Happy Birthday Sao Paulo!

Today is the aniversario of the largest city in South America, which makes me happy because I don't have to get up and go to class today. Happy birthday Sao Paulo! I'm not sure exactly how you determine the birthday of a city, but can you really have enough birthdays in your life? We need to carry this tradition over to the US.

Another eventful week in the SP. Since my last post, I've gotten a chance to visit the farmer's market that is held every Tuesday near PUC. It's called o dia de feria, which literally means "day of the fair." On "the day of the fair," produce vendors set up their tents along the street to sell fresh fruits, vegetables and other goods. It reminds me a little of the Auburn Free Fall Fair except the food is much healthier and only a handful of vendors give off that creepy carnie vibe.

The fruit selection is excellent - fresh pineapple, mangoes, papayas, bananas, you name it. There are some fruits I've never even heard of. You can also buy all kinds of juices including coconut juice and this kind of sugar cane concoction. (I tasted both and decided they would only be appealing if I was one of the survivors on Lost.)

As I learned the hard way, prices are negociable at the market, and vendors will try to squeeze every last penny out of you - especially if you are an American. I decided to buy four plums and three nectarines last Tuesday. The vendor was generous, offering me several sample slices of his produce. He practically forced a couple of cherries down my throat. "That's it," I told him pointing to the bag of plums and nectarines.

"Vinte reais," he said. That's over $1o, and I automatically peaked into my wallet to pay the man! Luckily, I wasn't carrying much money, and when I said I didn't have 20 reais he quickly took the 15 that I did. He probably would have taken 10 or less if I had had the sense to barter. Next time, I'm going in with a game plan.

I continue to be horrified by the way people drive around here. Last week, I was walking across the street between lanes of traffic when a motoboy nearly put me on the pavement. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm new to the concept of traffic between traffic. Here in the SP, I'm quickly learning to look both ways before you look both ways.

On another recent morning, I was lying in bed when the squeal of tires and a loud crash could be heard from my bedroom on the eighteenth floor. The only thought that came to my mind before readjusting the pillow? I told you so.

On Saturday, I took a day trip with a few friends to the beaches of Guaraja. It's about an hour and a half bus ride from Sao Paulo. The ride to the coast cuts through some really mountainous and beautiful terrain. It felt really good to get reacquainted with trees again. Unfortunately, it rained nearly the entire time drive up to Guaraja, and it was still raining when we were dropped off. By the time we reached the beach, however, the rain had begun to subside, and it was pleasant weather for the most part the rest of the day. We camped out under a parasol on the beach and relaxed.

There were some really gnarly waves a few yards out from the shore that made the water fun and refreshing. Several beach-goers rode the waves on body boards and there were a few surfers. Many of these waves passed over my head, so you know they had to decent swells. Even in the overcast weather, I manages to get a slight sunburn in a few spots that I failed to cover with sunscreen. Oh well, I'm sure there are more than a few people in Indiana that would take on a little discomfort for a day at the beach in January.

I also attended my first Brazilian professional soccer match last weekend. The off and on rain showers definitely put a damper on the experience, but I think my expectations were a little unrealistic going into it. If you would like to read more about this experience, I wrote in-depth about it for the Indiana Daily Student.

What I really would like to do is attend an intercity rivalry game in Sao Paulo. They are uber-intense. Today, one American student had to be escorted by security guards on the metro to avoid getting the snot beat out of him because he was wearing the wrong team's soccer jersey at the wrong time in the wrong place. He was very lucky to make it home unscathed.

Due to an unexpected development, I have to seek another place to live for the rest of my time in Brazil. My two former roommates Paulo and Fabio had to take in Fabio's mother, who is recovering from kidney stones, on short notice. Currently, I am living in a castle-like house on top of a hill with a family of three and another American student.

My host dad is a professor that houses international students on the side. I think I'm like student number 23 in the record book. There are at least four rooms set aside to house guests in this fort, and it's run as smoothly as a bed and breakfast. The cold stone floors, steep winding stairs and granite chandeliers are actually growing on me. The moat and draw bridge surrounding the house seems a little much though. (That was a joke.)

Yesterday, we took a gander at the Portuguese Language Museum, which was constructed in a renovated train station. It was actually an interesting experience, but our group didn't have nearly enough time to explore. Portuguese is a continually evolving language much like English with influences from many different cultures. It is obvious that even though many Brazilians learn English, they are really proud of their native tongue. Language really is a central expression of culture, and no one can truly understand this place until they understand the subtleties Brazilian-Portuguese.

Right now, I'm in the process of planning for Carnaval, which is less than a month away. As of today, I will be taking an 11-hour bus ride south to the coastal city of Florianopolis and possibly making my way to the waterfalls of Iguacu. That would be amazing.

Tomorrow our group is taking a four-day trip to the historic city called Paraty on the coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Supposedly, there are nice beaches and good hiking trails, so I am really looking forward to this excursion. As always, I will let you know if it lives up to the hype.

Last but not least, I was able to watch parts of the AFC-NFC championship games. Yes, this is the Super Bowl I've been waiting twenty years for. Yes, its ironic that I am half a world away. And yes, I will miss those multimillion dollar commercials. Someone better tape the game for me.