

When the time came for the check, the waitress simply totaled everything up and divided the number by how many people were at our table.  This is completely normal and has happened at every other meal/drinks I have been at so far.  It only surprised me that particular night because of the extreme disparities between what some people consumed compared with others.  This was only apparent to Loni and me, however; we were the only ones bothered by it and talked about it when we got home and emptied our depressing amounts of change on the table.

Watching some live music on the street to celebrate National Women's Day (which explains all of the female underthings)

I recall similar experiences in Chile and Argentina; when I would go out with a group of Chileans we would always share the bill equally.  They call it "hacer la vaca" and it was the norm there as well.  There is really no way around the current system without being rude or offensive, that I can see.  It's not custom for waiters to keep individual tallies and protesting the amount one has to pay in the group would create a scene and is totally uncool.  A tight-knit community who shares everything is great, but sometimes I do miss America's individualistic obsession.

With Ticiana and her daughter at their house - they wanted me to hold a replica of a cacao bean

Every day I am blown away by the friendliness of the people here.  I have always loved the warmth and hospitality that South Americans are famous for, but since I've only lived and worked in large capital cities; spending time in a small city and an even more intimate neighborhood is incredible and completely different.  Although Ilhéus is a popular tourist destination for Europeans, the residents do not seem jaded, frustrated or in any hurry to take advantage of visitors.  Whenever I have a problem the locals go over and above to help me out, explain things slowly and point me in the right direction.  It is a huge relief and I constantly find myself wondering if my community in Michigan would do the same.  I hope so.

Picnic lunch of homemade shrimp moqueca with bananas

Let me give you some examples.  On Monday, my first official day of classes, I had a morning class and an evening class.  Since the university is a hefty commute from where I live, I stayed there all day intending to study and lesson plan a bit.  I was never able to do either as from about 11:30-5:30 when I was sitting out in the common area I was entertained by many students who wanted to just chat and hang out, both in Portuguese and English.  It felt like musical chairs.  As soon as one student got up from my table another one would sit down.  I would say that it was like an extended version of "English Corner" in China but in this case the conversations were actually balanced, two-sided exchanges of information instead of just me feeling "on display."

In the backyard with Ticiana and her daughter

With regards to the faculty, they have been very welcoming as well.  I am very fortunate to be able to work with the director of the international relations department, Ticiana.  She approached me the very first time I was on campus, pulled me aside and said, "I know you are Sarah from Fulbright and that you have your Master's degree.  I need to learn to speak academic English.  Will you help me?"  We decided to do a language exchange and as she is a legit teacher, it has been excellent.  We spend four hours a week together and while I help her translate and pronounce journal articles about globalization, she helps me say things like, "Hello, my name is Sarah and I am from Michigan," in Portuguese.  After our first week of working together, she invited me to spend the whole day on Saturday with her family - I had a great time and it was a much-needed break to get out of the city.

Shalon and his mom after church - I love their colorful house!

After church the following day on Sunday, I was snagged by a family and invited home for lunch.  I am quickly discovering that "lunch" doesn't really mean just a meal but rather spending the whole day with the family.  As soon as we arrived at their house I was encouraged to take "um bahnozihno" (a little shower because it was so hot), given lots of fresh juices and received many apologies that the meal was too simple as they weren't planning on having company.  Again, I had a great time and was impressed by the effort and initiative that Brazilians put forth to make people feel at home.

Getting Sunday lunch ready

Beans, rice, chicken, noodles and vegetables

 When Ticiana was dropping me off on Sunday she said to me, "I have lived abroad before and I really know what it's like to be all alone in a new place.  It's important for us to have you over because I know how you must be feeling and we want to help you and welcome you."  She's absolutely right.  It is very important, it means a lot and I only hope I can pay it forward some day in the U.S. by welcoming foreign visitors in my house.

The best part - mango juice

It makes language teaching a whole lot more relevant and interesting when one is learning a new language herself as well.  I can understand 100% what my own students are going through as I am experiencing the same frustrations, embarrassment, pronunciation troubles and lapses in memory of vocabulary as they are.



My Portuguese learning is in high gear as I have discovered rather quickly that it's not possible to get around by solely speaking Spanish alone.  I am in the "Portuñol" stage where the best I can do is speak as much Portuguese as I know and then fill in the blanks with Spanish words pronounced in my best attempts of the Brazilian Portuguese accent. It's not pretty.

Right now I feel like where I'm at with learning Portuguese is both super annoying and really exciting.  It's annoying because I communicate like a toddler - slow and stuttering while people patiently smile and nod in encouragement.  But it's exciting as well because my linguistic knowledge just about doubles every day and I can literally see and feel myself being able to speak better as time goes by. 


I'm practicing by doing language exchanges with students and professors, working through books, listening to podcasts and making flashcards.  Loni and I have also labeled our entire house with helpful little green stickers.  This means that I can tell you all the vocabulary for toothbrush, bed, sink, door, stove etc. but not anything else that I might actually use on a day to day basis.  The main ingredient for effective language learning? Patience.

I get asked about Sean here all the time since the students and professors know that I'm married.  They want to know, "Where is he?" "Why isn't he here?" "When is he coming?" "What is he doing now?" "What is he like?" "Does he want to come to Brazil?"  Everyone is extremely curious so much so that on our bulletin board Sean has his own little picture and bio, which he was probably not aware of until now . . .  We can't wait until you get here, Sean!

Way to order the girly drinks Brandon and Sean

Sean and I talk pretty much every day via Skype which has been really nice.  He is busy and doing fine in Laramie, Wyoming and looking forward to actually starting conservation work.  Right now he works as an office assistant in the morning for some extra cash and goes to conservation/leadership and Portuguese classes in the evenings.  He also has two Portuguese tutors that he meets with a few times a week.  He'll be starting his AmeriCorps volunteer hours at some local places this month but the real outdoor work begins in May.  Many weekends he and the 11 other crew leaders have to participate in practice work camps called "mini hitches" in various places in Wyoming.  During his free weekends Sean has enjoyed visiting friends in Fort Collins and Denver. From what I hear, it's been going ok with this roommates as well.  They like to go to trivia night at one of the bars in town and they play a lot of Catan as it's too cold to do much else.

Biking around Ft. Collins and visiting the breweries

Though I bug him to take pictures of his current adventure in Wyoming, Sean, unfortunately, is not an eager photographer.  I have to find ways to get them from his friends - thanks Brandon! 

One of the most striking characteristics I've noticed during my two weeks so far in Ilhéus is the strong presence of community.  I see it in my neighborhood of Pontal where everybody knows everybody and among students at UESC who are extremely loyal and close with each other after spending years together in the exact same classes.

Pontal is a tight-knit neighborhood right on the ocean and the bay.  I am within walking distance of everything including banks, grocery stores, public schools, beaches, restaurants, barber shops, parks and gyms.  When we moved in, our landlord said, "Give it about 20 minutes and everyone will know that two American girls moved in to the apartment on Rua Barão."  He was right.  We were greeted and welcomed here with such wide open arms that I still find it hard to believe.  Groups of people swing by and either yell at the balcony, clap their hands at the windows or bang on the door to invite us to the beach, out to dinner or to go to a dance or capoeira class.  We have been accepted as part of the gang without question and without motive (i.e. English practice, U.S. exposure etc.)

After the feijoada at the beach

The students at UESC have already filled our Facebook event calendars with parties, barbecues, Vegas Nights and sporting events to the point that I find myself wondering, "Do these students actually study at the university?"  I am assured that they do, in fact, study but since it's the beginning of the semester there is not much going on that is too academically strenuous.  We'll see if anything changes come the end of the term in June.  Also, I should point out that it's completely normal here to party with your professors.  Case in point, the middle-aged Spanish prof is having a big party in two weeks and everyone in both departments is invited.  It's rumored to be a big one.

I was reminded of community in another way at last week's two-day birthday bash at a hostel and beach in the nearby town of Olivença.  The students were having a feijoada which is cooking a big feast of beans and some sort of meat in a large pot and then serving it over rice.  After sharing food from the huge communal pot, I was chided slightly for grabbing a beer on my own. A senior student who had just returned from studying abroad in the States told me that in Brazil it's most common and acceptable to pass out small cups and then when someone grabs a new beer they pour it out and share it all around.  Sure enough.  I looked around and everyone was drinking beer out of small cups, nobody was drinking a can on their own.  Similarly, in capoeira class, whoever brings water is expected to share it with everyone else.  All the water bottles are placed in a certain part of the room and anyone can help themselves to any bottle at any time.  Sharing everything whether it be information, water, beans or beer is the normal and expected way of life here.



"You Americans," the friend who scolded me said, "You always have to do everything on your own and be such an individual.  We think it's better to share and do everything as a group."  Looks like I'm going to have to buck up, get over my fear of other peoples' germs and bring a bottle to pass at capoeira class.

Entrance to UESC

The university where we will be working is called the Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz but most everybody here calls it "Wes-Ski" from its acronym, UESC.  UESC is a well-known and fairly decent State university in Brazil.  Most of the better universities in Brazil are federal ones which are currently on strike; the majority of the current Fulbrighters are at federal universities and will have an even longer time than usual getting started.




UESC has about 10,000 graduate and undergraduate students and is best known for its programs in biology and law.  The departments that we work in are best translated as language arts and international relations.  Loni and I will be teaching optional English classes for beginning, intermediate and advanced students of English.  We will also be giving cultural talks/activities each month and working with the local public school teachers during their monthly inservices.



Each student at UESC is very happy to be there as there are limited spots available and tuition is free at the university level in Brazil.  To gain a spot, each student has to pass a difficult and long test called the Vestibular.  Like the Chinese Gaokao test, the Vestibular literally determines the course of life and the future success of the student.  Our job is to help the students pass the similarly rigorous English tests required to study abroad and also to gain confidence speaking English in general. 

Loni walking around our department

The kitchen with washing area and drying rack

 
We were told it was quite difficult to find decent housing in Ilhéus and the previous Fulbrighters recommended getting in touch with the landlord that they worked with.  A very helpful student, Shalon, contacted us before we got to Brazil and started looking at housing possiblities for us and got in touch with the landlord.  When he found out that one of the past participant's apartments was still available, he set up a time for us to meet with the landlord right when our plane landed in Ilhéus.  With the help of Shalon and our coordinators who translated for us, we negotiated the rental agreement and moved in right away.

My bedroom - Loni's is exactly the same

The apartments in Ilhéus are very basic: no hot water, tile floors, simple furniture, small rooms, little or no appliances and no air conditioning.  Our apartment has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, a living room and a little porch/dining room.  We are very lucky to have a simple washer and ceiling fans in our rooms - a huge bonus.  Our apartment includes internet and for that plus rent we pay 800 Reais/month which is about $400 USD (considered a little pricey for this area).  We are also responsible for gas, water and electricity.  You can't drink the water from the tap in Brazil so we have large bottles delivered to our apartment by one of the many "moto-boys" here.  Each large bottle costs about $3 USD.

The bathroom

So far life in the apartment has been fine.  I've lived with many different roommates in the past and this experience is not different than any other; we are each getting used to the other one's quirks and habits.  Our landlord is a jovial older man who is usually shirtless and barefoot and who works in the first floor in the apartment below us.  In addition to renting properties he makes brooms for a living. He is generally very helpful, but like any other situation here, he takes a long time to get things done/changed/fixed.  Loni and I practice daily the P's of living abroad: patience, persistence and politeness.  For example, we are currently waiting for our rental agreement in writing (so we can get a registered tax ID number - requirement to get a cell number), an additional set of keys, some working outlets and a washer that functions. 

Porch area - a lot of people have hammocks here - the stairs go down to the street

Hallway to the kitchen - bathrooms and bedrooms are on the right

Overall I'm happy with the apartment; it's clean, newer, on the 2nd floor, close to the bus stops and close to the beaches.  And I must not forget that as an added bonus we will never run out of brooms.

Dining room/living room